At one point, Yang Xiao could not stand the boredom, so when they passed by a certain Celestial Phenomenon, he rushed out in curiosity and was almost caught in it. If not for Yang Kai’s quick actions, he might have been lost within the Celestial Phenomenon, never to return. When Yang Xue found out, she punished him severely until he promised never to do that again. The dramatic event was a rare comic relief to their otherwise mundane journey and became the butt of everyone’s joke throughout the Warship.
A few years later, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship entered the Late Ancient Era Battlefield, and the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who saw this place for the first time were all shaken to their core. The veteran Eighth-Order Masters who told them all the events of the past were also totally captivated.
Only at this time did they know that at the end of the Late Ancient Era, there were Humans who fought and were victorious over the Black Ink Clan on this magnificent battlefield. Although they failed to kill Mo, at least they managed to contain the Black Ink Clan within the Black Ink Battlefield.
Now, the Black Ink Clan had invaded the 3,000 Worlds, the world had withered, Universe Worlds had collapsed, and the Human Race was trapped in a mere handful of Great Territory Battlefields.
The situation had never been worse, and everyone’s heart was heavy and eager for revenge.
After the Late Ancient Era Battlefield, there was the Spiritless Land. They were getting close to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!
Nearly 13 years after the departure of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship from the Supreme Headquarters Territory, Yang Kai finally led a group of Eighth-Order Masters to the place where the last Human Race Crusade Force was defeated. This was also where the Mother Nest was located and where the true body of Mo was sealed!
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship flew past a lot of wreckage and debris. There were even damaged Warships quietly floating across the void as well as skeletons and corpses of Humans and Black Ink Clansmen alike.
These were the remnants of the last great war, the final battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Yang Kai was not present during that battle as he was targeted by a Royal Lord because of Cang and had no choice but to flee. He fled for years before entering the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and started his cultivation to break through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. After he emerged from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai managed to kill the Royal Lord who was chasing him.
It was only after that that he learned of the fierceness of this final battle.
The Human Race should not have been defeated here. They had more than 100 Great Passes and a grand Army numbering in the millions, all of whom were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above, with over 100 Ninth-Order Old Ancestors assuming command. With such a lineup they were definitely the strongest Army the Human Race had mustered since the Late Ancient Era millions of years ago.
However, from within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, a Black Ink Giant Spirit God emerged to challenge the Army. From the opposite side, another fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God, who roamed the Late Ancient Era Battlefield, was revived by the Black Ink Clan.
The two powerful Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods pincered the Human Army and together with countless Royal Lords and Territory Lords, the Human Race Grand Army was defeated and forced to retreat.
The sight in front of everyone was tragic, and even if they were not personally involved in that battle, they could easily imagine its fierceness. The atmosphere aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was heavy as people were scurrying about, trying to collect the corpses of the Human Race soldiers.
When the Great Army retreated back then, they did not even have the time to collect the bodies of the fallen, so the battlefield was still littered with corpses.
Su Yan activated her Great Sun and Moon Marks to create Purifying Light to disperse the Black Ink Cloud in the void; however, she soon gave up as there were far more dead Black Ink Clansmen than Human Race soldiers, causing the residual Black Ink Cloud to be too large to disperse. Although they did not lack Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystal, they should not waste them unnecessarily.
A potent Divine Sense suddenly spread over from afar, and all the Eighth-Order Masters were astonished when they felt its might!
This was not the Divine Sense of an Eighth-Order Master, but that of a Ninth-Order Master!
The Eighth-Order Masters became excited by the possibility that there was a Ninth-Order Master stationed here!
A moment later, the Divine Sense was withdrawn after having found out the identity of Yang Kai and the others.
Following the battlefield’s numerous ruins, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship soon came to a huge piece of debris.
It was debris that belonged to a Great Pass that had been destroyed. Looking at its appearance, it should be the Great Pass’ Main Square.
On top of the debris stood a figure with flowing white hair and white robes, his arms folded behind his back, looking in the direction of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
Upon seeing this person, many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters immediately realised that it was not just any Ninth-Order Master here, it was ‘him’.
[No wonder we’ve not heard about this Senior for so many years, he must have been stationed here by the Supreme Headquarters a long time ago.]
Yang Kai jumped down from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, came to the white-haired man, and cupped his fists, “Greetings, Senior Fu Guang!”
This man in all white was the current Dragon Clan Leader and the only Divine Dragon.
Yang Kai had sent Wu Kuang here a long time ago, but although the latter claimed that he would advance to the Ninth Order within 3,000 years, and that he could guard the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction effectively at that point, Yang Kai had to prepare for the unexpected.
Therefore, over 1,000 years ago, Yang Kai had already suggested that the Supreme Headquarters prepare someone to assist Wu Kuang outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, just in case.
However, the Humans had limited manpower and very few were capable of carrying out such a mission. There were two Old Ancestors who met the requirements, but they had to stay in Wind Mist Territory to restrain the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. Part of restraining the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was that they too could not move.
After much consideration, only Fu Guang could be deployed.
However, during the battle of the Barren Territory, Fu Guang was severely injured and almost died on the spot. If the Dragon Clan Leader at that time did not go all out to rescue him, Fu Guang would have been among those who fell that day.
After the retreat from the Barren Territory, Fu Guang spent many, many years in the depths of the Dragon Pool, drawing upon its power to heal himself. It was not until some 1,000 years ago that he finally recovered from his injuries.
He immediately set off for this place after his recovery.
On the way, Fu Guang passed by the No-Return Pass, which caused the Black Ink Clan to panic as they thought that he was there to pick a fight. Fortunately for them, Fu Guang had no such intentions and just passed by. The Black Ink Clan had since been wondering what a Divine Dragon from the Dragon Clan was doing in the Black Ink Battlefield.
By all accounts, Fu Guang had been here, alone, for at least 1,000 years.
“Many thanks for your hard work, Senior,” Yang Kai said. 1,000 years of solitude was not easy to endure, even for a powerful Divine Spirit.
Fu Guang smiled and shook his head. His eyes then looked up and down Yang Kai and said with a little surprise, “Your Dragon Vein…”
Yang Kai secretly praised this Divine Dragon for his strong perception. It should also be because they were both part of the Dragon Clan; so, even if Yang Kai did not use the powers of his Dragon Vein, Fu Guang would sense something about it.
Yang Kai explained, “I obtained some gifts from the Ancestral Land.”
Fu Guang understood what he meant and replied, “That is indeed a great opportunity.”
He was wondering how Yang Kai’s Dragon Vein had grown so quickly. The Last time Fu Guang saw Yang Kai, the latter was just a 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon. Now, Yang Kai gave off a similar feeling to his own from back in the Dragon Pool.
In other words, it was very likely that Yang Kai was in the same situation as he was back then, stuck at the last step before becoming a Divine Dragon.
The power in the Dragon Pool had been greatly consumed after more than 2,000 years of healing, so Yang Kai could not have benefited much from it, certainly not enough to improve his Dragon Vein to such a degree.
It turned out that it was a gift from the Ancestral Land.
While they were talking, a group of Eighth-Order Masters and 60 Divine Spirits all came forward and saluted. No one dared to disrespect a Divine Dragon.
The Eighth-Order Masters finally confirmed who the Army Commander of their Suppressing Black Ink Army was. Although there had been some speculation beforehand, it was only today that they became certain.
A Master like Fu Guang was naturally qualified to be the Army Commander of the Suppressing Black Ink Army.
Zhu Jian and the rest of the Divine Spirits felt increasingly ready to be part of this fight. Given the circumstances, they knew that they would still be fighting alongside the Human Race after the 3,000-year agreement had expired; however, now they were working under the current Dragon Clan Leader and there was no room for sloppiness.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Yang Kai said, “Sir, how is the situation here?”
Fu Guang replied, “Nothing unusual, except that… he talks a lot!”
“Talks a lot?” Yang Kai was slightly stunned and then realized that Fu Guang should be referring to Wu Kuang.
Yang Kai could not help but chuckle and his tense mood also relaxed a lot. It also meant that there were no problems with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If there really was any problem, Wu Kuang would not be able to waste his energy on chatting.
At that moment, Wu Kuang’s voice came from the depths of the void, “There is quite literally no one here besides the two of us, and it’s been that way for over 1,000 years. Does it matter if we talk more? And… don’t you know that it’s not a good habit to badmouth someone behind their back?”
Fu Guang laughed helplessly and cupped his fist. After so many years of chatting, he also knew Wu Kuang’s background. He had much respect for this Late Ancient Era Martial Ancestor.
Furthermore, anyone who single-handedly guarded the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction deserved the utmost respect.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and even the Divine Spirits were all astonished. They were all previously focused on Fu Guang and never expected there to be a second person here; after all, there was only endless darkness as far as they could see!
The deep darkness seemed to be able to devour everything, and even their souls seemed to be sucked into it when they stared for too long.
Fortunately, everyone was strong and when they perceived the anomaly, they immediately collected the mind which eased the discomfort.
Someone said with palpitations, “Is this where the Mother Nest resides?”
They had heard that the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had sealed the Mother Nest along with Mo’s true body. Now, they were able to see it with their own eyes.
This was the source of all the chaos and the birthplace of the Black Ink Clan.
Even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could not help but feel a sense of powerlessness and defeat in their hearts at this moment.
“Don’t be so glum. For countless aeons, your heroic ancestors spilled their blood on this battlefield to resist the Black Ink Clan, all to give future generations a chance to live and grow. Now, this burden has fallen on your shoulders. If you and the others fail here, then the Human Race and all the Divine Spirits will cease to exist. When that happens, everything will come to an end. The Martial Ancestors were able to seal this evil here. Don’t you, their descendants, have the courage to fight it?”
Fu Guang was not reprimanding and neither was his tone intense. Though it seemed like a simple question, it caused everyone’s heart to feel heavy. How could they face the true enemy if just gazing upon its shield of darkness was enough to frighten them?
Yang Kai immediately cupped his fist and said respectfully, “Junior understands!”
Yang Kai took a step forward and said, “I’ll check out the situation.”
He disappeared in a flash as Fu Guang looked on with his brow raised. The way Yang Kai utilised Space Principles was at a level no different from the late Phoenix Clan Leader.
The Dragon Clan’s Bloodline Talent was the Dao of Time while the Phoenix Clan’s was the Dao of Space.
Fu Guang was surprised that Yang Kai, a Dragon Clan member, was so proficient in both the Dao of Time, and the Dao of Space.
Amidst the great struggle between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clans over the dominion of everything under the Heavens, there was always a need for special existences to rise up.
Looking at the direction Yang Kai went, Fu Guang became lost in his thoughts as he realised that he was not one of those special beings.
Outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, a portal seemed to open up in the darkness when Yang Kai arrived. Yang Kai followed the portal, took a step inside, and saw Wu Kuang sitting cross-legged.
Yang Kai swiftly activated the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks. Yellow and blue rays burst out and merged into a huge beam of Purifying Light that rained down on Wu Kuang’s head.
Wu Kuang, whose body was so black that his face could barely be seen, was instantly enveloped by the Purifying Light, and with a piercing sound, the huge mass of Black Ink Strength was purified.
The light dissipated and Wu Kuang returned to his original appearance. He appeared grim as he asked, “What the hell are you doing?”
Yang Kai replied casually, “I need to make sure that I see a Human Wu Kuang, not a Black Ink Disciple Wu Kuang!”
Anyone else who saw Wu Kuang’s appearance would have thought he had been completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength, mainly because this guy was covered in it and looked very abnormal.
“What about now?” Wu Kuang asked rhetorically.
Yang Kai said, “It should be fine, but I’d like to check your Small Universe if you don’t mind.”
Wu Kuang snorted and replied, “If I were a Black Ink Disciple, I would have awakened the old thing inside and unlocked the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction long ago.”
“Who knows? The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor is quite the schemer, who can tell what you’re up to?”
