In the midst of the jungle ambush that was aimed at Zuo Wu You himself, Yang Kai just so happened to be at the right place at the right time.
No one could have predicted that at that critical moment, the arrival of the Spirit Religion Holy Son, guided by fate, would cause all the undercurrents to erupt in an instant.
Upon reflection, Yang Kai realised that Zuo Wu You had indeed shouted to the attackers, “Aren’t you here for me?”
“Regardless, I still have to thank you,” Yang Kai said.
Zuo Wu You shook his head, “Holy Son, it’s nothing; however, we shouldn’t stay here for long. We need to leave as soon as possible.”
Although he had killed quite a number of enemies, he was ultimately alone and unable to completely wipe them out. Before the news of the appearance of the ‘Holy Son’ was spread, they had already taken Zuo Wu You seriously, but it was not to the point where they had to eliminate him at all costs. However, if news of the Holy Son’s appearance got out, it would surely lead to an all-out attack.
“But Brother Zuo, your injury…” The thin young man looked at Zuo Wu You with concern.
“It’s nothing serious. Escort the Holy Son…” Before Zuo Wu You could even finish his sentence, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his aura wilting to the extreme, and his face turning an ashen white.
“Big Brother Zuo!” The two young men exclaimed, rushing to support Zuo Wu You, who was now swaying on his feet.
Yang Kai looked at him and said, “It looks like we’ll have to hide here for a while.”
Zuo Wu You’s face was filled with bitterness as he nodded, “Please wait half a day for me, Holy Son.”
Yang Kai did not respond.
Zuo Wu You needed urgent treatment. The battle just now had taken a huge toll on him, but he forcibly suppressed his injuries out of concern for the Holy Son’s safety and the future of the Spirit Religion. Now that the backlash had acted up though, he was unable to move for a while.
Zuo Wu You quickly settled down and closed his eyes to meditate and heal.
The two young men who had brought Yang Kai here stood guard by his side, while Yang Kai himself seemed to have nothing to do.
Currently, he still had very little information at his disposal, but one thing was certain, this independent World was still inside Mu’s Space-Time River. When the waves of the Space-Time River crashed down on him, Yang Kai did not dodge, resulting in him being dragged into this place and fulfilling an unknown prophecy of some Spirit Religion Saintess who lived in this place.
The current situation required Yang Kai to see the Saintess if he wanted to know more.
Although he had some guesses in mind, he couldn’t confirm them until he met her; however, there were still some minor troubles to solve before that.
The hideout fell silent after that.
About four hours later, a commotion suddenly broke out. Zuo Wu You, who was meditating to heal, suddenly opened his eyes with a look of disbelief and exclaimed, “Impossible!”
As soon as the words fell, a tremor shook the ground, as if someone outside was using powerful means to attack the mountain wall where the secret chamber was located.
“Big Brother Zuo!” Cried the thin young man, “Our location has been exposed, and those guys have come after us!”
Upon hearing that, Zuo Wu You’s expression darkened.
This secret chamber was one of the Spirit Religion’s footholds outside, and when he returned earlier, he had carefully investigated the surroundings to ensure that he wasn’t being followed, so how did the enemy find them?
If he hadn’t been certain that this foothold was safe enough, he wouldn’t have stayed here to heal his injuries.
But in fact, the enemy had already found them.
“Hurry, activate the Array!” Zuo Wu You shouted.
Another young man immediately took out a control jade, infused it with power, and shielded the hideout.
The attacks became more ferocious, and the commotion grew much louder.
“Zuo Wu You, this King knows you’re in there! Hand over your Holy Son, and this King will spare your life!”
Zuo Wu You paled upon hearing the voice, “Yan Peng! That old dog really came here in person!”
He, who remained calm when he was being besieged in the jungle previously, panicked now, clearly facing a formidable foe at the moment. It was obvious that this ‘Yan Peng’ was not someone to be trifled with.
After waiting for half a moment without a response, Yan Peng outside coldly snorted, “Since you refuse a toast, you must drink a forfeit! Don’t blame this King for being ruthless!”
As he finished speaking, the violent attacks resumed, causing the entire secret chamber to shake violently.
The young man holding the control jade and stimulating the protective Array stumbled as well, nervously saying, “Big Brother Zuo, the Array can’t hold on for much longer.”
With that, Zuo Wu You immediately stood up and drew his sword before taking a deep breath and declaring, “Zheng Hai, Liu Ji, I’ll clear a path for you. Bring the Holy Son and run.”
“Big Brother Zuo, we can’t escape,” said the thin youth, Zheng Hai, full of sorrow and indignation, “We should fight together!”
Zuo Wu You’s eyes flickered with a hint of sadness. He knew very well that they couldn’t escape, but after so many years of persistence, how could he give up now that he had finally seen a glimmer of hope? He gritted his teeth and said, “Listen up, you two. No matter what happens, you must protect the Holy Son and bring him back safely. Don’t give up until the very end!”
*Hong Hong Hong…*
As rocks crumbled and fell, it was clear that this secret chamber couldn’t hold much longer.
Zuo Wu You held his sword up, his expression was resolute and determined.
Liu Ji continued to wield the power of the jade while Zheng Hai stood ready with all his strength, preparing to unleash his strongest move. Suddenly, Zheng Hai punched Liu Ji in the back and, at the same time, the hidden dagger in his other hand struck at Yang Kai’s vital point.
“What?”
“What?”
Two exclamations sounded almost simultaneously.
The situation in the secret chamber became confusing and chaotic.
Liu Ji, who was hit by the punch, spat out fresh blood and fell to the side. Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but turn his head in disbelief. He never expected to have a traitor on his side, especially one who would turn on them at such a critical moment.
Finally, he understood why their position had been exposed. The enemy had hidden Zheng Hai, a traitor, deep within the Spirit Religion for years without ever using him. Now that it involved the existence of the Holy Son though, it was time to activate this agent.
What surprised Zuo Wu You even more was what happened when Zheng Hai attacked Yang Kai.
He timed his attack perfectly, just as the Spirit Array was about to collapse and when everyone was highly focused due to the tension. Liu Ji was already injured by him and Yang Kai, standing not far from him without any defences, should have been directly killed by him.
However, when his dagger was about to reach Yang Kai, it was caught between two fingers that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Throughout the entire process, the Holy Son didn’t even turn his head, yet he seemed to have eyes on the back of his head.
*Hong…*
With no one to maintain the Array, it collapsed, and the secret chamber hidden in the mountain was completely exposed. Figures outside could be seen, and one of them, a white-haired old man with a ruddy complexion, stood with his hands behind his back while raising a gust of wind to clear away the dust to make the confusing situation clearer.
After scanning the scene, the white-haired old man snorted coldly.
Zuo Wu You’s roar resounded, “Zheng Hai!”
With a flick of the sword in his hand, he turned and thrust towards Zheng Hai, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins and anger and his face twisted in a grimace of disappointment for his former comrade.
“Silence!” Yan Peng, the white-haired old man, waved his sleeves and sent Zuo Wu You flying through the air, smashing into the ground several paces away.
Already heavily injured and weakened, the impact of the throw left him nearly unconscious, with no strength left even to move a finger.
Desperately looking towards Yang Kai, he expected to see the Holy Son’s tragic state, but what he saw left him stunned instead…
Zheng Hai held a dagger close to the Holy Son’s waist, with a posture of attempting a sneak attack, but the Holy Son quickly countered by catching the dagger with two fingers and holding it in place.
Right now, Zheng Hai was struggling to pull the dagger out, but those two fingers were as steady as a rock, making his efforts futile.
[What is happening?] Zuo Wu You couldn’t make sense of it. From the looks of it, the Holy Son seemed to have anticipated this sneak attack.
While he was wondering how the Holy Son could have been prepared for this, the latter spoke up, “There really was an issue with you.”
Saying so, he turned to look at Zheng Hai behind him.
Perhaps feeling guilty, or perhaps intimidated by Yang Kai’s strength, Zheng Hai tried to put on a tough act and asked, “How did you figure it out?”
“During our ‘escape’, you were clearly leaving some things behind in secret. I thought they were meant to guide Zuo Wu You, but then I thought, if Zuo Wu You already knew about these places, who else could you be guiding?” The Holy Son replied.
“How is that possible? You noticed what I did on the way here?” Zheng Hai couldn’t believe it. He had been very careful, and even Liu Ji hadn’t noticed anything.
Yang Kai chuckled lightly without answering, instead, he looked down at Zheng Hai’s hand and said, “You’re still a bit weak compared to me.”
This whole time, Zheng Hai had been trying to retrieve his dagger, but he couldn’t overpower Holy Son’s grip. Upon hearing this, he immediately released the dagger and stepped back.
However, as soon as he regained his footing, his face became filled with horror as the Holy Son appeared to use some mysterious movement skill, clinging to him like maggots on rotting bones.
Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, and all his strength rapidly drained from his body.
Yang Kai turned his head towards Zuo Wu You, who lay helpless on the ground and asked, “It doesn’t matter if we kill this traitor, does it?”
Zuo Wu You was dumbfounded by the series of events, but upon hearing this, he laughed heartily, “He’s just a beast. His death isn’t worth pitying!”
Amidst the hearty laughter, he was suddenly seized with a coughing fit that aggravated his injury.
Yang Kai nodded slightly and reached out to lightly tap Zheng Hai’s forehead, who then stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, gazing down at his chest.
A dagger was somehow thrust into his heart, the very same one he had used to ambush the Holy Son from before.
“Impossible…” Zheng Hai’s pupils contracted as he murmured to himself, “How is that possible that I’m… dying… here….”
His head tilted and he lost his aura.
Only then did Yang Kai turn to look at Yan Peng, who was observing him with a scrutinising gaze, looking somewhat surprised.
Yang Kai said, “Old man, aren’t you angry?”
“Angry about what?” He asked in confusion.
“I just killed one of your subordinates,” Yang Kai pointed to Zheng Hai, who lay dead next to them.
Yan Peng burst into laughter, “I have thousands of subordinates. If I were to get mad every time one dies, I’d have died from anger by now.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before nodding, “That makes sense!”
Yan Peng scrutinised Yang Kai and asked, “Are you the legendary Holy Son?”
“I’m not sure,” Yang Kai replied as he agilely manoeuvred through the rubble, quickly arriving before Zuo Wu You and looking down at him.
Zuo Wu You’s lips moved, and he appeared to be mouthing the word ‘run.’
Flashing a smile, Yang Kai reached out to grab the long sword in his hand, “Let me borrow this.”
Yan Peng didn’t stop him, but curiously asked, “What are you going to do?”
Yang Kai paid him no attention as he examined the sword in his hand. On their escape route, Zheng Hai mentioned that this sword was a Divine Weapon bestowed upon the Saintess, but in Yang Kai’s eyes, it was an ordinary weapon that didn’t even qualify to be called a proper artifact. This wasn’t surprising though as this was a World with a relatively low Martial Dao, so there were no truly powerful artifacts.
“I just asked what you were doing!” Yan Peng was starting to get annoyed by Yang Kai’s dismissive attitude.
Yang Kai flicked the sword with his finger to hear its clear and melodious cry. Only then did he turn his head to look at Yan Peng and smiled, “I’m getting ready to fight. With so many of you, I obviously need to find a suitable weapon.”
They were already surrounded by enemies in all directions. It was evident that Yan Peng took this matter seriously since he had brought over 30 people with him.
Yan Peng narrowed his eyes, “We don’t necessarily have to fight.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrow, “Are you willing to let us go?”
“You can’t go, but they can.”
“Because I’m the Holy Son?”
“Yes. The prophecy of the Light Spirit Religion has been circulating for many years. Everyone thinks it’s an unrealistic fantasy. Whether you are the real Holy Son or not, you still have to come with me. Rest assured, our Master may not necessarily take your life. Who knows, you might even benefit from this misfortune.”
Yang Kai looked at him curiously and asked, “If I’m not mistaken, you should be in the Immortal Ascension Boundary, right? An elite like you actually has a Master?”
Upon hearing that, Yan Peng’s eyes were suddenly filled with fanaticism, “Of course, the divine might of our Master is not something that you ordinary mortals can imagine. I am not even one-tenth of his greatness!”
Watching the fervent expression on Yan Peng’s face, Yang Kai suddenly felt a sense of familiarity…
Yang Kai still wanted to say more, but Yan Peng had already lost his patience. The fanaticism in his eyes subsided, replaced by coldness and cruelty, “Boy, you better come with me obediently to avoid suffering!”
