“How far away was the East-West Army from Great Evolution Pass when you departed?”
“More than a month’s journey, but less than two months.”
Yang Kai had used over 20 days to complete a journey that would have taken an ordinary person nearly two months to complete. Even if he borrowed the power of the Universe Array on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, that was an astounding speed. Nevertheless, considering he was a Master of the Dao of Space, this result was within the acceptable range.
Mi Jing Lun quickly made some calculations before saying out loud, “In other words, if the East-West Army charges straight for Great Evolution Pass, then they are currently less than 20 days away from contact. But, I believe the East-West Army has changed direction already. They are planning to attack the Black Ink Clan’s domain after all. It should be almost time. In approximately half a month, the East-West Army will launch an attack on the Black Ink Clan territory. At that time, their whereabouts will be exposed. But, before that, they will release the thousands of puppets as bait to distract the Black Ink Clan garrisoned at Great Evolution Pass!”
“Once it becomes known that the East-West Army appeared in the Black Ink Clan’s territory though, the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass will surely take action.” Mi Jing Lun seemed to be talking to himself, but he also seemed to be explaining the situation to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters around him, “What the North-South Army needs to do right now is find a suitable position to set an ambush. When the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass show themselves, we will greet them with a painful assault!”
With a snap of his fan, he made up his mind. He raised his head and looked at Yang Kai, “Do you have any other orders aside from delivering this message?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “The Army Commander only asked me to inform the North-South Army of the change in plans. He did not give me any other orders.”
“Good. In that case, please cooperate with the North-South Army for the time being.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
“Did you bring the communication device with you?”
Yang Kai nodded and took out a communication bead, “The Army Commander gave this to me before I left.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “There’s no need to trouble another when one alone is enough for a task. Since you are proficient in the Dao of Space, I would like to ask you for a favour.”
“Please give me your orders, Sir.”
“Head towards Great Evolution Pass and use this communication device to search for Army Commander Ou Yang Lie and inform him about the situation here. He has been monitoring the movements around Great Evolution Pass for some time. Ask him whether the Royal Lord has arrived at Great Evolution Pass and whether the Black Ink Clan are showing signs of building up their defences. After getting the answers, deliver the information back here as quickly as possible. Also, ask him to remain in place to monitor the movements of the Black Ink Clan. If the Royal Lord leaves Great Evolution Pass, he should inform us as soon as possible.”
“Understood.”
“Proceed with caution. The Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass have dispatched many of their troops as scouts to try to locate the North-South Army. Do your best not to be discovered.”
Yang Kai nodded again.
“Go!” Mi Jing Lun gestured for Yang Kai to leave.
Yang Kai left with his orders.
After Yang Kai left, Mi Jing Lun addressed the Division Commanders, “What we need to do now is find a suitable position. This position cannot be located too far from Great Evolution Pass. If we are too far away, we will not have enough time to stop the Black Ink Clan once they dispatch their troops. But, we cannot be too close either. If we are too close, we run the risk of being discovered by them. Our best choice is a place located approximately a three-to-five-day journey away. Do you have any good suggestions?”
One of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters replied, “We are not familiar with the topography near Great Evolution Pass. In order to choose a suitable location, we will need to investigate carefully. Furthermore, it’s not easy to conceal our fleet. Why don’t we have our troops stow away all the Warships? That will make it easier for us to remain hidden. Moreover, it won’t be too late to summon them when the battle commences.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded lightly, “That works; however, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship has to remain, lest Brother Ou Yang have no means to contact us.”
Following a brief discussion, numerous orders were relayed throughout the fleet and it didn’t take long for almost all the Warships to be put away, leaving only the Purifying Black Ink Battleship behind.
Without the constraints of the Warships, it was easier and more effective for the soldiers of the North-South Army to rely on their various Secret Techniques and artifacts to conceal their presence.
Afterwards, numerous Squads were subsequently dispatched to search for a suitable ambush location.
On the other hand, Yang Kai left the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and sped towards Great Evolution Pass.
If he could manipulate Space Principles, this trip would not have taken him much time to complete; however, Mi Jing Lun had asked him to remain hidden as much as possible. The Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass had dispatched many troops to search for the North-South Army’s location, so if he travelled by Instantaneous Movement and accidentally appeared too close to the Black Ink Clan’s scouting parties, he would surely be exposed. Therefore, Yang Kai could only travel with great haste using normal means.
Before he left, he had asked about the direction and location of Great Evolution Pass, learning he was currently about 10 days away. Hence, there was no rush time-wise.
…..
Five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sped through the void towards Great Evolution Pass from the direction of Wind and Cloud Pass. These five Eighth-Order Masters were the ones who departed from the East-West Army previously. Each of them carried a Space Ring filled to the brim with puppets.
After Yang Kai’s departure, the East-West Army acted according to Mi Jing Lun’s prediction. Be that as it may, these five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had acted differently and hurried towards Great Evolution Pass instead.
They were only half a month away from Great Evolution Pass at the moment, and up until recently, they had not encountered a single Black Ink Clansman. But, they had constantly run into various Black Ink Clansmen over the past few days. Most of these Black Ink Clan teams were led by a single Feudal Lord, so they were naturally no match for the five Division Commanders. Needless to say, the Eighth-Order Masters slaughtered all the Black Ink Clansmen they came across without any mercy.
Nevertheless, their frequent encounters with the Black Ink Clan indicated that their presence had been noticed.
All of a sudden, the leading Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master came to an abrupt halt and sent out a Divine Sense transmission, “It’s about time. Let’s begin.”
The four others nodded in agreement.
They each took out a Space Ring, and with a surge of their Divine Senses, large batches of puppets began to appear. Each of these puppets radiated with the aura of a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master or higher, up to the Seventh-Order.
One puppet alone might not be very noticeable, but they became a mighty force when so many of them were gathered together in one spot. As the number of puppets increased, the aura they released became more and more imposing. Soon, the entire void became distorted by their mere presence.
A total of 70,000 puppets were quickly summoned by the five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. These puppets were neatly dressed, and their energy sources had been installed and charged in advance.
The Divine Senses of the five Eighth-Order Masters surged once more to relay an extremely simple instruction to the Puppet Army gathered in front of them!
In the next moment, the Puppet Army silently embarked directly in the direction of Great Evolution Pass.
Issuing an order to some 70,000 puppets at once meant that each Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was responsible for more than 10,000 puppets. Even if their cultivations were deep and profound, they could not prevent their complexions from turning pale. That was also why five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had been dispatched together. If their numbers were reduced in any way, they would not have been able to control so many of these puppets at once.
After releasing the Puppet Army of tens of thousands, the task of these five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could be considered complete. They watched the Puppet Army drifting away into the distance, and after resting for a short while, they turned around and sped towards the depths of the void. It was necessary for them to join up with the rest of the Army as their strength would ultimately be required to contribute during the attack on the Black Ink Clan’s territory.
The Puppet Army marched forward.
In less than an hour, a Black Ink Clan search party soon detected the aura of this Army from a distance. There was no helping it. The aura radiating from the Puppet Army simply stood out too much, like a bright moon in the middle of the night. It was difficult for the Black Ink Clansmen in the vicinity to not notice their presence.
This scouting party was led by a Feudal Lord, who had received the orders to investigate the possible locations of the Human Race Army. Over the last couple of days, his search had been fruitless; hence, he never expected to make such a big discovery today.
He originally wanted to investigate more carefully, but he was frightened by the overwhelming aura and did not dare to approach too closely. Even just sensing them from so far away made his face turn pale.
At a glance, he could tell that there were several tens of thousands in the Human Race Army marching towards Great Evolution Pass without any intention of concealing themselves. Therefore, he did not dare to delay and hurriedly relayed the news to the rear. At the same time, he continuously retreated into the distance while monitoring the movements of the Humans from afar.
A few days later, the information was finally delivered to Great Evolution Pass thanks to the efforts of several Black Ink Clan squads.
Inside the spacious Grand Hall, a group of Territory Lords were locked in a heated discussion.
Meanwhile, the gigantic Royal Lord with a pair of pitch-black wings on his back simply sat there with his head resting on his hand and his eyes closed. He looked as though he had not moved at all since arriving.
All of a sudden, a Feudal Lord rushed into the Grand Hall and whispered something to Hong Di before he quickly left again.
The Territory Lords fell silent and turned to look at Hong Di.
Hong Di stepped forward and bowed deeply, “Royal Lord, we have discovered the movements of the Human Race Army.”
The Royal Lord opened his eyes slightly, “Speak!”
“I received a report just now, stating that the Human Race Army has been detected in the direction of Wind and Cloud Pass a few days ago. The number of enemies is estimated to be between 60,000 and 70,000. Moreover, they are marching directly towards Great Evolution Pass. A Feudal Lord has been monitoring their movements from a distance, but he has found no signs to indicate that they planned to change their course.”
“Impudence! Does the Human Race believe that they can retake this Great Pass with a trivial force of 60,000 to 70,000!? They clearly do not know their place!”
“That’s just coming from Wind and Cloud Pass. What about Azure Void Pass? There might be another Army no less than these numbers coming from the other direction. If they joined together, their numbers would reach over 100,000.”
“So what if they have 100,000? With Great Evolution Pass acting as a shield and nearly a million of our Black Ink Clan’s soldiers, forget a mere 100,000, they would never succeed even if they had double those numbers.”
“That’s right. It’s one thing if they didn’t attack us, but since they dared to come, then we’ll make sure they never return.”
“Royal Lord, please allow us to meet the Humans in battle!”
The Territory Lords clamoured noisily. Since they occupied the geographical advantage and their military strength far exceeded that of the Humans, they naturally had the qualifications to dismiss the approaching threat.
However, as long as the Royal Lord said nothing, they did not dare to act rashly no matter how much noise they made.
The Royal Lord remained silent for a time before finally opening his mouth to ask, “Did you learn the location of the Ninth-Order Master?”
Hong Di replied, “The Feudal Lord did not mention anything about this matter. But, the Ninth-Order Master will surely come from the direction of Wind and Cloud Pass.”
The Royal Lord responded flatly and added lightly, “Prepare yourselves. It looks like the Human Race will attack soon.”
“Yes!” The Territory Lords answered loudly and rolled up their sleeves in anticipation.
News from the front line continuously arrived at Great Evolution Pass.
The Human Race Army was less than an eight-day journey away from Great Evolution Pass. Furthermore, they showed no signs of stopping, slowing down, or changing direction.
The Human Race Army was less than a five-day journey away from Great Evolution Pass…
The Human Race Army was less than a three-day journey away from Great Evolution Pass…
The Human Race Army was only one day away from Great Evolution Pass!
Somewhere outside Great Evolution Pass, Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple secretly concealed themselves in one of the scattered asteroids. Their current location was much closer to Great Evolution Pass compared to their previous hiding spot. It could even be said that they were so close that they were being reckless.
At this location, if the whereabouts of the Master and Disciple were discovered by the Black Ink Clan, then they would not be able to escape even though Ou Yang Lie was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. That was because the Royal Lord at Great Evolution Pass could arrive at this spot in the blink of an eye and kill them.
Gong Lian was very unhappy. He felt as though his Honoured Master was being ridiculous and reckless; however, as the Disciple, he could not criticize the actions of his Honoured Master and could only act as carefully as possible.
As they were simply too close, Ou Yang Lie did not dare to glance around Great Evolution Pass at will despite their auras and figures being concealed. He was worried that his careless gaze might arouse the vigilance of a powerful Black Ink Clan Master. That was why he instructed his Disciple to investigate the situation around Great Evolution Pass from beginning to end.
Gong Lian’s innate abilities not only allowed him to have a very keen perception of any approaching danger but also minimised the presence of his existence whenever he wanted to investigate something. For that reason, even the Royal Lord would not notice him as long as he remained careful.
The recent days had been very exhausting for Gong Lian. He had always been lazy. Be that as it may, he was now required to monitor the situation at Great Evolution Pass at all times and report every movement to his Honoured Master. He didn’t even have the time to fall into a daze. It had to be said that the trance achieved during the Divine Wandering was his greatest hobby in life. Under those circumstances, he could empty his entire mind and receive an unparalleled sense of satisfaction.
“Stinking Brat!” Ou Yang Lie suddenly elbowed his Disciple because he had had not moved in a long time, “Are you in a daze again?”
Gong Lian shrank back and flatly denied, “No! I wasn’t! I was checking the movements of the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass! You shouldn’t always slander me like that, Honoured Master! You should trust in your Disciple!”
How could Ou Yang Lie not understand his own Disciple’s personality? Nevertheless, he did not say anything regarding that matter and simply inquired, “Have there been any changes?”
“There aren’t any huge changes, but there seem to be many additional Black Ink Clan Masters on the four walls of Great Evolution Pass. It’s like…”
“Like what?” Ou Yang Lie asked.
“Like they’re preparing for something?” Gong Lian replied with uncertainty.
The corners of Ou Yang Lie’s mouth twitched, “They have gathered nearly a million troops here. It’s obvious that they are guarding against an attack from our Army.”
“It’s not the same,” Gong Lian shook his head, “Although they stationed their troops here in the past, they’ve never mobilised such a great force before. Their current movements give me the sense that our Human Army is about to attack, and they’re making final preparations.”
Ou Yang Lie raised his brow, “The Black Ink Clan is making preparations for war? Could it be that Brother Mi has made a move?”
[But, that shouldn’t be… If Mi Jing Lun were to make a move, he would surely find a way to communicate with me. He wouldn’t attack without notifying me first. But, if it isn’t the North-South Army, then… could it be the East-West Army?]
He quickly probed further, “Which direction is the Black Ink Clan’s defence focused on at the moment? Is it the left? Or, the right?”
If it was the left, then the Black Ink Clan was defending against the East-West Army. If it was the right, then they were defending against the North-South Army.
Gong Lian replied, “From where I stand, it’s the left. There are more than a dozen Territory Lords standing on the walls and looking out into the distance.”
Ou Yang Lie scowled at those words, [The Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass seems to be guarding against something from the direction of the East-West Army. But, if that’s the case, why didn’t the East-West Army contact me beforehand? Is the East-West Army planning to attack the Great Pass alone? Xiang Shan can’t be that reckless, right? Besides, even if Xiang Shan is unreliable, there’s still the Old Ancestor…]
While Ou Yang Lie was stewing in his doubts, Gong Lian suddenly frowned, “Honoured Master, I can sense something coming from over there.”
“What is it? Is it the Royal Lord?” Ou Yang Lie was startled.
Gong Lian shook his head, “It’s not the Royal Lord. There is no sense of danger coming from that presence, but the aura of what’s coming is very strong… Extremely strong!”
Ou Yang Lie could not understand what his Disciple was saying, but he also understood that his Disciple would not speak nonsense; therefore, he was resentful of the fact that he could not act recklessly while he was currently in this position. Otherwise, he could have extended his Divine Sense to perceive his surroundings.
Fortunately, there was no need for him to carefully probe his surroundings as not long after Gong Lian finished speaking, Ou Yang Lie detected the powerful presence his Disciple mentioned just now.
It was certainly extremely powerful. Even though there was a great distance between them, the aura transmitted clearly across the void. However, what puzzled him was that the aura was rather messy and complicated despite being very powerful. It was as though the presence was formed from the fusion of countless auras.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Ou Yang Lie’s expression changed drastically.
…..
The presence was completely unlike Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple, who acted carefully so that they remained undetected. More than a dozen Territory Lords stood side by side on the towering walls of Great Evolution Pass that faced Wind and Cloud Pass. Under their powerful perception, they could clearly perceive the overwhelming aura coming from the Human Race Army that was about half a day’s journey away from Great Evolution Pass. That aura was akin to an unsheathed blade that moved forward indomitably. It was extremely imposing and frightening.
Although the Territory Lords had previously spouted various grand statements back in the meeting hall, they couldn’t help grimacing slightly after sensing the approaching aura. Had the Humans gone crazy? It was beyond unreasonable for them to attack so directly without the slightest intention to conceal their intentions! They were looking down on the Black Ink Clan too much!
Seeing as the Human Army was about to arrive, the Black Ink Clan did not remain idle. As the Territory Lords conveyed their orders to their subordinates, countless Black Ink Clansmen sprang into action.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Great Evolution Pass felt as though a storm was coming. A chilling and murderous atmosphere enveloped the entire Great Pass as a result.
…
“Honoured Master, this is bad! It’s the Human Race Army!” Half a day later, Gong Lian suddenly let out a strange cry.
Ou Yang Lie looked grim but remained silent. The truth was that he had already speculated about this outcome. That overwhelming yet disordered aura was clearly the forward march of an Army. Besides, the only ones that could come from the direction of Wind and Cloud Pass was the Great Evolution Pass East-West Army.
[What is Xiang Shan trying to do? Is he courting death!?] Ou Yang Lie held the communication device in the palm of his hand and his Divine Sense surged, trying to communicate with the other party. However, he did not receive any response at all.
[Damn it!] He cursed at Xiang Shan in his heart, [What are the Old Ancestors thinking!? I can’t believe they allowed such a fool to serve as the Eastern Army’s Commander! The East-West Army is about to die under his leadership! How will the North-South Army deal with the fallout if the East-West Army is destroyed!? Should they ignore the situation? Or, do their best to rescue their comrades!? Besides, doesn’t the East-West Army know to investigate the situation at Great Evolution Pass before taking action!? How can they be so reckless!? They are looking down on the Black Ink Clan too much! Or, did they just assume that there are not many Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass!?]
Ou Yang Lie had seen with his own eyes that there were nearly a million enemy troops in Great Evolution Pass. There was also a Royal Lord personally overseeing this area, so forget the East-West Army acting alone, even if they gathered the strength of the entire the Great Evolution Army, they would not be able to conquer Great Evolution Pass in a short time.
[What about the Old Ancestor!? Even if the East-West Army wanted to act so reckless, why didn’t the Old Ancestor overseeing the Army stop them!?]
There was too much off about this whole situation.
“Are you sure that it’s the East-West Army?” Although it was almost certain, it was necessary to verify the truth.
Gong Lian nodded, “I can see them now. There’s no doubt it’s a Human Army.”
Ou Yang Lie was heartbroken. A long while passed before he questioned, “How many people?”
At this moment, he could only hope that the East-West Army had not committed all its forces to this attack. If that was the case, then the losses would not be too great.
Gong Lian replied, “Tens of thousands.”
Ou Yang Lie couldn’t stop himself from cursing angrily.
[That childish buffoon is not qualified to participate in strategic planning!] Ou Yang Lie could already foresee the complete annihilation of the East-West Army.
“However… there’s way too many people. There are at least 60,000 auras,” Gong Lian replied.
Startled, Ou Yang Lie turned to look at his Disciple, “Open your eyes wider and look harder. How many are there?”
Gong Lian shook his head, “I can’t give you an exact number, Honoured Master, I might be discovered if I observe too closely, but I’m certain there is somewhere between 60,000 to 70,000 people.”
With Gong Lian speaking with such certainty, it could only mean that he had not seen wrongly.
Ou Yang Lie was immediately confused. [60,000 to 70,000 people? Where did the 60,000 to 70,000 people come from?]
The forces of the East-West Army and the North-South Army should only contain around 30,000 soldiers each. Even if they combined their forces together, they would only have about 60,000. Since the Army came from the direction of Wind and Cloud Pass, then it could only be the East-West Army. So how did their numbers double? Could it be that they combined forces with the North-South Army? But, Mi Jing Lun had not sent anybody to inform him about the situation.
“This is bad, Honoured Master! The East-West Army is heading directly towards Great Evolution Pass!”
“This is bad, Honoured Master! The East-West Army is about to enter the attack range of Great Evolution Pass, but they are showing no signs of stopping!”
“This is bad, Honoured Master! The Black Ink Clan has started attacking! The frontlines of the East-West Army have suffered heavy casualties!”
“This is bad, Honoured Master…”
Every time Gong Lian shouted, Ou Yang Lie’s heart twisted in response. Despite being a powerful Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he could barely withstand the shock at this moment. He was tempted to block out his ears so that he could not listen to his Disciple’s words, but even if he did not listen, the losses of the East-West Army were unavoidable.
He even considered taking the risk to warn the East-West Army about the situation at Great Evolution Pass; however, he still carried a glimmer of hope that this was all part of the East-West Army’s strategy. They had the protection of an Old Ancestor after all, so there might be a different result if it came down to a fight. Unfortunately, it seemed that those were nothing more than his wishful thoughts.
“Honoured Master, something is strange,” Gong Lian suddenly observed.
“What?” Ou Yang Lie asked solemnly.
“There’s something strange about the Army. Although they are being attacked, none of them are fighting back. Tens of thousands of them have already fallen in such a short time, but there are no signs of them trying to resist. More importantly, there have been no traces indicating the deaths of Open Heaven Masters.”
After Gong Lian mentioned that, Ou Yang Lie suddenly realised the oddity of the situation.
[That’s right.] Traces were generally left behind following the death of any Open Heaven Realm Master. Leaving aside those below the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, the phenomenon that followed the death of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was extremely noticeable. Be that as it may, he had yet to sense the phenomenon that should have occurred following the death of a single High-Rank Master.
Tens of thousands of people had died on the battlefield, yet none of them had been a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. That did not make any sense. What’s more, the auras of the Open Heaven Realm Masters simply faded away continuously with every death that occurred, which did not make any sense either.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan’s attacks continued without pause. The various artifacts and Spirit Arrays that had been set up along the city walls in advance blasted out at full strength, turning into devastating destructive power that ploughed through the Human Race Army.
Ou Yang Lie could clearly perceive these movements; however, he could not sense any attacks coming from the Human side. It seemed as though only the aftermath of the artifacts and Spirit Arrays raged across the battlefield. There was no eruption of World Force at all.
[The East-West Army isn’t fighting back? Why aren’t they fighting back?]
Even just by watching from afar, both Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple could sense the abnormality of the Human Race Army; therefore, it was impossible that those powerful Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass had failed to detect the oddity. The truth was that they had noticed this abnormality much earlier than Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple.
The Human Race Army of 60,000 to 70,000 people had arrived with such an imposing force. Although the Black Ink Clan seemed nonchalant about the matter on the surface, the truth was that they had responded to the attack with extreme prudence.
Therefore, the Black Ink Clan did not dispatch their troops to fight in the void. Their current strategy was similar to what the Human Race at Great Evolution Pass had done more than 30,000 years ago. They relied on the defences of the Great Pass and used various artifacts and arrays to hit the Human Race Army from afar.
That was why the Spirit Arrays and artifacts set up across the walls began to blast out with countless attacks under the orders of the Territory Lords as soon as the Human Race Army entered their attack range.
The quality of these Spirit Arrays and artifacts could not be compared to those at any other Great Pass. Although their numbers were large, their strength was vastly inferior. That couldn’t be helped though as both Artifact Refiners and Array Masters were very rare among the Black Ink Clan. Their only source of Artifact Refiners and Array Masters came from the Black Ink Disciples who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
Many Black Ink Clansmen had devoted themselves to cultivating the Dao of Artifact Refining and the Dao of Spirit Arrays over the years, but whether due to a difference in races or something else, the Dao of Artifact Refining and the Dao of Spirit Arrays of the Human Race could not be perfectly mastered by the Black Ink Clan. The Black Ink Clansmen could never attain significant achievements in these Daos; therefore, the quality of the refined artifacts and the prepared Spirit Arrays remained extremely low. It was only natural that their strength would not be too impressive either. Nevertheless, the preparations that spanned over 30,000 years resulted in a rather large number of Spirit Arrays and artifacts.
According to the estimation of the Territory Lords, they might be able to cause some casualties to the Human Race Army by borrowing the power of these Spirit Arrays and artifacts. Nonetheless, they expected the number of casualties to be low. The Humans were not fools after all. They would naturally know how to construct defences in preparation for their invasion.
In any case, the most important factor was to take down the Human’s arrogance by a notch.
Contrary to their expectations though, when the war broke out, the power of these Spirit Arrays and artifacts achieved an unexpected effect that shocked the entire Black Ink Clan.
Under the shroud of the countless rays of light, the Humans collapsed like flies and exploded upon death. The outcome both shocked and pleased the Territory Lords. Although they did not know why the Human Race was so weak and fragile, they were happy to see such an outcome.
Nevertheless, as the Human Race Army rapidly dwindled in number, the situation on the battlefield became increasingly strange.
Faced with the overwhelming attack from the Black Ink Clan, the Human Race Army showed no intention of fighting back or even defending themselves. It did not matter how many people died, they simply bowed their heads and rushed forward in silence. It was almost as though they did not know how to write the word ‘death’.
What bothered the Territory Lords the most was that there were no signs of the phenomena that should have come with the death of the Human Race. Besides that, where were the Human Warships? No matter which Theatre it was, the Human Race’s greatest reliance after the Great Passes themselves had always been their Warships that served both offensive and defensive roles.
Although more than 30,000 years had passed since the last time Great Evolution Theatre had experienced a real war, which Territory Lord among those that were present did not lead an Army to provide reinforcements at Azure Void Pass and Wind and Cloud Pass at least a dozen times over that period? Hence, they generally fought a battle against the Human Race every few hundred years.
They all had a deep understanding of the strength of the Warships used by the Human Race and would never forget such experiences. It was clearly unusual that there was not a single Warship accompanying this Human Army of several tens of thousands.
Less than an hour had passed since the Human Army entered the attack range of the Black Ink Clan, but after such a brief period, only several thousand enemies remained from the original tens of thousands.
Following an order from Hong Di, the endless humming of the Spirit Arrays and artifacts on the city wall slowly subsided. The various anomalies were far too obvious, so how could he fail to notice them? Even the other Territory Lords had noticed the oddness of the situation by now.
Under the watch of the Territory Lords, the remaining few thousand troops of the Human Race Army continued to march directly towards Great Evolution Pass and soon arrived within a few hundred kilometres of its walls.
At this distance, the Territory Lords could clearly see some clues about the oddity of the situation.
Hong Di frowned and reached out to grab at something in front of him. One of the ‘Human soldiers’ was captured by him and drawn over.
The other Territory Lords observed with solemn expressions.
The object in front of them contained no vitality at all. It was not a Human at all but rather some kind of puppet wearing a layer of clothes. Shockingly, this puppet was giving off the aura of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
It was conceivable that the entire Human Army of several tens of thousands was made up of similar puppets. It was just that their numbers were too great, and their combined aura was too powerful when they were gathered together, so that from far enough away, even the Territory Lords failed to notice anything strange. As a result, the Black Ink Clan had mistakenly thought that the Human Race Army was preparing to storm Great Evolution Pass.
“What are the Humans trying to do?” One of the Territory Lords was absolutely baffled.
The other Territory Lords remained silent as none of them knew the intentions behind the actions of the Human Race.
Hong Di quickly took charge, “There must be a reason for this strange situation. It could not have been easy to refine tens of thousands of puppets. The Humans must be plotting something to go through all this effort. We need to report this matter to the Royal Lord immediately.”
Saying so, he turned around and left with the puppet in his grasp. It was evident that he was going to meet the Royal Lord.
Outside Great Evolution Pass where Ou Yang Lie was hiding with his Disciple, Gong Lian observed with a frown, “Honoured Master, the Human Army has been completely annihilated.”
That news would normally have been enough to send anybody into despair; however, at this point, Ou Yang Lie had calmed down considerably after noticing that something was strange about the situation. Although he did not understand what had happened, he could be certain that this was part of the East-West Army’s strategy.
Just as he made the decision to return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and contact Mi Jing Lun to ask about this matter, a subtle reaction came from the Communication Bead in his possession.
He quickly took out the Communication Bead and focused his mind on it. It was an unfamiliar Divine Sense claiming to be Yang Kai from the East-West Army of Great Evolution Pass. This person also claimed to have military information to report and asked him for his location.
Ou Yang Lie had been waiting for the East-West Army to contact him, so now that they finally made contact, he immediately told the other party about his location.
A short while later, a figure silently sped over from a distance. It was not until that figure was within a mere 1,000 kilometres of Ou Yang Lie that he noticed its presence. This was an amazing feat that also indicated just how extraordinary this person’s ability to conceal his aura was.
Ou Yang Lie continuously guided the other party towards his location.
After a short search, Yang Kai arrived at the universe fragment where Ou Yang Lie and his Gong Lian were hiding and couldn’t help feeling startled. [Army Commander Ou Yang sure is bold.]
From this position, Yang Kai could clearly see the situation at Great Evolution Pass as it was only about 30,000 kilometres away from Great Pass.
Yang Kai had not encountered any difficulties along his journey, but he did waste a lot of time in order to avoid the Black Ink Clan scouts that were patrolling the surrounding areas. That was why he only managed to contact Ou Yang Lie now.
Upon arriving at the universe fragment, he did not see Ou Yang Lie anywhere. Just as he was feeling confused, he felt a weak energy fluctuation coming from nearby and received another message from Ou Yang Lie on the Communication Bead at the same time. Yang Kai immediately understood and headed in that direction. It didn’t take long before he passed through a Spirit Array and came to a hidden spot.
There were two people in front of him. One of them was a burly red-headed old man, while the other was a young man who looked no older than himself. However, for some reason, Yang Kai couldn’t help thinking of the word ‘lazy’ when he looked at the young man. The young man’s entire body seemed to be radiating a lethargic and carefree aura.
“Junior Yang Kai greets Senior Ou Yang,” Yang Kai cupped his fist in greeting.
“Are you from the East-West Army?” Ou Yang Lie examined Yang Kai carefully.
“Yes!” Yang Kai replied. [Why does it feel as though Army Commander Ou Yang is barely holding back his anger?]
“What military information does Xiang Shan have for me? Why hasn’t the East-West Army met up with the North-South Army?” Ou Yang Lie questioned grimly.
Yang Kai explained, “The East-West Army will not be rendezvousing with the North-South Army for the time being. There have been some changes to the original plans.”
Ou Yang Lie forced himself to calm down and patiently asked, “Explain the situation!”
Therefore, Yang Kai reiterated his previous conversation with Mi Jing Lun. Ou Yang Lie originally listened with a gloomy look on his face, but his expression was changing constantly as time passed. When he finally understood the whole plan, his displeased expression finally relaxed.
“I knew it. I was wondering how Xiang Shan could be so stupid. So that’s how it is.” He rubbed his chin, “In other words, the ‘Army’ of 70,000 that the Black Ink Clan annihilated just now were merely puppets.”
Yang Kai was taken aback, “This Junior felt some movements coming from Great Evolution Pass just now. Was that the annihilation of the puppets?”
Ou Yang Lie nodded, “En. Those 70,000 or so puppets have almost been wiped out completely.” Pausing for a moment, he abruptly continued, “Now that we have attracted the attention of the Black Ink Clan, the East-West Army must have made their move, right?”
“This Junior does not know, but since Army Commander Xiang Shan has a plan in place, I’m sure he will have arranged the timing perfectly. In addition, when this Junior separated from Senior Mi earlier, Senior Mi instructed me to ask whether the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass was showing signs of mobilizing.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded, “The Black Ink Clan gathered nearly a million troops in Great Evolution Pass recently. Even the Royal Lord rushed over to oversee this place in person.” After saying that, he couldn’t help snorting softly, “Xiang Shan, that old fox! He lured the Royal Lord here but led the Army to attack the Black Ink Clan territory instead. I wonder just how mad the Royal Lord will be when he learns about it.”
Yang Kai said nothing. At this point, combined with the information he learned recently, he was beginning to form a clear understanding of the plan designed by Xiang Shan; thus, he was filled with a sense of admiration.
If Mi Jing Lun’s inference was correct, then this series of plans was all a result of encountering the Black Ink Clan’s 300,000 reinforcements. It might be that Xiang Shan thought up this new strategy when he first discovered the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcement Army, and all his actions afterwards were in preparation to carry it out.
This plan might have been made up on the spot, but the preparations taken during the march of the Army were enough to make it foolproof. It was truly a blessing for the Great Evolution Army to have such a far-sighted Army Commander.
It was just as Ou Yang Lie mentioned earlier. Xiang Shan had lured the Royal Lord to Great Evolution Pass but led his Army to attack the Black Ink Clan’s territory instead. The Black Ink Clansmen left behind to oversee their domain were surely in for an unpleasant surprise.
Mi Jing Lun was amazing too. He had managed to deduce the East-West Army’s plan with only a few clues.
Compared with these old foxes who had lived on the Black Ink Battlefield and fought the Black Ink Clan for countless years, Yang Kai felt like a blank slate of naivety.
Nevertheless, as just one of the soldiers of the Human Race Army, Yang Kai did not need to consider too much. With his current cultivation and status, all he needed to consider was how to lead Dawn so that he could kill more enemies on the battlefield.
As for the big picture and the deployment of troops, he could leave such matters to the people above him. It might be that he would only be eligible to participate in various high-level decisions once he advanced to the Eighth Order.
Inside the Main Conference Hall of Great Evolution Pass, the Royal Lord remained seated on the throne of bones as usual. In addition, there were more than a dozen Territory Lords lined up on both sides below him.
More than 30 Territory Lords had currently gathered at Great Evolution Pass. In order to confront the Human Race Army of 70,000 that came from the direction of Wind and Cloud Pass, nearly two-thirds of the Territory Lords had been deployed to defend the walls under Hong Di’s leadership. Meanwhile, the other third of the Territory Lords stayed in the Main Hall and quietly waited for news.
The current arrangement was due to the presence of a large Human Race Army hiding nearby, in the direction of Azure Void Pass. Nobody knew when this particular Human Race Army would appear, so the Black Ink Clan had to conserve a certain amount of strength for their defences.
They originally thought that the Human Army would march on them from both sides and attack Great Evolution Pass in a pincer manoeuvre, but contrary to their expectations, only one side experienced a fierce battle while the other remained completely silent. There was no news from the Human Race Army stationed closer to Azure Void Pass, let alone any information on where they were hidden.
If the Royal Lord made a move personally, he might have been able to discover the hiding spot of the Human Race Army; however, his opponent was destined to be the Human Old Ancestor, so he had to conserve his energy before that battle.
While the Territory Lords were silently discussing matters regarding the Human Race Army’s movements amongst themselves, Hong Di barged into the Hall in a hurry. The discussion among the Territory Lords came to an abrupt halt, and they swiftly glanced towards Hong Di.
Hong Di bowed deeply, “Royal Lord, the Human Race Army was fake. All 70,000 of the soldiers were mere puppets dressed up to look real. Moreover, they are extremely weak. Almost the entire Army has been annihilated by now.”
While speaking, he tossed the captured puppet in his hand to the ground.
The Territory Lords looked down in shock. [The entire Human Race Army of 70,000 was fake? They were just puppets?]
Meanwhile, the Royal Lord sitting on the throne opened his eyes slightly with a confused expression. He might be a Royal Lord with overwhelming power, but he was not a spy hiding among the Human Race, so it was naturally impossible for him to figure out what the Humans were trying to do with the little information he had on hand.
More importantly, if the Human Race Army was made up of mere puppets in disguise, where was the real Human Army?
Throughout the years, the Black Ink Clan had deeply suffered from the treachery of the Human Race on countless occasions. Seeing how the Humans were willing to go to such lengths to refine so many puppets just to draw their attention, there was clearly some sort of conspiracy going on.
The Royal Lord vaguely felt a sense of unease coursing through him.
At that moment, a Feudal Lord ran into the Conference Hall from the outside, shouting and stumbling around in a panic, “Sir Hong Di, this subordinate has received an urgent report!”
Hong Di turned to look in that direction and discovered that it was the Feudal Lord in charge of overseeing the Black Ink Nest and gathering information from the entire Theatre. Seeing how panicked the other party looked, it was evident that something major had occurred.
Hong Di turned back to the Royal Lord with a look of inquiry in his eye, and after receiving permission from the Royal Lord, he asked solemnly, “What is it?”
The Feudal Lord bowed and reported the situation, “A moment ago, I received news from the Zhe Chong Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest. In his territory, they discovered a large number of people suspected to be a Human Army composed of some 30,000 people in total.”
“What!?” Zhe Chong turned pale in shock and jumped up in horror. He had fled across the void for more than a year without any rest and finally escaped to Great Evolution Pass. Afterwards, he received an order from the Royal Lord and returned to his territory, hastily gathered an Army of some 30,000, and brought them to Great Evolution Pass to help defend it.
It was precisely because his territory was relatively close to Great Evolution Pass that he arrived fairly quickly. In fact, the Royal Lord had gathered all the Territory Lords whose territories were located on the periphery of Great Evolution Pass. That was the only way the Black Ink Clan Army could have gathered so many troops at Great Evolution Pass so quickly.
Of course, it wasn’t as though the Territory Lords in the deeper areas remained idle with nothing better to do. Every one of them had gathered a force of between 20,000 to 30,000 and set out towards Great Evolution Pass. Their task was to temporarily take over the territories that were currently without a Territory Lord and remain there on standby.
Although Zhe Chong was not stationed in his own territory and a force of some 30,000 had been deployed to Great Evolution Pass, there was another Territory Lord from a different territory temporarily overseeing his domain, so Zhe Chong’s territory was not completely defenceless. Nevertheless, against a Human Race Army of 30,000, the ability of a single Black Ink Clan territory to resist was minimal at best.
The Black Ink Clan had an extensive understanding of the composition of the Human Race Armies. For an Army consisting of 30,000 soldiers, there would be at least a few dozen Eighth-Order Masters among their ranks, and although their overall numbers were few, each Human was an elite. In this aspect, the Human Race was very different from the Black Ink Clan, whose strength varied greatly from individual to individual. Moreover, the Humans also had Warships.
That was why Zhe Chong immediately became anxious when he heard that an Army of 30,000 had appeared in his territory. He abruptly recalled the Human Race Army he encountered on the way to Wind and Cloud Pass and couldn’t help wondering, [That Army also had a force of 30,000… Could there be such a coincidence?]
If it really was the Army he encountered the other day, then the Territory Lord overseeing his territory at this moment had probably already met a disastrous fate. Forget the several dozen Eighth-Order Masters, that Army even had a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor leading them!
“What about now? Where is the Human Race Army now?” Zhe Chong asked anxiously.
The Feudal Lord shook his head, “I don’t know. We lost contact with the Black Ink Nest in Sir Zhe Chong’s territory after we received the report regarding the sighting of the Human Race Army. Furthermore, according to the reports from the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, the Mid-Grade Black Ink Nest at Sir Zhe Chong Territory can no longer be contacted. Even the traces of its existence have been erased.”
Zhe Chong immediately turned pale and slumped down in his chair.
A Black Ink Nest, owned by a Territory Lord, could no longer be contacted, and even the traces of its existence had been erased from the network. In this case, there was only one possibility: It had been destroyed!
The Feudal Lord who reported the situation earlier mentioned that he received the report not long ago; in other words, not much time had elapsed between the appearance of the Human Race Army and the destruction of the Territory Lord Black Ink Nest. Therefore, there was an extremely high possibility that it was the work of the Human Army under the command of the Old Ancestor. There could be no other reason for Zhe Chong’s Mid-Rank Ink Nest to be destroyed so quickly.
“The Humans’ plan was to lure the tiger from the mountain!” Hong Di snarled through gritted teeth, “They used those puppets to distract us and make us think that they were attacking the Great Pass when, in reality, their goal was not Great Evolution Pass but our territories!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the other Territory Lords who initially just sympathised with Zhe Chong’s situation immediately panicked. They had initially rejoiced slightly when they heard that Zhe Chong’s Black Ink Nest had been destroyed, feeling thankful that the Human Army had not invaded their homes. Otherwise, the unlucky ones would have been them instead. Unfortunately, it would now seem that Zhe Chong’s Black Ink Nest was simply the first to be destroyed, while it would not be the last.
The Black Ink Nests were the foundation of the entire Black Ink Clan. If they were all destroyed, then it would be impossible for them to spawn new Clansmen. They would eventually lose their numerical advantage against the Human Race in the war if that happened, and defeat would become inevitable.
Although a Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest could be produced by the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, the birth of each and every Territory Lord Black Ink Nest required an exorbitant price in exchange. If too many Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests were destroyed, the Territory Lords would need to wait a very long time before they could obtain new ones.
[If the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest was destroyed…] The Territory Lords couldn’t help shuddering in fear, not daring to let their thoughts continue down that road.
On the other hand, a sudden and thunderous rumble resounded throughout the conference Hall before Hong Di could even finish his sentence. The rumbling sound was accompanied by a black shadow shooting out at the same time.
The Territory Lords looked in that direction only to see that the Royal Lord, who had been sitting on the throne of bones, was now nowhere to be seen. The dark shadow that rushed past them earlier was none other than the Royal Lord himself.
Although he had remained as calm as a mountain since coming to Great Evolution Pass, he could no longer keep his composure after hearing that the Human Race Army had destroyed the territory belonging to one of his subordinate Territory Lords. He had evidently realised the dire consequences that would follow if his High-Rank Black Ink Nest was destroyed; therefore, he had to prevent that from happening at all costs. It was fortunate that he still had some time. Having only just stepped foot into the Black Ink Clan territory for the first time, the Human Race was surely not familiar with the topography, so it would not be easy for them to locate the Royal City in short order.
In the next moment, the Royal Lord’s order spread to the ears of the Territory Lords, “Half of the Army will remain here to guard Great Evolution Pass. The other half will set off for the Royal City at full speed!”
The Territory Lords who received the order hurriedly gathered together to discuss the situation. The Royal Lord had not mentioned any names in his command, so they had to come up with a plan to decide who would stay and protect Great Evolution Pass and who would head towards the Royal City.
Needless to say, everybody would prefer to remain at Great Evolution Pass for it was much safer here. If they set off for the Royal City now, there was no saying whether they would encounter the Human Army on the way. Who could resist against the strength of the Human Old Ancestor if that happened?
Nevertheless, they neither dared to disobey the command of the Royal Lord nor drag their feet in this matter. After a series of compromises and concessions, they soon came up with a plan.
Out of the 30 or so Territory Lords, half of them would remain at Great Evolution Pass under Hong Di’s leadership. Great Evolution Pass was originally Hong Di’s territory, so it stood to reason he should remain. That was an advantage that the other Territory Lords did not have. Meanwhile, the other half of the Territory Lords departed for the Royal City under Zhe Chong’s leadership.
It did not take long for the Black Ink Clan Army at Great Evolution Pass to start moving as the Territory Lords summoned their respective Armies.
In the vast void, the Royal Lord flew in the direction of the Royal City at a terrifying speed. He had to return to the Royal City immediately; otherwise, it would be too late if the Human Army arrived before him.
If his Black Ink Nest was destroyed, then all the Black Ink Nests in this entire Theatre would wither and die as well. The Black Ink Clan would be powerless to replenish their forces if that were to happen, and that would effectively guarantee their extinction in the not-so-distant future.
The Royal Lord never imagined that the Human Race would be so bold. When he predicted that the Humans were coming to retake Great Evolution Pass, he immediately gathered many Territory Lords and deployed various defences in preparation for the confrontation. Contrary to his expectations, the humans seemed to have no intention of attacking Great Evolution Pass whatsoever. They simply sent out an Army of puppets to distract him while their real Army marched directly into the Black Ink Clan territory.
[They made a fool of me!] The Royal Lord was filled with fury. Along the way, he suddenly raised his hand and dense Black Ink Strength condensed and twisted in the palm of his hand, gradually transforming into the shape of a miniature Black Ink Nest. This was not an actual Black Ink Nest, but he could borrow its power to communicate with his own High-Rank Black Ink Nest and then issue commands to the other Territory Lords through it.
The Human Race Army with a force of 30,000 soldiers had already appeared in the Black Ink Clan’s territory. There was bound to be an Old Ancestor and a few dozen Eighth-Order Masters among their ranks. With such strength, it was impossible to repel the Humans with the military strength of a single territory alone. The only way for the Black Ink Clan to stand a fighting chance was if they rallied together at one spot.
In this case, the Royal City was the battlefield chosen by the Royal Lord. That was because the Human Race would surely target the Royal City. Regardless of whether they knew about the secrets behind the Black Ink Nests or not, they were bound to aim for the destruction of his High-Rank Black Ink Nest as their biggest goal.
If he wanted to protect his Black Ink Nest, then he had to gather the strength of all the Territory Lords under his command. However, doing so would completely deprive the other territories of any troops even if the Royal City did not suffer any consequences. In other words, the Black Ink Clan would be abandoning a vast swath of their territory. There would be countless slaughtered Black Ink Clansmen and destroyed Black Ink Nests as a result of this decision.
Despite being completely heartbroken by the losses, the Royal Lord had no other choice. He had never imagined that the Human Race would be so cunning and difficult to handle without the constraints of a Great Pass.
A long time ago, this particular Royal Lord had discovered an interesting fact. That was the impact of the Great Passes on the Human Race.
It was undeniable that the Great Passes provided great help to the Human Race over countless years. By borrowing the power of these Great Passes, the Humans managed to guard their land and prevent the Black Ink Clan from moving forward despite their much smaller numbers.
No matter how strong the individual strength of each Human, it would have been difficult for them to hold the line without the Great Passes; however, these Great Passes that provided such significant assistance to the Human Race were also a form of restriction and constraint.
These Great Passes had effectively locked them up inside a prison because they did not dare to abandon their positions and move around freely. It could be said that their reliance on the Great Passes was extremely strong.
As a result, all the wars throughout history had always been initiated by the Black Ink Clan. Meanwhile, the Humans had always relied upon the strength of the Great Passes to defend against the attacks. This long-standing situation on the battlefield was with very few exceptions.
It was not until today, when the Human Race travelled great distances across the void in order to recover the Great Evolution Pass that was lost 30,000 years ago, that the Royal Lord finally understood what kind of threat the Human Race could pose towards the Black Ink Clan once they were freed from the constraints of the Great Passes.
The Human Army came from afar, acting as though they were charging straight towards Great Evolution Pass. Nobody could have imagined that it was just an army of puppets. On the contrary, the actual Human Army had already invaded the Black Ink Clan’s territory.
The Humans successfully deceived both the Royal Lord and the Territory Lords, causing their attention to be focused on Great Evolution Pass and lowering their guard in other areas. Despite standing in opposing positions, the Royal Lord could not help admiring the decisiveness of the Humans. Faced with such an opponent, a difficult battle was unavoidable.
At this moment, the Royal Lord could only hope that his message would be delivered in time and that the Black Ink Clan’s losses would not be too severe.
On the universe fragment, Yang Kai continued after reporting the current situation to Ou Yang Lie, “Senior Mi instructed this Junior to report back on the current situation as soon as possible. If you do not have any other orders for me, Senior Ou Yang, this Junior will return first.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded lightly.
Before Ou Yang Lie could speak though, Gong Lian, who had been silent ever since Yang Kai arrived, suddenly shouted with a drastic change of expression, “Quiet! Conceal your aura!”
Ou Yang Lie immediately withdrew his aura into his body and became as still as a piece of driftwood.
Although Yang Kai did not understand the sudden turn of events, his reaction was very fast and he quickly concealed his aura.
No more than 10 breaths of time after Gong Lian spoke, an extremely powerful aura rushed out from Great Evolution Pass and charged straight into the depths of the void. The figure rushing out from Great Evolution Pass moved at an astonishing speed, brushing past them and speeding off into the distance, crossing less than 10,000 kilometres away from their hiding spot.
Yang Kai looked down and did not move. If his perception was not wrong, the aura that just passed them by belonged to the Royal Lord.
This place was concealed by a Spirit Array and a barrier, so even without Gong Lian’s warning, the Royal Lord might not have discovered them if he was not paying attention. Be that as it may, concealing their auras was an additional layer of protection for them. There was no saying what flaws the Royal Lord might notice if he happened to glance in their direction by accident.
Yang Kai glanced at Gong Lian in surprise. He did not know this young man, but this person had given him a strong impression of being lazy and carefree during their first meeting. Nevertheless, Gong Lian was not weak; after all, he was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Just his ability to detect the Royal Lord’s movements in advance was shocking enough. What’s more, Yang Kai did not sense him activating any kind of Divine Sense or Secret Technique whatsoever.
[How did he detect the Royal Lord’s movements and warn us in time?]
The Royal Lord might have disappeared into the distance, but the three of them did not dare to act recklessly. They did not know whether the Royal Lord would suddenly turn around and return the way he came; therefore, they remained as still as possible. They didn’t even dare to reveal the slightest hint of disturbance from their Divine Senses, so they could only communicate with their eyes.
Ou Yang Lie shot a look at Yang Kai, most likely telling him that there was no need to rush to report to Mi Jing Lun.
Yang Kai nodded, indicating that he understood.
An incense stick passed just like that, and only when the Royal Lord showed no signs of returning did Ou Yang Lie finally sigh in relief and softly whisper, “It looks like the East-West Army has begun moving.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Only the news that the East-West Army had taken action could have made the Royal Lord leave in such a hurry.
While speaking, Ou Yang Lie raised his head and looked towards Great Evolution Pass. The East-West Army had taken action, and the Royal Lord had left, so would the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Pass remain quiet?
As soon as that thought passed through his mind, he quickly said, “Move back a little.”
At the same time, he hurriedly removed the concealment that had been set up here and began to withdraw together with Yang Kai and Gong Lian. They retreated some 20,000 kilometres before they stopped. This position was basically the limit of where they could observe the movements of Great Evolution Pass without worrying about being discovered by the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass.
Only then did Ou Yang Lie turn to look at Yang Kai, “Go back and report everything you witnessed to Mi Jing Lun. This Old Master will stay here and continue to gather information.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist and responded, “Senior Mi also asked that you continue gathering information and monitoring when the Black Ink Clan would depart from Great Evolution Pass, Senior Ou Yang.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded, “This Old Master will be fine. Go now.”
Only then did Yang Kai turn around and rush off into the distance. His movements might alert those in Great Evolution Pass if he activated the Universe Transference Law at this position; therefore, he planned to withdraw further before doing so.
A short while later, Yang Kai formed a set of hand seals and activated the Universe Transference Law somewhere in the void. The Array lit up beneath his feet, and after waiting for a moment, a bright light erupted and enveloped him. He felt the world spinning around him, and by the time he came back to his senses, he was already standing in the Purifying Black Ink Battleship of the North-South Army.
Approximately ten breaths later, Yang Kai met up with Mi Jing Lun aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and gave a report on the situation with Ou Yang Lie.
Mi Jing Lun and several other Eighth-Order Division Commanders nodded after listening to the report, with one of the Eighth-Order Masters observing, “It’s just as you predicted, Senior Brother Mi. The Black Ink Clan has been gathering its troops at Great Evolution Pass.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “The East-West Army has painstakingly arranged for this situation to occur. Even we could not have known in advance whether the Black Ink Clan would be fooled, but in any case, the Royal Lord has left Great Evolution Pass. The East-West Army must have done something for him to leave in such a rush. I’m afraid the nearly million-strong Black Ink Army guarding Great Evolution Pass will mobilize soon.”
With a snap of his fan, he continued, “Give the order. Each Squad and Battalion is to summon their Warships and travel at full speed. We need to arrive at the predetermined ambush location within three days.”
In order to hide better, the North-South Army had stored away all their Warships except the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. Then, they searched for a suitable place to launch an ambush; however, in this situation, there was no need to hide anything anymore.
The East-West Army had already made their move, so the rest was completely up to the North-South Army. If the North-South Army could successfully stop the Black Ink Clan Army coming from Great Evolution Pass, then the East-West Army would not be attacked from behind. On the other hand, if the North-South Army failed to stop the Black Ink Clan, then the East-West Army was bound to suffer heavy casualties.
The success of the entire plan hinged on the North-South Army getting the timing right, so they had to travel as quickly as possible.
The orders were conveyed throughout the Army, and the soldiers who had been in hiding all this time immediately summoned their respective Warships. In an instant, a huge fleet took shape and sailed out of their hiding place in a mighty procession.
It just so happened that there was a Black Ink Clan search party in the void nearby. They had received orders from Great Evolution Pass and had been scouting in this direction for traces of the possible presence of the Human Race Army. Unfortunately, their search had not been fruitful despite many days of effort. They never expected to detect a large number of energy fluctuations out of nowhere.
The Feudal Lord in the lead took a good look and immediately became dumbfounded. A mighty fleet had suddenly appeared in the void that had been empty just a moment ago.
“The Human Army!” One of the High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen in the team exclaimed in shock.
There was no need to say anything though, for as soon as the Feudal Lord laid his eyes on this fleet, he knew that it was the target that the Territory Lords had been searching for.
“Let’s go!” The Feudal Lord shouted and turned around to lead his subordinates away. He had to report this information as soon as possible, no matter what happened!
Just as they turned around to retreat though, one of the larger Warships suddenly released numerous flashes of lights and brilliant Divine Abilities rained down on them.
The terrifying power swept outward like the waves of a stormy sea, swallowing up the Black Ink Clan squad within its deathly embrace. When the dust settled, the entire Black Ink Clan team had practically been annihilated on the spot. Only the Feudal Lord survived.
Although he was alive, he was in a terrible condition and his aura was flickering weakly. He didn’t even dare to look back as dense black fog erupted from his body and he hurriedly fled the scene.
Aboard the Warship, an Eighth-Order Division Commander coldly snorted but showed no intention to pursue the other party. As far as the current situation was concerned, there was no need to conceal their presence any longer now that the North-South Army had decided to act. Even if a Feudal Lord escaped, how could he affect the situation in any way? Besides, after taking a direct hit from that Divine Ability, he would not survive for long even if he wasn’t dead yet.
Everywhere the North-South Army passed, the Black Ink Clan was annihilated on the spot. These Black Ink Clan scouts had been searching for traces of the North-South Army, but they never imagined that the moment they caught a glimpse of the Humans would also be the moment of their deaths.
Approximately an incense stick after Yang Kai arrived back, Gong Lian also returned to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and rushed straight towards the conference hall.
“Where is your Honoured Master?” Mi Jing Lun glanced behind Gong Lian but did not see Ou Yang Lie.
Gong Lian replied, “Honoured Master says he wishes to monitor the movements of the Black Ink Clan Army and confirm the direction of their march so that we can find the best opportunity to strike.”
Mi Jing Lun’s eyes flashed, “Has the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass begun to move?”
Gong Lian nodded, “Before this Junior returned, the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass dispatched around 15 Territory Lords along with an Army of 400,000 to 500,000. They are marching towards the Black Ink Clan’s territory.”
An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Division Commander observed, “15 Territory Lords along with an Army of 400,000 to 500,000… In other words, half of the Black Ink Clan forces at Great Evolution Pass.”
Mi Jing Lun smiled, “It looks like the Black Ink Clan has not forgotten us. Leaving behind half of their forces is clearly a precaution against our Army. They are afraid that we might take the opportunity to attack Great Evolution Pass.”
The Eighth-Order Division Commander who spoke earlier immediately broke into a smile, “The Black Ink Clan probably never imagined that we have no intentions of attacking Great Evolution Pass whatsoever.”
It was evident that the Human Race Army had travelled across a great distance to recover Great Evolution Pass; however, one of the Armies had charged straight into the Black Ink Clan’s territory to wreak havoc while the other Army was planning to intercept the Black Ink Clan Army marching out from Great Evolution Pass. They were completely ignoring the Great Pass itself.
In accordance with the order from the Royal Lord, half of the Black Ink Clan Army was dispatched from Great Evolution Pass to head towards the Royal City. At the same time, a figure quietly followed the Army from approximately 50,000 kilometres away. That person was none other than Ou Yang Lie.
Yang Kai and Gong Lian had returned to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in quick succession to deliver information to the other side, so Ou Yang Lie was acting alone.
Now that he was on his own, his movements were even more covert than before. In any case, the Black Ink Clan were completely unaware that an Eighth-Order Master was monitoring their movements from so close, so he had no reason to worry about his presence being discovered whatsoever.
The East-West Army had already taken action in the Black Ink Clan territory. As for the North-South Army, Mi Jing Lun would surely lead it to intercept the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcement Army from Great Evolution Pass after receiving a detailed report. It was just that the North-South Army had only just arrived here not long ago. Given that they were not familiar with the terrain of this Theatre, choosing a suitable battlefield would be difficult.
By following the march of the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcement Army from Great Evolution Pass, Ou Yang Lie would be able to grasp their movements instantly. When the timing was right, he could then return directly to the North-South Army and guide the Army in the right direction himself.
On the other side, the East-West Army headed by Xiang Shan and Liu Zhi Ping was sailing rapidly through Black Ink Clan territory. The speed of the Warships had been adjusted to the highest, so the huge fleet streaked across the void like a river of lights.
The 30,000 troops of the East-West Army arrived at the first Black Ink Clan territory several days ago. This Black Ink Clan territory was guarded by a Territory Lord, tens of thousands of strong Black Ink Clansmen who were battle-worthy, and hundreds of thousands of miscellaneous Black Ink Clansmen who were not worth counting as combat forces. Be that as it may, these forces were as vulnerable as a piece of paper in front of the imposing East-West Army.
Xiang Shan had personally taken action, and within just a half cup of tea’s time, the Territory Lord was beheaded and the Black Ink Clan’s combat forces were annihilated. As for the miscellaneous Black Ink Clansmen, they were swiftly mopped up with very few escaping. Likewise, the Mid-Grade Black Ink Nest was also destroyed quickly.
The entire Black Ink Clan territory was turned into a dead zone, and the severed remains of the Black Ink Clan could be seen everywhere. Moreover, Black Ink Strength that spilled out into the void due to the deaths of so many Black Ink Clansmen condensed into huge Black Ink Clouds that covered the entire void.
The Human Race Army didn’t even stop to loot the battlefield. They immediately moved forward after razing this entire Black Ink Clan territory and continued their march deeper. This was the time to focus on speed.
According to the original plan, the Royal Lord should have been lured to Great Evolution Pass, so if the East-West Army could take the opportunity of the Royal Lord’s absence to obliterate the Royal City and destroy the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, then it would only be a matter of time before they ruthlessly wiped out the entire Black Ink Clan in this Theatre. That was why the East-West Army’s only goal was to destroy the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest.
During the attack on the previous Territory Lord’s territory, the Old Ancestor had personally entered the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Nest and followed the information Yang Kai provided earlier to communicate with the consciousness of the Black Ink Nests in order to ascertain the location of the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest.
Yang Kai used this method to locate the positions of the Territory Lord Black Ink Nests when he was raising chaos in the rear of the Black Ink Clan in the Yin-Yang Theatre back then. He later reported this information to the Yin-Yang Pass Old Ancestor, so it was only natural that she knew about this method. Seeing as it was something that Yang Kai could accomplish, there was no reason she would fail. Furthermore, she had a much easier time than him in this task.
With the help of the Mid-Grade Black Ink Nest, the Old Ancestor quickly located the approximate location of the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest. Fortuitously, the direction in which the East-West Army was now marching happened to be this exact location.
The East-West Army encountered some Feudal Lord Fiefs along the way, but they did not delay their progress. In fact, they showed no intent to attack whatsoever. Nevertheless, Xiang Shan and the others soon discovered a problem. There were practically no Black Ink Clansmen worth mentioning in these territories.
According to the information provided by Yang Kai earlier, there would always be several Feudal Lords overseeing a mature Feudal Lord Fief. In addition, there should be no shortage of High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen, with even more Black Ink Serfs. In this way, a Feudal Lord could easily gather hundreds of subordinates whenever the Territory Lords summoned their Armies. Meanwhile, the Armies of the Feudal Lords would continuously merge together and grow stronger to become an Army under the command of the Territory Lords.
However, the territories the East-West Army crossed were not only devoid of Feudal Lords, but even High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were nowhere to be seen. There were only weak Black Ink Clan Serfs who were born from the Black Ink Nest not too long ago and had no strength to traverse the void.
This situation was within the East-West Army’s expectations.
The rate at which the information spread throughout the Black Ink Clan was far too fast. The Black Ink Nests were basically nodes in a giant information network that the Black Ink Clan could use to deliver messages instantaneously amongst themselves. Whenever there was any news, the Black Ink Clan could swiftly relay the information throughout the entire Theatre by borrowing the power of this network of Black Ink Nests.
News of the East-West Army’s appearance in the Black Ink Clan and the destruction of a Territory Lord’s territory had already become widespread. The Black Ink Clan in the entire Great Evolution Theatre were surely aware of those incidents by now.
Xiang Shan and others originally wanted the Army to march forward as quickly as possible so that they could rush to the Royal City and destroy the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, but judging by the current situation, the Black Ink Clan’s response had made this plan somewhat difficult to implement.
The Black Ink Clan in those Feudal Lord Fiefs along their way must have received the news and all rushed towards the Royal City. That was why only miscellaneous serfs with no real strength were left behind. It could be predicted that the East-West Army would be greeted by a mighty Black Ink Clan Army when they arrived at the Royal City.
Inside the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Xiang Shan’s expression was the same as usual. The Black Ink Clan had responded faster than he predicted, but this situation was also within his expectations. Besides, it was also a situation that the East-West Army had deliberately created.
If they wanted to recover Great Evolution Pass, then they needed to deal a severe blow to the Black Ink Clan first. That was the only way to give the Great Evolution Army enough time to restore the various defences in Great Evolution Pass; otherwise, it would be a useless endeavour to simply occupy Great Evolution Pass.
The situation would be rather unfavourable for the East-West Army if the Black Ink Clan wanted to confront them at the Royal City; however, it should not be a huge issue as long as the Black Ink Clan from Great Evolution Pass did not come and add trouble from their rear.
A scout came to report that a Territory Lord’s territory was found ahead; however, after the scouts investigated the area, the situation in this domain was the same as the Feudal Lord Fiefs they encountered before. All the powerful Black Ink Clansmen were gone, and only the miscellaneous serfs without much strength were left behind.
After the scout withdrew, Xiang Shan finally spoke, “It looks like the Black Ink Clan is planning to confront us at the Royal City.”
Liu Zhi Ping nodded lightly, “Since that’s the case, it’s better if the Old Ancestor travels ahead. The Black Ink Clan Army is coming from various directions to gather in the direction of the Royal City, and the Royal Lord will also need some time to travel from Great Evolution Pass to the Royal City. If the Old Ancestor leaves now, she might stand a chance to destroy the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest before the enemy can muster a resistance.”
Although the East-West Army was marching rapidly, their speed could not compare to the speed of the Old Ancestor travelling on her own.
It was just as Liu Zhi Ping mentioned. The Black Ink Clan Army was gathering from various directions towards the Royal City, so it would take them some time to assemble. Moreover, the Royal Lord was currently absent from the Royal City, so the Old Ancestor would be unparalleled and unmatched if she rushed there right now.
The Old Ancestor sitting next to Liu Zhi Ping smiled at those words though and shook her head, “No. Although I have roughly determined the position of the High-Rank Black Ink Nest with the help of the previous Black Ink Nest, it is still unclear how far away or exactly where it is located. Even if I move alone, it will take some time for me to search for the target. Besides, the Royal Lord is on his way back to the Royal City. What if the East-West Army encounters him when I am absent?”
The East-West Army had 60 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and 30,000 troops. While they were not afraid of being completely wiped out by the Royal Lord, or even repelling him, the casualties they would suffer would be extremely severe if the Old Ancestor was absent. If nothing else, at least 10 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were likely to lose their lives just to force the Royal Lord back.
The Great Evolution Army had a total of 60,000 people, but they would need their forces to guard Great Evolution Pass in the future, so minimizing their losses was pivotal to their long-term strategy.
Liu Zhi Ping immediately fell silent and said nothing more after listening to the Old Ancestor’s reasoning.
Xiang Shan said, “In that case, let’s proceed with the original plan. The East-West Army will ignore the Black Ink Clan and charge straight towards the Royal City. Since the Black Ink Clan wishes to confront us there, we should heed their wishes.”
In the battle between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan, strategy was the biggest factor that determined the success or failure of the war. Nevertheless, being strong enough to defeat one’s enemies was the ultimate guarantee of victory.
The words had just left Xiang Shan’s mouth when the Old Ancestor sitting beside him abruptly turned to look in a certain direction. Her bright eyes seemed to penetrate across tens of thousands of kilometres of space. Immediately after that, she smiled and said, “I can’t believe he found us!”
Xiang Shan’s expression turned serious, “Is it the Royal Lord?”
The Old Ancestor nodded lightly, “En.”
“Is he simply passing by? Or, are his actions intentional?”
The Old Ancestor pondered in silence for a while before grinning, “He did not bother to conceal his aura. It would seem that his actions were intentional. Very smart of him!”
It was evident that the Royal Lord was worried that the Old Ancestor might charge directly towards the Royal City, and based on time and distance, he might not be able to stop her if that were to happen.
As such, from the moment he departed from Great Evolution Pass, while the Royal Lord had been heading directly in the direction of the Royal City, most of his attention had been fixated upon finding the Human Race Army. With the help of the Black Ink Nests scattered all over the Theatre, it was not difficult for him to roughly follow the movements of the Human Army, which was why he came to confront them directly.
If the Old Ancestor had not gone directly to the Royal City, then that would be the best-case scenario. He could intercept her along the way and gain more time for the Armies of the Black Ink Clan to gather. If she had gone directly to the Royal City, then it would be too late for him to rush back now, but since the Human Army would no longer have her protection, then they were no threat to him. He could massacre them and severely damage their forces to make up for the losses of the Royal City.
That was undoubtedly the most sensible approach, and by taking it, it could be inferred that this Royal Lord was no fool.
The Old Ancestor had clearly considered the same reasoning, which was why she had disagreed with Liu Zhi Ping’s previous proposal asking her to go on ahead of them. While speaking, she stood up, “Since he is looking for me, I will go and greet him.”
Xiang Shan quickly said: “Old Ancestor, please be careful!”
To which she snickered, “He’s the one who should be careful!”
Having guarded Yin-Yang Pass for tens of thousands of years, she had fought with a Royal Lord countless times. Under normal circumstances, both Supreme Masters would hold back in their attacks since neither of them stood a decent chance of killing the other. Naturally, there were occasions when they lost their tempers and fought ferociously, but in the end, both parties would at most be severely injured from the fight. They would then need to rest and recuperate until their next battle.
However, today was different. If the Human Race wanted to retake Great Evolution Pass as quickly as possible, then they would need to struggle desperately in this fight. It could be said that the Old Ancestor was planning to face the Royal Lord with the sole intention of bringing the battle to a draw where both sides were severely injured.
When Xiang Shan first made his plans, he had intended to lure the Royal Lord out of the Royal City so that the Royal Lord could not use the power of the Black Ink Nest to heal his wounds. It would now seem that the plan was not going to work. If the Royal Lord wanted to set the battlefield at the Royal City to obtain the geographical advantage there, then there was nothing the Great Evolution Army could do to stop him.
A few days away from Great Evolution Pass, the North-South Army was moving through the void, hurrying to the spot designated for the ambush.
An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had scouted the place beforehand and according to him, there was a high chance for the Black Ink Clan to pass through this spot if they were to send their Army. However, there were no guarantees when it came to such things. Their likelihood of success hinged on how lucky they were.
The North-South Army had originally hidden in the direction of Azure Void Pass, so they had to move at lightning speed. From the looks of it, their path took them to a place between Great Evolution Pass and the Black Ink Clan’s territory.
Several days passed by in a flash.
In the conference hall aboard a Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Mi Jing Lun and the few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were in charge, were all silent. It was as if they were waiting for something. Meanwhile, Gong Lian was leaning against a pillar on the side with a blank look in his eyes. His mind was wandering as usual.
Yang Kai was on the other side with a Communication Bead in his hand. He kept pouring his Divine Sense into it, to try and get in touch with Ou Yang Lie.
Previously, when Yang Kai came from beyond Great Evolution Pass and returned to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Ou Yang Lie had to stay back to keep an eye on the Black Ink Clan’s movements at Great Evolution Pass. If the Black Ink Clan were to send forth their troops, then the North-South Army and the Black Ink Clan from Great Evolution Pass would inevitably cross paths. The distance between them would decrease as time went on and he would surely be able to get in touch with Ou Yang Lie once more.
“Still no news?” One of the Eighth-Order Division Commanders turned to Yang Kai all of a sudden.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Not yet.”
The Eighth-Order Division Commander frowned, “Judging by how long it’s been, it should be anytime now. We should’ve been able to get in touch with Brother Ou Yang half a day ago.”
It was evident that something must have happened that caused half a day’s delay; however, just as soon as the Division Commander finished his sentence, Yang Kai became excited, “There’s an update.”
Yang Kai immediately began probing into the Communication Bead with his Divine Sense.
Everyone had their eyes on him.
Once Yang Kai got the gist of the message, he informed everyone else, “Senior Ou Yang said that the Black Ink Clan who came out of Great Evolution Pass seemed to have their guards up against the North-South Army. So, they circled around and took a less direct route.”
Mi Jing Lun had a look of realization, “No wonder Brother Ou Yang took so long to get in touch with us.”
Great Evolution Pass’s Black Ink Clan Army did not know much at the moment, only that there were two Human Armies nearby.
The first Army came from the direction of Wind and Cloud Pass. This Army had evaded their detection and then sent tens of thousands of puppets as a distraction while they launched a sneak attack on their territory.
The Black Ink Clan also knew that there was a second group which came over from Azure Void Pass. Numerous Black Ink Clan scouts had mysteriously disappeared, and this proved that a group of Humans were hiding in the vicinity of Great Evolution Pass in the direction of Azure Void Pass. Unfortunately, this Human Army seemed to be continually changing their location and the Black Ink Clan could not gather any information on them.
The Royal Lord had given the command, so 15 or so Territory Lords from Great Evolution Pass had no choice but to lead their Army out and rush towards the Royal City; however, knowing that an unknown number of Human soldiers were hiding nearby, the Territory Lords had a simple discussion and decided to take the longer way around to avoid them.
Naturally, they chose a route in the direction of Wind and Cloud Pass. They were certain this was a safe option, since the Human Army that came from that direction had already launched an attack within their Black Ink Clan territory and exposed their location.
If they had a choice, they would choose to ensure their safety by giving a wide berth and making a huge detour to avoid the hidden Human Army.
However, time was of the essence and they were afraid of causing too great a delay, so they could only take a slightly circuitous path, which would delay them by a day or so.
This was why Ou Lang Lie only managed to get in touch with the North-South Army now.
Under everyone’s watchful gazes, Yang Kai kept using his Divine Sense to stay connected to Ou Yang Lie, allowing both parties to confirm their respective locations.
Still, it was both Yang Kai’s and Ou Yang Lie’s first time in the Great Evolution Theatre and they were unfamiliar with their surroundings. Neither one of them had an accurate Universe Chart of this place, so it was rather troublesome for them to talk about their positions.
Yang Kai could not ascertain where Ou Yang Lie was exactly, and similarly, Ou Yang Lie had no way of confirming where the North-South Army was.
The only thing they both knew was that their distance was within a day’s worth of travel, as this was the Communication Bead’s maximum range.
Amid their exchange, the North-South Army arrived at the designated ambush point.
Initially, based on the deductions by the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who scouted the place, it was highly likely that the Black Ink Clan would pass through this place if they were to send their Army out from Great Evolution Pass. As long as the North-South Army set up here in advance, they would be able to deal a heavy blow to the Black Ink Clan.
As it was, the North-South Army had arrived, but there was no sign of the Black Ink Clan.
Furthermore, based on the update from Ou Yang Lie, it was unlikely that the Black Ink Clan Army would be passing through this region.
Uncertainty was to be expected on the battlefield, as it was impossible for people to know everything and have a contingency for all possibilities at all times. Things could change at any given moment, and the only way to ensure victory was to be highly adaptable.
Yang Kai carried on communicating with Ou Yang Lie, but he was still unable to pinpoint the latter’s location. Both of them described what the area around them looked like, but it did not ring any bells for either one of them.
Ou Yang Lie had a fiery temper, and since it was impossible to communicate effectively, he decided to cut things short, “Just wait!”
That was the last Yang Kai heard from him, even though he kept trying to reconnect with Ou Yang Lie.
After relaying this to the Eighth-Order Division Commanders, they all wore helpless, exasperated expressions.
However, soon enough, Ou Yang Lie’s burly figure came striding in while grumbling, “It’s so troublesome without a Universe Chart.”
It would have been a lot easier for them to communicate if both of them had a Universe Chart as it would have allowed them to confirm their locations and the distance from each other.
Nevertheless, Great Evolution Pass had been lost for 30,000 years, and the Humans who were stationed here in the past had been annihilated. Thus, the Universe Chart of that time was no longer usable.
If they wanted a Universe Chart now, they needed to make one themselves.
Meanwhile, Ou Yang Lie managed to get back quickly thanks to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s Universe Array.
“Brother Ou Yang, where are the Black Ink Clan reinforcements now?” Mi Jing Lun quickly asked.
“I don’t know, but I left behind a bit of my aura before I left. Let me check where it is and I’ll know where the Black Ink Clan Army is,” Ou Yang Lie replied.
Saying so, his hands started rapidly forming seals.
A few breaths later, a burst of red light shot out from his fingertip and pointed in the direction of the aura he had left behind.
Mi Jing Lun took note of the location and nodded, “We are about a day’s travel away from there. Taking into account the difference between our travel direction and the Black Ink Clan Army’s, the North-South Army should adjust our position so that we can encounter them within a day or two.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded, “Good.”
The two of them talked for a bit and soon decided on where they should reposition the North-South Army.
The order went down and the fleet, which had only just arrived at the ambush location, set off again without even having time to do anything.
All the Eighth-Order Division Commanders cupped their fists, “We should go and prepare.”
If everything went smoothly, then in a day or two, the North-South Army would engage in a huge battle with the Black Ink Clan from Great Evolution Pass. Naturally, it was best to start preparing as soon as possible.
Mi Jing Lun nodded.
“I’ll be off too, Honoured Master,” Gong Lian bowed.
Ou Yang Lie waved him off casually in response.
Mi Jing Lun finally addressed Yang Kai, “Martial Nephew, what’s your plan now? Are you going to join us here or head off to find the East-West Army?”
“Since there’s going to be a battle here, it’s best if I remain to help,” Yang Kai said.
He could have left now if there were no battle, but since the fight was imminent, it would not be right for him to leave just like that. Furthermore, taking part in the upcoming battle was a good way for him to gather more information about the situation here. That way, he would be able to inform Xiang Shan and the others about what was happening here when he reunited with the East-West Army.
“Good,” Mi Jing Lun said, “Since you’re staying, you can choose a Squad or a Battalion to join.”
“This Junior would like to act alone. Would that be alright?” Yang Kai asked.
He was unfamiliar with the people here in the North-South Army, and it may not be a good thing for him to join a Squad so abruptly; hence, he preferred acting alone without having any ties to anyone.
Mi Jing Lun eyed him with a smile, “Since you’re so confident, Martial Nephew, I won’t stop you, but do be careful on the battlefield.”
“Understood!” Yang Kai cupped his fist and bowed before leaving.
Once he left, Ou Yang Lie piped up, “That Brat sure is confident to want to act alone, and you even gave him your permission. That’s not at all like you.”
Mi Jing Lun chuckled, “I don’t know if you’ve heard much about him, Brother Ou Yang. If any other Seventh-Order Junior made the same request, I would’ve rejected them immediately; but if it’s him, it’s fine for me to make an exception just this once.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded, “I’ve heard quite a lot about him, so you can’t take advantage of me being ignorant and uninformed, Brother Mi. Now that we’re on the subject, it’s quite unbelievable that a Seventh-Order brat had the guts to disguise himself as a Black Ink Disciple to infiltrate the Black Ink Clan. He even managed to destroy the Warship that the Black Ink Clan was building and come back alive. It’s practically a miracle.”
“That’s right. Although the Old Ancestor went out to receive him in person, before that, he managed to kill a Territory Lord while he was in the Blue Sky Theatre, which is quite the feat even if the Territory Lord was badly wounded at the time,” Mi Jing Lun said.
“New talents rise up with every generation. We’re getting old now!” Ou Yang Lie lamented.
Mi Jing Lun smiled at him, “It’s rare for you to pay such a high compliment to someone of the younger generation, Brother Ou Yang. What’s the matter? Are you regretting the fact that you didn’t encounter him sooner to take him as your Disciple?”
“Hah!” Ou Yang Lie snorted loudly, “Why would I regret that? I have a Disciple now! Even though my Disciple isn’t the same as him, he’s not worse off in any way! In fact, my Disciple has more potential than him.”
Mi Jing Lun sighed, “Things never go the way you want them to in life! Yang Kai is a peerless talent, but it’s a pity he will not enter the Ninth Order. If he could make it to the Ninth Order, he would make a huge difference for the entire Human Race.”
“Nothing’s perfect in life,” Ou Yang Lie remarked, “Speaking of which, we’re partly to blame for his current situation since it’s the unfortunate result of the Cave Heavens and Paradises interfering with him.”
If it had not been for those Cave Heavens and Paradises working together to suppress Yang Kai, he would have directly advanced to the Seventh Order and would have stood a chance to become a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor.
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “They were doing it to prevent uncertainty in the future, and there’s historical precedent for their actions. All along, the Cave Heavens and Paradises have maintained the same attitude towards all those who had the possibility of directly advancing to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Based on their perspective, they didn’t do anything wrong at the time, but looking back now, they’ve made a monumental mistake.”
There was no point in discussing mistakes made in the past. Yang Kai had directly advanced to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Although there was hope that he could become an Eighth-Order Master because he had consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit, he was not going to be able to become a Ninth-Order Master.
That was unless he could find the Innate Open Heaven Pill which was produced in the Universe Furnace; however, there was no sign of the Universe Furnace and no one knew when it would next appear. Even if it did, Yang Kai might not have the chance to obtain one of its Innate Open Heaven Pills.
There were tons of people in all the Cave Heavens and Paradises who were stuck in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and could not rise any further. Who among them was not in even more urgent need of those Open Heaven Pills than Yang Kai?
As the two were speaking, an alarming fluctuation came out from the faraway depths of the void.
Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie exchanged glances before instantly heading to the deck and stared in the direction where the fluctuation was coming from.
Yang Kai was also there staring into the distance; however, although everyone could sense the fluctuations, they could also tell that the source was incredibly far away.
“The Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord are exchanging blows,” Ou Yang Lie quickly said.
Mi Jing Lun nodded lightly.
An Eighth-Order Master and a Territory Lord would not have been able to create such powerful fluctuations when they clashed. Across the entire Theatre, only a battle between the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord could cause such a huge disturbance.
This was the first fight between Yin-Yang Pass’ Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord of Great Evolution Theatre. No one could predict the outcome.
That being said, based on the information they had received, they were certain that Yin-Yang Pass’ Old Ancestor would not be the one suffering. Even just by the number of years of cultivation alone, the Royal Lord could not compare with her.
The current Royal Lord was the one who rose to that position 30,000 years ago. The veteran Royal Lord who had been alive for much longer had died along with the Great Evolution Pass Old Ancestor.
Both were the strongest among their respective sides and had immense power. The two silhouettes continued clashing in the depths of the void, and just the fallout from their fight was enough to destroy the barren Universe Worlds around them. Everything within 100,000 kilometres of their clash was thrown into chaos and turmoil.
…..
At this very moment, the Royal Lord was suffering in silence.
When the Royal Lord found out that the Human Race Army had invaded his domain, he left Great Evolution Pass in a fluster. Along the way, he searched for signs of the Humans and he finally managed to intercept the Old Ancestor.
Everything would be fine in his Royal City as long as he stopped the Old Ancestor; however, before he even had the time to relax, the following turn of events caught him off guard.
Initially, he assumed that since it was his first time exchanging blows with this Human Old Ancestor, both parties would focus on feeling each other out since they were both the most formidable on their respective sides, and neither could afford to take any big risks.
The best option was to test the waters and get a sense of what their respective strengths were before breaking off the fight and leaving it for another day once they were more prepared.
That was what the Royal Lord thought, and he assumed the Human Old Ancestor had the same idea.
Except, the Old Ancestor thought very differently.
Although she was a woman, her actions bordered on madness. As soon as they started fighting, she threw all caution to the wind and attacked as if she was prepared to fight to the bitter end, even if it meant sacrificing her life in the process. Waves of ferocious Divine Abilities and merciless Secret Techniques followed, dumbfounding the Royal Lord!
It had to be said that although this Royal Lord had risen to his position 30,000 years ago, he had only ever fought an Old Ancestor once in that entire time.
It was just after he had become a Royal Lord and joined forces with the original Royal Lord of Great Evolution Theatre to kill the Old Ancestor here. Ever since then, the Black Ink Clan claimed Great Evolution Pass and no other battle occurred.
For the past 30,000 years, he stayed within his Theatre. Now and then, he would send his Territory Lords out to help in battles at Wind and Cloud Pass and Azure Void Pass, but he himself had never left.
Thus, it could be said that he barely had any experience when it came to fighting with an Old Ancestor.
Moreover, this particular Old Ancestor was attacking ruthlessly and relentlessly. The Royal Lord had been suppressed from the moment the fight began, and the momentum was now decidedly against him.
Even the Old Ancestor was a little shocked by this too; however, she soon realized why this was the case, [This Royal Lord lacks combat experience!]
This was an unexpected surprise for her.
Back at Yin-Yang Pass, she would get into minor scuffles with the Royal Lord there every century or so, and a serious battle happened every millennium. It was no secret what each other’s Divine Abilities, Secret Techniques, battle strategies, and personalities were.
As the saying went, those who truly understood a person the best were not their friends, but their enemies.
In the Yin-Yang Theatre, as soon as the Old Ancestor made a move, the Royal Lord there could immediately tell what she was up to and formulate a counter on the spot. That was why the two clashed frequently over the years without ever deciding on a victor.
That was not the case here. The Old Ancestor had a wealth of experience fighting against a Royal Lord, and even though it was a different opponent, the experience still counted for something. This was not the same for the Royal Lord here. He had probably forgotten all about the fight 30,000 years ago, and such a long period of peace was enough for him to lose his will to better himself, which was why he found himself in such a state when he got into a fight with a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master all of a sudden.
The Old Ancestor’s line of thinking was rather simple. Since she brought Yang Kai here, she did not need to hold back out of caution. All she had to do was focus on attacking as hard as she could and wounding the Royal Lord as much as possible, even if she was injured in the process.
It did not matter if she got wounded because she could borrow Yang Kai’s Small Universe to rapidly heal and restore herself. Although the Royal Lord could also use his Black Ink Nest to recover from his injuries, the rate at which he would heal would never be as quick as her.
She would be gaining on him with every single round of recovery. Perhaps that would not be immediately noticeable, but given enough time and battles, the Royal Lord would at some point not be able to handle it anymore.
When the time came, she might even have the chance to kill this Royal Lord!
Therefore, she fought him now without holding back at all, as if she wanted to perish together with him.
Her opponent’s obvious decline in combat effectiveness over time only strengthened her resolve to commit to her initial plan.
Meanwhile, the East-West Army paid no mind to the clash between the two powerhouses. As the Old Ancestor headed out to take the Royal Lord head-on, the East-West Army changed course and continued forward.
Even though the East-West Army’s 60 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would undoubtedly be of great help to the Old Ancestor if they joined the fight, no one could guarantee that they would all come out alive if they got involved.
The East-West Army had an even more important task on hand, and that was to wipe out the Black Ink Clan Army and take back Great Evolution Pass. That was their ultimate goal.
Passing through Black Ink Clan territory, they saw that only the weakest Black Ink Clansmen remained in the outskirts, which they could not be bothered to deal with. They made a beeline in the direction of the Royal City instead.
Right now, they still did not know where the Royal City was exactly or how far away it was, but as long as they continued in this direction, they were bound to reach the Royal City at some point. Upon arrival, they would lay siege to the city!
The further the East-West Army went, the more dangerous it was for them as the likelihood of receiving help from the North-South Army decreased with the increasing distance between the two Armies; however, as long as the North-South Army managed to stop the Black Ink Clan coming from Great Evolution Pass, the East-West Army would not need to worry about being attacked from behind.
Since arriving at this Theatre, the 30,000-man-strong East-West Army had only engaged in a single significant battle. They had been marching in haste all this while after that, but even so, the Army’s fighting spirit had not diminished at all. On the contrary, it was even stronger than before.
It was safe to predict that when the Army reached the Royal City, they were sure to strike fear into the hearts of the Black Ink Clan.
…
The North-South Army led by Ou Yang Lie and Mi Jing Lun soon reached a new location after a day of hastened travelling.
Mi Jing Lun was the one who deduced that they would encounter the Black Ink Clan Army at this spot; however, looking out into the void around them, all was quiet and there was no sign of the Black Ink Clan Army.
Even then, Mi Jing Lun was not particularly disappointed even though there were no signs of the enemy since they had to take into account the difference in the two Armies’ travelling speed as well as the possibility of changes in the opposing Armies’ routes.
Several scouts were sent out for reconnaissance in the surrounding area.
Soon, they received word that there was a sighting of the Black Ink Clan Army coming from Great Evolution Pass. They were passing through a location that was less than an hour away from the North-South Army’s current position.
Mi Jing Lun exhaled slowly before commanding the Army to attack.
Under the circumstances, an ambush was impossible as there was no time for them to find suitable spots to set up and hide.
The North-South Army’s only choice now was to charge straight into battle with the Black Ink Clan and take them head-on.
Fortunately, they knew about the Black Ink Clan’s movements while the other party knew nothing about them, so they had the advantage.
The mighty fleet sailed through the void, and one hour later, the Black Ink Clan Army came into sight.
By now, the Black Ink Clan had naturally discovered the Humans as well.
One of the Feudal Lords immediately rushed to Zhe Chong and reported frantically, “Sir Territory Lord, we’ve spotted Human Warships!”
Zhe Chong had been uneasy the past few days, like something bad was about to happen, and that was the reason why he chose to take a longer route when leading the Army out of Great Evolution Pass. He was doing everything he could to avoid the Human Army that had not revealed itself just yet.
All had been calm and peaceful for several days, and his only worry had been the Human Race Army that had been attacking the Black Ink Clan territory.
He did not know when or even if his Army and the Human Army would meet, but if they did, the Black Ink Clan might not be able to stand against them; after all, he had personally witnessed just how mighty that Human Army was. Furthermore, there was still the Human Old Ancestor with them.
Thus, he could not stop himself from jumping in fright when his subordinate reported the news to him.
[We’re running into a Human Race Army in a place like this. Is it the one led by the Old Ancestor?]
“Where are they? How far away from here?” Zhe Chong asked in alarm.
The Feudal Lord pointed with his finger, “They’re in that direction. We’ll probably run into them in less than an hour.”
Zhe Chong looked out in that direction, and sure enough, he spotted a massive fleet approaching.
It was a sea of Human Warships, at least 2,000 to 3,000 of them, just like the one he saw over a year ago.
Based on the direction the Human Army was heading, it could be seen that it was not charging into the Black Ink Clan’s territory. The Humans were positioning themselves in advance so that they could meet the Black Ink Clan Army make contact an hour later and block their way forward.
[Why are we running into them here?]
Zhe Chong could not figure it out and he was not about to dwell on it now. His fear of the Old Ancestor made him lose his composure as he bellowed in terror, “Enemy attack!”
The other dozen or so Territory Lords gasped in fright when they heard him.
They turned to check for themselves, and sure enough, they saw the Human fleet in the distance. All at once, the Territory Lords started to panic.
None of the Territory Lords had expected to run into the Human Race Army here, but from the looks of it, the Humans were fully prepared for this. It was the Black Ink Clan who had been too careless and only noticed their enemy when they were right in front of them.
On the battlefield, there were terrible consequences to not being the one who held the initiative.
All the Territory Lords turned to Zhe Chong, and one of them asked frantically, “Do we engage them?”
The two Armies were only an hour’s distance apart, so they needed to decide right away whether they were going to fight or flee. The Territory Lords considered Zhe Chong their leader, so naturally, the decision depended on his opinion.
Zhe Chong’s brow twitched, “There could be an Old Ancestor among them!”
In other words, if they were to fight, the Black Ink Clan would suffer massive casualties. Even the Territory Lords might be losing their lives here.
The Territory Lord who asked earlier frowned, “Didn’t we sense the fluctuations from the fight between an Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord just now? Since their Old Ancestor is fighting with Sir Royal Lord, why would their Old Ancestor be here?”
Zhe Chong froze upon hearing that. [That’s right. We did feel the fluctuations from a battle between two of the most powerful Masters coming from a great distance away just now. It was clearly caused by the Human Old Ancestor and our Royal Lord. Since they’re fighting over there, there won’t be an Old Ancestor here then. The Humans couldn’t have sent two Old Ancestors over, right?]
Zhe Chong realised that he had jumped to conclusions just now. When he saw that the enormous fleet of the North-South Army was so similar to the one he had seen over a year ago, he subconsciously assumed that the Old Ancestor would be with them too, causing his fear to override his judgement.
Regardless, even if the enemy did not have an Old Ancestor among them, it was probably still too late for them to flee now.
Zhe Chong was a decisive individual and immediately came to a decision, “Relay my orders, prepare for battle!”
A fleet of 2,000 to 3,000 Warships meant there were some 30,000 Humans. Although this was not even a tenth of the Black Ink Clan Army’s numbers, the Territory Lords knew that numbers alone would never be able to determine who was the stronger of the two. Furthermore, a group of 30,000 Humans implied that there were dozens of Eighth-Order Masters among them.
Meanwhile, there were only 16 Territory Lords on their side.
If they chose to flee instead, it would be giving the Humans a chance to chase after and attack them from behind. Thus, meeting the enemy in battle was the best option. It would minimise the number of casualties and they might even be able to deal a heavy blow to the Humans.
Orders were passed down and the hundreds of thousands of Black Ink Clansmen formed rank in the void. They fused Black Ink Strength together to form a massive Black Ink Cloud that covered a vast swath of the void, hiding them from view.
This was the sight that greeted the Human Army when they arrived an hour later.
All they could see was an enormous Black Ink Cloud that had gathered within the void. There was some movement within the cloud, but there was no sign of the Black Ink Clan.
Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie stood on the deck of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship with deep, profound looks on their faces. It had to be said that the Black Ink Clan had made a clever move with their defensive action. They formed a Black Ink Cloud to mask their Army, which meant that the Humans had no way of determining what the Black Ink Clan was up to or what they were planning. If the Humans charged forward hastily, they would be wounded and suffer heavy casualties.
Yet if the Humans chose not to strike, they would be doing exactly what the Black Ink Clan wanted. The Black Ink Clan could use this opportunity to arrange their formations and decide on a battle strategy, and the longer the delay, the less of an advantage the Human Army would have.
Confronted with this situation, the Humans had no other choice. The only thing they could do was rely on the power of their Warships to disperse the Black Ink Cloud and force the Black Ink Clan Army to show themselves.
This was likely what the Black Ink Clan hoped for too as this would mean that they could expend a lot of the Human Army’s strength, even though it also meant that they would suffer a lot of casualties on their end.
Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie exchanged looks before nodding at each other.
The very next moment, an order went out from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
The Warships began moving forward again, separating into different lines in the void before coming to a stop at around 1 million kilometres away from the Black Ink Cloud.
Following that, all of the Warships started powering their Arrays. Lights flashed, and a raging surge of energy waves began to fluctuate.
Next, the points of light transformed into a myriad of attacks of different forms, all of which shot straight into the Black Ink Cloud.
The Warships had separated into five smaller fleets at this moment, with each one consisting of 400 to 500 vessels. The small fleets took turns attacking one after the other, allowing for a continuous barrage to be maintained.
Each attack was akin to hundreds of Seventh-Order Masters launching a full-force attack together. The onslaught of attacks kept striking the Black Ink Cloud and causing it to disappear. Blinding lights flashed within the Black Ink Cloud. It was a terrifying sight even from a distance.
There were signs of life auras withering constantly, but at a distance of a million kilometres and combined with the chaos of the energy fluctuations, even the Eighth-Order Masters could not sense everything clearly.
Even so, the withering life auras were clearly a sign of death among the ranks of the Black Ink Clan hidden inside the Black Ink Cloud.
The Humans’ attack went on for a half day!
Throughout the whole time, the Warships did not let up on the bombardment. The artifacts and the Spirit Arrays mounted on the Warships kept shooting straight into the Black Ink Cloud.
However, the Humans were surprised at the lack of a response from the Black Ink Clan Army. They seemed to be lying in wait for the right moment to strike, or perhaps they had even fled the battlefield.
Nevertheless, even though they had the Black Ink Cloud to hide them, the Black Ink Clan could not flee the battlefield with so many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters around.
Thus, the Black Ink Clan Army was certainly still hidden inside the Black Ink Cloud.
They were waiting!
The optimum window for them to strike back would be when the Humans’ strength was depleted from their attacks.
It had to be said that the Territory Lords who led this Army were all remarkably patient. Anyone with a fiery temper would have led the Army out of the Black Ink Cloud to start attacking the Humans by now.
Still, this was the exact opposite of what the Humans wanted.
Half a day later, the enormous Black Ink Cloud that had loomed over the void was beginning to thin out. Even though the Black Ink Clan kept channelling their Black Ink Strength to strengthen the Black Ink Cloud, they could not withstand the constant attacks from the Warships.
They would have long since revealed themselves if it had not been for the large amounts of Black Ink Strength that escaped from the dead bodies of the Black Ink Clansmen, which helped thicken the Black Ink Cloud.
They were at their limit after holding out for half a day though.
The thinning Black Ink Cloud could no longer hide all of the Black Ink Clan Army, and the powerful Eighth-Order Masters were beginning to break through the Black Ink Cloud and survey the state of the enemy inside.
They were dissatisfied with what they found.
A half day’s worth of ceaseless attacks did cause some casualties on the side of the Black Ink Clan, but it was far less than what they expected.
Less than 50,000 had died out of the Black Ink Clan Army which was almost 500,000 strong. It was only a 10% casualty rate.
These were not results to be pleased about as they had expected to clear out at least 30% of the Black Ink Clan.
The Human Warships continued their attacks, but by now, the Black Ink Cloud was thin and wispy, meaning they could launch targeted attacks which made the number of casualties rise seriously.
Evidently, the Black Ink Clan realised this problem too. The Territory Lords gave out an order and 400,000 of the Black Ink Clan Army swiftly retreated out of the Black Ink Cloud before rushing off into the distance.
The Black Ink Clan was trying to escape!
The Human Army was not about to ignore that, so Ou Yang Lie immediately gave the order to pursue.
However, the attempt to flee was merely a feint. As soon as the Human Army entered the wispy Black Ink Cloud, the Black Ink Clan Army suddenly turned around and launched its attack.
The Great Evolution Theatre had been at peace for 30,000 years, but on this day, an explosive battle took place between two Armies just a few days’ travel away from Great Evolution Pass.
Although the East-West Army had already attacked some of the Territory Lords’ territories, that was not the same as this fight.
Ou Yang Lie and the others were a little startled by the Black Ink Clan’s strategy, but that was all.
Mi Jing Lun had already been on guard back when Ou Yang Lie gave the order to chase after the supposedly fleeing Army. Even though the Black Ink Clan had suffered some casualties, the fight had not truly begun and there was no way the Black Ink Clan would flee without a fight when they still had 400,000 soldiers. The Territory Lords who led the Army would surely know that they would be doomed the moment they fled.
He was proven right. The Black Ink Clan did not plan on fleeing. They merely wanted to lure the Human Warships into their Black Ink Cloud so that they could gain a geographical advantage.
Although the Black Ink Cloud was thin and sparse now, it was still a significant help to the Black Ink Clan and a hindrance to the Humans once they were inside.
Purifying Black Ink Pills were readily available for use on the battlefield now, and all the Humans had to do was consume one in advance and they would have a temporary window of time where they did not have to worry about the Black Ink Strength invading them. That being said, as time wore on, the medicinal efficacies would wear off, and things would be less rosy then.
Furthermore, repeated consumption of the Purifying Black Ink Pills in short order reduced their effectiveness.
Those at Blue Sky Pass had done a systematic test and figured out that a Sixth-Order Master could use two Purifying Black Ink Pills within the span of a month. Any more than that and the medicinal efficacies would be greatly diminished.
A Seventh-Order Master could use three pills.
There was a limit to the medicinal efficacies of each Purifying Black Ink Pill as well, making them only effective for six hours at most.
Thus, if the Humans fought against the Black Ink Clan within the Black Ink Cloud, they would need to end the fight as quickly as possible, for the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantaged they would be.
The Black Ink Clan had launched their attack at just the right time. They had perfectly positioned the battlefield within the area that still had the wispy Black Ink Cloud.
Despite that, they were still shocked by the Humans’ reactions. They thought that the Humans would be disadvantaged if the fight happened in such an environment, but how could they have anticipated that the Humans would not be affected at all? As the two Armies clashed head-on, the Seventh-Order Masters swiftly leaped out of the Warships without caring about being affected by the Black Ink Strength at all.
The Black Ink Clan was thunderstruck. They had preconceived notions that the Humans avoided Black Ink Strength like the plague, especially those with lower cultivation. Only some of the Eighth-Order Masters could withstand the encroachment of Black Ink Strength for an extended time in battle.
However, from the looks of it now, even the Seventh-Order Masters could move freely within the Black Ink Cloud without being affected at all.
What was going on?
While the Black Ink Clan was reeling from shock, the Human Squads began to unleash their full strength. The Seventh-Order Masters all stuck close to their Warships and coordinated with the other Squads in their Battalions to launch concentrated attacks. The face-to-face confrontation was quickly decimating the Black Ink Clan Army.
It was 30,000 against over 400,000, which was a huge disparity in numbers, yet to the Humans, being heavily outnumbered was not a problem at all. Throughout the ages, Humans had always battled against the Black Ink Clan under such circumstances, so they amassed a ton of experience.
Although the two Armies clashed fiercely, it was evident that both sides were still exercising caution and restraint. No one pressed forward recklessly as neither the Humans nor the Black Ink Clan had anywhere to fall back to for safety in the vast, unending void.
Pushing too aggressively would not benefit either party, especially if things started deteriorating for them. It could even lead to the destruction of the entire battlefield and a devastatingly high number of casualties.
Thus, if anyone had a distant overview of the battle, they would notice that the fight between the two Armies on the battlefield was fairly straightforward. The Human Race Army of 30,000 and the Black Ink Clan Army of over 400,000 were like two waves oscillating back and forth as both parties continued to engage, retreat, and then engage once more.
Every time the two Armies collided, both parties would attack with all their might. All manner of Secret Techniques burst forth in the thick of the skirmish, only to stop when both parties retreated to regroup.
The leaders of the Human Army did not expect to achieve a decisive victory in short order. They were using these small but frequent skirmishes to exhaust the Black Ink Clan Army’s strength and endurance and slowly gain the upper hand.
However, Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie never expected that the Black Ink Clan Army’s strategist also had the same thought.
The commanders on both sides were thinking along the same lines. Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie even felt a glimmer of ‘kinship’ with the Territory Lord who was commanding the opposing Army.
Naturally, it was Zhe Chong who was in charge of commanding the Black Ink Clan Army in this battle.
Among the Territory Lords, Zhe Chong was competent and more importantly, cautious by nature. If it had not been for his prudence, he would not have made the snap decision to escape when he was ambushed by the Human Race Army back at Wind and Cloud Pass. But he did, and therefore, he survived.
Although he was a Territory Lord of the Great Evolution Theatre, over the past 30,000 years, he still gathered considerable combat experience as a result of leading Armies to aid in the battles at Wind and Cloud Pass or Azure Void Pass dozens of times. Though in all fairness, his Army often suffered crushing defeats and few would come back alive.
Still, his wealth of experience going into battle against the Humans was the reason why he could come up with the appropriate strategy for this battle.
He was also the one who came up with the idea of forming the Black Ink Cloud to conceal their movements when they discovered that the North-South Army had come to launch a surprise attack.
If it had been any other Territory Lord at the helm when they saw the Human Race Army’s sudden arrival, they would have most likely rushed headfirst into battle without a second thought.
It had to be said that even though his strategies seemed rather cowardly, Zhe Chong did manage to make things a lot more difficult for the Humans.
Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie had hoped that they would encounter a reckless Black Ink Clan Army that believed they would win based solely on their overwhelming numbers.
They never thought they would run into an Army led by a shrewd mind.
This was something worthy of marvel, as after so many years of going to battle against the Black Ink Clan, it was their first time coming head to head with a Black Ink Clan commander like that.
The two Armies continued to engage in battle, and each time they clashed, life auras would wither, with the vast majority of the casualties being on the side of the Black Ink Clan.
The Humans would not be in much danger if their Warships were intact, but if their Warships were to be destroyed, then the whole Squad would be in great danger.
After clashing over ten times, things started becoming less orderly and more chaotic.
The Humans were not at fault for that.
Despite only numbering 30,000, the Human Army was disciplined and trained to listen to their superiors without question; thus, they carried out their commanders’ orders to the letter.
It was not the same with the Black Ink Clan.
There were over 400,000 Black Ink Clansmen, and while Zhe Chong was considered the commander, they were actually made up of the individual Armies that belonged to over a dozen different Territory Lords, each with a mind of his own.
Upon seeing that there were so many fatalities within Black Ink Clan after each clash while few if any occurred on the Humans’ side, many of the Territory Lords lost their cool and started pushing more aggressively.
The more reckless they were, the more casualties there were on the Black Ink Clan’s side.
It was humiliating, and that resulted in angering them further, so much so that they joined the battlefield in person.
The Eighth-Order Masters were not about to let the Territory Lords have their way on the battlefield. While the Territory Lords stayed out of the battle, the Eighth-Order Masters also hung back and observed, but now that the Territory Lords were making their move, the Eighth-Order Masters were not going to stand idly by either as they came forward to stop them.
Thus, after two hours of skirmishes, the battle suddenly intensified. The battlefield began to fill with the fluctuations from the fights between the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Masters.
Meanwhile, on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Ou Yang Lie declared, “I’m joining them. I’ll leave things here to you, Brother Mi.”
Mi Jing Lun simply nodded. Ou Yang Lie took one step and instantly appeared in front of a Territory Lord many thousands of kilometres away. He threw out his fist with great force and the Territory Lord who was caught unaware ended up flying backwards.
That being said, he was still a Territory Lord. Despite being a little dazed after the blow from Ou Yang Lie, he quickly regained his composure and started fighting back.
In the ferocious clash between the two, it was Ou Yang Lie who was unable to unleash his full powers, while the Territory Lords attacked without holding back at all.
It could not be helped as the two were fighting in an area that not only had a lot of Black Ink Clansmen but also a number of Humans. The Territory Lord attacked in a frenzy as he did not care about the deaths of his Clansmen, but Ou Yang Lie could not disregard the lives of the Humans in the same way.
Therefore, even though he gained the upper hand with his initial sneak attack on the Territory Lord, he still could not finish or defeat his opponent in short order.
Ou Yang Lie was not the only one confronted with this situation. Most of the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were faced with the same predicament. The Territory Lords’ despicable behaviour was forcing a lot of the Eighth-Order Division Commanders to hold themselves back.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship hovered in the void at approximately 1 million kilometres from the battlefield.
It was not far by any means, and if a Territory Lord wanted to launch a surprise attack, he could get to the Battleship quite rapidly. Though, of course, it was not considered close either. It was a good spot for Mi Jing Lun to oversee the entire battle.
Of the two Commanders of the North-South Army, Ou Yang Lie was the one who adhered to the principle of talking with his fists, and thus, Mi Jing Lun was the one who commanded the Army in battle.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship was not alone in the Void as several Battalion-Class Warships hovered around it, each one crewed by an Eighth-Order Division Commander and an entire Battalion!
All of this was to ensure that the Purifying Black Ink Battleship would stay safe even when they were so far away from home.
One could not claim that the Humans were acting too conservatively. On the contrary, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was just far too important. Not only did the battleship have a great variety of strategic functions, but both the battleship and the Battalion-Class warships around it were carrying quite a number of specialists who followed the Army to this battle.
The East-West Army had over 1,000 Artifact Refiners with them, along with Alchemists and Array Masters in similar numbers.
It was the same with the North-South Army.
These Humans were at the very least in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, with a few even being in the Eighth-Order.
Even so, they spent all their time fully focused on their respective Daos such as Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and Spirit Arrays; thus, they lacked combat power and were not suited to step foot on the battlefield. The loss of any one of them would be a notable loss for the Human Race.
They could only remain in safety until the battle came to an end.
If they were to remain here, then there had to be people here to protect them as well; therefore, even though the North-South Army had 30,000 soldiers in total, in reality, 3,000 to 4,000 of them were not taking part in the battle against the Black Ink Clan.
Mi Jing Lun’s brows were tightly furrowed as he surveyed the battle from the deck of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
What was happening was unlike anything he had expected.
Initially, he assumed that it would not be hard for the North-South Army to come out victorious as a Black Ink Clan Army of 500,000 would only have slightly over a dozen Territory Lords commanding it. The North-South Army had nearly 60 Eighth-Order Masters, which was several times more than their opponents’ number of Territory Lords.
The advantage they had in high-level combat power was enough to make up for the huge difference in numbers between the two Armies.
That being said, it would be impossible to ruthlessly slaughter the entire Black Ink Clan Army as they would undoubtedly flee once things did not look good for them.
The situation at this battle was different from the ambush that the East-West Army had set up at Wind and Cloud Pass.
Yang Kai had filled Mi Jing Lun in on all the details of that battle, and Mi Jing Lun knew that the East-West Army’s successful vanquishment of all 300,000 of the Black Ink Clan Army in such a short amount of time was mainly due to the circumstances of the ambush, and also the fact that they had an Old Ancestor with them. All in all, the Black Ink Clan had no hope of even putting up a strong fight against the Humans back then.
However, the North-South Army failed to set up an ambush and did not have an Old Ancestor to assume command, so they could not compare themselves with the advantageous position the East-West Army had.
Still, the North-South Army should have been able to achieve victory relatively easily without having to suffer too many casualties on their end.
Unfortunately, the reality was quite different.
The Humans did not seem to have as much of an advantage on the battlefield as they anticipated.
Despite the high hopes that Mi Jing Lun placed on the Eighth-Order Masters to turn the battle in their favour, they did not seem to be giving the Humans that much of an edge in battle.
The reason for this boiled down to the existence of numerous Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples among the Black Ink Clan Army!
Even after experiencing so many years of everything from great battles to minor skirmishes with the Black Ink Clan, Mi Jing Lun had never encountered so many Black Ink Disciples at once, and all of them had such high Orders.
It was not surprising to find Black Ink Disciples, a rather unique form of being, on the Black Ink Battlefield. In the past, in every major battle, there would always be Black Ink Disciples taking part. Some unfortunate Humans ended up turning into Black Ink Disciples and becoming an enemy of the Human Race in every clash.
However, ever since Yang Kai came to the Black Ink Battlefield and brought the Purifying Light to the Great Passes, the number of Black Ink Disciples drastically decreased.
The Black Ink Disciples either died on the battlefield or were caught by Human Masters who used Purifying Light to restore their sense of self. Without fresh blood to bolster their numbers, the Black Ink Disciples naturally grew fewer and fewer.
This had become even more apparent in recent years as Mi Jing Lun had barely seen any sign of Black Ink Disciples on the battlefield.
Yet now, at the Great Evolution Theatre, he saw the Black Ink Disciples once more, including quite a number that had Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivations.
Most were in the Seventh Order, numbering in the hundreds.
Although they did not have quite as many Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, Mi Jing Lun had counted nearly 30 of them and he knew that there had to be more than that as there would be some he did not manage to spot in all the chaos.
No one would have ever thought that there were so many High-Rank Black Ink Disciples in the Great Evolution Theatre.
And this was only those that belonged to the Armies of the dozen or so Territory Lords present. The situation would certainly be a lot grimmer if all the forces in the Great Evolution Theatre were combined.
There was no other Theatre like this one.
While the other Theatres also encountered Black Ink Disciples on the battlefield, it was impossible for them to be confronted with such powerful ones and in such alarming numbers.
Nevertheless, after mulling in silence for a brief moment, Mi Jung Lun soon realized the reason for this.
The Great Evolution Theatre’s situation was unique due to the Great Pass having been lost over 30,000 years ago. No great battles had taken place throughout that time in this Theatre, which meant that the Black Ink Disciples could spend all their time on cultivation. They did not have to worry about going to battle and losing their life, and thus, they slowly managed to reach the Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Judging by the number of Black Ink Disciples there were on the battlefield now, it proved that not all of the Human soldiers who were part of the battle at Great Evolution Pass 30,000 years ago had been killed by the Black Ink Clan after the death of the Old Ancestor. The Black Ink Clan must have taken quite a number of them and turned them into Black Ink Disciples.
There was no other way of explaining why so many Black Ink Disciples with High-Orders would appear in the Great Evolution Theatre.
Why did all of the Cave Heavens and Paradises in the 3,000 Worlds classify everything that had to do with the Black Ink Clan? That was because Black Ink Strength was far too tempting for some people.
As it was, once a person’s body was corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they would undergo a drastic change and become someone who served the Black Ink Clan above all else. In other words, they would become an entirely different person, but at the same time, the power that Black Ink Strength provided was enough to enable a cultivator to not be affected by the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm. With enough luck and resources, one could continue to cultivate all the way to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
How many Ninth-Order Masters had there been throughout history? Too few that even the most prominent of Cave Heavens and Paradises could easily count them with their fingers.
With that being the case, it would be hard for cultivators who had reached the ceiling of their cultivation and failed to break through to not be swayed by the temptation of Black Ink Strength.
Yuan Du, a Vice Sect Master of Lang Ya Paradise, was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He knew very well the risks and dangers of Black Ink Strength, but even then, he could not overcome the temptation. In the end, he chose to become a Black Ink Disciple. Not only did he turn against his people but he even threatened the safety of his Sect. The Sect Master, Li Yuan Wang, had no choice but to kill Yuan Du himself.
The fact that even the Vice Sect Master of Lang Ya Paradise succumbed to the draw of Black Ink Strength proved how hard it would be for most people to resist the temptation as well if the powers of Black Ink Strength became public knowledge in the 3,000 Worlds.
Humans were always unpredictable.
30,000 years ago, the Great Evolution Old Ancestor died and the Great Pass was conquered. Most of the Human soldiers died on the battlefield, but a significant number of them must have been captured by the powerful members of the Black Ink Clan and turned into Black Ink Disciples.
30,000 years of peace was enough time for these Black Ink Disciples to cultivate and break through to a higher Order.
They made full use of the prolonged period of time, which was enough to let a Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple advance into the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Still, this kind of cultivation came with its own set of dangers. One false move could lead to the cultivator’s death while trying to break through to a higher Order than they would normally be able to reach, and even if the cultivator succeeded, the process would leave visible marks on their body that would clearly indicate they were no longer Human.
This was the reason why Mi Jing Lun spotted so many Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples on the battlefield.
Although these Black Ink Disciples still had Human forms, most of them also had some abnormal characteristics that made them stand out. One of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had a large growth coming out of his shoulder, and from a distance, it looked as if he had two heads.
Yet another Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple had two tiny, fleshy wings growing out of his back. With one long and one short, the wings looked like knobbly chicken feet.
One of the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples even had an extra arm growing out of his abdomen. He was creative enough to come up with a combat strategy that made use of his third arm and wielded three swords, one in each arm, making him quite a formidable force on the battlefield.
All of the Black Ink Disciples who had these abnormal traits were those who relied on Black Ink Strength to break through their innate limitations.
They would never have had the chance to advance any further, but after being corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they were able to explore a higher Martial Dao.
The power that they exhibited was noticeably unstable though, and those around them could feel that it was frenzied and volatile.
However, it was exactly due to the efforts of these Black Ink Disciples that the Humans could not gain a decisive victory with their current strategy.
Originally, Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie assumed that since they had dozens of Eighth-Order Masters to deal with only slightly more than a dozen Territory Lords, the numbers would work in their favour and the Territory Lords would not be able to put up a fight.
As long as the Division Commanders could gang up on the Territory Lords, they would surely be able to kill all of them fairly quickly.
Once the Territory Lords were gone, the hundreds of thousands of Black Ink Clansmen would amount to nothing more than headless chickens, and the Humans could wipe them out with ease.
However, it was the presence of numerous Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples that foiled their plans.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were fearsome in their violent attacks, but the ferocity also proved that they did not have full control over their strength.
In other words, these Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were not on even footing with the true Eighth-Order Masters. Their powers did not come from proper cultivation, and as a result, they were even weaker than ordinary Territory Lords.
If it came down to a solo fight, any one of the Eighth-Order Division Commanders could easily defeat an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
Even so, it would not be as easy to kill one.
Furthermore, both the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples attacked without any restraint, not caring whether they injured or even killed their fellow Black Ink Clansmen in the process. On the other hand, the Eighth-Order Masters had to take great care not to harm their fellow Humans.
Thus, when it came to the battle between the two parties’ top Masters, although the Humans still had the advantage, it was not a significant one and could not produce the result they had hoped for.
As the fierce battle progressed, the casualties mounted on the side of the Black Ink Clan.
The Humans also began to suffer more casualties, and there were even signs of Seventh-Order Masters dying on the battlefield.
Mi Jing Lun frowned as this was not what he wanted to see. If things carried on like this, even if the Humans emerged victorious, it would still be at the cost of far too many lives, which would be a crushing blow to them.
[We must break the deadlock as soon as possible to achieve our goal today.]
After thinking in silence for a moment, his Divine Sense surged and in the next moment, five figures jumped out of the Battalion Class Warships around the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and joined the battlefield.
These five were all Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Initially, their job was to stay with the Battalion Class Warships around the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and protect all of the non-combatants on board the ships; but now, it was time for them to make their move.
Five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters joining the battlefield was enough to change the tides of the battle between both parties’ apex cultivators. Once they found the opportunity to kill a few of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples or even some Territory Lords, they could create a snowball effect and create an overwhelming advantage for the Humans.
Still, this required time.
Mi Jing Lun’s eyes next fell onto a different side of the battlefield, away from the battlefield between the Eighth-Order Masters and the Territory Lords.
There was a solitary figure over there who was rampaging about. This person worked alone without teaming up with any of the Warships. All he had was a long spear in his hands, but wherever he passed, the Black Ink Clan would crumble. Even the Feudal Lords could not withstand a single blow from his spear.
Naturally, it was Yang Kai.
Ever since the battle started, Mi Jing Lun kept checking in on Yang Kai’s situation, yet the Eighth-Order Army Commander was shocked to find that despite his high regard for Yang Kai, he had still underestimated him.
Yang Kai was only a Seventh-Order Master, but he was exhibiting powers that vastly exceeded what someone in the Seventh-Order should be capable of. This was the reason why he could breeze through the battlefield without any difficulty with no one able to stop him.
Although Mi Jing Lun did not know much about Yang Kai, he had heard a lot of stories in the past. He knew that Yang Kai had made a name for himself across a number of battlefields, and he also knew that Yang Kai had a World Tree clone planted inside his Small Universe.
Apparently, the World Tree clone had the unbelievable effect of purifying and enhancing World Force.
From the looks of it now, the effects were even more astounding than Mi Jing Lun had expected as Yang Kai’s World Force was both dense and powerful enough that he could launch devastating attacks with great ease.
