There was more than one Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass! In addition to the one lured out by him, there was another one lurking in the shadows.
Yang Kai even felt that this Royal Lord’s aura was somewhat familiar. It was as if they had met somewhere previously.
Yang Kai did not have time to ponder over the issue as he poured even more strength into the Great Sun as he thrust his spear towards the Territory Lord. The huge Black Ink Cloud instantly disintegrated as if the powerful Innate Territory Lord was struck by lightning. He spurted black blood and flew out even faster than he emerged, his body completely charred.
He was severely wounded in just one blow.
He had heard about Yang Kai’s ability to kill his fellow Territory Lords in just three moves but believed all that was hearsay and rumours. Now that he was on the receiving end of this killing star, he realized just how powerless he was.
How could such a Master be born among the Human Race?
The only thing the Territory Lord was glad about at this moment was that Yang Kai did not cast his Soul Secret Technique, otherwise he was certain he would already be dead.
The shockwave from the clash soon hit the High-Rank Black Ink Nest below, causing all the Black Ink Clan’s nerves to tense up.
However, the impact was not too powerful, and the Black Ink Nest remained unharmed.
Nearby Territory Lords who had formed a Four Symbols Formation rushed towards Yang Kai while the Royal Lord’s aura was also approaching rapidly. He would be in grave danger if he was to engage four Territory Lords and a Royal Lord.
Furthermore, the moment he attacked the Black Ink Nest, he sensed that more than 10 Territory Lords were flying over from all directions, each holding an Array Banner in their hands. From the way they positioned themselves, it was obvious that they were going to set up the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array.
The Black Ink Clan’s response was truly swift, as if they had rehearsed it countless times. No matter which direction Yang Kai attacked from, he would be vulnerable to this trap.
Yang Kai knew that this was no time to dwell on the Territory Lords who had formed a Battle Formation. He had no way to deal with them quickly unless he activated the Soul Rending Thorns; however, that would only damage his Soul and force him to withdraw for an extended time.
It would be suicidal if he lost control again like what happened back in the Ancestral Land.
Thus, he made a quick decision and thrust his spear fiercely at the Black Ink Nest below before immediately surging Space Principles to leave using Instantaneous Movement.
The four Territory Lords who had formed the Battle Formation had already sprinted to the fight, but Yang Kai still disappeared right before their eyes. Mo Na Ye also stopped in place and stared in disbelief. The Territory Lords who were holding up the Array Banners were still getting into position as they had yet to notice Yang Kai had already escaped.
Only the Territory Lord who was wounded by Yang Kai’s Golden Crow Casts the Sun, roared angrily. Disregarding his own serious injuries, he rammed himself at the spear shadow that Yang Kai left behind.
This spear shadow would surely hit the High-Rank Black Ink Nest if he did not block it with his body…
His heart was filled with grief and rage, but there was nothing more he could do. He barely managed to condense a Black Ink Cloud before being run through.
He had already absorbed a killing strike from Yang Kai, and now was forced to take a second. No Territory Lord was unluckier than him today and he finally understood why it was said that Innate Territory Lords could be killed by Yang Kai in just three moves!
He might have lasted longer if he was in a direct fight with Yang Kai and there were no distractions, but the result would not have been much better.
With such an injury, it would take him at least a few hundred years of hibernation and recuperation to recover.
“Stop him!” Mo Na Ye suddenly roared in a certain direction.
Though Yang Kai disappeared using Instantaneous Movement, he did not move too far away; instead, he appeared on the opposite side of the No-Return Pass where another High-Rank Black Ink Nest lay and launched an attack.
There were also Territory Lords guarding these Nests, so when they heard Mo Na Ye’s order and felt Yang Kai’s aura, they did not hesitate, rushing out from their hiding place as their auras quickly linked together.
Yang Kai did not even look at them and just as he had previously done, he summoned a spear, raised the Great Sun as the Golden Crow shrieked, and blasted it towards the High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
This time, no Territory Lord was rushing out of the Black Ink Nest to block it. The Great Sun flew towards the Black Ink Nest while Mo Na Ye, who was rushing over, instantly roared furiously, “Courting death!”
He ordered the four Territory Lords nearby, “Protect the Nest!”
The four Territory Lords hastily activated their Secret Techniques to intercept the Great Sun and managed to land some impacts on the Great Sun, causing its light to dim and its course to be thrown off.
It was just in time as the Great Sun broke apart and, though the Black Ink Nest shook a few times, it remained safe and sound.
All from the Black Ink Clansmen heaved a sigh of relief as Mo Na Ye dashed towards Yang Kai as fast as he could. The four Territory Lords in Formation had not reached Yang Kai and were trying to pin him down.
They did not need to hold him for too long, just a few breaths would be enough for Mo Na Ye to arrive.
Yang Kai would naturally not give them this opportunity and used Space Principles to disappear again, only to appear at a different location.
A Great Sun rose into the sky as the Golden Crow reappeared…
All the Territory Lords suddenly felt exhausted while Mo Na Ye felt overwhelmed. Facing such an unpredictable opponent, they found they could not restrict his movements and trap him regardless of how many experts they had.
All the Territory Lords were basically like puppets that Yang Kai could manipulate at will. When Yang Kai went east, all of them headed east. When Yang Kai went west, all of them went west.
Furthermore, Yang Kai was so strong that the Territory Lords had to form a Four Symbols Formation before they even dared to take him on.
Time and time again, Yang Kai flickered around the No-Return Pass, summoning one Great Sun after another and causing huge explosions wherever he went.
Each time he tried to destroy a Black Ink Nest though, his attack would be intercepted or disrupted by the nearby Territory Lords. This could not be helped as there were just too many Territory Lords in the No-Return Pass. No matter which direction he went, there were always Territory Lords to block him.
Mo Na Ye also played a big role by coordinating them.
However, Yang Kai’s purpose had already been achieved.
These multiple attempts to destroy High-Rank Black Ink Nests were not just about trying to cause damage but were also to check if there were other Royal Lords hidden here.
The answer was no!
If there really was a third Royal Lord, he would not be able to resist coming out to fight Yang Kai after he repeatedly attacked so many Black Ink Nests.
If there was another Royal Lord, when supplemented by the many Territory Lords, they would have a far better chance to take him down.
Thus, Yang Kai’s previous assumptions about the Black Ink Clan’s creation of Royal Lords were not too far off.
The Black Ink Clan indeed had some means to create Royal Lords, but the price to pay was far too great; so, under normal circumstances, they would refrain from doing this unless absolutely necessary.
Over the years, the Black Ink Clan did not use such means and only created Di Wu as Yang Kai had been in a kind of trance as he cultivated in the Ancestral Land.
Now, the Black Ink Clan had created another one for some reason, perhaps to guard against Yang Kai causing trouble at the No-Return Pass.
The Royal Lord he lured out should be returning soon, so there was no time for Yang Kai to dwell on the issue.
This time, Yang Kai did not disappear immediately after launching his initial attack. Instead, he rushed towards a High-Rank Black Ink Nest with his spear.
Mo Na Ye’s pupils suddenly constricted and he yelled from afar, “Yang Kai, you dare?!”
Yang Kai laughed and roared, “Open your eyes and see if I dare!”
The four nearby Territory Lords were so dumbfounded that Yang Kai easily slipped around their Battle Formation and reached the top of Black Ink Nest.
“Kill him!” Mo Na Ye yelled again.
The four Territory Lords reacted almost on instinct and each blasted Yang Kai with their Secret Techniques.
The void was violently shaken by the intense power and the majestic Black Ink Nest disintegrated from the subsequent explosion. The faces of the Black Ink Clansmen turned pale as they looked at the crumbling Black Ink Nest in disbelief. Mo Na Ye raged furiously until his eyes were bloodshot and he used a special technique to boost his speed.
Yang Kai stood amid the collapsing Black Ink Nest as blood trickled from the corner of his lips. He was injured by the four Territory Lord’s attacks. Before he could steady himself though, a beam of Black Ink Strength furiously shot at him from afar.
Yang Kai’s body was now covered with fine Dragon Scales, so he did not panic in the face of this terrifying attack. Drawing World Force from his Small Universe to protect himself, he thrust out his spear.
The explosion and shock waves spread out. Yang Kai rode the shockwaves out as his fine Dragon Scales bristled in a golden light, though they quickly dimmed and he spat out a mouthful of Golden Blood.
His defence was barely able to absorb the Royal Lord’s angry blow. Yang Kai was lucky that his Dragon Form had become far more powerful than before and was just a step away from becoming a Divine Dragon. His physique was far more resistant to such attacks than previously.
The aura of the Royal Lord who had been lured away by Yang Kai appeared in the distance at that moment and was approaching rapidly.
Just in time!
While risking serious injury, Yang Kai wanted to send a message to the Black Ink Clan that one Royal Lord alone was insufficient to stop him from destroying the Black Ink Nests here.
Yang Kai surged his Space Principles and used Instantaneous Movement but did not go too far, he moved just 1 million kilometres out before he turned around to look towards the No-Return Pass.
The Territory Lords were about to chase, but Mo Na Ye raised his hand and warned, “Don’t pursue him!”
The Territory Lords actually heaved a sigh of relief and settled down.
When the Royal Lord returned, he sensed Yang Kai’s aura from afar, but did not move towards him as he knew doing so was futile.
He looked around to assess the situation at the No-Return Pass and his mood instantly became very gloomy.
Two High-Rank Black Ink Nests were destroyed! A Black Ink Nest was destroyed even though Mo Na Ye was here at the No-Return Pass. He was very upset about this.
He expected to see Mo Na Ye and the Territory Lords besieging Yang Kai when he returned, but it turned out to only be wishful thinking.
Sensing the Royal Lord’s displeasure, Mo Na Ye could only bow and apologize for what had happened.
The Royal Lord did not say a word, as although he was very angry, he still understood Mo Na Ye had done his best. Facing an enemy like Yang Kai, even he was not certain he could have done better under the circumstances.
Mo Na Ye and the Royal Lord communicated with each other for a while at the No-Return Pass. Yang Kai only saw the Royal Lord looking troubled and occasionally looking at him and nodding slightly. No one knew what they were discussing.
With the Royal Lord’s permission, Mo Na Ye turned around and headed outside the No-Return Pass.
It seemed he wanted to have a good talk with Yang Kai…
Although the Black Ink Clan had two Royal Lords here, they had still suffered a loss. Though their losses were significant, their overall combat strength had not weakened considerably.
In such an environment, it was unfortunate for them that the No-Return Pass was targeted by a Human Master like Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not leave the No-Return Pass immediately; instead, he gave the Black Ink Clan a chance to talk to him.
Yang Kai stood in the void calmly. Even though he had been injured from the battle, he had no intention of running away.
He had the confidence to stand there.
He would have fled long ago if he was facing a Royal Lord 3,000 years ago.
Mo Na Ye did not go too far, coming to a stop at the periphery of the No-Return Pass. He meant to show his goodwill that he was not going to attack Yang Kai. Nonetheless, he was on guard against any surprise attack the other party might launch on the No-Return Pass, however unlikely the possibility.
Looking at each other, Mo Na Ye cupped his fist and said politely, “Sir Yang Kai, we meet again.”
“Mo Na Ye,” Yang Kai greeted him and narrowed his eyes slightly. Yang Kai felt that familiar aura and then recognized who he was.
Yang Kai had dealt with this Black Ink Clansman several times previously.
Among all the information that the Human Race had on the Black Ink Clan, Mo Na Ye was one of the individuals that they most focused on. Not only because he was among the strongest of the Innate Territory Lords, but also because he seemed far more intelligent than the others.
Every time he was sent to a Great Territory Battlefield to act as Commander, he showed incredible aptitude in positioning troops and launching attacks. He was responsible for severe Human losses.
He was also the Black Ink Clan’s primary negotiator during the peace talks between the two Races.
Yang Kai did not expect to see him at the No-Return Pass, and certainly not as a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
Based on the encounter they just had, Yang Kai knew that Mo Na Ye was difficult to handle. Not only due to his strength, but also due to his tactical and strategic acumen. It was clearly Mo Na Ye who organized the Territory Lords in advance at the No-Return Pass, a major factor in disrupting his efforts to destroy Black Ink Nests.
Yang Kai judged that he was dealing with an intelligent and dangerous opponent.
Mo Na Ye smiled and respectfully, “It’s an honour that Sir Yang remembers my name!”
It was as if the previous battle had never happened and they were old friends catching up.
