Yang Kai then recalled the conversation between the people under the banyan tree. It seemed that the kid was Little Eleventh, whom Mu had brought back from somewhere.
He took a look at the young boy behind Mu and shook his head with a smile before turning to leave.
Suddenly, Mu said from behind, “Junior, you have to succeed no matter what. The Human Race’s future hinges on you.”
Without turning his head, Yang Kai waved his hand and replied, “I’ll bring back some good news, Senior.”
The darkness gradually engulfed his figure like an invisible beast.
“Who is he, Sixth Sister?” Asked the young boy.
Mu ruffled his hair and replied gently, “He’s a friend from a faraway place.”
“For some reason, I hate him,” the young boy frowned, “Whenever I see him, I have the urge to beat him up.”
Mu chided him by saying, “It’s wrong to attack others!”
The young boy pouted, “I know… When he drops by next time, I’ll go out and play so that I won’t see him.”
Mu put on a faint smile.
After playing with the other kids for a long time, the young boy was already sleepy, so he yawned and said, “I’d like to go to bed, Sixth Sister.”
Mu lowered her figure and pulled him into her embrace before saying softly, “En, just sleep.”
After rounding a corner, Yang Kai suddenly turned around and looked at the darkness.
Wu Kuang’s voice sounded in his mind, “What’s wrong?”
Without responding to him, Yang Kai fell into his thoughts. A moment later, he said, “Nothing. Perhaps I’m mistaken.”
Hearing that, Wu Kuang couldn’t help but mutter, “You’ve been acting strangely today.”
…..
The Spirit Religion’s Restricted Area, Ancient Grounds, was where the first Saintess left behind the test. Only the Holy Son that matched the prophecy could pass the test safely.
The prophecy had been around for many years, and some wicked people had naturally tried pretending to be the Holy Son to gain power; however, none of those people could pass the test in the Ancient Grounds. Around 10 years ago though, the young man brought back by the Wind Order Lord managed to leave this place safely after entering.
Therefore, the authoritative figures of the Spirit Religion believed that he was the Holy Son, and they had been secretly nurturing him ever since.
Presently, the Saintess and the Order Lords were waiting with solemn expressions because someone had entered the Ancient Grounds that day.
While waiting, the Order Lords exchanged glances and secretly got ready for a fight.
There came a moment when the Ancient Grounds’ heavy door opened and a figure appeared and stepped into a Grand Array.
As a buzz was heard as the Grand Array was activated. With a stiff face, Yang Kai looked around and questioned grimly, “What are you trying to do?”
The Grand Array was more powerful than the one he and Zuo Wu You had to deal with back in the village, and the people in charge of it were all Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters.
It could be said that if anyone in this independent World fell into this trap, there was no way they could escape by relying on their own power.
The Saintess said softly, “Don’t worry. Since you’ve stepped out of the Ancient Grounds, you’re now faced with the final test. If you can pass this test, you’ll be acknowledged as the Spirit Religion’s Holy Son.”
Yang Kai’s gaze turned gloomy as he stared coldly at the woman, “You didn’t tell me about this before.”
With a hunched back, the Wind Order Lord, Si Kong Nan, chuckled, “Well, it’s not too late to tell you about it now.”
“Are you messing with me!?” Yang Kai growled.
Si Kong Nan persuaded him by saying, “Don’t be so impetuous, Little Friend.”
Ma Cheng Ze placed his hands on his bulging belly and put on a grin, questioning casually, “Why would you be afraid if you’re not guilty of anything?”
Yang Kai swept a gaze over the Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters. As though having no choice but to give in, he asked in a milder tone, “What’s the last test about?”
Thunder Order Lord Yu Dao Chi replied, “You don’t have to do anything. Just stand right there.”
Saying so, he turned to look at the Saintess, “Let us begin, Holy Saintess.”
The Saintess nodded and performed a hand seal. As she muttered under her breath, she pointed at Yang Kai all of a sudden.
In an instant, the entire World hummed. An invisible power seemed to be drawn from the deepest part of Heaven and Earth as it struck Yang Kai, who grunted upon the impact.
At that moment, he realised that it was the Purifying Heart Secret Technique, which drew energy from the World itself to dispel Black Ink Strength. Only the Saintesses nurtured by Mu were able to do such a thing.
Engulfed in the Purifying Heart Technique, Yang Kai clenched his teeth and held on. The veins on his forehead suggested that he was going through immense pain.
Soon enough though, he was no longer able to persevere as he growled in pain.
Although the authoritative figures of the Spirit Religion had already expected the outcome, they were still shocked by the sight before their eyes.
As Yang Kai howled, a dark fog billowed from his figure.
The Heaven Order Lord snorted and looked at Yang Kai with contempt, “How dare a thug like you try to seize control of the Spirit Religion!”
Si Kong Nan shook his head and sighed, “There are always some overly confident people who are blinded by greed.”
The Purifying Heart Secret Technique continued drawing the dark fog out of Yang Kai’s figure until there was none left. At that moment, all his clothes were soaked in sweat as he was kneeling on one knee, panting heavily.
The Saintess stopped using the technique and looked at Yang Kai, who was in the centre of the Grand Array. She sighed and questioned, “Why are you pretending to be the Holy Son?”
Yang Kai lifted his head, “I’m the Holy Son, so why do I need to pretend to be one?”
The Saintess said, “The real Holy Son will never be corrupted by Black Ink Strength when passing through the Ancient Grounds. Since you’ve been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, it shows that you’re not the Holy Son. By the way, the real Holy Son was found 10 years ago!”
Yang Kai’s pupils dilated when he heard that and after a long pause, he muttered bitterly, “So, you’ve been aware that I’m not the Holy Son since the beginning.”
“Yes.”
An enraged Yang Kai roared, “Why did you make me pass through the Ancient Grounds, then!?”
Si Kong Nan said, “You made a big fuss when entering the city, so we need to give the public an explanation. This test is the best explanation.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai sneered, “I see!”
The Saintess demanded, “Please surrender.”
“In your dreams!” Yang Kai bellowed as he leapt up into the sky in an attempt to escape; however, the Grand Array’s power relentlessly held him down.
The Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters exerted more force at the same time, causing the Grand Array’s power to increase. An unsuspecting Yang Kai fell to the ground, as though he was being pressured by a mountain.
After getting up with difficulty, Yang Kai charged towards one of the Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters who was controlling the Spirit Array.
“You court death!” Bellowed the Thunder Order Lord Yu Dao Chi as he dashed towards the Grand Array.
At the same time, Li Fei Yu unsheathed her sword and charged towards Yang Kai while warning, “This man can use some strange methods and he seems to have a powerful Soul artifact, so don’t use your Soul Avatars to deal with him!”
Yu Dao Chi snorted, “Do I even need to use Soul Avatar to fight him?”
Saying so, he reached Yang Kai and threw out a fist.
He didn’t hold back any of his power as a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Master. Obviously, he wanted to kill Yang Kai with one move.
Upon seeing that, the Saintess, who was outside the Grand Array, secretly sighed.
Over the years, she had speculated as to who the mastermind was, but she never had any evidence.
Given the current situation, even if Yang Kai had some malicious intentions, Yu Dao Chi should’ve captured the culprit and interrogated him instead of trying to kill him right away.
His aggressiveness had exposed him.
Although the Saintess had found out many of Yang Kai’s capabilities when having a discussion with him the night before, she still couldn’t help feeling worried; however, all of them were shocked the next moment. Faced with Yu Dao Chi’s attack, Yang Kai threw out a fist instead of dodging. Following a boom, both of them were sent flying away.
Li Fei Yu’s weapon turned into a sword rain that engulfed Yang Kai, making sure that he was unable to flee. Only then did she have some time to speak, “By the way, I forgot to tell you that this guy is extremely strong. He defeated the Black Ink Cult’s Earth Chapter Master in a one-on-one fight, forcing the latter to escape.”
Si Kong Nan exclaimed, “What!? He’s only a True Element Boundary brat, so how was he able to defeat that monster?”
Li Fei Yu obtained the information from Zuo Wu You, who had been held by the Fire Order since entering the city. The others didn’t have a chance to approach him; therefore, other than Li Fei Yu and the Saintess, the other Order Lords had no idea what happened on Yang Kai’s journey to the Holy City.
On the other hand, they were all familiar with the Black Ink Cult’s Earth Chapter Master; after all, the two sides had been enemies for years, so they knew that the Earth Chapter Master had immense physical strength.
In truth, no one in the World had a stronger physique than the Earth Chapter Master; as such, it was inconceivable that the young man before their eyes was able to defeat such a powerful opponent in a one-on-one fight.
If Li Fei Yu were not the one who said it, the others wouldn’t have believed it, for the very notion was ridiculous.
On the other hand, Yu Dao Chi was evidently furious after exchanging moves with Yang Kai. He pushed his power and charged forward in an attempt to deal with Yang Kai alongside Li Fei Yu.
“This guy is dangerous. I don’t want to oppress a young man like him, but since he has some malicious intentions towards the Spirit Religion, we don’t have to be righteous,” Si Kong Nan sighed and stepped forward. The next moment, he appeared in the Grand Array and pushed out a palm towards Yang Kai’s head.
At that instant, Yang Kai was besieged by three Order Lords. Although the fight didn’t last long, it was more intense and perilous than anyone’s expectations.
Since three Order Lords had joined forces, and coupled with the Grand Array they had set up, no one in the World was able to escape unscathed. The fight ended less than an incense stick later.
However, none of the Order Lords was elated as they sported conflicted expressions.
“Why did you kill him?” Si Kong Nan turned to look at Li Fei Yu, his hunched back seeming to have been worsened by the situation. In that direction, Li Fei Yu had run Yang Kai through with her sword. Presently, the man no longer had any aura left.
With a pale face, Li Fei Yu shook her head, “I had no choice, holding back wasn’t possible.”
Those from the Spirit Religion initially intended to capture Yang Kai so that they could find out his reasons for pretending to be the Holy Son, along with his identity and any other conspirators who were working with him. However, in the fight earlier, none of the Order Lords dared to hold back in the face of their enemy’s strange methods.
Furthermore, this phoney seemed to be a ruthless man. Faced with Li Fei Yu’s fatal attack, he didn’t seem to have the intention of dodging and instead tried to drag down his opponent with him. If Yu Dao Chi hadn’t disrupted Yang Kai’s final attack at the critical moment, the latter wouldn’t have been the only one lying on the floor. Li Fei Yu would’ve died as well.
All three Order Lords were drenched in sweat, and the onlookers were astonished.
Guan Miao Zhu couldn’t help but ask, “Was this guy really only a True Element Boundary cultivator?”
“You saw him fight. There’s no doubt he was only a True Element Boundary Master.” The Earth Order Lord Luo Yun Gong appeared dejected, “Such a shame. It would’ve been fantastic if such a talented young man were part of the Spirit Religion.”
Yang Kai was already so powerful even though he was only in the True Element Boundary. If he broke through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, no one in the World would be a match for him. They initially thought that the Holy Son they had been hiding from the public already had the most outstanding skill and aptitude, but now, it seemed that he paled compared to this fake Holy Son.
This guy would most likely be able to shatter the shackles of this World and explore the Realm above the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Initially, the Order Lords felt it was the right thing to have killed Yang Kai, but upon hearing Luo Yun Gong’s words, they realised it was indeed such a shame.
“What’s the point of saying this when he’s already dead?” Si Kong Nan, who was the oldest among them, said sensibly, “Since he pretended to be the Holy Son and snuck into the Spirit Religion, he was our enemy. However, he acquired the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will. If he managed to make it to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, the Spirit Religion would cease to exist. We’ve nipped a catastrophe in the bud by killing him today.”
Hearing this, all of them nodded in agreement and no longer felt it was a shame.
Yu Dao Chi said, “The disciples in the city have been riled up since he entered the city yesterday. They thought that the saviour had finally appeared, just like what was described in the prophecy. Everyone is anticipating the start of a final war against the Black Ink Cult, but this person is dead now. How are we supposed to explain this?”