Meanwhile, the five Eighth-Order Division Commanders joined the battle among the top Masters of both Armies and worked together to shift the momentum in the Human’s favour, though their efforts would take time to produce real results.
Someone needed to break the stalemate that was happening between the two Armies’ forces that were below the Eighth Order. That way, by gaining an advantage in both the top and bottom ranks, the Humans would be able to decimate the Black Ink Clan in the shortest amount of time possible!
Yang Kai was the best person for that task!
As soon as the thought flashed across Mi Jing Lun’s mind, his Divine Sense surged once more.
Out on the battlefield, Yang Kai was immersed in the fervour of battle.
It had been so long since he could throw caution to the wind and not hold himself back.
Ever since the creation of Dawn, he would have to lead the Special Operation Squad into battle each time, and as the Squad Leader, he had to take a lot of concerns into account.
This time though, he did not need to worry about anything, all he had to do was kill the enemy. He rushed headlong wherever the enemy gathered without having to worry about others failing to keep up with him. He did not have to worry about leading his people into a risky situation with no way out.
With the use of Space Principles, his figure flitted about erratically, and as long as the Territory Lords did not get involved, no one among the Black Ink Clan was a threat to him.
Naturally, not needing to worry about others also meant that no one was there to help him.
Since the beginning of the battle, countless Black Ink Clansmen had died at his hands, but he also suffered a few injuries in the process. Regardless of how strong he was, Yang Kai could not avoid getting hit a few times in the chaos of the battlefield.
Still, such injuries did not affect him too greatly, and the pain only increased his bloodlust.
Just as the fighting was raging, a Warship suddenly approached. It did not look like the regular Squad Class Warship as it was a lot bigger and there were clear signs of numerous enhancements.
It was the Warship that belonged to a Special Operations Squad!
Dawn’s Dawning Light was an example of such a Warship.
8 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were gathered around the Warship, each of them radiating a formidable aura. They were covered in black blood and there was no telling how many Black Ink Clan soldiers they had killed.
The one who took the lead was a young man with a dignified appearance, and his voice rang out across the distance, “Brother Yang, the Army Commander has ordered the Profound Wind Squad and the Snow Wolves Squad to work together with you to break the enemy lines!”
Yang Kai thrust his spear out, and the resulting shadow pierced through a dozen of so Black Ink Clan soldiers in front of him. Once he withdrew his spear, he turned around and asked, “Where’s the Snow Wolves Squad?”
The young man, who seemed to be the Profound Wind Squad Leader, pointed with his finger, “Over there. They can’t get away just yet!”
“Follow my lead!” Yang Kai said before dashing in that direction with his spear sweeping through the enemies along the way.
After being on the battlefield for so long, Yang Kai had already sensed the peculiarity of this particular war.
The Black Ink Clan were not as weak as the Humans thought they were, and it was all due to the significant number of Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples!
Yang Kai was surprised by this too.
He had encountered numerous Black Ink Disciples before and knew what the benefits and consequences were for these Black Ink Disciples who relied on Black Ink Strength for cultivation. At first, he thought that it would be immensely difficult for a Black Ink Disciple to become an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Although Black Ink Disciples were unshackled from their innate constraints, the risk they faced during the ascension to a higher Order than they were naturally capable of reaching was far worse than the average Human cultivator’s. More often than not, Black Ink Disciples would fail to control the power within their body and end up exploding, so even though some might reach the Eighth Order, there shouldn’t be many.
Yet he saw so many Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples here.
It was hard for either party to gain the upper hand when it came to the fight between the top Masters, so the outcome of the battle was still undecided. Things would only get worse for the Humans if they did not break the stalemate.
Yang Kai was only in the Seventh Order, and although he managed to kill a Territory Lord before, it was still hard for him to join the battlefield of the stronger fighters.
The Army Commander seemed to have taken this into account and thus ordered him to lead two of the Special Operations Squads instead. He wished to have Yang Kai be the one who gave the Humans an opening when it came to the fight among those with lower cultivation.
Thus, when Yang Kai heard the order from the Profound Wind Squad, he did not have to dwell on it for long before he surmised what the Army Commander’s plan was.
A single Human charged forward with a mighty aura.
The battlefield was havoc as far as the eyes could see, but Yang Kai drifted through the chaos taking down enemies with great ease and single-handedly carving out a path behind him.
The Profound Wind Squad followed closely behind him. All 8 of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had looks of solemn respect on their faces, especially the young Squad Leader.
Only the best among the Seventh Order could become the Squad Leader of a Special Operations Squad.
Under the young Squad Leader’s leadership, the Profound Wind Squad had also achieved great success in their own Theatre. Initially, he did not understand why the Army Commander ordered the two elite Squads to work together with Yang Kai, but now that he saw just how unparalleled of a fighter Yang Kai was on the battlefield, he began to understand why the order came down.
Only an unstoppable force such as Yang Kai could lead the two Special Operations Squads to break the enemy on the battlefield in the shortest amount of time.
Yang Kai and the Squad charged straight forward, and soon, they arrived at a different part of the battlefield.
The area was filled with Black Ink Clansmen, including many Feudal Lords. They swarmed the area which made it impossible for anyone to get in or out, and at the very centre was a Warship that belonged to another Special Operations Squad that was currently being besieged on all sides.
This was the Snow Wolves Squad, which had about the same number of people as the Profound Wind Squad. Both Squads had roughly 50 members with 8 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters assuming command.
Special Operations Squads had a lot more members than regular Squads, and when combined with the numerous improvements made to the Squad’s Warship over the years, the Snow Wolves were undoubtedly a formidable force in combat.
Although there were only 50 of them, they had the power of the Warship and should easily be able to take on at least 1,000 to 2,000 Black Ink Clansmen at once as long as they did not have to face a Territory Lord as well.
Yet, at this very moment, the Snow Wolves Squad was surrounded by the Black Ink Clan and had no way of escaping. They were not in a dire situation due to the power of their custom Warship, but things were still looking pretty bad for them.
Among the 8 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, one was heavily injured and had to return to the Warship deck to recover. Under the command of the Snow Wolves Squad Leader, the remaining Seventh-Order Masters kept trying to find a way to break out of the encirclement, but every attempt was hindered by the Black Ink Clan’s frenzied attacks which forced them back.
The Snow Wolves were slowly losing ground and things were taking a turn for the worse.
Even so, the Squad Leader remained calm as he unleashed a series of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, all the while trying to find a way out for them.
A Special Operations Squad was sure to have its own trump cards, such as powerful arrays installed in their Warship. The Snow Wolves had such an array that was capable of unleashing an attack on par with an Eighth-Order Master’s all-out strike. It would not be hard for the Squad to escape after using this, but the array expended too much power, so once used, the entire Warship would lose over half of its combat power temporarily.
The battle began not too long ago, and the Snow Wolves were unwilling to pay such a heavy price in a situation such as this, especially since they were not pushed to the brink just yet.
Just as the Snow Wolves Squad Leader was trying to think of a good strategy, a commotion arose among the Black Ink Clan. All of a sudden, a spear breached through the ranks of the Black Ink Clansmen, and in an instant, a sliver of space was carved out as the siege was split into two like a ripped piece of cloth.
A solitary figure ploughed through the opening.
The Snow Wolves Squad Leader’s expression brightened at once and he quickly ordered his Squad to head towards the opening, and at the same time, he frantically called out, “Watch out, Junior Brother! Behind you!”
As soon as he said that, Yang Kai felt his heart clench and soon, he felt a wave of pain coming from his lower back.
Someone had indeed snuck up on him!
The one who launched the sneak attack had done it so quickly and surreptitiously that he had not noticed anything until he had been hit.
Yang Kai instinctively swept his spear out but hit nothing.
He spotted a silhouette brushing past him out of the corner of his eye, but when he tried to catch a proper glimpse, he could not find it anymore.
Still, he did not remain still. He kept charging forward and the Profound Wind Squad’s Warship pushed in through the breach in the Black Ink Clan’s lines behind him.
The two Squad Leaders of the Special Operations Squads knew each other, so they exchanged a light nod of greeting but skipped over the usual pleasantries. The Profound Wind Squad Leader informed the Snow Wolves Squad Leader of the Army Commander’s orders, and the latter chuckled bitterly before turning to Yang Kai, “Are you hurt, Junior Brother?”
[The Army Commander ordered both of our Special Operations Squads to work together with Junior Brother Yang, but he suffered a sneak attack just as soon as he showed up.]
One of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters under his command had suffered from a sneak attack as well. He was the one who was tending to his injuries on the Warship’s deck; thus, he knew just how insidious the ambusher who snuck up on Yang Kai was.
The Snow Wolves Squad would not have been blindsided by the Black Ink Clan and ended up getting sieged if it had not been for the fact that the attacker had hidden so well that none of them could locate him.
Although the Squad Leader asked Yang Kai if he was hurt, truth be told, he did not think they could rely on Yang Kai for much now.
Contrary to his assumptions, Yang Kai just shook his head, “I’m fine.”
The Squad Leader was taken aback for a moment before he kindly advised, “Junior Brother, don’t try to put up a strong front when you’re on the battlefield. If you need to tend to your injuries, then it’s best not to delay doing so.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I’m fine, really. Perhaps you don’t know, Senior Brother, though this Junior Brother here may not have much else to boast about, my skin’s thicker and my flesh’s stronger than average!”
It was true that the one behind the sneak attacks was powerful and not to be underestimated. Such an attack on a regular Seventh-Order Master would at least result in serious injuries, if not worse; however, Yang Kai carried a potent Dragon Vein, which made his physique a lot stronger than that of a regular Human. Thus, something that would have heavily injured someone else was not so serious when it came to him.
Furthermore, his body’s restorative abilities were quite astonishing, so Yang Kai did not need to bother tending to such injuries. He would fully recover soon enough.
What got his attention now was the strength that was contained inside the attack from the one who snuck up on him.
Yang Kai could clearly sense the dense Black Ink Strength that lingered in his wound which was clearly trying to eat into his body and spread to his Small Universe.
This was the most troublesome aspect of this sneak attack.
Even if a Human could survive the initial blow, they would have to deal with the Black Ink Strength’s attempt to invade after.
However, Yang Kai was unbothered by Black Ink Strength, so he simply ignored it. So what if it managed to spread into his Small Universe? It was not as if he did not already have lots of Black Ink Strength sealed up within.
“Was it a Black Ink Disciple?” Yang Kai asked grimly.
“En, it was!” The Snow Wolves Squad Leader replied.
It was just as Yang Kai suspected. At the time, he had a feeling that the one who attacked him was not from the Black Ink Clan. From the looks of it now, it was indeed a Black Ink Disciple, and probably a Seventh-Order one.
The attacker was a master of concealment, so even though Yang Kai’s Divine Sense was stronger than average, he could not find any traces of the attacker. That Black Ink Disciple seemed to have vanished right after striking him.
It went without saying that Yang Kai knew the attacker would not have vanished and was simply hiding somewhere, eyeing them like a venomous snake.
[I need to get rid of that attacker or else the other Seventh-Order Masters might suffer a death blow if they were not careful.]
After teaming together, the two Squads did not come to a halt. Yang Kai and the Squad Leaders had a quick discussion and soon, the two Warships began their attack under Yang Kai’s leadership.
Initially, the Black Ink Clan here had managed to rely on the support of that Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple to keep the Snow Wolves Squad cornered without any hope of escape, but now that the Profound Wind Squad had shown up as well, the Black Ink Clan was having a hard time dealing with the Humans.
In just a few moments, the enemy’s siege was breached yet again.
Two Feudal Lords had been overseeing the situation at the breakthrough spot, but Yang Kai easily cut them down with his spear as if they were nothing more than fish on a chopping block. The rest of the High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen did not amount to much. Wherever the Azure Dragon Spear swept, large swaths of them exploded into black blood mists.
This was the first time that the Snow Wolves Squad Leader ever saw a Seventh-Order Master killing a Feudal Lord with such ease, causing his eyes to nearly fall out of their sockets.
When comparing in terms of realm, a Feudal Lord was supposedly on par with a Seventh-Order Master; however, as the two Races cultivated in different ways, generally speaking, Feudal Lords tended to be weaker than Seventh-Order Humans.
However, despite being somewhat weaker, they were still Feudal Lords and not just random Black Ink Clansmen.
The Squad Leader had killed many Feudal Lords himself, but he never thought there would be a Seventh-Order Master who could cut down Feudal Lords as if they were helpless chickens.
[How the heck did he do that? Is he still Human?]
The Snow Wolves Squad Leader could not resist checking to see what Yang Kai’s Order was right now as he was beginning to suspect Yang Kai was secretly an Eighth Order Master who was hiding his true cultivation.
His actions did not escape the Profound Wind Squad Leader’s attention, and the latter chuckled as, just a short while ago, he had the exact same reaction. Before seeing the way Yang Kai slaughtered their enemy with great ease, never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would possess such terrifying strength in combat.
Regardless, the two Squad Leaders were relieved to find that Yang Kai did not seem to be affected by the sneak attack from earlier. Both of them spotted the trail of golden-coloured blood on Yang Kai’s lower back, but it did not seem to be much of a hindrance to him.
That being said, they were startled to see the golden-coloured blood as well. The blood of regular Humans would not be of that colour.
Nevertheless, they had no time to waste on such thoughts. The two Squads followed closely behind Yang Kai and boldly rushed towards the breach in the enemy lines.
However, before they passed through the opening, they saw a flicker of something right behind Yang Kai, and, in the very next moment, a shadowy silhouette appeared with an artifact in hand that was similar to a dagger. The silhouette was aiming straight for the back of Yang Kai’s neck.
The shadowy silhouette had appeared so abruptly that no one noticed anything until it was right there.
Evidently, it was the Black Ink Disciple who had snuck up on Yang Kai earlier. He had indeed been hiding nearby, waiting for his chance to attack once more. When he saw that Yang Kai was leading the two Special Operations Squads out of the encirclement, he evidently grew impatient and tried to attack again.
“Junior Brother, watch out!” The two Squad Leaders exclaimed in shock.
However, Yang Kai who was in the lead, did not seem to hear them at all. It was as if he had not noticed anything amiss.
The dagger-like artifact stabbed right into the back of Yang Kai’s neck, and everyone in both Squads, including the Squad Leaders, stared in grievous horror.
However, they did not see the spurt of golden blood and the sudden loss of a life that they expected, for the moment the dagger was about to cut into the back of Yang Kai’s head, Yang Kai’s figure became transparent and illusory.
A wave of Space Principles could be seen propagating out.
The attacker could not withdraw in time and he ended up stumbling through Yang Kai’s body.
It was Yang Kai’s Nihility Secret Technique!
A long time ago, Yang Kai had already comprehended a Space Principles Secret Technique that allowed him to exile his body to the Void to avoid certain attacks.
While in this state, Yang Kai’s body was no longer part of this world. Naturally, someone powerful enough would still be able to attack him by shattering the local space and thus affecting him even in the Void, but the Black Ink Disciple who snuck up on him did not seem to have expected Yang Kai to employ such a bizarre tactic and was thus unprepared.
Everything happened in a flash and Yang Kai reacted just as swiftly. When the attack failed, the shadowy silhouette faded away in such an uncanny way that it was almost as if the silhouette never existed in the first place. Even Divine Sense could not detect any traces; however, Yang Kai simply smirked, “Do you think you can use the same trick twice?”
By the time he finished speaking, the attacker had vanished.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai whipped his head about and reached out to grab something in that direction.
Once again, Space Principles rippled out and space was locked in from all sides.
By the time Yang Kai withdrew his hand, it was clenched around the neck of a figure. His World Force surged and crashed into the other person’s Small Universe, which made the person dazed and unable to use his strength.
“Attacking me twice, huh? You seem like a rather stubborn person,” Yang Kai remarked coolly as he stared at the person.
It was clear that the attacker had been highly trained in the art of assassination. When an attack failed, he retreated right away. That was why Yang Kai failed to detect him during the first sneak attack and could not find any traces of him after.
However, after taking into account the mystifying powers of concealment that this Black Ink Disciple had, Yang Kai was certain that the attacker would not give up so easily. He would strike again.
Yang Kai did not know who the attacker would strike against next, or if he would even show himself once more.
Still, the Black Ink Disciple did intend to strike again, and the best and final opportunity would be when Yang Kai led the two Squads out of the siege; therefore, Yang Kai kept his guard up the whole time. He stayed vigilant and aware of everything that was happening around him, including the goings-on near the two Squads behind him.
Sure enough, the attacker showed himself again and he even chose to make Yang Kai his target. Why would Yang Kai, who already had his guard up, allow himself to be attacked in a similar fashion twice?
To zero in on Yang Kai twice in a row meant that the attacker was stubborn and proud. As he failed to deal a heavy blow to Yang Kai on his first attempt, he did not hesitate at all to try again.
Unfortunately for him, he chose the wrong target. His first sneak attack had been successful due to his tactics and Yang Kai’s lack of vigilance.
That was not the case this time. On the battlefield, one had to pay the price for such wilful stubbornness.
The attacker could feel the terrifyingly powerful World Force that flowed out of Yang Kai’s hand and crashed into his Small Universe. His Small Universe quaked and the Black Ink Disciple was terror-stricken.
He could sense that Yang Kai was merely a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, just like him, but Yang Kai was now holding him by the neck as if he were a chicken waiting to be slaughtered. How could there be such a huge difference in strength between them?
What he found even harder to grasp was the way Yang Kai had managed to locate him. His Concealment Secret Technique was exceptional and in the heat of the moment, even an Eighth-Order Master might fail to notice him.
However, when he tried to conceal himself and vanish earlier after the second attack had failed, Yang Kai managed to capture him with just one hand.
As the Black Ink Disciple tried to struggle, he caught Yang Kai’s eyes and was shocked by the sliver of golden pupil he saw, “Demon Eye of Annihilation! Are you from Myriad Demons Heaven?”
Once the Black Ink Disciple spotted that intimidating golden pupil, he came to a realization.
He assumed Yang Kai was from Myriad Demons Heaven and had cultivated the Demon Eye of Annihilation, one of their core Secret Techniques, to a high degree of mastery.
[No wonder he knew exactly where I was…]
After working it all out, the Black Ink Disciple was filled with bitterness. He could not believe how terrible his luck was to encounter someone from Myriad Demons Heaven on the battlefield, and one who even cultivated the Demon Eye of Annihilation to such a high level to boot.
This mystical technique of the Myriad Demons Cave Heaven could see through all illusions and falsities. If cultivated to the apex, it was rumoured to be capable of seeing into a person’s past and future. All in all, it was the bane of his Concealment Secret Technique.
The Concealment Secret Technique that he relied on was nothing more than a joke before the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
Yang Kai had no intention of responding to the Black Ink Disciple’s question.
Had this taken place 200 years ago, Yang Kai might not have been able to capture the Black Ink Disciple so easily. Although he gained the Demon Eye of Annihilation a long time ago when he was still a fledgling cultivator, he did not actively cultivate it and thus could not utilise much of its powers.
Later on, when he left Black Territory and headed for the Black Ink Battlefield, an Eighth-Order Divine Monarch, Mo Sha, from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven passed the cultivation technique to him.
Throughout these years on the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai kept cultivating the two Eye Secret Techniques of Myriad Demons Heaven, making some small progress.
This carried on until 200 years ago when he used an enormous amount of Military Merits to head to Myriad Demons Pass and personally sought guidance from the Myriad Demons Heaven Old Ancestor.
Ever since then, Yang Kai’s mastery of these two Eye Secret Techniques soared tremendously.
This was a good thing about the Battle Ink Battlefield. With enough Military Merits, a person could cultivate any Secret Technique of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. One could even ask an Old Ancestor for help in the process.
This was simply unthinkable in the 3,000 Worlds. These powerful Secret Techniques were the foundation upon which all Cave Heavens and Paradises built themselves, so who would ever readily allow an outsider to learn them?
However, when on the Black Ink Battlefield, none of the Cave Heavens and Paradises believed in selfishly safeguarding these Secret Techniques for self-preservation anymore. All of the old traditions and beliefs had been broken, and everyone from the Old Ancestors to the regular cultivators had one goal in mind, to eliminate the Black Ink Clan once and for all.
Anything that furthered that goal was acceptable, including teaching others these once carefully guarded Secret Techniques.
By now, Yang Kai’s understanding of the two Eye Secret Techniques far surpassed what it once was 200 years ago. Based on how the Myriad Demons Heaven separated the mastery level of both these Eye Secret Techniques, Yang Kai’s cultivation of the Demon Eye of Annihilation could be considered to be far above average now.
After all, receiving help from an Old Ancestor was no small matter.
Therefore, it was laughable that the Black Ink Disciple attempted to conceal himself in front of Yang Kai.
At this very moment, Yang Kai was holding the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple by the neck and staring at the lump that came out of the latter’s forehead. Seeing it, Yang Kai let out a small sigh.
Not all Black Ink Disciples were alike.
If someone became a Black Ink Disciple because their body had been invaded by Black Ink Strength, then there was still a way to save them. All they would need to do was remove the Black Ink Strength with Purifying Light.
However, if a person chose to rely on Black Ink Strength to break through the innate barriers of their cultivation, there was no way of saving them anymore.
This was due to the fact that once the Black Ink Strength left their body, the person’s Small Universe would no longer be capable of containing their cultivation. The person would end up dying from the explosion of their Small Universe.
The Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple in front of Yang Kai right now had a bulbous, sore-like mass on his forehead that was surging with Black Ink Strength. It was a clear sign that he had used Black Ink Strength to break through his natural limits.
In other words, this Black Ink Disciple could not be saved, and that was the reason why Yang Kai sighed.
His World Force, which had already been coursing fiercely to begin with, intensified even further as it rushed into the Black Ink Disciple’s Small Universe. In less than a breath, the Black Ink Disciple’s Small Universe began to rumble and quake as cracks started spreading across it like a spiderweb.
The Black Ink Disciple was visibly petrified.
Soon, his Small Universe split apart and shattered into a million pieces. As his Small Universe collapsed, a huge amount of World Force madly surged out, along with all of the Black Ink Disciple’s vitality.
By the time Yang Kai tossed the Black Ink Disciple aside, there was no longer any sign of life within him.
It had only been several breaths from the Black Ink Disciple’s appearance during his second assassination attempt on Yang Kai till the point where his lifeless body was cast aside. The surrounding Black Ink Clansmen did not even have time to register what was happening.
Suddenly, the screech of a Golden Crow reverberated across the void and a brilliant Great Sun rose into the sky. The Golden Crow kept awing in joy as the light shone out brilliantly. Yang Kai lifted his spar to the Great Sun as he shot forward as fast as lightning and roared, “Charge!”
Members of both the Profound Wind Squad and the Snow Wolves Squad were still dazed from the death of the Black Ink Disciple. Now that they saw a Great Sun rising and felt its glorious power spreading through the area, they became even more thunderstruck.
Following Yang Kai’s battle cry, the Great Sun flew across the immense battlefield like a huge ball, and everywhere it went, the Black Ink Clan helplessly fell aside. Those who touched the Great Sun died upon contact, and all others in its proximity were wounded.
Two Special Operations Squads trailed behind the Great Sun, the two Squad Leaders exchanging glances, seeing the astounded look in each other’s eyes.
Both of them could see that the Great Sun was a Divine Manifestation. High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had the power to create a Divine Manifestation of their own, and as Squad Leaders of Special Operations Squads, both of them were among the top talents among the Seventh-Other and naturally had their own Divine Manifestations.
However, they both realized that their Divine Manifestations were hopelessly weak in comparison to the one that Yang Kai displayed.
This Junior Brother Yang of theirs was wielding a Divine Manifestation of such astonishing strength. It did not have the power of an attack from an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master just yet, but it was very close.
Judging by how quickly the Great Sun was slaughtering the Black Ink Clansmen, it showed that those who were beneath the Feudal Lords were killed by the Great Sun’s blinding power before they could even get close.
However, after recalling the power that Yang Kai had exhibited earlier, it was not hard to understand why his Divine Manifestation was this strong.
It was hard to miss the sudden appearance of the Great Sun on the battlefield. It smashed through the enemy lines with unstoppable force, and it made its way through the battlefield without even slowing at all.
The two Squads stayed right behind Yang Kai, one on either side, acting as his wings as they worked together with him to reap as many of the Black Ink Clan’s soldiers’ lives as possible.
This was the benefit of having Squad members to work with. Previously, when Yang Kai acted alone, he did not have to worry about others, but his kill count did not stack up as quickly as it did now either when he did not have help.
Right now, Yang Kai could focus his attention solely on charging forward and killing all the enemies in his path. He did not have to care about anything else, for even if he failed to kill those that fell by the wayside, the two Special Operations Squads following him would finish them off. He also did not have to look over his shoulder or worry about being attacked from behind.
The Army Commander had ordered the two Special Operations Squads to join forces with him, and although there was no clear task communicated in the order, Yang Kai could tell that the appearance of numerous Black Ink Disciples of high Orders had most likely disrupted the North-South Army’s plans.
They were in a deadlock and they needed to break the stalemate.
He could not help with the battle between the Eighth-Order Masters and the Territory Lords, so what he could do was give the Humans an advantage in the fight among those of the lower Orders.
Since the Army Commander hoped that he could break the stalemate, his only choice was to give it all he had; thus, Yang Kai immediately summoned his Divine Manifestation.
The Army Commander did not say how he should break the deadlock, and under the circumstances, Yang Kai would not be receiving any advice from anyone else.
Therefore, his plan was very simple. He was going to rely on the strength of the two Special Operations Squads and rampage through the battlefield without holding back!
Once the Black Ink Clan’s morale fell far enough and they were routed, the Humans could naturally break the stalemate.
Amid the chaos, a Great Sun flew forward, and with the help of two Special Operations Squads, they cut a large swath right across the vast battlefield.
All of the Black Ink Clansmen who stood in their path were slaughtered.
The Seventh-Order Masters behind Yang Kai relentlessly cut down any enemies that managed to survive the initial impact of the Great Sun.
Though a large number of Black Ink Clansmen died from the Great Sun charging up ahead, many more managed to escape and began to launch frenzied attacks upon the source of the deadly attack. Yang Kai was under such heavy assault that his Word Force protection faltered and cracked. His skin split open and golden blood oozed out of the wounds all over his body.
If no one dealt with these Black Ink Clansmen, then they would be a huge hindrance to Yang Kai, and soon, he would not be able to fight as ferociously as he did now.
The task of getting rid of these Black Ink Clansmen fell onto the shoulders of the two Special Operations Squads. The only way to ensure that Yang Kai could continue pushing forward unyieldingly was to stop the Black Ink Clan from attacking him.
By now, the two Special Operations Squads trailing behind Yang Kai had already killed countless enemies, and Yang Kai who led the charge killed even more.
Yang Kai and his spear had stormed through over ten million kilometres of space, and the light of the Great Sun had now grown dim.
Once the light completely extinguished, the two Special Operations Squads behind Yang Kai who had been valiantly killing their opponents abruptly noticed that there was no one around them.
They had cut through the entire battlefield and rushed out into the open void beyond. Not too far behind them was the battlefield upon which tens of thousands of Humans and hundreds of thousands of Black Ink Clansmen were still clashing.
It seemed that all of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who moved around outside the Warship were injured.
They had traversed the entire length of the battlefield in such a short amount of time, and all the while, they had been surrounded by the enemy on all sides. It was not hard to imagine just how many attacks they had to endure, and even though they were Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with formidable strength, it was impossible for them to come out completely unscathed.
Even so, they were still spirited and full of vigour.
Despite belonging to Special Operations Squads and having earned glory in numerous battles against the Black Ink Clan, they had never done anything quite as reckless as this.
Two Special Operations Squads under the leadership of Yang Kai had carved out a straight path all the way through the entire battlefield.
No one had ever heard of anything like this being done before.
Their long-lost fervour for battle consumed them once more. They could not resist the urge to roar at the top of their lungs as they only wished to rush into the battlefield to do it all over again.
Yang Kai did not disappoint them.
As soon as he broke out of the battlefield, he turned around to face the immense battlefield once more. He raised his spear and pointed at the expansive killing field before shouting, “Take your pills! We’re going in again!”
After a brief moment of startlement, all of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters immediately realized what Yang Kai meant. Without any further hesitation, they swiftly grabbed handfuls of pills, some to restore energy, some to aid in recovery, and even some to provide a temporary boost in strength, and stuffed them into their mouths.
Even the Fifth and Sixth-Order Masters aboard the Warships who were in charge of the arrays and the artifacts did the same.
Despite this being their first meeting and their first time working together with Yang Kai, his ferocity had been seared into their hearts and minds. At this moment, the young man who was covered in golden blood looked like a glowing torch in the dark that could lead them down the path of vanquishing all their enemies. They did not need to think about anything, all they had to do was follow him, and they would be able to wipe out all those whom they wished to exterminate.
The Golden Crow screeched yet again, and the blinding Great Sun rose once more. Just as before, Yang Kai’s spear lifted the Great Sun as he roared, “Kill!”
He led the charge as he stormed back into the colossal battlefield, the two Special Operations Squads following closely behind.
The brilliant Great Sun started rampaging through the battlefield for the second time!
An incense stick later, the light of the Great Sun went out once more as Yang Kai and the two Special Operations Squads appeared on the opposite side of the battlefield.
They were in dreadful states as all of them were covered in blood. Even the two Warships showed visible signs of damage.
“Again!” Yang Kai chose a different direction this time and charged into the battlefield once more. The light of the Great Sun blazed for the third time.
The fourth round started another incense stick later.
Then, the fifth round began…
With each summoning of Golden Crow Casts the Sun, Yang Kai and the two Special Operations Squads under his leadership were able to cut through the battlefield and eliminate their opponents from one end to the other.
By the time the sixth round ended, although the two Warships were still following closely behind Yang Kai, there were five or six fewer Seventh-Order Masters moving around outside the Warships.
Not every Seventh-Order Master could withstand such intense fighting with such a reckless strategy. Charging forward in such an unbridled manner also meant that they would constantly be confronted with new opponents.
After doing so repeatedly, five or six of the Seventh-Order Masters of the two Squads had become heavily injured and had to return to their Warships to recover.
The remaining Seventh-Order Masters were not doing too well either. Even though they consumed a lot of pills, it was still taking a toll on them and those with weaker heritage were beginning to look rather pale.
No one knew just how much longer they could keep this up and continue to weave through the battlefield. Perhaps at some point, they would be exhausted halfway through and all of them would end up dying together.
Compared to them, Yang Kai was likely the one who had used up the most strength as he unleashed his Divine Manifestation every single time they charged.
Although Divine Manifestations were powerful, they expended a lot of strength too.
The Squad Leaders of both the Snow Wolves and Profound Wind Squads had Divine Manifestations of their own, but even though they were in the Seventh Order, they could only use them five times at most before the strength within their Small Universes would completely dry up. All High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters considered their Divine Manifestations their trump cards and would not summon them easily.
However, Yang Kai had used his Divine Manifestation for the sixth time and it was still as powerful as before. It proved just how profound the heritage of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was.
The seventh, eighth, and ninth rounds soon followed…
In just over two hours, they had charged through the battlefield 10 times and killed countless Black Ink Clan soldiers.
By now, there were only seven Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters following behind Yang Kai. Three were from the Snow Wolves Squad and four were from the Profound Wind Squad. The rest had returned to their Warships to recuperate.
Next, the 11th and 12th rounds…
When Yang Kai broke out of the battlefield once again with the light of the Great Sun going out once more, all the colour had drained from his face, but his eyes still radiated a brilliant light.
All of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Masters who followed him out looked depleted. Even the two Warships were heavily damaged and flashing with sparks of light which meant that many of their arrays had broken. The Open Heaven Realm Masters within the Squad who were familiar with Spirit Arrays couldn’t help feeling forlorn.
Both Squads had used up an enormous amount of Military Merits on there Warships. They had requested the Artifact Refiners from their respective Great Passes to enhance the two Warships so that they could withstand more intense battles.
Yet, in a little over two hours, the Warships had been heavily battered and were now on the verge of falling apart. This proved just how violent and ruthless the attacks on them had been thus far.
Out of the 16 Seventh-Order Masters that belonged to both Squads, 13 of them were heavily injured. There were three of them remaining who could still put up a fight, but the strength within their Small Universes was nearly dried up as well.
They could no longer return to the battlefield.
Yang Kai was aware of this. He knew that they were at their limits, so he said, “Please head back to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.”
The Snow Wolves Squad Leader instantly caught what Yang Kai had left unsaid and had to ask, “What about you?”
Yang Kai grinned at him, “The battle is still undecided. I’m going to continue.”
The Profound Wind Squad Leader frowned, “Won’t it be too dangerous for you to go alone?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Since I’ve received my orders, I will continue in spite of the dangers, and besides, the situation’s different now. The Black Ink Clan Army has been seriously weakened, so it won’t be too dangerous even if I head back in alone.”
As veterans on the battlefield, everyone had the ability to make their own judgements and were persistent in their own ways too; therefore, upon hearing what Yang Kai had to say, neither one of the Squad Leaders tried to talk him out of it.
“It is a pity that I can’t stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you till the end of this fight, Brother Yang. I will buy you a drink once you come back victorious!” The Snow Wolves Squad Leader declared.
Yang Kai nodded and smiled, “I’ll look forward to it.”
The Profound Wind Squad Leader said nothing, but he bowed and saluted Yang Kai.
It was easy enough for the two Squads to return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship from here since the Black Ink Clan were not around to stop them. After watching the two Squads’ Warships limp off into the distance, Yang Kai finally rejoined the battlefield.
The strength in his Small Universe had also almost dried up after using his Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation a dozen times.
However, this did not matter as he still had World Fruits to replenish himself.
He took out a Low-Rank World Fruit and stuffed it into his mouth. The medicinal efficacies were rapidly absorbed into his body and the pure and rich World Force swiftly filled his Small Universe.
Yang Kai tore off a scrap of his tattered, blood-soaked clothing and used it to tie back his dishevelled hair. He raised his Azure Dragon Spear and took a deep breath before pointing the spear in front of him and roaring, “Kill!”
The Great Sun that had gone out not too long ago once again filled the void with its brilliant light as it ploughed through the battlefield.
The two Squads had gathered on the decks of their Warships as they headed back to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and felt their hearts surging as they watched from afar.
Just as Yang Kai had said to the two Squad Leaders earlier, the situation on the battlefield now was no longer the same as at the start of the battle. The Humans relied on the strength of their Warships, their bravery and tenacity, and their collaborative efforts with one another, but the Black Ink Clan did not show the same unity. All of the respective Armies under the various Territory Lords did their own thing and rarely coordinated with each other.
Therefore, despite the huge difference in numbers, it was the Humans who had the advantage on the battlefield.
Furthermore, Yang Kai had led the two Special Operations Squads on a reckless rampage through the battlefield over and over again, and they had dealt the Black Ink Clan a devastating blow.
After weaving in and out of the battlefield over ten times, Yang Kai had successfully divided up the battlefield and helped the Human Race Army in various areas to eliminate all of the nearby Black Ink Clansmen in the most efficient manner possible.
The effects were not so noticeable after only one or two rounds, but after the seventh or eighth time, the advantage became clear.
When Yang Kai stepped back onto the battlefield alone, he was faced with a lot fewer obstacles. However, he did not have the two Special Operations Squads behind him now so he had to be in charge of making sure he eliminated all the threats around him. He was under a lot more pressure now than before.
Even so, Yang Kai showed no signs of trepidation. Relying on just his powerful heritage and the power of the World Fruit to restore his World Force, he continued to work his way through the battlefield over and over again.
At some point, there was suddenly the aura of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master dying somewhere on the battlefield.
All of the Humans felt a jolt.
The Humans had fought against the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield countless times, and rarely did they ever witness an Eighth-Order Master dying, but that did not mean that it never happened.
Each time they felt this sort of disturbance, it meant that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had been killed.
And if an Eighth-Order Master died on the battlefield, it meant that the situation was incredibly dire for the Humans.
This explained why everyone in the Human Army was deeply shaken by the commotion that signified the death of an Eighth-Order Master.
However, the Humans soon realized that the Eighth-Order Master who died might not have been one of their Division Commanders, as there were many other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples on the battlefield as well.
Perhaps the one who died was not one of the North-South Army’s Division Commanders, but one of their opponent’s Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples!
They could not confirm this for now as news and updates could not be transmitted easily in the chaos of the battlefield. In a situation such as this, no one would be going the extra length to ensure that such information was reported promptly.
The only thing the Humans could do was have faith in their Eighth-Order Masters and trust that they could gain the upper hand in the fight between the top Masters, which would influence the trend for the rest of the battle.
Not long after, they sensed the death of another Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master, followed by the last gleaming of a Territory Lord’s vitality.
Deaths among the top Masters meant that the battle was reaching its climax.
Yang Kai’s Divine Manifestation was still making its presence known as he zipped through the battlefield. He fought alone, but even so, he managed to segment out large swaths of the Black Ink Clan Army, which made it easier for the Humans to encircle and crush them.
All the while, countless Secret Techniques rained down on him like a torrential storm. At every given moment, he was straddling the lines between life and death. His senses were heightened like never before, but he could not afford to be distracted, not even for a single breath.
This carried on until it felt as if aeons had passed.
All of a sudden, something changed within the Black Ink Clan Army which had been ceaselessly fighting against the Humans.
Yang Kai, who was still rampaging across the battlefield, was perceptive enough to catch the change. It was a sign that the Black Ink Clan’s fighting spirit was beginning to crack.
Sure enough, it was not long before the Black Ink Clan Army began to move and gather towards a specific location.
They were retreating towards Great Evolution Pass.
The Territory Lords could not cope with the Humans’ strength and ferocity. Although they, too, had exhibited strength that surpassed the Humans’ expectations of them, from the start of the battle till now, they failed to gain the initiative in any way.
Throughout this relentless battle, the Black Ink Clan Army suffered heavy casualties and even lost numerous Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. Even though the Humans suffered losses as well, if the battle carried on in a similar fashion, the situation would only continue to worsen for the Black Ink Clan and they would run the risk of their Army’s total annihilation.
Therefore, the Territory Lords could not hold out any longer.
Given their current position, they could only retreat to Great Evolution Pass, which was several days’ worth of travel away. Once there, they could regroup with the Territory Lords who were standing guard at Great Evolution Pass, and rely on their combined strength to withstand the Humans’ dogged attacks.
Retreating to Great Evolution Pass was the Blank Ink Clan’s only choice right now. They were not in a position to act in accordance with the Royal Lord’s command.
How would they be able to carry out the Royal Lord’s orders if they were dead? Survival came first. There would still be other chances for them to serve the Royal Lord if they came out of this with their lives.
Inside the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Mi Jing Lun stood by the side of the ship and paid close attention to all the changes on the battlefield. When the Black Ink Clan Army started retreating, the Army Commander’s heart finally settled back into place.
If the Black Ink Clan stood their ground till the very end, then from the way the battle was going, the North-South Army would still win, but at a devastating cost. It was likely that they would be incapacitated as well, as an overwhelming majority of them would be sacrificed.
This was the first time the North-South Army went up against the Black Ink Clan, so what else could they achieve in the future if they suffered such alarming losses in this battle?
After all, their ultimate objective was to take back Great Evolution Pass.
Now that the Black Ink Clan showed signs of faltering, the tides turned in the North-South Army’s favour.
The North-South Army could now hunt down their enemy and gain an even more decisive victory while minimising casualties; thus, when it became clear that the Black Ink Clan was about to retreat, an order came down from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
All of the Humans who continued to clash with the Black Ink Clan immediately started executing the command as they imperceptibly began to provide opportunities for the Black Ink Clan to retreat.
Two hours later, most of the Black Ink Clan Army had regrouped and were withdrawing towards Great Evolution Pass under the leadership of their Territory Lords.
However, they were not fleeing outright as they kept fighting as they retreated.
The Black Ink Clan fought back just as fiercely when the Human Army pressed hard against them and waited until they managed to hold off the attack before they continued heading towards Great Evolution Pass.
Despite their massive numbers, they still managed to keep an orderly battle formation under the command of the Territory Lords.
Mi Jing Lun could feel a headache coming on as he found himself up against a worthy opponent this time!
He did not know which Territory Lord had command over the Black Ink Clan Army, but judging from the initial reaction to the clash between both factions, it was evident that this particular Territory Lord was a talented and insightful strategist.
Perhaps… the inordinately high number of defeats suffered on the battlefield had given the Black Ink Clan enough experience to strategize against the Humans. All of the Territory Lords who lived long enough would have gone through countless defeats at the hands of the Humans.
Thus, even though the Humans’ attempt to give chase had been effective, it did not accomplish as much as they hoped it would. Mi Jing Lun had planned to wipe out this entire Black Ink Army, but from the situation they were in now, this was unlikely to happen. All the Humans could do now was to try their best to weaken the enemy as much as possible.
The two Armies began to drift apart, while the Black Ink Clouds thickened over the battlefield and loomed over the void.
The Black Ink Clouds were full of broken limbs and scattered corpses from the deaths of both Humans and Black Ink Clansmen, along with the wreckage of Human Warships that had been destroyed.
In this battle, the Black Ink Clan suffered heavy casualties, but the Humans also suffered significant losses.
A few battered Warships hovered outside the Black Ink Cloud with Squad members gathered within, pale-faced and sporting serious injuries.
These Squads were the ones who suffered the most casualties during the battle.
Usually, a Squad consisted of 10 to 15 members, but these Squads had less than half of that.
Their Warships suffered serious damage during the battle; therefore, they were surrounded by danger at every corner without protection.
Although they survived, they were gravely injured in battle and could no longer join the fight.
When Mi Jing Lun gave the order for the Human Army to pursue the Black Ink Clan, he also ordered those who could no longer fight to stay behind and tend to themselves first before regrouping with the rest of the Army once they regained their strength.
Numerous Squads had no choice but to do so. The Human Army had to soldier on as they went after the Black Ink Clan and thus could not linger for long. If the Humans who had been injured managed to join one of the other Squads’ Warships, they could follow the rest of the Army, but if they missed that chance, their only option was to stay back and recuperate.
Once they regained some of their strength, they could use the Universe Transference Law and return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, which would not hinder the Army in any way.
Yang Kai was one of the ones who received the order to stay back.
Even as Mi Jing Lun stood aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, he witnessed Yang Kai’s incredible feats on the battlefield. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Yang Kai’s presence contributed greatly to the Black Ink Clan Army’s drop in morale and decision to retreat back to Great Evolution Pass.
In the battle between both Armies’ top Masters, the Humans’ Eighth-Order Division Commanders gained the upper hand and eventually pressured the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples into retreating.
However, in the open battlefield, Yang Kai had led two Special Operations Squads in countless forays across the entire area. In doing so, they managed to slice through the Black Ink Clan Army and minimised the casualties suffered by the Humans. Furthermore, with each pass of the Great Sun, the Humans struck a heavy blow to the Black Ink Clan’s morale.
As both their strongest fighters and their regular foot soldiers’ spirits dipped, the Black Ink Clan Army’s performance in battle dropped proportionally. Naturally, they had to retreat.
The light of the Great Sun that rose time and time again across the battlefield was probably the most blinding light that Mi Jing Lun had ever seen in his life.
Others might not know how many times Yang Kai had used his Divine Manifestation, but Mi Jing Lun knew the number very well.
19 times!
That was not an ordinary Divine Ability or Secret Technique, it was a Divine Manifestation which all High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters considered a trump card and expended a huge amount of energy with each use.
A Seventh-Order Master had used his Divine Manifestation 19 times to vanquish the dangers that loomed over the Human Race Army. In the past, Mi Jing Lun would not have believed this to be possible as Humans simply did not have endless energy. How could a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master possess such a remarkable heritage?
However, he had seen it happen with his own eyes today.
While he did not know what Yang Kai used to restore the strength he had expended throughout the battle, using his Divine Manifestation 19 times would still place an extreme burden on Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
Thus, Mi Jing Lun gave the order for Yang Kai to stay back.
He wanted Yang Kai to take this opportunity to recover, as well as look out for the other Humans who could not follow the rest of the Army for various reasons.
Yang Kai naturally obeyed the order.
As it was, he did need to take some time to restore himself. Even though he ate a Low-Rank World Fruit to replenish the World Force he had expended, repeated use of Golden Crow Casts the Sun had once again depleted his Small Universe.
If the Black Ink Clan Army had not begun its retreat, he might have had to consume another World Fruit to replenish his strength once more.
Even though it was quick and harmless enough to consume a World Fruit to restore his World Force, such miraculous treasures were meant to be saved for emergency situations. It was far better to take some time to recover his strength in the normal way.
In addition to that, Yang Kai was covered in injuries from the battle and was mentally drained as well.
Now that the Human Army was chasing after the Black Ink Clan Army, victory had been decided. What remained to be seen was how many Black Ink Clansmen the Humans managed to eliminate in the chase. Yang Kai’s participation would not make much of a difference in this situation.
Therefore, he agreed without protest when Mi Jing Lun’s order came down.
At this very moment, he was sitting cross-legged near the half-wrecked Warships and was silently adjusting his breathing.
The survivors gathered in these Warships did likewise. They did not have looks of grief and sorrow, but instead exhibited strength and determination.
From the moment these soldiers joined the Great Evolution North-South Army, they knew that this was going to be a highly dangerous mission. They would not be able to rely on a Great Pass the way they did in the past. In the Great Evolution Theatre, far from their homes, the only things they could rely on were themselves and their comrades-in-arms.
They knew very well that there would be countless casualties in the fight to reclaim Great Evolution Pass. If they were not the ones who died, then it would be their fellow soldiers beside them. Everyone was mentally prepared to die in this campaign.
Therefore, even though some of their fellow Squad members had died, no one spent time grieving over this. Dying in battle on the Black Ink Battlefield was a worthy sacrifice. The living did not have to mourn in regret, they only needed to kill even more of the Black Ink Clansmen and take back Great Evolution Pass. This was the best way for them to honour and pay their respects to their fellow soldiers who died in battle.
Even these Squads had fared a lot better than some. Although their Warships were heavily damaged and half of their ranks were either gravely wounded or died in battle, many other Squads had been wiped out entirely.
War was always brutal.
There were still Humans who stumbled out of the battlefield every now and then. Some came out alone, while others came in groups of two or three. All of them had one thing in common though, they were covered in blood and their auras were weak.
Attracted by the auras of Yang Kai and the others, these scattered, weakened soldiers soon gathered together and found a place to rest and recover.
As soon as Yang Kai had stabilized his condition, he rushed back into the Black Ink Clouds.
There were countless living beings within his Small Universe, including a World Tree clone, which was why his World Force recovered far quicker than others. The heritage of his Small Universe also continued to increase even without the need for him to actively cultivate.
The Black Ink Clouds were still looming over the battlefield, and while both of the Armies were gone, there could still be Human survivors.
Perhaps some of these Human soldiers still had a bit of vitality left to them but could not move due to the grave injuries they suffered. They would die if no one helped them.
Thus, Yang Kai decided to go and take a look.
The battlefield spanned over 10 million kilometres, so it took Yang Kai some time to scan the area for life auras.
He did end up finding some; however, these mostly came from heavily injured Black Ink Clansmen who were on the brink of death.
Yang Kai did not show any mercy, dispatching these survivors with swiftness and precision.
He carried on searching for two hours.
When Yang Kai emerged from the battlefield, he had a female Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with him.
He did not know her name, but by the time he found her, she was already unconscious. She had climbed on top of the wreckage of a Warship and was covered in wounds, so much so that her clothes were soaked in fresh blood.
Apart from this female Seventh-Order Master, Yang Kai had only spotted numerous dead bodies belonging to other Humans, along with the scattered remnants of Black Ink Clan.
The vast battlefield looked like the depths of hell.
This woman was the only survivor he found.
Yang Kai had joined the Black Ink Battlefield for hundreds of years now. He had started out as Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and was now in the Seventh-Order. Throughout all those years, he had been to numerous Theatres and taken part in countless battles, both small and large. However, none of his past battles had ever been as tough and fearsome as this one.
This could be chalked down to the fact that the Great Evolution Army had to travel so far away without anything they could rely on for help.
The situation was different from all the other battles near the various Great Passes. In the Great Evolution Theatre, the Human Race Army did not have any backup or safe harbour. Even if they were injured, they did not have a secure place to recover and tend to their wounds. The only thing they could do was win their battles so that they could continue working towards the ultimate goal of reclaiming Great Evolution Pass.
It was clear that the battle today would be repeated again and again in the future. How many more Humans were going to sacrifice their lives here in the Great Evolution Theatre in order to achieve victory?
When Yang Kai brought the woman back to where the other Humans were gathered, they glanced at him and nodded lightly without saying anything.
There were less than 30 of them gathered here to recuperate. It did not mean that less than 30 Humans had lost their ability to fight after the battle earlier. These were merely the ones who were too wounded to keep up with the rest of the Human Army which was pursuing the Black Ink Clan.
Most of the other soldiers had joined the rest of the Army despite their injuries.
After setting the woman down beside him, Yang Kai once again sat down cross-legged and adjusted his breathing.
However, at the very next moment, he opened his eyes and stared at the battlefield. He detected an unusual movement over there.
He had searched the battlefield for two hours and did not find anything noteworthy, apart from the female Seventh-Order Master who was still alive. Where were these unusual fluctuations coming from?
Just as Yang Kai pondered in confusion, the movements became even clearer. It was the result of a trace of vitality that was in rapid recovery. The vitality was strong and its recovery accelerated.
A strong aura suddenly emanated from the battlefield.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grim at once. He leaped to his feet as his Divine Sense blasted forth a message, “Use the Universe Transference Law and return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, now!”
There were over 30 Open Heaven Realm Masters who also sensed the recovering vitality before Yang Kai said anything. They had been staring puzzledly at the battlefield, but upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, their expressions hardened as they realised the severity of the situation.
No one hesitated. Everyone jumped into action and used the Universe Transference Law.
Two hours of restoration was not enough for these heavily injured cultivators to heal completely, but it was enough time to let them regain the strength to cast this Secret Technique, which did not require too much of it.
The light of an Array glowed beneath all of their feet as they cast the Universe Transference Law and they connected with the Universe Array on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
In just a few breaths of time, everyone would be able to rely on the Universe Transference Law to teleport back to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
Just then, as everyone focused on the commotion caused by the Universe Transference Law, a strong Divine Sense swept out from the recovering vitality on the battlefield.
Yang Kai turned pale.
That which he had been most concerned about became reality.
Earlier on, even though he sensed that the vitality was a powerful one, he could not confirm what cultivation this individual had. Just to be safe, he immediately ordered everyone to evacuate; however, now that this person’s Divine Sense burst forth, Yang Kai could instantly tell what cultivation they had.
The recovering vitality from the battlefield belonged to someone in the Eighth Order!
Yang Kai was fairly certain that the cultivator was not an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from the North-South Army, so there was a high chance that it was an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
Although he did not know whether any of the North-South Army’s Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters died in battle, he knew that even if they did, if their bodies were still intact, the other Eighth-Order Masters would not leave them just lying around. They would surely take the body back with them.
Only Territory Lords ignored the bodies of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples who died.
[There’s still an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple on the battlefield!] No one had seen this coming.
Yang Kai had not noticed anything when he searched the battlefield earlier. From the looks of it now, this Eighth-Order Master most likely cultivated some sort of Secret Technique that allowed him to fake his death; otherwise, he would not have escaped the notice of the Eighth-Order Division Commanders when they searched the battlefield.
The Human Army had left, and the remaining 30-odd Humans were weak and injured. Now that they were confronted with an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, things did not look good for them
Yang Kai’s heart caught in his throat.
One breath; two breaths; three breaths of time passed…
The light from the 30-plus Arrays grew brighter.
After the third breath of time, some of the lights flared up like an explosion, and the silhouette inside that light was enveloped around instantly disappeared.
Three of them were gone.
By the fourth breath of time, even more of them had left.
However, there were still over a dozen of them remaining.
The Universe Transference Law was incredibly useful, but it had its pros and cons.
By using the Universe Transference Law, Humans could swiftly return to nearby Universe Array, in this case, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, but the distance and the user’s cultivation both affected the time it took for the teleportation to be initiated.
In summary, the higher the person’s cultivation and the closer the Universe Array, the shorter time it took for the Universe Transference Law to take effect.
The three Humans who left after the third breath were all in the Seventh Order.
As for the dozen or so ones who left at the fourth breath, they were all in the Sixth Order. Their cultivation was slightly lower than the previous ones, so they left a little later.
The remaining ones were mostly those in the Fifth-Order, with a couple of Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them. They had the lowest cultivation and thus took the longest to be transported.
Under the usual circumstances, when Humans used the Universe Transference Law, they would do their best to ensure that the process would not be disrupted as any disturbance would result in the failure to be transported.
However, this crisis came upon them too suddenly. By the time they sensed that things were not looking good for them, they could only try to leave as quickly as possible without being able to care about anything else.
Two more breaths of time passed, and just as the remaining Humans were about to leave, a figure emerged from the battlefield and charged towards them.
Although the figure was still some distance away, a burst of World Force in the shape of a wispy hand grabbed at them.
Affected by the powerful force, the Arrays beneath the dozen or so remaining Humans began to shift and contort.
If the enormous hand managed to catch them, even if the Humans did not die, they would still fail to teleport away. If that happened, then a group of Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would be left to face off against an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple. They had no hope of surviving the encounter.
Yang Kai had been on high alert all along, so as soon as he noticed what was happening, he roared and leapt forward with his spear.
The spear soared towards the hand, and at the same time, Space Principles flared madly.
As the spear shadows dissipated, the enormous hand enclosed Yang Kai within its grasp; however, at that very next moment, Yang Kai’s silhouette burst back out of the hand. Enveloped by the radiance of his spear, his body swiftly returned to where he had been earlier.
At last, flashes of light engulfed the remaining Humans. Thanks to the time that Yang Kai had bought for them, the dozen or so Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters managed to leave safely.
As they left, every single one of them stared at Yang Kai with shocked and worried expressions.
They knew that had it not been for Yang Kai’s interference, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple would have managed to keep them here. Yet, now that they were all gone, Yang Kai was left all by himself. How could he fight against an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple?
If they had known that this would happen, they would have chosen to remain behind and join forces to battle against the Black Ink Disciple. Even though all 30 or so of them were weakened and injured, they would still be able to put up a fight if they fought together.
Still, there was no point in dwelling on this now. When they noticed that the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s vitality was recovering, they all decided to leave. No one would have expected the Black Ink Disciple to recover so quickly.
In the silence of the void, Yang Kai raised his Azure Dragon Spear and watched as the figure emerged from the battlefield.
It was indeed an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
He was shrouded in Black Ink Strength and had a large mass growing out of his shoulder that made him appear as if he had two heads. The inky black strength within the mass was surging with great ferocity.
The fact that Yang Kai had managed to interrupt his attack and render it useless made him visibly furious. He glared darkly at Yang Kai and murderous intent swirled in his eyes, “You saved everyone else, but can you save yourself?”
“I won’t know until I try,” Yang Kai responded coolly.
While speaking, he secretly consumed a World Fruit.
Although some of his strength had been restored, he had to ensure that he was in his best condition in order to face off against an Eighth-Order Master.
Though, this Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple… did not seem to be all that powerful…
During their earlier exchange, Yang Kai detected something strange.
This Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s attack appeared terrifying, but in reality, it seemed to lack true substance.
He was heavily injured as well. Even on the surface, he had a large wound along his abdomen, and even though he used his strength to seal it up, blood continued to trickle out. Furthermore, one of his eyes had been destroyed. The remaining, functional eye was glaring darkly at Yang Kai the same way a venomous snake stared at its prey.
It was understandable to find him in this state. Someone who needed to fake his death in order to survive the battlefield had to have been incapacitated at some point. The lingering injuries on him proved as much.
Plus, he was only an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple and not a true Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, which meant that he was a lot less powerful than a real Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even if he was at the peak of his current strength, he might not even be stronger than any of the Territory Lords.
If Yang Kai was alone, he might not have been willing to take this risk. With Instantaneous Movement at his disposal, this heavily-wounded Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple would most likely fail to do anything to him. Thus, even if Yang Kai could not win this fight, he could still escape just fine.
However, he was not alone right now.
He still had the unconscious female Seventh-Order Master that he brought back from the battlefield.
Yang Kai was a Seventh-Order Master, and although his Small Universe could keep cultivators that were not High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, it could not do so with a Seventh-Order Master.
There was very little chance Yang Kai could escape from this Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s attacks if he brought the woman with him, so his only option was to fight.
Back then, Yang Kai and Bai Yi joined forces and with great difficulty, they managed to kill a heavily injured Territory Lord, Zhu Feng.
It had been several hundred years since then, and Yang Kai was now up against a heavily injured Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple. He did not think it was an impossible fight for him as he was now a lot more powerful than before.
“Has the younger generation grown so arrogant?” The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple snorted coldly. Yang Kai’s response clearly infuriated him.
“Even though you might not have done it willingly, since you’ve become one with the Black Ink Clan, you’re my enemy now. You have no right to consider yourself my Senior,” Yang Kai answered evenly.
As Yang Kai spoke, his hand shot out and a gentle force wrapped up the unconscious female Seventh-Order Master’s body that was situated nearby. In the next moment, Space Principles fluctuated and the woman’s body shimmered before disappearing and reappearing hundreds of thousands of kilometres away and continued drifting further off into the void.
A fierce battle was about to break out, and Yang Kai had no way of keeping the woman safe in the thick of the fight, so his only choice was to send her away.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple knew very well what Yang Kai was attempting to do, but he did not try to stop it. To him, he could easily go after the unconscious Seventh-Order woman once he dealt with Yang Kai. He would have all the time in the world to decide her fate then.
Still, he was deeply displeased by Yang Kai’s attitude. After glancing at the female Seventh-Order Master that Yang Kai sent away, he withdrew his gaze and extended his arm. A clear sword cry filled the battlefield, and immediately after, a ray of light shot out and was soon drawn to his hand.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grim as he subconsciously tightened his grip around his Azure Dragon Spear.
He had seen it very clearly. A longsword had flown out of the battlefield, one that most likely belonged to this Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
From the looks of it now, this Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple cultivated the Sword Dao. Yang Kai gritted his teeth at this realization, for those who cultivated Sword Dao were extremely well-versed in killing. In other words, Sword Dao cultivators all had a lot of experience in battle and were incredibly tough opponents.
Feng Ying was proof of this as she also cultivated the Sword Dao.
A longsword that was prized by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would not be an ordinary artifact. The long years of nurture were enough to bind the life of an Eighth-Order Master with his artifact.
The only thing that Yang Kai could rejoice at was the dimmed glow of the longsword artifact the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple summoned. Its spirituality was noticeably diminished and there were numerous dents and cracks along its length. It could be seen that during the clash with the North-South Army’s Eighth-Order Open Heaven Masters, this Black Ink Disciple was so badly defeated that he not only had to fake his death, but even his artifact was damaged as well.
Once the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple retrieved his longsword, he created a Sword Array with a simple flick. However, bolstered by his powerful cultivation, a dangerous aura emanated from the Sword Array as it formed. This proved that he was indeed highly proficient in the Sword Dao.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple grasped his sword in one hand and held it out in front of him as he said, “The Royal Lord values talent, so this Old Master will ask you this, are you interested in serving the Royal Lord? If you agree to do so, I can spare your life today. Truth be told, this Old Master’s condition is less than satisfactory. I do not wish to fight against anyone else.”
Yang Kai’s eyes flashed with a hint of grievous melancholy, “You were born a Human, but you now serve the Black Ink Clan. Old Sir, have you forgotten your comrades-in-arms who fought alongside you 30,000 years ago and defended you with their lives? Have you forgotten the countless soldiers who died in battle at Great Evolution Pass?”
A hint of remembrance flickered in the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s eyes, but he quickly shook his head, “30,000 years was a long time ago. Who’d clearly remember anything that happened back then?”
Yang Kai’s lowered his eyes, “Old Sir, this means you must have also forgotten the sincerity of your goals and initial intent when you first stepped onto the Black Ink Battlefield!”
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple chuckled, “Young man, are you trying to advise this Old Master to turn back after straying down the wrong path? Don’t waste your breath. Ever since this Old Master was enlightened by Black Ink Strength, this Old Master ceased to be a Human. You don’t need to try and lecture this Old Master.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “In that case, I won’t say anything more.”
“Seems to me that you’ve made up your mind,” the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple remarked as he eyed Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s fighting intent surged as he pointed his spear forward and answered coolly, “Right here, right now, either you die or I perish!”
“Good, good, good!” The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple nodded, “You know, this Old Master was just as proud and relentless as you at that age. It’s a pity… Age creeps up on everyone! Since you’ve made your choice, this Old Master will fulfil it for you. How’s that? Are you ready to die, young man? In the state that this Old Master is in right now, it’s one thing if I choose to stand down, but if we are to fight, I will do so with full force. I won’t hold back at all.”
He had only just finished his sentence when Yang Kai suddenly flickered and appeared beside him. The Azure Dragon Spear pierced out as he unleashed the full potential of his Supreme Limitless Spear Art, sending a storm of blows towards the enemy.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple clearly did not expect Yang Kai to be this treacherous. He was caught unaware and did not have his guard up. In his haste, he raised his sword to fend off the attack and unleashed scores of sword waves at Yang Kai.
The two figures immediately engaged in battle.
Spear shadows and sword waves filled the void in a constant cycle of disappearing and reemerging once more. Apart from the sparks from the spear shadows and sword waves colliding, bursts of World Force clashed against each other with such ferocity that the local space became unstable.
The look of surprise on the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple increasingly intensified.
Although he was heavily injured, this Seventh-Order Junior did not seem to be in a much better state than him. Both of them had just survived a bitter battle, so neither one of them was in good condition.
Thus, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple assumed that it would be fairly easy for him to kill this Seventh-Order Master. Yet, once the fight started, he realised that things were not as he had expected.
This Seventh-Order Junior had a mysterious Movement Skill that gave him a huge advantage of mobility. The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple had no choice but to focus on defending himself and to try and regain the initiative.
Had his opponent been an ordinary Seventh-Order Master, then it would not have been hard for him to regain the advantage. He could easily exhibit to his opponent what the difference in Orders signified in terms of strength.
However, this young Seventh-Order Master was clearly not ordinary. Each time their World Forces clashed, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple could vividly sense the extreme density and purity of his opponent’s strength.
It was not the kind of strength that a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was supposed to have. Judging by the purity alone, it was comparable to his own.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple could not help but feel stunned by this. He could not figure out how this young Seventh-Order Master could cultivate the strength within his Small Universe to this extent.
He had encountered numerous Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in his life, but none were comparable to the young man in front of him now.
The higher the purity of the World Force, the more powerful the cultivator was. Moreover, the rigorousness of this young man’s World Force was also remarkable. It far surpassed what was to be expected from a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
[Where did this freak come from?] The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple was thoroughly perplexed.
Apart from that, he was also shocked by the young Seventh-Order Master’s accomplishments in the Spear Dao.
All his life, he focused on cultivating his Sword Dao. Even after becoming a Black Ink Disciple, he never stopped doing so; thus, after so many years, he had reached a very high state of attainment in it.
Yet, right now, a young man who was only a Seventh-Order Master managed to use his Spear Dao to fight against his own Sword Dao. Even though it required a fair amount of effort, he could still tell that the young man was highly accomplished in his cultivation of Spear Dao as well.
The young man’s Spear Dao was not as refined as his Sword Dao and was not of a domain as high as his, but it seemed to flow freely and effortlessly. The young man wielded his spear with such ease that it was impossible to discern any kind of pattern from his attacks, despite each of them being extremely sharp and precise.
A Spear Dao like this perfectly embodied the concepts of freedom and limitlessness. Even just the wielding of such a Spear Dao was enough to give those who witnessed it a sense of joy and satisfaction.
With pure and vigorous World Force and high attainment in the Spear Dao, this young man had every right to be arrogant. This was why the Black Ink Disciple failed to defeat him as quickly as predicted.
However, if this was all there was to it, then the outcome would not change in any way. After just a brief exchange of blows, the advantage that the young man gained earlier was beginning to slip away, and soon, he would slowly start to be disadvantaged in the fight.
Still, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple was a little reluctant to kill off such a fine talent.
Even when he was still Human, he had already exhibited great appreciation for talented people. Even though he had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength for 30,000 years now and prioritised the Black Ink Clan over all else, this part of his personality did not change very much.
Thus, the more talented Yang Kai seemed, the less inclined the Black Ink Disciple was to kill him.
Amid the chaotic battle, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple transmitted a message, “Little friend, this Old Master will ask you one last time. Are you willing to serve the Royal Lord? With your capabilities, if you gain the help of Black Ink Strength, you will one day become even stronger than this Old Master. Perhaps you might even be able to become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!”
Yang Kai did not stop attacking as he said, “So what if I can become a Ninth-Order Master? I will be enslaved by the Black Ink Clan and forced to kill my fellow Humans.”
“How would you know the joys of Black Ink Strength if you’ve never experienced its mysterious power for yourself?” The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple argued back.
“If it is a joy that annihilates the self, then I’d rather not know it!”
“Do you persist down your misguided path, little friend?”
“Our beliefs differ. We will never see eye to eye on this!”
“Hah! Since you insist on doing things the hard way, don’t blame this Old Master for not showing you any mercy!”
True enough, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s attacks became a lot more ruthless.
He indeed had a great appreciation for talent, but Yang Kai’s staunch attitude dissuaded him from trying to convince him further. Furthermore, it would not be safe to linger too long here. Although the Human Army had left some time ago, several dozen Humans managed to flee earlier, so if the Human Eighth-Order Masters found out he survived by faking his death, they might send a Division Commander over and deal with him.
Considering the condition he was in right now, he would be doomed if an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master came.
With a flick of his longsword, the sword waves combined together and struck at Yang Kai’s head.
Under the crushing strength of the Black Ink Disciple’s blow, Yang Kai’s body shook violently. Even though he mustered all of his strength to withstand the blow, it was still too much. The piercing Sword Qi slashed through his clothes and his blood began to gush out of the wounds.
The force of that powerful blow sent Yang Kai flying back as if he had been launched from a cannon.
Even so, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple did not let up on the attacks. Again and again, he slashed his sword and sent flurry after flurry of relentless Sword Qi out.
From a distance, the endless waves of Sword Qi seemed to form a long river that ended where Yang Kai stood.
[Profound Sword Paradise’s Chasing Stars and Moon Sword Art!]
At last, Yang Kai realized what this Black Ink Disciple’s background was.
After fighting on the Black Ink Battlefield for many years, he became acquainted with many of the elites from various Cave Heavens and Paradises; thus, he knew a thing or two about the unique Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
It was clear that this Black Ink Disciple was using the Chasing Stars and Moon Sword Art, which was one of Profound Sword Paradise’s core Sword Arts.
However, this knowledge did nothing to influence the course of this sombre fight.
Both Yang Kai and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple were survivors of the brutal battle that took place earlier. Even though the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s injuries were a lot more severe than Yang Kai’s, he was still one Order higher than Yang Kai, and one Order’s difference was enough to give him a compelling advantage.
Any other Seventh-Order Master would have probably died at the hands of this Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple by now, but as it was, the one up against him was Yang Kai.
Even so, Yang Kai seemed to have a hard time dealing with the never-ending storm of attacks. Despite unleashing his Supreme Limitless Spear Art to its fullest force, it was still hard for him to withstand the ferocity of his opponent’s sword skills.
The savage Sword Qi’s overbearing power left Yang Kai’s body littered with wounds.
As the Black Ink Disciple’s sword waves continued to wash over Yang Kai, the distance between them grew smaller, and the Black Ink Disciple’s Sword Intent grew colder.
Yang Kai’s instincts flared from the looming sense of danger. He did not know why, but he had a feeling that once the distance between them closed to a certain range, the Black Ink Disciple was sure to unleash a devastating Divine Ability. When that happened, it would be a life-or-death moment for Yang Kai.
But why would Yang Kai allow his opponent’s plans to come to fruition?
As the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s figure continued to approach, Yang Kai suddenly closed his eyes.
All at once, his right eye turned into an endless black abyss and the entire void seemed to be shrouded by a curtain of darkness.
At the same time, a piercing golden pupil appeared in his left eye.
The silhouette of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple was reflected in the golden pupil, and with the casting of Yang Kai’s Eye Secret Techniques, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s reflection mysteriously contorted.
It was as if the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple who had been launching a storm of attacks at Yang Kai was suddenly struck by lightning. It felt as if a powerful force had popped out of nowhere, struck him, leaving his body twisted up in pain as it instinctively stiffened.
After noticing Yang Kai’s pair of strange eyes, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple exclaimed in shock, “The Demon Eye of Annihilation and Black Purgatory Eye?”
[This young man is from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven?]
However, the Black Ink Disciple did not detect any hint of Demon Qi on Yang Kai.
Thus, there were only two possibilities. Either the young man had been hiding his background all along, or he was not a Myriad Demons Heaven disciple, but had instead used Military Merits he earned from the Black Ink Battlefield in exchange for these two powerful Secret Techniques.
It would not be as big of a deal if the former was true, but if the truth was the latter, then this young man was surely a lot more formidable than he assumed.
Anyone who gained the chance to cultivate core Secret Techniques by exchanging them for Military Merits had to be those who earned a vast number of them on the battlefield. They were all elites who would have the blood of countless Black Ink Clansmen on their hands.
However, even though the young man was accomplished in both of these Eye Secret Techniques, the effects were naturally dampened when he tried to use them against someone of a higher Order.
Thus, in the time it took the Black Ink Disciple to think this through, the effects of both the Eye Secret Techniques wore off.
What Yang Kai wanted was precisely this momentary lapse though.
The call of the Golden Crow rang out, and a Great Sun rose once again to illuminate the void.
Just as the Black Ink Disciple snapped out of his thoughts, the Great Sun had already broken through the torrent of sword waves and was charging towards him.
“Divine Manifestation!” The Black Ink Disciple frowned as he felt a sense of admiration for the young man. Although this youth was only in the Seventh Order, beneath his own realm, his combat sense was remarkable. He must have sensed something, which was why he used his Eye Secret Techniques and followed up with his Divine Manifestation in the hopes of disrupting his plans.
The Black Ink Disciple had to admit that it was an astute move to make.
Had it not been for the young man’s series of counterattacks, the Black Ink Disciple might have already used his trump card and taken the young man’s life.
This was the Divine Manifestation of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master, so even he, an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, could not afford to take it lightly. He had no choice but to focus his attention on defending against the attack.
His finger swiped across the longsword and his World Force burst forth. The sword, which had been dim this whole time, suddenly lit up in a brilliant flare. He then slashed down with force and cut the Great Sun in half. Even the Golden Crow, which had been cawing inside the Great Sun, let out a seemingly mournful cry.
The Black Ink Disciple did not stop there. He cast another mysterious sword technique and a multitude of swords appeared in the Void.
When the final sword appeared, Yang Kai’s silhouette reappeared, and instantly, Yang Kai felt an enormous pressure weighing down on him. He was suppressed and sealed from all sides.
His expression turned grim.
As was expected of an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, he was able to decipher what his opponent was doing and act accordingly. Earlier on, after summoning Golden Crow Casts the Sun, Yang Kai charged towards the Black Ink Disciple to try to deliver a sneak attack. Yet, the situation now seemed like he was delivering himself into the lion’s den. His actions appeared incredibly foolish.
Strictly speaking, this was Yang Kai’s first time battling an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
Although his opponent was not a true Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was still close.
Yang Kai now knew how difficult and terrifying it was to deal with an Eighth-Order Master, and this was only a heavily injured Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple. What if he had been at his peak?
What would it be like up against the Eighth-Order Division Commanders?
Zhu Feng, the heavily injured Territory Lord from all those years ago, was a lot easier to take on by comparison.
As a former Human, this Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple understood the way Humans thought a lot better than any Territory Lord ever could.
Thankfully, Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space. He did not know how the Black Ink Disciple’s mysterious sword techniques worked, or why it had the effect of suppressing and sealing space. That being said, while this effect would have proved useful against any other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, the same did not apply to him.
With a flicker of Yang Kai’s Space Principles, the local space which had been sealed instantly broke apart. As he hastened to retreat, the Black Ink Disciple’s longsword was already slashing at him. The cutting sword waves crackled from the tip of the sword.
When Yang Kai came to a stop again, there was a trail of blood that ran from his forehead down to his abdomen. The cut was deep enough that his bones were visible.
Had he been the tiniest bit slower in retreating just now, the Black Ink Disciple might have managed to cut him in half. If that happened, then even if he had a powerful Dragon Vein, it would have been doubtful if he could have survived.
Despite the very recent brush with death, Yang Kai’s expression remained composed.
The Black Ink Disciple charged forward again. This battle was taking far longer than he thought it would, and the more it dragged on, the greater his fear of impending danger grew. He had to end this fight as soon as possible.
“Junior, you’re a difficult one to deal with!” The Black Ink Disciple’s World Force burst forth in a frenzy. Every single blow he sent at Yang Kai was suffused with a terrifying bloodthirst as he now seemed to be giving his all in every single attack.
Yang Kai had numerous strange and unpredictable methods up his sleeve, so his opponents had to keep their guards up at all times. Thus, the Black Ink Disciple decided to overwhelm Yang Kai with sheer force. No matter what kind of peculiar tricks Yang Kai had, his decisive weakness was the difference in Order. The Black Ink Disciple did not plan to rely on strategies anymore. He was going to fight with brute force and crush his opponent from the front.
“As are you!” Yang Kai grit his teeth and he defended himself against the Black Ink Disciple’s fevered attacks.
If a cultivator was hellbent on using his cultivation to overwhelm an opponent who was an Order lower, then there was not much the latter could do to overcome the situation. The only choice would be to try and withstand the assault.
However, there was a limit to what a person could withstand. Once the opponent was worn down, death would become inevitable.
In the span of several dozen breaths, Yang Kai gained over a dozen fresh wounds that cut right down to the bone. The most serious injury was the one on his neck. The Black Ink Disciple’s sword seemed to have cut through half of his neck, causing golden blood to pour out.
The more serious Yang Kai’s injuries became, the weaker his resistance grew.
This was to be expected. The Black Ink Disciple surmised that after being on the receiving end of his attacks for so long now, Yang Kai would not only be heavily injured, but even his Small Universe would no longer be able to take it anymore.
It was already shocking that Yang Kai managed to survive this long.
“Do you still insist on being so stubborn, young man?” The Black Ink Disciple roared.
Yang Kai clenched his jaw and refused to answer, but his dogged determination to carry on fighting was clear.
“You court death!” The Black Ink Disciple coldly snorted. His longsword swished in the air and aimed straight for Yang Kai’s heart.
This was going to be the final blow. From the young man’s earlier display, the Black Ink Disciple deduced that he would not be able to withstand this attack; however, at that very moment, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple saw Yang Kai raise his spear and throw it at him.
Even though it was just a careless throw, his opponent’s formidable strength was enough for the spear to break apart the void and fly straight towards him.
Naturally, the Black Ink Disciple would not allow such a crude attack to land and with a quick flick of his longsword, he deflected the Azure Dragon Spear and sent it flying.
At the same time, he saw the young man opposite him charging towards him with his fist raised to strike at him.
Instinctively, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple had a feeling that something was amiss, but how could he mull this over at a time like this?
The longsword pierced right through Yang Kai’s chest and the savage Sword Qi poured into the wound.
Yang Kai’s fist did not touch the Black Ink Disciple, stopping less than a forearm’s length away.
The Black Ink Disciple eyed Yang Kai coolly, not showing any kind of emotion on his face.
He had given his opponent a choice, and since the latter chose death, he merely granted him passage.
However, just as the sword touched Yang Kai’s body, the Black Ink Disciple was able to detect that his opponent had shifted slightly, so the blow failed to hit his vitals.
Still, that did not matter. Even if the young man survived this attack, his condition would be dismal right now.
Just as all of this went through the Black Ink Disciple’s mind, all of a sudden, Yang Kai grinned at him and called out lightly, “Cow Punch!”
If Yang Kai had a choice between fighting against a Territory Lord or an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, he would definitely choose the latter.
Although an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple was the more unpredictable opponent between the two when it came to battle tactics and thus was harder to guard against, Yang Kai still preferred facing an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple over a Territory Lord.
After all, he had his Cow Punch Secret Technique that used Space Principles to specifically target the enemy’s Small Universe. It was a Secret Technique that enabled him to win even if his strength was lower than his opponent’s.
Among all the Cave Heavens and Paradises, there were several Secret Techniques that targeted the Small Universe of Open Heaven Realm Masters, but after all the years, Yang Kai had never found one with effects as superb as his Cow Punch.
Unfortunately, this Secret Technique of his relied on the use of Space Principles, so no one else apart from him could cultivate it.
Plus, as Purifying Light and Purifying Black Ink Pills were distributed to all the Great Passes, the number of Black Ink Disciples on the battlefield steadily decreased, and the Humans’ Secret Techniques that targeted the Small Universe lost their utility.
The Black Ink Clan did not have a Small Universe, so such Secret Techniques would be useless against them.
It had been years since Yang Kai last used his Cow Punch Secret Technique. If he recalled correctly, the last time he used it was back in the Shattered Heaven when he fought Blood Crow.
Several hundred years later, he was using it once more.
Although it had been a long while since he first created Cow Punch, the strength of this Secret Technique increased as he grew stronger.
From the moment Yang Kai noticed that his opponent was an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, he had counted on using Cow Punch to win the battle for him. As for his previous display of struggling to keep up in the fight, some of it could be chalked up to his genuine weakness against a stronger opponent, but some of it was on purpose as well. He wanted to lull his opponent into a false sense of security so that the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple would let his guard down.
While the Secret Technique was fairly powerful, it took time to implement.
The profoundness of the Cow Punch Secret Technique was in the way it traced back and targeted the core source of the opponent’s World Force, which was their Small Universe.
It was a time-consuming process to perform this trace. With his cultivation being in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, Yang Kai needed approximately an incense stick of time to accomplish this against an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
So, the battle between them thus far lasted for approximately that amount of time. Now was his chance!
It was nearly impossible for an ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to survive an incense stick worth of time against an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, so this Secret Technique would become meaningless the moment they failed to continue holding out.
But once Cow Punch was successfully used, it meant that the battle outcome had been decided.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple wanted to use brute force in lieu of strategy, but Yang Kai chose to engage in a battle of wits, which was the real key for someone of a lower order than their opponent.
When the longsword pierced into Yang Kai’s chest, all the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple had to do was ruthlessly flick his sword; then, he would be able to cut Yang Kai in half. However, he no longer had the chance to do so.
Just as the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple wanted to finish Yang Kai off, a wave of fierce and intense force exploded inside his Small Universe. All at once, his Small Universe was thrown into chaos and began shaking violently.
All of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s strength dissipated due to the instability of his Small Universe. In that instant, he could barely even hold onto his sword.
Yang Kai was not about to miss his chance. His fist swung out with great force and smashed it straight into the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s head.
With Yang Kai’s current cultivation, combined with the terrifying physical strength that his Dragon Vein bestowed upon him, as well as the proximity between him and his opponent, the Black Ink Disciple’s head would certainly explode if struck by such a blow.
However, his opponent was still an Eighth-Order Master, and in this life-or-death crisis, he still managed a response, causing the huge growth on his shoulder to explode and eject a concentrated mass of Black Ink Strength. The Black Ink Strength swiftly formed into a massive jaw that swallowed Yang Kai’s approaching fist.
The sudden disruption made Yang Kai freeze in shock for a moment.
He never thought that the abnormal growth on his opponent’s shoulder possessed such a strange ability. All along, he assumed that the growth was merely a malformity left behind when this Black Ink Disciple relied on Black Ink Strength to break through beyond his natural limits.
When Yang Kai’s fist entered the gigantic jaw formed by the Black Ink Strength, he immediately felt as if something sticky was clinging to it. The further his fist travelled, the more its strength was weakened.
By the time Yang Kai’s fist struck the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s head, the power behind it had been at least halved.
Even though it was a weakened blow though, it still managed to send the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple flying backwards. However, his head did not explode the way Yang Kai had predicted it would.
The sword was yanked from Yang Kai’s body just as the Black Ink Disciple flew backwards, drawing a grunt of pain and a splash of blood from him.
Even so, Yang Kai did not have the time to dwell on his injury. Now that he had finally managed to use his Cow Punch, everything he had done that led up to this would be wasted if he could not defeat his opponent before the latter was able to recover.
Yang Kai estimated that his Cow Punch’s effects would only last another three breaths of time!
Thus, when the Black Ink Disciple went flying backwards, Yang Kai stepped forward as well, and with a surge of Space Principles, he followed closely behind.
Drawing on the remaining World Force in his Small Universe, Yang Kai summoned a new Great Sun. The Golden Crow’s calls echoed.
Yang Kai raised the Great Sun and sent it crashing down on the Black Ink Disciple.
The moment the Black Ink Disciple flew backwards though, he was already wary of Yang Kai’s subsequent actions.
He was at the weakest he had ever been as his Small Universe continued to shake and rumble. Never would he have thought that a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could push back against an Eighth-Order Master like him to this extent.
It was humiliation beyond compare!
None of his previous admiration or appreciation for Yang Kai’s talents remained. All he wanted to do now was to take Yang Kai’s life to make up for the indignity he felt.
His opponent charged at him and once again used his Divine Manifestation that appeared like a Great Sun.
The Black Ink Disciple had to admit that this Divine Manifestation’s strength was formidable. Even an Eighth-Order Master like him dared not underestimate it; however, he had seen this move before and understood its power, so knew how to defend himself from it.
He could not wait until his Small Universe stabilized, so he bit down on his tongue and spat out a mouthful of Blood Essence onto his sword. The Blood Essence fully seeped into the sword, and suddenly, the dim artifact glowed radiantly.
With his sword empowered by his Blood Essence, the Black Ink Disciple slashed out at Yang Kai ferociously.
This attack was enough to deflect his opponent’s Great Sun Divine Manifestation. Although he would also suffer the aftereffects of using this attack, it was still better than dying on the spot.
All he needed was to buy himself a little more time. Once the shaking in his Small Universe calmed, he would easily be able to crush his gravely injured opponent.
However, just as he struck this blow, to his horror, yet another gust of force appeared all of a sudden.
If the Great Sun gave off scorching heat, then this force felt like a frigid winter.
Together with the dazzling Great Sun, a Full Moon rose up above his Seventh-Order opponent’s head.
The Sun and Moon appeared together!
In all the years that this Black Ink Disciple had lived, he had never seen such a mystifying scene; however, together with his awe, he felt an even greater sense of danger. With a loud roar, he forcefully channelled even more force into his attack, trying to execute it before it was too late.
He did not know what Divine Ability his opponent was using, but he could tell that in his current state, he could not defend against it.
All he could do was try to pre-empt his opponent for the chance of survival.
As the Black Ink Disciple’s sword slashed towards Yang Kai, he used the cover of the Great Sun to cast Water Reflects the Moon.
The Great Sun to his left, the Full Moon to his right. When the began to revolve around him, Yin and Yang intertwined, and the Sun and Moon combined into a spinning kaleidoscope as Space Principles erupted out.
In an instant, a mysterious force manifested. Formless and undetectable, this force seemed from the swirling Sun and Moon.
Space shattered, and time froze.
Terror filled the remaining eye of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple who had his longsword held out in front of him. At that moment, he could feel his thoughts coming to an abrupt halt as everything around him seemed to warp and distort.
He had never felt anything like this before, and the sensation left him petrified.
He watched as the Sun and Moon locked together and spiralled towards him, enveloping him in a kind of domain that he had no way of escaping.
That singular moment seemed to stretch out as if it lasted millions of years.
As the dazzling light of the Sun and Moon that had lit up the void slowly died out, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple stood frozen in place, his longsword still stretched out in front of him, barely a palm’s length away from Yang Kai’s forehead.
Yang Kai’s face was ghostly pale and his aura was completely depleted. Fresh blood continued to flow out of the wound in his chest where the longsword had previously impaled him. There was also a long wound that stretched from his forehead down to his abdomen. His body was a mangled mess of flesh and blood which made him look completely wretched.
“What Divine Ability was that?” The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple suddenly asked.
Yang Kai’s eyelids hung low as he replied, “Sun and Moon Divine Wheel!”
“A manifestation of Space-Time Strength?” The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple pressed further.
“Merely scratching the surface,” Yang Kai nodded.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple did not say anything else. He simply nodded lightly and withdrew his sword before sitting down cross-legged with a half-lidded eye.
“Black Ink Eternal!” He whispered.
As soon as he spoke, his entire being seemed to turn into a statue that had been exposed to the elements for thousands of millennia, crumbling apart and drifting away like dust scattered in the wind.
The only thing left was a dim longsword.
Corroded by the Space-Time Strength from the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, this longsword lost all spirituality. It was now nothing more than a weapon made out of somewhat decent quality material.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple had managed to fake his death to survive the chaotic battlefield earlier, but now, he was well and truly dead.
Yang Kai was consumed by a level of exhaustion that he rarely felt before. He could not stop his body from growing weak as he crumbled down.
It was a narrow victory!
If Yang Kai had failed to kill his opponent with his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, he would not have been able to put up any further resistance as the Black Ink Disciple’s Small Universe would soon recover from the effects of his Cow Punch Secret Technique. Once that happened, the Black Ink Disciple would be able to access his full strength once more.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Disciple had miscalculated. After seeing the Great Sun, he assumed that Yang Kai was just using his Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation, he never expected that the Great Sun was only one half of an even greater Divine Ability.
He spat out his Blood Essence to deal with Golden Crow Casts the Sun, but he was caught off-guard by the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
How could the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple survive when his Small Universe had been rendered powerless and he was attacked with Yang Kai’s strongest trump card?
Yang Kai quietly lay in the void, not feeling any joy from this victory.
That was because even at the moment of death, that Black Ink Disciple still showed utmost loyalty to the Black Ink Clan, even though he was a Human by nature.
Perhaps Black Ink Strength might not change a Human’s personality, but the corrupted Black Ink Disciples would reject their own nature and willingly be servile to the Black Ink Clan.
How woeful and lamentable that was.
Yang Kai’s nearly dried-up Small Universe slowly began to restore its strength, but the progress was akin to water trickling into a bottomless well; thus, he mustered the energy to stuff a pill into his mouth to speed up the process.
The very next moment, he leaped to his feet and warily observed the surroundings.
He sensed the aura of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master somewhere out there, and it was swiftly approaching.
However, after realising which direction the aura was coming from, Yang Kai sighed in relief. The aura was coming from the direction of Great Evolution Pass, and if his guess was correct, the source was one of the North-South Army’s Eighth-Order Division Commanders.
From the looks of it, the 30 or so Humans who returned to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship via the Universe Array must have reported the news to the higher-ups. As a result, the North-South Army swiftly dispatched one of the Eighth-Order Masters to check on the situation.
Sure enough, just moments later, a short and slender Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master appeared in front of Yang Kai with a grim expression. He studied Yang Kai for a moment and was secretly shocked by the severity of his wounds. Although he did not know what happened earlier, from the state that Yang Kai was in now, he knew enough to tell that Yang Kai had just fought a desperate life-or-death battle.
After looking around and noticing that Yang Kai was alone, he asked, “This Old Master is Cha Pu, Northern Army, 4th Division Commander. I am here on a rescue mission under the orders of the Army Commander. Are you Yang Kai?”
“I am,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Where’s the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple?”
“Dead.”
“You killed him?” Cha Pu was visibly taken aback.
“That Black Ink Disciple was heavily injured and lost most of his combat ability. This Junior was fortunate enough to eke out a victory,” Yang Kai answered.
Cha Pu nodded lightly without asking further, “In that case, come with me. We’ll reconvene with the rest of the Army,” He did not ask Yang Kai how the latter managed to kill an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple. Even if the Black Ink Disciple was gravely injured, he was still an Eighth-Order Master.
However, since Yang Kai was still standing here and that Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple was missing, it meant that Yang Kai did emerge victorious, so there was no reason to continue probing.
“Please wait, Sir. There’s still one more person,” Yang Kai said as his figure flickered and disappeared all of a sudden.
Cha Pu raised his brow, “Space Principles!”
Naturally, Yang Kai left to find the female Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master he had pushed out into the depths of the void earlier. He was in no position to take care of anyone else while engaged in a battle against an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, so he had no choice but to send her far away before the fight began.
When he sent her away though, Yang Kai left a Space Beacon with her, so it was easy enough for him to locate her.
With a ripple of the Space Principles, he emerged beside the unconscious woman.
Yang Kai was slightly heartened to find that she was not harmed by the fight between him and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple. She was still unconscious and drifting through the void due to the force he exerted earlier.
He caught her and swiftly returned.
Soon, he was back with Cha Pu.
“You did well,” Cha Pu praised, “Do you have the strength left to trigger the Universe Transference Law?”
“Yes, I do,” Yang Kai replied with a smile.
“Excellent. Do it and return to the Army’s Purifying Black Ink Battleship,” Cha Pu took the woman from Yang Kai and placed her inside his Small Universe.
He then waited until Yang Kai had successfully left with the Universe Transference Law before using it himself.
Once the two of them walked out of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s Universe Array and stepped foot on the deck, Yang Kai immediately sensed the constant fluctuation of unrelenting forces some distance away. It seemed as if life auras were being extinguished with every breath.
It seemed the North-South Army was still pursuing the Black Ink Clan Army which was fleeing back to Great Evolution Pass. From the way the situation looked now, the two Armies had been clashing for quite some time.
Mi Jing Lun was standing on the deck of the ship and staring off into the distance with a pair of gleaming eyes.
Upon noticing someone’s approach, Mi Jing Lun turned around and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Yang Kai was alive and well, albeit looking extremely miserable and exhausted.
The lower-order cultivators might not know of Yang Kai’s importance, but as an Army Commander, Mi Jing Lun was fully aware of the situation.
Although Yang Kai was merely in the Seventh Order, his presence had a direct correlation with the speed at which the Old Ancestor’s strength could be restored. In this campaign to reclaim Great Evolution Pass, the Old Ancestor had specifically requested for Yang Kai to come along with them in order to take advantage of his Small Universe to rapidly recover from her injuries.
If a sudden misfortune fell upon Yang Kai, the Old Ancestor would lose an important source of support. Would that not multiply the difficulty of reclaiming Great Evolution Pass?
Earlier on, Mi Jing Lun instructed Yang Kai to stay back and recover because he did not want Yang Kai to join the subsequent fight and endanger himself. How could he have known that there was an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple who had survived by faking his death back at the initial battlefield?
Mi Jing Lun had nearly jumped up in fright when he heard the news and had immediately sent Cha Pu over to rescue Yang Kai.
Thankfully, Yang Kai was safe.
Cha Pu came over to Mi Jing Lun and used his Divine Sense to give a summarised report of what he knew.
Mi Jing Lun’s expression became a little peculiar as he nodded lightly.
Cha Pu brought out the female Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that he had placed inside his Small Universe and passed her to one of the nearby soldiers before he jumped back into the battlefield.
“You don’t need to join the rest of the fight. Just rest and tend to your injuries.” Mi Jing Lun eyed Yang Kai and added, “The sword wounds are going to be a little trickier to tackle. Remember to clear out the Sword Qi and Sword Intent when you tend to them.”
“Junior understands,” Yang Kai nodded and looked out into the distance. Although the battle was fierce, he could not tell what the situation was like for the two Armies, so he had to ask, “How are things going, Sir?”
Mi Jing Lun smiled faintly, “Reasonably well.”
“Can we take them all down?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up.
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “That’s going to be a little tough. They still have quite a number of Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples among them. It’ll be hard for us to wipe them out.”
No one expected to find so many High-Order Black Ink Disciples here at the Great Evolution Theatre. That being said, Great Evolution Pass had been lost for 30,000 years, so it was obvious that the large number of Black Ink Disciples who had been corrupted all those years ago had enough time to grow in strength. No one knew what the situation would be like here, and now that they finally noticed this after going up against the Black Ink Clan, it was too late.
“If the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass don’t come over to rescue them, then it’s still possible for us to take them all down, but if they do send reinforcements, then we’ll just have to avoid the clash for now.”
The Black Ink Clan Army had acted quite strategically. When their commander realised that things were looking bad for them, he immediately ordered a retreat to Great Evolution Pass. Clearly, he wanted to rely on the strength of the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass to hold the North-South Army back. If fresh enemy troops came over to help, the North-South Army would be forced to back away.
After observing the battle from the deck for a little longer, Yang Kai bowed and took his leave, “This Junior will go and tend to the injuries now.”
“Go ahead,” Mi Jing Lun waved him off.
Someone led the way and helped him settle down in one of the rooms aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
The room had been reinforced with numerous Spirit Arrays that blocked out everything, so Yang Kai could tend to his injuries in peace.
His impressive restorative powers were now serving their ultimate function. In just a few days, Yang Kai had pretty much recovered from his injuries and cleared out all the Sword Intent and Sword Qi that had wreaked havoc within his wounds. All that was left now was for him to slowly continue restoring his depleted strength.
As such, Yang Kai did not continue tending to his injuries and opened the door and left.
All was quiet, with no discernable energy fluctuations nearby, nor any sound of battle. From the looks of it, the battle had come to an end at last, though he had no idea what the outcome was.
After figuring out the right direction, Yang Kai left his room and headed for the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s conference hall.
Along the way, he heard someone calling out to him. He turned to look and spotted a familiar face.
It was the Seventh-Order Squad Leader of the Profound Wind Squad.
“How are your injuries, Brother Yang?” The Squad Leader queried in concern.
“I’ve almost fully recovered now,” Yang Kai said.
The Profound Wind Squad Leader nodded and said, “That’s good. I heard that you stood guard at the battlefield when the rest of the Army left and encountered an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple who survived by faking his death. We were so worried about you. Later on, we heard that Martial Uncle Cha personally went over to bring you back.”
During the earlier fight on the battlefield, the Profound Wind Squad and Snow Wolves Squad, two Special Operations Squads, had worked closely with Yang Kai. Yang Kai took the lead, and the two Squads stuck close by him as they snaked through the battlefield slaughtering their enemies.
They had fought side-by-side and forged a connection through that. Furthermore, the strength of the heritage that Yang Kai exhibited on the battlefield left both Special Operations Squads deeply in awe of him.
Thus, despite this being only their second meeting, neither of the two men felt like they were strangers.
Such was often the case on the battlefield. Prior acquaintanceships or connections did not matter, just being comrades-in-arms was enough to bridge all distances between people.
During the main battle, the Profound Wind Squad and Snow Wolves Squad had drained themselves of all their strength and had no choice but to return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. However, Yang Kai continued to weave his way through the battlefield alone and did so multiple times. The two Special Operations Squads stood aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and witnessed everything clearly. They sorely wished they could rush out to fight alongside Yang Kai, but they did not have any strength left in them. Not being able to stand with him till the end was an immense regret.
“Pardon me for asking, but may I know how I should address you, Senior Brother?” Yang Kai asked a little apologetically.
They had fought a life-or-death battle together, but Yang Kai still had no idea what the other man’s name was.
The Profound Wind Squad Leader chuckled heartily, “I forgot to tell you my name, Brother Yang. I am Ma Gao.”
“So it is Senior Brother Ma!” Yang Kai cupped his fist in greeting before asking a little solemnly, “Senior Brother Ma, what was the outcome of the battle? As you know, I’ve been tending to my injuries after my return so I don’t know what happened in the end.”
Yang Kai had intended to find out from Mi Jing Lun, but since he ran into Ma Gao, it was easy enough to ask him instead.
Ma Gao sighed when he heard the question.
Yang Kai’s heart lurched at Ma Gao’s response, “What’s the matter? Did things go badly for us Humans?”
Yang Kai felt this was unlikely having spoken to Mi Jing Lun before he went to recover from his injuries as the latter had said that things were going well for the Humans.
[Did something happen after that to turn the tides?]
“No, it didn’t go badly for us Humans. During the battle, our Great Evolution North-South Army managed to slaughter over 300,000 of the Black Ink Clan Army, along with 6 Territory Lords and over 20 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. You could say it was a great victory for us.” Ma Gao paused for a moment before continuing, “But, we suffered quite a number of casualties too.”
“How many?”
“4 Eighth-Order Division Commanders, and 3,000 of those beneath the Eighth-Order,” Ma Gao reported sorrowfully.
Yang Kai froze for a moment before sighing heavily.
Just by numbers alone, the Humans did not lose even a tenth of what the Black Ink Clan did, but this was not the way to quantify the battle casualties.
Ever since the Humans began standing guard on the Black Ink Battlefield of all the various Great Passes, there had never been a battle with this many casualties aside from the one where Great Evolution Pass had been lost. The loss of four Eighth-Order Division Commanders was particularly damaging to the Great Evolution Northern and Southern Armies.
One had to know that in a typical war against the Black Ink Clan that spanned 100 years, it was quite normal for none of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to die, and usually less than 1,000 Human soldiers below the Eighth-Order would perish.
That was because the Humans had the Great Passes behind them. They could return to Inner Sanctum anytime and recuperate to prevent a large number of casualties.
Usually, there were only 30,000 to 40,000 people stationed at any Great Pass. If too many people were killed in a single war, the Cave Heavens and Paradises from the 3,000 Worlds couldn’t possibly send enough reinforcements over to make up for the losses.
Even though the Cave Heavens and Paradises had deep heritages, it wasn’t easy for them to nurture Open Heaven Realm Masters that were above the Sixth Order.
If extensive casualties were the norm, as more people were killed over time, the Great Passes would inevitably be snatched by the Black Ink Clan.
With the help of the Great Passes and Warships, the Humans were able to effectively kill the enemy while protecting themselves during the battles against the Black Ink Clan; however, it was a different case when it came to retaking Great Evolution Pass.
They could still rely on Warships to engage the enemy, but they no longer had a Great Pass behind them, just like what happened in the previous battle. When the war broke out, the North-South Army had no other choice but to continue fighting the Black Ink Clan regardless of the situation; hence, it was understandable that there were a larger number of casualties.
After the war, 3,000 out of 30,000 soldiers were killed. In other words, they had lost 10% of their forces in a single battle, which was truly heartbreaking.
Furthermore, 4 Eighth-Order Division Commanders had lost their lives.
“A Martial Uncle told me that, in comparison, Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples pose a greater threat to the Division Commanders than the Territory Lords.” Ma Gao looked slightly dejected, “That’s not just because Black Ink Disciples are Humans, so they’re more familiar with our capabilities, but primarily because of their mindset. Regardless of how powerful they are, they are only loyal to the Black Ink Clan. If the Territory Lords are unable to defeat the Division Commanders, they will run away; however, the Black Ink Disciples are different. Following the Territory Lords’ orders, they’re willing to risk their lives to fight against the Division Commanders despite knowing that they might perish. None of the deceased Division Commanders were killed by Territory Lords. It’s all because of the Black Ink Disciples’ madness!”
Yang Kai felt his heart sinking.
Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were not as powerful as the true Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters; however, if they were not concerned about their own survival, they would still be extremely dangerous foes.
That was the reason so many Black Ink Disciples lost their lives during the war this time. Following the Territory Lords’ orders, they were willing to sacrifice themselves so that the Territory Lords had a chance to flee.
It was imaginable that even though only 4 Eighth-Order Division Commanders were killed, there must be a lot of others who were seriously injured.
“Those Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples are all Humans, but they’ve sided with the Black Ink Clan and killed their own people. Outrageous!” Ma Gao angrily swung his arm, as though there was an invisible enemy standing in front of him.
Fortunately, they were well prepared when they were assembling an Army to retake Great Evolution Pass. Although there were only 30,000 soldiers in the North-South Army, they had some 60 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
It was thanks to this large number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that the North-South Army could gain an upper hand when fighting against the top Masters from the previous Black Ink Clan Army which only had between 40 and 50 Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples combined.
There was no doubt that the Humans held an advantageous position in such a battle.
If not for the fact that the Black Ink Disciples had gone mad during the pursuit and were willing to sacrifice their lives to protect the Territory Lords, which caused the Division Commanders from the North-South Army to be wary, all of the Territory Lords would’ve been killed during the battle.
The North-South Army chased after the Black Ink Clan Army for four days, but just as the enemy seemed ready to break, the Black Ink Clan reinforcements from Great Evolution Pass arrived.
When the Black Ink Army had retreated from the initial battle, they must have sent some people to seek help from the garrison at Great Evolution Pass. Upon learning that the Humans had ambushed their clansmen, the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass were shocked.
Figuring that the Humans would be exhausted from a protracted battle, the Black Ink Clansmen from Great Evolution Pass decided to make a move.
About a day’s travel from Great Evolution Pass, the retreating Black Ink Army and their reinforcements met. The North-South Army dealt with this grouping for a while; however, knowing that they were unable to kill all these Black Ink Clansmen, they had no choice but to retreat to recuperate.
The North-South Army then established a base about two day’s march from Great Evolution Pass. They didn’t intend to cover themselves up as they blatantly hovered in the void in front of Great Evolution Pass, as if declaring they would attack anyone who dared to come out.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan had suffered immense losses this time. They had lost about 30 Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples in total, so they didn’t dare to provoke the Humans for the time being.
Both parties peacefully coexisted for now, but they all knew that it was just the calm before the storm. Perhaps an incident would take place at any moment and shatter the peace.
Regardless, this was the situation that those from the North-South Army wanted to see.
The previous battle was the most dangerous they had ever experienced, and many were either killed or injured, so they needed time to recover. Hence, they were glad to see the Black Ink Clan not make a move for now.
After the talk with Ma Gao, Yang Kai had a better understanding of the current situation.
Ma Gao had other matters to attend to, so he soon left the place.
After watching him leave, Yang Kai continued shuffling towards the conference hall.
When he arrived, he waited for the person on guard to inform the Army Commander about his arrival. Soon, he was told to see the Army Commander.
Upon entering the hall, he saw that Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie were having a discussion. They soon made a decision, then Ou Yang Lie left the place in a hurry.
It was only then that Mi Jing Lun had time to attend to Yang Kai. He lifted his gaze and asked, “Why don’t you rest for a bit longer? I doubt you’ve fully recovered.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “I’m fine. I just came here to bid you farewell. The Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord must have fought with each other, so perhaps the Old Ancestor will need my help.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “I agree. In that case, you’d better get going now.”
“Do you have a word that you want me to pass on to others?” Yang Kai asked.
After giving it some thought, Mi Jing Lun replied with a smile, “Please tell Brother Xiang and Junior Sister Liu that I won’t allow the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass to trouble the East-West Army, so they can act without constraints.”
“I’ll be sure to tell them,” Yang Kai nodded and cupped his fist again, “Farewell.”
“Be careful on your way,” Mi Jing Lun nodded.
Yang Kai didn’t have to bid anyone else farewell, so after leaving Mi Jing Lun’s office, he flew off towards the depths of the void.
Although he hadn’t fully recovered, it didn’t affect his mobility. As he manipulated Space Principles, his figure flickered. He would also try to activate the Universe Transference Law from time to time to sense the location of the East-West Army’s Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
He faced no obstacles along the way.
One day later, Yang Kai arrived at the outskirts of the Black Ink Clan’s territory. Usually, there would be a lot of Black Ink Clansmen in such a place; however, there wasn’t even one Black Ink Clansman in sight at this moment.
He even passed by a Feudal Lord’s Fief and realised that there were no living creatures around. It seemed that the Black Ink Clansmen had completely vanished.
This place was close enough for him to activate the Universe Transference Law and return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in the East-West Army, so he came to a stop before doing so. A glowing Array appeared beneath his feet, and by the time the light faded, Yang Kai had disappeared.
He was extremely familiar with the Universe Array and the interior of the Purifying Black Ink Battleships, so when he arrived, he promptly headed to the Space Array on the side, and through it arrived on the deck of this Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
There would always be a person guarding the Space Array of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in the North-South Army, and similarly, there was a person guarding this place. The moment this Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master saw Yang Kai, his eyes brightened, “Senior Brother Yang!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master quickly followed up, “The Army Commander has ordered that you are to immediately see him on your return.”
“I’ll head over now,” as Yang Kai spoke, he turned to look in a certain direction.
When he left the North-South Army one day ago, he told Mi Jing Lun that the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord should have exchanged moves; now, it seemed that they were still fighting. He could tell because he could still feel the horrifying energy fluctuations coming from the depths of the void even though he was far away from their source.
Those were clearly the repercussions of the fight between the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord.
Many days had passed, but they were still locked in an intense battle.
Yang Kai was astounded. Before the North-South Army ambushed the Black Ink Clan Army, he had already felt the initial fallout of the beginning of their battle.
Seven or eight days had passed since then, but they were still fighting. It seemed that they were in a deadlock.
After giving it a thought though, Yang Kai realised that this wasn’t too surprising. Once powerful beings like the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord got into a fight, there wouldn’t be an outcome in a short time. If they wanted, they could fight for seven or eight years without halting, not to mention seven or eight days.
However, Yang Kai reckoned that even if the Royal Lord wanted to drag the fight out, the Old Ancestor wouldn’t cooperate.
She had asked Yang Kai to join this campaign, so it was apparent that she wanted to make use of his Small Universe to rapidly recover from her injuries. If he were in the Old Ancestor’s shoes, he would’ve found a chance to engage in an all-out clash with the Royal Lord with the goal of causing mutual damage. Hence, he supposed the battle would end in no time.
He then cast these thoughts away and headed straight to the conference hall.
This time, he didn’t even need to inform the Army Commander about his arrival as the moment a Senior Brother standing guard saw him coming over, he promptly led him inside. It seemed that the Army Commander had given orders in advance.
Xiang Shan and Liu Zhi Ping, as well as some Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, were all inside the conference hall.
Upon Yang Kai’s arrival, Xiang Shan ended the discussion they were having and asked, “You’re finally back. How was the trip?”
Yang Kai saluted them, “Greetings, Sirs. Fortunately, I’ve managed to complete my task.”
Xiang Shan nodded, “How is it going in the North-South Army now?”
Yang Kai replied, “They fought an intense battle before I came back. The 30,000 soldiers of the North-South Army intercepted the Black Ink Clan Army that departed from Great Evolution Pass. They managed to kill more than 300,000 Black Ink Clansmen, including 6 Territory Lords and over 20 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.”
One of the Eighth-Order Division Commanders was elated upon hearing that, “That’s wonderful!”
On the other hand, Xiang Shan looked at the matter from a different perspective and asked with concern, “How about their own casualties?”
Yang Kai reported honestly, “4 Division Commanders and 3,000 soldiers below the Eighth Order died in battle.”
Liu Zhi Ping sighed, “That’s more or less the same as what we’d estimated.”
Xiang Shan rubbed his forehead, “En. No one could’ve expected there to be so many High-Rank Black Ink Disciples in the Great Evolution Theater. Every Territory Lord seems to have two or three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples serving them.”
His words suggested that they were already aware of the existence of the excess of High-Rank Black Ink Disciples. It showed that the East-West Army had at least exchanged moves with the Black Ink Clan already.
This saved Yang Kai the trouble of explaining. He initially wanted to report to them about the Black Ink Disciples as a kind of warning, but since Xiang Shan and the others were already aware of the situation, he didn’t have to anymore.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that it wasn’t surprising. The North-South Army only had to attack the Black Ink Clan coming out of Great Evolution Pass. On the other hand, the East-West Army had to charge through the enemy’s territory, so there was no way that the journey would be smooth sailing.
Those High-Rank Black Ink Disciples could be said to be the tumours left behind in Great Evolution Pass 30,000 years ago. Those tumours were the losses that the Humans had suffered and also the obstacles that the Humans would face in the future.
“Sir Mi Jing Lun gave me a message to pass along,” Yang Kai said.
Xiang Shan replied, “Go on.”
“He said for the East-West Army to act freely, and that he will ensure that the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass won’t pose a threat.”
Xiang Shan nodded, “Got it.” He then examined Yang Kai, “Are you injured?”
Yang Kai replied, “I’m fine.”
Xiang Shan went on to say, “Since you’re injured, you should go back to recuperate now. Good work.”
“It’s my duty,” Yang Kai cupped his fist and withdrew.
After he was gone, Liu Zhi Ping let out a sigh, “It seems that the North-South Army will have to suffer quite a bit to deal with the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Pass.”
Xiang Shan remarked, “It’s the same everywhere. The situation we’re facing is not optimistic either. There’s still a long road ahead if we want to destroy the Black Ink Clan and retake Great Evolution Pass.”
The other Eighth-Order Division Commanders nodded as they understood what he meant.
The Black Ink Clan was able to react remarkably quickly to any changes in the war as Black Ink Nests were unparalleled when it came to the transmission of information.
The plans that Xiang Shan had devised could be said to be immaculate. First of all, they let go of a Territory Lord in the Wind and Cloud Theater to alert their enemies. Then, they sent a Puppet Army to Great Evolution Pass to keep the Black Ink Clan focused on that front. Even the Royal Lord had personally headed to that place.
That way, the Black Ink Clan’s territory would be void of any powerful Masters. Without the Royal Lord in charge, the East-West Army could directly storm into their territory. If they could shatter the Royal City and destroy the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, it would be much easier to retake Great Evolution Pass.
The Great Evolution Army was divided into two groups. One of them headed straight to the Black Ink Clan territory while the other ambushed the Black Ink Clansmen that left Great Evolution Pass. It was a well-thought-out plan.
If the transmission of information between the Black Ink Clan wasn’t so swift, the East-West Army could gradually weaken the Black Ink Clan’s power along the way while they headed to the Royal City. At the very least, they could weep clean a dozen Territory Lords’ territories, killing off those Territory Lords and their subordinates one by one.
Once that was done, the pressure that the East-West Army would face in the future would be greatly reduced.
However, not long after the East-West Army arrived at the Black Ink Clan’s domain and occupied a Territory Lord’s home territory, the news that the Humans had arrived spread across the entire Great Evolution Theater in an instant.
All the Territory Lords who stayed back led their Armies to the Royal City to protect that place. On the other hand, the Royal Lord promptly returned. He was an intelligent person, so he didn’t head straight to the Royal City. Instead, he intercepted the Old Ancestor and got into a fight with her, and their battle was still ongoing till this point.
The North-South Army had intercepted the first batch of Black Ink Clansmen from Great Evolution Pass, so the East-West Army fortunately didn’t have to worry about being attacked from the rear. Unfortunately, the Royal City must be heavily guarded now, so the East-West Army was sure to face a tough battle.
While it was difficult for the North-South Army, it would be even more strenuous for the East-West Army.
…..
The moment Yang Kai returned to Dawning Light, his Squad members approached him. Seeing that his face was pale, Feng Ying asked with concern, “Are you injured?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I had a fight with someone, but I’m fine. How are things here?”
Feng Ying replied, “We’re still heading towards our destination. Supposedly, we’re not far away from the Royal City now.”
They were not able to accelerate their pace with so many soldiers moving together; therefore, even though the North-South Army had already gone through a great battle, the East-West Army still hadn’t arrived at the Royal City.
When Yang Kai was coming back to Dawning Light, he already realised that the Army was still moving forward.
“Were there any fights here?” Yang Kai asked.
Feng Ying replied, “There were no proper battles to speak of. When we just arrived at the Black Ink Clan’s domain, we managed to take over a whole Territory Lord’s territory. It was a place with a Territory Lord, who had several Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, and several tens of thousands of soldiers. However, we effortlessly killed them all due to the huge gap between our forces.”
The Territory Lord’s territory that was destroyed belonged to Zhe Chong.
Upon receiving the Royal Lord’s order, he headed to Great Evolution Pass with his own army, and after he departed, another Territory Lord brought his own army to be stationed in Zhe Chong’s territory. That was because his territory was on the periphery, so the Royal Lord had ordered that all the Territory Lords had to head to the borders to get ready to lend assistance to Great Evolution Pass.
After all, there were about a million Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass right now, so the place couldn’t accommodate any more people.
To their surprise, the East-West Army never attacked Great Evolution Pass. Instead, they headed straight to the Black Ink Clan’s domain. The unlucky Territory Lord, who had only stayed in Zhe Chong’s territory for a few days, was killed by the East-West Army.
There was no doubt that luck wasn’t on his side.
“It was peaceful at first; however, in the past three days, the Black Ink Clan started harassing us from time to time. It seems that they’re trying to slow down our pace as we approach their Royal City.”
As soon as Feng Ying finished speaking, Yang Kai felt some fluctuations coming from a particular direction. It was apparent that some people were in a fight, but it wasn’t a large-scale battle.
The exchange of moves didn’t last for long. Barely a cup of tea’s time later, the noises died down. The fight didn’t even slow the Human Army down at all.
The Black Ink Clansmen were not fools.
There were 30,000 Human soldiers, 2,000 to 3,000 Warships, and 60 or so Eight-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in this Army. In order to deal with such a horrifying force, they had to mobilise an equal number of Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples as well as several hundred thousand Black Ink Clan soldiers.
If there hadn’t been so many Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass, they could have come together and intercepted the East-West Army in order to stop them from approaching the Royal City.
Nevertheless, there were about a million Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass, with roughly an equal number of Black Ink Clansmen left in the Black Ink Clan’s domain.
If they sent several hundred thousand people to attack the Humans, the defence around the Royal City would be significantly weakened. No one would dare to expose the Royal City to such a huge risk.
It would be wonderful if they could defeat the Humans and stop them from advancing further; however, if they lost the battle, they would no longer be able to protect the Royal City.
It would also be unwise to divide themselves into smaller groups. Only by gathering all their forces together in the Royal City would they stand a chance to deal with the Humans; therefore, the Territory Lords responsible for protecting the Royal City told the Territory Lords who were on their way to hasten their pace and only send some small groups to harass the Humans in an attempt to slow them down.
Their strategy was indeed effective as, although there were a lot of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the East-West Army, they couldn’t be constantly on the lookout for harassment from all directions.
These small groups from the Black Ink Clan ranged from 2,000 to 10,000 in number and were like vipers that were hiding in the darkness as they waited for a chance and jumped out from all directions to bite the East-West Army.
The Humans were initially unsuspecting, so they suffered some losses. Nevertheless, the leaders soon adapted. Following Xiang Shan’s order, the Eighth-Order Division Commanders scattered around the Army to maintain a perimeter. Since then, the harassment from the Black Ink Clan became significantly less effective.
Every time the Black Ink Clan launched a sneak attack, they would suffer immense losses.
Presently, the East-West Army hadn’t been greatly affected, but they were not sure what would happen when they arrived at the Royal City. The leaders would have to make a decision then.
Feng Ying and the others were curious about what was going on with the North-South Army, so they asked Yang Kai about it.
Yang Kai didn’t inform the members of Dawn when he left a while back; nevertheless, as he remained missing for such a long time, Feng Ying and the others naturally grew curious.
After asking around, they found out that Yang Kai had left their Army and headed to Great Evolution Pass in order to contact the North-South Army.
Since he had returned, it suggested that he had completed his task.