[He’s even adept at politics and diplomacy!] Yang Kai thought and frowned.
In response, Yang Kai scoffed and said, “I hope you will feel honoured when I kill you one day!”
Mo Na Ye laughed and said, “Sir Yang really has a great sense of humour. It is well known that you have no hope of becoming a Ninth Order while I, Mo Na Ye… have already become a Royal Lord. Sir Yang Kai, how do you intend to kill me?”
This was true. Although he could not do anything to Yang Kai, the opposite was also true. He used to be afraid of Yang Kai when he was an Innate Territory Lord, but now he no longer was, and that feeling was only reinforced after he witnessed Yang Kai scurry around and avoid him during their battle instead of engaging him directly.
This was also the reason why Mo Na Ye went to great lengths to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord. If he was still just an Innate Territory Lord, he would not have the courage or capital to stand and talk to Yang Kai as there would always be a risk of being killed when he spoke directly to this killing star.
“Wasn’t Di Wu a Royal Lord?” Yang Kai said with a sneer.
Mo Na Ye was instantly dumbfounded when he realized that he had forgotten all about this point and cursed Di Wu in his heart for being such a fool and bringing shame to the Black Ink Clan.
Mo Na Ye became impatient with their exchange and fumed that he had to continue talking with Yang Kai. This was not something that the Black Ink Clan was good at. The Human Race had always been better at verbal sparring and outwitting the Black Ink Clan. Finally, Mo Na Ye lost his patience and shouted, “Sir Yang, you came to the No-Return Pass to kill our Territory Lords and destroy our Black Ink Nests even when we still have an agreement between our Races. You have violated the terms of the agreement and yet Your Excellency is so blatant about it. Don’t you think that you have gone too far?”
Yang Kai almost laughed.
He did not expect Mo Na Ye to lose his cool from just a little prodding.
“So what?” Yang Kai raised his chin and said arrogantly, “You cannot stop this King from sweeping through the Great Territory Battlefields and killing all of your Territory Lords!”
“You dare?!” The real Royal Lord of the Black Ink Clan roared furiously from the No-Return Pass.
“Just wait and see!” As Yang Kai said that, he turned around and the void started to ripple around him as he surged his Space Principles.
“Don’t leave, Sir Yang! Listen to what I have to say first!” Mo Na Ye shouted at the top of his lungs.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at him and said coldly, “What?”
Mo Na Ye cupped his fist respectfully, signalling him to wait a moment. He then turned to bow towards the No-Return Pass and communicated with the Royal Lord to calm him down.
This caused Yang Kai’s eyes to narrow slightly, and he found the situation rather interesting.
The Black Ink Clan did not care about seniority or etiquette. While the Royal Lord of the No-Return Pass had done a great service to the Black Ink Clan for many years, Mo Na Ye was now also a Royal Lord who was almost on par with him; thus, there was no need for Mo Na Ye to be that respectful of him.
Looking at Mo Na Ye’s actions though, he still seemed to be a subordinate to the Royal Lord.
Thus, it must be related to their strength. Although Mo Na Ye was now a Royal Lord, he didn’t seem to be a true Royal Lord. Just like Di Wu, he could only use some 70% to 80% of the strength a Royal Lord should be able to produce.
Yang Kai had now decided to address a being like Mo Na Ye as Pseudo-Royal Lord to differentiate them from the real Royal Lords.
Moments later, Mo Na Ye ended his conversation with the Royal Lord, who was clearly extremely disgruntled. He wanted so much to join forces with Mo Na Ye to capture Yang Kai right now, but Mo Na Ye was right. Without the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array set up, the chances of them capturing Yang Kai were basically zero, even if they combined forces.
Worse, as soon as they completely fell out with Yang Kai here, he would no longer have to restrain his actions, which was not what the Black Ink Clan wanted. The reason they had to negotiate peace with the Human Race on a large scale was because the Territory Lords were all at serious risk of being killed by Yang Kai, otherwise, Black Ink Clan would not have restricted themselves when they had the advantage.
It was difficult to describe just how frustrating it was that one person managed to influence the Black Ink Clan’s plan to unify everything under the Heavens.
Moreover, he was even more powerful than before and could now kill Territory Lords essentially effortlessly.
So, no matter how unwilling he was, he could not let Yang Kai leave, even though Mo Na Ye knew that Yang Kai was just pretending to leave.
If he left, all the Territory Lords across the Great Territory Battlefields could only retreat to their camps and not reveal themselves.
The peace agreement still benefited both sides, the evidence was how many Masters both Races had accumulated over the past 3,000 years.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Sir Yang,” Mo Na Ye turned and said apologetically to Yang Kai.
“Say whatever you want, but if you upset this King again, I’ll go kill 100 Territory Lords to relieve my anger!”
Mo Na Ye frowned as he knew that the Black Ink Clan’s previous actions had truly annoyed Yang Kai and he could not do anything about it.
Instead of blowing up though, he just smiled and said, “Sir Yang, although the Human Race and Black Ink Clan have fought for many years, there is currently an understanding between us. My generation has admired Sir Yang for a long time and do not wish to fall out with you here.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly when he noticed that Mo Na Ye seemed humble, even apprehensive towards him.
This sly and smooth-talking Pseudo-Royal Lord would become a difficult character to deal with in the future if he was not killed soon.
While bravery and strength were essential to winning a battle, knowing when to advance and retreat was essential to winning a war.
“So, the Black Ink Clan intends to get rid of this King as soon as they can?” Yang Kai questioned in a deep voice.
Mo Na Ye immediately appeared solemn and sighed, “So, Sir Yang Kai is really here because of this.”
He looked as if he had expected this and also appeared sad, “I, Mo Na Ye, wish to provide an explanation to Your Excellency regarding the recent unpleasantness.”
“Go ahead. I’m all ears,” Yang Kai grinned, interested to see where the conversation would lead and how Mo Na Ye intended to resolve this situation.
Mo Na Ye continued, “Earlier at the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, a faction of my Black Ink Clan saw an opportunity and acted impulsively, completely without authorization. Please believe me when I say that they were acting on their own and not on orders of Sir Royal Lord. During that time, Sir Royal Lord was in retreat and entrusted all outside affairs to Di Wu… who was killed by you in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.”
It was always convenient to blame the dead.
Yang Kai was naturally not a fool to be manipulated by Mo Na Ye with such words. Unfortunately, since Di Wu was dead, the truth of the matter died with him.
Mo Na Ye continued, “Di Wu had always been aggressive and prone to using force to solve problems, but in this case, he has caused trouble and undermined the peace agreement between our two Races, sullying the Black Ink Clan’s honour in the process. Thus, his death is not worth pitying. Sir Yang has done us all a great favour by killing him. If he hadn’t died in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, Sir Royal Lord would have taken his life as punishment for provoking the Humans and Your Excellency!
Yang Kai barely contained his urge to laugh out loud.
If someone uninformed heard this speech, they might have thought that the Black Ink Clan was some kind of benevolent Race who treated others with honesty and respect.
Mo Na Ye swallowed both his dignity and pride to speak with Yang Kai like this. It would be impossible to find another Pseudo-Royal Lord who was willing to act so humbly to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
All this only made Yang Kai more determined to kill Mo Na Ye. He had to seize any opportunity to eradicate this Pseudo-Royal Lord as soon as possible. Mo Na Ye was undoubtedly a Black Ink Clansman on the inside, but on the outside he was as shameless and cunning as any Human.
In short, this guy was very difficult to deal with.
“Di Wu is now dead, and the Territory Lords who went to the Ancestral Land were also killed by you. So, it is the Black Ink Clan who suffered a heavy loss!” Mo Na Ye sighed.
Yang Kai snarled in return, “Why shouldn’t I have killed Di Wu and those eight Territory Lords? Should I have stuck out my neck to let them chop my head off instead?”
“That’s not what I meant,” Mo Na Ye waved his hand, “I just want to say that their death isn’t worth us fighting over. I just hope that their death can also calm your anger and allow this matter to rest. What do you say?”
“What do I say?” Yang Kai turned furious and then snapped, “If this is what you want to tell me, then save it! I will go back to the 3,000 Worlds and kill 100 Territory Lords to vent my fury!”
“Ha… very well,” Mo Na Ye smiled bitterly and said, “If it were me, I would not let this issue rest either. We both know that the peace treaty cannot be torn up right now, so let us see if we can come to some kind of arrangement. Sir Yang is undoubtedly unrivaled on the external battlefields as my Black Ink Clan does not have enough Royal Lords. Many Territory Lords would indeed die at your hands; however, once an all-out war breaks out, the future of your Eighth-Order Masters will be equally perilous. I believe that this is not the outcome the Human Race wants to see.”
“Threatening me is meaningless!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “If a war is what you want, then that is what you will get. We’ll see whether your Territory Lords or our Eighth-Order Masters are wiped out first! Regardless of the outcome, I know I won’t be the one to die!”
Mo Na Ye was dumbfounded. Indeed, with Yang Kai’s methods, no matter what kind of war broke out, the chance of being killed was minute, unless the Black Ink Clan created a few more Pseudo-Royal Lords to corner him.
However, right now, the number of Black Ink Clan Innate Territory Lords could hardly support the creation of more Pseudo-Royal Lords. The Acquired Territory Lords could certainly perform the Source Fusion Techniques, but these seedlings were the future hope of the Black Ink Clan to produce true Royal Lords, so how could they be willing to sacrifice them?
“Sir Yang, why don’t you state your request openly,” Mo Na Ye gave up trying to negotiate with Yang Kai as it was clearly not working. The Black Ink Clan could not emerge unscathed from this it seemed.
Yang Kai had already prepared for this and said indifferently, “Those who are responsible should be punished. Di Wu and eight Territory Lords who attacked me that day may be dead, but there were 12 other Territory Lords who escaped. Where are they now?”
Mo Na Ye was shocked that Yang Kai had such a big appetite. He clearly wanted to kill those 12 Territory Lords to appease his anger, but even if the Black Ink Clan agreed to his demand, it was now impossible to find those 12 Territory Lords.
“Sir Yang Kai, if you want those 12 Territory Lords’ heads, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.” Mo Na Ye sighed, “After they escaped, Sir Royal Lord ordered them to be executed as a sign of his determination to uphold the agreement between the two Races!”
“Executed?” Yang Kai was a bit stunned, but when he thought back on the earlier battle, he realized that he had not detected any of those 12 Territory Lords’ auras.
He was not familiar with the 12 Territory Lords who fled; however, he encountered all of them when he probed the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array in the Ancestral Land. For a Master like him, once he met a Territory Lord, it was impossible to forget their aura after a mere 100 years.
In their recent battle, all the Territory Lords at the No-Return Pass had to have been deployed to fight. The 12 Territory Lords couldn’t be hiding from him.
As for the claim that the Royal Lord executed those 12 Territory Lords just to maintain the peace between the two Races, Yang Kai would be a fool to believe Mo Na Ye.
The Royal Lord couldn’t do such a thing to weaken his forces and their morale. At most he would send them to the six Great Territory Battlefields as a punishment to redeem themselves.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched and swept his eyes over to look at Mo Na Ye.
According to the information he got from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, 13 Innate Territory Lords were sacrificed so that Di Wu could attain the rank of Pseudo-Royal Lord. At that time, there should not have been a second Pseudo-Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass.
Now, Mo Na Ye had become a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and the 12 Territory Lords who had escaped from the Ancestral Land were missing.
Yang Kai suddenly realized how Mo Na Ye became a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and was now curious about how the Black Ink Clan turned an Innate Territory Lord into a Pseudo-Royal Lord. Although he had a lot of information now and it was assumed that it was done by some means of sacrifice, the in depth details were still unknown.
He also doubted the Black Ink Clan would just tell him the truth.
[Perhaps… I can try? What if I get something out of it?] Yang Kai thought.
While Yang Kai was thinking, Mo Na Ye nodded his head and replied, “It’s true that they were executed. I know that you don’t believe me, but there is no need for me to lie to you about this.”
Yang Kai said, “It does not matter. If they are dead, then let other Territory Lords take their place. 12 Territory Lords, I don’t care who they are. I’ll behead 12 and be on my way. If you can’t bear to lose 12 Territory Lords, then let me destroy 12 High-Rank Black Ink Nests… That’s right, I’ve already destroyed two. Just give me ten!”
“After all, you were the one who asked me to state my demands,” Yang Kai sneered.
Mo Na Ye was barely able to maintain his smile as he replied, “Your Excellency, your demands are rather unrealistic. I’m afraid they could not be met.”