Wu Kuang rolled his eyes. The rich Black Ink Strength continued to be pulled in, and under Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he seemed to have turned it into a bottomless pit. Still, he warned Yang Kai, “Refrain from acting out. Do you know how tricky it is to steal something from someone’s home without disturbing the sleeping owner? Besides, didn’t you give me a World Tree clone which can stabilize and isolate my Small Universe? How could Black Ink Strength corrupt me so easily?”
When he saw that Yang Kai was unconvinced, Wu Kuang immediately sneered and snarled, “You’re going to get your ass kicked!”
As he said that, he revealed his aura threateningly.
Yang Kai immediately sat cross-legged in front of him and said, “Your fist is bigger. Fine, you win.”
Wu Kuang had already become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He was clearly not exaggerating when he said that he would achieve this within 3,000 years.
Yang Kai was more and more amazed at the power of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Unfortunately, only Wu Kuang could truly bring out the full power of this Heaven-defying cultivation technique.
Wu Kuang was able to advance from the Seventh Order to the Ninth Order in just 3,000 years with this Secret Art and special environment.
In the end, Black Ink Strength was also a kind of power. While sitting here, the Black Ink Strength was endless and inexhaustible. With the help of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and the protection of Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus and a World Tree clone, Wu Kuang was able to achieve the unimaginable in just 3,000 years.
Without even one of these conditions, Wu Kuang would not have been able to advance to the Ninth Order in such a short time.
“Senior, I would like to ask you something,” Yang Kai said solemnly.
Wu Kuang chuckled softly.
“Hmph! So, you call me ‘Wu Kuang’ when you want and then address me as ‘Senior’ when you want something. Brat, you’re as disrespectful as ever.” Wu Kuang sneered and thought to himself scornfully.
“Speak!” Wu Kuang snarled.
“The 10 Martial Ancestors all must have understood the Open Heaven Realm method is flawed. How did Senior overcome the limitations of the Open Heaven Realm method to cultivate the Ninth Order?”
Wu Kuang’s current body originally belonged to Mo Sheng, the Great Demon God, who was killed back in the Star Boundary. Wu Kuang’s Soul took over that fallen Master.
Yang Kai still remembered that when he saw Wu Kuang again after leaving the Star Boundary, Wu Kuang was just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at that time.
In other words, Wu Kuang should have been an ordinary Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master back then; so theoretically, his limit was the Seventh-Order. How did he become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?
“You want to know?” Wu Kuang grinned, “You won’t be able to do it. The Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art is enough to keep you busy.”
Yang Kai probed and asked, “Is it related to the Secret Art practised by Senior?”
Back in the days when Wu Kuang was still Shi, he already perceived the drawbacks of the Open Heaven Realm method and knew that the 10 Martial Ancestors alone could only confine Mo but could not completely destroy it. He needed more power and to reach a higher Realm to destroy Mo!
The Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art was one of the methods Shi deduced that could potentially solve the limitations of the Open Heaven Realm method; however, this method had extreme limitations. If Wu Kuang did not know that Yang Kai had the Soul Warming Lotus, he would not have taught it to him; after all, the mere process of cutting one’s Soul in half was essentially like committing suicide if not for the Supreme Treasure.
Since Shi had formulated the Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art, but did not practice it, there must be another way to overcome the drawbacks of the Open Heaven Realm method.
Yang Kai guessed that this should be the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!
Wu Kuang nodded, “En, it is related to the Secret Art that I practice. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was not only the fastest method to improve one’s strength, there are other subtleties involved with it that you cannot understand right now. To avoid the limitations of the Open Heaven Realm method, the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus is also indispensable, so only I can do this in this world. As for the others…” Wu Kuang slowly shook his head and his message was self-evident.
Yang Kai was silent for a moment and then he suddenly said, “Senior, I saw the Primordial Light.”
Cang told the Ninth-Order Masters that finding the Primordial Light was the best and most secure way to resolve the issue of Mo and the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai overheard this when he was serving tea to them; otherwise, he would not have known about such a secret, as he was just a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master back then.
However, of those Ninth-Order Old Ancestors who were present, only two of them were still alive today.
Wu Kuang was the reincarnation of Shi and naturally knew more about the Primordial Light than anyone else.
Wu Kuang was stunned for a moment before he became incomparably excited, his eyes widening as he asked, “Where is it?”
He was so agitated that he even grabbed Yang Kai’s shoulders and shook him.
Yang Kai felt his shoulders were about to be crushed and his body shaken apart, and hastily said, “S-Senior, don’t get so excited! I only witnessed the Primordial Light by chance when travelling back through millions of years of time.”
“You travelled back in time!?” Wu Kuang gawked as this was an impossible feat as far as he knew.
After his eyes stopped spinning, Yang Kai explained exactly what happened in the Ancestral Land, causing Wu Kuang’s expression to change as he listened.
After Yang Kai finished explaining, Wu Kuang’s expression became extremely odd and he could not tell whether he felt relief or not, “So, that’s what happened! The Primordial Light has long since ceased to exist…”
Back then, the 10 Martial Ancestors theorized that the only way to deal with Mo once and for all was to find the Primordial Light. That was naturally a source of hope for them.
However, today, Yang Kai had confirmed that the Primordial Light had disappeared from the Universe, and its remnants had evolved into the Divine Spirit Family. Thus, this hope no longer existed.
Wu Kuang couldn’t help feeling some disappointment in his heart.
However, he had also long expected this situation. Even if he was disappointed, he did not despair.
The Primordial Light was certainly the safest and simplest solution to resolve the issue of Mo, but it was not necessarily the only solution!
Mo was in the Creation Realm, so if he could break through the Ninth Order and reach the Creation Realm, he would be able to compete with Mo directly!
Collecting himself, Wu Kuang quickly said, “Brat, since the Primordial Light has long since dissipated, the only hope for the Human Race now is to further strengthen themselves and rise above the Ninth Order as soon as possible.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai answered, but after thinking about it, he did not say anything about Zhang Ruo Xi; after all, her story was still just his own speculation. Thus, he would have to take her to that place before he could say for certain his hypothesis was the truth.
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai said, “I brought some men and a powerful weapon with me this time to ease the burden on Senior. If Senior needs any help from them, just order them as needed.”
“There is always a need for more help,” Wu Kuang said seriously, “Previously, Mo was hit by whatever Mu left behind and has been in deep sleep ever since. Over these years, although there have been some faint mental activities, it has not awakened yet. Fortunately, I have made it to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and my control over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is much stronger now; otherwise, all Hell would have broken loose already.”
Yang Kai was astonished and asked, “Then, can Senior estimate when Mo will awaken?”
Wu Kuang spread his hands helplessly and replied, “It’s impossible to say, maybe it will wake up in the next moment, or perhaps it will continue to sleep for a few thousand more years.”
Yang Kai’s anxiety increased greatly as he asked, “If it really wakes up, can Senior suppress him?”
“Perhaps for a short while, but certainly not for long; after all, I have not yet reached Cang’s level of strength. Although Cang was still technically in the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was much, much further along that path that I am right now. It was for that reason that he could single-handedly stay here and maintain the Grand Restriction. Still… I am also growing stronger all the time. In short, the longer it takes Mo to wake up, the better it is for the Human Race.”
After a pause, Wu Kuang said, “There are many Black Ink Clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, including many Royal Lords. If the Grand Restriction were to be broken now, it would be difficult to stop them. However, if you have brought enough capable people, we might be able to reduce the power of Black Ink Clan in advance. When the day comes, and make no mistake, it will come, the burden on the Human Race would lessen if we act now.”
Yang Kai listened and asked eagerly, “How should we go about eliminating them?”
Wu Kuang replied, “Simple, I’ll create a small opening in the Grand Restriction and release some of them out in batches. You guys just need to kill them as they emerge!”
Yang Kai winced and whispered, “Senior may not know, but more than 3,000 years ago when the Human Crusade Force came here, Cang did what you suggested and it ended in disaster!”
Of course, when Cang chose to open a gap, it was based on the same reasoning.
Before the Human Crusade Force arrived, Cang had guarded this place alone for over 100,000 years and was approaching his limit. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction not only sealed Mo’s true body, it also held back all of Mo’s creations. Cang could not bear the burden by himself and eventually he would not be able to contain them.
If the seal broke and Mo and its true body escaped, the Human Race would not be able to handle the subsequent catastrophe.
So, after the Human Crusade Force arrived, Cang proposed, as Wu Kuang did now, to open a gap in the Grand Restriction, to relieve some of the pressure.
Initially, everything had gone according to Cang’s expectations, until the appearance of a Black Ink Giant Spirit God!
Unexpectedly, a Black Ink Giant Spirit God emerged from the Grand Restriction and forcefully held the gap open. The Black Ink Clan Army swarmed out and overwhelmed the Human Race Army.
All the Black Ink Clansmen who died in that battle left behind massive amounts of Black Ink Strength, which was then absorbed by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, increasing its power.
In the end, Cang was forced to use the last card Mu left behind and sacrificed his body to reseal and reinforce the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction while Mo fell into a deep slumber.
However, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who had been roaming in the Late Ancient Era battlefield had been awakened and struck from the rear to rout the Crusade Force.
Although Yang Kai was not present for many of those events, he was at least involved up until the emergence of the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Thus, when Wu Kuang proposed this same strategy 3,000 years later, Yang Kai was naturally a little worried.
Wu Kuang had obviously heard about what happened back then and chuckled, “Accidents are inevitable.”
Yang Kai said solemnly, “Is Senior certain that you can reseal the Grand Restriction at any moment?”
Wu Kuang said bluntly, “There is no guarantee.”
Yang Kai’s face twitched. If Wu Kuang did not dare to make this guarantee, then how could he propose such a risky plan? The hidden ace that Mu had left behind had been used up. The Human Race could not afford another mistake of that magnitude.
However, Yang Kai soon realized what the problem was and asked, “Is Senior’s burden so great that you are unable to bear it?”
Yang Kai hit the nail on its head, so Wu Kuang could not help but sigh and reply, “I just became a Ninth-Order Master and my strength is incomparable to Cang. It’s only a matter of time before the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction breaks apart.”
“Why didn’t Senior just say so then?” Yang Kai said with some displeasure. Listening to Wu Kuang’s tone earlier, he thought this guy was having an easy time staying here at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Who would have thought that his life was hanging by a thread all this while?
Wu Kuang simply replied, “Don’t I need some face?”
Yang Kai was immediately incensed and did not know how to respond. He fumed for a moment before asking, “If we do as Senior said, will there be any effect on Mo’s true body?”
“Would you believe me if I said that there will be no effect? Mu left a strong gambit behind. Now, we can only trust her.”
“Then what about Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods?” Yang Kai asked again.
“There is no way a newly promoted Ninth-Order Master like me could sense what’s going on inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction when even Cang, Shi, and the others could not back at their peak. Only Mu ever dove deep into the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. We have never done so. Unfortunately, she died after we resealed the Restriction and did not leave any clues as to what she saw inside. That is why no one knew a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was lurking inside. The only thing I can do now is to try to re-seal the gap when I notice any anomalies and try to avoid things getting out of hand.”
What Wu Kuang meant was that if there was a Black Ink Giant Spirit God that wanted to break out of the Grand Restriction, he would immediately close the opening. It was pointless for Yang Kai to ask if he was able to do it at this point.
Wu Kuang followed up, “You do not have to worry too much though. Even if Mo is already at the Creation Realm, there will not be many Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods.”
“How do you know?” Yang Kai asked.
“Mo must have paid a huge price to create such a powerful being. Every Black Ink Giant Spirit God must require a part of its true essence. Although Mo is very powerful, its Soul and essence cannot be divided too many times; otherwise, it will be in great danger itself.”
“Is Senior certain of that, or is it just a guess?” Yang Kai frowned.
“I have evidence this time,” Wu Kuang smiled, “Thousands of years ago, the Black Ink Clan laid out an elaborate scheme and made many sacrifices to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, just like they did with the one from the Late Ancient Era battlefield. If Mo could freely create Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, why would it bother going through all that trouble? Sending even one more out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction would have ended everything right from the start, right?”
Yang Kai pondered over it a little and had to admit that Wu Kuang’s analysis had some truth to it. Of course, he could not rule out the possibility that he just wanted to believe a comforting lie rather than face an unwelcome truth.