Yang Kai told them that the North-South Army had clashed with the Black Ink Clan’s Army. Although they had killed a lot of their opponents, 4 Eighth-Order Divisions Commanders and 3,000 cultivators below the Eighth Order had lost their lives.
When they heard this solemn news, all of them fell silent.
The moment they joined the Great Evolution Army, they knew that it would be a dangerous journey. Despite that, none of them had experienced any real danger so far.
As Yang Kai brought up the number of losses, they realised that it was more dangerous than they had imagined.
4 Eighth-Order Division Commanders lost their lives, so how were weaker cultivators like them supposed to protect themselves? Perhaps they would lose their lives in the next battle.
With that said, all of them had been cultivating for countless years, and it wasn’t the first day they arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield. They were all prepared for their eventual demise.
As long as they didn’t lose their lives meaninglessly, they would have no regrets.
The demise of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters made them feel dejected, so they were no longer in the mood to keep chatting. They returned to their own places and cultivated in an attempt to strengthen themselves.
For the following days, Yang Kai detected harassment from the Black Ink Clan on several occasions, but just like what happened previously, the noises soon died down.
What was strange was that at a certain point, all the harassment stopped.
Yang Kai had a feeling that they were not far away from the Royal City now; otherwise, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t have frequently harassed them and then stopped all of a sudden.
They were anxious because the Humans were getting close to the Royal City and frequently harassed them as a result. However, after discovering that harassment was no longer useful, they decided to stop wasting troops.
Just like Yang Kai had expected, one day later, the Army was given orders to stop.
Yang Kai was recuperating on the deck when he received the order. The messenger was passing on the order to everyone using Divine Sense and soon left to inform the soldiers at the back.
If the East-West Army was compared to a Dragon, Dawning Light was located in the Dragon Claw area.
Hence, they were able to clearly see what was ahead of them.
The moment Yang Kai received the order, he opened his eyes and gazed at the front.
From afar, he could see that darkness had covered a large area of the void, and there seemed to be something magnificent in the middle of the darkness.
The last time Yang Kai saw something similar, he was outside of the Royal City in the Yin-Yang Theatre; therefore, he immediately realised that the darkness was where the Royal City was located.
At this moment, the East-West Army was in a spot that would only take a person half a day to reach the Royal City.
The Army Commanders seemed to be acting rather boldly, as though they had no regard for the Black Ink Clan whatsoever. While the North-South Army was stationed two days away from Great Evolution Pass, the East-West Army was stationed just outside of the Royal City.
The distance between the Armies of the two Races was short, and the slightest anomaly might lead to a war.
Although they were in a place where it would take half a day to reach the Royal City, Yang Kai could see a lot of people moving around on the other side.
However, he was unable to clearly see it as the distance was still too great.
Therefore, he decided to activate the Demon Eye of Annihilation and observed intently.
Soon, he could clearly see what was going on over there. The Eye Secret Technique was useful in such situations as not only could it help the user see through all falsities and apply pressure to enemies, but it could also enhance the user’s eyesight.
Within the darkness was indeed where the Royal City was located, and the magnificent structure there was none other than the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, which looked like a giant flower that was yet to blossom.
As the Black Ink Nest pulsed, a lot of Black Ink Strength spurted out of it and spread across the entire Royal City.
There was no doubt that the Black Ink Clansmen living in this place had the best environment to cultivate in. It was the same for the Humans who had occupied the best Cave Heavens and Paradises that suited them.
However, at this moment, the atmosphere in the Royal City was pretty intense. Yang Kai did not only see that there were a lot of Black Ink Clansmen moving around in the Royal City, but there were also a large number of Black Ink Clan soldiers who were stationed outside of the Royal City.
These Black Ink Clan soldiers were brought to the Royal City by the Territory Lords who had rushed over to this place in recent days. Presently, they had set up defensive positions as they prepared to deal with the Human Race Army.
The sight prompted Yang Kai to let out a sigh.
Although the East-West Army had gotten off to a good start, they arrived at this place too late as the Black Ink Clan had ample time to get ready. If the East-West Army had arrived at the Royal City earlier, they could have easily destroyed the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest and retaken Great Evolution Pass.
Once the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest was destroyed, all Black Ink Nests in the Great Evolution Theatre would wither. By then, all the Black Ink Clansmen here would be like a tree without roots or a river without a source. Without Black Ink Nests, no new Black Ink Clansmen could be born; at that point, the Great Evolution Army wouldn’t even have to directly clash with the enemy, they could just slowly weaken them and eventually occupy this entire Theatre.
But now, the Black Ink Clan had rallied together around the Royal City, so it wouldn’t be possible for the East-West Army to destroy the High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
Standing beside Yang Kai, Feng Ying asked, “Is that the Royal City?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes.”
“That’s some really thick Black Ink Strength,” Qi Tai Chu sighed.
Although they had been fighting against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for a thousand to several thousand years, it was the first time they were so close to a Royal City. It wasn’t until this moment that they realised how grand it truly was.
The progress against the Black Ink Clan in the Blue Sky Theatre was pretty swift. It was the first Theatre where the Humans had their own forward base.
However, the forward base was still far away from the Royal City. The Black Ink Clan in Blue Sky Theatre were only forced to give up a half of their territory.
This was the first time Humans had gotten so close to a Royal City, putting them practically on the Black Ink Clan’s doorstep.
The thick Black Ink Strength exuding from the Royal City astounded the Humans. The Black Ink Clouds they had encountered in the past weren’t comparable to the ones they were seeing now.
They were also awestruck by the High-Rank Black Ink Nest. Those Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests they had destroyed in the past were not comparable to the one in this place. It was like the difference between a Grandfather and his Grandson.
While they were astonished, they were also excited.
It was the first time in history that Humans had managed to come to the Black Ink Clan’s doorstep. Although it had been a bumpy journey, it was a breakthrough for the Human Race.
This breakthrough also meant that the deadlock that had been ongoing for countless years on the Black Ink Battlefield had finally been shaken.
Since they were already in this place, battle would be inevitable. Nevertheless, none of them knew how or when the war would break out.
As the leaders had told them to stay in place for the time being, it seemed that they didn’t intend to immediately launch an attack on the Royal City.
This was understandable seeing how the East-West Army had to come all the way to this place while the Black Ink Clan were fortifying their Royal City’s defenses. If the Humans launched an attack now, they would be the ones suffering a setback.
How would the leaders achieve a breakthrough in such a situation?
Yang Kai fell into his thoughts as he pondered on what he would do if he were the Army Commander of the East-West Army.
After giving it a thought, he believed that they’d better get some rest first while it would be ideal if they could lure some Black Ink Clansmen out of the Royal City.
The situation the two Races were in seemed to have turned around. Usually, it would be the Black Ink Clan attacking the Great Passes while the Humans defended themselves; however, this time round, it was the Humans attacking the Black Ink Clan while the latter was forced to defend themselves.
Nevertheless, the Royal City was not as sturdy as the Great Passes occupied by the Human Race. Strictly speaking, the Great Passes were actually enormous Mobile Palace Artifacts that were built by their forefathers, and they had been continuously refined and enhanced over the generations. These safe havens had helped the Humans ward off the Black Ink Clan countless times.
On the other hand, the Royal City was different. No Humans had ever attacked a Royal City before, so the Black Ink Clan had never thought about building defences around it.
This was the biggest difference between the Royal City and the Great Passes. It was also something that the Humans could make use of.
Certainly, there were areas where the Humans were weaker than the Black Ink Clan. Although there were 30,000 people in the East-West Army, several thousand of them were actually craftsmen who specialized in the Daos of Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and Arrays. As these specialists were excluded from direct combat, there were only 26,000 to 27,000 people who could go to war, and they had to ensure that there wouldn’t be a lot of casualties. When the Black Ink Clansmen attacked the Great Passes, they wouldn’t worry about the loss of lives; in fact, the Territory Lords and Feudal Lords had no regard for the lives of the lower-rank Black Ink Clansmen.
The Humans could never use the same tactic.
While Yang Kai was pondering on this issue, he suddenly felt an anomaly happening in a particular direction. He turned his head and saw several rays of lights charging forward in that direction.
They were all Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
[Where are they going?] Yang Kai was puzzled, and the members of Dawn were equally perplexed.
Half a day later, they finally got their answer.
Once again, some Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters leaped into the void and worked together to place down some artifacts.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he watched them.
Ning Qi Zhi stroked his chin as he gazed at the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were pretty busy now, and asked doubtfully, “If I’m not mistaken, they’re trying to set up a set of Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. Am I right?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes, they’re Yin-Yang Mirrors.”
Yang Kai was the one who originally created this set of Artifacts, which was then enhanced by Grandmaster Ma Fan. The Humans from different Great Passes had learned how to make them and improved upon the initial design. This new version did not require someone with the knowledge of the Dao of Space to use. With the help of this artifact, one could literally flip parts of the Void, transferring massive objects across vast distances. The Void Yin-Yang Mirrors had allowed for a much more convenient mining of resources, increasing the available resources in the Great Passes severalfold.
It could be said this new version of the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors had helped all the Great Passes amass a large amount of materials.
Now that they were setting up a set of Void Yin-Yang Mirrors in this place, their goal was obvious.
Upon realising the reason behind it, Qi Tai Chu commented, “They’re trying to build a forward base here. It seems that they’ve decided to enter a prolonged fight with the Black Ink Clan.”
It wasn’t certain whether the Black Ink Clan had deliberately done it, but the void around the Royal City was empty. There wasn’t even a single shattered universe fragment, let alone Universe Worlds.
With that said, it was understandable. The Black Ink Nests would consume a lot of resources in order to nurture new Black Ink Clansmen. The Universe Worlds around the Royal City must have been fully extracted and then disposed of.
Besides the Royal City, it was similar for all the territories owned by Territory Lords and Feudal Lords.
Therefore, the place where the East-West Army was located was completely empty without any cover at all. Regardless of what they did or what plans they came up with, the Black Ink Clan could clearly see everything. On the other hand, there was Black Ink Strength that concealed the entire Royal City, making Humans unable to peer through the darkness.
In order to even the playing field, they had to move a Universe World to this place. With a Universe World around, they could turn it into a base of operations. Although it wouldn’t be as useful as a Great Pass, it was better than nothing.
By doing so, they could exert more pressure on the Black Ink Clan as well.
With the Humans openly building a forward base right at their doorstep, would the Black Ink Clan make a move? Certainly, the Humans hoped that the Black Ink Clan would launch an attack. Xiang Shan and the others would like nothing more than to see the Black Ink Clan leave the Royal City. If the enemy did not launch an attack now, it would be harder to deal with the Humans when the latter finished building their forward base.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that had left this place half a day ago must have been searching for a suitable Universe World.
This simple move would put the Black Ink Clan soldiers in a tight spot.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think that the leaders of the Army were indeed like aged ginger, spicier than the young stuff. With that said, if he were the one in charge, he would have made the same decision. It was the best option.
It wasn’t that hard to arrange a set of Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. There were two sets of Mirrors, namely the Yin Mirrors and the Yang Mirrors. Currently, there were eight Mirrors set up in different places in the void. When the artifacts were activated, the place that was locked by Yin Mirror and Yang Mirror would flip like a mirror, initiating an exchange between two places.
Shortly after, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were done setting up the artifacts. Now, all they had to do was wait.
When the Division Commanders found an appropriate Universe World, they would activate the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors.
The Black Ink Clansmen were both furious and astounded when the Human soldiers marched towards them; however, when they saw that the Humans had stopped in a place that would take half a day to reach from the Royal City, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Certainly, what the Humans had been doing couldn’t be hidden from the Territory Lords; however, they had no idea what the Humans were up to.
Before they ascertained the Humans’ intentions, they wouldn’t dare to make a rash move, nor would they be willing to do so. All the Territory Lords hoped that the Royal Lord could defeat or even kill the Human Old Ancestor. Once the most powerful Master on the Humans’ side was removed from the picture, the Humans would automatically lose the fight.
Having said that, it wasn’t likely to happen, for it wasn’t easy to deal with an Old Ancestor.
Initially, they hoped that their fellow Clansmen from Great Evolution Pass would come so that they could pincer the Humans from both sides. However, the news they heard from Great Evolution Pass enraged them.
The cunning Humans had left behind an Army just outside of Great Evolution Pass. As they clashed, the Black Ink Clansmen coming out of Great Evolution Pass were either killed or seriously injured. Left with no choice, they were forced to confront the Human Race Army there.
The Territory Lords looked intently and saw some dots of light flickering in the void. The dots of light were already dazzling the moment they appeared.
As the dots of light resonated with each other, they seemed to seal a portion of the Void within them.
The next instant, layers of ripples started spreading from the Void that was locked by the lights.
The Territory Lords outside the Royal City couldn’t help but widen their eyes and watch attentively.
At this moment, they were wary of anything that the Humans were doing.
As they looked intently, more and more ripples spread from the Void. As it happened, a phantom image started appearing.
The gigantic phantom looked like a Universe World; however, the phantom was somewhere between real and illusory, so they were unable to clearly identify it for now.
Soon though, the Territory Lords could see it with clarity. It was indeed a Universe World’s shadow. Moreover, the shadow was solidifying by the breath, as though it was turning physical.
One of the Territory Lords even recognised this Universe World, which would take a person about a day to arrive at from the Royal City.
It was purely a coincidence. When this Territory Lord came to the Royal Lord to attend to some matters more than 10 years ago, he happened to take a rest on that Universe World. He had observed the Universe World’s terrain, so he could still remember it; therefore, even though it was just its shadow, he could instantly recognise it.
The discovery shocked the Territory Lords.
They initially thought that it was just a phantom image, but now it seemed that the Humans were using some kind of special technique to move a Universe World over.
[What are the Humans trying to achieve?]
While they were both shocked and doubtful, the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors started to flip the Void. The Universe World that would take a person a day to reach from the Royal City now appeared in the void as it hovered in silence. Nevertheless, this Universe World was desolate and void of any vitality.
All of the Universe Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield looked just like this. Their World Forces had been sucked dry by the Black Ink Clan, and without World Force, those Universe Worlds would wither and die.
After the Universe World stabilised, a Purifying Black Ink Battleship flew towards the Universe World under the protection of several Battalion Class Warships.
Following that, a large number of cultivators that came in groups of different sizes stepped out of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and Battalion Class Warships and began dispersing around the Universe World.
The Universe World that was moved to this place by the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters using the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors looked like a gigantic sphere. Although it was quite massive, it wasn’t hard for Open Heaven Realm Masters to move around it.
A Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could circumnavigate the Universe World in half a cup of tea’s time.
The cultivators that had left the warships were all Array Masters and Artifact Refiners, 2,000 in total. They soon scattered around the Universe World as they examined the terrain and looked for suitable spots.
Yang Kai and the others could clearly see what they were doing, so at this point, the leaders’ intention was obvious to them.
The Universe World that had been moved to this place would be turned into a forward base, just like the forward base in the Blue Sky Theatre.
They had been part of establishing the forward base in the Blue Sky Theatre and suppressing the Black Ink Clan over the years, and by now it was a robust fortress. Furthermore, the forward base was connected to Blue Sky Pass through a series of Universe Arrays. Regardless of what the Black Ink Clan did, they couldn’t remove the forward base anymore.
After all, the Territory Lords from the Blue Sky Theatre had suffered immense losses after the war back then and it wasn’t certain how long it would take them to recover.
Before they could nurture enough Territory Lords, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t pose a threat to the forward base in the Blue Sky Theatre.
Now, the Eighth-Order Masters who were the leaders of the East-West Army had spent some effort moving a Universe World to this place and were planning to turn it into a forward base, which would serve the same purpose as the forward base in the Blue Sky Theatre.
However, the East-West Army’s current location was far more provocative. It was expected that the Black Ink Clan would be furious once they figured out what was happening.
The forward base in the Blue Sky Theatre was still far away from the Royal City; however, the East-West Army was camped out right at the Black Ink Clan’s doorstep.
It was a real question whether the Black Ink Clansmen could tolerate it.
While the Artifact Refiners and the Array Masters were busy building the new forward base, the leaders of the Army told all the soldiers to be prepared for any potential attacks from the enemies.
The leaders were apparently wary of what the Black Ink Clan might do.
Regardless of whether the Black Ink Clan would launch an attack or not, the Humans would be in an advantageous position. If the enemy didn’t make a move, the Humans would be able to complete their forward base. However, if the enemy rashly attacked, the East-West Army wouldn’t be afraid to confront them out in the void. The Human Race had come all the way here to fight against the Black Ink Clan; thus, they needed to kill their opponents and complete military objectives to make their sacrifices worthwhile.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan had no idea how to deal with such a situation.
A commotion broke out among the Territory Lords the moment they realised the Humans’ intentions.
Presently, there were 30 or so Territory Lords that had gathered together outside the Royal City. The number was slightly higher than the number of Territory Lords in Great Evolution Pass.
Initially, there were close to 90 Territory Lords in the Great Evolution Theatre, which was higher than average for any given Theatre.
That was because it had been peaceful in the Great Evolution Theatre for the past 30,000 years. The Black Ink Clan had ample time to cultivate in peace, so they naturally had more Territory Lords.
From time to time, these Territory Lords would bring their Armies to lend a hand to their fellow clansmen at Wind and Cloud Pass or Azure Void Pass. Although they would always be defeated, most Territory Lords could come back alive, at the very least. Mostly it would be the High and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen they had brought to the battlefield that lost their lives.
Therefore, there had always been some 90 or so Territory Lords in Great Evolution Theatre over the years. The number might vary from time to time, but there wouldn’t be a drastic change.
However, the Humans had deployed soldiers from Wind and Cloud Pass and Azure Void Pass this time. They were so ferocious that the Black Ink Clansmen in the Azure Void Theatre and the Wind and Cloud Theatre were soon defeated. Even the reinforcements sent from Great Evolution Theatre had lost their lives.
In the battle against the Black Ink Clan outside of Wind and Cloud Pass, the East-West Army managed to kill close to 300,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers and 11 Territory Lords. Those were all Territory Lords from the Great Evolution Theatre.
The same thing happened outside Azure Void Pass. All of the reinforcements who had been fighting there from Great Evolution Theatre were defeated.
As a result, some 20 Territory Lords from Great Evolution Theatre had lost their lives. It could be said that they had suffered tremendous losses.
Hence, there were a total of only about 70 Territory Lords in the Great Evolution Theatre right now, and they were divided into two groups. One of the groups was in Great Evolution Pass while the other was in the Royal City. The numbers were basically equally divided.
The Humans’ intentions were obvious, so the Territory Lords could naturally see it.
At that moment, more than 30 Territory Lords were locked in an argument, with two opposing points of view.
One of the groups thought that the Human soldiers must be exhausted from the long journey, so now was the time to attack. At the very least, they wouldn’t allow the Humans to provoke them by building a forward base just outside the Royal City. These aggressive Territory Lords were the majority.
This couldn’t be helped, as the Great Evolution Theatre had been completely ruled over by the Black Ink Clan for the past 30,000 years. Over the years, they had always regarded the entire Theatre as their territory. Certainly, they couldn’t put up with these Humans who came out of nowhere and made a scene in their home.
Compared to these aggressive Territory Lords, the other group was more conservative.
Through the Black Ink Nests, they had learned about the outcome of the war at Great Evolution Pass. After that war, 6 Territory Lords, over 20 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, and 300,000 soldiers had lost their lives. The number of casualties was terrifying.
In the Great Evolution Theatre, the Black Ink Clan had never suffered such immense losses over the past 30,000 years.
And all this was also when they were facing far fewer Human soldiers.
From what they had gathered, only 30,000 Humans had fought in that battle in total. Although they had a lot of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and their Warships certainly played a big role, the outcome showed that the Humans were truly powerful.
30,000 Humans could already kill so many Black Ink Clansmen outside of Great Evolution Pass, so the same number of Humans outside the Royal City wouldn’t be weak either.
If they got into a fight, the Humans would definitely suffer, but the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t be in a better state; they might even come out worse than before. Whatever the outcome, it was inevitable for some of the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to lose their lives if they fought.
Since the stronger Black Ink Clansmen all innately feared death, they were worried that they would be the ones getting killed.
The conservative Territory Lords knew that by not making a move now, it was like giving the Humans a chance to sharpen their blades, and once those blades were sharp enough, it would pose a huge threat to the Black Ink Clan.
With that said, they had their own considerations.
The battle between the Royal Lord and the Old Ancestor hadn’t ended.
Everything would be fine if the Royal Lord won the battle; however, if the Royal Lord was defeated, and they didn’t manage to defeat the enemy at their doorstep, the Royal City would be destroyed.
Therefore, they wanted to play it safe for now so that they would remain a threat to the Humans.
Furthermore, it had been some time since the Royal Lord and the Old Ancestor first clashed, so they figured it would not be long before the battle came to an end. Perhaps the Royal Lord would return to the Royal City soon, and when that happened, he would decide whether they should launch an attack or hold their lines. Hence, they wouldn’t have to worry about anything else, nor would it be a waste of time by not making a move.
As they couldn’t see eye to eye, the Territory Lords continued to argue. None of them could convince the other side.
As a result, they were not able to launch an attack on the Humans and could only watch as the enemy made their arrangements on the newly moved Universe World.
Certainly, the aggressive Territory Lords were infuriated, thinking that they had missed an opportunity; however, without the cooperation from the conservative Territory Lords, they wouldn’t be able to launch an attack on the Humans.
On a barren mountain in the Universe World, Xiang Shan looked into the void with his hands behind his back. His gaze seemed able to ignore the restraint of distance and clearly see what the Black Ink Clansmen were doing in the Royal City.
“What a shame,” Xiang Shan said impassively.
Liu Zhi Ping, who was standing beside him, turned to look at him, “Senior Brother Xiang, do you think the Black Ink Clan won’t attack us?”
Xiang Shan replied, “A long time has passed already. They would have attacked us already if they wanted to. Since they don’t seem to have the intention of launching an attack, they won’t be coming anytime soon. It seems that none of the Territory Lords is authoritative enough to make a decision.”
Liu Zhi Ping replied with a smile, “The Royal Lord is the most powerful being among the Black Ink Clan. The Territory Lords working for the Royal Lord have their own territories and subordinates, so while they wouldn’t dare to disobey the Royal Lord, they are all on equal footing amongst themselves. It’s unlike the strict military structure we have.”
Xiang Shan nodded gently.
Liu Zhi Ping went on to say, “Regardless, we can seize the chance to get some rest and establish the forward base. Once we gain a foothold here and recover, we can come up with a way to lure the enemies out of the Royal City.”
“You have a point, Junior Sister. I share the same sentiment.”
All of a sudden, Liu Zhi Ping turned to look at him with a pair of bright eyes, “Do you already have a solution?”
Instead of replying to her question, Xiang Shan asked, “Why do you think so?”
Shaking her head, Liu Zhi Ping replied, “I just feel that you’re quite confident. It’s apparent that you’ve given it some consideration; otherwise, you wouldn’t have told some people to look for a suitable Universe World not long after we arrived at this place. Since you already expected the current situation, you certainly have a follow-up plan.”
Xiang Shan put on a smile, “I do have an idea that I want to discuss with you.”
Liu Zhi Ping felt somewhat dejected. In fact, she was an intelligent person; however, after leading the East-West Army alongside Xiang Shan all this time, she realised that she was nowhere as quick-witted as the latter.
When it came to military affairs, while she could see one step in front of her, Xiang Shan could already see three to four steps ahead.
Prior to working with Xiang Shan, who was from Blue Sky Pass, she had already heard a lot about him. It wasn’t until she started working with him that she realised the man was truly gifted when it came to military affairs. He was born with this gift, and no one else could imitate him.
There were a total of 2,000 Arrays Masters and Artifact Refiners who were working together, all of them above the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Before this, the soldiers from the East-West Army had no idea how efficient it would be when so many Array Masters and Artifact Refiners worked together, but now they could witness it.
Right after the Universe World was moved to this place, the Array Masters and the Artifact Refiners started collaborating. It took them two days to fully survey the Universe World’s terrain; after that, more than 10 leaders gathered together and came up with a plan.
Three days later, a Grand Array framework was established on this huge Universe World.
Although three days had passed, the Black Ink Clan still remained silent. It was basically confirmed that the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t launch an attack. If they had the intention of attacking the Humans, they wouldn’t have waited for three days, they would have taken action before the Humans could organize themselves.
The Array Masters and the Artifact Refiners, who were initially in a hurry, became at ease now.
Since the framework had been completed, they just had to fill it with different arrays. They also had to continuously modify the connection and coordination between the arrays.
This framework was the result of the planning of all the Array Masters in the East-West Army, and with the help of the Artifact Refiners, the Array Masters could quickly get any artifacts they needed. There was basically no wasted time.
Although a lot of resources had been consumed, no one would worry about that given the circumstances.
Resources and manpower were naturally of utmost importance in a war.
Back then, in order to attract the Black Ink Clan’s attention, Xiang Shan told the Artifact Refiners to craft several tens of thousands of puppets and send them to Great Evolution Pass. Now, he didn’t mind consuming some resources to build this forward base.
As long as they could occupy the Great Evolution Theatre, they would be able to extract as many materials as they pleased in this expansive void. By then, they wouldn’t have to worry about a lack of resources. They would be rewarded handsomely in the future for their hard work today.
Five days had passed in the blink of an eye.
Over 10,000 individual arrays had been arranged on this Universe World, and with their activation, this Universe World, which was initially just an ordinary rock, now exuded a dangerous aura.
They had made such an achievement in just a few days, so it was imaginable that if these Array Masters were given enough time, they would be able to turn this Universe World into a robust fortress.
All this time, the Black Ink Clan still didn’t take any action.
Xiang Shan and the others had already expected it, so they were not surprised.
Violent energy fluctuations could still be felt coming from the depths of the void. Although they were far away from that place, everyone could still detect the dangerous aura that came from this fallout.
Those were the repercussions of the clash between the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord.
It had been half a month since their fight began, but the battle still hadn’t ended, and no one knew when it would end.
Finally, there came a moment when the continuous shockwaves abruptly stopped and no more energy fluctuations were felt coming from that place.
At that instant, both the Humans and the Black Ink Clansmen couldn’t help but look in the direction where the fluctuations were previously emanating from, their hearts all seemingly stuck in their throats.
The battle between the two top Masters had ended!
Who was the winner?
Was one of them killed?
The outcome of the battle would affect the fate of these soldiers of the two Races greatly.
As they stared intently, a dazzling light was seen approaching them at full speed from the depths of the void. The moment they spotted this ray of light, it was still far away, but in the blink of an eye, it had moved across millions of kilometres and by the time they blinked, it had become much closer.
While the Humans were excited, the Black Ink Clansmen were horrified.
This couldn’t be helped, as a light of such brightness could only belong to the Old Ancestor. The Royal Lord could never emit such brilliance.
Just like what they had expected, as the light approached, the aura of an Open Heaven Realm Master that could overturn the universe spread out imposingly. There was no doubt that it was the Old Ancestor.
The Black Ink Clansmen instantly went on full alert.
They had no idea what was going on with the Royal Lord, but the Human Old Ancestor had returned while the former was still nowhere in sight. It was apparent that he was in a terrible state.
If the Old Ancestor decided to make a move on them, they wouldn’t be able to counterattack without the Royal Lord around.
In an instant, all the Black Ink Clansmen inside and outside of the Royal City were panicking.
However, they were pleasantly surprised to see that the Old Ancestor didn’t have the intention of attacking them. Instead, she dashed towards the Humans’ side and soon disappeared into the Universe World.
The Territory Lords’ eyes brightened when they saw that.
There was no doubt that the Old Ancestor was badly injured; otherwise, she wouldn’t have ignored them.
In that case, the situation wasn’t as terrible as they thought. Since the Old Ancestor was no longer able to make a move against them, what about the Royal Lord?
While they were lost in their thoughts, from the direction where the Old Ancestor appeared from, a cloud of darkness stealthily approached.
Compared to the grandiose display the Old Ancestor made earlier, the Royal Lord’s appearance was somewhat furtive.
These clever Territory Lords instantly figured out that the Royal Lord must be terribly injured as well, just like the Human Old Ancestor; otherwise, he wouldn’t be acting so cautiously.
When the Royal Lord was close enough, the Territory Lords could feel that his aura was indeed unstable. It was obvious that he was heavily wounded.
They hurriedly went over to protect the Royal Lord.
At the same time, they reported to him what the Human soldiers had been doing and asked him to make a decision on what they should do.
While they were at it, the Territory Lords of different stances argued and accused one another, trying to shift the blame for whatever was to come.
The Royal Lord was already furious to begin with, and seeing his Territory Lords endlessly pestering him, his fury erupted like a volcano. As he released his pressure, the Territory Lords instantly shut their mouths.
As he swept a dispassionate glance over them, he couldn’t help but have the urge to kill them all to vent his rage.
He had suffered a huge setback because of the Old Ancestor.
Since he became a Royal Lord, he had only dealt with an Old Ancestor once; therefore, even though he was powerful, he was unable to fully utilise his strength when exchanging moves with a Human of the same calibre.
Moreover, this Old Ancestor was like a rabid dog when fighting him, not caring one bit about defending herself as long as she could bite off a piece of his flesh. As a result, he had been badly suppressed during the entire fight.
There were even several times when he almost lost his life and presently, one of the black wings on his back had turned limp.
That wing had nearly been torn off his back by the Old Ancestor.
A chill ran down his spine as he recalled that moment.
[That bitch is insane!]
Although he had only dealt with a Ninth-Order Master once prior to this battle, and it happened over 30,000 years ago, he knew that the fights between Royal Lords and Old Ancestors almost never resulted in death for either side. No one would really be aiming to kill the other party.
Given how strong they were, no one could intervene in their battles, and no one could guarantee that they would be the last one standing. Each strike might also be fatal; thus, they would act cautiously.
However, this female Old Ancestor was different. She seemed determined to kill him the moment they clashed.
Fortunately, he wasn’t unprepared.
He had speculated that the Humans intended to retake Great Evolution Pass, and upon learning that the Old Ancestor that was in charge came from Yin-Yang Pass, he contacted the Royal Lord from the Yin-Yang Theatre through his Black Ink Nest.
Although he had never exchanged moves with the Old Ancestor who was in charge of the invading Human Army, the Royal Lord from Yin-Yang Theatre was her arch nemesis.
After the conversation, he learned a lot of useful experiences from the Royal Lord from the Yin-Yang Theatre and had at least some understanding of the methods this Old Ancestor could use.
It was thanks to this information that he was able to deal with the Old Ancestor’s violent attacks and preserve his own life.
Despite that, he was still badly battered after the fight.
Having said that, that crazy woman wasn’t in a better state either. It could be said that they were mutually wounded after the battle. He had suffered a setback, but it was negligible in the long run as the other party was in a similar state.
He was already furious to begin with, so upon returning to the Royal City and being bombarded with his subordinate Territory Lords’ arguments, it was only natural he flew into a rage.
The Human soldiers were already at their doorstep, so the Territory Lords should have launched an attack before they established a foothold, but instead, they gave the Humans ample time to rest and even build a forward base.
[Wastes!]
Although he was infuriated, he knew what the Territory Lords were worried about; moreover, it was pointless to blame it on them at this point.
Since they had missed the best chance, it was unwise to launch an attack on the Humans now.
He endured the pain and asked, “Where are the reinforcements from Great Evolution Pass?”
Before he left Great Evolution Pass, he had ordered them to send troops to the Royal City and reckoned that they should have arrived by now.
The Territory Lords gloomily exchanged glances before one of them with a distinctive hunched back, making him look like an old turtle with a hard shell, reported, “Sir, the reinforcements were intercepted by the Humans on their way here. Many were injured or killed, so they had no choice but to withdraw back to Pass.”
The Royal Lord’s brow twitched when he heard that.
[It seems that nothing is going to go well for me.]
When he was still in Great Evolution Pass earlier, he heard from Hong Di that there were some Human soldiers who were hiding outside Great Evolution Pass. Nevertheless, they were unable to find out their whereabouts.
Now, it seemed that the Human soldiers had ruined their plans. With their presence outside Great Evolution Pass, it was impossible for the Black Ink Clansmen there to lend a hand.
In other words, the Royal City was in a state of isolation.
Fortunately, the Humans were divided as well. It wasn’t the worst-case scenario yet for the Black Ink Clan.
The Territory Lord, who looked like an old turtle, said cautiously, “Royal Lord, please make a decision on whether we should launch an attack or focus on defending the Royal City.”
The Territory Lords couldn’t reach an agreement despite all their fierce arguments. Since the Royal Lord had returned, he would be the one making the decision.
After giving it a thought, the Royal Lord said, “Defend the Royal City at all costs. As long as the Humans don’t attack us, all of you shouldn’t make a move.”
He then turned to look at the Territory Lord who looked like a turtle and declared, “Che Kong, you will be given command of this war. While I am recuperating, you will lead the other Territory Lords to defend the Royal City.”
The Territory Lord named Che Kong slightly bent his back, “Yes, Sir.”
The Royal Lord didn’t bother to warn the other Territory Lords that they would be punished for not obeying Che Kong. Without the Royal Lord’s order, these Territory Lords were all on an equal footing, which left them disunited. However, since the Royal Lord had given the order, they certainly had to obey.
Furthermore, Che Kong, who looked like an old turtle, was among the strongest Territory Lords when it came to his strength and aptitude.
He was a Territory Lord who took part in the assault on the Old Ancestor from Great Evolution Pass and survived 30,000 years ago.
He didn’t just take part in a war that was intended to occupy Great Evolution Pass, he had directly exchanged moves with the Old Ancestor from Great Evolution Pass.
Although he had only traded three moves with that Old Ancestor, the price he had to pay was 800 years of hibernation. The terrifying-looking cut on the tortoise shell on his back still hadn’t healed until now.
That was a wound caused by the Old Ancestor from Great Evolution Pass.
As a Territory Lord, he was a cut above the others in the same realm because he had survived a fight with a Human Old Ancestor; therefore, the other Territory Lords had no objection when the Royal Lord appointed Che Kong to be the Commander.
Che Kong was one of those conservative Territory Lords, and it was largely because of his prestige that the aggressive Territory Lords, who were in the majority, were unable to launch an attack on the Humans.
After the Royal Lord issued his orders, he returned to his Black Ink Nest in the Royal City to recover. Soon, a massive amount of resources were sent to the Black Ink Nest and thrown into the Black Ink Pool to produce Black Ink Strength.
The Royal Lord’s thinking was simple.
Since they had missed the best chance to launch an attack, it was useless to do so at this point. From the looks of it, the Humans didn’t have the intention of invading the Royal City immediately; hence, it would be peaceful for both sides for a period of time despite the inevitable confrontation.
He could seize this chance and recuperate.
Although he had suffered a setback during the battle, he could recover much quicker than the Old Ancestor as he had his Black Ink Nest to support him.
He had learned a piece of important information from the Royal Lord from the Yin-Yang Theatre. The Old Ancestor who had come to this place this time practised a strange cultivation technique that was also rather unique among the Humans. It was because of its uniqueness that it would be difficult for her to recover once she was wounded. She needed the help of something called Bustling World Essence to heal her injuries.
In Yin-Yang Pass, the Old Ancestor had a set-up to help her recuperate, but she didn’t have such convenience in the Great Evolution Theatre.
In other words, as time dragged on, he would recover much quicker than the Old Ancestor. When he fully recovered, it would be easy for him to kill her.
By then, he would make her pay the price for wounding him.
A high-spirited Royal Lord fell into a state of deep sleep as he was engulfed in ample Black Ink Strength.
…
On the deck of Dawning Light, Yang Kai looked in the forward base’s direction.
Certainly, he could clearly see that the Old Ancestor had returned. As he had come into close contact with the Old Ancestor before, he could sense that something was off despite her grandiose return.
[It seems that she is badly injured…]
Just like he had expected, the reason the Old Ancestor requested he join this campaign was that she wanted to make use of his Small Universe to recuperate. Therefore, once the Old Ancestor clashed with the Royal Lord, she would go all out despite knowing that she would be injured. As such, the battle between them wouldn’t last for a long time.
Since the Old Ancestor had returned, Yang Kai supposed that his help would be needed.
At the thought of this, he told Feng Ying to see him, then said, “When I’m not around, all of you have to stay safe should there be a battle.”
Feng Ying asked curiously, “Do you have a new task?”
Yang Kai replied, “Maybe…”
The moment he finished speaking, a ray of light shot up from the forward base and dashed towards them. Upon arrival, the person revealed himself and cupped his fist, “The Army Commander would like to see you, Senior Brother Yang.”
“Understood,” Yang Kai nodded, “I’ll be going now.”
He then followed the person and flew towards the Universe World.
However, they didn’t land on the side that was facing the Royal City. Instead, they circled around the Universe World and came to its other side. It was then the person started descending.
Soon, they arrived at the periphery of a mountain valley, where Yang Kai’s guide said, “Just keep going forward, Senior Brother. The Army Commander is waiting for you over there.”
Yang Kai thanked him and stepped forward.
A while later, he arrived at the entrance of the valley.
Xiang Shan and Liu Zhi Ping were waiting for him.
Yang Kai saluted them and looked into the valley; however, at this moment, it was covered in clouds. The inside of the valley gave off a dangerous feeling. Apparently, it was shrouded in a Grand Array.
“How is the Old Ancestor now?” Yang Kai asked.
Xiang Shan replied, “Go in and see for yourself.”
As Xiang Shan spoke, he tossed something to Yang Kai, “This token can be used to control the Grand Array in this valley. Don’t lose it.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai replied, then activated his power to refine the token.
A moment later, he lifted the token and waved it at the Grand Array in the valley. A beam of light shot into the valley, and as the clouds weltered, a portal that led inside was revealed.
Yang Kai stepped into the portal, which slowly shut behind him.
From the outside, the valley seemed to be filled with clouds; however, the moment Yang Kai stepped inside, he realised that there were no clouds at all. It was just a normal valley.
Due to the fact that the entire Universe World was desolate, this valley was pretty barren as well.
As Yang Kai turned around, he could see Xiang Shan and Liu Zhi Ping standing outside the valley; nevertheless, he reckoned that they couldn’t see him.
Yang Kai felt the Old Ancestor’s aura coming from the centre of the valley, but unlike how imposing it had been when she returned, it was now weak.
He traced the aura and soon saw a petite figure who had curled up on a pile of stones.
The Old Ancestor had turned into a young child, and she looked even younger than the first time Yang Kai met her.
When Yang Kai came across the Old Ancestor in the shopping district of Yin-Yang Pass for the first time, she looked like a kid who was seven or eight years old, but now, she looked like she was just three or four.
Yang Kai felt his face eyes twitching. It was a rare thing to find an Old Ancestor who looked like this.
The colour had drained from her delicate face, and her clothes were soaked in blood. There was also a jade bracelet on her wrist that was full of cracks.
Yang Kai had no idea what kind of artifact the jade bracelet was, but it was obviously not ordinary as it was worn by someone like the Old Ancestor. Presently, the artifact was full of cracks, and most of its spirituality had been lost. It went to show that the previous battle was truly perilous.
[The Old Ancestor must have over-exerted herself…]
Yang Kai secretly sighed. Without alerting her, he activated his power and released his World Force. The illusory phantom of his Small Universe spread across the valley with his figure as the centre.
If a person looked intently, they could see that the illusory phantom of the Small Universe was full of living creatures and complicated terrains. Countless people were seen moving around all over the place.
This was a miniature version of a World.
The entire Small Universe was soon spread across the mountain valley.
Considering the fact that the Old Ancestor was sound asleep, Yang Kai settled her down on a beautiful Spirit Peak after he was done manifesting his Small Universe.
The Spirit Peak wasn’t majestic by any means, but it had ample World Energy, making it a perfect place for quiet recuperation.
As a thought flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, a log house appeared where the Old Ancestor was asleep. It wasn’t anything special, but it was good enough to protect her from the wind and rain.
After he was done with all that, Yang Kai found a place on the Spirit Peak and meditated in silence.
He had no idea how long it would take the Old Ancestor to recover, but it definitely wouldn’t be a short time; therefore, he could seize the chance and cultivate.
Time slowly went by in the Small Universe, but the Old Ancestor didn’t seem to be waking up anytime soon. With that said, as the owner of this Small Universe, Yang Kai could feel that a mysterious force was streaming into the Old Ancestor’s petite figure from all directions.
It was the Bustling World Essence.
Initially, he was worried that by placing the Old Ancestor on such a barren peak, she might not be able to absorb much Bustling World Essence, but now it seemed that wherever she was in his Small Universe, it didn’t really matter.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that it wasn’t so surprising. The so-called Bustling World Essence was produced from the daily lives of all living creatures; therefore, his entire Small Universe must be filled with it.
Despite the fact that they were in a remote place, there was still Bustling World Essence in the air.
Of course, the Bustling World Essence would be more ample if they were in a busy city.
Initially, Yang Kai thought that his days would remain dull and uneventful until the Old Ancestor regained consciousness; however, one month later, he opened his eyes and looked towards the bottom of the mountain.
There was a village at the bottom of this Spirit Peak where a dozen or so families had settled, making a living by hunting and felling trees. Hunters would go out to look for prey near the Spirit Peak, but Yang Kai would normally just ignore them.
He didn’t intend to interfere in the affairs of his Small Universe. Although he was the ruler of this World, any rash interference might bring about detrimental outcomes as the World had its own way of operating.
Most of the hunters would only do some hunting below the middle of the mountain, and there was a lot of prey around, so they didn’t have to worry about bringing food to the table.
However, there was one hunter who seemed to be unlucky this time as he hadn’t found anything to catch. Therefore, he decided to go further up the mountain.
Yang Kai observed the route the hunter took and realised that if he did nothing, the person would soon arrive at the log house where the Old Ancestor was recuperating.
When that happened, the hunter would definitely investigate.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t allow anyone to disturb the Old Ancestor, but just when he was ready to do something to conceal the log house, the unconscious Old Ancestor suddenly sent him a message.
The message was so vague and garbled that he couldn’t even figure out its meaning. Apparently, the Old Ancestor was not clear-headed when she sent the message and simply did so out of instinct.
With a frown, Yang Kai hesitated for a bit before deciding to take a wait-and-see approach.
Half a day later, the hunter, who hadn’t found any prey, was both exhausted and hungry. He scooped up some water from a spring with his hands to quench his thirst, but while he was drinking it, he became startled all of a sudden.
That was because he could see a simple-looking log house in front of him.
He didn’t remember there being a log house on the mountain. Although this place was far away from his usual hunting area, he had been here before, and he was certain he had never seen this log house in the past.
Out of curiosity, he shuffled towards the log house and shouted, “Is anyone inside?”
No one responded to him after he shouted several times. Left with no choice, he apologised and pushed the door open before stepping inside.
Yang Kai had built the log house in a hurry to put a roof over the Old Ancestor’s head, so there was nothing inside other than a bed, which the Old Ancestor’s petite figure was currently curled up on.
The instant the hunter entered the house, he saw the figure on the bed and was both doubtful and wary.
Although he was an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before, cultivation wasn’t a secret on the Void Continent and the hunter knew that the youngsters in the neighbouring village had always wanted to join a nearby Sect.
The hunter also had such a dream when he was younger. 1,000 kilometres away from the village, there was a Sect named Water Moon Pavilion that would recruit new disciples every few years.
When the hunter was younger, he travelled all the way to Water Moon Pavilion with that dream in mind and participated in the Disciple Recruitment in the hope that he could join the Sect and become a mighty expert who could fly through the sky one day. Unfortunately, his aptitude was poor, so the senior experts were not interested in taking him in as a disciple. He was swiftly eliminated from the Disciple Recruitment.
After his dream was crushed, the hunter wandered around the continent for several years and eventually, he returned to his hometown and built a family of his own.
Compared to the other hunters in the village, he was more experienced as he knew that other than cultivators, there were also some special beings in this world.
Spirits!
It was said that when some Spirits had cultivated long enough, they could assume Human forms. Ordinary people couldn’t tell the difference, but apparently there was a class of Evil Spirits known as Vixens. Rumour had it that Vixens loved turning into beautiful young ladies to seduce energetic young men.
Therefore, the moment the hunter saw that there was a strange-looking log house with a young girl inside, the first thought that flashed through his mind was that he might have run into a Spirit.
He felt a crawling sensation on his scalp as it was said that there were good and bad Spirits; however, he couldn’t differentiate the good Spirits from the bad ones.
Upon closer look though, he realised that the petite figure on the bed was quite pitiful-looking. Even if she was really a Spirit, she was a frail one.
Why would he be afraid of her when he was a fully grown man?
With that thought in mind, he stopped feeling anxious.
He initially wanted to leave the house in silence; after all, he wasn’t sure if the petite figure was a Spirit, but just when he was preparing to step out of the log house, he froze for a moment.
That was because he could hear that there was something off about the petite figure’s breathing.
As an experienced hunter, he understood the prey on the mountain fully well. When animals were wounded and dying, they would breathe just like the young girl, intermittently and weakly.
There was a tinge of hesitation on the hunter’s face.
A moment later, he grit his teeth and shuffled towards the bed.
[What if she’s an ordinary child and not a Spirit? If no one takes care of her, she’ll soon be eaten by the beasts.]
As he looked down, he realised that the child on the bed was only three or four years old. Although she was sound asleep, there was a hint of discomfort on her face, as though she was having a nightmare. Moreover, her face was unusually pale.
He placed his palm on her forehead and discovered that it was scorching.
[She’s sick!]
Without hesitation, the hunter picked up the little girl and dashed out of the house. He had to return to his home as soon as possible.
Regardless of where this little girl came from or why she was alone in the log house, she would soon lose her life if she was not treated.
The hunter’s thoughts were simple. He had to go down the mountain and look for a doctor. The idea of dealing with her parents if they ever looked for her never crossed his mind. When that happened, he would just give the child back to them and explain what had happened.
After the hunter left in a hurry, Yang Kai, who had been observing them in silence, revealed himself. As he watched the hunter leave, he stroked his chin and fell into his thoughts.
[The Old Ancestor was abducted… What should I do?]
He could have concealed the log house’s existence; that way, an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before would never have discovered the Old Ancestor’s whereabouts. However, at the most critical moment, the Old Ancestor sent him a message.
He was unable to figure out the Old Ancestor’s intentions; the message was vague and garbled, so he was unable to ascertain what it meant. It also didn’t look like the Old Ancestor had intentionally done it; instead, it was like she acted out of instinct while still asleep.
Although the Old Ancestor’s message wasn’t clear, it was apparent she wanted to stop him from concealing the log house by sending it to him at that moment.
Therefore, Yang Kai decided to let nature take its course.
Then, the Old Ancestor was taken away. Since she didn’t send Yang Kai any further messages, it seemed that he had made the right choice.
With that said, he couldn’t just ignore her; hence, he concealed his figure and tailed the hunter.
It took the hunter half a day to go up the mountain, but it only took him two hours to go down. The exhausted and starving hunter tripped over and became covered in dust, but he protected the little girl well.
After returning to the small village, he kicked the door of his house open and shouted, “Dear, something has happened!”
Upon hearing his voice, a stout woman came out of the kitchen. An apron was wrapped around her waist, and there was a huge rolling pin in her hand. It seemed that she was preparing dinner.
As the sky was turning dark, most people would supposedly have their dinner soon.
The stout woman was in stark contrast with the lean hunter. As they stood side by side, the stout woman was two times larger than her Husband.
Villagers were usually straightforward people, so the moment she heard what her Husband said, she roared, “What’s wrong? Did that guy snatch your prey again? Don’t worry, I’ll beat him up for you!”
“No, no, no!” The hunter repeatedly shook his head, “I picked up this little thing.”
Saying so, he dashed into the house.
The moment he brushed past the stout woman, she caught a glimpse of what was in his arms. At that instant, she was rooted to the spot.
After her Husband entered the house, she exclaimed and followed him in a hurry.
A moment later, the Old Ancestor was lying on a simple-looking bed in silence. There were some animal pelts on her figure and beside the bed, the hunter and the stout woman stared fixedly at her with widened eyes. As the stout woman gazed at the petite and frail child on the bed, the ferocity on her face vanished.
“Where did you pick her up?” The stout woman poked her Husband with her elbow, accidentally exerting too much force with her arm and almost causing him to fall over.
“On the mountain!” The hunter briefly explained to her what had happened on this day.
The stout woman’s expression changed slightly, “Why would there be such a thing on the mountain? Could she be a Spirit?”
They had been a married couple for quite some time, so sometimes, before they fell asleep at night, the hunter would tell her stories, including ones about Spirits.
“I don’t think so.” The hunter lifted the pieces of animal skin, “Look, she doesn’t have a tail.”
He then brushed back the little girl’s hair, “There are no strange-looking ears either. I don’t think she’s a Spirit.”
The stout woman nodded in agreement. Since the little girl didn’t have a tail or some strange-looking horns or ears, she shouldn’t be a Spirit.
The hunter then said, “The clothes she’s wearing suggest that she’s from a wealthy family; moreover, she has been unconscious since I discovered her. I guess that she suffers from some kind of incurable disease, so her family members dumped her on the mountain.”
Tears started streaming out of the stout woman’s eyes, “She’s such a pitiful little thing… How could her parents have the heart to abandon this beautiful baby?”
“Dear, please get Doctor Cai to come over now and examine this child. It’s a life, after all. Since we’ve found her, we can’t possibly watch her die without doing anything.”
“You’re right,” the stout woman wiped her tears away as she put down the rolling pin and took off her apron. Then, she turned around and left the house.
There wasn’t a doctor in the village, but there was a doctor surnamed Cai in a village that was about 20 kilometres away. Although he wasn’t really an expert in medicine, he was already the best doctor in this area.
The sky had turned completely dark when the stout woman stepped out of the house, and since the two villages were so far apart, Doctor Cai certainly wasn’t willing to go over.
However, the stout woman never gave him a chance to resist. She picked up the thin doctor with one hand and dashed across the 20-kilometre gap to return home. It only took her an hour to go back and forth between the villages.
After the doctor was ‘invited’ into their house, the couple repeatedly apologised to him in order to appease him so that he could examine the little girl.
The couple anxiously watched them on the side.
After Doctor Cai was done feeling her pulse, the stout woman asked nervously, “What sickness does she have, Doctor Cai?”
Although Doctor Cai wasn’t an expert in medicine, he had gained some experience and had sharp eyesight after practising medicine for years, so he replied doubtfully, “She doesn’t seem to be sick.”
The stout woman rolled her eyes, “What are you talking about, Doctor? Look how pale her face is! How could you tell me she’s not sick?”
Doctor Cai waved his hand, “I’ve felt her pulse and checked her breathing, so I don’t think she’s sick. In fact, she’s not just healthy; she’s more vigorous than most kids. However, it’s apparent that there’s something wrong with her. This Old Master has no idea what’s going on.”
He sighed, “Perhaps I’m just not skilful enough. I’m sorry that I’m unable to treat her.”
Upon finishing his words, he got up and ready to leave.
The stout woman got in his way and put on a fawning smile, “Doctor Cai, you’re the only doctor around this area. If you don’t treat her, she’ll die!”
A helpless Doctor Cai replied, “How do I treat her when I don’t even know what’s wrong with her?”
The stout woman insisted, saying, “Regardless, just do whatever you can to help her. I’m sure the medicine you prescribe will be useful.”
The hunter nodded repeatedly on the side.
Doctor Cai shook his head, “Medicine is not food. How can I prescribe medicine for her when I don’t even know why she’s sick? If she consumes the wrong medicine, she’ll fall ill even though she’s healthy now.”
The stout woman begged him to treat the little girl, but Doctor Cai firmly turned her down.
With her patience running out, the stout woman picked up the rolling pin from the side and demanded, “Doctor Cai, I’ve never received any formal education, so I might be a little rude when I speak, and I’m sorry if I’ve offended you in any way. However, she’s still a child. Will you please be kind enough to lend her a hand?”
Doctor Cai felt his brow twitching as he looked at the rolling pin that was thicker than his thigh.
In the end, Doctor Cai left behind a prescription slip. Faced with the threat, he didn’t think he could reason with the stout woman, who was holding a rolling pin.
With that said, he wouldn’t dare to prescribe any strong medicine. The herbs on the slip could be easily found on the mountain and were simply meant to nurture one’s Blood Essence. There wouldn’t be a problem even if the young girl really consumed them.
The hunter personally sent Doctor Cai back to the village, then returned to his home in a hurry.
It was the middle of the night, but the stout woman was still seated by the bed as she looked lovingly at the little girl. The hunter felt moved at the sight.
It had been over 20 years since they got married, so he was fully aware of his Wife’s temperament. He had never seen her behaving so gently before.
He hadn’t had any food for the entire day, and he was exhausted from all the travelling; hence, he was both knackered and starving, so he said to his Wife, “Let’s have dinner. I’ll get some rest after the meal, and look for those herbs in the morning.”
The stout woman grunted in agreement and picked up the rolling pin before shuffling towards the kitchen.
At the break of dawn, the hunter left the house to do some hunting and looked for the herbs on the prescription.
He made a living by hunting on the mountain, so he was also familiar with the herbs in this area; as such, it wasn’t hard for him to carry out both tasks, though it did require some experience and luck.
The hunter returned before dusk. He was lucky this time as he had captured a roe deer and found some herbs. He passed everything to his Wife so that she could prepare dinner and feed the little girl.
It was a small village with only more than a dozen families living here; hence, everyone soon found out that the hunter had picked up a little girl from the mountain and would come over and take a look at her from time to time. Although the villagers had never received any formal education, they were all kind-hearted people; hence, no one would gossip about this child who came out of nowhere. They just felt sorry that she had to go through so much pain at such a young age.
The neighbours were kind enough to lend them a hand. Whenever the other hunters went up the mountain, they would always bring back some herbs and pass them to the stout woman.
The hunter also returned to the log house several times in an attempt to search for her family members, but his efforts were in vain.
Three months passed just like that. Although they fed her with herbal soup and broth every day, the child that the hunter had brought back remained unconscious.
With that said, the couple was relieved that the little girl now looked healthier than before. Her face was no longer horrifyingly pale as some colour had been restored to it.
That made them feel increasingly hopeful.
Four months had passed since the hunter picked up the girl, and one morning, the stout woman was preparing some broth as usual. She then brought it into the room to feed the little girl with it.
Meanwhile, the hunter was sharpening his arrowheads in the yard.
All of a sudden, the stout woman was heard exclaiming from the room, “Darling!”
Shocked, the hunter promptly put down the arrow and dashed into the room before asking anxiously, “What’s wrong?”
In a dazed state, the stout woman pointed at the bed.
The hunter looked in that direction and became astonished as well.
That was because the little girl, who had been lying on the bed for four months, had sat up at this moment. She stared at them with a pair of eyes that were filled with puzzlement.
“She’s regained consciousness!” The stout woman spoke in a shaking voice. With the bowl of broth in one hand, she grabbed her Husband’s arm with her other hand using all her strength as she was worried that she was dreaming.
The hunter felt dizzy as he was swayed by his Wife and called out, “Calm down, you’re frightening her!”
The stout woman came to her senses and put on a harmless-looking smile. With the bowl of broth in her hand, she took a seat by the bed and said gently, “You’re finally awake. When did you wake up? How are you feeling?”
The little girl seated on the bed didn’t seem to hear her, nor did she respond to her. She just stared fixedly at the bowl of broth in her hand.
Even after asking a few more questions, the stout woman still didn’t get any responses.
As she darted her gaze between the kid and the bowl of broth in her hand, she asked, “Are you hungry?”
Saying so, she leaned close to her as she wrapped one arm around the little girl’s neck and held out the bowl for her with the other hand.
In just 10 breaths of time, the little girl chugged down the entire bowl of broth.
The hunter was elated on the side, “Since she can eat, it means that she’s alright. Go get her another bowl of broth.”
When the little girl was done having the second bowl of broth, she licked her lips as though she was craving more. She looked pitifully at the stout woman.
Despite feeling sorry for her, the stout woman still shook her head, “You can’t drink so much broth since you just woke up. I’ll let you eat anything you want when you recover.”
She then put down the bowl and asked gently, “What’s your name? Where’s your home?”
The little girl appeared perplexed.
After asking several questions, the stout woman still didn’t get any replies.
She turned to look at her Husband and asked worriedly, “Darling, do you think she might be a mute?”
The hunter replied, “Perhaps she’s just too young to understand what you’re saying. Regardless, she’s awake now. It seems that Doctor Cai’s prescription is useful.”
“We’ll have to thank him, then.”
The hunter nodded, “That’s for sure. Since the herbs are useful, I’ll get more from the mountain now.”
He then went up the mountain while the stout woman told the little girl to stay in the house while she put together a gift. Although the gift wasn’t valuable, it could show her sincerity. She then headed to Doctor Cai’s house, which was 20 kilometres away.
After the couple was gone, the little girl remained seated on the bed in silence. She looked up at the ceiling with her eyes, but no one knew what was on her mind.
Yang Kai abruptly appeared beside the bed and looked down at her.
A moment later, the little girl on the bed realised that something was off and she turned her head and met Yang Kai’s eyes.
Instead of being shocked though, she was just curious about why there was a stranger standing beside her bed.
“What are you doing, Old Ancestor?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
He had been secretly observing the Old Ancestor for the past four months, and during this period, he found something that he couldn’t understand.
After the great battle with the Royal Lord, the Old Ancestor became severely wounded and fell into a coma for four months; however, as Yang Kai observed the Old Ancestor, he realised that there was something amiss with her condition.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t spell out what was wrong.
Faced with his question, the Old Ancestor remained silent. She grew increasingly curious about this stranger as she gazed at him with a pair of clear-looking eyes.
After staring at each other for a moment, Yang Kai sighed, “Please stop making trouble, Old Ancestor.”
The Old Ancestor remained silent. She didn’t even seem to have the intention of parting her lips.
This prompted Yang Kai to frown.
The Old Ancestor didn’t seem to be messing with him; instead, she looked both curious and puzzled, as though she really couldn’t recognise him.
Yang Kai felt his heart clench up tight. Could the Old Ancestor be more severely wounded than he thought and had lost her memory?
However, he soon dismissed the speculation. As a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she was one of the most powerful cultivators alive. Regardless of how badly injured she was, she couldn’t possibly lose her memory over some simply physical trauma.
Therefore, he reckoned that the Old Ancestor was either pulling his leg or had used some kind of special technique to seal her memory.
Usually, regardless of how horribly injured the Old Ancestor was, her memory wouldn’t be affected after she turned into a kid; only her temperament would change as she would become somewhat childish.
Nevertheless, if she had sealed off her memory, it was only natural that she couldn’t recognise him.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai reckoned that he couldn’t make a judgement now. Since it would still take the Old Ancestor a long time to recuperate, he could just keep observing her.
Faced with such an Old Ancestor, Yang Kai wasn’t even sure how to communicate with her and could only briefly examine her injuries.
Even with his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, Yang Kai was unable to detect any injuries on the Old Ancestor’s figure. Upon examination, he realised that the Old Ancestor was completely fine; it was just that she was weaker than the other kids of the same age.
As the stout woman was about to return, Yang Kai could only bid her farewell for now, “I’ll have a talk with you again sometime in the future. Get some rest for now.”
Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai disappeared from the spot.
When the stout woman returned from Doctor Cai’s house and stepped into her home, she saw the little girl wandering around, as though the latter was looking for something. Flabbergasted, she hurriedly picked up the little girl and put her down on the bed before telling her again that she shouldn’t move around as she pleased when no one else was at home.
…..
When Yang Kai retracted his gaze from the Old Ancestor, what was happening in the outside world caught his attention.
Seated on the rooftop of the hunter’s house, he looked up into the void, past the World Barrier of his Small Universe.
Some rays of light seemed to be rapidly approaching from the depths of the void.
There were only three rays of light, but they were travelling in a straight line as they moved forward at great speed.
The sight made Yang Kai feel doubtful, as these rays of light didn’t seem like they belonged to the Open Heaven Realm Masters. Instead, they looked like lights that radiated from Spirit Arrays.
But what kind of Spirit Arrays could move so quickly?
Curious, he activated the Demon Eye of Annihilation and observed more closely.
What came into his sight astounded Yang Kai.
The three dots of light that rushed forward in a line were indeed lights that radiated from Spirit Arrays; Spirit Arrays that had been set up on three round Universe Worlds.
These Universe Worlds must have been carefully selected as they were neither small nor big. They were respectively one-tenth of the size of the Universe World used as a forward base by the East-West Army.
Various arrays had been arranged on these Universe Worlds, and with those arrays in operation, these Universe Worlds flew over rapidly from the depths of the Void and were still accelerating.
Yang Kai had no idea where they were coming from, but it was apparent that they had crossed a long distance.
They were already moving at the speed of lightning when they came into Yang Kai’s sight. Moreover, each Universe World exuded a dangerous aura. It was obvious that the arrays on the Universe Worlds did not just propel them forward, but they also served other important purposes.
After examining the Universe Worlds for a time, Yang Kai figured out what those arrays were for.
His face twitched upon that realisation. Needless to say, it was another plan that Xiang Shan had come up with to deal with the Black Ink Clan; however, this plan was rather devious and he wondered if the Black Ink Clansmen could bear it.
Additionally, Yang Kai also discovered something that piqued his interest, which was the differences between the sizes of these Universe Worlds.
The Royal City was located on a Universe World, and the forward base set up by the Humans was also built on a Universe World. However, the latter was moved to this place by the Humans using a special technique.
Comparing the two, the Universe World the forward base sat on was much larger than the one the Royal City was located at, about three times larger in fact.
Initially, Yang Kai didn’t understand why the Army Commanders had selected such an enormous Universe World when it was only meant to be a temporary forward base. It seemed like a huge waste of resources at the time.
After all, the larger the Universe World was, the more resources would be needed to set up Spirit Arrays to fortify it. They should’ve selected a suitable and less resource-consuming Universe World. There were only 30,000 Human soldiers, so a much smaller Universe World could easily accommodate them.
Although Yang Kai was doubtful at that time, he didn’t ponder on it as it was just a thought that flashed through his mind.
However, the moment he saw the rays of light approaching from the depths of the void, he realised the reason behind it.
The forward base where the Humans were located was enormous and just half a day’s flight from the Royal City. This forward base was not just a nail at the Black Ink Clan’s doorstep, but it also served as a screen, an obstacle that could obstruct the Black Ink Clan’s sight.
Presently, Yang Kai was at the back of the forward base, so he could clearly see the rays of light coming from the void; however, on the other side, the Black Ink Clansmen in the Royal City would be unable to see what was going on.
This gave the Humans more room to manoeuvre.
It seemed that by the time the Army Commanders had chosen to set up a forward base, they had come up with a series of follow-up plans; otherwise, they wouldn’t have moved such a massive Universe World to this place.
The Black Ink Clan soldiers were in a rigid formation in front of the Royal City.
Since Che Kong was told to take command, it had only taken him a month to reorganize the entire Army.
Presently, there were a million Black Ink Clan soldiers surrounding the Royal City tightly. Regardless of how the Humans launched an attack, they could immediately deal with the enemies.
Che Kong had no idea how he should take the initiative to attack the Humans, but it wouldn’t be hard for him to defend the Royal City with this setup. Defence had always been his forte.
As the Commander of a million Black Ink Clansmen, Che Kong was located in the middle of the Army so that he could easily react to any potential threats from the Humans.
After a month of silence, Che Kong all of a sudden felt his chest tightening as an ominous feeling washed over him.
This caused him to feel alerted as he lifted his gaze to look at the Humans’ side. There were a lot of Warships moving around the forward base, but he had no idea what the Humans were up to.
However, it didn’t seem like the Humans had the intention of attacking the Royal City at that moment.
This made Che Kong feel doubtful. Since the Humans didn’t intend to attack, why did he feel a sense of unease all of a sudden?
Could it be a false alarm?
He sincerely hoped that it was just his nerves. Before the Royal Lord started recuperating in the Black Ink Nest, he appointed Che Kong to be the Commander of the Black Ink Clan soldiers and entrusted him to protect the Royal City. Certainly, Che Kong could not disappoint the Royal Lord.
While he was lost in his thoughts, a dazzling light suddenly radiated from the back of the Human’s encampment.
The unease Che Kong felt intensified at that moment.
The next instant, the light flashed into his sight. It was so dazzling that he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.
Initially, he couldn’t make out what the light was, but as the distance shortened, he quickly realised its true nature.
Che Kong, who had been seated at the time, leapt to his feet with widened eyes. The next moment, his roar reverberated across the entire void, “Enemy attack!”
Over the past month that he had been leading the Black Ink Army, Che Kong had repeatedly pondered on what kind of strategy the Humans would use to assault the Royal City. He had also put himself in the shoes of the leaders from the Humans’ side and inferred how the war would unfold.
He came to the conclusion that, regardless of what devious plans the Humans had come up with, they wouldn’t achieve their goal as long as he steadfastly protected the Royal City.
There was no doubt that he was pleased with the expected outcome.
However, it wasn’t until the Humans finally revealed their move that Che Kong realized he had underestimated how cunning his enemy truly was.
It never crossed his mind that the Humans would attack them using a Universe World.
The Universe World was full of arrays, which were obviously arranged by the Humans. After shooting past the forward base, the Universe World came straight at the Royal City.
Che Kong had no idea where this Universe World came from, but it had obviously moved across a long distance in the void as it was moving at incredible speed.
By the time Che Kong alerted the other Black Ink Clansmen, the ray of light was only a million kilometres away from the Royal City.
If they did nothing, the Universe World would smash into the Royal City in 10 breaths of time.
The consequences would be dreadful.
The location of the Royal City was also a Universe World, and although it was gigantic, it didn’t have any powerful defences. It wasn’t comparable to Great Evolution Pass in this respect.
Great Evolution Pass was an enormous Mobile Palace Artifact, so even without any active arrays, it was still significantly sturdier than a mere Universe World. Moreover, be it the Humans or the Black Ink Clan who controlled Great Evolution Pass, there were various arrays in Inner Sanctum that could enhance its defences.
The approaching Universe World that was full of Spirit Arrays appeared to only be a third the size of the Universe World the Royal City was situated upon, but if it really crashed into the Royal City, everything would be smashed to pieces.
By then, not only would the Royal Lord be disrupted from his recuperation, but the High-Rank Black Ink Nest would also be destroyed upon impact.
If that happened, the Royal Lord would never let Che Kong off.
If they had detected the Universe World that was coming at the Royal City earlier, they could have easily warded it off given the forces available to them.
However, Che Kong was caught off guard as the despicable Humans obstructed their line of sight using their forward base.
By the time he discovered the strange attack, Che Kong was only left with 10 breaths of time to react.
He had no time to mobilise his soldiers, so he personally charged towards the Universe World.
At the same time, over 30 Territory Lords took action along with him.
All of the Territory Lords knew that they had to do their best to fend off this Universe World attack, for the slightest impact on the Royal City would surely disturb the Royal Lord’s recuperation.
Black Ink Clansmen recuperated by falling into a state of deep sleep. It was the same for the Royal Lord as it was for everyone else. Once they were disturbed though, their recuperation would be disturbed, resulting in backlash that could undo their recovery progress or possibly even make their condition worse.
The Royal Lord was the most powerful Master they had to rely on, so they naturally wouldn’t allow anything to disturb him.
All the Territory Lords shot into the sky. The sight was magnificent as their auras were menacing.
Meanwhile, countless Feudal Lords followed closely behind them.
On a barren mountain in the forward base, Xiang Shan, Liu Zhi Ping, and other Eighth-Order Division Commanders looked on intently and saw that the Black Ink Clansmen from the Royal City were charging forward like the moths to a flame.
Before they even arrived, they had started sending out violent attacks at the Universe World that was coming at the Royal City.
One Eighth-Order Division Commander asked, “Do you think they can ward it off?”
Honestly speaking, it wouldn’t require an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to make a move to destroy a Universe World. A Sixth-Order or even a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, given enough time, could destroy a Universe World; after all, an Open Heaven Realm Master had broken free from the restraints of the Inner Universe. The power they could draw from their Small Universe was World Force; hence, it wasn’t difficult for them to shatter a Universe World.
Naturally, the Black Ink Clansmen of similar strength could achieve the same results.
However, the Black Ink Clan was not dealing with an ordinary Universe World at this moment. It was a Universe World protected by various arrays that the Array Masters had spent a month and massive amounts of resources to arrange.
Therefore, it was no longer an ordinary Universe World; it was the greatest siege weapon to destroy a city with.
“We’ll see,” Xiang Shan replied impassively.
He was just giving it a try to ascertain how effective this tactic was to achieve their objective; therefore, the East-West Army had not prepared to launch an attack at this moment. As such, the Division Commanders could just watch what was going on and have a casual chat among themselves.
They could see that the Black Ink Clan had fully utilised all their powers, as all sorts of dark, ominous techniques smashed against the Universe World, which caused it to flicker and start breaking apart.
There was no doubting the destructive force of several dozen Territory Lords making a move together.
Therefore, even though the Universe World was equipped with all sorts of defensive arrays, it couldn’t possibly withstand the violent attacks from so many Territory Lords.
Before the Feudal Lords could even make a move, the Universe World had turned dim. The next instant, it exploded into countless fragments that scattered around.
The Territory Lords couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief while at the same time, they were infuriated.
It seemed they had been frightened over nothing as it was just a Universe World, after all. Even though it was equipped with various arrays, it couldn’t possibly pose a threat to them.
However, all the Territory Lords had come forward to fend it off. If the Humans launched an attack on the Royal City at that moment, they wouldn’t be able to protect the city.
While such thoughts were crossing their minds though, another ray of light appeared behind the shattered Universe World.
“There’s more!” Che Kong roared.
This time, the Territory Lords did not become flustered. With the earlier experience, they knew how to deal with this situation now.
Furthermore, with more Feudal Lords joining them, it became easier to destroy the approaching Universe World.
Several breaths of time later, the second Universe World became shattered and broke into countless pieces.
The next instant, the third Universe World was seen coming at them.
The Territory Lords secretly cursed at the leaders of the Human Race. The series of despicable moves was quite annoying.
With dozens of Territory Lords and innumerable Feudal Lords working together, they cast an attack together and destroyed the third Universe World when it was still millions of kilometres away from the Royal City.
However, the Territory Lords didn’t lower their guard down. They stared fixedly at the depths of the void, as they were worried that there would be a fourth Universe World.
Soon, they were relieved that there wasn’t a fourth Universe World. It seemed that the Humans had only gotten three Universe Worlds prepared.
Upon making sure that all the Universe Worlds had been intercepted, and that the Royal City was not impacted at all, Che Kong led the Territory Lords and Feudal Lords back.
Instead of feeling elated though, Che Kong only felt increasingly worried.
Although they had successfully fended off the three Universe Worlds that the Humans had launched at them this time, what if there were four, five, or even more Universe Worlds?
There would come a time when they were unable to stop the Universe Worlds, and when that happened, a large number of the Black Ink Clansmen would lose their lives, and the Royal Lord’s recovery would be interrupted.
It was apparent that the Humans were just testing the waters this time, and the next attack would be the real show. Che Kong believed that after the test this time, the Human leaders would continue to use such a tactic.
[Damn it!] Che Kong thought. Faced with such a despicable tactic, the Black Ink Clan had no other choice but to directly deal with it.
They couldn’t even imitate it as they didn’t have so many skilful Array Masters on their side.
Since Yang Kai had cultivated the Dao of Time and learnt a few things from his Third Disciple, time flowed four times faster in his Small Universe than the outside; therefore, even though the Old Ancestor had been recuperating in his Small Universe for four months, only one month had passed in the outside world.
In just one month, the East-West Army was able to carry out such a plan. Yang Kai couldn’t help but admire Xiang Shan and the others’ far-sightedness.
After the three Universe Worlds circled around the forward base, Yang Kai was unable to see what happened next as his sight was obstructed. With that said, even though he was in a desolate valley on the opposite side of a Universe World, he could still feel the violent energy fluctuations coming from the Royal City.
He reckoned that the expressions on the Territory Lords’ faces would be interesting when they saw the Universe Worlds, which were equipped with various arrays, coming at the Royal City; however, he didn’t think it would be difficult for the Black Ink Clan to fend off these Universe Worlds. After all, there were some 30-plus Territory Lords, not to mention that they had many Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples with them.
It was unlikely that the Universe Worlds could harm them.
That was indeed the case. The energy fluctuations coming from the Royal City only lasted for about 10 breaths of time before they vanished.
Again, days went by peacefully.
From the looks of it, the Human soldiers didn’t seem to have the intention of invading the Royal City at all. Meanwhile, inside the Small Universe, the Old Ancestor was still recuperating in the hunter’s home.
The couple treated her very well. Although they were not related by blood, they took care of her as though they were her biological parents. Half of the food brought back by the hunter from the mountain found its way into the Old Ancestor’s stomach.
Certainly, the couple was surprised at the fact that the little girl they picked up from the mountain had such a big appetite despite being so petite; moreover, she seemed to truly love eating.
The only thing that concerned the couple was that the little girl hadn’t grown much in size despite her big appetite.
She looked like she was three to four years old when they picked her up back then. Four years had passed, but she hadn’t changed one bit.
This was unusual, for kids normally grew very quickly at such a young age. Four years was long enough for a toddler to become a child that could freely run around; however, that wasn’t the case for Xiao Xiao.
Yes, after raising the little girl they picked up from the mountain for four years, the couple had given her a name. She was named Xiao Xiao because she would smile brightly whenever there was delicious food for her.
Considering the fact that Xiao Xiao was abandoned by her family back then because she was critically ill, the couple believed that her illness was the reason she hadn’t grown much. In the past, Doctor Cai had left behind a prescription slip. Using the herbs on the list, the couple spent the next four months pulling Xiao Xiao back from death’s door. Although her life was saved, she must have been left with a hidden ailment that resulted in her sluggish growth.
With that said, they were gratified that Xiao Xiao wasn’t mute, unlike what they initially thought. Furthermore, she was an intelligent child who was good at speaking and singing.
Additionally, she also seemed to be gifted when it came to hunting.
She was only four years old when they picked her up, and she was eight years old now.
What could an eight-year-old child do? The hunter had no idea what other eight-year-old kids were like, but Xiao Xiao could already follow him to the mountain and hunt every day.
He had even crafted a small bow for her. Over the past six months, Xiao Xiao was able to bring back a lot of prey. There was even once when the hunter killed an 800-kilogram wild boar with her help.
The wild boar was large enough for all the villagers to enjoy for half a month.
All the villagers treated Xiao Xiao well. Knowing that she loved food, the villagers would frequently send her delicious dishes so that she could satisfy her craving.
One day, the stout woman was busy doing household chores in the afternoon when she heard some noises outside the house. After opening the door, she saw that her Husband and Xiao Xiao had returned.
That surprised her because it was only in the middle of the afternoon. Usually, her Husband wouldn’t come home so soon.
What bothered her was that there was a hint of worry on her Husband’s face.
Although she wasn’t a typical sensitive woman as she was rather straightforward, she was good at observing her Husband’s expressions. After all, they had been married for many years.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
The hunter shook his head and remained silent. Gazing at Xiao Xiao, he said, “Go out and play.”
After a grunt, Xiao Xiao put down her bow and quiver, “I’ll look for Sir, then.”
Then, she turned around and left the house in a hurry.
Worried, the stout woman shouted from behind, “Take it slow! Don’t trip!”
Despite knowing that the little girl could easily move around on the mountain along with the hunter, the stout woman was still worried that she would trip over if she ran too fast.
As for the ‘Sir’ Xiao Xiao had mentioned, he was a scholar who happened to arrive at this place four years ago. The scholar seemed to have fallen in love with the environment here, so he decided to settle down. Several years had passed since then. Perhaps he had decided to stay here forever.
Though the scholar didn’t have other skills, he was a well-read person. They happened to need a teacher in the village, so the scholar decided to help the children learn how to read and write upon the hunters’ request. In return, they would give him some food, so he didn’t have to worry about survival.
Xiao Xiao loved spending time with the scholar. According to her, the young man would always give her treats every time she paid him a visit. The couple had never heard of some of the food she had mentioned.
The couple pondered on this issue many times. The scholar received his food from the villagers, so where did he even get some treats to share with the children?
However, to Xiao Xiao, anything edible was delicious.
After Xiao Xiao was out of sight, the stout woman turned around and saw that her Husband was seated by the table. He took a few sips of the tea and sighed.
Annoyed by her Husband’s behaviour, the stout woman landed a slap on his back, almost causing him to spit blood, “Just spill it! Stop sighing and keeping silent!”
The hunter let out another sigh before saying, “I came across a woman on the mountain today.”
While glaring at him, the stout woman sneered, “Was she beautiful?”
After becoming startled for a moment, the hunter put on a helpless smile, “What are you talking about? Why don’t you ask me where I saw her?”
The stout woman snorted, “Where did you run into her?”
In a grim voice, the hunter replied, “In that house.”
The stout woman fell into a dazed state for a moment, then her expression changed, “What do you mean?”
Gazing at her, the hunter went on to say, “You’re also aware that I picked up Xiao Xiao from the log house on the mountain back then. Over the years, I’d go take a look at the house whenever I go hunting in that area. I’ve never seen anyone there, but today, there was a woman in the log house. Judging from the clothes she was wearing, she should be from a well-to-do family. She also had some servants with her.”
“So what?” The stout woman appeared wary.
The hunter continued, saying, “I asked them what they were doing there, and one of the servants told me that the woman lost something around there a few years ago, so they were looking for it now.”
The stout woman’s expression changed drastically, “Have they found it?”
The hunter shook his head, “I never asked her what she had lost.”
“Did she see Xiao Xiao?”
The hunter replied, “No. Xiao Xiao and I separated to run down a roe deer. She wasn’t by my side at that time.”
The stout woman was evidently relieved.
The hunter sighed, “Dear, I think the woman’s appearance somewhat resembles Xiao Xiao…”
“Shut up!” The stout woman roared. The hunter was so shocked that he hunched his back. He wouldn’t dare to offend his Wife when she was enraged.
Relentless, the stout woman walked up to the door and placed her hands on her hips before shouting at the clearing outside the house, “You have lost her, so what’s the point of you looking for her now? You were not heartbroken when you lost her back then, so how could you look for her when she’s healthy now? Do you think she’ll go back to you? What a heartless woman!” She spat in contempt.
There seemed to be an invisible enemy outside the house as the stout woman resentfully cursed at it. She didn’t have any other skills, but she excelled at cursing at the people she hated.
It wasn’t until a long time later that her fury slightly subsided. She turned around and stared at the hunter, “Go up the mountain and kill that woman with your bow tomorrow!”
The hunter’s forehead was covered with cold sweat, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What’s wrong with that? I’ll take all the responsibility!” The stout woman appeared determined as she walked towards the table and picked up the teapot. She directly chugged it down to quench her thirst.
After she was done drinking it, she landed the teapot on the table with a loud thud. Then, she sat on the chair with a listless expression. She was no longer as feisty as earlier when she cursed at the invisible enemy.
A moment later, she covered her eyes with her hands.
The hunter stole a glance and asked, “Why are you crying all of a sudden?”
The stout woman was trying to suppress her sorrow when she heard her Husband’s words. Unable to take it anymore, she started bawling her eyes out, “Darling, don’t you think that Xiao Xiao is a gift to us from the Heavens? No one can take her away from us, right?”
It had been over 20 years since the couple got married. They were pretty hard-working when they were younger, but for some reason, she couldn’t bear a child.
When the hunter brought Xiao Xiao back from the mountain four years ago, the stout woman thought that the Heavens had finally had mercy on her by sending this child to her.
Initially, she still hoped that her Husband could find Xiao Xiao’s relatives so that she could return to her family; however, four years had passed, and the couple already regarded Xiao Xiao to be their Daughter. They were not willing to part ways with her now.
At the thought of the possibility of Xiao Xiao leaving her, the stout woman was heartbroken.
The hunter placated her by saying, “Well, I simply chanced upon a wealthy woman who lost something several years ago. She’s just looking for it now. She might not necessarily be Xiao Xiao’s relative.”
The stout woman’s vision had turned blurred from all the crying. While sobbing, she said, “You said that the woman resembles Xiao Xiao, and she’s looking for something she lost. Who else could she be if she’s not Xiao Xiao’s Mother?”
At that, the hunter fell silent.
In fact, such a thought sprang into his mind the moment he saw the woman. That was because Xiao Xiao indeed took after her.
While the stout woman continued bawling, the hunter remained silent.
A moment later, he said, “The child has her own parents. The woman is from a wealthy family. If Xiao Xiao goes back to her, she’ll have a bright future. It’s much better than staying with us here. In the future, she’ll be able to marry a good man.”
The stout woman abruptly stopped crying and stood straight up. Glaring at the hunter, she threatened, “If you dare to send Xiao Xiao back to her, I’ll break your legs!”
Saying so, she turned around and shuffled towards her room.
When she brushed past the hunter, she landed a kick on the bench that he was seated on.
In an instant, the bench broke apart with a crack. The hunter lost his balance and fell to the ground. Gazing at the broken bench, he gulped.
Although he knew that his wife was strong, he hadn’t expected her to be this strong.
Undoubtedly, his leg was not as robust as the bench. As he recalled what she had told him before she left, he decided to keep his mouth shut.
…..
There was a simple-looking house at the bottom of the mountain. Despite that, it was jointly built by the villagers and was sturdy enough to fend off rain and wind.
This was the residence of the scholar who happened to visit this place four years ago. It also served as a school in the village. Other than the kids in the village, the hunters from the neighbouring villages would also send their children to this school when they learned that there was a scholar who could teach children how to read and write.
Therefore, more than 10 kids would frequently gather together in this small school for lessons.
The kids from the mountain villages were reckless and naughty. Initially, the hunters were worried that this frail-looking teacher wouldn’t be able to discipline them. They wouldn’t want to see their kids causing any trouble.
However, they were surprised to learn that regardless of how mischievous the kids were, they would become obedient and studious the moment they stepped into this school.
The teacher didn’t seem to have any special ways of disciplining the kids. He simply taught them how to read and write. This strange revelation amazed the hunters.
At this moment, the teacher, who was giving the kids a lesson, cracked a smile all of a sudden, as though he had discovered something funny.
The students were puzzled, but none of them dared to ask him about it because he always had this strange sense of authority about him. With that said, there was still a kid who raised her hand and asked in a clear voice, “Sir, why are you smiling all of a sudden?”
The person who asked this question was none other than Xiao Xiao, who looked smaller than the other children.
Instead of feeling afraid, the kids all respected the teacher. He had never punished them in any way; however, as soon as they stepped into this school, they would become obedient.
Nevertheless, Xiao Xiao was the only one who didn’t seem to revere the teacher and she was the only one who had the audacity to interrupt the teacher when he was giving a lesson.
Upon hearing that, the teacher lifted his head and revealed a stalwart-looking face. He replied with a smile, “Nothing. I just thought of something funny.”
With a tilted head, Xiao Xiao appeared puzzled.
The teacher continued with the lesson.
The reason he put on a smile was that he had detected what happened in the hunter’s home. The way the stout wife reacted was hilarious.
In fact, he was aware that there was a wealthy woman in the log house on the mountain. Strictly speaking, she indeed resembled Xiao Xiao in a way; however, one wouldn’t have thought so if he didn’t have such a preconceived idea.
He knew that the wealthy woman had nothing to do with Xiao Xiao; after all, Xiao Xiao was a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor while the wealthy woman was just one of the many living beings in his Small Universe.
It was just a coincidence and the couple was being too sensitive.
When the hunter brought the Old Ancestor back to his home, Yang Kai followed behind them. Despite realising that there was something wrong with the Old Ancestor, he didn’t have a way to deal with it; therefore, he could only pretend to be a poor wandering scholar and settle down in this village so that he could keep in contact with the Old Ancestor and observe her.
Over the past four years, he had noticed some things that concerned him.
First of all, the Old Ancestor was terribly injured; otherwise, she would have grown in size after such a long time. Her injury was so deep though that even Yang Kai was unable to detect it.
When the Old Ancestor started growing, it would mean that she was on the road to recovery.
It was the second point that especially puzzled him though.
It seemed that the Old Ancestor had indeed lost her memory. It had been four years since he started approaching the Old Ancestor, but she always regarded him to be the teacher in the village. She didn’t remember anything that had happened in the past.
Yang Kai had a feeling that the Old Ancestor had sealed her memory voluntarily, but he had no idea why she had done so.
Now, he could only cooperate with the Old Ancestor by giving her the best environment to recuperate and hope that she would recover soon.
After the lesson ended, the kids returned to their homes.
Yang Kai remained seated in the classroom. A moment later, a petite figure stuck her head out from the door and flashed a smile at him.
A helpless Yang Kai shook his head with a smile. Although the Old Ancestor’s memory had been sealed off, it seemed being a foodie was innate to her.
He beckoned to Xiao Xiao, who then skipped towards him and obediently stood there.
Then, he turned his palm over and revealed a skewer of candied hawthorns before passing it to her.
An elated Xiao Xiao said sweetly, “Thank you, Sir!”
…..
In the middle of the night, Xiao Xiao realised that something was off. She extended her hand and discovered that her Mother, who was hugging her, was crying.
Puzzled, she asked, “Why are you crying, Mother? Did Father bully you?”
The stout woman shook her head repeatedly, “No. I was just having a nightmare.”
“Oh.” Believing her statement to be true, Xiao Xiao turned over and snuggled up to the stout woman. As she patted the stout woman’s back, she placated her by saying, “Don’t worry, Mother. I’m here for you.”
Whenever she had a nightmare in the past, her Mother would always pat her back, and she would fall asleep again soon.
“I’m not afraid because I know you’re here for me,” the stout woman replied and hugged the little girl even tighter.
The next day, the stout woman dressed Xiao Xiao up and helped her put on the clothes she was wearing four years ago when they picked her up.
As Xiao Xiao hadn’t grown over the last four years, she could still fit into those clothes. It wasn’t certain what the clothes were made of, but they still looked brand new even after four years.
The stout woman was on the brink of breaking into tears as she dressed Xiao Xiao up.
On the other hand, the hunter squatted outside the house in silence.
The couple had not talked about this, but the hunter knew what his Wife’s intention was the moment he saw what she was doing.
Xiao Xiao still remained joyful.
After the stout woman was done with it, she looked at the sweet and innocent smile in the mirror and let out a sigh.
Xiao Xiao said, “Mother, it’ll be hard for me to go hunting in such clothes.”
The stout woman forced a smile, “You’re not going to go hunting today.”
With her head tilted, Xiao Xiao asked curiously, “Am I not? I’ll look for the teacher, then.”
“You’re not looking for the teacher either.” The stout woman took Xiao Xiao’s hand and rose from the chair, “Your Father will bring you to a place. Just follow him.”
“En,” despite feeling perplexed, Xiao Xiao nodded.
The hunter stepped into the house and exchanged glances with his Wife before looking away. He beckoned to Xiao Xiao, “Let’s go.”
“Yes!” Xiao Xiao skipped forward, and the hunter followed behind her.
All of a sudden, the stout woman shouted from behind, “Xiao Xiao!”
By the time Xiao Xiao turned around, the stout woman had approached her and pulled her into her arms. Trying her best to stop her tears from sliding down her face, the stout woman said, “You must stay safe no matter what.”
“I know, Mother. Wait for me, I’ll bring you something delicious.” Xiao Xiao nodded repeatedly.
“Go now,” The stout woman forced herself to release Xiao Xiao and turned around. She didn’t dare to take another glance at her, for she was worried that she wouldn’t have the heart to let her go.
Behind her, Xiao Xiao’s laugh faded into the distance.
A while later, the stout woman whirled around, but Xiao Xiao was no longer in sight. She raced forward, but the next instant, she stopped in her tracks and grasped the door frame as she fell into a dazed state.
A long time later, she fished out a skewer of candied hawthorns from her clothes and carefully unwrapped the paper before taking a bite. She swallowed it along with her tears.
[It’s sweet…]
The hunter had walked along the rugged mountain paths countless times, but this time, it was the most difficult walk in his life.
They took a break from time to time, and it wasn’t until the afternoon that they arrived at the log house.
Initially, he hoped that the wealthy woman would have left by now so that he no longer had to feel conflicted; however, he came just as the woman was about to leave.
The woman was surprised to see the hunter, but what surprised her even further was that he had brought a young child, who was wearing expensive clothes, with him.
While the servants were vigilant, the woman let the hunter get closer to her.
“Is there something you want to tell me?” The woman asked. She had a feeling that the hunter had come all the way here to look for her. As she spoke, she took a glance at the child beside him. At that instant, she couldn’t move her eyes away.
That was because the young child was truly adorable. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that she was beautiful. The woman came from a well-to-do family, and she had seen many young children from wealthy families, but none of them was comparable to the little girl before her eyes.
If the child before her eyes was like a skylark, the ones she had seen in the past were no different from the mud on the ground.
She couldn’t believe that such a child lived in this remote mountain.
The hunter felt heartbroken when he realised that the woman was staring fixedly at Xiao Xiao. [I suppose she can recognise Xiao Xiao. After all, Xiao Xiao hadn’t changed one bit over the past four years. If this woman is her relative, it was expected that she could recognise her.]
He parted his lips in an attempt to say something, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything in the end.
Xiao Xiao was a friendly and outgoing young girl, so she flashed a sweet smile at the woman and asked, “How are you, Madame?”
The woman put on a smile as well, “Such a good child.”
She beckoned to a servant, who then came forward with a lunch box. The woman bent her back and passed the lunch box to Xiao Xiao, “I made this. It’s delicious. Give it a try.”
Xiao Xiao turned to look at the hunter as though she was asking for his permission. Her gaze suggested that she badly wanted the food. This couldn’t be helped, as she could never resist good food.
However, the hunter had fallen into a dazed state.
This was different from what he had imagined. Although the woman seemed to be fond of Xiao Xiao, it didn’t look like she had identified the latter to be her relative.
[Could it be…]
Agitated, the hunter asked, “Madame, you told me that you’d lost something the day before. Have you found it yet?”
The woman shook her head, “I lost it several years ago, and I don’t remember where I lost it. I just feel that this place looks familiar to me, so I thought I’d lost it around here. Unfortunately, it seems I was mistaken. In any case, it’s not something so important, so I’ve decided to give up looking for it.”
The hunter, whose figure was stiff, became at ease in an instant.
Inside the house, the stout woman was seated on a chair as she embraced Xiao Xiao with a bright smile. She was so ecstatic that it was as though she had retrieved something irreplaceable she had lost.
Xiao Xiao felt that her Mother was strange on this day, but she was too young to understand the myriad of things in the world; therefore, she couldn’t specify what was odd.
Presently, there was a lunch box in front of her. It was given to her by the wealthy woman on the mountain. The food inside the lunch box wasn’t expensive, just some osmanthus cakes she had apparently made.
Villagers like them had never seen such delicate cakes before, let alone eaten them.
Half of the osmanthus cakes inside the lunch box were gone, most of them having disappeared into Xiao Xiao’s stomach.
“Have another piece, Mother,” Xiao Xiao picked up an osmanthus cake and held it out for the stout woman.
With a smile, the stout woman replied, “I’m not having anymore. It’s too sweet. Go on and eat it.”
“Alright,” Xiao Xiao replied and munched on the osmanthus cake.
It was so delicious that she had the urge to swallow her own tongue as well.
The hunter was getting ready for the hunting session the next day by sharpening his arrowheads. When he saw the heart-warming scene in the house, he wore a sincere smile.
…..
The North-South Army’s forward base was located on an asteroid that would take a person two days to reach from Great Evolution Pass.
One year ago, the North-South Army clashed with the Black Ink Clan from Great Evolution Pass. Although they had killed a lot of their enemies, they had suffered some losses as well.
The defeated Black Ink Clansmen fled back to Great Evolution Pass and received help from their companions. Since then, they had not left Great Evolution Pass.
One year had passed, and the North-South Army was now locked in a staring contest with the Black Ink Clan stationed at Great Evolution Pass. They were like two beasts that bared their fangs at each other from a distance, but neither could kill the other party, so they didn’t attack.
After suffering a setback previously, the Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t dare to make a rash move again. They were worried that there would be no turning back once they launched an attack.
On the other hand, the North-South Army didn’t have a way to deal with the Black Ink Clansmen who refused to leave Great Evolution Pass.
It wasn’t until the Humans became the attackers that they realised just how difficult dealing with a Great Pass was. Great Evolution Pass provided the best defence for the Black Ink Clansmen, so if the North-South Army rashly launched an attack, many of their soldiers would lose their lives. Given the collective power of the North-South Army now, it would be hard for them to retrieve Great Evolution Pass in short order, and once they launched an attack and failed, they would lose their advantageous position.
The Army Commander of the Southern Army, Ou Yang Lie, was an irascible person, so the deadlock they were faced with was giving him a headache. Therefore, he urged Mi Jing Lun on a daily basis to come up with a way to lure the Black Ink Clan out of Great Evolution Pass so that they could meet them in battle.
Of course, Mi Jing Lun didn’t have a solution to this problem or he would have used it already. As long as the Black Ink Clan refused to leave Great Evolution Pass, there was little he could do.
“Please calm down, Brother Ou Yang. We’re faced with a stalemate here. Since the Black Ink Clan won’t leave the Pass, it’s hard for us to launch an attack. We have no other choice but to maintain the status quo.” Mi Jing Lun appeased Ou Yang Lie, who had repeatedly looked for him to discuss the plan to deal with the enemy.
Undoubtedly, Ou Yang Lie could understand what the other man was talking about. He was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master as well as an Army Commander after all, so even if he was a hotheaded person, he wouldn’t have attained such achievements without being able to understand the bigger strategic picture.
Despite that, he could never change his irritable temperament.
“How long will the confrontation last? For eternity?” Ou Yang Lie said furiously. He thought that the Black Ink Clansmen were too timid. Despite their vast Army, they didn’t have the courage to launch an attack and only knew how to hide. It was expected that he was annoyed.
Mi Jing Lun comforted, “We certainly can’t let the confrontation go on for eternity, but the breakthrough we need can’t be achieved here by us. For now, we’ll have to depend on the East-West Army.”
Ou Yang Lie darted his gaze around and gave it a thought. He then said, “Brother Mi, you mean…”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “If the East-West Army can deal a heavy blow to the Black Ink Clan at the Royal City, the Royal Lord will surely become flustered. When that happens, the Black Ink Clan occupying Great Evolution Pass won’t be able to keep hiding. They certainly have to head to the Royal City upon receiving the Royal Lord’s order, and we’ll be able to take action.”
Upon hearing that, Ou Yang Lie nodded repeatedly, “You have a point. Brother Mi, when do you think the breakthrough will be achieved?”
Mi Jing Lun replied, “That will depend on how long those from the Royal City can persevere; however, I don’t think it’ll happen in a short time. The number of soldiers in the East-West Army is roughly the same as ours. Although they have the Old Ancestor with them, the Black Ink Clan over there have a Royal Lord. It won’t be easy to achieve a breakthrough. Now, what we should do is find a way to contact the East-West Army. It would be best if we could communicate instantly so that it would be easier for us to carry out any following plans.”
Ou Yang Lie shook his head, “That will be difficult. This place is too far away from the Royal City. It’s not hard to contact them, but the exchange of information will be sluggish. We can’t make it instantaneous.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “It would be best if we could let Martial Nephew Yang build several Universe Arrays between Great Evolution Pass and the Royal City; however, I’m afraid he’s busy right now as he has to help with the Old Ancestor’s healing. Otherwise, given Xiang Shan’s far-sightedness, he would have told Yang Kai to do so already. Still, sluggish or not, being able to share information is essential.”
Ou Yang Lie said, “In that case, we should send someone to the East-West Army.”
Mi Jing Lun put on a smile, “I’ve already done so. He should have arrived by now.”
Upon hearing that, Ou Yang Lie couldn’t help but roll his eyes. [This guy only told me about it after he’d done it. It makes me look ignorant. It’s taxing to work with such a scheming person.]
Mi Jing Lun looked at the depths of the void. There were two reasons why he had sent someone to the East-West Army. First of all, he really did need to exchange information with them. Secondly, he wanted to find out how the East-West Army was planning to attack the Royal City.
The Royal City was protected by a large number of Black Ink Clansmen, and the Royal Lord was around, so it wouldn’t be easy for the East-West Army to attack given their current strength. Mi Jing Lun had put himself in the shoes of the Army Commanders in the East-West Army and pondered on what he could do. He had come up with some possible solutions, but he didn’t think they would be very effective; therefore, he wanted to find out how Xiang Shan would act.
Meanwhile, the East-West Army was mobilizing at their forward base. The Warships, which were initially docked on the Universe World, rose into the sky and soared towards the void.
When the Eighth-Order Division Commander Cha Pu, who was standing on a mountain, saw that, he appeared surprised and asked the person beside him, “Are you going to attack the Royal City?”
Cha Pu was the Division Commander of Northern Army’s 4th Division. He was also the person Mi Jing Lun had sent to this place to contact the East-West Army. Just like Mi Jing Lun had expected, Cha Pu had arrived at this place three days ago. He came at a time when the East-West Army was about to carry out a grand plan, so he decided to stay and observe so that he could bring more details back to Mi Jing Lun.
The reason an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was asked to come to this place was that it was a long journey that was paved with danger. If a Seventh-Order Master was told to come here, he might not make it. Therefore, Mi Jing Lun could only send an Eighth-Order Division Commander.
It had been peaceful on the North-South Army’s side recently, so it would be fine even though Cha Pu wasn’t around.
Additionally, he was the one who came to Yang Kai’s rescue after the latter killed an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
Presently, the person standing beside him was Xiang Shan’s adjutant, Li Xing.
Xiang Shan had ordered him to keep Cha Pu company and answer his questions.
Now, the soldiers of the East-West Army had been mobilised as though they were going to attack the Royal City. Anyone who wasn’t blind could see that.
This made Cha Pu feel worried. He had seen the defensive formation around the Royal City. Given the East-West Army’s current power, it would be unwise to directly attack the Royal City. Once the two parties clashed, the East-West Army would suffer immense losses.
Although he knew Xiang Shan wouldn’t do something so foolish, he couldn’t help but feel worried.
To the side, Li Xing replied, “Don’t worry about it, Martial Uncle Cha. Sir Xiang has said that you just have to keep watching.”
Cha Pu turned to look at him with a smile, “Oh? Did Senior Brother Xiang say that? It seems that the mobilisation of soldiers is just a pretence.”
Li Xing lowered his gaze, “I wouldn’t dare to reveal details about ongoing military operations.”
He knew everything about the Army as he was Xiang Shan’s adjutant, but without his permission, he wouldn’t break secrecy.
Cha Pu didn’t intend to make things difficult for him, so after a nod, he said, “Since you’ve said so, I’ll be looking forward to it then. Let’s see how Senior Brother Xiang is going to deal with the Black Ink Clan.”
They fell silent after that.
The mobilisation of the East-West Army was swift. Upon receiving the order, the soldiers from different Divisions, who had been resting and building up their strength for the past year boarded their Warships and soon formed into a fleet. There were over 2,000 Warships setting sail, giving off a menacing air.
Certainly, what they were doing couldn’t be hidden from the Black Ink Clan, so those from the Royal City instantly detected the anomaly.
Che Kong was standing on the deck of his great ship. With a solemn expression, he stared intently towards the front.
He had no idea why the Humans had suddenly assumed a Battle Formation, but regardless of the reason, it seemed that a fight was inevitable.
Before the Royal Lord fell asleep, he had ordered that they should defend the Royal City at all costs. They could ignore the Humans if the latter didn’t try to invade the Royal City; however, if there was movement, they had to do their best to stop the Humans.
Therefore, the moment Che Kong noticed the mobilisation of the Human Army, he passed down an order. Soon, a million Black Ink Clansmen were ready for the war.
However, Che Kong found something odd a moment later.
The Humans didn’t directly come at the Royal City. Instead, they were heading towards the left side of the Royal City and circling around it.
This made Che Kong feel puzzled.
[What are the Humans trying to achieve? Are they trying to launch an attack on the back of the Royal City by circling around it right in front of me? That’s ridiculous, do they think I’m blind?]
If the Humans had the audacity to do such a thing, Che Kong swore that he would destroy them for their insolence.
Cha Pu, who was watching from the forward base, was equally puzzled. He shared Che Kong’s sentiment. By circling around the Royal City without any cover, they couldn’t achieve anything other than wasting their time.
However, he didn’t ask any questions. The leaders of the East-West Army must have their reason for acting this way, so he just kept watching.
Mi Jing Lun wanted to find out how the East-West Army was going to achieve a breakthrough, so perhaps this battle would be the key.
It would only take a person half a day to reach the Royal City from the East-West Army’s forward base, so by circling around the Royal City, the East-West Army’s fleet arrived at its left side a bit more than half a day later.
They stopped moving forward at this point and with a Battalion-Class Warship leading the way, the fleet charged towards the Royal City in a domineering manner.
The East-West Army’s fleet was rapidly getting closer to the Royal City.
Certainly, the Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t sit back and do nothing. Che Kong ordered half of the one million Black Ink soldiers to head to the left side of the city and prepare to intercept the enemy.
This was the right move as well as the only solution.
With that said, Che Kong wasn’t a fool, so he didn’t send all his soldiers to the left side of the city. He had to be wary of a potential sneak attack from the Humans.
The Humans’ fleet was indeed coming at them from the left, but it was just a fleet of Warships after all, no one could guarantee that all the Humans were on those Warships. If all the Black Ink Clan soldiers gathered together on the left flank, they would be powerless to deal with the Humans if the latter launched an attack from the right.
Che Kong was confident that the fleet was only meant to harass them while the Humans’ target was the right side of the Royal City; otherwise, they wouldn’t have openly circled around the Royal City to attract their attention.
Therefore, while sending some Black Ink Clan soldiers to the left, Che Kong also told the remaining Black Ink Clansmen to keep an eye on any anomaly on the right side.
As time passed, an austere atmosphere pervaded the void.
Half a day later, the two groups were only 5 million kilometres away from each other. At such a distance, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and the Territory Lords could start exchanging moves; however, both parties restrained themselves as none of them decided to make a move first.
At this point, what was going on with the Human Warships could clearly be seen.
What surprised Che Kong was that the Warships were indeed full of Human cultivators.
This made him feel perplexed. He initially thought that the fleet only served as a pretence to attract their attention while a massive amount of Human soldiers would secretly gather together on the right side of the Royal City and launch a sneak attack on them.
However, that didn’t seem to be the case now.
The Warships were full of Humans. In other words, all the Humans had gathered together in this fleet. There wasn’t another group of soldiers.
[Why did they intentionally make a detour? If they’re not trying to fool us, what’s the point of them circling around the Royal City? Could they be avoiding something? Wait, avoiding…]
All of a sudden, Che Kong’s expression changed drastically as he stared off into the depths of the void, recalling the events from one year ago.
The three Universe Worlds that flew in a straight line had come at them from that direction back then.
The Human fleet had perfectly avoided that direction by making a detour.
In the meantime, Yang Kai, who was giving a lesson in the classroom in his Small Universe, looked up all of a sudden. He saw through the barrier of his Small Universe and gazed at the depths of the void.
He was in a position where he could detect the anomalies coming from a certain region of the void before the Black Ink Clan could do so.
[They’re coming again!]
Yang Kai had seen the same scene a year ago. There were some Universe Worlds coming over from the depths of the void at the speed of lightning as they hurtled towards the Royal City.
The last time he saw such a sight, the Universe Worlds radiated a dazzling glow as the arrays around them operated at full capacity.
The Universe Worlds were not so eye-catching this time; in fact, they were rather furtive. Apparently, the Array Masters had restricted the light from the arrays so that the Universe Worlds could remain hidden.
They were trying to catch the Black Ink Clan off guard; however, the three Universe Worlds were unable to harm the Black Ink Clan previously, so what about this time?
“What are you looking at, Sir?” Xiao Xiao asked curiously. She followed Yang Kai’s gaze and saw that there was an insect that was trying to struggle out of the spider web on the ceiling.
“Nothing,” Yang Kai lowered his head with a smile and continued with the lesson.
Meanwhile, the Universe Worlds, which were equipped with various arrays, skirted past the forward base and flew towards the Royal City.
Cha Pu, who was watching everything from the mountain, widened his eyes in disbelief and exclaimed, “Is that the trump card all of you have prepared?”
Li Xing, who was beside him, replied, “Yes.”
As Cha Pu gazed at the Universe Worlds and the place where the East-West Army was located, he gasped, “The soldiers and the Universe Worlds are flanking the enemy. The Black Ink Clan can’t possibly deal with both sides at the same time. That’s indeed an ingenious plan.”
It was no wonder that Mi Jing Lun regarded Xiang Shan highly. It seemed that the man indeed lived up to his fame.
The Universe Worlds were equipped with various arrays, so even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Cha Pu could feel the dangerous auras exuding from them. It could be expected that if these things smashed into the Black Ink Clan’s lines, many of them would lose their lives.
The only way to deal with these Universe Worlds was to destroy them before they could get close, which required the powerful Masters from the Black Ink Clan to make a move. But when they did so, the East-West Army could launch an attack and hit the Black Ink Clan’s exposed flank.
However, faced with this situation, could the Masters from the Black Ink Clan sit back and do nothing? That was impossible.
Furthermore, the timing was immaculate. The East-West Army was only 5 million kilometres away from the Royal City, so they could launch an attack at any moment, and there was no way the Black Ink Clan could ignore them.
They would have their hands full as they had to deal with an attack from two sides.
An idea suddenly sprang into Cha Pu’s mind. Since the East-West Army could use such a method to deal with the Black Ink Clan here, could the North-South Army imitate them?
However, he soon dismissed the idea and let out a sigh.
The North-South Army couldn’t do the same because Great Evolution Pass was different from the Royal City. Although the Royal City was the most important place for the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre, it didn’t have powerful defences or fortifications set up. Therefore, faced with the Universe Worlds, the Black Ink Clan couldn’t ignore them.
Great Evolution Pass was different as it was extremely sturdy. If the North-South Army wanted to do the same by leveraging Universe Worlds to attack the enemy, the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Pass could simply ignore them. Even if the Universe Worlds smashed into Great Evolution Pass, it was questionable if it would suffer any damage at all.
To the side, Li Xing explained, “In fact, we sent three Universe Worlds over one year ago.”
“Oh?” Cha Pu arched his brow, “What was the outcome?”
Li Xing replied, “It wasn’t effective. There are many Masters on the Black Ink Clan’s side. Before the Universe Worlds could get close to the Royal City, they were shattered.”
Upon hearing that, Cha Pu said, “Ineffectiveness was the outcome you all wanted to see, right?”
Li Xing nodded, “You’re indeed intelligent, Martial Uncle Cha.”
Cha Pu chuckled, “I’m afraid I don’t deserve your compliment. It seems that Senior Brother Xiang is indeed a far-sighted person.”
As they spoke, the Black Ink Clansmen from the Royal City had descended into chaos.
Although the lights and outward traces of the arrays were concealed, the Territory Lords could certainly detect the dangerous auras that were rapidly approaching.
They looked over intently and saw a number of Universe Worlds flying right at the Royal City.
Unlike the previous time, these Universe Worlds were not positioned in a straight line so they could already see three Universe Worlds with their bare eyes, and they believed there were even more would appear soon.
Che Kong gnashed his teeth, but after giving it a quick thought, he passed down a new order.
The next instant, more than 10 Territory Lords and over 20 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples shot into the sky and charged towards the Universe Worlds.
They had gone through the same incident one year ago, so they knew how to deal with these Universe Worlds; after all, they already had some experiences.
As long as they could shatter these Universe Worlds before they could get close, the Royal City wouldn’t be impacted one bit; however, back then, all the Masters from the Black Ink Clan had joined forces to easily ward off the three Universe Worlds.
This time, they could only utilise 30% of the manpower they previously had.
This couldn’t be helped, as the Humans’ fleet was too close to the Royal City and they appeared determined to launch an attack. There was no way Che Kong could ignore this threat. He had to keep 60% to 70% of his forces to deal with the Humans to ensure that they could keep the Royal City safe.
Violent energy fluctuations burst forth as different Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities burst forth. The moment these Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples made a move, they easily shattered the surrounding space.
None of them were fools, so they did not disperse their powers and instead focused on the Universe World at the front to destroy it first.
Based on their previous experience, they could easily turn a Universe World into dust by joining forces.
Nevertheless, after they made a move, they realised that this Universe World was different from the ones they had dealt with back then. It was far sturdier. Apparently, the Array Masters had reinforced the Universe World with arrays.
Therefore, after the first round of attacks, even though the Universe had broken into pieces, it didn’t explode into dust as they had expected.
Furthermore, the moment the Universe World came apart, rays of horrifying light were shot from the universe fragments towards the Royal City.
This was obviously a prearranged effect of these Spirit Arrays. Once the Universe World was attacked, the arrays would start running on their own.
It was very unlike what had happened previously.
The Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were caught off-guard, and although they had promptly made a move, they still couldn’t stop the universe fragments from raining down on the Royal City.
What’s more, there were still two complete Universe Worlds behind these fragments.
The Territory Lords roared and fully activated their powers. The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples wouldn’t dare to hold back either and cast all the Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques they could use.
Seeing that, the Feudal Lords, who were the second layer of defence, quickly rose into the sky to assist them.
In just a cup of tea’s time, the Universe Worlds coming from the depths of the void were all shattered. What astonished the Black Ink Clan was that there were 10 Universe Worlds this time, which was more than three times as many Universe Worlds as a year ago.
Although they had destroyed all 10 Universe Worlds, they still couldn’t rest easy, for after every Universe World was shattered, the pre-set arrays on it would explode.
In order to fend off the powers of those arrays and falling universe fragments, several Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples became wounded while many Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples and Feudal Lords lost their lives. As for the High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen, the losses there were even more significant. Upon receiving the order, they had to do their best to intercept the universe fragments that were falling towards the Royal City.
More and more of them lost their lives as their auras continuously withered.
Despite the Black Ink Clan’s best efforts though, they couldn’t possibly block or deflect all the universe fragments. Finally, there came a moment when a universe fragment crashed into the Universe World where the Royal City was located. The moment of impact, all the remaining Spirit Arrays on the universe fragment detonated and turned into a dazzling light that engulfed all the Black Ink Clansmen around it.
The moment the universe fragment crashed into the Universe World where the Royal City was located, all the Black Ink Clansmen froze.
Che Kong, who had remained in the centre of the Army as he had to prevent the Humans from invading the city, felt his face twitching.
All the Black Ink Clansmen appeared horrified.
They were not afraid that the Universe World where the Royal City was located would be destroyed. Although the universe fragment that crashed was huge, the Black Ink Clan had launched a series of attacks on it; hence, it wouldn’t cause tremendous damage to the Royal City.
They were also not concerned that the arrays on the universe fragment would explode and kill thousands of Black Ink Clansmen.
What they were afraid of was the impact that the crash would bring.
While all the Black Ink Clansmen were terrified, the dormant Will in the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest awakened.
It was the Royal Lord.
In the end, the Royal Lord, who had been recuperating, was alerted.
The Will scanned the entire Universe World and all the Black Ink Clansmen as though he was trying to find out what was going on. Soon after, burning fury exuded from his Will.
A million Black Ink Clansmen trembled like quails without a home in the winter.
The Royal Lord’s fury was obviously targeted at them, blaming them for their uselessness in allowing him to be disturbed when he was in a state of deep sleep.
All the Black Ink Clansmen knew what would happen when a person was interrupted when he was recuperating in a Black Ink Nest. All the progress the Royal Lord had in healing over the last year would now go to waste. That was why the Royal Lord was infuriated.
However, he didn’t give any orders; instead, he quickly slumbered off again.
In fact, he didn’t have time to give them instructions. To him, nothing was more important than his recovery. As long as he could make use of the Black Ink Nest’s power and restore his strength before the Human Old Ancestor did, he would gain the upper hand.
All the Black Ink Clansmen knew that such a thing could never happen again; otherwise, many people would lose their heads when the Royal Lord was done healing.
While they were still ill at ease, energy fluctuations could be felt coming from the Human Army on the left side of the Royal City as countless Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities were launched at them.
At that instant, lights of different colours illuminated the entire void as the horrifying bombardment flew towards the Royal City like a storm.
Every attack was equivalent to a move made by a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The arrays and artifacts on the Warships were meant to maximize the Humans’ combat power; therefore, every attack sent out from a Warship was at least on par with what a Seventh-Order Master could produce.
Simultaneously, a massive number of the Divine Abilities cast by the Eighth-Order Division Commanders.
Che Kong roared as the 600,000 or so Black Ink Clansmen on the left of the Royal City intercepted those attacks.
Although the number of Black Ink Clan outnumbered the Humans 20 to 1, and they had fully activated their powers, they still couldn’t intercept all the attacks.
The rays of light clashed with the Black Ink Clan soldiers, and as the powers within the rays of light exploded, many lost their lives.
The Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, who were positioned on the right side of the Royal City to destroy the Universe Worlds, hurried over to provide assistance.
Since all the Universe Worlds had been shattered, the Humans no longer had a trump card; therefore, they wouldn’t have to keep an eye on the right flank any longer.
As the Humans had decided to launch an attack on the Royal City from the left flank, the Black Ink Clansmen were forced to engage in a life-and-death battle with them; however, the moment these Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples arrived, they were dumbfounded by what they saw.
As the lights of the Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities subsided, the Humans, who were supposed to be just 5 million kilometres away from the Royal City, had actually retreated under the cover of the explosions.
Moreover, they didn’t seem to have the intention of coming back as they were leaving in a hurry.
The Territory Lords were astounded.
Che Kong felt his fury burning in his chest like a volcano that was about to erupt. He was so vexed that he almost coughed up blood. Although he was unresigned, he didn’t dare to order a pursuit and was forced to watch the Human soldiers swagger away.
“Hahaha!” On the mountaintop, Cha Pu, who had witnessed everything, guffawed. He was so ecstatic that he almost cried tears of joy, “What a brilliant move! You all have deceived the Black Ink Clan. It’s indeed terrifying to deal with someone like Brother Xiang.”
He gave such a remark from the Black Ink Clan’s perspective.
Like the Black Ink Clan, he too believed that the East-West Army would make use of the Universe Worlds attack to launch an offensive against the Royal City; after all, it was indeed a good opportunity. Faced with such an emergency, about 30% of the Black Ink Clan’s forces had been forced to move to the right flank to deal with the incoming Universe Worlds. If the Humans had initiated an attack at that point, they would surely have gained the upper hand.
Furthermore, the Human soldiers on the Warships seemed ready to engage in an all-out battle with the Black Ink Clan then and there.
However, none of them could have expected that the East-West Army’s move was just a pretence. Although they appeared menacing by stopping just 5 million kilometres away from the Royal City, they only launched one salvo before running away.
They actually ran away, just like that!
Cha Pu wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.
It was like the Humans had arrived at the Black Ink Clan’s doorstep and slapped them in the face; then, before they could react, the Humans had scampered off. The Black Ink Clan was not even able to counterattack. Anyone would have felt extremely vexed if such an incident happened to them.
It was expected that the Territory Lords were not too happy at this moment.