This was giving Li Fei Yu a headache as she rubbed her forehead, “Forget the common believers, even members of the Spirit Religion share the same sentiment. Many people have been asking when we will start taking action against the Black Ink Cult.”
Si Kong Nan nodded, “I’ve heard about it as well. If we can’t settle this issue properly, we will surely suffer serious backlash.”
All of them sported solemn expressions and fell silent.
Suddenly, the Saintess said, “Let’s introduce the Holy Son to the public.”
She swept a glance over them and continued, “Even without today’s incident, the Holy Son was supposed to appear very soon. He’s been cultivating in secret for 10 years and has reached the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary. Since he’s just as powerful as any of the Order Lords, he’s able to represent the Spirit Religion.”
“What about the fake Holy Son?” Li Fei Yu asked.
“We just have to tell the disciples the truth,” said the Saintess softly, “The disciples and the entire World have been waiting for the Holy Son’s advent, not this fake named Yang Kai. Therefore, we don’t have to hide anything from them.”
Si Kong Nan nodded repeatedly, “We just have to let the real Holy Son appear to ease the impact of the fake Holy Son’s death. As long as we allow the disciples to see hope, we can resolve the crisis.”
The Saintess continued, “The Holy Son’s appearance is big news. The World and the Spirit Religion have been waiting for countless years as it signals the beginning of the end of the Black Ink Cult.”
All of the Order Lords appeared thrilled upon hearing that as they turned to look at the Saintess with fervent gazes.
They had been waiting and fighting for years, but finally, it was time to deal with the enemies head-on.
“We’ll introduce the Holy Son to the public in three days. In the meantime, all the Order Lords are to begin readying their subordinates, we shall set off to the Black Ink Abyss to end this scourge once and for all!” The Saintess’ voice was as soft as ever, but she sounded determined.
“Yes, Holy Saintess!”
…..
Li Fei Yu entered a secret room while holding a blood-soaked corpse. After putting the corpse down gently, she looked worriedly at him.
All of a sudden, the person, who was supposed to be dead, opened his eyes and an unprepared Li Fei Yu was thoroughly shocked.
“You’re really not dead?” An astonished Li Fei Yu looked at Yang Kai, who was now seated with his legs crossed. She could feel his vitality being restored in his originally cold body.
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed such a strange story; after all, she was the one who killed Yang Kai, so she was certain that her sword had penetrated the man’s heart.
The other Order Lords were present, and they were all Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters; therefore, they could easily see through any form of pretence.
That was the reason she had made a fatal move.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you a Human?”
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai shook his head, “I can no longer be considered a Human.”
Following his experience in the Dragon Pool, Yang Kai became a Pureblood Dragon; however, since he was originally a Human, he never abandoned that identity.
He took off his blood-soaked shirt and said, “I’m sure the Saintess has told you everything. The Spirit Religion will launch a war against the Black Ink Cult in three days while I’ll assist all of you from the shadows. The Fire Order will be responsible for gathering information, so I’ll need you to work with me… Hey! What are you doing?”
An astounded Yang Kai glanced at Li Fei Yu, who squatted and touched his firm chest.
Li Fei Yu stared fixedly at the chest that she had stuck her sword into. As she felt the man’s strong heartbeat, she muttered, “What kind of a monster are you?”
Although the wound was still visible, it had mostly healed. It had only been a short time since Yang Kai was injured. As such, it was reasonable to assume it wouldn’t be long before the wound disappeared completely.
What bothered Li Fei Yu was that Yang Kai’s blood was golden. His blood also seemed to contain a horrifying power.
That was probably the reason he was able to deal with three Order Lords despite being a True Element Boundary Master.
“You should be more respectful of people’s boundaries,” Yang Kai slapped her hand away and put on a new shirt.
Li Fei Yu continued, “No wonder Xue Ji is so attracted to you. She even came back to you and submitted herself to you.”
She learned that from Zuo Wu You, who was there to witness the incident. He was loyal to the Spirit Religion, so he wouldn’t hide anything from Li Fei Yu.
“Did you even listen to what I said?” Yang Kai shot her a helpless look.
With a solemn expression, Li Fei Yu replied, “Yes, there will be no flaws in our cooperation.”
Only then did Yang Kai dip his head with satisfaction, “Good.” He then sat down cross-legged again and glanced at her, “Tell me more about the Black Ink Cult.”
Li Fei Yu asked seriously, “What do you want to know?”
Yang Kai said, “Everything about the Apostles!”
Li Fei Yu was shocked upon hearing that, “Are you aware of the Apostles’ existence?”
“I’ve heard about them,” Yang Kai nodded. Naturally, he learned this from Yan Peng. Unfortunately, even though Yan Peng was an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master and held an important position in the Black Ink Cult, he knew little about the Apostles.
When he repeatedly came across Xue Ji back then, he wasn’t aware of this piece of information yet, so he didn’t have a chance to ask her about it.
Therefore, Yang Kai decided to seize the chance and find out more from Li Fei Yu now.
Faced with the question, Li Fei Yu considered her words for a moment before replying, “In truth, we know little about the Apostles; after all, they always remain in the deepest part of the Black Ink Abyss to protect that place. Although we’ve launched some wars against the Black Ink Cult over the years, we’ve never managed to pose a threat to Black Ink Abyss; as such, the Apostles have never made a move.”
After a pause, she continued, “The Apostles’ existence is both a taboo, and a mystery. It’s said that they’re engrossed in learning more about Black Ink Strength and spend all of their time in the Black Ink Abyss to unlock its secrets. Rumours have it that they might’ve broken through the Immortal Ascension Boundary and reached a higher Realm. We have no idea what that Realm is, nor do we know how many Apostles there are. The only thing we know is that the Apostles will never leave the Black Ink Abyss; and indeed, they’ve never been spotted outside. Even those from the Black Ink Cult know little about the Apostles. If not for the fact that they never leave the Black Ink Abyss, we would’ve been defeated a long time ago.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai furrowed his brow.
With Mu’s help, he was now an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master. When he was at the Ancient Grounds earlier, he hid his cultivation and only showcased power in the True Element Boundary; as such, the Order Lords believed that he was only a True Element Boundary Master.
Given his true strength, it could be said that no one in the Primordial World was a match for him.
Nevertheless, his strength wasn’t infinite, after all. He couldn’t possibly defeat the entire Black Ink Cult on his own despite being powerful; therefore, if he wanted to destroy the Black Ink Cult, he had to make use of the Light Spirit Religion’s power.
The Profound Source Gate that had suppressed and sealed Mo’s Source Strength was located in Black Ink Abyss, where the Black Ink Cult originated from.
The Apostles were also hiding in the Black Ink Abyss. They were engrossed in Black Ink Strength, so they had been staying there to figure out its secrets. They could even be described as fanatics.
All the same, no one could deny that the Apostles were extremely powerful.
Only by destroying the Black Ink Cult and the Apostles would Yang Kai have time to refine the Profound Source Gate and suppress Mo’s Source piece.
It was destined to be a tough fight; however, this war would affect the survival of the 3,000 Worlds and the entire Human Race, so Yang Kai had to do his best.
Even the Fire Order Lord Li Fei Yu was only aware of some rumours about the Apostles, so the others obviously knew little about them.
Yang Kai thought that if he wanted to find out the Apostles’ secrets, he had to head to the Black Ink Abyss and look into the matter personally.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai acquired more information from Li Fei Yu that he let her leave.
Before exiting, Li Fei Yu turned around all of a sudden and remarked, “Your acting was impeccable.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai subconsciously replied, but he soon realised that she was talking about the fight outside the Ancient Grounds.
He couldn’t help but think that since he was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, putting on an act in front of a group of Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters was like entertaining newborn children.
In a restaurant, a dazed Zuo Wu You drank heavily to ease his sorrow.
Yang Kai, who had gone through a lot of hardship to arrive at the Holy City with him, was now dead.
The day before, the Holy Temple announced that Yang Kai failed the test left behind by the first Saintess, which proved that he wasn’t the real Holy Son; instead, he was an impersonator with malicious intentions. Therefore, the Order Lords joined forces and killed him.
After the news was spread, everyone in Dawn City was shocked, and many of the disciples couldn’t accept the truth.
They had been waiting and suffering for years before the Holy Son appeared. He was like the silver light in the darkness, but barely one day later, he was killed, plunging the world into darkness again.
However, the Holy Temple soon announced a piece of exciting news.
In truth, the real Holy Son was found 10 years ago. He was the person described in the prophecy. More importantly, he had passed the test left behind by the first Saintess, so the current Saintess and the Order Lords had long acknowledged him.
Over the past 10 years, he had been cultivating in seclusion, and he had now reached the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Now, the Holy Son was about to be introduced to the public, and the Spirit Religion was getting ready to set off to the Black Ink Abyss.
All the disciples in Dawn City were exhilarated.
The second piece of news was invigorating, so the impact of the fake Holy Son’s death had been significantly weakened. Everyone was drowned in the joy of a better future, and they quickly forgot about the fake Holy Son, who had everyone’s support while entering the city.
Nevertheless, Zuo Wu You would never forget about him.
On their way to the Holy City, he saw how Yang Kai defeated so many powerful opponents despite supposedly being weaker than them. Although he was only a True Element Boundary Master, he was able to kill Immortal Ascension Realm Masters, injured Xue Ji, and repel the Earth Chapter Master. After that, he even made Xue Ji submit herself to him.
He had always believed that the Holy Son was supposed to be powerful and achieve the impossible. Only a Holy Son like Yang Kai could save the World.
Nevertheless, someone like him still failed the test and was killed by the Order Lords.
The Order Lords assured that he was an impersonator.
Zuo Wu You was puzzled, not knowing what the truth was anymore.
If Yang Kai was a phoney, why did he come to the Holy City just to get himself killed?
Why did Chu An He do such a thing?
Also, why did an unknown Order Lord try to kill them in secret?
Zuo Wu You found it hard to know what was true and what was false, realizing for the first time just how complicated the world was. Unable to figure anything out, he picked up a wine bottle and chugged it down to numb his thoughts.
After putting down the bottle, he strode out of the restaurant. He was a straightforward person, so he knew nothing about evil plots. He considered himself part of the Spirit Religion as he had gotten everything from there. Since they were about to set off to the Black Ink Abyss, he didn’t hesitate to contribute.
The Light Spirit Religion was highly efficient. After the Holy Son was introduced to the public, they started gathering soldiers. It only took them three days before the Order Lords led their Armies to depart from the Holy City and head to the Black Ink Abyss via four different routes.
They had been preparing for this moment for many years, and the soldiers were strong and powerful. With the Holy Son leading them, they were all high-spirited.
Soon, conflicts of different scales broke out in various places.
Although the Black Ink Cult and the Spirit Religion had been fighting each other for as long anyone could remember, they were restrained most of the time. Surprisingly, those from the Spirit Religion were going all-out this time.
Those from the Black Ink Cult were unprepared for the sudden aggressive assault, so they had no choice but to fall back repeatedly. The Spirit Religion soon conquered and occupied many of their territories.
Four major Armies marched forward at the same time, coordinating with each other as they liberated city after city.
Several days later, those from the Black Ink Cult, who were initially caught off guard, finally organized themselves and rallied together to defend themselves.
The Primordial World wasn’t large, with limited landmass.
If the World was divided into two, the East belonged to the Light Spirit Religion while the West was occupied by the Black Ink Cult.
In the middle of the two Great Forces, there was a long grey area. Neither party controlled this region so both could move about it freely.
This area was where both parties frequently broke into conflicts, but it was also a buffer zone for them.
Since both parties were equally matched, the existence of such a buffer zone was necessary.
Blessings City was located in the west of the buffer zone where the Black Ink Cult was essentially in charge. It was a tiny city with a small population.
The City Lord was only a First Stage Immortal Ascension Master with a bulging belly.
Given his low strength, he wasn’t really qualified to be a City Lord; however, since this area was located in the buffer zone, he was able to obtain the position. Although the city didn’t belong to any Great Force on paper, he had secretly sided with the Black Ink Cult and had been collecting information for them for many years.
