Apart from the thousands who were responsible for mining or sourcing resources, nine Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were standing among them. These were the veterans from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, all of whom had participated in the battles on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Yang Kai respectfully greeted these Elders, acknowledging their vital role in protecting the ones tasked with mining the dangerous Black Ink Battlefield. While nine Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters might not seem like enough, the nature of this mission required a discrete approach.
Their presence was only a precaution for any unforeseen circumstances, not to start a conflict with the Black Ink Clan. Too large and powerful a force would draw unwanted attention, and it would also affect the deployment of the Human Race Army on the various other battlefields.
“Junior Brother Yang, we’re counting on you,” Mi Jing Lun nonchalantly instructed.
“Senior Brother may rest assured.”
With a nod, Mi Jing Lun turned to address the thousands of Low-Rank cultivators. They knew their mission and even though they had never set foot on the Black Ink Battlefield before, they had heard of it and understood that it was a place where the blood of their ancestors had been shed in defence of their people. While this was not a crusade, how successful they were in amassing resources would play a big role in determining the fate of the Human Race. Thus, there was no killing intent, but there was still a heavy solemnity in the air.
In a sense, going to the Black Ink Battlefield to gather resources was another kind of battle, and the stakes were just as high.
Soon enough, Yang Kai and the nine Eighth-Order veterans opened their Small Universes, allowing the thousands of cultivators to enter in an orderly fashion.
As the preparations were finalised, Mi Jing Lun quietly informed Yang Kai of a separate mission, “Junior Brother, Brother Ou Yang has already gone ahead to the Black Prison. When you meet him there, you don’t have to say too much, just take him to Black Ink Battlefield and the others will explain the situation to him.”
Yang Kai was taken aback as he commented, “I thought Senior Brother Ou Yang had already gone to Azure Sun Territory…”
He hadn’t seen Ou Yang Lie in the square just now, but it seemed his guess from before was wrong. Mi Jing Lun had obviously arranged for Ou Yang Lie to be part of this operation without giving the latter any prior information. Of course, if Ou Yang Lie knew about the mission beforehand, he probably would have refused. He had left the Profound Nether Army because he was tired of the dull and boring days and he craved excitement and battle.
Guarding Profound Nether Territory was not fundamentally different from watching over the teams extracting resources on the Black Ink Battlefield. The former was influenced by the agreement between the two Races, which forbade the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Masters from interfering in battles except in six Great Territory Battlefields. As for the latter, success depended highly on stealth and evading detection from the Black Ink Clan. Comparing the two, life would possibly be even harder for Ou Yang Lie on the Black Ink Battlefield than in Profound Nether Territory…
Mi Jing Lun let out a sigh, “I know what his thoughts are, but… after thousands of life and death battles, he has accumulated too many dark injuries that can’t be healed. If he could advance to the Ninth Order, it would be alright, but he has no hope of doing so in this lifetime. Those hidden wounds are constantly sapping away his vitality, so he shouldn’t participate in fights against the Masters of the Black Ink Clan anymore.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before saying, “Senior Brother Ou Yang will definitely blame you later.”
In response, Mi Jing Lun smiled wryly, “Let him blame me all he wants. It’s just my own selfishness. So many of our old friends are gone forever, with more leaving us every day. Someone needs to stay alive to witness the day when the Human Race triumphs.”
Yang Kai said, “Rest assured, Senior Brother Mi. The younger generation has risen to the challenge and can take over the banner from the Seniors to resist the Black Ink Clan. As for that day… it will come sooner or later.” He turned around and bowed, continuing, “Take care, Senior Brother Mi. I hope you and Senior Brother Ou Yang can witness that glorious moment together.”
“Good!” Mi Jing Lun smiled.
“Farewell!” Yang Kai cupped his fist, turned around, and flew away, followed closely by the nine Eighth-Order Masters.
Under Yang Kai’s guidance, they passed through various Great Territories, each using their own Secret Techniques to conceal their auras.
This time, they were going to the Black Ink Battlefield to mine resources, unlike the last time when they went to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. There were too many Eighth-Order Masters on that occasion, nearly 400, so Yang Kai couldn’t protect them all when travelling through the hidden Void Corridor. As a result, they had to transit through the No-Return Pass and could not conceal their movements.
However, this time they had to be as stealthy as possible; otherwise, if the Black Ink Clan discovered their movements, it was highly likely that something unexpected might occur.
On the way, they encountered some Black Ink Clansmen, but there were no elite combatants around guarding them, making it impossible for the enemy to detect Yang Kai and the others’ movements.
They hurried all the way to Black Territory!
Currently, apart from High Heaven Territory controlled by the Human Race, the New Great Territory, and the Great Territory where the Supreme Headquarters was located, there were Black Ink Clansmen in essentially every other Great Territory in the 3,000 Worlds.
However, there were two exceptions, one of which was the Chaotic Dead Territory. After the Black Ink Clan suffered a huge loss at the hands of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, they declared the Chaotic Dead Territory as a Forbidden Zone, where even the Royal Lord dared not venture.
The second exception was Black Territory, which was once abundant with Ore Stars, each containing rich cultivation materials. However, to break the Early Ancient Era’s Super Array and kill the Royal Lord that was suppressed and sealed there, the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, along with their countless disciples, joined forces and mine out the entire Black Territory, harvesting all the resources there and simultaneously breaking the Grand Array.
Now, Black Territory was empty, with nothing left but broken rubble. Although the Black Ink Clan had explored the area before, they found nothing but a barren land, thus they did not bother deploying any forces here.
But this worked out well for Yang Kai and his companions. Once they entered Black Territory, they no longer needed to hide. Under Yang Kai’s lead, they rushed towards the entrance of the secret passage.
Finally, after a couple of days, they arrived at their destination.
Yang Kai scanned his surroundings with his Divine Sense and spotted an asteroid floating nearby before calling out, “Senior Brother Ou Yang!”
Ou Yang Lie leaped out from behind the asteroid and approached Yang Kai with a grin, “You’ve got sharp eyes, Brat. I thought I had hidden well, but you still found me.”
He was clearly in a good mood. Ever since he left Profound Nether Territory with his transfer order in hand, he had been feeling quite content.
When he noticed the nine Eighth-Order Masters behind Yang Kai, Ou Yang Lie’s eyes lit up as he greeted them warmly. They were all old acquaintances who had fought alongside each other on the Black Ink Battlefield against the Black Ink Clan. Their friendship stretched back to the days when they were cultivating in their respective Sects.
After some heartfelt conversation, Ou Yang Lie eagerly asked Yang Kai, “Junior Brother, why are we going to the Black Ink Battlefield this time? Are we going to attack the No-Return Pass?”
Having arrived here at Mi Jing Lun’s instruction and seeing Yang Kai lead nine veteran Eighth-Order Masters over, Ou Yang Lie guessed they were up to something big. This stirred up his battle instincts that had been dormant for over 2,000 years.
“I have no issue if we were to attack the No-Return Pass, but it seems like we are short on manpower.” Ou Yang Lie began to worry. A Royal Lord was guarding at the No-Return Pass, along with a Pseudo-Royal Lord and many Territory Lords. It was going to be difficult for them to make any headway with just these few people.
However, considering Yang Kai’s many achievements in the past, the situation suddenly became clear to him, “I know! We’re going to launch a quick raid to destroy those Black Ink Nests!”
He was obviously excited and had a lot to say.
Yang Kai did not know how to explain the situation to Ou Yang Lie, but luckily, an old veteran who had a close relationship with Ou Yang Lie pulled him aside and said, “Ou Yang, don’t ask too much. You’ll know when we get there.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking rice, “Good, good. Let’s go!”
Yang Kai nodded and looked around, “Please connect your auras to mine for this journey. I will do my best to protect all of you; however, this Void Corridor is highly turbulent. If we get separated, please don’t panic, Senior Brothers. Just hold your ground and wait for me to find you while ensuring your own safety.”
All the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters nodded.
“Good!” Yang Kai shouted and Space Principles surged out, causing ripples to spread in front of them like a calm lake that had been disturbed by a stone.
Everyone was amazed as they watched. All of them were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Masters and were capable of breaking the Void when they exerted all their might, but none of them could manipulate it skillfully like Yang Kai did. This was the ability of someone who was proficient in the Dao of Space.
As the ripples spread, a noticeable difference in the Void appeared ahead. With Yang Kai’s continuous manipulation of Space Principles, a certain spot ahead of them slowly revealed the illusory phantom of a portal.
Looking up, the portal looked like an abyss, chaotic and terrifying.
“Stay close to me!” Yang Kai urged while taking the lead to step into the portal. Following him were the 10 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, steadily connecting their auras with Yang Kai’s.
In the passageway ahead, Yang Kai broke through the barrier he had set during his previous transit while also forming a new one behind the last person of their group.
If he was alone, or even with two or three people, it wouldn’t have been very difficult for Yang Kai to accomplish this; however, with 10 people at once, it was a bit taxing. Fortunately, everything was still within his limits, though it was much more time-consuming than previous trips through this Void Corridor.
Ou Yang Lie and the others all had high cultivation and extensive experience, but walking through this kind of Void Corridor was a first for them. Still, they didn’t dare to look around carelessly for fear of triggering any unnecessary accidents. By sensing their surroundings, they only perceived the chaotic Void Turbulence and the surging power of chaos filling the surroundings of this mysterious and unpredictable place. Even for Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like themselves, getting lost in such a place would likely not have a good outcome.
If they were lucky, they might one day find a way out, but if luck wasn’t on their side, they could be trapped here for the rest of their lives. That was why they became increasingly cautious as they proceeded forward. In this peculiar environment, both time and space seemed to blur, and they lost track of how long they had been wandering until a sudden flash of light appeared in front of them. It was only now that they realized they arrived at their destination.
The void rippled, and with each expanding wave, a portal gradually revealed itself. Soon after, figures emerged from the portal, one after the other.
Yang Kai quickly sealed it up again, making it appear as though nothing had happened.
Ou Yang Lie took out a Universe Chart of the Black Ink Battlefield and, after a few comparisons, he determined that they were standing somewhere in the area of the Blue Sky Theatre that was once occupied by the Black Ink Clan. It was quite far from where Blue Sky Pass was originally positioned, much closer to the Royal City.
It was at Blue Sky Pass where Yang Kai had risen to prominence, bringing Purifying Light to the Human Race and designing the Purifying Black Ink Battleships, turning what had once been an ordinary Great Pass among many into a shining beacon of hope.
Besides that, Yang Kai’s presence allowed Blue Sky Pass to establish the first forward outpost outside of a Royal City. Using the numerous Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens nearby, Blue Sky Pass set up numerous traps that inflicted heavy losses upon the Black Ink Clan, severely damaging the latter’s foundation in the Blue Sky Theatre.
This victory set the stage for a Crusade, with the Blue Sky Army becoming the first to conquer part of the Black Ink Clan’s territory, earning it a reputation that echoed through the ages.
Yang Kai also took out his Universe Chart and identified the direction they needed to go in, then led his 10 companions towards the depths of the void.
Ou Yang Lie followed behind him, completely puzzled, so he asked, “Junior Brother, aren’t we going in the wrong direction? The No-Return Pass is that way.”
The direction they were taking was completely different from where the No-Return Pass was located, leaving Ou Yang Lie confused.
Although Yang Kai was tempted to explain everything to him, he chose to hold his tongue, fearing the consequences, “Senior Brother, please be patient. I’ll explain everything once we arrive.”
Upon hearing that, Ou Yang Lie suppressed his doubts and followed silently.
Along the way, Yang Kai left several Space Beacons behind to be used as waypoints, knowing he would have to come back once he had escorted Ou Yang Lie and the others to their destination.
They passed by the Royal City that was once magnificent, but was now ravaged by the previous wars. The entire Universe World was in shambles and broken into numerous fragments, faintly showing the devastation from the battle millennia ago.
When the Blue Sky Army had set forth on their crusade, the Black Ink Clan’s forces in the Blue Sky Theatre had not fully recovered, so they were left defenceless against the formidable might of Blue Sky Pass. In the end, the Royal City was reduced to rubble and their Army was decimated. The Old Ancestor of Blue Sky Pass, aided by some of the strongest Eighth-Order Masters, had beheaded the Royal Lord in that battle.
The Royal Lord’s demise marked the complete defeat of the Black Ink Clan in the Blue Sky Theatre.
But that was all in the past now, and Yang Kai had long since left Blue Sky Pass. When Blue Sky Pass went on its crusade, Yang Kai was leading his comrades into battle as part of the Great Evolution Army.