With that said, such a surprising move was the best decision.
The Humans wouldn’t have suffered a setback if they had launched an attack on the Royal City at that point and could even deal a heavy blow to the enemy in a short time before withdrawing.
However, the Humans would inevitably suffer some losses that way. Moreover, the battlefield could be unpredictable. If the fight dragged on, the advantage they had gained by attacking the enemies with the Universe Worlds would gradually diminish. When that happened, they might not be able to retreat so easily.
There were a million Black Ink Clan soldiers, some 30 or so Territory Lords, and 2 to 3 times that amount of Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. That was more than the East-West Army could handle.
By launching one round of attacks and retreating, the Humans could still achieve their objective while preventing any losses.
This time, the Humans only pretended to have the intention of attacking the Royal City, their only goal was to strike the Black Ink Clan with the Universe Worlds, but what about next time, and the time after that?
With enough time and resources, the Humans could repeatedly use this tactic. On the other hand, as long as the Black Ink Clan couldn’t leave the Royal City, they could only passively defend.
Cha Pu was certain that if the Black Ink Clan diverted too many soldiers to intercept the Universe Worlds next time, the East-West Army wouldn’t mind launching an attack on the Royal City and catching them off guard.
The Black Ink Clan were aware of this as well, so as long as the East-West Army made a move, the majority of the Black Ink Clan would stay back to prevent any potential incursion.
However, with only 30% of their Army available to be mobilised, the Black Ink Clan might not be able to protect the Royal City from the Universe Worlds without suffering from any damage, as proven by what had happened earlier.
The Humans had only mobilised 10 Universe Worlds this time, but that wasn’t necessarily their limit.
Perhaps the Black Ink Clan would be greeted with 15 or even 20 Universe Worlds next time.
The East-West Army had devised a solid plan, and as long as they continued implementing it, it was just a matter of time before they could deal a crippling blow to the Royal City, if not destroy it outright.
Upon learning everything that he needed to know, Cha Pu said, “Martial Nephew, since the battle has ended, I’ll head back and report to Army Commander Mi.”
Li Xing was slightly surprised and asked, “Don’t you want to wait for Sir Xiang’s return, Martial Uncle?”
Cha Pu shook his head, “There’s no need for that. Please tell Senior Brother Xiang that the North-South Army will not let the efforts of all of you go to waste, nor will we allow the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Pass to come to this place.”
With a solemn expression, Li Xing nodded, “I’ll definitely pass on your words.”
The next instant, Cha Pu turned into a beam of light and shot off into the void.
Half a day later, all of the East-West Army had returned to the forward base.
On this day, the East-West Army had only launched one round of attacks and did nothing else. Without suffering any losses, they managed to kill some Black Ink Clansmen with the 10 Universe Worlds they had prepared.
Although they couldn’t get an exact count, the Commanders believed that in the end, they must have killed 50,000 to 60,000 Black Ink Clansmen.
Of course, such a number was insignificant compared to the million Black Ink Clansmen they were facing; furthermore, those who lost their lives were weaker Black Ink Clansmen. None of the Territory Lords or Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were killed, while only a small number of Feudal Lords and Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples, a few dozen at most, had perished. This kind of loss was negligible to the Black Ink Clan. It was nothing more than a flesh wound.
With that said, the casualties of the Black Ink Clan were not their biggest victory. They had achieved their main goal for launching the attack, which was to interrupt the Royal Lord’s recuperation.
After the last Universe World was shattered, a fragment crashed into the Universe World where the Royal City was located. Apparently, the Royal Lord had awakened upon impact. Although the Humans were millions of kilometres away from the Royal City, they could still detect the menacing Will.
The main goal of the East-West Army this time was to disturb the Royal Lord, killing Black Ink Clansmen came second.
Presently, both the Royal Lord and the Old Ancestor were recuperating. The Royal Lord made use of the Black Ink Nest’s power while the Old Ancestor had Yang Kai’s Small Universe. It could be said that both of them had external aids.
Therefore, the person who could recover quicker would gain the upper hand.
Those from the East-West Army couldn’t help the Old Ancestor recover, so they could only set their eyes on the Royal Lord, who could never have thought that the Humans would harass him while he was recuperating inside the Black Ink Nest.
Although they didn’t kill many Black Ink Clansmen, they had attained significant achievements this time.
Presently, the East-West Army couldn’t attack the Royal City because there was a huge gap between their collective powers. By using such tactics, the Humans could gradually shorten the gap and wait for a suitable chance before they launched a real strike on the Royal City. The Black Ink Clan wouldn’t be able to deal with them by then.
This was a long process that couldn’t be rushed.
Better yet, even faced with this provocation, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t dare to make a move despite technically having superior forces.
They had to protect the Royal City, for once they moved out of position, the East-West Army would have a chance to invade the Royal City and destroy the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest.
Therefore, even though they had figured out the Humans’ plan, they still didn’t have a way to deal with it.
The Royal City was like a rope that tied all these Black Ink Clan soldiers to the spot, rendering them immovable. Faced with the Humans’ moves, they couldn’t take the initiative to launch an attack as they could only passively defend the city. It seemed it was fated that they would be led by the nose in this war.
This long-term plan that the leaders of the East-West Army had devised would require a lot of resources.
Besides the fact that all 30,000 Humans needed resources to cultivate, they would also need a massive amount of resources to build the arrays on the Universe Worlds.
Without sufficient resources, those arrays wouldn’t be useful.
There was no doubt that Xiang Shan, as the Army Commander, was an expert in military affairs. This was proven after he was put in charge of the East-West Army; however, Liu Zhi Ping soon realised that he was a spendthrift who didn’t seem to be aware that resources were hard to come by.
In the initial stage of the East-West Army, the Eighth-Order Division Commanders from different Great Passes had brought with them a large amount of resources to provision the campaign.
It could be said that when the East-West Army was being built in Wind and Cloud Pass back then, they had an enormous amount of resources. The higher-ups had made a calculation and concluded that the resources were more than enough for all 30,000 cultivators in the East-West Army to use for 300 years, and there would still be something left over.
300 years was thought to be sufficient for them to retake Great Evolution Pass. As long as Great Evolution Pass was retaken, they wouldn’t have to worry about a lack of resources any longer.
But in fact, resources that were supposed to be enough for 30,000 people to use for 100 years were squandered away by Xiang Shan in just two to three years.
Upon learning that, Liu Zhi Ping was so frustrated that she almost passed out. After giving it a thought, it was obvious where the resources had gone.
A while ago, Xiang Shan told the Artifact Refiners to craft several tens of thousands of puppets to be sent to Great Evolution Pass in order to attract the Black Ink Clan’s attention. Those puppets were all destroyed by the Black Ink Clan.
Now, they had to arrange tens of thousands, if not a hundred thousand arrays on each of the 13 Universe Worlds that were thrown at the Royal City.
All of those projects required a lot of resources.
Regardless of how many resources they brought with them, it wouldn’t last long given Xiang Shan’s wanton spending.
Xiang Shan was the epitome of a man who had no qualms about killing or spending money like water.
This man, who had been dormant for 3,000 years and eventually returned to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, had both qualities.
Liu Zhi Ping was no match for Xiang Shan when it came to her aptitude in warfare; therefore, since the East-West Army departed from Wind and Cloud Pass, Xiang Shan had been the one who made all the decisions. Liu Zhi Ping only assisted him from the side by analysing the pros and cons of each plan.
But this Army Commander of the Western Army was a woman at the end of the day, so she was naturally an expert in doing accounts and keeping a house in order, which was shown in how delicious the steamed stuffed buns that she made in the Marketplace back in Yin-Yang Pass were.
Therefore, she directly decided to take control of the East-West Army’s finances.
Now, all 30,000 soldiers in the East-West Army faced a conundrum.
At the rate they were using them, the resources they had could only last them 10 years.
None of them could have expected that the first problem they faced in their mission to retake Great Evolution Pass would be about resources; after all, the resources sent to them from various Great Passes were supposedly enough to last them 300 years. They had speculated on what sorts of problems they might face except for the lack of resources.
Without resources, they wouldn’t be able to cultivate, and the damaged Warships couldn’t be repaired, not to mention that their plan to attack the Royal City with Universe Worlds would have to be stopped.
Therefore, the first thing Liu Zhi Ping did after she took control of resource management was to order the soldiers to begin mining the nearby Universe Worlds.
It seemed that the Black Ink Clan was determined to defend the Royal City, so they wouldn’t initiate an attack; therefore, those in the East-West Army would have enough time and energy to do such a thing.
It wasn’t hard for the Humans to extract resources.
They just had to look for suitable Universe Worlds in the void and use the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors to move those Universe Worlds back to somewhere near the forward base. That way, they could extract resources easily without spreading their manpower over too wide an area.
There were 30,000 soldiers in the East-West Army. Even if they took turns, they could mobilise about 10,000 people at any given time. Hence, resource extraction would be very efficient. It would only take them 10 days to half a month to mine out a Universe World.
The teams responsible for searching for suitable Universe Worlds to mine could also look out for Universe Worlds that could be kept and turned into weapons to attack the Royal City with. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
Therefore, when Yang Kai looked out of his Small Universe, he soon saw shattered Universe Worlds in the void after they were fully mined as well as the people busy mining new Universe Worlds.
10 years had passed since he arrived at this village at the bottom of the mountain.
Of course, that was the amount of time that had gone by in his Small Universe. In fact, only two and a half years had passed in the outside world.
To a successful cultivator, 10 years was a very short time, but to an ordinary mortal, 10 years was an appreciable amount of their lifetime.
The World Energy in Yang Kai’s Small Universe was ample, with rich vitality and a peaceful environment. Even ordinary mortals could live up to 100 years without too many problems. Some mortals lived up to 150 years old.
However, to the hunter and his wife, they had reached the middle stage of their lives.
The arrival of Xiao Xiao let them enjoy the happiness of raising a child as they didn’t have one of their own. They had thus given all their love and attention to this Daughter of theirs.
There was no doubt that Xiao Xiao was intelligent as she could learn anything fast. At school, she would always be praised by the teacher.
She was also a filial child who would always help her Mother do some household chores and follow her Father to go hunting.
The couple had no more regrets in life as they already had such a wonderful Daughter.
However, what concerned them was that Xiao Xiao hadn’t grown one bit due to the illness she had since she was younger.
When the hunter picked her up from the log house on the mountain, she looked like she was only three to four years old; now, 10 years had passed, but Xiao Xiao hadn’t changed one bit. She didn’t look like the other kids her age who were now in their teens.
While the hunter was grateful to the Heavens that they were blessed with a child, he and his Wife also prayed for mercy and hoped that they would be punished in Xiao Xiao’s stead as long as she could grow up to be a healthy person.
However, their prayers were unanswered.
To be precise, it wasn’t the right time yet.
Others had no idea what was wrong with Xiao Xiao’s body, but Yang Kai had somewhat figured it out.
The Old Ancestor’s recovery this time was quite odd. Not only did she seal off her own memory, but she also instinctively stopped Yang Kai from concealing her whereabouts.
It seemed that she had the intention of truly becoming a part of this Bustling World, with a local identity and all.
The couple’s child was her identity.
Yang Kai speculated that the reason she hadn’t changed one bit after 10 years was that it had something to do with her injury. Before she recovered, her body would not change; in other words, when she started growing, that would mean that she was on the mend.
Yang Kai felt that it was such a shame. He had secretly examined the Old Ancestor’s body, but he couldn’t discover any kind of injury. Perhaps the Old Ancestor had concealed her wounds using a Secret Technique.
This couldn’t be rushed. The Old Ancestor must have gone all out to deal with the Royal Lord, so she must be terribly injured. It was expected that it would take her quite some time to recover.
It was a small village with only a dozen or so families living here. They were all kind-hearted hunters, and the neighbours would always help each other out; however, in this Bustling World, it was expected that there were devious people out there.
The anomaly with Xiao Xiao’s body eventually caused trouble for her.
Yang Kai had already detected it, but he decided to ignore it. Since the Old Ancestor had to experience life in this Bustling World to recuperate, it would be beneficial to her if she could go through some of the things ordinary mortals would experience.
There were still a little more than 10 kids in the small classroom. The first batch of children had grown up and stopped studying here. They had returned to their homes to help their families earn a living. These kids were the new batch of students.
Xiao Xiao was still one of the students and her appearance didn’t look different from those of the other kids. Nevertheless, after all these years, she was now just as capable and intelligent as the other teenagers.
Therefore, she was like the teacher’s assistant now. Whenever the teacher became dazed and stared off into space, she would be the one who taught the kids how to read and write.
Every morning, she would come over to help him out for two hours, then she would follow her Father to go hunting.
With the book in her hand, she told the kids to repeat after her. Then, she took a glance at the teacher, who was asleep on a chair with a book covering his face, and sighed in a way as though she was a mature person.
The teacher was too indolent. She revered him when she was a child because he would always give her some delicious food; however, as time passed, she eventually discovered the teacher’s true colours.
The light was shaded at the door all of a sudden, and the kids stopped reading out loud. Xiao Xiao turned her head and saw two people standing at the door.
One of them prompted her to frown as a look of disgust appeared on her face.
This couldn’t be helped, as the person was a hunter who lived in a village that was 30 kilometres away. She and her Father came across this person on the mountain on multiple occasions. The last time they ran into him was several days ago. They were chasing after the same prey at the same time; in the end, Xiao Xiao was agile enough to kill it first with an arrow. However, that person insisted that he was the one who discovered the prey. Left with no choice, Xiao Xiao’s Father had to share half of the prey with him, and the matter was settled.
It wasn’t the first time such a thing happened. The other hunters in the village had also experienced this before.
The hunters wouldn’t have given in if that person were just any other commoner; however, Xiao Xiao heard from her Father that this hunter had a relative who cultivated in Water Moon Pavilion. He held a pretty important position, so the average person wouldn’t dare to offend him.
Therefore, the hunters could only hold their fury down and let this person throw his weight around.
It wasn’t certain what this person was in the school for, and the man beside him looked a little unusual. He was unlike the other hunters who had rough and tan skin from working under the sun all day. Instead, he was somewhat similar to the teacher. They both gave off a strange feeling.
Xiao Xiao couldn’t tell what this feeling was; however, the first time she saw the teacher, she had a feeling that he was different from others.
“It’s her!” The hunter pointed at Xiao Xiao, “Look, Uncle Wen Yuan. This girl must be a Spirit!”
The word ‘Spirit’ made Xiao Xiao feel furious.
In the past, the kids in the village would secretly call her Spirit because she never grew up, but she was unusually strong. Despite the fact that she only looked like she was three or four years old, she could follow the adults to go hunting. Sometimes, she could get even more prey than the adults.
However, after the adults disciplined them, the village kids never dared to call her that again.
Although the kids had stopped calling her that, the name had spread to other places.
The hunters in the neighbouring villages were aware that there was a girl who never grew in size here. Despite her petite figure, she was skilful in hunting and could always get more prey than many of the experienced hunters.
When Xiao Xiao and her Father came across other hunters from the other villages, they would look at her with curious glances; however, only this deplorable guy would call her a Spirit right to her face.
The person, whom the hunter called Uncle Wen Yuan, was a fair-skinned and tall young man. He was clad in a green robe, and standing beside the young man, the rough-looking hunter looked like a chicken beside a swan.
From the looks alone, the hunter appeared to be the older one, but in reality, the young man was his Elder.
As a cultivator, the young-looking man was constantly nurtured by World Energy, so he didn’t age at the same rate as a mortal would.
He swept a glance over Xiao Xiao and shook his head.
Although the young girl in front of him was adorable, she didn’t exude any Evil Qi. It was obvious that she wasn’t a Spirit. He was confident in his ability to make such a judgement; after all, he was fairly powerful now after years of cultivating.
Seeing that the young man shook his head, the hunter said anxiously, “Uncle Wen Yuan, don’t be fooled by her appearance. Although she looks like she’s three years old, she already looked like this 10 years ago. No one knows how old she really is! Perhaps she’s a very old Spirit. It’s said that powerful Spirits are able to assume Human forms.”
Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but bare her teeth at the hunter. The moment she was called an old Spirit, she was furious for some reason. She had the urge to tear his mouth apart. It wasn’t certain why, but she seemed sensitive to the word ‘old’.
“Oh?” Wen Yuan arched his brow, “She already looked like this 10 years ago?”
“It’s true.” The hunter nodded repeatedly, “Everyone around this area knows this. You can ask around.”
Wen Yuan stroked his chin, “That’s interesting.”
When he heard his Nephew say that there was a Spirit in this place, he decided to come over to have a look as he had a duty to kill off harmful beings that might disrupt the world. If there was really a Spirit, he could just kill her with his sword; however, the moment he saw the little girl, he knew that she wasn’t a Spirit.
Even the most successful Spirit couldn’t perfectly conceal their Evil Qi, unless their power vastly exceeded his own.
He was now an Origin King, so a Spirit would need to be in the Dao Source Realm, at the very least, to deceive him.
Such Spirits were incredibly rare across the entire Void Continent, so how was it possible that there was one in this remote village?
With that said, when he learned that the little girl had remained the same for the past 10 years, he grew curious.
Just when he was about to ask the little girl if he could examine her, he felt a shadow engulfing him from behind.
When he turned around, he saw a stout woman with a chubby face who was glaring at him.
Behind the stout woman stood over 10 hunters and their Wives with bows and farm tools in their hands. They didn’t look very friendly.
It was a small village, so they could easily see that a hunter from another village had brought a young man with him as they stood in front of the classroom door. It was apparent that they were up to no good.
No one had to shout to inform everyone about it. The moment the adults from this village saw it, they came over in a hurry.
The hunter from the other village felt timid when he saw so many people glaring at him, but as he recalled that he had a powerful backer with him, he straightened up and stared back provocatively at them.
“Is something the matter, Madam?” Wen Yuan asked curiously as he gazed at the furious stout woman.
With a grim expression, the stout woman landed a slap on his shoulder and replied, “Nothing is wrong. I just want to know what you’re doing here.”
Although she had exerted a lot of force with her hand, she realised that the thin-looking young man was completely unfazed. There wasn’t even a look of pain on his face.
She was confident that she could have broken a piece of wood with such strength.
Suddenly realising something, she glanced at the young man with a solemn expression as she decided to push him away instead. The young man played along by stepping aside.
The stout woman stepped into the classroom and turned around. Her burly figure was like a tower that fended off all the rain and wind from her Daughter.
Behind her, Xiao Xiao stuck out her head and pointed at the hunter, “Mother, that guy called me a Spirit.”
The stout woman glowered at the hunter and snapped, “You’re a bastard, Zhang Gen! Are you sick of living? What right do you have to call my Daughter a Spirit? I think you and your family members are the actual Spirits instead!”
The hunter named Zhang Gen said smugly, “How dare a peasant like you make a scene in front of a senior expert from Water Moon Pavilion! My Uncle will find out if she’s a Spirit.”
“He’s from Water Moon Pavilion?” The stout woman turned to look at Wen Yuan. Earlier, she had speculated that the person was a cultivator, and now it seemed to be the case. Regardless, she couldn’t appear to be weak as she said grimly, “So what if he’s a senior expert from Water Moon Pavilion? That doesn’t mean you can defame my daughter.”
Cultivation wasn’t a secret to the common man on the Void Continent, and although no one in this village had cultivated before, they had at least heard about it.
Therefore, the stout woman wasn’t afraid even though someone from Water Moon Pavilion was right in front of her.
Wen Yuan put on a helpless smile, “Please calm down, Madam. I’ve never said that this child is a Spirit.”
The stout woman glared at him, “What are you doing here, then?”
Wen Yuan was rendered speechless. The reason he was here was that he had to be cautious by ascertaining if the girl was a Spirit. Now, it was hard for him to explain himself.
After giving it a thought, he replied, “Madam, I’m sure that your Daughter has drawn a lot of criticism over the years because she’s thought to be a Spirit; otherwise, you wouldn’t have become so angered today. I am a Deacon from Water Moon Pavilion, and although I’m not among the most powerful cultivators in my Sect, I’m confident in my vision and judgement. I hope that you’ll allow me to examine this child’s body. I’m sure that it will have a positive impact on this child if I can confirm that she’s not a Spirit, and others will stop calling her that. What do you think?”
Initially, the stout woman was displeased with Wen Yuan, but after what he said, her expression turned milder.
Regardless of anything else, this cultivator didn’t try to oppress them with his strength. Instead, he looked like a kind-hearted and reasonable person by offering to help.
She wouldn’t have given in if this person were mannerless; however, since he had spoken politely, she couldn’t just rebuff him.
With that said, she shook her head, “Xiao Xiao is not a Spirit. I’ve been raising her for 10 years, so I’m fully aware of that. She needs no examination.”
[Even if she was a Spirit, who cares? She’s my beloved Daughter, and no one can humiliate her.]
Surprisingly, the moment she finished speaking, Xiao Xiao pulled the stout woman’s clothes and lifted her face, “Mother, I’d like to be examined.”
The stout woman looked down at her and crouched down. With a benevolent expression, she asked, “Why do you want to be examined? You’re the best child in the world.”
Xiao Xiao turned to look at Wen Yuan, “What if anyone still calls me a Spirit after you examine me and confirm that I’m not?”
With a solemn expression, Wen Yuan replied, “I’m sure my judgment will trump all the rumours.”
As an Origin King, he had full confidence in his authority.
Xiao Xiao nodded, “Go ahead, then.”
With a smile, Wen Yuan said, “Show me your hand.”
Xiao Xiao obediently extended her hand. Wen Yuan stuck out two fingers and felt her pulse before circulating his Saint Qi to examine her.
A moment later, a myriad of expressions came over his face.
The stout woman was extremely nervous as she was worried that the young man would say something that might harm her Daughter’s reputation. She secretly decided that if this guy dared to say something unpleasant, she would give him a punch in the face and break his teeth.
It only took Wen Yuan a little effort to examine the little girl, but his expression was somewhat awkward.
With her head lifted, Xiao Xiao asked, “Am I a Spirit?”
Wen Yuan shook his head, “No.”
In an instant, Xiao Xiao stared at the hunter named Zhang Gen, who was standing at the door, “Did you hear that? If you dare call me that again, I’ll shoot you with my arrows!”
An anxious Zhang Gen said, “Uncle, please look carefully. There must be something off about this girl.”
Upon hearing that, Wen Yuan, who was busy with his own thoughts, turned to look at Zhang Gen with a solemn expression and declared, “I have determined she is not a Spirit, so stop slandering her like this from now on.”
Zhang Gen had never expected the helper he had found would clear the annoying little girl’s name instead. At that instant, he could only remain silent in embarrassment. Wen Yuan was his Elder as well as a cultivator, so he couldn’t disobey him.
The stout woman and the hunter outside the classroom breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.
“What’s your name, little girl?” Wen Yuan gazed at Xiao Xiao with an amiable expression.
Xiao Xiao replied, “Mother named me Xiao Xiao.”
“Xiao Xiao…” Wen Yuan nodded gently.
Just then, the stout woman said sheepishly, “Sir, since you’re a cultivator, can you tell what’s wrong with Xiao Xiao’s body? Why hasn’t she grown over the years?”
She had asked Doctor Cai about it, but the latter only said that it was due to the illness Xiao Xiao had suffered from when she was younger, so it was incurable. Since Wen Yuan was a powerful cultivator though, perhaps he had a solution.
After pondering on it for a moment, Wen Yuan replied, “There’s nothing wrong with her body. As for why she has never grown in size, I have no idea. However, she might have the aptitude to cultivate.”
“Huh?” The stout woman was astounded.
The hunter outside the classroom appeared agitated.
He had a dream of becoming a cultivator when he was young, and he had taken part in the Disciple Recruitment of Water Moon Pavilion; however, he was eliminated quite early on in the process as he didn’t have the necessary aptitude.
After his dream was crushed, he returned to his hometown and became a hunter.
Upon learning from Wen Yuan that Xiao Xiao might have the aptitude to cultivate, he was naturally excited.
The reason Wen Yuan insisted on examining Xiao Xiao after already confirming that she wasn’t a Spirit was that he felt she might have an extraordinary aptitude.
Nevertheless, he wouldn’t dare to make a quick judgement when it came to this matter, so it required further examination.
Although he had already checked, he still couldn’t confirm if Xiao Xiao had an extraordinary aptitude or not. That was why he said she ‘might’ have the aptitude to become a cultivator. It was because after the examination, he realised that Xiao Xiao’s aptitude was somewhat odd. It seemed that she had an excellent aptitude, but it also felt as if she had a terrible aptitude. He had never come across such a strange situation before.
“Xiao Xiao might have the aptitude to cultivate?” The stout woman was dumbfounded.
Wen Yuan said cautiously, “I can’t make a judgement yet. Perhaps I don’t have good enough insight when it comes to such matters. En, how about I return to my Sect now and ask an Elder to come over and look into it. That way, we’ll be able to come to a conclusion.”
The next instant, he turned around and left the classroom before disappearing into the sky.
He was certainly an efficient and decisive person.
1,000 years ago, the Void Dao Temple appeared out of nowhere and sent a shockwave across all cultivators on the continent.
Before the appearance of the Void Dao Temple, the cultivators on the continent believed that the Emperor Realm was the peak of the Martial Dao. Any Sect with an Emperor Realm Master assuming command could be considered First Class. If there were two Emperor Realm Masters in charge, it could be considered a top Sect.
However, there were not a lot of Emperor Realm Masters at the time, perhaps 20 or so public figures, while those known as Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters were even rarer.
Therefore, in the past, cultivators believed that the Emperor Realm was the end of the Martial Dao, and it became every cultivator’s dream to reach this highest Realm.
Nevertheless, only those Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters had a feeling that there was an even higher Realm above the Emperor Realm. Unfortunately, regardless of how hard they tried, they were unable to spy upon the secrets above the Emperor Realm.
Suddenly, there came a day when the World Energy on the Void Continent changed drastically. No one knew why such a change took place, but all the cultivators benefited from it.
More and more people gained the aptitude to cultivate, and many more talents and geniuses were born. At the same time, there was a dramatic increase in the number of Emperor Realm Masters.
Even the cultivators who had low aptitude before seemed able to reach higher heights now.
It was a few hundred years later that the Void Dao Temple appeared out of nowhere. It wasn’t until then that the cultivators on the Void Continent realised that the Emperor Realm wasn’t the end of the Martial Dao. After reaching the peak of an Emperor Realm, one could condense a Dao Seal from their own Grand Dao, then refine the powers of Yin-Yang and Five Elements and split Heaven and Earth apart within their body to create their own Small Universe.
Doing so allowed one to reach the Open Heaven Realm!
Upon that revelation, the people who had been stuck in the Emperor Realm for a long time became excited as they yearned to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm one day.
The secret to splitting Heaven and Earth apart and creating a Small Universe in a cultivator’s body was inside the Void Dao Temple, so as long as they could step into it, they would have a chance to reach a greater height in the Martial Dao.
However, not everyone had the right to enter the Void Dao Temple. To all the cultivators on the continent, the Dao Temple was like a Holy Land, and it was very selective when it came to a cultivator’s aptitude, caring nothing for one’s Realm.
Perhaps a little girl in the Initial Element Stage, who was considered a mere newborn in cultivation, would be accepted into the Dao Temple to continue cultivating.
On the other hand, a grey-haired Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, who had been stuck in the same Realm for countless years, might not have a chance to get close to the Dao Temple regardless of how hard he tried.
Time and location didn’t matter when the Dao Temple selected cultivators. This Holy Land seemed like a self-contained world with a mind of its own, so as long as a cultivator was talented enough, he or she would be accepted into the Dao Temple by a mysterious force.
Therefore, in the early days after the Void Dao Temple appeared, the people on the continent could frequently see some cultivators being invited to the Dao Temple.
These cultivators who were accepted came from various Sects across the continent.
To the Sects that had nurtured such cultivators, the Dao Temple would reward them. The rewards were good news to the experienced Emperor Realm Masters who were unable to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm.
That was because the rewards given by the Dao Temple included the way to condense a Dao Seal and refine the Powers of the Seven Elements into them. There were also a lot of common cultivation resources that could be used by the disciples of those Sects.
1,000 years had passed, so the Sects on the continent had gotten used to the existence of the Void Dao Temple, and they had acknowledged that it was the most important place in this World.
It was every Sect’s goal to nurture a disciple who would have the right to be accepted into the Dao Temple; therefore, these Sects were fervent when it came to recruiting talented young disciples. If they could get a disciple with an extraordinary aptitude, that would be wonderful news for the entire Sect.
That was the reason Wen Yuan returned to his Sect in a hurry.
Despite being an Origin King, he was unable to identify whether Xiao Xiao had an excellent aptitude or not; therefore, he had to invite an Elder to come over and have a look.
If they could get a disciple who would be accepted by the Dao Temple, Water Moon Pavilion’s status on the continent would be greatly enhanced.
Water Moon Pavilion wasn’t a major Sect. The Sect Master, who was the most powerful among them, was only in the First-Order Emperor Realm, and the Elders were only in the Dao Source Realm.
Such a Sect would have been considered outstanding 1,000 years ago, but it was too mediocre these days.
It was 800 years ago when the last disciple from Water Moon Pavilion was invited to the Void Dao Temple, and the massive amount of cultivation resources given to them as a reward hugely benefited the disciples of Water Moon Pavilion. The leaders of the Sect still couldn’t forget about that time.
Over the years, they had been trying to take on disciples with amazing aptitude, but their attempts so far had been futile.
After Wen Yuan was gone, the hunter named Zhang Gen wouldn’t dare to stick around. Embarrassed, he ran away as the stout woman cursed at him. The stout woman’s Husband wanted to humiliate Zhang Gen, so he shot an arrow at the latter as he was running away. The arrow skirted past Zhang Gen, which caused him to scream and tumble to the ground.
The people behind him laughed at him.
It wasn’t until this moment that the teacher, who had been lying on the chair with a book covering his eyes, awakened. When he saw so many people outside the classroom, he asked Xiao Xiao in puzzlement, “What are they doing here? What happened?”
An exasperated Xiao Xiao glowered at the teacher, “You should just keep sleeping, sir.”
The teacher scratched his head while appearing perplexed.
The cultivators from Water Moon Pavilion were quick, probably because taking on disciples was an important matter to them. Wen Yuan soon returned to Water Moon Pavilion and found the Elder closest to him. Upon learning what was going on, the Elder rushed over to the village.
Only one hour had passed since Wen Yuan left the village; therefore, when Xiao Xiao was done having her breakfast and was ready to follow her Father to go hunting, two figures descended from the sky and landed in front of their door.
One of them was Wen Yuan, and the other was an amiable-looking elderly man whose face radiated a healthy glow.
“Is it this child?” The old man saw Xiao Xiao the moment he landed on the ground.
Wen Yuan nodded, “Yes, it’s her.”
With a curious look, the Elder said, “Even you were unable to see through her aptitude, so there might be something special about this girl. I’ll have a look.”
Wen Yuan glanced at the hunter and the stout woman, then said, “This is an Elder from Water Moon Pavilion. I invited him to come over and take a look at Xiao Xiao’s aptitude. Please rest assured that she won’t be harmed in any way.”
The hunter nodded gently, “Many thanks for the effort.”
Upon getting the hunter’s permission, the Elder said to Xiao Xiao, “Little girl, show me your hand.”
Wen Yuan had done the same thing to her before, so Xiao Xiao directly extended her hand.
The old man stuck out two fingers and felt her pulse. As he ran his fingers through his beard, he focused on examining her.
A moment later, he opened his eyes and gazed at Xiao Xiao, “Little girl, are you willing to join Water Moon Pavilion?”
Xiao Xiao directly shook her head, “No.”
The old man was surprised. He initially thought that since he had said so, the little girl would readily accept his invitation; after all, most mortals yearned to be cultivators.
It never crossed his mind that the young girl would directly turn him down.
This had never happened to him before.
Nevertheless, she was just a young child who didn’t know the benefits of becoming a cultivator, so after giving it a thought, he asked, “Why don’t you want to join our Sect?”
Xiao Xiao turned to look at the couple, “I want to be with my Father and Mother. I don’t want to leave them.”
Upon hearing that, the couple felt warmth in their hearts.
The Elder nodded gently, “I see. However, you’ll grow up one day. It’s not possible that you can stay with your parents forever.”
Xiao Xiao tilted her head, “I don’t want to grow up, then. That way, I won’t be separated from my Father and Mother.”
The couple felt their hearts melting, thinking that they had no more regrets in life by having such a Daughter.
The Elder broke into laughter and thought that this child was indeed innocent.
Regardless, he kept persuading her by saying, “How are you going to provide for your parents when they grow old if you don’t want to grow up?”
“I can go hunting!” Xiao Xiao lifted the petite bow in her hand. It was specifically made for her by the hunter.
The old man shook his head, “You might fall into danger one day by frequently wandering around on the mountain; moreover, the amount of prey on the mountain is not infinite. However, if you can cultivate, you won’t have to hunt with a bow and arrows. You can easily capture prey by using a Secret Technique. When you’re able to fly, you can go around the continent and take in different views. You’ll have a brighter future that way. Isn’t that better than if you stay in this village?”
There was no doubt that his reasons were sound, but Xiao Xiao still shook her head.
The Elder wasn’t in a rush. Although he was speaking to Xiao Xiao, he knew that her parents would be the ones who would make a decision. Despite the little girl’s lack of interest in cultivation, it was apparent that her parents were tempted.
As parents, they certainly wanted the best for their child’s future. The right to cultivate was the best gift anyone on the Void Continent could have.
Therefore, he wasn’t only reasoning with Xiao Xiao but also her parents. He believed that the couple would make the right choice.
He decided to stop persuading her and passed her something, “Take this. When you decide to start cultivating one day, you can burn it. Someone will come over to pick you up.”
Upon finishing his words, he turned around and left.
Wen Yuan cupped his fist at the couple, then left with the Elder.
After leaving the village, Wen Yuan asked, “Elder, does the child really have an extraordinary aptitude?”
The Elder shook his head, “It’s embarrassing to admit, but I can’t see through her either.”
Wen Yuan was astounded, “You can’t see through her aptitude?” Then, he asked in puzzlement, “In that case, why did you decide to take her on?”
The Elder chuckled, “That’s exactly the reason I have to recruit her. Since we can’t see it through, we can only let her prove her worth. If her aptitude is truly excellent, we’ll gain a gifted disciple. However, if her aptitude is terrible, we won’t lose anything but a few resources.”
Upon hearing his reason, Wen Yuan replied, “You’re indeed intelligent, Elder.”
He was still in a dilemma over the little girl’s aptitude, but the Elder had already come up with a solution. Regardless of whether the young girl had an amazing aptitude or not, they just had to accept her into their Sect. They would find out the truth in the future.
As long as she was a part of Water Moon Pavilion, her aptitude would no longer matter.
After the Elder and Wen Yuan were gone, Xiao Xiao looked down at the thing in her hand. It was an incense stick that didn’t look special at all, but it was significantly shorter than the commonly seen incense sticks as it was only as long as an adult’s finger. Moreover, it seemed that half of it had been burned.
[Only half of it is left. That old man is stingy. How could he give me something that someone else had used before?]
Xiao Xiao eventually decided to join Water Moon Pavilion.
She wasn’t willing to part ways with her parents, but a conversation with her Father changed her mind.
When she became a successful cultivator who could fly freely through the sky, not only could she take in all the different sights of the continent, but she would also be able to enjoy all kinds of rare delicacies from all over the world.
Her Father had explored different parts of the world when he was young, and his descriptions of the food that Xiao Xiao had never heard of before were very tempting to her.
She was unable to resist enjoying delicious food.
Therefore, she decided to become a part of Water Moon Pavilion in the end. Her thinking was simple; she just had to cultivate in the Sect for several years and come back. By then, she wouldn’t have to be separated from her parents again. Furthermore, when she became a successful cultivator, she could bring her parents to different places and buy them delicious food.
Despite being reluctant to part ways with Xiao Xiao, the couple kept their emotions to themselves as they wanted the best for their child’s future.
The incense stick, with only half of it left, was lit, and soon, Wen Yuan rushed over from Water Moon Pavilion and picked Xiao Xiao up.
Watching the petite figure, who had stayed with them for the past 10 years, leave, the stout woman squatted and broke into tears. The hunter came over to console her, but his eyes had reddened as well.
Standing in front of the school, Yang Kai felt somewhat speechless as he looked up.
If Xiao Xiao wanted to cultivate, he could have taught her; however, considering the fact that the Old Ancestor was here to recuperate, it would be good to let her live freely to experience the Bustling World as a mortal would. Therefore, Yang Kai had never thought about teaching Xiao Xiao how to cultivate.
It never crossed his mind that those from Water Moon Pavilion would have a hand in this.
He didn’t find it appropriate to interfere though, so he decided to watch in silence.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was certain that Xiao Xiao’s future performance would shock those from Water Moon Pavilion.
She was an Old Ancestor, after all. Although she had sealed off her memory, her aptitude in cultivation could never be concealed. Wen Yuan and the Elder couldn’t see it through because their vision was simply too limited to understand what they were seeing.
The secrets within the Old Ancestor’s body were far beyond what they could comprehend.
Those from Water Moon Pavilion were unable to judge if Xiao Xiao had an extraordinary aptitude; therefore, even though Wen Yuan had invited her to the Sect, he just let her cultivate along with the other new disciples with no special treatment for her.
These new disciples ranged from 7 to 10 years old, so Xiao Xiao seemed to be the youngest as she looked like she was only 3 years old.
Xiao Xiao suffered a huge setback at the start of her cultivation journey, but it had nothing to do with her aptitude.
Since she was a child, she had never been separated from her parents; therefore, she wasn’t used to it as her parents were no longer by her side. Water Moon Pavilion was far away from her village, so whenever she thought about her parents at night, she would secretly weep.
This kind of melancholy stayed with her for an entire month.
Although Yang Kai could easily settle this issue, he decided to sit back and watch.
That was because he had discovered something interesting. Xiao Xiao, who had never grown in size for the past 10 years, grew a little three days after she arrived at Water Moon Pavilion.
The growth was so negligible that even her parents wouldn’t have noticed it, but it wasn’t hard for Yang Kai to.
The revelation allowed him to relax.
Based on his previous observation, the reason the Old Ancestor hadn’t changed one bit over the years was that her injury was too severe. Her body was currently using all its power to treat her wounds, which was the reason she never grew bigger.
Once she started growing, that would mean that she was truly starting to recover.
Therefore, the moment Yang Kai noticed this, he knew that the Old Ancestor was fine and it was just a matter of time before she would fully recover.
This kind of change couldn’t just be a coincidence; otherwise, it wouldn’t have happened at this exact moment.
Initially, Yang Kai thought that it was because the Old Ancestor had been living in the village for far too long, but after an investigation, he realised it wasn’t the case.
This kind of change had nothing to do with where she lived, be it the village or Water Moon Pavilion, it had to do with her emotions.
After leaving her parents and the village she had lived in for the past 10 years, she was overwhelmed by a myriad of new emotions. That was the reason that prompted her to start growing.
Parting with one’s loved ones was something everyone in the Bustling World had to experience.
Yang Kai had never expected that such a change would take place after Xiao Xiao joined Water Moon Pavilion, but it seemed that he was right to refrain from interfering in this matter.
Now, it seemed that it would be useful to the Old Ancestor’s recuperation to let her experience more of life.
Xiao Xiao went on to be dejected for a month, but at the same time, she started showing her remarkable aptitude in cultivation.
In just half a month, she had successfully sensed World Energy and drawn it into her body. Since then, she had set off on the Martial Dao and was now a budding cultivator.
Wen Yuan, who had been secretly observing her, was thrilled and promptly told the Elder about it.
The Elder was a much calmer person and simply told Wen Yuan to keep observing Xiao Xiao. They would only make a decision based on her future performance.
Two months later, Xiao Xiao successfully achieved a breakthrough and ascended to the Initial Element Stage.
After another two months, she made it to the Qi Transformation Stage.
Another two months later, she ascended to the Separation and Reunion Stage.
In just one year, she had broken through several Great Realms. Her cultivation grew from zero to the Immortal Ascension Boundary at an unimaginable speed.
This kind of cultivation speed was unheard of on the entire Void Continent, let alone the small Water Moon Pavilion. No prodigy in history had ever achieved several breakthroughs in such a short period of time.
This was indeed unusual.
The leaders of Water Moon Pavilion were ecstatic. The Sect Master and the Elders pinned all their hopes on Xiao Xiao, thinking that she would be accepted by the Dao Temple and continue cultivating there soon; that way, Water Moon Pavilion’s reputation would soar.
However, Xiao Xiao seemed to have used up her potential after her first year.
For the next three years, her cultivation didn’t improve one bit.
The leaders of Water Moon Pavilion, who had high hopes for her, were naturally disappointed. Although they had done their best to solve this issue, their attempts were futile.
Four years after Xiao Xiao joined Water Moon Pavilion, she was allowed to visit her parents.
In the past four years, she was never allowed to leave Water Moon Pavilion.
This couldn’t be helped, as her initial performance was too astonishing. The leaders of Water Moon Pavilion made sure to hide her from public view as they were worried that the larger Sects would snatch her from them. Such incidents had happened before. Even though the smaller Sects could sometimes find talented disciples, they couldn’t always keep them.
Xiao Xiao’s initial performance was too Heaven-defying, so it was expected that the leaders of Water Moon Pavilion had to keep her a secret.
It wasn’t until they confirmed that her potential had been used up that they allowed her to return to her little village.
After leaving the Sect she had stayed for the past four years, Xiao Xiao rushed over to the village as she couldn’t wait to go home.
When she returned to the familiar village and pushed the door of her home open, she saw the stout woman, who was handling the prey in the yard.
In an instant, Xiao Xiao’s eyes were soaked in tears.
Noticing her presence, the stout woman looked up and saw her Daughter standing at the door. Pleasantly surprised, she turned her head and shouted, “Darling! Xiao Xiao is back!”
The next instant, Xiao Xiao crashed into the stout woman’s arms and hugged her tightly.
Upon hearing the noises, the hunter left the house and saw this heartwarming scene.
All three of them were celebrated that night. A pot of broth was made from the prey the hunter had caught that day, and they enjoyed their meal together. The hunter chugged down the wine that Xiao Xiao had brought back from Water Moon Pavilion and soon became intoxicated.
Since Xiao Xiao was now a disciple of Water Moon Pavilion, she would never get rid of this identity; however, she was no longer treasured by the leaders of the Sect. Moreover, she was currently just in the Immortal Ascension Boundary, so the leaders didn’t bother trying to restrain her. Furthermore, given the uniqueness of her appearance, they had never given her any missions for the Sect.
Although she had started growing in size since she became a part of Water Moon Pavilion, only four years had passed.
Presently, she only looked like she was seven or eight years old.
It wasn’t like they could expect such a child to carry out any important tasks; therefore, even though Xiao Xiao was still a disciple of Water Moon Pavilion on paper, she could stay in this village for as long as she wanted, and no one would criticize her for that.
This was exactly what she had always wanted.
The reason she even agreed to join Water Moon Pavilion back then was that she was a filial child. What she really yearned for was to stay by her parents’ side.
After helping her drunk parents to the bedroom that night, Xiao Xiao didn’t immediately think to rest.
Instead, she headed to the mountain and arrived at the log house where the hunter had picked her up in the past.
Although more than 10 years had passed, the log house had always remained there. Many hunters would rest here whenever they went hunting on the mountain.
Xiao Xiao set up a barrier around the log house before she entered it and started cultivating.
She had been hiding a secret from the leaders of Water Moon Pavilion; she wasn’t really in the Immortal Ascension Boundary, but instead the Origin King Realm!
Furthermore, her potential still hadn’t been used up.
The reason she was able to pretend to only be in the Immortal Ascension Boundary and have used up her potential in front of the leaders of Water Moon Pavilion was that she accidentally obtained a certain technique in the Scripture Pavilion of the Sect.
In the first year after she joined the Sect, her performance was astounding, and it was then she realised that the more astonishing her performance was, the more unlikely she could leave the Sect. Before Xiao Xiao was accepted into the Void Dao Temple, those from Water Moon Pavilion would never allow her to leave. Once she entered the legendary Void Dao Temple, she would never have a chance to return to the village.
Therefore, she thought that it would be wonderful if there was a Secret Art that could help her conceal her cultivation.
That was the reason she headed to the Scripture Pavilion, where she had really found such a Secret Art.
She secretly memorised the Secret Art and started cultivating it. What surprised her was that it was extremely effective.
Since she started cultivating that Secret Art, even the Sect Master and Elders of Water Moon Pavilion were unable to find out the truth. All of them thought that she was still in the Immortal Ascension Boundary when in fact, her cultivation had never stopped improving. Instead, it increased significantly day by day.
It never crossed Xiao Xiao’s mind that the Secret Art she had discovered would be so amazing.
She headed to the Scripture Pavilion again to look for it, but she could no longer find the Secret Art. It was as though the Secret Art had appeared at that point just to grant her wish, and then disappeared.
After concealing her cultivation for years, she finally achieved her goal and returned to the village.
Xiao Xiao decided that she would never leave her parents again.
Since her return, the couple had never asked her anything about cultivation. Four years of separation didn’t make them feel distant from each other; instead, their bond had become even stronger.
However, the couple could sense that Xiao Xiao was already different from the past.
The most noticeable change was that she would frequently disappear for one or two hours, and when she returned, she would bring back a lot of delicious food. Whenever they went hunting, she could always detect the prey before everyone else did.
And so, the days went by peacefully.
As time passed, Xiao Xiao grew into a young woman, and the homespun clothes she was usually seen wearing could never conceal her stunning beauty.
People from neighbouring villages would come over and propose marriage to her all the time; however, Xiao Xiao would always sweep them out of her house.
Initially, the hunter and his wife would watch it with pleasure, thinking that those rough brats didn’t deserve to marry their Daughter. It served them right that they were beaten up.
Nevertheless, as Xiao Xiao grew older, they couldn’t help but start worrying.
When they picked up Xiao Xiao from the log house on the mountain, they were already in their forties. In the first 10 years, Xiao Xiao never grew in size. It wasn’t until she became a disciple of Water Moon Pavilion that she started growing.
Now, she looked like she was in her early twenties, but it had been about 30 years since the hunter first picked her up back then.
Presently, the couple was already in their seventies.
There was no doubt that they were pretty old now. Although the mortals on the Void Continent who had never cultivated before could easily live up to 100 years old, there would inevitably come a time when the couple passed away.
After they were gone, Xiao Xiao would be left alone. Wouldn’t she feel lonely when she had no one else to rely on?
Therefore, despite their reluctance, the couple still hoped that their daughter would get married soon. They had talked to her about it on several occasions, but she would always dismiss it with a smile, stating that she didn’t intend to get married. She just wanted to keep her parents company until they passed away.
The couple was gratified, and they decided to stop bringing this up.
Although Xiao Xiao had never shown them any moves usually used by the cultivators, the couple knew that, since her return from Water Moon Pavilion, she was no longer a normal mortal. She was as exquisite as a phoenix now.
Certainly, those brats from neighbouring villages shouldn’t even dream about marrying her. Even if their Daughter wanted to look for a husband, only a successful cultivator would be worthy of her.
The students in the classroom came and went, but the teacher remained the same.
Xiao Xiao would frequently visit the teacher and bring him some delicious dishes she had acquired from who knows where. She never forgot that when she was younger, the teacher would always bring her delicious treats that she had never heard of out of nowhere and give them to her.
Now that she was a fairly powerful cultivator who could fly around freely, she decided to repay his favour.
However, there was one thing that made her feel puzzled.
Many years had passed, but the teacher didn’t seem to have changed at all. He was just as young as when he arrived at this village 30 years ago.
Xiao Xiao suspected that he was also a cultivator, but even after secretly inspecting him, she couldn’t discover anything. While feeling perplexed, she speculated that the teacher was just someone who aged slower than normal.
On the other hand, her parents had clearly grown old as time passed.
She had tried to collect some Spirit Herbs that could lengthen their lives; nevertheless, she knew that, as mortals, there would come a day when they passed away. Therefore, she valued the time she got to spend with her parents dearly and felt content with each passing day.
As Yang Kai watched everything, he couldn’t help but feel deeply moved.
Xiao Xiao, who was actually the Old Ancestor, had set off on her cultivation journey in this new life, but she had never forgotten about the hunter and his wife who had raised her. In fact, she did everything she could to break free from Water Moon Pavilion’s restraints and return to the couple.
Rarely would cultivators do this.
To cultivators, once they embarked on the Martial Dao, their biggest goal became walking further on it. Familial bonds, friendship, and love all came second.
However, Xiao Xiao was different. Family had always been of utmost importance to her, and everything she had been doing was intended to bring her closer to her family.
Naturally, it was Yang Kai who put the Secret Art that Xiao Xiao ‘accidentally’ discovered in Water Moon Pavilion. In truth, the Secret Art wasn’t really that effective. It was just that Yang Kai made a move in secret to ensure that those from Water Moon Pavilion wouldn’t notice the changes in Xiao Xiao’s cultivation. It wasn’t hard for him to achieve such a thing in his own Small Universe.
Usually, he wouldn’t have a hand in Xiao Xiao’s life experiences. However, since she had shown such an intention, he definitely had to satisfy her needs.
After she returned to the village, Xiao Xiao grew even faster, which showed that the Old Ancestor was truly recovering.
Now, Xiao Xiao was a young woman who didn’t look different from the Old Ancestor, it was just that her temperament was different.
The Xiao Xiao in Yang Kai’s Small Universe was innocent and inexperienced, unlike the Old Ancestor who had gone through the vicissitudes of life.
Yang Kai supposed it was the reason she had sealed off her memory.
This life was the catalyst in helping her recuperate.
While everything was going well for the Old Ancestor, the East-West Army in the outside world never gave up on attacking the Royal City.
Half a year ago, the East-West Army launched its third attack on the Royal City.
After several years of accumulation, the East-West Army had mined a lot of resources; however, before Liu Zhi Ping could put those resources to good use, they were all swiped by Xiang Shan and sent to the Artifact Refiners and Array Masters to arrange arrays.
This time, the East-West Army had set up more than 10 Universe Worlds, which consumed all of the resources they had accumulated over the years.
Liu Zhi Ping was speechless. She finally realised that Xiang Shan didn’t care whatsoever about numbers as all he saw was the Royal City. Regardless of how many resources there were, he would squander them away in a short time.
If she hadn’t intercepted some of the resources, the soldiers in the East-West Army wouldn’t have anything left to cultivate with after the battle ended.
Even without the portion she reserved though, the materials they had collected over the years were still enough for the East-West Army to prepare more than 10 Universe Worlds.
Things were not so different from when they launched an attack on the Royal City for the second time back then.
The East-West Army, which had remained dormant for several years, suddenly mobilized, their Warships rising into the air and inching closer to the Royal City.
Although the Territory Lords had experienced this before and expected it to happen again, they were still both shocked and furious when they saw it playing out just as before.
They were also astonished that the Humans could launch an attack again so soon. They knew that the Humans had been mining many Universe Worlds over the years, so it was apparent that the latter didn’t have sufficient resources. They initially thought that it would take at least 10 to 20 years for them to gather enough to launch another assault, so the Royal City would enjoy some peace for a while.
Nevertheless, it had only been 5 years since the last time the Humans attacked the Royal City.
They were furious because the Humans were so haughty that they didn’t even change their tactics at all. Things were going just like what had happened previously.
The Humans were basically telling them that they would attack the Royal City from the left side while the Universe Worlds would fly at them from the right side. Now, the ball was in the Black Ink Clan’s court.
But what else could the Black Ink Clan do? Just like what happened previously, they had to split their forces to defend both sides.
30% of them would form up on the right flank to ward off the incoming Universe Worlds while 70% of them would remain on the left to prevent the Humans from invading their city.
Nothing had changed. It was as though they had gone back to five years ago.
Since they were well prepared, the Territory Lords on the right side of the Royal City could detect the Universe Worlds sooner than the last time.
In the meantime, the East-West Army reached a place that was only 10 million kilometres away from the Royal City. The timing was precise as the Humans managed to make sure that the Black Ink Clan would be distracted.
The Black Ink Clansmen on the right flank started sending out attacks towards the Universe Worlds, which had travelled a great distance through the void and were coming right at the Royal City.
Black Ink Strength dyed the void dark as the lights of Secret Techniques cast by the Black Ink Disciples expanded.
The Universe Worlds were subsequently shattered, but every Universe World was full of arrays, and the universe fragments scattered around as the arrays were activated. At that instant, the void on the right side of the Royal City was filled with bright colours, as though fireworks had been set off.
Beneath the facade of this magnificent view, more and more Black Ink Clansmen, who did their best to intercept the Universe Worlds, lost their lives.
30% of the Black Ink Clansmen and their subordinates were on the right side, including more than 10 Territory Lords, twice that number of Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, and even more Feudal Lords. However, the moment they clashed with the Universe Worlds, they were unable to fully fend them off regardless of how hard they tried.
There were even more Universe Worlds this time than previously, and as the powers of those strange arrays exploded, the Black Ink Clansmen were caught off guard.
The most powerful Black Ink Clansmen were unable to stop the Universe Worlds alone, so they could only order the weaker Black Ink Clansmen to block them.
Previously, there was a universe fragment that struck the Royal City, which caused the Royal Lord’s healing to be disturbed. Faced with the latter’s burning fury, the Black Ink Clansmen were horrified.
None of them were willing to experience the Royal Lord’s wrath again, so they would rather sacrifice their lives than fail this time.
Countless Black Ink Clansmen charged forward like moths to a flame and somehow managed to intercept those universe fragments. The Territory Lords roared while the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples went all out.
Compared to their comrades on the right side, the Black Ink Clansmen on the left side were rather safe at this moment.
All of them were glaring at the Humans who were inching closer to the Royal City in their Warships. As they listened to their clansmen groan and shriek before their deaths, they felt truly vexed.
Undoubtedly, Che Kong was the most furious of them all.
He had suffered a setback previously. Initially, he thought that the Humans would seize the chance and launch an attack, but surprisingly, the Humans only launched one barrage from a safe distance and then ran away. The Black Ink Clansmen didn’t even manage to counterattack at all.
This was undoubtedly the most vexing situation on the battlefield when one was hit, but could not hit back.
Therefore, Che Kong decided that they would make a move before the Humans did this time.
As long as the Human Warships were close enough, the Black Ink Clan would launch a series of attacks and make them pay the price for what had happened previously.
Both parties were less than 10 million kilometres apart, so the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were already able to make a move, but that wasn’t enough. The Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were both the pillars of strength on their respective sides, but although they were powerful, there were not a lot of them.
Therefore, they had to wait for the Humans to come to a place that was only 5 million kilometres away so that the Feudal Lords could make a move as well and retaliate against the Humans.
[They’re getting closer!]
Che Kong’s order was on the tip of his tongue. As soon as the Humans moved forward for another million kilometres, he would teach them a lesson.
Just then though, the Human Warships abruptly stopped and started withdrawing. They were so swift that they had moved backwards a million kilometres in the blink of an eye, and the next instant, they were already 10 million kilometres away.
Che Kong widened his eyes in disbelief. He was so enraged that he almost spat blood, but he had no way to vent his fury.
He felt as if he had gotten ready by lifting a hammer, but his target had run away all of a sudden before he could swing it down.
“Bastards! I’ll kill all of you!”
Che Kong’s angry roar reverberated across the entire void.
Certainly, the Territory Lords were furious at the Humans’ despicable moves.
They couldn’t help but wonder if they had made the wrong decision by hunkering down in the Royal City and defending it at all costs.
The Black Ink Clan, who could do nothing but defend, were like beasts without fangs as they posed no threat to the Humans. Even though the Humans had set up a base right at their doorstep, they were unable to do anything.
If they were able to launch an attack, they wouldn’t allow the haughty Humans to come and go as they pleased; however, such an idea only remained in some of the Territory Lords’ heads as they wouldn’t dare to say it out loud. After all, it was the Royal Lord’s order that they should do their best to defend the Royal City before he fell into a state of deep sleep.
Regardless, the Territory Lords were relieved that the Humans didn’t manage to disturb the Royal Lord this time.
Although there were even more Universe Worlds this time than previously that came at the right side of the Royal City, they were all intercepted and shattered as the Black Ink Clansmen did their best to block them regardless of their losses.
Hence, no damage was caused to the Royal City.
Nevertheless, the price they had to pay was that there were even more casualties than the previous time.
This was unavoidable. Compared to disturbing the Royal Lord, the Territory Lords would rather let more of their subordinates die.
However, after the same thing happened twice, the Black Ink Clan finally figured out the Humans’ plan.
With the help of those Universe Worlds, the Humans could cause damage to the Black Ink Clan without suffering any losses on their side. After these two attacks in recent years, the Black Ink Clan had lost about 100,000 soldiers.
If the same thing kept on happening, there would come a day when all 1 million Black Ink Clan soldiers would be gone. By then, how were they going to ward off the Humans? Could the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples do it all on their own?
Although they were powerful, the Humans had Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of roughly the same number.
As this dragged on, the Black Ink Clan would be in an increasingly disadvantageous position.
Now, they could only pin their hopes on the Royal Lord, who was recuperating. As long as he could recover before the Human Old Ancestor did, they would be able to turn things around. It would be wonderful if those at Great Evolution Pass could come over and lend them a hand. By then, they could pincer the Humans and make sure the latter had nowhere to run.
After the third time the Humans made use of the Universe Worlds to attack the Royal City, they would do the same thing every few years.
However, generally speaking, the intervals were getting longer.
The third attack was five years apart from the second time, but the fourth attack was seven years after the third. As for the fifth, it was ten years after the fourth.
This situation was totally understandable.
Although there were countless Universe Worlds in the void, only a small number of them were suited to cover in arrays and attack the Royal City. After all, the size of the Universe Worlds mattered.
If they were too big, it would require too many resources to arrange the arrays, but if they were too small, they wouldn’t pose a threat to the Black Ink Clan.
An appropriate size was what the Humans were looking for in Universe Worlds.
While it took time to look for suitable Universe Worlds, it was equally time-consuming to extract enough materials to carry out such a resource-intensive plan. Since all the Universe Worlds nearby were already fully mined out, the Humans had to venture further afield.
That was why the intervals were getting longer.
Nevertheless, the leaders of the East-West Army were set on repeatedly using this tactic. Over the last 20 years since they established a forward base at the Black Ink Clan’s doorstep, they had launched four major attacks on the Royal City.
The East-West Army had never suffered from any losses as they had never directly engaged the Black Ink Clan. Following Xiang Shan’s order, their Warships would set sail and creep closer to the Royal City before rapidly retreating.
They would always gain a massive victory every time by using this tactic.
They had spent countless resources by attacking the Royal City with Universe Worlds five times, but for their troubles, they had managed to kill about 300,000 Black Ink Clansmen, including a significant number of Feudal Lords and Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples.
None of the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple were killed; however, they were exhausted from having to deal with the Universe Worlds that were meant to harass them.
Despite the losses, from the looks of it, there were still about 1 million Black Ink Clansmen around the Royal City, as though there hadn’t been a decrease in their number at all.
Nonetheless, their collective power had clearly been weakened.
Initially, the Black Ink Clan soldiers that had gathered together outside the Royal City were the best subordinates of the Territory Lords. After they were killed, they were replaced by the significantly weaker Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen. Such Black Ink Clansmen were basically of no use on the battlefield, though they could make the Army look intimidating to the enemy.
20 to 30 years had passed in the outside world, so as the four seasons alternated, some 100 years had passed in the Small Universe.
The mountain village remained the same, and although it had grown slightly larger, it was still considered a small village in a remote place.
Just like their ancestors, the hunters in the village earned a living by hunting. Before the old hunters passed away, they would give their bows to the next generation. Such inheritance was passed down over the generations.
In a certain yard, a family of three were having a good time together.
100 years had passed, so the hunter and his wife were old and frail now.
Both of them were about 150 years old. They enjoyed a pretty long life considering the fact that they were ordinary mortals who had never cultivated before.
In comparison to her youth, the stout woman had become debilitated. Perhaps she had worried too much about many things when she was young, so she was no longer as stocky as she used to be. Although she was still tall, she was extremely skinny. Her skin was dull, and her eyes were turbid.
On the other hand, the hunter was slightly more energetic, but his hair was all grey.
They were seated on a chair together as they basked in the afternoon sun, its warm light allowing them to feel at ease.
Xiao Xiao squatted in front of them as she took their hands and listened to the hunter talk about trivial things, keeping a smile on her face.
The hunter talked about a lot of things, including his experiences around the continent when he was younger and the dangers he faced on the mountain since his return to the village; however, most of the time, he reminisced about what happened after he picked up Xiao Xiao. He recalled the time when Xiao Xiao finally regained consciousness and the first time she called him ‘Father’. He also remembered the first time he went hunting with her on the mountain.
It was as though he was trying to recount all his encounters in his life. As he did that, he was filled with a sense of fulfilment.
Xiao Xiao just listened to him in silence, the smile on her face never fading.
The stout woman was initially in a dazed state, but she suddenly shook a little and landed a slap on the hunter’s thigh and yelled, “It’s getting late! Tell Xiao Xiao to come back and have dinner now!”
Upon impact, the hunter grimaced in pain. Although his Wife was no longer as strong as when she was young, her slap was still powerful. For all his life, he had been hit by his wife countless times.
Xiao Xiao turned to look at her, “I’m here, Mother.”
Upon hearing that, the stout woman lowered her head. After becoming startled for a moment, she asked with a smile, “Why are you all grown up all of a sudden, Xiao Xiao?”
Xiao Xiao replied, “I’ve grown up because I’ve eaten a lot of delicious food, Mother.”
The stout woman nodded, “You’re right. I’m glad that you’re all grown up. It’s not like you wouldn’t grow up forever. I’m really pleased.”
10 years ago, the stout woman started becoming confused. Perhaps this was a common illness that most old people would suffer from.
Despite that, she was still concerned that Xiao Xiao just wouldn’t grow bigger, though it was something that had happened over 100 years ago.
Perhaps this was the thing she was most concerned about and afraid of, so she had never forgotten about it.
After the stout woman muttered under her breath for a bit, her turbid eyes brightened all of a sudden. With her mind clearing up, she looked down at the woman before her eyes and called out gently, “Xiao Xiao?”
She would always call her Xiao Xiao when the latter was still a young child.
“Mother,” Xiao Xiao stuck her face close to the stout woman’s hand. As she rubbed her delicate face against her Mother’s rough hand, she felt heartbroken.
“You’re a grown woman now, Xiao Xiao,” the stout woman said gently.
Xiao Xiao nodded in response.
“You have to take good care of yourself,” the stout woman advised.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll take good care of myself,” Xiao Xiao repeatedly nodded.
“If you find someone you love, don’t hesitate to marry him. A woman will never be complete without a family of her own.”
“I’ll remember.”
“I know you’re an obedient child,” the stout woman appeared gratified, “I’m a little tired, so I’ll get some rest now.”
Xiao Xiao lifted her head, “I’ll sing you a song.”
“Alright,” the stout woman bowed her head with a smile.
It was then Xiao Xiao started humming a song. It was a lullaby her Mother would always sing to her at night when she was a child.
By the time she was done humming the lullaby, the stout woman had closed her eyes as her head rested on the hunter’s shoulder. Although she was sound asleep, she kept a faint smile on her face.
The hunter let out a breath and said in a small voice, “Your Mother has told you everything you need to know. You’re a grown woman now, so there’s no more advice I can give you. However, there’s one thing I want you to do. This village is too small, so go out and have a look. We have held you up for far too long, so it’s time you leave this place and explore the world.”
Xiao Xiao repeatedly shook her head, “Nothing could make me happier other than being your child.”
The hunter put on a happy smile, “Since you’ve said so, I have no more worries.”
A moment later, he went on to say gently, “Although your Mother is strong, she’s most afraid of being alone. I’ll keep her company. Go do your own things.”
Then, he extended his hand and hugged his life-long partner tightly. After snuggling up to her, he closed his eyes as well.
Xiao Xiao stared fixedly at them. Although her heart ached terribly, there was nothing she could do.
She was now in the Emperor Realm. Others might not be able to notice it, but as an Emperor Realm Master, she could see that vitality was rapidly leaving her parents.
Although she had given them a lot of foods and tonics that could lengthen their lives over the years, they were still just ordinary mortals. There would come a day when they reached the end of their lives, and no one could change that.
It was thanks to her efforts that they managed to live up to 150 years old. If not for the fact that she had given them countless precious herbs and elixirs, they would have passed away when they were just past 100 years old.
A moment later, Xiao Xiao heard footsteps approaching her from behind.
She turned around as her tears slid down her face. While sobbing, she said to the person, “Sir, my parents are gone!”
Yang Kai nodded and walked up to her, “They’ve passed away peacefully. They have no more worries in life.”
The next instant, Xiao Xiao crashed into his arms and started bawling her eyes out, “I no longer have parents!”
Patting her back, Yang Kai placated her by saying, “You had your parents, and that’s enough.”
With Yang Kai’s help, Xiao Xiao set up a funeral in her home. The hunters from the village came over and offered their condolences.
Three days later, there was a new tomb on the mountain.
Xiao Xiao knelt in front of the tomb as she was engulfed in a sense of melancholy. Her parents passed away peacefully. They had been a married couple for a long time, and they were buried in the same tomb. It could be said that they had been happier than most commoners in the world.
Regardless, they were gone.
Right then, an anomaly took place in the sky.
Yang Kai, who had been standing behind Xiao Xiao, looked up. As the owner of this Small Universe, he was acutely aware of all the changes going on in this World.
In front of the tomb, Xiao Xiao pressed her head against the ground three times to bid her parents a final farewell.
When she got to her feet, all the Bustling World Essence in the Small Universe streamed into her from all directions where she fully absorbed it.
In just 10 breaths of time, her aura changed drastically.
Yang Kai felt that his Small Universe was slightly shaking, which prompted his expression to turn solemn.
One had to know that his Small Universe had been spread out; moreover, with the presence of the World Tree’s clone, it was unlikely that his Small Universe would be impacted in any way, unless it was struck by a force that was significantly more powerful than his limits.
Fortunately, the tremor soon subsided.
Yang Kai cupped his fist and said solemnly, “Welcome back, Old Ancestor!”
Xiao Xiao remained unmoving. As she stared fixedly at the tomb, she spoke, “For all my life, it’s been smooth sailing since I started cultivating. I had my Honoured Master’s protection, and my Fellow Sisters and Brothers all took good care of me. My cultivation improved significantly day by day. From no cultivation, I ascended to the Emperor Realm, Open Heaven Realm, and eventually became an Old Ancestor. Others might not attain such achievements for all their lives, but to me, they were easy to come by.”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think that the Old Ancestor was indeed confident of her abilities.
She went on to say, “However, there has always been a regret in my heart. Before I joined Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, I was an orphan who never knew my parents before. I didn’t know who or where they were, so I never got to spend time with them. This life is an experience I’ve never had before. It’s embarrassing of me to have taken advantage of this situation to live out that dream, but I have to thank you for that.”
Yang Kai promptly said that he didn’t deserve her gratitude.
Nevertheless, it was only then that he realised why the Old Ancestor had instinctively stopped him from concealing her whereabouts even though she had sealed off her memory.
She must have sensed something the moment the hunter approached her.
Her biggest regret was that she never got to spend time with her parents. To experience a life she never had before was clearly of great help to her recuperation and even her cultivation.
Although there was the Marketplace in Yin-Yang Pass where a lot of Open Heaven Realm Masters could help her recover, everyone was aware of her identity; therefore, everything they did was meant to help her heal, and the way they treated her was not natural.
Nevertheless, it was different in Yang Kai’s Small Universe where she had lived for over 100 years.
The hunter and his wife were not aware that the child they had picked up from the log house on the mountain was a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor. They had treated her with care and love. The Old Ancestor, who had sealed off her memory, spent time with the couple just like other children with their parents.
This life made up for the regret she had in her heart.
She was badly injured after the battle against the Royal Lord. It was because she had intended to be mutually wounded with her opponent, so she had not held back at all.
It could be said that it was the most severe injury she had ever suffered in her life. That was why she only awakened after she remained unconscious in the Small Universe for a long time.
Even if she were in the Marketplace in Yin-Yang Pass, it would’ve required several hundred years before she could recover given her injuries.
Yang Kai’s Small Universe could help her recover quicker than if she were to stay in the Marketplace in Yin-Yang Pass, but it still should have taken her 200 years at the very least.
However, barely more than 100 years had passed, but she had fully recovered. It was thanks to the experience in this life that she obtained such benefits.
In other words, she would be able to recover rapidly by experiencing a life she had never gone through before.
Upon that revelation, Yang Kai fell into his thoughts.
“From today forward, my name is Xiao Xiao,” the Old Ancestor announced, “No one has called me by my original name for so long that I’ve almost forgotten it, so it no longer carries any meaning to me.”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment, but he naturally wouldn’t dare to say anything, for she was the Old Ancestor.
By keeping this name that she had been using for 100 years, she did not only show her gratitude to the couple, but it was also a way for her to remember them. The couple had made up for the regret in Xiao Xiao’s heart with their love.
They were just ordinary mortals while Xiao Xiao was a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor; however, these two mortals in Yang Kai’s Small Universe played a key part in Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s recovery, thus having an impact on a war that involved countless lives.
Such a thing would never have crossed the simple couple’s minds.
With that said, given their temperaments, they would have just laughed joyfully even if they found out about it. They would be more than happy to know that their Daughter was such an important figure.
While Yang Kai was in a dazed state, he felt a Will penetrating the Small Universe’s barrier and returning to the outside world. It was the Old Ancestor’s Will.
At that moment, the Humans were getting some rest in the forward base.
In fact, they had been doing that since their arrival at this place that was just outside of the Royal City. Other than pretending to attack the Royal City following the leaders’ order, they had never directly clashed with the Black Ink Clan.
Nevertheless, none of them would complain about it. Although the Commander’s tactics were cunning and even a bit shameless, they were effective.
Every time they moved closer to the Royal City, they would successfully distract the Black Ink Clan, and the Universe Worlds would kill a lot of their enemies.
Many Human soldiers hoped that as they kept doing this, they would eventually destroy all 1 million Black Ink Clansmen; however, considering the fact that the dead Black Ink Clansmen would be replaced, such a situation seemed unlikely.
Both parties had been in a confrontation for the past 30 or so years. Other than taking turns to extract resources, the Humans would also spend the rest of their time cultivating; hence, their strength had improved slightly.
With that said, it took a long time for an Open Heaven Realm Master to grow their power, so this minor increase wouldn’t affect the current situation.
Presently, other than the soldiers, the leaders in the Army were also cultivating.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship was hovering in the void above the forward base as it faced the Royal City’s direction. The people on the battleship could constantly monitor the movements in the Royal City from here.
Although it was unlikely that the Black Ink Clan would launch an attack, they had to remain vigilant.
Inside the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Xiang Shan, Liu Zhi Ping, and the other Eighth-Order Division Commanders were cultivating in their respective rooms when suddenly, a Will swept across the entire Purifying Black Ink Battleship. All the leaders, who were cultivating, were shocked.
The next instant, they appeared elated. This couldn’t be helped, as this Will clearly belonged to the Old Ancestor.
After the battle against the Royal Lord back then, the Old Ancestor entered Yang Kai’s Small Universe to recover. There hadn’t been any news about her since then. Xiang Shan had asked Yang Kai about the progress in the Old Ancestor’s recuperation, but Yang Kai only told him that everything was going well.
Xiang Shan initially thought that it would take the Old Ancestor at least 40 to 50 years to recuperate, but she left the Small Universe barely less than 30 years later.
[Has the Old Ancestor fully recovered? That’s too quick!]
As the Will swept through the battleship, an order was passed down.
In an instant, the originally quiet Purifying Black Ink Battleship became bustling with noise as the Commanders promptly left their rooms and headed to the conference hall.
Soon, they all gathered together.
Xiang Shan turned to look at an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and asked, “Junior Brother Zhou, how many Universe Worlds are ready now?”
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Zhou was responsible for mobilising people to move Universe Worlds back from the void and organizing the Array Masters to fortify them.
He had been diligent since he was given such a task and immediately replied, “10 days ago, I was informed that five Universe Worlds are ready to be used. The sixth one is still being prepared.”
Xiang Shan nodded. It had only been four years since they last launched an attack on the Royal City. They were pretty efficient to have found five suitable Universe Worlds and finished setting them up during this period.
According to the plan of Xiang Shan and the others, they should prepare at least 10 to 15 Universe Worlds before they initiated an attack so that it would have a more devastating impact on the enemy; however, that plan had to be modified now.
“The Old Ancestor intends to attack the Royal City, so we’ll need those six Universe Worlds prepared now.”
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Zhou replied, “Six Universe Worlds might not be sufficient to have a meaningful impact. Should we discuss the matter with the Old Ancestor and postpone the attack?”
Xiang Shan shook his head, “Compared to causing a lot of casualties to the Black Ink Clan, disturbing the Royal Lord’s recuperation is more important. Since the Old Ancestor has recovered, she can make a move now. On the other hand, the Royal Lord might not be able to do so. If we don’t do anything now, the Black Ink Clan will only gain a more advantageous position.”
The man surnamed Zhou nodded, “You have a point, Senior Brother Xiang. I was too negligent.”
Liu Zhi Ping said, “Moreover, since the Old Ancestor can make a move now, the number of Universe Worlds we have no longer matters.”
The presence of an Old Ancestor was significantly more intimidating to the Black Ink Clan than a few more Universe Worlds; therefore, the lack of Universe Worlds shouldn’t be a concern.
“In that case, send the teams working on the Universe Worlds a message and tell them to start taking action,” Xiang Shan ordered.
Soon, the man surnamed Zhou left the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and activated the Universe Transference Law. With the help of the Universe Array, he headed to the other Purifying Black Ink Battleship that was about 10 days away from the forward base, where the Humans were setting up Universe Worlds.
As the Universe Worlds were propelled across the Void for 10 days, they would gain horrifying momentum by the time they arrived at the Royal City.
For the ease of communication between both sides, the East-West Army’s second Purifying Black Ink Battleship was anchored there.
As arrangements were being made in the East-West Army, the soldiers were soon mobilised. All of them stopped cultivating and started getting busy.
Inside the Small Universe, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stood in front of the simple tomb and stared at it as she talked to Yang Kai.
With her memory unsealed and her injuries fully healed, she was at the peak of her strength; however, she would never forget the fact that she had lived in this village for over 100 years.
The couple in the tomb would always be her parents who had taken care of her for all their lives.
Basically, it was Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao who talked most of the time while Yang Kai simply listened.
All she talked about was her daily life with the couple. It was hard to imagine that a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor could wear such a sincere smile when she recounted such mundane affairs.
Nevertheless, this was truly who Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was. Yang Kai believed that this one point was where she significantly differed from the other Old Ancestors. She was a vivid, vibrant figure rather than a dispassionate and aloof powerhouse.
Yang Kai had come into contact with several Old Ancestors before. In comparison, he felt most at ease with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao. It could even be said that he didn’t feel pressured at all when he was with her.
Perhaps this had something to do with the uniqueness of her Secret Art. She needed the help of the Bustling World Essence when she recuperated, so her personality was more related to it as well.
Since she constantly immersed herself in the Bustling World, she naturally wouldn’t become aloof to mundane matters.
“Do you think reincarnation exists in this World?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao suddenly asked.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “Since I’ve never experienced it before, I wouldn’t dare to jump to an unfounded conclusion.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao chuckled and stopped asking. As she looked up at the sky, she said, “I’ll take my leave now.”
The next instant, she shot into the sky.
At this point, it had been an entire month since the hunter and his Wife’s death in the Small Universe.
Presently, many Territory Lords in the Royal City sported ugly expressions. This couldn’t be helped, as the Humans were mobilizing again.
They remembered each and every attack the Humans had launched on the Royal City, and with every mobilisation came the harassment of the weaponized Universe Worlds. Furthermore, the Humans would only approach the Royal City every time to pressure them, but the Black Ink Clan’s one million soldiers would all still have to respond as if a battle was imminent. They had no choice but to send forces to block those Universe Worlds and the Human Army.
Over the years, a staggering number of Black Ink Clansmen had lost their lives to those Universe Worlds.
It was expected that all of the Black Ink Clansmen were vexed.
They were fine with being killed by the Humans on the battlefield. Dying in battle was as much an honour for them as it was for the Humans; however, their deaths were practically worthless as they were killed by the Spirit Arrays on those Universe Worlds. The Black Ink Clan defenders had never even made contact with the Humans.
The Humans had been shamelessly using this tactic for the past 20 to 30 years. They didn’t even bother with putting on a pretence now, and there were no signs of them changing strategy any time soon.
The Black Ink Clan didn’t have a way to solve this problem. They couldn’t ignore the Universe Worlds or the Human Army that simply pretended to attack the Royal City, for both of them could potentially cause catastrophic damage if left alone.
The Black Ink Clan had to deal with both sides, so they had been led by the nose over the years, falling into a completely passive position.
Presently, Che Kong was standing on the deck of a large ship as he looked towards the left side of the Royal City.
The fleet of Human Warships was menacingly coming at them, as though they were determined to destroy the Black Ink Clan.
Nevertheless, Che Kong wore a dispassionate expression.
The first two times when he saw such a sight, he gave a flurry of orders and mobilised the Black Ink Clan soldiers in preparation.
However, he had become somewhat desensitized after experiencing this same scene so many times.
That was because he knew that the Humans wouldn’t really try to invade the Royal City; they were just putting on a pretence by forming into a Battle Formation.
What they were trying to achieve was to tie 70% of the Black Ink Clan Army down.
Apart from Che Kong, the other Territory Lords and Black Ink Clan soldiers had become apathetic as well. They hadn’t directly clashed with the Humans for the past 30,000 years, and as soon as both parties came into contact, they realised that the Humans were more shameless and despicable than the stories that had been passed down from their ancestors.
As the Black Ink Clansmen watched intently, the fleet of Warships driven by Humans crept closer to the Royal City. Presently, the Warships were only a bit more than 10 million kilometres away.
Based on past experiences, the Universe Worlds would appear about now. When the Human soldiers reached a spot that was 10 million kilometres away from the Royal City, the Black Ink Clan would have to start attacking the incoming Universe Worlds.
By then, the Humans would either directly retreat or launch a round of attacks before running away. There wouldn’t be anything new.
“What’s the situation? How many Universe Worlds have they prepared this time?” Che Kong asked the Territory Lord beside him as he gazed at the fleet of Warships.
They had experienced the same thing many times before, so although they were unable to fully resolve it, they had come up with some tactics to deal with this situation.
They could make some arrangements in advance by sending out scouts to find out how many Universe Worlds were coming at them so that the soldiers around the Royal City could get psychologically prepared.
This wasn’t a difficult task for the Black Ink Clan.
Upon hearing Che Kong’s question, the Territory Lord, who looked like a female, replied, “I was just informed that the Humans have sent six Universe Worlds towards the Royal City this time.”
“Six Universe Worlds?” Che Kong frowned, “Are you sure?”
Other than the initial probing attack, the Humans had never used such a small amount of Universe Worlds to attack the Royal City. During the first real attack, they had used 10 Universe Worlds. If there were too few Universe Worlds, it wouldn’t pose a threat to the Black Ink Clan.
The female Territory Lords shook her head, “A single Feudal Lord might be mistaken, but it’s not likely for five Feudal Lords to all be mistaken.”
Che Kong fell into his thoughts.
Since several Feudal Lords had left to gather information at the same time, there was no way their information was inaccurate.
“It has only been a few years since they last launched an attack on the Royal City. They might not have enough resources to set up the Spirit Arrays. Six Universe Worlds might be their limit this time,” the female Territory Lord said.
Certainly, Che Kong understood that; however, if the Humans didn’t have enough resources, why didn’t they just wait a few more years? They could have prepared even more Universe Worlds by collecting sufficient resources first.
The Humans’ unusual approach this time made him feel ill at ease.
“Tell them not to let their guard down. The Humans’ behaviour is a little unusual this time. Perhaps they have some other plot.”
The female Territory Lord nodded and waved her hand, after which a Feudal Lord approached her. She spoke to the Territory Lord, who then left in a hurry and passed her order on to the right flank of the Royal City.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clan soldiers on the right side of the Royal City could see that the Universe Worlds were flying towards them from the void.
The Universe Worlds were rapidly moving across the void. Perhaps the Humans knew that they couldn’t hide the Universe Worlds from the Black Ink Clan, so they had stopped wasting any resources to arrange any Spirit Arrays to conceal them since the third attack. That way, all the Universe Worlds that were coming at the Royal City were as bright as the Great Suns. Although they were still millions of kilometres away, they were flying towards the Royal City in an intimidating manner.
Before those Universe Worlds even arrived, many of the Black Ink Clan soldiers gulped. Based on past experiences, every time the Humans attacked, a large number of the Black Ink Clansmen would lose their lives. Although dying to Humans on the battlefield was an honourable sacrifice, it didn’t mean they were willing to be slaughtered by these Universe Worlds covered in Spirit Arrays.
On the other hand, the Territory Lords in this place were at ease, for they had already successfully intercepted 18 Universe Worlds in a single attack before, thus ensuring the safety of the Royal City.
With that said, they had paid a huge price to achieve that victory.
Since there were only six Universe Worlds this time, it would be effortless for them to defend the Royal City.
On the left side of the Royal City, the Human Warships were only 12 million kilometres away.
The unease that Che Kong felt intensified.
This kind of unease came out of nowhere, be he was still deeply concerned.
He paid close attention to both sides of the Royal City so that he wouldn’t miss any anomalies; however, regardless of how hard he looked, he couldn’t detect anything unusual.
He was informed by the clansmen from the right flank that there were indeed only six approaching Universe Worlds. On the other hand, the Human Warships were inching closer to the left side of the Royal City. It was estimated that by the time the Universe Worlds struck, the Humans would have reached a spot that was 10 million kilometres away from the Royal City.
The Humans would always do this without fail, and their timing was annoyingly precise.
Since there were no anomalies on either of the sides, why did Che Kong feel ill at ease at this point?
Just then, he detected an anomaly from the corner of his eye. He promptly turned to look in the direction where the Humans’ forward base was located.
There seemed to be a ray of light that was coming at the Royal City at an unimaginable speed.
This kind of speed couldn’t be achieved by a mere Territory Lord or Eighth-Order Masters.
Che Kong detected that ray of light just as it emerged from the Humans’ forward base, but in the blink of an eye, it had moved across millions of kilometres and was growing closer at an astonishing rate.
In just several breaths of time, the ray of light became as dazzling as the Sun. At the same time, a terrifying pressure could be felt coming from the light.
Che Kong felt his chest tightening as he exclaimed, “It’s the Old Ancestor!”
By the time he finished speaking, the ray of light from the Humans’ forward base had turned into a gigantic blade. There seemed to be an invisible hand that was holding the blade and slashing at the Royal City.
Space trembled, and the universe destabilised.
Faced with this sudden attack, all the Black Ink Clansmen felt cold all over their bodies, as though they were about to lose their lives.
Time seemed to have frozen at that instant. Regardless of how bright the light was, it couldn’t conceal the stunning beauty within it.
At that moment, both the Black Ink Clan soldiers and the Human soldiers found their eyes drawn to that figure.
It was a figure who was wearing all-white clothes with a piece of white cloth wrapped around her forehead.
It was said that women looked best in white clothes. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, who was already astonishingly beautiful to begin with, stunned the Black Ink Clan the moment she appeared in the void with that outfit. Besides them, the Humans were dumbfounded as well.
At this moment, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was pointing two fingers at the Royal City, swinging the gigantic blade that was the manifestation of her power down towards it.
On the deck of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Xiang Shan, who had always been a calm and collected man, couldn’t help gawking.
Liu Zhi Ping covered her lips in disbelief.
The Eighth-Order Division Commander beside them felt the corner of his brow twitching as he muttered, “Why is the Old Ancestor wearing mourning robes?”
They were familiar with the clothes that the Old Ancestor was wearing as those were clearly mourning robes. One would only put on such clothes when their relatives passed away; however, no one in the world would be important enough to let the Old Ancestor wear mourning robes after they passed away.
The two Army Commanders, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and the other Human soldiers were all puzzled; after all, the Old Ancestor was already one of the most powerful cultivators in the entire Human Race. Be it her age, cultivation, or seniority, she was at the peak of everything. Even if a Junior from her Sect had passed away, she didn’t have to put on such clothes.
Certainly, the Old Ancestor didn’t have any Elders either as they should have all passed on by now.
The Eighth-Order Division Commander suddenly had an odd idea as he thought of a possibility, “Could it be that Yang Kai has lost his life?”
The Old Ancestor had been recuperating in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, so if he had perished due to an accident in the process, it was possible that the Old Ancestor would put on such clothes to express her regret.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Liu Zhi Ping glared at the Eighth-Order Division Commander.
Even if Yang Kai had really passed on due to an accident when the Old Ancestor was recuperating, it still couldn’t explain why she was wearing mourning robes.
It seemed something they couldn’t understand must have happened during the Old Ancestor’s recuperation.
Dawning Light was located on the far side of the fleet, so it could be said that the Warship was near the outer flank.
In such a location, once a battle broke out, they would be in a more perilous situation than the Warships closer to the centre because they could be attacked and encircled by the Black Ink Clan first.
Certainly, the leaders had intentionally made such an arrangement. Dawn was a Special Operations Squad and was exceptionally powerful, while Dawning Light was significantly sturdier than other Squad Class Warships. It was expected that they would be tasked with dealing with the Black Ink Clan first.
The moment the Old Ancestor appeared, the members of Dawn were dumbfounded and rendered speechless.
Just then, a fluctuation was felt coming from the Space Array on Dawning Light. Feng Ying turned her head and saw a familiar figure stepping out of the array.
“Squad Leader!” She exclaimed with joy. The other members greeted him as well.
Over the years, Yang Kai had been helping the Old Ancestor to recuperate, so he hadn’t shown up all this time. Although Feng Ying was there to lead Dawn, they just felt that something was missing.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai appeared that the feeling was gone.
Wherever Humans gathered together, they would need a pillar of strength, and to the members of Dawn, Yang Kai was that pillar.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and moved towards the deck. As he looked intently, he couldn’t help but give a nod.
It seemed that the Black Ink Clan had run out of luck this time. The Old Ancestor was going all out the moment she appeared. It was apparent that she was in a terrible mood, so she wanted to vent it all out.
Although her power had been restored and her memory had been unsealed, she would never forget the 100-year life she had experienced in Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
As Xiao Xiao, she naturally wouldn’t be in a good mood after her parents, who had taken care of her all their lives, passed away.
“What happened to the Old Ancestor? Has one of her relatives passed away?” Feng Ying voiced the doubts of those members on the deck.
“It’s a long story,” Yang Kai wasn’t even sure how to explain. What’s more, this matter was something deeply personal and intimate to the Old Ancestor, so he couldn’t just reveal it as he pleased.
“Has the Old Ancestor recovered?” Qi Tai Chu asked, as that was the most pressing issue for the Humans now.
They were aware that the Old Ancestor was recuperating, and they had already estimated how long it would take her to recover.
Although there wasn’t a clear answer, they all agreed that it would take her many decades to 100 years to recover. Some of the soldiers came from Yin-Yang Pass, so they knew better than the others about how the Old Ancestor healed.
They were the ones who speculated that it would take her up to 200 years to fully recover.
Therefore, everyone believed that it would be at least 50 years before the Old Ancestor made a move again.
None of them had expected that the Old Ancestor would finish her recovery barely 30 years later, or that the moment she showed up, she would launch a fierce attack on the Royal City.
“She’s fine,” Yang Kai replied.
Feng Ying’s eyes brightened, “Does that mean that it’s serious this time?”
Several tens of thousands of soldiers of the East-West Army had been mobilised many times over the past 20 years to attack the Royal City; however, they would only put on a pretence each time. There was no doubt that it was a clever tactic, and the Black Ink Clan had suffered a lot of hardship because of that, but the Humans yearned to clash with the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield to let the latter know their fury and strength.
They had been waiting for the war to really start for the past 30 years.
They had been waiting for this day since they stepped into Black Ink Clan’s territory in the Great Evolution Theatre.
Yang Kai nodded, “Since the Old Ancestor has made a move, there’s no way we’ll go home without achieving anything!”
They exchanged glances with excitement all over their faces.
Other than the members of Dawn, the soldiers on the other Warships were equally thrilled.
In fact, the moment the Old Ancestor showed up and attacked the Royal City, everyone knew that they weren’t going to just put up a pretence this time; they would be directly clashing with the Black Ink Clan.
All the soldiers made ready for battle.
Only a moment had passed as the gigantic blade solidified and slashed at the Royal City.
Before the attack even arrived, a terrifying pressure engulfed the entire Royal City. The Black Ink Clansmen on both sides of the Royal City were horrified. Covered in this pressure, the weaker Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were unable to resist and began bleeding black blood from all over their bodies, as if it was being squeezed out of them. In the blink of an eye, these weaker Black Ink Clansmen exploded into black mists.
The High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were in better condition, but they still found it hard to even move freely.
Only the Feudal Lords and the Territory Lords were able to resist the terrifying pressure.
The gigantic blade slashed towards the huge Black Ink Nest in the centre of the Royal City.
This was the foundation of the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre; as long as this Black Ink Nest was destroyed, the transmission of information between the Black Ink Clan would cease, and they would be unable to produce any new Black Ink Clansmen. If the Humans could destroy the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest first, victory would be assured. Then, by killing the remaining Black Ink Clansmen, they would be able to fully occupy the Great Evolution Theatre.
By then, the entire Theatre would fall into the Humans’ hands. Since the beginning of the war between the two Races, no Great Pass had ever achieved such a feat before. If Great Evolution Army could achieve this, it would be a turning point forever recorded in the annals of history.
As the soldiers of the two Races watched intently, the gigantic blade was forcefully brought down.
Just when it was about to come into contact with the Black Ink Nest, a roar reverberated across the void, “Impudence!”
Following the roar, a dark hand stuck out from the Black Ink Nest all of a sudden and grabbed the blade.
The gigantic hand was made of pure Black Ink Strength, and the veins on it were so clearly defined that it appeared completely real.
The moment the dark hand appeared, the Royal Lord’s Will permeated the void.
Since Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao wanted to destroy the Black Ink Nest, there was no way the Royal Lord, who was recuperating inside it, would be oblivious to the attack. He awakened in an instant and promptly reacted to the threat.
Ultimately, the blade didn’t manage to strike the Black Ink Nest as it was grasped by the dark hand. The powers of the Royal Lord and the Old Ancestor clashed as the dazzling light expanded.
Darkness and light were locked in confrontation above the Royal City. After a short deadlock, the dazzling light pressed down again while the dark hand was forced lower, as though it was unable to resist the blade as it inched closer to the Black Ink Nest.
All the Black Ink Clansmen felt their hearts leaping to their throats, for the sight suggested that the Royal Lord was at a disadvantage.
The Black Ink Clansmen were horrified, for if the Royal Lord couldn’t resist this attack, his Black Ink Nest would be destroyed. Once that happened, regardless of how many Black Ink Clansmen there were, they would be like a tree without roots, or a river without a source. All of them would die sooner or later, with no hope for the future.
Just as the Black Ink Clansmen were growing anxious, even more Black Ink Strength billowed from the Black Ink Nest and streamed into the dark hand.
With this new wave of Black Ink Strength’s help, the dark hand, which was originally being forced back, steadied itself. Not only did it get out of the disadvantageous position though, but it even started pushing the enemy back.
The Black Ink Clansmen were ecstatic.
This situation suggested that the Royal Lord was only temporarily at a disadvantage after the sneak attack. Since he had rallied his strength, there was no way the Old Ancestor was a match for him.
After all, a Royal Lord who was close to his Black Ink Nest could make use of the Black Ink Nest’s power and exhibit strength beyond what he normally could.
The clash between the blade and the dark hand soon ended. As the dark hand tightened its grip, the blade shattered and scattered into wisps of light.
As the blade disappeared, the Old Ancestor turned into a ray of light and charged towards the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest.
The enraged Royal Lord flew out, and the two figures, one big and one small, clashed above the Royal City, shaking the Heavens and shattering the Earth.
Unlike their previous exchange, the Royal Lord had gone all out right from the start.
This couldn’t be helped, as the Royal City was literally right behind him. He had to ward off the Old Ancestor at all costs and make sure that his Black Ink Nest was not damaged.
Thrown into this intense battle, the Royal Lord was infuriated.
He had never expected that the Old Ancestor would come spoiling for a fight so soon.
He had only exchanged moves with the other party once in the past. Although he had suffered a setback in that battle, he was generally fine. After obtaining some information from the Royal Lord in the Yin-Yang Theatre, he learned a lot about the female Old Ancestor. On the other hand, the Old Ancestor knew next to nothing about him.
Therefore, after the previous battle, he concluded that it would take this Old Ancestor at least 200 years to recuperate before she staged a comeback.
200 years was enough for him to fully recover with the help of his Black Ink Nest. By then, he would be able to catch the Old Ancestor off guard.
How could he have anticipated that the Old Ancestor came attacking him again barely 20 to 30 years later?
[Has she fully recovered? Wouldn’t it damage her foundation if she frequently makes a move without healing first?]
From what he had gathered, the Old Ancestor from Yin-Yang Pass cultivated a unique Secret Art, and it was extremely difficult for her to recuperate once injured. It seemed impossible that she could recover in such a short time.
However, their brief exchange just now had astounded him.
If not for him drawing on the Black Ink Nest’s strength, he wouldn’t have been able to block the Old Ancestor’s attack given his current state. As a result, the energy inside the Black Ink Nest, which was sufficient for him to use for the next 10 years, had been used up in just over 10 breaths of time.
Now, the Black Ink Nest was just an empty husk with no energy to spare.
But soon, he realised that his judgement was wrong as the Old Ancestor hadn’t fully recovered. That was because, during their subsequent clashes, he could sense that the Old Ancestor was occasionally sluggish when she activated her strength.
This was a sign that she was still injured. Although she had been trying her best to conceal it, he could still sense it.
This allowed him to feel slightly more at ease.
It would have been a catastrophe for the Black Ink Clan if this Old Ancestor could really recover so quickly. Now, she was just concealing her injury using some kind of Secret Technique. She was practically digging her own grave.
The backlash from using such a technique, on top of her own injuries would cause serious damage to her in the long run.
Both of them still hadn’t recovered from their injuries, so neither held an advantageous position.
It was just the Royal Lord’s speculation in the beginning, but as the battle dragged on, he became certain of his judgement.
There was no way that the Old Ancestor had fully recovered. Although she still fought as fiercely as the last time, she was unable to conceal the fact that she was not at the peak of her power.
In the beginning, the Royal Lord was at a disadvantage, but as time passed, they became equally matched. A while later, the Old Ancestor was at a disadvantageous position instead.
The Royal Lord acted relentlessly, for this was the best chance for him to injure or even kill his opponent, so he wouldn’t let it slip through his fingers.
Now, it seemed that the Old Ancestor was trying to suppress the injury she had previously suffered from. Her intention was to destroy the Black Ink Nest when the Royal Lord was recuperating, but she hadn’t expected that the latter would counterattack so quickly. At that moment though, it was impossible for her to just stop halfway.
With that said, even though the Royal Lord had gained the upper hand, he was unable to obtain a decisive advantage.
This couldn’t be helped, as these two most powerful Masters were fighting against each other above the Royal City. While the Old Ancestor had no qualms about unleashing all her power, the Royal Lord couldn’t do that. He had to protect his Black Ink Nest; therefore, not only did he have to deal with his opponent, but he also had to divert some of his strength and attention to block the fallout of their clash.
A Black Ink Nest was surprisingly fragile and defenceless, so even the fallout from a high-level battle could destroy it.
With such a restraint, it would be extremely difficult for the Royal Lord to expand his advantage.
However, he soon found a solution for it. He secretly gave an order, after which three Territory Lords led seven Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to return from the right side of the Royal City and protect the Black Ink Nest.
With the presence of three Territory Lords and seven Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, 10 powerful Masters on par with Eighth-Order Division Commanders, they could easily ward off all the fallout and ensure the Black Ink Nest’s safety.
The reason the Royal Lord made such an arrangement was that he realised it didn’t require so many powerful Black Ink Clansmen to protect the right side of the city; after all, there were only six Universe Worlds this time, so it was fine to get ten of them to come over and protect the High-Rank Black Ink Nest. The rest of them could still deal with the Universe Worlds.
In the meantime, many Feudal Lords streamed into the Black Ink Nest and arrived at the Black Ink Pool. After fishing out all their materials from their Space Rings, they poured them into the Black Ink Pool.
Regardless of their Orders, the materials were directly absorbed by the Black Ink Pool and turned into pure Black Ink Strength.
That way, as long as the Royal Lord was still in the vicinity of the Royal City, he could make use of the Black Ink Nest to strengthen his power. As Black Ink Strength continuously billowed from the Black Ink Nest, the Royal Lord grew increasingly confident and was no longer flustered like he had been at the start of the battle.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao repeatedly attempted to break through his blockade and attack the Black Ink Nest, but he managed to block all her attacks.
As the Humans watched this sight, they secretly grew anxious.
None of them could have expected that the Old Ancestor would be at a disadvantage upon clashing with the Royal Lord. Despite that, the Human Race Army never stopped moving forward as they headed straight towards the Royal City.
On the deck of the Dawning Light, Yang Kai, who was intently watching the fight, furrowed his brow.
This scenario was playing out differently from what he had expected.
What puzzled him was that the Old Ancestor was slightly sluggish when she activated her power. Although they were far apart, he could still sense it as the Old Ancestor was extremely powerful to begin with.
He was very familiar with that kind of sluggishness, and knew it meant that a cultivator was injured.
Nevertheless, he was certain the Old Ancestor had fully recovered, so she hadn’t suffered a setback during the exchange of moves. How was it possible that she was suddenly injured again?
The only possibility he could think up was that the Old Ancestor was deliberately doing this to deceive her opponent.
Yang Kai wasn’t interested in speculating about the Old Ancestor’s intentions; however, since she was pretending to be injured, it suggested that everything was well within her control. Therefore, even though she appeared to be at a disadvantage, she must be secretly carrying out her plan.
Only a cup of tea’s time had passed since the Old Ancestor appeared and brought down her blade. The Royal Lord managed to intercept her attack in time, and they subsequently engaged in an intense battle.
Above the Royal City, the Old Ancestor was as menacing as ever, while on the other hand, the Black Ink Nest, which had been replenished with Black Ink Strength, continuously aided the Royal Lord, allowing him to act increasingly boldly.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao seemed to realize that the battle couldn’t be dragged out. If she wanted to destroy the Black Ink Nest, she had to circumvent the Royal Lord; however, she couldn’t ignore the Royal Lord, who was assisted by the Black Ink Nest’s power.
Hence, after a moment of deadlock, she decided to retreat.
The Royal Lord quickly chased after her, as though he was determined to stop her from fleeing.
The Black Ink Clansmen on the right side of the Royal City were dumbfounded.
This couldn’t be helped, as these two most powerful Masters soon arrived at their location.
Earlier, these weak Black Ink Clansmen already felt immensely pressured when facing the fallout of the battle, but now that these two were fighting right above their heads, how were they supposed to cope?
The Royal Lord was furious as had figured out the Old Ancestor’s intention. It was apparent that she was trying to make use of the Black Ink Clansmen to force him to act cautiously lest the innocent be hurt.
Certainly, the Royal Lord wouldn’t grant her wish. As he chased after her, his attacks were still as violent as ever. The life or death of these Black Ink Clansmen didn’t concern him.
To him, the Old Ancestor was his only enemy, and as long as he could kill her today, it would be fine even if all of his subordinates perished in the process.
As their powers clashed, the 300,000 or so Black Ink Clansmen on the right side of the Royal City were thrown into chaos. Many of them were injured or even killed. As the fallout of the epic clash swept across the void, even some of the unlucky Feudal Lords lost their lives, not to mention the High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen.
The Territory Lords were even more furious than the Royal Lord, for the deceased Black Ink Clansmen were their subordinates. Without those subordinates, they would be leaders without any followers.
Some of the Territory Lords ran away and led their subordinates to leave this area lest more casualties were caused while other Territory Lords charged towards Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao along with their Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.
The battle between the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord was intimidating, and the average person would never be able to have a hand in it; however, the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were powerful enough to do that.
The Old Ancestor had to take a huge risk by trying to restrain the Royal Lord with the Black Ink Clansmen. As she was all on her own now, she was destined to be surrounded by her enemies.
With that said, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had already expected this. Before the Black Ink Clansmen could close in on her, she raised her hand and took out a medallion, which rapidly expanded into an invisible shield that surrounded her.
The Royal Lord’s horrifying attack as well as the Secret Techniques of those Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples struck the shield, causing it to ripple and dim.
It was apparent that the medallion that the Old Ancestor had summoned was quite precious. Despite that, most of its spirituality was lost very quickly.
However, with the help of the momentary protection, she performed a set of hand seals and chanted, “From Chaos, Yin and Yang are Born!”
As World Force undulated, a gigantic Yin-Yang Fish pattern expanded and engulfed the surrounding 300,000 Black Ink Clansmen.
At that instant, Yin and Yang manifested.
At the same time, countless strange-looking silk threads spread across the Yin-Yang Fish. Those silk threads appeared as light as feathers, but the instant they penetrated the Black Ink Clansmen, they became razor-sharp, easily cutting them into innumerable pieces.
The aura of death engulfed the entire void.
In just three breaths of time, the shield around the Old Ancestor was shattered, and at that instant, she extended her hand and grasped something.
An Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, who had been eager to make a contribution, froze as though he had been clenched by an immense force, his face filling with horror.
When he looked down, he realised that his legs had been tied by the silk threads, which quickly cut into his body.
Terrified, he hurriedly pushed the power of his Small Universe in an attempt to resist the attack.
Nevertheless, what happened next astounded him. The moment he tried to access his Small Universe, he realised that it had fallen into chaos.
He immediately inspected himself, only to see that the silk threads had broken through the barrier of his Small Universe and slashed across it like countless sharp knives.
At that instant, he came to the realisation that this was a Secret Technique that specifically targeted one’s Small Universe.
No one had a better understanding of Small Universes than the Human Old Ancestors. Moreover, the Old Ancestor before his eyes was one already an Order above him, and she had used a Secret Technique that specifically targeted the Small Universe. How was he supposed to resist?
What was laughable was that when he saw that the Old Ancestor was at a disadvantage against the Royal Lord earlier, he wanted to seize the chance and attack her.
However, instead of achieving his goal, he would most likely lose his life here.
As soon as the thought flashed through his mind, his Small Universe was cut to pieces, and his vitality rapidly left him.
An Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple indeed had a right to have a hand in the battle between the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord, but in order to do so, they had to bear an enormous risk.
Apart from him, the other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples faced the same situation. As they were engulfed in the Yin-Yang Fish, the silk threads broke through the barriers of their Small Universes and turned into attacks that could destroy the Heavens and shatter the Earth. Their Small Universes were soon devastated.
Faced with this attack, these Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had no other choice but to stop in their tracks and focused on resisting the invasive Secret Technique.
The Territory Lords didn’t have Small Universes, so they wouldn’t be targeted by the Secret Technique, but naturally the profound Secret Technique that the Old Ancestor had cast wouldn’t only work on Small Universes.
Those silk threads were plenty destructive in their own right.
The Territory Lords were soon wounded as their black blood scattered around the void. Regardless, they still relentlessly charged towards the Old Ancestor in an attempt to join forces and slay her.
The Royal Lord had never stopped his assault, and faced with the series of violent attacks, the Old Ancestor wouldn’t dare to be negligent.
Nevertheless, hovering within this Yin-Yang Fish, the Old Ancestor was evidently more agile and sensitive to her surroundings. She moved so elusively that even the Royal Lord found it hard to hit her.
10 breaths after the Yin-Yang Fish appeared, countless Black Ink Clansmen had lost their lives, while all the Territory Lords were wounded and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were struggling to save themselves.
However, with the absolute advantage in numbers on their side, these powerful Black Ink Clansmen eventually joined forces with the Royal Lord and besieged the Old Ancestor.
Just then, the Old Ancestor, who was wearing mourning robes, flashed a cunning smile. The next instant, she sank into the Yin-Yang Fish and disappeared.
The Secret Technique that the Royal Lord sent out completely missed its target.
Stunned, he soon turned to look in a different direction and widened his eyes.
That was the left side of the Royal City where 70% of the Black Ink Clan Army was located.
The Territory Lords on the left side had watched as the Old Ancestor attempted to attack the Black Ink Nest and subsequently got into a fight with the powerful Black Ink Clansmen on the right side of the city.
Although they wanted to help out, they could only remain in place as the Human soldiers were still creeping closer to the Royal City. They couldn’t do anything else other than stand their ground.
Little did they know that their inaction would soon bring them trouble.
The moment Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao appeared among the Black Ink Clansmen who were located on the left side of the Royal City, the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were horrified.
Earlier, they had witnessed the moves that the Old Ancestor had used, so they were acutely aware of how powerful she was; therefore, the moment she appeared, the Black Ink Clansmen around her promptly ran away.
However, it was too late.
The World Force swirled around her and turned into a violent storm. As it spread out, the Black Ink Clansmen around her collapsed.
Following her appearance, the Yin-Yang Fish, which was supposed to be on the right side of the Royal City, appeared and engulfed the Black Ink Clansmen in this place.
All the Black Ink Clansmen felt as though they were suffocating.
If not for the fact that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was under considerable strain trying to affect so many enemies across such a vast area, she would have been able to destroy all these 700,000 Black Ink Clansmen on her own given enough time. Even the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples wouldn’t be able to escape from her.
Fortunately for them, the Royal Lord arrived swiftly.
These two figures clashed again.
This was their third battlefield as they had been fighting against each other all around the Royal City.
The first battlefield was just above the Royal City where Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao attempted to destroy the Black Ink Nest. After her plan was foiled, she had no choice but to head to the right side of the Royal City where she devastated the Black Ink Clansmen stationed over there.
After she was done with that, she somehow slipped over to the left side of the Royal City and did the same thing to the Black Ink Clan Army here. Such roguish actions did not befit her status as the Old Ancestor.
The Royal Lord was so furious that he almost went mad.
He had previously battled Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao. During the exchange of moves, his only impression of this Human was that she was insane, and this time, her insanity had gotten worse.
This woman was aware that she would be at a disadvantage by fighting against the Royal Lord near the Royal City, but she insisted on doing it just to destroy the Black Ink Clan Army.
The Royal Lord almost had the urge to leave her alone and head straight to the Human Warships. He wouldn’t be heartbroken regardless of how many Black Ink Clansmen lost their lives; however, if too many Humans were killed, the Old Ancestor wouldn’t be able to take it.
However, he did not dare act on this impulse, for if he did, this insane woman would surely seize the chance and head straight for the Black Ink Nest. When that happened, even though he could cause a massive number of casualties to the Humans, his Black Ink Nest would be gone forever.
He didn’t care how many Black Ink Clansmen were killed, but he could never let his Black Ink Nest be destroyed; therefore, he had to target the Old Ancestor no matter what. He could not allow her to move about freely.
This put him in a passive position.
Only 30% of the Black Ink Clansmen were located on the right flank of the Royal City, tasked with stopping the weaponized Universe Worlds from impacting the Royal City, so it didn’t require a lot of people. 30% would be enough.
On the other hand, 70% of the Black Ink Clansmen were stationed on the left side of the Royal City, which was more than two times the number on the right. It was only natural that there were also more Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples around here.
Now that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had shifted from the right side to the left side, the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples on the left side certainly wouldn’t sit back and do nothing. Just like what had happened earlier, they charged towards the Old Ancestor in order to assist the Royal Lord.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was in an increasingly perilous situation.
Given the strength she had exhibited earlier, she would still be at a disadvantage even if she was in a one-on-one fight with the Royal Lord in this place, not to mention that the Royal Lord had the assistance of these Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples now.
Barely 30 breaths of time later, the Yin-Yang Fish, which had come with the Old Ancestor, shattered and returned to Chaos.
This was a sign that the Old Ancestor no longer had sufficient energy to sustain her Secret Technique.
She had to focus on dealing with the Royal Lord and the powerful Black Ink Clansmen who had besieged her; however, she no longer had enough power to fend off all their attacks, which broke through her defences and struck her seemingly frail figure, causing the light around her to flicker.
Seeing that, the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples exerted more power with their attacks in an attempt to aid the Royal Lord in taking down the Old Ancestor once and for all.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t easy to defeat a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor. The moment the Yin-Yang Fish fell apart, the void seemed to shake a little, and as the tremor spread, a shockwave was sent across the entire battlefield.
All the Black Ink Disciples temporarily fell into a dazed state.
The powerful Black Ink Clansmen were less impacted, but they still became sluggish for a moment.
The Old Ancestor charged through the Black Ink Army and broke through their blockade before dashing towards the depths of the void.
After a brief moment of hesitation, the Royal Lord decided to chase after her.
Just a moment later, the noise of the battle between these two most powerful Masters was heard coming from the distance.
The Black Ink Clansmen, who were originally in an orderly formation, were all scattered and bruised now. After Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao kicked up a storm, not only was their Battle Formation broken, but many of them had also lost their lives.
The lives of the Black Ink Clansmen below the Feudal Lords didn’t matter; however, it was heart-wrenching to know that a number of Black Ink Clansmen above the Feudal Lords were killed.
Even some of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had lost their lives. Just now, two of them were killed by the Old Ancestor, and including the one from the right flank, she had slain three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples in total.
Such casualties should never have happened.
Regardless of how powerful the Old Ancestor was, as long as the Black Ink Clansmen coordinated properly, and with the restraint from the Royal Lord, the Old Ancestor would never have achieved such results.
However, the Royal Lord wasn’t concerned about the life or death of his subordinates at all. While the Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities used by the Old Ancestor were ferocious, those used by the Royal Lord were even more savage.
These Black Ink Clansmen not only had to deal with the Old Ancestor, but they also had to be cautious about getting impacted by the repercussions of the Royal Lord’s attacks.
Although the battle didn’t last a long time, the powerful Black Ink Clansmen all felt extremely weary.
Fortunately, these two sources of disaster had left.
This was the kind of situation that should have taken place since the beginning. These two powerful Masters should have gone to their exclusive battlefield and engaged in a life-and-death battle. Why did they drag the less powerful ones into their clash?
However, before the Black Ink Clan could take a breath, they were faced with a new crisis.
The fleet of Human Warships was now closing in. Xiang Shan’s towering figure stood at the bow of a Battalion Class Warship at the front of the fleet, and with a solemn expression, he reached out and summoned a hideous-looking saber that was taller than he was.
He pointed the tip of the blade forward and ordered, “Kill!”
At that instant, lights of Secret Techniques and artifacts flashed across the fleet of Warships behind Xiang Shan and rained down fire on the Royal City.
Every Human soldier of every Squad on every Warship silently took action at this moment.
In this silent atmosphere, all of them infused their World Force into the arrays and artifacts as they vent their burning fury on the Black Ink Clan.
The Humans were enraged.
They had witnessed what had happened to the Old Ancestor, and although they understood that everything she had done was to create a chance for them to launch an attack, when they saw that she had to deal with so many powerful Black Ink Clansmen on her own while they were unable to help, they inevitably blamed themselves for not being strong enough.
It wasn’t until they got close to the Royal City that they could vent their suppressed frustrations.
This was technically their first real battle since the East-West Army departed from Wind and Cloud Pass, so they had to succeed at all costs.
For this battle, they had been patiently waiting and getting prepared for the past several decades.
The Black Ink Clansmen still hadn’t regained their senses from the earlier chaos when they were engulfed from the Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering attacks.
Although Che Kong had already detected it, and he had been giving orders, the Black Ink Clan couldn’t form an effective resistance as their Army was currently still in chaos.
The powers of the Secret Techniques and the artifacts devastated the Black Ink Clan. Every attack was equivalent to an all-out move of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Every Warship could send out two to three such attacks at once, so with some 2,000 Warships around, it was akin to 5,000 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters making a move all at once.
The sight was truly magnificent.
The Black Ink Clansmen in the periphery were unable to resist such attacks.
Engulfed in the colourful lights, they were eternally laid to rest.
Before the two Races even clashed, a massive number of Black Ink Clansmen had lost their lives.
After the series of attacks, there was a moment of silence.
Several breaths of time later, the attacks of the same intensity shot forth again.
After three rounds of intense attacks from the Warships, a large number of Black Ink Clansmen were either injured or killed.
The Black Ink Clansmen were terrified.
It had been 30,000 years since they last fought with the Humans, and over the past 30 years, although the Humans had repeatedly harassed them, they would run away after launching a single round of attacks and achieving some small success. Hence, the Black Ink Clan never had a taste of how horrible the Human Warships truly were.
It wasn’t until this day that they realised the Humans were truly powerful. Faced with the continuous attacks, many Black Ink Clansmen were consigned to oblivion without even the chance to resist.
With the help of the arrays and artifacts on the Warships, the Humans were able to launch attacks on the enemy while the Black Ink Clan was unable to respond on the spot.
That way, most of the Black Ink Clansmen were powerless to counterattack as they were struck by the barrage.
Although the Territory Lords and the Feudal Lords did counterattack, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters certainly wouldn’t sit back and allow the Black Ink Clan to make a scene.
While the fleet of Warships was still creeping closer to the Royal City, the powerful Masters from the two Races exchanged moves from a distance.
The battlefield on the left side of the Royal City was bustling with noise, while on the right side of the Royal City, the Black Ink Clansmen who had just endured the battle between the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord felt quite conflicted.
This couldn’t be helped, as the Humans had greatly changed their tactics this time.
In the past, when the Humans launched a round of attacks on them, the Universe Worlds would arrive at the same time.
But this time, while the Human soldiers had clashed with the Black Ink Clansmen on the left, the Universe Worlds still hadn’t arrived at the right side.
This forced 30% of the Black Ink Clan Army to remain idle as they had to stay there to prevent the Universe Worlds from destroying the Royal City. They could only watch as their clansmen on the left side were attacked, while there was nothing they could do to help.
This was apparently the plan that the Humans had come up with.
A moment later, the Human Warships had already closed to just 1 million kilometres from the Royal City. At such a distance, the two Armies could now engage in close quarters combat.
The continuous attacks from those Warships finally stopped.
This couldn’t be helped, as the cultivators responsible for controlling the offensive arrays and artifacts on the Warships were basically Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Although they were fairly strong, and they could cast Seventh-Order attacks with the help of the arrays and artifacts, their heritage wasn’t nearly as deep as real Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
They couldn’t possibly exert themselves to activate the powers of the arrays and artifacts continuously for an extended period of time. After such a long barrage, they had to slow down and restore their strength.
Che Kong, who was extremely vexed, raised his arm and ordered, “Stop them! Do not let them get any closer to the Royal City!”
Following his order, the Black Ink Clansmen behind him charged forward.