Wu Kuang continued, “So, even if there are still Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods in this Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, there won’t be many of them. Perhaps just one or two!”
Yang Kai pondered silently before exhaling a long sigh, “In that case, we can only act and see what happens.”
It was necessary to open up a gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction as Wu Kuang needed to ease his burden. They could only hope that he could control the situation after.
Yang Kai was glad that he had convinced the Supreme Headquarters to build the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress 1,000 years ago; otherwise, he would not have known how to handle the current situation.
The original purpose of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was to prevent problems that might emerge from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, including when the Grand Restriction would be broken.
“Senior, please wait a moment, I will go make some arrangements!” Yang Kai said and got up to leave.
Wu Kuang suddenly said, “Wait. There’s one more thing I need to explain to you.”
“What is it?”
Wu Kuang said solemnly, “The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction has existed for a very long time, which means that it has fallen into disrepair. Every time the Grand Restriction opens and closes, it will impact its stability to a certain degree. Do you know why Cang did not dare to open the gap to relieve its pressure even when he had reached his limits?”
Yang Kai frowned and said, “Fear of collapse of the Grand Restriction?”
Wu Kuang nodded gravely, “Indeed! Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance, Cang did not dare to take that risk. Thus, he kept holding on until the arrival of the Human Crusade Force. It was only then that he took the risk as others were around to help him contain the situation. After that, the Source Grand Restriction should have become extremely unstable.”
“Should?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Wu Kuang smiled lightly and replied, “This happened many times during the long existence of the Grand Restriction. Otherwise, why do you think my old friends chose to strengthen the restriction by sacrificing themselves? Do you think they didn’t cherish their lives?”
Yang Kai finally realized something when he heard this.
“The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was created by us under Mu’s instructions. Mo struggled violently when it was in the Grand Restriction. For countless years, it has struggled and attempted to break out a few times, which put a great strain on the Grand Restriction. As a result, whenever there are signs of collapse, someone would make the sacrifice and merge with the Grand Restriction!” As he spoke, Wu Kuang’s eyes glowed in remembrance, clearly lost in his memories of a time long past.
“When one of us merged with the Grand Restriction, it was equivalent to reinforcing it. Therefore, it has been maintained until today without collapsing. 3,000 years have passed since Cang did just that, and today’s Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is no longer the same as when it was first built. When I open the Grand Restriction, you will have to deal with all the Black Ink Clansmen that leak out by yourselves. I won’t close it unless a Black Ink Giant Spirit God is trying to break out.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and replied, “I understand. I will explain this to the Army.”
He knew the reason why Wu Kuang had told him this. It was because he did not want the Suppressing Black Ink Army to expect any help from him. Wu Kuang could only take care of the opening and be ready to close it at any moment. He could not provide any direct assistance to the Suppressing Black Ink Army. He also wanted the Suppressing Black Ink Army to be prepared for anything horrendous that may occur.
After leaving the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai returned to the debris of the Great Pass and explained what he had discussed with Wu Kuang.
Fu Guang nodded his head and said, “We can only deal with it as it is.”
Yang Kai continued, “I can’t stay for long, so I must ask Senior to take care of things here.”
Fu Guang smiled and said, “Not a problem. I’ll take care of it!”
Yang Kai looked at the numerous Human Eighth-Order Masters and shouted, “Prepare for battle!”
Small Universe portals opened up and numerous figures emerged from each of them, the soldiers soon assembling according to their Divisions and Squads.
Yang Kai moved away from the debris and his World Force surged to clear a space in the void. Afterwards, he took out the orb that contained the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and threw it forward with force.
Manipulating Space Principles, the orb shattered and Space inside expanded rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, a large area of space was added to the Void, causing ripples in space. Yang Kai rapidly formed a set of hand seals and surged both World Force and Space Principles to smooth the disorder.
After everything calmed down, the huge Suppressing Black Ink Fortress came into view, in all its intimidating majesty. This was a true weapon of war. It sat in the void like a fierce beast, facing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction like a tiger that was watching its prey.
In the square, Fu Guang raised his brow slightly when he saw this.
With such a powerful platform in hand and the 6,000 elites of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, they should not have any problems dealing with a few Black Ink Clansmen from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
“Suppressing Black Ink Army!” Fu Guang pointed his hand to the front and shouted, “Assume your positions!”
“Yes Sir!”
Under Fu Guang’s command, the 10 Divisions rapidly entered the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress from all sides. Division after Division was assigned to each of the artifacts and everything was ready after just two hours.
Fu Guang stood proudly in the middle of the void as this huge Suppressing Black Ink Fortress came to life and prepared for war.
At the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress core, 10 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sat cross-legged in a circle, ready to activate its power to provide all possible assistance to the soldiers outside.
Yang Kai looked on from afar. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was the battlefield of the Suppressing Black Ink Army. As he told Fu Guang earlier, he could not stay here for long; thus, he could only observe and did not intend to intervene in this battle.
Everything would be fine if the Suppressing Black Ink Army and the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress could deal with the Black Ink Clan Army that rushed out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If they could not, then there would be problems.
There was another figure standing beside him at this moment.
It was Zhang Ruo Xi, who asked, “Sir, don’t I have to go and help?”
She thought that she could provide a lot of assistance with her Small Stone Race Army, which could form a Fourth-Order Nine Palaces Formations. Even if she was facing an Innate Territory Lord, she could put up a hard fight.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head and said, “Your battlefield isn’t here!”
If his guess was right, then Zhang Ruo Xi could play a much bigger role in the future than merely controlling a Fourth-Order Nine Palaces Formation!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruo Xi felt a bit confused, but she listened to Yang Kai’s instructions and watched quietly beside him.
For the last few thousand years, she and Yang Kai had barely met, but ever since she was young, she had built an unconditional trust in Yang Kai. Even after growing up and becoming a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she would still obey any request Yang Kai made of her.
Now, both the Suppressing Black Ink Army and the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress were ready.
Yang Kai looked over at Wu Kuang and said, “Senior! Please do your best to control the gap and not put too much burden on the Suppressing Black Ink Army.”
Wu Kuang said, “Rest assured, I have been considering this ever since I first began guarding this place. I will only open the gap wide enough for those weaker than Royal Lords to smoothly pass through. Perhaps one or two Royal Lords might occasionally rush out, but with that Dragon here, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. This was also the reason why he arranged for Fu Guang to come here in advance. As a Divine Dragon, Fu Guang was significantly more powerful than the average Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so dealing with one or two Royal Lords should not be an issue for him.
The battle would soon begin!
In the endless darkness, a spinning vortex suddenly emerged in front of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. The initial speed of the vortex was not fast, and its scale was not large; however, as time passed, the vortex gradually began to expand, and the speed of its rotation became increasingly faster!
This was obviously Wu Kuang manipulating the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to open a hole.
Looking at this, Yang Kai felt much more assured.
He remembered when Cang opened the gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction back then. A huge opening had appeared at that time and countless Black Ink Clan Soldiers poured out of it.
It was not that Cang was not as good as Wu Kuang at controlling the Grand Restriction, but rather that the situation was vastly different.
At that time, the Human Race had more than 100 Great Passes and an Army which numbered in the millions. Cang did not need to be so careful with his control of the gap.
However, things were different now. The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was less than 10% the size of a Great Pass, and the Suppressing Black Ink Army was composed of only 6,000 Soldiers. Although there were 400 Eighth-Order Masters, that was still far fewer than the initial Crusade Force.
If Wu Kuang did the same as Cang had, then the Suppressing Black Ink Army would be overwhelmed and wiped out in no time.
Wu Kuang was undoubtedly far more cautious in his approach than Cang was back then.
Rich Black Ink Strength escaped from the vortex, but there was no sign of the Black Ink Clan, which puzzled the Suppressing Black Ink Army soldiers.
Soon, the Human Race Masters sensed an anomaly. From within the vortex, a powerful Divine Sense extended outward, spying on the situation outside.
Apparently, after that event 3,000 years ago, the Black Ink Clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction became more cautious.
However, even if they were more cautious, they could not resist the rare opportunity to rush out to the outside world.
Thus, it did not take too long before a large number of Black Ink Clansmen charged out of the vortex. These Black Ink Clansmen were on average stronger than those fighting on the Great Territory Battlefields. The Black Ink Clan Soldiers on the Great Territory Battlefields were mostly cannon fodder that any Open Heaven Realm Master could kill a swath of in a single blow.
However, these Black Ink Clansmen that rushed out from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction were all Low-Rank Clansmen at least. In other words, they were equivalent to Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
This was not surprising as the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction has been sealed for so many years. Since these Black Ink Clansmen were spawned inside and had nothing else to do, there was plenty of time for them to grow in strength.
The last time the Crusade Force was here, they were faced with such a situation as well.
The first wave of Black Ink Clansmen that emerged numbered less than 300, but everyone knew this was only the beginning. This batch of Soldiers immediately rushed in the direction of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. After this first wave, more batches rushed from the vortex, each one containing a few hundred to 1,000 mixed Soldiers.
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of Black Ink Clansmen had emerged from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, with more still pouring out.
On top of the walls of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress facing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction sat the Tiger Roar Cannons. These artifacts were all armed and ready. Several tens of Tiger Roar Cannons hummed as energy built up within them before a dozen thick pillars of light flashed out from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress like arrows released from their string.
Wherever the pillars of light struck, the Black Ink Clansmen would be wounded or killed!
By the time the first volley of Tiger Roar Cannons faded, thousands of Black Ink Clansmen had been killed or injured.
Immediately after, a dozen more Tiger Roar Cannons spewed out dazzling columns of light!
Then a dozen more!
Beams of light from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress shot out continuously.
By the time all the Tiger Roar Cannons on this side of the wall had fired, the Black Ink Clan had already suffered tens of thousands of casualties, with not one of them even able to approach the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
The vortex in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction expanded again as Wu Kuang was very relieved to see the immense power of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
As time passed, more Black Ink Clansmen continued to emerge from the vortex, including Feudal Lords and Territory Lords. Outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, a battle that might last for many years had begun. In this battle, the Black Ink Clan would constantly be attacking while the Suppressing Black Ink Army would be constantly defending. Each side would persist in such an environment for who knows how long.
The key to this war lay in the hands of Wu Kuang. If he controlled the situation properly, the Suppressing Black Ink Army would be able to keep this effort up indefinitely; however, if Wu Kuang did not control the situation well, it would lead to an irreversible collapse.
The Territory Lords from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction were all Innate Territory Lords, but although all of them were quite powerful, the moment they emerged they were greeted by Tiger Roar Cannons from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
Even Territory Lords would inevitably be wounded by the Tiger Roar Cannons when they appeared, and if they could not respond in time, they would quickly be overwhelmed by the continuous bolts of light.
Yang Kai saw some Innate Territory Lords coming out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but as they emerged, they would all go from being lightly wounded, to seriously wounded, to dying…
There were some Innate Territory Lords who barely survived the bombardment of the Tiger Roar Cannons and wisely did not charge straight at the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and instead chose to flank it.
However, while the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was seemingly fixed in place, the Suppressing Black Ink Army was very mobile. Those Innate Territory Lords who barely survived the Tiger Roar Cannons’ attack were all swiftly intercepted by Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters before they could get too close. The Eighth-Order Masters worked in teams to take down these flanking Territory Lords swiftly and decisively.
The entire Suppressing Black Ink Fortress soon began spinning at a low speed, thanks to the 10 Eighth-Order Masters powering the Core.
With this rotation, the fixed Tiger Roar Cannons on the four walls of Suppressing Black Ink Fortress could take turns to fire, allowing the soldiers time to rest and recuperate so that the power of the Suppressing Black Ink Army could be maximized.
Days went by and soon an entire month had passed with the situation still under the Human’s control. The Black Ink Clan had suffered countless casualties with more than 100 Innate Territory Lords having been killed while not one soul from the Suppressing Black Ink Army had died. The rate of consumption of the soldiers was also under control, and as long as they received enough supplies, the Suppressing Black Ink Army could continue fighting like this indefinitely.