To avoid running into teams from the Black Ink Clan who were harvesting resources, the Humans had to venture deeper into the Black Ink Battlefield. Only by putting enough distance between themselves and the enemy could they avoid any disastrous encounters.
Only after a month’s journey beyond where the Royal City was located did Yang Kai stop and sweep the area with his Divine Sense. Here, there were many dead Universe Worlds with little evidence of mining, making it an obvious place for a fruitful harvest.
“This is the spot,” Yang Kai declared.
The Eighth-Order Masters didn’t object, except for Ou Yang Lie, who wore a dark expression and remained silent. He might be impulsive at times and not skilled in cunning schemes, but that didn’t mean he was stupid. The many signs on the way here made him understand that this mission might not be as straightforward as he had imagined.
There was a high chance that he got tricked by Big Head Mi!
While he was lost in thought, Yang Kai had already dispersed with the other nine Eighth-Orders Masters. He then opened the portal of his Small Universe, releasing all the cultivators stored inside. Besides them, there were many Warships, including two Purifying Black Ink Battleships.
Ou Yang Lie’s suspicion grew as he took in the sight before him. The cultivators who had been released were mostly of the Fourth and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, some were even in the Third-Order, and almost all of them were elderly, not the type of lineup one would expect for a significant combat mission. It was more like they were on a retirement trip.
Yang Kai turned to the Eighth-Order Masters and said, “I entrust this matter to you. Here is a Space Beacon for each of you. Please keep it close. Every 100 years or so, I will come to find you and collect the resources you’ve gathered.”
It would be troublesome to send everything back that tens of thousands of people had mined. Only Yang Kai could handle it personally. By handing over the Space Beacons, it would also be convenient for him to locate them in the future. As long as they weren’t too far away, Yang Kai could easily locate them and arrive instantly.
The Eighth-Order Masters accepted the Space Beacons and stored them carefully, except for Ou Yang Lie who was now glaring at Yang Kai with eyes spewing flames of anger.
With a wry smile, Yang Kai grabbed his arm and slapped a Space Beacon into his hand, apologising, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, if you have any questions, please ask the other Senior Brothers later. Junior Brother has other important matters to attend to and can’t stay long.”
The truth was, he couldn’t face Ou Yang Lie’s disappointment.
Turning his head, he reminded other Eighth-Order Masters, “If you encounter any danger that cannot be resolved, please lead everyone to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, where the Suppressing Black Ink Army is stationed and Dragon Clan Senior Fu Guang is assuming command.”
This statement caught everyone off guard. They had never heard of the Suppressing Black Ink Army and had no idea that Supreme Headquarters had made such arrangements. Moreover, they were surprised to learn that the Dragon Clan’s Fu Guang, who had disappeared for so many years, was actually guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction this whole time.
One of the Eighth-Order Master immediately nodded and said, “Junior Brother may rest assured. Leave them to us and we shall protect them. But what’s this about the Suppressing Black Ink Army? Can you enlighten us about it?”
Everything regarding the Suppressing Black Ink Army had been done in secrecy previously to prevent news from spreading and affecting the morale of the Human Race, but there was no harm in sharing this information with these veteran Eighth-Order Masters.
Yang Kai thus briefly explained the situation with the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and Army.
An Eighth-Order veteran suddenly realised, “No wonder so many elites were reassigned from the various battlefields by the Supreme Headquarters 130 years ago. It was all to form the Suppressing Black Ink Army!”
Another Master asked with concern, “Is the situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction serious?”
“It’s still within a controllable range, and Senior Fu Guang is personally guarding that place, so there’s no need to worry,” Yang Kai replied.
With these words, everyone was relieved. Apart from Giant Spirit God Ah Er, who was still fighting the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Barren Territory, Divine Dragon Fu Guang was currently the strongest Master on the Human Race’s side. Having such a Master guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was indeed reassuring.
A moment later, under the gaze of the Eighth-Order Masters, Yang Kai took a step forward, and his figure gradually faded away.
Ou Yang Lie didn’t stop him, but turned to the other Eighth-Order Masters and asked through gritted teeth, “Shouldn’t you all give me an explanation now?”
One of the Eighth-Order Masters who had a good relationship with Ou Yang Lie sighed and stepped forward to explain the mission they were tasked with.
Learning that this trip was not for any major battle, but just to oversee the gathering of resources, Ou Yang Lie furiously exclaimed, “Big Head Mi, I curse you and your Ancestors!”
The Master quickly advised, “Junior Brother Ou Yang, calm down. Although there is no war here, this place is still of great significance to the Human Race. Our soldiers need resources for cultivation and healing, and with the current shortage, we can only resort to such measures. Even compared to killing enemies on the battlefield, our mission is no less important. We are all working for the future of the Human Race!”
“Right, right…” Another Master went along.
“Right my foot!” Ou Yang Lie exploded, his red hair blazing like fire and his whole body seeming to be burning up. He had left Profound Nether Territory for one reason, to kill the enemy on the battlefield, not to come here and babysit these Third, Fourth, and Fifth-Order cultivators tasked with mining resources.
In a fit of rage, he strode towards the depths of Black Ink Battlefield.
“Where are you going, Brother Ou Yang?” The Eighth-Order Master who tried to calm him down called out in alarm.
“I’m going to Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction! I’m joining the Suppressing Black Ink Army to kill the enemy!” His voice echoed as he flew off into the distance.
The other nine Masters looked at each other, unsure of whether to stop him or not. In the end, Ou Yang Lie disappeared without a trace.
After a while, one of them finally said, “Thank goodness he didn’t go to the No-Return Pass impulsively…”
Going to the No-Return Pass alone was a death sentence, but going to Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and joining the Suppressing Black Ink Army was still acceptable.
“Don’t worry, he’ll come back,” another Eighth-Order Master said.
“How do you know?”
“Brother Ou Yang may not be from Great Battle Heaven, but ever since he ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he has fought on the Black Ink Battlefield. He has long become accustomed to military life, and he’s a true soldier. Although he has a foul temper, he won’t act recklessly in defiance of orders; otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed in Profound Nether Territory for so many years just to get his transfer order stamped,” the Master explained.
Everyone felt that what he said made sense. Ou Yang Lie’s behaviour was indeed like this. If he was someone who truly acted on impulse, he wouldn’t have stayed in Profound Nether Territory for so long.
As expected, half a day later, Ou Yang Lie appeared from the depths of the void, still a little mad, but his fury somewhat subsided.
An Eighth-Order Master welcomed him back personally, patted his shoulder, and laughed, “Ou Yang Lie, just accept it. Isn’t this Mi Jing Lun’s favour to us old friends?”
Everyone understood why they were sent here to look after the mining team.
Each of them had experienced countless life-and-death crises, and each had accumulated many hidden injuries. As they got older, their conditions deteriorated, and some of them had already fallen from their peak state.
They all had great passion for protecting and serving the Human Race, but if the day came when the Human Race defeated the Black Ink Clan, cleared the ashes of war, and rebuilt order, the experience of the older generation would be an indispensable guide for the new generation.
Sending them here to look after this resource-gathering team was not only Mi Jing Lun’s favour, but also for the future of the Human Race!
Ou Yang Lie immediately snorted, “Do I need him to take care of me? I’m still strong, and age has only made me tougher! If we’re going to fight the Black Ink Clan, what are we old guys good for if we don’t lead the way and instead shove all the heavy burdens onto those young brats?”
“Indeed, we old fogeys are still as sharp as ever, but those little brats still have much room to grow. We need to give them a chance to shine.” The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master knew well that Ou Yang Lie was a stubborn mule and wouldn’t challenge him.
Ou Yang Lie remained silent for a long time, then finally spoke with a harsh tone, “When I return home someday, I’ll twist Big Head Mi’s head off and use it as a chamber pot!” He then thought of Yang Kai and added, “And that Yang Boy, he’s not a good thing either! He dared to trick me like this. I’ll give him a beating when I see him!”
“Good. Us fellow brothers will help you!” The Eighth-Order Master responded with a big smile, “With our combined strength, that brat won’t stand a chance.”
Ou Yang Lie looked at him and sighed heavily, his face full of sadness. It had come to this, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Soon, tens of thousands were dispersed by the Eighth-Order Masters to explore the area nearby for resources.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had already used the Space Beacons to return to the Blue Sky Theatre, still feeling guilty. He could understand Ou Yang Lie’s mood, but this was Mi Jing Lun’s arrangement, so he could not intervene. Moreover, he hoped from the bottom of his heart that veterans like Ou Yang Lie could retire from the battlefield.
The number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was now significant, and many rising stars were active on various battlefields. It was no longer a time when veteran warriors with countless scars had to bear the brunt of the harsh conditions.
The younger generation was now capable of taking on the heavy responsibilities of the Seniors!
However, as Mi Jing Lun worried, the problem that plagued Human development was still the resources. The emergence of a large number of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters meant a massive demand for resources.
Sending some manpower to the Black Ink Battlefield to mine resources was one way to solve the problem, but exploration and extraction always took time, so Yang Kai planned to look for solutions elsewhere.
Resources were something that the Black Ink Clan did not lack. After his last experience at the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai was well aware of this fact as they didn’t even hesitate to hand over a massive amount of materials as compensation.
Since the Black Ink Clan didn’t lack resources, Yang Kai decided to just steal some.
Yang Kai decided to become a Hunter! Ever since he heard about the Hunters, he had been fascinated by their existence. If he was still a Sixth or Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would have immediately become one and lived a carefree life raiding enemy convoys.
However, he was no longer the insignificant person he once was. His strength and status had both elevated him to a position where each of his words and actions had a significant impact on the overall situation. While Yang Kai still yearned to become a Hunter, he couldn’t risk the unpredictable consequences of such a move.
But, on this Black Ink Battlefield, he did not need to worry at all. When the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race signed their peace agreement years ago, it only applied to the 3,000 Worlds. It did not include the Black Ink Battlefield.
Hunting was also a time-intensive activity that often required patience and careful planning, but since Yang Kai had nothing else to do and was free from the need to cultivate, he could use this time to accumulate resources for the Human Race.
Months later, inside the Main Hall of the No-Return Pass, the Royal Lord sat on the throne of bones, with Mo Na Ye seated to his left. Territory Lords lined both sides of the hall, with their eyes fixed on the Royal Lord.
They were all confused, and even Mo Na Ye was puzzled as well.
Due to Yang Kai’s existence, the Black Ink Clan could not afford to let their guard down, even with a new Pseudo-Royal Lord on their side. Mo Na Ye could not leave the No-Return Pass at will, lest Yang Kai found an opportunity to destroy more Black Ink Nests here.
Since the Royal Lord could not protect everything on his own, they could only ensure the safety of the Black Ink Nest by joining forces.
That was why the Royal Lord had been staying here all these years, rarely making an appearance. Even when he did come out, he looked gloomy, obviously still upset about Yang Kai’s last visit.
But with Mo Na Ye as a capable assistant, the Royal Lord completely became an arm-flinging shopkeeper, leaving all major and minor matters of the Black Ink Clan war effort to be handled by him, so he was able to relax.
However, at this moment, the Royal Lord’s expression looked… exceptionally joyful. It was unclear if something had happened on the Great Territory Battlefields, or if there had been some breakthrough development in the Black Ink Clan.
Then, as they recalled the tone in which the Royal Lord summoned them to this conference hall earlier, the Black Ink Clan elites secretly anticipated good news.
The Royal Lord remained silent, and the Territory Lords dared not speak without permission either. Instead, it was Mo Na Ye, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, who smiled and asked, “Sir Royal Lord, is there good news you have to share with us today?”
The Royal Lord chuckled and looked approvingly at Mo Na Ye. Although he had many loyal followers, only Mo Na Ye was quick-minded and able to read his intentions. This was also why he was willing to delegate power to Mo Na Ye. There was no possibility of a power struggle in the Black Ink Clan, as Mo Na Ye’s Pseudo-Royal Lord status meant that he could never surpass the real Royal Lord’s authority, so there was no concern over infighting even if so much power was given to Mo Na Ye.
After nodding in approval at him, the Royal Lord announced the great news, “There is news from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
With that announcement, the room erupted in surprise.
The Territory Lords widened their eyes in excitement, while Mo Na Ye jumped up from his seat, exclaiming, “Sir, has the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction been broken?”