Blessings City was near the territory the Black Ink Cult controlled, so he had made a wise decision.
As the City Lord, he had been carefree for the past 10 years, but he couldn’t be at ease today.
That was because the Light Spirit Religion’s Armies were heading straight for his city. The Spirit Religion had taken control of most of the cities in the buffer zone already, and they would reach Blessings City soon.
At such a critical moment, he had to make a choice quickly. He could either stay loyal to the Black Ink Cult, or side with the Light Spirit Religion.
With a frown, he clenched a jade slip that contained critical intelligence from the past few days.
“It’s troublesome. The fake Holy Son was killed, and the real one appeared. Those from the Light Spirit Religion have gathered all their forces to attack the Black Ink Abyss. They’ll pass through Blessings City soon, so I have to contact those from the Light Spirit Religion as soon as possible.” He knew that given the fact that he was only a First Stage Immortal Ascension Master, he was unable to resist the Light Spirit Religion’s Armies.
Presently, those from Light Spirit Religion had all the momentum in the conflict, so he couldn’t possibly save Blessings City from them. As such, he had to side with the Light Spirit Religion immediately if he wished to survive.
Nevertheless, he didn’t notice that when he was speaking, the soft and alluring woman in his embrace wore a shocked expression.
The woman got up from the bed and looked at him before asking in a gentle voice, “Sir, who did you say was killed?”
The City Lord replied with a smile, “A guy who pretended to be the Holy Son. He went all the way to Dawn City, but he failed the Light Spirit Religion’s test; therefore, several Order Lords joined forces and killed him.”
The woman kept a smile on her face, “What’s his name?”
The City Lord tried recalling it and said, “If my memory serves me right, his name was Yang Kai.”
The woman lowered her gaze and glanced at the jade slip in his hand, “Can I take a look?”
The City Lord pinched her face and said with a smile, “Only cultivators can use this. Since you’ve never cultivated before, you can’t see…”
Before he could finish his words, his expression changed. That was because the jade slip disappeared from his hand and fell into the woman’s possession.
He didn’t even realise when it had happened.
With his figure stiffening, he stared fixedly at the woman before his eyes, his expression turning from surprised to horrified.
All of a sudden, he recalled a certain rumour.
Across from him, the woman appeared oblivious to his reaction as she looked into the jade slip in silence. A moment later, she said through clenched teeth, “No! It’s impossible that he was killed just like that! I don’t believe he’s dead!”
As soon as the woman finished speaking, the City Lord dashed away from her at the speed of lightning, which was surprising given his weight. Obviously, he had pushed his strength to its limit in an attempt to flee from this place.
If the rumours were true, he wouldn’t be a match for the gentle-looking woman with whom he had spent the last three years.
Nonetheless, he soon descended into a state of despair. When he was about to reach the window, an immense power restricted him and pulled him back towards the woman. The next moment, he fell on his bottom in front of her.
In an instant, he started shuddering with a pale expression.
The woman slowly rose from the bed, but unlike how she had been behaving for the past three years, she appeared more like a horrifying monster at that moment. She looked condescendingly at the fatty and questioned emotionlessly, “Do you think that guy is dead?”
Certainly, the City Lord didn’t have the answer to her question. He speculated that the fake Holy Son must have something to do with this woman, so he repeatedly pressed his head against the floor and said, “I have no idea, Madam! I just received the information and haven’t managed to verify it yet!”
The woman squinted her eyes, “Do you know who I am?”
The City Lord replied honestly, “I have some speculations.”
The woman nodded, “Good. It seems that you’re clever enough to know what you should do.”
As an idea sprang into his mind, the City Lord said, “Don’t worry, Madam. I’ll tell someone to verify the news right away so that you’ll get an accurate answer.”
“Good. Go now,” the woman waved her hand imperiously.
A relieved City Lord got to his feet, but when he lifted his head, he realised that the woman was looking mockingly at him. Although they had spent a long time together, her alluring face felt strange to him.
At the same time, a layer of blood mist engulfed him.
“Mercy, Madam!” Shrieked the City Lord. The moment the blood mist appeared, he knew that his speculations were right.
She was indeed ‘that’ woman, and the rumours were all true.
As though having spirituality of its own, the blood mist streamed into the City Lord’s body through his pores. He screamed in horror, but he soon lost his voice.
A moment later, a hideous and withered corpse was left lying on the floor. A thick blood mist gushed out of the corpse and was absorbed by the woman.
The woman, who would normally have been elated, only appeared sorrowful, as though she had lost something important as she muttered under her breath, “That’s impossible. He is so incredible, how could you be killed just like that? I won’t believe it!”
With a hideous expression, she soon made up her mind, “I have to look into this!”
Saying so, she whirled around and turned into a bloody beam before shooting into the sky.
Half a day after the woman was gone, those from the City Lord’s Mansion finally discovered that the City Lord was dead, and they broke into a commotion.
On the other hand, right after the woman left Blessings City, she detected something and turned to look in a particular direction.
Something seemed to be guiding her.
She frowned in puzzlement, but after a moment of hesitation, she charged forward in that direction.
Soon enough, she saw a familiar figure in a gazebo. Although the man sported a face she had never seen before, she could feel it through her blood. The man before her eyes was the one she was looking for.
Looking at the figure in the gazebo, the woman became at ease. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.
When she reached the person, she saluted him and said, “Servant greets Master.”
The person seemed oblivious to everything as he looked dazedly in a particular direction.
The woman looked in the same direction, but all she saw were endless clouds.
She stood there and waited patiently like a maid. At that moment, she no longer appeared aggressive or arrogant.
A while later, Yang Kai suddenly said, “If one day, you realised that everything around you is an illusion, and the World you lived in is not what you think it is, what would you do?”
After giving it some thought, Xue Ji measured her words and asked cautiously, “What are you trying to say, Master?”
Yang Kai shook his head and took back his gaze before turning to look at her, “You’re an intelligent woman, so you’ll figure it out one day. Before that, I need you to help me with something.”
Xue Ji immediately fell to her knees, “I’ll never disobey your orders, Master.”
“Bring me to the Black Ink Abyss!”
The Black Ink Abyss was where the Black Ink Cult originated from. The Profound Source Gate, where a part of Mo’s Source had been suppressed and sealed, was also located there; however, since Yang Kai had only been in this World for a short time, he didn’t know where the Black Ink Abyss was. After pondering for a moment, he decided to just ask Xue Ji to lead the way for him; therefore, he looked for the woman through the Soul Mark and waited outside this city.
Xue Ji shuddered with a shocked expression as she asked hesitantly, “Why do you want to go there, Master?”
Yang Kai replied impassively, “That is none of your business. Just lead the way for me.”
Xue Ji hung her head low, “Yes.”
Then, she lifted her head and looked expectantly at the man. She parted her lips, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
A helpless Yang Kai formed a small wound on his finger and flicked some Dragon Blood at her.
Xue Ji devoured the blood like it was a precious treasure. Soon, she turned into a blood mist and flew off. From afar, she said, “Please wait for me, Master. I’ll be right back!”
Half a day later, Xue Ji returned, soaked in sweat. However, her aura had increased significantly, and it was to the point where she was unable to suppress it.
She had repeatedly gained benefits from Yang Kai, which had helped strengthen her tremendously. She was already at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Realm to begin with, and if not for the shackles of this World’s Principles, she would’ve achieved a breakthrough.
This woman was talented in the Blood Dao, and she had some kind of Special Constitution that perfectly matched her use of Blood Principles. Unfortunately for her, she was born in the Primordial World. Restricted by the Space-Time River, she was unable to escape from the Universe World’s suppression.
If she lived in a stronger Universe World, her strength would not be so low.
“I’ll teach you a technique that can help suppress your aura. Listen carefully,” Yang Kai said.
An elated Xue Ji replied, “Many thanks for your teachings, Master!”
After she acquired the technique, she circulated it and realised she was finally able to suppress the wild aura. Yang Kai was already mysterious in her eyes, and now, he looked even more inscrutable to her.
The two of them then headed straight to the Black Ink Abyss.
While on their way, Yang Kai asked the woman about the Apostles; however, even though Xue Ji was a Chapter Master of the Black Ink Cult, she knew little about them.
“Master, you might not be aware of it yet, but the Black Ink Abyss is where our cult originated from. That place is sacred in our eyes; therefore, no ordinary person is allowed to go near it. Only those who have made great contributions to the cult can cultivate beside the Black Ink Abyss. On the other hand, Chapter Masters like me are given quotas every year and are allowed to enter the Black Ink Abyss at certain times.”
Following a pause, she continued, “Black Ink Strength is strange as it can change a person’s nature; therefore, comprehending Black Ink Strength’s secrets in the abyss is both an opportunity and a risk. If one is lucky, their cultivation will increase significantly. If they are unlucky, they’ll lose themself forever. Many in the Black Ink Cult are just like that, including the Chapter Masters.”
Yang Kai nodded as he had discovered this when he came into contact with those from the Black Ink Cult back then. Although their disciples had some Black Ink Strength in their bodies, it was basically negligible. Moreover, their nature was never fully changed. For example, Xue Ji still retained her independence and individuality.
It was different from the Black Ink Disciples that Yang Kai had come across before; those Black Ink Disciples had been fully corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so they only held Mo supreme.
As Xue Ji spoke, she appeared slightly fearful, “Those who have lost themselves look just like their usual selves, but their minds have changed completely. I too almost fell into that situation once; fortunately, I retreated in the nick of time and saved myself.”
Yang Kai said, “Since that is the case, when you cultivate in the Black Ink Abyss, you have to strike a balance between comprehending Black Ink Strength and keeping your sanity. Is that right?”
Xue Ji replied, “You can think of it as so. If we can retain the balance, we’ll be able to increase our powers; however, once the balance is broken, we’ll lose ourselves forever. I believe the Apostles are such beings.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
“From what I’ve observed over the years, many disciples lose themselves while cultivating in the Black Ink Abyss. Most of them leave the Black Ink Abyss and live their lives as though nothing has changed; nevertheless, a small number of people continue further into the Black Ink Abyss and disappear. Those people are the Apostles!”
“Since they’ve disappeared, how did all of you find out about the Apostles?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Although we can’t see them, we can hear growls like those of beasts from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss; therefore, we know that there are living beings in the depths, ones who must have dove deeper than others can. However, we don’t know what happened to them.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai nodded.
In that case, the Apostles were the real Black Ink Disciples. Their temperaments had been contorted by Black Ink Strength, and no one knew what happened to them after they went further into the abyss. Although they were still alive, they never appeared again.
“I heard that the Apostles will never leave the Black Ink Abyss,” Yang Kai said.
Xue Ji replied, “That is indeed the case. The Black Ink Cult has been around for many centuries, but as far as I know, no Apostles have ever left the Black Ink Abyss before.”
“Have you guys tried finding out the reason?” Yang Kai asked.
Xue Ji shook her head, “No one has ever met the Apostles before, so how are we supposed to find out anything?”
Yang Kai stopped asking further. It seemed that Xue Ji knew little about the matter as well. If he wanted to find out more about the Apostles, he had to go down and have a look for himself.
“The Light Spirit Religion has launched a war against the Black Ink Cult, so the final conflict between the two parties is inevitable. As the Night Chapter Master, aren’t you supposed to be at the frontline?”
Xue Ji replied with a smile, “Well, the Night Chapter is mainly responsible for assassinating enemies, so we don’t have many members. As such, we’re usually not involved in large-scale warfare like this. The other Masters will have a discussion and settle it.”
After pondering for a moment, she said cautiously, “I suppose you’re on the Light Spirit Religion’s side, Master.”
“Let’s say I’m indeed on their side, what will you do?” Yang Kai questioned.
Xue Ji replied frankly, “I will always follow you as your servant.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction.
With Xue Ji, the Night Chapter Master, leading the way, they could easily move around even if they ran into some Black Ink Cultists who questioned Yang Kai’s identity.
10 days later, the pair finally arrived at the Black Ink Abyss, where the Black Ink Cult originated from.