Whether it was Territory Lords or High-Rank Black Ink Nests, they were not assets the Black Ink Clan could afford to sacrifice. If Yang Kai insisted on these, then there was no point in continuing the conversation.
“It was you, the Black Ink Clan, who attacked me first!” Yang Kai said frostily.
Mo Na Ye could not help but sigh as that was an indisputable fact. If this was a negotiation between two equal parties, logic and reason would allow them to reach a compromise. However, Yang Kai was currently a nightmare to all Territory Lords and had no reason to be reasonable.
Mo Na Ye silently cursed the dead Di Wu. If he had gone to the Ancestral Land to preside over that incident, things would not have deteriorated to this extent.
“Di Wu and the others were indeed at fault, but they were either killed by you or executed by Sir Royal Lord, isn’t that enough to quell your anger?”
“10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests or 12 Territory Lords, no bargaining,” Yang Kai’s was relentless.
Mo Na Ye frowned and said, “You know that this is impossible. If you insist, then I can only assume that you have no intention of maintaining the peace agreement between our two sides. It will not be beneficial to either of our Races for things to collapse here. I would like to suggest resolving this matter, are you willing to consider it?”
“Go ahead!”
“It is true that you were attacked and have suffered losses…” Mo Na Ye said but then paused. When he thought about it, it was the Black Ink Clan who had suffered losses. Yang Kai killed a Pseudo-Royal Lord, eight Territory Lords and his rampage at the No-Return Pass had destroyed two High-Rank Black Ink Nests. These losses were extreme and yet Yang Kai refused to let the matter rest. Still, Mo Na Ye could not quibble about things here and simply said grudgingly, “Perhaps the Black Ink Clan can compensate you with a large amount of resources to calm your anger.”
“How much is a large amount…?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Mo Na Ye said with a silent sigh, “It will definitely satisfy Your Excellency.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin and pondered. Although he came to the No-Return Pass looking for some revenge, his main goal was to find out the internal situation of the Black Ink Clan. Now that his primary objective had been achieved, and he knew there were two Royal Lords here, it would truly be difficult for him to do anything more. His demands for 10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests or 12 Territory Lords were just him asking for the lion’s share to see what he could squeeze out of the Black Ink Clan. He also knew that the Black Ink Clan couldn’t agree to this demand, so the best-case scenario would really be getting some free supplies from them.
The Human Race now has a large number of rising stars and a huge demand for resources; however, the number of Great Territories controlled by the Human Race was too low. Although the Cave Heavens and Paradises had accumulated a massive quantity of materials throughout their existence, they would one day be depleted.
The Black Ink Clan was different. They now controlled some 99% of the 3,000 Worlds as well as the entire Black Ink Battlefield, so they were never short of supplies. This was also the reason why there were many Human Race Hunters who plundered the Black Ink Clan in the Great Territories outside the main battlefields.
So, Mo Na Ye’s proposal to use resources to solve this situation was acceptable.
However, Yang Kai couldn’t dismiss this incident so easily. From the battle at the Ancestral Land, it was clear that the Black Ink Clan wanted to kill him. He was lucky that he had a geographical advantage and coincidentally had a massive Small Stone Race Army from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan on hand. Otherwise, he would have faced a deadly situation.
Since the Black Ink Clan wanted him dead, they could not blame him for shaving off several kilos of flesh.
Yang Kai said, “I have two conditions. If Black Ink Clan can agree, then the Ancestral Land matter will be settled.”
Mo Na Ye frowned and said, “Please tell me.”
Although he was relieved to hear this, Mo Na Ye showed nothing on his face. As long as Yang Kai was willing to state conditions, that meant there was room for negotiation. Mo Na Ye was only afraid that Yang Kai would insist on killing 12 Territory Lords or destroying 10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests. Those conditions were simply unmanageable.
“First condition, Black Ink Disciples!” Yang Kai held up a finger, “I want 100 Black Ink Disciples in exchange for each Territory Lord’s life. 1,200 for 12 in total, of whom no fewer than 100 must be Seventh-Order. I know that the Black Ink Clan has corrupted many Black Ink Disciples over the years, so 1,200 should be nothing to you.”
Mo Na Ye smiled bitterly and replied, “1,200 is not a small number.”
Yang Kai said, “100 Black Ink Disciples for the life of a Territory Lord. I think I am being very generous to the Black Ink Clan. I won’t force you if you don’t want to accept.”
Mo Na Ye reached up and rubbed his forehead as if he was having a headache; however, Yang Kai noticed that he was actually using his Divine Sense to communicate with the Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass.
Yang Kai decided to wait patiently since Mo Na Ye was consulting with the true Royal Lord.
However, he kept his guard up for any possible sudden turn of affairs.
From this incident, he could see that the Black Ink Clan would seize on any chance to kill him. He just had an encounter with them at the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, and now, the Black Ink Clan gathered Territory Lords to set up a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array to trap and exterminate him.
Although there were currently many Human Race Masters, the Black Ink Clan was only really wary of Yang Kai at the moment. The Black Ink Clan would no longer be constrained if he was to die.
However, Yang Kai emerged unscathed from the battle in the Ancestral Land. The Black Ink Clan was humiliated and had to negotiate for peace again, just like all those years ago when Yang Kai was terrorizing them.
At that time, the Black Ink Clan was forced into a peace agreement with the Humans in certain Great Territories because Yang Kai had been killing Innate Territory Lords time and time again. The losses were too heavy for the Black Ink Clan to bear.
Even now, the Black Ink Clan was clear that Yang Kai was raising a huge fuss and making unreasonable demands, but there was still nothing they could do about it.
A few moments later, Mo Na Ye nodded at Yang Kai and said, “We agree to your demands for 1,200 Black Ink Disciples.”
Yang Kai reiterated, “No less than 100 in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Mo Na Ye said with a straight face, “Of course.”
Since the Black Ink Clan had already agreed to this request, how could he haggle over the details? There were many Black Ink Disciples who were corrupted by the Black Ink Clan over the years. These Black Ink Disciples would eventually grow into Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, of which Black Ink Clan had a few.
Originally, the Black Ink Clan wanted to use these Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to infiltrate the Human Great Territories as spies to obtain critical information or perform sabotage; however, there was now an abundance of Purifying Light within the Human Race’s side, and in order to enter any rear facility or territory, one had to enter a Purifying Black Ink Battleship. Under the Purifying Light, the Black Ink Disciples would not be able to hide. Thus, those Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were useless unless they were used to fight the Human Race Masters on the battlefield.
As Yang Kai said, 100 Black Ink Disciples in exchange for the life of a Territory Lord was actually very reasonable. As long as the Humans had Hunters, the Black Ink Clan would not lack in Black Ink Disciples.
“Sir Yang can state your second condition,” Mo Na Ye said.
Yang Kai looked at him with a smile and nodded, “I want to know how you became a Royal Lord. As far as I know, an Innate Territory Lord can’t become a Royal Lord. So, how did you do it and how did Di Wu do it?”
Mo Na Ye calmly replied, “Who told you that Innate Territory Lords cannot become Royal Lords? Di Wu and I had been cultivating for many years, so there is nothing strange about us achieving a breakthrough, right?”
“Don’t take me for a fool!” Yang Kai snorted, “Before Di Wu became a Royal Lord, 13 Innate Territory Lords entered a High-Rank Black Ink Nest in the No-Return Pass and disappeared one after another. When you became a Royal Lord, 12 Territory Lords were ‘conveniently’ executed. Are you trying to tell me there is no relationship between these events?”
“Of course not!” Mo Na Ye tried to deny it, but after a moment, he realized that Yang Kai should have gotten this information from those Seventh-Order Spirit Array Masters.
After the battle of the Ancestral Land, the 12 surviving Territory Lords escaped while the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples went missing. They apparently had fallen into Yang Kai’s hands and were rescued by him. During the time they had been in the No-Return Pass, although they did not know anything about the Source Fusion Technique, those Seventh-Order Masters weren’t blind and surely took note of certain events.
“Were they sacrificed?” Yang Kai looked straight into Mo Na Ye’s eyes and continued, “There must be some method the Black Ink Clan possesses that allows a large number of Innate Territory Lords to sacrifice themselves and integrate their power into a Black Ink Nest. After enough power is accumulated, an Innate Territory Lord can absorb all of it for themselves, allowing them to break through their shackles and become a Royal Lord!”
Mo Na Ye maintained a straight face the whole time, so Yang Kai could not tell anything from his reaction. In the end, Mo Na Ye just flatly stated, “Whatever Your Excellency chooses to believe, let that be the truth.”
Yang Kai stared at him deeply for a long time before he waved his hand and said, “Good.”
He also knew that he could not get an admission from the Black Ink Clan. Even if the Black Ink Clan did tell him some story, would he believe it? Whatever the Black Ink Clan said still had to be verified, so there was no point in pushing the issue.
Without dwelling on the matter, Yang Kai said, “Let’s talk about the resources…”
Mo Na Ye was exhausted from having to deal with Yang Kai all day, so he quickly cupped his fist and said, “We need time to prepare the resources and gather the Black Ink Disciples. Please wait for a while. Once they are ready, we will deliver them to you.”
[Humans… are truly disgusting and difficult to deal with,] fumed Mo Na Ye internally.
Mo Na Ye deeply appreciated how difficult it was to communicate with Yang Kai. He was glad that he did not argue with Yang Kai about the specifics of the supplies or he might want him to list out all the materials in detail. He was just relieved that the negotiations were finally over.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and tossed a communication bead to him and said, “Take your time to prepare. Send me a message when they are ready and I will come.”
Mo Na Ye took the communication bead, but when he looked up, Yang Kai had already disappeared. He did not seem to worry that the Black Ink Clan would renege on the agreement and did not even give a time limit.
Yang Kai figured he did not need to give a deadline, for if the Black Ink Clan dared to renege, the Territory Lords in the Great Territory Battlefields would be in imminent danger. Yang Kai would surely kill 100 Territory Lords just as he promised.
As for now, the Black Ink Clan wanted him to be as far away as possible. They had nothing to gain by having him lingering around. Although the two Royal Lords were indifferent to having such a Human Master nearby, the Territory Lords couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Mo Na Ye turned around and flew towards the No-Return Pass. When he reached the Royal Lord, he bowed low and said, “Sir, we subordinates failed in our responsibilities and caused a huge loss to our Black Ink Clan. Please punish us, Sir.”
To this declaration, the Royal Lord just waved his hand and said, “It’s not your fault. I was the one who underestimated him.”
He originally thought that everything would be safe with Mo Na Ye guarding the No-Return Pass, but the growth of this Human had vastly exceeded his expectations and caught him off guard. Clearly, Yang Kai’s strength had increased several times since 3,000 years ago, to the point where even facing Mo Na Ye and many Territory Lords, he could still destroy two Black Ink Nests and make his escape.
Back then, Yang Kai did not have such strength.
After calming down, the Royal Lord concluded that even if he was also here at the No-Return Pass, he might not be able to protect the High-Rank Black Ink Nests unless he could find a way to kill Yang Kai in one blow.
“I’ll leave the preparation of the supplies and gathering of the Black Ink Disciples to you. Just get rid of him as soon as possible,” The Royal Lord glanced at the depths of the void with obvious disgust, as if Yang Kai was a dirty beggar who kept clinging on to him, refusing to let go.
“Yes!” Mo Na Ye replied respectfully.
As orders were passed down through the Black Ink Nests, teams with supplies and Black Ink Disciples from the various Great Territories began to converge at the No-Return Pass.
Some 50 million kilometres away from the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai retracted his aura while hiding inside a small Universe Fragment while he began adjusting his breathing and healing his wounds.
Fortunately, he did not sustain any serious injuries this time, so it did not take much time to recover.
Yang Kai had not received any contact from Mo Na Ye, but he was not in a hurry. He just silently studied the Grand Daos of Time and Space. With the recent refinement of his Dragon Vein, his attainments in the Dao of Time had grown to the same level of mastery as his Dao of Space. Yang Kai’s understanding of the Space-Time Strength was also much clearer and more intuitive than before.
Even so, he still had a long way to go.
At least, in his own assessment of the Grand Dao Mastery, whether it was the Dao of Time or the Dao of Space, he had yet to reach the highest level, Shocking History and Dazzling the Present.
Yang Kai had a feeling that if his two Grand Daos reached the highest level one day, his Space-Time Strength would experience a dramatic change.