However, accidents and unexpected situations finally began to appear.
From the vortex, the aura of a Royal Lord revealed itself, followed by the figure of a Royal Lord struggling to emerge from within the Grand Restriction.
Wu Kuang had carefully controlled the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction so that the gap he opened was only large enough to allow those weaker than Royal Lords to pass through smoothly. Any Royal Lord trying to emerge would have difficulty exiting through the current opening.
The Royal Lord was only delayed for a few breaths of time while passing through the vortex, but during that brief moment, he was naturally struck by multiple attacks from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, causing numerous injuries. Naturally, this caused the Royal Lord to roar in anger.
With great difficulty, he struggled out of the vortex and nimbly dodged the attacks from Suppressing Black Ink Fortress before charging out towards it.
However, he was immediately met with the intense Dragon Aura of a Divine Dragon!
Fu Guang, who had been waiting on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, personally intercepted the Royal Lord, forcing him into the nearby void to fight.
The Royal Lord was ripped apart by Fu Guang’s claws after only half an hour of fighting, his Black Ink Strength exploding out like a final desperate gasp before he perished.
Even in his prime, this Royal Lord was no match for a Divine Dragon, let alone after he was seriously wounded by the Suppressing Black Ink Army’s focused barrage.
The combination of the Suppressing Black Ink Army with the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and a Divine Dragon proved to be a solid defence.
Of course, the prerequisite was that Wu Kuang maintained proper control of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and that nothing changed within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!
Yang Kai was relieved to see this.
There was no need for him to intervene in this matter. In fact, he could hardly resist the temptation to join; however, there was truly no need for him to be here since there was a Divine Dragon present.
Looking at all the familiar faces aboard the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Yang Kai felt guilty for not participating in the fight, but he could do nothing about it.
After taking Zhang Ruo Xi into his Small Universe and transmitting a few words to Fu Guang, Yang Kai connected with the Old Tree and soon followed its traces to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Three months later, in the desolate and vast void of the Chaotic Dead Territory, the two forces of Yin and Yang entwined, sparking violent explosions and shaking the Universe each time they collided.
Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would not be able to withstand the fallout of such an explosion. This was a sight that had not been seen in the Chaotic Dead Territory for many thousands of years. Such a chaotic and dangerous place certainly had a lot of opportunities, yet the dangers far, far outweighed those lucky chances.
If it wasn’t for the protection of Giant Spirit God Ah Er when Yang Kai arrived here the first time, he would have already died many times over with his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation.
After the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, they had also set their sights on this place, but when they realised how dangerous it was, they gave up on it entirely.
They couldn’t hold their ground in a place this dangerous. The Royal Lord was previously worried that these two Supreme Beings would direct animosity towards the Black Ink Clan and attack, but after so many years of observation, these two showed no signs of leaving. Subsequently, he discovered from some Black Ink Disciples that, though these two had a fierce reputation, they had never left the Chaotic Dead Territory since ancient times, allowing the Royal Lord to breathe a sigh of relief.
Yang Kai arrived in this place without difficulty and soon found Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, who were nurturing another Small Stone Race Army.
Both Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were speechless when they saw Yang Kai again.
Ever since Yang Kai gave them these unique creatures, the two of them had been fixated on this type of game-like combat to establish their seniority.
However, the last two times Yang Kai visited, nothing good happened. In addition to taking away a massive amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals, he also took away their entire Army which they had worked so hard to nurture.
It was as if every time Yang Kai appeared, they would be robbed clean of all that they owned.
So, seeing Yang Kai appear so soon after his last visit, Big Brother Huang’s headache and he couldn’t help grumbling, “Why are you here again?”
Big Sister Lan later added, “You can take some Yellow and Blue Crystals, but there are no more forces for you to take. It has only been a short time, and they haven’t grown much yet.”
It had only been a few hundred years since the last time Yang Kai visited, so, naturally, they had yet to recover from the damage he caused last time.
Yang Kai cupped his fist with a smile and bowed to the two in front of him, “Little Brother greets Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. You two seem to have some misunderstanding about this Little Brother!”
Big Brother Huang snorted sarcastically.
Seeing this, Yang Kai hurriedly explained, “The reason this Little Brother came this time is not to ask for anything. Instead, I am purely here to visit you both. Of course, if you have anything to give… No, if you were to give me anything, I would not dare to refuse!”
“No!” Big Brother Huang shook his head like a rattling drum, “There’s nothing for you here! Now that you’ve visited us, you can go.”
Yang Kai suddenly felt a little heartbroken, “Big Brother Huang, why are you treating me like an outsider?”
If the names Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan felt like a joke before, after seeing records of the Primordial Light and uncovering the truth of what happened in the past, Yang Kai no longer felt any reservations about addressing them as such.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan really were the Big Brother and Big Sister of the Divine Spirit Family.
Big Brother Huang sighed, looking a little exasperated and helpless, “If I don’t treat you like an outsider, I’m afraid you’d really take away everything we own.”
Despite having a thick skin, Yang Kai couldn’t help but flush. He certainly did go overboard the last two times he visited.
“Alright. Why did you come this time?” Big Sister Lan empathetically questioned. Now that the Black Ink Clan had invaded their land and the Human Race was in a dire situation, how would Yang Kai come here to chit-chat with them for no particular reason?
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious, “Indeed, I have something to discuss. Do Big Brother and Big Sister remember the Primordial Light I mentioned the last time I came to visit you?”
Big Brother Huang couldn’t help but look up at him, “Did you discover something?”
The Primordial Light was also related to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s origins, thus they were naturally concerned about it. It was simply that despite having lived for so long, they had no clue about it and didn’t even know where to go for information, leaving them with no choice except to place their hopes in Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “By coincidence, I happened to see the Primordial Light when I experienced the events of the past!”
Following, he narrated all the things he experienced in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, including the blurry Human figure that emerged when the Primordial Light first arrived there.
“Everything I saw should be the events that occurred in the Ancestral Land during the Primordial Era, and these memories were borne by the Ancestral Land itself. When this Little Brother was cultivating, I resonated with the Ancestral Land itself and got a glimpse of the mysteries of the Primordial Era. But from what I saw, before the Primordial Light hit the Ancestral Land, it was not as stable and powerful as it should have been. It undoubtedly separated its Yin and Yang components from it. This Little Brother believes that before the Primordial Light arrived at the Ancestral Land, it had already separated from Big Brother and Big Sister in the Chaotic Dead Territory!”
After Yin and Yang were separated from the Primordial Light, they did not immediately become Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan; rather, it took many years of evolution for the pure Yin and Yang to become the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer of today.
Big Brother Huang previously mentioned this too. In the beginning, they were muddled and only felt as though they had been abandoned somehow. It was only a long time after they gained full sentience that they realised that they were in the Chaotic Dead Territory and had never left this place since ancient times.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable.
Sometime later, Big Brother Huang finally murmured, “So, we were really born from the Primordial Light?”
He had this conjecture the last time Yang Kai discussed the Primordial Light with them, but he had no way to prove it. Now, Yang Kai’s words had eliminated all his doubts.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “This is no surprise. The Primordial Darkness of this World also awakened its sentience and became Mo, so it is not strange that both of you were born from the Primordial Light. Besides, the Primordial Light not only created both of you, but all the Divine Spirits as well!”
After giving it some thought, Big Sister Lan said in a daze, “In that case, we are a Family with the Divine Spirits. Xiao Huang and I were born first, followed by those Divine Spirits…”
Xiao Huang remained silent.
The corner of Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he acted like he didn’t hear this name.
Big Sister Lan cheered, “Xiao Huang, this means all the Divine Spirits are our Little Brothers and Sisters!”
She was delighted beyond belief to realise such a relationship. She had been fighting with Big Brother Huang since time immemorial about who was the Elder Sibling, but now, all of a sudden, they both had so many Younger Brothers and Sisters. Big Sister Lan was filled with satisfaction.
When he heard this, Big Brother Huang’s eyes glistened too. He would usually be irritated if Big Sister Lan called him ‘Xiao Huang’, but at this moment, he couldn’t be bothered about it. Compared to all the Little Brothers and Sisters he now had, what did it matter if he had to be called Xiao Huang for a time?
He couldn’t help but stand up, spread his arms akimbo, and laugh proudly!
He then turned his head to look at Yang Kai again and said proudly, “Come come, call me Big Brother.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist with a smile, “Little Brother greets Big Brother Huang.”
Not forgetting Big Sister Lan who was looking at him eagerly from the side, Yang Kai paid his respect to her as well.
Previously, when they were addressed in this manner, the two of them were secretly on guard, wondering whether Yang Kai had any other intentions; however, at present, the same way of addressing and greeting sounded much more comfortable.
Yang Kai felt a little sentimental at this moment. Although these two were Supreme Beings with great seniority and profound strength, something as simple as having Little Brothers and Sisters actually brought them such joy, showing their innocence and cuteness, the polar opposite of how ferocious they were reputed to be outside.
The only thing of concern now was how these two would react if they discovered that they still had another Divine Spirit who might have higher seniority above them.
Considering all this, Yang Kai quickly remarked, “Big Brother and Sister, Little Brother brought a guest for you this time.”
With his brows lifted, Big Brother Huang asked, “Oh? Is it a Divine Spirit?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes.”
Strictly speaking, Heaven’s Order could be considered a Divine Spirit too; however, her Divine Spirit Bloodline wasn’t exactly the same as the others…
“That being the case, let me see which Little Brother it is!” He was already thinking about the greeting gift he should give to this new younger sibling. Since they all originated from the Primordial Light and he and Big Sister Lan were the firstborn, he shouldn’t be too stingy with the gift as the Big Brother of the Family.
In response, Yang Kai opened up his Small Universe right away, and a figure emerged.
When he decided to bring Zhang Ruo Xi to the Chaotic Dead Territory to meet Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, Yang Kai imagined many different ways this first contact would go, but nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.
Just as Zhang Ruo Xi stepped out of his Small Universe, she sensed a peculiar aura and looked over at Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
A different kind of smile appeared on Big Brother Huang’s face all of a sudden as he stared straight at Zhang Ruo Xi. Though it was their first time meeting each other, he felt incredibly warm and close to this person in front of him, like a long-lost child finally meeting a family member…
Big Sister Lan tilted her head as she gazed at Zhang Ruo Xi, her eyes somewhat lost. Like Big Brother Huang, she felt at home with this person. This overwhelming feeling filled her with a sense of anticipation, even though she had no idea what she was anticipating.
This feeling was seemingly reciprocal. Yang Kai had not told Zhang Ruo Xi where they were heading or who she was about to meet; she only stayed in Yang Kai’s Small Universe and waited for his instructions.
The moment Zhang Ruo Xi stepped out of the Yang Kai’s Small Universe, she was attracted to the two tiny children in front of her. Maternal love flooded her heart as she reached out and stroked Big Brother Huang’s hair and patted Big Sister Lan’s head.
Yang Kai felt chills all over his body and secretly thought that women were definitely bolder than men. No one other than Zhang Ruo Xi in this Universe would dare act so intimately with the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
Immediately after, something much more terrifying happened though. Ruo Xi seemed to have misunderstood something as she asked, “Are these your children, Sir? They’re so adorable.”
[I don’t dare! I don’t have one!] Yang Kai screamed in his heart. [They are the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. Never mind about you patting their heads, you even dare to say such things in front of them. If this angers them both, how can the Chaotic Dead Territory contain their rage?]
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan didn’t show any signs of irritation however; in fact, the two appeared incredibly at ease when Zhang Ruo Xi stroked their heads. Big Brother Huang even squinted his eyes slightly while Big Sister Lan made soft sounds like a cat purring.
Then, there was a sudden change. Incredibly pure and rich Yin and Yang Power emerged from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s bodies, pouring freely into Zhang Ruo Xi and flowing into her Small Universe.
This was the most primitive and pure Yin and Yang Power in the Universe.
Theoretically, Yellow and Blue Crystals were condensed from their powers as they originated from the same source; however, in reality, no matter if it was the Yellow Crystals or the Blue Crystals, both were just remnants of the clash between Yin and Yang. In terms of quality, they were simply incomparable to the true Power of the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer.