The Black Ink Abyss was located in the Black Ink Flatland. It was an extensive plain which was the most important area for the Black Ink Cult.
This place was guarded by Black Ink Cult members all year round; however, since they currently had to deal with those from the Light Spirit Religion, many of the guards were gone, leaving just a few guards behind.
The periphery of the flatland was lush and verdant, but as they went deeper, the place became increasingly desolate, as though a mysterious power was affecting this vast land.
When they arrived at the centre of the flatland, there was a huge abyss. The abyss was like a chasm in the land that led to the depths of the Universe World. There was no end in sight, and it was pitch black to the eye.
It was the Black Ink Abyss!
Standing right above the abyss, they could hear the wind howl and some muffled growls, as though some beasts had been trapped inside.
Beside the abyss was a majestic palace, which was built by those from the Black Ink Cult.
All the disciples who wanted to cultivate in the Black Ink Abyss had to go to the palace and register their names before they were allowed to enter; however, with Xue Ji around, Yang Kai didn’t have to care about such procedures. Other people would handle everything for him.
Standing above the abyss, he activated the Demon Eye of Annihilation and looked down with a solemn expression.
He could faintly feel a mysterious power spreading in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. It was the power of Mo’s Source piece!
A Black Ink Cult member came up to them and stood in front of Xue Ji before respectfully presenting an Identity Token to her, “Here you go, Chapter Master Xue.”
Xue Ji took the Identity Token and looked into it. After confirming that there was no problem with it, she nodded.
The Black Ink Cult member went on to say, “By the way, the other Masters sent us a message and said that if we saw you, we had to inform you to head to the frontline right away.”
Xue Ji replied impatiently, “En.”
After passing on the other Chapter Masters’ word, the Black Ink Cult member turned around and left.
Xue Ji passed the Identity Token to Yang Kai and spoke to him in secret, “There are many Black Ink Cult enforcers in the abyss. Sir, you just have to wear the token around your waist, and they won’t bother you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Good.” After taking the Identity Token, he hung it on his belt.
“Please be careful, Sir. Don’t go to the depths of the Black Ink Abyss if it’s not necessary to do so,” Xue Ji reminded worriedly. Although she had seen Yang Kai’s amazing methods and was awed by his Dragon Blood, no one knew what was inside the depths of the abyss. If Yang Kai was killed in the abyss or couldn’t come back, she would lose her source of Dragon Blood!
Certainly, she was worried about Yang Kai’s safety, but she was more concerned about her future.
Xue Ji watched as Yang Kai leapt into the Black Ink Abyss.
Initially, everything looked perfectly normal, but as he went deeper, he felt some faint Black Ink Strength permeating the air. The Black Ink Strength came from the piece of Mo’s Source which had been suppressed and sealed in the deepest part of the Black Ink Abyss.
The entire place was dim. There were stone rooms on both sides of the abyss that were apparently built by the Black Ink Cult members. They stayed in the stone rooms and cultivated in an attempt to comprehend the Black Ink Strength’s secrets and increase their powers. Most stone rooms were empty, with only some of them exuding Human auras.
Yang Kai was curious about this. According to Xue Ji, the Black Ink Cult members were trying to strike a balance between figuring out the secrets and resisting the Black Ink Strength’s corruption. If they were able to retain the balance, their powers would increase significantly; however, if they failed to do so, they would be taken over by Black Ink Strength and turned into Black Ink Disciples.
He had no idea how Black Ink Strength was able to increase a cultivator’s strength as it was unlike anything he knew. Out of curiosity, he moved towards a stone room with someone inside and observed them in secret. In the end, he came to a conclusion that he wasn’t entirely certain about.
Mo’s Source had been cut into many pieces by Mu, so the one in this place was only a small part of it. Furthermore, the Profound Source Gate’s seal made the Black Ink Strength less corruptive.
When the Black Ink Cult members arrived at this place, they were able to break through their bottlenecks while trying to resist the Black Ink Strength’s influence. They could even refine some Black Ink Strength so that they could use it at the most critical moment to receive an explosive increase in power.
When Yang Kai was with Zuo Wu You back then, he killed many Black Ink Cult members. Before their deaths, many activated their Black Ink Strength. However, they were unable to change their fate due to the huge difference between their true strengths.
This was an interesting discovery. Mu said that the birth of the Black Ink Cult was inevitable because Mo’s Source piece existed. No matter who was tasked with guarding this place, even if they were from the Light Spirit Religion, they would be eroded by Black Ink Strength eventually. Their temperaments would be contorted, and they would give up their faith to worship Mo.
Yang Kai also had some speculation as to why Mu said she couldn’t go near the Profound Source Gate and control it herself.
After leaving the stone room, he dove deeper into the abyss. Sometimes, he would bump into enforcers from the Black Ink Cult, but when they saw the Identity Token at his waist, they didn’t make things difficult for him. Some of them even reminded him to weigh his abilities and not push himself too hard. He thanked them and moved on.
As Yang Kai dove deeper, he realised that the Black Ink Strength became increasingly dense. There were fewer stone rooms on the sides of the abyss, and the number of cultivators decreased sharply.
About an hour later, he could no longer feel the aura of any living creature, and there were no more stone rooms.
Yang Kai realised that he had come to depths that the Black Ink Cult members had never reached before. At this point, Black Ink Strength was extremely thick, and the entire place was pitch black. He could only activate the Demon Eye of Annihilation and his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings.
It was dead silent in the abyss, and the entire place felt eerie and horrifying. Yang Kai dove deeper towards the source of the Black Ink Strength. There came a moment when his feet contacted the ground. It seemed that he had reached the deepest part of the Black Ink Abyss. Cracks sounded beneath his feet, drawing his eyes.
The deepest part of the Black Ink Abyss was covered with bones, and there was no end to them in sight. Countless Black Ink Cultists must have passed away in this place over the years, and their bones now littered the floor.
Yang Kai picked up a bone and examined it before frowning. That was because the bone in his hand was strange as it was much larger than an ordinary human’s. He looked at the other bones and realised they were the same.
[What’s going on?]
The ground started shaking all of a sudden. It was as though a gigantic creature was charging forward in his direction.
Yang Kai looked in the direction of the noise but couldn’t see anything. As he recalled Xue Ji’s words and his purpose for the visit though, he formed some speculations.
The next moment, he tossed the bone away and released his Divine Sense. Soon, he discovered the source of the noise. The noise was caused by a living creature whose aura was unusually vital.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai decided to avoid contact and backed away. Much to his surprise, the unknown creature chased after him.
It seemed that this creature could detect Yang Kai’s whereabouts, but he didn’t feel any Divine Sense probing him. It was a strange scenario.
He decided to stop moving and wait in the same spot, for he wanted to figure out what was going on with the Apostles that lived in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss.
Soon enough, a gigantic figure emerged from the darkness and appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes.
What Yang Kai saw made him furrow his brow. Although the creature still resembled a Human, it was heavily mutated.
The ‘Apostle’ was three times taller than Yang Kai with a hunched back and unusually long arms. When it ran, it did so with all four limbs. The creature looked like a huge ape, its figure unusually bulky, as though some air had been blown into its muscles.
What bothered Yang Kai the most was that the Apostle was full of sarcomas. It reminded him of scenes he had seen in the past.
Many millennia ago, there were numerous Open Heaven Realm Masters who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength and turned into Black Ink Disciples. The Black Ink Strength helped them break through their innate limits and reach higher Orders, but there was a price to pay as their figures were transformed and their minds warped.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters who had broken through their limits with Black Ink Strength developed sarcomas, which continuously released pus that stank terribly. They also had hard to predict bodily distortions.
Yang Kai put up his guard in an instant.
Meanwhile, the Apostle had dexterously leapt into the air. It descended upon Yang Kai like a mountain and pushed out its palm as it flew.
Yang Kai wanted to figure out the creature’s true power, so he threw a fist of his own instead of running away.
Following a loud boom, the entire ground shook. Yang Kai was forced to lower his figure as he slid backwards upon impact. His feet formed two long traces on the ground as his clothes flapped in the wind.
On the other hand, the Apostle was sent flying away after exchanging moves with Yang Kai. After it landed on the ground, it got to its feet quickly. A dark fog surrounded it as it growled and charged towards Yang Kai again. It knew no pain, nor did it have any sanity left.
Seeing that, Yang Kai quickly got ready for a fight.
With Mu’s help, he was now at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary, which was the limit in this World. If his power continued to increase, he would be suppressed and rejected by this Universe World.
However, given his foundation as a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it was not an exaggeration to say that no one in the Primordial World could exchange more than three moves with him.
However, the strange-looking Apostle fought Yang Kai for half an incense stick before he found a chance to kill it.
In other words, if such an Apostle left the Black Ink Abyss, it would be peerless in the World. The Chapter Masters from the Black Ink Cult and the Order Lords from the Spirit Religion were simply no match for it.
Putrid blood gushed out of the Apostle as thick Black Ink Strength escaped from the carcass. Yang Kai watched everything with a heavy heart.
He finally realised why there were so many oversized bones in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. The Apostles were much bigger than Humans, after all. Over the years, countless Apostles lost their lives in this place, so it was only natural that so many massive bones were littered here.
Nonetheless, that wasn’t the crux of the problem. The problem was that the Apostle that Yang Kai had just fought had a power that was beyond the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Above the Immortal Ascension Boundary was the Transcendent Realm. The Apostle that Yang Kai had killed was obviously in the Transcendent Realm.
However, since it had lost its sanity and could only act on instinct, it was unable to fully utilize the power of a Transcendent Realm Master; otherwise, it would’ve been harder for Yang Kai to kill it.
Why was there a Transcendent Realm Apostle here? The Martial Dao in this World was low, so it supposedly could accommodate Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters at most. If not for this innate limit, some talented people would’ve broken through the limits of the Immortal Ascension Boundary over the years.
Nonetheless, no Transcendent Realm Masters had ever existed in this World before.
As Yang Kai was at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he could clearly feel the suppression of the World’s Will. The merciless World wouldn’t allow Transcendent Realm Masters to exist; otherwise, it would cause the Universe World to descend into chaos and its Principles to destabilise.
So why were the Apostles able to reach such a realm?
Yang Kai turned to look in a different direction and faintly saw a door, which he supposed was the Profound Source Gate.
A part of Mo’s Source was suppressed behind the door. It was this Source piece that formed the unique environment in the Black Ink Abyss and gave birth to the Apostles and the Black Ink Cult.
However, Yang Kai didn’t have time to look into the Profound Source Gate’s secrets. That was because tremors could be felt coming from all directions. Sweeping his gaze around, he saw many gigantic figures charging towards him as they roared eerily.
There was more than one Apostle in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss!
Yang Kai’s expression sank. Although he had the foundation of a Ninth-Order Master, his power was significantly suppressed in this independent World. It took him a lot of strength to kill the Apostle earlier, so if he was besieged by so many Apostles, he would end up in a horrible state.
Just as he was preparing to use Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability to conceal himself, he suddenly thought of something and changed his mind. The next moment, he shot upwards from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. The Apostles growled and chased after him. Although these Apostles looked bulky, they were quite speedy and dexterous.
With so many Apostles racing after Yang Kai, he took on the appearance of a meteor that shot through the darkness.
The noise soon alerted the Black Ink Cult members in the upper part of the abyss. The snarls sent chills running down their spines as they left their stone rooms and looked down, not knowing what was going on.
Soon, a Black Ink Cultist at the lowest depths accessible saw a sight he would never forget.
In the darkness, a figure dashed out from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. At the same time, many enormous creatures chased after him while growling.
“Are they the Apostles?” The Black Ink Cult member’s pupils dilated as he couldn’t believe he would see such legendary beings in his lifetime.
Although this Black Ink Cult member wasn’t a Chapter Master, he was in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary; therefore, he was just as powerful as one.
With such power, he was confident to cultivate in a spot that was hard for others to reach.
If he was successful this time, he would challenge a Chapter Master and defeat them so that he could take their place.
Much to his surprise, someone had gone further down into the Black Ink Abyss, and had somehow provoked many Apostles.