Additionally, it was just about time for him to make a trip to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Wu Kuang agreed to guard the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, while Yang Kai promised to check in on him after 3,000 years. It was about time.
Wu Kuang made a bold statement that 3,000 years would be enough for him to become a Ninth-Order Master. Yang Kai did not know if he succeeded, but still, Wu Kuang was the reincarnation of Shi, the original creator of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, and the possessor of the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus. As long as there was enough power for him to devour, Wu Kuang would grow at a speed that no one could match.
Inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was the true body of Mo, whose Black Ink Strength was immense. To cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, Wu Kuang was practically devouring Black Ink Strength without any limit.
Guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction might have been a chore for others, even for the original Cang and his compatriots, but it was actually a joy for Wu Kuang.
It had been more than 3,000 years since the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction war and the collapse of the Human Race Grand Army. Mo was struck by Mu’s Secret Technique at the last moment and fell into a deep sleep, with no one knowing when it would wake up.
Once it woke up, it would be disastrous if the Human Race still did not have the means to deal with it.
Yang Kai felt a sense of powerlessness. The cultivation of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm was still too weak in front of the rising tide of the Universe.
He hoped that he would not be disappointed with the Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art that Wu Kuang had given him.
Three months later, Yang Kai, who was meditating, suddenly felt something and took out the communication bead. When he infused his Divine Sense to look into it, it was Mo Na Ye who had sent a message that informed him that the supplies and 1,200 Black Ink Disciples were ready for him. They were now waiting for Yang Kai to return to the No-Return Pass to settle the grudge over the Ancestral Land ambush.
It seemed that the Black Ink Clan had not been dragging their feet since he left that day.
Yang Kai would not go to the No-Return Pass so easily though. That was the Black Ink Clan’s stronghold, with countless Black Ink Clansmen gathered there. If he fell into the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking’s Array again, then Yang Kai would be in great trouble.
Thus, he pondered a little and then sent a message.
At the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye gripped the Communication Bead and was dumbfounded when he looked at it.
“What?” The Royal Lord stood up and asked in a deep voice.
Mo Na Ye shook his head and said, “This Human is very cautious. He doesn’t want to come to the No-Return Pass to receive the supplies, so he specified another location.”
“Just as expected.” The Royal Lord coldly snorted, “Go on then. Do not miss this opportunity!”
Mo Na Ye was surprised by the Royal Lord’s persistence to kill Yang Kai. Although he did not think it was appropriate to provoke Yang Kai anymore, he had no choice but to agree.
A full six months later, somewhere in the void, Mo Na Ye stood, looking extremely angry and upset. Anyone who had been made to dance like a puppet on strings would feel equally moody.
Behind him, several Innate Territory Lords sensed his anger spilling over and threatening to engulf them. In order not to incur his wrath, they kept silent and stayed as far from him as possible.
Behind them were 1,200 Black Ink Disciples gathered in various scattered groups and areas, looking confused and disorganized.
It had been half a year since Mo Na Ye set off from the No-Return Pass with the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples and the supplies he had prepared. In this half a year, Yang Kai repeatedly changed the location for the transaction eight times. Furthermore, there were times that he made Mo Na Ye wait for dozens of days without any updates. Mo Na Ye was furious, but could not do anything about it.
He could understand Yang Kai being cautious and suspicious as the Royal Lord had already instructed Mo Na Ye to seize any opportunity to kill this pest.
However, with Yang Kai being so cautious, how could Black Ink Clan have any chance to do anything?
If Mo Na Ye wanted to take action against Yang Kai, he had to first set up the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array so that he could trap him in place.
The Black Ink Clan had no way to arrange anything in advance though as Yang Kai repeatedly changed the meeting location.
Thus, Mo Na Ye no longer held any hope of taking Yang Kai down…
The Black Ink Clan was being sincere to Yang Kai, but he still treated them like vicious bandits, which frustrated Mo Na Ye.
He decided that if Yang Kai changed the meeting location again, he would return to the No-Return Pass with the Black Ink Disciples and supplies.
Suddenly, ripples appeared in the void and Yang Kai appeared like a ghost. Before he appeared, neither the Innate Territory Lords nor Mo Na Ye felt Yang Kai’s aura.
This Space Secret Technique alone rendered the Black Ink Clan somewhat powerless to deal with him.
“It’s been a long time,” Yang Kai said as soon as he appeared. He had randomly and hastily decided to meet here, so the Black Ink Clan couldn’t set up the traps in advance. Additionally, he had secretly surveyed the vicinity with his Demon Eye of Annihilation to ensure there were no hidden dangers before showing up.
“Sir Yang is quite cautious,” Mo Na Ye replied grouchily. He could be considered mild-tempered among the Black Ink Clan, but now he was thoroughly incensed by Yang Kai’s behaviour.
Yang Kai said frostily, “What’s wrong with being cautious? Enough nonsense, where are the supplies?”
Mo Na Ye kept a straight face and threw out a few Space Rings. Before Yang Kai caught them, he used his Divine Sense to check them for hidden traps and ensure that there were no problems.
Each Space Ring was filled with resources and materials of various qualities and Elements. The amount in each Space Ring was enough to allow a top Second Class Sect to sustain itself for 1,000 years.
The amount and quality of the supplies was undeniably large.
Yang Kai clicked his tongue and snickered, “The Black Ink Clan’s assets are truly remarkable.”
This wasn’t a surprise though as the Human Race were stuck in just over a dozen Great Territories while everywhere else was fully controlled by the Black Ink Clan. What’s more, the Black Ink Clan did not care how they mined for resources as even destroying Universe Worlds meant nothing to them.
The 3,000 Worlds of today was being fully exploited for its resources. After mining whatever they could, the Black Ink Clan simply allowed the various Universe Worlds to crumble into Universe Fragments.
“Here are the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples. Sir Yang, please inspect them. If these are acceptable, we will leave now.” Mo Na Ye urged him to accept the compensation so that he could leave and not have to deal with Yang Kai any further.
“They will do,” Yang Kai did not bother to check, not because he trusted the Black Ink Clan, but rather because he had already inspected these 1,200 Black Ink Disciples before showing up. There were exactly 100 Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples as agreed upon, while the rest were of various Orders and strengths.
“In that case, goodbye!” Mo Na Ye cupped his fist and led the Territory Lords, who had constantly been on guard, to leave.
Yang Kai saw them off warmly, “This has been a happy cooperation. I hope there will be more such cooperation in the future!”
Mo Na Ye paused momentarily and could not help but curse to himself, [There will never be another time! If there is a next time, it will be you delivering your head to me!]
After Yang Kai watched the Black Ink Clan Masters fade into the distance, he turned to look at the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples, but as soon as he did, someone shouted, “Disperse!”
1,200 people turned into 1,200 streams of light in an instant, scattering in all directions.
Yang Kai entirely failed to stifle his laughter as he knew that the Black Ink Clan would not be so honest. It turned out that this was what they were up to.
If he were a regular Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, there would be nothing he could do in the face of such a situation. At best, some of these Black Ink Disciples would be captured, but probably 90% of them would be able to escape.
However, with Yang Kai being here, what the Black Ink Clan did was pointless and doomed to fail.
The moment the 1,200 streams of light shot in all directions, the void suddenly thrummed and solidified. The streams of light all faded to reveal the Black Ink Disciples who were now frozen in place, none of them able to move, each with a different expression on their face.
Yang Kai stepped forward, and as soon as he walked past each of the Black Ink Disciples, they would disappear.
Each of the Black Ink Disciples reappeared in Yang Kai’s Small Universe and was immediately enveloped by a mass of Purifying Light which began to dispel the Black Ink Strength in their bodies and returned them to their original selves.
In a short time, all 1,200 Black Ink Disciples were taken in.
Yang Kai took a long look in the direction of the No-Return Pass before turning around and disappearing into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
A short while later, he arrived at a secret place and established a connection to the World Tree.
With the power of the World Tree, Yang Kai shuttled through the void and soon arrived at the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary where he stood below the World Tree.
The Old Tree still had the same old look, with almost all the World Fruits still on the tree being the ones corresponding to the Universe Worlds that Yang Kai had refined and saved at the beginning of the invasion. There were also World Fruits corresponding to several Universe Worlds in High Heaven Territory and the New Great Territory.
As for the other World Fruits, they had all fallen off.
On some of the branches of the Old Tree, there was a trace of Black Qi.
“Thank you, Old Tree.” Yang Kai bowed and saluted.
The Old Tree did not show its face, choosing to just shake slightly.
Yang Kai identified the World Fruit that corresponded to the Star Boundary and shot towards it. The World Fruit rapidly enlarged in his eyes as a familiar aura came towards him. Before he knew it, Yang Kai was already standing above the Star Boundary.
He stepped forward and appeared in High Heaven Palace next, where a familiar Divine Sense immediately swept over, though it was withdrawn as soon as it scanned him. One of the Great Emperors stationed at the Star Boundary noticed that someone had entered it; however, once they identified that it was Yang Kai, they knew that he was not here to cause trouble.
This time, it appeared to be Ice Feather Great Emperor who was stationed at the Star Boundary. Yang Kai did not have many interactions with this Great Emperor and thus was not too familiar with him.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense swept over the Spirit Peak where his parents lived, and found that the old couple were happily teaching some young disciples.
With the Black Ink Clan invading the 3,000 Worlds, no one could avoid joining the war effort. In fact, Yang Kai’s parents had applied to join the Army several times; however, High Heaven Palace always refused to allow them to go, claiming that they could contribute most by teaching the next generation of disciples.
Naturally, no one, save for Yang Kai’s parents themselves, raised any complaints about this.
Yang Kai had made many invaluable contributions to the war over the years. In fact, if not for Yang Kai, the Human Race might have lost long ago. His Wives, Adopted Son, and Little Sister were all fighting on the frontlines as well.
Since his parents were not that strong, and there was a high probability of something happening to them if they went to the battlefield, the higher-ups all tacitly agreed to keep them out of the fighting; after all, how could they explain to Yang Kai if something happened to them? Also, who would dare to say anything if his parents remained in the Star Boundary?
Without bothering his parents, Yang Kai called Hua Qing Si and asked about the situation in the Star Boundary. He also asked about the New Great Territory, the Myriad Monsters World.
He learned that everything was fine here at the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World was also doing well. The World Tree clone was showing its power and after thousands of years of nurturing, many rising stars from the Myriad Monsters World had directly broken through to the Fifth, Sixth, and even Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
A Monster King had been recognized by the Myriad Monsters World’s Will and been named the first Great Emperor with the title Thunder Shadow. He left the Myriad Monsters World with some Human companions and had now made a name for himself on the various battlefields.
Nowadays, there were several Great Emperors of the Myriad Monsters World. In addition to the original Monster Race Great Emperor with the title of Thunder Shadow, there was one more from the Monster Race and two Humans who had been certified as Great Emperors.
The Myriad Monsters World Bottle still had positions open, so both Monsters and Humans were eager to attain the World’s acknowledgement and seize this position for themselves.
This was not only a matter of honour and prestige of course, as anyone who obtained the Great Emperor position would see a dramatic increase in their speed of cultivation while in Myriad Monsters World, allowing them to grow stronger more rapidly than their peers.
As for the Human Race as a whole, everyone, from the Supreme Commander to the ordinary soldiers could feel the stress of the approaching storm. Everyone knew that in the near future the peace between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan would break down completely and a battle to the death would begin.
Once that happened, only the strong would be able to protect themselves.
On the whole, the expectations of the Human Race were high but filled with potential.
“Have Xiao’er and Xue’er sent any messages back?” Yang Kai asked casually.
Hua Qing Si pursed her lips and said, “Yang Xiao did send back a message. He said that the Palace Master had caused them a lot of trouble. Now, they are constantly being hunted by the Black Ink Clan. Whenever their whereabouts are exposed, they are bound to be pursued. It has taken them a lot of effort to repel the enemy.”
Yang Kai chuckled heartily and said, “It looks like they’re having a good time, I can rest assured then.”
This was probably due to the ‘final lesson’ that Yang Kai gave his three Disciples in Azure Sun Territory. Although Yang Xiao, Yang Xue and the others were not present at the time, the Black Ink Clan had sources of information. They would be able to find out about Yang Xiao and Yang Xue’s relationship with Yang Kai and naturally wanted to handle them.
Yang Kai was not too worried about their safety of course. These little ones had all become Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so as long as they worked together and joined forces to defend themselves, the Black Ink Clan, though strong, should not be able to harm them.