“That’s not going to happen,” Yang Kai shook his head like a rattle drum, “I’m curious about that prophecy, so I intend to meet their Saintess and ask about it.”
Yan Peng coldly snorted, “Foolish obstinance!”
With a wave of his hand, he shouted, “Take him down!”
Yang Kai lifted the sword up as he muttered, “It’s a pity it’s not a spear, but oh well, it’s all the same!”
With those words, he flicked his wrist, and blood spurted forth as one of the Masters who charged towards him was inexplicably pierced, clutching his throat while he stumbled backwards.
Yang Kai thrust his sword again, and another person was killed with one swift blow.
Masters came from all directions, but Yang Kai moved like a graceful butterfly amid their dense attacks.
Within just a few breaths, the ground was covered with corpses, and more than half of Yan Peng’s men were dead.
The remaining people were filled with horror and no longer dared to approach.
Zuo Wu You, who had collapsed on a pile of rubble, stared straight ahead, momentarily forgetting to breathe. On the other side, Liu Ji also widened his eyes and almost thought that he was dreaming.
Yan Peng was equally astonished and asked, “What kind of Sword Secret Technique is this?”
Under his observation, this Holy Son of the Light Spirit Religion did not even use any kind of great force. The sword in his hand seemed to have a mind of its own, piercing with precision every time and always hitting its target.
After just a dozen or so strikes, half of his men were already dead.
However, the sword remained unsullied by blood!
“Sword Secret Technique?” Yang Kai shook his sword and said, “No, no, no, this is not a Secret Technique.”
“Not a Secret Technique? Then what is it?”
“It’s just an application of the Sword Dao.”
Although Yang Kai mainly cultivated the Dao of Space, Time, and Spear, he had delved into the Sword Dao before. In his earlier years, when he wasn’t powerful enough, he roamed around with only a sword; however, since the war in the Star Boundary, after receiving the Azure Dragon Spear from Ah Da, he had switched to Spear Dao.
Now, with the gains he had obtained from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and Infinite River, compared to ordinary Masters, Yang Kai was still much stronger, despite his Mastery over the Sword Dao being lower than the three Grand Daos he primarily cultivated.
In Yang Kai’s Small Universe, many people benefited from his unusual accumulation and embarked on the Sword Dao, making it among the most popular Grand Daos in the entire Void World. Although his power was severely suppressed in this independent World, which made it difficult to use his Dao Strengths, his Mastery of the Sword Dao remained. With just a flick of his wrist, he could perform an extremely exquisite move with any kind of sword.
Yan Peng and Zuo Wu You found this all hard to comprehend.
“Now, who wants to die next?” Yang Kai looked around at the Masters who were now at a loss.
No one dared to step forward!
“A mere True Element Boundary Junior dares to act insolent in front of this Old Master? Even if your Sword Secret Techniques are exquisite, you are not my match!” Yan Peng bellowed with rage as his Divine Sense surged, sending his Spiritual Energy charging towards Yang Kai.
Zuo Wu You’s expression changed drastically as he shouted, “Holy Son, be careful!”
While the Holy Son’s Sword Secret Techniques were truly transcendent, his cultivation realm was still a fatal weakness! There was an insurmountable gap between the True Element Boundary and the Immortal Ascension Boundary – one’s Divine Sense and Knowledge Sea. The latter had given birth to a Divine Sense and opened their Knowledge Sea, but the former had not.
Therefore, an Immortal Ascension Masters who wanted to make a move against a True Element cultivator were basically unstoppable, unless they wore some artifact that protected their Soul!
After Yan Peng witnessed Yang Kai’s skills and realized he could not understand his Sword Secret Techniques, he understood that if he wanted to take him down, he could only use Soul Secret Techniques.
In an instant, Yan Peng’s Spiritual Energy rushed into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and manifested as a Soul Avatar.
He stood proudly above the ocean, his arrogance and disdain quickly turning to shock and doubt.
[This is a Knowledge Sea!]
How could a True Element Boundary cultivator have a Knowledge Sea? Moreover, the vast power hidden within this Knowledge Sea was beyond his ability to comprehend. The Soul of the Immortal Ascension Master was like a firefly under the bright moonlight in front of such power!
[What was going on?]
The prophecy predicting the Holy Son’s existence did not seem to be unfounded. Putting aside his bizarre Sword Secret Techniques, this vast and boundless Knowledge Sea was even more astonishing.
Yan Peng quickly discovered a seven-colour island, which stood out among the vast and misty multicoloured lights of the Knowledge Sea.
Yan Peng could feel his Soul Avatar trembling just from looking at it!
He instinctively knew that the seven-coloured island was an incredible treasure. Just being bathed by the seven-coloured glow gave his Soul Avatar an extremely pleasant feeling.
[I must obtain this seven-coloured island!]
With greed in his heart, Yan Peng flew towards the island and landed on it easily as there was no hindrance on the way. In an instant, Yan Peng felt an indescribable surge of power nourishing his Soul, giving him a feeling of returning to the womb. He wished he could stay here forever.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone so weak.”
Yan Peng was startled.
[Someone’s here?]
He spun around to see a young man standing beside a leopard that had lightning dancing around it.
[Was it the leopard who spoke earlier?]
The young man commented, “We all start weak and work our way up through cultivation.”
The leopard just sneered, “This old man’s aptitude is so poor that even if he were placed in the wider World, he would only be able to reach the First Order at best.”
“Fair enough. In any case, let’s get this over with.”
“What do you think, Second Brother?”
“Hm, instead of just killing him, we should probably try to gather some more information.”
“Good, then you do it. I’m not good at delicate work so I’m afraid I might kill him by accident.”
“En,” the young man nodded and turned to Yan Peng, smiling, “Old man, if you don’t want to suffer, you’d better tell us everything you know. The Heavens reward those who are kind, so I might spare you if you cooperate.”
Yan Peng’s expression turned grave.
…
Meanwhile, amidst the rubble, Zuo Wu You yelled out in worry, but in the next instant, the Holy Son’s sword flickered again as he began killing all the enemies who surrounded them.
Blood splattered, and screams filled the air.
No one expected that after Yan Peng attacked, Yang Kai could still fight. Normally, at this point, Yang Kai’s Soul should have been crushed by Yan Peng, leaving him either dead or severely limited. But in reality, Yang Kai remained unfazed.
A moment of carelessness resulted in even greater casualties.
It wasn’t until only a few people were left alive that they realised what was happening.
“Kill him!”
“Kill him now!”
The few people exclaimed in shock as a layer of faint mist suddenly filled their bodies. As the mist spread, their strength noticeably improved.
Yang Kai, who was in the midst of wielding his sword and killing, suddenly raised his brow, revealing a look of astonishment.
The sword in his hand continued to deliver death, and within moments, only the last Master remained gasping for breath while the rest lay dead on the ground.
By the time Yang Kai cut the tendons in the last Master’s shoulders with his sword and captured him with one hand, the several dozen people brought by Yan Peng were already all dead.
“Be careful, Holy Son, don’t touch that mist!” Zuo Wu You’s worried voice rang out once again.
Yang Kai, however, seemed not to have heard him. He continued to pressure the Master he had captured, forcing him to activate the power of the mist.
After a while, Yang Kai finally stopped, and the captive Master’s aura extinguished at the same time.
Standing in place, Yang Kai showed a pensive expression.
[That mist… was Black Ink Strength. Though incredibly faint and weak, unlike those outside, it was still undoubtedly Black Ink Strength.]
Recalling Yan Peng’s previously fanatical expression, Yang Kai suddenly realised why it seemed familiar.
“Do all of these people possess this power?” Yang Kai turned to Zuo Wu You and asked.
Zuo Wu You replied, “Those in the Black Ink Cult all possess it. It’s called Black Ink Strength.”
Yang Kai nodded, finally obtaining a few answers after experiencing this series of inexplicable events.
In this world, Black Ink Strength existed, as did the Black Ink Cult, an opposing force to the Light Spirit Religion.
“Holy Son, Black Ink Strength is highly corruptive and can warp a Human’s nature. Please check whether you have been affected!” Zuo Wu You anxiously warned.
Yang Kai merely shrugged. Even Black Ink Strength wielded by a Royal Lord couldn’t harm him, let alone the extremely diluted power possessed by someone from the Black Ink Cult.
Although his Small Universe was currently suppressed and sealed, making it impossible for him to use his World Force, the World Tree clone was still there. Moreover, with the protection of the Soul Warming Lotus, he was essentially immune to the effects of Black Ink Strength.
Still, it was a thoughtful warning, so Yang Kai went through the motions of checking himself before saying, “It’s fine. This Black Ink Strength seems to have no effect on me.”
Upon hearing that, Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji breathe a sigh of relief.
Their attention then turned to Yan Peng, who stood motionless to the side. Ever since this Immortal Ascension Boundary Master had used his Soul Avatar earlier, he became frozen in place, and even the death of a large number of his subordinates aroused no reaction from him, as if he had lost his Soul.
It made Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji puzzled.
“Holy Son, what’s happening to Yan Peng?” Zuo Wu You asked, uncertain but with a suspicion forming in his mind.
“His Soul has been shattered. He’s basically a living corpse now,” Yang Kai explained.
Zuo Wu You was shocked, “Holy Son, do you possess one of those Special Constitutions that are immune to all evil?”
The fact that Yan Peng’s Soul shattered as a result of his using his Soul Avatar against Yang Kai, coupled with his resistance to Black Ink Strength, left Zuo Wu You at a loss for words with no explanation of what just happened.
“Something like that,” as Yang Kai was thinking about how to explain it, Zuo Wu You was thoughtful enough to come up with an explanation for him.
Seeing him admit to it, Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji exchanged a glance, both thrilled beyond measure.
The Holy Son was impervious to all evil, born to counteract the means of the Black Ink Cult. He was truly the future hope of the Spirit Religion; the Saintess’ prophecy was right on the mark!
Furthermore, his strength was unfathomable. He didn’t even need to use much power in his previous killing spree, only employing the most basic Sword Secret Techniques. Yet, the Black Ink Cult Masters were unable to block even a single strike.
At this moment, the gloom in their hearts was illuminated by the dawn’s light.
“We shouldn’t stay here for long,” Zuo Wu You said, struggling to stand up before falling back down. His injuries were still severe.
It was the same for Liu Ji. He was caught off guard by Zheng Hai and took a direct punch to the back. If Zheng Hai hadn’t reserved some strength to attack Yang Kai, that punch would have ended Liu Ji’s life.
“You should both rest and recover for a while,” said Yang Kai.
Zuo Wu You looked bitter. Although he wanted to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible, he was strong in will but weak in strength. After exchanging a glance with Liu Ji, he decided to heal his injuries on the spot and try to restore some strength for now.
Inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, on the seven-coloured island, Yan Peng’s Soul Avatar became respectful and forthcoming before the young man and the thunder leopard; he would answer any questions they had without holding anything back.
This couldn’t be helped. Yan Peng initially thought this seven-coloured island was his great opportunity, never expecting to find two Masters here whose strengths were both beyond his imagination.
Yan Peng did not doubt that either of these two could extinguish his Soul with a single thought.
How could people under the eaves not lower their heads?
Fortunately, the young man was kind enough not to harm him, only asking for some basic information.
So, Yan Peng cooperated obediently.
After a brief exchange, Feng Tian Ci uncovered some secrets of this World, which he naturally shared with the others.
In the Primordial World, two Great Forces, the Light Spirit Religion and the Black Ink Cult, had vied for dominance since ancient times, each claiming half of this independent World.
Even after years of unending conflict, neither side could gain the upper hand.
Within the Black Ink Cult, there was a Black Ink Master who could bestow Black Ink Strength upon all living beings, corrupting their hearts and minds, making them obedient servants of the cult.
Meanwhile, the Light Spirit Religion was the only force that could stand against the Black Ink Cult. They had been battling them for countless years. Without them, the entire World would have fallen into the hands of the cult long ago.
The first-generation Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion left behind a prophecy, which was the same one that Yang Kai heard from Liu Ji. Over the years, the followers of the Light Spirit Religion had been searching for the whereabouts of the Holy Son while fighting against the Black Ink Cult, because according to the guidance of the first-generation Saintess, the only way to completely defeat the Black Ink Cult was for the Holy Son to appear.
Likewise, the Black Ink Cult was also searching for the whereabouts of the Holy Son of the Light Spirit Religion.
Unfortunately, neither side had made any progress.