If they were solely distinguished according to the Open Heaven Order, then this kind of power definitely surpassed the Ninth Order.
In addition to that, Big Sister Lan and Big Brother Huang Yin’s and Yang Powers were extremely abundant. Though only a small part was poured into Zhang Ruo Xi, her aura instantly soared, causing her Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation to reach its limit and even show signs of breaking through.
Ruo Xi had already reached the peak of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, or else she wouldn’t be able to realise the anomaly of the lock of shackles on her Small Universe. If she continued to cultivate normally, she would have had a chance to ascend to the Eighth Order within 300 years. Taking her potent Bloodline into account, the time she needed might even have been shorter.
However, this unexpected incident hastened her cultivation breakthrough enormously.
She wasn’t totally unprepared for this eventuality. Since realising that her Small Universe might not be restricted by the innate shackles of the Open Heaven method, she had already made preparations for her ascension to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Even so, this incident was still exceedingly risky because the sudden surge of power had instantly disrupted the balance of her Small Universe.
Strictly speaking, a Small Universe was no different from a real Universe World. The balance between Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements was essential to maintaining the foundation of any Universe. Once this balance was disrupted, there would be a risk of the Universe rupturing.
The most common method for Human Masters to enhance their cultivation was to consume Open Heaven Pills which contained the Power of the Seven Elements in perfect balance. There was no risk in consuming such pills as they could not lead to an imbalance in one’s Small Universe.
A faster method was to refine cultivation materials directly. Compared to consuming Open Heaven Pills, the benefits of refining a set of cultivation materials were far greater. Of course, this method was much more expensive as acquiring materials of high enough Order was by no means easy.
Additionally, in order to maintain the balance of their Small Universe, a cultivator had to refine a complete set of cultivation materials, with each of the Seven Elements of the same Order.
Because only in this way could they maintain balance in their Small Universe. During Yang Kai’s years of cultivating, this was his most common method of cultivation.
If the Master realised that their Small Universe was out of balance for some reason, they could make up for it by refining materials of the appropriate Element.
Due to their strict requirements for materials, it directly led to the rarity of the Yin and Yang Element materials. Yin and Yang Element materials were far less common than the Five Elements materials. While there were sufficient materials of the lower Orders, as the Order increased, less and less Yin and Yang Element materials were available.
Before Yang Kai obtained a large amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals from the Chaotic Dead Territory, even the Cave Heavens and Paradises lacked such materials above the Fifth Order.
It wasn’t until the appearance of Yellow and Blue Crystals that this issue was solved.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan did not intend to pour their strength into Zhang Ruo Xi’s body. Rather, it was drawn out by her mysterious Bloodline Power, causing Zhang Ruo Xi to unintentionally devour their power. This surprised both of them greatly.
Zhang Ruo Xi did not anticipate such a thing to occur either, nor did she intend to devour these two’s Powers, but everything happened so seamlessly after just a moment of contact.
Immediately, Zhang Ruo Xi’s World Force soared and her aura rampaged as the imbalance of her Small Universe shook and violently impacted her. Her gorgeous face turned pale in an instant and she frantically cried out, “Sir!”
Yang Kai was shocked as well. He was just admiring the strange act of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan a breath ago, and the next instant, Ruo Xi’s Small Universe was in peril.
Behind Ruo Xi, the illusory phantom of her Small Universe emerged all on its own, its original tranquillity with majestic mountains and pristine waters now enveloped in a storm of yellow and blue light. As these two hues clashed, a scene of violence and destruction played out.
It was similar to what the Chaotic Dead Territory looked like before Yang Kai first came here!
Right away, Yang Kai snapped back to his senses and immediately took out a set of Five Elements materials, all in the Seventh Order, and passed them to Zhang Ruo Xi, urging her, “Focus. Concentrate on holding together your Small Universe and quickly refine these!”
Since she had received a massive infusion of Yin and Yang Element Power, the only way to restore the balance of her Small Universe was to quickly refine more Five Elements Power.
Zhang Ruo Xi obviously also understood that her life was at stake, so she did not hesitate to accept the Five Elements materials, sat cross-legged, and followed Yang Kai’s instructions to stabilize her mind as she went all out to suppress the chaos of her own Small Universe while preparing to refine the materials.
However, a Human Master was always greatly impacted by any disturbance in their Small Universe.
If there was a fight between Masters of the same Order and strength, the one whose Small Universe was shaken first would quickly be defeated and perish.
Because of this, every Cave Heaven and Paradise had developed Divine Abilities or Secret Techniques designed exclusively for protecting their Small Universe. These methods were mainly used to defend their Small Universes from external shocks.
During the Great Evolution Army’s battle at the Royal City of the Great Evolution Theatre, Yang Kai used his Cow Punch Secret Technique to kill a Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple. In terms of raw strength, Yang Kai wasn’t a match for a Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple. In fact, a Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple might only be slightly weaker than a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Mo Na Ye.
However, Yang Kai’s Cow Punch was the most profound Secret Technique capable of directly impacting an enemy’s Small Universe. Even if there was a great disparity in strength between Yang Kai and his opponent, Cow Punch could bypass all conventional defenses to cause massive damage.
The current situation of Zhang Ruo Xi was equivalent to her Small Universe being attacked by rampaging energy. Worse yet, this power was the purest essence of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, two Supreme Beings whose strength exceeded the Ninth Order!
As someone only at the peak of the Seventh Order, how was Zhang Ruo Xi supposed to be able to endure it?
The only reason her Small Universe did not rupture on the spot was because only a small amount of Yin and Yang Element Power flowed into her before it was cut off. However, this disturbance in her Small Universe made it incredibly difficult for her to focus her mind. In such an unsteady state, let alone refining materials to balance her Small Universe, even suppressing the chaos in her Small Universe was proving all but impossible.
If Zhang Ruo Xi was unable to suppress the turbulence in her Small Universe quickly, it would only further destabilize, worsening her condition and creating a deadly feedback cycle.
In a matter of breaths, Ruo Xi’s aura became more and more chaotic, and the illusory phantom of the Small Universe behind her also began to expand and contract, showing extreme signs of instability. The yellow and blue lights also became more violent as they thrashed about wildly.
Yang Kai felt chills all over. He thought that having Zhang Ruo Xi visit Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan might bring about some unexpected gains, but he never imagined that things would go so awry!
Wracking his brain desperately, Yang Kai suddenly thought of something that might help Ruo Xi, so he quickly shouted, “Open your mind!”
The next moment, a seemingly illusory lotus flower covered in multi-coloured light flew out from Yang Kai’s head and into Zhang Ruo Xi’s.
Soul Warming Lotus!
Although this was a Supreme Treasure of the Universe that had accompanied Yang Kai for millennia, other individuals could immediately use it without any kind of refinement as long as he passed it to them. Since he previously lent it to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao to use in her battle inside the Black Ink Nest Space, it meant that he could lend it to Zhang Ruo Xi as well.
The Soul Warming Lotus was the best solution to stabilize a person’s shaken mind.
As the Seven-Coloured Soul Warming Lotus entered Zhang Ruo Xi’s forehead, her expression quickly calmed down; obviously, the Soul Warming Lotus was helping.
After her mind was calmed down, she worked hard to suppress the turbulence in her Small Universe before starting to refine the Seventh-Order materials.
Only when the situation was stabilised temporarily did Yang Kai heave a sigh of relief. It had only been a short moment, yet he was already drenched in sweat.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan stood to the side, completely dumbfounded by what they just experienced. Only after a long silence did Big Brother Huang murmur, “How… How did this happen?”
Although the two of them have lived for countless years and were far more powerful than any other Divine Spirit, due to their lack of interaction with others, they were quite innocent and naive.
All they knew was the woman in front of them, who they felt quite close to, almost died because of their power.
Big Sister Lan gave it a little bit more thought than Big Brother Huang before turning to Yang Kai to ask, “Who is she?”
Even when she first met Yang Kai, a member of the Dragon Clan, she had never experienced the same level of closeness as she did with this mysterious woman.
She was even more puzzled by the fact that this young woman had freely drawn in her and Xiao Huang’s Power.
That was their pure Yin and Yang Power, their innate strength; it wasn’t something just anyone could devour. However, recalling when her power was being devoured, Big Sister Lan felt no sense of rejection of disharmony at all.
“I’ll let you both know later. Can Big Brother and Sister restrain and take back your power?” Yang Kai asked seriously.
Allowing Ruo Xi to refine Five Elements materials to balance her Small Universe was the best solution to the current problem, Yang Kai quickly discovered a problem at this moment.
It was taking too long!
Refining materials was not something that could be done overnight. One would require a lot of time to refine a set of Seventh-Order materials, let alone Zhang Ruo Xi who was only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Furthermore, even if this set of Five Elements materials were truly refined, it still wouldn’t be sufficient. In order to balance the Yin and Yang Element Power that she took in, many sets of Five Elements materials would be required.
Yang Kai estimated it would take Zhang Ruo Xi at least 10 years to reach a state of balance. 10 years was quite a long time, and in this kind of unstable situation, many, many things could go wrong, any one of which could put her in grave danger. The power from these two was akin to a pair of giant blades hanging above her head, at risk of falling at any moment.
However, if Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan could take back their Powers, then all these issues could be resolved.
Big Brother Huang, though somewhat uneasy, still had his sight intact. After just a glance at the situation inside Zhang Ruo Xi’s Small Universe, he shook his head and said, “No, our powers have already completely merged into her Small Universe. If we were to extract them, it would be akin to tearing out her heritage, causing her great harm!”
[But, having too much pure power is not a good thing either…] Yang Kai thought in his heart.
The powers of Yin and Yang from the Moon’s Serene Glimmer and the Sun’s Burning Light were the most primitive and purest in the Universe. Because of their purity, they did not need much refining, so the moment they flowed into Zhang Ruo Xi’s Small Universe, they immediately merged with it, breaking the balance and leaving Big Brother Huang helpless.
While they were conversing, Yang Kai watched intently. The imbalance in Ruo Xi’s Small Universe had reached a critical point, and the Powers of the Yin and Yang were still continually surging in all directions. At this moment she could still barely suppress it, but as time passed, Ruo Xi would not be able to keep it under control. Even with the Soul Warming Lotus protecting her mind, it would be of no use.
The root of her crisis lay in her Small Universe, and her mind was only affected as a result.
The best way to suppress and seal a Small Universe was with a World Tree clone. With it, Ruo Xi’s current crisis could be instantly resolved.
Yang Kai had a clone on him, but it was integrated into his own Small Universe. Even if he was willing to give it to her, it would be impossible for Zhang Ruo Xi to refine it in time as the process would involve purging the pieces of Yang Kai’s Small Universe before planting it into her own. This was not a simple or quick process and would also require a lot of concentration which she could not spare at the moment.
[Is there really nothing we can do? If we don’t find a way to completely suppress the Powers of Yin and Yang inside of her, Ruo Xi’s life will be in danger.]
In his anxious state, Yang Kai suddenly had an idea and immediately advised her, “Activate your Bloodline Power and see if you can suppress it!”
If there was any other power in the world that could suppress the Burning Light and the Serene Glimmer’s Powers, it would only be the Bloodline Power of Heaven’s Order!
As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Ruo Xi’s cultivation allowed her to control thousands of Small Stone Race Soldiers to form a Fourth-Order Nine Palaces Formation. She did this by relying only on her own Bloodline Power. Furthermore, these Small Stone Race Soldiers could almost be considered as extensions of the powers from Burning Light and Serene Glimmer!
In Yang Kai’s theory, Heaven’s Order was akin to the Matriarch of the Divine Spirit Family. The strange incident between Ruo Xi and Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan during their first encounter suggested that this was true; Ruo Xi taking in their two Powers was likely due to her Bloodline unconsciously guiding her.
Given this, the Heavens Order Bloodline should be able to handle the current situation. Even if it couldn’t completely suppress the two Powers, it could at least calm things down.
Just as the words left Yang Kai’s mouth, Ruo Xi immediately activated her Bloodline Power. In the illusory phantom of her Small Universe, a blurry female figure appeared.