Yang Kai did not stop for long at the Star Boundary. He exchanged a few words with Hua Qing Si and released a group of disciples who were ready to reach the Open Heaven Realm from the Void Dao Temple, leaving them under her care. He instructed her on some matters and then left.
After passing through the Territory Gate, he arrived at the neighbouring Great Territory, which was numbered but remained unnamed.
Any Great Territory that was only represented as a number on the Universe Chart was ranked as an extremely low-grade Great Territory. It meant that it did not have any notable Great Force overseeing it. A Great Territory such as this usually had few Universe Worlds and sparse resources. Generally speaking, such a Great Territory was isolated from the rest of the world.
High Heaven Territory was like this in the past. In the whole High Heaven Territory, there were only two habitable Universe Worlds. One was the Star Boundary and the other was the Demon Realm. The strongest Masters were the Great Emperors and Demon Saints. There were no Open Heaven Realm Masters here.
However, since the rise of the Star Boundary as an Open Heaven Realm Cradle, High Heaven Territory made a name for itself.
The neighbouring Great Territory was not so fortunate, but it was the place where the Supreme Headquarters of the Human Race was located. Although the Great Territory was previously unknown and even deserted, it was now vital to the Human Race.
Not only because it was the Great Territory that led directly to the Star Boundary, but also because it connected to more than 10 Great Territory Battlefields.
Just as the Barren Territory was the last barrier to the 3,000 Worlds, this unnamed Great Territory was also the last bulwark for the Human Race today! If the Black Ink Clan breached this place, they would be able to push straight into the heart of Human Territory. When that happened, the Human Race would have no choice but to completely fall back to High Heaven Territory and the New Great Territory.
With the Supreme Headquarters located here, this Great Territory was extremely bustling. No matter which battlefield the soldiers headed to or retreated from, they would transit through this place to rest and repair their equipment. Armies would be assembled here and be dispatched by the Supreme Headquarters as reinforcements to the Great Territory Battlefields on a regular basis.
Looking from afar, there were many Human Race soldiers coming and going in the void and the glimmer of light from their bodies was as bright as stars.
Yang Kai suppressed his aura and rushed to the Universe Fragment where the Supreme Headquarters was located. Without informing anyone, he flew straight to the Main Hall.
Inside the Main Hall, Mi Jing Lun was busy pointing at a Territory Map and a few Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were in charge of transmitting orders nodded as they took careful notes. Yang Kai took a look and found the Territory Map was of Twin Poles Territory.
Noticing Yang Kai’s arrival, Mi Jing Lun looked up and gave him a light nod, signalling him to wait for a moment. Yang Kai made himself at home, found a seat, poured himself a cup of tea, and leisurely sipped it.
After a little more than half an hour, the Seventh-Order Masters were sent away. Mi Jing Lun stood in place in contemplation for several moments before rubbing his forehead. He then walked over to Yang Kai, sat down, and pushed an empty teacup towards him.
Yang Kai picked up the teapot and poured him a cup. Mi Jing Lun heaved a long sigh and downed the tea like he was draining a bottle of wine.
Yang Kai asked, “Things aren’t going well in Twin Poles Territory?”
Mi Jing Lun replied, “The Black Ink Clan has intensified their attack on Twin Poles Territory. They’ve recently gained more Territory Lords and deployed them there, so we are facing some difficulties.”
Turning his head to look at Yang Kai, he asked with a smile, “Why don’t you take a trip there?”
“Impossible!” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I just got back from harassing the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass. If I go to Twin Poles Territory at this time, wouldn’t I be reneging on the agreement?”
“What happened?” Mi Jing Lun raised a brow and asked curiously.
Yang Kai briefly told them about his experience at the No-Return Pass before handing Mi Jing Lun the supplies he had extorted from the Black Ink Clan.
Mi Jing Lun accepted them politely, and after a quick inspection, he exclaimed, “Wow, the Black Ink Clan was really generous to you!”
In his heart, he knew that this was due to Yang Kai’s notorious reputation. If the Black Ink Clan had to choose between losing Territory Lords or resources, they would definitely choose the latter. They could easily recoup the material losses even if they were given away; however, Territory Lords were all valuable assets, and it would not be beneficial to give Yang Kai an excuse to go on a killing spree.
If Mi Jing Lun tried to take advantage of the Black Ink Clan like this, he would have been torn apart by the Royal Lord. Although he became an Eighth-Order Master much earlier than Yang Kai, he had to admit that he was no match for the latter’s strength.
This was a positive development though. The future of the Human Race would only be bright if the future generation could surpass the abilities of the current one.
“A few days ago, there was a report of many Black Ink Nests scattered all over the Great Territories withering for no apparent reason. I figured it was you who went to the No-Return Pass to stir up trouble. From what you had just said, it seems my assumptions were correct.”
There was a precedent for this. Previously, Yang Kai went on a rampage at the No-Return Pass and destroyed seven High-Rank Black Ink Nests. This naturally disrupted the flow of reinforcements to the Black Ink Clan as all the Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Nests spawned from those High-Rank Nests were destroyed.
The Human Race was not sure what had happened at the time, but later found out that it was Yang Kai’s doing.
So, when a similar event happened, it was easy for Mi Jing Lun to make a guess.
“The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who returned from the Ancestral Land explained in detail what happened there, and the Small Stone Race Army you provided has also been integrated into our forces.” Mi Jing Lun said solemnly, “Junior Brother, does the Black Ink Clan really have the means to help an Innate Territory Lords become a Royal Lord?”
When they heard this news, many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at the Supreme Headquarters were shocked and decided to block the news immediately to avoid damaging the morale of the Army. It was a pity that Yang Kai was like a Dragon who shows his tail but never his face. Yang Kai came over whenever he wanted to see Mi Jing Lun, but the reverse essentially never happened. It was as difficult as ascending to the Heavens if Mi Jing Lun wanted to find Yang Kai.
Yang Kai drank another cup of tea and nodded, “Indeed, the Pseudo-Royal Lord I encountered at the Ancestral Land named Di Wu was created in such a manner. Unfortunately for him, he was too careless and was killed by me!”
“Pseudo-Royal Lord?” Mi Jing Lun exclaimed with his eyebrows raised.
“It seems Senior Brother isn’t aware of this point. Although the Black Ink Clan has the ability to forcibly raise an Innate Territory Lord into a Royal Lord, there are clear flaws with the process. Such a created Royal Lord may have the raw power of a Royal Lord, but they are unable to utilise it properly. I clearly felt this when I fought Di Wu; he could only exert about 70% to 80% of what a Royal Lord should be able to do. Thus, I regard them as Pseudo-Royal Lords.”
Mi Jing Lun heaved a sigh of relief and said, “If that’s the case, then there’s no need to be too concerned.”
A Pseudo-Royal Lord who could only exert an average of 75% of his power was not nearly as threatening to Eighth-Order Masters as a true Royal Lord. It might only take a few Eighth-Order Masters in a Battle Formation to resist such an enemy, though killing one was probably impossible.
“But there is another Pseudo-Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass right now.”
Mi Jing Lun’s eyes narrowed and asked, “Who?”
“Senior Brother, do you remember that Innate Territory Lord named Mo Na Ye?”
“Him?” How could Mi Jing Lun not know who Mo Na Ye was? Mo Na Ye was one of the Innate Territory Lords that the Human Race was highly focused on. This guy was far more intelligent and cunning than other Territory Lords. It was definitely not a good development for the Human Race for this Black Ink Clansman to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
Mi Jing Lun thought about it momentarily but decided not to dwell on it any further. Now that Mo Na Ye had become a Pseudo-Royal Lord, it was useless to brood over it. If they really encountered him, they could only directly take him on, “Junior Brother, have you found out how the Black Ink Clan creates these Pseudo-Royal Lords?”
Yang Kai shook his head and replied, “Mo Na Ye was already a Pseudo-Royal Lord when I arrived at the No-Return Pass. I tried to probe them about it, and it seemed like the information those Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered at the No-Return Pass was accurate. Even if the Black Ink Clan has a method to create Pseudo-Royal Lords, they have to pay a huge price. At the very least, they should have to sacrifice a large number of Innate Territory Lords. When Di Wu transformed into a Pseudo-Royal Lord, 13 Innate Territory Lords were sacrificed. In Mo Na Ye’s case, there were at least 12!”
Hearing this, Mi Jing Lun seemed to have suddenly thought of something before snapping his feather fan closed. He gently tapped the fan against his palm and said, “Perhaps… it also involves the sacrifice of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest.”
Yang Kai wondered and asked, “Why do you think so?”
“Perhaps Junior Brother isn’t aware of this. About 400 years ago, some Low-Rank and Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests suddenly withered. When the numbers were tabulated, the Headquarters estimated that a single High-Rank Black Ink Nest had been destroyed somehow. About 100 years ago, a similar situation occurred. Initially, I thought that it was Junior Brother who went on a rampage at the No-Return Pass and destroyed these High-Rank Black Ink Nests, but from your story just now, that seems to not be the case.”
“400 years ago…” After a little calculating, Yang Kai realized that was the time that he had just arrived at the Ancestral Land to cultivate.
He also killed Di Wu just over 100 years ago.
For the Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Nests were their foundation, so they would not be given up easily. There could only be one reason for those Low-Rank and Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests to die all of a sudden. The High-Rank Black Ink Nest that produced them was destroyed!
The timing was too coincidental, and the anomaly was equally obvious. The Black Ink Clan was smart enough to hide the truth from him, but there were enough clues for the Human Race to make the necessary deduction.
Yang Kai kept nodding his head.
More than 400 years ago, when the Black Ink Clan knew that he was cultivating in the Ancestral Land, they created Di Wu, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and ordered him to go to the Ancestral Land to kill him.
Unfortunately, Di Wu ended up losing everything and died in the Ancestral Land. When they realized that Di Wu had died, the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass created Mo Na Ye.
They did it twice, and each time they not only sacrificed more than 10 Territory Lords, they also lost a High-Rank Black Ink Nest in the process.
“It makes sense now,” Mi Jing Lun’s eyes flashed and continued, “The Black Ink Clan does have the means to transform an Innate Territory Lord into a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but it requires the sacrifice of a dozen or so Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. No wonder the Black Ink Clan has never used this technique before. The cost is indeed very high compared to the benefits.” He looked at Yang Kai and said with a smile, “Looks like that original Royal Lord is willing to pay any price as long as they can kill you.”
Yang Kai said, “Man proposes, the Heavens dispose.”
If he did not have an Army of Small Stone Race with him when he went to the Ancestral Land, there was a good chance that Di Wu would have succeeded.
The good thing was that this matter was considered resolved in his favour. The Black Ink Clan tried to kill Yang Kai, but he managed to overcome that calamity and gained significant compensation for it. All of this was because the two Races still needed to maintain the status quo.
What happened at the Ancestral Land was considered resolved and there was no point in thinking about it further, so Yang Kai changed the topic and asked, “How are Senior Brother Xiang and the others?”
Xiang Shan had stopped appearing in public and focused on cultivating to break through to the Ninth Order. The Black Ink Clan suspected that Xiang Shan and the other Eighth-Order Masters who were expected to break through and reach the Ninth-Order had already done so secretly; however, that was not the case in reality.
The Ninth Order was the peak of the Human Race’s Martial Dao and was extremely difficult to reach. Now, there were not many Humans who were qualified to make this breakthrough.
There was indeed one person who had succeeded, but it was not Xiang Shan.
When Yang Kai asked, Mi Jing Lun sighed and replied, “It has been 1,000 years since they entered retreat, and still there is no news from them. In fact, with Brother Xiang’s talent, he should have already reached the Ninth Order if nothing went wrong.”
The issue was that Xiang Shan’s cultivation had once regressed. Long ago, in Blue Sky Pass, in the era when Yang Kai had not yet set foot onto the Black Ink Battlefield, Xiang Shan was a famous existence and many Territory Lords died at his hand. However, he was so feared that he became a priority target for the Black Ink Clan. They specifically targeted him and trapped him in a bitter battle where he became corrupted heavily by Black Ink Strength, forcing him to sacrifice a large portion of his Small Universe to preserve himself.
Afterwards, he took a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to repair his damaged Small Universe; however, the drop in one’s cultivation was not something that was automatically made up for.
For the many years that Yang Kai was stationed at Blue Sky Pass, he had never seen Xiang Shan because the latter was in secluded retreat.
It was not until the leaders of the Human Race decided to form the Great Evolution Army to recover Great Evolution Pass that Xiang Shan returned to the limelight.