Until today, during the Black Ink Cult’s hunt for Zuo Wu You, Yang Kai suddenly descended from the sky…
When the news reached Yan Peng, he personally led his men to capture Yang Kai, but things took an unexpected turn as they were all slaughtered and Yan Peng found himself trapped.
On the small island, Fang Tian Ci continued to question Yan Peng for more information.
Meanwhile, in front of the ruins, Yang Kai fell into deep thought.
The information he had was not extensive, but he now had a general understanding of the situation; however, there were two things that were different from what he had initially thought.
The first was the impact of Black Ink Strength on living creatures.
In the outside world, Black Ink Strength was extremely potent. Any Master who was contaminated by it and failed to deal with it in time would inevitably become a Black Ink Disciple. These beings had long since abandoned their humanity and identities and became loyal only to Mo. It could be said that any Black Ink Disciple would willingly sacrifice everything they had for Mo.
However, Yan Peng was different.
Though his Soul Avatar was trapped on the Seven Colour Island, he had a strong will to survive; otherwise, he wouldn’t have cooperated with Fang Tian Ci and provided so much information about the Black Ink Cult.
In other words, he wasn’t a true Black Ink Disciple!
[Is it because of how weak the Black Ink Strength is here?]
When Yang Kai killed those Black Ink Cult members before, the last few activated their Black Ink Strength to enhance their abilities; however, their Black Ink Strength was extremely thin and clearly abnormal.
It seemed that Black Ink Strength in the Primordial World could distort someone’s nature to a certain extent, but it wasn’t potent enough to transform them into true Black Ink Disciples.
The second point of curiosity was the Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion.
Yang Kai had a suspicion about the Saintess before, but after learning some information about her from Yan Peng, he began thinking he might have been wrong.
The prophecy was left behind by the first generation Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion; since then, the Light Spirit Religion had gone through many generations of Saintesses.
Among the past Saintesses, some were assassinated by the Black Ink Cult, some experienced cultivation dissonance, and some naturally died when their predestined time arrived.
If that was the case, then this Light Spirit Religion’s current Saintess was not the person he wanted to meet…
Another thing that caught Yang Kai’s attention was the name of this World – Primordial World.
The name of this World seemed to imply something.
Yang Kai felt helpless. Although Mu had left a hidden hand in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it was still elusive; he had to clear the fog in front of him before he could glimpse the truth.
“It’s time to go,” he said after half a day.
Since Yan Peng personally took action, the Black Ink Cult would certainly send more Masters to investigate the situation once there was no news from him for long enough.
In fact, according to the information revealed by Yan Peng, he was able to arrive so quickly only because he happened to be nearby.
The other Black Ink Cult Masters should also have set out and were on their way.
The appearance of the Holy Son of the Light Spirit Religion, even if it was only a possibility, was a matter that the Black Ink Cult would not take lightly.
Together, Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji opened their eyes. Half a day of rest was not enough to completely heal, but they had gained enough strength to move at the very least.
Yang Kai raised his hand and threw the long sword back to Zuo Wu You.
Zuo Wu You caught the sword and spoke, “Only in the hands of the Holy Son can this sword unleash its true power.”
Yang Kai’s swift and efficient movements were all observed by him, which left him in awe and realised that if he could enter retreat and comprehend these Secret Techniques, he would surely bring his Sword Techniques to the next level.
Yang Kai shook his head casually, “No need, I’ll use this.”
With a flick of his foot, a long spear lying on the ground flew into his hand. He wasn’t sure which dead Black Ink Cultist it belonged to, but after giving it a quick shake, he was satisfied with how it felt in his hand, despite it being not the best of quality.
Without saying anything more, Zuo Wu You approached Yan Peng and swiftly beheaded him with his sword.
Then, the three of them set off in a certain direction under Zuo Wu You’s guidance.
When they left, all that remained were dead bodies and destruction.
An hour later, a group of beasts attracted by the scent of blood arrived, but soon became alert and fled after a brief hesitation. Suddenly, a blood-red line shot through the air and pierced one of the beasts, causing it to cry out in agony and turn into a lifeless husk.
The blood-red line transformed into a blood-red light, from which a figure strolled out.
The figure was a woman in tight red robes, her stunning physique accentuated by the vivid colour of her clothes. Her nails were long and sharp as blades, and she licked her lips with satisfaction after the recent kill, her eyes curved with pleasure.
Dozens of people had already gathered around, examining the remnants of the battle.
After a while, the woman spoke up casually, still filing her nails as if sharpening a blade for herself, “Anything noteworthy?”
Someone quickly knelt down and respectfully replied, “Chapter Master, all of them died from sword injuries, killed by a single strike. Even Yan Peng seemed to have put up no resistance before he died.”
“Oh?” The woman showed a hint of surprise, “So Yan Peng didn’t even try to fight back? Looks like there were some extremely powerful swordsmen among them. Was it Zuo Wu You?”
“It couldn’t have been Zuo Wu You. He’s only in the True Element Boundary, while Yan Peng is in the Immortal Ascension Boundary. With a difference of a Major Realm, Zuo Wu You couldn’t have been responsible,” the Black Ink Cult disciple explained.
“So it must have been their newfound Holy Son,” the woman raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t know, Chapter Master.”
“Which way did they go?”
“It should be that way,” the man pointed in a direction.
Immediately, the woman’s body flickered, turning into a blood beam, which shot towards that direction. Her voice echoed in the distance, “I’ll go on ahead. You guys catch up as soon as possible.”
As the three of them passed through a small town, Zuo Wu You and Yang Kai waited outside in concealment while Liu Ji entered and drove out in a carriage moments later.
All three of them were in the True Element Boundary and were technically capable of flying; however, doing so would consume too much energy and be unsustainable for long periods. Besides, with Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji still recovering from their injuries, the natural choice was to use a carriage as transportation.
Once they regrouped, Liu Ji nodded lightly to Zuo Wu You, “It’s arranged, Big Brother Zuo.”
Zuo Wu You nodded in response before turning to Yang Kai, “Please get on, Holy Son.”
Yang Kai went along with them and got on the carriage with Zuo Wu You while Liu Ji continued to drive, the carriage rattling away from the small town.
Inside the carriage, Yang Kai asked, “Where are we going now?”
“Dawn City!” Zuo Wu You replied.
Yang Kai understood why they were going there. According to Yan Peng’s information, Dawn City was the foundation of the Light Spirit Religion, with countless Masters and high-ranking officials of the Light Spirit Religion gathered there.
Now that the Holy Son had appeared, it was imperative to send him to Dawn City as soon as possible.
However, the name of the city brought a sense of familiarity to Yang Kai, reminding him of the days when he fought side by side with his Squad members on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Today, many of those familiar names and figures had vanished into the river of history…
They were still quite far away from Dawn City, and judging by their current pace, it would take them five or six days to arrive even if they travelled day and night without rest.
What’s more, this long journey was highly unlikely to be peaceful.
Zuo Wu You clearly knew this, so he quickly focused on healing his injuries.
Shortly after the three of them left the small town, a blood light arrived. Moments later, the blood light rushed out and turned into the figure of the red-robed woman. She stood in the void, gazing in the direction of the departing carriage as she coldly snorted, “I wonder what the legendary Holy Son tastes like?”
With those murmured words, she turned into a bloody beam of light again and chased after Yang Kai and the others.
Behind them, the small town lay eerily silent…
Half a day later, Yang Kai in the carriage suddenly heard a commotion. Zuo Wu You, who was meditating, was also alarmed and quickly opened his eyes, lifting the carriage curtain to ask, “What’s going on?”
When he looked out, he clearly saw that someone was being assaulted by a strong man on the side of the road ahead; a burly man was pressing a woman underneath him, emitting a lewd laugh as he tore the woman’s clothes.
A large expanse of snow-white skin was exposed, causing the woman to scream and shout in distress, which only further fuelled the man’s savagery.
“Big Brother Zuo…” Liu Ji, who was driving the carriage, couldn’t bear to watch. Due to his naturally kind personality, coupled with the Light Spirit Religion’s teachings to help the weak, he couldn’t just ignore such a wicked act.
However, Zuo Wu You’s face flashed a look of vigilance as he said in a low tone, “Carry on!”
Upon hearing the command, Liu Ji gritted his teeth and quickly drove the carriage past them.
Under normal circumstances, the two of them would not sit idly by in the face of such an incident, but now there was only one priority, which was to escort the Holy Son to Dawn City. Everything else was unimportant.
When the carriage approached, the burly man had already stopped his actions and looked warily at Liu Ji. It was only after the carriage passed that he breathed a sigh of relief.
The woman who was pinned down by him screamed, “Help! Help me!”
Aggravated, the burly man slapped her and sneered, “No one will come to save you. Give up!”
But just as he finished speaking, his body suddenly shook, and he looked down to see a spear piercing through his chest.
The burly man’s eyes widened as his strength quickly ebbed away.
Yang Kai flicked his spear and tossed the burly man to the side. He then smiled and reached out to the beautiful but pale-faced woman, “Miss, you’re safe now.”
The woman clearly hadn’t fully realised what had happened until she saw the corpse of the burly man next to her, which caused her to completely break down and throw herself into Yang Kai’s arms, crying bitterly.
A little while later, Yang Kai sat in the carriage, holding a warm and soft woman in his arms. She seemed to be so frightened that she held onto his neck with all her might, like an octopus clinging to him.
On the other hand, Zuo Wu You didn’t know where to look, mainly because the woman’s clothes were torn and her snow-white skin was a little too dazzling.
“Sir, you…” Zuo Wu You didn’t know what to say. He never expected that the Holy Son would suddenly jump off the carriage and play the hero to save the damsel in distress.
But he had to admit that the woman was quite attractive. Even with her hair dishevelled and her face covered in dirt, it couldn’t conceal her charm. On the contrary, it accentuated her pitiful appearance, causing people to sympathise with her at a glance.
Such looks easily attracted unwanted attention in these troubled times.
With outsiders present, Zuo Wu You couldn’t address Yang Kai as ‘Holy Son’, so he simply referred to him as ‘Sir’.
Yang Kai chuckled, “It’s our duty to lend a helping hand when we see injustice. If we ignore something that we can easily help with just because it is inconvenient, then why bother cultivating at all? Besides, this carriage has plenty of space. Having one more person won’t make a difference.”
Zuo Wu You could only nod and say, “As Sir says.”
Yang Kai ignored Zuo Wu You and instead lowered his head to look at the woman in his arms, speaking in a gentle and soothing voice, “Little Beauty, what’s your name? Where are you from? Are you married?”
Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but feel speechless at what he was witnessing. He never imagined that the Holy Son had such an interest in beauties. Of course, it was natural for men to appreciate beautiful women, but there was a time and place for everything.
Originally, Zuo Wu You admired the Holy Son’s ability to dispatch Yan Peng and his dozens of followers with a single sword, and he believed that the Spirit Religion had a bright future. But now, those expectations had taken a hit.
Could such a Holy Son really achieve great things? Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but worry about the future of the Spirit Religion.
As the woman in Yang Kai’s arms slowly calmed down and seemed to realise that their position was not appropriate, she blushed, burying her head in Yang Kai’s chest instead of answering his questions.
Yang Kai laughed heartily at her response, feeling quite pleased with himself; however, the woman suddenly raised her head and looked at him with a bewildered expression.
Yang Kai hugged her tightly and looked down at her, “What’s wrong?”
“Why did you try and kill me?” The woman’s coquettishness and shyness disappeared out of nowhere, replaced by an expression of disbelief.
“Hmmm, you’re not dead?”
The woman cursed loudly, “Are you even Human?”
Their conversation made no sense, leaving not only the driver Liu Ji puzzled but also Zuo Wu You, who was in the same carriage.
However, the odd atmosphere made him feel a great sense of danger, and he quickly tightened his grip on his long sword… only to find that it was gone!
Zuo Wu You was shocked. He didn’t even know when he had lost his sword.
Next, the carriage became filled with a strong, metallic smell. The woman in Yang Kai’s arms started bleeding fresh blood, whereas Zuo Wu You’s lost sword was pierced through her, the hilt gripped in Yang Kai’s hand.
With a loud bang, violent waves of energy swept through the carriage, lifting the roof off. The woman, who had been in Yang Kai’s embrace, suddenly turned into a blood mist, breaking free from his grasp.
The sudden turn of events frightened the horses pulling the carriage, resulting in them neighing in panic. Liu Ji had to quickly calm them down or they would have bolted.