When this figure emerged, the Powers of Yin and Yang, which had been rampaging and causing damage to her Small Universe, seemed to be drawn inexplicably towards the figure from all directions.
As Yang Kai watched, the yellow and blue lights that had filled the entire Small Universe receded like a tide, flowing into the illusory woman’s body.
This woman, who symbolised Heaven’s Order’s Bloodline, was just as Yang Kai remembered her from their last encounter. She hung her head low, her hair flowing freely as she held a giant greatsword in her hands. Although she was a woman, she exuded an awe-inspiring aura, as though she could stand firm even if the Heavens and Earth were to collapse around her.
When the most primitive Powers of Yin and Yang surged into her, her body immediately emitted a light where the two colours intersected. The colours grew brighter and brighter until they reached a dazzling peak that resonated deeply with Yang Kai.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him absent-mindedly. He had travelled far and wide, and witnessed the beauty and wonder of countless people and Worlds, but the sight before him was beyond words.
The woman who manifested the Heaven’s Order Bloodline behind her opened a pair of brightly shining wings. One side was blue and the other yellow, with the colours flowing freely like water, sometimes turning yellow into blue, and other times the opposite. The edge of the wings was blurred with light, and at this moment, the Powers of Yin and Yang blended and fused, no longer violent, but exuding a vital aura of unparalleled harmony and beauty!
Yang Kai was struck by many insights and epiphanies at this moment and would benefit greatly if he were to enter retreat to cultivate at this moment.
But, he knew this was not the time for that; he had to suppress those feelings and continue to focus on Ruo Xi’s condition.
Beside him, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were completely stunned and could hardly believe their eyes. The problem of their Powers being unable to blend and constantly colliding with each other was suddenly resolved at this moment! The shock they felt was no less than being punched hard in the face, and they were left in a state of stunned amazement.
“Who is she?” Big Sister Lan couldn’t help but turn her head and ask Yang Kai. Her curiosity was piqued by this existence who had the power to reconcile the Powers of Xiao Huang and herself, so she knew she was certainly not any ordinary being.
For countless years, they remained in the Chaotic Dead Territory, unable to leave. This was not because they didn’t want to, but because they couldn’t. According to ancient legend, they were the Progenitors of all Divine Spirits, a myth that had been distorted and exaggerated over time.
However, there was another legend that held true – they were the embodiments of destruction.
Since their birth, they were incomplete and unable to control their powers with precision. Leaving the Chaotic Dead Territory would result in a catastrophic explosion of Yin and Yang, laying waste to all things, living or dead.
Back in the early days, the Chaotic Dead Territory was not as vast as it was now. Many Great Territories were destroyed over the years, the boundary walls between them torn down, leading to the creation of the current, extremely large Chaotic Dead Territory.
These two ancient beings scattered their power throughout the territory, retaining only a fraction of it to transform into their present forms – two small children – and allowing Yang Kai to stand before them and communicate with them.
If they were in their true, complete forms, Yang Kai would not have the privilege of standing here as he would have been vaporized by the violent Yin and Yang powers they innately gave off long ago.
But suddenly, they witnessed their Powers being balanced and stabilised by some outside force!
This was simply an occurrence that they had never dared imagine.
Yang Kai stood mesmerised, staring at the figure before him that was adorned with wings of two different hues. However, after Zhang Ruo Xi activated her own Heavens Order Bloodline Power, the Yin and Yang Element Powers no longer rampaged. The Small Universe that was in constant flux and at risk of rupture had also stabilised.
Then, her expression slowly eased…
Now, all that was left was to refine a large quantity of the Five Elements materials to rebalance her Small Universe.
This crisis was finally over.
Yang Kai let out a long sigh as he pondered how to answer Big Sister Lan’s question. After some hesitation, he spoke up, “Do you still remember the last time we discussed the concept of a medicinal catalyst?”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan glanced at each other and nodded in agreement.
Over the years, they had tried to merge, but Yin and Yang were inherently opposed and simply could not mix. They always felt like something was missing, so they had no choice but to give up.
However, when Yang Kai came over last time, the idea of a medicinal catalyst came up.
In alchemy, herbs of opposing nature could be combined in a furnace and refined into a Spirit Pill by using an appropriate catalyst that could reconcile the incompatible properties.
If Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were compared to two types of herbs with opposing natures, then the missing ingredient they lacked was undoubtedly the medicinal catalyst.
Zhang Ruo Xi’s Heavens Order Bloodline was the catalyst that could harmonise their opposing forces.
This was not surprising, as the Heavens Order Bloodline was descended from the Matriarch of the Divine Spirit Family. Even though Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had extremely high status in that family, they still couldn’t resist the guidance of the Matriarch.
Big Brother Huang immediately caught on and his eyes lit up, “She’s the catalyst?”
Yang Kai nodded.
Big Sister Lan, on the other hand, was extremely puzzled, “What kind of Bloodline does she possess? Why have I never heard of her before, and how is she able to do this?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai explained, “I mentioned the Primordial Light earlier. After stripping you two away, the Primordial Light crashed into a barren land, and its radiance dispersed, evolving into countless Divine Spirits. That piece of land became the Ancestral Land of the Divine Spirits. However, after the Primordial Light dissipated, there was still a blurry figure left behind… This Little Brother was unable to tell what that figure was at the time, and could not judge what it represented, but that blurry figure resembled a Human. Somehow, that figure must have merged with the Human Race; thus, the Human Race inherited its bloodline from generation to generation.”
“This Bloodline has experienced countless years of inheritance, gradually becoming thin and weak. The later generations have long forgotten the glory of their Ancestor, until Ruo Xi’s generation when this Bloodline began to gradually awaken! This Bloodline is called the Heaven’s Order Bloodline, and in the Primordial Light, it undoubtedly holds a special position.”
The Divine Spirits were the scattered light that evolved from the collision of the Primordial Light with the Ancestral Land, even the Burning Light and the Serene Glimmer were just the powers stripped from the Primordial Light at an earlier time.
In comparison, the appearance of that figure after the collision with the Ancestral Land was no small matter.
The Primordial Darkness of the Universe gave birth to Mo, and the Primordial Light evolved into the Divine Spirits, including the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, and even Heaven’s Order. If the Primordial Light were to be divided into ten parts, the Divine Spirits would account for three parts, the Burning Light and the Serene Glimmer three parts, and Heaven’s Order four parts!
In terms of status, that figure was second only to the true body of Mo according to this hypothesis.
When Yang Kai brought Zhang Ruo Xi to the Chaotic Dead Territory to meet Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, he did not expect such a significant discovery. He just thought that since the Heavens Order Bloodline was like the Matriarch of the Divine Spirit Family, there might be some unexpected gains after she met these two.
And now, their harvest was indeed huge! Though there were some minor accidents, everything turned out alright in the end.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s emotions were stirred for a long time. They had never heard about the Heaven’s Order Bloodline before, which was passed down through generations, and had the remarkable ability to harmonize the opposing Yin and Yang Element Powers. It was no wonder when they laid eyes on this woman, an involuntary sense of awe and warmth washed over them, stronger than when facing Yang Kai, a member of the Dragon Clan.
It appeared that Yang Kai was right, although they were all born from the Primordial Light, the Heaven’s Order Bloodline must hold a unique position. This was what caused the two Supreme Beings of the Primordial Era to feel differently about Zhang Ruo Xi.
If that was the case, there might be a chance to resolve the issue that had plagued them for countless aeons. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan exchanged glances, understanding each other’s thoughts.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai observed Zhang Ruo Xi’s condition in silence. She had already reached the peak of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, and now she unintentionally absorbed a massive amount of Yin and Yang Element Power. This could be her chance for a breakthrough.
Though it was a perilous accident, it was also an opportunity for Zhang Ruo Xi after it was resolved.
Thanks to her Bloodline Power, her refining speed became incredibly swift, rivalling even Yang Kai’s.
Yang Kai’s speed was partly due to his solid foundation, but also due to his Small Universe having a World Tree clone, which greatly assisted Open Heaven Realm Masters like him when they cultivated.
However, each World Tree Clone had to come from the World Tree itself and each one required a portion of the World Tree’s Source. Likewise, they were supported by the fortune of numerous Universe Worlds. Thus, they were not something that could be obtained in large quantities from the Old Tree.
If every Master had access to one, it would substantially reduce their cultivation time and hasten their advancement to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
In a mere month, Ruo Xi completely refined a set of Seventh-Order Five Elements materials.
Before the Black Ink Clan’s invasion, such a set of materials would have cost at least 750 million Open Heaven Pills, if one could even buy them at all. In the present era, they would be even pricier, likely exceeding a billion.
To put it plainly, Ruo Xi’s one month of cultivation consumed a billion Open Heaven Pills…
If she had simply been swallowing and refining Open Heaven Pills, she would never have been able to eat such an immense quantity in such a short time. What’s more, even if she had refined a billion Open Heaven Pills, the gains wouldn’t have matched what she had now.
Therefore, relatively speaking, if they had the resources, Masters preferred to refine materials to enhance their Small Universe rather than use Open Heaven Pills. Unfortunately, most did not have the resources, so they could only choose to refine Open Heaven Pills to improve themselves.
Yang Kai had a large reserve of cultivation resources. Mo Na Ye compensated him a lot of materials on behalf of the Black Ink Clan last time, most of which he had handed over to the Supreme Headquarters for the Human Armies to use, but he had still reserved some for himself.
With his cultivation reaching the peak of the Eighth-Order Realm, Yang Kai no longer needed to deliberately cultivate. Technically, these resources were useless in his hands right now, so he was more than willing to use them to resolve Ruo Xi’s current crisis.
After Ruo Xi finished refining a set of Seventh-Order materials, Yang Kai took out another set and handed it to her, allowing her to continue.
With the increase in Five Elements Powers, the imbalance of Ruo Xi’s Small Universe was gradually fixed. The most obvious indication was the two-coloured wings behind the Heaven’s Order figure gradually dimming. It was a sign that the Powers of Yin and Yang had been completely absorbed and merged into Ruo Xi’s Small Universe.
As her Small Universe’s heritage increased, its boundary walls also showed signs of reaching their limit. Once this limit was broken through, it would be time for Ruo Xi to advance to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. At that time, her entire Small Universe would greatly expand, and Ruo Xi’s heritage would also increase significantly.
12 years passed by in a flash.
The Heaven’s Order figure in Ruo Xi’s Small Universe had all but faded away, and the two-coloured wings behind it had almost disappeared. By refining a large amount of Five Elements materials, her Small Universe was once again balanced.
In it, wind and clouds stirred. Ruo Xi was surrounded by an extremely strong World Force, and her own aura had already heightened to its peak, a sign of an impending breakthrough.
“Sir!” Ruo Xi suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Yang Kai for help.
“You will advance to the Eighth Order today. Just calm your mind and break through. I will stand guard for you!” Yang Kai comforted her.
“En!” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded gently, and her uneasy mood immediately calmed down, allowing her to focus on dealing with the changes in her Small Universe.
A few days later, with a final infusion of Five Elements Power, the Powers of Yin and Yang were devoured completely and the Heaven’s Order figure disappeared. Zhang Ruo Xi had increased her Small Universe’s heritage greatly and finally crossed the threshold.
From the depths of her soul, there seemed to be a cracking sound. Ruo Xi’s body trembled slightly, and her peak Seventh-Order aura suddenly soared. At the same time, the original boundaries of her Small Universe broke, and the already maximised territory quickly expanded like a blown-up balloon.
Within the Small Universe, the sky trembled and the wind and clouds swirled in constant transformation.
Large swaths of new territory begin to appear, at first chaotic, but gradually evolving and harmonising with the Powers of the Seven Elements, becoming part of her Small Universe.
Yang Kai remained vigilant, but he wasn’t worried.
Zhang Ruo Xi’s breakthrough was a seamless and stable process, devoid of any signs of instability. As long as she remained focused, her breakthrough posed no real risks.