Since the battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and its subsequent sealing and Mo’s slumber, the Black Ink Clan had been unable to contact them. However, now the Royal Lord claimed that there was news from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, indicating that the Supreme One had awakened and the Grand Restriction had been broken.
If this was true, the day when the Black Ink Clan would rule all under the Heavens would soon arrive! Even Mo Na Ye, who was usually calm and composed, was overcome with excitement and could not help but shed tears.
But the Royal Lord waved his hand and said, “It’s not what you think. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is still there, and the Supreme One is still asleep.”
The excited Territory Lords were suddenly silenced like a bucket of cold water had been thrown on them.
Then, Mo Na Ye asked, “If that’s the case, how did news come from the other side?”
“I’m also unsure, and due to the interference of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the message is not very clear. All I know is that the Humans still have some control over that place and that someone deliberately opened a gap, like before,” the Royal Lord replied.
“Someone is controlling the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
“But it can’t be Cang, can it? How can anyone control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
“Who is this person?”
The Territory Lords were clamouring and asking questions. They were all Innate Territory Lords who came from inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so they knew about the situation there very well. They knew that Cang was the last Human Race Master who could control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and after his death, no one should be able to do so.
But now, the Royal Lord was saying that someone was in control of that place. If this message did not come from the Black Ink Clan inside the Grand Restriction, they would never have believed it.
While the Territory Lords were concerned about who was controlling the restriction, Mo Na Ye picked up on a different piece of information and asked, “Sir, when was the gap opened?”
The Royal Lord answered, “It should have been some 100 years ago.”
Mo Na Ye murmured with a frown, “Around 100 years ago… Sir, back then, Yang Kai led several hundred Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Human Race through the No-Return Pass and into the Black Ink Battlefield. Considering the timeline… could it be that the person who controls the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction now is Yang Kai?”
This was not a wild guess, as Yang Kai often accomplished things that others couldn’t. If he was really the one controlling the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Mo Na Ye wouldn’t be surprised.
The Royal Lord, however, shook his head and said, “It’s not him. Although the information from the Grand Restriction is not complete, I’ve inquired carefully. The person who controls the Grand Restriction now does not resemble Yang Kai at all. It must be someone we don’t know about.”
Mo Na Ye didn’t doubt him and only sighed, “The Human Race still has such a heritage!”
After Cang’s death, it was assumed that there would be no one who could control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction again. This was good news for the Black Ink Clan, as they could easily break it once the Supreme One awakened.
However, it was different if someone was guarding it. Even the Supreme One couldn’t underestimate the power of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, or else it wouldn’t have been trapped for so many aeons already.
Mo Na Ye continued to ask, “But if the Human Race has someone who can control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, why did they take the initiative to open a gap?”
The Royal Lord replied, “Those inside the Grand Restriction can sense that the Human controlling it now is much weaker than Cang, so their control over the Grand Restriction is far inferior. This person must have opened the gap to alleviate the pressure he was facing. This is clearly something the Human Race had planned to do long ago. When Yang Kai passed through the No-Return Pass with those hundreds of Eighth-Order Masters, it was to go to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Now, there is an elite Human Race Army and a Divine Dragon, Fu Guang, fighting against those who are rushing out. This has been happening for over 100 years.”
Mo Na Ye suddenly realised, “Curse those Humans!”
When the Territory Lords below heard that their clansmen were being constantly killed at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, they immediately started clamouring again.
A Territory Lord even stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Sir Royal Lord, please let me lead a large army to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to coordinate with those inside and crush those Humans.”
Mo Na Ye immediately stopped him, “That would not be appropriate!”
Although the Territory Lord was intimidated by Mo Na Ye’s Pseudo-Royal Lord authority, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why is it not appropriate?”
Mo Na Ye explained, “When Yang Kai passed through the No-Return Pass, he had as many as 400 Eighth-Order Open Heaven with him, and that’s just what we could see on the surface. Although there were suspicions at the time, we couldn’t be sure. Now that we have first-hand information, we can confirm that those 400 we saw that day were not the entire Human force. Many more must have been staying in their Small Universes, which is why they were able to form a large army at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
“This Human Race Army must be filled with elites with exceptional strength; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to ambush and kill the clansmen who broke through the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Furthermore, there is also a Divine Dragon on their side! If we want to go against such an Army, we can’t afford to send in too few Masters from our side, or we will just be sending them to their deaths. However, if we draw too many of our forces away from the front lines, how can we stabilize the situation on the various battlefields? The Humans will inevitably seize the opportunity to attack and break through our defences!”
Saying so, Mo Na Ye then looked at the Royal Lord and asked, “Do you know how many people are in that Army?”
“There shouldn’t be more than 10,000 in total, which isn’t a lot, but each individual is quite strong, especially those 400 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Additionally, they seem to have a large-scale artifact similar to a Great Pass with them.”
“A Great Pass!” Mo Na Ye furrowed his brow, and the Territory Lords all became fearful.
Although all of the Great Passes that still survived were abandoned around the No-Return Pass and were now occupied by the Black Ink Clan, it had cost them a massive price to capture them. If it weren’t for the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods aiding them at the time, the Black Ink Clan would not have been able to conquer the No-Return Pass.
Now, with an elite Army stationed at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and a Great Pass-like artifact assisting them, it was no wonder they had the confidence to open a gap in the Grand Restriction to alleviate the pressure.
Mo Na Ye couldn’t help but sigh deeply, “The Human’s heritage remains as powerful as ever…”
Just from the fact that the Humans were able to withdraw so many elites to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction without any impact on the situation in the various battlefields was enough to prove that the Human Race of today was not the same as the one from 3,000 years ago.
After the war in the Barren Territory, the Human Race had sunk to its lowest point. The Great Territory Battlefields were all in a passive state of defence, and Profound Nether Territory was almost conquered by the Black Ink Clan. If it weren’t for Yang Kai’s sudden appearance at the critical moment, Profound Nether Territory would have fallen into the hands of the Black Ink Clan.
Yes, it was all because of Yang Kai…
Since Yang Kai appeared in Profound Nether Territory, the Human Race’s plight had gradually been reversed. How did he even manage to accomplish such things?
After careful observation, Mo Na Ye realised that Yang Kai didn’t do much. Although he had killed many Innate Territory Lords, it hadn’t significantly impacted the balance of power between the two Races. No matter how powerful he was, he was just a single individual and could not wipe out the entire Black Ink Clan.
The true root of the matter lay in the peace agreement between the two Races!
The constraints of the peace treaty had provided a relatively safe training space for the younger generation of the Human Race. While this alone might not seem significant, what was crucial was that the Human Race had the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World, two Open Heaven Realm Cradles.
The combination of such a relatively stable cultivation environment and a continuous influx of talented successors had shaped the Human Race’s formidable heritage over thousands of years.
It was a pity that when Yang Kai’s reputation was at its peak, and all the Innate Territory Lords trembled at the mere mention of his name, he proposed the peace agreement.
Who would dare to reject him at that time?
Looking at the current situation, this was all Yang Kai’s cunning plan. Even if the Black Ink Clan had seen through it at the time though, they could only accept it.
Mo Na Ye also caught on at this point. He thus grew more afraid of and suspicious of Yang Kai since he not only possessed incredible combat power but also had a far-seeing perspective. He was a great threat to the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Clan had naturally thought about how to deal with this issue and concluded that the best course of action would be to destroy the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World, the places that contributed to the continuous enhancement of the Human Race’s heritage. They were just two trivial Universe Worlds. If given the chance, any Territory Lord or Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple could easily deal with them.
However, the Black Ink Clan simply could not find the opportunity to do so as every soldier that had been recalled from the front lines had to pass through a Grand Array filled with Purifying Light. Even if a Black Ink Disciple had impure intentions, the Purifying Light would cleanse and dispel any Black Ink Strength within them.
Moreover, both the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World had multiple powerful Masters stationed there all year round, standing guard…
The voice of the Royal Lord came through, bringing Mo Na Ye back to focus.
“This King has asked if they need support over there, but those within the Grand Restriction believe it would be unwise to cause a commotion. They are working on finding other ways through the Grand Restriction, and if they succeed, they will be able to break free.”
Mo Na Ye perked up and asked, “Can they do it?”
He knew firsthand just how formidable the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was. When he was inside it years ago, many Black Ink Clansmen had attempted to breach it from within, but all had failed.
The Royal Lord replied, “Since they’ve said as much, there should be some progress. Although we do not know who the person overseeing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is now, their strength is far inferior to Cang, so their control is obviously not as good either. Furthermore, opening a gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction has had some impact on its integrity, which may have provided some opportunities for those inside!”
Mo Na Ye nodded lightly. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was extremely ancient and had been operating constantly for millions of years. The new Human Race Master overseeing it was not like the legendary Cang, a powerful monster with unfathomable experience. They couldn’t be fully prepared, and as long as there was even the slightest flaw, those within the Grand Restriction would not miss that chance!
Today, the Royal Lord summoned many of his Territory Lords to share the good news. He wasn’t worried about any Territory Lord leaking the information because the Black Ink Clan was not the same as the Human Race. If a Human was corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they would tell everything they knew to the Black Ink Clan, but the Black Ink Clan would never leak critical information to the Humans.
After a while, the Royal Lord left, and the rest quickly dispersed as well while Mo Na Ye walked away, frowning deep in thought.
He was thinking about none other than Yang Kai!
Over 100 years ago, Yang Kai led a group of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters through the No-Return Pass and into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. There had been no news about him for all this time, and no one knew where he had gone or what he was up to.
If it were an ordinary Eighth-Order Master, Mo Na Ye wouldn’t have cared, but Yang Kai was different. Whatever the circumstances, Yang Kai had even killed a Pseudo-Royal Lord, which was enough to make Mo Na Ye take him seriously.
After thinking for a while, Mo Na Ye couldn’t come to a conclusion. Yang Kai’s whereabouts had always been elusive, and it seemed that even the Human side had difficulty keeping track of him.
He was once again relieved when he thought about how Yang Kai had no hope of reaching the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If this headache-inducing menace had a chance to ascend to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, how could they handle him?
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” A Territory Lord approached suddenly.
Mo Na Ye turned his head and saw one of his Territory Lords in charge of logistics. He nodded and asked, “What’s the matter?”
The Territory Lord replied, “Sir, several squads that were supposed to return with resources have not returned yet.”
This wasn’t a big deal, but since Mo Na Ye was in charge of everything related to the No-Return Pass by the Royal Lord’s orders, he still had to investigate all abnormal occurrences. The Territory Lords had also become accustomed to his meticulous style, so they would come to him with any matter, big or small.
“How long are they overdue?” Mo Na Ye frowned, feeling that something was off.
The Territory Lord replied, “The earliest squad was supposed to have returned a month ago, while the latest should have arrived at the No-Return Pass five days ago.”
“Have you sent anyone to investigate?”
“Yes, a team has been sent and we should receive a report in a few days.”
Mo Na Ye nodded, “Notify me the moment you have answers.”
“Yes!”
A few days later, the Feudal Lord in charge of gathering news sent a message to the No-Return Pass using his Black Ink Nest. The teams responsible for transporting materials had already set off for the No-Return Pass, but mysteriously disappeared halfway!
When the news reached Mo Na Ye, he immediately realised the problem.
The teams transporting resources disappeared without a trace, but the Human Race had no presence on the Black Ink Battlefield other than at the Grand Restriction. Over the years, the Black Ink Clan had been constantly mining resources from the Black Ink Battlefield and transporting them to the front lines without any issues; however, recently, several squads transporting resources disappeared for no reason!
[Someone must be causing trouble…] The first person that came to Mo Na Ye’s mind was Yang Kai.
Only Yang Kai could do such a thing. Considering that he had gone deep into the Black Ink Battlefield over 100 years ago and had not been seen since, it was almost certain that Yang Kai was now camping near the No-Return Pass, waiting for the Black Ink Clan’s resource teams to appear so he could rob them.
[Shameless!]
Mo Na Ye immediately took out a communication bead and transmitted a message using his Divine Sense.
This communication bead was left to him by Yang Kai the last time they met when he needed to hand over a batch of resources. Mo Na Ye hadn’t thrown it away, thinking that he might be able to use it to probe Yang Kai’s location in the future. He didn’t expect it to be useful so soon.
After a while, the communication bead in his hand trembled slightly, causing Mo Na Ye’s brow to twitch…
Yang Kai was really near the No-Return Pass. The movement of the communication bead was undoubtedly a sign that the message had been successfully transmitted!