Zuo Wu You was also thrown off balance by the shockwave, almost being blown away, but luckily was grabbed by Yang Kai just in time.
The carriage continued forward, and in the shabby compartment, Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You looked behind together. In the half-empty air, a twisting, writhing mass of blood gradually transformed into the alluring figure of a red-robed woman. She clutched her chest, her face twisted with hatred and resentment, her beautiful eyes fixated on Yang Kai, overflowing with intense malice, as if she wished to devour his flesh and drink his blood right then.
“Night Chapter Master, Xue Ji!” Zuo Wu You was shocked and terrified.
Though they knew that the Black Ink Cult would soon have pursuers on their heels, he never expected it to be her. They were in trouble now.
Yang Kai’s brow raised slightly as he thought to himself, [As I suspected!]
Thanks to the information he had gleaned from Yan Peng, Yang Kai was no longer completely ignorant about the Primordial World.
The Black Ink Cult, under the command of Mo, was divided into the Eight Chapters, each with their own structure and hierarchy. The Night Chapter, though the smallest in number, was made up entirely of elite assassins.
Everyone in the Night Chapter of the Black Ink Cult was a Master of their craft, especially Night Chapter Master, Xue Ji, who was said to possess the ability to transform into thousands of different forms, making her an almost invincible opponent.
Throughout the history of the Light Spirit Religion, countless high-ranking members had died under the Night Chapter’s assassinations, including several Saintesses.
Among the Black Ink Cult’s Eight Chapters, the Light Spirit Religion was most wary of the Night Chapter, as nobody knew where they hid or when they would strike a deadly blow. Zuo Wu You shivered at the thought of facing the Night Chapter Master himself, realising that he and his companions were in grave danger.
But this only made him admire the Holy Son even more. Though he had been cautious before, Zuo Wu You had failed to notice any flaws. Little did he know, the seemingly lustful and carefree Holy Son was already aware and prepared to strike, displaying a level of cunning and decisiveness that left others in awe.
“You shouldn’t be alive,” Yang Kai looked at Xue Ji in confusion.
He could sense that Xue Ji was an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master, but even so, there was no way she should have survived being stabbed through the heart with his sword. However, she only seemed to have suffered some damage to her foundation, with no threat to her life.
All his actions really accomplished was making her angry. Her mastery over blood was unlike any he had seen before.
“How dare you wound me! I’ll devour—” Xue Ji’s face twisted with rage, but before she could finish her sentence, another figure appeared before her.
It was none other than Yang Kai, who should have been standing in the carriage. He wielded a long spear without hesitation and used his formidable Supreme Limitless Secret Art on Xue Ji.
His spear strikes rained down on her without mercy, creating countless holes in her body. Zuo Wu You wasted no time too and joined the attack, brandishing his sword with skill and unleashing a flurry of strikes upon Xue Ji.
With their combined efforts, Xue Ji was quickly reduced to a mist of blood, vanishing from sight in an instant.
As the bloody mist condensed and converged, it surged towards the two of them.
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly as he grabbed Zuo Wu You and jumped back onto the carriage.
In the sky, the blood mist seemed to possess a sense of spirituality, quickly fleeing into the distance as Xue Ji’s voice echoed, “I will rip your corpse into 10,000 sooner or later!”
The infamous Night Chapter Master escaped in such a pathetic state just like that.
Watching her depart, Yang Kai wore a troubled expression as he muttered, “So difficult to deal with!”
Ordinary people would have died from such a surprise attack, or from the follow-up assault, but Xue Ji was able to keep her life intact. Her skills were truly remarkable, making Yang Kai feel a sense of admiration for her talent.
Through their brief exchange just now, Yang Kai noticed something. Xue Ji’s Mastery over the Blood Dao was indeed extremely high, leaving her with no fatal weakness. Even if her heart was pierced through, she would still be alive, only suffering some damage to her foundation.
But since she was severely injured just now, it would surely cause serious damage to her foundation and she probably would not dare to come again in a short time.
“No wonder so many experts from the Spirit Religion can’t deal with her. It turns out that her methods are so insidious!” Zuo Wu You’s face was filled with fear as he recalled what happened earlier. If the Holy Son hadn’t noticed anything, they might have already died without even realising how.
Turning to look at Yang Kai, Zuo Wu You became even more respectful of this Holy Son.
On the other hand, Liu Ji was still driving the carriage without its roof while desperately fleeing forward, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.
“I’m afraid this journey won’t be peaceful,” Yang Kai muttered casually.
Zuo Wu You replied, “Rest assured, Holy Son, I have already sent out a coded message. The Spirit Religion will soon send experts to assist us.”
“That’s good,” Yang Kai nodded. Zuo Wu You was also a thorough person, and it seemed that he had made arrangements when they picked up the carriage at that small town earlier.
Suddenly, a piercing scream sounded, and the horses pulling the carriage fell down. The carriage, hurtling forward at full speed, crashed into the horses and flew into the air.
As soon as they sensed that something was wrong, Yang Kai, Zuo Wu You, and Liu Ji jumped off the carriage.
The three of them stood in mid-air and looked closely. The horses were surrounded by a red light, and in a mournful fit, they turned into a pool of blood, leaving only white skeletons behind.
“Ah–” Zuo Wu You paled slightly as he had no idea at all when Xue Ji attacked the horse.
Even Yang Kai had not noticed it this time. Looking back now, it was likely that it happened when Xue Ji was stabbed by himself and turned into a blood mist while breaking free from him.
“Big Brother Zuo!” Liu Ji suddenly panicked.
Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You turned their heads to look, and the both of them paled in shock upon the sight.
Liu Ji was now emitting a bloody red light, and within that light, his power became chaotic to the extreme, his physique melting away like a candle in high heat.
“Liu Ji!” Zuo Wu You cried out.
Liu Ji clearly knew what was about to happen too, so after a brief moment of panic, his expression suddenly became resolute as he shouted, “Brother Zuo, you must send Holy Son back!”
As soon as he finished the sentence, he flew away, with pieces of his body dissolving into blood, leaving behind only scattered bones that fell from the sky in a matter of moments.
Staring blankly at the scene, Zuo Wu You went silent for a long time, his anger and grief beyond words.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grave too. Xue Ji’s methods were truly insidious and unpredictable. When he noticed something wrong with Liu Ji earlier, he had wanted to help, but it was already too late. In just a few breaths, Liu Ji had been killed.
He turned his head to look at Zuo Wu You, confirming that he was unharmed and that he himself had not fallen prey to Xue Ji’s attack without him realising. If he had, it would have been impossible to remain oblivious.
It seemed that Xue Ji did not intend to kill him; otherwise, she would have used such means from the start.
Finally, Zuo Wu You regained his composure, despite his red eyes and throbbing veins on his forehead. He longed to fight Xue Ji, but his priority was to escort the Holy Son back to Dawn City.
“Holy Son, let’s go,” Zuo Wu You called out, leading the way.
Since the carriage was gone, the two of them could only fly; however, not having a means of transportation was inconvenient, especially since Zuo Wu You was still injured and had to push himself to keep going.
When night fell, they found a place to rest in the wilderness. Zuo Wu You meditated and adjusted his breathing while Yang Kai stood guard beside him.
The cold moonlight poured down, and Yang Kai looked up at the full moon with many thoughts flooding his mind.
From the information he had gathered, he determined that the Primitive World was a real World, where all living beings, including the three members of the Light Spirit Religion and the Black Ink Cult members they encountered, were truly alive!
This was quite different from what Yang Kai had originally thought. He initially believed that everything here was an illusion in Mu’s Space-Time River, but it seemed that he had greatly underestimated her.
The Black Ink Cult and Light Spirit Religion were opposed to each other. The Black Ink Cult members could use Black Ink Strength, while the first Saintess of Light Spirit Religion left a prophecy.
Everything was still vague and unclear, so Yang Kai could not fathom what the hidden hand Mu left in this World was. It would only be after he greeted the Saintess that he would be able to know everything.
The journey ahead was slow, difficult, and obstructed.
Under the moonlight, Yang Kai saw a shadow twist and writhe slightly.
Flicking his wrist, Yang Kai sent out a crescent-shaped black strike, hitting the shadow. Then, blood started flowing from the shadow, filling the air with a metallic tinge.
Despite being suppressed by this independent World, his foundation was still intact, and he could still invoke some of his Space Secret Techniques. Moreover, Yang Kai could sense that the suppression of his strength in this World was not absolute. His strength could still be improved, and given time, he could at least restore his cultivation to the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
However, this was probably the limit that this World could accommodate.
Although Yang Kai could only increase his cultivation by a Major Realm, the power he could exert by then would increase by a lot.
As dawn broke over the horizon, Zuo Wu You finally awoke from his meditative state, having spent the night adjusting his breathing and restoring his energy. But what he saw upon opening his eyes left him startled – a field of corpses strewn haphazardly across the ground, their blood painting the earth a deep shade of red. These bodies showed no signs of resistance, having been cleanly sliced in two by some incredibly sharp weapon.
Zuo Wu You couldn’t even begin to guess when these people had come or how they died, but one thing was clear;they were all assassins from the Black Ink Cult’s Night Chapter. Feeling ashamed, he rose to his feet and addressed his companion, “Holy Son…”
Yang Kai merely glanced at him and nodded in response, “Prepare for a breakout.”
“Oh?” Zuo Wu You was taken aback by this sudden directive, but he soon understood what Yang Kai meant. Though he was only in the True Element Boundary and lacked a Divine Sense, his regular senses were sharp enough to detect the danger around them.
This realization left him pale, but Yang Kai remained unperturbed, dusting himself off and pointing in the direction they had been travelling, “Yesterday, we were heading towards Dawn City in that direction, right?”
“Yes!” Zuo Wu You nodded.
“Then, let’s go,” Yang Kai declared, lifting his long spear.
“We’re just going off like this…?” Zuo Wu You was taken aback once again. The Black Ink Cult surely knew that they were heading towards Dawn City, and the interception in this direction would definitely be the strongest. The safest course of action would be to test the enemy’s strength and choose a weaker defensive position to break through.
But, Yang Kai replied confidently, “We’re going to Dawn City, and it’s closest in this direction. We’ll go this way.” Saying so, he strode forward.
Zuo Wu You had no choice but to follow.
*Chi–*
Suddenly, a loud clanging sound echoed in all directions as a barrage of arrows flew towards them.
Zuo Wu You quickly raised his sword to deflect them, all the while shouting a warning to Yang Kai, “Holy Son, be careful!” But when he turned his head, he only saw Yang Kai strolling leisurely through the rain of arrows, with no effort to dodge or resist them, yet the dense barrage of arrows couldn’t even touch his clothes.
[How is that possible!?] Zuo Wu You couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he witnessed Yang Kai flicking his fingers and launching a barrage of black Moon Blades in all directions. These blades seemed to cut through space itself, effortlessly breaking through the blockade.
In the next instant, screams echoed throughout the area.
Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but remember the gruesome scene of the corpses from before, realising how Yang Kai had managed to defeat the enemies last night.
The two figures continued to fly forward, killing their opponents without mercy.
It was only a moment later when the rain of arrows from the shadows became sparse, eventually stopping completely. Perhaps the enemy had realised that this tactic was futile against Yang Kai, though the temporary pause didn’t mean they had given up their siege, but rather prepared for an even stronger attack.
After flying forward for a while longer, several figures suddenly flew towards them from the front. Each of these people was a peak True Element Boundary Master, radiating a strong aura. They also seemed to maintain a unique Battle Formation as they moved forward.
They all carried longswords, exuding a chilling Sword Intent.
Zuo Wu You’s expression turned grave, “They’re from the Earth Chapter of the Black Ink Cult. They usually handle small-scale battles. I didn’t expect them to show up this time.”
What worried Zuo Wu You more was the possibility that the Earth Chapter Master might also be among them. If that were the case, it would be a bigger problem.
That person wasn’t as sneaky as Xue Ji, and although he had an impulsive character, his strength was second to none among the Eight Chapter Masters of the Black Ink Cult.
“Be careful, Holy Son. They have the North Star Sword Formation, which can combine the strength of seven people to unleash a power far beyond their individual cultivation realm,” Zuo Wu You warned.
As soon as he finished speaking, the enemy had already made their move. Their Battle Formation was impressive, converging the strength of seven people into one. The leader of the group waved their longsword and a massive sword wave came crashing down on Yang Kai, instantly splitting him in half.
Zuo Wu You’s previous boiling blood ran cold all of a sudden.