When the Immortal Ascension Boundary Master saw the Apostles’ bulky and hideous figures and felt their terrifying auras, he was initially horrified, but he soon became excited.
He was horrified because so many Apostles had emerged at the same time and it was a mystery as to what had happened in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. On the other hand, he was excited because there was a higher Realm above the Immortal Ascension Boundary. The Apostles had apparently reached that Realm!
It was a goal he couldn’t achieve despite all his hard work, and it was also a secret that all the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters in the Primordial World had been pursuing.
While he was lost in his thoughts, a shocking scene came into his sight.
At that moment, an immense power seemed to have descended upon this place. Faced with this power, even a Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master felt as insignificant as an ant.
It was the power of the World!
Everyone present felt the anomaly immediately.
Invisible World Principles started gathering and becoming a mess before they turned into a storm that could destroy everything.
The storm surrounded the Apostles as a destructive aura permeated the air.
The Apostles looked up and growled. Although they were in a Realm above the Immortal Ascension Boundary, they were still unable to resist such destructive force.
Popping sounds were heard as the sarcomas on the Apostles’ figures exploded. As thick Black Ink Strength and blood spread, the entire place stank horribly.
Unable to withstand the destructive storm any longer, an Apostle exploded into a blood mist with a loud boom.
As if a spark setting off a firestorm, more Apostles began experiencing the same fate.
The Apostles that came from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss seemed to have passed an invisible boundary. On one side of the boundary, it was life, and on the other side, it was death.
The remaining Apostles finally detected the danger ahead. Although they had lost their sanity, they still had their instincts. Like a group of wild beasts, they made the wisest decision when their lives were at stake, they stopped in their tracks. Instead of chasing after Yang Kai, they slowly returned to the darkness as their growls gradually faded.
Yang Kai hovered in mid-air and looked down in contemplation.
It seemed that things were just as he had expected.
He didn’t conceal his figure using Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability earlier because he wanted to verify his speculation. In order to do so, he lured the Apostles to leave the Black Ink Abyss.
[This is going to be troublesome…]
He secretly clicked his tongue. Initially, Yang Kai thought that if he wanted to refine the Profound Source Gate, he just had to deal with the Black Ink Cult. Now, it seemed that he had to clear out these Apostles as well.
However, the Apostles were all in the Transcendent Realm. Since he was only at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he wasn’t a match for a swarm of them.
Therefore, he had to come up with a solution.
All of a sudden, a series of growls and pops were heard coming from somewhere.
Yang Kai turned around and saw a figure in front of a stone room. A man in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary had come out to find out what was going on.
Just now, Yang Kai already detected his presence, but he didn’t pay attention to him.
Upon closer inspection, he realised that the person was no longer able to resist the Black Ink Strength exuded from the Apostles earlier.
This person was trying to break through his limits by cultivating in such a spot, and if there had been no external harassment, he could’ve kept his sanity; however, many Apostles were killed just now, and the Black Ink Strength billowing from their corpses was too intense. Therefore, it immediately exceeded the limit that this person could bear.
Yang Kai watched as the man was engulfed in thick Black Ink Strength, and the aura exuded from him turned wicked. Nonetheless, his aura was rising sharply, as though he was about to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary. Of course, it was difficult for him to achieve his goal due to the suppression of the World’s Will.
All of a sudden, the man looked down at the Black Ink Abyss’ depths with a fervent gaze and muttered, “I see. This is the power that transcends the Immortal Ascension Boundary!”
Saying so, he moved downwards without hesitation, sporting an elated expression as though something was calling out to him.
However, the moment he moved, Yang Kai blocked his way and landed a palm on his forehead. The person’s head shattered upon impact before he could even grunt in pain.
Knowing that this man would turn into another Apostle after falling into the Black Ink Abyss, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t stand by and do nothing. By destroying him now, he would have one less opponent in the future.
Then, Yang Kai took another look at the depths of the Black Ink Abyss before shooting upwards.
To save himself some trouble, he concealed his figure and aura this time so that no one would notice him.
The anomaly in the Black Ink Abyss’ depths had alerted many Black Ink Cultists, but they could only hear some growls and howling, so they didn’t know what happened.
As the news spread, many Black Ink Cultists soon gathered together; nevertheless, given the fact that they were unable to reach the deepest part of the abyss, they couldn’t gather any useful information.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Xue Ji was still waiting for him.
He secretly spoke to Xue Ji and told her to go somewhere quiet before giving her some orders.
Xue Ji nodded repeatedly, “I understand, Master. However, please give me a Faith Token. Otherwise, given my identity, I won’t be able to gain that person’s trust.”
“Sure,” Yang Kai fished out a jade slip and left his Imprint inside. After writing a short message as well, he passed it to Xue Ji, “Go on.”
She then turned around and left.
After she was gone, Yang Kai shot into the sky and turned into a ray of light before moving in a particular direction.
The Light Spirit Religion had gone all out in their march towards the Black Ink Abyss, taking four different routes to ensure they succeeded. Initially, they could easily defeat their enemies, but as the Black Ink Cult recovered from their initial shock, it became harder and harder for them to move forward.
On balance, those from the Light Spirit Religion were still at an advantage.
The Holy Son’s performance was especially stunning. Although he was only in his early twenties, he was already at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary. When the Light Spirit Religion’s forces were trying to conquer a city the other day, the Holy Son dealt with five Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters from the Black Ink Cult on his own without being at a disadvantage. He even managed to kill one of his opponents, which significantly boosted the Spirit Religion’s morale.
Due to the Light Spirit Religion launching a war all of a sudden, the entire Primordial World descended into chaos; however, they had the people’s support. The commoners had been oppressed by the Black Ink Cult for years, so they hoped the Spirit Religion would save them.
In an abandoned village outside North River City, a figure suddenly appeared under the night sky.
The figure was a woman, and as she looked around, she demanded coldly, “Reveal yourself!”
“I’m not even hiding. Why are you so furious, Big Sister?” A woman was heard laughing as she emerged from the darkness. She was none other than Xue Ji.
The person who called out to her was the Fire Order Lord from the Light Spirit Religion, Li Fei Yu.
An Order Lord from Light Spirit Religion and a Chapter Master from the Black Ink Cult had met up in an abandoned village under the night sky. Anyone would’ve assumed that something fishy was going on between them.
Hearing the woman’s mockery, Li Fei Yu lifted her blemish-free chin, “Are you sure you’re supposed to call me Big Sister? How old are you?”
Xue Ji covered her mouth and chuckled, “I’ve asked around. You’re three months older than me, Big Sister Li.”
Li Fei Yu snorted, “Stop acting like we’re friends. Why did you want to see me?”
They briefly exchanged moves in the morning, and it was at that moment that Xue Ji secretly asked Li Fei Yu to meet her tonight.
Getting down to business, Xue Ji sported a serious expression and replied, “I was instructed to come here.”
Li Fei Yu squinted her eyes, “Instructed by who?”
Xue Ji said, “Why are you asking this question when you’re well aware of who I serve, Big Sister Li? That person told me to get into contact with you.”
After a moment of silence, Li Fei Yu shook her head, “I don’t believe your words. You have to show me some proof.”
“That’s why I’ve brought a Faith Token with me,” Xue Ji smiled and flicked a jade slip at the woman.
Li Fei Yu took it and read it with her Divine Sense. After that, she looked at Xue Ji with a conflicted gaze.
Although she already knew some important information and formed some speculations, she still found it hard to believe when she saw everything for herself.
Was the Night Chapter Master from the Black Ink Cult so easily subdued?
“I told you I serve that person,” Xue Ji said.
Li Fei Yu kept the jade slip, “There’s nothing wrong with the jade slip. Although that guy trusts you, it doesn’t mean I’ll do the same; after all, men can be easily deceived sometimes.”
Xue Ji pouted aggrievedly, “You’re misunderstanding everything, Big Sister. I’m truly loyal to him.”
Li Fei Yu scoffed, “Show me something useful, then. Talk is cheap.”
Xue Ji let out a sigh, “I knew it wouldn’t be easy to gain your trust. Fortunately, I’ve also brought a gift with me.”
Saying so, she clapped her hands, after which a figure emerged from the darkness behind her. Li Fei Yu secretly put up her guard.
However, the person only walked up to Xue Ji and passed a package to her respectfully before leaving the place.
A metallic tang permeated the air immediately after.
Li Fei Yu looked at the blood-soaked package and narrowed her eyes.
Xue Ji tossed the package to the woman and said with a smile, “Let’s see if you’ll like this gift, Big Sister Li.”
Li Fei Yu let the ‘gift’ fall to the ground instead of catching it; then, she summoned a sword and opened the package.
Soon, a hideous-looking head came into her sight.
At that instant, she said in shock, “This…”
Xue Ji licked her lip and replied, “I just killed him, so the head is still warm. You can touch it if you like, Big Sister Li.”
[What is wrong with her?!]
Li Fei Yu felt her stomach churning. She didn’t expect the Night Chapter Master to be willing to do such a thing for that person.
The head belonged to the City Lord of North River City who was in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary.
It was rumoured that he had tried competing to become one of the Eight Chapter Masters in the past, but he was defeated in the end. However, since he had the right to compete for such a position, there was no doubt he was one of the most powerful cultivators in this World.
Therefore, it was a surprise that his head now lay before her.
The City Lord of North River City was dead.
Earlier that morning, an Army from the Light Spirit Religion launched an attack on North River City; however, this city was one of the most important for the Black Ink Cult, so there were countless powerful Masters inside. As such, it wasn’t easy to conquer it. The City Lord was especially difficult to deal with.
Those from the Spirit Religion had been trying to come up with a solution to take North River City; nevertheless, on this silent night, Xue Ji brought the City Lord’s head and presented it to Li Fei Yu.
While Li Fei Yu was still in a dazed state, Xue Ji disappeared into the darkness and said from a distance, “Those from North River City won’t discover it before the break of dawn. I don’t think you need me to tell you what to do.”
“Wait!” Li Fei Yu called out. At this point, she no longer doubted Xue Ji.
Xue Ji was a famous woman who was a nightmare for countless men, but she had submitted herself to that person.
The next moment, Xue Ji revealed herself again and asked, “What else?”
Li Fei Yu said, “I don’t think killing this guy was the only thing that person told you to do.”
The smile on Xue Ji’s face faded as she looked away and clicked her tongue, “I hate clever women like you!”
Li Fei Yu arched her brow, thinking that her speculation was right; therefore, she questioned frankly, “So, what orders did he give you?”
A displeased Xue Ji hesitated for a while before replying, “Master told me to work closely with you. You just have to tell me your targets, and I’ll remove the obstacles for you.”
“Master…” Li Fei Yu felt her face twitching. That certain someone was so powerful that not only did he conquer this woman, but he had also managed to make her call him ‘Master’.
One had to know that this woman was one of the most formidable cultivators in the World.
Li Fei Yu suppressed her shock and nodded, “That’s great. How should I contact you, then? You have to give me something.”
“Here you go!” Like an aggrieved child, Xue Ji angrily tossed a communication bead at her.
Li Fei Yu took it with a pleased expression. As she looked at her long-time opponent, she said, “I didn’t expect a woman like you to submit yourself to a man. Is he so charming? Or is he able to please you in some other way?”
It was meant to be mockery, but after she finished her words, her entire figure stiffened all of a sudden. She could see Xue Ji’s figure fading, and the next moment, a chill ran down her spine.
Xue Ji’s voice sounded from behind. She was as light-weighted as a ghost, and her breath made the woman’s hair sway, “Master is more powerful than you can ever imagine, so stop saying nonsense like this. If he finds out what you’ve said, he’ll be furious, and I’ll end up in a horrible state. When that happens, I won’t let you off!”
Despite her stiff figure, Li Fei Yu placed her hand on the hilt of her sword as her forehead was beaded with sweat. She wanted to move, but she was unable to do so as though something had locked her in place.
A long time later, she whirled around and realised that Xue Ji was nowhere in sight. She didn’t even know when the woman disappeared.
As a cold breeze whisked past her, she realised that her clothes were already soaked.