10 million kilometres outside of the No-Return Pass, on a lone Universe Fragment, Yang Kai hid his figure and surveyed the surroundings with his Divine Sense. His current Divine Sense was incredibly powerful, and from this location, he could monitor the movements of all Black Ink Clan squads returning from the Black Ink Battlefield.
Over the last month or so, he had raided five Black Ink Clan teams, seized their resources, and made a great deal of profit.
He didn’t raid all the Black Ink Clan squads, but selectively chose a few; after all, he was doing business without investment so he couldn’t be too excessive. To continue this venture for a long time, he needed to take a steady approach; otherwise, the Black Ink Clan would probably act out in rage, damaging his future prospects.
As he was monitoring the movements of the void around him, Yang Kai suddenly felt something and took out a communication bead. With his Divine Sense, he probed it and couldn’t help but praise Mo Na Ye’s quick thinking.
He knew that he couldn’t hide his actions for long, so Yang Kai deliberately wore this communication bead on his body. He just didn’t expect Mo Na Ye to contact him so quickly.
The message in the communication bead was very simple, with only one sentence, “Sir Yang, can we meet?”
It was obvious that Mo Na Ye had already concluded that Yang Kai was involved in the disappearance of the teams transporting resources.
On the Universe Fragment, Yang Kai hesitated for a moment upon receiving Mo Na Ye’s message, originally intending to ignore it. But after giving it some thought, he realised that there was no point in being sneaky about things and decided to confront Mo Na Ye directly. So, he immediately surged his Divine Sense and sent a message through the communication bead.
At the same time, inside the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye’s communication bead trembled once again. He quickly immersed his mind in it to investigate, and in the next moment, boundless anger surged within him, almost causing his lungs to explode.
The message in the communication bead was straightforward, consisting of only two words, “Fifty percent!”
Although it seemed incomprehensible at first glance, Mo Na Ye instantly understood Yang Kai’s intention. This bastard was clearly demanding 50% of the resources excavated by the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield. His appetite was simply outrageous!
These resources were mined by the Black Ink Clan and were intended to be transported to the frontline battlefields to enhance the Black Ink Clan’s strength. It was all meant to be used against the Human Race, but now, without any effort on their part, the Humans wanted to take away 50% of them.
Moreover, if the Human Race were to use these resources to enhance their own strength, it would inevitably harm Black Ink Clan.
Mo Na Ye would never agree to such an act of aiding the enemy. If he did, he would forever become a criminal in the eyes of the Black Ink Clan!
The more Mo Na Ye interacted with Yang Kai, the more he found the latter to be difficult to deal with. At this moment, he had formed a new evaluation of him. Yang Kai was shameless beyond all imagination, able to make such outrageous demands without any scruples. It was simply unbelievable!
Suppressing the anger in his heart, Mo Na Ye sent a message to the Territory Lord in charge of the resource affairs, asking him to come over. At the same time, he feigned ignorance and replied, “Sir Yang, what do you mean? Please explain in detail!”
The communication bead quickly trembled, and Yang Kai replied with only two words, “Heh heh!”
Mo Na Ye’s brow twitched, and Yang Kai’s annoying face inexplicably appeared in his mind, causing the anger he had just suppressed to surge up again.
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” The summoned Territory Lord quickly arrived and bowed respectfully.
Mo Na Ye looked up and asked, “How many teams are overdue from the past month?”
“Five, Sir!” Replied the Territory Lord.
“And how many have returned?”
“Also five!”
Five teams had disappeared, and five had returned. This was precisely 50%. Mo Na Ye knew that this was no coincidence, but rather Yang Kai’s intentional doing. His meaning was evident. The Black Ink Clan could refuse his offer, but he would still be able to take 50%!
In fact, if Yang Kai wanted to, there was a good chance he could take the other 50% as well.
This was open bullying!
Facing such a tricky opponent, Mo Na Ye had always been patient and avoided confronting him head-on because he knew that Black Ink Clan had no way of dealing with Yang Kai at the moment.
In terms of strength, both he and the Royal Lord were stronger than Yang Kai, and if they were to fight it out in a one-on-one fashion, they could easily suppress him.
However, if they couldn’t kill Yang Kai, all hostility towards him would be meaningless. The Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was a great opportunity to kill him as the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array blocked the entire space, leaving Yang Kai with no place to use his greatest strength. It was the best opportunity the Black Ink Clan had to kill him.
It was a pity that Di Wu had messed things up. Not only did the Black Ink Clan lose many Innate Territory Lords, but even Di Wu was killed.
The Dao of Space… was undoubtedly the most troublesome Grand Dao for the Black Ink Clan!
Apart from Mo Na Ye and Royal Lord, none of the other Masters on the Black Ink Clan’s side were a match for Yang Kai. 3,000 years ago, Yang Kai was capable of slaughtering Territory Lords as easily as chickens, but at that time, he still needed to use his strange Soul Secret Technique to achieve such remarkable results. Now, 3,000 years later, Yang Kai’s strength had increased significantly, and Innate Territory Lords were no longer a challenge for him. Even if they formed a Battle Formation, Territory Lords might not be able to do much against this menace.
How could Mo Na Ye not be cautious in the face of such an opponent?
The whole reason why they had made peace with the Human Race back then was also because of this. In the current situation, Yang Kai’s had become a nightmare that the Black Ink Clan could not contain. Since that was the case, they could only place their hopes on the future.
If the Black Ink Clan managed to produce many Royal Lords one day, then the role that Yang Kai could play would naturally be greatly reduced.
Over the years, Yang Kai had been travelling around, his whereabouts elusive, and his reasons unknown.
Mo Na Ye never imagined that one day, this guy would block the No-Return Pass and personally loot resources from the Black Ink Clan.
Although angry and annoyed, he saw the underlying message through the situation’s appearance.
The Human side must be running out of resources; otherwise, there was no reason for a Master like Yang Kai to act like this. For this reason more than any other, Yang Kai’s impudent demand could not be agreed to. As long as the Black Ink Clan held on a little longer, the Human Race would only face more shortages, and even if they had countless rising prodigies, without enough supplies, their cultivation would not improve!
Mo Na Ye was anxiously trying to communicate with Yang Kai through the communication bead while summoning all the Territory Lords of the No-Return Pass.
Within moments, hundreds of Territory Lords gathered in the Main Hall, but this time, the Royal Lord did not appear and only Mo Na Ye stood below the throne of bones.
Although the Royal Lord was absent, Mo Na Ye did not dare to sit on the main throne, which was exclusively reserved for the Royal Lord. As a Pseudo-Royal Lord, he did not have the qualifications to sit there.
Looking at the group of puzzled Territory Lords below, Mo Na Ye stated bluntly, “Yang Kai is currently somewhere outside of the No-Return Pass!”
Some of the more belligerent Territory Lords began clamouring to lead their Armies to surround and kill Yang Kai. The more timid ones turned pale because they had suffered losses at Yang Kai’s hand.
Mo Na Ye took in the expressions of the Territory Lords and continued, “The Human Race doesn’t have enough resources, so now Yang Kai has come to plunder our supply transports! Although the losses are small for now, if this issue is not resolved soon, our resources will probably be cut in half compared to previous years. This will inevitably affect our plans for conquest.”
The noisy Territory Lords instantly quieted down, while a particularly sturdy-looking one cupped his fist and asked, “How should we solve this problem, Sir Mo Na Ye?”
Mo Na Ye declared, “The matter of resources is fundamental to both the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race. The plundering of ours is a secondary loss compared to helping the Human Race grow stronger. For now, I need you to investigate Yang Kai’s movements and escort the resource transports and their goods back!”
The sturdy Territory Lord then said, “If that’s the case, we have to move in teams capable of assuming Battle Formations. Against that killing star, not forming a Battle Formation would be equivalent to sticking out our necks and letting him chop our heads off.”
Fortunately, in recent years, the Territory Lords of the Black Ink Clan had not been idle and had been diligently practising various Battle Formations. It was ridiculous to say that these Innate Territory Lords were already powerful enough to not fear any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but just because of Yang Kai’s presence, they had to practise these Battle Formations to protect themselves. This was humiliating, but they were left with no other choice.
Mo Na Ye nodded, “Yes, you will all need to form Battle Formations, with Four Symbols Formations being the minimum requirement to face Yang Kai. Only Territory Lords who can form a Four Symbols Formation can perform this task. Those who cannot should not go out for the time being.”
A Battle Formation was not something that could be just casually formed. The Human Race Squads could do this because they grew and developed in a totally different environment compared to the Black Ink Clan. The invasion and oppression of the Black Ink Clan had long made all Human Race Masters sincerely united. Each Squad also had time to become familiar with each other through daily interactions and battles, so no matter when or where, they could easily form Battle Formations as there was innate trust among each other.
It was different for the Black Ink Clan, especially the Innate Territory Lords, as each of them was born strong and naturally had their own arrogance and opinion. They were not willing to fully trust each other and entrust their lives to others, preferring to believe in their own selves above all else.
This wasn’t a surprise though as in the face of danger, the first reaction of most living beings was to protect themselves.
At the time of forming a Battle Formation, the auras of all in the Formation were linked, essentially turning them into a single entity. However, once an individual had the intention to protect themselves over the group, the Battle Formation would collapse.
That was why, when Di Wu led 20 Innate Territory Lords to surround and kill Yang Kai in the Ancestral Land, the Battle Formations they formed were only Four Symbols Formations. It was not because they lacked the numbers, but rather because forcing a more advanced Battle Formation was impossible.
Most of the Territory Lords of the Black Ink Clan could only form the Four Symbols Formation at most, with a select few capable of forming the Five Elements Formation. No Six Paths Formation had ever been formed among them.
In fact, this was not a problem unique to Territory Lords; it was also difficult for Eighth-Order Human Masters to form a Six Paths Formation, though not impossible. So far, the highest record for Eighth-Order Masters was a Seven Stars Formation, which happened during a life-or-death crisis against a Royal Lord.
The higher the individual strength, the more difficult it was to form a Battle Formation. This principle applied to both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan.
For example, back when Yang Kai was Squad Leader of Dawn, he led his Squad members to kill many enemies and once formed a Nine Palaces Formation. However, if he were to try to form such a Formation with other Eighth-Order Masters now, he would not be able to do so.
With the command from Mo Na Ye given, a few Territory Lords relaxed because they could not form a Battle Formation with other Territory Lords at all. Unexpectedly, this lack of competence had allowed them to avoid a potential crisis.
Mo Na Ye then deployed all the Territory Lords who could form Battle Formations into two groups. One group was responsible for searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts outside the No-Return Pass, with the other was responsible for protecting the squads returning from gathering resources in the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
He then said, “The objective this time is not to kill Yang Kai. If you encounter him, prioritise self-preservation!”
After speaking these words aloud, Mo Na Ye could not help but feel a sense of helplessness deep down in his heart. Faced with a Master like Yang Kai, he actually unconsciously gave up the idea of killing him.
Now, he only hoped that the Acquired Territory Lords would grow up soon. As long as more Royal Lords appeared in the Black Ink Clan, the threat that Yang Kai posed to the Black Ink Clan would be greatly weakened!
The Territory Lords then dispersed quickly, following Mo Na Ye’s previous assignments. They dared not be careless, forming Four Symbols and Five Elements Formations immediately after leaving the No-Return Pass and quickly dispersing as they headed towards the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
Back in the Main Hall, Mo Na Ye looked at the more than 10 Territory Lords who remained, furrowing his brow slightly before waving his hand, “Be vigilant against any potential attacks from Yang Kai!”
“Yes!” The Territory Lords then left with their orders.
After leaving the Main Hall, Mo Na Ye headed straight towards the High-Rank Black Ink Nest belonging to that Royal Lord. Ever since Mo Na Ye had been entrusted with the affairs of the No-Return Pass and the entire Black Ink Clan after his ascension to the rank of Pseudo-Royal Lord, the Royal Lord frequently stayed inside this Black Ink Nest and rarely ventured out.
It was only because he had received the news from the clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction a few days ago that the Royal Lord made an appearance to deliver good news to the many Territory Lords.
Standing before the Black Ink Nest, Mo Na Ye sighed inwardly. Despite having arranged for clansmen to track Yang Kai’s movements and protect the teams carrying resources, their enemy was Yang Kai. No matter how meticulous the arrangements were, they were simply not secure enough.
In front of the Territory Lords, Mo Na Ye pretended to be resolute and unwilling to give up anything, but he knew that if Yang Kai really had his sights set on Black Ink Clan’s resources, they would not be able to stop him.