The seven swordsmen in the Formation had no idea their target would be so weak, easily slain with just one sword strike; however, the severed body that lay before them didn’t spill fresh blood and instead quickly faded into nothingness.
It was merely an afterimage!
The seven of them were shocked and were about to launch another sword attack when they heard a voice in their ears, “A good sword, but it still lacks a certain substance.”
In the next instant, a single spear shadow filled their vision before blood burst forth. The Sword Formation was instantly broken, and the seven swordsmen who comprised it either died or became seriously wounded.
Zuo Wu You flew over, using his Secret Techniques to kill any survivors. He then turned to Yang Kai, “Holy Son!”
He was filled with disbelief. For a moment, he thought the Holy Son had been killed, but it turned out to be just an afterimage. He hadn’t even seen how the Holy Son moved, which meant his Movement Skill was beyond his comprehension.
“Quick, let’s go,” Zuo Wu You said in a low voice. He had a sense of unease in his heart as if a great danger was approaching.
Before he could do anything though, a strange voice sounded, “Do you think you can kill so many of us and just walk away?”
“He’s here!” Zuo Wu You’s face changed drastically, apparently realising what was happening.
Yang Kai’s expression also became serious as he sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching them. He looked in that direction and saw a figure quickly running towards them like lightning.
He immediately pushed Zuo Wu You aside and lifted his spear and thrust it out.
The figure quickly approached, revealing a towering man with a fierce and evil expression, giving off a genuine Immortal Ascension Boundary aura.
Not only was this man a Master from the Black Ink Cult’s Earth Chapter, but he was also one of the strongest among the Eight Chapter Masters.
Facing Yang Kai’s spear strike, he didn’t dodge or evade; instead, he smirked and met the strike with a punch.
The long spear shattered as the punch’s force swept forward, causing Yang Kai to grunt and retreat a dozen steps before stabilising his footing. Suddenly, his clothes burst apart at the back, pierced by the force of the punch.
The long spear was now turned to dust because it was only a common item that couldn’t withstand a full-force attack from an Immortal Ascension Realm Master.
“Oh?” The Earth Chapter Master threw only one punch and didn’t pursue further, looking surprised when he saw Yang Kai’s state, “You’re not dead yet?”
He could sense that the young man before him was only in the True Element Boundary, yet he could withstand his punch without dying, which was quite strange.
“Forget it, it’s your misfortune that I didn’t kill you with one punch. The next one will do the job.” Saying so, the Earth Chapter Master strode towards Yang Kai till he was close enough, and then, he struck again.
With a loud boom, a violent shockwave swept out as the ground cracked open.
The Earth Chapter Master’s eyes narrowed with amazement, for his surefire punch had been blocked by the other party’s fist.
To the side, Zuo Wu You had just regained his footing and witnessed a scene he would never forget.
He saw the Holy Son slightly hunched over, raising his fist to meet the Earth Chapter Master’s punch. Under the intense collision, the scene froze.
Looking up at the Earth Chapter Master, Yang Kai snickered, “With such a soft punch, who are you trying to kill?”
Both Zuo Wu You and Earth Chapter Master were taken aback!
Of the Eight Chapter Masters of the Black Ink Cult, each of them had their own unique skills, except for the Earth Chapter Master who wasn’t specialised in Secret Techniques or used any kind of weapon. Despite having no defining trait, the Earth Chapter Master was still ranked among the top three strongest Chapter Masters for his physical strength alone, having refined his body to the point of being as strong as an artifact, with fists that could destroy anything in the World.
In terms of physical strength and power alone, the Earth Chapter Master was undoubtedly the best in the entire Primordial World.
Even Masters in the same realm as him couldn’t withstand his punches. Once, a Master of the Spirit Religion who was also in the Immortal Ascension Boundary fought him in close combat relying on a protective artifact, but he was killed with a single punch, and even the protective artifact was shattered by that punch.
Zuo Wu You could not conceive of anyone who could directly withstand such a terrifying Master and his fists alone, not until he witnessed this scene with his own eyes!
Despite the Holy Son’s physique not being as robust as the Earth Chapter Master’s, with his build being at best half as bulky, the difference between them only highlighted the incredible nature of this frozen moment.
The Earth Chapter Master was clearly angered by Yang Kai’s words and let out a low growl, “I haven’t seen such a bold person in a long time. I hope your fists will be as strong as your mouth!”
He swung his fist and attacked again.
Yang Kai faced the incoming fist with casual indifference and replied, “I was just about to say the same thing!”
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The violent impact of their fists created deafening noise, and the visible shockwaves rippled outwards from where their fists met.
The disdain on Earth Chapter Master’s face gradually dissipated, replaced by a look of seriousness and confusion. He couldn’t fathom how such a frail body could contain such immense power. He even had a vague suspicion that Yang Kai wasn’t even using his full strength yet!
This thought frightened him, which he dared not dwell on any further.
As for Yang Kai, he was also equally frustrated. The suppression from this independent World was too great; not only had his strength fallen from the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm to the True Element Boundary, but even his Dragon Vein couldn’t be fully accessed. To paint a clearer picture, if the power from his Dragon Vein were to be described as a lake, the amount of power he could currently access would only be equivalent to a mere drop of water.
If not for this, he could easily crush an Immortal Ascension Master with just one finger.
At present, his strength was slightly greater than Earth Chapter Master’s, but not by much.
Their fists collided again and again, gradually covering them in bloody wounds with fresh blood splattering every time they clashed.
Suddenly, Yang Kai taunted the Earth Chapter Master by tilting his chin up, “You and your Black Ink Cult’s endless pursuit. I wonder, if I kill you, will the rest of our path become peaceful?”
The Earth Chapter Master felt insulted and roared, “If you can kill me, then you’ll get what you want!” His expression then turned ferocious, “But are you capable?”
As he spoke, a pitch-black mist enveloped him, and his body swelled up, his muscles bulging as an even greater power erupted from within. Following this, he unleashed a punch that was far more powerful than his previous ones.
This punch was almost equal to Yang Kai’s current limit.
However, facing this attack, Yang Kai remained calm as he used his fist to meet the punch head-on!
A loud explosion resounded.
Yang Kai’s body shook slightly while the Earth Chapter Master stumbled. His previously determined expression became uncertain.
Without giving him a chance to catch his breath, Yang Kai’s attacks suddenly became even more intense.
The Earth Chapter Master also roared continuously, shifting from offence to defence as he tried to fend off Yang Kai’s relentless assault.
After a moment, his eyes trembled violently as he shouted, “What kind of monster are you?!”
He had always been the one to overwhelm others with his physique and strength, dominating the entire Primordial World without anyone in this domain surpassing him. Yet today, even with the help of his Black Ink Strength, he found himself falling behind.
It was simply unbearable.
What made it worse was the strange power of his opponent’s punches, each strike penetrating through his physical defence and hammering his body from the inside out, causing damage to his five viscera and six organs.
Amidst his roar of anger, a sharp Divine Sense suddenly erupted towards Yang Kai’s mind, followed by the voice of a woman saying, “I told you this guy was not easy to deal with, but you had to be careless. Now you’re in trouble.”
Xue Ji!
She had also arrived, and she had been concealing herself nearby. A crimson blood mist suddenly manifested and rushed straight at Yang Kai, wrapping him up completely.
Xue Ji’s insidious voice rang out from within the blood mist, “Bastard, it’s your honour to die under the combined efforts of us two mighty Chapter Masters! Now, offer up your physical essence. With a vigorous man like you, the taste would certainly be heavenly!”
As she spoke, fresh blood gushed out of the wounds on Yang Kai’s fists, seemingly drawn out by some unknown force, and merged into the blood mist.
When Yang Kai saw this, he just smirked mockingly and said, “You want to eat me? Be careful not to burst your stomach!”
A faint Dragon Roar was then heard.
The blood mist surrounding Yang Kai writhed and twisted as if struck by lightning.
“What is this!?” Xue Ji’s voice became frantic as she seemed to encounter something she couldn’t understand. During her speech, Xue Ji screamed again and hurriedly withdrew from Yang Kai’s body, transforming back into her own body in mid-air.
However, it was difficult for her to maintain her body’s stability, like a storm was rampaging inside her, causing her flesh to suddenly expand like a ball and then twist like a rope.
Xue Ji let out a mournful cry, her entire body bursting into a ball of blood mist.
Even though Yang Kai’s Dragon Vein had been suppressed, it was still fundamentally powered by a Divine Dragon. Xue Ji, unaware of the truth, had swallowed and tried to refine the blood of the Divine Dragon. Even if it was just a tiny drop, it was not something that a cultivator of her calibre could endure.
The burst blood mist once again gathered into Xue Ji’s figure, only to burst again in her agonising screams.
This endless cycle of torment seemed as if it would carry on forever.
On the other hand, the Earth Chapter Master, who was fighting Yang Kai, couldn’t help but shudder with fear.
Yang Kai was already beyond him in terms of physicality and strength, a fact that he struggled to accept. But now, Xue Ji’s mere act of devouring a bit of his blood had left her in such agony that he couldn’t fathom what trick Yang Kai had played on her.
At that moment, he finally understood the fear and unease that his enemies must have felt before they died at his hand.
And to make matters worse… the Holy Son of the Light Spirit Religion before him seemed to be immune to Spiritual Energy attacks.
Moments ago, Xue Ji had used her Divine Sense to strike him, yet her opponent seemed completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened.
He wasn’t even wearing any Soul-type artifacts, so how could he withstand Soul Attacks?
*Kacha…* With a loud cracking sound, the Earth Chapter Master was horrified to discover that his arm had been broken.
After exchanging so many punches, it seemed his physical body had exceeded its limits.
Yang Kai landed another blow and mocked, “So much for your strength!”
The Earth Chapter Master desperately blocked the incoming punch and retreated backwards, but quickly changed direction and fled as fast as he could. Along the way, he took several more punches from Yang Kai, spewing fresh blood from his mouth and looking pathetic.
Yang Kai dashed forward relentlessly, determined to capture the Earth Chapter Master; however, he was intercepted by a group of Black Ink Cult members mid-way, forcing him to deal with them first. And by the time he was done, the Earth Chapter Master had already vanished into thin air, leaving him with no choice but to backtrack.
Zuo Wu You was still there, having fought against some Earth Chapter members during Yang Kai’s battle with the Earth Chapter Master. He now appeared worn out, his body slumped against a pile of rubble, his breath ragged, and his body covered in blood.
“Where’s Xue Ji?” Yang Kai glanced around but saw no trace of the seductive woman.
“She escaped when you went after the Earth Chapter Master,” Zuo Wu You replied.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and said, “Never mind, she won’t live much longer anyway.”
To think that the Night Chapter Master dared to covet a Divine Dragon’s blood, she was bound to die by her own hand, so Yang Kai had no interest in tracking her down either.
“Can you still move?” Yang Kai asked Zuo Wu You.
Zuo Wu You replied, “Please, Holy Son, go ahead first.” Then, he pointed in a certain direction and continued, “When you see a large city with tall walls, that would be Dawn City.”
Although Yang Kai had demonstrated formidable Sword Secret Techniques and great physical strength, he was still True Element Boundary. Zuo Wu You had not expected him to turn the tables against the joint attack of two of the Black Ink Cult’s top combatants.
It was a victory across realms, a miracle that had never been achieved before.
With a Holy Son of such strength, it was best for him to travel to Dawn City alone as Zuo Wu You didn’t want to be a burden to him.
Yang Kai understood his intention with just a moment’s thought. He walked over to help Zuo Wu You up and said, “My sense of direction has always been poor. I will need your guidance along the way.”
Zuo Wu You was about to say something more when Yang Kai interrupted, “The Night Chapter and Earth Chapter have failed consecutively. The Black Ink Cult won’t be able to spare any more forces to pursue us in the short term; therefore, the road ahead should not be too dangerous.”
Zuo Wu You thought for a moment before feeling it was reasonable. Although the Black Ink Cult was a mighty army with the finest weapons and the Eight Chapters’ heritage was magnificent, the sudden emergence of a Holy Son who was not previously known made it difficult for Black Ink Cult to prepare appropriately. The fact that they could mobilise so many Night Chapter and Earth Chapter cultists, even having the personal presence of the two Chapter Masters, was already the limit of what Black Ink Cult could do in the short term.
Now that the two Chapter Masters had been defeated, and many of their troops were either killed or injured, they were unlikely to have the strength to cause any more trouble.