What Mi Jing Lun meant was that if that incident had not occurred all those years ago, Xiang Shan would already be a Ninth-Order Master. The Cave Heavens and Paradises were filled with talented people, but throughout history, few could match the reputation of Xiang Shan.
It was a pity that his future accomplishments were greatly delayed, and now it seemed that dark injuries from that incident were preventing Xiang Shan from reaching the Ninth Order.
The current situation between the two Races was rather stable. Although the fighting never ceased, it was all in a managed situation rather than an all-out war. Thus, Xiang Shan took this opportunity to enter retreat and cultivate.
“Brother Xiang did mention that if necessary, he would come out to face the enemy, regardless of whether he had achieved a breakthrough.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and asked, “What about the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress? What’s the progress?”
The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was a massive Mobile Palace Artifact that Yang Kai had convinced the Supreme Headquarters to refine in order to deal with the Black Ink Clan. It was quite similar to the Great Passes of old, but far smaller.
The current generation of Artifact Refiners, even compared to those from Late Ancient Era, were not inferior; however, the Human Race sorely lacked resources at the moment.
Great Passes were enormous Mobile Palace Artifacts built up and refined over hundreds of thousands of years, consuming an unfathomable amount of resources. The Human Race could not afford to spend so lavishly in their current situation. If they tried to build such an artifact now, it would likely cripple the cultivation progress of the entire Race, which was a situation that absolutely could not be allowed.
Thus, they could only build the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, for which Yang Kai campaigned hard some 1,000 years ago, just before he left for the Myriad Monsters World.
This Mobile Palace Artifact was not destined for the Great Territory Battlefields, however.
When Yang Kai asked about the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Mi Jing Lun replied, “300 years ago, the superstructure of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was completed, and over the subsequent years, various Grand Arrays and artifacts have been installed. It should be almost finished now.”
After a pause, he asked, “Do you want to see it?”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded.
The two of them left the Supreme Headquarters together and shot off into the depths of the Void.
The construction of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was kept highly confidential, with only those participating in the project and the heads of the Supreme Headquarters being in the know. This giant weapon of war was located at an extremely remote place in the Great Territory and covered with multiple Arrays to conceal it. Patrolling Human Race Masters also ensured that no one without authorization approached this region.
Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun travelled for about an hour before reaching a Universe World that seemed to be covered in shadows.
Although this Universe World was ancient, its Grand Dao and Will were imperfect; thus, there was no vitality here. This was a rather common sight throughout the 3,000 Worlds. Although such a Universe World generally had a lot of precious cultivation resources, it was not suitable for the survival of living beings, thus it was essentially dead.
A Divine Sense swept over from afar, but after confirming Mi Jing Lun’s identity, it allowed them through.
Yang Kai, led by Mi Jing Lun, flew for a while around the Universe World before arriving at a certain spot and heading down. They passed through a layer of thick, dark clouds before being hit in the face with an imposing aura.
A huge and lofty object immediately filled their view, one that looked like a massive steel beast.
This was the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was undoubtedly much smaller compared to a Great Pass from the Black Ink Battlefield, being just 10% of the size; however, it was still a massive object.
The entire Suppressing Black Ink Fortress looked like a small city with many structures, high walls and towers.
Yang Kai could see people scurrying about inside the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, carrying materials and working on construction projects. There were huge artifacts mounted atop of the city walls, and at a glance one could tell how extraordinary they were.
There were also traces of numerous Grand Arrays, but none of them were currently active so it was impossible to assess their might.
The Human Race seemed to be in decline as it only held a dozen or so Great Territories because of the Black Ink Clan; however, no matter how bad things were, they still had a profound heritage.
When the Grand Army was defeated in the war outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the Humans were forced to retreat to the No-Return Pass, and then to the Barren Territory.
The death of countless soldiers was certainly heartbreaking, but the loss of a Great Pass inherited since the end of the Late Ancient Era, was also a massive strategic setback for the Human race.
While many Great Passes were destroyed, others remained mostly intact at the No-Return Pass.
Many wanted to take the Great Passes away with them, but they were too massive even for a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor to fit into their Small Universe; thus, they had no choice but to abandon them.
Presently, those Great Passes outside the No-Return Pass had become platforms for Black Ink Nests.
If the Human Race could defeat the Black Ink Clan and retake the No-Return Pass, there was still hope to regain those Great Passes.
The two landed on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and were immediately greeted by someone.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded and exclaimed, “Grandmaster Dong Guo!”
It was Dong Guo An Ping, who Yang Kai had met at Blue Sky Pass. He was an Artifact Refining Great Grandmaster from Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven and also the one who built the first Purifying Black Ink Battleship together with Yang Kai and a number of Array Masters.
However, since Yang Kai left Blue Sky Pass, they had not seen each other again, mainly because Dong Guo An Ping was in charge of Artifact Refining while Yang Kai’s job was to kill the enemy. They fought on different battlefields, so it was natural for them not to meet each other.
“Yang Kai!” Dong Guo An Ping also recognized Yang Kai immediately and reached out his hand to slap his shoulder as he happily declared, “I should call you Junior Brother Yang now.”
Yang Kai returned the greeting, “Senior Brother Dong Guo!”
He was happy to see him. Although Yang Kai had met many people on the Black Ink Battlefield, few survived until today.
Dong Guo An Ping was also a bit emotional. When he first met Yang Kai, the latter was just an unknown Sixth-Order brat. He was only valued by Blue Sky Pass’ leaders at the time because he brought Purifying Light to the Human Race. Now, when Dong Guo An Ping saw him again, Yang Kai was already the powerful Profound Nether Army Commander and a perpetual thorn in the Black Ink Clan’s side.
Such growth was truly immense as only 3,000 years had passed since then!
Mi Jing Lun said with a smile, “Senior Brother Dong Guo is one of the Chief Artifact Refiners on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress project. Junior Brother Yang, if you want to know more about the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, please feel free to ask Senior Brother Dong Guo.”
“Many thanks, Senior Brother.”
Dong Guo An Ping simply waved his hand, “Artifact Refining is the job of this Old Master, it’s not a big deal. However, can Junior Brother Yang tell me what this Suppressing Black Ink Fortress is going to be used for? This artifact is massive and took no less than 1,000 Artifact Refiners almost 1,000 years to construct. Although it is powerful, it is not suitable for the current war. Even if it is for a counter-offensive, one Suppressing Black Ink Fortress won’t make much of a difference. If it weren’t for Supreme Headquarters’ special orders, this Old Master would not have agreed to squander so many resources and so much manpower on this. The amount of resources poured into the thing could have benefited the Great Army in many other ways.”
It was clear that Dong Guo An Ping had strong opinions about the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. As he said, this thing was not very useful for the situation the Human Race was currently in. Unless more Suppressing Black Ink Fortresses were built, they could not be used to attack the enemy.
This was certainly a very sharp weapon of war; however, its disadvantages were also very obvious. It took far too many resources and too much time to build just one, so if it did not achieve its intended purpose, then it was all just a huge waste of time and money.
“Didn’t Senior Brother Mi explain the situation?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Mi Jing Lun said in return, “It’s better that fewer people know about this matter.”
Dong Guo An Ping glared at Mi Jing Lun and snorted, “What nonsense is this guy sprouting? He just said that it was a secret. What can this Old Master do to him if he refuses to say anything?”
Yang Kai smiled before quietly whispering something to Dong Guo An Ping.
Dong Guo An Ping immediately turned solemn and remarked, “I see.”
He had his suspicions considering the situation; however, Yang Kai just confirmed his guesses. He was a veteran from Blue Sky Pass who had experienced thousands of years of war on the Black Ink Battlefield.
If the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was used in ‘that’ place, it was indeed the perfect tool for the job.
“What are the chances of that happening?” Dong Guo An Ping asked.
Yang Kai replied, “It’s bound to happen, it’s just a matter of time.”
Dong Guo An Ping replied, “Fortunately, this Old Master did not cut corners when I built the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress; otherwise, it would have been a big mistake.”
Yang Kai laughed and said, “Senior Brother, please take us to look around.”
Dong Guo An Ping was immediately reinvigorated. Although he had some reservations about building the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, it was also the greatest masterpiece of his life. Now that he had succeeded in building it, he naturally wanted to show it off to others. It was pointless for him to brag about it to the builders; thus, when Mi Jing Lun and Yang Kai came, he finally had an audience to lead around and introduce all the wondrous features of his creation.
When the Supreme Headquarters gave the order 1,000 years ago, Dong Guo An Ping led several Artifact Refining Great Grandmasters and brought over 1,000 Artifact Refiners to this place to work.
Those Artifact Refiners had put their all into the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and it represented their proudest achievement.
Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven contributed a huge amount of resources to create this artifact. Although each Cave Heaven and Paradise contributed a lot to this project, Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven were the experts at Artifact Refining and thus contributed the most.
Presently, the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress had various Grand Arrays, artifacts, and even some architectural uniqueness, making it essentially a mobile city. All of this was influenced by Dong Guo An Ping, so he was intimately familiar with all aspects of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, making his introductions detailed and descriptive. Yang Kai soon began to appreciate the might of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
He was very satisfied with what he was hearing. Although the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was only 10% the size of a Great Pass, its armaments and capabilities were basically on par with one.
They paused for explanations and then resumed along the route. When the three of them arrived near a section of the city wall, Dong Guo An Ping pointed to a huge artifact mounted up ahead. The shape of the artifact looked like a crouching tiger with an elongated neck gazing forward. There were several Artifact Refiners nearby who were busy working on it.
Dong Guo An Ping pointed at the artifact and said proudly, “This is a Tiger Roar Cannon, the main offensive artifact of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. Over all four walls, there are a total of 1,200 of these. They were specially designed for the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.”
Mi Jing Lun looked at it for a while and asked, “How powerful is it?”
Dong Guo An Ping stroked his beard and smiled, “When tested, three Sixth-Order Masters working together were able to unleash a strike equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s full strength. If three Seventh-Order Masters work together, the power unleashed would be similar to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s attack.”
Mi Jing Lun raised an eyebrow and remarked, “Impressive, but creating such an artifact must have been expensive, right?”
Dong Guo An Ping replied with a solemn nod, “Didn’t Supreme Headquarters say not to skimp on the cost? Creating a single Tiger Roar Cannon consumes resources equivalent to building a standard Warship.”
Mi Jing Lun winced at the thought of the cost. With 1,200 Tiger Roar Cannons, it was like having 1,200 standard Warships, and that was just for the main armaments of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. There were other various supplementary artifacts, as well as the Grand Arrays within the fortress, which also required a lot of resources.
The entire Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was practically a weapon of war built from several generations of stockpiled wealth.
It was fortunate that Yang Kai went to the No-Return Pass to pick a fight with the Black Ink Clan and managed to get them to compensate him with so many materials. At least, that could help to replenish a good portion of the stock used in the production of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. Otherwise, the Human Race would have to tighten their belts for a few years just to get by.
However, this was something Yang Kai had specially requested. Although the cost was immense, it was worth the expenditure as long as it could produce the desired effect.
As the two spoke, Yang Kai had already walked toward the Tiger Roar Cannon which had several Artifact Refiners busy working on it. One of them became upset when he noticed someone approaching without permission and stood up abruptly with the intention to reprimand him, but was immediately stunned.
Yang Kai smiled at him and said, “Senior Brother Xu!”
The other person smiled and exclaimed, “Junior Brother Yang?”
“Haven’t seen you in years, Senior Brother Xu. You still have the same noble bearing as before.” Yang Kai glanced at the chubby figure in front of him while comparing it to the one in his memories. In fact, there were no significant changes to Fatty Xu Zhen except for the traces of aging after all these years.
Furthermore, Xu Zhen was already an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Dong Guo An Ping walked forward and asked curiously, “Junior Brother Yang, you know my Martial Nephew?”
Although they were both in the Eighth Order, since they were born and raised in Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven, Dong Guo An Ping was still Xu Zhen’s Senior and thus of a higher rank compared to a rising star like Xu Zhen. Furthermore, while they were cultivators in the same realm and from the same Sect, there was still some difference in their strength and achievements.
In contrast, although Yang Kai was much younger than the rest, as long as his cultivation was on par with theirs, he was considered equal in terms of seniority to Mi Jing Lun and Dong Guo An Ping.
“Of course, I know him. I was drawn into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary with Senior Brother Xu. We went through a lot of hardships together,” Yang Kai explained.