At present, the Black Ink Clan seemed to be flourishing, but there was a simmering danger as the Human Race grew stronger bit by bit, gradually narrowing the gap in power between the two sides. Mo Na Ye had long felt a strong sense of crisis brewing in his heart.
He could only hope that there would be some pleasant surprises from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction soon.
Meanwhile, a female Feudal Lord, who was a personal attendant to the Royal Lord of relatively low cultivation, came out of the Black Ink Nest and greeted Mo Na Ye, “Sir Mo Na Ye, please come in!”
Mo Na Ye nodded and followed the Feudal Lord into the Black Ink Nest.
Soon, they saw the Royal Lord using the Black Ink Nest to communicate with the outside world. Mo Na Ye waited quietly without disturbing him, knowing that the Royal Lord was probably speaking with those inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
After a while, the Royal Lord withdrew his consciousness from the Black Ink Nest Space, and Mo Na Ye noticed a hint of joy in his expression. He understood instantly that there might be some pleasant surprises from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
He didn’t ask too much as the Royal Lord would say if he wanted to. Instead, he just respectfully bowed. The Royal Lord sat down and asked, “What’s the matter?”
He knew Mo Na Ye wouldn’t come to see him without a specific reason. Since Mo Na Ye was here, it must be a matter of importance. Mo Na Ye immediately summarized Yang Kai’s raid on the Black Ink Clan’s resources outside of the No-Return Pass and told the Royal Lord about Yang Kai’s demand for a 50% share. Hearing this, the Royal Lord was infuriated, and his good mood was instantly ruined.
“Impudence! How dare he make such a request! We already compensated him with a large amount due to the Ancestral Land incident, yet he is still not satisfied!?”
Mo Na Ye understood that the Human Race was lacking in resources while the Black Ink Clan had plenty, so naturally, Yang Kai came to Black Ink Clan to take advantage of them.
After allowing the Royal Lord to vent his anger for a while, Mo Na Ye continued, “Sir Royal Lord, I have ordered the Territory Lords to search for Yang Kai’s whereabouts and also ordered escorts for the transport teams. However, Yang Kai is proficient in the Dao of Space and his combat strength is extremely high. Even if the Territory Lords form Battle Formations, they may not be able to match him if they encounter him.”
The Royal Lord pondered for a moment before saying, “You must personally take action and find an opportunity to kill him!”
Mo Na Ye shook his head and replied, “I have considered this option, but if I leave the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai may find an opening to infiltrate. What if he comes to the No-Return Pass and targets the Black Ink Nests?”
These words made the Royal Lord’s face darken. 3,000 years ago, with him standing guard, the Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass would still be safe, but after Yang Kai emerged from his long retreat and revealed his strength, the Royal Lord knew that he alone could not protect all the Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass.
During these 3,000 years, Yang Kai’s strength had increased that much.
“Furthermore…” Mo Na Ye considered and said, “Due to the Ancestral Land incident, our Black Ink Clan suffered significant losses. If we anger him again this time, the situation may be difficult to contain.”
They wouldn’t know how many resources they would have to offer up if the situation reached that point.
Upon hearing this, the Royal Lord abruptly turned his head and glared at him, “Our Black Ink Clan has so many rising talents, yet we can’t even deal with one damn Human!?”
The wrath directed at him frightened Mo Na Ye who immediately lowered his head and replied, “It is all due to my incompetence!”
The atmosphere in the Black Ink Nest became tense as Mo Na Ye suppressed his aura while the attendants who lived in the Black Ink Nest also held their breaths.
After a while, the Royal Lord said, “Create another Pseudo-Royal Lord and let him secretly guard the No-Return Pass with me while you deal with Yang Kai!”
“Create another Pseudo-Royal Lord? But, Sir, the number of our Innate Territory Lords has decreased greatly. If we create another Pseudo-Royal Lord…” Mo Na Ye was startled by the suggestion.
In fact, he had discussed this matter with the Royal Lord before. Although the creation of a Pseudo-Royal Lord represented the loss of more than 10 Innate Territory Lord and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest, as long as it was for an appropriate purpose, it would still be useful for the Black Ink Clan.
However, as Mo Na Ye said, after thousands of years of battles, the number of Innate Territory Lords in the Black Ink Clan had decreased sharply and was now quite low. Not to mention that every High-Rank Black Ink Nest sacrificed was a heavy blow. In the grand scheme of things, it was not suitable to create too many Pseudo-Royal Lords.
Both Di Wu and Mo Na Ye were Pseudo-Royal Lords created because of Yang Kai’s existence.
Unexpectedly, because of this killing star, the Royal Lord actually had the idea to create another Pseudo-Royal Lord. If this continued, the number of Innate Territory Lords in the Black Ink Clan would continue to decrease sharply.
“Rest assured, it won’t cause any major problems if we only create one more,” said the Royal Lord calmly.
Mo Na Ye was initially stunned, as this was different from the Royal Lord’s previous attitude towards creating Pseudo-Royal Lords. However, thinking about the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction’s situation, Mo Na Ye suddenly realised something and immediately accepted the order, “I will arrange it immediately!”
The Royal Lord snorted, “When the new Pseudo-Royal Lord is created, you go and deal with Yang Kai directly. Try to provoke him as much as possible and make him come to the No-Return Pass. I will wait for him here with the new Pseudo-Royal Lord!”
“Yes!” Mo Na Ye couldn’t help feeling a little excited. If the Royal Lord’s strategy worked as planned, they might really have a chance to take down Yang Kai.
Shortly after, a dozen or so Territory Lords stationed at the No-Return Pass were once again summoned. Learning that the Royal Lord was asking them to perform Source Fusion, the Territory Lords had mixed feelings.
They had originally been left at the No-Return Pass to avoid the risk of facing Yang Kai because they couldn’t meet the requirements of the Battle Formations. However, they did not expect that they could avoid Yang Kai but not the orders of the Royal Lord!
The Source Fusion Technique was extremely dangerous, with fewer than 1 in 10 being able to survive it. Who could guarantee that they would be the one to live?
The birth of the first two Pseudo-Royal Lords had already sacrificed 25 Innate Territory Lords. Could they be so lucky to avoid sacrificing themselves?
It was as the saying went for the Human Race, “Fortune and misfortune walk hand in hand”.
However, the Royal Lord’s order had been given, and they were powerless to disobey it. Under Mo Na Ye’s supervision, 12 Innate Territory Lords entered a High-Rank Black Ink Nest and began to perform the Source Fusion Technique.
One by one, the auras of the Innate Territory Lords disappeared as the Black Ink Nest shook incessantly.
Several days later, when the last remaining Territory Lord’s aura had completely merged with the Black Ink Nest, a new Pseudo-Royal Lord was born.
Meng Que!
Mo Na Ye stayed at the No-Return Pass for another month, allowing Meng Que to familiarise himself with his new strength before he rushed out into the depths of the void.
During this month’s time, the Black Ink Clan lost eight teams that were transporting resources, a significant increase compared to the month before!
The response from the Black Ink Clan seemed to have completely removed Yang Kai’s apprehensions. Previously, half of the teams were allowed to return, but now they had almost all been wiped out!
A few days later, in the depths of the void, Mo Na Ye met with four Territory Lords who had been maintaining a Four Symbols Formation. They had clearly experienced a great battle recently, but it had ended almost as quickly as it began. There were many bodies of Black Ink Clan Soldiers left behind, but the four Territory Lords remained unharmed.
Seeing Mo Na Ye, the four exhausted Territory Lords finally had the opportunity to catch their breath as maintaining the Four Symbols Formation consumed a great deal of their focus and energy. Though it was manageable for a short time, these four Territory Lords had not dared to relax once since leaving the No-Return Pass. No one knew when the Human killing star, Yang Kai, would appear. If they did not maintain the Battle Formation at all times, they might die the moment he mysteriously showed up.
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” The four Territory Lords saluted apologetically.
Mo Na Ye looked around, frowning, “He didn’t fight you?”
The dead here were just some ordinary Black Ink Clan soldiers, and the four Territory Lords had no wounds on them, which was obviously suspicious.
The four Territory Lords glanced at each other, and the leader sighed, “He moves stealthily, and we find it difficult to predict when he will appear.”
Mo Na Ye nodded in understanding. If Yang Kai didn’t want to fight, they could do nothing about it, so he instead asked, “What about the resources?”
The Territory Lord who had spoken before looked even more ashamed, “It was originally with me…” After meeting with the team transporting the resources, he took the Space Ring which contained them.
“And then Yang Kai took it from me.”
Mo Na Ye frowned again, “How did he take it from you if he did not come face to face with you?” The Space Ring was so small and could easily be kept close to the body. Unless Yang Kai had completely incapacitated them, they should not have been easily robbed.
The Territory Lord hung his head, “I handed it over!”
Mo Na Ye’s eyes narrowed in response, staring fiercely at the Territory Lord, who explained in a frightened voice, “Yang Kai locked us with his Divine Sense and threatened to kill us even if it meant damaging his Soul if we didn’t hand it over. So…”
“So you just gave it to him!?” Mo Na Ye roared furiously.
“Please punish us, Sir!” The four Territory Lords looked terrified.
They had no choice. It wasn’t that they were cowardly, but when Yang Kai locked them down with his Divine Sense, the immense sense of danger forced them to make that choice. At that moment, they had no doubt that Yang Kai had the ability to kill them!
Mo Na Ye took a deep breath. Though he was angry, he knew that it wasn’t the Territory Lords’ fault. Anyone in such a situation would have had trouble putting their lives aside.
In the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, Yang Kai had killed Di Wu and eight Territory Lords who formed Battle Formations. If he could do that, then killing a mere four Territory Lords would not be an issue.
The Four Symbols Formation was powerless to stop Yang Kai’s killing spree, but it would force him to use his bizarre Soul Secret Technique that harmed both himself and others.
Mo Na Ye was not ignorant of this fact, but the Battle Formation that the Territory Lords of the Black Ink Clan could form was limited to this degree, and he couldn’t demand more from them.
However, judging from the current situation, Yang Kai did not want to use his Soul Secret Technique recklessly, probably because he did not want his Soul to be injured.
So, after coercing the Territory Lords to surrender their resources, he simply withdrew.
Mo Na Ye was correct in his assumption. In Profound Nether Territory, Yang Kai would strike every 2 years, and only with the assistance of many other Eighth-Order Masters and the bulk of the Profound Nether Army could he kill several Innate Territory Lords. At that time, he did it to build up his fearsome reputation and pave the way for subsequent negotiation plans. Therefore, Yang Kai was not reluctant to damage his Soul at that time, and each time he attacked, he showed no mercy!
But the current situation was different as Yang Kai was only plundering some resources. Furthermore, he had to rendezvous with Ou Yang Lie and others every 100 years, so if he used Soul Rending Thorns recklessly and severely injured his own Soul by accident, it would greatly affect his subsequent plans.
Otherwise, why would he easily spare the lives of those four Innate Territory Lords? Yang Kai also understood that the more Territory Lords he killed, the less pressure the Human Race would face in the future.
The simple reason for all of this was that resources were a more important matter right now.
Killing some Black Ink Clan soldiers didn’t matter much, as the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t care; however, if Yang Kai really killed a lot of Innate Territory Lords, the situation would quickly spiral out of control, forcing the Black Ink Clan’s hand. The issue of resources would also be impossible to resolve once that happened.
At present, everything was done for the sake of resources!
The Black Ink Clan’s response was within Yang Kai’s expectations. The blood feud between the two sides was absolutely irreconcilable, so even if he and Mo Na Ye appeared cordial on the surface, the Black Ink Clan would not simply agree to share half of their resources just because Yang Kai asked.
Therefore, he needed a way to make the Black Ink Clan realise that if they could not meet his demands, the consequences would be unbearable for them. Only then would the Black Ink Clan acquiesce.
Robbing the resource teams returning from the Black Ink Battlefield was the method Yang Kai chose!
If they refused to give him 50%, he would just take everything. Unless the Black Ink Clan did not send teams out to collect resources, they would inevitably face the risk of being robbed. However, if they stopped their mining activities, the Black Ink Clan’s supplies would be greatly affected, which would have a huge impact on their subsequent accumulation of strength as well.
The only thing that slightly surprised Yang Kai was that Mo Na Ye had personally taken action. Was Mo Na Ye not afraid that he would go to the No-Return Pass to destroy those Black Ink Nests now that the defences there were weakened?