She let out a long breath, looking like a drowning person who had just been saved. As her legs turned to jelly, she almost fell to the ground. The incident earlier frightened her that much.
Much to her surprise, Xue Ji had become so formidable.
One had to know that the two of them had fought many times over the years, so they could be considered long-time rivals. There was no doubt that Xue Ji’s Blood Principles were hard to deal with, but Li Fei Yu wasn’t less powerful in any way. They had always been equally matched.
Since they were at the peak of their cultivation, there was no room for improvement, so they could only keep cultivating to solidify their powers.
The last time they fought was a year ago, and Li Fei Yu had actually gained the upper hand; however, the power Xue Ji showcased just now made Li Fei Yu realise she was no longer a match for her.
If Xue Ji wanted to kill her, Li Fei Yu wouldn’t even be able to flee.
Xue Ji couldn’t increase her power significantly on her own in just one year.
It was no wonder Xue Ji was so loyal to that person and even willing to call him Master. It seemed that his Blood Essence could bring her woman unimaginable benefits.
Li Fei Yu suppressed her shock and secretly felt glad.
Xue Ji was extremely powerful now, but thanks to that person, she was on the Spirit Religion’s side.
By working with this woman in secret, they could secretly get rid of many opponents that would otherwise get in the Spirit Religion’s way. Perhaps it would be easier for them to win the war than they had imagined.
After pulling herself together, Li Fei Yu left the place in a hurry.
They had to launch an attack on North River City before the break of dawn. It was the best chance for them to conquer the city.
While the two women met up at night, Yang Kai secretly returned to Dawn City.
In the periphery of the city, he easily found Mu, who lived there.
“Why are you here again?” With a furious expression, Little Eleventh blocked the doorway to stop Yang Kai from entering, “Do you have your eye on Sixth Sister? You’d better give up now, otherwise… Ouch!”
He covered his head and turned around to look at Mu with an aggrieved expression, for the woman had landed a fist on his head earlier.
“Stop spouting nonsense. Go out and play now,” Mu glared at him.
Little Eleventh shrank his neck and didn’t dare to refute her. He pouted and ran away sorrowfully. When he brushed past Yang Kai, he made sure to bump into him.
A while later, he turned around and snapped, “Hey! If you dare to do anything to Sixth Sister, I’ll… I’ll…”
He was a young boy, so he couldn’t think of any vicious words. After racking his brain, he still couldn’t finish his sentence.
An amused Yang Kai asked, “What will you do?”
Finally, Little Eleventh threatened, “I’ll smash your head!”
Hearing that, Yang Kai broke into laughter.
Little Eleventh pulled a face at him and wiped the tears from his eyes before running away.
Yang Kai watched the young boy leave and shook his head; then, he turned around and saluted Mu, “Senior.”
Mu continued looking in Little Eleventh’s direction for a moment before saying, “You’ve noticed, haven’t you?”
Yang Kai didn’t expect her to admit to it, so he simply said, “You must have your reason for doing so.”
“Indeed,” Mu didn’t deny it, but she was curious, “How did you figure it out? He looks just like any young boy.”
“It’s the way you call him,” Yang Kai smiled, “Wu Kuang said you were ranked sixth, and there were only 10 Martial Ancestors; therefore, the name Little Eleventh is worth taking note of.”
Mu refuted, “That doesn’t mean anything.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You have a point, but there’s something you might not have realised. The last time I came, I asked you why you didn’t take control of the Profound Source Gate since it was so important. You told me you couldn’t go near the Profound Source Gate due to some reasons; however, you were the one who suppressed and sealed the Source pieces in the Profound Source Gate to begin with, so it was impossible that you couldn’t approach it. Therefore, I speculated you were not the one who couldn’t go near the Profound Source Gate; instead, it was someone else.”
Wu Kuang’s voice sounded in his mind at that moment, “Hey, you mean that Little Eleventh is…”
Yang Kai replied, “It was merely speculation before, but Mu’s reaction shows that it’s the truth.”
Instantly, Wu Kuang demanded, “Kill it!”
“If we could solve the problem by killing it, I don’t think Mu would have hesitated to do so. It’s not the crux of the problem; instead, it’s the Source that has been suppressed and sealed.”
“If you don’t give it a try, how will you know?”
“What if that only makes things worse?”
Wu Kuang fell silent, for that was indeed a possibility. In that case, they couldn’t act rashly.
As they spoke, Mu led Yang Kai to the backyard. She then took out two chairs so that they could have a seat.
“You’re a sharp one indeed,” Mu praised him, “Regardless, I didn’t intentionally hide it from you. It’s just that it wouldn’t be useful even if I told you about it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’s fine, Senior.”
Mu decided not to dwell on the topic and instead asked, “Why did you come back again? What happened?”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai replied, “I went to the Black Ink Abyss and discovered something.”
A curious Mu said, “Go on.”
Since she wasn’t able to go near the Profound Source Gate, she didn’t know what the depths of the Black Ink Abyss looked like. All she knew was some common information.
Yang Kai proceeded to tell her what he had experienced in the Black Ink Abyss.
As Mu listened to him, her expression turned serious.
After Yang Kai finished speaking, she put on a helpless smile, “It seems that I wasn’t the only one who had left behind a hidden hand. Mo must have done the same.”
She turned to look at Yang Kai, “As you can see, the Apostles possess powers that transcend the Immortal Ascension Boundary in the Black Ink Abyss, and they’re able to live there peacefully; however, once they leave the depths of the abyss, they’ll be killed by the World’s Will. That’s because this Universe World doesn’t allow anyone above the Immortal Ascension Boundary to exist, for that would cause too large a burden to the World.”
“As I thought.” Yang Kai nodded, “From what I’ve observed, there must be some kind of power in the Black Ink Abyss’ depths that shields it from the World’s Will. In other words, the bottom of the abyss has become a World of its own because of that power. Therefore, even though the Apostles possess strength above the Immortal Ascension Boundary, they’re still fine. However, once they leave the protective range of that power, the World’s Will notices their presence and turns hostile. Since their powers don’t come from their own cultivation, they’re highly unstable; as such, the Apostles are unable to bear even the mere hostility of the World’s Will and end up exploding.”
Upon hearing that, Mu nodded, “I agree.”
Yang Kai went on, “You’ve said that you were not the only one who had left behind a hidden hand as Mo had done the same. So, the problem is probably with its Source. Its Source allows the bottom of the abyss to accommodate power that is above the Immortal Ascension Boundary. I suppose it wants to use this method to protect its Source. It might even be its way of cracking the seal and helping its Source break free.”
“Do you need any help?” Mu asked.
Yang Kai came looking for her in the middle of the night, so it was obvious that he needed something from her.
“I need to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary; otherwise, I can’t go near the Profound Source Gate,” Yang Kai explained his purpose for the visit.
There were a lot of Apostles at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss. Given Yang Kai’s current cultivation, he was unable to kill them. Although he had managed to eliminate some of them by luring them away from the bottom of the abyss, they probably wouldn’t fall for this trick again after that incident.
As such, he had to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary so that he could kill all the Apostles and refine the Profound Source Gate.
His cultivation was suppressed by the World’s Will because Mu made the Immortal Ascension Boundary the limit; since she was able to help Yang Kai reach the Immortal Ascension Boundary, she naturally could help him reach a higher Realm.
“En,” Mu nodded upon hearing that, “Give me two days, and I’ll give you what you need.”
Yang Kai instantly realised this matter wasn’t easy for Mu either; otherwise, she wouldn’t have told him to wait for two days.
A while ago, she just had to point a finger at Yang Kai to help him reach the Immortal Ascension Boundary, but this time, she might have to pay a price.
She then turned around and entered the house while Yang Kai waited in the yard.
In the latter half of the night, Little Eleventh finally returned from playing outside. Since he hated Yang Kai, he pulled a face at him and dashed into the house.
Mu was heard singing to Little Eleventh, and soon, the young boy started snoring.
Little Eleventh stayed in the house for the next two days as he remained asleep the whole time. Obviously, Mu had done something to him.
Two days later, Mu stepped out of the house. When Yang Kai turned to look at her, he was shocked.
Although the woman was only a shadow of the real Mu, she always appeared to be a young woman in this World; however, barely two days had passed, yet all her hair had turned white. Although her face appeared the same, Yang Kai could feel that she had lost a lot of her vitality.
After taking a few steps forward, she already started panting.
Yang Kai quickly went over and supported her.
Mu gently leaned against the man and pointed at his chest, after which a dot of light entered his body.
Then, she said, “At the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss, this power can help you break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary’s shackles. Mo has done something there, so the World’s Will won’t detect your power; however, you can’t leave the Black Ink Abyss with this power.”
Her voice and aura were extremely weak, just like a dying old person. She even coughed as she spoke.
“I understand.” Yang Kai nodded firmly; then, he helped her take a seat and poured a cup of water for her.
Mu took a sip of water and rested for a bit before continuing, “You don’t have to make a move in a hurry. Just wait until the Black Ink Cult is destroyed. If you take action before that, there might be some unexpected complications.”
“Have you felt something, Senior?” Yang Kai asked.
Mu shook her head, “Mo is intelligent. Since it left behind such a hidden hand, it won’t be a simple one. It’s better to act carefully when possible.”
“Very well.”
“After you refine the Profound Source Gate and completely suppress the Source piece inside, you will leave this World and head to the next in the Space-Time River. Another Mu shadow will be waiting for you. Find her as soon as you can and she will continue helping you. Also, the Profound Source Gate is the key to suppressing Mo’s Source, so you mustn’t let anyone snatch it from you; otherwise, its Black Ink Strength will be restored, and no one will be a match for it.”
She kept giving him reminders, as though she was saying her last words. She was worried she wouldn’t have the chance to say such things if she didn’t do it now.
Yang Kai felt a lump in his throat as his eyes reddened.
Mu was one of the 10 Martial Ancestors. Although she passed away a long time ago, she had left behind hidden hands that would help protect her Juniors. Her shadows were waiting in different Universe Worlds; however, those shadows didn’t know if the person they were waiting for would even come. When she was planning all of this millions of years ago, Mu had no way of knowing whether it would all turn out to be pointless.
Nevertheless, the woman held on.
With a Senior like her, the Juniors naturally couldn’t just live in ignorance under her protection.
As though seeing through Yang Kai’s thoughts, Mu patted his hand and said with a smile, “I’m just a shadow. Since I’m not real, there’s no need for you to be sad; moreover, as long as the Space-Time River is still around, I won’t die.”
Yang Kai pulled himself together and said seriously, “You’ve done enough for us, Senior. Please get some rest and leave the rest to me.”
Hearing that, Mu nodded gently.
After bidding the woman farewell, Yang Kai set off on his journey again.
Not long after he was gone, Little Eleventh rubbed his eyes and stepped out of the room. Since he had been asleep for two days, his stomach started growling, and he was listless.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Mu sitting there with all her hair turned white. At that moment, he was dumbfounded.
Mu flashed a smile and beckoned to him.
In an instant, Little Eleventh burst out crying as tears slid down his face. He dashed towards Mu and looked up at her, “What happened, Sixth Sister? Why has your hair turned white?”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Mu placated him and wiped the tears from his eyes; however, they just wouldn’t stop streaming down his face.
Little Eleventh yelled, “Who did this to you?” Suddenly thinking of something, he widened his eyes, “It was that bad guy, right? It must be him!”
“Stop speaking nonsense. It wasn’t him,” Mu denied it.
“It must be him. I knew he was a bad guy!” While still crying, Little Eleventh appeared furious and his gaze was filled with resentment and wrath.
The next moment, a dark fog billowed from his figure and engulfed him.
In a cold voice, he declared, “I’ll kill him for hurting you!”
Saying so, he left the place in a hurry and picked up a wooden stick from beside the door. It was funny that a young boy like him was holding a wooden stick, but the aura exuded from his body was intimidating.
“Come back!” Mu didn’t manage to stop him. Just as she rose from the chair and was ready to chase after him though, she lost her footing and fell to the ground. She bellowed, “Why are you always so naughty? Do you want me to die from anger so badly?!”