As the two Armies clashed, both parties had to be menacing and bold.
Certainly, neither the Humans nor the Black Ink Clan were less menacing or bold, especially when both parties were furious.
What happened to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao enraged the Humans while her actions infuriated the Black Ink Clan.
As these raging Armies clashed, it was destined to be a brutal battle.
Faced with the Humans’ onslaught, the Black Ink Clansmen at the front were instantly killed. On the other hand, the defences around the Human Warships at the front flickered.
The Secret Techniques from both parties intertwined in the void and rained down on each other. For a battle of such scale, there was no need for specific targets, everyone simply attacked the enemy closest to them.
Both Armies engaged in an intense struggle as soon as they came into contact.
Such intense fighting was more than many Black Ink Clansmen could take, resulting in massive casualties on their side. Even the Human Warships couldn’t last forever under such wanton bombardment.
After just 10 breaths of time, the 300 Warships which formed the vanguard of the East-West Army’s force had their shields turning dim. It was a sign that their defences were on the verge of failing.
On such a battlefield, if the defensive barriers around a Warship were broken, the entire Squad inside would have to face the Black Ink Clan’s wrath without protection. When that happened, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters might stand a chance to flee, but those below the Seventh-Order would be doomed.
Fortunately, they had already made arrangements.
Without the need for anyone to give orders, the moment the cultivators realised that their Warship was on the brink of breaking apart, they would retreat at full speed.
As one Warship withdrew, another would come forward to fill the gap.
There were several thousand Warships on the Humans’ side, so by cycling which ones were at the front of the assault, the East-West Army ensured they could deal the most damage while suffering the fewest losses as they crept closer to the Royal City.
As Warships retreated, the same amount of Warships would replace them from behind.
By using this method, there were rarely any casualties on the Humans’ side as the two Armies collided.
During the second round of replacement, Dawning Light made it to the forefront. The members responsible for controlling the defensive arrays and artifacts madly pushed their World Force and infused it into the arrays and artifacts so that their Warship could last even a little longer.
The ones in charge of the offensive arrays and artifacts quickly tried to restore their energy which they had exerted during the opening round of attacks.
Meanwhile, with Yang Kai in the lead, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters vented their powers on the Black Ink Clansmen in front of them.
The Secret Techniques they cast successfully killed many enemies.
Bai Yi’s skills in archery were especially intimidating in this kind of situation. Every arrow she shot could end a Feudal Lord’s life. As her petite figure stood at the bow of the ship, her eyes radiated an unusual glow. It was apparent that she had activated an Eye Secret Technique as she selected her targets.
The Warship of the Old Turtles Squad was not far from Dawning Light.
The Old Turtles were renowned for their defensive capabilities, so this kind of situation was where they could make the best use of their skills. The entire Warship radiated a glow which served as a barrier of defence like a thick tortoise shell, which could protect the soldiers beneath it.
When Dawning Light replaced a withdrawing Warship, the Old Turtles Squad had already been at the front, and even after some time had passed, their defences showed no sign of weakening.
It had to be said that even though the Old Turtles were slow, they were peerless when it came to their defence. Given such a characteristic, it would be hard for them to earn Military Merits in a search and destroy mission, but they could serve as the best shield for others around them in this kind of chaotic melee.
The Warships that had moved forward along with Dawning Light earlier had all been replaced. In fact, Dawning Light’s shields were also on the brink of failing.
Although the capabilities of Dawning Light were far greater than average Squad Class Warships, they were for all intents and purposes balanced. It was unlike the Warship of the Old Turtles Squad, which had outstanding defensive and offensive strength but greatly reduced speed and maneuverability. Dawning Light naturally reached its limit sooner than the Older Turtle’s Warship.
Fortunately, both Armies were already tangled up together, so Dawning Light didn’t have to fully retreat.
Like two torrents that collided, the universe seemed to have turned upside down as the void became destabilised.
After the exchange of moves, with the Battalion Class Warships leading the way, the Humans tore apart the defences of the Black Ink Clan Army.
The Warships from behind came forward and cast their attacks on the Black Ink Clansmen on both sides, further dividing up the enemy.
Like a sharp blade, the Human Warships cut across the Black Ink Clan’s lines and continued to move forward for several hundred thousand kilometres until the enemy Army had been split apart.
Upon arriving at this spot, the Battalion Class Warship in the lead suddenly changed directions and charged forward.
The other Warships all followed it closely.
The Battalion Class Warship was commanded by Xiang Shan. In order to carry out the plan on this day, this Battalion Class Warship was specially modified and its members were also carefully selected. Ordinary Squads were not comparable to it when it came to their offence and defence capabilities.
Such a Battalion Class Warship could serve as the tip of the spear.
Meanwhile, the other Battalion Class Warships, all commanded by the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, were located on the sides of the fleet. That way, with the protection of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they could ensure that the fleet wouldn’t be broken up, allowing them to move together as a cohesive force.
However, the price that the East-West Army had to pay was that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had lost their freedom to move around.
It wasn’t hard for the Black Ink Clan to resolve this problem, they just had to gather enough power and specifically target one point of the fleet to break up the formation.
Therefore, the Humans had to bear some risk by using this tactic. With that said, in order to ensure the completeness of the fleet, they had no other choice.
Only by acting this way could they limit the losses that they might suffer.
The lives of the Black Ink Clansmen were valueless, but the Humans couldn’t afford to lose their men.
Several decades ago, Yang Kai had taken part in the North-South Army’s fight against the Black Ink Clan. During that battle, he led two elite Squads of the North-South Army, using his Golden Crow Casts the Sun to cut a swath through the enemy ranks. As they dashed around the battlefield, they destroyed many Black Ink Clansmen to tip the balance in the Humans’ favour.
What the East-West Army was doing on this day was basically the same.
With that said, the scale of things was significantly larger than back then.
At that time, Yang Kai led two Special Operations Squads on his own, but this time, all the soldiers of the East-West Army were taking action together, so it was tremendously more effective overall.
The Territory Lords were dumbfounded.
They initially thought that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would target them and head to another battlefield to engage in a life-or-death struggle; however, it now seemed that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t have such an intention as they steadfastly guarded the periphery of the fleet.
If the fleet of Warships sailed by the Humans was compared to a Grand Dragon, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were like its scales. All the Human soldiers had formed into a horrifying force.
After Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stirred up chaos, the Black Ink Clan’s formation had already collapsed. Although they had tried to reorganise themselves, it was not effective.
Following the exchange of moves with the Humans, their formation was broken up again.
Wherever the Human Warships went, the Black Ink Clansmen were powerless to resist.
Although the powerful Black Ink Masters had repeatedly made a move, their attacks were blocked by the Eighth-Order Division Commanders and the Warships themselves. There was nothing they could do to achieve a breakthrough.
In just a while, the Grand Dragon formed from Human Warships had torn the battlefield apart. The body of the Grand Dragon had surrounded about two hundred thousand Black Ink Clansmen.
A bombardment of attacks rained from the Warships and struck the Black Ink Clansmen who had been isolated.
More and more of them continuously lost their lives.
Suddenly, there came a moment when a blade light slashed across the void from the head of the fleet. Upon impact, the aura of a Territory Lord soon dissipated.
The blade light came from Xiang Shan, who was leading the charge.
When the blade light slashed out earlier, both Humans and the Black Ink Clan felt a crawling sensation on their scalps.
On the deck of Dawning Light, Yang Kai was amazed.
He had already heard that Xiang Shan was significantly more powerful than other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. When Xiang Shan was still the Army Commander of Blue Sky Pass back then, the Territory Lords would have their expressions changed drastically upon hearing his name.
It was said that 7 Territory Lords were killed by him in the past.
Of course, that was just a rumour and Yang Kai had never seen Xiang Shan make a move like this before.
It wasn’t until this day that he finally witnessed the man’s full strength.
Xiang Shan could kill a Territory Lord with a single slash. Yang Kai didn’t think any other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were capable of doing that.
Although it clearly wasn’t easy for Xiang Shan to use such an attack, and the Territory Lord, who was surrounded by the fleet of Warships, must be flustered, it went to show that he was truly formidable.
After the attack, the Battalion Class Warship changed directions and led the fleet to break through the siege and head back to the forward base.
The other Warships had no choice but to follow. The arrangements they had made this time could only allow them to launch a lightning strike. If the battle dragged on, the Black Ink Clan would be able to reorganize and mount a proper counterattack. By then, the Human Army would be stuck in this quagmire.
More importantly, the powerful Black Ink Clan Masters could deal with their strategy just by targeting a specific spot of the fleet.
The enemy hadn’t thought of it because they were currently flustered, and the battlefield was in chaos, so it was hard for them to unite at the moment. However, as time passed, the Territory Lords would realise this easy method to hit back.
In fact, the Territory Lords had already regained their senses. Following Che Kong’s order, the Territory Lords were ready to rally together and launch an attack on the Human Warships.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clansmen on the right side of the Royal City had already started intercepting the Universe Worlds, so their hands would soon be untied.
When the Black Ink Clansmen came over from the right side, the Humans would have to deal with even more enemies.
Therefore, Xiang Shan promptly decided that they had to retreat after gaining some advantage.
Perhaps the Territory Lords were wary of Xiang Shan’s power, so it was easier than what the Humans had imagined when they broke through the siege.
Nevertheless, the Black Ink Clan didn’t seem to have the intention of letting the Humans go so easily. As the Warships retreated, the Black Ink Clan relentlessly pursued them.
However, the Humans knew that they would be vulnerable when withdrawing, and after dealing such a blow to the Black Ink Clan, the latter would surely be out for blood.
The Black Ink Clan soldiers raced after the Humans and bombarded the Warships with a series of attacks.
Faced with the Black Ink Clan’s assault, the Battalion Class Warships circle back from the periphery to guard the rear of the fleet, forming a protective screen against the enemy’s assault.
It wasn’t until the Humans were 10 million kilometres away from the Royal City that the Black Ink Clan stopped pursuing them.
The Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t dare to keep chasing after the Humans, for they were not certain if they had any hidden trump cards to play. If the Humans launched a sneak attack on the Black Ink Nest when the Black Ink Clansmen were not around, they would be doomed.
Therefore, despite his unwillingness, Che Kong still ordered them to stop their pursuit. As he watched the Human Warships leave, his face contorted with fury.
It was rare that a battle between the two Races of such a scale had ended so quickly.
The reason the Humans could achieve it was that they had to obey the leaders’ command no matter what.
Wherever Xiang Shan was, that was where the fleet of Warships would be heading; therefore, the moment his Battalion Class Warship started retreating, the other Warships followed suit without hesitation.
There hadn’t really been any grand strategies used in this battle, they simply relied on the excellent leadership of their Commanders, the collaboration between several tens of thousands of soldiers, and a bit of luck.
Only one hour had passed from the time the two Armies clashed to the time the Humans withdrew 10 million kilometres from the Royal City.
However, in just one hour, the Humans had managed to cause the same number of casualties to the Black Ink Clan as the total number of casualties for the past 20 years.
There were even more casualties if they included what the Old Ancestor had done to the Black Ink Clan earlier; after all, three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were killed by the Old Ancestor, and even more of them were injured.
Although the Black Ink Clan had suffered immense losses, it didn’t mean no Humans were killed.
Under Xiang Shan’s leadership, the fleet of Warships had acted like a Dragon that swam across the battlefield in an imposing manner. Nevertheless, the Black Ink Clan was not weak.
The defences of some of the Warships were shattered, and when that happened, the soldiers inside were instantly exposed to danger.
While more and more Black Ink Clansmen were killed on the battlefield, the sound of Small Universes collapsing was also heard.
Casualties were inevitable, especially when one was trying to break through a siege and retreat.
Although the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had brought up the rear on their Battalion Class Warships, they couldn’t possibly ensure everyone’s safety. There were times when they were powerless to save some of the soldiers’ lives.
The Black Ink Clan hadn’t achieved their goal of breaking the Humans with a pursuit from behind, but to the Humans, it was already a huge loss.
It was a price they had to pay though, and the leaders of the East-West Army had already expected such an outcome when they were coming up with this plan.
Regardless, this plan had to be carried out. No war would end with no casualties.
The differences were how many of them were killed, and whether their deaths were meaningful.
The leaders had already done their best to minimise the number of deaths.
From beginning to end, the Battle Formation remained intact, though the shields of many Warships had turned dim and numerous arrays were flashing and flickering.
It was a sign that the arrays were on the verge of breaking.
Yang Kai, who was soaked in black blood, was standing on the deck of Dawning Light. As he looked around, he couldn’t help but feel sorrowful.
The peace in the 3,000 Worlds was in stark contrast to the brutality on the Black Ink Battlefield. The trillions of people back in the 3,000 Worlds didn’t know that so many of the brightest cultivators from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were constantly fighting against the Black Ink Clan on such a battlefield, silently defending their homeland.
Those who were killed on the battlefield would only have their names carved on the Monument of Heroes back in the Great Passes so that their comrades would remember them; however, when their friends and relatives all passed away, only the names would remain. No one would really remember them then.
Just then, Yang Kai caught a whiff of a bodily fragrance as Feng Ying appeared beside him.
He turned to look at her and asked with concern, “Is everyone alright?”
Feng Ying replied, “No one is fatally wounded. Junior Brother Yu suffered some damage to his Small Universe, so it will take him a few years to properly recuperate. One of Junior Brother Ning’s arms was torn off, but he managed to catch it and it’s now reconnected. He’ll be fine after he fully recovers. The others have only suffered some flesh wounds.”
Yang Kai nodded gently.
The Junior Brother Yu that Feng Ying had mentioned was Yu Zi You, who, along with Ren Bing Bai, were the new Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that had joined them when the Dawn was expanded before this campaign.
On the other hand, Junior Brother Ning, Ning Zhi Qi, who was from Red Sun Paradise, was a long-time member of Dawn who had been around since the founding of the Squad. He was also one of the Black Ink Disciples that Yang Kai had brought back from the Black Ink Clan’s territory back in the Blue Sky Theatre.
In this war, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were more severely impacted than the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters because they had to move around outside the Warships to directly deal with the enemies. As long as the defences of the Warships weren’t broken, those inside wouldn’t be in any danger.
However, even though the Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had the Warships’ protection, once the Warships were damaged, they would be exposed to even greater danger. That was because they were weaker than the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Dawn was a Special Operations Squad; however, in the battle that lasted just one hour on this day, 8 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, including Yang Kai, were all injured. One of Ning Zhi Qi’s arms was even torn off. It went to show how truly perilous this clash had been.
With that said, it was because Dawn was located at the periphery of the fleet; hence, they faced a greater pressure than other Warships during the intense battle.
“I wonder how many people lost their lives,” Feng Ying sighed all of a sudden.
Yang Kai fell silent, for the dead couldn’t be resurrected. All the survivors could do was pay tribute to their sacrifice and move on.
Strictly speaking, the Humans had gained a massive victory today. That was because the number of Black Ink Clansmen was several dozen times greater, but the difference in casualties between both sides was of an even higher ratio.
Despite the landslide victory, no one felt elated when they returned. That was because this was the first real clash between the East-West Army and the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre and there would surely be even more brutal battles in the future. It wouldn’t be too late to celebrate their victory when they finally destroyed all the Black Ink Clan in this place and re-took Great Evolution Pass.
By then, they would also celebrate the occasion on behalf of the deceased.
When they returned to the forward base, the injured started recuperating while the damaged Warships were repaired.
Yang Kai said a few words to the members of Dawn, then headed to the mountain valley on his own. After spreading out his Small Universe, he waited for the Old Ancestor’s return.
This place was a Restricted Area in the forward base, so other than the two Army Commanders, even the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t come here. That was because this was the place the Old Ancestor would come to recuperate for many years to come. No one could disturb her.
Violent energy fluctuations were still felt coming from the depths of the void, and it was apparent that the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord were still fighting.
More than 10 days later, the fluctuations suddenly stopped.
Noticing this, Yang Kai just waited patiently.
As he had expected, a figure descended from the sky half a day later and touched upon his Small Universe.
A thought flashed through Yang Kai’s mind, and the next instant, the Old Ancestor entered his Small Universe and landed beside him.
The moment she landed on the ground, she almost lost her balance and fell.
Yang Kai promptly supported her weight, only to see that her face was horrifyingly pale, and her clothes were soaked in blood. Some of the blood was red, while some was black.
The red blood naturally belonged to the Old Ancestor, while the black blood was from the Royal Lord.
Needless to say, they were mutually wounded again this time. With that said, it was the outcome that the Old Ancestor had deliberately tried to achieve.
“Here again?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao looked up and saw the familiar log house in front of her.
100 years ago, she arrived here in this Small Universe when she turned into a three-year-old child. It was the hunter who picked her up from the log house.
Yang Kai grinned, “I was thinking that it might help with your recuperation when you recall the fond memories you had experienced here. That’s why I’ve chosen this place. If you think it’s not appropriate, we can go somewhere else.”
“It’s fine. I’ll stay here.” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao waved her hand.
“Alright. I’ll help you inside. Please relax your legs.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao couldn’t help but shoot him a glare. Yang Kai’s words seemed to suggest that she was a frail old person.
Although she was indeed in a terrible state, she was still a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor. Regardless of how horribly injured she was, she didn’t need him to carry her into the house.
As she secretly cursed at this smelly brat, she tripped over the threshold at the door.
After Yang Kai helped Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao take a seat on the bed, he hospitably walked to the side and poured her a cup of water.
The Old Ancestor took the cup and chugged down the water, then asked with a frown, “Don’t you have any tea leaves?”
Yang Kai shrugged, “I’m too lazy to prepare some tea. Please make do with it.”
The Old Ancestor certainly wouldn’t mind it. She tossed the cup back onto the table and let out a breath, “I was too negligent!”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai furrowed his brows, “Did you suffer a setback?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook her head, “Not really. It’s just that there’s something that surprised me.”
Yang Kai asked, “What do you mean?”
With a worried expression, the Old Ancestor replied, “The Royal Lord with wings on his back can make use of his Black Ink Nest to strengthen himself.”
The Humans were not aware of this.
Even Yang Kai, who had pretended to be a Black Ink Disciple and lived in the Black Ink Clan’s territory twice, was unaware of this.
Therefore, upon hearing what the Old Ancestor said, he was shocked, “The Royal Lord can make use of his Black Ink Nest not only to heal, but also to directly strengthen himself?”
The Old Ancestor nodded, “En. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let him off.”
According to her plan, she would make sure that the Royal Lord would be half-dead this time even if she couldn’t kill him, and she would do the same next time. By repeatedly harassing the Royal Lord, she would eventually take his life one day.
However, the moment they exchanged moves, she realised that the Royal Lord could make use of his Black Ink Nest’s power to increase his own strength, and not by just a small amount either.
Yang Kai soon realised something, “Is that why you suddenly fell into a disadvantage not long after you clashed with the Royal Lord, even though you initially had the upper hand?”
When the Old Ancestor exchanged moves with the Royal Lord, Yang Kai was on the deck of Dawning Light, so he could see what was going on above the Royal City. Although he couldn’t clearly see the battle as he was too far away from the Royal City, he was aware that the Old Ancestor was at an advantage at the start of the battle.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao nodded. Honestly, she was astounded when she realised that the Royal Lord’s power had surged all of a sudden, for such information was not available to them in the past.
Although the Humans had been at war with the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless years, they knew very little about their enemy because the Black Ink Strength was irresolvable previously.
It was Yang Kai who found out that the transmission of information was convenient between the Black Ink Nests.
“Is that why you pretended that you hadn’t fully recovered and held back some of your power?” Yang Kai asked.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was slightly surprised, “You noticed?”
When Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was injured, she could make use of Yang Kai’s Small Universe to speed up her recuperation. On the other hand, the Royal Lord had his Black Ink Nest, so it could be said that both of them had an external aid in this regard.
However, in comparison, the Humans were already aware that the Royal Lords could use their Black Ink Nests to help with their recuperation, while the Black Ink Clan did not know that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had a similar advantage.
This simple disparity of information could be used to trick the Black Ink Clan.
From the Royal Lord’s perspective, it had only been some 30 years since he started using the Black Ink Nest to help with his recuperation, and he hadn’t fully recovered. Needless to say, the Old Ancestor had to be recuperating as well.
However, on this day, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao appeared out of nowhere and launched an attack on the Royal City; moreover, she appeared to be at the peak of her power. This made the Royal Lord feel puzzled as he wondered how the Old Ancestor managed to recover so quickly; therefore, the moment they exchanged moves, he was taken aback.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s plan was simple, which was to make use of the fact that she had fully recovered to continuously suppress the Royal Lord.
While she had fully recovered, the Royal Lord was still wounded. If nothing unexpected happened, she could exacerbate the Royal Lord’s wounds after the fight.
Then, she would come back and seek Yang Kai’s help. When her wounds had healed, she would look for the Royal Lord for their next fight.
By repeatedly doing so, she believed that the Royal Lord wouldn’t be able to take it anymore after 100 years as his wounds would never heal properly. In the middle of his recovery, he would be injured by Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao again, which would exacerbate his condition as the days went by. In such a way, there would come a day when he would be defeated by her.
By then, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could easily take him down without worrying that he would use some kind of Secret Technique that could drag her down with him; however, the moment she realised that the Royal Lord could make use of the Black Ink Nest to strengthen himself, she knew that her plan wouldn’t work.
The Royal Lord indeed hadn’t recovered, but with the Black Ink Nest’s help, he could still display stunning power.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could even feel that as long as they fought near the Royal City, she would be at a disadvantage even if she went all out.
Hence, upon that realisation, she decided to hold back some of her strength and pretend that she was still wounded.
Such a sudden change might have exposed her real condition, but to the Royal Lord, that was the way it should be, so the risks were minimal.
After the previous battle, they were mutually wounded. Only 30 or so years had passed, and he was still recuperating, so how was it possible that the Old Ancestor had fully recovered?
Then, the Old Ancestor decided on the spot to raise chaos on both sides of the Royal City.
Since she was unable to kill the Royal Lord, she decided to deal with the Black Ink Clan soldiers to create a chance for the East-West Army to slaughter the enemy.
In fact, in order to make a scene on both sides of the Royal City, the Old Ancestor had to pay a huge price. When she was dealing with the third Black Ink Disciple, she was directly struck by the Royal Lord’s attack. For the rest of the battle, she had to suppress her pain to made sure that no one noticed.
Then, she decided to lure the Royal Lord away so that the latter couldn’t keep drawing energy from the Black Ink Nest.
When she reached the depths of the void and exchanged moves with the Royal Lord, she still held back some of her power to feign weakness and injury. In the end, the two top Masters fought an intense, but not life-threatening battle.
That was the reason she managed to retain her original form when she returned.
One had to know that when she came back to the forward base previously, she immediately turned into a three-year-old child, and it wasn’t until much later that she regained her consciousness.
It could be said that she was already in a better state this time.
“I thought I’d concealed it well. It never crossed my mind that you’d figured it out.” The Old Ancestor thought that it was such a shame.
Yang Kai chuckled, “I was fully aware of your condition because you recuperated in my Small Universe; however, the Royal Lord definitely wouldn’t have noticed, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
“You have a point.” The Old Ancestor nodded lightly, “Now, it seems that the Black Ink Nests do not only help the Black Ink Clan cultivate and heal, but they can also empower them as long as they are nearby.”
Knowing what she was trying to say, Yang Kai asked, “Are you worried about Great Evolution Pass?”
The Old Ancestor nodded, “There are Black Ink Nests in Great Evolution Pass, so I suppose they might be able to help the Territory Lords strengthen themselves. Send a message to them and tell them to be careful and not invade Great Evolution Pass when they see an opportunity.”
Upon receiving the order, Yang Kai replied, “Understood. I will report it to the Army Commanders.”
“I’m exhausted, so I’ll start healing now.” Upon finishing her words, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao sat down on the bed with her legs crossed.
The next instant, her figure started shrinking. Barely several breaths of time later, she transformed from an adult to a young child that appeared some seven or eight years old.
She looked just like the young girl in the Marketplace in Yin-Yang Pass when Yang Kai saw her for the first time.
It suggested that she was indeed in a better state than last time.
Since the Old Ancestor had to recuperate, Yang Kai left the log house respectfully.
At the entrance of the valley where Yang Kai had spread out his Small Universe, two Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were responsible for standing guard, exchanged glances as they had received a message from Yang Kai via Divine Sense.
One of them nodded, “I’ll inform the Army Commanders about it now.”
A moment later, aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Xiang Shan, Liu Zhi Ping, and the others listened to the report from the Seventh-Order Master. It was only then that they learned that the Black Ink Clan could use their Black Ink Nests to strengthen themselves in combat.
Then, they promptly told someone to head to Great Evolution Pass to share this piece of information with the North-South Army.
Although the North-South Army wasn’t supposed to launch an attack on Great Evolution Pass, they still had to immediately share such information with them. However, since it was a long journey, it would be at least a month later when the North-South Army received this intel.
After the East-West Army’s first clash with the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre, they went on to coexist peacefully for the next 20 years.
During this period of time, the Humans never made a move. They had also stopped harassing the Black Ink Clan with Universe Worlds.
This silence only made the leaders of the Black Ink Clan feel ill at ease.
That was because it suggested that the Humans were trying to accumulate enough strength before launching an even more violent assault than last time.
The Territory Lords had the urge to take the initiative and launch an attack on the Humans; however, the Royal Lord had given an order, so they wouldn’t dare to make a rash move.
In the beginning, with Che Kong as the leader, some of the Territory Lords still thought that it was better to defend the Royal City than to launch an attack.
Nevertheless, as time passed, even Che Kong felt that he had made a mistake by being too conservative.
He should have derailed the Humans’ plan before they gained a strong foothold. Now that the Humans had set up a forward base, and the Royal Lord was badly injured, there wasn’t a chance for the Black Ink Clan to initiate an attack.
It was too late now though, so they could only obey the Royal Lord’s order and defend the Royal City at all costs.
No war broke out on the East-West Army’s side for 20 years.
On the other hand, over the past 20 years, the North-South Army had clashed with the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Pass on several occasions.
There were about 700,000 Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass, including more than 20 Territory Lords and about 50 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. It was a force to be reckoned with.
The Black Ink Clan had made countless arrangements in Great Evolution Pass over the last 30,000 years, and given their collective power, it wasn’t hard for them to deal with a mere 30,000 Human soldiers.
The North-South Army had never shown any intention of attacking Great Evolution Pass. Be it the irritable Ou Yang Lie or the measured Mi Jing Lun, they both knew that it was no different from asking for death if they tried to assault Great Evolution Pass in such a situation.
The Humans had limited manpower, so they couldn’t afford to suffer any unnecessary losses; therefore, the North-South Army had set up camp about two days journey from Great Evolution Pass, just close enough to monitor the situation and ensure they could intercept any Black Ink Clansmen that tried to leave the Great Pass.
This made the Black Ink Clansmen feel vexed.
After the battle at the Royal City 20 years ago, the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass realised that they couldn’t keep hiding in this place to enjoy the temporary peace. Once the Royal City was destroyed, they couldn’t possibly stay safe in Great Evolution Pass.
Therefore, after the Black Ink Clansmen learned about the battle, they began trying to leave Great Evolution Pass and head to the Royal City to provide reinforcements.
Given the fact that there were 700,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers, more than 20 Territory Lords, and about 50 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, if they went all out, the Humans would not be able to stop them.
However, if they really did that, it would be akin to giving up Great Evolution Pass.
Certainly, Territory Lord Hong Di wouldn’t agree to it; after all, his Black Ink Nest was located in Great Evolution Pass, so this place was practically his domain.
As such, over the years, the Black Ink Clansmen had been trying to come up with a solution to this problem. On one hand, they had to retain control of Great Evolution Pass, on the other hand, they had to send some people to the Royal City to help their clansmen.
For this reason, these Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Pass would try to circumvent the North-South Army and head to the Royal City every few years.
Their first attempt took place half a year after the battle broke out in the Royal City.
That time, they had sent about 400,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers with more than 10 Territory Lords leading the way. They decided to set off on their journey from the back of Great Evolution Pass, even though that meant they had to make a large detour.
The number of the Black Ink Clansmen was the outcome of the Territory Lords’ discussion. This number was neither big nor small, but they would be of great help to their clansmen if they managed to reach the Royal City while those that had stayed back were sufficient to protect Great Evolution Pass.
However, the Humans discovered their plan.
Moreover, they seemed to have already expected it as they despicably set up a lot of Spirit Arrays on the universe fragments where the Black Ink Clansmen would have to pass by.
When the Black Ink Clan Army arrived at the area that was full of those universe fragments, they were caught off guard by the Spirit Arrays that exploded all around them.
The Human soldiers, who were supposedly two days journey from Great Evolution Pass, suddenly appeared from the depths of the void. The auras of dozens of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters formed into a horrifying pressure and made them feel suffocated.
Before both parties even clashed, the Black Ink Clansmen had lost their will to fight. That was because they had already suffered a huge setback in the previous battle with the Humans.
Their exchange of moves this time couldn’t be considered intense and the Black Ink Clansmen had no choice but to retreat back to Great Evolution Pass.
The North-South Army didn’t go all out or initiate a pursuit this time, so both parties didn’t suffer any major losses.
After that, the North-South Army and the Black Ink Clan skirmished on several occasions, each time only testing each other out as the leaders of both parties acted with restraint.
The longest fight they ever had only lasted for half a day, after which they respectively retreated. The shortest fight only lasted a cup of tea’s time.
During these clashes, perhaps 10,000 Black Ink Clansmen would lose their lives while it was rare of any Humans to be killed.
After years of confrontation, the Black Ink Clansmen finally came to the realisation that they could not leave Great Evolution Pass and head to the Royal City to help their clansmen before they could destroy the Human Army at their doorstep.
Given such a situation, they could only keep on confronting one another and wait for any turn of events in the Royal City.
That change soon happened.
20 years had passed in the outside world, but the Old Ancestor, who had recuperated in Yang Kai’s Small Universe for the past 80 years, had fully recovered once again.
The injury that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had suffered from was less severe this time, so it was easier for her to recover; however, this time, she only wandered around within Yang Kai’s Small Universe, unlike the previous time when she experienced a kind of life she never had.
Therefore, it took her 80 years before she could fully recover.
The moment the Old Ancestor was done recuperating, the Humans mobilised again.
20 years had passed in the outside world. Other than getting some rest, the East-West Army had also been preparing for the next battle so that when the Old Ancestor recovered, they could launch an attack on the Royal City.
Now, the time had come.
After an order was passed down, 16 Universe Worlds that had been properly set up began accelerating from somewhere deep in the void and headed straight to the Royal City.
In the meantime, the Human Warships started rising into the sky from the back of the forward base.
Meanwhile, the Old Ancestor flew out towards the Royal City on her own.
This time, she didn’t take action along with the Army; instead, she decided to take the initiative to leave the forward base first.
The same method wouldn’t work twice, so the Old Ancestor decided to do something different this time and catch the Black Ink Clan off guard.
The Black Ink Clansmen from the Royal City had been closely monitoring the Humans’ forward base; however, the enemy had not made a move for the past 20 years.
The Humans’ inaction made them feel ill at ease, as though there was an invisible blade hanging above their heads. The suspense made them feel distressed.
When the Human Warships circled around the forward base and appeared in the void, the Feudal Lords, who were responsible for monitoring the situation, instantly noticed it.
They promptly reported it to their higher-ups, and the news soon reached Che Kong.
He stepped out of the cabin of his large ship and looked out from the deck. The Human Warships were indeed approaching them from a distance.
Without hesitation, he said to the female Territory Lord, who had been following him, “Keep monitoring the Human soldiers. I’ll return to the Royal City to awaken the Royal Lord!”
The Royal Lord had previously suffered a loss because of the Old Ancestor’s sneak attack; therefore, when he returned, he told Che Kong that, when the Humans invaded the Royal City next time, the latter had to immediately wake him so that he wouldn’t be caught off guard again.
He wouldn’t have given such an order if he had a choice, as no Black Ink Clansman was willing to be forcefully awakened when they were recuperating, for this would be disruptive to their recovery. This was especially true for a Royal Lord.
Nevertheless, such drawbacks were inconsequential compared to the possibility of the Old Ancestor launching a sneak attack on him again; after all, when the Old Ancestor struck, the Royal Lord would immediately awaken anyway. Hence, he would rather let his subordinate wake him up first so that he could get prepared.
Certainly, Che Kong wouldn’t dare to disobey the Royal Lord’s order.
However, since the Human Warships had just taken off, it would take them at least half a day before they would reach the Royal City; therefore, he reckoned that he wouldn’t have to wake the Royal Lord in a hurry.
After he spoke to the female Territory Lord, Che Kong immediately headed to the Royal City.
Nevertheless, not long after he left, he abruptly turned around.
A dangerous aura was rapidly approaching, one that caused Che Kong and the female Territory Lord’s expressions to change drastically.
The Old Ancestor was already on her way!
This was something they had never anticipated as they all thought that the Old Ancestor would take action along with the Human Army, so it surprised them that she had made a move first. By the time they realised that the Human soldiers were mobilizing, the Old Ancestor had already arrived near the Royal City.
With no time to mull over what the Old Ancestor was up to, Che Kong roared, “Enemy attack!”
The next instant, a phantom-like figure crashed into the Black Ink Clan soldiers who were just outside the Royal City. As her violent World Force surged, the entire void seemed to be boiling as though a burning piece of iron had fallen into cold water.
When one of the most powerful Human cultivators flared up at the Black Ink Clan soldiers, ignoring her status completely, the damage she could cause was catastrophic.
It was because there was practically no one who could stop her. Without the Royal Lord around, even the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were at risk of losing their lives.
Thousands of Black Ink Clansmen lost their lives every breath. With the petite figure as the centre, the Black Ink Clansmen around her melted away like snowflakes under the scorching Sun.
Many Feudal Lords, and even some Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples lost their lives to this sneak attack.
In just 10 breaths, some 50,000 Black Ink Clansmen had been slaughtered.
The Black Ink Clan’s formation had descended into chaos as the Black Ink Clansmen instinctively cast their Secret Techniques at the figure, but their attempts were all futile. More often than not, they accidentally injured their own allies rather than hitting the enemy.
Some of the Black Ink Clansmen were killed by their own clansmen instead of the Old Ancestor, which was quite miserable.
10 breaths of time was all it took for many Black Ink Clansmen to be laid to rest forever.
Meanwhile, the same amount of time was sufficient for the Royal Lord to come to his senses.
The Old Ancestor’s power had burst forth just outside the Royal City; therefore, the Royal Lord could clearly sense it even though he was in a state of deep slumber.
Before the Old Ancestor could cause more chaos and casualties to the Black Ink Clan, the Royal Lord furiously shot out of the Royal City, his form engulfed in thick Black Ink Strength. Infuriated, he went all out and struck at Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, forcing her back.
A hint of redness flashed through her fair face, but it soon disappeared. Hovering in the void, she stared at the Royal Lord from a distance. Her alluring eyes seemed able to see through the Black Ink Strength and take in the fury and puzzlement behind the Royal Lord’s gaze.
The Royal Lord was indeed furious and puzzled.
He was furious because only 20 years had passed, but this insane woman came to harass him again, interrupting his healing just like last time.
On the other hand, he wondered if all Humans were so crazy. He was certain that this woman hadn’t fully recovered as during their exchange just now, he could clearly sense some fluctuations in her aura.
Certainly, he couldn’t exclude the possibility that the other party was hiding her true power; however, that was practically impossible.
With the help of his Black Ink Nest, he had only healed some 30% of his injuries over the last 20 years. This Old Ancestor, whose Secret Art was unique and had far harsher conditions to satisfy, had to be in an even more terrible state.
She had provoked him twice when she was still injured. Apparently, while she was in a horrible state, she also wouldn’t let her opponent enjoy any peaceful days. Why was she so crazy?
Although they were mutually wounded in the last two fights, that didn’t mean they couldn’t still fight. However, if she kept doing this, their foundations would be damaged even though they were respectively a Royal Lord and a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
As he looked at the woman before his eyes, the image of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was in command of Great Evolution Pass 30,000 years ago, sprang to his mind.
That person was equally mad; otherwise, he wouldn’t have managed to drag the previous Royal Lord down with him even after suffering a severe wound due to a sneak attack.
It seemed that the Humans were indeed a horrifying Race.
These two most powerful Masters stared at each other from a distance. Although there wasn’t an exchange of words or moves, the silent pressure made the Black Ink Clan soldiers too terrified to say anything.
Gazing at the Old Ancestor, the Royal Lord asked, “What’s the point of doing all this?”
Although his question lacked any kind of context, the Old Ancestor understood what he meant.
He felt that since both of them were injured, they should recuperate on their own and let the subordinates fight with one another. The result would be dependent on their subordinates’ strength, and they shouldn’t interfere.
That would be fairer for both sides.
What was the point of her provoking the Royal Lord when she was still injured? They would just end up being mutually wounded again, and none of them would gain any advantage.
Upon hearing that, Xiao Xiao put on a smile, “Humans are weak, so we have no choice but to act a little crazy. As an Old Ancestor, I naturally have to put in more effort.”
Including this time, she had exchanged moves with the Royal Lord thrice, but it was the first time they had spoken to one another. The previous times, they directly clashed with one another without any attempt to communicate.
The reason she was even willing to talk to him was that the East-West Army was still on its way. If she could stall for time, it would be helpful for the Humans who were planning to attack.
As long as she was around, the Black Ink Clansmen, whose formation had been disrupted, wouldn’t be able to effectively reorganise themselves.
The Royal Lord lowered his gaze, “Since you know that Humans are weak, why don’t you pledge loyalty to the Black Ink Clan? The Humans are destined to be ruled by the Black Ink Clan one day. You’re one of the most powerful of the Humans, so I’m sure you’re aware of it.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao snorted, “Stop boasting shamelessly! What makes you think the Black Ink Clan will rule over the Humans one day? Since time immemorial, the Black Ink Clan has never been able to step out of the Black Ink Battlefield. As long as Humans still live, we will never let you succeed.”
The Royal Lord shook his head, “How obstinate!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao refuted, “We can never see eye to eye.”
The Royal Lord stopped persuading her as he turned to look at the Human Warships that were sailing towards the Royal City from a distance. He then suggested by saying, “For today’s war, why don’t we watch from the sides and not interfere?”
Honestly, even though he could derive energy from his Black Ink Nest, he wasn’t willing to fight with her today.
That was because he hadn’t recovered. Although he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage by making use of the Black Ink Nest’s power, it would slow down his recovery considerably. Moreover, he didn’t have the confidence to kill this woman, so the end result would only be a massive loss of resources and more wounds on his body.
If he had the confidence to win, he would have directly made a move instead of talking to her.
Although they had only exchanged moves a few times, he had come to realise that she was a difficult opponent to deal with.
Upon hearing his suggestion, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook her head, “No. Since I’m here, I’ll not watch the fight and do nothing.”
The Royal Lord snapped, “Don’t go too far!”
He had already conceded quite a bit to her by suggesting that they wouldn’t have a hand in the battle on this day; after all, before he left the Black Ink Nest, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had killed several tens of thousands of Black Ink Clansmen, including some Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.
He had decided not to settle accounts with her over this insult, but this woman still wouldn’t agree to it.
That was the reason he was enraged.
The next instant, a puff of Black Ink Strength appeared beside Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao. The Black Ink Strength turned into a contorted face as it howled in silence.
Although the howl was silent, it was as though it could penetrate a person’s mind and cause them to fall into a state of restlessness. Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would freeze for a moment after getting struck.
It was apparently the Royal Lord’s move.
The instant the strange Secret Technique was cast, the Royal Lord charged towards Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and pushed his palm.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao sneered, “You said we should just watch from the sides, but you didn’t hesitate to make a move. You’re indeed a typical Royal Lord, aren’t you?”
The Royal Lord snorted, “Since you’ve already turned me down, all that’s left to do is fight!”
This Royal Lord was a decisive person.
He wasn’t lying when he suggested that both of them should not interfere in the battle today. If Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had agreed to it, both of them would have kept their word.
For powerful beings like them, even a simple promise could affect their fates; hence, it wouldn’t do them any good if they broke their word.
However, the moment the Royal Lord was rejected by Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, he directly cast his Secret Technique. It was apparent that he was well-prepared from the start.
Just like what he had said, since his suggestion was rejected, there was no choice but to fight.
As the two clashed, Che Kong and the other Territory Lords felt extremely frustrated, for the same scenario that happened 20 years ago repeated itself.
Back then, the two top Masters clashed with one another among the Black Ink Clan soldiers, causing many deaths and throwing their formation into disarray. As a result, they were at a huge disadvantage when they were forced to deal with the Human Army immediately after.
20 years later, things were playing out exactly the same way.
Fortunately, after the previous experience, the Territory Lords had come up with a plan to deal with this situation.
After ordering their subordinates to back off, the more powerful Black Ink Masters gathered together and charged the Old Ancestor in order to assist the Royal Lord.
Again, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao cast the Secret Technique that brought forth Yin and Yang from Chaos. The next instant, the void was covered with a giant Yin-Yang Fish.
Even with the help of this Secret Technique though, her momentum still appeared weaker than 20 years ago.
Only a moment had passed since the beginning of the battle, but she had already been struck several times and her World Force trembled as a result.
Fortunately, those strikes were from the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, which was still bearable for the Old Ancestor. If she had been struck by the Royal Lord, she would have fallen into a terrible state.
This sight confirmed the Royal Lord’s suspicions. This woman indeed hadn’t recovered; in fact, her injuries had worsened after she repeatedly provoked him.
As a result, she appeared weaker than she was previously.
On the other hand, even though the Royal Lord was also still wounded, he could make use of his Black Ink Nest to strengthen himself as long as he was still close to the Royal City. Moreover, most of the burden had been lifted off his shoulders as he had the help of many Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.
After exchanging moves for a while, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao concluded that this couldn’t drag on, or her situation would grow increasingly perilous; therefore, she launched a feint before dashing out of the battlefield and heading towards the depths of the void.
The Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples stopped in their tracks, but after hesitating for a moment, the Royal Lord decided to pursue her.
He hesitated to give chase at first because his only real goal was to drive the Old Ancestor away. Since he had achieved this, he could just stay near the Royal City.
However, he knew that if he didn’t keep an eye on that woman, she might launch a sneak attack on his Army.
To be safe, he decided to tie her down. That was because he was certain that if he didn’t do that, this shameless woman would definitely target his subordinates who were guarding the right side of the Royal City.
When that happened, he would still have to confront her, so he figured it was better to just keep an eye on her from the start.
Despite knowing that the Old Ancestor was intentionally trying to lure him away from the Royal City so that he couldn’t derive energy from his Black Ink Nest, the Royal Lord had no other choice but to play along.
In such a situation, he had the confidence to suppress the other party even without his Black Ink Nest’s help; after all, he had the advantage regarding recuperation.
Nevertheless, he was annoyed by the woman who repeatedly provoked him. He decided that he would teach her a lesson this time even if he had to pay a steep price.
Che Kong let out a breath, for the two menaces had finally left.
With that said, the matter wasn’t over. The Human Army was still closing in on the Royal City. Although there wasn’t any anomaly on the right side of the Royal City, the Black Ink Clan knew that Universe Worlds had to be coming at them based on past experiences.
Therefore, the Black Ink Clansmen on both sides of the Royal City could only reorganise themselves and stay alert.
When the Humans were close enough to the Royal City half a day later, the battle broke out.
The Humans still used the same tactic. With the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters’ protection, the fleet of Warships turned into a long Dragon as the Warships flew in tight formation. Under Xiang Shan’s leadership, the Dragon freely flew around the battlefield.
The Black Ink Clan soldiers performed better than the previous time.
Che Kong had a talent for leading an Army, especially when it came to defence. Although the Black Ink Clan had suffered a setback previously, Che Kong racked his brain and finally came up with a way to resolve this tactic.
In fact, he had already thought of this solution before the previous battle ended; however, before he could organize his troops, the Humans had retreated. Despite having a solution, he was unable to destroy the Human Army.
This was a good chance for him. If Che Kong could use this method to destroy the Dragon formed from Warships, the Humans would be the ones who suffered a loss this time.
The solution he had come up with exploited the biggest shortcoming of this tactic that the Humans used.
Because the fleet of Warships was in such a close formation, all Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had to scatter around the periphery, thus serving as the Scales to provide the best protection.
Since they were scattered around though, they were unable to gather their strength together.
The Black Ink Clan just had to come together and target a particular spot of this Dragon in order to break up this formation. As long as a part of the Dragon was cut off, the fleet of Warships would no longer be able to sail smoothly across the battlefield.
Just as the Human Warships cut across the battlefield as the Dragon entrapped over 100,000 Black Ink Clansmen and slaughtered them, several Territory Lords and more than 10 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples secretly moved to one side of the fleet, using thick Black Ink Clouds to cover their tracks.
Soon, the violent attacks from about 20 powerful Masters burst forth in an instant and struck the Battalion-Class Warship closest to them.
A clean-cut woman was standing on the deck of the Battalion Class Warship, a razor-sharp sword in her hand. As she wielded her weapon, the Black Ink Clansmen around her were instantly killed.
She was the Great Evolution Western Army’s Second Division Commander Army, Shu Yin.
Despite being a woman, she was just as powerful as any man of the same Order.
The Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had stealthily approached her ship, and on such a chaotic battlefield, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Shu Yin was unable to detect them until they attacked.
As she turned her head, she saw the Heaven-destroying and Earth-shattering attacks coming right at her.
Generally speaking, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was more powerful than a Territory Lord, but there wouldn’t be a huge gap between them. At this moment, Shu Yin was faced with attacks from nearly 20 Masters in the same Realm as her. Although she had the Battalion Class Warship’s protection, she was unable to ward off such an assault.
The Warship being destroyed and all the people aboard being killed would be the only outcome possible, unless she immediately escaped. If she disregarded the lives of the Human soldiers aboard the Warship, she would stand a chance to survive.
A Territory Lord might run away if they found themselves in such a situation, but an Eighth-Order Master would never do that.
With that said, Shu Yin remained unperturbed. Faced with the fatal attacks, she stabbed her sword down and shouted, “Bind!”
However, the sword didn’t penetrate the deck; instead, it had mysteriously disappeared into the Void. As the sword dissipated, a Grand Array suddenly appeared beneath her feet. The Grand Array almost covered the entire deck as its patterns lit up.
At the same time, all Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters aboard the Battalion Class Warships around the long Dragon seemed to have detected something and they promptly formed different hand seals as World Forces surged around them.
Grand Arrays with the same patterns as those aboard Shu Yin’s Warship illuminated these Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
All these Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters shouted, “Set!”
At that instant, dozens of these Battalion-Class Warships around the Dragon became linked to one another through a mysterious force.
With a dispassionate expression, Shu Yin stood at the bow of the Warship like a flag. Faced with the horrifying attacks from the enemies, she remained calm and collected.
As the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples watched in shock, the attacks, which should have reduced the Battalion Class Warship to dust and torn apart the Human formation, did not yield any meaningful results.
A brilliant light barrier condensed around Shu Yin’s Battalion Class Warship, one that appeared delicate, as though it would be shattered with a single touch; however, the moment the attacks struck the barrier, only a series of ripples were formed while the shield held strong.
Three breaths of time later, the impact of the attacks dissipated. Shu Yin’s Battalion Class Warship left along with the Dragon, leaving behind the puzzled Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples as they exchanged glances.
“A Grand Array!” An Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple suddenly said, “They used some kind of Grand Array to synchronize and link all the Warships of those Eighth-Order Masters together so they could share the burden of our attacks together.”
Another Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple lamented, “It seems that the Humans have invented some new things over the past 30,000 years.”
Before they were corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they had never heard that the Humans could use such a Grand Array; this was clearly invented after they became Black Ink Disciples.
The defensive strength of this Grand Array was all but impenetrable. Although some 20 Masters had joined forces, they still couldn’t break this shield. It seemed that only the Royal Lord would be able to achieve that.
The Battalion Class Warships of those Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters already served as the Dragon Scales of the fleet, capable of fending off most of the Black Ink Clan’s attacks independently. With such a Grand Array connecting them now, their defence had become even sturdier.
Faced with such a fleet of Warships, the Black Ink Clansmen had no idea what they could do.
“Stop dawdling and come up with a solution!” A Territory Lord harshly snapped at them. Although Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were fairly powerful, they were no different than slaves in front of these Territory Lords.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple who was the first to speak earlier bent his back, “Don’t worry about it, Sir. The more powerful the Array is, the more restrictions it has. If I’m not mistaken, those Eighth-Order Masters are no longer able to easily make a move after activating such a Spirit Array. In other words, they can only defend, but not attack.”
“Are you serious?” The Territory Lord’s eyes brightened when he heard that. In that case, it would be very good news to the Black Ink Clan as a lot of casualties on their side could be avoided. One had to know that those Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could easily kill a massive number of Black Ink Clansmen.
As the Territory Lord looked up, he saw that the Eighth-Order Masters were indeed standing on the decks without showing signs of making another move.
He reckoned that the Black Ink Disciple didn’t lie to him. It seemed that the Humans couldn’t have the cake and eat it too, as there was a serious drawback to this new Grand Array.
The drawback to the Humans was good news to the Black Ink Clan.
Now, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were unable to make a move as they had to sustain the strange Grand Array; however, the Black Ink Clan were not restrained at all.
In other words, the Eighth-Order Masters were in a situation where they couldn’t counterattack, and regardless of how powerful the Grand Array was, there had to be a limit. As long as the Black Ink Clan continuously attacked, there would come a moment when this shield was shattered.
Upon that realisation, the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples stopped hesitating as they chased after the Dragon and cast their Secret Techniques.
On the other hand, after the Humans activated the Intertwining Branches Formation, their defence had indeed been boosted greatly, but their destructive power had also been considerably weakened. For that reason, the Dragon could no longer rampage smoothly as it appeared somewhat sluggish now.
They were efficient earlier as the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could act freely to kill the enemy. Now that they were unable to use their Secret Techniques as they pleased, the Humans appeared less intimidating.
Besides that, as the powerful Black Ink Clansmen relentlessly attacked the Intertwining Branches Formation, the Spirit Array started showing signs of collapsing.
Xiang Shan promptly led the Human soldiers to retreat. The Black Ink Clansmen chased after them and continued to attack. It wasn’t until the Humans were 10 million kilometres away from the Royal City that the Black Ink Clan stopped.
Right then, the 16 Universe Worlds finally arrived. The 30% of the Black Ink Army on the right side easily intercepted them, ensuring that the Royal City was not damaged one bit.
The Black Ink Clan had suffered fewer losses this time than the previous battle, mainly because they were caught off guard by the Humans 20 years ago. Now that they had put their guard up, they ended up in a better situation.
Regardless, they had still lost several tens of thousands of troops, including many Feudal Lords.
The Humans had suffered some losses as well, but with the Intertwining Branches Formation’s protection, the damage was minimal.
A few days later, the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord returned to their own places and recuperated.
After this battle, the Human soldiers would launch an attack on the Royal City every 20 years or so. Basically, the Old Ancestor would make a move first and lure the Royal Lord away. Following that, the two Armies would engage in an intense battle.
Unlike the Black Ink Clan’s rigid defence, the Humans had many tricks up their sleeves.
The Intertwining Branches Formation underwent several improvements. In the past, it couldn’t be easily stopped once it was activated, but now they could stop or start this Grand Array as they pleased. When the Spirit Array was running, the Division Commanders could connect their Battalion-Class Warships and provide the best defence to the long Dragon. The moment the Spirit Array stopped running, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could slaughter their enemies.
As they effortlessly switched between defence and offence, the Black Ink Clan found themselves powerless to deal with them.
Also, the East-West Army wouldn’t just launch an attack on the Royal City from the left side.
In one of the battles, 20,000 soldiers from the East-West Army followed behind the more than 10 Universe Worlds and struck the Royal City from the right side.
The Black Ink Clan suffered immense losses during that clash.
That was because they had been focused on monitoring the Humans’ forward base and failed to detect any mobilisation of Warships at the time.
During that battle, while nothing major happened at the station, more than 10 Universe Worlds appeared out of nowhere and flew at the right side of the Royal City.
The Black Ink clan forces on the right side of the Royal City certainly had no regard for these Universe Worlds. They had to deal with such a situation every 20 years, so they already knew how to quickly destroy these Universe Worlds.
However, after they fully activated their powers and shattered these Universe Worlds, they were astounded to see the fleet of Human Warships appearing before them.
They were caught completely off guard, and in just a few exchanges, many had lost their lives.
On the other hand, 70% of the Black Ink Clansmen had been paying close attention to the Human encampment, but their wait was futile. It had been unusually silent at the enemy forward base, and it wasn’t until the fleet of Warships appeared behind the Universe Worlds that they realised the Humans were already within striking distance.
The Humans had hidden behind the Universe Worlds this time, which was why the Black Ink Clansmen were unaware of their presence.
It was easily the most devastating battle for the Black Ink Clan since they started confronting the Humans outside the Royal City.
Most of the Black Ink Clansmen on the right side of the Royal City were slaughtered, with as many as 8 Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples being killed as well.
The Territory Lord and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples did not hold their powers back when destroying the Universe Worlds; therefore, the moment the Humans surprised them, they were out of breath and couldn’t respond promptly.
As for the 70% of the Black Ink Clan Army on the left side, they quickly raced to the rescue, but they were unable to save their clansmen’s lives.
The Humans never stayed for long and would always run away as soon as they gained some advantage. Before the Black Ink Clansmen from the left side arrived, the Humans had retreated.
After the battle, Che Kong’s unresigned roar reverberated across the Royal City.
The two Armies had clashed five times over the past 100 years, with both sides suffering some losses.
Other than the Feudal Lords and Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples, there would be Territory Lords, Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, and even Eighth-Order Division Commanders who lost their lives in every battle.
Although the Humans had the incredible protection of the Intertwining Branches Formation, the brutality of this war was beyond what any of them could have possibly imagined.
As the war that the East-West Army was embroiled in intensified, things were similarly heating up on the North-South Army’s side.
When the East-West Army originally set up their forward base outside the Royal City, there were already a million Black Ink Clan soldiers lying in wait.
After years of war, there were still a million Black Ink Clan soldiers. In fact, instead of a decrease, there had actually been an increase in their numbers.
The reason they were able to achieve this was that they had a way to replace the dead Black Ink Clansmen.
However, the new soldiers were not comparable to the original Black Ink Clan Army.
The Black Ink Clansmen originally outside the Royal City were the Territory Lords’ elite subordinates, so they were all fairly powerful.
On the other hand, the new Black Ink Clansmen were the weaker ones who didn’t get to be selected back then.
Many elite Black Ink Clansmen would be killed in every battle. As time passed, there were still a million Black Ink Clan soldiers, but their collective power was no longer comparable to that in the beginning.
It could be proven by looking at the number of casualties on the Black Ink Clan’s side after every battle. As the Black Ink Clan clashed with the Humans, the number of casualties they suffered increased with every fight. It wasn’t that the Humans had become stronger; it was because the Black Ink Clan’s collective strength had become weaker.
The Humans’ collective power had weakened as well. That was because there would be people who lost their lives in every war.
However, they still managed to gain an increasingly bigger advantage.
How was Che Kong supposed to stay calm and collected in such a situation? The Royal Lord had told him to defend the Royal City. With a million Black Ink Clan soldiers under his command, he didn’t even need to launch an attack; all he had to do was protect the Royal City at all costs. If he couldn’t even achieve that simple task, how was he supposed to face the Royal Lord again?
Nonetheless, it was an undeniable fact that the collective power of the Black Ink Clan was on the decline. In order to change that, he had to get more elite Black Ink Clansmen to come to the Royal City.
Where was he supposed to get those elites from?
In the entire Great Evolution Theatre, other than the one million Black Ink Clansmen outside the Royal City, there were only those who were stationed in Great Evolution Pass.
Other than hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers, there were also over 20 Territory Lords and about 50 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples at Great Evolution Pass. If those soldiers could come to the Royal City, the Humans would certainly be defeated.
It wasn’t until this moment that they realised how much of a mistake it had been to leave many Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass.
If not for the fact that there were too many Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass, the Royal City wouldn’t have fallen into such a state. However, it was the Royal Lord who told so many Black Ink Clansmen to stay in Great Evolution Pass, so the Territory Lords wouldn’t dare to complain about it now.
Through the Black Ink Nest network, Che Kong told the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass to immediately head to the Royal City.
Upon receiving the order, Hong Di hurriedly started taking action.
Although both of them were Territory Lords, Che Kong was the Army Commander of a million soldiers that the Royal Lord had personally appointed. When the Royal Lord was recuperating, Che Kong would lead the Black Ink Clan in his stead, so Hong Di wouldn’t dare to disobey his order.
After the order was passed down, the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass started getting prepared to leave. 500,000 soldiers would depart from Great Evolution Pass this time along with some 20 Territory Lords. Zhe Chong would be the leader of this expedition.
Only 100,000 Black Ink Clansmen would be left behind to protect Great Evolution Pass.
This time, the Black Ink Clan didn’t make a detour; instead, they headed straight towards the North-South Army’s base.
They knew that to assist their clansmen in the Royal City, they had to destroy these Humans before them. If they were ambushed by the Humans on their way to their destination, a battle would be inevitable, and they might even fall into the Humans’ trap.
This was exactly what Ou Yang Lie and Mi Jing Lun hoped would happen.
In fact, the moment Cha Pu brought the news from the East-West Army with him, Mi Jing Lun started making arrangements for this very scenario.
He knew that as the East-West Army kept on using the same tactic, the Black Ink Clansmen in the Royal City wouldn’t be able to persevere forever.
Once the Royal City fell into a perilous situation, they would seek help from their allies in Great Evolution Pass. By then, regardless of whether they were willing to or not, the Black Ink Clan here would have to head to the Royal City.
The North-South Army had been getting prepared for almost a century for this moment.
Over the past 100 years, other than clashing with the Black Ink Clan from Great Evolution Pass, the North-South Army spent their time extracting resources from everywhere instead of resting and cultivating. They had set up clusters of Spirit Arrays in various locations, and it could be said that regardless of which way the Black Ink Clan chose to head to the Royal City, it wouldn’t be smooth sailing for them.
The universe fragment where the North-South Army was located had become especially sturdy. Although it didn’t look special from the outside, Mi Jing Lun had ordered a massive amount of Spirit Arrays to be installed, creating another fortified forward base.
It wouldn’t have mattered if the Black Ink Clan chose to stay in Great Evolution Pass, but if they dared to attack the Human fortress, they would be greeted with innumerable traps.
Compared to the war between the East-West Army and the Black Ink Clansmen in the Royal City, it had been relatively peaceful between the North-South Army and the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass. Apart from the first battle where both parties had suffered immense losses, they had been acting restrained in all following confrontations.
However, this time was different.
In order to save the Royal City, they had to wage a life-and-death battle with the North-South Army regardless of whether they were willing to do so.
When the battle broke out, the Humans were fully prepared.
With the Territory Lords leading the way, 500,000 Black Ink Clansmen charged towards the universe fragment where the North-South Army was located. In that universe fragment, the soldiers of the North-South Army were ready for war.
Before the Black Ink Clansmen could even get close to the forward base, the Humans activated a myriad of Spirit Arrays and artifacts to attack the Black Ink Clansmen, immediately battering them from all sides.
The forward base where the North-South Army was located could be considered a mini Great Pass. Although it was not as sturdy as a real Great Pass, the entire place was filled with arrays and artifacts that could be used to attack the enemy from a great distance.
500,000 Black Ink Clansmen were just 5 million kilometres away from the universe fragment when they were struck by the storm of attacks from the arrays and artifacts.
Under normal circumstances, such a barrage would be enough to drive these Black Ink Clansmen off, but this time was different.
All the Territory Lords were aware of the severity of the situation with the Royal City at risk of being destroyed; therefore, regardless of the price they had to pay, they had to head to the Royal City.
Zhe Chong took the initiative by leading the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to open up the way for the rest of the Army. Faced with the intense bombardment, they steadfastly drew closer to the Human’s base.
The Black Ink Clansmen were still 5 million kilometres away from the forward base, but several tens of thousands of them had lost their lives in a short time. They were practically stepping on the corpses of their clansmen to advance, while the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples at the vanguard were all injured.
This time, the Black Ink Clan exhibited unwavering resolve. Faced with the continuous attacks from the arrays and artifacts, none of the Territory Lords and Feudal Lords backed down. Although the clansmen around them continued to pass away, they were determined to continue forward.
That was because the Territory Lords knew that it was a price they had to pay. As long as they could get close to the Humans and force them into a melee, they would gain the upper hand as they had numbers on their side.
Although the skirmishes between both parties over the years had been intermittent and relatively tame, the Black Ink Clansmen were fully aware of the Humans’ true power.
The Humans numbered 30,000 when they first arrived outside Great Evolution Pass, but that number included several thousand specialists such as Artifact Refiners, Array Masters, and Alchemists. Furthermore, after years of war, the Humans had naturally suffered a number of losses. Now, the combat force they could mobilise totalled about 20,000.
On the other hand, there were 500,000 soldiers on the Black Ink Clan’s side, with the number of top Masters being equal to that of the Humans.
Therefore, even though the Humans had their Warships to rely on, they didn’t have any kind of significant advantage.
These 500,000 Black Ink soldiers sacrificed many of their comrades before finally getting close to the forward base; however, the moment they landed on the universe fragment, they were dumbstruck.
That was because this forward base, which was full of Humans before, was completely empty now. Regardless of where they looked, they couldn’t find a single Human on this large universe fragment.
Besides that, the artifacts that served as the Array Cores were gone as well. What was left behind were the large number of arrays that couldn’t be taken away.
The Territory Lords promptly scanned the surroundings with their Divine Senses, but as far as they could tell, the Humans were nowhere to be seen.
[Where are they?]
The Territory Lords were puzzled. How did all the Humans retreat in such a short time without leaving any traces behind?
Even the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, who had a deep understanding of what the Humans were capable of, couldn’t explain it; after all, it had been 30,000 years since they were corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Purifying Black Ink Battleships and Universe Arrays only appeared after Yang Kai arrived, so how were they supposed to know the secrets behind them?
“Damn it!” One of the Territory Lords roared and stomped his foot on the ground. As his violent force burst forth, the entire universe fragment shook a little.
“Don’t!” Zhe Chong quickly tried to stop him, but it was too late.
A dangerous aura suddenly engulfed the entire universe fragment. Following that, the arrays that remained lit up and connected with each other.
After just a moment, the universe fragment was covered in a massive Grand Array.
Just as the Black Ink Clansmen shot into the sky to escape, the universe fragment detonated. An intense destructive force swept out, battering all the Territory Lords.
After the shockwave subsided, Zhe Chong gazed around with a dark expression, only to see that the universe fragment was completely gone. Following this turn of events, more than 10,000 Black Ink Clansmen, who had landed on the universe fragment to investigate, lost their lives.
Those were mostly High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen.
Although the Black Ink Clan hadn’t suffered immense losses, they were frustrated.
Regardless, Zhe Chong was glad that the universe fragment wasn’t that big. Out of an abundance of caution, he didn’t let a lot of Black Ink Clansmen land on the universe fragment; otherwise, there would have been many more casualties.
Zhe Chong turned to glower at the Territory Lord who stomped his foot back there. That Territory Lord was furious out of shame as he roared, “I must kill them! All of them!”
Barely two days had passed since these 500,000 Black Ink Clansmen departed from Great Evolution Pass, but 10% of them had already perished.
Despite knowing that there were certainly more traps ahead of them, the remaining 450,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers had no choice but to keep moving forward.
Zhe Chong wasn’t a fool; if he was, he wouldn’t have promptly decided to run away from Wind and Cloud Pass back then. A foolish Territory Lord would never live long.
As he clashed with the North-South Army over the years, Zhe Chong came to realise that the enemy had a leader who was particularly good at devising tactics and laying out plans on the Humans’ side.
Faced with such an opponent, he had to be extremely careful; therefore, after the Black Ink Clansmen set off again, they no longer moved in a straight line. Instead, they kept making detours. Even Zhe Chong himself didn’t have a particular direction in mind. That way, he could ensure that the Army wouldn’t fall into the traps that the Humans had set up.
They were especially wary of areas that were full of asteroids or universe fragments. When they came across such places, they would steer clear.
That was because they had suffered from a similar setback already.
Three days later, the Humans were still nowhere in sight and the scouts that the Black Ink Clan had sent out couldn’t find anything. It was as though the Human soldiers had vanished into thin air.
However, Zhe Chong knew that the Humans wouldn’t give up so easily. They had to be hiding somewhere, waiting to launch a sneak attack on them.
Again, they circled around an area that was full of universe fragments; however, without a warning, light burst forth from the void itself. In an instant, numerous glowing objects appeared and connected with one another to form a Grand Array, cutting the Black Ink Clan Army in half.
The sudden change caused the Black Ink Clansmen who were moving forward in an orderly manner to descend into chaos.
Right then, the Humans appeared out of nowhere. No one knew where they had been hiding. It was as though they had simply manifested from nowhere.
The Warships charged forward and rained a series of attacks on the split-up Black Ink Clan soldiers.
One hour after the battle began, the Humans retreated. By the time the Black Ink Clan Army was done reorganising itself, the Humans were gone.
If the Humans had left any later, the Black Ink Clan could have rallied together and dealt a heavy blow to them.
Although Zhe Chong was vexed, he wouldn’t dare to tell the others to pursue the Humans. No one could be certain whether there were any traps set up on the route the enemy had retreated.
Zhe Chong would appear useless if they fell into the Humans’ traps again.
Ordering the Black Ink Clan soldiers to pull themselves together, Zhe Chong continued their forward march.
Similar ambushes repeatedly over the next 10 days. Regardless of how hard Zhe Chong tried to suppress his fury, he was on the brink of flaring up.
There was one thing he just couldn’t understand, He had been ordering random changes in the Army’s marching direction all this time, leading to them taking 10 days to cross a distance which could normally be traversed in just 5; however, they had still repeatedly fallen into traps that the Humans had arranged.
There was no way this was a mere coincidence, nor was it possible that the Humans had accurately speculated about the route they would take; after all, even Zhe Chong had no idea about the next direction he would lead the Army towards, so how were the Humans supposed to figure it out?
There was only one possibility that could explain such a situation.
The Humans had simply set up a tremendous amount of traps in various places between Great Evolution Pass and the Royal City. Although the Black Ink Clan Army kept changing directions and successfully avoided some traps, they would inevitably fall into others.
Upon that realisation, Zhe Chong couldn’t help but groan.
If that was true, the number of traps that the Humans had arranged must be astronomical, as was the amount of resources they had consumed to make such a thing possible.
However, considering the fact that the Humans had occupied a forward base outside Great Evolution Pass for 100 years, keeping the Black Ink Clan contained there all this time, it wasn’t necessarily impossible for them to pull this off.
There was also another thing that bothered Zhe Chong though. When he told the soldiers to circumvent areas that were full of universe fragments or universe fragments on several occasions, they would always come across the traps that the Humans had arranged.
In that case, the Humans must have anticipated his thought process and done the opposite. Instead of setting up traps inside the areas that were full of asteroids or universe fragments, they had done so in their periphery.
In other words, the areas that were full of asteroids or universe fragments were actually safe zones.
Upon that revelation, Zhe Chong thought of a solution.
Zhe Chong had started with 500,000 soldiers and still had many of them with him. It had been one month since they departed from Great Evolution Pass, but they had only crossed about 30% of the distance to the Royal City.
This couldn’t be helped. Even though they had avoided many of the traps the Humans had set up, they had also wasted a lot of time. If they had headed towards the Royal City in a straight line, they would have arrived at their destination in a little over a month.
Over the past month, the Black Ink Clan soldiers had clashed with the Humans on multiple occasions. Presently, only 400,000 of them were left. All the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were alive and kicking, but many of the Feudal Lords had lost their lives.
In the void, the Black Ink Clan Army continued heading towards the Royal City.
Meanwhile, the Warships of the North-South Army were hiding in an area that was full of universe fragments. With the help of the Warships, the Humans’ mobility and speed were superior to those of the Black Ink Clan. Therefore, the North-South Army could always stay one step ahead of the Black Ink Clan Army and set up obstructions.
The Universe Arrays on the two Purifying Black Ink Battleships could ensure that if their speculation about the direction that the Black Ink Clan was heading was wrong, they could quickly re-deploy their forces.
Presently, aboard one of the Purifying Black Ink Battleships, Mi Jing Lun, Ou Yang Lie, and the other Eighth-Order Division Commanders had gathered together.
With a solemn expression, Mi Jing Lun said, “If we’re lucky, the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements will pass by this place. This is where we will engage them in a decisive battle.”
“Have we used up all our prior arrangements?” Ou Yang Lie asked. He wasn’t interested in managing the affairs of the Army, so he let Mi Jing Lun make all the decisions. What he excelled at was fighting powerful Black Ink Clansmen and killing them. Even though he knew a thing or two about the setups that the North-South Army’s soldiers had built, he didn’t know as much as Mi Jing Lun did.
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “We set up countless traps, so how is it possible that they were all used up? Only 20% to 30% of them have been used, but we expected this outcome when we started making those arrangements. However, there’s nothing else beyond this point.”
This couldn’t be helped. Although the North-South Army had spent 100 years and consumed a massive amount of resources to set up innumerable traps in the void, they couldn’t possibly build traps all the way from Great Evolution Pass to the Royal City in such a short amount of time.
This was already the best they could do. If the Black Ink Clan Army successfully crossed this point, there would no longer be any dangers ahead of them.
Regardless of whether the North-South Army was willing to do it or not, they had to fight a life-or-death battle with the Black Ink Clan Army here where all the traps ended. Whatever the price they had to pay, they had to stop the Black Ink Clan reinforcements from reaching the Royal City in order to ensure that the East-West Army’s plans wouldn’t be thwarted.
If they let the Black Ink Clan break through their blockade and go to the Royal City, the East-West Army’s plans would be foiled. In the worst-case scenario, the East-West Army would be pincered by the enemy, and when that happened, they would be doomed.
There were two Human Race Armies in the Great Evolution Theatre. The East-West Army had their mission, which was to invade the Royal City.
The North-South Army had their own task as well, which was to intercept the Black Ink Clansmen garrisoned at Great Evolution Pass. It was a task they had to accomplish no matter the cost.
The North-South Army wasn’t trying to stall for time in the past month; rather, they were trying to weaken the Black Ink Clan’s power.
After all, 500,000 Black Ink Clansmen was a force to be reckoned with. The North-South Army wasn’t powerful enough to destroy such an Army.
Over the past month, they had made use of the traps they had set up and clashed with the Black Ink Clan on several occasions, but they still hadn’t achieved their goal.
Although there was a decrease of somewhere between 20% and 30% in the number of Black Ink Clansmen, there were still about 400,000 of them. For the North-South Army, it was hard to stop such a force, which was determined to rescue the Royal City.
“This battle is different from those in the past. Many people will lose their lives,” Mi Jing Lun lifted his gaze and looked at Ou Yang Lie.
A nonchalant Ou Yang Lie replied, “Are we Humans even afraid of death? We already expected this outcome when we formed the Great Evolution Army. I’m sure the soldiers are aware of it as well.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “In the end, strength is what it takes to win a war. Strategies are just the icing on the cake.”
An impatient Ou Yang Lie said, “Let’s not belittle ourselves and overestimate the enemies’ power. Just tell us what we should do, and keep it simple. I do not understand complicated strategies anyway.”
Mi Jing Lun put on a helpless smile. After giving it a thought, he said grimly, “There’s only one way to win this battle.”
“What is it?” All of them gazed at him.
With a solemn expression, Mi Jing Lun went on to say, “We must prioritise killing the most powerful Black Ink Masters. It would be best if we could kill several Territory Lords or Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples at the outset of the battle so that we can intimidate the Black Ink Clan and make the Territory Lords flustered. That way… we might be able to stop them.”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.
It wasn’t easy to kill the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. As Eighth-Order Division Commanders, they were certainly more powerful than the Territory Lords or Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples; however, in a real fight, while it was easy for them to get the upper hand, it was hard for them to take their opponents’ lives.
In order to accomplish this, they would also have to pay a huge price.
Mi Jing Lun didn’t say it clearly, but everyone present knew what he meant.
This battle would be significantly more dangerous than the ones they’d had fought in the past.
The North-South Army had stopped the Black Ink Clan from heading to the Royal City before; however, at that time, the Royal City wasn’t in a perilous situation, so the Territory Lords were not determined to engage in a life-and-death struggle. Generally, after they suffered a setback, they returned to Great Evolution Pass.
This time was different. The Royal City was at risk of being destroyed, so the Territory Lords wouldn’t give up as long as there was still a chance. In order to crush their hopes, the Humans had to deal a devastating blow to them.
Dealing a crippling blow to the enemy would require significant sacrifices.
Ou Yang Lie guffawed, “Since you already have a plan, why did you look miserable earlier? That’s easy. I’ll take the lead and kill a Territory Lord first.”
Gazing at him, Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “Brother Ou Yang, you’re the Army Commander of Great Evolution Southern Army, so you can’t put yourself at risk.”
Ou Yang Lie refuted him with a smile, “That’s nonsense. Although I’m an Army Commander, I know nothing about strategies and military affairs. All I have is brute strength, so whether I’m around or not makes no difference in the long run. With you in charge of the North-South Army, that will be enough.”
“Brother Ou Yang…”
Before he could finish speaking, Ou Yang Lie interrupted him by lifting his hand, “Brother Mi, stop trying to dissuade me, or you’ll look petty. I’ve just said that we’re not afraid of death. When the time comes, I’ll lead the charge as an Army Commander. Those at the top must set an example for the rest to follow.”
The moment he finished speaking, an old man stepped forward as he ran his fingers through his beard, “I’m an old man who no longer has a future, and I’ve always wanted to end my life in the most splendid way. This is a good opportunity. Count me in for killing a Territory Lord.”
A moved Mi Jing Lun glanced at the old man, “Senior Brother Cheng…”
Senior Brother Cheng had helped him a lot in the past. When Mi Jing Lun arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield as a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master back then, Senior Brother Cheng was the Squad Leader of his Squad. It was Senior Brother Cheng who had repeatedly saved him from life-and-death moments. Without him, Mi Jing Lun wouldn’t even be alive today.
Many years had passed, and Senior Brother Cheng was no longer as energetic as when he was young; however, he never forgot about why he came to the Black Ink Battlefield in the first place, which was to destroy the Black Ink Clan.
Senior Brother Cheng cupped his fist and said, “This Cheng would like to accept the challenge of killing a Territory Lord at the outset of the battle. I’ll not disappoint you, Army Commander!”
Mi Jing Lun clenched his teeth and exerted so much force with his hand that he almost broke the feather fan that had been with him for so many years, but in the end, he said with difficulty, “Good.”
Senior Brother Cheng put on a smile, “Many thanks, Army Commander.”
After he sat back down, another person rose from the chair, “I’ve been practising a certain sword technique for 5,000 years. The moment I unsheath my sword, even a Territory Lord can’t fend it off. I’d like to accept the challenge of killing a Territory Lord!”
“Good!”
Another Division Commander then stood. She was a middle-aged woman who said smilingly, “This Mistress isn’t as powerful as the two Senior Brothers, but I have a Secret Technique that I’ve never used before. This time, I can seize the chance and try it out on a Territory Lord. Please count me in, Army Commander.”
“Good!”
“No one is comparable to Bright King Cave Heaven when it comes to killing enemies at all costs. I’ll make the first move.”
“Good!”
…
For every ‘good’ that Mi Jing Lun spoke, a bit of energy seemed to have left him. It had been 100 years since he took charge of the North-South Army, but he had never felt more heartbroken than this day.
However, he knew that in order to stop the 400,000 Black Ink Clansmen who were determined to reach the Royal City, there was a price to pay.
Hasty footsteps were heard approaching at that moment, and a person soon entered the room and cupped his fist, “Sirs, a scout has returned and reported that the Black Ink Clan Army will arrive in two hours.”
A glint flashed through Mi Jing Lun’s eyes, “They’re really coming this way.”
A while back, they had speculated on which route the Black Ink Clan Army would follow to reach the Royal City. Although Zhe Chong believed that he was constantly changing directions in a random manner, and the Humans would not be able to anticipate his movements, there were still some regular patterns in reality. These regular patterns had something to do with his unconscious habits, and even he was unaware of it. Nevertheless, Humans could make a deduction based on this information.
Mi Jing Lun and the others had drawn out several possible routes, but they eventually concluded that the Black Ink Clansmen would most likely pass by this place. To be safe, the other Purifying Black Ink Battleship was waiting at the next most likely route.
That way, even if the Black Ink Clan went another way, the North-South Army could promptly rush over.
If the Black Ink Clan didn’t head in either direction, the Humans would have no choice but to fight with them head-on.
Now, it seemed that the Humans were in luck.
“Tell those from the other side to return,” Mi Jing Lun ordered.
“Yes.” The person respectfully left to carry out his orders.
Mi Jing Lun glanced at the other Eight-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, “The battle is about to take place, and you know all the arrangements there are. There’s only one thing I’d like to remind you of.”
After sweeping a glance over them, he cupped his fist and said solemnly, “Please take good care of yourself.”
Ou Yang Lie grinned, “Don’t worry about it. Killing some Black Ink Clansmen is no big deal.”
Mi Jing Lun parted his lips, but he didn’t know what else he should say.
Ou Yang Lie patted his shoulder and left the room. Since the battle was only two hours away, he had something to say to his good-for-nothing Disciple.
The other Eighth-Order Division Commanders left one by one, until eventually, Mi Jing Lun was left alone on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
The following two hours were quiet as the scouts at the frontline kept sending information back.
What surprised Mi Jing Lun was that the Black Ink Clan didn’t circumvent the region where the Humans were located, despite it being an area filled with universe fragments; instead, they were coming straight in this direction.
It seemed that the Commander of the Black Ink Clan Army had realised something, which was why such a bold decision was made.
That was actually a wise decision, as in truth, the North-South Army had set up traps all around the periphery of many regions filled with asteroids and universe fragments. Regardless of which way the Black Ink Clan Army passed by, they would inevitably fall into some traps.
Only by directly passing through the asteroids and universe fragments would they avoid them.
However, the North-South Army happened to be hiding in this area of universe fragments. With the help of these universe fragments, the Human soldiers could perfectly conceal themselves, then emerge from their hiding spots and attack the Black Ink Clan soldiers when the time was right. Other than that, they could also make use of the complicated terrain to deal with the enemies.
It could be said that as the Humans had to face the Black Ink Clan, who had significantly more people on their side, this area of universe fragments was the best possible battlefield. Now, the Black Ink Clan soldiers were coming to this place. Although they could avoid the traps that the Humans had set up in advance, they had inadvertently selected a terrible battlefield.
The concealment arrays on the Warships were activated, and with the help of the universe fragments, the Humans hid themselves in preparation.
On the ship’s deck, Mi Jing Lun watched as the Black Ink Clan’s scouts entered the region of universe fragments. Although they were supposedly just scouts, there were close to 100,000 of them. The rest of the Black Ink Clan Army followed closely behind them.
Apparently, the leader of these Black Ink Clansmen knew that if the Humans were really hiding in this place, the scouts would be doomed if there were too few of them. In that case, a large number of them should directly barge into the place to intimidate the enemy.
The formation of several hundred thousand soldiers was very long, so it took them an hour before all of them entered the universe fragment field.
Although the scouts had been looking around, they found nothing.
Mi Jing Lun closed his eyes and waited patiently.
Finally, there came a moment when he suddenly opened his eyes and waved his feather fan.
He didn’t seem to have exerted any force with his hand; however, the moment the feather fan pointed forward, the silent region filled with universe fragments suddenly erupted with noise.
The arrays on the Warships started running, and all kinds of lights started shining as various Secret Techniques and artifact attacks shot towards the Black Ink Clan soldiers.
Zhe Chong, who was leading the Army forward, was stunned. Based on his speculation, an area that was full of asteroids and universe fragments should be safe, so he hadn’t anticipated stepping right into a place where the Humans were hiding.
The shock only lasted for a brief moment though as Zhe Chong soon grit his teeth and focused. Since they departed from Great Evolution Pass one month ago, they had gone through a lot of hardships because of the Humans. They would always fall into a trap, after which the Humans would appear out of nowhere and attack them. By the time they managed to reorganise themselves, the Humans would have retreated.
The Black Ink Clan had suffered a lot of setbacks, but they had nowhere to vent their anger.
There were no traps this time, but the Humans had taken the initiative to come at them. Rather than falling into the Humans’ ambush, the Black Ink Clan Army had actually barged into their hiding place.
After all, it wasn’t like 20,000 Humans could encircle and besiege them.
Zhe Chong was determined to make the Humans pay the price for what they had done on this day.
He thus roared, “Kill!”
The moment he gave the order, he felt a ferocious aura locking onto him. He was astounded by the aura that was filled with murderous intent.
Both Armies had been fighting against each other for the past 100 years, and the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Division Commanders had gotten into several fights, so they knew a thing or two about each other.
Zhe Chong instantly felt a sense of familiarity when the aura locked onto him. If he wasn’t mistaken, it belonged to an extremely powerful Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It seemed that the other party had realised Zhe Chong was the leader of this Army, so he directly targeted him.
Zhe Chong had exchanged moves with this man before and had no choice but to admit that he was no match for him if they were in a one-on-one fight, so the moment he detected this aura, Zhe Chong promptly retreated.
At the same time, the Black Ink Clan soldiers charged forward to protect him.
Zhe Chong wasn’t a fool, so he wouldn’t directly clash with the other party at this point. The biggest advantage the Black Ink Clan had was the large number of people they had on their side, so he certainly would make use of it to deal with this opponent.
With the help of the soldiers around him, Zhe Chong would be safe for a while. Even if they couldn’t stop this enemy, they would be able to weaken him. By then, Zhe Chong would have a way to deal with this powerful opponent.
When he looked up, he saw that there was a man with red hair charging towards him. The person’s World Force had been pushed to the limit, and his entire figure was aflame. Even the space around him warped as he flew forward.
Besides this man, there were also other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that dashed out from the Humans’ side in a menacing manner, all of them exuding a thick murderous intent with determination written all over their faces.
Zhe Chong felt his heart clenching as he wondered what was going on with the Humans today.
One of them was covered in a layer of golden blood mist, which was a sign that he was drawing on his vitality to boost his strength beyond its normal limits.
One figure was engulfed in brilliant sword light as he shot forward.
Another figure appeared to be sauntering casually across the void, but he had already appeared among the Black Ink Clansmen after taking only one step.
There was another figure that dashed out with a thin smile on her face as she formed a complex set of hand seals, flower petals swirling around her.
…..
There wasn’t any delay at all. The moment the Humans launched an attack, the figures that exuded Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm auras instantly appeared among the Black Ink Clan soldiers.
Wherever these figures went, the Black Ink Clan soldiers collapsed. Although there was a massive number of people on their side, they were unable to stop these figures’ rampage.
The thousands of Black Ink Clansmen in front of Zhe Chong formed a fairly powerful screen as they included about 20 Feudal Lords. Such a group should supposedly be able to ward off an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master for at least a short time.
However, the moment the man with red hair whose figure was burning arrived, these thousands of Black Ink Clansmen were simply unable to stop.
The red-haired man didn’t even make a move as just the flames around his figure were enough to destroy any Black Ink Clansmen that got too close. It wasn’t certain what the secret behind these flames were, but the moment any Black Ink Clansmen came into contact with them, they started burning and howling in pain.
The next instant, the red-haired man reached Zhe Chong and realization struck him.
“Are you insane!?” Zhe Chong exclaimed.
This couldn’t be helped, as he finally figured out what was wrong. The red-haired man was burning his own Blood Essence.
This was a technique that was unique to Human cultivators and Zhe Chong had heard about it from the Black Ink Disciples before. The Blood Essence of a Human cultivator was precious as it was the foundation of their vitality that had been accumulated over a very long time. No Human would burn their Blood Essence if they had a choice. They would only do so during a life-or-death moment.
Even though the cultivator could significantly increase his or her strength for a short time by burning their Blood Essence, the drawbacks of doing so were immense. It was certain that this man would be seriously weakened, and in the worst-case scenario, his foundation would be damaged, causing his cultivation to drop.
The battle had just begun, but the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before his eyes had already started burning his Blood Essence. What else could it be if he wasn’t out of his mind?
It was just the beginning of the fight, and this Human wasn’t in any kind of perilous situation, nor was there a benefit he had to obtain at all costs.
Zhe Chong couldn’t figure out the reason that compelled this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to act this way.
Despite that, he knew that he had run out of luck.
Zhe Chong was already no match for the other party in a one-on-one fight, to begin with, and now the latter had increased his strength by burning his Blood Essence, so how was he supposed to ward him off? If this wasn’t the case, the thousands of Black Ink Clansmen Zhe Chong was using as a shield wouldn’t have proven completely useless.
The instant Zhe Chong finished speaking, Ou Yang Lie lifted his hand and summoned a delicate-looking sword into his grip.
It was hard to imagine that a masculine man like him would be using such a delicate-looking sword, but that was indeed the case. This sword was his Natal Artifact, so he wouldn’t show it to others unless it was necessary to do so. That was because he too felt that this artifact didn’t match his image. It was somewhat of a mismatch for a burly man with flaming red hair like him to hold such a delicate-looking sword.
In fact, he hadn’t used this sword for a very long time.
The reason he even summoned this sword now was that he had to kill his enemy no matter the cost.
Ou Yang Lie was a completely different person when he had a sword in his hand.
As he was holding his sword, the aura around him became extremely sharp. His entire figure seemed to have transformed into a sword that was about to be unsheathed. The intimidating Sword Intent caused Zhe Chong to feel a chill running down his spine.
The flame around Ou Yang Lie soon engulfed his sword.
The next instant, Sword Qi burst forth and engulfed Zhe Chong. The red-haired man didn’t hold back anything as he unleashed a series of fatal attacks in quick succession.
Zhe Chong felt his soul leaving his body. He could feel that this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was set on killing him. This red-haired man had already started burning his Blood Essence the moment he appeared, and he didn’t seem to have the intention of defending himself. It was apparent that he was determined to kill his opponent regardless of the costs.
What was the point of him doing this?
Zhe Chong had no idea how horrifying an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was determined to kill could be in the past, but he knew now.
Although Zhe Chong fully pushed his own power, he was still no match for the other party. In just several breaths of time, he fell into a complete disadvantage. Faced with the opponent’s attacks, he could only defend himself in a fluster. Battered, he continuously lured the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to the surrounding weaker Black Ink Clansmen in the hopes that these soldiers would help him turn things around.
Ou Yang Lie followed closely behind him. The flickering sword lights caused Zhe Chong’s black blood to scatter across the void; however, Ou Yang Lie was also impacted by the attacks that were coming at him from all directions. His clothes were dyed red with blood.
Just then, a menacing Sword Intent pervaded a particular area of the battlefield. The Sword Intent was unimaginably powerful.
As the Sword Intent spread out, a dazzling sword light emerged.
The next instant, a person’s voice reverberated across the place, “Butterfly Transformation!”
Instantly, the aura of a Territory Lord rose up wildly before fading away forever.
Aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Mi Jing Lun stood on the deck as he watched the sword light that had exploded. It was the strongest sword technique he had ever seen in his life. The sword technique had surpassed the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and almost reached the threshold of the Ninth-Order.
It was a sword technique that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had practised for 5,000 years, and the moment it was cast, only a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could ward it off.
It was the most splendid light in the world.
Mi Jing Lun bent his back to salute the person.
The moment the terrifying sword light exploded, the aura of a Territory Lord disappeared. The next moment, a large number of Black Ink Clansmen lost their lives. Following that, the death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was felt.
Zhe Chong, who was bombarded with Ou Yang Lie’s attacks, felt his face turning pale in an instant. The Territory Lord who had just lost his life was as powerful as he was. In fact, due to his rather unique constitution, he was even slightly stronger.
However, just 10 breaths after the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had launched their attacks, that Territory Lord had already lost his life.
He was probably the first Territory Lord who had lost his life so quickly after the beginning of a battle between the two Races.
Zhe Chong wouldn’t even dare to imagine what would have happened to him if he were the one who had to deal with that sword attack. All of a sudden, he realised that the red-haired man before his eyes wasn’t so savage after all.
The sword light seemed to be even more oppressive.
Following that, it was as if a chain reaction was set off on the battlefield. All sorts of profound and powerful Secret Techniques burst forth.
Forget the Black Ink Clan, even the Humans had never seen such a wide display of powerful and abstruse Secret Techniques before.
These were the Secret Techniques that one would only use in life-or-death moments, so they wouldn’t easily show them to others.
One could take in everything from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, so Mi Jing Lun could clearly see all the Secret Techniques that exploded on the battlefield.
Somewhere on the battlefield, a gigantic blood-coloured flower suddenly blossomed and covered the void. A familiar aura exuded from the blood-coloured flower. It was transformed from the Blood Essence of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The moment the blood-coloured flower petals closed up, not only did it entrap thousands of Black Ink Clansmen, but also a Territory Lord.
When the blood-coloured flower reopened half a cup of tea’s time later, there was no one that was alive inside, only warm corpses lying on the flower’s stamen.
In another place on the battlefield, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Bright King Cave Heaven summoned his Divine Manifestation and transformed into a giant. His vitality surged as he rampaged around the battlefield, slaughtering the enemy.
On the other hand, Senior Brother Cheng actually spread out his Small Universe and trapped 10,000 Black Ink Clansmen inside of it. As his World Force undulated, he battled a Territory Lord and an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple all on his own.
In a different place, Ou Yang Lie was besieged by the Black Ink Clan soldiers, but he was still able to gain the upper hand over the Territory Lord with his flaming sword in hand.
With the help of their Warships, the 20,000 soldiers of the North-South Army threw all caution to the wind as they attacked the Black Ink Clan soldiers.
The auras of powerful Masters swiftly withered in different parts of the battlefield, shining like the most splendid lights in the last moments of their lives.
The lights were so dazzling that one present today would never forget this sight for the rest of their life.
Overwhelmed by a heart-wrenching feeling, Mi Jing Lun gently closed his eyes.
When his eyes reopened, the World Force around him surged. As he stomped his foot on the deck, he drove the gigantic Purifying Black Ink Battleship towards the battlefield.
There wasn’t a need for him to stay outside of the battlefield and give orders. The North-South Army, from the weakest of soldiers to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, were not afraid of death, so how was it possible that they would lose this battle?
He also had to leave his own mark in this war. As an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he wasn’t just an Army Commander who was good at strategizing, but also a fighter who could kill the enemy.
From the outset of the battle, the Black Ink Clan Army had descended into chaos. None of them could have expected that the Humans would be so resolute this time. A Territory Lord was killed by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master barely 10 breaths after hostilities broke out.
That was a Territory Lord, not an insignificant Low-Rank Black Ink Clansman.
How was it possible that he was killed so soon?
Although the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master also lost his life moments later, he still managed to kill thousands of Black Ink Clansmen before his death.
Powerful Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples subsequently lost their lives. The brutality and intensity of the battle this time was far beyond the Black Ink Clan’s imagination.
It was the same case for the Humans.
There had never been a battle where they had suffered such immense losses so quickly.
Even when the North-South Army arrived at the Great Evolution Theatre for the first time more than 100 years ago and stopped the Black Ink Clan reinforcements from leaving Great Evolution Pass, there were not so many casualties.
During that battle, only a small number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters lost their lives, and even then it happened gradually over several days.
This time was different. It had only been two hours since the start of the battle, but 7 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had fallen. If the war dragged on, there would surely be even more casualties.
Those 7 fallen Eighth-Order Masters brought 7 Territory Lords, 3 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, and several tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan soldiers down with them.
Those who lost their lives on the battlefield were the Seniors and Elders of the soldiers still fighting. They had taken good care of them and taught them invaluable lessons in the past.
Now that they were gone, the young had to take up the responsibility.
The Human soldiers were so furious that their eyes had reddened. The death of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters changed the situation on the battlefield. All Humans, regardless of their cultivation and status, went all out to destroy the enemy, not caring about their own safety at all.
20,000 Humans had to face some 400,000 Black Ink Clansmen. Despite the huge difference in numbers on both sides, the Humans were still able to get the upper hand over the Black Ink Clan Army. That was because the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had sacrificed themselves to intimidate the enemy, and all the Human soldiers were united as one.
More and more Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters lost their lives on the battlefield while many Warships were shattered and engulfed in flames.
Universe fragments exploded into dust as the battlefield descended into mayhem.
These several hundred thousand Black Ink Clan soldiers had entered this field of universe fragments in an orderly manner, but as the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters emerged and dealt a heavy blow to them, their formation immediately collapsed.
Suddenly, there came a moment when a huge commotion broke out.
That was because Zhe Chong was killed.
He was the de facto leader of the Black Ink Clan Army, so when he was around, the Territory Lords would obey his orders. Now that he was gone, none of the Territory Lords had the necessary authority to command the rest of the Black Ink Clan Army.
Every Territory Lord had their own thoughts. In such a situation, those Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were like starving wolves. Their powerful auras had locked onto the Territory Lords, and they were determined to kill them at all costs.
This was no laughing matter. The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had proven their determination already.
Faced with these flares, the Territory Lords felt chills running down their spines. They could only tell their subordinates to surround them and protect them from the crazed Eighth-Order Masters.
With more Black Ink Clansmen becoming defensive, there were fewer people fighting back.
On the battlefield, the Human Warships charged around as Secret Techniques and artifacts were continuously shot off, each attack killing more enemies.
The number of Black Ink Clan soldiers was rapidly decreasing, and it was the same case for the Human Warships.
In this battle, both parties had paid an almost unbearable price.
The battle lasted for three days.
Finally, there came a moment when the noise on the battlefield died down. Both parties backed down and confronted each other with a distance of several hundred thousand kilometres between them.
Most of the universe fragments were gone, shattered by the fallout of the clash between the two Armies.
With the shattered universe fragments as the background and the Purifying Black Ink Battleship boldly situated at the front of the fleet, the surviving Humans formed up with their Warships. Smoke billowed from those Warships, and the arrays were heard crackling and exploding. Some of the Warships looked so dilapidated that it was as though they would break apart with just a touch.
Despite that, these Warships that had gathered together were intimidating to the enemies.
Several hundred thousand kilometres away, the Territory Lords and their subordinates had also come together.
There were still significantly more people on their side, but faced with the Humans’ intimidation, the Black Ink Clan soldiers were engulfed in wariness and fear.
After this battle, the Black Ink Clansmen became truly afraid. They finally had a taste of how mad and fearless the Humans could be.
Even the Eighth-Order Masters, whose lives were incredibly precious, were willing to drag the Territory Lords down at the cost of their own lives, so what wouldn’t the Humans dare to do?
These Humans were simply insane!
The reason that the remaining Territory Lords survived wasn’t that they were stronger than the Territory Lords who were killed, it was just that they were luckier as they hadn’t been targeted by those crazed Eighth-Order Humans.
None of the Territory Lords, who were targeted by the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters for death, had survived.
After the unimaginably intense battle, the survivors from both sides confronted each other from a distance. In such a tense atmosphere, they greedily enjoyed the rare peacefulness.
The Territory Lords secretly communicated with each other using their Divine Senses.
The Humans had no idea what they were talking about, but it was apparent that they were discussing whether they should fight or retreat.
To the Black Ink Clansmen, there was no doubt that rescuing the Royal City was important. If the Royal City was destroyed, none of these Black Ink Clansmen would survive for long.
This was the reason 500,000 of them departed from Great Evolution Pass upon learning about what had happened in the Royal City.
It could be said that only the minimum number of people were left behind to protect the Great Evolution Pass. Most of them had set off to rescue the Royal City, which went to show how determined they were.
However, they were intercepted halfway and had suffered tremendous losses.
If they still insisted on heading towards the Royal City, another battle would be inevitable. The Humans had made it clear that they would go to any lengths to stop them from moving forward.
Considering the level of madness that the Humans had exhibited, if another battle broke out, these remaining Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t be able to break through their blockade. Even though most of the Humans would lose their lives, none of the Black Ink Clansmen would survive.
So, should they keep moving forward?
That was the question that had been troubling the Territory Lords.
There was no doubt that the Royal City was important, but if they lost their lives here, everything else would no longer matter.
Therefore, after a brief exchange of words, the Territory Lords came to a consensus.
They had decided to return to Great Evolution Pass.
It was the second time they decided to retreat to Great Evolution Pass.
The previous time was some 100 years ago. At that time, the Royal City wasn’t in a perilous situation, and the Humans were not so resolute yet. It was the same case for the Black Ink Clan.
This time was different.
All the Territory Lords knew that if they retreated this time, they would forever lose the courage to leave Great Evolution Pass again. They would live or die with Great Evolution Pass.
This was a difficult decision to make; however, things had come to such a point where they no longer had a choice.
Although the Black Ink Clansmen had decided to retreat, they did not scatter about. Instead, with the coordination from the Territory Lords, they withdrew in an orderly manner.
They were worried that the Humans would pursue them while they were retreating as they had experienced such a thing before; therefore, they had to keep their formation intact so that they would be able to deal with the possible attacks from the Humans.
On the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Mi Jing Lun was slightly pale. The blood on his clothes had dried up and many parts of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship were damaged.
During the intense battle earlier, no one could ensure that they would be safe or that their Warships would remain intact. The only difference was how severe their injuries would be and how damaged their Warships would become.
The feather fan in Mi Jing Lun’s hand had turned dim.
He had been waiting for the Black Ink Clansmen to make a decision.
When he saw that the Territory Lords finally led the remnants of the Black Ink Clan Army in the opposite direction, he let out a sigh of relief.
Honestly, if the Black Ink Clan soldiers insisted on moving forward, the Humans would have no choice but to engage them again. It wouldn’t be hard for them to stop the surviving Black Ink Clan soldiers, but the question was, how many from the North-South Army would still be alive after the dust settled?
These courageous soldiers knew that they might lose their lives at any moment on the battlefield, and it was the same for the Eighth-Order Masters. All of them had proven this in the battle earlier.
As an Army Commander, Mi Jing Lun hoped that he would lead more people to see the day when Great Evolution Pass was retaken while they were still alive instead of letting their names become mere memories on the Monument of Heroes.
That would be meaningless.
He pointed his feather fan forward and said gently, “Let’s see them off.”
Despite his small voice, his order carried across all the Warships. All the soldiers could clearly hear him.
As the Purifying Black Ink Battleship slowly moved forward, the dilapidated Warships followed closely behind it.
The Territory Lords were astounded.
When they realised that the Human Warships were moving as well, they thought that the Humans were not willing to let them go.
This made the Territory Lords furious. They had already disobeyed the order to rescue the Royal City and decided to return to Great Evolution Pass; however, the Humans were still not willing to let them go? Were they so determined to kill them here?
At that instant, the Black Ink Clan soldiers broke into a commotion while the Territory Lords hurriedly suppressed them and ordered them to stay vigilant.
Soon though, they realised that the Humans didn’t intend to fight. Instead, the Humans were just following them with a distance of several hundred thousand kilometres between both parties.
The distance made the Territory Lords feel uneasy; after all, it wasn’t really a safe distance. The Humans could make use of the Warships to launch an attack on them at any moment.
Nevertheless, there was nothing they could do. It wasn’t like they could tell the Humans to back further away, that would just make them appear weak.
With that said, by doing this, the Humans had sent a message to them. They would watch them return to Great Evolution Pass, so they shouldn’t even think about making a detour and heading to the Royal City.
Upon that realisation, the Territory Lords were torn between tears and laughter. They wondered who the Army Commander of the Human Soldiers was. That person was just too cautious.
Since the Humans wanted to watch them return to Great Evolution Pass, there was nothing that the Black Ink Clan could do other than tacitly agree to it.
So what if they don’t agree? It wasn’t like they were willing to fight with the Humans again either.
In such an awkward atmosphere, these two surviving Armies slowly moved towards Great Evolution Pass.
Under Zhe Chong’s leadership, it took the Black Ink Clansmen one month to arrive at this place, but it wasn’t so troublesome when they returned, they just had to go back in a straight line, so it only took them 10 days to arrive at their destination.
With that said, it wasn’t smooth sailing on their way back.
Over the past 100 years, the North-South Army had set up a massive amount of traps around Great Evolution Pass in all directions. Under Zhe Chong’s leadership, the Black Ink Clan soldiers kept changing directions, so they had only triggered some 25% of the traps.
In other words, there were still at least 70% of the traps still left behind.
By going back to Great Evolution Pass in a straight line, the Black Ink Clan soldiers were bound to trigger some of those traps.
Every time they triggered these traps, some of them would lose their lives. Although the Territory Lords had been vigilant, it was impossible for them to avoid these things.
Nevertheless, they were relieved that when they were caught by these traps, the Humans didn’t show any intention of attacking them, they only watched from behind in silence.
It could be said that the journey back to Great Evolution Pass was paved with blood and tears for the Black Ink Clansmen.
When the Black Ink Clan retreated, some of the Humans remained behind at the sight of the battle.
Mi Jing Lun had told some of them to stay so that they could clean up the mess and look for any survivors.
Gong Lian was one of the people who stayed. That was because Mi Jing Lun didn’t sense Ou Yang Lie dying in the battle.
After he killed Zhe Chong, Ou Yang Lie’s aura indeed disappeared all of a sudden, but that wasn’t the same as him being killed.
Therefore, Mi Jing Lun had a reason to believe that Ou Yang Lie was still alive. Perhaps he was just badly injured, so he didn’t even have the strength to return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. He had most likely played dead and was now hiding somewhere.
Gong Lian was the best person to handle this matter because he was Ou Yang Lie’s Legacy Disciple. No one in the world was more familiar with Ou Yang Lie than he was.
The area of shattered universe fragments was now filled with the debris of Warships, broken limbs, and hashed meat. The entire void was also full of Black Ink Clouds.
Gong Lian agilely moved around the shattered rocks and debris. When he found Human soldiers who were still alive, he would pull them out and send them to a safe place.
Eventually, there came a moment when he saw a headless corpse.
It was the corpse of a Territory Lord. An aura that was familiar to Gong Lian had been left behind on the wounds. It was the trace of Ou Yang Lie’s Sword Qi.
Since this Territory Lord was killed by Ou Yang Lie, he should have been the Commander of the Black Ink Clan Army.
After staring at the corpse for a while, Gong Lian became at ease and let out a breath. He then said, “Please come out, Honoured Master. You’re no longer a child, so please stop hiding.”
However, no reaction was felt coming from the corpse.
Gong Lian frowned. Suddenly realising something, he hurriedly moved forward and activated his power before slashing across the corpse with his palm.
Although the Territory Lord’s corpse was still sturdy, it couldn’t possibly bear Gong Lian’s attack.
A big cut was formed on the corpse’s stomach, after which a battered figure fell out of it.
Gong Lian promptly supported this figure, only to see that Ou Yang Lie’s face was as pale as a white sheet. His eyes were dyed black, and no part of his skin was intact. His aura was extremely weak, like a candle amidst the storm that might go out at any moment.
Although Ou Yang Lie had managed to kill Zhe Chong by burning his Blood Essence during the battle, his opponent wasn’t a weakling. He was injured by Zhe Chong’s final desperation move; furthermore, he was struck by the backlash of burning his Blood Essence. Surrounded by Black Ink Clansmen, Ou Yang Lie didn’t even have a chance to return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship; therefore, he promptly decided to activate a Secret Technique to conceal his figure and actually hid inside Zhe Chong’s corpse. That was how he managed to keep himself alive.
It was also thanks to Zhe Chong’s huge figure that he could actually hide inside it.
“Honoured Master, you’re quite miserable!” Gong Lian exclaimed.
Glaring at this good-for-nothing Disciple, Ou Yang Lie snapped, “Brat, if you had come any later, I would’ve killed myself!”
Gong Lian chuckled, “Since you still have the strength to curse at me, it shows that you’re just fine.”
Ou Yang Lie’s eyes became a shade darker as he hurriedly said, “Bring me back to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship right now!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he activated a Secret Technique and passed out, his head slumping to the side.
With a solemn expression, Gong Lian released his Divine Sense and sent a message to his companions, who were looking for survivors nearby. Then, he lugged the unconscious Ou Yang Lie with him and flew towards the fleet of Warships.
He could feel that his Honoured Master was in a perilous situation. Other than the fact that Ou Yang Lie had been struck by the backlash of burning his Blood Essence, he was also invaded by Black Ink Strength. He might turn into a Black Ink Disciple at any moment.
Hence, he wasn’t joking when he said that he would kill himself.
Ou Yang Lie would definitely commit suicide before he was completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Although the Humans now had a way to dispel Black Ink Strength, he knew that his Disciple would be the one looking for him, so he was worried that he might accidentally kill his Disciple after he lost his mind.
Fortunately, Gong Lian came to his rescue in time.
Gong Lian moved forward at the speed of lightning; after all, he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Although he was also injured during the battle, his foundation hadn’t been harmed.
Barely one day later, the pair reached the fleet of Warships and Gong Liang brought his Honoured Master to the inner hall of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
Mi Jing Lun breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the news.
Many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had lost their lives during the battle. All the others who had requested to kill Territory Lords had perished, but at the very least, Ou Yang Lie, the Southern Army Commander, had returned alive.
After dispelling the Black Ink Strength from Ou Yang Lie’s body and settling him down, Mi Jing Lun returned to the deck and watched the Black Ink Clan Army return to Great Evolution Pass.
It took the Black Ink Clan 10 days to retreat to Great Evolution Pass and many of them had lost their lives along the way.
The North-South Army also returned to where the universe fragment where their forward base was once located.
The forward base, which had once been bustling with noise, was now a cloud of debris. Senior Brother Cheng was no longer around to give them valuable lessons, and many familiar faces were gone for good. As Mi Jing Lun recalled the previous battle, he could still remember the glorious moments before each of their deaths.
All of their sacrifices had not been in vain.
They had managed to ensure that the East-West Army wouldn’t be pincered by the enemy.
The Black Ink Clan reinforcements were intercepted before they could arrive at their destination, and they had suffered immense losses. Many of the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had been slain. The Humans were united as one and doing their best to stop the Black Ink Clan Army, forcing them to return to Great Evolution Pass.
The news was passed on to the Royal City through the Black Ink Nests.
Che Kong was furious as he argued with Hong Di, who was in charge of Great Evolution Pass, through the Black Ink Nests despite being separated by a distance of billions of kilometres. He accused Hong Di of being useless and urged him once again to immediately come to the Royal City.
However, there was nothing Hong Di could do. Although he wanted to save the Royal City as well, he was powerless to do so. After the previous battle, their collective might had been significantly weakened, and about half of the Black Ink Clan soldiers had lost their lives. Even many Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were killed.
When there were still 500,000 soldiers on their side, they were already unable to break through the Humans’ blockade. Even if they went all out now, they wouldn’t be able to leave Great Evolution Pass.
He certainly knew that the Royal City was in a perilous situation, but there was nothing he could do.
Before, the Black Ink Clansmen might have been able to leave Great Evolution Pass, and as long as they were determined enough and not afraid of the losses, they might be able to break through the Humans’ blockade. Now that many of them had lost their lives though, they were trapped inside Great Evolution Pass.
There was no way out for them other than defending Great Evolution Pass.
However, could they really keep Great Evolution Pass? That was the question every Territory Lord had in their mind.
There had only been 30,000 soldiers on the Humans’ side, but they had managed to toy with and repel nearly a million Black Ink Clansmen for over 100 years. While the Black Ink Clansmen were not aware of it, their strength was gradually weakened, and when they finally came to that realization, it was already too late.
If they wanted to leave Great Evolution Pass, there would only be one chance: If the Humans suddenly lost their minds and decided to attack them.
Given the Humans’ current power, if they decided to invade Great Evolution Pass, the Black Ink Clan could make use of the arrangements they had built up over the past 30,000 years to destroy them.
Only by doing so would they be able to remove the obstacle in front of them and head straight to the Royal City.
Unfortunately, the Humans didn’t seem to have the intention of attacking Great Evolution Pass. Apparently, they knew that it was unrealistic for them to launch an assault given their current power. Therefore, after returning, they set up a new forward base and began resting and recuperating.
10 years after the Black Ink Clansmen retreated to Great Evolution Pass for the second time, an intense battle broke out outside the Royal City.
Both the East-West Army and the Black Ink Clan Army were familiar with such battles by now, because over the past 100 years, a battle of such a scale would take place every twenty years.
Every time, the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord would end up being mutually wounded. The Humans would retreat in a hurry after winning some advantages, then the Black Ink Clan soldiers would chase after them for a bit.
It was an endless cycle that never seemed to change.
The Black Ink Clan had become desensitized to this routine. They had already expected that the battle would happen, and they were well prepared.
There were no longer a million Black Ink Clan soldiers around the Royal City, but there were still about 700,000 to 800,000 of them. Although the Black Ink Nest could continuously replenish the manpower for them, it wouldn’t be able to efficiently do so if there were too many losses.
Furthermore, all the power of the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest was used to help with the Royal Lord’s recuperation. For that reason, the birth of new Black Ink Clansmen was delayed.
Although there were a lot of Black Ink Clansmen, only half of them had any kind of usable strength.
Some Black Ink Clansmen lost their lives in every battle, and as time passed, the collective might of the Black Ink Clan Army gradually weakened.
This time, the battle broke out as usual.
The Old Ancestor took the initiative to raise chaos among the Black Ink Clan soldiers; then, the Royal Lord raced out of the Black Ink Nest and the two of them clashed far away from the Royal City.
The Human soldiers struck from the left side of the Royal City, and a large number of Universe Worlds flew in from the right.
The Humans had been using the same tactic again and again over the years.
The Black Ink Clan knew fully well how to deal with them by now, so both parties were now equally matched during the battle.
Based on past experiences, they just had to fend off the Humans for half a day, and the latter would retreat.
However, this time, many Territory Lords felt that something was off.
The Humans seemed to be prioritizing defence this time. They were the attackers, so it was puzzling that they focused on defending themselves.
Nevertheless, that was indeed the truth.
After making contact, the Black Ink Clansmen realised that the Humans were indeed determined to defend themselves this time. In that case, they were less intimidating to the Black Ink Clan.
But why?
While the Black Ink Clansmen were puzzled, an unusual energy fluctuation was felt coming from the depths of the void.
The direction was where the two top Masters were clashing.
Although they had gone to a battlefield that was far away from the Royal City, the fallout of their battle was still transmitted to this place clearly; therefore, both the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Territory Lords could sense what was going on over there.
Basically, the two top Masters were equally matched every time they fought, and neither of them could gain the upper hand. They would always end up being mutually wounded.
However, something was different this time.
Suddenly, the Old Ancestor’s aura spiked and the strength and the intensity of her attacks increased dramatically. On the other hand, the Royal Lord’s aura weakened by the breath.
The realisation horrified the Territory Lords.
The outcome of the Old Ancestor and Royal Lord’s battle would critically impact the outcome of the entire war. The two of them had always been equally matched, so why was the Royal Lord suddenly at such a massive disadvantage today?
His weakening aura proved this point, and it was not a good sign for the Black Ink Clan.
Initially, the Territory Lords prayed that the Royal Lord was simply caught off guard somehow and found himself temporarily at a disadvantage; after all, when these two Masters fought, there were naturally times when one of them appeared stronger. Every now and then, one of the two would use a powerful Secret Technique, granting them a slight edge in momentum; however, this kind of situation never lasted long and they would soon return to a state of equilibrium.
Nevertheless, as time passed, the Territory Lords realised that something was terribly wrong.
The Royal Lord’s aura continued to weaken, and there were no signs of him turning things around. There was no doubt that he was being completely suppressed now.
On the other hand, the Old Ancestor’s aura stopped surging as it had already reached its peak, a kind of pinnacle that the Black Ink Clan had never felt before.
The Territory Lords had no idea what was happening between these two top Masters, nor did the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples understand what was going on. However, the difference between the two auras made it clear who was winning.
Compared to the Old Ancestor’s dominance, the Royal Lord’s performance was the exact opposite.
All the Human Warships were connected as one, and all their defensive arrays were fully activated. With the help of the Intertwining Branches Formation, the entire fleet was wrapped in a powerful defensive barrier.
As a result, the Human Army’s attacks were weak, but their defence was impenetrable. Furthermore, they maintained a high degree of mobility, so the bombardment of attacks from the Black Ink Clan could not harm the Humans at all.
The anomalies such as the Humans’ unusual tactics, the Old Ancestor’s sudden dominance, and the Royal Lord’s weakening aura threw the Black Ink Clan into a fluster. The Territory Lords faintly realised what was happening, and following Che Kong’s order, the Black Ink Clansmen hurriedly increased the force behind their attacks on the Human Warships in the hope that they could achieve a breakthrough.
Nevertheless, their attempts were futile.
Then came the moment when the World Force in the distance erupted, after which the Royal Lord’s aura took a sharp dive.
A terrified Che Kong turned to look in that direction, then passed down an order.
The next instant, a few Territory Lords led 8 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples and 100,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers out of the battlefield towards the place where the top Masters were fighting.
It was at that moment that the Humans, who had always been on the defensive, suddenly launched an all-out attack. As the Spirit Arrays were activated, countless Secret Techniques and artifact attacks were shot from the fleet of Warships and struck the Black Ink Clan soldiers,
Meanwhile, in the depths of the void, far from the Royal City, two figures were flying forward, one escaping, one chasing.
The person in front was covered in thick Black Ink Strength. It was the Royal Lord.
There were originally two black wings on his back, but only one of them remained now. The other one seemed to have been ripped from his body. The wound was still splattering out black blood, with raw flesh being exposed to the void. He looked extremely miserable.
As the Royal Lord escaped, a look of terror filled his face.
This couldn’t be helped though, as the opponent that was supposed to be his equal suddenly exhibited a power that far surpassed his own. How was it possible that he could remain calm and collected?
He had never suffered from such a huge setback since his ascension to the rank of Territory Lord.
Over the years, he had clashed with many powerful Human cultivators, and he even successfully launched a sneak attack on an Old Ancestor 30,000 years ago after he became a Royal Lord. As he collaborated with another Royal Lord, they managed to kill that Old Ancestor.
Therefore, he had always felt that the Humans were nothing much.
On this day though, the Old Ancestor who had been in a confrontation with him for more than 100 years suddenly experienced an unprecedented surge in strength.
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised what was going on.
It wasn’t that he was weaker than the Old Ancestor. If both of them were at their peaks, he wouldn’t have been so battered even if he was slightly weaker.
However, since he was injured by this Old Ancestor for the first time back then, his wounds had never properly healed. What’s more, he would be injured again and again every 20 years. Before his old wounds could heal, new ones would be inflicted. The same thing repeatedly happened over the past 100 years, and so his injuries had only exacerbated.
Initially, he thought that it was the same case for the Human Old Ancestor. If the information given to him was correct, it was extremely difficult for this female Old Ancestor to recover from her wounds, so how much could she recover in a mere 20 years?