In the void, Mo Na Ye sent the four Territory Lords away to continue escorting other supply teams, holding the communication bead in his hand and transmitting his thoughts to it.
However, every attempt was like a stone sinking into the sea, without any response. This made Mo Na Ye grit his teeth in frustration, thinking Yang Kai, that bastard, probably put the communication bead into his Small Universe, a sign he did not want Mo Na Ye to contact him again!
As time passed, messages from various directions deep within the void arrived one after another. Mo Na Ye rushed to each location, but he was always one step too late.
Even with the Territory Lords acting as guards, they couldn’t stop Yang Kai’s raids on their resource teams. One after another, the delivery squads were pilfered clean, with only a few lucky ones managing to escape unscathed.
With each secret battle they waged, Mo Na Ye experienced how difficult Yang Kai was to deal with. Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, and his movements were elusive, often raiding the Black Ink Clan in one area of the void before soon appearing millions of kilometres away…
For 10 whole years, Mo Na did not even catch a glimpse of Yang Kai in person, except for one instance when he felt the fluctuations of Space Principles nearby and rushed to the scene, only to find that Yang Kai had already left.
During these 10 years, less than 100 resource teams managed to return from the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield to the No-Return Pass.
To exploit resources, the Black Ink Clan dispatched a massive number of teams to the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield on mining missions. The demand for resources was not just a problem for the Human Race, but also for the Black Ink Clan. In some respects, the Black Ink Clan’s demand for resources was even greater than the Human Race’s.
At least 100 teams were expected to return each year, but now, after 10 years, less than 100 had done so, the rest had been looted by Yang Kai. This was not just a loss of 50%, but a staggering 90%.
While the casualties in each individual raid were not significant, that did not mean they weren’t adding up over time. Additionally, although no Territory Lords died, a number of Feudal Lords were slaughtered and the loss of critical resources was becoming serious.
For 10 years, Mo Na Ye had been searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts in the void, constantly trying to intercept or contact him, but he had never succeeded. What made him even more frustrated was that Yang Kai showed no intention of going to the No-Return Pass. Originally, in the Royal Lord’s plan, when Mo Na Ye joined the hunt, Yang Kai should be tempted to head to the No-Return Pass and threaten the safety of the Black Ink Nest, thus forcing the Black Ink Clan to agree to his unreasonable demands.
If Yang Kai had done so, the Royal Lord and Meng Que could have had a chance to ambush him. As long as they could entangle him, the Territory Lords could set up the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array to prevent this killing star from escaping.
But over the past 10 years, Yang Kai only wandered the void, never coming within 10 million kilometres of the No-Return Pass. This left Mo Na Ye feeling defeated, like he was punching with all his strength only to hit a wad of cotton.
If Yang Kai never went to the No-Return Pass, what was the point of sacrificing a dozen Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest to create Meng Que, the new Pseudo-Royal Lord?
Faced with such a cunning and cautious opponent, who also possessed extraordinary strength and means like Yang Kai, Mo Na Ye felt incredibly frustrated.
Deep within the void, Yang Kai concealed his aura and manipulated Space Principles, almost merging his body with the Void. The Demon Eye of Annihilation penetrated through space as he silently observed the scene a million kilometres away, where a squad transporting goods had just been plundered by him and four Territory Lords forming a Battle Formation were stationed.
Shortly after, Mo Na Ye arrived in a hurry and asked about the situation, his face dark and gloomy.
The same routine, the same result. Yang Kai intimidated the Territory Lord who had the Space Ring with his Soul Secret Technique, forcing him to hand over the goods or he would kill them all. This happened countless times over the past 10 years, and it always succeeded.
It was not that the Territory Lords were cowardly, but they had no choice when facing certain death.
Of course, Mo Na Ye had an idea about how to overcome this dastardly move; he simply had to order the Territory Lords to not comply. If Yang Kai really used his Soul Secret Technique and killed the Territory Lords, he would not be better off. He would have to find a place to heal for the next two or three years.
But this approach was only a temporary solution. Sacrificing Territory Lords would not solve the problem, and when Yang Kai recovered, he would surely come back again.
There were not many Innate Territory Lords in the Black Ink Clan to sacrifice, so it was better to let them use the Source Fusion Technique, at least they could contribute to creating a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
In other words, this ‘solution’ simply wasn’t feasible…
Mo Na Ye felt completely defeated. He was stronger than Yang Kai, and in terms of intelligence and cunning, he was not inferior by much; however, he was still forced to dance to the opponent’s tune as Yang Kai’s Space Secret Techniques were an insurmountable obstacle.
At this moment, Mo Na Ye suddenly brightened up and quickly took out a communication bead. As he felt a slight vibration from this little bead, he almost cried out.
For 10 years, he had been trying to contact Yang Kai but had never received a response. Unexpectedly, today, exactly 10 years later, Yang Kai contacted him.
Mo Na Ye’s Divine Sense surged as he checked the message transmitted through the communication bead. It was a simple message, “Fifty percent!”
Mo Na Ye’s anger rose rapidly, but he forcibly suppressed it and tried to reply calmly, “Sir, Yang, you are too greedy.”
Yang Kai’s response came quickly too, and it made Mo Na Ye feel uncomfortable, “Over the past 10 years, what percent of your mined resources made it back to the No-Return Pass?”
Mo Na Ye roared inside, [Aren’t you the one who knows that best!?]
Less than 100 out of roughly 1,000 teams have returned, so at best a paltry 10%. This had made it so that those currently sourcing for resources outside dared not easily send resources back and could only stay at the mining sites and wait for the No-Return Pass to resolve Yang Kai’s matter before making further arrangements.
“This King does not want to cut off all diplomatic ties. Over the years, I have never laid a hand on any of the Territory Lords, only taking a few meagre resources. I hope that the Black Ink Clan can also understand the greater good and the overall situation. Only through sincere cooperation between the two sides on this matter can there be mutual benefit and mutual gain!”
Looking at the words transmitted through the communication bead, Mo Na Ye’s face twitched uncontrollably. He had interacted with many Humans before, but he had never seen anyone so shameless before.
The resources were gathered by the Black Ink Clan, with the Humans contributing nothing at all. Yang Kai was just going around robbing them, and now he had the audacity to talk about righteousness and sincere cooperation for mutual benefit…
How could Mo Na Ye not understand his intentions? All these grandiose words were just a thinly veiled threat.
The implicit meaning in his words was that if the Black Ink Clan did not ‘understand the greater good and the overall situation’, he would continue to loot until they capitulated. By then, the losses for the Black Ink Clan would only be more devastating.
Mo Na Ye thought he had understood Humans well enough, but today he realised that his so-called understanding was only scratching the surface.
A Human Race Master with such a formidable reputation could be shameless to this degree, it was truly eye-opening!
Mo Na Ye was so angry that he actually threw his head back and laughed out loud. He wanted to say something cutting, but was afraid of provoking Yang Kai, so he did not know how to respond.
While he was hesitating, Yang Kai sent another message, “Sir Mo Na Ye, this King has already been benevolent towards the Black Ink Clan. Please don’t force my hand. These years, I have never gone to the No-Return Pass. Compared to the High-Rank Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass, a few resources are nothing in comparison. You should be able to discern the difference in weight, right?”
Faced with such an open and blatant threat, Mo Na Ye not only did not get angry, but instead felt a sense of relief that Yang Kai had finally taken this step.
The reason he left the No-Return Pass was to give a false impression to Yang Kai that there was only one Royal Lord on guard now, and he had a chance to destroy the Black Ink Nests!
Unfortunately, for the past 10 years, Yang Kai had never appeared outside of the No-Return Pass and had been constantly looting the resource squads, causing the Royal Lord’s initial plan to fail.
It wasn’t until today that Yang Kai finally revealed intentions of using the Black Ink Nests to threaten the Black Ink Clan.
Mo Na Ye was secretly delighted and quickly replied, “Yang Kai! Some things can be done once or twice, but not thrice! You have trespassed into the No-Return Pass twice and destroyed many Black Ink Nests, but if you dare try this again, I, Mo Na Ye, will never let you go!”
The message was sent out, but there was no response after a long time of waiting.
A million kilometres away, Yang Kai carefully observed each change in Mo Na Ye’s expression and began making plans in his heart…
He had thought about going to the No-Return Pass to threaten to destroy some Black Ink Nests and force the Black Ink Clan to meet his demands and had even taken action for this purpose.
Over the past 10 years, he had secretly investigated the No-Return Pass several times; however, with his increasing mastery of the Dao of Time, his sensitivity to future crises had become much higher.
This sense had helped him avoid some dangers during his last rampage in the No-Return Pass, and it was the same now.
Every time he approached the No-Return Pass, the idea of destroying Black Ink Nests would unconsciously bring a sense of peril, as if there was a great danger hidden within the No-Return Pass that could threaten him!
This puzzled Yang Kai greatly. Mo Na Ye had gone to the depths of void for all these years, and only one Royal Lord was guarding the No-Return Pass. According to his current strength, as long as he avoided that Royal Lord, the No-Return Pass would be his to enter and exit as he pleased. With the No-Return Pass being such a large area and the numerous High-Rank Black Ink Nests of the Black Ink Clan so scattered, one Royal Lord couldn’t look after all of them.
So, where did this sense of danger come from?
The sense of danger he felt during his last rampage in the No-Return Pass was due to Mo Na Ye hiding in the shadows. Based on his experience from last time, Yang Kai naturally guessed that… the Black Ink Clan had produced another Pseudo-Royal Lord!
Mo Na Ye believed that Yang Kai knew nothing about the situation at the No-Return Pass, but in reality, Yang Kai had been observing secretly to confirm his suspicions.
And Mo Na Ye’s response this time was undeniable evidence of this.
Regardless of whether it was Mo Na Ye when he was still an Innate Territory Lord in the past or the current Mo Na Ye as a Pseudo-Royal Lord, he would always address Yang Kai as ‘Sir Yang’, naturally showing respect to an elite fighter regardless of their hostile relationship.
But this time, Mo Na Ye addressed Yang Kai by his name directly, and his words carried a hidden threat, almost like he was daring Yang Kai to immediately cause trouble at the No-Return Pass. This was not Mo Na Ye’s usual behaviour.
Yang Kai, seeing this, knew that his suspicion was probably correct, there must be a new Pseudo-Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass, lying in ambush with the Royal Lord.
In the void, Yang Kai raised his brow and smiled, finding it quite interesting to engage in this battle of wits with Mo Na Ye. He thus quickly replied, “Just wait and see! This time, this King will not rest until he destroys 10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests!”
After transmitting the message, Yang Kai put away his communication bead and disappeared from sight.
In the distant void, Mo Na Ye also hurriedly put away his communication bead, raised his palm, and a surge of thick Black Ink Strength rushed out, quickly forming a vortex in his palm. Within the vortex, a very delicate and small Black Ink Nest appeared.
This was a Low-Rank Black Ink Nest, which was not yet mature.
Such a Black Ink Nest was not very useful to the Black Ink Clan, but it was perfect for transmitting messages.
Now, the Territory Lords who were searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts and escorting the supply teams almost all had such a miniature Black Ink Nest, just to facilitate rapid communication with each other.
By summoning this small Black Ink Nest, Mo Na Ye sent a message to the No-Return Pass, informing the Royal Lord about Yang Kai’s imminent arrival and telling them to prepare.
After doing so, Mo Na Ye also hurried towards the No-Return Pass, secretly praying for a swift victory.
If Yang Kai thought that there was only one Royal Lord guarding the No-Return Pass, he would surely make a mistake, and if the Royal Lord and Meng Que teamed up, they only needed to entangle him for 10 breaths so the Territory Lords could activate the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array. Once the Grand Array was formed, Yang Kai would be trapped like a cornered beast, without the ability to use Space Principle’s to flee, Yang Kai would only be a slightly stronger Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, incapable of facing all the elites of the Black Ink Clan.
[After years of entanglement, is it finally time to determine the winner and loser of our little game?] Mo Na Ye suddenly felt like he was dreaming.
However, he had only made it halfway back when he suddenly stopped and hastily summoned the miniature Black Ink Nest. As his Divine Sense poured it to investigate, his face turned pale in an instant.
The message from the Black Ink Nest was too bizarre to believe at first, but after verifying it a few times, he confirmed that he had indeed read it correctly.
Standing there, his expression fluctuated for a moment before he turned and flew in another direction.