Finally gaining a sense of relief, Zuo Wu You said, “Then I will travel with you, Holy Son.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded and enveloped him with his power before flying off.
…..
In the depths of a damp and dark underground cavern, within a natural cave, the sound of agonising screams echoed through a cluster of crimson mist, as if someone was enduring unbearable torture.
The mist contorted and expanded randomly, desperately trying to take on a humanoid shape, but each time it did, it would explode uncontrollably, the screams growing louder with each cycle.
This scene repeated itself again and again, the mist becoming thinner and the screams gradually becoming less audible. Finally, at a certain moment, the thinning mist condensed once more into a graceful figure who curled up on the damp ground like a wounded rabbit. Her fair body was covered in dried-up blood, motionless, like she was devoid of vitality.
However, after a while, the owner of that body suddenly took in a deep breath as if her Soul had returned. When she opened her eyes, they were filled with a look of horror.
“Such power…” she whispered softly, almost inaudible.
Madness then overtook her as she murmured it several times, her voice gradually becoming more resounding, “…brings me such joy!”
Trembling with excitement, her eyes became filled with anticipation and glee.
She forced herself to stand up despite her weakened body and retrieved a blood-red robe from her Space Ring. After putting it on and restoring herself for a moment, she turned into a bloody mist and vanished into the dark underground.
Moments later, she reappeared on the previous battlefield, searching earnestly among the pieces of broken limbs and flesh. Finally, she made a discovery which caused her to turn ecstatic. Then, she activated her Blood Secret Technique, sending a burst of scarlet mist deep into the ground. Later when she retrieved it again, the mist glimmered with a golden light.
She merged it into her body and immediately felt the terrifying power expanding within her body, causing her expression to contort and a mournful cry to erupt, frightening countless beasts and birds in the nearby wilderness.
…..
“Zuo Wu You, is this the Holy Son you spoke of?” Outside a small town, a group of people blocked the way of Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You.
The leader, an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master, looked at Yang Kai from top to bottom and asked.
Zuo Wu You cupped his fists, replying, “Senior Chu, when the Holy Son descended, he fulfilled the prophecy passed down by the Spirit Religion, there is no mistake!”
The cultivator surnamed Chu nodded, “The Spirit Religion’s prophecy has been circulating for countless years. In the past, there have been several instances of suspected Holy Sons, but they were all proven to be misunderstandings or the schemes of people with ulterior motives.”
Zuo Wu You was suddenly confused by his words as he asked, “Sir, there have been several Holy Sons in the past?” Though he possessed quite a high status in the Spirit Religion, he was only in the True Element Boundary, so he wasn’t qualified enough to know about some top secrets.
The Master surnamed Chu nodded, “As I said, the prophecy of the Spirit Religion has been passed down for countless years, and the Black Ink Cult is also aware of it. They had previously attempted to use this method to infiltrate us.”
Upon hearing that, Zuo Wu You became anxious, “Sir, this Holy Son is definitely not a member of the Black Ink Cult.” He had seen how the Holy Son had fought with the Black Ink Cult’s two Chapter Masters and how he had killed those Black Ink Cultists along the way. How could such a person be a spy sent by the Black Ink Cult?
The Master surnamed Chu raised his hand to stop him, “Your loyalty to the Spirit Religion is clear to me, but the matter of the Holy Son still needs to be decided by the many Order Lords. We only need to do our part, understand?”
Zuo Wu You pursed his lips, “I understand.”
The Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator finally looked at Yang Kai and introduced himself, “Old Master Chu An He, how should we address this young friend?”
Yang Kai smiled and bowed respectfully, “Yang Kai.”
He couldn’t help but find the old man interesting. By saying all of those to Zuo Wu You in front of him, Chu An He was clearly warning Yang Kai, but he understood that it was a necessary action, so he held no grudges.
Besides, Yang Kai was never really concerned about his status as the Holy Son, it was only Zuo Wu You and his comrades who persistently addressed him as so throughout their journey. All he wanted was to go to Dawn City and meet the Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion to verify his suspicions.
Only one thing puzzled him.
After his identity as the Holy Son was exposed, the Black Ink Cult swiftly organised three high-level attacks, but there had been no response from the Light Spirit Religion. Zuo Wu You had sent a message ahead when they were getting the carriage at a small town a while back, so logically, whether or not his identity as the Holy Son was real, the Light Spirit Religion should have given him enough attention and quickly arranged for people to assist them. But in fact, it had already been four days since Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You began their trek.
After another one or two days, the two would have arrived at Dawn City on their own.
It wasn’t until now that the Light Spirit Religion finally dispatched a group of people to meet them.
In terms of efficiency, the Light Spirit Religion was far worse than the Black Ink Cult. Their attitude towards Yang Kai, as the Holy Son, were also completely different.
“I shall address you as such, then,” Chu An He showed a warm smile, “After Zuo Wu You’s message was received, the Spirit Religion made the corresponding arrangements and deployment. There are enough people ahead to receive you. Follow me. The Saintess and the Order Lords are already waiting in the Holy City.”
The Black Ink Cult had Eight Chapters: the Heaven, Earth, Profound, Dawn, Night, Space, Flood and Barren Chapters.
Likewise, the Light Spirit Religion also had Eight Orders: Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Fire, Water, Mountain, and Lake Valley Orders.
The Eight Chapter Masters and Eight Order Lords were the most powerful Masters in the World.
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Follow me this way,” Chu An He beckoned, walking with Yang Kai towards the small town ahead.
“You must have encountered many hardships on your way here, little friend,” Chu An He said with a smile, “Seeing how dusty and tired you look, you must have been attacked by the Black Ink Cult?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “En, but it was just a bunch of small fry that Brother Zuo and I easily took care of.”
Behind them, Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but glance at Yang Kai with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
“So that’s how it is!” Chu An He also smiled, “The Black Ink Cult has always been vile and treacherous. If you encounter them again in the future, don’t underestimate them.”
“Of course,” Yang Kai replied casually.
As they walked and chatted, the group soon entered the small town and Yang Kai looked around and asked in curiosity, “Why is this place so desolate? I don’t see anyone around.”
“It’s a matter about the Holy Son… well, though it hasn’t been confirmed, it’s better to be cautious. So, before your arrival, this Old Master cleared out all the people in the town, lest they give Black Ink Cultists an opportunity.”
Yang Kai praised, “Sir Chu’s actions are quite thorough.”
Saying so, he suddenly stopped and turned around, reaching out to grab Zuo Wu You’s shoulder while smiling, “Brother Zuo, you must learn from Sir Chu.”
Zuo Wu You was in a daze at the sudden instruction. Though he felt something was off during their journey, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. When Yang Kai pulled him over, he instinctively nodded and said, “As the Holy Son instructs.”
Chu An He, on the other hand, stroked his beard and smiled without saying a word.
The group passed a corner of the small town.
Suddenly, Zuo Wu You froze in place and looked around, “Senior Chu?”
Yang Kai stood beside him with a smile.
“Be careful, Holy Son!” Zuo Wu You was suddenly as nervous as a startled rabbit, pulling out his sword to guard Yang Kai in front of him.
Because at the moment they turned the corner, Chu An He and the others who had been travelling with them disappeared without a trace, leaving only the two of them.
There were obvious traces of a Spirit Array being activated all around them!
In other words, they had fallen into a trap. No one knew when it was set up or what kind of mystery it held.
But entering such an Array recklessly would surely bring about great danger.
Yang Kai suddenly spoke up, “Brother Zuo, does your Spirit Religion often root out lurking members of the Black Ink Cult?”
“What?” Zuo Wu You instinctively responded, but quickly realised, “Holy Son, you mean…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Chu An He’s voice sounded in their ears, hidden by the Spirit Array. No one knew where he was, but his previous gentle and warm demeanour was now replaced by brutality and ferocity, “Zuo Wu You, after all these years of nurture and trust from Spirit Religion, you dare to collude with the Black Ink Cult and bring disaster to the foundation of our Spirit Religion? Do you know your crime!?”
Zuo Wu You shouted in response, “Senior Chu, I was born and raised in the Spirit Religion. The Spirit Religion has given me everything I have, and without its protection over the years, how could I have achieved my current glory? I am loyal to the Spirit Religion with all my heart and Soul. Sir, how can you accuse me of colluding with the Black Ink Cult?”
Chu An He coldly snorted, “You still dare to argue? That person by your side, isn’t he a member of the Black Ink Cult?”
Zuo Wu You frowned and quickly retorted, “Senior Chu, are you referring to the Holy Son…?”
“Tsk!” Chu An He burst out, “He is a spy of the Black Ink Cult! How dare you call him Holy Son!”
Zuo Wu You immediately changed the way he addressed Yang Kai, “Brother Yang and I have been travelling together, killing many members of the Black Ink Cult. We even defeated the Night Chapter Master and injured the Earth Chapter Master. Without Brother Yang’s protection, I would have been a dead man long ago. Brother Yang cannot possibly be a member of the Black Ink Cult.”
Chu An He became silent for a moment before he slowly spoke, “You said he defeated the Night Chapter Master and injured the Earth Chapter Master?”
“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes,” replied Zuo Wu You.
“Hahaha!” Chu An He burst into laughter.
“Why are you laughing, Senior Chu?” Zuo Wu You asked in a deep voice.
Chu An He roared, “You fools! This person by your side is only a trivial True Element cultivator while the Night Chapter Master and Earth Chapter Master are both Masters renowned throughout the World. Even this King at the Immortal Ascension Boundary can only admit defeat before them, so how could he possibly defeat them? Zuo Wu You, how can you not see through such a simple trick?”
Zuo Wu You suddenly became suspicious and couldn’t help but turn his head to glance at Yang Kai.
Zuo Wu You was in a daze, reminiscing on the events that had transpired. He was once amazed by Yang Kai’s impressive strength, being able to fight beyond his realm and even take down two Chapter Masters of the Black Ink Cult, but what if all of this was just a part of the enemy’s plan to gain his trust?
As he thought back on it now, the timing and location of the appearance of the supposed Holy Son seemed questionable…
He was now momentarily lost in thought.
Yang Kai simply smiled faintly in response to his gaze and said, “Old Sir, to be honest, I’m not very interested in being your Holy Son. Brother Zuo seems to have misunderstood something all this time, hence calling me by that title. Whether or not you call me that doesn’t really matter. The reason why I have come this far is simply to meet your Saintess. Could you facilitate that for me, Old Sir?”
Chu An He coldly snorted, “Even at death’s door, you dare to speak such honeyed words? The Saintess is a noble figure, not someone a Black Ink Cult spy can simply meet!”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai became displeased, “You keep calling me a Black Ink Cult spy, but how can you be so sure that I am one?”
After a moment of silence, Chu An He finally spoke, “It doesn’t matter now that things have come to this. I’ll tell you the truth. Spirit Religion’s true Holy Son was found 10 years ago. If you’re not part of the Black Ink Cult, why pretend to be the Holy Son?”
“What?” Zuo Wu You was shocked at the news.
“This was originally top secret, only known by the Saintess, the Eight Order Lords, and a few select others. But the Spirit Religion has already decided to have the Holy Son appear to stabilize the people’s hearts, so it’s no longer a secret!”
Zuo Wu You stood rooted to the spot, the impact of this news weighing heavily on him.
So, the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion was already found 10 years ago!
If that were the case, who was this person standing beside him? When he appeared, he did fit the prophecy left behind by the first-generation Saintess.
It was no wonder why the Spirit Religion had not sent anyone to assist him on his journey. While the Black Ink Cult had already dispatched two Chapter Masters, the Spirit Religion had been slow to react, sending only a single Elder in the end. At that moment, Zuo Wu You understood many things.
It wasn’t that the Spirit Religion didn’t value their Holy Son, but it was because the true Holy Son had been found 10 years ago already.
“Zuo Wu You!” Chu An He’s voice softened, “No one doubts your loyalty to the Spirit Religion, but you’re the one who has caused all this trouble, so it’s up to you to solve it.”
Zuo Wu You cupped his fist and said, “Please give me your orders, Sir.”
“It’s simple! Kill this imposter who dares to impersonate the Holy Son. Cut off his head, and show it to everyone!”
Zuo Wu You was taken aback and turned to look at Yang Kai again, struggling with conflicting emotions in his eyes.
Yang Kai paid no attention to Chu An He’s words, not even glancing over at Zuo Wu You; instead, a golden vertical cross appeared in his left eye, displaying a strange expression as he kept gazing into the air.