Over the years, the Old Ancestor would always appear to be injured whenever they fought, resulting in them indeed being equally matched.
It wasn’t until this day that he realised he had been deceived.
The Old Ancestor had fully recovered; not just this time, but every time in the past when they clashed. She just pretended to be wounded so that he would drop his guard. As they engaged in intense fights over the years, she gradually ensured that his injuries only deepened.
After accumulating such a huge advantage, she finally bared her bloody fangs today.
Both of them were supposedly equally matched, but one of them was in peak condition while the other was plagued by numerous heavy injuries. There was no doubt about who would win such a fight.
It wouldn’t have mattered if it was just about deciding victory or defeat, but what the Royal Lord was terrified of was that since the Old Ancestor had patiently spent 100 years laying out this trap for him, her intention definitely wasn’t just to injure him again.
What she was after this time was his life!
An Old Ancestor would only exercise such patience and prudence in order to kill a Royal Lord.
Presently, he was remorseful of his own fallibility. He should have figured out that this woman wasn’t as badly injured as he thought. He also shouldn’t have left the Royal City and followed her to such a distant battlefield.
More than anything, he was resentful of the Royal Lord from the Yin-Yang Theatre, who had misled him. If not for the fact that he completely trusted the information she had given him, he wouldn’t have fallen into such a pitiful state.
Regardless, it was pointless to cry over spilled milk. Now, he had to focus on how he could escape from the Old Ancestor and return to the Royal City.
As long as he could return to the Royal City, he could make use of his Black Ink Nest to repel his opponent. With it, he would have the capital to fight back.
However, his chances were slim.
The Old Ancestor had been preparing for this moment for more than 100 years, so she certainly wouldn’t give him a chance to flee. Proof of this was that at the start of the fight, she had lured him somewhere much further away from the Royal City than normal. Now, in his current state, it would take him at least an hour to return to the Royal City.
An hour was more than enough time for the Old Ancestor to cut off his head.
While he was running away, he felt horrifying Secret Techniques coming at him from behind. Although he had been trying his best to dodge and resist, every time he was struck his strength sank even further.
Behind him, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was relentlessly chasing after him. As she performed different hand seals, she cast Secret Techniques that she had never displayed before.
Her expression was calm. She didn’t show any elation or expectation about killing a powerful foe of the same calibre.
That was because she knew that everything was still uncertain before the last moment came.
Even the Territory Lords and Feudal Lords had methods to save their lives at the critical moment, not to mention that she was after a Royal Lord. If he didn’t still think he had a chance to survive, instead of fleeing, he would have turned around and tried to bring her down with him.
Although she had been patient over the years waiting for this day, and had made a lot of prior arrangements, she didn’t have the confidence that she would succeed in the end.
She could only do her best and let the Heavens make the decision. However, from the looks of it, it was highly likely that she would succeed.
…..
Presently, several Territory Lords were leading 8 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples and 100,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers over from the Royal City to assist the Royal Lord. The Human soldiers also chose to strike at that moment.
Just by looking in the direction the detachment of Black Ink Clan soldiers was heading, Xiang Shan knew where they were going. If everything went well, this would be the final battle here at the Royal City. The Old Ancestor was the key to winning the war, so the Humans definitely couldn’t let those Black Ink Clan soldiers disturb her.
Therefore, under Xiang Shan’s leadership, the Human Warships did their best to intercept them.
On the other hand, Che Kong led even more Black Ink Clan soldiers to stop the Humans. As both parties clashed, the originally dry battlefield was filled with rivers of blood as countless people on both sides lost their lives.
In the end, the East-West Army was unable to stop the detached force from the Black Ink Clan. Although they had done their best, there were too few people on their side. With Che Kong and his Army restraining the Humans, the Territory Lords still managed to leave with those Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples and several tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan soldiers.
During the intense battle, both parties used all sorts of amazing Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities. Be it the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were already aware of it or the Territory Lords who had figured it out, they knew that this clash would determine the future trend of the entire Great Evolution Theatre.
None of them would hold back their powers in such a fight, all of them bringing out their hidden trump cards in hopes of settling things here once and for all.
One hour later, in the depths of the void, the Royal Lord’s injuries had grown worse. Faced with the Old Ancestor’s relentless attacks, he was unable to keep himself safe even though he had focused all his efforts on defending himself and escaping.
If this dragged on, he would perish before he returned to the Royal City.
He had never expected that he would be so close to death one day.
Since the day he became a Royal Lord, he had always believed that he had become immortal and indestructible.
However, only 30,000 years had passed, and it was just the first war he had against an Old Ancestor on his own. It never crossed his mind that this female Old Ancestor would have the capability to kill him.
Compared to others, he had only been a Royal Lord for a very short time.
The Royal City was within his sight, and as long as he persevered for a while more, he could connect with his Black Ink Nest and make use of its power.
Unfortunately, he didn’t expect to have that chance.
Just as dejection was setting in, he saw a large number of Black Ink Clansmen coming to his rescue from the Royal City.
At that, he was ecstatic.
The Human language was an art. Both Races had been in a confrontation with each other for countless years, and although the Black Ink Clan looked down on Humans, thinking that they should become their subordinates and slaves, they were constantly being influenced by the Human Race.
For example, the Humans’ habits and sayings had subtly influenced the Black Ink Clan over the years.
The Royal Lord had heard an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple say that ‘every cloud has a silver lining’, and ‘there’s always a way out’. At that time, he dismissed it, thinking that it was something only a loser would say, and it was complete nonsense.
However, he finally realised that there was some truth in the saying after all.
At the most critical moment, some Territory Lords and several tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan soldiers were coming to his rescue. It seemed there was a silver lining for him.
Behind him, the Old Ancestor’s attacks became even more aggressive. It was apparent that she had spotted those Black Ink Clansmen as well. She wanted to kill the Royal Lord before they could join together, but she was unlikely to be able to achieve that goal in the time allotted.
Still, given the current state of affairs, it was unrealistic to think that these few Black Ink Clansmen could stop the Old Ancestor.
Although there were some Territory Lords, 8 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, and several tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan soldiers, that was not nearly enough to block the Old Ancestor if she was determined to break through their lines.
Therefore, after hesitating for a moment, the Royal Lord released his Divine Sense and secretly sent an order to the Territory Lords who were coming towards him.
The Territory Lords were startled for a moment before resolve filled their faces.
Thick Black Ink Strength started billowing from the Territory Lords’ bodies while the Black Ink Clan soldiers had already done so before the Territory Lords acted.
Endless Black Ink Strength formed into a gigantic Black Ink Cloud. As Black Ink Strength rapidly left their bodies, the Territory Lords and their subordinates felt their vitality weakening by the breath.
To Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Strength was their foundation, just like what World Force was to Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Such a crazy act was no different from an Open Heaven Realm Master shattering their own Small Universe. In the best-case scenario, their cultivation would regress, and in the worst-case scenario, they would directly lose their lives.
Usually, no Black Ink Clansmen would be willing to do such a thing; however, since it was the Royal Lord’s order, the Territory Lords could only oblige, not to mention the Black Ink Clansmen below the Territory Lords.
The moment the Royal Lord’s order was passed down, the lower-ranking soldiers started wantonly releasing their Black Ink Strength. They were clearly more obedient than the Territory Lords, so they had taken action sooner.
On the other hand, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples dashed out of the huge Black Ink Cloud and rushed over to the Royal Lord’s side.
Although they were Black Ink Disciples, whose Small Universes had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, the Black Ink Strength in their bodies was impure; hence, it couldn’t support the Secret Technique that the Royal Lord was about to cast. That was the reason they didn’t have to imitate the Territory Lords.
The Royal Lord hoped that these 8 would be able to stall the Old Ancestor at least for a while.
At that instant, with the Territory Lords taking the initiative, Black Ink Strength billowed from several tens of thousands of Black Ink Clansmen and formed into a Black Ink Cloud, inside of which more and more of them perished.
Meanwhile, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples skirted past the Royal Lord and clashed with the Old Ancestor.
If these 8 were ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they would have been able to handle an Old Ancestor for a brief moment by joining forces.
However, they were just Black Ink Disciples, and even though they were in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they were even weaker than Territory Lords as they had forcibly exceeded their innate limits.
It could be said that they were the weakest Eighth-Order Masters possible.
Such beings wouldn’t be able to intercept an Old Ancestor even if they joined together.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple at the front only managed to wield his sword once before he was beheaded by the Old Ancestor. Blood spurted from his neck, and the headless corpse was blown away by the impact.
The attack he had cast only caused a flesh wound on the Old Ancestor’s figure.
In order to break through the blockade of these Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples in the shortest time possible, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao focused all her efforts on attacking and didn’t bother defending herself at all. That was because she knew that if the battle dragged on, the Royal Lord might be able to turn things around, and all her previous efforts would all go to waste.
She then landed a palm on an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, which caused his figure to tremble and his World Force to become a mess. It was obvious that his Small Universe had been struck.
The Old Ancestor didn’t even spare him a second glance. As she brushed past him, this Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple exploded into blood mist.
Seeing that, the other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples turned pale. When they fought with the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the East-West Army back then, they already realised that there was a wide gap between their strengths. Although it was a big difference, it wasn’t enough to make them feel despondent. It wasn’t until this moment that they realised they were completely powerless to deal with the Old Ancestor.
Nevertheless, as Black Ink Disciples, they could only obey the Royal Lord. Even the Territory Lords were willing to sacrifice themselves to assist the Royal Lord, let alone them.
Therefore, after the two Black Ink Disciples were killed, the rest of the Black Ink Disciples didn’t hesitate to activate their powers and spread out their Small Universes to cover the void.
Every Small Universe was like a cage, and in order to leave, the Old Ancestor could only shatter these Small Universes.
This was the only way they could think of to slow the Old Ancestor down.
The moment these Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples spread out their Small Universes, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, whose expression had always been calm and indifferent, couldn’t help but appear sorrowful and dejected.
If there was a chance, she would rather bring these Black Ink Disciples back and dispel the Black Ink Strength from their bodies instead of killing them; however, she knew these Black Ink Disciples could no longer be saved even if they were brought back to the Humans’ side. Without the Black Ink Strength’s support, their Small Universes couldn’t accommodate their cultivation and they would inevitably explode.
Perhaps death was the best release for them.
A glow radiated around the Old Ancestor’s figure, and her World Force surged madly.
She directly broke the first Small Universe that served as the cage, then the second, then the third…
When she broke through their blockade, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples behind her, who were seated with their legs crossed, had become extremely frail. The illusory phantoms of their Small Universes were broken, and their World Forces were madly escaping from their bodies.
Their Small Universes had been shattered by the Old Ancestor. When their World Forces were gone for good, they would lose their lives, unless they had a way to repair their Small Universes before that.
Nevertheless, even if they immediately consumed Profound Yin Spirit Fruits, their Small Universes still wouldn’t be fixed. After the Old Ancestor broke through their blockade, the Small Universes of these Black Ink Disciples had become shattered like broken mirrors.
The Black Ink Disciples’ efforts were not in vain though. Although they had only managed to stall the Old Ancestor for a few breaths of time, the Royal Lord had used a Secret Technique to swallow the Black Ink Cloud that was formed from the Black Ink Strength of the Territory Lords and Black Ink Clan soldiers.
The Royal Lord, who was originally listless and weak, became energetic all of a sudden.
However, he had no intention of fighting with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao. Instead, he put all his renewed strength into escaping towards the Royal City. Although he was now in a better state after consuming so much Black Ink Strength, that was not his own power and was thus somewhat incompatible with him. He wouldn’t have used this Secret Technique if there was any other way around the current crisis.
As long as he could return to the Royal City though, he could make use of the Black Ink Nest to repel the Old Ancestor. That was the power he could control as he pleased.
The moment Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao broke through the blockade of the several Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, she saw the Royal Lord trying to run away. Certainly, she wouldn’t allow that to happen.
On her left palm, Yin and Yang were born, and on her right palm, chaos manifested. As she clasped her hands together, her eyes turned blood red. The next instant, she thrust a single finger at the Royal Lord, who was running away.
Although she didn’t seem to have exerted much force with her finger, the Royal Lord was shaken to his core.
Without hesitation, he turned around and released all the Black Ink Strength he had just consumed. That Black Ink Strength turned into a violent torrent that struck towards the Old Ancestor.
As the brutal forces clashed, the Royal Lord felt a profound power breaking through the Black Ink Strength and piercing his chest, causing black blood to burst from a fresh wound.
What terrified him was that there was a strange power festering in his wound that he could not expel.
His aura plunged again, and he became even weaker than before.
Just as he thought he would lose his life, he lifted his gaze and saw that the Old Ancestor had become far less intimidating.
He was elated, thinking that even though the Secret Technique he was struck with was incredibly powerful, it wasn’t easy for the Old Ancestor to use it.
Seizing the chance, he promptly escaped.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao froze in the same spot for a moment, then gritted her teeth and continued chasing after him.
Behind them, the corpses of the Territory Lords and Black Ink Clan soldiers hovered in the void.
Usually, these Territory Lords and several tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan soldiers wouldn’t all pass away. Although they had released their Black Ink Strength for the Royal Lord to consume, some of them would have survived.
However, be it the Feudal Lords or even Territory Lords, the Royal Lord did not hesitate to absorb all their Black Ink Strength. As he fully activated his power, he drew out every bit of Black Ink Strength in their bodies.
It could be said that these Territory Lords and Black Ink Clan soldiers were killed by the Royal Lord.
They had paid a huge price just to give him a chance to flee.
Outside the Royal City, the East-West Army and the Black Ink Clan Army were still locked in an intense battle. The Humans had gained the upper hand, so there was no doubt that the Black Ink Clan soldiers were on the losing side.
There were two reasons why it turned out this way. Firstly, the Black Ink Clan Army had scattered around. On the left side of the Royal City, they had to intercept the Human soldiers, while some of them had to stay on the right side of the Royal City to deal with the incoming Universe Worlds. Moreover, some Territory Lords had brought a number of Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples and 100,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers to rescue the Royal Lord.
For that reason, only 400,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers were fighting the Humans right now.
Secondly, the Black Ink Clan’s collective strength had significantly weakened over the years.
These 400,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers were not comparable to the ones from Great Evolution Pass that the North-South Army had clashed with. The Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass were all elites. However, the ones outside the Royal City were made up of many replacements for those killed in previous battles, so their average power had plunged.
Furthermore, there were dozens of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who took part in this fight, so the Black Ink Clansmen were unable to resist the Humans even though they had the advantage in numbers.
In such a situation, something that was terrifying to the Black Ink Clan happened.
Their pillar of strength, the Royal Lord, was returning from the void, looking completely bloody and battered.
Presently, the Royal Lord was in a miserable condition. Black blood continuously spurted out of the wound on his chest, and while there were originally two wings on his back, only one of them was left now.
Forget the Humans, even the Territory Lords had never seen the Royal Lord so feeble before, which went to show that he had suffered a huge loss in his fight against the Old Ancestor.
The Royal Lord hadn’t returned to the Royal City, but as soon as he entered the range of his Black Ink Nest, he connected with it and madly drew energy from it.
The next instant, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s figure appeared and the two top Masters clashed above the Royal City.
Violent explosions burst forth as the World Force and Black Ink Strength clashed. The space around the Royal City warped and cracked under the weight of the clash.
Although these two top Masters had exchanged moves on several occasions near the Royal City over the past 100 years, the battle on this day was by far the most intense.
Both the Humans and Black Ink Clansmen were acutely aware that this was a life-and-death battle.
What terrified the Black Ink Clansmen was that even though the Royal Lord had the support of the Black Ink Nest, he was still at a clear disadvantage.
This was hard for the Black Ink Clan to accept.
One had to know that with the Black Ink Nest’s help, the Royal Lord could use a much greater power than normal. It could be said that as long as the Royal Lord was within the Black Ink Nest’s range of coverage, no Old Ancestor would be a match for him.
However, it was the complete opposite now.
There was nothing wrong with the Black Ink Nest. Over the years, whenever a battle broke out, there would always be two or three Territory Lords or Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples who stayed back to prevent the Humans from launching a sneak attack and ward off the fallout of the battle between the two top Masters so that the High-Rank Black Ink Nest wouldn’t be harmed. At the same time, countless resources would be poured into the Black Ink Pool to be turned into energy and absorbed by the Black Ink Nest.
The Royal Lord was the problem here.
His injuries were too severe, so even though he had the Black Ink Nest’s help now, he still couldn’t match the Old Ancestor.
If the Royal Lord was killed, how would the rest of the Black Ink Clansmen survive?
After a brief moment of fear and unease, the Black Ink Clan soldiers became even more fierce. The fact that the Royal Lord was at a disadvantage didn’t make them lose the courage to resist; instead, their survival instincts had been ignited.
The leaders of the East-West Army sensitively noticed this. Xiang Shan and Liu Zhi Ping promptly ordered the Human soldiers to put more emphasis on defence so that they could persevere in a prolonged fight with the Black Ink Clan soldiers.
Profound forces undulated as the two Armies clashed. Impacted by the battle between the two top Masters, the Void itself became shattered.
The Royal Lord was in an increasingly battered state. Although he was at a disadvantage, with the help of the Black Ink Nest, he was still someone who was difficult to deal with. The Old Ancestor had launched several fatal attacks, but her attempts proved futile. Instead, she was almost badly injured when the Royal Lord seized a chance to counterattack.
This made her realise she had to be extra careful when dealing with this opponent.
She knew that a Royal Lord was the most powerful Master in the Black Ink Clan who was on an equal footing with an Old Ancestor, so it wasn’t easy to kill one. Nevertheless, this chance was hard to come by. She had spent 100 years trying to shape the outcome of the war, so it would be such a shame if she failed at the last moment.
Therefore, she had to give it a shot no matter what.
One hour later, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao finally found a chance. Just as the Black Ink Nest seemed to stop operating smoothly for a brief moment, she cast a Divine Ability at the Royal Lord.
An unprepared Royal Lord was struck by the Divine Ability and in an instant, he was engulfed in a dazzling light.
At the same time, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao grunted as blood spurted from her lips.
It wasn’t a pretence this time. When she exchanged moves with the Royal Lord in the past, she showed signs of being injured on several occasions, but those were mostly just acts she put on.
This time, she was really hurt. The moment she made a move, the Royal Lord also sent out a fatal attack at her. Instead of dodging the attack, she endured it so that she wouldn’t miss the chance to kill her opponent.
As the light went out though, the Royal Lord’s figure was revealed.
A hint of disappointment flashed through Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s eyes.
The Divine Ability did not yield the result she had hoped for. Although her opponent had become even weaker, he was still able to fight.
If she kept pressuring the Royal Lord, he would be forced to engage in a mutually destructive battle. By then, she might not be able to survive.
[It should end here.] She secretly sighed. It had been 100 years since she started preparing for this day, so it was such a shame that she eventually couldn’t succeed.
With that said, it wasn’t a terrible outcome. At the very least, they had achieved the goal that Xiang Shan had set before they departed from Wind and Cloud Pass.
The two top Masters tacitly agreed to stop fighting all of a sudden, which directly influenced the two Armies that were locked in an intense battle.
The Black Ink Clan soldiers were still puzzled, but the Humans had already expected this outcome.
Therefore, the moment Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao ceased her attack, the Human Warships started retreating. Considering the fact that the Old Ancestor was watching them, the Black Ink Clan soldiers wouldn’t dare to pursue the Humans and could only let them leave even after suffering so much at their hands.
A moment later, the Humans were already several hundred thousand kilometres away. Although many of the Warships were damaged, the Humans were still a menacing force and certainly had the strength to engage in another bout.
Behind the Humans was the Old Ancestor who stood there in silence. She didn’t make a move, nor did she retreat, as though she was waiting for something.
In such silence, the Black Ink Clan Army felt smothered, as though a mountain was pressing down on them, causing them to be ill at ease.
Time passed by slowly.
A moment later, the Black Ink Clan soldiers broke into a commotion.
This couldn’t be helped, as more than 10 Universe Worlds that were full of arrays came flying at the Royal City. Presently, they could already see the gleaming arrays on those Universe Worlds, so they would arrive in no time.
About 30% of the Black Ink Clan soldiers were still on the right side of the Royal City as they didn’t take part in the previous battle. Their job had always been to intercept the Universe Worlds; that had never changed.
In fact, they had done an excellent job. Other than the first time when they accidentally let a fragment of a Universe World strike the Royal City, they managed to stop all the Universe Worlds in the following battles.
However, they had also paid a huge price for this.
Sometimes, these Universe Worlds would come quickly. They arrived at the Royal City almost at the same time as the Humans. Sometimes, they would be late, not appearing until the Humans retreated.
This was apparently part of the Humans’ strategy, which was to use these Universe Worlds to restrain the Black Ink Clan soldiers. The Humans already had fewer people on their side to begin with, so if they let the Black Ink Clan consolidate all its forces, it would be a tough fight for them.
It was the slowest this time since the Humans started using Universe Worlds to attack the Royal City.
It wasn’t certain whether it was coincidental or intentional. Both Armies had stopped attacking each other, and the two top Masters had halted their fight. It wasn’t until this moment that these Universe Worlds finally arrived.
Without any disruption, it wouldn’t be hard for these Black Ink Clansmen to intercept the Universe Worlds.
Therefore, the moment the Universe Worlds appeared, the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, who had stayed on the right side, started taking action.
A Territory Lord was the first one to charge forward, but as soon as he made a move, he felt a dangerous aura engulfing him.
The next instant, an immense force exploded in his mind, causing him to feel a sharp pain in his head which froze him on the spot.
Knowing that he had been attacked, the Territory Lord was astounded. Moreover, the attacker was none other than the Old Ancestor, who had remained unmoving and silent while hovering in the void.
The Territory Lord didn’t understand why the Old Ancestor had used her Spiritual Energy to attack him as her opponent was supposed to be the Royal Lord.
The two top Masters were confronting each other in silence, so supposedly, when one of them made a rash move, the other would surely react.
Therefore, even though the Territory Lord was astounded, he wasn’t afraid. That was because he believed that the Royal Lord would save him.
Unfortunately for him, he was wrong. The Royal Lord just stood there and stared at the Old Ancestor in silence. The next moment, she charged towards the Territory Lord who had been affected by her Soul Secret Technique and extended her hand, after which she easily beheaded him.
Black blood started spurting out of the Territory Lord’s neck while Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao swiftly returned to her original spot with a head in her hand. The widened eyes of this head suggested that the Territory Lord was unresigned before his death.
In the blink of an eye, a powerful Territory Lord had lost his life.
The other Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, who were about to make a move, froze and stared vigilantly at Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, worried that she would kill them as well.
Soon, they were relieved that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stopped making another move after killing the first Territory Lord. She remained standing there.
If not for the fact that there was a headless corpse on the battlefield and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was holding a fresh head in her hand, all the Black Ink Clansmen would have thought that it was just an illusion.
They were all puzzled.
They didn’t understand why the Old Ancestor had made a move all of a sudden. Since the battle had ended, why did she kill a Territory Lord at this point?
They were even more perplexed at the fact that the Royal Lord didn’t react to it at all. Given his power, it wouldn’t be hard for him to stop the Old Ancestor. However, he was just standing there, doing nothing.
The Universe Worlds were rapidly approaching, so if they didn’t stop them now, it would be too late. They would be the ones facing the Royal Lord’s wrath if the Royal City was damaged.
Therefore, even though these Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were wary, they had no choice but to fulfil their duty.
However, the same thing happened again.
The moment they made a move, they were engulfed in a great sense of danger, which caused them to be rooted to the spot. At the same time, the Old Ancestor had disappeared.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao reappeared a moment later, as though she had never moved at all, but there was another head in her grasp.
A strange noise that suggested that another Territory Lord had lost his life was heard coming from the Black Ink Clan’s side.
This horrified the Black Ink Clan soldiers.
The two people who were killed were Territory Lords. The Old Ancestor had consecutively made a move and easily beheaded two Territory Lords. It suggested that without the Royal Lord stopping her, the Old Ancestor could kill anyone as she pleased even though she was injured.
What puzzled them was that the Royal Lord still didn’t react.
However, after the Old Ancestor made a move twice, they finally realised something.
The Territory Lords that she had killed were the ones who took the initiative to intercept the Universe Worlds.
By specifically targeting these two Territory Lords, the Old Ancestor had sent a clear message; she would kill anyone who dared to make a move.
What was she trying to achieve? Was she determined to stop them from intercepting the Universe Worlds? Could they only watch?
That was outrageous!
The Royal Lord, who had been silent since his return to the Royal City, couldn’t take it anymore as he roared, “Don’t go too far!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao turned to look at him with a pair of dispassionate eyes; then, the next instant, she made a move again.
Having experienced what just happened earlier, the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were wary of whatever the Old Ancestor did. Seeing her disappear, they hurriedly raised their guards.
Most of the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples would be safe, but there would always be someone who was unlucky.
There were no noises that suggested there had been a fight. When Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao reappeared in her original spot, she had grasped a Territory Lord in her hand.
This time, it was a Territory Lord who was alive and kicking, not just a head.
Although the Territory Lord was several times larger than Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, who didn’t seem to exert much force with her hand, he was unable to struggle out of her grasp regardless of how hard he tried.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gazed at the furious Royal Lord and lifted her blemish-free chin in a provocative manner, “I’ll do whatever I want!”
Saying so, she exerted more force with her hand. As her World Force surged, a horrifying pressure squeezed the Territory Lord.
Soon, the Territory Lord’s figure contorted and a series of bone-cracking sounds were heard. With a horrified look, he struggled fiercely as he looked in the Royal Lord’s direction, pleading with him, “Sir Royal Lord, save me!”
A hint of conflict flashed through the Royal Lord’s eyes, but he soon decided not to make a move.
Countless soldiers of both Races watched as the Old Ancestor, who was standing between the two Armies, squeezed the Territory Lord to death with her World Force. Under such immense pressure, the Territory Lord eventually exploded, his blood and flesh scattering about.
The Black Ink Clansmen were infuriated, but deep down, they were also terrified.
The Old Ancestor had repeatedly made a move and killed three Territory Lords, which went to show how domineering she was. On the other hand, the Royal Lord only watched from the side without doing anything.
They were in an awkward situation.
No Royal Lord was willing to see his Territory Lords being slaughtered without even trying to save them, for that would have a huge impact on his authority. The only reason he would not act was simply because he was unable to save his subordinates.
It seemed that the Royal Lord was more severely injured than the Territory Lords thought; therefore, even though the Old Ancestor killed three Territory Lords and taunted him in such a provocative manner, the Royal Lord could only choke down the insult.
The Territory Lords wouldn’t dare to move a muscle.
Without the Royal Lord’s help, they wouldn’t be able to fend off the Old Ancestor who was determined to kill regardless of how careful they were.
Since the Territory Lords remained unmoving, their subordinates wouldn’t dare to make a move either.
Everyone was just standing in the same spot, so anxious that it was as though they were sitting on pins and needles.
Even though they didn’t make a move though, the Universe Worlds wouldn’t stop approaching the Royal City because of that. More than 10 breaths after the third Territory Lord died, the Universe Worlds arrived.
Given the close proximity, if they still didn’t take action, the 30% of the Black Ink Clan soldiers stationed on the right side of the Royal City would be hit. By then, not only would they be injured or killed, the Royal City would also be devastated as well.
Regardless of whether they made a move or not, they would be doomed.
A Territory Lord finally couldn’t take it anymore as he cast a violent Secret Technique at the Universe Worlds. At the same time, he remained vigilant against the Old Ancestor.
What surprised him was that even though the Old Ancestor had locked onto him with her aura, she didn’t attempt to kill him.
This made him feel ecstatic, as though he had just escaped from death’s door.
With such a precedent, the other Black Ink Clan soldiers also started taking action. At that instant, countless Secret Techniques formed into a black torrent that bombarded the Universe Worlds.
Still, the Old Ancestor remained unmoving.
Seeing that, the Black Ink Clan soldiers breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed to them that as long as they stayed in the same spot instead of moving, the Old Ancestor wouldn’t kill them.
However, the truth was different.
The Old Ancestor had been patiently preparing for this day for the past 100 years. Every time she clashed with the Royal Lord, she had to pretend that her injuries hadn’t healed while also suppressing some of her power so that the Royal Lord wouldn’t discover the truth.
It wasn’t easy to deceive a Royal Lord, so it had been a constant struggle for Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao for the past 100 years.
The advantage she accumulated over the years was perfectly hidden by the Old Ancestor, and when there was finally a chance, she unleashed her full might against her opponent. For the first time in her life, she saw hope to kill a Royal Lord, and if not for the Territory Lords and Black Ink Clan soldiers who rushed over from the Royal City earlier, she would have succeeded.
As long as the Royal Lord died, no one else would be a match for her and the Humans would soon fully occupy the Great Evolution Theatre.
Such a victory had never happened before in history.
Initially, she had the chance to set a precedent for the entire Human Race, but her plan was foiled by those Territory Lords and Black Ink Clan soldiers. Although many of the Territory Lords, Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, and Black Ink Clan soldiers lost their lives in the process, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was still displeased.
Since she was unable to end the Royal Lord’s life, it was pointless no matter how many Territory Lords and Black Ink Clan soldiers she killed.
It could be said that she had been vexed since these Territory Lords led the Black Ink Clan soldiers to lend the Royal Lord a hand.
100 years of effort had gone to waste because of them, and there wouldn’t be such a chance again in the future. After suffering such a setback, the Royal Lord would always be wary of her.
When the Royal Lord returned to the Royal City and exchanged moves with her, she knew that there was no longer any hope to kill him, unless she was determined to perish together with him.
Although she was unable to kill the Royal Lord, she could vent her anger on some of these annoying Territory Lords.
The Royal Lord wouldn’t dare to stop her, nor was he able to do so; therefore, he could only watch in silence.
In fact, he even hoped that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao would kill more Territory Lords.
Although the Royal Lord had no idea what kind of an amazing Secret Technique that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had used to kill a Territory Lord in the blink of an eye, after using it three times, he was certain that this Secret Technique had to be quite energy-consuming. That was because even though she was an Old Ancestor, she couldn’t possibly behead a Territory Lord with no effort.
He was just as powerful as an Old Ancestor, so he had the confidence to make such a judgement. That was because it also wasn’t possible for him to kill an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with ease, unless he used his Royal Lord Secret Technique that would only be used in moments of extreme need.
However, once the Royal Lord Secret Technique was cast, the Royal Lord himself would be significantly weakened for a time, which was a huge drawback on the battlefield. Therefore, the Royal Lords never used this trump card unless absolutely necessary.
After the previous battle, the Royal Lord was injured and had fled back to the Royal City in a fluster, but it wasn’t like Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was completely unharmed. If she repeatedly used this Secret Technique, she would soon run out of stamina, giving him an opening to get his revenge.
However, he couldn’t tell the Territory Lords about his speculations, nor could he order them to provoke the Old Ancestor; therefore, he could only watch in silence.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao never made a move again.
She had naturally figured out what the Royal Lord was plotting; moreover, if she continued to make a move at this point, it would be no different from forcing the Royal Lord to engage in a life-or-death battle with her.
After all, the Royal Lord wouldn’t allow the Royal City to be destroyed no matter what. That was because his Black Ink Nest was in the Royal City and was of critical importance to him and the entire Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre.
In this silent exchange, the two top Masters each tacitly made a concession in order to not shatter the last sliver of calm. The price that the Black Ink Clan had to pay was the lives of three Territory Lords and the trouble that ensued.
The Universe Worlds were menacing, so although the Black Ink Clan soldiers had done their best to intercept them, they had missed the best opportunity to act because of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s intimidation earlier.
The moment the Universe Worlds were shattered, the explosions of the installed arrays covered the void and universe fragments of varying sizes rained down on the Royal City.
Countless Black Ink Clan soldiers lost their lives as the Royal City trembled under the impact.
It was apparent that the Black Ink Clan soldiers on the right side of the Royal City were unable to ward off these Universe Worlds completely.
Following Che Kong’s order, the soldiers that had just clashed with the Humans on the left side went over to help. Fortunately, both the Old Ancestor and the Humans didn’t react to this.
As the Black Ink Clan soldiers rallied together, they finally managed to stop all the Universe Worlds.
Several tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan soldiers were killed in the process, and the Universe World where the Royal City was located was severely damaged, losing as much as 30% of its land mass. Many structures in the Royal City had been levelled.
Only the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest remained perfectly intact.
That was because there had always been several Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples guarding the Black Ink Nest. Regardless of how intense the battle between the Races was, they would never move from their posts or let anything harm the Black Ink Nest.
The noise slowly died down.
The Black Ink Clan Army was completely battered.
After staring at the Royal Lord for a while, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao curled up her lips and sneered. Then, she turned around and shouted, “Withdraw!”
Aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Xiang Shan passed down an order loudly through his Divine Sense, “Retreat!”
The Human Warships turned around and headed to the forward base while behind, the Black Ink Clan soldiers let out a breath of relief.
The battle had finally ended.
On the deck of Dawning Light, Yang Kai sighed.
Before the battle started, he had received a secret order from Xiang Shan to charge towards the Royal City and destroy the Black Ink Nest if there was a chance.
Even though it was a High-Rank Black Ink Nest, it had almost no defensive strength. Given the fact that Yang Kai was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, as long as he got close enough, he could easily destroy it.
He was the best suited for this job because he was a Master of the Dao of Space.
Since the start of the war, Yang Kai had been looking for such a chance, but there was never an opportunity for him to make a move.
Given his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation now, it wasn’t hard for him to get close to the Black Ink Nest using Instantaneous Movement, but he couldn’t defeat the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples on guard there. As soon as he appeared, he would be killed by them before he could damage the Black Ink Nest.
It had been almost 150 years since the East-West Army arrived in the Great Evolution Theatre.
Over the years, the East-West Army had clashed with the Black Ink Clan on eight occasions, and each time they managed to kill a lot of their enemies.
It could be said that in this war, they were very close to success, but they ultimately didn’t manage to achieve their goal.
As Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao would always recuperate in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, he had access to information that the average soldiers wouldn’t; therefore, he was aware of the ultimate plan, so the moment he saw the injured Royal Lord returning to the Royal City, he knew that the plan wouldn’t succeed.
However, the end result wasn’t terrible.
The Black Ink Clan soldiers responsible for protecting the Royal City were practically half-dead now with more than half of the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples having been killed. If not for the fact that the Royal Lord could make use of the Black Ink Nest to strengthen himself, they could have easily destroyed the Royal City. Unfortunately, the Royal Lord had returned alive. With the Black Ink Nest’s help, he still had the capital to drag Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao down with him in death.
During a chat with Yang Kai, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao mentioned that Xiang Shan had come up with a strategy for the Great Evolution Army shortly after they departed from Wind and Cloud Pass.
In short, they had to beat the Black Ink Clan to a half-dead state before occupying Great Evolution Pass. That way, they would have ample time to recuperate and restore the Great Evolution Pass. If they managed to reoccupy Great Evolution Pass but didn’t have time to make it operational again, what could they do to protect themselves if the Black Ink Clan decided to start a war with them all of a sudden?
After 100 years of effort, the fall of numerous Eighth-Order Division Commanders, and the deaths of many Seventh-Order, Sixth-Order, and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they finally managed to achieve this first objective.
Now, the goal that Xiang Shan had set had been achieved, so their next step would be to retake the Great Evolution Pass.
That was the very reason that the Great Evolution Army was founded.
After returning to the forward base, the Humans started getting some rest; however, it wasn’t possible for the Black Ink Clan to do so, especially the Royal Lord. The moment he realised that the opponent he had dealt with for over 100 years had been deceiving him this entire time, there was no way he could quietly recuperate inside his Black Ink Nest with peace of mind.
That was because he couldn’t be certain about how well the Old Ancestor had recovered or whether she would launch another attack on the Royal City again in short order.
In order to prevent such an incident from happening, he had to remain awake on alert at all times.
In this situation, he couldn’t fall into a state of slumber to recover and could only rely on the Black Ink Nest’s power to slowly heal his wounds. However, this kind of recuperation was significantly less efficient than falling unconscious inside the Black Ink Nest would be.
If he could sleep inside his Black Ink Nest, he would fully recover within a couple hundred years; however, given his current situation, he still wouldn’t be fully healed after 1,000 years.
The Old Ancestor had indeed put him in a tight spot.
The East-West Army had returned to their forward base, but this time, they didn’t have much time to recuperate.
The leaders had given an order that they could only remain in the forward base for 10 days before they would set off to Great Evolution Pass and join up with the North-South Army who had been keeping the Black Ink Clan Army over there at bay. They had to get prepared for the final battle to retake Great Evolution Pass.
The soldiers had been waiting for this day for over 100 years.
The moment they joined the Great Evolution Army, everyone thought that they would clash with the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass when they arrived at the Great Evolution Theatre. They had the confidence that they would engage in a life-and-death struggle and eventually come out the winners; however, as soon as the East-West Army arrived, they directly headed to the Royal City and went on to clash with the Black Ink Clan there for nearly 150 years.
With that said, the outcome of the war proved that the Army Commanders had made the right decision.
Now, the East-West Army had beaten the Black Ink Clan in the Royal City to a pulp, so it would be far easier for them to retake Great Evolution Pass.
It would take them at least a month to arrive at Great Evolution Pass, which was why after such a vicious battle the soldiers were given ten days to get some rest and recover.
Otherwise, the higher-ups would have ordered the East-West Army to immediately set sail for Great Evolution Pass after retreating from the Royal City.
While the soldiers were recuperating, they were also reorganising themselves.
When they departed from Wind and Cloud Pass, there were 30,000 soldiers and 60 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. There were a lot of powerful Masters on their side; however, after 150 years of war, only 20,000 of them were still alive. 10,000 of them had been killed outside the Royal City, most of the time without leaving a corpse behind.
About 10 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had also lost their lives.
That was the result of the East-West Army focusing on defence in every battle. If they were set on attacking the enemy without defending themselves, there would have been far more casualties.
Although some Humans would be killed in each battle, the number of casualties on the Black Ink Clan’s side would always be dozens of times more than that of the Humans.
Every Squad had suffered some losses, with some of them having been wiped out entirely; therefore, it was necessary to do some reorganisation. Otherwise, they couldn’t ensure that every Squad could operate effectively.
They had experienced this kind of reorganisation twice in the past.
However, the previous two personnel shuffles had nothing to do with Dawn. Dawn was significantly more powerful than an ordinary Squad, and Yang Kai was especially outstanding, able to kill Feudal Lords in one move. Therefore, even in pitched battles, Dawn had always suffered very minimal losses.
In this regard, even the Old Turtle Squad, which always emphasised defence, was no match for Dawn. During the second reorganisation, the Old Turtles had been forced to recruit several new members.
In the past, none of the members of Dawn were killed, but this time was different.
The battle that had just ended was completely different from the ones in the past when it came to its level of danger and intensity. Although Yang Kai had killed many enemies, he couldn’t ensure everyone’s safety on the chaotic battlefield.
Ning Qi Zhi was badly injured, while Qi Tai Chu had lost his life.
Qi Tai Chu was the first member of Dawn to be killed in battle against the Black Ink Clan since the Special Operations Squad’s founding. He was also a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Qi Tai Chu was one of the original members of Dawn. Back then, Yang Kai was the one who brought him back from the Black Ink Clan’s territory. When Dawn was established, Yang Kai selected him to be one of the members. Over the years, they had experienced countless life-and-death moments together, so Qi Tai Chu had become an indispensable part of Dawn.
His death made Yang Kai feel heartbroken, and none of Dawn’s members were in the mood to celebrate their recent victory. Some of the female members were extremely sorrowful.
Qi Tai Chu was an experienced Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He was a mild-tempered person who never hid any secrets when it came to his knowledge of cultivation with the Juniors. Whenever war broke out, he would always take good care of all the members.
It could be said that of all the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Dawn, he was the most popular. One of the female Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had wanted to become his Dao Partner, but he pretended to know nothing because he was a Senior to her.
Although they knew that death was part and parcel of life, they still couldn’t help but feel downcast when someone close to them passed away.
Qi Tai Chu was the only member of Dawn who was killed. The Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were all fine. Dawning Light’s powerful defence and mobility ensured everyone’s safety in every war. If there came a day when Dawning Light was destroyed, all of them would likely lose their lives.
At this moment, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was standing in front of Yang Kai as he said, “Please have a look at this list, Brother Yang. Just tell me if you need any new members.”
The Commanders were the ones who made most of the arrangements; however, considering the fact that the soldiers might have friends they would like to fight alongside with, such a list was produced. The Squad Leaders were entitled to select new members first. If the Squad Leaders didn’t select anyone, the Division Commanders would make the decisions for them.
After taking the list, Yang Kai took a brief look at it and said, “Only one member of Dawn was killed this time. It doesn’t really affect our collective power, so we don’t really need any new members. Please take this list to the other Squads.”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master smiled and nodded, “The members of Dawn are lucky to have your protection.”
This Seventh-Order Master was the adjutant who visited every Squad Leader with the list whenever there was a reorganisation in the past, but it was the first time he came to see Yang Kai.
In other words, it was the first time there was a casualty in Dawn over the course of 150 years of war.
There was no doubt that the members of Dawn were all elites, but it also had something to do with the fact that Yang Kai was abnormally powerful. This man had earned his respect.
No other Squads in the East-West Army were like Dawn, and no one was clearer than him about this because he was always the one who delivered this list, so he was fully aware of the number of casualties in each Squad.
Yang Kai shook his head. Just when he was about to pass the list back to him, he halted for a moment and asked, “Can I select anyone from this list?”
The person nodded, “The Army Commanders have ordered that the people on the list can be selected by the elite Squads first. Squad Leaders like you can select anyone from the list. You can select several people as long as it doesn’t exceed the limit of your Squad.”
Then, he asked curiously, “Have you changed your mind, Brother Yang?”
Without saying anything, Yang Kai activated his Divine Sense and left some marks in the jade slip. Then, he passed it back to him and said, “I want these three people.”
After taking the jade slip, the man looked into it and nodded, “There are always fewer than 50 people in Dawn. Including these three people now, your Squad has exactly 50 people. Good, I’ll go to the next Squad now.”
Then, he cupped his fist and left.
After he was gone, Yang Kai turned to look at Feng Ying, “I’ll be right back.”
Feng Ying nodded.
Yang Kai then released his Divine Sense. A moment later, he dashed forward in a particular direction.
There was a severely damaged Warship on a barren piece of land. Sparks were seen flying in all directions as Artifact Refiners and Array Masters were busy repairing the Warship.
Every time the soldiers returned from the battlefield, Artifact Refiners and Array Masters would be swamped with work. That was because they were responsible for repairing the damaged Warships.
The state of this Warship showed how dangerous the previous battle was. Minced meat and blood were seen everywhere on the Warship. Most of it belonged to the Black Ink Clan, but some of it was from the Humans.
The Warship was in such a horrible state that it was practically irreparable. At this point, the Warship should have been salvaged for parts and materials as repairing it would be more costly than simply building a new one.
Three blood-soaked figures were standing near the Warship. They were just standing there in silence, which was in stark contrast to the Artifact Refiners and Array Masters, who were busy repairing the Warship.
The three of them were staring forward with hollow eyes and expressionless faces.
As a breeze whisked past, Yang Kai appeared beside them.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he swept his gaze around. Although he knew that every battle with the Black Ink Clan was perilous, and some of the Squads would be completely wiped out, no one had energy to pay attention to such matters on the battlefield.
Now that they had returned from the battle, just by looking at this damaged Warship, Yang Kai could imagine the heroic figures who had fought and died together with it.
Although they had passed away, they had done the Humans proud.
The three people standing here were respectively Seventh-Order, Sixth-Order, and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
After a moment of silence, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly said, “I’ve killed many disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises before.”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “I know.”
Back then, many disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were indeed killed by Blood Crow. After that, he fled to the Shattered Heaven and managed to recruit a lot of subordinates. He had also made things difficult for the disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises on several occasions. During that period of time, he had killed many who were training in the Shattered Heaven.
It could be said that Blood Crow had many enmities with the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
“I didn’t willingly come to the Black Ink Battlefield. Compared to being imprisoned for life or simply being killed, I could only choose to come here. Although I have to deal with the Black Ink Clan, there was hope for me to survive. Therefore, when that old man from Bright King Cave Heaven asked me whether I wanted to live or die, I didn’t hesitate to decide that I would come to the Black Ink Battlefield.”
This was a sensible choice. Back then, Blood Crow was captured by Elder Fisherman from Bright King Cave Heaven in the Shattered Heaven and subsequently imprisoned in their Sect. Considering the fact that his cultivation and experience was hard to come by, it would be a shame to kill Blood Crow outright; therefore, he was given a chance to come to the Black Ink Battlefield.
The Black Ink Battlefield was unlike other places; here, the Humans only had one enemy, which was the Black Ink Clan. Grudges from the past would be put aside, and those from Bright King Heaven were not worried that Blood Crow would try to escape or betray them.
Other than doing his best to kill the enemy in order to stay alive, he had no choice.
“Yang Boy, you know that my years of effort all went to waste because of what you did back then, right?” Blow Crow suddenly turned to look at him, as though he was still displeased with the latter over what had happened in the past.
Yang Kai grinned, “If I hadn’t ruined your plan, I wouldn’t have become what I am today.”
Blood Crow slowly shook his head, “I suppose this is simply my fate. In my previous life, the Eighth-Order was my limit. I was unresigned when I was about to reach my predestined time of death, so I spent the rest of my life making special arrangements. If everything went well, I could’ve been reborn as someone with the potential to ascend to the Ninth Order. However, life is indeed full of uncertainties. Who would have thought that a freak like you would show up and wreck everything?”
Yang Kai tutted, “I will never overlook injustice and evil.”
Blood Crow nodded, “Whenever I see you, I have a strong urge to kill you. Likewise, whenever those disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises found fault with me, I never went easy on them. Their Blood Essence could help increase my cultivation anyway.”
The Great Evolution Indestructible Blood Light Scripture was a special Secret Art. Even though it bore the name ‘Great Evolution’, it had nothing to do with Great Evolution Paradise. Instead, it worked in similar ways as Wu Kuang’s Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
It could be said that these two Secret Arts were the most amazing ones Yang Kai had ever come across since he began cultivating.
However, in his opinion, the Great Evolution Indestructible Blood Light Scripture was still inferior to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Yang Kai had dabbled in both Secret Arts, so no one had a clearer understanding of these two than him in terms of their strengths and differences.
“I’m sure they were aware of my background and the grudges I had with the disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises in the past,” Blood Crow continued.
He was obviously talking about the members of his original Squad.
“Some of them gave me the cold shoulder. Some of them secretly dismissed me. There were also those who made things difficult for me and snatched my Military Merits,” Blood Crow spoke in a dispassionate tone. He was talking about his own affairs, but it was as though it had nothing to do with him, “But so what? I have my own ways of doing things, and it has nothing to do with others. If not for the unique environment of the Black Ink Battlefield, I wouldn’t have fought alongside these brats.”
Upon hearing that, the Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters beside him glowered.
Unfazed, Blood Crow lowered his gaze and continued, “What’s really laughable though, is that those who dismissed me and found fault with me were also the ones who sacrificed themselves to save my life. I survived, while almost all of them died.”
He turned to look at Yang Kai, “Don’t you think they’re foolish?”
Without waiting for Yang Kai’s response, he continued, saying, “They’re extremely foolish! They all cultivated for so many years to reach where they were. What was the point of all of that if they just threw their lives away in the end?”
Yang Kai replied in a calm manner, “They’re indeed foolish.”
“You think so too?” Blood Crow looked at him in surprise.
Yang Kai nodded, “Weren’t they foolish by sacrificing themselves for others?”
Blood Crow nodded in agreement. After a while, he asked, “Is this what you told me back then? On the battlefield, grudges of the past no longer matter, and we’re all Brothers and Sisters.”
Yang Kai smiled helplessly, “You’re older and more experienced than me. At one point, you were even stronger than me, so why even ask me this question?”
Hearing that, Blood Crow fell silent.
After standing there for a while more, Yang Kai said, “We’ll set off for Great Evolution Pass in 8 days, so get some rest now. We might need to fight the Black Ink Clan again when we arrive.”
Upon finishing his words, he turned around and left.
Meanwhile, aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Xiang Shan, Liu Zhi Ping, and the others had gathered together. The Old Ancestor was present as well for once.
Although she was wounded during the fight against the Royal Lord, her injuries weren’t severe. Considering the fact that the Army would leave for Great Evolution Pass soon, she didn’t find Yang Kai to spread out his Small Universe for her to recuperate.
One of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters spoke up, “We’ll set off for Great Evolution Pass in 8 days. I suppose the Army will be fully reorganised by then. Excluding the 3,000 Artifact Refiners, Array Masters, and Alchemists, we have 16,000 to 17,000 soldiers remaining. Things are not looking bright on the North-South Army’s side either. In order to stop the Black Ink Clansmen stationed at Great Evolution Pass from heading to the Royal City, they directly clashed with some 500,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers, and many of them died in battle. Although the Black Ink Clan forces over there are significantly weaker now, they still occupy Great Evolution Pass. They have been fortifying Great Evolution Pass for the past 30,000 years, so we must not underestimate them. I’m worried that it will be a tough fight to retake Great Evolution Pass.”
The other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters nodded with solemn expressions.
Although they already knew that there would be a lot of casualties when the Great Evolution Army was founded, it never crossed their minds that the most difficult and deadly problem would be retaking Great Evolution Pass.
While the Black Ink Clan soldiers from the Royal City were beaten to a half-dead state by the East-West Army, they still had to deal with those from Great Evolution Pass.
Upon hearing that, Liu Zhi Ping put on a smile, “Perhaps we can retrieve Great Evolution Pass without any losses.”
“Huh?” All the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were surprised to hear what she had said.
The person who spoke earlier asked anxiously, “What do you mean by that, Senior Sister Liu? Will the Black Ink Clansmen return Great Evolution Pass to us without a fight?”
Upon finishing his words, he became startled for a moment and fell into his thoughts.
Realising something, another Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master said, “That might be possible.”
The Humans were already aware that the Black Ink Clan could instantly relay information through their Black Ink Nests, so those stationed at Great Evolution Pass must already know what had happened here at the Royal City.
The Royal Lord was badly injured and was almost killed by the Old Ancestor. Countless Black Ink Clan soldiers were either killed or injured, so they were no longer able to engage the Humans away from the Royal City.
If the East-West Army swaggered towards Great Evolution Pass now, and this piece of news was sent from the Royal City to Great Evolution Pass through the Black Ink Nests, the Black Ink Clansmen over there would certainly be flustered; after all, the East-West Army had an Old Ancestor with them.
Although the Black Ink Clan had occupied Great Evolution Pass for 30,000 years, garrisoned a large Army there, and built up a lot of defences, there was no way to tell if that would be enough to resist a Human Army with an Old Ancestor assuming command.
When Great Evolution Pass was conquered, all the Black Ink Clansmen there would surely be executed.
From the Black Ink Clan’s perspective, if they found out about this news, they would certainly abandon Great Evolution Pass and run for their lives. It was no different from waiting for death by staying in Great Evolution Pass.
Upon that realisation, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters became excited. Now, it seemed that the battle outside the Royal City was indeed the last of this war. It wouldn’t be hard for them to retrieve Great Evolution Pass, they just had to put on an act.
One of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters suddenly thought of something and exclaimed, “Damn!”
Liu Zhi Ping looked smilingly at him, “What’s wrong, Junior Brother Fang?”
Junior Brother Fang explained, “The Black Ink Clansmen at Great Evolution Pass can find out about what happened in the Royal City through the Black Ink Nests, but the North-South Army don’t have access to such information. If the Black Ink Clan abandons Great Evolution Pass and tries to run away, will the North-South Army think that they’re desperately trying to rescue the Royal City? When that happens, the North-South Army will certainly try to stop them. Given the North-South Army’s current situation, casualties will be inevitable if they clash with the Black Ink Clan.”
Another Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master nodded, “You have a point. We have to inform the North-South Army about this as soon as possible. Where’s Yang Kai? Tell him to come over now. Since he’s a Master of the Dao of Space, he should be able to reach Great Evolution Pass in 8 days if he goes all out.”
Even Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like them wouldn’t dare to say that they could arrive at Great Evolution Pass in 8 days from the Royal City. Other than Yang Kai, who was an expert in the Dao of Space, only the Old Ancestor could achieve that.
Although the Old Ancestor wasn’t badly injured, they certainly wouldn’t dare to ask her to be a messenger; therefore, this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master instantly thought of Yang Kai.
There were a lot of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the East-West Army, but only a small number of them were worth the attention of these Eighth-Order Division Commanders, and Yang Kai was undoubtedly the most outstanding among them.
However, Liu Zhi Ping just replied with a smile, “Don’t worry about it. In fact, before the battle even started, Senior Brother Xiang had sent Li Xing to head to Great Evolution Pass to inform the North-South Army about it. I suppose he should be with the North-South Army by now.”
Li Xing was Xiang Shan’s adjutant as well as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He was the best choice to inform the North-South Army about this piece of news.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were startled for a moment before turning to look at Xiang Shan.
In response, Xiang Shan nodded lightly to show that it was indeed the case.
Admiration was written all over Junior Brother Fang’s face, “You’re indeed far-sighted, Senior Brother Xiang. You’ve already expected this outcome while we’ve only thought about it now. We’re no match for you when it comes to military strategy.”
Xiang Shan waved his hand, “Please don’t be overly humble, Junior Brother Fang. You didn’t think about it because you’re not in my role. If you were the Army Commander, you would’ve expected the outcome as well.”
With a helpless smile, Junior Brother Fang shook his head, “I can never assume your role. There are so many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters here, but none of us have enough authority to be the Army Commander. You’re the only one we can depend on.”
The other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters nodded.
Initially, Xiang Shan’s authority came from the fact that he was appointed to be the Army Commander by the Old Ancestors; but now, he had earned their respect by proving his worth.
There were four Army Commanders in every Great Pass, so there were more than 400 Army Commanders in over 100 Great Passes in total; however, only a small number of them were a match for Xiang Shan when it came to their capabilities.
…..
Meanwhile, a visitor arrived at a new universe fragment where the North-South Army had re-established their forward base.
Upon getting permission, Li Xing strode into the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and saw an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was clad in scholar’s robes with a feather fan in his hand.
Knowing that this person was the Army Commander of the Northern Army, Mi Jing Lun, Li Xing saluted him.
Although he had never met Mi Jing Lun before, he had heard a lot about him. As he had always been by Xiang Shan’s side, the latter had repeatedly mentioned Mi Jing Lun over the years, saying that Mi Jing Lun was on par with, if not slightly better than him when it came to devising strategies.
Certainly, Li Xing wouldn’t believe it. Over the years, he had witnessed the arrangements that Xiang Shan had made on the battlefield, and his strategies were all top-notch. To him, Xiang Shan’s resourcefulness and foresight were practically peerless, so how was it possible that there was someone in the world who was more talented than he was?
Li Xing believed that Xiang Shan was just being humble when the latter complimented Mi Jing Lun in such a way.
Other than Mi Jing Lun, there was another Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the hall. His hair was fiery red, but his face was as pale as a piece of white paper.
This red-haired Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was the Army Commander of the Southern Army, Ou Yang Lie. It was said that he was a hot-tempered person. 10 years ago, he killed a Territory Lord in the battle against the Black Ink Clan; however, he was also badly injured and almost died during the fight.
It seemed that he still hadn’t recovered even though 10 years had passed.
This was understandable, as the more powerful one became, the harder it was to recover when they were injured, so it could be imagined how long an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would take to recover from a near-death experience.
One had to know that it always took the Old Ancestor at least decades to recuperate. On the other hand, since the day that the Royal Lord was first injured by the Old Ancestor, he had never fully recovered, and that was over 100 years ago.
Besides these two Army Commanders, there were other Eighth-Order Division Commanders from the North-South Army in the meeting hall.
Li Xing saluted all of them one by one.
Presently, Ou Yang Lie was seated on a chair. Before Li Xing could say anything, he asked, “What’s going on over there? Has the East-West Army launched the final attack on the Royal City?”
Over the years, the East-West Army and North-South Army would contact each other from time to time; however, due to the great distance, it would take a person an average of two months to travel back and forth between the two Armies, so their exchanges of information were not frequent. Only when one side had made a major decision would a messenger be sent to inform the other party about it.
Li Xing’s arrival suggested that he had something important to report. Perhaps it had something to do with the final battle against the Royal City, which was why Ou Yang Lie asked that question.
Li Xing bent his back and replied, “Martial Uncle Ou Yang, when I departed, the battle had yet to begin, but they were in the midst of final preparations. If I’m not mistaken, the East-West Army should be engaged in an intense battle with the Black Ink Clan as we speak. It’s even possible that the war has already ended.”
With a smile, Mi Jing Lun asked, “In your opinion, will the East-West Army achieve its objective this time?”
Li Xing nodded, “Yes.”
Mi Jing Lun arched his brow, “Since you’re so confident, it seems the situation over there is quite favourable. I suppose they’ve already won the fight. Well, with Senior Brother Xiang in charge, there’s no way the Black Ink Clan are a match for him.”
Ou Yang Lie pursed his lips, “Since the East-West Army has won, why did Xiang Shan tell you to come over?”
Since the beginning, Ou Yang Lie had always had some complaints against Xiang Shan. This couldn’t be helped, as the East-West Army was responsible for invading the Royal City, thus allowing them to earn a massive amount of Military Merits. On the other hand, the North-South Army had to stop the Black Ink Clansmen from leaving Great Evolution Pass. It certainly wasn’t as fun as attacking the Royal City like the East-West Army had done.
Li Xing replied, “Sir Xiang told me to come over to inform you that you have to be careful of what the Black Ink Clan from Great Evolution Pass might do soon.”
After giving it a thought, Mi Jing Lun nodded, “We indeed have to act prudently. If the Black Ink Clan at the Royal City are really defeated, those from Great Evolution Pass will surely become nervous when they learn about it. Now, they’re only left with two options, they either defend Great Evolution Pass to the last man, or run for their lives.”
At this point, he had figured out Xiang Shan’s intention, “So, I suppose Senior Brother Xiang wants us to just watch and do nothing if the Black Ink Clan tries to flee from Great Evolution Pass.”
Li Xing was slightly surprised at the speed of Mi Jing Lun’s inference, but soon nodded and replied, “That was indeed Sir Xiang’s intention.”
Ou Yang Lie asked, “Do you think the Black Ink Clan will abandon the Pass?”
Mi Jing Lun replied with a smile, “Do you think they would rather sit and wait for death? If I’m not mistaken, after the war, the East-West Army will take a short rest at their base before setting off in a high-profile manner so that the Black Ink Clan from the Royal City notice it and promptly send word to Great Evolution Pass.”
Then, he turned to look at Li Xing and asked, “Is this Brother Xiang’s arrangement?”
Admiration was written all over Li Xing’s face as he replied, “That is indeed his arrangement. Before I departed, Sir Xiang told me to pass on his word that the Army would rest for 10 days after the victory. After that, they will set off for the pass. He wants the North-South Army to pay close attention to what the Black Ink Clan from Great Evolution Pass do. If there is an anomaly, it suggests that the East-West Army has won the battle, while it’s the opposite if the Black Ink Clan do nothing.”
Before he came to this place, Li Xing thought that Mi Jing Lun was overrated. Now, it seemed that this Northern Army Commander was indeed talented in military strategy. At the very least, he was an intelligent person; otherwise, he wouldn’t have figured out Xiang Shan’s intentions so swiftly.
Ou Yang Lie frowned, “Do we just let the Black Ink Clan go if they flee from Great Evolution Pass?”
Mi Jing Lun explained, “We’re unable to stop them even if we wanted to. There’s a lack of manpower in the North-South Army now, so if the Black Ink Clan are determined to escape from the Pass, it won’t matter if we don’t stop them. However, if we do try to get in their way, it will certainly be a tough fight. When that happens, even more of our soldiers will lose their lives.”
Nobody wanted to experience the battle that took place 10 years ago again. During the battle, half of the North-South Army’s soldiers were killed while a number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters willingly sacrificed their lives just to stop the Black Ink Clan Army from reaching the Royal City. Even the Army Commander of the Southern Army, Ou Yang Lie, had almost lost his life.
An Eighth-Order Division Commander furrowed his brows, “There are a lot of Black Ink Clansmen in the Pass right now, at least 20 to 30 Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples as well as 250,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers. If we just let them return to the Royal City and join forces with the Black Ink Clan Army there, it will be a huge problem in the future.”
Mi Jing Lun said with a smile, “We have to be patient in order to achieve our goal. Think about it this way. If the Black Ink Clansmen flee from Great Evolution Pass, it’s no different from giving the place back to us for free. Isn’t it wonderful that we’re able to retake Great Evolution Pass without having to fight again? As for the future… Once the crusade begins, why would we have to fear the forces at the Royal City?”
The reason they had to retake Great Evolution Pass was to prepare for the crusade which would take place in the future. The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were aware of it, and they also knew that the Humans had a trump card to use against the Black Ink Clan. In fact, they had already developed this weapon, but they were still not able to mass-produce it. Moreover, they couldn’t reveal it at this point, so they never used it when trying to retake Great Evolution Pass.
However, once the crusade began, this weapon would surely be of great use. By then, destroying the Royal City would be a simple matter.
When Li Xing looked at the confident Mi Jing Lun, he felt as if the latter was another Xiang Shan. He thought that resourceful senior experts like them could always see things that others were not able to see. In this regard, Mi Jing Lun and Xiang Shan were very similar.
“Let’s just wait and see. If I’m not mistaken, the Black Ink Clan will send over an envoy within 10 days.”
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were astounded upon hearing that as they had no idea why Mi Jing Lun had made such a judgement. Li Xing was equally puzzled.
The blood feud between the two Races had been ongoing for countless years, and every time they clashed, both sides were determined to annihilate each other. There had never been a reason to send envoys to another side before.
However, since Mi Jing Lun had said so, he must have a reason to come to this conclusion.
After passing on Xiang Shan’s words, Li Xing was supposedly free to return to the East-West Army at any time.
Nevertheless, he decided to stay out of curiosity. He wanted to find out if Mi Jing Lun, who was so highly regarded by Xiang Shan, had accurately predicted the future. It would be an eye-opener if the Black Ink Clan really sent an envoy to this place.
…..
In the East-West Army’s forward base, the reorganisation was completed within 10 days. The more complete Squads were reinforced by the ones who had lost more members.
Presently, Yang Kai was standing on the deck of Dawning Light and looking out towards the void.
The Army was ready to set off.
Just then, three people with different auras rushed over from a distance. They were respectively Seventh-Order, Sixth-Order, and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The three of them came to a stop in the void, and the person at the front eyed Yang Kai for a moment before cupping his fist, “Western Army, Second Division, Wind Battalion, Third Squad, Blood Crow!”
“Wen Cheng Jing!”
“Zhang Yang!”
“Reporting for duty!”
Yang Kai nodded and ordered solemnly, “Get onboard!”
The next instant, Blood Crow led the Sixth-Order Wen Cheng Jing and Fifth-Order Zhang Yang to land on the deck.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship slowly rose into the sky as a loud voice reverberated in all directions, “Set sail!”
“Set sail!” Yang Kai waved his hand and ordered. The arrays on Dawning Light activated, and the fleet of Warships charged towards the void.
On one of the Warships, Grandmaster Ma Fan looked in Great Evolution Pass’ direction and started weeping.
He had been waiting outside the Royal City for 150 years. Now that he could finally head to the place where his Ancestors and Seniors fought the enemy, he was overwhelmed by a sense of sorrow and agitation.
The Human Army’s movements horrified the Black Ink Clan soldiers outside the Royal City.
One had to know that the two Armies had clashed barely 10 days ago, and during that battle, the Royal Lord had been beaten half-dead and many of the Black Ink Clan soldiers were either killed or injured. At the end of that battle, the Human Old Ancestor even put on a display of killing three Territory Lords right in front of the Royal Lord, with the latter not daring to stop her.
Were the Humans preparing to raise a storm again after just 10 days?
The Territory Lords were deluged with a sense of unease, and the lower Black Ink Clansmen broke into a commotion.
However, what surprised them was that the Humans did not head towards the Royal City; instead, they seemed to be heading in a different direction.
All of them could clearly feel the Old Ancestor’s powerful aura coming from the fleet of Warships.
A myriad of expressions came over Che Kong as he looked in the direction the Humans were heading. As he thought of a possibility and realised that something was off, he promptly looked for the Royal Lord.
Presently, the Royal Lord’s face was pale, and his aura was extremely weak. Moreover, he was in a terrible mood.
This couldn’t be helped. Even though the Humans had retreated 10 days ago, the Old Ancestor had faintly locked onto him with her Will from a distance, forcing him to remain vigilant this whole time.
In such a situation, he wasn’t in the mood to recuperate, nor did he dare to do so.
However, on this day, he realised that the Old Ancestor’s aura was moving further away from him. As he released his Divine Sense, he soon understood the situation.
Che Kong arrived at his place at this point.
Before he could speak, the Royal Lord ordered, “Inform the Army at Great Evolution Pass to leave and return to the Royal City.”
Upon hearing that, Che Kong was astonished, “Are we abandoning Great Evolution Pass?”
The Royal Lord shook his head, “Since the Old Ancestor is personally heading to Great Evolution Pass, there’s no way they can hold it.”
Che Kong had already speculated that the Human Army was marching towards Great Evolution Pass. Now, it indeed seemed to be the case. He thus bowed his head, “I’ll send them a message now. However, there are some Human soldiers outside Great Evolution Pass. I’m worried that they might not have a chance to come back.”
The Royal Lord shook his head again, “The Humans will not intercept them again. Just inform them about it.”
Although Che Kong had no idea why the Royal Lord had made such a judgement, he could only oblige.
Just when he was about to leave the place, the Royal Lord suddenly said, “Tell those from Great Evolution Pass to make a detour. They must not run into the Old Ancestor on their way back.”
“Yes,” Che Kong replied and left.
After he was gone, the Royal Lord closed his eyes and clenched his fists tightly.
He was extremely vexed.
Despite having a huge advantage in terms of the number of soldiers and holding the geographical advantage, they were eventually defeated by the Humans, who now had the last laugh. On the other hand, a Royal Lord like him could only hide in the Royal City, not daring to show his face.
The root cause of the problem was that he had underestimated his opponent, thinking that the Old Ancestor, just like him, was still injured every time they clashed in the past. It never crossed his mind that the cunning Old Ancestor had fully recovered each time.
This was the kind of humiliation he could never wash away for the rest of his life.
The East-West Army departed from the base and headed to Great Evolution Pass. If everything went well, they would arrive at their destination in one month.
After 10 days of reorganisation, it could only be said that the soldiers were able to move and fight again, but they hadn’t fully recovered. The injured soldiers were still recuperating in the Warships of their Squads. Meanwhile, the Array Masters and Artifact Refiners were moving between the Warships to repair the artifacts and arrays. They were swamped with work.
Wen Cheng Jing and Zhang Yang, who were new to Dawn, soon familiarised themselves with the other members. Feng Ying had assigned some work and duties to them. On the other hand, Blood Crow, who didn’t seem to get along well with the others, was standing on the deck on his own. It wasn’t certain what was on his mind.
Yang Kai didn’t intend to interfere. It was impossible to expect that Blood Crow could get along with the others. His background, experiences, and temperament meant that he was unable to do that.
However, Blood Crow was already different from his past self. Yang Kai could detect that.
In the past, Blood Crow was forced to come to the Black Ink Battlefield to fight against the Black Ink Clan. But now, he didn’t battle against the Black Ink Clan just because he had to. It also had something to do with his Dao Heart.
Even though his life was saved by the members of his previous Squad, he might not necessarily be grateful to them; instead, he might think that those who were killed in his stead were foolish. Regardless, it was an indisputable fact that his life was saved. He didn’t have to be grateful, but he did have to repay their favour.
This was his Dao.
In the cabin, after examining Ning Qi Zhi’s body, Yang Kai said, “Just get some rest for the time being. Even if there’s a battle, don’t make a move.”
In the previous battle, Qi Tai Chu was killed while Ning Qi Zhi was terribly injured and his Small Universe was damaged. If not for the fact that Yang Kai had come to his rescue in time, his Small Universe would have been shattered.
If that happened, Qi Tai Chu wouldn’t have been the only one who died that day.
Although Ning Qi Zhi had survived, his Small Universe had cracked.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had Profound Yin Spirit Fruits on him.
When he was in Blue Sky Pass back then, he had intentionally planted some Profound Yin Fruit Trees and a massive amount of herbs that could be used to refine Purifying Black Ink Pills in his Small Universe.
They were planted in his medicine garden where Mu Zhu and Mu Lu, the two Wood Spirits, would tend to them. Those herbs would easily grow to maturity under their care.
Furthermore, the flow of time in his Small Universe was much faster than that in the outside world. More than 1,000 years had passed since then, so the Profound Yin Fruit Trees in his Small Universe had borne fruits. Yang Kai had handed 90% of them over to Army to be used by the other soldiers while he kept 10% just in case of emergencies.
Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were the only Spirit Fruits the Humans had found that could repair broken or incomplete Small Universes.
That was the reason Ning Qi Zhi’s life was saved. Although the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit had an amazing effect, it would take a long time before his Small Universe was fully repaired. Before that, he was unable to use his World Force, or his injury would exacerbate.
Upon hearing Yang Kai’s words, Ning Qi Zhi nodded, but he didn’t feel any sense of relief.
Qi Tai Chu had lost his life. In Dawn, Qi Tai Chu, Ning Qi Zhi, and Shen Ao were former Black Ink Disciples that Yang Kai had brought back from the Black Ink Clan’s side. They were friends who had shared countless life-and-death moments together on the battlefield.
Now, Qi Tai Chu was no longer there to drink wine and talk about the Martial Dao with the other two.
Yang Kai gently patted his shoulder and turned around to leave. The moment he left the cabin, he saw the gloomy-looking Blood Crow standing on the deck on his own.
Without intending to talk to him, Yang Kai returned to his room to get some rest.
As soon as he opened the door, he batted his eyes in stunned silence. A moment later, he gently stepped back and closed the door.
Before he could close the door though, a voice called out, “Come in and have a talk with me.”
A helpless Yang Kai tutted and opened the door again. Upon entering the room, he saluted the person who was seated on his bed, “Old Ancestor.”
No one knew when Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had arrived aboard Dawning Light; however, given her Ninth-Order cultivation, no one could detect her presence if she wanted to conceal it.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shot him a glance and teased him by saying, “What’s wrong? Are you worried that there will be rumours about us? Is that why you left the door open?”
Yang Kai promptly shook his head, “That’s definitely not the case.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao snorted.
A concerned Yang Kai asked, “How’re your injuries? Do you need a place to recuperate?”
Upon hearing that, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao waved her hand, “I don’t need to recuperate for now. We’ll talk about it when we settle down. Moreover, I wasn’t badly hurt in the previous battle.”
A curious Yang Kai asked, “Why are you here, then?”
Obviously, the Old Ancestor wouldn’t have come all the way here just to have a chat with him.
Without beating around the bush, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao extended her hand, “Give me some a few sets of Space Beacons.”
The two of them had lived together in Yang Kai’s Small Universe for hundreds of years now and frequently chatted with each other. On occasion, Yang Kai would mention the methods he had developed in the Dao of Space, hoping the Old Ancestor might be able to give him some insights or inspiration.
That was why she was aware of the existence of his Space Beacons.
Yang Kai didn’t ask why she needed the Space Beacons and just fished out a few sets and passed them to her.
After taking the Space Beacons, the Old Ancestor directly disappeared.
Yang Kai batted his eyes once and realised that she was already nowhere to be seen in the room. Soon though, he heard the Old Ancestor’s voice, “Tell your Squad to relax. There won’t be a battle when we arrive at Great Evolution Pass.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was stunned.
He thought that the reason they set off to Great Evolution Pass was to launch the last battle against the Black Ink Clan to retake it. However, the Old Ancestor’s words seemed to suggest that they could get Great Evolution Pass back without a fight.
Would the Black Ink Clan unconditionally surrender Great Evolution Pass to them?
Yang Kai frowned, but as he pondered on the issue, he soon realised the crux of the matter and figured out why she had said as much.
Even though it was no different from letting the Black Ink Clansmen from both sides join forces, it was still of greater benefit to the Human soldiers at the moment. Yang Kai had no idea about the North-South Army’s situation, but the East-West Army had just gone through an intense battle. If they fought again after such a short time, there would surely be massive losses.
If they could retake Great Evolution Pass without a fight, they could prevent a lot of unnecessary sacrifices.
As for the reason that the Old Ancestor wanted some Space Beacons from Yang Kai…
After giving it a thought, he couldn’t help but feel sorry for the Royal Lord for a moment.
Perhaps in the years to come, the Royal Lord would not be able to recuperate with peace of mind.
In the North-South Army’s base, Li Xing was given a room. By activating the Spirit Arrays, he could cultivate at ease without worrying about any interruption, unless the room itself was attacked.
However, he wasn’t in the mood to cultivate. The reason he didn’t immediately return to the East-West Army’s side after completing his task was that he wanted to find out if Mi Jing Lun’s speculation was right.
At the same time, he wanted to know the outcome of the war on the East-West Army’s side.
He had learned a lot of secrets from Xiang Shan, so he knew that it wouldn’t be hard for the East-West Army to win the battle; however, it remained uncertain whether the Old Ancestor would be able to kill the Royal Lord.
Before the outcome was clear, no one could be certain that there wouldn’t be a sudden turn of events.
It wasn’t hard to find out whether the East-West Army had won the battle. They just had to observe the reaction of the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass; therefore, Li Xing had been staring in Great Evolution Pass’ direction in an attempt to find out what was going on over there. Nevertheless, the Great Pass was too far away for a mere Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to get a clear look. Regardless of what the Black Ink Clan were doing over there, he was unable to tell.
One day, he suddenly saw a ray of light rushing over from Great Evolution Pass’ direction.
Li Xing’s eyes brightened as he knew that it should be one of the people from the North-South Army responsible for monitoring Great Evolution Pass. Since the person was coming back in a hurry, he must have some news to report to the higher-ups.
As expected, after the person returned, he directly landed on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
Li Xing had the urge to find out more, but he was worried that it would be awkward for him to do so; after all, he wasn’t from the North-South Army, so he didn’t have the right to head to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship as he pleased.
After waiting for some time, he saw the person emerging from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, so he promptly went over to stop him and cupped his fist, “Please wait, Senior Brother.”
That person was also a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and as he lifted his head and recognised him, he asked with a smile, “Brother Li from the East-West Army?”
Li Xing nodded, then quickly asked, “Senior Brother, is there any news about the Black Ink Clansmen from Great Evolution Pass?”
The Seventh-Order Master hesitated for a bit, but reckoning that it wasn’t really a secret, he replied, “Indeed, Brother Li. Just now, we detected some unusual movement from Great Evolution Pass. There seemed to be a commotion; however, due to the Great Pass’ barrier, we were unable to find out what was going on regardless of how hard we tried. If it’s just like the information you’ve brought to us, the East-West Army should have won the battle. The Black Ink Clansmen there must be feeling uneasy now after learning the news from the Royal City.”
Li Xing became excited, “That has to be the case!”
The Seventh-Order Master said with a smile, “I share the same sentiment, so I came back in a hurry to report it to the two Army Commanders. Brother Li, I have to return to continue monitoring Great Evolution Pass, so I’ll take my leave now.”
Saying so, he cupped his fist and left the place.
Li Xing, who had been anxious recently, finally relaxed. Since the Black Ink Clan from Great Evolution Pass started making a move, it suggested that those from the Royal City were defeated.
In that case, the East-West Army must have successfully carried out its plan. In other words, they had won.
Therefore, he no longer had to return to the East-West Army. According to the plan, if the East-West Army won the war, they would soon come over and join up with the North-South Army.
As such, Li Xing just had to wait here and could also find out if Mi Jing Lun’s speculation was right.
After bidding Li Xing farewell, the Seventh-Order Master headed straight in Great Evolution Pass’ direction.
A few hours later, he landed on an asteroid where there were two other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. One of them was seen with Demon Qi swirling around his figure. It was obvious that he was from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven. On the other hand, it was difficult to figure out the other person’s background; however, he was clad in a green robe, and his aura felt natural and pure.
Presently, one of these Seventh-Order Masters was seen with a golden left pupil. Apparently, he had activated the Demon Eye of Annihilation.
It wasn’t certain what kind of an amazing Eye Secret Technique the green-robed Seventh-Order Master was using, but his eyes had turned amber, and a flash of light was seen flowing behind his gaze.
They were seated in two different places as they stared in Great Evolution Pass’ direction in an attempt to find out what was going on over there.
There were countless talents in the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so it wasn’t hard to get two people who had cultivated Eye Secret Techniques to monitor Great Evolution Pass.
The three of them were in the same group. Two people were responsible for keeping an eye on Great Evolution Pass while the remaining one served as a runner to report any findings to the higher-ups. There was a clear division of tasks.
A moment later, the disciple from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven grunted all of a sudden. At the same time, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, whose eyes had turned amber, batted his eyes. It was apparent that they had discovered something.
The disciple from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven suddenly said, “There are some Black Ink Clansmen coming over from Great Evolution Pass.”
“How many are there?” The Seventh-Order Master, who had just returned to this place, asked anxiously. It would be bad news to the Humans whenever the Black Ink Clansmen left Great Evolution Pass. Every time they did that, there would be a fight with the North-South Army, though the enemy would always be defeated. Therefore, the Seventh-Order Master became nervous upon learning that some Black Ink Clansmen had left Great Evolution Pass.
The Seventh-Order Master from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven replied, “There are only a few dozen of them.”
The green-robed Seventh-Order Master arched his brow, “It seems that Senior Mi’s speculation was right. They appear to be the Black Ink Clan’s envoys.”
Since they were asked to monitor Great Evolution Pass, Mi Jing Lun had told them the reason they had to do so. Just like Li Xing, they were previously puzzled. The blood feud between the two Races on the Black Ink Battlefield was practically irresolvable. They would always engage in a life-and-death fight every time they clashed, so no envoys had ever been sent to the other side before.
They thought that such a thing was unlikely to happen; however, since Mi Jing Lun had said so, they wouldn’t dare to doubt it.
Now, several dozen Black Ink Clansmen were indeed coming over from Great Evolution Pass, and it was apparent that they were not looking for trouble. The only reasonable explanation was that they were the expected envoys.
“Do we act according to the plan?” The Seventh-Order Master from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven raised his brow.
The green-robed Seventh-Order Master nodded, “En. However, we’re not sure how many Feudal Lords there are. If there are too many of them, we might suffer a setback instead.”
The Seventh-Order Master from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven grinned, “Don’t worry. Senior Mi said that even if we make a move, they won’t have the nerve to fight back. There’s nothing to worry about even if there are Territory Lords among them; after all, to them, we still have no idea about the outcome of the war at the Royal City.”
The other two nodded, then activated their Secret Techniques to cover their figures up and hide their auras. At the same time, they sent a message back to the forward base. Soon, several Human Warships secretly set out to ambush the enemies.
After departing from Great Evolution Pass, the several dozen Black Ink Clansmen rushed forward and it only took them about half a day before they arrived somewhere near the asteroid field.
At this point, the Humans could easily figure out how strong these Black Ink Clansmen were.
There were only a few Feudal Lords, while the rest were all High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen. No Territory Lords were present.
It seemed that the Territory Lords were truly afraid of death. They were obviously worried that the Humans would attack them if they came over all of a sudden; therefore, they sent some Feudal Lords first to test the waters.
Since there wasn’t even a single Territory Lord, the Humans who were hiding nearby became at ease.
Just as the Black Ink Clansmen were about to pass by the asteroids, the arrays on the Warships activated. At the same time, Secret Techniques and the powers of artifacts rained down on these Black Ink Clansmen.
Violent energy fluctuations suddenly exploded. Engulfed in a great sense of danger, these Black Ink Clansmen, who were already apprehensive to begin with, were terrified. Flustered, they hurriedly dispersed.
However, under the intense barrage, these Black Ink Clansmen were not spared from misfortune. In an instant, half of them perished.
Before they even managed to steady themselves, the Human Warships had revealed themselves. Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters leapt out and cast their Secret Techniques at the enemies.
The Feudal Lord in the lead dodged the attacks with difficulty while exclaiming, “Wait! We’re not here to fight! Territory Lord Hong Di has ordered us to come here for peace talks with you all!”
His loud voice reverberated across the void.
Naturally, the Human soldiers didn’t bother to respond to him and dismissed his words as nonsense. It seemed that just like what Mi Jing Lun had expected, these Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t dare to counterattack even if they were attacked. As such, the Humans became even more ruthless with their assault.
These poor Feudal Lords had survived several clashes with the North-South Army, so it could be said that they were elites among the Black Ink Clan. Nevertheless, at this moment, they could only dodge in embarrassment.
Things would only get worse if they kept avoiding the attacks though, and by the time these Feudal Lords realised that the situation could not be salvaged and wanted to counterattack, it was already too late.
Only a cup of tea’s time had passed since the Human soldiers started attacking, but these several dozen Black Ink Clansmen were almost wiped out.
Before his death, the Black Ink Clansman at the front exclaimed, “We’re really here to discuss peace!”
The Humans had never responded to him since the beginning, so he was extremely vexed right until his death.
Although they knew that these Black Ink Clansmen were indeed here for a peace talk, none of the Humans had any pity for them. That was because they knew that these Black Ink Clansmen must have killed Humans before.
On the walls of Great Evolution Pass, the Territory Lords were standing alongside one another as they looked into the distance.
When they saw that the several dozen Black Ink Clansmen were all killed, their expressions turned gloomy.
Even though they were fairly certain that these Black Ink Clansmen would end up in a horrible state, none of them had expected that the Humans would be so ruthless.
With that said, the outcome wasn’t surprising. There was a blood feud between the two Races that stretched back countless years. When one side suddenly wanted to talk peace, the other side certainly wouldn’t easily believe them. It was expected that they would simply attack.
It was for this reason that the Territory Lords didn’t show up in the first attempt. They only sent some Feudal Lords and High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen as a test.
The situation was apparently more troublesome than they imagined.
Hong Di said grimly, “In such a situation, does any one of you have a solution? At a minimum, we have to establish contact with the Humans before we even think about a peace talk.”
If they couldn’t open a dialogue with the Humans, it would be pointless to send more Black Ink Clansmen over.
The Territory Lords fell silent. The incident earlier showed that the Humans would immediately attack when they saw Black Ink Clansmen leave the Great Pass. There was no room for communication, so how were they supposed to discuss anything?
When they learned that their brethren at the Royal City were defeated and the Royal Lord was horrendously injured, they were quite flustered. Over the past 100 or so years, the Human soldiers would attack the Royal City every 20 years. The Black Ink Clansmen from Great Evolution Pass were aware of this; after all, it was easy to transmit information through the Black Ink Nests.
Over the years, even though those from the Royal City would always suffer some losses in each engagement, the losses were not critical. The Royal Lord and the Old Ancestor were equally matched, with neither being capable of killing the other; therefore, they were puzzled as to why the situation had suddenly become so abysmal at the Royal City.
After some inquiries, they learned that the Human Old Ancestor had been concealing the fact that she could recover far faster than anticipated. Over the years, she repeatedly exacerbated the Royal Lord’s injuries, never giving him time to fully heal, while she would make a complete recovery. Finally, after 100 years of plotting, she dropped the pretence and forced the Royal Lord to flee back to the Royal City in embarrassment.
Although the Human soldiers had returned to their forward base, things were not looking good on the Royal City’s side and those from Great Evolution Pass were worried that the Royal City would really be destroyed by the Humans.
Then, they received a piece of news that horrified them.
Barely 10 days after the great battle ended, the Human Army left the forward base they had garrisoned in for over 100 years and headed in Great Evolution Pass’ direction.
That was some shocking news.
There was already a Human Army at Great Evolution Pass’ doorstep, one that had stopped them from leaving this place on multiple occasions. If the Human soldiers from the Royal City joined up with them, the Black Ink Clansmen at Great Evolution Pass would be doomed.
Furthermore, the Old Ancestor was with the approaching Human Army.
It could be said that the moment the Human Armies joined forces, death would become certain for the Black Ink Clansmen from Great Evolution Pass.
The Territory Lords were all incredibly flustered. Fortunately, there was an order from the Royal City that told them to evacuate Great Evolution Pass. Although Hong Di was unwilling to abandon his territory, he could only do so in order to save his life.
However, they still had to come up with a way to leave Great Evolution Pass. Over the years, the Humans would be instantly alerted the moment the Black Ink Clan made a move.
Therefore, if they rashly left Great Evolution Pass, the Humans might misunderstand their intentions, and then a battle would be inevitable.
After pondering on the issue, the Territory Lords concluded that their best option was to negotiate a temporary cease-fire with the Humans first. That was why the several dozen Black Ink Clansmen were sent out.
To them, they had the advantage of knowing things that the Humans didn’t. They were aware of what had happened at the Royal City while the Humans might not necessarily know it; hence, they could make use of this advantage to achieve their objective.
If the Humans found out that those from the Royal City were defeated, and that a fleet of Human Warships was coming over to join them, they might not be willing to discuss peace at all.
From the Humans’ perspective, it would be a wise move to stop the Black Ink Clansmen from leaving Great Evolution Pass and wait for the arrival of their reinforcements before joining forces and wiping them out.
Therefore, a peace talk had to be held and concluded before the Human soldiers from the two sides established contact. Otherwise, the Black Ink Clansmen at Great Evolution Pass would be doomed.
Hong Di swept a glance over these silent Territory Lords and cursed at them in his mind, thinking that they were all useless when their help was needed.
Hence, he could only turn to his Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, “Zhou Qi, since you’re a Human, do you have a suggestion to deal with this situation?”
Black Ink Strength was seen swirling around the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple named Zhou Qi. His neck was full of abscesses where black pus was seen oozing out. Not only did this person look hideous, his body also stank. It was as though he was a rotten corpse. His smell couldn’t be isolated using any Secret Techniques, so all the Black Ink Clansmen and the other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples stayed far away from him.
Upon hearing Hong Di’s question, Zhou Qi bent his back and replied, “Sir, when I was younger, I happened to wander around a Universe World where I saw two Human Armies clashing with one another. When the losing side wanted to surrender, they would send a group of people to the other side waving a white flag. When the people on the other side saw the white flag, they knew not to launch an attack. Why don’t we try that?”
“Raising a white flag?” Hong Di was surprised as he had never heard of it before.
Another Territory Lord asked his own Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple, “Is that true?”
After pondering on it for a moment, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple replied, “I’ve heard of it before; however, every Universe World has its own unique customs, so it might not be a universally accepted sign. I’m not sure if it’ll be effective on the Human soldiers over there.”
Hong Di nodded, “We’ll give it a try to find out if it’s effective. Get me a white flag!”
Following his order, the Black Ink Clansmen started getting prepared.
A while later, a white flag was made. The white flag was truly gigantic, as though they were worried that the Humans wouldn’t be able to see it.
A moment later, another group of Black Ink Clansmen departed from Great Evolution Pass. The Feudal Lord at the front raised the white flag and headed towards the North-South Army’s forward base while feeling incredibly apprehensive.
On the monitoring asteroid, the two Seventh-Order Masters who cultivated Eye Secret Techniques immediately spotted this new group.
The Seventh-Order Master from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven couldn’t help but break into laughter, “They’re coming over with a white flag. Are we going to attack?”
“So what if they’re coming over with a white flag? Just kill them all!” A certain Squad Leader rolled up his sleeves as he was ready to kill.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” the Seventh-Order Master, who was responsible for passing on information, shook his head, “The higher-ups have made it clear that we have to eventually negotiate with the Black Ink Clan. It’s reasonable for us to say that we did not know their intentions when we killed their first group of envoys, but now that they’ve made such an obvious gesture, waving a giant white flag, we might ruin the Army Commanders’ plans if we still make a move.”
A cornered animal would strike back at all costs if it was pushed into a hopeless situation, no matter how timid it may be. Earlier, the Humans had killed a group of Black Ink Clansmen, which was fine if all they wanted was to destroy the enemy. However, if they repeatedly killed the Black Ink Clan’s envoys and eliminated any hope of negotiation, that would be disastrous for them as well.
Therefore, upon hearing what the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master said, the others nodded in agreement.
“I’ll make contact with them.” Saying so, the Seventh-Order Master emerged from his hiding place, stood there in the void, and looked condescendingly at the group of Black Ink Clansmen.
From afar, the Feudal Lord at the front spotted this Seventh-Order Master. He was initially anxious, but upon seeing the person’s actions, he relaxed slightly.
He had seen what had happened to the previous group of his clansmen; therefore, after taking on the task, he was worried that he would also perish just like them.
However, since a Human was willing to show up and not immediately attack, it meant that they had figured out their intentions.
Now, it seemed that raising a white flag was indeed useful.
Half a day later, with the Feudal Lords leading the way, these Black Ink Clansmen arrived somewhere near the asteroid. Only one Seventh-Order Master had shown up on the Humans’ side while the others remained hidden nearby.
Despite being alone, this Human gave off a domineering air.
These Black Ink Clansmen stopped at a spot that was 100,000 kilometres away from the Seventh-Order Human. The Feudal Lord, who was holding the white flag, gave a hint to the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple beside him. The latter took a step forward and cupped his fist, “May I know your name, Senior Brother?”
The Seventh-Order Master glanced at this Black Ink Disciple and let out a sigh. He saluted him back and replied, “Clear Mind Cave Heaven, Mu Tian Zong.”
He wouldn’t have been so polite if it was a Black Ink Clansman who asked him this question; however, the one who spoke was a Black Ink Disciple. His appearance suggested that he could no longer be saved, but he used to be a Human, after all. He was not willingly corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
Every time the Humans came across such Black Ink Disciples on the battlefield, they wouldn’t hesitate to kill them. That was because death was the only release for these Black Ink Disciples.
Nevertheless, in such a situation, it wasn’t appropriate for this Seventh-Order Master to give them the cold shoulder. This Black Ink Disciple used to be a part of the Human Race, and he had fought against the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield before.
The leading Feudal Lord was apparently a clever one as he let this Black Ink Disciple speak while he remained silent. There was no doubt that it was a wise decision.
The Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple nodded, “Great Evolution Pass, Lian Xu!”
Without beating around the bush, Mu Tian Zong asked, “Why has the Black Ink Clan come all the way here, waving a white flag?”
Lian Xu replied, “Senior Brother, the Black Ink Clan of Great Evolution Pass would like to hold peace talks with the Humans. The reason we have a white flag with us is to show our sincerity.”
“A peace talk?” Mu Tian Zong arched his brow, as though he was surprised, “The blood feud between the two Races is irresolvable. Do you think we’ll believe that you want to suddenly discuss peace?”
Lian Xu replied, “It doesn’t matter whether you believe it or not. What matters is whether the Army Commanders and the Division Commanders will believe it.”
He basically implied that this Seventh-Order Master had no right to decide how the matter should be handled.
Mu Tian Zong stared back at him and snorted.
It had to be said that the Black Ink Clan had made the right decision by letting a Black Ink Disciple deal with this matter instead of doing it themselves; after all, Black Ink Disciples had a far better understanding of the Human Race.
The Black Ink Disciple Lian Xu went on to say, “Over the past 100 years, the Black Ink Clansmen from Great Evolution Pass have repeatedly clashed with the Army you belong to, and both parties have suffered immense losses. Now, the Black Ink Clansmen are stuck in Great Evolution Pass while the Humans don’t dare to attack rashly. Further confrontation will only drain our strength and waste our time. Now, the Black Ink Clan are willing to return Great Evolution Pass to the Humans. It’s just that we don’t know whether the Humans are willing to accept it.”
Hearing that, Mu Tian Zong secretly sneered.
The truth was that the Black Ink Clan at the Royal City had been defeated, and those garrisoned at Great Evolution Pass had no choice but to abandon this place. However, this Black Ink Disciple spoke in a way as though the Black Ink Clan were doing the Humans a favour by giving Great Evolution Pass back to them.
Did they think that the North-South Army had no idea what had happened at the Royal City?
Just like what Mi Jing Lun had expected, the Black Ink Clan thought that the Humans did not know what transpired at the Royal City, so they wanted to take advantage of it. Despite knowing what was going on, the Seventh-Order Master pretended that he knew nothing as he appeared surprised, “The Black Ink Clan are going to just give Great Evolution Pass back to us?”
Lian Xu nodded, “Great Evolution Pass originally belonged to the Human Race. Now, we’re just returning it to you.”
“What are the Black Ink Clan’s conditions?” Mu Tian Zong appeared tempted, “There’s no way they will give it back to us for free. It’s not like they’re kind-hearted people.”
Lian Xu replied with a smile, “There are indeed some conditions; however, it’s pointless for us to discuss this. The leaders of the two Races will have to meet to make a decision.”
Mu Tian Zong furrowed his brow slightly before nodding, “You have a point. In that case, give me a moment. I’ll relay a message to the higher-ups.”
Saying so, he fished out a Communication Bead and activated his Divine Sense to get in touch with those at the forward base.
These apprehensive Black Ink Clansmen waited in silence, especially the Feudal Lord who was holding the white flag. He had a feeling that some people were watching him from the shadows, which made him feel uneasy.
A moment later, Mu Tian Zong lifted his head and said, “We’ve received an order. Since the Black Ink Clan wants to hold peace talks, tell the Territory Lord who can make decisions to come over. The Army Commanders and Division Commanders will speak with him.”
It seemed that Lian Xu had already expected this, so he shook his head with a smile, “That’s not appropriate. If Sir Territory Lord comes all the way here, and the Army Commanders and Division Commanders intend to kill him, he might not be able to keep himself safe.”
Mu Tian Zong scoffed, “You used to be a Human, so you should know that we don’t go back on our word.”
Lian Xu refuted, “I also know that deception is an essential tool to achieve one’s goal on the battlefield.”
Mu Tian Zong asked impatiently, “What do you think we should do, then?”
“Give me a moment, Senior Brother.” Saying so, Lian Xu turned to look at the Feudal Lord with the white flag and used his Divine Sense to communicate with him.
Mu Tian Zong had no idea what they were talking about, but the Feudal Lord kept nodding his head, as though Lian Xu was actually the leader here.
The Feudal Lord was probably flustered as numerous murderous intents had locked onto him, so he wasn’t in the mood to mull over anything. Therefore, he just let Lian Xu make the decision.
A moment later, Lian Xu said, “I think that the leaders of the two Races should meet at a neutral location to prevent either side from having ill intentions. What do you think, Senior Brother?”
“Where do you think a suitable place would be?” Mu Tian Zong asked.
Lian Xu replied, “A million kilometres away from Great Evolution Pass.”
The distance was still within range of the arrays set up at Great Evolution Pass. The reason Lian Xu had made this offer was to give the Humans room for negotiation, but surprisingly, Mu Tian Zong directly agreed to it, “Good, a million kilometres out from Great Evolution Pass it is.”
His prompt reply startled Lian Xu as he asked in shock, “Don’t you have to get the approval of your higher-ups, Senior Brother?”
A confident Mu Tian Zong replied, “The Army Commanders have given me authority to make the decision.”
He really had gotten this permission when he contacted those at the forward base just now. Mi Jing Lun had already expected this kind of outcome, so he told Mu Tian Zong to just agree to any place that the other party proposed because he was certain that regardless of where the peace talk was held, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t dare to initiate hostilities.
What’s more, by granting a concession here, they could be more aggressive during the actual negotiations.
Lian Xu wasn’t sure if he should believe what he was hearing; however, things had come to such a point where he could only believe this Seventh-Order Master.
No one could have expected that the location of the peace talk would be so easily decided, especially the Feudal Lord at the front. When he returned to Great Evolution Pass with the white flag in his hands, he still felt like he was dreaming.
When he reported the outcome to Hong Di and the other Territory Lords, they were all surprised. They had never expected that the Humans would be willing to hold peace talks just 1 million kilometres away from Great Evolution Pass. How confident must the Humans be to agree to it? Or did they have other arrangements?
Back at the forward base, Mi Jing Lun stepped out of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
The Eighth-Order Division Commanders behind him were boisterous, some of them wanting to tag along while some of them wanted to sail the fleet out to put pressure on the Black Ink Clan.
After all, the location of the peace talks was too close to Great Evolution Pass. If the Black Ink Clan played any kind of trick, the Humans would suffer greatly.
Mi Jing Lun just let them keep making noise. It wasn’t until they gradually fell silent that he said, “I don’t need anyone to come with me, nor do we have to sail the fleet out to that place. This Mi alone will be enough.”
Seeing that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were about to raise a fuss again, Mi Jing Lun stopped them by saying, “Don’t worry. The Black Ink Clan won’t dare to make a move this time.”
Ou Yang Lie refuted, “Regardless of whether they will make a move or not, I’m going with you.”
With a helpless smile, Mi Jing Lun replied, “You haven’t recovered yet, so what good will you coming with me do?”
Ou Yang Lie said, “I’m fine. Even if there is a fight, I won’t be a burden to you.”
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “Just stay here and recuperate. You’re hot-tempered, so it might not be a good thing if you tag along.”
Ou Yang Lie pursed his lips and replied in a muffled voice, “I’ll just keep my mouth shut when we get there.”
“Do you really want to come with me?” Mi Jing Lun gazed at him.
Ou Yang Lie snorted, “You and I are equal in rank, you can’t stop me from coming.”
Mi Jing Lun rubbed his forehead, “Fine. You can come with me, Brother Ou Yang.”
The Eighth-Order Masters broke into a commotion. It was already inappropriate that Mi Jing Lun wanted to go there on his own, but now that the two Army Commanders were leaving at the same time, the North-South Army would be leaderless if the Black Ink Clan decided to kill them both.
Seeing that they just wouldn’t keep their mouths shut, Mi Jing Lun eventually gave an order as the Army Commander and made them shut up.
A moment later, two figures shot into the sky and headed in Great Evolution Pass’ direction.
Somewhere in the forward base, a dazed Li Xing watched them leave with a great sense of admiration in his heart.
The Black Ink Clan really wanted to hold peace talks with the Humans. How strange was that?
He couldn’t believe his ears when he first heard about it. The reasons he decided to stay were that, first of all, he didn’t have to return to the East-West Army’s side, and secondly, he wanted to find out if Mi Jing Lun’s speculation was right.
Now, it seemed that this Army Commander indeed had incredible foresight.
He had stayed by Xiang Shan’s side for a very long time, so he was fully aware that the latter was extremely talented when it came to military strategy. Now, there seemed to be someone who was a match for Xiang Shan.
With such people in charge of the Human Army, why would they have to worry about not winning the war against the Black Ink Clan?
In the void, Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie headed in Great Evolution Pass’ direction alongside each other.
Initially, just like what Ou Yang Lie had promised earlier, he remained silent; however, he soon pushed his promise to the back of his mind as he said, “Old Mi, there’s something I don’t understand. I wonder if you’ve figured it out.”
Mi Jing Lun asked with a smile, “What’s troubling you, Brother Ou Yang?”
Ou Yang Lie waved his hand, “Stop teasing me. I’m good at fighting, but it’s not my forte to think about stuff. So, I need you to explain it to me.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
Ou Yang Lie went on to say, “Judging from the Black Ink Clan’s reaction, those from the Royal City must have faced a tremendous defeat; otherwise, they wouldn’t suddenly want to hold peace talks with us.”
“That’s right. Senior Brother Xiang’s plan was that they’d set off from the Royal City to Great Evolution Pass in a high-profile manner. This news must have been passed on from the Black Ink Clansmen in the Royal City to those in Great Evolution Pass through the Black Ink Nests. If they want to survive, they have to leave Great Evolution Pass within half a month; otherwise, it will be too late.”
Although it would take the East-West Army a month to arrive at this place from the Royal City, the Black Ink Clan had to leave Great Evolution Pass half a month in advance if they wanted to be safe; otherwise, they might come across the East-West Army and the Old Ancestor on the way to their destination, which would be a death sentence.
“Then, do you think that the Royal Lord is… dead?” Ou Yang Lie turned to look at Mi Jing Lun. That was what he couldn’t figure out. Although he had a speculation, he couldn’t be certain.
“The Royal Lord is still alive,” Mi Jing Lun directly stated.
“Why do you think so?”
“Since the Black Ink Clan want to have peace talks with us, it means that they want to circumvent the North-South Army and head to the Royal City. If the Royal Lord had died, the Royal City would’ve been destroyed. In that case, what’s the point of them returning to the Royal City? They could just leave from the back of Great Evolution Pass and make a detour to the left to reach the Wind and Cloud Theatre. Or, they could go to the Azure Void Theatre on the right to join up with the Black Ink Clan there. Since they want to return to the Royal City, it means that the Royal Lord is still alive.”
Upon hearing that, Ou Yang Lie nodded, “Just as I thought. Haha, as the old saying goes, great minds think alike.”
He was just a rough man with nothing but brute force, but he still shamelessly claimed to have a great mind like that of Mi Jing Lun, as though he was an intelligent person. Mi Jing Lun went on to say with a smile, “There’s one more reason I am certain of my conclusion.”
“Oh? What is it?”
Mi Jing Lun pointed at Great Evolution Pass, “If the Royal Lord was killed, the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest would have been destroyed, taking that Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest in Great Evolution Pass with it. Since the Black Ink Nest in the Pass is still alive, it suggests that the Black Ink Nest in the Royal City is alright. So, the Royal Lord must still be alive.”
Ou Yang Lie repeatedly nodded, “Yes, yes. That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
…..
In Great Evolution Pass, just as the Territory Lords were deliberating on whether the Humans were plotting something, a Feudal Lord came over in a hurry and reported, “There are some Humans approaching Great Evolution Pass. Their auras suggest that they are Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters!”
Hong Di and the other Territory Lords were shocked.
Hong Di asked, “How many are there?”
The Feudal Lord replied, “There are only two of them.”
“Are there any Human soldiers behind them?”
“The Human soldiers remain at their base. There are no signs of additional activity.”
Hong Di couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He promptly leapt onto the wall and looked out intently. There were indeed two rays of light rushing towards Great Evolution Pass.
They were indeed Eighth-Order Masters, for Hong Di could clearly sense the Eighth-Order auras exuding from them.
[Are there really only the two of them?] Although they had been enemies for many years, Hong Di couldn’t help but think that these two Eighth-Order Masters were quite bold.
If he was in their shoes, he wouldn’t have the guts to do such a thing.
When the group of Black Ink Clansmen returned and reported to them what had happened, they felt that the Humans must have some kind of scheme they wanted to pull off by agreeing to meet at a place just 1 million kilometres away from Great Evolution Pass for the peace talks. Now, it seemed that there wasn’t any kind of plot at all. The two Eighth-Order Masters were coming over on their own, which made the Black Ink Clan appear somewhat weak and petty.
Seeing that, the Territory Lords fell into a dilemma. If the Humans really wanted to pull a trick, they could have responded in kind; however, that was not the case. What were they supposed to do in this situation?
All the Territory Lords looked at Hong Di, hoping that he would make a decision.
After giving it a thought, Hong Di said grimly, “The Humans are indeed brave, but it’s not like we are all cowards. Does any one of you want to greet our guests with me?”
If he had a choice, he wouldn’t want to leave Great Evolution Pass; nevertheless, he was the owner of this territory and the leader of the Black Ink Clan here. If he didn’t step forward to deal with this issue, who else would?
He swept a glance over these Territory Lords, but they all remained silent. Clearly, none of them wanted to go with him.
He secretly sighed, knowing that the Territory Lords here had been traumatized by the Eighth-Order Humans during the previous battle. In that fight, the Eighth-Order Masters willingly sacrificed their lives just to bring down the Territory Lords with them. At that time, he didn’t take part in the battle because he had to remain in charge of Great Evolution Pass; however, after the dust settled, Hong Di heard all about how tragic that battle was. If he were these Territory Lords, he would’ve felt terrified of these insane Eighth-Order Masters too.
Since no one was willing to go with him, he could only choose someone himself.
He glanced at a Territory Lord whose figure was quite Human-like and said, “You’ll come with me, Nu Yi.”
The Territory Lord was shocked as she had never expected that Hong Di would choose her; however, everyone was looking at her now, and what they were about to do would determine whether the Black Ink Clansmen in Great Evolution Pass could survive, so she could not back down. Therefore, she summoned her courage and nodded, “Yes.”
“Let’s go,” Hong Di waved his hand, flew over the wall, and dashed into the distance. Nu Yi followed him closely.
When he reached a spot that was a million kilometres away from Great Evolution Pass, Hong Di stopped in his tracks and waited patiently.
Nu Yi took a step forward and stood beside him.
The two Eighth-Order Masters were moving at a speed that was neither slow nor fast, so it would take them about an hour before they arrived. However, their majestic auras could clearly be felt, and one could faintly see the figures hidden within the rays of light.
Discovering something shocking, Nu Yi shuddered and exclaimed, “He’s not dead!”
“What?” Hong Di glanced at her in puzzlement.
She pointed at one of the rays of light, “The one with a more violent aura is a red-haired Human. Zhe Chong was killed by him. He should have died in that battle, but it seems he’s still alive.”
When Zhe Chong was killed, she was nearby, so she saw him being beheaded by the red-haired Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with his sword. However, the Eighth-Order Master’s aura soon withered, so she thought that he had perished along with Zhe Chong.
It wasn’t until this moment that she realised the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from back then was still alive.
The familiar aura made her recall the ruthless red-haired man who seemed to not care at all for his own life and she couldn’t help but shudder.
Upon hearing that, Hong Di paid more attention to the Human with the fiery aura. He could detect that even though the aura was imposing, it was somewhat unstable. It was obvious that the person was still injured.
It seemed that even though this Human had survived the battle 10 years ago, he was horribly injured; otherwise, he would’ve recovered by now.
[The Humans…]
After fighting with the Humans for so many years, Hong Di still couldn’t figure out what advantages that this Race had. They couldn’t cultivate as fast as the Black Ink Clan could, they were not as strong as the Black Ink Clan, they also couldn’t endlessly nurture new soldiers like the Black Ink Clan as long as there were Black Ink Nests and resources.
Nevertheless, even after all these years, the two Races were still deadlocked on the Black Ink Battlefield. The Black Ink Clan had never gained the upper hand over the Humans.
If he had to summarise it, Hong Di would say that the biggest strength the Humans had was their resilience.
Races that were not resilient enough were unable to resist the Black Ink Clan.
One hour later, the two rays of light arrived at a spot that was just 100 hundred kilometres away from Hong Di and Nu Yi before stopping.
It could be said to be a dangerous distance, as to a Territory Lord or Eighth-Order Master, such a distance was no different from being face to face with one another. One could touch the other party just by lifting his hand.
This made Hong Di and Nu Yi tense up.
The lights dissipated and revealed two figures. One of them was clad in scholarly clothes and had a feather fan in his hand. The other was a burly red-haired man.
Unlike how anxious Hong Di and Nu Yi were, these two Humans appeared calm and collected, and upon detecting their anxiety, the red-haired Eighth-Order Master openly sneered.
This made Hong Di secretly furious. They had Great Evolution Pass behind them, and should there be any anomaly, the powers of the arrays and artifacts would rain on these two Humans. Why should he be afraid of them?
On the other hand, these two Humans didn’t have support here. Should there be a conflict, they would surely suffer miserably.
At the thought of this, Hong Di relaxed and cupped his fist, just like how the Humans would usually greet each other, “Hong Di.”
Nu Yi also gave her name.
With a smile, Mi Jing Lun saluted them back, “Great Evolution Northern Army, Mi Jing Lun.”
“Great Evolution Southern Army, Ou Yang Lie.”
Hong Di became startled for a moment. Although the two Races had been in a confrontation for many years, it wasn’t until this moment that he discovered the Humans had named their Army after ‘Great Evolution’. It showed they were determined to retake Great Evolution Pass.
“Although I’ve never heard of your names before, I know that you two are outstanding strategists after dealing with you for so many years. We’ve suffered a lot of setbacks because of you.”
Mi Jing Lun replied with a smile, “Since we Humans are weak, we can only deal with you using strategies. We’re enemies on the battlefield, and both parties never hold back our powers when making a move.”
Ou Yang Lie secretly sent a voice transmission to Mi Jing Lun, “The Black Ink Clan knows how to flatter others as well?”
It wasn’t certain whether he was intentional, as it was a transmission could be heard within a certain range, so Hong Di and Nu Yi could clearly hear him as well. At that instant, they felt embarrassed.
Hong Di suppressed his anger and went on to say, “Although we’ve suffered immense losses, the same can be said for the Humans. Over the years, neither of the two Races has gained the upper hand. Now, we have Great Evolution Pass while you are lacking soldiers. I don’t think you have the power to conquer the Great Pass.”
Mi Jing Lun kept a smile on his face as he replied, “We’re still deliberating on whether we should attack the Great Pass. As for whether we’ll succeed, we’ll find out after we fight.”
Hong Di frowned, “Aren’t you worried that all of your soldiers will be wiped out if another battle breaks out?”
Swaying the feather fan, Mi Jing Lun replied with a smile, “All Humans, from the Fifth Order to the Seventh Order, do not fear death. It is the same for those of us in the Eighth Order. I’m sure that all of you became aware of our determination after the previous battle.”
Hong Di said grimly, “Although I did not personally experience that battle, I did hear about it after. The Human Race is indeed… determined.”
Mi Jing Lun kept the feather fan and said, “Let’s end the small talk here. You sent envoys to our side to ask for peace talks, so how do you want to discuss it? Are you here to talk about which side has the more fearless and heroic soldiers with this Mi?”
Hong Di refuted, “That’s certainly not what I want to talk about. Let us settle things here and now. We control Great Evolution Pass, while you Humans do not have enough manpower to conquer it. Fighting will only drain our strength and waste our time. Great Evolution Pass originally belonged to the Humans, and is irrelevant to the Black Ink Clan’s foundation. After a discussion with the other Territory Lords, we’ve decided to return Great Evolution Pass to the Humans. I’m not sure if you’re willing to accept it.”
Mi Jing Lun replied, “We’ve come all the way here to retrieve Great Evolution Pass. Since you’re willing to give it back to us, why would we not accept it?”
“Good,” Hong Di nodded faintly, “We can return Great Evolution Pass to the Humans, but it comes with conditions.”
Mi Jing Lun replied with a smile, “Nothing is free in this world; we’re fully aware of that. It’s understandable that you have some conditions. As for whether we’ll agree to it, that’s another thing.”
Hong Di continued, “The soldiers of the two Races are fortunate you are such a principled person.”
Ou Yang Lie pursed his lips, as though he was saying this Black Ink Clansman was buttering them up again.
Hong Di ignored him and got straight to the point, “Since the Black Ink Clan occupied Great Evolution Pass 30,000 years ago, we’ve spent a lot of time and effort fortifying it. Other than the various setups, the Black Ink Nest there alone is extremely valuable. If we leave, there’s no way we can keep the Black Ink Nest, so we expect those losses to be borne by the Humans. Therefore, we can give Great Evolution Pass back to you, but you must give us sufficient resources as compensation.”
Mi Jing Lun kept a smile on his face, “That’s understandable. Is there anything else?”
Hong Di was startled, as he had never expected this Human to be so approachable. He thought that the Humans would haggle over everything with him. Besides that, when they talked about where the peace talks should be held, the Black Ink Clan demanded that they take place just 1 million kilometres away from Great Evolution Pass, yet the Humans had directly agreed to it.
It seemed that this Eighth-Order Master was a straightforward person.
“Additionally, we were repeatedly intercepted by the Humans when we tried to leave the Great Pass in the past. We had no choice but to engage in life-or-death battles with you and eventually were forced to return to the Pass. In order to prevent this from happening again, we request your Army to withdraw a 10-day distance either to the left or right of Great Evolution Pass. Only then can we leave without any worries. What do you think?”
“A reasonable request,” Mi Jing Lun nodded, “Will you send some people to monitor us?”
Hong Di nodded, “Yes, I will.”
If they weren’t monitored, there was no guarantee that the Humans would stay 10 days distance from Great Evolution Pass. If the Humans blocked their way again, a battle would be inevitable.
“Do you have other conditions?” Mi Jing Lun asked with the same inscrutable smile on his lips.
Hong Di had no idea what other conditions he should come up with. Getting resources from the Humans was more like a way to show that the sacrifices of the Black Ink Clansmen who were killed in the battle were not in vain. Other than that, the Humans had to stay far away to ensure that the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t be ambushed. These two conditions were enough.
It was pointless to bring up other conditions. It wasn’t like they could tell the Humans to apologise for the death of the Black Ink Clan soldiers. The Humans would never agree to such a ridiculous demand.
As such, Hong Di shook his head and said, “If the Humans agree to these two conditions, we will return Great Evolution Pass to you.”
Mi Jing Lun put on a smile, “You’re a frank person as well. In that case, we should be straightforward with each other. Since you’ve mentioned the conditions you have, I’ll now talk about the conditions we Humans have.”
Hong Di frowned, “The Humans have some conditions?”
Mi Jing Lun said, “Since this is a negotiation, why can’t the Humans propose some conditions?”
Hong Di was rendered speechless, but reckoning that he should hear him out, he nodded, “In that case, please go ahead.”
After a nod, Mi Jing Lun waved his feather fan and said grimly, “The first condition is that the Black Ink Clan can leave Great Evolution Pass, but all the resources, including all fortifications and arrangements the Black Ink Clan has installed, must stay behind.”
Upon hearing that, Hong Di was infuriated, “You want us to leave all resources and equipment behind in Great Evolution Pass?”
He thought he had misheard him.
Then, he turned to look at Nu Yi, who appeared puzzled with a frown.
“Yes, everything.” Mi Jing Lun nodded. Regardless of whether the other party would agree to it, he pointed his feather fan at Great Evolution Pass and went on to say, “The second condition is that the Black Ink Nest in Great Evolution Pass has to stay. The Black Ink Clan cannot destroy it, nor can you bring it away.”
“Impossible!” Hong Di roared. The Black Ink Nest belonged to him, and he had personally hatched it. If it fell into the Humans’ hands, the transmission of information between the Black Ink Clan would be exposed to the Humans. Moreover, Humans had many strange and unusual methods, so he wasn’t certain if they could use this Black Ink Nest to harm him somehow. Therefore, he directly rejected the idea without even giving it a thought. Even if he couldn’t bring the Black Ink Nest away, he had to destroy it rather than allow the Humans to control it.
Mi Jing Lun ignored his outburst directly, and as the smile on his face faded, he looked Hong Di in the eye and declared solemnly, “The third condition is that all Black Ink Disciples must stay.”
This time, Hong Di didn’t explode, because when his fury crossed a critical point and he instead became calm. He stared at Mi Jing Lun with narrowed eyes and replied impassively, “It seems that you’re not really interested in holding peace talks with us.”
With a serious expression, Mi Jing Lun said, “We’re sincere; otherwise, we wouldn’t have come at all.”