Half a day later, he arrived in a spot in the void and appeared before four Territory Lords who had formed a Battle Formation.
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” The four Territory Lords were overjoyed to see him as if they had seen their saviour.
“What happened?” Mo Na Ye asked in a deep voice.
One of the four Territory Lords immediately recounted their encounter with Yang Kai, which was actually quite simple. They were escorting a supply team back to the No-Return Pass when Yang Kai suddenly appeared…
Over the years, they had encountered Yang Kai several times, but he had never attacked them directly; instead, he attacked the Black Ink Clansmen who were transporting materials, killing mostly low-rank soldiers. For the four Territory Lords, Yang Kai mainly used his Soul Secret Technique as a threat, forcing them to compromise and hand over the resources.
Under threat of imminent death, the Territory Lords had no choice but to comply. As a result, every time Yang Kai made a move, he was able to gain something.
But this time, Yang Kai not only slaughtered the Black Ink Clansmen transporting the materials, but also injured the four Territory Lords, one of whom was seriously wounded.
Mo Na Ye was not angry after listening to this, but rather pleasantly surprised, “He used his Soul Secret Technique?”
Yang Kai often used his Soul Secret Technique to intimidate Territory Lords, but he had never actually activated it before.
Mo Na Ye even suspected that Yang Kai was just bluffing this whole time.
Mo Na Ye had intended to prevent the Territory Lords from compromising at all costs, but he knew that even if he issued such an order, the Territory Lords would find it difficult to hold out in a life-or-death crisis.
Losing the materials was a small matter, but losing Territory Lords was a serious blow.
But if Yang Kai had used his Soul Secret Technique this time, it meant that he would enter a period of retreat and recuperation for the next 2 or 3 years. This would undoubtedly be his weakest time, and if they could find his whereabouts, the situation would be promising.
However, to Mo Na Ye’s surprise, the four Territory Lords looked embarrassed and shook their heads in unison. The speaking Territory Lord cried out, “He did not!”
Upon hearing that, Mo Na Ye’s joyous expression instantly disappeared, and he frowned, “If he didn’t use his Soul Secret Technique, how did he manage to injure all of you like this?”
The four Innate Territory Lords had formed the Four Symbols Formation, making it impossible for Yang Kai to pose a substantial threat to them without using his Soul Secret Technique. Although Yang Kai was strong, he was not yet strong enough to break this Formation forcibly. Even Mo Na Ye would have to work hard to injure the four Territory Lords who were united in this Formation.
The expressions of the four Territory Lords became even more embarrassed and they stammered, not knowing how to explain; however, Mo Na Ye had already figured it out at that point and asked with a stern face, “Did you break the Battle Formation yourselves?”
Only then could Yang Kai pick them off one by one.
The Territory Lord who spoke earlier shamefully admitted, “Yes! It’s just that maintaining the Four Symbols Formation consumes our mental strength, and although there was no problem in the short term, it’s been 10 years now… We find it difficult to maintain the Battle Formation at all times, so…”
In fact, it wasn’t just these four Territory Lords, other Territory Lords who had formed Four Symbols and Five Elements Formations also encountered similar problems. Maintaining the Battle Formation for a long time put a heavy burden on their minds, so sometimes they would break the Battle Formation to disconnect their auras and let themselves recover a little.
How could they have known that Yang Kai would take advantage of this opportunity to attack them? If they hadn’t been on alert and quickly formed the Battle Formation again after Yang Kai appeared, they might have suffered more than just injuries.
The Territory Lord cautiously peered at Mo Na Ye’s expression, thinking that he would be severely reprimanded for their failure; however, all Mo Na Ye did was sigh, “It was my carelessness.”
He thought that their operation against Yang Kai would not take too long, but he never expected that it would take 10 years and still not produce any results. If Yang Kai could injure four Territory Lords in just 10 years, what about another 10 or 100 years?
It was as the saying went, “One need not fear a thief who always steals, they should fear the thief who constantly thinks of stealing.”
When Mo Na Ye first heard this, he did not understand, but now he finally did.
[Yang Kai, that thief! You are truly my eternal nemesis!]
[That bastard even vowed to destroy 10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass, but all he did was go against his words and injure four Territory Lords. I was a fool to have believed anything he said.]
It appeared that Yang Kai had seen through the arrangements at the No-Return Pass, which was why he had never gone there but instead wreaked havoc out here in the void.
“Send a message to the other Squads and tell all Territory Lords to be careful. Yang Kai could strike at any time,” Mo Na Ye ordered, remembering the lesson from these four Territory Lords as he believed that Yang Kai would strike again.
Then, the four Territory Lords followed Mo Na Ye’s order and took out their miniature Black Ink Nests to spread the word.
To prevent Yang Kai from wheeling around and finishing the job, Mo Na Ye personally escorted these four injured Territory Lords back to the No-Return Pass. One of them was severely injured and even though he could barely manage to maintain the Battle Formation with the other three, they were still at risk of being targeted and defeated. For safety reasons, it was best for them to not expose themselves outside anymore.
Mo Na Ye’s compassion moved the four Territory Lords to tears of gratitude.
Only when they arrived at the No-Return Pass did they feel safe. Mo Na Ye then went to see the Royal Lord to share his suspicions.
When the Royal Lord heard that Yang Kai might have already seen through the trap set up at the No-Return Pass, his face grew dark and his anger was almost palpable. They had sacrificed a dozen Innate Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest to create Meng Que, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, all to lure Yang Kai to the No-Return Pass and eliminate him.
But if Yang Kai did not show up, all their plans would be in vain and Meng Que would be useless.
“Sir, the more time passes, the more detrimental it will become to the Black Ink Clan. There are no longer many supply squads that can return to the No-Return Pass. Besides, the Territory Lords are already exhausted from maintaining the Battle Formation for such a long time, and they may not be able to hold on much longer.” Mo Na Ye reported carefully while observing the Royal Lord’s reaction.
“Why!? Why can’t we deal with one Eighth-Order Human!?” The Royal Lord exclaimed in anger.
Mo Na Ye was speechless upon hearing this. If they had a way to deal with Yang Kai, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t be in such a difficult spot in the first place. This Human was not someone they could defeat with brute strength alone.
After some contemplation, Mo Na Ye said, “Sir Royal Lord, please be prepared. This time, our Black Ink Clan may really have to make sacrifices to quell the situation.”
The Royal Lord turned to him and glared, “Are you suggesting that we agree to his ridiculous demands?”
Mo Na Ye shook his head and replied, “It’s impossible to agree to his demands for 50%. Those resources were painstakingly extracted by our Black Ink Clan, while he did nothing but threaten us with despicable means. He is out of his mind if he thinks he can take half of all our hard-earned resources; however, if we give him too little, he may not agree either…”
The Royal Lord waved his hand impatiently, “It’s up to you to decide. Don’t bother me with this matter anymore.”
Just hearing Yang Kai’s name gave the Royal Lord a headache. How could a Human like him exist? He would rather fight Fu Guang, a real Divine Dragon, than hear Yang Kai’s name ringing in his ears again!
Then, Mo Na Ye nodded respectfully before withdrawing in embarrassment.
As a subordinate, he should not burden the Royal Lord, but instead, he felt the humiliation of being incapable of resolving the issue at hand.
However, there was no other solution to the current problem. Yang Kai had been causing trouble for the past 10 years, plundering 90% of their resources while holding the Territory Lords of the No-Return Pass in check. Even Mo Na Ye himself had been running around in circles all these years, with nothing to show for his efforts.
If this chaos continued, the Territory Lords would likely collapse from exhaustion, and once that happened, the losses that followed would far exceed a few measly resources.
After some contemplating, Mo Na Ye decided to contact Yang Kai using his communication bead to discuss the matter. However, before he could do so, he summoned his miniature Black Ink Nest and inspected a new message that was just sent to him. Letting out a sigh after seeing this message, he hurriedly rushed towards the depths of the void.
Another four Territory Lords who had formed a Battle Formation were ambushed and injured by Yang Kai, losing all their resources in the process.
When Mo Na Ye arrived at the scene, he realized that the situation was much worse than he had expected. The injuries to these four Territory Lords were not too serious as they had been on guard and immediately formed the Four Symbols Formation to protect themselves after the ambush.
However, after a more careful inspection, Mo Na Ye was startled to find that two of the Territory Lords had identical injuries, just a finger’s length left of their heart. This position was not a fatal wound for a Black Ink Clan Master, but it still made Mo Na Ye frown.
Was this intentional, or just a coincidence?
If it was unintentional, everything would be fine, but if Yang Kai had done this deliberately, it was a worrying issue.
If this was Yang Kai’s doing, it was undoubtedly a message that said he could kill one or both of these Territory Lords but chose to hold back to not escalate the situation further.
This was his way of showing both his sincerity and his determination.
Mo Na Ye couldn’t help a wry grin from appearing on his face. This guy came to the Black Ink Clan trying to take the lion’s share, plundering the Black Ink Clan’s resources, and yet he was still showing ‘sincerity’.
What was he trying to do, earn profit by being friendly? But the wealth he would be earning belonged to the Black Ink Clan.
“Sir Mo Na Ye,” a Territory Lord walked over and handed him an item with caution, “We found this after Yang Kai disappeared. It should be something he left behind on purpose.”
Mo Na Ye turned to look and recognized it as a Universe Chart from the Human Race, but why would Yang Kai leave such a thing here?
Mo Na Ye was puzzled, so he took the Universe Chart and immersed his Divine Sense to investigate it. After a moment, he let out a long sigh.
Yang Kai deliberately left this Universe Chart here for no other reason than to further threaten them.
When Mo Na Ye inspected the Universe Chart, he easily identified many locations that were highlighted. When he projected this onto the real Black Ink Battlefield, it was not difficult to see that all of the marked positions were staging points for the Black Ink Clan’s mining operations.
There were hundreds of these marked positions, which meant that Yang Kai had already found most of the locations where the Black Ink Clan was gathering resources. If he wanted to, he could just go to those places directly, wipe out the Black Ink Clan soldiers, and take all the resources for himself!
If that happened, the Black Ink Clan’s source of resources would be greatly reduced. It should be noted that there were no elites guarding those places. Faced with a killing star like Yang Kai, the low-rank clansmen could not resist at all.
[How did he manage to do all this and still raid so many of our convoys?]
Mo Na Ye couldn’t figure it out at all. Yang Kai had been plundering resource squads everywhere for the past 10 years, yet he somehow found the time to investigate these mining outposts where resources were being exploited as well. It had to be noted that each of these locations was no less than a few million kilometres away from each other, which would take a significant time to travel between.
Mo Na Ye could only sigh and think that Space Secret Techniques were truly unparalleled when it came to mobility. The distances that seemed far away to others were nothing to Yang Kai. This was what allowed him to gather so much information in a mere 10 years.
The markings on this Universe Chart were like the wounds on the two Territory Lords, both a threat and a sincere gesture…
Mo Na Ye understood everything and became crestfallen.
Even if he had achieved the status of Pseudo-Royal Lord, he was still defeated by Yang Kai in this confrontation. Both he and the Black Ink Clan were defeated. Yang Kai alone had disrupted the Black Ink Clan’s entire operation on the Black Ink Battlefield despite them going all out to stop him. In fact, for the past 10 years, they hadn’t so much as wounded Yang Kai, and now, after all that, they still had to compromise!
“Let all the Territory Lords return to the No-Return Pass,” Mo Na Ye said, feeling dejected.
The four Territory Lords were surprised as one of them asked, “Sir, what about Yang Kai?”
“I’ll talk it out with him.”
The Territory Lords exchanged glances upon hearing this and understood what Mo Na Ye meant. Although they were relieved that they no longer had to be on edge every day, each Territory Lord’s heart was still shrouded in thick humiliation.
Soon after, the Territory Lords departed.
Mo Na Ye stood in the void, took out the communication bead, and played with it in his hand as if he was pondering something.
A moment later, he suddenly turned his head and saw a figure standing nearby while looking at him with a smile and cupping his fist in greeting, “Sir Mo Na Ye!”
Mo Na Ye’s face twitched. [This bastard is truly daring! He’s actually been hiding nearby all this time and even dared to appear in front of me like this!]
He couldn’t help but have the immediate urge to attack, but this thought was like a wave in the storm that quickly dissipated.
There was no way Mo Na Ye could kill Yang Kai here, and if he tried, it would only worsen his position.
“Sir Yang, your skills are truly impressive!” Mo Na Ye saluted him, unsure whether he was being sarcastic or sincere.