Hearing the commotion behind, Little Eleventh turned around. When he saw Mu lying on the ground, the dark fog around him disappeared in an instant. He dropped the wooden stick and ran towards Mu before helping her up with difficulty. With his face covered in tears, he said, “I’ll be obedient, Sixth Sister. Please don’t get mad at me!”
Mu pulled him into her embrace with a sorrowful expression. A long time later, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Little Eleventh shook his head, “It’s all my fault. You don’t have to apologise to me.”
Hearing that, Mu fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.
When Little Eleventh wanted to kill Yang Kai with a wooden stick, an anomaly took place in the Black Ink Abyss.
A while ago, Yang Kai lured many Apostles from the bottom of the abyss and caused a commotion. Those from the Black Ink Cult were concerned, so they sent some Masters in to look into the matter in an attempt to find out what happened.
Those from the Black Ink Cult had always wanted to contact the Apostles to figure out how to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary; however, the Apostles never left their place, so there was never a chance to do so.
Now, they had gone to war with the Light Spirit Religion; therefore, when they heard about the news in the Black Ink Abyss, they quickly came over and looked into the matter.
Nevertheless, they had asked the members who cultivated inside the abyss, but none of them could provide any useful information.
They only knew that a Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master had disappeared.
Presently, these Masters were scattered around the abyss. As they were wondering just what they were supposed to do, they suddenly heard a series of growls and howls from the depths. Following that, horrifying auras were felt rising rapidly.
Instantly, these Masters became both shocked and doubtful as they looked intently towards the bottom.
Soon, many gigantic figures emerged from the darkness and came into their sight.
“It’s the Apostles!” Exclaimed an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master.
They had been trying to contact the Apostles this whole time, but to no avail. Much to their surprise, the legendary beings appeared before their eyes in such a way.
However, their pleasant surprise was momentary, for they soon realised something was off. These Apostles were filled with murderous intent, as though someone or something had deeply offended them. They appeared eager to leave the Black Ink Abyss and devour the entire world.
Seeing that, the Black Ink Cult Masters were terrified.
Before they could react, the Apostles suddenly stopped in their tracks and fell back into the abyss.
Only their growls were faintly heard.
At the same time, a voice seemed to be resonating in the hearts of these Black Ink Cult Masters.
They fell into a dazed state in an instant and looked longingly towards the darkness below, as though there was something fatally attractive to them down there.
Without hesitation, a figure fell into the darkness boldly.
Then, more and more people did the same until half of the Masters disappeared into the abyss. Only a small number of them managed to retain their sanity. Realising that something was amiss, they quickly moved upwards to get rid of the voice in their hearts.
Their investigation turned out to be a disaster and they had paid a huge price as a result. Dozens of Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters dove deeper into the abyss and disappeared.
..…
Back on the battlefield, the stalemate between the two sides lasted for a few days before the Light Spirit Religion gained the upper hand over the Black Ink Cult.
That was because whenever the Spirit Religion was faced with a formidable opponent, the latter would be assassinated.
The City Lord of North River City was the first to fall.
He was a Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master, so those from the Light Spirit Religion should have paid a huge price if they wanted to conquer North River City.
Nevertheless, the City Lord was suddenly killed one night.
No one knew who the culprit was, nor did anyone hear the noise of a fight. A Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master died mysteriously.
It wasn’t until the soldiers from the Light Spirit Religion launched an attack on the city that those from the Black Ink Cult discovered the City Lord’s headless corpse.
Since the City Lord was killed, the Black Ink Cult’s morale plunged as many Masters ran away. It didn’t take the Light Spirit Religion much effort to occupy North River City.
Similar things happened in many subsequent battles. More and more Black Ink Cult Masters were killed, causing those who were still alive to shiver in fear.
It wasn’t until a certain Master was killed that they realised who the culprit was.
The Black Ink Cult was divided into Eight Chapters, which were Heaven, Earth, Profound, Dawn, Night, Space, Flood, and Barren.
Each of the Chapter Masters was among the most powerful cultivators in the World. Their strength was unrivalled, but due to the limits in this World, they were unable to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Although all of them were at the peak Immortal Ascension Boundary, it didn’t mean they were equally powerful. Some were stronger than others.
Among the Eight Chapter Masters, Yu Bu Zhou, the Heaven Chapter Master, was acknowledged to be the most powerful.
It was said that he was born with a Special Constitution, and he had cultivated an amazing Secret Art; therefore, even though he had been stuck at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary for years, his power still increased steadily.
Since the Eight Chapter Masters had engaged in life-and-death battles with the Masters from the Light Spirit Religion, they were replaced frequently. There would be all new Chapter Masters every 20 to 30 years on average.
However, over the last 100 years, Yu Bu Zhou had managed to hold on to his position as the Heaven Chapter Master, with no one capable of challenging him. Whenever he fought the Masters from the Light Spirit Religion, he would always end up being the winner.
The Earth Chapter Master had contended with him before, and he was defeated in three moves, which went to show how formidable Yu Bu Zhou was.
Nevertheless, such a Master was attacked.
When the fight took place, the Black Ink Cult members thought the Light Spirit Religion had launched a sneak attack on them, but when they arrived at the scene, they were dumbfounded.
That was because on the battlefield, Yu Bu Zhou, who was fully pushing his aura, was locked in an intense fight with an alluring figure.
The woman was surrounded by a blood mist, but despite the distance, all could smell the metallic tinge wafting from her.
The person battling Yu Bu Zhou was none other than the Night Chapter Master, Xue Ji!
At that moment, no one knew why the two Chapter Masters were engaged in such an intense battle; nonetheless, when Yu Bu Zhou claimed that Xue Ji was a traitor, their expressions changed drastically.
As of late, many Black Ink Cult Masters had been assassinated, but they couldn’t find any traces at the scenes; therefore, they had no idea who the culprit was. With that said, the Black Ink Cult Masters were not fools, so they realised that there was a traitor on their side.
The traitor had to be the one who secretly killed the other Black Ink Cult Masters; however, none of them had expected the traitor to be the Night Chapter Master.
As such, when Yu Bu Zhou made such a claim, many still couldn’t believe it.
Nevertheless, they soon saw something even more unbelievable, for Yu Bu Zhou, who was believed to be the most powerful cultivator in the Black Ink Cult, was at a clear disadvantage in his fight against Xue Ji.
Faced with the woman’s overbearing methods, Yu Bu Zhou was powerless to counterattack.
No one ever imagined that Xue Ji was so powerful.
The Black Ink Cult Masters at the scene wanted to stop them. Regardless of the truth, the two Chapter Masters shouldn’t try to kill each other. They could find out if Xue Ji was the traitor later; however, the moment they made a move, four figures emerged from the darkness and stopped them.
They instantly recognised that these people were Xue Ji’s Blood Slaves, whose names were Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang.
They were orphans who had been following Xue Ji since they were children. Xue Ji taught them the Blood Dao and planted a Secret Technique in their bodies, ensuring that their powers would increase in tandem with her. Therefore, the bond between Xue Ji and her slaves was unbreakable.
The four Blood Slaves were supposed to be in the Second-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary because their Master, Xue Ji, was in the Third-Order. Their cultivation couldn’t surpass her own.
Nonetheless, at this moment, all were awestruck by the powers that the Blood Slaves showcased.
That was because the Blood Slaves were already in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Furthermore, they had been living together since young, and they had mastered many Combined Attack Techniques. As they joined forces, they were able to stop more than 20 Black Ink Cult Masters from moving forward.
With no one getting in her way, Xue Ji became increasingly ruthless. Yu Bu Zhou was covered in blood, and it seemed that he would lose his life at any moment.
At the most critical moment, he roared as thick Black Ink Strength billowed from his body and engulfed him in an instant.
Following that, his body started swelling as sarcomas appeared on his figure. He stank terribly, and his aura soon broke through the Immortal Ascension Boundary’s shackles and reached an entirely new Realm.
An unsuspecting Xue Ji was struck by his fist, and she almost exploded.
However, Yu Bu Zhou was only able to make one move because after his aura broke through the Immortal Ascension Boundary’s shackles, the World’s Will started targeting him.
He howled in pain as his body continued swelling until he exploded into a blood mist, not even leaving scraps of his corpse behind.
In an instant, thick Black Ink Strength swept out.
The fight sent a shockwave across the entire World. The powerful Heaven Chapter Master was attacked by the Night Chapter Master. The Heaven Chapter Master only managed to defeat the other party by transforming into an Apostle.
Nevertheless, he paid a terrible price, for not long after he transformed into an Apostle, he was destroyed by the World’s Will.
Meanwhile, Xue Ji went missing, and her Blood Slaves fled amidst the chaos.
The mess they left behind made the Black Ink Cult Masters feel heartbroken.
Apart from Yu Bu Zhou’s amazing power, they were more concerned about Xue Ji’s cultivation.
According to the witnesses at the scene, Yu Bu Zhou was totally suppressed by Xue Ji. If not for the fact that he was at a complete disadvantage and that his life was already at stake, he wouldn’t have been forced to transform into an Apostle.
In other words, Xue Ji was significantly more powerful than Yu Bu Zhou.
It was inconceivable.
Although Xue Ji could be considered one of the most powerful cultivators in the World, she wasn’t comparable to Yu Bu Zhou, especially in a frontal clash. How did she manage to gain the upper hand, then?
Also, the Blood Slaves’ cultivation indirectly proved how powerful Xue Ji was.
The Blood Slaves were closely tied to Xue Ji as their strength would always grow in tandem with hers. Furthermore, their cultivation would never surpass that of Xue Ji.
When Xue Ji was in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary back then, the four Blood Slaves were only in the Second-Order.
Nevertheless, the powers they showcased during the battle proved that they were already in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary.
The truth was revealed before everyone’s eyes.
Xue Ji wanted to kill Yu Bu Zhou in secret, but due to the latter’s incredible heritage, she wasn’t able to achieve her goal. A battle then broke out, after which the Black Ink Cult Masters arrived and witnessed the fight.
After looking into the matter, they realised that when the Black Ink Cult members were killed back then, there were traces of Xue Ji or her Blood Slaves appearing nearby.
When the City Lord of North River City was killed, Xue Ji was in the city.
However, no one doubted her at that time.
There was no denying that Xue Ji had betrayed the Black Ink Cult, but no one knew why the Night Chapter Master decided to do so.
When those from the Light Spirit Religion got wind of it, they were equally puzzled. They initially thought that it was some fake news spread by the Black Ink Cult.
Only Li Fei Yu, who had been working closely with Xue Ji in secret, knew that it wasn’t misinformation. All of those things had indeed happened.
All the same, she was shocked that Xue Ji was even more powerful than she had imagined. On that night, she already realised that she was no longer a match for Xue Ji, but she didn’t expect the woman to be able to kill Yu Bu Zhou.
The piece of news was eventually verified to be true, and the Light Spirit Religion’s Managers celebrated.
Initially, Yu Bu Zhou was the biggest obstacle to the Spirit Religion’s crusade. Even the Eight Order Lords didn’t have the confidence to defeat him. Although the Holy Son was powerful, he was still young and inexperienced; therefore, he couldn’t possibly defeat Yu Bu Zhou.
Much to their surprise, Xue Ji had removed this obstacle for them.
At that moment, those from the Spirit Religion saw Xue Ji in a different light, thinking that she must have come to her senses and decided to side with them to save the World.
They started looking for Xue Ji, and those from the Black Ink Cult were doing the same; however, after the fight that night, Xue Ji and her Blood Slaves went missing, as though they had vanished into thin air.
They were adept at killing people in secret as they were the best assassins in the World; therefore, they were able to disguise and hide themselves impeccably.
If they wanted to disappear, no one could find them.
There was no doubt that Xue Ji was recuperating. Yu Bu Zhou’s attack was immensely powerful after he turned into an Apostle, so although Xue Ji had survived, she must be badly injured.
As such, she couldn’t kick up a storm in a short time.
Or so those from the Black Ink Cult thought.