Beside him, Zuo Wu You struggled for a while before pointing his long sword at Yang Kai, slowly gathering murderous intent.
Only then did Yang Kai give him a glance and asked, “Brother Zuo, are you going to make a move?”
Zuo Wu You nodded and then slowly shook his head as he asked, “Brother Yang, I only have one question for you. Are you a spy for the Black Ink Cult?”
“I’ve said I’m not, do you believe me?” Yang Kai smiled at him.
“Although I may not be the strongest, I have a keen eye for judging people,” Zuo Wu You replied, “If Brother Yang says he’s not a spy, then I believe it. However…”
“What?”
“There’s another thing I would like Brother Yang to explain.”
“Say it.”
“During the siege of the cave, you were contaminated with Black Ink Strength, so why were you unscathed?”
[Do you know anything about the World Tree clone? Or the Four Universe Pillars?] Yang Kai thought to himself. He couldn’t explain it to Zuo Wu You, so he could only say, “If I tell you I have a natural resistance to Black Ink Strength due to my innate talent, would you believe me? That thing can’t affect me at all.”
Zuo Wu You slowly lowered his sword and gave a bitter smile, “I’ve encountered too many unbelievable things on this journey. Brother Yang, what you said will be verified by me in the future.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow, “At this point, shouldn’t you trust the people of the Spirit Religion, rather than someone you only met a few days ago?”
Zuo Wu You shook his head bitterly.
“Are you not going to make a move? Have you been contaminated with Black Ink Strength that twisted your nature and become a member of the Black Ink Cult?” Chu An He couldn’t help but shout when he saw Zuo Wu You still hadn’t attacked.
Zuo Wu You suddenly raised his head, “Sir, whether or not I have been contaminated with Black Ink Strength, I only need to meet with the Saintess and have her use the Purifying Heart Secret Technique on me to know for sure. However, there is one thing that I don’t understand at the moment. Please enlighten me!”
“What is it?” Chu An He asked impatiently.
“Sir thinks that Brother Yang is a spy of the Black Ink Cult, and this operation is aimed at him. I can understand that; however, why was I also included in this Array then? Sir, this Array is very dangerous. Although I only have some faint knowledge of Spirit Arrays, I can still see some of this one’s mysteries. Are you trying to kill both me and Brother Yang with this Array?”
Yang Kai raised his brow and couldn’t help but pat Zuo Wu You’s shoulder, “You have a sharp eye, indeed!”
He had used the Demon Eye of Annihilation to penetrate the illusion and could see all the mysteries of this Array. It was a Killing Array, and once fully activated, anyone inside would undoubtedly die without burial unless they had the ability to break out on their own.
Zuo Wu You had keenly perceived this, which was why he couldn’t fully trust Chu An He. Of course, since the matter involved the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion, it was impossible for him to easily believe in Yang Kai either.
“Ignorant fool!” Chu An He didn’t explain anything, “It seems you have been twisted by Black Ink Strength. It’s a pity that my Spirit Religion will now lose another good man! Kill them!”
As soon as the words fell, both Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You sensed a change in the atmosphere. A fierce murderous intent emerged out of nowhere, surging in all directions!
Zuo Wu You shouted, “Chu An He, I want to see the Saintess!”
“You will never see her!”
Zuo Wu You suddenly realised, “So you guys are the spies of the Black Ink Cult!”
“The Black Ink Cult is nothing. Are they worthy enough for this Old Master to serve them? Zuo Wu You, nothing in this world is as simple as black and white. Unfortunately, you won’t have a chance to see it anymore!” Chu An He coldly snorted.
“You old fart!” Zuo Wu You muttered under his breath and then reminded Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, be careful. This Array is powerful and not easy to deal with. We may both die here.”
The Dao of Spirit Arrays was not something any ordinary person could study. Although Zuo Wu You had seen Yang Kai’s strength, he feared that it would be difficult to display that strength once he fell into this trap.
However, Yang Kai simply smiled lightly and sat down on a nearby stone pillar, as calm as ever, “Rest assured, we will not die here today.”
Zuo Wu You was stunned and could not understand how this man could be so calm at a time like this.
While he was still puzzled, a sharp and miserable scream came from outside, one that was abruptly cut off.
Zuo Wu You was no stranger to such screams. That was the cry of a person just before their death.
The screams continued one after another until finally Chu An He’s voice rang out in utter panic, “It’s you! No, please spare me! I am willing to serve the Black Ink Cult! Please spare my life!”
Zuo Wu You was horrified when he heard those words; after all, Chu An He was also an elite in the Immortal Ascension Boundary. He did not know what he had encountered at this moment to be begging for mercy so desperately.
But obviously, it was in vain. The next moment, his screams echoed once again.
After a while, everything fell silent.
The people from the Spirit Religion outside were probably all dead. With the absence of their control over the Spirit Array, the illusion that had enveloped Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You disappeared along with the breaking of the Array. A graceful figure, carrying a shrivelled-up body, then lightly floated down in front of Yang Kai. Her beautiful eyes were filled with an unusual light as she stared at him without moving, her crimson tongue licking her lips, as if the man before her was some kind of delicious delicacy.
Zuo Wu You was horrified as he lifted his sword, “Xue Ji!”
The intruder was none other than the Night Chapter Master of the Black Ink Cult, Xue Ji, who had crossed paths with them twice before.
Zuo Wu You’s eyes scanned back and forth between Xue Ji and Yang Kai. His mind was in disarray, feeling as though the situation had taken a sudden turn and the truth was shrouded in a fog that made it impossible to see clearly.
He couldn’t decide whether Yang Kai, the person sitting beside him, was a member of the Black Ink Cult or not. If he wasn’t, then why did Xue Ji suddenly appear in the middle of a life-or-death crisis and break the Array to save them?
But if he was, then many things couldn’t be explained.
At this point, Zuo Wu You had completely lost his ability to think and felt that there was no one trustworthy in this world.
While he was on high alert, Yang Kai and Xue Ji ignored him completely. The two of them locked eyes, one full of interest and the other filled with longing.
“You dare to show up in front of me?” Yang Kai sat casually on the stone pillar, arms folded, not at all flustered by the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Master standing in front of him. He didn’t even show any signs of guarding himself as he spoke, leaning forward with an oppressive aura, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll kill you?”
Xue Ji giggled, “Are you willing to?”
Yang Kai snorted coldly, “I’ve already done it before, I just didn’t finish the job.”
Xue Ji’s expression froze for a moment before she huffed, “What a boring man.”
She then tossed the shrivelled body in her hand to the ground and continued, “This person wanted to kill you, but I left him with a thread of vitality. It’s up to you how to deal with him.”
Laying on the ground was Chu An He who was gasping for air, his Blood Essence having already disappeared. He looked like a dried-up corpse, not dead but not much different from being dead. When he heard Xue Ji’s words, his dry eyes turned to Yang Kai, filled with pleading.
However, Yang Kai ignored him and chuckled lightly, “You suddenly show up to save me and flatter me so much. What do you want?”
“I want you!” Xue Ji’s seductive eyes gleamed as a burst of blood mist suddenly enveloped Zuo Wu You. Despite Zuo Wu You’s constant vigilance since Xue Ji’s appearance, he was unable to dodge the mist. The huge gap in their strength made his vigilance seem like a joke.
At the same time, Xue Ji’s eyes turned icy, and a powerful surge of Spiritual Energy burst forth, transforming into a sharp attack that surged into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai’s expression turned extremely strange in an instant…
He suddenly realised how wonderful a trap appearing to be in the True Element Boundary was. These Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters would come to suppress him with their Divine Sense at the slightest provocation, even using their Soul Avatars to determine victory or defeat.
He then turned to Zuo Wu You, only to see him stiff as a board and covered in a thin layer of blood mist that flowed around him like water.
“Don’t move,” Yang Kai told him. Xue Ji’s Secret Technique clearly did not intend to take Zuo Wu You’s life, but if he made any unusual movements, he would surely be devoured by that blood mist.
Zuo Wu You’s forehead began dripping with sweat as he spoke hoarsely, “Brother Yang, what’s going on?”
When Xue Ji appeared to rescue them, he almost believed that Yang Kai was a spy for the Black Ink Cult, but then Xue Ji clearly used her Soul Secret Technique on Yang Kai, sending her Soul Avatar to enter his Knowledge Sea. This meant that Yang Kai could not possibly be on the same side as Xue Ji!
Zuo Wu You was now completely confused.
“It’s probably because she has taken a liking to me and wants to capture me. As you know, her Blood Secret Technique requires her to devour Blood Essence from others, so my body is a great supplement for her.”
“But, what about her now?”
“What happened to Yan Peng, will happen to her.”
Zuo Wu You suddenly felt relieved…
Before this, Yan Peng had also used his Soul Avatar on Yang Kai, but he died without a word. He never thought that Xue Ji would be so foolish to do the same.
No, to be exact, it was not foolish; rather. it was because there had never been such a being like Yang Kai in this World.
In the battle with the Earth Chapter Master, Xue Ji had hidden nearby and used Soul attacks on Yang Kai, but they had no effect.
Xue Ji probably thought that Yang Kai had some special method of resisting those Soul attacks, so this time she decided to use her Soul Avatar to go all out!
She achieved her goal of rushing into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and swiftly landed on the seven-coloured island. Immediately afterwards, she witnessed a scene that she would never forget.
“Greetings, Chapter Master Xue Ji!” A figure stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
Xue Ji looked at the figure in surprise, confirming that it was also a Soul Avatar and one that she knew. She couldn’t help but ask, “Yan Peng? What are you doing here? Aren’t you dead?”
“Am I already dead?” Yan Peng asked with a heavy heart.
“You were beheaded by a sword…” Xue Ji responded with a dazed look.
“So, I am already dead…” Yan Peng’s face was now filled with sorrow and grief. Although he had anticipated that he wouldn’t end up well, it was still hard to accept the truth. He had been a brilliant leader, cultivating hard to reach the Immortal Ascension Boundary, and subsequently held a high status in the Black Ink Cult. Yet, he died in such an unclear and meaningless way.
“What is this place? Who are these… Divine Beings?” Xue Ji looked at the young man and the panther next to him.
Yan Peng sighed, “It’s a long story.”
“Enough nonsense!” The panther suddenly spoke, “Big Brother said you aren’t being obedient and asked me to educate you on how to show proper respect.”
Saying so, the leopard’s body flickered with lightning as it pounced towards Xue Ji.
“Wait!” Xue Ji hurriedly stepped back, but the lightning came so fast that it immediately wrapped her up. On the small, seven-coloured island, her screams echoed.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai still sat on the stone pillar, while Zuo Wu You remained motionless in a stiff posture, with beads of sweat dripping down his face.
Opposite Yang Kai, Xue Ji also stood like a statue.
After about a cup of tea’s worth of time, Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly. At the same time, Zuo Wu You also sensed a burst of Spiritual Energy emerge.
The next moment, Xue Ji gasped for breath and fell to the ground, her body drenched in sweat.
Yang Kai propped up his cheeks and looked down at her.
As if sensing Yang Kai’s gaze, Xue Ji struggled and crawled on the ground, her tender body trembling while she begged, “This Servant was overconfident and offended Master’s dignity! I beg Master to spare my life!”
She, who was once one of the greatest Masters in this World, now looked like a whipped dog, begging for mercy.
Zuo Wu You glanced at this scene from the corner of his eye, feeling like the World had gone crazy.
Yang Kai replied calmly, “First, retract your Secret Technique to avoid accidentally injuring Brother Zuo.”
“Yes!” Xue Ji quickly responded and gestured at the direction of Zuo Wu You. Then, the blood mist surrounding him immediately flew back into her body like it had a life of its own.
Once she was done, she prostrated herself on the ground again.
Zuo Wu You was finally free, but the bizarre events of the day had left him dazed, so he didn’t know what to do next.
Yang Kai spoke in a calm tone, “It seems that you understand your situation now.”
Xue Ji hurriedly responded, “Master, your words are the Heavens’ command which this Servant will never disobey!”
“Good!” Yang Kai jumped off the stone stool and walked leisurely towards Xue Ji as he commanded, “Stand up.”
Xue Ji slowly rose to her feet, with her head down and hands clasped at her side. She looked like a noble lady, not at all like the arrogant and wanton woman he had met twice before.
“You’re quite lucky to be alive. I thought you were doomed to die,” Yang Kai suddenly said something that Zuo Wu You couldn’t understand.
Xue Ji responded with her head still down, “This Servant indeed had a close brush with death. It was pure coincidence that I survived.”