Yang Kai shrugged it off while smiling, “From the looks of it, you have made a decision, yes?”
Mo Na Ye lowered his brow and muttered, “The matter of resources has been fully entrusted to me by Sir Royal Lord.”
“Very good,” Yang Kai smiled and declared, “My proposal from last time is still valid.”
Mo Na Ye immediately shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum, “Sir Yang…” He paused, then continued, “We’ve known each other for many years now, and as you Humans say, you don’t truly know someone until you’ve fought them. Although we’re on different sides, I admire you greatly and calling you Sir seems a bit formal. How about I call you Brother Yang?”
“What should I call you then? Brother Mo? Those from the Black Ink Clan don’t have surnames, right?”
Mo Na Ye said solemnly, “Only the Royal Lord has the qualification to use Mo as a surname. For example, our current King is Mo Yu. Those beneath the Royal Lord may use their own names and surnames. Brother Yang can just call me by my name.”
(Note: The Mo in Mo Yu and the Mo in Mo Na Ye are different… I know, confusing. Just ignore it, it’s irrelevant.)
Yang Kai nodded lightly as he felt like he had heard a piece of news of some importance.
The Human Race had never figured out the name or surname of the Royal Lord and didn’t know how to address him. Fortunately, there was only one true Royal Lord in the Black Ink Clan right now, so they always addressed him as ‘the Royal Lord’. Unexpectedly, Yang Kai learned this bit of information from Mo Na Ye today, though it wasn’t of much use.
Mo Na Ye continued, “Brother Yang, 50% is impossible. All the resources are extracted by my Black Ink Clan and transported by us. You haven’t put in any effort yet you want to take away half? Aren’t you being a bit too greedy?”
Yang Kai grinned, the corners of his mouth almost reaching his ears, “There’s an old saying among us Humans, ‘A big mouth can swallow up the world!’”
Saying so, he even pointed at his face, as if to say ‘Look at how big my mouth is’!
Mo Na Ye rubbed his temple, looking a bit headache-ridden, “Brother Yang, I am sincerely discussing this matter with you today. Please don’t joke around.”
Yang Kai spat disdainfully and also adjusted his expression as he said, “In that case, I want to know how much the Black Ink Clan can offer.”
Mo Na Ye held up a finger, but then curved it and calmly said, “5%!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but laugh, “Mo Na Ye, you would make an excellent salesman. If it’s only 5% why bother discussing the matter at all? I might as well rob your Black Ink Clan’s supply teams and take 90%. Wouldn’t that be simpler?”
Mo Na Ye shook his head and said, “Brother Yang, why play dumb? Although you have been able to take away 90% of our resources over the past decade, that’s only because we haven’t changed our resource exploitation strategy. But if this continues, we will likely completely give up on the Black Ink Battlefield resource extraction. What will you gain then?”
If this were to happen, it would be a disastrous outcome for both sides. The Black Ink Clan would stop extracting resources from the Black Ink Battlefield, and Yang Kai would naturally not be able to plunder anything.
However, such a situation was impossible…
The resources from the Black Ink Battlefield were indispensable to the Black Ink Clan. They needed these resources to maintain their military advantage and to provide for those within the clan, especially the Acquired Territory Lords. If the supply of resources from the Black Ink Battlefield was cut off, there might not be an immediate impact, but over time, the Black Ink Clan’s overall strength would inevitably decline significantly. This was not something that the Black Ink Clan would be willing to accept.
On the other hand, the Human Race would not be affected in the slightest. It was just that Yang Kai would be restricted from acting. However, now that he was unencumbered, being restricted was not a big deal.
Yang Kai was well aware of this, so he remained unmoved.
As Mo Na Ye realised he couldn’t convince Yang Kai, he sighed and put down his raised finger, “Good, Brother Yang, you can have 10% of our clan’s resources. That should be enough, right?”
“10% is not small indeed,” Yang Kai replied, “But it’s still not enough!”
Mo Na Ye frowned, “Brother Yang, how much do you want? Please be straightforward.”
“I’ll compromise. I won’t ask for 50%, and you won’t offer 10%. Let’s settle on 40%.”
“20%!” Mo Na Ye immediately counter offered.
After some thought, Yang Kai gestured with his hand, “30%! Mo Na Ye, there’s no need to haggle further. 30% is my bottom line. If the Black Ink Clan can’t agree, then there’s no need to continue this conversation.”
Mo Na Ye felt angry at Yang Kai’s domineering approach, wondering if he was there to rob them or just looking for trouble. There was no space for negotiation if he had to put it that way.
However, Yang Kai continued, “All resources gathered from outside should be handed over by the Black Ink Clan. Every 10 years… No, every 5 years, the Black Ink Clan will allocate 30% of everything that they’ve gathered from the Black Ink Battlefield and hand it over to me at the No-Return Pass. If you agree, I won’t obstruct the Black Ink Clan’s resource-gathering operations in the future.”
Mo Na Ye raised his brow at this proposal. If this was the deal, then there would still be room for manoeuvring.
Frankly speaking, the amount and quality of resources returned by each mining team was different, and if they were not carefully inspected, no one would know exactly what was in the shipment. Yang Kai said he wanted 30%, but he couldn’t check all the resources gathered by each squad. Besides, the Black Ink Clan would also not allow him to do so.
Even if they gave him 20% or less, he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Of course, if it was too little, Yang Kai would naturally raise objections.
So, when he said he wanted 30%, it was just a euphemism as he probably predicted such skimming would happen in the future.
After a brief pause, Mo Na Ye nodded and said, “If that’s the case, I can agree to Brother Yang’s request.”
“I have another condition!” Yang Kai said.
Mo Na Ye thought to himself that things were never that simple. After dealing with Yang Kai for such a long time, he knew he wasn’t a person to settle for less.
“Please speak, Brother Yang.” Mo Na Ye gestured.
Yang Kai looked past him in the direction of the No-Return Pass and stated firmly, “I don’t want to see any Pseudo-Royal Lords on any of the Great Territory Battlefields!”
[He really guessed it!]
Mo Na Ye was secretly shocked. Meng Que had become a Pseudo-Royal Lord some 10 years ago, but he remained hidden since then. The Royal Lord had originally planned to let Mo Na Ye appear outside to lure Yang Kai into attacking the No-Return Pass; however, Yang Kai had not once done so, as if he had been wary of the trap there.
Mo Na Ye suspected that Yang Kai had figured everything out, but he had no way to verify this. Now, after hearing Yang Kai’s words, he knew that his suspicions were correct.
In addition, Mo Na Ye had planned to let Meng Que continue to lurk after this matter was resolved, working with the Royal Lord to guard the No-Return Pass. This way, Mo Na Ye could leave for the front lines, and the addition of a Pseudo-Royal Lord would be enough to shift the tide on the battlefield.
However, before he could implement this plan, Yang Kai stopped it with just a few simple words.
This should not have been something that could be agreed to easily, but Mo Na Ye did not hesitate at all and said with a smile, “Rest assured, Brother Yang. I have been stationed at the No-Return Pass for many years. Sir Royal Lord has put me in charge of all battlefield affairs. I do not have the spare time or capacity to head to the frontlines.”
The implication here was that there was only one Pseudo-Royal Lord in the Black Ink Clan, which was not the case.
Yang Kai didn’t point this out, nor did he have any thoughts of verifying it. The sense of crisis he had felt during the few times he approached the No-Return Pass over the past 10 years was enough to convince him that the Black Ink Clan had another Pseudo-Royal Lord besides Mo Na Ye.
“In that case, is this matter settled?” Yang Kai asked while smiling.
After some thought, Mo Na Ye replied, “Yes, it is.”
In response, Yang Kai laughed and casually grabbed something from the void and threw it towards Mo Na Ye. Mo Na Ye looked wary, but Yang Kai responded, “I said last time that I would buy you a drink when I come to the No-Return Pass again. This bottle of wine will serve as an appreciation gift for our cooperation.”
Mo Na Ye reached out and caught the bottle, only to find that it was not an artifact or a Secret Technique, just a simple container.
At the same time, Space Principles fluctuated, and Yang Kai had already disappeared without a trace when Mo Na Ye looked up. Although he was constantly monitoring Yang Kai’s movements, he could only vaguely sense the direction in which he left. The exact location was impossible to determine unless he actively chased after him.
This secretly shocked Mo Na Ye. [This bastard’s mastery over the Dao of Space is becoming more and more mysterious. If this continues, who among the Black Ink Clan will ever be able to restrain him?]
Yang Kai’s voice then resounded in his ears, “Today marks the beginning. I will notify you of the location for the exchange of resources in five years. In addition, I have received a lot of resources from your side over the past 10 years and know exactly how much your clan can collect. When it’s time to make the delivery, you better not go too far, or I will find a way to make up the difference myself!”
Mo Na Ye narrowed his eyes and shattered the wine bottle in his hand, causing it to splash out across the void. With a cold snort, he turned and flew towards the No-Return Pass.
Although the Royal Lord had entrusted him with this matter, he still needed to report what had transpired.
The Royal Lord would definitely be furious, but at this point, if the Black Ink Clan wanted to continue to obtain resources from the Black Ink Battlefield, they could only let Yang Kai take advantage of them.
In addition, Mo Na Ye had to put his own plan to head to the battlefield on hold for now. As for Meng Que… he would just continue to stay hidden, and perhaps one day he could play a role.
After dealing with the Black Ink Clan’s affairs, Yang Kai fell silent. The Black Ink Clan knew he was hiding somewhere outside the No-Return Pass, but they had no way of knowing his precise location. Fortunately, he did not appear again to plunder the squads transporting resources, which gave the ordinary soldiers of the Black Ink Clan some peace of mind.
In the depths of the void, Yang Kai concealed his aura and hid his figure.
This battle of wits with Mo Na Ye had ended with his victory. His only regret was that he did not kill a few Territory Lords. In fact, he had the opportunity to kill some of them, but he refrained from doing so as that would only completely enrage the Black Ink Clan and be detrimental to his future plans.
Setting a five-year period was also because there would be too many variables if the timeframe was too long; however, if he contacted the Black Ink Clan too frequently, it would also pose a certain risk to him. If possible, Yang Kai wanted to take inventory of every shipment of resources from each Black Ink Clan mining team that returned to the No-Return Pass and take 30% directly from them, but if he really did that, it would only give the Black Ink Clan many chances to set up their Heaven Sealing Earth Locking’s Grand Array
The reason why he could act arrogantly in front of the many Territory Lords and treat Mo Na Ye, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, as an equal today was because of his mastery of the Dao of Space.
But if he lost this reliance, Yang Kai would only be a slightly stronger Eighth-Order Master.
The Grand Array that could isolate space was his ultimate nemesis, so how could he give the Black Ink Clan so many chances to set it up?
In the desolate and undisturbed void, Yang Kai restrained his mind and silently contemplated the Grand Dao of Space within his body as he allowed time to pass.
When it was time to receive the resources five years later, he sent a message to Mo Na Ye, giving him a random location and then waited silently.
Within half a day, an aura rapidly approached.
Yang Kai turned his head to look only to realise that it was not Mo Na Ye, but rather a Feudal Lord who arrived.
At a distance, the Feudal Lord stopped, shaking in fear as he gazed at Yang Kai.
It was as if the one standing in front of him was not a Human, but an ominous beast that could strike and devour him at any moment.
This couldn’t be helped, as Yang Kai’s name was too intimidating among the Black Ink Clan. Dozens of Innate Territory Lords had already died at his hands, so how could this Feudal Lord dare to face this killing star head-on?
The Feudal Lord cupped his fist and his voice trembled as he said, “I-I am here on behalf of S-Sir Mo Na Ye, t-to deliver the resources to S-S-Sir. P-Please accept them!”
Saying so, he threw out a Space Ring.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and grabbed the Space Ring, pouring his Divine Sense into it to inspect the contents.
There were quite a few supplies, but according to Yang Kai’s estimation, it should be less than the 30% which was agreed upon. It was certain that they had withheld some as the Black Ink Clan would not be so obedient to hand over the full 30% of resources as agreed upon.
However, the amount withheld was not excessive, there was still probably around 25%, so Yang Kai pretended not to notice as he had already anticipated this would happen.
After waiting for a moment and seeing that Yang Kai had no further reaction, the Feudal Lord hurriedly said, “I-If there are no p-problems, I shall report back now.”
After stumbling over his words, he immediately turned around to flee, not wanting to stay here a moment longer.