Dong Guo An Ping suddenly understood. Over the past 10,000 years, the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary only appeared once. Xu Zhen coincidentally got dragged into it, and apparently so did Yang Kai. Therefore, it was normal that they knew each other from the incident.
Sometime later, Yang Kai and Xu Zhen also met in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven; however, after Yang Kai went to the Black Ink Battlefield, there was no longer any news of him.
Xu Zhen naturally heard about Yang Kai’s exploits when the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds. It was a pity that they could not meet until today.
To construct the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven had deployed 30% of their Sect’s Artifact Refiners, which was why Fatty Xu Zhen was here.
After some pleasantries, Xu Zhen cupped his fist and said, “Martial Uncle is here just in time. This Tiger Roar Cannon has some problems linking together with the Grand Array. No matter how we tried, we just can’t get it to work smoothly. Perhaps Martial Uncle can figure out the problem.”
Dong Guo An Ping, who never backed down from a challenge, stepped forward and said, “Let me take a look.”
He approached the Tiger Roar Cannon, carefully investigated and quickly found the crux of the problem. He did not personally resolve it though and instead carefully instructed Xu Zhen and the others and let them do it.
This was also a kind of on-the-spot education.
The few Artifact Refiners soon became busy working on the cannon and forgot all about Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun who were standing beside them. Yang Kai also knew something about the Dao of Artifact Refining, and although it was not as good as his mastery over the Daos of Time, Space, and Spear, he was still an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, so he could more or less understand what they were discussing and was also interested in it.
On the contrary, Mi Jing Lun, who knew nothing about the subject, stood by the side, bored to tears.
Upon realizing this, Yang Kai said, “Senior Brother Mi, we have basically finished with the tour of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, but I would like to remain here and see the rest of the artifacts and Spirit Arrays. You should go on ahead first.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded and said, “Good. I will make the rest of the arrangements at the Supreme Headquarters.”
Yang Kai made his requests without holding back, “I estimate it will take a minimum of 5,000 and up to 8,000 soldiers to fully mobilize the power of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. I will have to trouble Senior Brother Mi to prepare them as soon as possible. Additionally, please send the Divine Spirits that I brought back from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary over here. Although they have been obedient over the years, the agreement I made with them was only for 3,000 years and will soon be up. It will be difficult for me to extend the pact, but there just so happens to be someone over on that side who can handle them.”
Mi Jing Lun immediately understood and replied with a smile, “That’s right, under that person’s watchful eye, these Divine Spirits have no choice but to behave obediently.”
“Naturally, the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress needs a Divine Spirit with Great Sun and Moon Marks to be able to create Purifying Light to protect against the encroachment of Black Ink Strength, “
“I’ll make sure everything is prepared appropriately.”
Mi Jing Lun quickly left and went back to the Supreme Headquarters to organize the troops while Yang Kai stayed.
Once the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was ready for action, Yang Kai would be responsible for sending it to that place.
Dong Guo An Ping was still instructing Xu Zhen and the others to solve the problem of the Tiger Roar Cannon, when Yang Kai heard a soft voice in his ear.
He was surprised and decided to follow the voice, leaving the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and heading towards a mountain valley some 3,000 kilometres to the west. He approached it, and was stunned by what he saw within it.
The entire surrounding land was barren and silent, but this mountain valley was full of vitality, with an abundance of fragrant flowers and vegetation.
However, under careful observation and inspection, he realized that all the greenery was nothing but an illusion.
This was obviously an extremely profound manifestation of power.
He then noticed a delicate figure sitting quietly in the middle of the sea of flowers.
As Yang Kai waded through the sea of flowers, the flowers were disturbed, detached from their stems, and flew away from the branches. The flowers turned into yellow, red, and green butterflies dancing among other flowers…
At that moment, the world was colourful and beautiful.
Yang Kai was captivated by this beauty, even stretching out his hand and allowing a butterfly to land gently on his fingertips while flapping its wings.
A few moments later, he approached the figure, bowed, and greeted, “Old Ancestor!”
This was the only Human who had advanced to become a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor since the invasion of the 3,000 Worlds. Only a select few of the upper ranks knew about this.
Yang Kai was curious about where she was after she had reached the Ninth Order, and it was only when he heard her voice that he realized that she had been here the whole time, guarding the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
The Supreme Headquarters must have arranged for this newly promoted Ninth-Order Master to secretly guard the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress to ensure that absolutely nothing happened to it.
Luo Ting He smiled slightly, reached out her hand, and spoke gently, “No need for formalities. In fact, I owe everything that I have to you.”
This Ninth-Order Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was trapped in the Samsara Pavilion for 2,000 years. Many years later, Qu Hua Shang had entered the Samsara Pavilion vowing to live and die together with Yang Kai for nine lifetimes or perish inside. Yang Kai managed to overcome this challenge and leave with Qu Hua Shang.
It was through that opportunity that Luo Ting He was also able to leave the Samsara Pavilion.
If Yang Kai had not gone through the ninth reincarnation and succeeded in awakening Qu Hua Shang, Luo Ting He would still be trapped in the Samsara Pavilion. She would not be where she is today.
“Old Ancestor is too kind. What happened that day was pure coincidence,” Yang Kai said respectfully.
Back then, he had no idea Luo Ting He was trapped in the Samsara Pavilion; all he did was break Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Seal and awaken her memories. It was pure coincidence that he managed to get Luo Ting He out as well.
“Coincidence or not, I still owe you a favour,” Luo Ting He insisted.
Yang Kai could not say anything else.
Luo Ting He tilted her head and smiled as she said, “I’ve been thinking about how to repay you for that. I originally thought of giving you some benefits after I reached the Ninth Order; however, your cultivation speed is so fast that the benefits I can give you now related to that are far too limited.”
Luo Ting He would not be in such a tight spot if Yang Kai was only in the Sixth or Seventh Order. All she needed to do was to give him some gifts and give him some pointers for his cultivation, which would not be difficult.
However, Yang Kai’s cultivation had been increasing rapidly over the years, leading to him reach the peak of the Eighth Order.
In terms of strength as an Eighth-Order Master, Yang Kai was definitely the strongest. Even Xiang Shan was incomparable to him.
This made it difficult for Luo Ting He to figure out what she could give him in return. Since she successfully advanced to the Ninth Order and was stationed here to guard the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, she had been thinking long and hard about this.
“I pondered a lot on this. Since you are always out and about, you should be constantly in danger; so, why don’t I give you something to protect yourself? It might come in handy one day.”
Upon saying so, she did not allow Yang Kai to refuse. Her slender jade finger gently lifted and the sea of flowers that blanketed the mountain valley started to detach and turned into balls of light that converged at her fingertip.
The flowing lights lingered and gathered, slowly converging into one and reconstituted into a colourful butterfly which gently flapped its wings.
When the glow waned, the butterfly completely materialized.
She was not finished yet though as Yang Kai clearly felt Luo Ting He’s World Force surging madly and pour into the butterfly. The little butterfly, which was the size of a baby’s palm, was like a bottomless pit, constantly swallowing World Force from the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai was immediately dumbfounded.
Although he did not know what mysterious Secret Technique Luo Ting He had performed, he could tell that this Senior, who came from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, was injecting the heritage from her own Small Universe into this butterfly.
This was undoubtedly a huge loss to her. When this butterfly was activated, it would be as if Luo Ting He was present to take action!
It was truly a treasure! Just as Luo Ting He said, Yang Kai travelled around regularly as he no longer needed to cultivate in retreat. Previously in the Ancestral Land, he was surrounded by powerful Black Ink Clan Masters, and when he went to the No-Return Pass, he faced two Royal Lords and countless Territory Lords.
He really did encounter a lot of danger, so such a defensive treasure could be a life-saving token in certain critical moments.
Setting other incidents aside, if he had this butterfly when he was at the Ancestral Land, would Di Wu have even been a threat to him?
With the infusion of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe heritage, the Secret Technique butterfly became increasingly dynamic, as if it really came alive and was ready to fly.
Luo Ting He soon began to look fatigued.
It was only after half an hour that Luo Ting He exhaled a long breath and severed the connection between her Small Universe and the Secret Technique butterfly. With a flick of her fingertip, the butterfly flew towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai opened his palm and the butterfly landed on it. The gorgeous light then dissipated and turned into a butterfly-shaped crystal.
“If you encounter a dangerous situation that you can’t get out of, activating this will certainly help. It contains my full power, but remember that it can only last for 30 breaths.” Luo Ting He warned.
Although the butterfly felt light, Yang Kai’s heart was heavy. He estimated that to create this Secret Technique butterfly, Luo Ting He had sacrificed at least 500 years of hard cultivation. In other words, several centuries of effort had been used up to create this butterfly, which only lasted 30 breaths of time.
In some sense, while such a Secret Technique was extremely damaging to Luo Ting He, it was a potentially life-saving treasure to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai put the Secret Technique butterfly away, bowed, and solemnly said, “Many thanks for Old Ancestor’s generosity!”
Luo Ting He smiled lightly and said, “You are now a pillar of the Human Race. We cannot afford any mistakes with your life.” After a pause, she continued, “You have been out and about a lot, and understand far more than others about the situation between the two Races today. Tell me, if the two sides were to go to war today, what are the chances of the Human Race winning?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and said, “The odds of our victory are actually quite high, but we cannot just focus on the immediate crisis…”
It was not that the Human Race did not dare to fight back against Black Ink Clan in an all-out war today, but rather that they needed to not be short-sighted.
Yang Kai gave up an absolute advantage in Profound Nether Territory and made peace with the Black Ink Clan to create a relatively safe environment for the next generation to grow up in. He did this because he realized that this was not a war that one person alone could control, and that the Human Race needed more Masters if it truly wanted to win in the end.
Later on, the scope of the peace talks extended to more Great Territory Battlefield, and now that some 2,000 years had passed, the Human Race truly had nurtured many rising stars into powerful Masters. The Star Boundary, the Myriad Monsters World, and even his Small Universe continued to witness the birth of such talents.
Now, the Human Race had one more Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it could be said that their situation was much better than 3,000 years ago.
If a full-blown war started today, the Human Race would likely win. Yang Kai alone would have a huge impact as he would be unshackled, able to slaughter Acquired and Innate Territory Lords freely.
Although the Black Ink Clan could create Pseudo-Royal Lords, they would have to sacrifice a lot of Territory Lords to do so, which would not be worth it as a dozen Territory Lords were actually more useful than one Pseudo-Royal Lord.
So, if a full-scale war broke out, the Human Race’s chances of winning were more than 70%, though they would have to pay a terrible price to achieve victory. Such a war would likely result in 50% losses on the Human side.
The problem was what came after. The root cause of the Black Ink Clan was slumbering inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Even if the Black Ink Clan that invaded the 3,000 Worlds was ruthlessly wiped out tomorrow, the problem would not be resolved until Mo was completely eliminated.
The Human Race needed to be much stronger to deal with what was to come.
The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was one such preparation for that future.
For the time being, delaying was the Human Race’s best option. The longer they could delay, the greater their advantage would become. However, there was a limit to this. If Mo’s true body completely awakened, the Human Race would have to deal with it, regardless of whether they were prepared or not.
Thus, Yang Kai was willing to accept 1,200 Black Ink Disciples and a multitude of resources to resolve his confrontation with the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass. It was not because he turned soft to them, but that now was not the time to confront the enemy directly.
Speaking of the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples, Yang Kai suddenly remembered that they were still suppressed in his Small Universe. He had forgotten to release them back at Supreme Headquarters when he was there.
There was no hurry though. Furthermore, they posed no danger as they remained in his Small Universe for the moment.
Yang Kai had a long chat with Luo Ting He, describing the situation of the two Races while she listened intently.
Although she was a Ninth-Order Master, after leaving Azure Sun Territory some 1,000 years ago, she had been stationed here the whole time. Thus, she really did not know much about the situation in the outside world.
Yang Kai only knew so much because he was able to move around freely while the others could not.
“I understand now,” Luo Ting He nodded lightly, then smiled and said, “You are so certain of victory? Have you found a way to deal with that Black Ink Giant Spirit God?”
If the two sides were go to war, the Black Ink Clan’s biggest advantage was not the huge number of troops they had, or that the number of Territory Lords exceeded the numbers of Eighth-Order Masters, it was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was pinned down by the two veteran Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Barren Territory!
That was the true existence that could single-handedly tip the balance of power between the two sides.