Hong Di slowly shook his head, “But I don’t see any sincerity from you.”
“Letting the Black Ink Clan safely leave Great Evolution Pass is the biggest sincerity we can show.”
Hong Di furrowed his brows, “What do you mean by that?”
Mi Jing Lun replied with a smile, “Must I make it clear to you? Alright, I’ll do just that. Over the years, it was the North-South Army that has been fighting against you all. On the other hand, the East-West Army is responsible for destroying the Royal City. 10 days ago, in the battle outside the Royal City, the Black Ink Clan suffered a massive defeat. Many of your comrades were killed, and the Royal Lord has suffered grievous injuries. Now, the East-West Army is on its way here from the Royal City and will rendezvous with us within a month. When that time comes, we’ll have sufficient manpower and the Old Ancestor with us. So, how are you going to stop us even if you hole up inside Great Evolution Pass?”
Hong Di was flabbergasted, “Y-You know what had happened at the Royal City?”
He had never expected that the Humans were aware of what had happened at the Royal City. The reason he even came up with his two conditions was that he thought that the Humans were inferior to the Black Ink Clan when it came to the transmission of information. In truth, the Black Ink Clan would be considered lucky if they could safely leave Great Evolution Pass and return to the Royal City. By bringing up two conditions, Hong Di simply wanted to make the Black Ink Clan appear overbearing while it wouldn’t matter even if the Humans didn’t agree to them in the end.
Therefore, he was surprised to learn that the Humans had found out the outcome of the war.
[How did they find out about it? It would take a person at least a month to arrive at this place from the Royal City. The war at the Royal City only ended 10 days ago, so it was unlikely that the Humans in this place would learn about the outcome so soon!]
The only possibility is that the Humans had already expected the outcome of the war and sent someone to this place to inform the North-South Army about it in advance!
“Are you surprised, Sir Hong Di?” Mi Jing Lun smiled faintly.
Hong Di was a Territory Lord, after all, so after a momentary surprise, he came to his senses and snapped, “Why did you even agree to my conditions, then? Are you messing with me?”
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “I did not agree to your conditions. I only said that you could bring up your conditions, and we would discuss it.”
Hong Di fell silent.
Without giving the other party time to ponder on it, Mi Jing Lun went on to say, “The East-West Army will arrive at this place in a month; however, we cannot rule out the possibility that the Old Ancestor might act on her own. In that case, she will reach this place from the Royal City within a few days. When that happens, none of you will be able to leave.”
Hong Di shivered at that moment, for the notion of the Old Ancestor coming to this place on her own never crossed his mind, so he quickly objected, “There’s no way your Old Ancestor is not injured after the fight with the Royal Lord. In that case, she has to be recuperating now. What is the point of you bluffing?”
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “She’s not in a rush to recuperate as retaking Great Evolution Pass is more important. The Old Ancestor is unlike your Royal Lord who fears death. Every time a battle broke out, she always led the charge. So, if all of you want to safely leave Great Evolution Pass, you’d better do it quickly. Leaving within three days would be ideal; otherwise, you won’t be able to when the Old Ancestor arrives.”
Despite knowing that this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was trying to threaten him, Hong Di was still flustered, for if the Old Ancestor really came to this place on her own, the Black Ink Clan would be doomed.
Over the years, from the information they had gathered through the Black Ink Nests, the Old Ancestor was a woman who could hardly be said to be a reasonable and mild-tempered person.
After giving it a thought for a brief moment, Hong Di said, “We’ll agree to your first condition.”
The resources didn’t matter to them. As long as they could return to the Royal City, they could mine more; therefore, he directly agreed to it.
“Very good.”
“However, I’m afraid I can’t agree to the second and third conditions.”
Mi Jing Lun shot him a dispassionate glance, “If you don’t agree to it, we’ll have no choice but to fight.”
Hong Di grit his teeth, “If we fight, you two will definitely lose your lives.”
Mi Jing Lun replied impassively, “That’s fine. We won’t feel lonely with you two to keep us company on the way to the Yellow Springs.”
At this moment, Hong Di was regretful of the decision he had made before. He shouldn’t have tried to act brave by only bringing Nu Yi with him. Instead, he should have had all the Territory Lords come over. With more people on their side, they could join forces and defeat these two Humans.
Now, it was an embarrassing situation. If a fight broke out here, these two Eighth-Order Masters would undoubtedly die, but he and Nu Yi would probably lose their lives as well. The Eighth-Order Humans seemed to have grown a penchant for mutually assured destruction with Territory Lords.
Seeing that they had reached a deadlock, Nu Yi, who had remained silent all along, suddenly proposed, “Please calm yourselves. Since this is a negotiation, we should keep cool heads. What’s the point of confronting each other now? In my opinion, both of us should make a concession.”
Mi Jing Lun turned to look at her, “What kind of concession will you make?”
Nu Yi replied apologetically, “Please give me a moment, Sir.”
Saying so, she communicated with Hong Di using Divine Sense right in front of Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie.
A myriad of expressions came over Hong Di and a while later, he nodded with a gloomy expression. It was apparent that he was still unwilling, but had no other choice.
It was then that Nu Yi turned to look at Mi Jing Lun and forced a smile, “Sir Mi, I’ve discussed the matter with Sir Hong Di, and we’ve decided that we’ll agree to your second condition.”
“A wise decision,” Mi Jing Lun responded with a smile.
“We have shown our sincerity by agreeing to your third condition, so can you withdraw your third condition to show that you’re willing to make a concession as well? That way, we can reach a peaceful settlement without resorting to needless violence.”
Mi Jing Lun glanced at her with a smile, “You’ve agreed to one of our conditions, so we would appear unreasonable if we did not concede in return. There’s no reason for me to reject your proposal.”
Upon hearing that, Nu Yi was elated; however, before she could speak, Mi Jing Lun went on to say, “Good, since you have shown enough sincerity, we won’t be imperious. This Mi will withdraw our side’s second condition. You can do anything you want to the Black Ink Nest. I don’t care whether you’ll bring it away or destroy it. However, all the Black Ink Disciples have to stay. We will handle them.”
Nu Yi widened her eyes in disbelief as she was lost for words.
She had never expected that Mi Jing Lun would turn the tables on them in such a way by withdrawing the second condition but forcing them to accept the third one.
Beside her, Hong Di sported a dark expression.
Leaving the Black Ink Nest here didn’t really matter, they just had to inform the Royal Lord about it and let the latter use his High-Rank Black Ink Nest to cut off the connection with the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest in Great Evolution Pass, thus ensuring that the exchange of information between the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t be exposed to the Humans.
As for whether the Humans would make use of this Black Ink Nest and cast a Secret Technique to target Hong Di, that could be dealt with in the future. Furthermore, it was unlikely to happen.
However, they couldn’t leave all the Black Ink Disciples here.
Although there were still a lot of Black Ink Clan soldiers in Great Evolution Pass, there were not many powerful ones. In the previous war, a large number of Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had lost their lives.
If they wanted to leave Great Evolution Pass and return to the Royal City, the power of the Black Ink Disciples would be indispensable. If they left the Black Ink Disciples to the Humans, no one could guarantee that the Humans wouldn’t develop any ill intentions. In that case, how were the Black Ink Clansmen supposed to ward them off?
This was no different from digging their own grave.
The Black Ink Clan wasn’t foolish, so they wouldn’t agree to such a demand. It could be said that the Black Ink Disciples were their bottom line, and they wouldn’t give them to the Humans.
Seeing that Hong Di and Nu Yi fell silent, as though the discussion was about to fall apart, Mi Jing Lun put on a smile, “Do you need to deliberate on it for a moment?”
Nu Yi forced a smile, “Please give us a moment, Sir Mi.”
They then communicated with each other using their Divine Senses again.
It was obvious that Hong Di was furious while Nu Yi appeared concerned.
The discussion didn’t yield any meaningful results. An impatient Ou Yang Lie darted his gaze back and forth between Hong Di and Nu Yu, as though he was thinking about which parts of their bodies he should cut first.
The silent pressure caused these Territory Lords to feel flustered.
This red-haired man was the one who killed Zhe Chong. Given such a short distance between them, they didn’t have the confidence to repel him if he suddenly flared up.
On the other hand, Mi Jing Lun, who was the one who did all of the talking, appeared calm and collected, as though he wouldn’t feel bored even if he had to wait for 100 years.
Certainly, the two Territory Lords wouldn’t let him wait for 100 years, for they were in a hurry while the Humans were not. After all, no one could guarantee that the Old Ancestor wouldn’t come here on her own. If she wanted to, the Old Ancestor would only take her a few days to arrive at this place from the Royal City; hence, the Black Ink Clan had to quickly come up with a solution and leave.
A moment later, they finally made a decision. Again, it was Nu Yi who spoke, “I’m sorry for making you wait.”
Mi Jing Lun asked with a smile, “Have you made a decision?”
Nu Yi nodded, “Just like what I’ve said, we’ll agree to the second condition to show that we’re willing to make a concession. As for the third condition, we can only agree to half of it.”
“What do you mean?” Mi Jing Lun arched his brow.
“Now, we’re only left with Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. There are quite a number of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples, but there are only a dozen or so Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples,” Nu Yi explained, “We can give all the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples to the Humans, but Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples must remain with us.”
After a pause, she put on a bitter smile, “Including the second condition, we’ve made a massive concession. If you still refuse to agree to it, then this discussion will end here.”
Mi Jing Lun fell silent.
He was fully aware of why the Black Ink Clan was unwilling to hand over the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. Now, there were not a lot of powerful Masters in the Black Ink Clan, so they had to rely on the protection of those Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples on their way to the Royal City. If they gave the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to the Humans, they would lose a sense of security. How were they supposed to fend off the Humans if the latter decided to renege on the agreement and attacked them?
In fact, even though Mi Jing Lun had come up with such a condition, he had never expected the Black Ink Clan to agree to it. It was really just his way of testing the waters as he knew there was no way the Black Ink Clan would agree to it.
If he kept on pushing the Black Ink Clan, things would only get worse.
Therefore, after a moment of deliberation, he nodded, “This Mi can see your sincerity. In that case, it’s decided.”
Seeing that he had agreed to it, Hong Di and Nu Yi breathed a sigh of relief. Of these two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, even though this red-haired man, who had remained silent all along, appeared condescending and ferocious, the pressure he gave off was not as great as that of this seemingly mild-tempered man.
He could easily manipulate them into giving in to his demands with his words alone. It wasn’t just about cultivation, it seemed he was well-versed in the art of persuasion.
After the discussion ended, Mi Jing Lun asked, “When will the Black Ink Clan leave?”
Nu Yi remained silent and turned to look at the man beside her.
Hong Di replied, “We need some time to organise our troops. We’ll leave Great Evolution Pass in two to three days.”
They wouldn’t dare to stay for long.
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “In that case, this Mi will order our soldiers to withdraw. When the time comes, we’ll make sure not to get in the way of your return to the Royal City. Do you need to send some people to monitor us?”
“I’ll make the arrangements, so you don’t have to worry about it, Sir Mi,” Hong Di said impassively. A thought suddenly flashed through his mind, then he continued, “Great Evolution Pass used to belong to the Humans, and you lost it 30,000 years ago. Since both of you are here, why don’t you come have a look inside the Great Pass?”
There was no doubt that he was ill-intentioned when he came up with such a suggestion at this point. That was mainly because he was unresigned at the fact that he had been suppressed by Mi Jing Lun’s words since the start of the negotiation.
He did not intend to harm Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie; after all, an agreement had already been reached. As long as both parties restrained themselves, the Black Ink Clan would safely leave this place and the Humans would retrieve Great Evolution Pass without having to fight. It was a win-win situation while another conflict would do both sides no good.
The suggestion was meant to help him vent his anger. If the two Humans did not have the guts to enter Great Evolution Pass, it would show that they were timid. Even if they had the audacity to visit Great Evolution Pass, they would appear nervous and embarrass themselves.
Surprisingly, Mi Jing Lun appeared elated upon hearing the suggestion, “An excellent suggestion. I’ve always wanted to have a look inside.”
Hong Di was dumbfounded.
[He readily agreed to it?]
As a Territory Lord, since he had already spoken, he could only invite them to visit Great Evolution Pass. Composing himself, he guffawed and replied, “You’re indeed a straightforward person, Sir Mi.”
Mi Jing Lun said, “We’ll have a look at the setups in Great Evolution Pass and count the number of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples. When you leave, I hope that everything inside Great Evolution Pass will remain intact, and all the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples will remain.”
“Of course, of course,” Hong Di felt bitter in his heart, but he was unable to do anything about it.
On the wall of Great Evolution Pass, the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were shocked to see that after a long discussion, Hong Di, Nu Yi, and the two Eighth-Order Masters were now returning to Great Evolution Pass together while having a seemingly pleasant chat.
[What’s going on?]
The Territory Lords were astounded.
A peace talk between the two Races was unprecedented, so they had practically made history today, but how did that lead to these four now having a casual conversation?
If not for the fact that Eighth-Order Masters wouldn’t be corrupted by Black Ink Strength so soon, the Territory Lords would’ve thought that the two Humans had been turned into Black Ink Disciples.
It only took them a short moment to move across the million kilometres distance.
Hong Di specifically brought Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie to the place where the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples gathered together. He then introduced them to the Territory Lords, “They are the Army Commanders of the Human Race Army, Sir Mi and Sir Ou Yang. I’m sure you’re aware of how powerful they are after years of clashes with the Humans.”
The Territory Lords remained silent as they stared at Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie and mounted pressure on them.
Mi Jing Lun just replied with a smile, “It is my honour to see so many powerful members of the Black Ink Clan.”
Ou Yang Lie was not so polite as he swept a glance over the vital parts of these Territory Lords, which left the latter somewhat vexed.
Oblivious to their fury, Ou Yang Lie continued staring at them.
The two of them were on their own in a place where all the powerful Black Ink Clansmen had gathered together. One of them was calm and collected while the other was bold and fearless. Hong Di reckoned that he was no match for these two when it came to composure. No Territory Lord could act the way these two Humans did if they were in their shoes.
Hong Di felt disappointed as he had failed in his attempt to frighten the two Humans. He then said to the Territory Lords, “These Sirs have come all the way here to take a stroll around Great Evolution Pass. Just attend to your own matters. I’ll keep them company.”
It was only then that the Territory Lords left.
After they were gone, Hong Di asked, “Where do you want to look, Sir Mi? Although we, the Black Ink Clan, have only been in charge of this place for 30,000 years. We’re more familiar with Great Evolution Pass now than the Humans.”
Mi Jing Lun replied with a smile, “Many thanks for taking good care of this place, Sir Hong Di. Let’s just look around.”
Hong Di extended his hand, “In that case, this way please.”
On the wall, Hong Di and Mi Jing Lun shuffled forward alongside one another. Ou Yang Lie and Nu Yi followed closely behind them. Nu Yi wouldn’t dare to get close to Ou Yang Lie, so she deliberately walked behind him, which unintentionally made it look as though she was his maidservant.
A moment later, Hong Di regretted the fact that he had invited these two to visit Great Evolution Pass on a whim.
That was mainly because Mi Jing Lun started criticizing the arrays and artifacts on the walls. As an experienced Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and a former Army Commander of a Great Pass, Mi Jing Lun was familiar with the standard arrangements of a Great Pass.
The setups in a Human Great Pass could be said to be interlocked with one another in a meticulous manner, thus ensuring that they would work efficiently when the Humans fought against the enemies.
Although the Black Ink Clan had been managing Great Evolution Pass for 30,000 years, their setups were a mess. They looked well constructed, but only 50% of their power could probably be unleashed.
If a Human Great Pass was set up in such a way, it would’ve been conquered by the Black Ink Clan a long time ago.
It wasn’t like there was anything Hong Di could do about it. The Black Ink Clan lacked special talents like Array Masters and Artifact Refiners, so they couldn’t arrange exquisite and powerful arrays and artifacts like those in a Human Great Pass.
Even though they had imitated the previous setups in Great Evolution Pass, it was not as good as what the Humans could do. They were unable to make this Pass as sturdy as the Humans could.
Hong Di then led Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie to leap off the wall and walk around the Inner Sanctum.
Mi Jing Lun directly activated his Divine Sense and scanned the surroundings in an attempt to examine the setups in the Inner Sanctum and count the number of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples.
Hong Di didn’t mind this. Since it had been agreed upon, he’d rather Mi Jing Lun act openly than secretly.
Soon, they arrived at the centre of the Inner Sanctum where there was a square that served as a military drill ground in Great Evolution Pass.
Every Great Pass had its own military drill ground that was quite vast. On special occasions, it could accommodate several tens of thousands of Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The Territory Lord Black Ink Nest was located in this square, and in front of the gigantic Black Ink Nest was a huge jade monument.
Due to the ambient Black Ink Strength, the air inside Great Evolution Pass was tainted with darkness. In this dark world, this bit of white light stood out and captured one’s attention.
Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie stopped in their tracks as they gazed at the huge jade monument.
It was the Monument of Heroes!
There was a Monument of Heroes in the military drill ground of every Human Great Pass. There were no words on the monument, but if one infused their Divine Sense into it, they could see countless names which had been engraved within.
Those were the names of the soldiers who had fallen in the war against the Black Ink Clan in the Theatre of their respective Great Pass.
The two Army Commanders immediately turned solemn.
To the side, Hong Di stared at the Monument of Heroes and said, “After we occupied Great Evolution Pass, we made many new arrangements and changes; however, I decided to keep this monument and have been controlling the Black Ink Nest’s power so that it won’t be affected by Black Ink Strength. Although our two Races are arch enemies that have fought for countless years, we still admire the fearlessness and bravery of the Humans. This monument serves as the reminder to us that the Humans are strong and unyielding. Unfortunately, after 30,000 years of peace, we seem to have lost the instinct and courage to fight against the Humans.”
He let out a sigh, which showed how helpless he felt after losing the war.
In front of the monument, Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie bent their backs with solemn expressions.
There were innumerable names recorded in the jade monument, names of the Seniors who were killed during the long war against the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre.
A moment later, they straightened their backs and turned to Hong Di before saluting him. Even Ou Yang Lie, who clearly held malicious intentions towards Hong Di, did not hesitate.
Hong Di was astounded and asked, “What are you doing?”
With a serious expression, Mi Jing Lun replied, “We have to thank you for keeping this Monument of Heroes.”
A surprised Hong Di said, “I just wanted to motivate the Black Ink Clan. I didn’t keep it for you Humans.”
Mi Jing Lun replied, “That’s good enough.”
Those soldiers had lost their lives and most did not leave anything behind when they fell. Perhaps there was no one alive who could remember their faces any longer, so it would be miserable if their names were forgotten forever.
With the Monument of Heroes intact, at least their names remained. At the very least, 30,000 years after they passed away, there were these two Humans who became aware of their existence and contributions in the Great Evolution Theatre.
After Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie were done going through the names in the Monument of Heroes, they lost the interest to keep strolling around; therefore, they bid Hong Di farewell. Certainly, Hong Di wouldn’t make them stay as he saw them off.
In front of Great Evolution Pass, Mi Jing Lun said, “Sir Hong Di, please organize your soldiers with peace of mind. When this Mi returns, I’ll order the Human soldiers to move further away and to the left of Great Evolution Pass so that you’ll be able to head to the Royal City without interference. I’ll also ensure that there won’t be any traps on the way to your destination.”
He was totally sincere when he spoke. Hong Di believed that Mi Jing Lun’s attitude must have something to do with the Monument of Heroes.
After watching these two Eighth-Oder Masters leave, Hong Di returned to Great Evolution Pass and started organizing the soldiers for the evacuation.
The Black Ink Clan’s scouts scanned the surroundings and confirmed that the Humans had indeed moved further away from the forward base and to its left. There were no more obstacles in the way to the Royal City.
The scouts did not immediately return and instead followed the Humans from a distance. Although Mi Jing Lun assured Hong Di that they wouldn’t do anything shady, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t readily believe them. With the scouts following behind the Humans, they could instantly discover if the Humans were up to something and quickly relay the news back to Great Evolution Pass.
However, the Humans did not do anything unusual as they withdrew from Great Evolution Pass.
After two days of reorganisation, the surviving Black Ink Clansmen left Great Evolution Pass in a hurry. They first rapidly moved in the Royal City’s direction for two days, then turned right to make a wide detour.
They wouldn’t dare to keep moving in a straight line, for they knew the East-West Army was approaching from the Royal City. If they didn’t make a detour, they would run into the East-West Army where the Human Old Ancestor was. The Black Ink Clan Army was unable to oppose such a force at this time, so they had to circumvent the Human soldiers.
Only by doing so could they ensure their safety.
According to the agreement with the Black Ink Clan, the North-South Army moved to a place that was 10 days’ travel from Great Evolution Pass; then, without stopping to rest, they headed straight back to Great Evolution Pass.
10 days later, they arrived.
A myriad of emotions came over these soldiers as they looked at this Great Pass their Seniors had lost 30,000 years ago.
At that time, Great Evolution Pass was conquered by the Black Ink Clan, and from the Old Ancestor to the common soldiers, all were killed except for those who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
This was a wound the Humans could never forget. Usually, no one would bring this up; therefore, those who were new to the Black Ink Battlefield like Yang Kai did not know that there was a Human Great Pass that had been conquered before. He actually learned about it from a Territory Lord.
On this day, the Humans finally retook Great Evolution Pass.
The North-South Army had paid a huge price for this victory, but it was all worth it in the end.
No one could guarantee that the Black Ink Clan hadn’t left behind any traps; therefore, the Humans didn’t immediately surge into the Great Pass. Instead, they sent scouts in to investigate.
Soon, they learned that there was nothing unusual in the Inner Sanctum. Not only was everything intact, but all the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples had remained in the military drill ground.
It seemed that the Black Ink Clan had kept their promise. In fact, they wouldn’t dare to go back on their word. The North-South and East-West Armies, one behind and one in front of them, posed a deadly threat. The Black Ink Clan could only hope that the Humans wouldn’t go back on their word, so how could they dare to pull any tricks?
The Human soldiers then entered Great Evolution Pass.
The first thing they had to do was deal with the Black Ink Nest.
This thing was constantly breathing out Black Ink Strength that permeated the entire Great Evolution Pass, which made the place look quite eerie. Unless they removed the Black Ink Nest, Great Evolution Pass would never be restored to its original glory, and the Human soldiers could never live here safely.
Certainly, they wouldn’t destroy the Black Ink Nest; otherwise, Mi Jing Lun wouldn’t have told the Black Ink Clan to leave it intact.
Although the Black Ink Nest belonged to the Black Ink Clan, it was a great tool for transmitting information. If the Humans could make use of it, it would be immensely useful for the future crusade.
Therefore, this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest was a treasure to the Humans.
Fortunately, Great Evolution Pass was actually an enormous Mobile Palace Artifact, so although the Black Ink Nest had been around for several tens of thousands of years, it couldn’t really take root in Great Evolution Pass. If it was like other Black Ink Nests that infiltrated and merged with the Universe World it was planted on, they would have no choice but to destroy it.
Mi Jing Lun and the others expended a lot of energy removing the Black Ink Nest from Great Evolution Pass and settling it down on the universe fragment where the forward base was previously located.
As for what they would do with it, they had to meet up with the East-West Army and discuss it with the Old Ancestor.
For now, a few Squads were left to monitor the Black Ink Nest.
There were quite a number of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples who were left behind by the Territory Lords, adding up to about 100 in total. There were initially many more Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples, but every time they clashed with the Humans over the years, many of them would lose their lives. 100 years later, these people were the only ones left.
None of them had left Great Evolution Pass with the Black Ink Clan. Previously, Mi Jing Lun strolled around Great Evolution Pass with Hong Di leading the way. Just like what he had said, he counted the total number of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples. Now, all of them were accounted for in this place.
It seemed that Hong Di was worried these Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples would cause trouble for the Humans, so he sealed their cultivations before he left.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have obediently stayed in the military drill ground. They would have run away before the Humans entered the Great Pass.
It was equally difficult to handle these Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples. Mi Jing Lun told some people to watch over them while the Old Ancestor would have to make a decision about their fate when she arrived.
In short, the Human soldiers were swamped with work.
Even though the Black Ink Nest had been taken away by the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, the entire Great Evolution Pass was still filled with Black Ink Strength. The soldiers first had to do their best to remove the Black Ink Strength from the Inner Sanctum.
Fortunately, they were experienced when it came to such matters. In the past, whenever they were done battling against the Black Ink Clan and had to clean up the battlefield, disposing of Black Ink Strength and Black Ink Clouds was a normal part of their work.
Black Ink Clouds provided the best environment for the Black Ink Clan to fight in, but they were only a hazardous obstacle to the Humans. If they never removed them, every Great Pass would be surrounded by thick Black Ink Clouds by now.
For this reason, the Humans had specifically developed an artifact that looked like a fishing net that had no use other than to collect Black Ink Strength like schools of fish. The Black Ink Strength would then be discarded somewhere in the depths of the void.
After 10 days of hard work, the North-South army managed to get rid of almost all of the Black Ink Strength in Great Evolution Pass.
Right then, a scout came over and reported that the East-West Army would be arriving at Great Evolution Pass within a day.
It had been about a month since the East-West Army departed from the Royal City, so it was to be expected that they would arrive around now.
Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie led the other Eighth-Order Division Commanders to personally greet the East-West Army.
Ou Yang Lie felt a little disgruntled about all of this. It was as though the East-West Army had spent many years fighting against the enemy while the North-South Army had been standing idly by in their homes. In fact, it had been tough for the North-South Army over the years.
However, considering the fact that the Old Ancestor was also coming, Ou Yang Lie had no choice but to tag along.
From afar, they could see the East-West Army’s Warships sailing over, but after a brief count of these Warships, Mi Jing Lun and the others let out a sigh.
The number of Warships suggested that the East-West Army had suffered immense losses over the years.
When the Warships were close enough, they all turned to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and made their salutations, “Greetings, Old Ancestor!”
However, no one responded to them.
Several figures leaped off the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. They were Xiang Shan, Liu Zhi Ping, and the other leaders of the East-West Army.
They saluted each other. Many of them had never met one another before, even though they were aware of who the other party was. Since they finally met up this time, they promptly engaged in a small talk.
After they were done with the small talk, Mi Jing Lun asked curiously, “Where is the Old Ancestor?”
An embarrassed Xiang Shan scratched his cheek and replied, “I have no idea.”
Mi Jing Lun was astounded, “You don’t know?”
[How could that be? The Old Ancestor was supposed to be with the East-West Army. How is it possible that they have no idea where she is?]
“Please give me a moment, Brother Mi. I’ve told someone to come over. Perhaps he knows where the Old Ancestor is,” Xiang Shan said.
On the side, Liu Zhi Ping put on a helpless smile, “In fact, we don’t even know when the Old Ancestor disappeared. We thought that she had tagged along with the Army, but it wasn’t until just now that we realised she wasn’t with us.”
This was truly embarrassing.
No one in the East-West Army was aware that the Old Ancestor wasn’t with them until just now.
However, she was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, after all. Although she was injured, Xiang Shan and the others would never be able to track her if she wanted to do something furtively.
Now, there was only one person who might be aware of the Old Ancestor’s whereabouts.
Soon, a Seventh-Order Master was summoned to this place.
Mi Jing Lun took a look and realised that the person was someone he knew. It was Yang Kai, who had previously come to the North-South Army to pass on information about the change in war strategy. Mi Jing Lun still vividly remembered this Seventh-Order Junior. In the first great battle against the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre, it was Yang Kai who led two Special Operations Squads from the North-South Army to crush the enemy Army on the battlefield.
The members of those two Squads had lost all combat capability after a few hours of fighting, but Yang Kai continued charging across the battlefield on his own using just his Divine Manifestation to break up the Black Ink Clan’s formation.
It could be said that this Seventh-Order Master had made a huge contribution in that battle and created a chance for the North-South Army to achieve a breakthrough.
At this moment, Yang Kai was puzzled. He was cultivating on Dawning Light when he was suddenly summoned by the Army Commanders, so he could only come over in a hurry. However, he had no idea why he was summoned to this place.
Seeing that all the leaders of the Army were around, he quickly saluted them one by one and asked, “What orders do you have for me?”
Xiang Shan looked at him, “Do you know where the Old Ancestor is?”
“Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao?” Yang Kai was surprised that they had summoned him to this place to ask about the Old Ancestor’s whereabouts. How was he supposed to know? He had been cultivating aboard Dawning Light since they set sail.
“Xiao Xiao?” These Eighth-Order Masters were shocked, for it was the first time they heard of this name.
The names of the Old Ancestors were basically a mystery. Even the Eighth-Order Masters might not be aware of them; after all, the Old Ancestors had lived for a very long time, so long that many of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were not even born yet when the Old Ancestors first stepped onto the Black Ink Battlefield.
Only those extremely old Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters might know the names of some of the Old Ancestors, but they wouldn’t easily bring such information up, must less tell anyone about it casually.
Therefore, rarely anyone knew the name of any Old Ancestor.
It was expected that they were surprised when they heard Yang Kai mention the Old Ancestor’s name, for it didn’t sound very imposing.
Yang Kai coughed and explained, “100 years ago, the Old Ancestor suddenly declared that from that day on, her name would be Xiao Xiao. It’s a sad story, so let’s not discuss it further. Anyways, isn’t the Old Ancestor with the Army?”
Xiang Shan refuted, “Why would we ask you about it if she was with the Army?”
“I have no idea either,” Yang Kai appeared innocent.
Xiang Shan frowned, “The Old Ancestor has repeatedly recuperated inside your Small Universe over the years, so you’re the closest to her. Do you really have no clue where she might have gone?”
The North-South Army had fought to keep the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Pass bottled up all this time. On the other hand, the East-West Army had suffered immense losses to devastate the enemy in the Royal City. Now that the two Armies finally came together, the Old Ancestor was nowhere to be found.
They would be the laughing stock if such news was spread.
Just as Yang Kai was about to shake his head again, he suddenly recalled something and muttered, “I think I know where the Old Ancestor is.”
Liu Zhi Ping asked anxiously, “Where is she?”
Yang Kai replied, “If I’m not mistaken, the Old Ancestor must have returned to the Royal City.”
“She’s gone back to the Royal City?” Liu Zhi Ping was startled.
Yang Kai explained, “This is what happened. When we left the forward base and set sail for Great Evolution Pass a while back, the Old Ancestor came to me to get a few sets of Space Beacons. Like these.”
As he spoke, he fished out a set of Space Beacons.
“Two Space Beacons make up a set. They’re something I learned how to create many years ago and can be considered a kind of space artifact. These two Space Beacons are linked using Space Principles, so you just have to put one of them in a certain place, then channel your strength into the other to activate the link and instantly move to the first one from across a distance. It’s similar to using a Space Array. Initially, they were only usable by those who could use Space Principles, but over the years I’ve managed to improve them to work with World Force. The primary advantage is that these are much more discreet and portable compared to a Space Array.”
As he spoke, Xiang Shan and the others were examining the Space Beacons.
Liu Zhi Ping frowned, “Why did the Old Ancestor ask you for these Space Beacons? Why are you sure that she’s gone to the Royal City?”
Yang Kai explained, “Over the years, the Old Ancestor has been fighting the Royal Lord every 20 years or so to ensure he can’t recuperate in peace. In the final battle, she intended to finish him once and for all, but she failed in her attempt for various reasons, though she did manage to severely injure him. Now that she has gained such an immense advantage, she certainly wouldn’t want to just let him recuperate. However, there’s a great distance between Great Evolution Pass and the Royal City, so even if she is powerful, it would take her several days to reach the Royal City, not to mention all the enemy territory she would have to cross. With the help of my Space Beacons, she can reach her destination far more quickly.”
The Eighth-Order Masters understood what he meant.
Now that the Royal Lord was wounded, denying him the chance to heal himself would give a huge advantage to the Humans. In order to sustain that advantage though, the Old Ancestor had to harass him from time to time. She certainly couldn’t kill the Royal Lord, but just by revealing her aura near the Royal City, she would easily frighten the latter.
To achieve that, these Space Beacons would be the perfect tool.
Liu Zhi Ping fell into her thoughts for a moment, then said, “You mean, since the beginning, the Old Ancestor never intended to let the Royal Lord recover?”
“I believe so.”
It was clear where the Old Ancestor was now. She must have made use of the Space Beacons to head to the Royal City to taunt the Royal Lord. At the thought of this, Liu Zhi Ping couldn’t help offering a silent prayer for the latter. Black Ink Clansmen recuperated by falling asleep in Black Ink Nests, and once they were interrupted, they wouldn’t be able to recover efficiently.
It was imaginable that the Royal Lord wouldn’t be in the mood to recuperate if the Old Ancestor came to harass him whenever he fell asleep.
The reason the Old Ancestor was doing this was obvious; she was preparing for the future crusade.
However, Xiang Shan focused his attention on something else. After examining the Space Beacons for a bit, he asked, “Can these things help the Army to ambush the enemy?”
Since they could make use of Space Beacons to move around swiftly, there would be times when these things might bring unexpected results.
For example, when they were fighting against the Black Ink Clan, they could send a single Squad out as bait. However, when hostilities broke out, 100 people could appear out of nowhere and catch the Black Ink Clan off guard.
“Perhaps,” Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to say whether the idea was feasible or not.
Xiang Shan stopped asking, and then put away the set of Space Beacons. Clearly, he didn’t intend to return them to Yang Kai.
Since they had figured out the Old Ancestor’s whereabouts, they stopped feeling bothered. The Army continued moving towards Great Evolution Pass.
It had been roughly 150 years since the two Armies respectively departed from Wind and Cloud Pass and Azure Void Pass, and they finally came together at Great Evolution Pass.
When they set out, there were a total of 60,000 soldiers and some 120 Eighth-Order Masters in the two Armies.
Presently, as the two Armies gathered together, there were only around 30,000 soldiers and 70 Eighth-Order Masters left.
The rest had died in battle.
…..
In the void, a group of Black Ink Clansmen were rushing towards the Royal City.
They were the ones that had departed from Great Evolution Pass. With Hong Di leading the way, there were several hundred thousand soldiers, and more than 20 Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. They could be considered a substantial force.
Presently, Hong Di was deluged with mixed feelings. First, he had lost his home territory; after all, that was a place he had managed for 30,000 years. Not only had he returned it to the Humans, he had also lost his Black Ink Nest.
Even though he could get a new territory and Black Ink Nest in the future, he was probably the only one who had been defeated, and then forced to surrender his territory in the history of the Black Ink Clan, which was why he felt humiliated.
Second, he had been gripped by a sense of apprehension while heading towards the Royal City.
He wasn’t worried that Mi Jing Lun would deceive him. Although he only interacted with Mi Jing Lun once, he knew that the latter wasn’t a fool. It would do the Humans no good to make things difficult for the Black Ink Clan at this juncture; therefore, Hong Di was not worried that the North-South Army would attack them.
What he was truly worried about was that he might come across the East-West Army and the Human Old Ancestor on the way to their destination.
As such, he led his Army on a wide detour two days after they departed from Great Evolution Pass. They wouldn’t dare to move in a straight line for fear of running into the Human Army on its way from the Royal City.
However, Hong Di was still feeling anxious. Following his order, the Black Ink Clan soldiers hastened their pace so that they could return to the Royal City as quickly as possible.
If not for Hong Di rushing them, they would not have arrived at this place just one month after departing from Great Evolution Pass, considering the fact that they had made a detour.
From afar, they could see the magnificent Royal City, and Hong Di felt his eyes welling up with tears. Although the Royal City now appeared dilapidated, it still gave him a sense of security.
He could even feel the Royal Lord’s aura exuding from the Royal City.
[We’re home! We no longer have to feel on edge all the time!]
Many of the Territory Lords shared the same sentiment. Only when they saw the Royal City could they set their minds at ease.
However, that sense of security was suddenly and abruptly shattered.
An extremely powerful aura that sent a shockwave across the Territory Lords appeared literally out of nowhere in the void.
Although many of them hadn’t faced one before, they could instantly deduce that this aura belonged to a Human Old Ancestor.
The smile on Hong Di’s face froze as he turned to look at the source of the aura.
An alluring figure had appeared just over 1 million kilometres away. It was none other than Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
Just as Yang Kai had suspected, by leaving behind some Space Beacons along the way, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao managed to return to the vicinity of the Royal City almost instantaneously.
She didn’t intend to kill the Royal Lord, or even get into a fight with him, she just wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t be able to recuperate in peace. By showing herself like this, she wanted to tell the Royal Lord that she would visit him from time to time, and that he best be prepared to welcome her at a moment’s notice.
Initially, she intended to head straight to the Royal City to make a bit of a scene, but the instant she appeared, she detected a large group of people just a million kilometres away.
As she turned her head, she made eye contact with Hong Di.
This came as a pleasant surprise to her.
She instantly realised that they were the Black Ink Clansmen who had come from Great Evolution Pass; therefore, she joyfully charged towards them.
It would be hard for her to make a move if all the Black Ink Clansmen hid in the Royal City, as with the help of the Black Ink Nest, the Royal Lord could still fend her off.
However, these Black Ink Clansmen were still quite some distance away from the Royal City, so they had nowhere to run, and no one to depend on as the Royal Lord certainly wouldn’t leave the Royal City to rescue them.
The Black Ink Clan Army descended into chaos in the next instant. The Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples joined forces to defend against the Old Ancestor, but even though they could keep themselves safe with some difficulty, they were unable to stop her from slaughtering the lower soldiers.
Therefore, after the Old Ancestor ran into the Black Ink Clansmen from Great Evolution Pass in the void, she managed to slaughter 100,000 of them, including a Territory Lord and 3 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. The rest fled to the Royal City in a hurry.
When the Royal Lord realized what had happened, he was so furious that he coughed up blood.
The Old Ancestor returned half a day after the East-West Army and North-South Army rendezvoused, her aura simply appearing in one of the Purifying Black Ink Battleships.
Apparently, she had made use of the Universe Array aboard to directly return from the Royal City.
None of them asked whether she had achieved anything, for it was apparent to them that she was in a good mood.
Given the situation in Great Evolution Pass though, the Old Ancestor’s good mood didn’t last for long, especially when Xiang Shan led her to the military drill ground where she had to face over 100 Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples.
Since the Black Ink Clan had left, these Black Ink Disciples had been seated with their legs crossed. They did not speak or feel angry, for they knew that they had been abandoned and there was nothing to be done about it.
“We asked Yang Kai to give it a try by bringing a Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple to somewhere else. Even though he had managed to dispel the Black Ink Strength from the Black Ink Disciple’s body using Purifying Light, the ultimate outcome wasn’t pleasant. The moment the Black Ink Strength dissipated, the Black Ink Disciple’s Small Universe ruptured and he perished as a result,” Xiang Shan said in a small voice beside the Old Ancestor, “These people cannot be saved. How should we deal with them, Old Ancestor?”
The Old Ancestor glanced at these Black Ink Disciples and nodded gently, “I will handle this.”
Saying so, she stepped forward.
In front of everyone, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stopped in her tracks and swept a glance over these Black Ink Disciples. Then, she cupped her fist and bowed to them.
The reason she saluted them was to acknowledge the contributions they had made before they became Black Ink Disciples.
Although they were now Black Ink Disciples, and perhaps they had even killed some Human soldiers in the fight against the North-South Army, it wasn’t their true intention. Their minds had been twisted by the Black Ink Strength.
When they were still soldiers of Great Evolution Pass, they had done everything they could to defend it and ensure the safety of those in the 3,000 Worlds; therefore, even though they were Black Ink Disciples now, they deserved the Old Ancestor’s final respects.
The next instant, an amazing force swept across the entire military drill ground. Affected by the force, these Black Ink Disciples, who were originally expressionless, started feeling some emotions stir in their hearts.
The eyes of many Black Ink Disciples cleared up as they wore faint smiles.
Some of the Black Ink Disciples let out a sigh and closed their eyes.
There were also some Black Ink Disciples whose eyes filled up with tears.
At that instant, they seemed to have found their Human hearts they had lost 30,000 years ago.
The Old Ancestor remained in a bowing posture for a long time, and when she straightened her back, all the Black Ink Disciples on the military drill ground had lost their lives. However, they appeared to be at peace. In the last moments of their lives, they knew they were dying as Humans. That was the best blessing they could ask for.
“Bury them,” the Old Ancestor ordered and turned around to leave.
Xiang Shan respectfully saw her off.
…..
They were in the midst of rebuilding Great Evolution Pass, so the soldiers were swamped with work.
The Black Ink Clan had occupied Great Evolution Pass for 30,000 years, and they had many alterations and arrangements. It could be said that other than the framework, everything in Great Evolution Pass had been changed.
For example, the residences were no longer suitable for Humans. The Black Ink Clan came in many different sizes and shapes, but most of them were still much bigger than Humans; therefore, the residences originally belonging to the Humans were not suitable for them. After they occupied Great Evolution Pass, they started constructing huge and weirdly shaped buildings.
Since the Humans had retaken Great Evolution Pass, these buildings certainly wouldn’t be kept.
There were also those Spirit Arrays and artifacts that were installed on the walls of the Great Pass. They would refurbish what they could, and replace what they couldn’t. There was a lot of work to do.
Nevertheless, these weren’t urgent matters. The foundation of the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre had been severely damaged, so they wouldn’t come over to harass Great Evolution Pass in the near future. The Humans had ample time to make repairs.
That was the reason Xiang Shan targeted the Royal City first instead of heading straight to Great Evolution Pass when devising the overall strategy.
Now, his plan had proven to be effective. The Black Ink Clan were in a half-dead state, so the Humans could focus on rebuilding Great Evolution Pass and not worry about being disturbed.
Many of the things in Great Evolution Pass had been destroyed or modified, with the only original building still standing being the Main Conference Hall.
The Main Conference Hall was already enormous to begin with, so the Black Ink Clan didn’t bother changing it after occupying Great Evolution Pass.
At this moment, Grandmaster Ma Fan wept while kneeling in front of the throne made from bones in the Grand Hall.
The throne was made from the bones of the Human Masters the Black Ink Clan killed when they conquered Great Evolution Pass 30,000 years ago. Every bone in the throne belonged to an Open Heaven Realm Master who was in the Seventh Order at the very least.
The throne was huge, which went to show just how many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters had lost their lives in the war 30,000 years ago.
At that time, Grandmaster Ma Fan had just joined the Sect, and Great Evolution Paradise was still considered powerful. He had guidance from his Senior Brothers and care from his Honoured Master, so it had been smooth sailing in his cultivation journey.
One day though, a catastrophe befell his Sect. All the powerful Masters had to leave, down to the Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
In the end, only the weakest disciples and juniors were left in Great Evolution Paradise. All the Open Heaven Realm Masters had gone off to battle.
At that time, Grandmaster Ma Fan knew that his Sect was in dire straits, but he had no idea what had happened; however, after the Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, and Elders all left the Sect, they never returned.
It wasn’t until a long time later that Grandmaster Ma Fan learned the truth through various means. Great Evolution Pass had been conquered, so all the Masters from Great Evolution Paradise had to rush over to provide help. In the end, they were all killed.
30,000 years had passed, and Great Evolution Paradise gradually became insignificant and was replaced by a rising Sect. However, Grandmaster Ma Fan had always yearned to come to the battlefield where his Seniors had fought and retake Great Evolution Pass one day.
That day had finally come.
None of the other soldiers in Great Evolution Pass now could understand how he truly felt at this moment.
It was because of the war 30,000 years ago that the Humans realised the downside of having one Sect guard each Great Pass. Before that, every Cave Heaven or Paradise had been responsible for protecting its own Great Pass.
After they lost Great Evolution Pass, the Humans employed a different strategy to deal with the Black Ink Clan. Masters from all the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be gathered together in each Great Pass. By doing so, they could complement each other’s abilities and better position themselves to deal with the enemy.
Since then, none of the Great Passes had been lost again.
…..
Just like everyone else, Yang Kai was swamped with work and was currently tinkering with something in a certain Grand Hall.
While he was working, Liu Zhi Ping stepped inside.
Seeing her, Yang Kai saluted, “Senior Liu.”
Liu Zhi Ping nodded gently and asked, “How is it going here?”
Yang Kai replied, “It’s better than what I’d expected. The Black Ink Clan seemed to have had the intention of making use of the Space Array here to ambush the other Human Great Passes; so, after conquering Great Evolution Pass, they didn’t damage it. Instead, they actually tried to repair it. However, due to their lack of expertise, they did a sloppy job.”
There was a similar Grand Hall in every Great Pass, and it was also the most important place in a Great Pass. This was because there was a Hyper Space Array in this Grand Hall that could be used to connect to other Great Passes.
It was with the help of these Space Arrays that the Great Passes could communicate with each other; otherwise, it would be extremely difficult for the Great Passes to exchange information, for it would take an ordinary soldier years to travel from one Great Pass to the adjacent one in the expansive Black Ink Battlefield.
The Space Array in Great Evolution Pass was damaged, but it was apparent that it was the Humans who did it, not the Black Ink Clan.
In other words, 30,000 years ago, the moment the soldiers in this place realised that Great Evolution Pass was lost, they promptly destroyed the Space Array so that the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t be able to use it to cause trouble.
However, the person who made a move only damaged the Space Array instead of destroying it. Apparently, he had envisioned that the Humans would retake Great Evolution Pass one day in the future, and they would have to repair the Space Array. If he directly destroyed it, the Humans might not be able to rebuild it in the future.
After occupying Great Evolution Pass, the Black Ink Clan tried to repair the Space Array, but it wasn’t like just anyone could repair this thing. Their 30,000 years of effort didn’t yield any meaningful results and instead turned this place into a mess.
In the entire Great Evolution Army, Yang Kai was the only one who was an expert in the Dao of Space. Since he was able to arrange Space Arrays, there was no reason that he couldn’t repair this one.
Therefore, after the Army entered the Great Pass, Yang Kai received the order and hurriedly came to this place.
He even suspected that, besides helping her with her recuperation, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had also requested he join the Great Evolution Army to repair or even rebuild the Hyper Space Array.
Hearing Yang Kai’s words, Liu Zhi Ping breathed a sigh of relief.
If the Space Array was completely destroyed, it would be quite troublesome to them. If they couldn’t transmit information and establish contact with the other Great Passes, they wouldn’t be able to collaborate with the others when the crusade began in the future.
Since it could be repaired, there wouldn’t be a problem.
“However, I’ll need some helpers and materials,” Yang Kai said.
Liu Zhi Ping nodded, “Repairing the Space Array is among our top priorities right now. Whatever you need, just requisition it.”
Yang Kai nodded as it wasn’t necessary for him to be overly formal with her at this point. He fished out an empty jade slip and infused his Divine Sense into it. A moment later, he passed it to her and said, “I’ve listed all the materials I need. They should be in the Army’s reserve. As for the helpers, just get me some Array Masters.”
Liu Zhi Ping took the jade slip and looked into it before nodding, “I’ll send you the people and materials within half a day.”
Sure enough, just half a day later, several Array Masters came over in a hurry. The materials Yang Kai needed were also sent to this place.
These Array Masters were all respectable figures, and although their cultivations varied, all of them had lived very long lives and had great accomplishments to their names. They were not a match for Yang Kai when it came to combat, but even 100 Yang Kais wouldn’t be comparable to them when it came to arranging Spirit Arrays.
Nevertheless, these Array Masters had little to no knowledge about Space Arrays. This couldn’t be helped, as this was a matter of innate talent. A Master of the Dao of Space had a huge natural advantage when it came to arranging Space Arrays, so although these Array Masters had studied the Space Arrays of different Great Passes, they had only scratched the surface.
Therefore, the moment they heard that Yang Kai needed some people to help repair the Space Array, these Array Masters became fervent and quickly applied for the job. They almost got into a fight because of it.
Eventually, these several Array Masters at the scene snatched the job by suppressing the others with their status and reputation. The Junior Array Masters were disgruntled, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Although they were revered Array Masters, they didn’t put on airs when it came to acquiring new knowledge.
Yang Kai directly instructed them on what to do and assigned jobs to them. This Hyper Space Array was complicated as it could connect to Great Passes that were billions of kilometres away. As such, Yang Kai would personally repair the key components, while the less significant parts were left to these Array Masters.
The creation of the Great Passes dated back to ancient times, and over countless years, generations after generations had built upon the foundations that were there until they were able to reach the scale they had today.
Even though there had been many expansions, the core of each Great Pass would not change too much, firstly because of how important these locations were that even the slightest change may disrupt everything, and secondly because they were powerless to even change anything due to the loss of understanding.
For example, the Grand Hall where the Space Array was located.
This Grand Hall contained a very ancient aura, a legacy of the ancient Great Expert’s work that contained mysteries that were beyond the reach of this generation’s cultivators.
The same was true of the Universe Temples in the Great Territories of the 3,000 Worlds. All of these were legacies of ancient Great Experts.
So, when several Universe Temples fell into disrepair, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were unable to fix them and they were simply allowed to fall into decay until Yang Kai appeared. With the help of the Universe Array inside of the Universe Temples, he gained further enlightenment in the Dao of Space while simultaneously comprehending how to repair and even construct new Universe Arrays.
The Universe Arrays in the Universe Temples and the Hyper Space Arrays in the Great Passes were products of the same era and thus had many similarities.
Yang Kai was able to arrange a Universe Array, so naturally, it was no trouble for him to repair the Space Array here.
It only took time and effort.
After working for half a year, Yang Kai finally completed the repairs.
Inside the Grand Hall, several highly respected Array Masters were gathered together, and when they saw Yang Kai standing at the center of the array, a bald Grandmaster yelled out, “Yang Boy, will it succeed this time?”
This Array Master had high achievements and had reached the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Reasonably, he should not be affected by the ails of mortals, but somehow, his head had gone bald.
Yang Kai gave him a thumbs up, “Definitely!”
Another Array Master, who was as fat as a ball snickered at his words, “That’s what you said last time, and that’s also what you said the time before that when you almost destroyed this thing. Yang Boy, if you’re not confident, then please don’t attempt it.”
During the past half a year, there had been bumps in the road to repairing the array. Many times, after the repairs were ‘completed’ and energy was circulated through it, problems would appear in unexpected places. Sometimes the problems would be small, but sometimes they would be big.
The small problems were no matter and would not cause any real trouble, but if big problems appeared, it could very well lead to the collapse of the entire array.
That was the case of the time before the last where a black hole appeared out of thin air in the Grand Hall that almost swallowed everything and everyone into it.
Fortunately, Yang Kai moved quickly and was able to suppress the black hole; otherwise, these Grandmasters might still be wandering the Void Crack to this day if they were unlucky.
So now, every time Yang Kai activated the array, the Grandmasters would all stand far away lest anything were to go wrong.
“This time will definitely work out!” Yang Kai said with certainty.
Several problems appeared the last few times, but they had all been fixed after the cause was identified, and Yang Kai had verified that there were no more issues this time. If it still did not succeed, then he would have cultivated the Dao of Space all these years in vain.
The recesses in each corner of the array were filled with crystals containing the powers of the Seven Elements. Each crystal was extremely precious and contained the condensed essence of many cultivation materials.
The Puppet Army that Xiang Shan deployed previously also made use of these energy crystals; however, each one of those puppets needed at most a fingernail-sized piece of crystal in order to power it for a long time. For this one transmission test, there were more than 100 crystal placed in the array.
It was because of this immense consumption that the Space Arrays in each of the Great Passes were not used casually.
Divine Sense surging, Yang Kai made one last check to ensure that he had missed nothing before circulating his World Force and connecting with the Grand Array beneath his feet.
The array hummed and a pattern was illuminated. The crystals placed in the recesses were also rapidly drained.
Under the nervous watch of the Array Masters, the Void began to distort at the centre of the array.
The bald Grandmaster raised his brow and cheered, “It’s working!”
Something like this had not happened in the previous few attempts, but the distortion of space now meant that the Space Array was functioning, a sign that it was going to succeed.
The Void twisted more and more, and as the energy drained away from the crystals, a Space Gate at the centre of the array seemed to be vaguely taking shape.
However, it always seemed to fall short, never really taking shape from start to end.
It seemed that the energy crystals were about to be depleted, and if it were to happen before the Space Gate fully formed, then this attempt would fail as well.
The Array Masters could not help but hold their breath.
However, even after waiting for a long time, the Space Gate continued to writhe unstably. Seeing that the energy crystals placed in the Grand Array were about to be completely depleted, Yang Kai suddenly stepped forward and reached out, grasping the constantly churning Space Gate that refused to take shape, and with some massaging, Space Principles rippled like dough being kneaded.
The well-respected Grandmasters were all dumbfounded by this scene.
What amazed them even more was the fact that Yang Kai’s seemingly reckless actions actually had an unexpected effect.
The Space Gate was actually stabilizing.
Immediately after, Yang Kai stepped through it, and at the same time, the energy of the array was fully consumed. The Space Gate turned into a fluorescent glow before disappearing.
Gone with it was also Yang Kai’s figure!
The Grandmasters were stunned.
The energy around the Grand Hall, which had been in disarray due to the activation of the array, had regained its peace. The Grandmasters all looked at each other, wondering, “So, was that a success or not?”
The fat Grandmaster was even more concerned about another matter, “Nothing will happen to Yang Boy, right?”
“Should we report this to the Army Commanders?”
…..
Discussions bounced back and forth as the Grandmasters were at a loss as to what to do, but very soon, they decided to go and report the matter. That was because they had no way of dealing with the current situation, so the only thing they could do was let the higher-ups take charge.
Soon after, Xiang Shan, Liu Zhi Ping, and the others rushed over, and after getting the rundown about what happened, they were also at a loss. Finally, they could only continue up the chain of command and report the matter to the Old Ancestor while waiting for any news from Yang Kai.
With his proficiency in the Dao of Space, he should be able to find his way back even if this attempt was a failure, not to mention that he was the one who took the initiative to step through the Space Gate. He might have his own ideas.
At the same time, Yang Kai was struggling to navigate through the Void.
He was a little confused as to why his previous attempt had gone awry. The repairs had already very much been perfected after going through a few mistakes, and the Space Gate should have opened successfully after the array was activated.
But in actual fact, something seemed to be interfering with it from inside the Void, preventing a stable connection from being established.
Even though the Space Gate did take shape with his help, if he did not find the root of the problem, then the soldiers would still not be able to use the Space Array to travel safely from one Great Pass to another in the future.
If Yang Kai wanted to figure out what was wrong though, he could only investigate it personally.
He was not worried about not being able to get back as he had left a trail of Space Principles along the way, so if he ran into a dead end, he could just return the way he came.
Ever since entering this stretch of Void, Yang Kai discovered that there really was a problem. An invisible force seemed to be preventing him from advancing, even with his mastery over the Dao of Space. Since it could hinder him, what more need be said about others? If they were to come here, then they would likely struggle to even take a step forward.
Yang Kai kept going, but could not find the cause, which made him even more confused.
However, this teleportation could not be considered a complete failure, because he could sense a link to the target of Great Evolution Pass’s Space Array ahead.
During this attempt, his destination was Wind and Cloud Pass, which was one of the closest Great Evolution Pass. If everything went well, then he would have been transported directly to Wind and Cloud Pass’ Space Array.
That was because the Space Gate would only form if the target ahead could be detected.
However, the path was full of obstructions, a sign of another failure, which was extremely contradictory.
Meanwhile, in the Grand Hall where Wind and Cloud Pass’ Space Array was located, several Army Commanders and Eighth-Order Division Commanders were gathered around, led by the Eastern Army’s Army Commander, Yuan Xing Ge, staring intently at the centre of the array.
There was a distorted Space Gate that had been writhing around for more than an hour now.
Every time a Great Pass transported materials or soldiers here, a Space Gate would always open at the centre of the array, but it always opened and closed quickly.
The situation today was unprecedented.
So, the soldiers standing guard here immediately reported the problem when they discovered it, and the top brass of Wind and Cloud Pass came to investigate without daring to dally.
Under the watch of the many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, the Space Gate remained the whole time, but it never took a proper shape.
After waiting for a long time but seeing no other movements, Yuan Xing Ge turned his head around and asked, “Is it possible to see which Great Pass is trying to connect to us?”
One of the Eighth-Order Division Commanders who stepped forward shook his head, “There’s too much distortion, so we are unable to ascertain it.”
Yuan Xing Ge frowned slightly, “What will happen if the Space Gate never takes shape?”
The Eighth-Order Master said, “The worst-case scenario is that the teleportation fails, and whoever was being sent will fall into the Void Crack and stay there for the rest of their life.”
“Is there anything we can do here to help?” The Northern Army’s Army Commander Tian Lu asked, “Even though I have no idea why such a thing would happen, it’s clear that something has gone wrong during the teleportation on the other side. If there is anything we can do to help, then we should try to lend a hand.”
The Eighth-Order Master shook his head, “It’s difficult. Teleportation involves the Dao of Space, and there are no cultivators who cultivate this Dao in Wind and Cloud Pass. To intervene rashly would only make the situation worse, I’m afraid.” After a pause, he added, “In this situation, we can only hope that whoever is coming will be lucky.”
“Then, we shall just wait,” Yuan Xing Ge concluded.
Tian Lu came over and asked in a whisper, “Should we report this to the Old Ancestor?”
Yuan Xing Ge was silent for a moment before shaking his head, “No need. Even though the Old Ancestor’s cultivation is strong, he may not be a solution for this matter.”
It would be a shame for them to bring the Old Ancestor here if he were unable to provide a solution.
As they spoke, the warping Space Gate seemed to distort even more. Surprised, everyone quickly looked over.
In the next moment, a pair of hands suddenly emerged from the Void, spreading left and right as if to tear through a barrier. Following that, someone came out of the Space Gate and shouted, “I’m finally out!”
After saying that, he looked up to see many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters staring at him. Thus, Yang Kai quickly saluted, “Greetings, Sirs!”
30,000 years ago, when Great Evolution Pass was taken, some of the Human soldiers damaged the Space Array in order to prevent the Black Ink Clan from using it to cause trouble.
When the Black Ink Clan occupied Great Evolution Pass, they did not destroy the Space Array, but instead tried to repair it; so, there was no problem with the basic framework of Great Evolution Pass’ Space Array. With Yang Kai personally attending to it, half a year went by, and the repairs were basically complete.
When he activated the array and set the destination to Wind and Cloud Pass, the Space Array could be said to be operating normally, and a Void Corridor was opened between Great Evolution Pass straight to Wind and Cloud Pass.
Only, this corridor was not quite the same as usual. Yang Kai’s way here had been fraught with obstacles, and if not for his mastery of the Dao of Space, it was entirely possible that he would not have made it.
It was a struggle!
As soon as he popped out of the Void and saw the many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters staring at him, Yang Kai’s thoughts spun for a moment before he realised what was going on.
This was the destination he had inputted into Great Evolution Pass’ Space Array, so there must have been signs that someone or something was trying to teleport over, which drew the attention of the higher-ups.
That was the reason why so many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were gathered here.
A few of them were familiar to Yang Kai, so he must have seen them from afar the last time he came to Wind and Cloud Pass.
Yuan Xing Ge nodded lightly, “Which Pass are you from? What has gone wrong with this Space Array, and why did it take so long for you to appear?”
Cupping his fist, Yang Kai quickly said, “Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai!”
As soon as he said that, a commotion broke out as all the faces of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters changed.
Tian Lu exclaimed, “Great Evolution Pass? You came from Great Evolution Pass?”
“What is the situation at Great Evolution Pass?”
“If you came from Great Evolution Pass, does that mean that it has been retaken?”
…..
One after another, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters asked their questions. It was easy to see just how concerned they were.
After the establishment of the Great Evolution East-West Army at Wind and Cloud Pass, and the North-South Army at Azure Void Pass 150 years ago, the two forces had sailed towards Great Evolution Theatre from opposite directions, pincering the Black Ink Clan at Great Evolution Pass with the intention of recovering it.
For over 100 years, nobody had any idea what the situation in the Great Evolution Theatre was, or how its recovery was progressing.
Every Great Pass was waiting for news from the Great Evolution Army with bated breath.
Even though they knew that the Great Evolution Army was mighty and equipped with the finest arms, almost twice as strong as the force guarding any of the Great Passes, they had to venture deep into the Black Ink Clan’s territory for a war with no shelter or fallback position, no one could say whether they would ultimately gain victory or suffer defeat.
Since the war began, 150 years had passed.
Now, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly appeared from the Space Array and claimed to have come from Great Evolution Pass. How could the Eighth-Order Masters of Wind and Cloud Pass not feel thrilled to hear the news?
“Did you truly come from Great Evolution Pass?” Yuan Xing Ge asked him. This matter was far too important for them to take lightly.
Yang Kai answered, “Sir can verify it easily.”
An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on the sidelines suddenly spoke up, “Yang Kai, this name… Could you be the Yang Kai who can use Purifying Light?”
“It is this Yang!” Yang Kai nodded.
Everyone immediately understood.
There were countless Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Black Ink Battlefield, but if there was anyone whose name could be remembered by the Eighth-Order Masters of almost all of the Great Passes, then Yang Kai was likely the only one.
The emergence of Purifying Light gave the Humans a way to fight against Black Ink Strength for the first time in history, and as the sole possessor of Purifying Light, Yang Kai’s name naturally became widely known.
Only, not many people had actually met him in person. Add on the fact that he had mentioned the three words Great Evolution Pass earlier, and everyone’s focus had fallen on that instead while none of them paid attention to his name.
If it was the Yang Kai who could use Purifying Light, then he had to be from the Great Evolution Army, no doubt about it.
Yuan Xing Ge knew that the Old Ancestor had personally requested that Yang Kai join the campaign to recover Great Evolution Pass. It seemed like his presence was of some help to the Old Ancestor’s recovery.
Though he had no idea what help a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be in the recovery of a venerable Ninth-Order Master, since it was the Old Ancestor who named him, she naturally had her reasons.
“Has Great Evolution Pass been retaken?” Yuan Xing Ge asked.
Yang Kai replied, “Half a year ago, the Great Evolution East-West Army and North-South Army rendezvoused at Great Evolution Pass and successfully recovered the Great Pass!”
“Wonderful!” One of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters exclaimed. They had waited 150 years to hear this news, so none of them could help but be overjoyed.
“How are… Great Evolution Army’s casualties?” Tian Lu asked.
Yang Kai answered in a pained voice, “The total number of soldiers stationed at Great Evolution Pass currently number around 33,000, with around 70 Eighth-Order Masters.”
Hearing this figure, everyone fell silent.
They knew the initial composition of the Great Evolution Army, so this number indicated that after fighting for 150 years, almost half had perished, which was enough to show just how brutal the war had been. It had to be known that such losses were almost the entire garrison strength of a normal Great Pass.
However, all of them knew that this was the price that had to be paid. For the Army to lead a campaign to Great Evolution Theatre without a Great Pass to rely on, and with the Black Ink Clan occupying favourable conditions and an advantageous position, how could they possibly have retaken Great Evolution Pass successfully in 150 years without paying a steep price?
Now, all they could hope was for the dead to rest in peace.
Yuan Xing Ge nodded lightly, “Since you came from Great Evolution Pass, it means that the Space Array there has been repaired. This is an important matter. I must send someone to verify it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course. Only… there seems to be a problem with this Space Array.”
“What problem?” Yuan Xing Ge asked.
Yang Kai gave him a basic summary of what he encountered in the Void Corridor, “However, this Junior has yet to find what the problem is exactly.”
Yuan Xing Ge was silent for a moment before continuing, “We will know once we give it a try.” They had also seen the anomaly with the Space Gate earlier and knew that Yang Kai’s words were true.
At once, they instructed their subordinates to make preparations for a transit to Great Evolution Pass.
The soldiers guarding the Grand Hall were all familiar with the process, so they set up the necessary materials quickly and soon, everything was ready.
At Yuan Xing Ge’s signal, the array was quickly activated.
The patterns lit up and the Grand Array hummed. Following the rapid draining of energy from the crystals, a Space Gate quickly opened!
“Huh?” Yang Kai looked flabbergasted.
He had clearly encountered a problem when he was teleporting from Great Evolution Pass to Wind and Cloud Pass, so going from Wind and Cloud Pass to Great Evolution Pass should result in the same issues; however, from what he could see now, there were no obstructions during this activation of the Grand Array, and the Space Gate was now opened normally.
The cultivator in charge of the array went forward to check before moving over to report, “The array is working fine. It has successfully connected with Great Evolution Pass.”
“Let me see,” As he spoke, Yang Kai had already stepped onto the array and activated his Space Principles, investigating the situation with his Divine Sense.
A few moments later, something that baffled him even more appeared.
During his investigation, he realized that there were indeed no problems this time, which only added to his doubts and suspicions.
[If there were truly no issues, then what happened earlier?]
“I will personally make a trip to Great Evolution Pass,” Tian Lu announced. As Wind and Cloud Pass’s Northern Army’s Army Commander, he was qualified enough both in status and strength for this task, and it was a perfect opportunity to have him investigate the situation personally.
Yuan Xing Ge nodded, “Then I shall trouble you, Brother Tian.”
Without further ado, Tian Lu turned around and stepped through the Space Gate, quickly disappearing from sight.
Yuan Xing Ge did not wait in place, but rather turned to Yang Kai, “You, come with me.”
He had received a transmission through his Divine Sense just now, naturally from the Old Ancestor of Wind and Cloud Pass who noticed what was going on here and had questions for this Yang Kai who had come from Great Evolution Pass.
Yang Kai complied.
Following Yuan Xing Ge, it did not take long for them to arrive at an extremely remote corner of Wind and Cloud Pass which could almost be considered an inconspicuous nook, a place that was easy to miss even for the soldiers in Wind and Cloud Pass who lived here year-round if they did not pay attention.
There were not many buildings here, but it seemed more like some fields and gardens had been planted. It was a land of green mountains and clear waters with several lazy oxen grazing at the foot of the mountain.
Upon arriving here, Yang Kai noticed that this was not truly a part of Wind and Cloud Pass, but rather the Small Universe of a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master.
Everything one could see before them was the scenery inside that Small Universe.
This Small Universe gave one a sense of ease, but it was strange that Yang Kai would be able to step into this Small Universe inside Wind and Cloud Pass without any sense of abruptness. Everything seemed perfectly natural, as if this Small Universe had already become a part of Wind and Cloud Pass.
Yuan Xing Ge stood in front of the old oxen grazing on the grass and bowed to one of them, “Old Ancestor, I brought him.”
Yang Kai’s eyes practically fell out of their sockets. [Why is the Old Ancestor of Wind and Cloud Pass an Ox? Is this his Avatar?]
He had never met the Old Ancestor of Wind and Cloud Pass before. Though, when he had stopped by Wind and Cloud Pass 150 years ago, and Yang Kai had felt the power of the Old Ancestor and the Royal Lord during their confrontation, that was only from a distance.
Surprisingly, the old ox that was grazing on the grass could even speak human words, “So this is the boy? I have some impression of him. That little girl from Yin-Yang Pass told me about him last time.”
The ‘little girl’ from Yin-Yang Pass that he was talking about should be Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
They were both similarly Old Ancestors, but there was still a huge difference between them in seniority. The Old Ancestor of Wind and Cloud Pass was clearly much older than Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
Yang Kai did not dare to dally and quickly bowed to the old ox, “Great Evolution Army’s Yang Kai greets Old Ancestor.”
A wrinkled face suddenly peeked out from behind the ox, glancing at him with an obscure smile on his lips. He passed the tender blades of grass in his hand to the old ox, feeding it leisurely.
Yang Kai immediately felt embarrassed.
He thought that the Old Ancestor was the old ox, but it never occurred to him that he was actually just hidden behind the cow.
“The reoccupation of Great Evolution Pass is a joyous event. Inform the rest of the Great Passes, this is a matter worth celebrating for all of us,” the Old Ancestor said, “However, this Old Master is more interested in the matters of the fight between the Great Evolution Army and the Black Ink Clan. This Old Ancestor has called you over for no other reason than to find out about what the Great Evolution Army has encountered over the years, so please speak casually.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai answered respectfully.
Even though the Old Ancestor said that he could speak casually, Yang Kai did not dare to take him up on his word.
At once, he told him of the Great Evolution East-West Army’s encounter with the Black Ink Clan Army shortly after their departure from Wind and Cloud Pass, and about how Xiang Shan had deliberately let a Territory Lord escape to lure the tiger from the mountain, as well as about the Puppet Army numbering in the tens of thousands without sparing any resources while they were on the march, which were then released as they approached Great Evolution Pass to draw the Black Ink Clan’s attention while their Army went straight into the Black Ink Clan’s territory to attack. The whole army at that time seemed like a long Dragon, eliminating everything in its wake.
After that, the East-West Army set up camp outside of the Royal City, and with the help of weaponized Universe Worlds, attacked the Royal City multiple times. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and the Royal Lord fought in each battle, mutually wounding one another before the former recovered inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe. While Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao would always make a complete recovery after 20 years, she would feign being injured so that the Royal Lord would lower his guard. Over the past 100 years, she was able to accumulate a significant advantage, and in their last battle, she was almost able to kill the Royal Lord.
Then, Yang Kai spoke of the bloody battles that the North-South Army fought with the Black Ink Clan Army in order to stop them from leaving Great Evolution Pass and returning to the Royal City to provide reinforcements.
He also spoke of the East-West Army’s withdrawal from the Royal City, the panic of the Black Ink Clansmen at Great Evolution Pass, and the negotiations with the North-South Army which led to the Great Evolution Army taking back Great Evolution Pass without further bloodshed.
Bit by bit, Yang Kai tried to detail everything to the best of his abilities and retell the encounters of the Great Evolution Army over the years.
After he finished, he also felt a bit reminiscent about the campaign that lasted over 100 years. East-West Army’s Xiang Shan and North-South Army’s Mi Jing Lun used their strategic talents to the fullest, and if not for the two of them overseeing their respective fronts, even if they had twice the amount of troops, it would still be a far-fetched dream to recover Great Evolution Pass within just 150 years.
Yuan Xing Ge was silent, so nobody could tell what was on his mind.
After hearing everything, the Old Ancestor nodded, “You have all worked hard.”
Yang Kai did not dare to take credit for the feat and cupped his fist, “This Junior was just one soldier at the front. It was thanks to the dedication and ingenuity of all the Seniors that today’s successes were achieved.”
The Old Ancestor smiled at him, clearly pleased with his humility.
However, the Old Ancestor knew that perhaps even the boy in front of him had no idea what a difference his arrival made to the entire Black Ink Battlefield.
Not to mention the Purifying Light which was able to dispel and cleanse Black Ink Strength, the Purifying Black Ink Pills which were being mass-produced in each Great Pass was also found by Yang Kai when he was exploring a Sealed World. There were also those Purifying Black Ink Battleships that were with each Army. Which one of these innovations did not have this boy’s mark on them?
Now, it was also easier for Humans to mine for resources thanks to the existence of the improved Void Yin-Yang Mirrors.
Without all of these, how could the Human Race even have hoped to retake Great Evolution Pass? Furthermore, how could they plan for a future crusade?
It could be said that though the cultivation of this boy in front of him was not very high, he was the key point that brought change to the landscape of the entire Black Ink Battlefield. Even a venerable Ninth-Order Master could not underestimate someone like this because, oftentimes, such existences were able to make great differences with just a small bit of power in places that they themselves do not even realize, which was enough to influence the fortune of an entire Race.
The Old Ancestor did not ask any more questions. He had only called Yang Kai over here to find out about the situation of the Great Evolution Army’s campaign, and now that he knew, he would not bother with saying anything more.
The Old Ancestor continued feeding tender grass to the Black Cattle by hand, appearing just like an old farmer in the mountains, not the least bit imposing.
Yuan Xing Ge withdrew with Yang Kai.
Before leaving, the Old Ancestor gifted Yang Kai several dozen kilograms of beef as a reward for his taking the time to travel here. The beef was very fresh and the blood had still not dried, as if it had just been butchered.
After exiting the Old Ancestor’s Small Universe, Yang Kai carried several dozens of kilograms of bloody beef with him and asked Yuan Xing Ge with an expectant look on his face, “Sir, this beef… is there anything special about it?”
He could not bring himself to ask such a question in front of the Old Ancestor himself.
Now that he was out though, he didn’t have to be so cautious. Yang Kai just could not settle down if he did not find out.
Yuan Xing Ge pondered for a moment before saying, “The texture is… good?”
Yang Kai’s face went dark, “Sir, you know I don’t mean that…” He rubbed his brow for a moment before deciding to speak frankly with him, “Old Ancestor’s beef, will there be any special effects after eating it?”
Yuan Xing Ge advised, “You’ve seen the Black Cattle that the Old Ancestor was feeding. Did you notice it having any sort of divine bloodline in it?”
Yang Kai thought about it for a moment and shook his head, “They were just ordinary Black Cattle.”
Yuan Xing Ge looked askance at him, “Then what were you expecting?”
Yang Kai was suddenly struck speechless, but he was also unrelenting, “Is this beef from the cattle raised by the Old Ancestor?”
Yuan Xing Ge gave him a vague answer, “I suggest you take it back and cook it into soup. The cattle that Old Ancestor rears are somewhat gamey and are not very tasty.”
He spoke, appearing experienced.
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. When he looked at the several dozen kilograms of bloody beef in his hands, he sighed and silently put them away.
In the end, it was still a gift from an Old Ancestor, so he would make some soup with it once he returned and hand it out to the members of Dawn Squad so that they could enjoy the taste. Everyone had been working quite hard, after all, these past 150 years.
After returning to the Grand Hall where the Space Array sat, some Eighth-Order Masters were still waiting there, in no hurry to leave.
Yuan Xing Ge asked, “Has Brother Tian Lu not returned yet?”
An Eighth-Order Master shook his head, “We haven’t received any news yet.”
Yuan Xing Ge nodded before turning to Yang Kai, “What about you? Will you wait here?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “This Junior came here to test the effects of the Space Array. Now that the task is complete, it is time for me to return to Great Evolution Pass.”
Yuan Xing Ge did not stop him, “In that case, go on.”
The soldiers guarding this area were asked to prepare the supplies for teleportation and soon, Yang Kai was standing at the centre of the array. Once the Grand Array was activated and the Space Gate opened, he disappeared without a trace.
He was expecting a repeat of what he encountered earlier, but this journey was completely smooth.
Soon, Yang Kai reappeared on the Space Array at Great Evolution Pass, where a group of Array Masters scrambled over to ask about the situation earlier.
Yang Kai gave them a simple rundown of what he experienced, but he himself could not quite figure out where the problem lay.
“Did someone from Wind and Cloud Pass come earlier?”
The bald Grandmaster answered, “En, a man who called himself Wind and Cloud Pass Northern Army’s Army Commander, Tian Lu. He is currently speaking with Army Commander Xiang Shan and the others.”
The fat Grandmaster then asked, “Yang Boy, has our Space Array been fixed or not?”
Yang Kai frowned, “I think we can consider it fixed.”
“Then what happened earlier?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “Perhaps there was a blockage in the Void since the corridor between these two places had not been open for so long? Then, after I went into it myself, the blockage was cleared?”
The Grandmaster were all speechless at his uncertain explanation.
However, other than this, there did not seem to be any other explanation. After all, it was only Yang Kai’s first transit where a problem arose. After that, everything was smooth whether it be for Tian Lu coming over from Wind and Cloud Pass or Yang Kai’s return trip.
From this alone, it seemed like the Space Array had been repaired.
Since the repairs had been completed, the higher-ups had to be informed.
Yang Kai personally went to Liu Zhi Ping to report on the matter, and she naturally praised him. At once, arrangements were made for news of the successful recovery of Great Evolution Pass to be passed around to each of the Great Passes.
It was only natural that the entire Race be informed of such good news; after all, everyone was paying great attention to this matter, and the sooner the news got to them, the better.
Soon, a jade slip bearing Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s aura was sent through the Space Array to each Great Pass, with the good news recorded into each of them.
A lot of resources were spent each time the Hyper Space Array was used. Depending on a cultivators’ realm, the consumption of the materials also varied. On the whole, the higher one’s cultivation, the higher the consumption would be; however, if they were only sending things such as jade slips, then the consumption could be minimized.
So, with the current stock of resources at Great Evolution Pass, it was enough to support simple matters such as sending out jade slips.
However, they had to send a jade slip to each of the Great Passes, so it would still take a considerable amount of time to complete.
After many days had passed, Great Evolution Pass had opened and closed the Space Array over 100 times so that they could send out the more than 100 jade slips that they had.
During this time, Yang Kai stayed by the array, monitoring its condition.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly. No abnormalities appeared in any of the activations, so all of the jade slips were also sent out successfully.
With that, it seemed as if Great Evolution Pass’s Space Array truly had been repaired.
Elsewhere, news of their success was met with great joy in all of the Great Passes as 30,000 years of humiliation were finally wiped away.
It was clear to the higher-ups that Great Evolution Pass had been retaken, which meant that the Human Race’s crusade was not far off, so they were all secretly preparing for it.
In fact, as early as when the Human Race decided to take back Great Evolution Pass, they had already been preparing for the crusade. The Evil Purging Divine Spear created by Grandmaster Ma Fan was the greatest weapon for this crusade, and in order to hide it, Great Evolution Army did not dare to use it during the entire war to retake Great Evolution Pass, fearing that news would get out, putting the Black Ink Clan on guard.
If they had made use of the Evil Purging Divine Spears, it would have been much easier to recover Great Evolution Pass and they would have suffered fewer losses, but this would be detrimental to the entire Human Race in the long run.
…..
One day, Yang Kai was leading Dawn’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters around, searching for a suitable location.
Dawn was still an incredibly powerful team. Even though they lost Qi Tai Chu in the previous war, they had recruited Blood Crow, so Dawn’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters still numbered 8 in total.
Yang Kai’s intention bringing these Seventh-Order Masters out this time was not to stir up trouble with the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre were now hiding in their Royal City, licking their wounds, so how could they dare to come all the way to Great Evolution Pass?
These Seventh-Order Masters were all brought here to help act as Protectors.
150 years had passed since Yang Kai departed from Blue Sky Pass, and with the flow of time in his Small Universe being four times faster than the outside, it meant that nearly 700 years had passed in Void Continent.
During these 700 years, many new disciples had cultivated to the peak inside the Void Dao Temple, and there were now 10 youths who had the qualifications to advance to the Open Heaven Realm.
The nurturing of the World Tree clone was constantly impacting Yang Kai’s Small Universe, which allowed Void Dao Temple’s disciples to grow so quickly.
Previously, during the war against the Black Ink Clan in the Great Evolution Theatre, Yang Kai was in no position to allow these disciples to break through, but now that things had settled down, there was no need for him to worry as much as before.
10 cultivators needed to break through to the Open Heaven Realm, so Yang Kai alone could not stand guard for all of them. As such, he dragged all of the Seventh-Order Masters of Dawn out here so that they could help out. With the current vision and abilities of Dawn’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, standing guard for these little ones was no problem at all.
It did not take long for him to settle on a spot in the void. After looking left and right and confirming that there were no issues, Yang Kai waved his hand, and as the Void distorted before 10 Emperor Realm cultivators appeared out of thin air in front of him.
There were both males and females among them, occupying half of the numbers each, all of them sharing one characteristic, and that was that they all looked young and vigorous.
There were only two possibilities for a cultivator looking so young, and that was either that they had cultivated beauty techniques, or that they had grown up very quickly. As long as one was able to grow quickly in strength and make progress in their cultivation, then time would not leave as many traces on their appearance.
The Emperors before them were clearly part of the latter. Due to the nurturing power of the World Tree clone, as well as their own innate talent for cultivation, these youths ascended rapidly on their Martial Dao.
10 peak Emperor Realm cultivators were all gathered in the Void Dao Temple. They had long received Yang Kai’s Divine Sense transmission that asked them to get everything prepared.
Some of them had been waiting for this day for many years.
In the Void Dao Temple of today, it was no longer a secret that one could advance to the Open Heaven Realm after the Emperor Realm. It was also no longer a secret that this entire Void World was the Small Universe of the Dao Lord. There were even statues of Yang Kai erected in the Dao Temple for the disciples to worship day and night.
Yang Kai even revealed matters concerning the Black Ink Battlefield to the disciples in the Dao Temple, all so they could make a choice.
Once they step into the Open Heaven Realm, they will have to join the Black Ink Battlefield and fight against the Black Ink Clan.
If they were unwilling to fight the Black Ink Clan, then they could choose to remain in his Small Universe and the Emperor Realm.
These 10 had chosen to advance to the Open Heaven Realm, which meant that they had made the mental preparation to do battle with the Black Ink Clan. In fact, basically every Emperor Realm Master who could take that step made the same choice. Once a cultivator stepped onto the Martial Dao, then they would keep climbing higher to reach even more dazzling sights. Fear of danger was never a reason to stop.
Once they left Yang Kai’s Small Universe and emerged into the outside world, anyone would more or less feel unaccustomed. This had nothing to do with their strength or foundation, but rather the general change in environment; however, they had cultivated to the Emperor Realm after all, so it did not take long for them to settle down.
In the next instant, everyone revealed looks of pleasant surprise and saluted respectfully, “Disciples greet the Dao Lord!”
The disciples paid respects to Yang Kai’s lifelike statue inside of the Void Dao Temple at the beginning of each day and night, so they were naturally incomparably familiar with this face. Moreover, they had expected to meet the Dao Lord himself when they came out, and sure enough, that was exactly what happened.
This was their Dao Lord, and the entire Void World was the Small Universe of this Dao Lord. They were born inside of that Void World where they cultivated and grew, so in some sense, it was the Dao Lord who gave them everything. Previously, they merely worshipped him in a spiritual sense, but now that they had seen him in the flesh, the feeling was even more direct.
It could be said that though the Dao Lord was not the same as their biological parents who gave birth to them, his existence was not far off from that. All the living beings in the Void World could be said to be the Dao Lord’s descendants.
Even though Feng Ying and the others were surprised, they had already heard about this and just looked at the 10 Emperor Realm cultivators who appeared with curiosity.
Only Blood Crow’s eyes were almost popping out of their sockets in surprise.
Since joining Dawn, Blood Crow had always seemed out of place and did not interact with the others at all. If Yang Kai had not dragged him out today, he probably would not have agreed to be here.
Even though he had been around the Black Ink Battlefield for some time, he still knew next to nothing about Yang Kai, so it was unsurprising that he would be shocked at the sight of these Emperor Realm cultivators.
“You have living beings in your Small Universe?” Blood Crow asked in surprise.
There was simply no other way to explain the origin of these Emperor Realm cultivators.
Yang Kai glanced at him, “Is that so strange?”
Blood Crow was incredulous, “Aren’t you worried about disturbances in your Small Universe during a fight, leading to their deaths?” However, he seemed to understand something after saying that, “You must have one of the Four Universe Pillars!”
That was the only way to ensure the stability of one’s Small Universe, and also the only way for an Open Heaven Realm cultivator in the Seventh Order to nurture sentient lives within their Small Universe.
Yang Kai did not explain anything. He indeed possessed one of the Four Universe Pillars in the past, but its function was largely replaced by the World Tree clone. Meanwhile, that World Spring had been given to Ding Yao. Not only did the World Tree clone have the effects of the Four Universe Pillars, but it also had many effects that the Four Universe Pillars did not have.
It was not that he did not trust Blood Crow, there was just no point in explaining.
“What have you brought these Emperor Realm cultivators out for?” Blood Crow asked with a frown, “Even though there are no Black Ink Clansmen here, the Black Ink Battlefield is no place for them.”
Even a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would be courting death if they were to appear in such dangerous lands. The minimum requirement for the Cave Heavens and Paradises to send people here was the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Right now, all of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators in each Great Pass were those who had fallen there from the Sixth or Seventh-Order.
Feng Ying smiled, “Senior Brother Blood Crow, why don’t you take a look at these little ones’ conditions?”
Blood Crow frowned and gazed at them before muttering in surprise, “They are all about to ascend?”
“It’s more than merely ascending,” Feng Ying shook her head with the same smile still on her face.
Blood Crow also caught sight of something at this point and he could not help but feel shaken, “They’ve all condensed Sixth-Order Elements in their Dao Seals?”
He had a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation after all, and he was an Eighth-Order Divine Monarch in his past life, so if he looked carefully, he would notice some hints. The 10 Emperor Realm cultivators in front of him all had the aura of Sixth-Order Element Powers inside their bodies, obviously left from the completion of their Dao Seal.
“Exactly so!” Feng Ying smiled.
Blood Crow was surprised and turned to look at Yang Kai to ask, “How did you cultivate them?”
An ordinary Sixth-Order Master may not mean much to him, but that was different for those with the qualifications to advance straight to the Sixth-Order. People like this were considered to elite disciples of any Cave Heaven or Paradise as they were expected to reach the Eighth Order in the future.
In his previous life, that was his limit as well.
One or two was not impossible, but for 10 to appear at once…
A unique method of nurturing them was clearly being used.
Yang Kai did not want to explain too much, but since Blood Crow was asking, he could only reply, “Has Brother Blood Crow heard of the Star Boundary’s World Tree clone?”
Blood Crow tried to recall for a moment before saying, “I’ve heard of it. It is said that the World Tree clone contains miraculous powers that can nurture the living beings of that World.” After escaping from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven, he went straight to the Shattered Heaven and stayed there for some time before finally being scooped up and jailed by Bright King Cave Heaven. During his days in the Shattered Heaven, he had indeed heard rumours about the World Tree in the Star Boundary, but he did not know too much about it since he did not pay much attention to it.
Yang Kai nodded, “That is exactly right, and there is one in my Small Universe right now.”
Blood Crow could not help but gape in awe, speechless for a long time…
[What kind of luck does this brat have? To be able to bring even a World Tree clone into his Small Universe… did the high-ranking members of the Human Race really allow him to do such a thing?]
As the two of them were talking, one of the girls among the 10 Emperor Realm cultivators looked at one of the people in front of her with a look of pleasant surprise.
There was a total of 9 of Dawn’s members who came out during this trip, 8 Seventh-Order Masters and 1 Sixth-Order Master.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was none other than Miao Fei Ping.
Apart from Yang Kai’s three Disciples, Miao Fei Ping was known as the first Open Heaven Realm Master to emerge from his Small Universe.
The names of all of the Dao Temple disciples who dared to step into the Open Heaven Realm were recorded in the Dao Temple for those who came later to honour them.
Miao Fei Ping’s great name was at the top of the list!
Miao Fei Ping was brought here for no other reason than because he was the pioneer to advance into the Open Heaven Realm from Void World, and his presence should boost the confidence of those who came after him. It was also Miao Fei Ping’s request he be brought along.
The female Emperor Realm cultivator was currently staring straight at Miao Fei Ping.
Naturally, Miao Fei Ping noticed her gaze when she was staring so openly. Even though his name was recorded down in the Dao Temple, there was no statue of him, unlike Yang Kai. Even if the disciples of the Dao Temple did know about his existence, they still would not be able to recognize him immediately. After all, more than 1,000 years had passed in Void World since he left.
Four eyes suddenly met, and the female Emperor Realm cultivator seemed to notice that her stare was too blunt, so she smiled apologetically.
Miao Fei Ping nodded his head in greeting.
It was then that Yang Kai spoke, “You are all disciples of the Dao Temple and your aptitude is the best in the Void World. I believe that you more or less have some understanding of the situation in the outside world after living in the Dao Temple all these years. Now that you’ve taken this step, naturally no one will stop you from advancing. However, let me say this first. The Black Ink Battlefield is a place fraught with dangers, and once you complete this step, there will be no going back. Let me ask all of you one last time, are you willing to advance to the Open Heaven Realm and offer your strength to the Human Race, holding no complaints even if you are to die on the battlefield?”
“We are willing!” 10 people shouted in unison. In fact, nobody would say they were unwilling at this point.
Yang Kai was clear about this as well, so he simply nodded, “Since you came from my Small Universe, then you all have a connection with me. In the future, if I find anyone who fears death, disobeys orders, and drags their fellow allies down on the battlefield, do not blame me for taking care of you personally!”
The 10 of them answered respectfully in unison once more.
Only then did Yang Kai flick his wrist, sending out 10 streams of light, “These are Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, they will help you in your advancement, so take and refine them.”
Obeying his order, they all swallowed the Spirit Pills before sitting down cross-legged and circulating their strength.
It did not take long for them to refine a single Spirit Pill, and soon, all 10 of them opened their eyes again.
Yang Kai nodded at Miao Fei Ping, signalling for him to step forward and introduce himself, “My name is Miao Fei Ping. I’m sure all of you are familiar with this Miao!”
The eyes of the 10 Emperor Realm cultivators lit up upon hearing this.
How could they not be familiar with that name? As the first person to emerge from Void Dao Temple and advance to the Open Heaven Realm, Miao Fei Ping’s name could be said to be second only to the Dao Lord, Yang Kai, in the Dao Temple.
They may have felt a little nervous when facing Yang Kai, but they felt more affection towards this pioneer who shared their roots.
“Greetings, Senior Brother Mao!” The female Emperor had a sweet mouth and quickly gave him an elegant bow.
Everyone also followed suit.
Miao Fei Ping cheerfully extended his hand to have them rise, “Advancing to the Open Heaven Realm is not a difficult task, especially since you come from the Dao Temple and have stable foundations. You only need to remain focused when you are advancing. Steady yourselves, and nothing will happen to you. Moreover, Squad Leader… the Dao Lord has given you each a Heavenly Yuan Stabilizing Pill, which can increase the success rate of your advancement to almost a certainty. It is the best advancement Spirit Pill that you can find in existence.”
Everyone’s confidence was boosted by his words.
Miao Fei Ping also talked about the problems he faced during his own advancement so that they all had a clear idea of what to expect.
“The Seniors here will stand guard for you. I will await your successful advancement!”
After saying that, he returned to Yang Kai’s side.
Yang Kai signalled with a nod, “Each of you go with one of them.”
Feng Ying and the other Seventh-Order Masters had been waiting for half a day, so when they heard his words, they naturally did not hesitate to wrap their own World Force around one Emperor Realm cultivator each and bringing them away into the distance.
Soon, there were only three people left in front of Yang Kai.
He could not watch after the advancement of 10 people at once, but three should be no problem. As they were about to go their separate ways, Miao Fei Ping volunteered, “Squad Leader, I’ll take care of one of them.”
Yang Kai turned to look at him and asked, “Are you sure?”
Miao Fei Ping smiled, “Right now, I’m an established Sixth-Order cultivator. It should be no problem for me to stand guard for someone.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Then, you can be in charge of one.”
“Yes!” Miao Fei Ping responded and glanced at the three people left. He thought about choosing one of the male cultivators, but after meeting the gaze of that female cultivator from before, he changed his mind for some reason and smiled, “Junior Sister, come with me.”
8 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and 1 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Indeed, nothing should happen with them standing guard for a group of Emperor Realm cultivators while they advance to the Open Heaven Realm, especially since these disciples who came from the Dao Temple all had solid foundations and stable Dao Seals. Combining the help of the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills that Yang Kai gave them, their advancements could be said to be smooth and steady with only one or two occasional minor hiccups, but nothing dangerous happened.
The heart of the female Emperor Realm cultivator who Miao Fei Ping was in charge of became slightly hurried when she was advancing, but thanks to his timely help, she was able to calm herself and finish her breakthrough without incident.
The Powers of the Seven Elements merged in their bodies, splitting Heaven and Earth apart and creating a Small Universe.
Continuous auras of the birth of universes could be felt in the void.
In a matter of days, 9 Open Heaven Realm Masters had come to this spot, and celebratorily, 19 left.
The newly-advanced Juniors were all overwhelmed with joy. To go from the Emperor Realm to the Open Heaven Realm was a massive leap in strength. If it were merely advancing to the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm, then the jump would not have been too obvious, but all 10 of them had advanced directly to the Sixth Order.
After returning, as long as they focused on stabilizing their realms, then once they familiarised themselves with their power, it could be said that their strength would increase around 100 or even 1,000 times compared to what they had before.
In this respect, the Heavenly Way could be considered unfair.
Those with outstanding aptitude and talent were able to leave their peers far behind in the process of advancing to the Open Heaven Realm.
The fools with no aptitude were left to fumble around at the bottom of the Open Heaven Realm, if breaking through to that realm was even possible.
But when had the Heavens ever been completely fair?
The 10 newly advanced Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators were left with Feng Ying to bring back to Great Evolution Pass to settle in.
Generally speaking, newly-advanced Open Heaven Realm cultivators couldn’t be relied on because a lot of time had to be spent for one to stabilize their cultivation. One had to familiarize themselves with the new surge of power; otherwise, they would not be able to perform at their full potential when facing off against an enemy.
This could take several years, or even decades.
Fortunately, now that a sort of peace had settled over the Great Evolution Theatre, these 10 newcomers had plenty of time to get used to their situation. This was also the reason why Yang Kai kept holding them in and not letting them out of the Small Universe until now.
During the bloody war with the Black Ink Clan previously, letting them out would only have brought trouble to all parties.
On the way back, the 10 newcomers gathered around Miao Fei Ping, bombarding him with all sorts of questions.
The main reason for that was because Miao Fei Ping shared their roots. They had all come from the Void World, so there was not much of a gap between them. Instead, they had a natural sense of camaraderie with each other.
This was different for Feng Ying and the other Seventh-Order Masters. No matter how amiable and easy to approach Feng Ying and the others presented themselves, these Juniors would still have some reservations.
Miao Fei Ping was also happy to pass on his experiences to the younger generation. Back when they were at Blue Sky Pass, he was often the one who mentored the Open Heaven Realm Masters that emerged from Yang Kai’s Small Universe.
All the Open Heaven Realm Masters who came out of the Void World had received Miao Fei Ping’s kindness.
Faced with everyone’s questions, Miao Fei Ping was naturally eager to answer anything he could and spoke without hesitation.
The sudden change in environment and the sudden acquisition of far greater power meant that the newcomers had a lot of questions they needed answered.
9 of the 10 were exactly that way, while only one of them was silent, but they were still listening intently.
The quiet one was the female Emperor Realm cultivator who Miao Fei Ping was in charge of previously.
After listening quietly for a long time, the young woman seemed to have made some sort of decision and suddenly sped up, coming to the side of Feng Ying who was leading the trip back towards Great Evolution Pass.
Noticing her approach, Feng Ying turned around and smiled, “What happened? Are you struggling with something?”
The young woman shook her head and transmitted her voice silently to her, “Martial Aunt Feng, I heard from Senior Brother Mao earlier that we are all fighting against the Black Ink Clansmen in units called Squads?”
Feng Ying nodded, “That’s right. Squads are the most basic grouping in our Human Army.”
The young woman asked hesitantly, “Then… Then, can I join your Squad?”
Feng Ying was a little surprised. Nobody had ever asked her for such a request before. In fact, many Open Heaven Realm Masters had emerged from Yang Kai’s Small Universe over the years, each one of them starting from the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm at least, with a small minority of them even directly reaching the Seventh-Order.
However, Yang Kai was only responsible for bringing them out, while the rest was not his concern.
It was not that it was too much trouble, he was just trying to avoid arousing suspicion.
After all, more and more people would come out of Yang Kai’s Small Universe in the future, so as time went on, Yang Kai’s lineage was bound to grow immensely.
If these people were to all gather together, an isolated atmosphere might form around them, which could not be permitted on the Black Ink Battlefield.
In this brutal war, origin and status meant nothing, all were brothers and sisters in arms who lived and died together.
Yang Kai was well aware of this, so the cultivators who he brought out back then at Blue Sky Pass were basically all handed to the Army Commanders to be taken care of while he did not need to interfere much.
Right now, there was plenty to do in Great Evolution Pass and everyone was busy; otherwise, Yang Kai would not be leading Dawn’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters personally to act as Protectors.
It was easy to see the results of this from Dawn’s current configuration. Out of all the cultivators that came out of the Void World, Miao Fei Ping was the only one who joined Dawn. The rest were all scattered throughout the Squads of different Divisions.
This was also because Yang Kai had known and interacted with Miao Fei Ping for a long time.
If Yang Kai really intended to gather his own forces, then the entirety of Dawn would be in the Sixth Order and Seventh Order. Moreover, he would be highly revered by his subordinates who would not dare to disobey his orders.
When she first heard this young woman’s request, Feng Ying’s first thought was that Yang Kai might not agree; after all, Dawn already had the maximum 50 members, so there was no need or ability for them to take on newcomers.
However, Feng Ying was as intelligent as she was beautiful, so when she saw the young woman blushing while putting forth such a request, combined with the scenes she saw by chance before, she had a faint guess. As such, instead of outright rejecting her, she asked, “Why do you want to join our Squad?”
The young woman replied as if expecting this answer, “The Dao Lord has given us everything we have. Now that this disciple has gained some success in cultivation, this disciple wishes to stay by the Dao Lord’s side and offer her strength.”
This young woman was clearly a bad liar as her eyes were constantly darting left and right while speaking, not at all daring to look straight at Feng Ying.
Feng Ying laughed lightly and questioned, “Truly?”
The young girl nodded incessantly, “Truly!”
“Then swear on it!”
“Ah?”
“Just kidding,” Feng Ying laughed and explained, “Every Squad has an upper limit for members, and even as a Special Operations Squad, Dawn’s upper limit is 50. We currently have exactly 50 members, so if you wish to join Dawn… then the only chance you’ll get is if there is a battle and Dawn’s numbers are cut down.”
The young woman quickly waved her hand when she heard what she said, “In that case, this disciple will not join Dawn. Martial Aunt, just take what this disciple said earlier as nonsense and don’t take it too seriously.”
“However…” Feng Ying’s heart softened when she saw the genuine expression on her Junior’s face, “If the Squad Leader himself asks the Army Commander personally, then perhaps an exception can be made.”
The young woman lowered her gaze timidly and shook her head, “There’s no need to bother the Dao Lord.”
She had never wanted to cause trouble for anyone ever since she was a child, so she wasn’t about to start now.
Feng Ying stared at her for a moment before asking, “What is your name?”
The young woman answered, “Disciple is called Xiao Cai.”
Feng Ying nodded, taking note of her answer, “If there are any questions you have about cultivation, feel free to approach me with them.”
Xiao Cai thanked her respectfully.
At the same time, on the universe fragment where Great Evolution North-South Army’s forward base was once located, as space warped, Yang Kai stepped out of the distortion. Several Open Heaven Realm Masters stationed nearby were surprised when they saw him and could not help but stare for a moment, but they all came over to greet him once they realized who he was.
After handing over the 10 newly-advanced Open Heaven Realm Masters to Feng Ying, Yang Kai came straight here.
It was for no other reason than that the Black Ink Nest was here.
When the Black Ink Clan withdrew from Great Evolution Pass, a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest was left behind. Yang Kai was not sure about the details, but he heard that it was a request from Army Commander Mi Jing Lun to the Territory Lords. Though reluctant, the Black Ink Clan had no choice but to agree.
It had to be said that keeping the Black Ink Nest behind was simply a stroke of genius for the Humans. Yang Kai had no idea what Mi Jing Lun was thinking back then, but once he learned that a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest had been left behind, he had to praise Mi Jing Lun.
If there was anything that the Humans were starkly inferior at in comparison to the Black Ink Clan, then would be their numbers and growth cycle. The next most critical disadvantage they had though was the ability to transmit information.
Transferring information was simply too convenient for the Black Ink Clan, as through the power of the Black Ink Nests, information could be exchanged between Black Ink Clansmen from different Theatres instantaneously, much less within the same Theatre.
In this respect, the Humans were far inferior to the Black Ink Clan. Right now, it was quite easy for Humans to send messages from Great Pass to Great Pass through the use of Space Arrays, but when the Great Evolution Army was out on their campaign, someone had to make the trip in person to deliver messages between the different fronts.
Yang Kai had also received orders to search for the location of the North-South Army near Great Evolution Pass before, and Adjutant Li Xing was also ordered to deliver news to the North-South Army about the final battle at the Royal City. For an ordinary Seventh-Order Master, it was a month’s journey from the Royal City to the Great Pass, and fortunately, he did not have to report back; otherwise, it would be another month on the road.
That was a huge gap in time.
If there were urgent Army matters that had to be passed on, then even a delay of a few hours could cause a major incident, let alone a journey lasting several days to a month.
Mi Jing Lun must have thought about this, which was why he would demand the Black Ink Clan to leave the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest behind. He intended to use it to build up the intelligence network on the Humans’ side.
However, such a thing would be extremely difficult to put into practice.
It was true that the Black Ink Nest was now in Human hands, and it was also a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest that was of sufficient quality; however, it had been half a year since they retook Great Evolution Pass, and Mi Jing Lun was still unable to implement the intelligence network plan that he had in mind.
Yang Kai had been working constantly with the Array Masters at Great Evolution Pass to repair the Space Array, so he was not too sure about what the situation was at this time. The only reason he came here was to create a Low-Rank sub-nest to put into his Small Universe so that he could incubate Black Ink Serfs to allow the Void Dao Temple’s disciples a chance to get some real combat experience against the Black Ink Clan before advancing to the Open Heaven Realm and joining the war.
He had this idea in mind when he was still stationed at Blue Sky Pass; only, it was unfortunate that even though he had moved a sub-nest into his own Small Universe back then, once the higher Rank Black Ink Nest outside was destroyed, the sub-nest was also destroyed, which left him with nothing.
In the Blue Sky Theatre, they couldn’t allow any Black Ink Nests to remain outside; otherwise, the Black Ink Clan might be able to reclaim them sooner or later.
The situation was different now. The Black Ink Clan’s foundation in the Great Evolution Theatre had been severely damaged and even the Royal Lord himself had sustained heavy injuries. Moreover, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao would go and visit him every now and then, leaving him no opportunity to recover.
Under such circumstances, the Humans could make use of this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest that fell into their hands.
The entire Black Ink Nest was moved over here after the reoccupation of Great Evolution Pass, where Array Masters set up barriers to isolate and contain the Black Ink Strength which was regularly released from it.
The current situation on the universe fragment was clear. The huge Black Ink Nest was located at the centre and isolated by Spirit Arrays so that no Black Ink Strength was spreading out into the periphery, allowing the Human soldiers to move around it freely.
The one currently standing guard here was the Great Evolution Southern Army Commander, Ou Yang Lie.
Even though there was little worry that the Black Ink Clan would try to come and snatch this Black Ink Nest, one could never be too careful. A strong Master was needed on standby, and an Army Commander was undoubtedly the strongest available.
The reason why Ou Yang Lie was here was because he had taken the initiative to volunteer for the post. Since he was still recovering from his wounds, it made no difference whether he stayed inside of Great Evolution Pass or here since the two were now just half a day’s travel apart.
The Southern Army’s temporary Army Headquarters was also located here, so after arriving, Yang Kai received permission to enter and as soon as he did, he saw a slightly pale-faced Ou Yang Lie reprimanding his Disciple.
“You lazy brat! Even dragging your feet when I asked you to go to Great Evolution Pass to pick up some wine! I don’t know what those legs of yours are even for!”
Gong Lian stood in front of Ou Yang Lie with downcast eyes, allowing his Honoured Master to spit all over him without moving. He was clearly no stranger to this situation.
After Ou Yang Lie finished reprimanding him, Gong Lian answered lazily, “Honoured Master, Martial Uncle Mi said that your body is still injured, so you should not drink excessively. He asked me to watch over you so that you can recuperate well.”
Ou Yang Lie glared at him and almost raised his nostrils into the air as he said stubbornly, “Martial Uncle Mi, Martial Uncle Mi, am I your Honoured Master or is Big Head Mi your Honoured Master?”
He jabbed Gong Lian’s head with his finger, “I taught you since young to listen to your Honoured Master, and now look at you! Not listening to anything I say anymore, but you’re happy to listen to anything Big Head Mi says! Tomorrow, I’m going to expel you from my Sect, then you can go and look for Big Head Mi and ask him to be your Master!”
Poor Gong Liang was still a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so watching him being reprimanded like a small child made Yang Kai widen his eyes in surprise.
Moreover… Big Head Mi? Mi Jing Lun’s head was not particularly big…
This scene of a Master scolding his Disciple was so intense that Yang Kai felt that it was better for him not to watch it at all. Just as he was about to withdraw, Ou Yang Lie suddenly turned his head over as if he just saw him and called out, “Yang Boy, you’ve come?”
Yang Kai had no choice but to grit his teeth and cup his fist, “Greetings, Senior Ou Yang!”
Then, he turned to Gong Lian, “Senior Brother Gong!”
Gong Lian returned his greeting.
Ou Yang Lie walked over with a laugh and wrapped his arms affectionately around Yang Kai’s shoulders, “You’ve come just in time. The Inner Sanctum has just sent word that they want you to set up a Space Array here. The materials have already been prepared. Have a look and see where it’s more suitable to set this thing up.”
Yang Kai came to this universe fragment for his own reasons regarding the Black Ink Nest, but he did also have proper business. Xiang Shan wanted him to help them set up a Space Array here so that those from the Inner Sanctum could come and go with ease. Naturally, Ou Yang Lie had been informed beforehand.
“Anywhere is fine, I can arrange the Space Array wherever Senior Ou Yang finds suitable.” Yang Kai smiled back.
Ou Yang Lie sighed, “If only my Disciple was as obedient as you are, constantly talking back to me, it’s just aggravating, wouldn’t you say?”
What could Yang Kai say? He just turned a deaf ear to it.
Ou Yang Lie lowered his voice, “Have you got any wine?”
Before Yang Kai could answer, Ou Yang Lie glanced over with a stern gaze, “Don’t tell me you don’t. I know you’re raising living beings in your Small Universe, so you should have anything and everything.”
The killing intent in those eyes seemed to suggest that he would slaughter him without a burial if Yang Kai dared to let the word ‘no’ slip from his mouth.
Yang Kai sighed, “Senior Ou Yang, you haven’t fully healed yet. You shouldn’t drink.”
Ou Yang Lie bristled, “Don’t lecture me like Big Head Mi. We’ve campaigned against the Black Ink Clan for 150 years, and I’ve been enduring all that time. Now, I can’t even celebrate with alcohol after we’ve won the war? What kind of reasoning was that? Enough with the nagging, bring me some wine!”
Saying so, the arm around Yang Kai’s shoulder grew increasingly heavy, which made Yang Kai feel at once that his bones were about to dislocate…
A short time later, in an open space, Yang Kai was busy setting up a Space Array.
On the side, Ou Yang Lie was sitting in the middle of a pile of wine bottles, drinking happily, cheering in glee after finishing each one in a wonderful mood.
Not far from him, Gon Lian was eyeing Yang Kai with a grimace, which made Yang Kai feel embarrassed to meet his gaze.
Something like setting up a Space Array could not be easier for Yang Kai. With all the materials in place, it took him less than an hour to finish everything.
An Array had already been set up at Great Evolution Pass that synced with this one. Yang Kai personally stepped onto the array to check and made sure that there were no problems before handing it over to their use.
By now, Ou Yang Lie had already drunk his fill and was sitting slumped on the ground, tapping his knees and singing his heart out.
Even though Ou Yang Lie had a gruff appearance, his voice was actually pretty good. Even though Yang Kai had no idea what he was singing, his song had a boldness to it that was quite interesting.
After walking over to Ou Yang Lie’s side, Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Senior Ou Yang, the Space Array is completed.”
“En, good work,” Ou Yang Lie spoke in a good mood, wine bottle still in hand.
“Furthermore, this Junior has a presumptuous request.”
“Speak!” Ou Yang Lie spoke with narrowed eyes that showed an indescribable sense of carefreeness.
“This Junior wishes to obtain a sub-nest to place inside of his Small Universe to aid in the cultivation of the disciples in my Small Universe. Senior should know that many Sixth and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters have walked out of this Junior’s Small Universe. Unfortunately, before stepping into the Black Ink Battlefield, none of them have ever encountered the Black Ink Clan before. If they were able to face some Black Ink Clansmen during their growth period, it will be beneficial to them when they truly enter the battlefield in the future.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded at his words, “Fair enough, but it is useless to speak to me about this. I’m just the doorman here. You’ll have to ask the Old Ancestor for permission.”
Yang Kai answered, “The Old Ancestor has already agreed. She told me to come see you.”
Ou Yang Lie suddenly grinned meaningfully, “It’s useless even if the Old Ancestor agrees.”
Yang Kai was confused, “This Junior does not understand.”
Ou Yang Lie reached out and pointed at the Black Ink Nest enveloped by the Spirit Array behind him, “Because there’s nothing we can do about it right now either.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai was even more confused.
Ou Yang Lie guzzled another mouthful of wine before directing Gong Lian, “Take him in and show him.”
After accepting his order, Gong Lian turned to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, come with me.”
“Many thanks!”
Halfway through following Gong Lian into the Black Ink Nest, Yang Kai laughed bitterly, “Brother Gong, please don’t blame me. I had no other choice.”
Naturally, he was talking about Ou Yang Lie’s request for wine.
Gong Lian waved his hand, “Honoured Master insisted, so Brother Yang was in no position to resist. I understand. In fact, Honoured Master’s injuries have already stabilized so a little wine won’t hurt him. Martial Uncle Mi is only worried that he might drink excessively, which is why he told me to keep an eye on him.”
Yang Kai sighed, “It’s tough for you too, Brother Gong.”
Gong Lian chuckled, “I owe Honoured Master for raising and teaching me. Now that this Gong has made some achievements in cultivation and can take care of himself, it is naturally necessary to repay those favours to Honoured Master. This much is nothing.”
As they were speaking, they arrived at the interior of the Black Ink Nest.
Yang Kai was naturally incomparably familiar with things like this Black Ink Nest. He had been in and out of many Black Ink Nests, including Low-Rank and Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests.
He was also the one who first found out that the Black Ink Nests could communicate with each other. Before that, the Humans had an inkling but had no proof on the matter.
It could be said that there was nobody more familiar with the Black Ink Nests than him in the entire Human Race.
“Martial Uncle Mi asked the Black Ink Clan to leave this Black Ink Nest behind because he hoped to create an intelligence network for the Humans using it. If we can use the Black Ink Nest the way the Black Ink Clan uses them, then in the future, passing information around will be much easier for our Race. Brother Yang should also know how far away each Great Pass is, and once a war breaks out, it becomes very difficult for Armies to contact each other. If this network could be established, it would be very useful for our future crusade.”
Yang Kai nodded in agreement.
“Currently, there are no problems with feeding it resources. The Black Ink Nest is able to absorb materials instinctually; however, after absorbing the materials, all of the energy will automatically be put towards the birth of new Black Ink Clansmen. We’ve not been able to create sub-nests.”
“Why is that?” Yang Kai frowned. He had seen how higher Rank Black Ink Nests created sub-nests before, so he knew it should not be anything difficult.
“Because we Humans have no way of controlling the Black Ink Nests currently,” Gong Lian explained, “Brother Yang may know that to control the Black Ink Nest, one needs to connect one’s Divine Sense with it Black Ink Nest’s consciousness and become one with it to control it.”
“Indeed!”
“And that is where the problem lies. Connecting to the consciousness of the Black Ink Nest was not a problem, the problem is that the Black Ink Clan has already set up an ambush inside the existing network, so as soon as any Human makes a connection, they are instantly attacked by the force of more than a dozen Territory Lords in an instant. In a contest of Spiritual Energy alone, our Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters are naturally unafraid of any single Territory Lord. However, our people can only fight alone, while the Black Ink Clan can borrow the strength of several Black Ink Nests in order to attack in a group, meaning no Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master can withstand it. The few Eighth-Order Division Commanders who tried before have all suffered varying degrees of injuries to their Soul.”
Yang Kai finally understood.
He had experienced something similar before. Previously, he had also connected to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness to locate other Black Ink Nests, and it was then that he was attacked by the consciousnesses of many Feudal Lords in the strange space.
Fortunately, he had the protection of the Soul Warming Lotus, so even though he was facing off against many foes alone, he still managed to defeat the Black Ink Clan.
What the Humans were encountering now was exactly the same issue Yang Kai encountered back then.
The Black Ink Clan must have known that the Humans would try to connect to the Black Ink Nest to make use of it, so they had prepared over a dozen Territory Lords to wait in ambush inside of that strange space. As soon as they sensed the intrusion of a Human’s consciousness, they would immediately attack.
Under such circumstances, would any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master be able to resist? Furthermore, if the few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had not withdrawn in time, then they might have incurred irreparable damage to their Souls and perished.
Gong Lian continued, “The Old Ancestor has tried it once, but the Territory Lords must have sensed the Old Ancestor’s strength and took the initiative to withdraw when they sensed her. As such, even the Old Ancestor is helpless in this matter.”
It was an awkward situation that the Great Evolution Army was facing.
Despite having the Black Ink Nest in their hands, they had no way of using it effectively, yet it was too much of a waste to just destroy it.
Naturally, the Old Ancestor was not afraid of the Territory Lords; however, after they sensed the Old Ancestor’s strength, the Territory Lords lying in ambush would immediately escape, leaving the Old Ancestor helpless.
Also, it was not as if they could just have the Old Ancestor wait on standby inside of the Black Ink Nest forever.
Yang Kai did not anticipate this situation. He thought that the Humans would long have begun preparing the information network after having obtained the Black Ink Nest for so long, but now it seemed that more consideration was required for this matter.
It was true that he severely injured and even destroyed many Feudal Lord consciousness back then in the strange space of the Black Ink Nest. With the Soul Warming Lotus’s protection, he left the Feudal Lords in a miserable state despite fighting one against dozens, but he was only facing Feudal Lords and one Territory Lord back then.
Now, it was numerous Territory Lords who had set up an ambush in that strange space, and they had a clearly defined plan this time… Whether it be the scale or the situation, it was very different from before.
Yang Kai was confident that his Soul was by no means inferior to any Territory Lord, so in a one-on-one, he didn’t fear defeat. Moreover, with the protection of the Soul Warming Lotus, he was fearless against any attack on his Soul.
However, if the number of Territory Lords was too great, then there was not much he could do about it either.
That was unless he could borrow some kind of powerful external force.
After a short pondering, Yang Kai said, “Many thanks, Brother Gong. I will return and see if I can come up with a solution to the situation here.”
Gong Lian didn’t give him a hard time and just smiled, “Take your time with it, Brother Yang, it’s not an urgent matter. What’s more, the higher-ups are also thinking up ideas. Surely it will be solved sooner or later.”
Yang Kai nodded and parted with Gong Lian. Without disturbing Ou Yang Lie who was still enjoying his drinks, he teleported back to Great Evolution Pass through the Space Array that was just completed.
While they were in Blue Sky Pass, Dawn Squad’s members all lived in their own scattered residences; however, now that they had arrived at Great Evolution Pass, the higher-ups took account of the fact that many Squads had been reorganized recently and the members needed to get to know each other better, so basically all the members of each Squad were housed in one place or area.
Dawn was assigned to a large courtyard near the outskirts of Great Evolution Pass with a few dozen houses, enough for all the members to share.
After returning to the courtyard, it was quiet. Save for Ning Qi Zhi, who was still recovering, the rest were nowhere to be seen.