Advancement in the Open Heaven Realm carried a certain degree of danger. Without a sturdy foundation, rushing a breakthrough could lead to unforeseen complications during the expansion of one’s Small Universe. For example, some of the newly formed territory might not have fully evolved and instead retain their initially chaotic state. Such an occurrence would undoubtedly have a profound impact on a person. It could cause anything from minor damage to total collapse of their Small Universe, which would end in their demise.
Ruo Xi did not face such risks as she had a solid foundation, coupled with her unique Bloodline. As a result, the new territories swiftly evolved into thriving lands.
Yang Kai had undergone numerous breakthroughs in the past, but he had only sought to enhance his strength without paying much attention to the process itself. However, this time, as Ruo Xi’s protector and witnessing the various transformations of her Small Universe, he experienced a unique sense of enlightenment.
It was commonly believed that Mo had reached the Creation Realm that stood above the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. However, no one could adequately explain what the Creation Realm was, not even Cang nor Wu Kuang.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to, it was rather that they did not know how for they had never reached that realm.
Yang Kai used to believe that the Creation Realm referred to the ability to create life from nothing.
The Black Ink Clan was a creation of Mo, who was capable of producing such terrifying existences such as the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. The title of Creator was certainly well-deserved.
For all Black Ink Clansmen, Mo was their Creator.
Throughout the Universe, the only existence of a similar level of power as Mo was the Primordial Light.
The Primordial Light had stripped itself of its Yin and Yang Elements to create the Serene Glimmer and Burning Light. Its innumerable points of light produced countless Divine Spirits. In other words, it possessed the power of Creation.
But was that really the power of the Creation Realm?
At a fundamental level, the Black Ink Clan was merely a peculiar extension of Mo’s power, which meant Mo did not truly ‘create’ life from nothingness. Whether it was the Black Ink Clan’s soldiers or the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, without Mo’s power, they had no basis for existence.
[Are the Divine Spirits not technically an extension of the power of the Primordial Light? Is that all there is to the Creation Realm? Or am I misunderstanding something?]
According to this logic, when a cultivator reached the peak of the Emperor Realm, they would begin to condense their own Grand Dao into a Dao Seal, refine the Power of the Seven Elements, and use that as a foundation to split Heaven and Earth apart within their bodies, creating their own Small Universe.
So, in a way, didn’t every Open Heaven Realm Master have Creation Force?
However, those Small Universes were truly born out of nothingness rather than the extension of the Masters’ power. It was created by the harmonious balance of Yin, Yang, and Five Elements.
Didn’t this mean that all Open Heaven Realm Masters possessed the means of using Creation Force? Where did this power come from, and what distinguished reaching the Open Heaven Realm from the Creation Realm?
Yang Kai suddenly found himself deeply lost in thought, questioning his own Grand Dao and exploring an unknown domain…
When one’s strength was meagre, it was difficult to ponder over these things, as their sole focus was to advance to a higher realm and get stronger.
But when one had reached their pinnacle and stood at a lofty height, many doubts involuntarily arose.
Yang Kai had a vague feeling that if he could understand the answers to these questions, he might discover something incredible.
However, his deep contemplation bordered on questioning his very existence. Though he remained standing in the same spot, it was as if he had entered another Universe. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan immediately noticed something was amiss and turned their heads towards him.
Big Brother Huang even called out to him a few times, finally allowing Yang Kai to be jolted back to reality where he promptly broke out into a cold sweat…
The momentary doubt that had risen in him had caused him to doubt his own Grand Dao, and it even resulted in his Small Universe shaking, triggering what felt like an earthquake in Void World.
This was highly abnormal; after all, his Small Universe had a World Tree clone to stabilize and protect it. Additionally, his Small Universe was firm and flawless, impervious to external forces. Even during his battle with a Royal Lord, his Small Universe had never trembled.
However, though his World Tree clone could resist external forces, it could not prevent internal turmoil.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a chill shoot up his spine. If he had continued to linger in that kind of state, it would have inevitably caused immense damage to himself. Though the Open Heaven Realm method of the Human Race was not flawless, it was the fundamental basis for their rise to power and had been inherited for countless millennia. Before his strength and realm had reached a certain level, it was necessary to be more cautious about such ponderings.
Yang Kai was forced to reflect on this matter in silence.
After several more days, Zhang Ruo Xi’s Small Universe finally settled, and she succeeded in her breakthrough.
Her Small Universe had grown significantly in both volume and territory, and her aura had reached the esteemed level of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was a sight that left Yang Kai in awe, marvelling at the unique wonder of her Heaven’s Order Bloodline that allowed her to overcome the innate limitations of the Open Heaven Realm method. Without this exceptional gift, Ruo Xi’s Martial Dao would have hit a ceiling at the peak of the Seventh Order.
This realization stirred up a twinge of envy in Yang Kai, who was still struggling to ascend to the Ninth-Order Realm.
However, he needn’t worry about what came next for Ruo Xi. With her successful ascension to the Eighth Order, all she needed to do was to enter retreat for a period to consolidate her newfound strength. As she continued to cultivate, her Small Universe’s heritage would grow stronger, and its territory would expand endlessly until it reached another limit. By then, she should be able to break through once again.
Only then would she be able to enter the Ninth-Order Realm!
Yang Kai turned to the two others and said, “I too must enter retreat for a while. Please look after Ruo Xi while I’m gone.”
Big Brother Huang nodded and replied, “There’s no need for you to worry.”
After bowing to them in gratitude, Yang Kai left a vast amount of Five Elements materials for Ruo Xi to use. She no longer needed Yin and Yang Element materials, after all, with Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan here, how could she possibly lack them?
After settling everything with Ruo Xi, Yang Kai manipulated Space Principles and left to find a broken Universe Fragment in the void far away, where he sat cross-legged and began to meditate.
Ruo Xi’s breakthrough had given him much to ponder over, and he needed to enter retreat to reflect on what he witnessed. But, with the lesson from before, he had to pay more attention and care to himself.
This retreat wasn’t just about improving his cultivation, but also a moment for him to explore his own Grand Dao and ponder over the mysteries of the Creation Realm.
Time flew by quickly in the desolate void.
After a few years, Zhang Ruo Xi awakened to find her new Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation had barely stabilized. Upon discovering that Yang Kai had also gone into retreat, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of disappointment.
But soon, she was swept up in a grand and wondrous plan by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. After witnessing Zhang Ruo Xi’s ability to harmonize their Yin and Yang Powers, the two of them secretly concocted this plan, knowing that its success would have profound significance for themselves and the Human Race.
Although they had only just met, there was no sense of estrangement among these three, as if they were all part of the same family. Even Ruo Xi was caught off guard, realising only later that these two were the legendary Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. But, looking at their youthful appearances and demeanour, she found it hard to see them as Supreme Beings from the Primordial Era, so she decided to treat them like children.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were quite pleased with her decision.
They performed a small experiment, and it proved to be completely feasible. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were so happy that they almost shed tears of joy.
But, although the plan was workable, it was difficult to implement at the moment because Ruo Xi’s strength was still lacking. She needed to become much stronger before they could perfectly execute their idea.
So, the two Primordial Era Supremes urged her to cultivate.
Fortunately, before Yang Kai went into retreat, he left behind a lot of Five Elements materials. Ruo Xi had some reserves of her own as well, which prevented her from being in the embarrassing situation of not having enough resources.
Ordinary Masters usually cultivated by building up the heritage of their Small Universe, and even if they chose to refine materials, they needed to consume complete sets of Seven Elements.
But in the Chaotic Dead Territory, with the assistance of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, Ruo Xi did not need to go through this trouble. She only needed to refine materials of the Five Elements.
As for the Yin and Yang Element Powers, it was easy to draw them from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. It was the utmost primal and pure power that was difficult for anyone in this world to resolve and harmonize, but that issue was completely resolved thanks to her Heaven’s Order Bloodline.
This meant that Zhang Ruo Xi had to refine two fewer materials than other Masters, saving her nearly 30% of her cultivation time.
That was a terrifying improvement in efficiency.
To advance from the Eighth Order to the Ninth Order required on average 10,000 years of accumulation, so a 30% reduction could easily save some 3,000 years of arduous effort.
In the Chaotic Dead Territory, while Yang Kai was in retreat to reflect on his various epiphanies, Ruo Xi also entered retreat to cultivate. Meanwhile, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan took turns infusing her Small Universe with their Power. They were careful not to overdo it so that Zhang Ruo Xi would not be overwhelmed again.
In their spare time, they also trained a large army of Small Stone Race Soldiers for Yang Kai.
Previously, they had only trained them to pass the time. From the Primordial Era to the present, this was the only game that relieved their boredom. But now that they had Zhang Ruo Xi, they had something to look forward to, a hope for the future.
Time passed by quickly, and soon an entire century had gone by.
In the void, Yang Kai opened his eyes with a look of confusion. The more he pondered, the more he found himself unable to grasp the essence of the Grand Dao. He couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for the days when he was not as powerful, when all he had to do was focus on increasing his strength. But now, he had to embark on a quest to uncover the true nature of the Grand Dao and Heavenly Way, and on this slow and arduous path of the Martial Dao, the higher he stood and the more he saw, the more lost he felt.
Letting out a light sigh, Yang Kai ceased his ruminations. He knew that his confusion stemmed from not standing high enough. Perhaps after ascending to the Ninth Order, things would change for him.
After spending 100 years in retreat, he had some gains. He had contemplated much about his own Grand Daos and the Creation Realm, but for now, those insights were of no use.
“Yang Kai, come over here!” Big Brother Huang’s voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Clearly, he had sensed that Yang Kai had ended his retreat.
Feeling his urgency, Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat, fearing that something might have happened to Zhang Ruo Xi. So, he urged Space Principles and stepped forward, arriving at Big Brother Huang’s side as he asked, “What happened?”
Before his eyes, Ruo Xi sat cross-legged, refining materials to enhance her Small Universe heritage. Her aura was calm and there was no trace of abnormality. Compared to 100 years ago, her aura was noticeably denser, a sign of her growing strength.
Big Brother Huang asked, “Do you have any more Five Elements materials? Bring them all out.”
Glancing at the illusory Heaven’s Order phantom behind Ruo Xi’s Small Universe, Yang Kai realized what was happening, “Are you two helping Ruo Xi cultivate?”
He had a considerable amount of Five Elements materials in his possession, originally prepared for his own future Ninth-Order advancement, but now that Ruo Xi needed them, he would not be stingy.
He secretly felt that bringing Ruo Xi to the Chaotic Dead Territory was the right decision; at least with Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s help, her growth would surely accelerate.
If only he had another World Tree clone for her, that would be even better.
Unfortunately, the Old Tree was not in good shape at the moment. Last time he had asked for three World Tree Clone seedlings, which was already the limit. If he were to ask again, it would be asking for too much.
Given all the Five Elements materials he had, it would be enough for Ruo Xi to cultivate for thousands of years, so Yang Kai handed them all to Big Brother Huang, saying, “I’ll figure out a way to get some more and send them over later.”
Big Brother Huang nodded in acceptance.
Yang Kai glanced at Ruo Xi once more and said, “I’ll leave Ruo Xi to Big Brother and Big Sister. I still need to look after the Human Race and cannot stay here for long. Farewell.”
Big Sister Lan reassured him, “Rest assured, she will be safe here.”
At present, the greatest danger was the Black Ink Clan; however, since suffering a catastrophic defeat in the Chaotic Dead Territory, they dared not set foot in here again. Under normal circumstances, they would not even approach the Chaotic Dead Territory for fear of provoking the two Supreme Beings inside.
Yang Kai responded with a nod. When he was ready to leave, Ruo Xi suddenly opened her eyes and shouted, “Sir, wait!”
Yang Kai paused to look at her as Ruo Xi said, “I still have to return this item to you, Sir.”
Saying so, she activated her power, and a seven-coloured lotus flower flew out from her forehead. It was the Soul Warming Lotus that Yang Kai had lent her before.
“Sir, you are constantly travelling outside, facing many dangers. You must be careful,” she reminded him.
In response, Yang Kai nodded, took the Soul Warming Lotus, and smiled, “You should continue to cultivate here. When you reach the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm one day, we shall fight the enemy together!”
Ruo Xi obediently nodded.