In truth, the assassinations continued happening in an even more efficient manner.
In just several days, more than 20 Black Ink Cult Masters were killed, each of them in charge of different battlefields.
After their deaths, the Black Ink Cult soldiers became virtually leaderless. Those from the Spirit Religion seized the chance and marched forward. They initially had to pay a price to win the fights, but now, they could achieve their goals with ease.
Six days after Yu Bu Zhou was killed, another shocking incident occurred that unnerved the Black Ink Cult Masters.
That was because another Chapter Master was killed inside the Black Ink Cult’s main camp.
No one saw who made the move, they only felt an immense power erupt inside the largest tent before disappearing. When nearby Black Ink Cult members came over to investigate, all they saw was the Chapter Master had been decapitated.
The murderer entered and left the camp without anyone noticing, as though they were a ghost.
The Black Ink Cult Masters at the scene were horrified as they felt cold sweat gather all over their bodies. They felt as though an invisible blade was resting on their necks, ready to reap their heads at any moment.
Following the incident, the Black Ink Cult’s morale collapsed.
Since those in leadership roles were being targeted, no one dared to step up to take charge, for that would only make them the targets for the assassin.
As more and more Chapter Masters were killed, the Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters from the Black Ink Cult started running away.
The soldiers, who had been contending with the Light Spirit Religion, became leaderless in an instant. Without any Masters in charge, they couldn’t put up a decent fight.
In contrast, those from the Light Spirit Religion were more united than ever. As they continued to win more battles, they became increasingly assertive and high-spirited.
At this point, there was no mystery as to who the winner would be.
Now, those from the Light Spirit Religion just had to kill as many Black Ink Cultists as possible.
They initially expected the war to last for several years, but the dust settled in barely a month.
One month after those from the Light Spirit Religion set off from Dawn City, they managed to surround the Black Ink Abyss. It could be said that the Spirit Religion was in control of 99% of the World now. Only a few of the Black Ink Cult Masters remained around the Black Ink Abyss, still obstinately resisting.
The war was intense as the remaining Masters of the Black Ink Cult stubbornly persevered; however, there was a huge gap between the two sides now. A lot of Black Ink Cult Masters had lost their lives in just the last month, so how were the rest supposed to be a match for the Light Spirit Religion?
As the Light Spirit Religion’s soldiers marched forward, those from the Black Ink Cult were left with limited space to live.
Eventually, some of them could no longer bear the pressure, so they turned to look at the Black Ink Abyss.
Rather than waiting for death, they decided to dive into the Black Ink Abyss and seek a chance to survive.
However, when the Black Ink Cult Masters with this plan in mind reached the Black Ink Abyss, they realised several figures were already waiting there.
The person in front was an alluring woman with a curvy figure.
The woman was painting her nails with some liquid made from flowers, making them look as red as blood. She appeared at ease and was even humming some unknown tune.
As the wind whistled, this sight beside the bottomless Black Ink Abyss was quite eerie.
“Xue Ji!” Someone exclaimed.
The person blocking their way was none other than the Night Chapter Master, Xue Ji, who had been missing for quite a while. She disappeared after the fight with Yu Bu Zhou, and no one knew where she had gone.
Nevertheless, Yu Bu Zhou’s last attack before his death was powerful, so everyone assumed that Xu Ji was badly injured and had to recuperate somewhere in secret.
They didn’t expect the woman to be waiting just next to the Black Ink Abyss.
Of course, she was not alone. Standing behind her were Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang, her Blood Slaves. They remained silent and stood there with dispassionate expressions, but no one would underestimate them.
That was because the four of them were in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Back then, the four of them had stopped more than 20 Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters in their tracks.
Just then, a Black Ink Cult Master emerged from the crowd and looked at Xue Ji, “Have you betrayed us, Senior Xue Ji?”
Xue Ji continued tending to her nails as she replied impassively without lifting her head, “Nonsense. Where did you hear it from?”
The person didn’t expect Xue Ji to deny the charge, but he still said furiously, “Since you didn’t betray us, why did you kill so many of our people? You even murdered Senior Yu Bu Zhou. If not… If not…” He was so agitated that he couldn’t finish his sentence.
If not for the fact that Xue Ji had been killing their people in secret, the Black Ink Cult wouldn’t have been defeated so swiftly. Over the past month, too many Black Ink Cult Masters had been assassinated while the death of Yu Bu Zhou had an especially big impact on their strength and morale.
“Well…” When Xue Ji was done with her manicure, she spread her fingers and had a look. Nevertheless, she didn’t seem satisfied as she said with a frown, “I’m just following orders.”
“What do you mean?” All of them were shocked.
Xue Ji could be said to be the most powerful cultivator in the World now, so who could even give her orders?
The woman swept a glance over them and instantly realised their intention, “I suggest that you don’t try entering the Black Ink Abyss.”
The person who spoke earlier furrowed his brow, “Are you here to stop all of us from entering the Black Ink Abyss?”
In response, Xue Ji nodded.
“Why?” Asked the person angrily.
Those from the Light Spirit Religion had surrounded the Black Ink Abyss, so diving into the abyss was their only chance to survive. Much to their surprise, Xue Ji got in the way.
“As I said, I’m just following orders,” Xue Ji replied.
Seeing that the woman repeated her words, the person asked grimly, “May I know who has been giving you orders, Senior?”
Xue Ji shook her head, “There’s no need for you to know.” After interacting with that certain someone for a while, she came to realise that his existence was probably taboo in this World; therefore, she felt it best to keep his existence a secret.
“What if we insist on entering the Black Ink Abyss?” Someone stepped forward just then. He was afraid of Xue Ji as well, but he believed they could still achieve their goal since they had many people on their side.
Xue Ji took a look at him, and her figure seemed to blur the next moment. When her body solidified again, she raised her hands and glanced at her red nails. With a smile, she nodded and said, “This colour really is the best!”
The smell of blood permeated the air.
The crowd instantly realised that something was off, and when they turned to look at the person who spoke earlier, they saw him covering his chest with his hands. His face had turned pale as he staggered before collapsing to the ground.
Blood spurted from his wound and dyed the ground red.
A Second-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master was killed just like that, with no one even seeing how Xue Ji made a move.
“Go back, now,” Xue Ji muttered.
Despite her calm and casual tone, all of them stepped back in horror. Even the two Chapter Masters present didn’t dare to deal with her directly.
After hesitating for a moment, the two Chapter Masters waved their hands and declared, “Let’s go.”
They led the Black Ink Cult Masters back the way they came.
Initially, they believed that diving into the Black Ink Abyss would be a way out for them, but now, it seemed that they had no choice but to try breaking through the Light Spirit Religion’s siege.
As Xue Ji watched the Black Ink Cult Masters leave, she stretched her back and looked down at the Black Ink Abyss.
Her Master told her to stay there and stop anyone from entering the Black Ink Abyss; therefore, she had to execute his command no matter what. As for killing those people, she was too lazy to make a move, so she would just let the Light Spirit Religion deal with them.
She thought that she had done a good job so far, so she decided to ask her Master for a reward when she saw him again.
At that moment, she couldn’t help licking her lip.
The auras of the four Blood Slaves swayed slightly behind Xue Ji as she said dispassionately, “Go on.”
The four of them instantly charged forward and surrounded the dead Black Ink Cult Master before casting their Secret Techniques. Soon, a blood mist billowed from his corpse as the Blood Slaves devoured everything.
In the past, Xue Ji wouldn’t miss the Blood Essence of a Second-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master; after all, the more Blood Essence she refined, the more powerful she became.
However, after getting several rewards from her Master, she was no longer interested in the Blood Essence of ordinary cultivators.
Now, her only wish was that her Master would give her one drop of his true Blood Essence one day.
The war intensified while the battle inside the Black Ink Abyss commenced.
After leaving Dawn City, Yang Kai didn’t head straight to the Black Ink Abyss; instead, he secretly killed many Black Ink Cult Masters to clear the obstacles for the Light Spirit Religion’s campaign. He also found Xue Ji, who was recuperating, and he lent her a helping hand.
If not for Yang Kai’s assistance, Xue Ji wouldn’t have recovered in just a few days after she was struck by Yu Bu Zhou, who had turned into an Apostle.
This made the woman feel even more grateful towards Yang Kai.
Presently, Yang Kai was running for his life at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss as the Apostles came at him in all directions.
He was still at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary; however, a warm stream was moving around in his entire figure as it melted away the shackles restricting him.
This was the power given to him by Mu, and it could also be considered the essence of the World’s Will that could help shatter the Immortal Ascension Boundary’s shackles and help the cultivator reach the next Realm.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai couldn’t use this power as he pleased as it was only allowed in this place.
That was because Mo had left behind a hidden hand here. The Source piece sealed in the Profound Source Gate allowed the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss to form a Self-Contained World. In this place, even though the Apostles acquired powers that transcended the Immortal Ascension Boundary, they wouldn’t attract the hostility of the World’s Will.
That was the reason the Apostles had never left the Black Ink Abyss.
Although they had lost their sentience, they still had their instincts and knew that they would only be safe by staying in the Black Ink Abyss.
Previously, they were infuriated by Yang Kai, so they chased after him as the latter left the Black Ink Abyss. Nevertheless, as soon as they crossed the boundary of life and death, they were instantly killed.
With so many Apostles chasing after one, any ordinary Immortal Ascension Boundary Master would’ve been doomed; however, Yang Kai had a powerful heritage and incredible methods. His figure was elusive as he managed to survive in the hostile environment.
The speed of the warm stream quickened as Yang Kai’s aura rose rapidly. The shackles that restrained his power started loosening.
There came a moment when he felt light all of a sudden, as though he had broken through his limits.
His aura became violent as an air blast swept across the place.
From the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he made it to the Transcendent Realm!
To the cultivators in this independent World, it was a dream they had been longing to grasp for as long as anyone could remember; however, to Yang Kai, it was just experiencing a Realm he had reached before for the second time.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around as his spear radiated a cold light. The power of the Transcendent Realm swirled around the weapon. Just then, an Apostle leapt into the air and pounced on Yang Kai, who raised his spear and thrust it into the opponent’s eye.
The head exploded with a boom as Yang Kai retracted his spear and pushed it out again. At that instant, his spear shadows swept across the abyss like a torrent.
The Apostles exploded in mid-air as their powerful auras dissipated one after another.
With the foundation of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai could easily kill these Apostles, who had lost their sentience, as long as they were in the same Realm.
Blood spread across the ground as Black Ink Strength surged. Yang Kai remained in the same spot as he repeatedly thrust and retracted his spear. Soon, he was surrounded by many carcasses.
Over the years, countless Apostles were created in the Black Ink Abyss. If no one killed them, their number would continue to increase as time passed. Nevertheless, they were now being killed off by Yang Kai using his spear.
The spear soon broke in half. It was a weapon Yang Kai took from a Black Ink Cult Master, so it naturally couldn’t bear such an intense fight for long.
Despite having no weapon, Yang Kai still had his fists. Although his Dragon Vein had been suppressed, the power he could access increased after he ascended to the Transcendent Realm.
More and more Apostles collapsed to the ground.
There came a moment when Yang Kai stood above a mountain of carcasses with no more living creatures around him.
He shook the blood off his hands and stepped down from the mountain of corpses.
It was dead silent in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss, with no more Apostles around to growl and howl.
Yang Kai identified the appropriate direction and headed straight towards the Profound Source Gate.
In the meantime, the war above had come to an end. Those from the Light Spirit Religion had surrounded the entire area, and given the difference between their powers, those from the Black Ink Cult were helpless to counterattack as they were quickly killed off.
Everyone cheered for the Holy Son and chanted his name.
At that moment, his reputation reached an unprecedented level.
The citizens of the Primordial World had been oppressed and tortured by the Black Ink Cult for a long time, and while the Spirit Religion had been fighting them for many years, they hadn’t been able to destroy them.
Nevertheless, one month after the Holy Son was made known to the public, he led the Spirit Religion to destroy the greatest evil in the World; just as what was described in the prophecy. The Holy Son was indeed incredible.