“And afterwards, you came to me to try and control me?” Yang Kai joked.
Xue Ji’s expression froze, and she almost fell to her knees again, “This Servant wouldn’t dare to dream of such a thing! This Servant understands your greatness and will not dare to overstep her bounds!”
Yang Kai snorted lightly in response.
Having been dealt with by Thunder Shadow naturally caused a huge change in Xue Ji’s mentality; after all, the power possessed by him and Fang Tian Ci was far beyond that of this World.
“Well, relax for now,” Yang Kai patted Xue Ji’s shoulder lightly, “I am not a vicious person, nor do I like to kill the innocent, but when you came looking for trouble, I couldn’t just sit and wait for death. Just think of it as having bad luck today.”
“Yes, Master,” Xue Ji replied, “I now understand that the World is so much bigger than I thought.”
Yang Kai felt a connection to Chu An He’s last words and said, “This World isn’t as simple as you think.”
Xue Ji didn’t understand.
“You are the Chapter Master of the Black Ink Cult’s Night Chapter, aren’t you?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
“Yes, Master. Do you need me to do something?” Xue Ji looked up at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “No need to do anything special. Just do what you need to do.” He had never intended to subdue this woman, but when she suddenly used her Soul Secret Technique on him, he casually accepted it as a move in his game.
As they travelled along the way here, he had a sense that their journey to the Spirit Religion would not be smooth sailing. No matter what the future held, the Black Ink Cult’s Chapter Masters could still play a role.
Xue Ji was taken aback but quickly responded, “Understood, this Servant will comply.”
“Then go ahead.” Yang Kai waved his hand to dismiss her.
However, Xue Ji remained motionless, looking hesitant.
“Is there anything else?” Yang Kai asked.
Xue Ji suddenly knelt down again, pleading, “This Servant asks for a little bit of Blood from Master.” Worried that Yang Kai might refuse, she added, “Just a little bit, please.”
“Are you not afraid of being overwhelmed?” Yang Kai asked.
Xue Ji lifted her head, a charming smile on her face, “As a woman who has made it this far in life, I don’t know how many times I have passed through the gates of Hell.”
Yang Kai looked at her momentarily, until her expression became anxious before he snorted lightly, “As you wish, but don’t blame me if you die!”
With a flick of his finger, he drew a small wound on his own hand, “You can’t handle too much of my blood, so this should be enough for you… Hey, what are you doing?”
Yang Kai was shocked as the woman in front of him suddenly pounced on him and sucked hard on his finger.
Zuo Wu You, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but frown at the sight, not sure where to look.
Xue Ji left in the form of a twisting blood mist that quickly vanished into the distance, accompanied by heart-wrenching screams.
Zuo Wu You watched the scene unfold and, while he didn’t know the exact details, he had a hunch about it; Yang Kai’s blood seemed to harbour a terrifying power that even an elite like Xue Ji, incredibly proficient in the Blood Dao, couldn’t withstand.
That was why Xue Ji had such a peculiar reaction after devouring Yang Kai’s fresh blood.
“Is it alright to let her go like that?” Zuo Wu You looked at Yang Kai, “All the members of the Black Ink Cult are cunning and deceitful. Brother Yang, don’t let her fool you.”
“It doesn’t matter. She can’t deceive me even if she wanted to.”
Even if Xue Ji could break the Soul Imprint planted on her by Fang Tian Ci, which was frankly impossible, she was now obsessed and addicted to Yang Kai’s blood, so she would never betray him no matter what.
Seeing Yang Kai’s confident expression, Zuo Wu You stopped talking and looked down at the withered corpse on the ground.
After being attacked by Xue Ji, Chu An He had only been barely breathing. With so much time passing without anyone attending to him, it was only natural that he died.
Zuo Wu You’s expression was somewhat desolate, and his tone conveyed a sense of confusion, “What exactly is going on?”
Chu An He had set up an Array in this small town ahead of time, and after drawing him and Yang Kai into it, his murderous intent was revealed. Despite constantly accusing Yang Kai of being a spy for the Black Ink Cult, Zuo Wu You was not stupid and could naturally sense something wrong with the situation.
Whether or not Yang Kai was a spy for the Black Ink Cult, Chu An He clearly intended to kill him and Yang Kai together.
But… why?
If Chu An He was a member of the Black Ink Cult, that didn’t make sense, especially since he was killed by Xue Ji.
“Brother Yang, I suspect that the message I sent earlier was intercepted by someone with ulterior motives,” Zuo Wu You suddenly spoke up.
“Why do you say that?” Yang Kai asked with interest.
“In the message I sent back, I explicitly stated that the Holy Son had emerged, and I was heading to Dawn City with him while being pursued by Black Ink Cult elites. I requested that the reinforcements from our side come to meet us. If this message had truly been delivered, the Spirit Religion would have taken it seriously and sent people to help us. In addition to that, they wouldn’t have just sent someone at Chu An He’s level; there would undoubtedly be Order Lords as well.”
Yang Kai spoke, “But according to Chu An He, your Holy Son emerged 10 years ago and was kept secret for some reason. Perhaps, due to this, the message you brought back was not taken seriously?”
“Even so, we should not have been targeted here. We should have been brought back to Spirit Religion for investigation!” Zuo Wu You said with his head lowered, his thoughts gradually becoming clear, “But in reality, Chu An He had already set up a Killing Array here, waiting for us to enter. If it weren’t for Xue Ji’s sudden appearance and the subsequent destruction of the Array, we would have been doomed here today.”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, “En.”
The Array was indeed enough to deal with ordinary Masters, but not him. When Yang Kai opened the Demon Eye of Annihilation, he had already seen through the flaws in the Array. The reason he didn’t just break it then and there was because he saw Xue Ji’s figure and wanted to see how things played out.
He never expected that Xue Ji would kill Chu An He and others so decisively, saving him the trouble.
Zuo Wu You spoke again, “Although Chu An He is a high-ranking member of the Religion, with his identity, he is not qualified to act so boldly. There must be someone else instructing him.”
“Chu An He was an Immortal Ascension Master and already highly regarded within your Spirit Religion. There are probably not many people who can command him,” Yang Kai said.
Zuo Wu You’s forehead was sweating at this point as he said, “He belongs to the Earth Order and is under the direct command of the Order Lord of the Earth Order.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, indicating that he understood.
“Chu An He said that the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion was already found 10 years ago and kept hidden ever since. If that’s true, then Brother Yang, you can’t be the Holy Son,” Zuo Wu You said.
“I never said I was your Holy Son…” Yang Kai was not interested in the identity of the Holy Son; all he wanted was to meet the Light Spirit Religion’s Saintess.
“If Brother Yang is not the Holy Son, then why do they have to kill so ruthlessly?”
“What are you trying to say?”
Zuo Wu You clenched his fists, “Although Chu An He had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t lie about the Holy Son. So, the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion should have really been found 10 years ago and kept secret. But… I only believe what I’ve seen with my own eyes. I witnessed Brother Yang descend from the sky out of nowhere, fulfilling the prophecy that has been circulating in the Spirit Religion for many years. I also witnessed Brother Yang defeating many members of the Black Ink Cult, even Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters were no match for you. I don’t know what the ‘true’ Holy Son of the Spirit Religion looks like, but I think that the Holy Son who can lead Spirit Religion to defeat the Black Ink Cult must be someone like Brother Yang!”
With that, he solemnly bowed to Yang Kai, “So Brother Yang, please forgive my boldness. I want to invite you to come with me to Dawn City!”
Yang Kai smiled, “I intended to go there in the first place.”
Zuo Wu You suddenly realised, “Of course, you want to see the Saintess. But Brother Yang, let me remind you that the road ahead will not be peaceful.”
Yang Kai replied, “Since when has our journey been peaceful?”
Zuo Wu You took a deep breath, “I also have to ask Brother Yang to confront the Holy Son who has secretly emerged.”
“That is not a simple matter. If someone is truly obstructing us in secret, we cannot simply stand by and watch. Do you have a plan?” Yang Kai asked.
Zuo Wu You froze for a moment before slowly shaking his head. In the end, he was just filled with hot blood and wanted to get to the bottom of things, but he had no actual strategy to accomplish that.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked in the direction of Dawn City, “It’s more than a day’s journey from here to Dawn City. News of what happened here won’t reach there for a while. If we hurry, we might be able to enter the city before the person behind the scenes reacts.”
Zuo Wu You replied, “After we enter the city, we’ll act in secret. Brother Yang, I am under the Thunder Order. When the time comes, I will seek an opportunity to meet the Order Lords!”
Yang Kai looked at him and shook his head, “No, I have a better idea.”
Zuo Wu You immediately became interested, “Brother Yang, please say it.”
Yang Kai immediately explained his idea in detail, and Zuo Wu You nodded repeatedly after listening to it, “Brother Yang, you really have thought it through. Let’s do it that way.”
“Then, let’s go.”
The two set off right after.
There were no more twists and turns along the way, probably because the person behind Chu An He didn’t expect their thorough arrangements to fail to have any effect at all.
One day later, the two arrived at a mansion 30 kilometres outside of Dawn City.
The mansion should be the residence of a wealthy family, with a vast expanse of land and a small bridge over running water, nestled amidst lush greenery.
In a hidden chamber, people began to secretly arrive in small groups, until nearly 100 had gathered there.
Although not particularly strong, every single one was a member of the Light Spirit Religion and were also all subordinates of Zuo Wu You.
Despite Zuo Wu You reaching only the Peak True Element Boundary, he held some degree of status within the Spirit Religion and thus had access to a pool of useful subordinates.
He and Yang Kai appeared together, briefly explaining the situation and assigning various tasks to the gathered members.
As Zuo Wu You spoke, the others couldn’t help but stare in surprise at Yang Kai, their eyes filled with wonder.
The prophecy of the Holy Son had circulated throughout the Spirit Religion for many years, and they had been searching for the legendary Holy Son without any results all that time. Now, Zuo Wu You suddenly told them that the Holy Son was before their very eyes, and would be entering the city the next day, leaving everyone curious and eager for more information.
Fortunately, these people were well-trained, so they refrained from asking too many questions even though Zuo Wu You didn’t provide any specific details.
In the end, the others dispersed, leaving only Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You alone.
In the secret chamber, Yang Kai appeared calm and composed, while Zuo Wu You struggled with his emotions.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai said, beckoning him.
Zuo Wu You asked, “Brother Yang, are you sure that one of the people I brought here is that person’s hidden pawn? I know every one of them, and they are all loyal to the Spirit Religion. There shouldn’t be any problems.”
“I don’t know if there are any hidden pawns among them, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Even if there aren’t any, we will be waiting for death if we stay here. Besides… loyalty to the Spirit Religion doesn’t mean they don’t have their own motives. You knew Chu An He well, correct? Was he loyal to the Spirit Religion?”
Zuo Wu You thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding.
“Then that settles it,” Yang Kai said, patting his shoulder, “You can never be too cautious. Let’s go.”
With that, he activated Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, and in an instant, the two of them vanished without a trace.
Although the suppression in this independent world was significant for both his physical body and Soul, Thunder Shadow’s Concealment Technique was Innate, and it could still be activated despite being affected to a certain extent.
Even the senses of the strongest Immortal Ascension Boundary Master in this independent world had no way to uncover his whereabouts.
Under the dim night sky, Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You hid on a small hill near the mansion, concealing their auras as they quietly observed from above.
They stopped using Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability for the moment, primarily because activating it consumed a lot of energy. At present, Yang Kai was only in the True Element Boundary, making it difficult to maintain his power for an extended period.
This was something he hadn’t foreseen.
Under the moonlight, Yang Kai sat cross-legged and cultivated. Since this World had Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters, it didn’t make sense for his cultivation to be suppressed to the True Element Boundary. So, he wanted to test whether he could elevate his strength to the next realm.
Although he wasn’t afraid of any Immortal Ascension Masters with his current power, more strength was always beneficial.
Yang Kai initially thought that breaking through wouldn’t be a difficult task, but once he started cultivating, he discovered an invisible shackle in his body that restricted his cultivation and made it difficult to progress.
[There’s no way to break through this…] Yang Kai felt disheartened upon reaching this conclusion.
“Brother Yang!” Suddenly, Zuo Wu You’s anxious cry echoed in his ear, “Someone’s coming!”
Yang Kai immediately opened his eyes and looked towards the estate at the foot of the mountain, where he saw a dark figure silently hovering in mid-air.