After a moment of watching Yang Kai leave, Ruo Xi sat down cross-legged again and continued to refine Five Elements materials to enhance herself.
In the world of Masters, there were always many farewells. Perhaps a seemingly ordinary separation would be a permanent one, especially in the current environment. To avoid such a situation, one could only become stronger, because only through sufficient strength could one protect those they cared for!
After leaving the Chaotic Dead Territory, Yang Kai did not linger and returned directly to the Supreme Headquarters.
As soon as he exchanged a few words with Mi Jing Lun, who was overseeing the situation, Yang Kai learned that the various battlefields had remained much the same over the years, allowing him to relax slightly.
In fact, whether it was the Human Race or the Black Ink Clan, they were both in the process of accumulating strength. On the Humans’ side, due to the output of talents from the Star Boundary, Myriad Monsters World, and even Yang Kai’s Small Universe, High-Rank Open Heavens Realm Masters were emerging one after another.
This was especially so for rising stars who directly ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm during these past years. Many of them had already entered the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and had been in this realm for a few years!
As for the battles on the various battlefields, that had not slowed down their cultivation speed. On the contrary, the repeated life and death stimulation tempered their willpower and endurance, allowing them to constantly make breakthroughs and improve.
It was estimated that it would not take long before the first of the rising stars of the Human Race saw the hope of advancing to the Ninth Order.
The Black Ink Clan was the same. There were many new Territory Lords, more than the Eighth-Order Masters. This was also inevitable; after all, Black Ink Clansmen could be created from Black Ink Nests, leading their numbers to surpass those of the Human Race. Among the billions of Black Ink Clansmen, there would always be some lucky ones whose strength improved rapidly.
A tacit understanding between the two Races had been achieved!
Now, it only remained to be seen which side could outpace the other, allowing them to seize the initiative.
According to the statistics of the Supreme Headquarters, the Human Race did not have much of an advantage. Overall, it was easier for the Black Ink Clan to cultivate than the Humans. In the future, the Black Ink Clan might be able to create Royal Lords earlier than the Human Race!
The only advantage of the Human Race lay in their greater individual strength, their intelligence, and their will to resist!
In the grand hall of the Supreme Headquarters, Mi Jing Lun let out a deep sigh as he spoke, “Our most pressing concern, Junior Brother, is the scarcity of resources. Despite the accumulation of the Cave Heavens and Paradises over the years, our people are trapped in just a handful of Great Territories now. Our access to essential resources has been severely limited, especially now with the explosive increase of Open Heaven Realm Masters. Their cultivation demands an abundance of resources that our stockpiles simply cannot sustain. Even with all the things you brought back last time, it barely made a dent in the shortfall needed to construct the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.”
“The problem of resource scarcity can only be solved by either increasing our resources or reducing our consumption. But we are cultivators. Our cultivation and healing require resources, so how can we reduce our consumption? If we were to do so, how could we expect our soldiers to fight fiercely on the battlefield? We must devise alternative strategies. Over the years, the military merits required by the army’s supply department to exchange for resources have been increasing every year. Take the simplest Fourth-Order materials, for example; the military merits required to exchange for one have increased by 20% compared to a millennium ago! To make matters worse, some ignorant fools, the managers and commanders, are unaware of the high cost of goods and come to me, their Senior Brother, at the Supreme Headquarters to clamour for a reduction in price for them!?”
Ou Yang Lie was the one he was referring to, and Yang Kai knew about this matter as well. Ou Yang Lie even sent someone to relay a message to him, saying that the prices for resources in the army’s supply department were abnormal, and requested that he talk to Mi Jing Lun about it.
“Haaa!” Mi Jing Lun sighed again, “Do you think I don’t want to reduce the prices? I just can’t simply do so! The military merits that our soldiers earn are priceless, paid for with their own lives. If there was a possibility, how could we, the Supreme Headquarters, do such a thing? We just can’t achieve two opposing goals at the same time.”
“As for increasing our resource sources, there are only two ways for our Human Race to do so. One is to mine them from the New Great Territory, and the other is to loot the Black Ink Clan. But the resources in the New Great Territory are also limited. After so many years of mining, they may not last much longer. Although looting the Black Ink Clan’s convoys is a profitable enterprise, it also entails enormous risks, and the amount we can get each time is not stable.”
In the past, although there were many Open Heaven Realm Masters in the 3,000 Worlds, there were not many in the High-Rank. They were always exclusive to the Cave Heavens and Paradises, and those who had successfully cultivated to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm were sent generation after generation to the Black Ink Battlefield to fight against the Black Ink Clan, resulting in countless casualties.
Overall, the resources flowing through the market in the 3,000 Worlds were more than sufficient for Humans to use. But now, the situation had changed. The Human Race was confined to just a dozen or so Great Territories, and the channels for obtaining resources had decreased greatly, while the number of High-Rank Open Heaven Real Masters had increased exponentially. This increase in demand and decrease in supply resulted in a substantial deficit in resources. Although the various Cave Heavens and Paradises had offered up their reserves, they would not be able to sustain themselves for much longer.
After hearing Mi Jing Lun’s complaint, Yang Kai realised the gravity of the situation. Though the issue of materials had long plagued the Human Race, he had never given it much thought until now that it had become a pressing matter that demanded immediate attention.
If one day the Humans were to run out of supplies, the consequences would be dire.
“Senior Brother, if I may ask, do you have a solution?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
Mi Jing Lun replied “I’ve given it some thought. The only way to resolve this is to seek resources outside. You have a direct route to the Black Ink Battlefield, right? I’d like to request that you send some people there to gather resources.”
The resources on the Black Ink Battlefield were abundant. Within the countless dead Universe Worlds lay many precious resources waiting to be extracted. If they could successfully harvest them, it would greatly ease the pressure on the Humans’ demand for supplies.
“I can do that.” Yang Kai nodded in agreement, “It’s settled then. I’ll send people over when the time comes. But Senior Brother, we’ll need some Masters to support us if we’re going to the Black Ink Battlefield. That is still the Black Ink Clan’s territory, so if the mining teams encounter them, they will be at serious risk without enough Masters to protect them.”
“I’ll take that into consideration,” Mi Jing Lun nodded lightly.
“Then, Senior Brother, I’ll wait for your message,” Yang Kai said as he rose from his seat.
Leaving the Supreme Headquarters, Yang Kai did not venture far, choosing instead to head to Profound Nether Territory.
However, since the agreement he made with Six Arms, the battle in Profound Nether Territory had not been as intense as before; after all, the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Masters were banned from fighting.
Without the clash of such Masters from both sides, the battles in Profound Nether Territory were relatively tame. At most, skirmishes between the Feudal Lords and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters took place.
Rising stars from both sides continued to make a name for themselves and hone their skills on this battlefield, but for someone like Ou Yang Lie, an Eighth-Order Master, life had become unbearably dull.
Forbidden from interfering in battles, but required to remain stationed in Profound Nether Territory as a precaution, Ou Yang Lie had grown bored to the point of desperation over the past few millennia. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken an interest in the army’s logistic affairs at all.
He had even requested to be transferred to other Great Territories like Azure Sun Territory, where Eighth-Order Masters could participate in battles, only to be rejected by Mi Jing Lun time and time again.
Ou Yang Lie was so infuriated that he considered cutting ties with Mi Jing Lun and even vented his frustration by insulting him in front of others at the Supreme Headquarters.
When he saw Yang Kai coming, Ou Yang Lie’s eyes filled with tears as he clamoured for Yang Kai to leave his seal on the transfer order.
The main reason Ou Yang Lie hadn’t been transferred from Profound Nether Territory for all these years was that Yang Kai was like an elusive Dragon, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.
Yang Kai, as the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army, had Ou Yang Lie as his subordinate General. Even if the Supreme Headquarters wanted to mobilise manpower from the Profound Nether Army, they would need to go through Yang Kai; otherwise, what would be the point of having an Army Commander?
Mi Jing Lun had previously told Ou Yang Lie that as long as he could receive Yang Kai’s seal on the transfer order document, the Supreme Headquarters would have no objections.
But where and how could Ou Yang Lie find Yang Kai?
Previously, Yang Kai had been in retreat at the World Tree, so it was not convenient to disturb him. That retreat lasted for some 2,000 years. It was not until Ou Yang Lie heard the news that Yang Kai had finally ended his retreat that he rushed back to the Star Boundary, only to find that Yang Kai had already left.
Unexpectedly, Yang Kai appeared in front of him right now.
Ou Yang Lie was so grateful that he took out the transfer order document that was long prepared and stared at Yang Kai with an attitude that indicated ‘if you don’t agree, I’ll die in front of you’.
Yang Kai looked at the contents of the transfer order document and frowned slightly, his expression inexplicable. After a long time, he sighed, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, are you sure you want to leave Profound Nether Territory?”
“Absolutely! I can’t stand this damned place anymore!” He exclaimed.
Just looking at what he had been doing for the past 3,000 years. All he did was patrol various forward outposts each day, give speeches to newly arrived soldiers, and then drink until he was thoroughly drunk…
He was even bored enough to go to the Black Ink Clan and argue with the Six Arms and the other Territory Lords…
These boring and miserable days were nothing compared to charging into battles and killing enemies. Before Yang Kai made an agreement with the Black Ink Clan, though the situation in the Profound Nether Army was dire, at least they were living boldly and valiantly.
For a hot-blooded man like him, even if his life ended in battle, it would still be preferable to a life of obscurity and insignificance.
With that said, Ou Yang Lie added, “Junior Brother, please do not misunderstand me. I am not dissatisfied with you, nor am I dissatisfied with the Profound Nether Army. It’s just that this environment isn’t quite suitable for me. Ever since I joined the Black Ink Battlefield all those years ago, I haven’t experienced such idle days. Time just crawls by here!”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “I understand. In that case, Senior Brother Ou Yang, please go.”
Saying so, he stamped his seal onto the transfer order.
Ou Yang Lie immediately smiled and snatched the document, scanning it before cheering, “I’m finally free!”
It was as if a prisoner, who had been trapped for years, had regained his freedom!
Ou Yang Lie pocketed the document and cupped his fist to Yang Kai, “Junior Brother, I’ll be reporting to the Supreme Headquarters now. Take care of yourself. I’m sure we’ll fight together again someday!”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Ou Yang Lie couldn’t wait to turn and leave. He didn’t want to spend another moment in Profound Nether Territory. He cried out joyously in his heart, [Azure Sun Territory, here I come!] And his laughter echoed into the distance.
Watching Ou Yang Lie’s departing figure, Yang Kai sighed. In life, there would always be unexpected disappointments. Senior Brother Ou Yang’s departure would likely not bring him the satisfaction he hoped for.
After bidding farewell to Ou Yang Lie, Yang Kai concealed his aura and figure before wandering around Profound Nether Territory to investigate its situation.
With his current cultivation, as well as his proficiency in the Dao of Space, he could easily avoid detection even from the Innate Territory Lords if he was careful enough.
Profound Nether Territory was unremarkable, everything was just as it was when he left so many years ago, except that the number of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had significantly increased.
Without staying long in Profound Nether Territory, Yang Kai returned to the Supreme Headquarters a few days later to await further orders.
Mi Jing Lun was quick to prepare, and within a month, everything was ready.
When Yang Kai arrived at the main square, he saw that tens of thousands of soldiers had already gathered. However, these soldiers were quite different from the norm.
Many of them had either grey or white hair, and although they didn’t look particularly old, they certainly weren’t young. Their cultivation levels were also generally low, with most of them at the Fourth or Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, some even at the Third-Order.
Yang Kai understood immediately that these were the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were born in the early days and their current cultivation had already reached their innate limit.
Such a cultivation would be ineffective on the various battlefields, as they would be very vulnerable to corruption from the Black Ink Strength. Thus, they were typically assigned to logistics roles.
This group of people would have limited usefulness in combat; however, if they were brought to the Black Ink Battlefield to mine resources, that wouldn’t pose any hindrance.
It was clear that Mi Jing Lun had considered this issue thoroughly, which was why he had summoned this group of people, wanting Yang Kai to escort them to the Black Ink Battlefield.