The Black Ink Clan now had two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. One was held in check by Ah Er, so they did not need to worry too much about it. Those two had been fighting each other for several thousands of years and neither side had gained any kind of advantage. It was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that had once been subdued by the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land that they had to worry about. Once it freed itself from the Old Ancestor’s restraint, it would be an absolute disaster for the Human Race.
Before, while it was seriously injured, it was locked in place by the two Ninth-Order Masters using their Secret Techniques; however, after so many years had passed, most of its injuries should have been healed by now. Nevertheless, that alone would not be enough of a reason for Yang Kai to personally go to the Barren Territory to torment it.
If the Black Ink Clan was in a life-or-death struggle, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God would not stand idly by. In that situation, it would likely sacrifice its arm to fight back.
If it broke free, then it would be difficult for the Human Race to counter it.
However, from what Luo Ting He had heard so far, Yang Kai did not seem concerned about it, so he obviously had a way to deal with it.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter and said, “Old Ancestor is truly sharp!”
While Luo Ting He mentioned this, she did not ask any more questions about it.
Yang Kai left after some more small talk, and Luo Ting He continued to meditate to make up for the heritage that she had just used up.
Instead of returning to the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Yang Kai flew directly up into the void, where he opened up his Small Universe and released the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples he had received from the No-Return Pass.
The Black Ink Strength in their bodies had already been purged by Purifying Light and they were now ashamed to face Yang Kai.
If Yang Kai had not got them back from the Black Ink Clan, they would still be working for the enemy.
Yang Kai was not surprised by this and did not say much to them. He only gave them instructions and then provided them in the direction of the Supreme Headquarters.
The 1,200 saluted in unison, turned into a stream of light, and disappeared.
…
The Supreme Headquarters spent months mobilizing the necessary troops. It was not an easy task to gather so many Open Heaven Realm Masters. They could not draw too many from any single battlefield; otherwise, it may affect the situation on the front lines.
They also needed to balance the personnel appropriately, which was no easy task.
Before the arrival of the soldiers, a group of Divine Spirits came to Yang Kai to report.
They were the Divine Spirits that he brought out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Since Yang Kai killed Tao Wu in Profound Nether Territory, these Divine Spirits had been performing much better on the battlefield because they were afraid of Yang Kai’s ferocious methods.
Tao Wu, who was comparable to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at the time, was beheaded by Yang Kai without being able to resist. None of the Divine Spirits wanted to be the next Tao Wu, so over the years, whatever the Humans requested, they would do their best to complete.
The Divine Spirits all stood in a field near to the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, but when Yang Kai looked out at them, he suddenly felt rather saddened.
Yang Kai brought just over 100 Divine Spirits from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary; however, there were only about 60 of them standing in front of him today.
A 40% casualty rate over 3,000 years of fierce battles was by no means small. Each of the Divine Spirits was more powerful than the average Human Race Master in the same equivalent Order, so one could imagine how perilous the war had been.
Although there were not many of them, these Divine Spirits had already constituted an extremely powerful force as many were comparable to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Their Ancestors were imprisoned for various reasons in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary by the Old Tree. In the special environment of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, it was difficult for their Bloodline to grow as powerful as it could be, even if their bloodline was pure.
For example, Zhu Jiu Yin, who Yang Kai brought out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary all those years ago, was as strong, if not stronger, than any Eighth-Order Human Master, but due to the suppression in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she had only been able to exert the strength of a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master while trapped there. It was not until she left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary that she began to restore her true strength in the Void Land.
These dozens of Divine Spirits had left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary for almost 3,000 years and had already adapted naturally to the World Principles of the outside world.
Almost 80% of them were Eighth-Order, while the remaining 20% were Seventh-Order. Among the Eighth-Order Divine Spirits, there were several whose aura was particularly strong, indicating that if there was enough opportunity for them, they could reach the Ninth-Order in the future, which was the peak of the Universe.
After so many years of constant battling, these Divine Spirits were very intimidating, with their cold murderous intent lingering about their bodies, mixed with the innate might of Divine Spirits.
As they stood here, the Artifact Refiners and Array Masters who were busy working on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress tried their best to keep their distances.
Unfortunately for these Divine Spirits, the refinement of their Bloodline became increasingly difficult the higher they climbed. It was no longer like during the Primordial Era when the Heavenly Way favoured the Divine Spirits, resulting in fewer of them being able to ever advance to the Ninth Order.
Dragon Clan’s Fu Guang had been cultivating in the Dragon Pool for so many years, but in the end, it was only with Yang Kai’s help that he could become a Divine Dragon.
As for the Phoenix Clan, none of them had risen to the Divine Rank since the fall of the previous Phoenix Clan Leader during the Barren Territory War. The refinement of one’s Bloodline was not just a matter of dedication and effort, but also highly dependent on personal inheritance. No matter how long one lived, if their inheritance was insufficient, it would be useless.
Yang Kai glanced at all the Divine Spirits and suddenly cupped his fist and bowed appreciatively, “Many thanks for all your hard work and sacrifice.”
The solemn atmosphere suddenly eased, and a Divine Spirit smiled and said, “This is our duty, Sir.”
Yang Kai glanced at the Divine Spirit who spoke, nodded lightly, and said with a smile, “When I brought you all out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, I made a Bloodline Oath with you for 3,000 years, and now that time has basically passed…”
Upon saying so, Yang Kai reached up his fingers and began to count.
A voice from below softly said, “There are 79 years to go before the full 3,000 is up.”
A chorus of voices said, “Yes, yes, yes!”
Yang Kai looked up and chuckled, “All of you remember so clearly.”
The Divine Spirits smiled. How could they not remember this as it was related to their freedom.
Yang Kai put his hands behind his back and said, “When I asked you to make that Great Oath, I said that I would set you free after the expiration of the agreement 3,000 years later. I have no intention of breaking my word; however, all of you must know the situation that we are in, so I would like to ask all of you now. After the expiration of the 3,000-year Great Oath, where do you intend to go?
The Divine Spirits exchanged looks with each other and every one of them could see the indecision in each other’s eyes.
When they came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, they did not know the situation in the outside world was like this, but they were no longer ignorant like back then.
Now, when the 3,000-year agreement was ending, where could they go even when they were free?
A Divine Spirit with an Ox head said, “Sir, now that all life is under threat by the Black Ink Clan, we have nowhere else to go. I’m afraid we can only fight alongside the Human Race to drive out the enemy.”
Yang Kai looked at the Divine Spirit and was surprised that it was Zhu Jian. He thought that these Divine Spirits could not wait to get far away from the battlefields after they regained their freedom. He did not expect them to be so righteous.
He was relieved and asked, “Do all of you feel the same way?”
A Divine Spirit yelled, “We’re already riding this pirate ship, how can we get off now?”
This caused many Divine Spirits to roar in laughter.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “It is a blessing for my people, and all people, that you think this way. I, Yang Kai, hereby swear by my Source and Bloodline that in my lifetime, I will ruthlessly kill the Black Ink Clan and eliminate them from this Universe. When peace is finally restored, I will drink and celebrate with all of you. When that happens, you will be favoured by the Heavens, and perhaps restore the glory of your Ancestors!”
At the end of his sentence, a golden illusory phantom flickered behind Yang Kai, which was a manifestation of his Source Great Oath.
All the Divine Spirits were moved. Zhu Jian immediately cupped his fist and said, “We are willing to serve, Sir!”
The Divine Spirit also shouted in unison, “We are willing to serve!”
“Excellent!” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction, “I have asked all of you to come here because I have a task for you. This matter is of utmost importance and victory or defeat in this war will depend on it, so you must think carefully before accepting it.”
Zhu Jian immediately asked curiously, “Sir, what task is it?”
Yang Kai smiled profoundly and said, “There is no hurry. We still have to wait for the Human side to finish its arrangements. When the time comes, I will send you to a place. I will explain in detail when the Humans are ready.”
The Divine Spirits did not ask any more questions and Yang Kai allowed them to disperse and find a place to rest, away from the still-busy Artifact Refiners and Array Masters.
The Divine Spirits did not respect ordinary Humans as they were more intimidating and powerful; however, Yang Kai was no ordinary Human. Technically speaking, he was now a powerful Ancient Dragon, who was just one step away from becoming a Divine Dragon.
Days later, 6,000 soldiers finally arrived at the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. These 6,000 soldiers included all sorts of talents and were enough to operate the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress like a real Great Pass.
Mi Jing Lun personally drafted these soldiers from across all the various battlefields. The 6,000 battle-harden veterans gathered in a large courtyard and their combined aura was truly awe-inspiring.
The cultivation of each of these soldiers was no less than the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, with many Seventh and Eighth-Order Masters among them. Each one of them was battle-tested and had killed many Black Ink Clansmen on the battlefield.
They suddenly received the transfer order from the Supreme Headquarters and were brought here, so none of them knew what was happening and did not know what they should do.
At the very least, they could see the enormous Suppressing Black Ink Fortress; thus, it was clear that something big was going to happen and all of them looked forward to it.
Yang Kai stood in front of the 6,000 men and women and began to look at them in detail, soon noticing many familiar faces in the crowd.
Yu Ru Meng, Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, Xue Yue, Ji Yao… His Wives were all here except for Xia Ning Chang who had been stationed at the rear because of her mastery over the Dao of Alchemy.
Yang Xiao Yang Xue, Zhao Ye Bai, Zhao Ya, Xu Yi… all of whom were close to him, were also there.
Yang Kai even saw Gu Pan, whom he had not seen for many years, and Zhang Ruo Xi beside her, staring back at him with glittering eyes.
The moment he saw Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai’s heart suddenly began to race. He felt a strange impulse but was not sure what it was about.
Yang Kai did not think much about it though and just quietly said to Mi Jing Lun, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Mi.”
It was obviously Mi Jing Lun’s idea to transfer his Wives, Yang Xiao and his Sister here. It was not so much as to take care of the people close to Yang Kai, but rather because the Black Ink Clan was now targeting them. Once they appeared on the battlefield, they were always swarmed by the Black Ink Clan. If it was not for the fact that some of them were proficient in the Dao of Space, they would have been in deep trouble.
“There is no need to thank me,” Mi Jing Lun, whose insight was exceptionally keen, knew what Yang Kai meant, “They are all heroes and this is the right time for them to contribute. Besides, the situation there might be even more dangerous than on the battlefield here.”
While the two of them were talking, somewhere below within the crowd, Yang Xiao said to Yang Xue, “Little Aunt, what’s wrong with that Big Head Mi? Our whole Squad has been transferred over, so why did he leave Old Fang out? Although Old Fang is a bit laidback, he is very powerful. Hey, why don’t you ask Adoptive Father to transfer Old Fang over?”
Over the years, Yang Xiao and the others had made a big name for themselves. Since the Black Ink Clan knew about his relationship with Yang Xue and Yang Kai, they had targeted them repeatedly. It was Fang Tian Ci who used his mastery over the Dao of Space to lead them out of danger many times.
The years of working together resulted in them bonding strongly with each other. Yang Xiao had high regards for Fang Tian Ci, but unfortunately, for reasons unknown, Mi Jing Lun had transferred all of them here except for Fang Tian Ci!
They did not know why Big Head Mi had seemingly singled out Old Fang, but Yang Xiao was not happy about it. Now, he was encouraging Yang Xue to go to Yang Kai to file an official complaint.
Yang Xue would naturally not want Fang Tian Ci to be excluded as he had helped them a lot of times before. This time, there was no telling what kind of missions they were being sent on, but from the lineup gathered here and the massive fortress in front of them, it was obviously going to be a task fraught with dangers. They would also be much safer with Fang Tian Ci by their side.
Yang Xue faintly nodded and replied, “En, I’ll talk to Big Brother when I find a chance.”
In front of the square, Mi Jing Lun said “Junior Brother Yang, I found an interesting person when I was making the transfers. This person was originally in the same Squad as Yang Xiao and Yang Xue. He is also an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with great strength and is also highly proficient in the Dao of Space. Apparently, he came from your Small Universe, but he came to me and said that he could not accept this transfer. I asked him for the reason, but he was unable to explain clearly. He only told me to come and tell you about this.”
Yang Kai seemed to know what happened and asked, “Was his name Fang Tian Ci?”
Mi Jing Lun nodded and replied, “That’s him.”
Yang Kai said, “I have a critical task for him, so I can’t afford to send him to that place.”
Mi Jing Lun was relieved and said, “Since it’s Junior Brother’s arrangement, then I see no problems with it.”