Currently, the entire Great Evolution Pass was in a state of disarray and practically all of the Great Evolution Army’s soldiers were busy reorganizing everything, building or repairing various facilities around Great Evolution Pass, so there was no time for them to idle.
Yang Kai went to see how Ning Qi Zhi’s injuries were doing first and was relieved to see that he had improved a little. It was Ning Qi Zhi’s Small Universe that was damaged in the previous war, an extremely troublesome injury to have for an Open Heaven Realm Master, so the recovery process was also extremely slow.
However, the fact that there were improvements meant that there was nothing to worry about.
This allowed Yang Kai to breathe a sigh of relief. During the bloody battle at the Royal City, losing Qi Tai Chu was already a great heartache for him, so Ning Qi Zhi could not encounter any accidents.
After telling Ning Qi Zhi to take care of himself, Yang Kai left to see the Old Ancestor.
He needed the Old Ancestor’s help to deal with the matter concerning the Black Ink Nest; after all, they had to face off against many Territory Lords who were lying in ambush. Since the Old Ancestor was not able to handle it alone, he could only borrow her strength.
After interacting with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao for so many years, the two of them had already grown incredibly close with each other, so after arriving at the Old Ancestor’s chambers, Yang Kai entered straight away without having to announce himself or inform anyone.
In a stone pavilion located in a small garden, the Old Ancestor was joyfully chewing on candied fruit, leaving crumbs all over her mouth.
Yang Kai sat down on a chair in front of her and casually poured himself a cup of water, drinking it all, and then sighing deeply, looking preoccupied.
The Old Ancestor didn’t even spare a glance at him.
After finishing one stick of candied fruit, she took out another and continued eating.
If one had to say what kind of thing Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s Space Ring carried the most of, then it had to be snacks. During the days she spent recovering in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, he often took her to the most bustling cities, and even he did not know how much food she had bought and hoarded up during those years.
“Something you need?” The Old Ancestor finally spoke after finishing another stick of candied fruit.
“Nope!” Yang Kai chuckled, “Just thought I’d pay a visit.”
“En,” the Old Ancestor responded casually and did not pay him any more attention.
Yang Kai was wondering how he should bring this up to the Old Ancestor in a less abrupt way. He was mainly here to borrow something from her, and despite how well they knew each other, he would inevitably find it embarrassing to just outright ask for it.
The Old Ancestor had seen through that, but since Yang Kai did not speak, she just left him to stew in his thoughts.
Soon, a small handful of bamboo skewers had already piled up in front of the Old Ancestor. Candied fruits were very sweet, but too much of them were bad for the teeth. Clearly, the Old Ancestor had quite the craving, but after a satisfied sigh, she looked around before her eyes finally stopped on Yang Kai, and she beckoned him with her finger.
Yang Kai quickly straightened his back and put his ear forward, ready to listen to the Old Ancestor’s instructions.
However, the Old Ancestor simply wiped her sugary hands on his sleeve…
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched, “If you wanted to wipe your hands, wouldn’t it have been better if I fetched you some water instead?”
“I prefer it this way!” The Old ancestor snapped back, “What are you going to do about it?”
Yang Kai held his forehead.
After a moment, with her hands cleaned, the Old Ancestor took out a cup from somewhere and pushed it in Yang Kai’s direction.
Yang Kai diligently filled it up for her.
After taking a sip of water, the Old Ancestor spoke leisurely, “Tell me, what have you sought me for?”
Yang Kai told her frankly, “I would like to borrow something from you.”
“Like what?”
“A Soul-type artifact!”
The Old Ancestor was surprised, “What do you need a Soul-type artifact for?”
Yang Kai explained, “To deal with the Territory Lords who are lying in ambush inside of the Black Ink Nests. They have no way of dealing with the Black Ink Nest over there, right? If I had a strong enough Soul-type artifact, then I might be able to solve the problem.”
The Old Ancestor frowned, “Don’t be reckless! Currently, you are no more than a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Each one of the Territory Lords lying in wait is as strong as an Eighth-Order Master. Moreover, as soon as they sense that a Soul is connecting from here, they will immediately launch an attack. Even with a Soul-type artifact protecting your Soul, you might not make it out safely.”
Yang Kai laughed, “Many thanks, Old Ancestor, for your concern, but since I’ve said so, I’m confident in my ability to succeed. Old Ancestor may not know this, but I came into possession of certain treasure during the early days of my cultivation, and with the protection of that treasure, the Territory Lords, and even the Royal Lords cannot do anything to my Soul.”
The Old Ancestor was a little surprised at his words, but she soon asked thoughtfully, “The treasure you speak of, it couldn’t be the Soul Warming Lotus, could it?”
There was a pair of lotuses that were Supreme Treasures of the Universe, the Soul Warming Lotus that nourished and protected one’s Soul, and the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus that kept the body of the one in possession of it in an immaculate state. Who had not heard of these two Supreme Treasures before?
However, such treasures had always been considered unique existences, and those who were able to possess either of them were those who held great destinies. Not just anyone strong could obtain such a treasure.
If there was any treasure in the world that could allow a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to resist the Spiritual Energy attack of a Royal Lord, then it had to be the Soul Warming Lotus, so the Old Ancestor was able to guess it almost immediately.
Yang Kai nodded, “It is indeed the Soul Warming Lotus.”
The Old Ancestor almost did not dare to believe him, but since Yang Kai had told her so, he was clearly not joking around with her. After a moment of silence, she sighed, “Your luck is really enviable, to be able to obtain the Soul Warming Lotus. Moreover, to obtain it early on in your cultivation… It is no wonder why I have always felt that your Soul did not match your cultivation; it was thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus.”
Since Yang Kai had obtained the Soul Warming Lotus early on in life, after nurturing it for so many years, his Soul would naturally be much tougher and stronger than ordinary.
“It was just by chance!” Yang Kai said modestly. Reflecting on the experiences he went through on his Martial Dao, obtaining the Soul Warming Lotus could be considered his most fortuitous encounter of all.
Only a few people whom he was very close with knew about his possession of the Soul Warming Lotus; after all, it was too precious a thing to be revealing it casually.
As for the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus in Wu Kuang’s possession, there was perhaps no one else but him and Wu Kuang himself who knew about it.
Even though the Old Ancestor had been healing in Yang Kai’s Small Universe for many years, she had no idea about the Soul Warming Lotus.
“With the Soul Warming Lotus’s protection, you do not need to worry about the Soul attacks of those Territory Lords; however, even if your Soul can fight against the Territory Lords, you still may not be able to defeat them in a one against many fight.”
“That is why I came to see you,” Yang Kai rubbed his hands together and looked excitedly at her, “So that I can borrow a powerful Soul-type artifact!”
The Old Ancestor finally realized, “So, that’s the idea you came up with. With the Soul Warming Lotus to protect yourself, you want to boost your offensive strength with an artifact, and if you were able to severely injure a few of them, then the Black Ink Clan probably will not dare to use the Black Ink Nest to lay an ambush for us again.”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded, “If we can solve this problem, then our people can begin building our own intelligence network.”
“A good plan!” The Old Ancestor nodded, “Unfortunately, I don’t have any Soul-type artifacts to lend you.”
Yang Kai had a speechless look on his face. Of all the possible scenarios he had thought up, he never expected this one.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao said, “When I advanced to the Ninth Order, I gave up on all external aids other than a single favoured artifact. You should know that when one’s cultivation reaches my realm, the greatest thing one can rely on is oneself. Not only are most auxiliary weapons and devices useless, they can even impede the purity of one’s Dao.”
The Old Ancestor’s words sounded as if she were trying to explain the state of a venerable Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to him, but was it still not a kind of teaching?
Yang Kai listened thoughtfully.
The Old Ancestor soon changed the topic though, “Even though I do not have a Soul-type artifact to lend you, I do have something that should suit your needs… In fact, other than you, there is probably nobody else who can properly make use of this thing.”
Yang Kai was intrigued, “What is it?”
The Old Ancestor flicked her hand and a jade slip appeared. Then, she casually tossed it over to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai reached out and grabbed it, then he immersed his Divine Sense and began investigating the jade slip’s contents.
Soon, a look of astonishment appeared on his face, “Soul Rending Thorn? Who came up with such a crazy thing?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao explained, “In the early days of the Shattered Heaven, there existed an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who lived in seclusion and did not appear in public. He was likely defending against the possibility that the Cave Heavens and Paradises might try to capture him. After painstakingly researching for many years, he thought up such a terrible and unorthodox artifact, mainly to use against the venerable Ninth-Order Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, not knowing that there was not a single Ninth-Order Master present in the 3,000 Worlds. At that time, I was also merely in the Eighth-Order. Since he was involved in the murder of one of my Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s disciples, I visited him and obtained this.”
The Old Ancestor did not mention what became of that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in seclusion, but since this Soul Rending Thorn was now in the hands of this Old Ancestor, then that Eighth-Order Master’s fate could be easily guessed.
Even if both were in the Eighth Order, two cultivators could have vastly different strengths, especially when comparing those who came from great forces with deep heritages such as those Cave Heavens and Paradises and rogues without any foundation to depend on.
Yang Kai had once been chased down by Bright Sun Divine Monarch Cheng Yang in the Shattered Heaven when he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he was still able to get away from him in the end somehow.
However, if it had been an Eighth-Order Master from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises back then, he wouldn’t have been so lucky.
That was the difference.
Even though Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had also been in the Eighth Order back then, she had the foundation to advance to the Ninth Order, so how could a vagabond Eighth-Order Master with below-average strength compare to her?
With her taking action personally, the previous owner of this Soul Rending Thorn probably did not fare well.
Still, it had to be said that the man did have some talent to be able to develop this Soul Rending Thorn. If this thing was used well, it could help one defeat a far stronger foe. The developer of this Soul Rending Thorn mainly came up with it to defend himself against Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but if the gap in strength was too wide, it was still impossible for it to have any effect.
The Soul Rending Thorn was both a profound Secret Technique and also a type of artifact, and neither was of any use without the other. With only the Secret Technique but without the artifact, one would be unable to perform the technique, but with only the artifact and without the Secret Technique, it would still also be impossible to use.
The Secret Technique and the artifact were both indispensable.
And, just as the Old Ancestor said, there was nobody that could truly use this thing to its fullest potential but Yang Kai.
To Yang Kai, this was a huge boon.
After bidding farewell to the Old Ancestor, Yang Kai sent out a message and quickly received a reply, after which he went straight towards one of Great Evolution Pass’ walls.
In just a few moments, he arrived and saw a figure working restlessly on a certain part of the wall.
Yang Kai went up to him and greeted, “Grandmaster.”
Grandmaster Ma Fan was busy at work. The World Force in his body was surging and he was sweating as hard as rain. Without even lifting his head, he answered, “You’ve come just in time. Help me with this.”
Currently, the busiest group of people in the entire Great Evolution Pass were the Artifact Refiners and Array Masters. Great Evolution Pass had only been recovered half a year ago, so many things needed these professionals’ help fixing and setting up. All of the Array Masters and the Artifact Refiners were too busy to even pay attention to anything else.
As one of the only few Artifact Refining Great Grandmasters in Great Evolution Pass today, Grandmaster Ma Fan naturally had even less free time than others.
Moreover, he was more motivated to work than anyone else because this was Great Evolution Pass, the place the ancestors of Great Evolution Paradise had guarded. Although it had been lost for 30,000 years, the Human Race was finally able to snatch it back from the hands of the Black Ink Clan.
Ma Fan would put everything that he learned in his life to good use so that Great Evolution Pass could become an impregnable fortress where the mistakes of their ancestors from 30,000 years ago would never be repeated!
He also knew that Yang Kai had the skills of an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, and this was enough to act as an assistant, which was why Ma Fan even accepted a call from Yang Kai earlier. If it had been anyone else, Grandmaster Ma Fan wouldn’t have bothered speaking to him in the first place, must less ask for his help so carelessly.
Yang Kai naturally did not refuse. He went up and asked how he could help, and soon began immersing himself in work alongside Grandmaster Ma Fan.
From the moment Yang Kai arrived until the job was done, almost half a month passed. It was not until Grandmaster Ma Fan had completed the superstructure of a large artifact that they finally stopped.
Both of them were exhausted and left the remaining matters to others to finish up as they found a secluded place to adjust their breathing.
It was only half a day later that Grandmaster Ma Fan finally opened his eyes and took out a wine bottle to wet his lips. After smacking his lips in satisfaction, he sighed, “I’m getting old. I would never be this tired in my youth. I’d be in good spirits even after working non-stop on Artifact Refining for a few years.”
Yang Kai laughed, “You’re still in your prime, you’re not old at all.”
Grand Master Ma Fan glanced at him, “So, what have you sought me for?”
Yang Kai quickly answered, “I came to ask Grandmaster to refine some artifacts for me!”
Saying so, he handed over the jade slip that he had prepared earlier.
Grandmaster Ma Fan accepted it and poured his Divine Sense inside to check it, soon frowning as he asked, “Where did you get this from? It’s quite a sinister thing.”
The jade slip that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gave to Yang Kai was comprehensive, containing both the Secret Technique and the refinement method of the Soul Rending Thorn. Even though it was not a confidential, or even a particularly important matter, it was still given to him by an Old Ancestor after all, so Yang Kai could not casually pass it around without her permission. So, what he handed to Grandmaster Ma Fan was merely the refinement method, which he had transcribed into a new jade slip.
Even though it was merely the refinement method and was lacking the corresponding Secret Technique, someone of Grandmaster Ma Fan’s capability could tell at a glance what the usage of this thing was. If it were created, there was no telling what kind of treachery and chaos it could facilitate, and that was why he commented on it being sinister.
“The Old Ancestor was the one who gave it to me,” Yang Kai explained, as there wasn’t a need to hide it.
Grand Master Ma Fan was slightly taken aback, but then he took a closer look at the jade slip and said in wonder, “Is there an accompanying Secret Technique for this artifact?”
Yang Kai gave him a thumbs up at once, “Great Master’s vision is truly sharp.”
Grand Master Ma Fan looked up at him, “Since it was given by the Old Ancestor, I won’t ask any questions. Still, I must remind you that using this thing will surely cause grave injury to yourself, so you’d best only use it when absolutely necessary.”
Yang Kai replied seriously, “Rest assured, Grandmaster. I know what I’m doing.”
“En,” Grandmaster Ma Fan rose without commenting further, “Come with me.”
Yang Kai followed behind him.
Great Evolution Pass had its own Refining Hall now.
In fact, since Great Evolution Pass’s reoccupation by the Human Army, the higher-ups had given top priority to establishing a functioning Refining Hall and Pill Hall, two key places that Great Evolution Pass’ foundation would be built on.
However, most of the Artifact Refiners were busy outside, so when the two of them stepped into the Refining Hall, not many people were inside.
Hundreds of Warships were moored at the large square outside of the Hall, both big and small, making for quite a spectacular sight.
These Warships were all in need of repair. When the East-West Army departed from the Royal City to Great Evolution Pass, the Artifact Refiners and Array Masters had already fixed up many of the Warships, but that was only a patch-up job as time was limited.
After arriving at Great Evolution Pass, the priority was to restore Great Evolution Pass, so most of the Warships had yet to be fixed and were thus all moored here.
They had to wait until the Artifact Refiners and Array Masters were finally free before they could be worked on.
After arriving at an open furnace, Grandmaster Ma Fan asked, “Are all the materials ready?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded.
In fact, the material requirements for the Soul Rending Thorn weren’t high. Apart from one or two rare items, it was mostly comprised of ordinary materials.
On second thought, it was not surprising since it was created by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was hiding in seclusion in the Shattered Heaven. He naturally had to consider his access to materials, and if the materials needed were too rare, then he would not be able to get them.
After taking out all of the materials, Grandmaster Ma Fan’s Divine Sense surged for a while, and then he tossed the jade slip back to Yang Kai, “I made a few modifications that may enhance their power, but considering that there is still an accompanying Secret Technique, I dare not guarantee that the modifications will be compatible. Have a look at it yourself. If it’s fine, then we will refine the artifacts based on this.”
Yang Kai received the jade slip and looked over it. After a moment, a delighted look appeared on his face, “Sure enough, Grandmaster has discerning eyes. These changes are subtle, but enough to increase the power of these things by about 10%. As for the Secret Technique, it is relatively flexible so it won’t be affected.”
It could be said that the Secret Technique would not be troublesome to perform for anyone as long as they were a cultivator. Only, not everyone could afford the cost of casting it.
So, Grandmaster Ma Fan’s changes had no negative effects.
Since it was confirmed that everything was fine, Grandmaster Ma Fan began refining without dallying.
In fact, Yang Kai himself could have refined them; after all, he was also a Grandmaster Artifact Refiner. However, he was going to be using them against Territory Lords, so having Grandmaster Ma Fan work on them would naturally help to guarantee the Soul Rending Thorns’ might. Moreover, if he were to refine them himself, it would take far longer.
Day after day, Grandmaster Ma Fan refined Soul Rending Thorns while Yang Kai provided some help from the side.
Various subtle Artifact Refining techniques were performed by Grandmaster Ma Fan’s hands, and he did not try to avoid being seen either, oftentimes working with the intent for Yang Kai to observe more closely.
Under these circumstances, Yang Kai was able to make a considerable improvement in the Dao of Artifact Refining, which he had to admit was a surprise.
The first Soul Rending Thorn took Grandmaster Ma Fan a month to complete. The completed Soul Rending Thorn was just like a long needle the length of a finger. It was dark all over, as if it had been coated with a strong poison.
But in fact, this thing was not poisonous at all.
Yang Kai picked it up and studied it, using his Spiritual Energy to refine it a little and found that nothing unusual happened, which meant that the refinement was a success.
He thought that Grandmaster Ma Fan would be able to refine the Soul Rending Thorn faster and faster as time went on, but every single Soul Rending Thorn took him an entire month to finish.
This proved one thing, that though it was Grandmaster Ma Fan’s first time refining this artifact, he had still achieved his limit from the very start, which was why the time consumed in its creation did not decrease with subsequent attempts.
A year later, 12 Soul Rending Thorns were successfully refined and the materials Yang Kai prepared were all used up.
Only then did Grandmaster Ma Fan’s hand stop, “Is this enough?”
Yang Kai grinned, “It’s enough.”
He trusted that the Territory Lords also would not be foolish enough that he would be able to use the Soul Rending Thorns 12 times. It would be best if he only had to kill off a few Territory Lords before they all retreated.
12 of them had been created just in case the unfortunate happened.
Now that the Soul Rending Thorns were ready, Yang Kai bid farewell to Grandmaster Ma Fan and returned to Dawn’s courtyard so he could begin refining them.
The courtyard was still quiet with all of Dawn’s members busy with work outside; however, he did happen to bump into Feng Ying who had returned to check on Ning Qi Zhi’s injuries.
After a brief exchange with Feng Ying and making sure that Ning Qi Zhi’s injuries showed no signs of deterioration, Yang Kai did not find the need to visit him again either.
It was hard enough for a badly injured member to be left to recuperate quietly by himself while everyone was out busy, so it was not good to visit him constantly either.
Just as he was about to walk away, Feng Ying pulled him to a quiet place and whispered, “Squad Leader, can our Squad take on any more people?”
Yang Kai had no idea why she suddenly brought this up and replied, “Blood Crow and two others are joining Dawn so we just happen to have 50. We’re already full, you know that.”
Feng Ying said, “I know, but can’t you go and have a talk with the Army Commander and ask if we can add one more person?”
Yang Kai did not understand, “Who is it that you are so concerned about?”
Feng Ying sighed, “It’s not that I’m concerned, just some things that have been bothering me to see.”
And so, she told him.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded at what he heard, “Truly? How come I never noticed it?”
Feng Ying could not help but roll her eyes, “That’s why I say that you men are all blind. That Miao Fei Ping is like this, and so are you. That day, her eyes were practically melting when she came out of your Small Universe, but you didn’t even notice.”
Yang Kai scratched his head in confusion.
“Based on the time frame, shouldn’t they be in retreat to consolidate their cultivation right now? Why did she come out to ask you to let her join our Squad?” Yang Kai asked.
Feng Ying answered, “No no, she didn’t do that. She just brought it up back then when we were on the way back after they just broke through. I told her that we can only accept members when a battle happens and the number of our Dawn’s Squad members went down, so she said she didn’t want to join Dawn anymore. This girl has a good foundation. While the others are still stabilizing their cultivation, she has already come out of retreat several days ago and specifically came over to offer her help.”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Her cultivation has stabilized after just over a year? Have you checked to make sure?”
Feng Ying snorted, “How could I be sloppy about such things?”
Yang Kai nodded. Thinking back to what she told Feng Ying earlier, he praised, “She’s quite a sensible girl.”
“Yes, and it’s her sensible nature that makes it so hard to reject her,” Feng Ying sighed, “Unfortunately, Miao Boy did not even notice it in the slightest. I don’t even know if he’s really a fool or just acting.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “But Dawn is still full. It’s unfair for us to break the rules for just one person. If I were to bring this matter up, then it would make things difficult for the Army Commanders in the future, too.”
Feng Ying nodded, “Fair enough. Never mind, we’ll see how things go. These are youthful problems either way, I don’t have the time or energy to worry about them.”
“That’s exactly the attitude to have!” Yang Kai nodded. Then, he suddenly changed the subject, “But then again, Senior Sister, it’s time for you to advance to the Eighth Order. It’s not a good idea to stay in the Seventh Order forever.”
Feng Ying squinted at him, “Such matters are dependent on opportunity. If the opportunity is yet to come, then what is struggling through cultivating going to help?”
Yang Kai laughed, “Then, where is Senior Sister’s opportunity?”
“Who knows? Maybe it’ll come tomorrow.” Feng Ying also laughed before turning around and heading out, “I’m going.”
As he watched her leave, Yang Kai slowly shook his head.
Feng Ying had been in the Seventh Order of the Open Heaven Realm for long enough, and she had already accumulated enough to break through to the Eighth Order. Only, she never sensed an opportunity to do so all this while. Still, it was true what Feng Ying said, nobody can say when something like an opportunity would arrive. Maybe one day she will suddenly have the urge to forge ahead and advance to the Eighth Order.
All this while, Feng Ying had been making preparations for that moment. So, no matter when she advanced, she could still ensure that she had the highest chance of succeeding.
After returning to his own small courtyard, Yang Kai opened the Spirit Array barrier to isolate himself from the outside before he sat down cross-legged.
With a flick of his palm, he took out a Soul Rending Thorn. Now that the artifacts were ready, the only thing he had to do was to refine them. The refinement process was also easy, the same as any ordinary Soul-type artifact. One had to pour their Spiritual Energy Sense into it until they formed a solid connection to the artifact itself.
The process of refinement was also a process of familiarisation. Only when the artifact was fully refined could it be used against an enemy with ease.
Compared to creating this artifact, refining it was simpler, so it took only a few days for Yang Kai to fully refine one Soul Rending Thorn.
The hard part was the final step that came after the refinement process was complete!
The refiner had to split a portion of their Soul from themselves and integrate it into the Soul Rending Thorn to render the process complete.
This was akin to sacrificing one’s life for power.
The separation of a portion of one’s Soul and the consumption of Spiritual Energy were two completely different things. Simply expending energy was a type of consumption that could be replenished once it was exhausted and was of no harm to a cultivator.
However, to separate even a thread of one’s Soul was considered a sacrifice.
In short, for every Soul Rending Thorn that he refined, he had to give up a portion of his Soul.
That was where the Soul Rending Thorn got its name from. To rend naturally meant to tear off.
This was why the Old Ancestor said that Yang Kai was the only one in the world who could properly make use of this artifact.
It was also why Grandmaster Ma Fan commented on the artifact being sinister when it received its manufacturing method.
That was because this thing was a weapon that inflicted serious harm to oneself to deal even more devastating damage to the enemy, to a ridiculous degree at that.
Right now, Yang Kai was merely refining it and hadn’t used it against an enemy, yet he already had to give up a thread of his Soul. Once it truly came time for him to face off against an enemy with this thing, then the price he had to pay would be even bigger. When that time came, the more of one’s Soul that one sacrificed, the more powerful the artifact would be as the Secret Technique was performed.
If that were not the case, then the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was hiding in the Shattered Heaven, would have been able to defend against Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao with this thing at that time.
Even if an ordinary cultivator was to refine a Soul Rending Thorn and cultivate the necessary Secret Technique, it was still difficult to use because giving up a thread of one’s Soul was akin to self-mutilation, likely leading to irreparable damage.
However, it was different for Yang Kai. With the Soul Warming Lotus’ protection and nourishment, even if he did have to give up a part of his Soul, he could eventually heal from the wound, which was the greatest capability that the Soul Warming Lotus had.
It can be said that the Soul Rending Thorn was simply tailored to Yang Kai.
This, combined with his already powerful Soul, if he did get attacked by all the Territory Lords in the strange space inside of the Black Ink Nest, he would still be able to fight back.
Yang Kai was no stranger to separating parts of his Soul. Back then, that was also how Embodiment was born; however, even with preparation, the pain that came from one’s Soul being torn apart was still hard to bear.
It felt as if one’s body was being cut in half by a blunt knife, and one had to remain conscious throughout the entire process and not be distracted by the pain, otherwise, the entire process would fail while still leaving a wound on the Soul.
Yang Kai’s body trembled violently and he was instantly drenched in sweat. Even though the process lasted but a short moment, for Yang Kai, it felt like a million years had passed.
Once he had finally sacrificed a thread of his Soul and merged it with the Soul Rending Thorn, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief.
However, at the thought that he still had 11 more Soul Rending Thorns to refine, Yang Kai’s face turned a little dark, inwardly scolding himself for being so foolish as to have asked Grandmaster Ma Fan to refine so many.
However, when he thought of the number of Territory Lords he would have to face, Yang Kai felt like he had to fully refine all of the Soul Rending Thorns even if the price was high.
Any other cultivator would find it difficult to move their fingers after such a gruelling experience. The damage and pain that this process caused were not something that ordinary people could bear. However, with the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai instantly felt a cooling sensation pour into his Knowledge Sea, as if a small invisible hand was brushing over him and smoothing out the pain in his body and filling his heart with comfort.
To feel this kind of relief immediately after excruciating pain was especially indulgent…
After calming himself slightly, Yang Kai took out a second Soul Rending Thorn and repeated the process.
Even with the Soul Warming Lotus nourishing his Soul though, Yang Kai still had to stop for a while and adjust himself after refining 3 Soul Rending Thorns in a row so that his Soul could recuperate.
Normally, it took an extremely long time for an injury on a cultivator’s Soul to heal, and even with the help of the Soul Warming Lotus, it took Yang Kai almost a month to recover from refining the first 3 Soul Rending Thorns.
And so, only after 4 months was Yang Kai able to fully refine all 12.
Without further delay, he went to the universe fragment that housed the Black Ink Nest.
As usual, he first went to see Ou Yang Lie who was watching over this place, and only after receiving permission did he step into the Black Ink Nest under his accompaniment.
The reason why Ou Yang Lie was accompanying Yang Kai was because he was curious to see what plan the latter had thought up to solve this problem that had been plaguing them, and secondly, it was to stand guard for Yang Kai in case something were to happen to him while he was dealing with the Territory Lords.
During this time, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had not tried to enter the strange space again. The few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who tried and failed previously showed the Humans that any attempt would only be a great risk to them without a proper solution to the problem.
Ou Yang Lie was not sure what Yang Kai was going to do exactly, but he had received some vague information previously from the Inner Sanctum that if anyone was going to solve the problem of the Black Ink Nest, then it had to be Yang Kai.
The source of this information was somewhat obscure, but it did not take much to guess that it was probably related to the Old Ancestor.
Since the Old Ancestor trusted Yang Kai so much, then what was there for him to worry about? However, it was still necessary for someone to stand guard for him.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the centre of the Black Ink Nest.
Ou Yang Lie said, “Kid, you must be cautious. If the situation turns awry, then retreat immediately. Those Territory Lords must be lying in ambush inside. Several have already suffered considerable losses from them previously.”
Even though the Humans had not made any moves for more than a year, how could the Territory Lords become complacent? Under Hong Di’s lead, the Black Ink Clan stationed at Great Evolution Pass were forced to agree to Mi Jing Lun’s condition of allowing them to keep the Black Ink Nest when they retreated. However, now that the Humans had a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, the Black Ink Clan could only use this method to force the Humans to give it up.
Only by forcing them to give up on the Black Ink Nest would the Black Ink Clan be able to ensure that the Humans would not be able to spy on them when they were exchanging information in the future.
Yang Kai nodded solemnly, “I understand.”
With that, he opened the portal of his Small Universe, and as World Force surged, the Black Ink Nest devoured it like mad. Yang Kai immersed his mind into the stream, forming a connection with the Black Ink Next’s consciousness.
Soon, a familiar yet strange sensation engulfed him, as if his entire being was merging with the Black Ink Nest.
This was a clear sign that his connection was successful.
Connecting to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness was not difficult, and any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could do it with ease. That was because even though the Black Ink Nest itself had a consciousness, it was not sentient. The Black Ink Nest’s consciousness was more like a platform that could carry one’s Soul and become one with it without distinction.
However, the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness could only ever carry one Soul at any one time. In other words, if Yang Kai connected with this Black Ink Nest’s consciousness, then nobody else could join him from the same Black Ink Nest.
This meant that once an Eighth-Order Master connected with the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness and entered that strange space, they would forever be forced to fight alone.
However, it was different for the Black Ink Clan.
Even though the Great Evolution East-West Army destroyed many Black Ink Nests during the war, there were still many owned by Territory Lords remaining on the Black Ink Clan’s side.
Each of these Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests was representative of one Territory Lord, so they would always have the advantage in numbers.
As Yang Kai’s consciousness connected to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness, he entered the strange space that he was familiar with in an instant.
It was a space completely different from the outside world. It seemed vast, but also small at the same time. Not a hint of vitality could be felt, and the entire world was dead silent.
With a slight thought, Yang Kai brought out his Soul Avatar.
The reason he had to bring out his Soul Avatar was naturally so that he could prepare for the big fight to come.
The moment his Soul Avatar emerged, Yang Kai immediately put up his guard against his surroundings, but to his surprise, the attack that he expected did not immediately come.
No Territory Lords were lying in ambush inside of the strange space, only the rapid movement of a Feudal Lord’s consciousness coming from a certain direction.
By the time Yang Kai’s body moved in order to chase after it, the Feudal Lord’s consciousness had already disappeared.
[What’s going on? Where is the Black Ink Clan?]
Even though Yang Kai thought of many possible scenarios he would face, what he encountered still left him confused.
However, in the blink of an eye, one by one Territory Lord consciousnesses suddenly appeared from nowhere. In the blink of an eye, the originally empty space now contained six Territory Lord consciousnesses.
After these Territory Lords entered the strange space, some who did not transform into their Soul Avatars were just irregular blobs of Spiritual Energy, which were ever-changing. Only two Territory Lords made the same choice as Yang Kai and manifested their Soul Avatars. One looked like an ape, while the other looked like a giant.
Yang Kai instantly understood.
It must have been that the Old Ancestor’s appearance previously surprised the Territory Lords, and that was why they did not dare to appear here before verifying who it was in case they ended up running into the Old Ancestor again.
Even though they did not wait in this space, they had clearly left behind some subordinates to keep an eye on the situation, which explained the Feudal Lord that Yang Kai encountered when he first entered.
The Territory Lords had to verify that it was not an Old Ancestor who entered before they could feel assured.
The Territory Lords were no fools, so how could they allow the Old Ancestor to give them trouble?
This was also the reason why the Old Ancestor was unable to resolve the matter. She was strong, but the decision to fight or not was in the hands of the Black Ink Clan.
On the other hand, the Eighth-Order Division Commanders were helpless against the enemy and would only be putting themselves in danger to face them when they were so seriously outnumbered.
Yang Kai was the best person for the job.
With the Soul Warming Lotus’ protection, he was not worried about being injured, and with the Soul Rending Thorns, it was not a loss to take out an enemy. If he could take down two, that would be a good deal. If he could get rid of a few of them, then he was certain that the Black Ink Clan would not dare to act presumptuously in this strange space again.
The Territory Lords clearly had no intention of greeting Yang Kai. They did not even care which Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master it was who entered this place. Since they had already confirmed that it was not the Old Ancestor, what else was there for them to hesitate about?
Naturally, they grouped up and sent out a barrage of attacks, like they were trying to wash away the disgrace that the Black Ink Clan had suffered in the war over the past 150 years!
So, when the Territory Lords entered this strange space, three of them charged at Yang Kai without even a single word, while the other three assumed a triangle formation as they bombarded him with Secret Techniques.
In an instant, a storm spun up by Spiritual Energy swept over Yang Kai.
The Black Ink Clan had no particular talents when it came to Artifact Refining, arranging Arrays, or Alchemy. Most of them relied on the Black Ink Disciples under their command for such things. However, when it came to cultivating Secret Techniques, they had a special talent for it.
Perhaps that was the Heavenly Way’s compensation.
Who could say for sure?
They were able to freely perform many of the Human Race’s Secret Techniques, and it was all thanks to the teachings of the Black Ink Disciples that were corrupted by their Black Ink Strength.
They had even been able to develop new Secret Techniques based off of the foundations of the Secret Techniques they learned, evolving them to better suit the Black Ink Clan.
And, what the Territory Lords were using now were exactly those powerful Soul Secret Techniques.
Yang Kai could feel the power behind those three Soul Secret Techniques. Even though he was not physically here, his scalp could not help but tingle.
It was no wonder why the Eighth-Order Division Commanders all suffered such heavy losses here. Which Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be able to withstand such a barrage? They would probably be beaten into a cowering ball after just one round of attacks.
Even though the enemy was strong, Yang Kai had no intention of summoning the Soul Warming Lotus.
He could easily block these attacks with the protection of the Soul Warming Lotus, but that would just be exposing his trump card from the start.
Taking things slow was preferable in a fight with these Territory Lords. He had to beat these Territory Lords half to death and make them suffer. Only then would the Humans be able to take full control of their Black Ink Nest.
The Territory Lords had ruthless techniques, but Yang Kai was even more ruthless.
As the Soul Secret Techniques blasted his way one by one, he rushed straight towards the Territory Lords that resembled a blob of flowing liquid.
Yang Kai’s actions had clearly startled the Territory Lords.
Many times in the past, they faced off with the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but every one of them would try and flee when faced with their united attacks since nothing good would befall them if they dodged too late.
However, this Human was quite interesting. Not only did he not run away, he even took the initiative to charge at them. Was he perhaps tired of living, and that was why he was eager to have a taste of death?
If that were the case, then these Territory Lords did not mind granting him his wish.
However, a moment later, something even more shocking for the Territory Lords happened.
A flash of Spiritual Energy suddenly burst out of this Open Heaven Realm Master’s Soul and a piercing scream rang out deep within the minds of all of the Territory Lords.
“GAHHH!!”
This was a scream filled with agony that pierced directly into their consciousnesses. Though there was no sound in this space, the Territory Lords could still feel like they could hear it.
The Territory Lords had never heard such a miserable cry before. It was as if that Human was suffering an extremely vicious form of torture, and it made their hearts clench with anxiety.
What they could be sure of was the fact that this cry of agony was no illusion. It was truly miserable and also resulted from a grievous injury.
And indeed it was, for at the same time that Open Heaven Realm Master screamed, his Spiritual Energy noticeably weakened, as if he had become severely wounded all of a sudden.
However, something confused the Territory Lords.
Their attacks had not even landed yet, so how could he be severely injured already?
Only in the next instant did the Soul Secret Techniques released by the three Territory Lords finally envelope the Human Master.
The dead-silent space was sent into turmoil at once.
When the dust settled, only the six Territory Lords’ consciousness were left in that space. The Human’s Soul Avatar had long since disappeared from sight.
The three Territory Lords who had unleashed their Secret Techniques stood still, confused.
The other three Territory Lords, who charged straight at Yang Kai had no choice but to stop as they had lost their target.
The one Territory Lord with the long arms and an ape-like appearance asked, “Did he die?”
At that moment, the energy fluctuations were so messy that they were unable to even notice what end came to that Open Heaven Realm Master.
The other Territory Lord’s Soul Avatar, who had transformed into the shape of an eyeball, laughed coldly, “Even if he isn’t dead, he won’t be alive for long.”
The Territory Lords had no idea whether that Human was dead or not. All they knew was the fact that that Human’s Soul was heavily injured…
No Human could come out of the combined attacks of three Territory Lords’ Soul Secret Techniques unscathed; moreover, something strange had happened to the Human all of a sudden. His Soul suddenly became extremely weak. In such a state, even one of the Humans’ Old Ancestors could not hope to be able to withstand their combined attacks.
“Those foolish Humans really don’t learn their lessons!” The Territory Lord whose Soul Avatar had morphed into the form of an eyeball coldly snorted. After saying that, he suddenly turned to look at one of his companions in realization, wondering, “What happened to you?”
The companion next to him was the one whose Soul Avatar was in the form of a blob of flowing water. At the moment, a very unusual aura could be felt from the Territory Lord’s Soul Avatar. It was as if he was desperately trying to hold his form but was being met with great resistance. His shape was constantly changing and his aura was fluctuating wildly.
This anomaly soon attracted the attention of the other Territory Lords who turned their attention to him.
It was then the fluid-like Territory Lord finally seemed to be able to gather a shred of his strength and spread out his voice, “Save… Save me!”
As soon as he said that, a violent wave of energy exploded inside of his fluid-like body, causing him to howl miserably in pain, and his shape, which had been unstable to begin with, wavered even more.
The other 5 Territory Lords were shocked and they all gathered together quickly. They were surprised to find that a needle-like object had suddenly appeared inside the fluid Territory Lord’s Soul Avatar. It appeared to be some kind of artifact with something like a Soul inside of it, and it was constantly piercing deeper and deeper into the Territory Lord’s Soul Avatar, shredding everything in its path.
The Territory Lords could see the viciousness of this artifact at a glance. If the needle-like artifact was truly allowed to destroy their companion’s Soul Avatar, then even if his body survived, he would lose his Soul and become a walking corpse.
Not to mention the fact that the long needle was still tearing apart his Soul Avatar, causing him to suffer from unimaginable pain. If he could not stop the encroachment of this artifact, then it would be difficult to say whether he could survive or not.
“A Soul-type artifact!” The ape Territory Lord shouted in a deep voice. He also had some Black Ink Disciple subordinates, so he was naturally no stranger to Soul-type artifacts.
Most of the Open Heaven Realm Humans who came to stir up trouble previously had their own Soul-type artifacts which were indeed powerful when activated, but they were still unable to stop their combined attacks.
However, the Soul-type artifact that they were seeing now seemed different. It was far more malevolent than anything they had ever seen before.
Could this be that Human’s trump card?
They had not even noticed when the Human activated this artifact, but obviously, it must have been when things turned chaotic earlier. And, adding to the artifact’s stealthiness, nobody noticed it.
“Resist it! I’ll help you!” The ape Territory Lord shouted and his Spiritual Energy surged.
Not only him, but the other Territory Lords also did the same so that they could help their companion withstand the encroachment of the long needle.
It was then that a familiar aura appeared in the strange space. It was that Human who was screaming so miserably earlier.
He wasn’t dead!
Not only was he not dead, he actually came back at them.
However, he was in the same condition, as the Territory Lords had guessed. He was heavily injured, and his Soul Avatar was also much dimmer compared to before. Even his aura seemed very unstable, strong at times, but weak at others.
“This reckless fool, I’ll deal with him!” The eyeball Territory Lord bellowed, turned around, and charged at Yang Kai.
At the same time, Yang Kai also charged towards him. Halfway there, Spiritual Energy flashed again and another miserable cry rang out.
“Ahhh…”
If one regarded death as their ultimate home, they would not fear charging ahead even when facing ten thousand enemies!
The eyeball Territory Lord was stunned. This scene… was familiar. Just now, this Human had also rushed at them while screaming, and now he was doing it again?
When he thought about what his companion experienced, he immediately raised his guard. One by one, rays of light condensed within the eyeball, each containing a powerful Soul Attack, which turned into a large net that was thrown over Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not dodge it as his Soul Avatar’s aura weakened rapidly. Opening his mouth, he simply spat out a stream of light.
Even though the eyeball Territory Lord was extremely wary, he was still unable to defend against this bolt of light. As soon as the ray of light appeared, it broke through his net and shot straight into his Soul Avatar.
In the next instant, the net also enveloped Yang Kai and contracted abruptly. Yang Kai’s body turned into glowing wisps of light that disappeared into thin air.
The eyeball Territory Lord did not feel any joy at having won, however. It just hovered in mid-air as if it had been caught under a binding technique, unable to move.
The other Territory Lords who were helping their companion defend against the needle artifact suddenly felt a wave of unease.
As they watched on, the eyeball swivelled to the side and Divine Sense surged. A voice was transmitted to all directions, “Hel… Help!”
The four unharmed Territory Lords wanted to curse…
At the same time, Ou Yang Lie was looking at Yang Kai in disbelief inside the Black Ink Nest.
Soon after Yang Kai connected to the Black Ink Nest, he discovered that Yang Kai’s Soul had suddenly weakened, which was apparently due to sustaining injuries.
Ou Yang Lie couldn’t help but click his tongue as he had already warned this brat to be careful. He told him early on that there were Territory Lords lying in ambush inside of the strange space, but it seemed now that his words had fallen on deaf ears.
Now things were bad. Even though he had no idea what had happened, Ou Yang Lie was still sure that Yang Kai had been beaten up by the Territory Lords after rushing into that space from the changes in his Soul.
Ou Yang Lie silently prepared some Spirit Pills for Yang Kai to heal his wounds once he withdrew; however, despite receiving such injuries to his Soul, Yang Kai showed no intention of retreating. Immediately after, his Soul, which had already weakened considerably, withered dramatically again.
Ou Yang Lie jumped in shock.
Things were really bad now. Yang Kai’s Soul had already shown signs of weakness from suffering severe injuries, but now that he weakened again, he was likely not far from death.
If it were possible, Ou Yang Lie would have wanted to forcibly pull Yang Kai from that strange space, but even he was powerless to do anything in this situation. He could only hope that Yang Kai escaped sooner rather than later, only then would he be able to ensure his survival.
Ou Yang Lie even had doubts as to whether Yang Kai would be able to return alive or not this time. It would also be difficult for him to suffer no consequences in the future. Even if he did not become completely brain-dead, his cultivation might still regress from the Seventh Order.
Just as he was on edge, Yang Kai suddenly came back to his senses with a jolt.
Ou Yang Lie asked anxiously, “How was it?”
When he heard his voice, Yang Kai turned to look at him out of instinct with a dazed look in his eyes.
Ou Yang Lie knew right away that there was trouble. Yang Kai’s hollow gaze was a clear sign of his Soul falling unstable.
He was done for!
However, before he could speak, Yang Kai suddenly crouched down and held his head, screaming, “Ahhhh….”
The scream was so miserable that it broke the hearts of those who heard it and made them shed tears.
Ou Yang Lie felt goosebumps rising on his skin, not for any other reason than for the fact that Yang Kai’s screams reminded him of his own experiences of when his Soul was injured back when he was young.
It was because he had a similar experience that he knew just how much it hurt.
It was not something that anyone could just endure, regardless of how strong they were. It could be said that there was nobody that could withstand such pain!
For a moment, Ou Yang Lie was at a loss as to what to do.
Yang Kai had already begun rolling on the ground.
Ou Yang Lie stepped forward and tried to restrict Yang Kai’s movements with his World Force, then he stuffed all the Spirit Pills he prepared into Yang Kai’s mouth and helped him swallow them before refining them.
The entire process was a mess. Ou Yang Lie had no idea how he was supposed to report this to the Old Ancestor once they returned. It was fine if it were just an ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but this was Yang Kai.
Even though Purifying Light was no longer the only means that the Humans had to resist Black Ink Strength, Yang Kai was still needed to arrange Universe Arrays. If anything were to happen to him, that would be a terrible loss for the Human Race.
However, some results did seem to have been spawned from his efforts. Yang Kai’s screams gradually calmed down, but his body was still curled up and twitching from time to time. His entire body was covered in sweat.
Ou Yang Lie stood up with a grave expression.
There was currently nothing that he could do in this situation but report to the higher-ups and see whether the Old Ancestor had any method of bringing Yang Kai back at the brink of death.
After transmitting a message to the outside, it wasn’t long before Gong Lian entered. When he saw the injured Yang Kai, he asked in surprise, “What happened to Brother Yang?”
Ou Yang Lie quickly said, “He connected to the Black Ink Nest and was ambushed by the Territory Lords, injuring his Soul. Look after him, I’m going to report to the Old Ancestor.”
This was a serious matter, so even Ou Yang Lie did not dare to handle it carelessly. Passing through the Space Array at once, he returned to Great Evolution Pass.
Ou Yang Lie arrived at the Old Ancestor’s residence, but there was no sign of her there. When he finally gave his report, the Old Ancestor only gave him one answer.
[Just wait and see!]
Yang Kai was already in this state, yet they were just going to wait and see?
If anyone else had said this, Ou Yang Lie would have definitely spat on their face, but these words came from the Old Ancestor, so he did not dare to disrespect her. He could only speculate that perhaps things truly were not as bad as he expected.
After returning to the universe fragment where the Black Ink Nest was located and heading into the Black Ink Nest, what he saw was mystifying.
Yang Kai was now seated cross-legged, meditating. Under Ou Yang Lie’s perception, even though Yang Kai’s Soul was incredibly weak, it seemed to have stabilized.
“What’s going on?” Ou Yang Lie asked his Disciple.
Gong Lian was also flabbergasted and shook his head, “I have no idea. Not long after Honoured Master left, Brother Yang suddenly crawled up, and it has been like this since.”
Ou Yang Lie was scratching his head in puzzlement. How could Yang Kai still meditate and recover on his own after his Soul was so injured?
It seemed like things were not as bad as they thought they were. The Old Ancestor must have known something, but since she did not explain, he did not dare to ask.
For now, he would just wait and see just as the Old Ancestor said!
Immediately, Ou Yang Lie had the Black Ink Nest sealed off to prevent anyone from entering; then, every few days, he would personally come over to check on Yang Kai’s condition.
As time passed, Ou Yang Lie’s astonishment deepened.
That was because Yang Kai’s condition would actually improve upon each visit. Even though the recovery speed was not fast, he was indeed getting better.
It was simply unbelievable. Ordinarily, Soul injuries like those sustained by Yang Kai were irreversible. No matter how one tried to fix them, it was still impossible for one to return to their peak after being wounded so grievously. Being able to keep one’s life was already incredible.
However, from the situation now, it seemed like Yang Kai was well on the road to a full recovery.
After a year had passed, when Ou Yang Lie came to check on him again, Yang Kai’s recovery speed increased noticeably. It was because of his visits every few days that he knew better than anyone what the situation of Yang Kai’s recovery was.
Two years later, the condition of Yang Kai’s Soul had already completely stabilised.
By the three-year mark, he had already been restored to his original condition!
Ou Yang Lie, who witnessed the entire process from beginning to end, was completely speechless. Despite how serious the injuries to his Soul were, it surprisingly only took Yang Kai three years to return to his peak. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he simply would not have believed it.
Ou Yang Lie had a vague suspicion that Yang Kai must have some kind of astonishing treasure which protected and sustained his Soul; otherwise, there was no way he could have recovered from such injuries. As for what that treasure was… Only a few legendary things could have such a miraculous effect.
[This brat is truly a man of great fortune.]
One day, three years after returning from the Black Ink Nest’s strange space, Yang Kai exhaled deeply.
Even though he had now fully recovered, thinking back to that day’s experiences still made him shudder.
This Soul Rending Thorn was truly too sinister.
Yang Kai had already sacrificed a thread of his Soul when refining each of those artifacts; but even so, he did not have to sacrifice ‘much’ back then and would be fine after resting for some time.
However, while facing the Territory Lords, the portion of his Soul that he had to sacrifice was simply incomparable to when he was merely refining the Soul Rending Thorn.
The best way to describe the experience of using the Soul Rending Thorn was to wound oneself to wound one’s enemy. That was why his Soul suddenly turned so feeble when he attacked those Territory Lords, and why he could not hold himself back from screaming.
Based on Yang Kai’s estimation, even in peak condition, he could only use three Soul Rending Thorns within a short period at any moment. After three uses, he would have exhausted so much of his Spiritual Energy and Soul that he simply couldn’t do it again. If he were to try to make a fourth attack, even with the Soul Warming Lotus’s protection, his Soul would still be extinguished.
That was why he made a firm decision to withdraw from the Black Ink Nest’s space after two consecutive attacks. There was no other choice, for if he stayed behind, he would truly meet his end along with the Territory Lords.
The memories of the days after he withdrew his Soul from the strange space were blurry for him because of the damage he sustained to his Soul. With an incomplete Soul, one’s memory would naturally be affected.
Now that he had recovered, Yang Kai’s face would still darken at the thought of going through the same pain again.
Gong Lian had been watching over Yang Kai all this while, and when he saw the latter wake up, he immediately sent word outside. It was not long before Ou Yang Lie arrived. After looking him up and down, Ou Yang Lie beamed, “I’ve never seen someone like you before who can recover after sustaining such injuries to their Soul. How are you feeling now?”
Yang Kai laughed bitterly, “I’m fine now.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded, “After paying such a huge price, how were the results of your battle?”
Yang Kai grinned and lifted two fingers, “Two Territory Lords. Even if they aren’t dead, they should be critically injured!”
Ou Yang Lie was almost eyeing Yang Kai as if he were a ghost, “Truly?”
“This Junior dares not lie.”
“Then, the two Territory Lords suffered severe wounds to their Souls?”
“Indeed.”
“Good!” Ou Yang Lie was overjoyed.
Ordinary wounds were nothing, but things were different when it came to wounds on one’s Soul. Ou Yang Lie had no idea what sort of treasure this brat had protecting him to be able to recover in just three years after having his Soul reduced to the state it was in back then, but those Territory Lords could not possibly do the same.
Now that Yang Kai told him that two Territory Lords were either dead or heavily injured, it meant that those two Territory Lords had completely lost the ability to fight.
Ou Yang Lie was actually very curious how Yang Kai was able to achieve such a feat when he was only in the Seventh-Order; after all, many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had entered that strange space previously by relying on the strength of their own Souls, but all of them returned in failure. Still, Ou Yang Lie decided not to ask since it was beneficial for the Humans regardless.
As he spoke, Yang Kai got up, “Since this Junior is just about done recovering, I will immediately get to work to take down another two Territory Lords.”
“You can still fight?” Ou Yang Lie was astonished. Even though he was just thinking that even though two Territory Lords were killed, it still couldn’t change the overall situation; after all, there were still many more Territory Lords.
However, he was surprised to see that Yang Kai still had another fight in him.
Yang Kai nodded, “We need to strike while the iron is hot. Now is the time for us to pursue the enemy while we have them cornered.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded, “In that case, you should be careful. Don’t get carried away by momentary success.”
Yang Kai gave him a scare last time, so much so that he had to run over to seek out the Old Ancestor for advice, so he had no idea what it would turn out like this time.
After reassuring Ou Yang Lie, Yang Kai went to the centre of the Black Ink Nest and opened up his Small Universe, connecting his consciousness to it.
Inside the Black Ink Nest’s space, 6 Territory Lords were lurking in different corners just like before.
The reason why there were still 6 was because 2 of them were new. Even though it had been peaceful and quiet in this space for 3 years, the Territory Lords did not dare to let down their guard and remained vigilant at all times.
3 years ago, a reckless Human who did not fear death burst in and used a needle-like Soul-type artifact, heavily injuring 2 Territory Lords.
Even though things did not end well for the Human, the 2 heavily injured Territory Lords did not fare any better.
Despite the best efforts of the other 4 Territory Lords trying to save them, one of the Territory Lords unfortunately had his Soul destroyed and died. The other Territory Lord managed to keep his life, but the long needle artifact was still deeply rooted in his Soul, constantly damaging it. Currently, that Territory Lord was struggling to resist the encroachment of the artifact, and it was not even clear yet whether or not he would succeed in the end.
However, even if he did succeed, his foundation would still be severely damaged, causing a drastic drop in his strength.
The loss of 2 Territory Lords was heartbreaking for the Black Ink Clan, whose strength had already taken a sharp dive in the Great Evolution Theatre.
After that encounter, the surviving Territory Lords reflected on the situation and when they combined it with what their Black Ink Disciple subordinates told them, they concluded that the Soul-type artifact that the Human used must have been some kind of sacrificial weapon, one that damaged the user to deal greater damage to the enemy.
Unfortunately, the Black Ink Disciples had no idea what artifact it was either as none of them had ever heard of anything like it. If they had, then they might be able to figure out a defence.
However, that did not matter too much as such an artifact would surely be difficult to create, and if used, would be equally devastating for the Human who used it.
That Human from before must have already been reduced to flying ashes and smouldering smoke.
Because Yang Kai’s Soul was so powerful, despite only being in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, in Soul Avatar form he was indistinguishable from an Eighth-Order Master; thus, the Territory Lords all thought that Yang Kai was in the Eighth-Order.
Territory Lords were valuable existences in the Black Ink Clan, but so were the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters for the Humans. There was no way that the Humans would be crazy enough to sacrifice multiple Eighth-Order Masters to kill a few Territory Lords.
So, what happened before should not happen again.
Probably…
After 3 years of waiting in ambush, sure enough, there had been no movements from the Human side. This made the Territory Lords who were waiting here both angry and helpless.
They were angry that they were unable to return the favour after having suffered such a huge loss, but helpless as well that even if the Humans did not come, they could only sit and wait here.
Unless the Humans voluntarily gave up the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, any information that the Black Ink Clan passed between themselves in the future could not be hidden from the enemy’s eyes and ears.
One day, as the 6 Territory Lords were feeling bored, a ripple suddenly broke out in the calm space.
A figure appeared out of nowhere, which caused all 6 Territory Lords to sit up and focus. After ascertaining that it was not an Old Ancestor, they all rose from their ambush spots, ready for an attack. 6 powerful Spiritual Energies transformed into a barrage that blasted in Yang Kai’s direction.
The Soul Avatar that Yang Kai brought out was not his own image, but rather the image of a tall, lanky man.
Since Soul Avatars were formed out of Spiritual Energy, they had no definite shape. Just like before, there was a Territory Lord who took on the shape of an eyeball, and another who was like a blob of fluid. It all depended on their personal preferences.
Even if one did not cultivate any sort of transforming Secret Technique, it was still easy to do this.
However, although one’s Soul Avatar could change its appearance freely, the aura of one’s Spiritual Energy could never be changed. Every cultivator’s Spiritual Energy rippled differently, so even if some people had Secret Techniques that allowed them to disguise themselves as others, there would still be flaws.
So, if one wanted to identify someone through their Soul Avatar, the best and only way to find out who they were was to check the aura of their Spiritual Energy.
Yang Kai had purposefully reined in his power as much as he could this time, out of worry that the Territory Lords would recognize him at a glance. He had even taken on a different image.
As expected, the Territory Lords felt assured when this ‘different’ Human showed up and boldly emerged to launch their attacks against him.
6 powers that were completely silent in the outside world transformed into a variety of visible attacks inside of this strange space, all hitting Yang Kai without fail.
Since Yang Kai did not summon the Soul Warming Lotus’s protection, he was truly strong in will but weak in strength even if he wanted to defend against these attacks.
However, he did not even bother trying to defend himself. He was going to be on the verge of death by the time he was done here anyway, so defending himself or not made no difference.
The 6 attacks sent out by the Territory Lords were no joke, and Yang Kai’s Soul immediately felt shaken. The pain was hard to suppress as it felt as if his Soul was going to shatter right then and there.
In fact, if it was any other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in his place, they also would not be in good shape after taking these six attacks.
It was all thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus that Yang Kai had the courage to engage in such a reckless fight. Even though he did not urge the Soul Warming Lotus to protect himself, it still made his Soul far sturdier than normal.
A long, miserable scream rang out next, “Ahhh…”
At Yang Kai screamed, he charged straight at the Territory Lord that was nearest to him.
Of the 6 Territory Lords, other than the two newcomers, the other four were all stunned.
This scene could not be any more familiar to them. 3 years ago, they encountered the same thing twice, and the result of it was that 2 Territory Lords had been severely injured by that bizarre artifact!
The wail of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was simply a death knell for the Territory Lords.
Then, an even more familiar scene emerged. Following the anguished wails of the Human, his Soul sharply weakened.
At the same time, a familiar burst of energy rippled out.
The face of the ape Territory Lord who had experienced this scene before immediately changed and he exclaimed, “It’s him, it’s him!”
Another Territory Lord, who had experienced the same thing, shouted, “Run, quickly!”
Despite Yang Kai’s disguise, he could no longer hide his identity once his Spiritual Energy burst forth.
The 4 Territory Lords who had fought him before recognized him instantly, but what shocked them even more was how this Human could still be alive.
Even though the eyeball Territory Lord had clearly seen this Human on the brink of death during the last moment, he actually reappeared here after just 3 years, running and jumping like nothing was wrong. Just like last time, he screamed and became weak, but at the same time, rushed in for the kill!
[What’s wrong with this Human!?]
Despite the timely warning of the ape Territory Lord, he still could not save his fellow Territory Lord from his fate.
This strange space was created from the consciousness of the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest. It was a platform that connected the consciousnesses of all the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests linked to it. It seemed very large, but at the same time very small without any definite shape.
For someone proficient in the Dao of Space, this was the perfect battlefield.
After sacrificing his own Soul ruthlessly, Yang Kai opened his mouth at an unfamiliar Soul Avatar, and a Soul Rending Thorn turned into a golden light that broke through the confines of space as soon as it appeared, nailing straight into the Soul Avatar’s body.
The Territory Lord was not unprepared. Since the enemy he was facing was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, how could he have lowered his guard down? At the same time as when Yang Kai charged towards him, he had already condensed his power to protect himself.
However, it was all in vain.
The Spiritual Energy that he used to protect his avatar was no different than paper in front of the Soul Rending Thorn, easily tearing.
The Territory Lord’s Soul Avatar was instantly frozen in place, as if he were struck by lightning. The next instant, his figure began to shake.
Yang Kai did not even look at him as his Soul Avatar weakened once more. Then, he turned his head to look towards the ape Territory Lord and opened his mouth again, spitting out another flash of golden light.
The ape Territory Lord feared for his life.
He couldn’t understand how he could be targeted by the enemy despite being so far away from him; however, he was the one who was too loud earlier, so if not him, who else would Yang Kai target?
Space Principles began to surge as a golden light flashed. Almost at the same time, a bright green barrier appeared in front of the ape Territory Lord that looked as if it were made of vines.
This was clearly a Soul-type artifact, and a defensive Soul-type artifact at that. It was not known where the ape Territory Lord got his hands on this thing, but it must have been made for him by a Black Ink Disciple proficient in Artifact Refining.
This Soul-type artifact was of decent grade. Whoever created it must have been at least a Great Master in the Dao of Artifact Refining.
However, even with the Soul-type artifact protecting him, it was only able to block the golden light for only a moment before the green barrier shattered into wisps of light and the Soul Rending Thorn pierced into the ape Territory Lord’s body.
The ape Territory Lord instantly felt an unbearable pain.
At the same time, a frenzy of attacks once again covered Yang Kai from all directions as wild waves of Spiritual Energy rippled through the strange space.
How could any of the Territory Lords go easy on him after discovering that this was the same Human as last time? While Yang Kai made his move, they also sent out their own ruthless attacks.
Using the Soul Rending Thorns twice had caused Yang Kai’s Soul to become incredibly weak. He would not be able to hold on if he were hit by these attacks again, and so he wailed, “My destined end has come!”
With those words, his avatar dissipated, disappearing from sight.
The chaos subsided after just a couple of breaths, but all of the Territory Lords present felt as if they had just walked the border between life and death. Even thinking back to what they just encountered was enough to cause them to shudder.
One tall Territory Lord with bull horns on his head looked left and right nervously, “Was that the same Eighth-Order Human from last time?”
The tall bull-horned Territory Lord was the very same Territory Lord Hong Di who led the retreat of the Army from Great Evolution Pass and gave away the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest to the Humans.
Hong Di was both very lucky and very unlucky.
Several years ago, he led peace talks with the Human Mi Jing Lun that led to the safe evacuation of the Black Ink Clan Army from Great Evolution Pass. However, the price that he paid was a great number of resources, the many fortifications throughout the entire Great Evolution Pass, all of the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples, as well as his own Black Ink Nest.
No Territory Lord had ever voluntarily given up their own Black Ink Nest before. In all of history, Hong Di could be said to be the very first.
However, it had been worth it since he was able to ensure the safe evacuation of their Army.
To avoid running into the Old Ancestor or the other Human Army along the way, Hong Di had specifically made a long detour after leading his Army out of Great Evolution Pass, and they had to march for an entire month before they finally saw the Royal City again from afar…
However, the Human Old Ancestor literally appeared out of nowhere at that moment.
That was undoubtedly one of Hong Di’s misfortunes.
In that battle, several Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples perished at the Old Ancestor’s hands. There was no need to mention the Black Ink Clan soldiers, as their casualties exceeded 100,000.
Fortunately, Hong Di was unharmed in that battle, not because he fled due to fear of death, but because he was lucky. The Old Ancestor had killed her way in and out of his Army without even sparing a glance at him.
Now that the Humans were trying to stir up a storm using his Black Ink Nest, he naturally could not sit out of this matter. The reason why he did not wait in ambush here before was mainly because he was still recovering from his injuries.
When he encountered the Old Ancestor several years ago, the Old Ancestor may not have spared him a glance, but the fallout from her rampage still wounded him a little.
Now, after recuperating for a few years, he finally managed to recover.
Of the 2 previous Territory Lords posted here, one was dead, and the other was in critical condition. Now that two were being added to replace the fallen members, Hong Di was naturally obligated to join.
He heard about what happened last time from the ape Territory Lord, and that was why he asked such a question.
The other humanoid Territory Lord who participated in the last fight nodded at his words, “That’s right, it has to be the same Eighth-Order Human.”
Hong Di wondered, “Didn’t you say that he died back then?”
The humanoid Territory Lord shook his head, “I have no idea about that. Maybe he did not die and we all just thought he was dead, just like this time.”
Hong Di frowned, “You’re saying that he isn’t dead this time either? But we clearly saw him being beaten to within an inch of his life just now.”
The humanoid Territory Lord looked deeply at him, “That’s what we thought last time.”
Hong Di did not ask any further questions and frowned silently. If that Human had some method that could bring him back from the brink of death, then it was very possible that he would come to stir trouble for them again.
But how did that Human achieve such a thing? How could damage to the Soul be healed so quickly and easily? Unless it was not the real Soul of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that entered, but rather something similar to a Soul Clone?
However, that did not make sense either. Even if it were just a Soul Clone, his true body would still be affected if it were destroyed.
While Hong Di was communicating with the humanoid Territory Lord, the other 2 Territory Lords had already gone to examine the injuries of their peers.
The Territory Lord who was first targeted by Yang Kai was a newcomer, just like Hong Di. Not knowing the severity of the situation, he charged in the quickest, and so he was also the most severely injured.
When Hong Di went over to investigate, he saw the long needle artifact that was constantly digging deeper into his peer’s Soul Avatar, seemingly trying to tear it apart.
It was just like the other Territory Lord who was lingering on a last breath of life after facing the same attack.
With just a glance, Hong Di knew that his peers were fated for a tragic end. Even if they did manage to survive, their foundations would still be severely damaged.
When he turned to look at the ape Territory Lord, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Since the ape Territory Lord was well-prepared, and he also had the artifact to protect him, his injuries were not too serious. The long needle-like artifact had only drilled halfway into his Soul Avatar, and though it was still trying to work its way in deeper, the ape Territory Lord was able to force it into a standstill by resisting it with great effort.
The other Territory Lords did not dare to dally. With one of them watching over the less fortunate Territory Lord, the other three gathered around the Ape Territory Lord and poured out their Spiritual Energies to lend him a hand.
And so, 10 days passed by.
It was not until a certain moment that the long needle-like artifact was forced out by the ape Territory Lord from his Soul Avatar. Even then, the ape Territory Lord appeared extremely weak and his Soul Avatar was clearly unstable.
The other Territory Lord was in a much worse situation. The long needle artifact had sunken completely into his avatar, so who knows when he would be able to force it out of his body, or if he could even live long enough to do so.
“That Human must not be dead yet. He will come again. That man is strange, he’s no longer someone that we can deal with. We must report this to the Royal Lord and ask him to make a decision!”
The ape Territory Lord declared weakly.
Even though he had seen the Soul of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master being beaten to the brink of death with his own eyes, that was also the case last time. They all thought he was dead, but then he appeared before them again just 3 years later.
The reappearance of a similar situation could only mean that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could live even if his Soul was shattered.
Perhaps he would come to stir up another storm in another 3 years.
All the Territory Lords present knew that the ape Territory Lord was right. Even though they were powerful Territory Lords, there was nothing more that they could do in this situation.
The only way to resolve this matter now was to report it to the Royal Lord.
Hong Di’s voice was a little weak, “Sir Royal Lord… has not been in a good mood lately.”
Despite being heavily injured, the Royal Lord was unable to enter his Black Ink Nest to sleep and heal from his wounds, so it would be strange if he were in a good mood.
This was all the fault of that dastardly Old Ancestor, who would run over to the Royal City from time to time and show her aura, causing fear and trepidation among the Black Ink Clansmen while also driving the Royal Lord to exhaustion.
She would not attack the Royal City, just sit outside of it and taunt them. The power of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was released in an unbridled manner, like a beacon of light in the darkness, making the Black Ink Clan feel miserable.
Nobody knew what sort of technique it was she used to be able to mysteriously appear near the Royal City. After she left, the Black Ink Clan organized a large number of soldiers to search the area, but to no avail.
Worse yet, the Old Ancestor would suddenly wheel around from time to time, and none of the Black Ink Clansmen who were sent out would fare well when that happened.
So, for a while now, no Territory Lord dared to draw the Royal Lord’s ire. They had also hidden the death and injury of the previous 2 Territory Lords because they were worried that the Royal Lord’s fury would explode and he would take his rage out on them.
However, the matter had already reached a point that they had no choice but to report it.
They thought that they could stop the Humans from using the Black Ink Nest with their own power, but now it seemed that the methods of the Humans were beyond even their imaginations.
After hearing what Hong Di said, the ape Territory Lord answered weakly, “There’s no need for Sir Royal Lord to act personally. He just needs to agree to allow us to utilize the power of his Black Ink Nest. The next time that Eighth-Order Human returns, we won’t give him the chance to escape.”
Hearing this, Hong Di understood, “If that’s the case, it would not be a problem.”
The ape Territory Lord did not speak too clearly, but how could Hong Di not know what he meant?
The most troublesome thing about the situation they were currently facing was the fact that they were unable to kill off that Human completely. During both of their brief encounters, it seemed as if they had already brought their opponent to the brink of death; but in reality, a glimmer of vitality still remained, and he had escaped.
However, with the help of the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest’s power, they could seal off this space completely so that the Human had no way to run. Then, after paying a certain price, the Territory Lords would be able to take him down slowly!
There was no such thing as an opponent that was impossible for them to kill, only a lack of power and opportunity.
While the Territory Lords were discussing their countermeasures in that strange space, Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple were both staring in amazement at Yang Kai.
Just like last time, Yang Kai had become slightly dazed after withdrawing from the strange space with a dull expression. Not only was his expression stiff, even his eyes seemed unfocused.
The last time he saw Yang Kai like this, Ou Yang Lie jumped in shock; however, he was more at ease now that he had some experience.
And, under some careful inspection, he realized that just as he thought, Yang Kai was in a Soul-fragmented state.
When his Soul became fragmented, it was natural for him to appear like a fool.
This made Ou Yang Lie sigh a little as this Yang Boy truly did pay a heavy price to secure this Black Ink Nest. Even though he had a special treasure that could repair his Soul, having to bear this kind of pain over and over again was not something that an ordinary person could do.
If they could really take control of this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest and allow the Humans to build their own intelligence network, then Yang Kai would be the first to take credit.
Just like last time, Yang Kai collapsed to the ground while hugging his head after a few moments, rolling around on the floor while screaming miserably.
Ou Yang Lie and Gong Lian could not bear to watch, but they had no choice but to stay here and stand guard in case anything happened.
Another few days went by and even Yang Kai’s voice had become hoarse. His entire body was extremely weak and the clothes on his body were drenched over and over again in sweat.
It was only at a certain point that his pitiful screams finally stopped; not that it was no longer painful, but because his Soul had recovered slightly under the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus, allowing him to regain some control of himself.
As Yang Kai forced himself into a cross-legged position, Ou Yang Lie hurriedly handed over the Spirit Pills that he had prepared earlier, which Yang Kai took with a pale face and swallowed down.
Even though he had the Soul Warming Lotus to repair his Soul, having Spirit Pills on hand would still allow him to recover a little faster.
As time passed, the injuries to his Soul gradually mended, and Yang Kai’s aura also stabilized.
The last time he ended up in this state, it took Yang Kai nearly 3 years of recovery to return to his peak.
The amount of time it took him to recover was not much different this time, shorter only by a single month.
The reason why such a difference occurred was because Yang Kai’s Soul had become a little stronger than before.
He had noticed after his last recovery that recovering from these self-inflicted injuries made his Soul a bit stronger than before.
This was an unexpected surprise for him.
The situation now was the same as last time. After the injury to his Soul recovered, it once again became slightly stronger.
Yang Kai felt as if he had unexpectedly chanced upon a method for him to cultivate his Soul…
However, even if this method was quite effective at strengthening his Soul, Yang Kai was quite unwilling to do it. Unless someone was forced to, who would willingly endure such pain?
It was not strange that such a method was able to strengthen his Soul as it was quite similar to how one would temper their body, constantly battering one’s physique then healing would slowly improve their physical quality over time.
It was a method that only those with great perseverance and determination could use.
When Yang Kai opened his eyes, he saw Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple watching him with concern. Yang Kai first reassured them, “I’m fine now.”
Ou Yang Lie could not help but smack his lips, “Are you going in again?”
“Naturally,” Yang Kai nodded. Since he had already started, then he naturally had to see the Black Ink Nest matter through to the end. How could he even have the thought of giving up halfway? However, he still had to ask, “What’s the situation inside the Black Ink Nest currently?”
Ou Yang Lie told him, “I personally went inside to check last time. There aren’t any changes, so I did not dare to stay long either. I withdrew immediately.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Seems like the Black Ink Clan hasn’t suffered enough yet.”
After going in twice, he used a total of 4 Soul Rending Thorns which injured 4 Territory Lords in succession. Even under such circumstances, the Black Ink Clan had not diverted from their initial plan. It was clear that they were waiting for his return so that they could take revenge.
As some say, one must not attempt the same trick thrice and expect to get away with it. If Yang Kai went in again, he would probably not be as successful as he was the last 2 times. The Black Ink Clan wasn’t made up of fools. Since they had already figured out his trick, there was no way they would just offer themselves up on a platter for nothing.
So, he was almost certain that the Black Ink Clan had prepared some sort of nasty trick and was waiting for him to fall into their trap.
However, he had the Soul Warming Lotus to protect him, so what was there for him to be afraid of?
Without needing to make any sort of preparations, Yang Kai said, “Senior Ou Yang, things may change this time around, but as for what those changes are going to be, this Junior won’t know until he enters. If all goes well, then this Junior will return soon. In the meantime, I will have to ask for Senior to stand guard for me.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded, “Naturally, that is not a problem. You must be careful.”
Without saying anything more, Yang Kai opened up his Small Universe and allowed the Black Ink Nest to devour his World Force. With a surge of his Divine Sense, he connected with the consciousness of the Black Ink Nest.
Yang Kai’s figure appeared inside of the familiar space. This time, he had also taken on an unfamiliar appearance. Even though his identity would be exposed as soon as he made his move, it did not hinder him to put on a disguise.
As soon as he appeared, he noticed several auras locking onto him. The Black Ink Clan had obviously been waiting here for him.
One of the Soul Avatars had even taken the initiative to approach him, but Yang Kai was surprised to find that the Soul Avatar did not hold much malice.
From afar, he transmitted his thoughts over via Divine Sense, “One moment, Dao Brother. I am Si De Kuai, by order…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Yang Kai wailed in agony and spat out a golden light in his direction.
The golden light travelled as quickly as lightning, shooting straight into the Soul Avatar.
The person who called himself Si De Kuai immediately broke out into a cry of anguish as his Soul Avatar writhed violently.
Yang Kai forcibly endured the tearing pain and took a few steps forward. His Spiritual Energy was surging madly, turning into beam-like attacks that shot towards Si De Kuai furiously.
The storm of attacks enveloped Si De Kuai, and in just a short three breaths, the Soul Avatar, which had already been severely damaged by the Soul Rending Thorn, shattered and dissipated into nothingness.
Yang Kai’s face was twisting in pain, but he still looked dumbfounded at the Soul Avatars around him and muttered, “What was he trying to say?”
Honestly, Yang Kai recognised at first glance that this Si De Kuai was not a Territory Lord, but an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple. And, in terms of Spiritual Energy, he was on par with Yang Kai. If they were to compete with their respective Secret Techniques, then it was not known who would win.
However, this guy should have received an order from the Territory Lords to try to communicate with him.
Who knew that Yang Kai would not have that intention at all, immediately releasing a Soul Rending Thorn as soon as he stepped up and attacking him until his Soul Avatar shattered?
He was truly dead, unlike Yang Kai, who had the protection of the Soul Warming Lotus. Si De Kuai’s Soul was damaged to the point of shattering, so there was no chance for him to survive.
All the Territory Lords were dumbfounded at what they saw.
This Human had already killed the man, and now he asks what he was trying to say?
The Black Ink Clan lacked high-end combat strength to begin with, and that Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple was a part of the strength that they were heavily reliant on, yet he had just died here, which was heartbreaking news for them.
The fallout of a Soul Avatar’s death gradually spread out to the Territory Lords who had already surrounded Yang Kai in a closed circle.
Just as Yang Kai expected, things were different this time.
During the previous 2 times, 6 Territory Lords were lying in ambush inside the strange space. This time, the number of Territory Lords did not increase, but there was the addition of 4 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples’ Soul Avatars.
Yang Kai cut down one of them earlier, so only 3 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples remained.
At this moment, the 6 Territory Lords surrounded him in an outer circle whilst the 3 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples formed an inner triangle. The intentions of the Territory Lords were obvious. Since Yang Kai had the means to severely damage their Souls in one attack, they would use these Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to exhaust Yang Kai’s power first.
In this way, even if Yang Kai were to use his needle-like artifacts, the only ones who would be injured would be the Black Ink Disciples.
Judging from the situation during the first 2 times, this human could only use the long needle artifact twice at most, then his Soul probably wouldn’t be able to withstand more.
So, that meant that this Human in front of them only had one attack left!
The Black Ink Disciple that Yang Kai cut down before did not actually intend to try and negotiate with Yang Kai, he was just trying to get close so he could try to launch a sneak attack on him. However, Yang Kai acted even more decisively, immediately going for the kill without even giving the enemy the chance to speak any nonsense.
The Territory Lords realized from this that no amount of clever strategy would help in front of this Human. The best way to face him was through overwhelming force.
“Attack!” Hong Di gave the order.
The 3 Black Ink Disciples in the inner circle had fierce looks on their faces as they all charged at Yang Kai.
Since Yang Kai only had one attack left in him, then he would not be able to stop them all. The Black Ink Clan would only lose one more Black Ink Disciple, which would be much better than a Territory Lord dying.
As soon as Hong Di’s voice came out, Yang Kai did not hesitate to spit out another Soul Rending Thorn and hit the nearest Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
He had no specific target in mind. To Yang Kai, the effects of killing an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple or a Territory Lord was the same. Both could help in weakening the Black Ink Clan’s strength so as to reduce the pressure for the Humans in their future crusade.
The lethality of the Soul Rending Thorn was truly terrifying; after all, the user had to sacrifice a big piece of their Soul each time it was used, and the larger the sacrifice, the greater the strength.
So, despite the fact that the 3 Black Ink Disciples left no openings for him to attack, the Soul Rending Thorn still quickly and accurately pierced into its target’s body.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple screamed at once as his Soul Avatar began to writhe.
The remaining 2 Black Ink Disciples calmed themselves and each blasted a Secret Technique in Yang Kai’s direction.
Yang Kai was so mentally and physically exhausted at the moment that he no longer had the strength to defend himself. His Soul Avatar was torn to pieces at once as if it were a mere rag.
On the previous two occasions, he used the tearing of his Soul as a cover to evacuate from the strange space, but this time, something unexpected happened.
The entire strange space seemed to be sealed off by an invisible force, completely isolating him from the outside world so that Yang Kai had no way of leaving and connecting back to his own body.
It seemed that when the lead Territory Lord called for an attack, an unusual change occurred within this space. The pain in his Soul at that time was so hard to bear that Yang Kai was unable to sense it clearly.
Now, it seemed like the unusual change must have been a technique used by the Black Ink Clan to seal off the strange space and isolate it from the outside world.
[So, it’s this again?]
This was not the first time that Yang Kai had encountered such a situation, as it had been the same back in the Yin-Yang Theatre when he was ambushed by a large number of Feudal Lords and Hei Yuan Territory Lord.
Given the situation, Yang Kai quickly understood what sort of plan the Black Ink Clan had come up with. Undoubtedly, they were trying to trap him here and deny him the chance to escape, allowing them to finally kill him!
It had to be said that the Black Ink Clan did make the right decision this time.
Since this Human that barged into the Black Ink Nest again, and again could not be killed quickly, they had to cut off any chance of him escaping. No Soul could not be killed, it was just that they failed to grasp their opportunities when they had them.
As long as they were able to trap the Human’s Soul Avatar in the Black Ink Nest space, then they could do whatever they wanted to him, especially now that the Human had used his needle artifacts twice in a row and could not use them a third time.
And, to seal off the Black Ink Nest’s space, the Territory Lords had no choice but to have Che Kong and Hong Di, two Territory Lords, take the lead in meeting with the Royal Lord to request the latter’s help during the critical moment.
The entire Black Ink Nest Space was a platform that evolved from the consciousness of the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, to begin with. Naturally, the right to enter and leave that space was in the hands of the Royal Lord.
If they were to seal off this space completely, then they had to have the Royal Lord’s cooperation. Without the Royal Lord’s explicit permission, the Territory Lords had no ability to control this. However, with the Royal Lord’s permission, they could use a simple Secret Technique to seal up the Black Ink Nest Space.
When he was informed about this situation, the Royal Lord let loose a barrage of curses and insults at his disappointing Territory Lord subordinates, but he also had no choice but to cooperate.
The days had been harsh on the Royal Lord. His injuries were piling up with no chance to rest and recover, and now he was facing such a rotten problem, which naturally put him in a foul mood.
Fortunately, he did not take out his rage on his subordinate Territory Lords too much, which allowed Che Kong and Hong Di to breathe sighs of relief.
After confirming that Yang Kai had entered the space, the Territory Lords sent word to the outside so that the Territory Lord waiting on standby inside of the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest could activate its power to seal off the space and isolate it from the outside.
If they did not do this, then Yang Kai would have escaped long ago.
As the strange space was completely sealed off, at the centre of the Black Ink Nest possessed by the Humans, Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple, who were both waiting for Yang Kai’s return, paled instantly.
Gong Lian gasped, “Honoured Master, Brother Yang he…”
Ou Yang Lie also had a grave look on his face and stepped forward to try to get a better grasp of the situation, the look on his face changing constantly.
Just now, the reverberations of Yang Kai’s Soul that they should have been able to feel disappeared completely. In plain terms, it meant that his Soul was gone. Even though his body was still here, it was now just a living corpse.
This was a clear sign that something had happened to Yang Kai inside of the Black Ink Nest Space. When Ou Yang Lie thought back to what Yang Kai said earlier, it seemed that he had anticipated that something different would happen this time around.
However, this development was far beyond what they had expected, with Yang Kai’s Soul essentially vanishing. What were they going to do now?
After a long time, Ou Yang Lie finally showed an anxious expression. From what he could sense, Yang Kai’s Soul had indeed completely disappeared. He could not sense where it was located at all.
Twice previously, even though Yang Kai’s Soul became somewhat vague and indistinct after entering the Black Ink Nest Space, Ou Yang Lie could still feel an invisible connection between it and his body. As long as that connection existed, Yang Kai was fine.
However, that connection had now been severed.
But if his Soul was truly destroyed, then there was no way that the aura of Yang Kai’s body could remain stable. The most likely scenario would be instantaneous death or complete dementia.
Strangely enough, the aura of Yang Kai’s body remained perfectly steady.
This made Ou Yang Lie confused as to what was going on.
After pondering for a moment, he had Gong Lian watch Yang Kai’s body carefully while he left in a flash so that he could find several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters proficient in Soul cultivation to see what was going on.
While Ou Yang Lie was busy, Yang Kai was fleeing like mad while forcibly enduring the tearing pain in his Soul.
He had no choice but to run as only an Old Ancestor would be able to withstand the combined attacks of 6 Territory Lords and 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, not to mention that his Soul already suffered critical damage from using the Soul Rending Thorns.
That was the troublesome part about this strange space that was created by the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness. It seemed both large and small, being of no definite shape, which made Yang Kai’s escape particularly difficult. That was because no matter how he tried to run, his enemy’s attacks would still be able to catch him at any moment.
In just a short few breaths of time, Yang Kai felt like he could run no more.
His entire Soul Avatar was in tatters which severely affected his ability to think and was causing him to make mistakes in his judgment which worsened his injuries.
If this went on, then he would surely be doomed.
Desperately holding onto the last bit of consciousness in the depths of his Soul, Yang Kai did not dare to hesitate anymore when he saw the attacks coming at him from all directions. He finally summoned the Soul Warming Lotus that he had been hiding all this while.
A seven-coloured light blossomed, and in an instant, a seven-coloured lotus appeared in the strange space. The lotus appeared in the form of a bud about to blossom, enveloping Yang Kai’s tattered Soul.
The fierce Spiritual Energy attacks hit the seven-coloured lotus, but caused no damage to it in any way, forming only light ripples on the surface of its petals.
The Soul Warming Lotus was a Supreme Treasure, unique in the Universe. It may not be able to display much strength under normal circumstances, but in the Black Ink Nest Space, where Spiritual Energy ruled everything, there was no strongest defence in existence. None of the attacks of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples or the Territory Lords could break through its protection.
The Black Ink Clan quickly realized this unusual change; after all, none of them was blind. Who would not be able to see the dazzling seven-coloured lotus that suddenly appeared?
To their shock and incomprehension, while looking delicate and fragile, this thing was incomparably solid, remaining completely unaffected as it hovered silently in the void no matter how fierce their attacks were.
After a while, the bombardment ceased.
6 Territory Lords and 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples surrounded the Soul Warming Lotus, observing it warily.
“What is this?” Hong Di asked. He watched as this lotus flower suddenly appeared to protect the Human that they were about to kill, and the fact that they could not break it even with 8 top Masters of the Black Ink Clan joining forces naturally left him annoyed.
However, he did not recognize what this lotus flower was. If even he could not recognize it, then there was no need to mention the other Territory Lords.
The question now would have to go to the 2 surviving Black Ink Disciples to answer.
One of them, who took on the form of an old man, was frowning slightly. As he observed the Soul Warming Lotus carefully, a vague guess came into his mind; however, he had never seen this treasure before, so he dared not be certain.
He could only ask his companion, “It’s that, isn’t it? This Old Master should be correct.”
The other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple nodded, “It is as the rumours say. If it truly is that, then it explains why this man has no fear of sustaining damage to his Soul.”
Not counting this time, Yang Kai had already invaded this Black Ink Nest Space twice and used the Soul Rending Thorn 4 times, killing or severely wounding 4 Territory Lords.
Such aggressiveness was alarming, but what puzzled them even more was his ability to recover from his injuries.
This man’s Soul had been fatally wounded, yet he returned running and jumping after just 3 years of recovery. No Spirit Pill or precious treasure could possibly have such an effect, no matter how good they were, save for one legendary object.
“Speak clearly, what is this thing exactly?” Hong Di asked in a stern voice. This was what annoyed him most about Humans. They always seemed to talk in a roundabout manner, which was very unpleasant to listen to.
The old man bowed, “Reporting to Sir, if this servant is not wrong, then it should be the rumoured Soul Warming Lotus.”
“Soul Warming Lotus?” The Territory Lord frowned. Even though he had been dealing with the Human Race for countless years and learned many of their habits, he was still not very clear about some of the Human Race’s more obscure rumours, not to mention something like the Soul Warming Lotus which was basically a mythical existence. Even the Masters of the Human Race themselves would only see such a thing recorded in the ancient books and never in real life.
“It is said that there exist two Supreme Treasures in the form of twin lotuses that grow side by side,” the old man explained, “One is the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus that grants the holder a flawless body, impervious to all impurities, allowing them to gain twice the result with half the effort in their cultivation. The second is the Soul Warming Lotus that, while useless for one’s physical body, can protect and sustain their Soul. Under the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus, its holder’s Soul constantly grows stronger, and no matter how severe the damage sustained to their Soul, as long as it is not completely destroyed, the Soul Warming Lotus can allow its holder to rapidly recover to their peak.”
“These two Supreme Treasures are unique, with only one of each in existence. Once the first is found, another would never appear again. Not to mention, most had never seen them before, many have never even heard of their existence.”
“What Sirs see before you now must be the Soul Warming Lotus of legend.”
“It’s that precious?” A Territory Lord asked.
The old man nodded solemnly, “A Supreme Treasure of Heaven and Earth is priceless, beyond value entirely. Unless one has great opportunity and great destiny, they can never possess it.”
Hong Di rubbed his chin in thought, “If that is the case, the reason why this man has been able to escape death repeatedly and return unscathed was all thanks to the nourishment and protection of this Soul Warming Lotus?”
“Indeed!” The old man nodded, “It is said that the Soul Warming Lotus first blossoms with three colours, then five, and then finally seven. What Sirs see before you is already the Seven-Coloured Soul Warming Lotus, which is considered its apex. This man must have come into possession of this treasure many years ago; otherwise, it is simply impossible for him to have nurtured it to its seven-coloured form. With the nourishment of such a Supreme Treasure, he will naturally not fear any sort of injury to his Soul.”
The Territory Lords all had ugly looks on their faces now. With such a treasure, it was laughable they even thought they had killed Yang Kai the first time. It now made perfect sense that after just 3 years he was back to full strength and could come back to butcher 2 more Territory Lords.
If they had not sealed the Black Ink Nest Space this time and forced him to summon the Soul Warming Lotus to preserve his life, they would probably still be oblivious to the situation they faced.
Hong Di frowned, “This man is not making any further moves. I think his Soul is too badly damaged, so he must be resting inside of the lotus flower. Based on our previous experiences, it would only take him 3 years to recover completely. Then, he will definitely use those evil artifacts against us again. We have to find a way to deal with him before then. Does anyone have any ideas?”
All the Territory Lords were silent, and the 2 Black Ink Disciples also kept mum.
They had all seen what happened. The attacks of 6 Territory Lords and 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples couldn’t even disturb the Soul Warming Lotus, so trying to break through its defences was clearly a waste of time and energy.
One Territory Lord suggested, “Why don’t we try attacking again? He can only take our attacks now without being able to retaliate, so no matter how powerful this Soul Warming Lotus is, there should be a limit to how much it can take. We might be able to break it.”
The old man’s face twitched as he shook his head, “This is a unique Supreme Treasure, it would be a waste to break it. It would be best if we could recover and refine it.”
Hong Di was impressed by his suggestion, “That is a reasonable thought. If this treasure is so useful to a person’s Soul, then our Black Ink Clan can also make use if it. If we can refine it, then we will no longer have to fear the Soul Secret Techniques of those Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the future.”
The Humans did not have the innately strong physical bodies of the Black Ink Clan, and their growth cycle was also much longer, but the Humans also had their own racial advantages, and that was the variety of strange artifacts and techniques that they possessed.
Especially their Secret Techniques, which practically every Territory Lord had eaten a loss from. Of them, some Soul Secret Techniques were difficult to guard against and were the most troublesome.
If they could really refine this Soul Warming Lotus, then what Soul-type attack would they have to fear in the future? If the Humans dared to perform those Soul Secret Techniques again, then it would only be lifting a stone and dropping it on their own feet.
That was why Hong Di was so impressed with the old man’s proposal.
And, as the most senior Territory Lord here, Hong Di would naturally not step down from this opportunity, “I will try and refine it.”
Saying so, he took a step forward and his Spiritual Energy surged, enveloping the Soul Warming Lotus. Even though the other Territory Lords were displeased, there was nothing they could say.
The 2 Black Ink Disciples exchanged glances and stepped back, looking for their companion that was injured by Yang Kai before and helping him to resist the Soul Rending Thorn that was shot into his body earlier.
Upon entering the Black Ink Nest Space, Yang Kai first killed a Black Ink Disciple before injuring another. The Black Ink Disciple who was injured earlier had been fending off the power of the Soul Rending Thorn this whole time, but he was only a Black Ink Disciple after all, not a true Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it was a difficult struggle for him.
His 2 companions came at just the right time. If they had been any later, then he may not have been able to hold on. Even with 2 companions helping, it took a lot of effort for the Black Ink Disciple to stabilize his condition, but if he wished to force out the Soul Rending Thorn, it would be a long and gruelling task. Moreover, the entire process was bound to be fraught with ups and downs. The slightest misstep could result in a fatal end for him.
The Black Ink Nest Space was quiet for a while, with only the constant fluctuations of Hong Di’s Spiritual Energy breaking up the monotony.
After half a month, Hong Di finally lost patience and withdrew his Spiritual Energy, “Not a single drop is going through this thing. It’s impossible to refine. If any of you are interested, you’re free to try!”
He spent half a month and wasted a lot of Spiritual Energy, yet he came out completely empty-handed, which was extremely vexing for Hong Di. However, he needed to let the other Territory Lords have a try; after all, just because he could not refine it did not mean that others could not.
Anyone would want to give it a try.
After he stepped down, another Territory Lord took his place eagerly.
However, half a month later, he stepped back in disappointment just like Hong Di.
The other 4 Territory Lords tried one after another, but they all failed. This showed the Territory Lord that this Soul Warming Lotus probably wasn’t so easily refinable, especially when its owner was still alive.
If they wished to refine this Supreme Treasure, there was no choice other than to kill its owner first.
However, that Human had been hiding inside of the lotus bud ever since the Soul Warming Lotus appeared, and the Territory Lords had no idea what his condition was currently. How were they going to kill this guy off if they could not break through the Soul Warming Lotus’s protection?
This was simply a problem with no solution.
Just then, the old man came over with bad news, “Sirs, Brother Wan is on the verge of death. Could Sirs please open the space and allow him to return to his body so that he may recover?”
The Brother Wan that he spoke of was the Black Ink Disciple that Yang Kai injured previously.
Hearing his words, Hong Di turned around and saw that, sure enough, the Soul of the Black Ink Disciple surnamed Wan was unstable and weakening continuously.
Hong Di frowned, “Wasn’t he fine before? Why did this suddenly happen?”
The old man smiled bitterly, “Sir may not know, but for the three of us to remain in a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests with our consciousness connected to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness, we must use our World Force as a bridge. In other words, as long as the three of us are in here, the Black Ink Nest will constantly be devouring the World Force inside of our Small Universes. Counting the time, it has been 2 months since we entered this place. We may be in the Eighth Order with deep heritages, but Brother Wan’s Soul was severely injured, and with the World Force inside his body gradually running out, he can no longer hold on.
Not to mention Brother Wan, even he and the other unharmed Black Ink Disciple could not remain inside of the Black Ink Nest’s space forever. Otherwise, once all the World Force Inside their Small Universes were devoured by the Black Ink Nest, there was a risk of it collapsing, which was the same as them dying.
Their situation was unlike the Black Ink Clan, the Territory Lords may not be significantly stronger than them, but the power within the Black Ink Clan was Black Ink Strength that could connect with the Black Ink Nest at will without the same risks that they had to take on.
The Territory Lords could stay in their Black Ink Nests for as long as they wanted, but the same could not be said for the Black Ink Disciples. Before the power in their Small Universes dried up, they had to return their Souls to their bodies and seal off their Small Universe. Otherwise, they would be sucked dry and turned into withered corpses by the Black Ink Nest.
However, as these two were unharmed, they were able to last longer than Brother Wan.
After hearing what the old man said, Hong Di realized that he had overlooked the predicament of these Black Ink Disciples.
However, he was still hesitant to open up this space.
That was because the Human hiding inside of the Soul Warming Lotus would be allowed to escape once the space was opened. Only the Heavens knew what condition he was in right now, so who could say if he was capable of escaping when given a chance?
The Territory Lords had already paid a very heavy price and even asked the Royal Lord for help just so they could trap this Human here, so how could they be willing to let him escape?
However, the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were currently a force that the Black Ink Clan relied on, so Hong Di was also reluctant to have that Black Ink Disciple surnamed Wan just die in vain here.
It was a difficult choice!
Hong Di was indecisive when faced with this predicament.
However, the eyes of another Territory Lord suddenly lit up, “If you Black Ink Disciples are facing this problem, then it must be the same for that Human. Since he could enter this place, it means that he must have connected his consciousness with the Black Ink Nest just as you have, using the World Force of his Small Universe as a bridge. So, there’s simply no need for us to try so hard to refine the Soul Warming Lotus or even attack him. We only need to wait until the power inside of his Small Universe is exhausted, then sooner or later, he will die!”
Hong Di thought it was very logical when he heard it and nodded repeatedly, “That’s right, that’s exactly it!”
The old man’s heart went cold upon hearing this. It seemed like the Territory Lords were saying that they would rather sacrifice the Black Ink Disciple surnamed Wan than open this space.
However, it must be said that what the Territory Lord said was indeed the best solution at hand.
The old man was merely a Black Ink Disciple after all, so despite how unbearable it was, the Territory Lords had already made their decision and he was in no position to try and convince them otherwise. He could only turn around and glance at the Black Ink Disciple surnamed Wan, sighing.
However, Hong Di said, “You do not need to worry either. I’ve just thought of something.”
The old man bowed, “Please, Sir.”
“You said before that this Soul Warming Lotus was grows from three colours, five colours, and seven colours, correct? Now that this Soul Warming Lotus has already reached seven colours, it means that this man has possessed it for a long time, correct?”
“Exactly so.”
“Based on your speculation, how many years do you suppose this Human has possessed the Soul Warming Lotus?”
“At least 1,000 years, if not several thousand,” the old man reported.
“That’s right,” Hong Di’s eyes shone brightly, “If my guess is not wrong, then there is a great possibility that this Human is not in the Eighth Order.”
“Not in the Eighth Order?” The Territory Lords and the old man were stunned. They had no idea why Hong Di would make such a guess.
“I had a strange feeling when I fought him before; however, I couldn’t tell exactly what that feeling was. He just seemed different from the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters I’ve faced in the past. Knowing what I know now though, it is obvious that the reason his Soul has reached the intensity of the Eighth Order is because he had the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus. As such, it’s likely he is only in the Seventh Order! If he was truly in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, then his Soul should have been far more powerful than an ordinary Eighth-Order Human.”
Hong Di’s speculation was also logical, and the Territory Lords who heard him all nodded repeatedly. And this indeed made sense, for if this Human was truly in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, then after his Soul was nurtured by the Soul Warming Lotus for several thousand years, there was no way his Spiritual Energy would remain at the same level as an ordinary Eighth-Order Human. It would definitely far surpass that.
Now, the Spiritual Energy of this Human was merely on par with an ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it was clear to see that his true strength was not in the Eighth-Order.
The old man was even more delighted than the Territory Lords at that and exclaimed, “In that case, this man’s strength lies entirely in his Soul, while his true strength should be far inferior to ours.”
Hong Di smiled, “And so, he will not be able to hold out longer than you can.”
“Sir is absolutely correct!” The old man bowed.
If that were the case, then the Black Ink Disciple surnamed Wan might still have a thin hope. As long as he could outlast the man inside of the Soul Warming Lotus, then once their opponent’s Small Universe dried up, their predicament would be solved and there would be no need for them to seal the Black Ink Nest’s space any longer.
…..
At the same time, at the outpost with the Black Ink Nest in its centre.
Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple were standing by, next to Yang Kai.
Several months had gone by with Yang Kai remaining in this living corpse state without any trace of a ripple from his Soul, yet also with no physical abnormalities showing in his body.
Ou Yang Lie had also invited several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were proficient in Soul cultivation to come and take a look at him previously, but they all came to the conclusion that the connection between Yang Kai’s Soul had been cut from his body, and it should be suppressed and sealed inside of the Black Ink Nest Space.
Since only a single person could connect to a Black Ink Nest at any one time, there was nothing they could do to help on the Human side even if they wanted to.
In this situation, Yang Kai could only protect himself.
While being idle and having nothing to do, Gong Lian suddenly said, “Honoured Master, this Disciple heard that Brother Yang’s Small Universe is raising countless living beings. Even if he doesn’t cultivate, the heritage of his Small Universe is constantly increasing. Is that true?”
Ou Yang Lie smacked his lips, “I’ve heard that too, so it is most likely not false. That means that this boy is a lucky one. Not even an ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would dare to raise living beings in their Small Universe, yet he, as a Seventh-Order brat, had done so. Only the Heavens know how many years of cultivation that will save him in the future.”
Gong Lian looked impressed, “If I were to raise living beings in my Small Universe too, then would I not have to cultivate in the future?”
For him, this was a perfect solution as he always felt cultivation was a huge hassle. If he could increase his cultivation even while lying down and sleeping, nothing would make him happier.
Ou Yang Lie glanced at him, “He has the capital to do so, but do you? The Four Universe Pillars aren’t cabbages you pick up in the market. Without one of the Four Universe Pillars to fortify your Small Universe, once you fought against a powerful foe, your Small Universe would certainly be shaken. When the time came, it would be a disaster for all the living beings inside. Such a sin would not be beneficial to your future cultivation.”
Gong Lian felt a little dejected upon hearing that. Looking at Yang Kai, he really had to sigh with envy.
Ou Yang Lie smacked his lips again, “However, we should be thankful to those living in this boy’s Small Universe. If not for them, he might have been sucked dry by the Black Ink Nest after not returning for such a long time.”
Ou Yang Lie had been observing the condition in Yang Kai’s Small Universe this whole time, which he naturally could not normally check on. However, since Yang Kai had to connect to the consciousness of the Black Ink Nest, his Small Universe remained open the whole time, allowing the Black Ink Nest to devour his World Force. At least, Ou Yang Lie was still able to see some clues.
After a few months had passed, any ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have been drained dry; however, the World Force inside of Yang Kai’s Small Universe remained plentiful without visibly decreasing in the slightest. It was clear that the living beings that he raised inside of his Small Universe were working in this case.
Now, there was no need to worry that Yang Kai’s Small Universe would be sucked dry by the Black Ink Nest, and he also had the Soul Warming Lotus to protect his Soul. Even a Royal Lord would not be able to do anything to him inside the Black Ink Nest Space, so there was little to worry about when it came to his safety.
The only thing the Black Ink Clan could do was trap him inside the Black Ink Nest Space, and he had no idea when Yang Kai would be able to escape.
Ou Yang Lie believed that the situation would not change much in the near future, and there was nothing that he could do about it either, so he just waited here and monitored Yang Kai’s status. As soon as anything happened he would immediately report it.
Time passed inside the Black Ink Nest, and in the blink of an eye, another 2 months went by.
It had almost been half a year since the Black Ink Nest Space was sealed off, an amount of time that would barely count as anything for both the Territory Lords and the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.
At their Realm, one would ordinarily spend upwards of several dozen to 100 years in retreat during their cultivation, so a trivial half a year was just like a snap of one’s fingers.
However, for the Black Ink Disciple surnamed Wan, this half a year was torturous.
The Soul Rending Thorn was constantly wearing down his Soul, and even with the help of the 2 Black Ink Disciples, it was difficult for him to turn the tides on his condition. If his Soul Avatar could return and unite with his body, then it would provide some help to his current situation.
However, the Territory Lords were too worried about opening the Black Ink Nest Space simply for fear that the Human would escape. Under such circumstances, how could the Black Ink Disciple’s Soul return and remerge with his body?
In addition, the Black Ink Nest was constantly devouring the power inside of his Small Universe, further adding frost to snow and worsening his condition.
He had no idea what the condition of his Small Universe was at the moment, but if too much of its World Force was consumed, it would also kill him.
With the help of 2 companions, he was able to last for half a year, but the Black Ink Disciple surnamed Wan was starting to slip away.
At the same time, as when his Spiritual Energy began fluctuating violently, the 6 Territory Lords who were watching for any movements from the Soul Warming Lotus turned around just in time to see the Soul Avatar of the Black Ink Disciple surnamed Wan exploding, turning into dots of light and dissipating from the Black Ink Nest Space.
“Brother Wan!” The old man cried out in grief, feeling sad for his fellow peer.
The other Black Ink Disciple also had a mournful expression.
They had done everything they could, but they were unable to save the life of their companion. Before entering the Black Ink Nest on this mission, nobody could have expected that the situation would turn out this way.
They had a lineup of 6 Territory Lords and 4 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. Even if an Old Ancestor were to enter, they could still somehow put up a fight.
But now, 2 Black Ink Disciples were dead, and the Human was still hiding inside of the Soul Warming Lotus, without showing any signs of moving. There was simply nothing the Black Ink Clan could do.
Hong Di’s eyes were practically spitting fire.
[We lost another one!]
After counting the 2 prior times, the battles inside the Black Ink Nest Space had already cost the Black Ink Clan 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples and 1 Territory Lord, and there were 3 other Territory Lords left with severe injuries to their Souls. It was not known whether they were even dead or alive at this point.
Such losses could not be considered small for the Black Ink Clan.
After the last war in Great Evolution Theatre, the Black Ink Clan’s forces were nowhere near as strong as they had been before. Whether it be the Territory Lords or the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, their numbers had essentially been halved from what they were just a few hundred years ago.
Suddenly, doubt emerged in Hong Di’s heart.
Was it worth paying such a high price just to force the Humans to give up the Black Ink Nest?
If their plan worked, then of course it would be worth it!
However, they had now experienced several serious setbacks with the Humans only having to mobilize a single person to make them lose so much ground. In the words of the Humans, the Black Ink Clan was now riding a tiger.
The cost was too great, but if they gave up now, how were they supposed to explain themselves to the Royal Lord?
So, no matter what, they had to deal with this Human and seize the Soul Warming Lotus so that they could show their faces to the Royal Lord.
On the other hand, the 2 Black Ink Disciples could only watch as the Soul Avatar of their companion surnamed Wan faded away. Losing a friend, they were both sad and also worried about their own situations.
Even though they were currently unharmed, it would still be a problem for them if they did not return to their physical bodies for a long time due to the Black Ink Nest continuing to eat up the World Force inside of their Small Universes.
They were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but how long would they be able to last?
A year? 2? Maybe 3? Nobody could say for sure.
In fact, they were already feeling a bit of fatigue. Even though it was not very obvious, it was definitely a result of the depletion of their physical strength being reflected in their Souls Avatars.
This bit of exhaustion was nothing at the moment, but if they allowed this to continue, things would only get worse.
However, they were nothing more than Black Ink Disciples, servants of the Black Ink Clan, so how could they advise the Territory Lords to abandon this plan at this time?
The Territory Lords couldn’t give up easily. The 2 Black Ink Disciples could vaguely foresee the miserable state that awaited them, but now they could only hope that that Human was not in the Eighth, but in the Seventh or even Sixth Order.
Only then would they be able to outlast him.
Time passed in silence.
1 year, 2 years…
The Territory Lords remained unchanged, but the Soul Avatars of the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had clearly dimmed. The fluctuations of their Spiritual Energy had also clearly grown extremely weak, as if they were ailing and sick.
Souls naturally could not get sick, so there was only a single explanation for this occurrence; their bodies in the outside could not hold out any longer. For 2 long years, the Black Ink Nests were constantly devouring the World Force from their Small Universes, so even Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were not be able to hold on.
The weakness of their bodies was being reflected in their Soul Avatars, and that was naturally how things came to appear as they were.
After enduring for so long, the old man could not bear it any longer and came trembling to Hong Di’s side, bowing, “Sir, could you please open the Black Ink Nest Space and allow us to withdraw first? I’m afraid we won’t be able to hold out much longer.”
There was a look of struggle on Hong Di’s face. Frankly, he did not wish to lose 2 more Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples here for nothing; after all, they had already lost 2 before.
He was also happy to have the 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples live.
The reason he did not open the Black Ink Nest’s space previously was because he was worried that Yang Kai would take this opportunity to escape; however, there was no choice but to open the space now. If he didn’t, then the 2 Black Ink Disciples would surely die here.
He couldn’t understand just how this Human could last even longer than the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. His guess should have been correct. If this Human truly was in the Eighth-Order and had the nourishment of the Soul Warming Lotus for several thousand years, then his Soul would definitely be a great deal stronger than an ordinary Eighth-Order Human’s.
The fact that he only exhibited strength on par with an ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master proved that his true cultivation was not in the Eighth-Order. It was highly possible that he was only in the Seventh Order.
The heritage of a Seventh-Order Small Universe naturally could not compare to an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s, yet even though these 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples could not last much longer, the Human still showed no signs of weakening.
Now that things had come to this, Hong Di had no choice but to let the 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples retire first while they, the Territory Lords, stayed behind and continued waiting things out.
He had just made up his mind and was about to open up the Black Ink Nest Space, when a weak voice suddenly came from the Soul Warming Lotus, which had been silent all this while, “Yes, yes, quickly open this space. I also can’t hold on much longer so let’s call it a draw. We’ll talk again when we get the chance to meet again next time.”
[There is going to be a next time?]
Hong Di glared and shouted, “Impudence! No matter how amazing your skills are, this time, you will definitely die here!”
The old man’s Soul Avatar trembled as he turned his head towards the Heavens. If he were here in the flesh, then he would surely have burst into tears.
The only ray of hope he had left had just been destroyed by that Human…
He silently stood down and found a secluded corner with his other companion, calming the fluctuations of his Spiritual Energy and trying to minimize the loss of power as much as possible.
His only hope now was that they could last a moment longer than this Human.
Inside the Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai was now chattering non-stop, “You Territory Lords, why are you doing this? Those 2 obviously can’t hold on much longer. If you don’t open up this place, they are going to die here. I don’t care since I’ve killed so many of you already, and now I even got to take 2 more of you along with me to the grave. It’s a win for me no matter what.”
“The Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples on your side are not many now, right? I guess it makes sense. After the war, we Humans suffered huge casualties, so I can only imagine what it was like for the Black Ink Clan. If 2 more of you die, then the loss would be immense. By the way, how are the Royal Lord’s injuries? Is our Old Ancestor still visiting him often? We’re all neighbours so we should check in on each other frequently, but your Race is always so distant and unwelcoming. How boring it is that you don’t even come to visit.”
“Don’t pretend to be mute, I’m dying here. Will it kill you to say a few words to me? Haa… I’ve been cultivating all my life and shook the wind and clouds. Even though I only reached the Seventh Order, I’ve managed to kill quite a few Territory Lords. Unfortunately, the Heavens must be jealous as it seems I’m going to die here after all.”
“Since I’m going to die soon, let me ask you something. Answer me if you can, or don’t if you can’t. The Black Ink Nests are divided into different Ranks, and each Rank is the sub-nest of the Rank above it. In that case, whose sub-nest is the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest? What gave birth to it? This question has bothered me for a long time, so can you please enlighten me? If you can tell me, then I will also be able to die in peace.”
The Territory Lords were silent, but as they listened to the Human ramble on by himself, they could finally ascertain that just as they suspected, he was not in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, only the Seventh-Order.
Even though it was possible that he was lying, what was the point of doing so now that things have come to this?
What’s more, this situation was exactly the same as they had previously deduced. So, this noisy Human had to be in the Seventh Order, no doubt about it.
How humiliating!
If they had been driven into such a miserable state by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, then so be it, but now, they were actually being made fools of by a Human brat who was only in the Seventh-Order. All the Territory Lords felt great shame, and if possible, they wanted to drag Yang Kai out of the Soul Warming Lotus and make him suffer all kinds of torture to relieve their hatred.
Yang Kai’s voice grew weaker and weaker, “All right, fine. Since you are unwilling to speak, then pretend I never asked. I’m tired, I’m going to sleep.”
Mu Nan Fei, one of Great Evolution Paradise’s 1,653rd-generation disciples, showed a special talent in cultivating since entering the Sect and was highly valued by them, supplemented by the careful education and the training of famous mentors.
He was also hardworking and diligent, cultivating seriously and never disappointing his Elders and just 800 years after stepping onto the Martial Dao, had advanced directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The day he broke through was a day when the sky opened up for him to fly high like a bird, but before his lofty plans could finally be realized, something suddenly happened to the Sect.
News came from the Black Ink Battlefield that Great Evolution Pass was being attacked by the Black Ink Clan Army and was in a precarious situation. So, Great Evolution Paradise quickly mobilized all its available troops to provide support.
Mu Nan Fei vividly remembered the day when all of the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Sect, regardless of their Order, their gender, their age, or whether they were in the High-Rank, or the Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm, gathered together.
Led by many Eighth-Order Divine Monarchs, tens of thousands of Great Evolution Paradise’s Open Heaven Realm Masters marched out from the Sect and went towards the No-Return Pass before stepping into the Black Ink Battlefield.
Once they arrived at Great Evolution Pass, the situation was even worse than any one of them could have expected.
Far off in the distance came violent energy fluctuations. Naturally, it was the fallout of the Old Ancestor of Great Evolution Pass fighting with the Royal Lords. However, the Old Ancestor was facing 2 enemies, and having already been severely injured from a sneak attack, his aura had become extremely weak.
Outside of Great Evolution Pass, the Black Ink Clan Army poured in like a tide that resulted in many of the Humans either dead or injured.
There was simply no time for them to recover. All of the disciples who came from Great Evolution Paradise to provide support were thrown onto the battlefield as soon as they arrived. For these newcomers who had never fought the Black Ink Clan before, this war was extremely brutal and many perished the moment they stepped onto the battlefield.
Mu Nan Fei’s Dao Partner, a gentle woman who had been accompanying him for 500 years, was killed in that battle.
He was seeing red and had completely lost his mind as he fought madly until he exhausted all the strength in his body.
He had forgotten how that battle ended. He just knew that by the time he was conscious, Great Evolution Pass was gone. The entire Army that had been defending the Great Pass together with the Old Ancestor was completely wiped out.
All except for those of them who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength and transformed into Black Ink Disciples.
It had been 30,000 years since that happened.
The newly advanced Sixth Orders of then were now already in the Eighth Order, and among them, he was different from the rest. That was because he had advanced directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and so his limit was the Eighth-Order, so he did not need Black Ink Strength to break through his shackles.
He could be described as a true Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that was no worse even when compared to the Human Race’s Eighth-Order Division Commanders. In a one-on-one fight, most Territory Lords may not even be a match for them.
His 30,000-year-long life as a Black Ink Disciple could almost be said to be extremely boring until the Human Armies came to retake Great Evolution Pass.
A bloody battlefield just like the one 30,000 years ago appeared, but this time, it was the Black Ink Clan who were on the losing end. The Humans reoccupied Great Evolution Pass while the Black Ink Clan incurred severe casualties and was forced to retreat to the Royal City, even having to willingly hand over one of their Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests.
The Royal Lord was furious while the Territory Lords were all extremely ashamed, vowing that they must force the Humans to give up that Black Ink Nest of their own accord.
They were quite successful when it came to hindering the Humans from using the Black Ink Nest at first, because the Humans had to connect their consciousness to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness in order to use it. Inside of the Black Ink Nest Space, the Black Ink Clan occupied an absolute advantage.
They had beaten several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and forced them to flee, and even the Old Ancestor had to return empty-handed after her visit. The Territory Lords thought that they had cornered the Humans.
That was until a strange fellow appeared.
2 successive attacks from this Human left 4 Territory Lords either dead or severely injured, and when all the Territory Lords thought that he was dead with certainty, he appeared for a third time.
Another 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples died because of him.
The Territory Lords had been locked in a stalemate with this Human for 3 years now.
That man was protected by the Soul Warming Lotus, so even the Territory Lords could do nothing about him. They could only hope that his Small Universe would be sucked dry by the Black Ink Nest, which would in turn cause his Small Universe to collapse and kill him.
However, after waiting for 3 years, Mu Nan Fei and the other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple could finally hold on no longer.
In the final moments of their lives, the 2 Black Ink Disciples opened their eyes in unison, seemingly as if something had awoken and resonated between them.
As their gazes met, they could both see the confusion in each other’s eyes.
What had they been doing all these years? Why would they willingly become the minions of the Black Ink Clan? Why would they willingly turn their blades against the Human Race?
How could the sins of this life be washed away by their mere deaths?
Without need for words or deliberation, the 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples emitted a brilliant light in the final throes of their life.
Their extremely weak Spiritual Energy burst into flames all of a sudden, and as they supported each other, they shot across the strange empty space and charged straight into one of the Territory Lords.
The Territory Lords were completely unguarded, with all of their attention focused on the Soul Warming Lotus, or rather, the Seventh-Order Human hiding inside of it.
These days, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would open his mouth and make a bunch of noise from time to time, annoying them to no end.
Though it was annoying, the one thing that was giving hope to the Territory Lords was the fact that this guy’s voice seemed to be getting weaker and weaker, as if he was on the verge of death.
And yet he simply refused to die, clinging stubbornly to life from beginning to end.
The Territory Lords were all sick of him. He wouldn’t live either way, so couldn’t he just make it quick?
Burning the last bit of energy in their Souls, the 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples charged over, but the Territory Lords didn’t notice them at all.
It wasn’t until they rammed into Hong Di, that he suddenly turned around with a livid expression and roared, “What are you doing!?”
If it were any ordinary Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples joining hands like this, then even Hong Di would not be able to withstand it if he was caught completely off guard; however, these 2 were too weak now. Even burning the last of their Spiritual Energy, ramming into Hong Di felt like they were doing no more than scratching an itch.
Hong Di didn’t even feel much impact from it.
The flash of light dimmed, and the 2 figures relying on each other reappeared. However, at this moment, both Mu Nan Fei and the other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s Soul Avatar were dull to the point of transparency, and they were fading quickly. It was clear that they were about to fade away.
However, Mu Nan Fei laughed, “A fitting death for us. Ancestors of Great Evolution Paradise, this Disciple will set off now!”
The other Black Ink Disciple nodded, “Together, we shall go together!”
With those words, the 2 Soul Avatars faded completely, dissipating as if they had never existed before.
The Territory Lords watched this scene in silence, deep frowns drawn between their brows. Though they lamented the loss of 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, they were more curious about the reaction these 2 showed before death… It was quite strange.
However, they were not given much time to ponder the issue as a powerful burst of Spiritual Energy was released at that moment, followed by the emergence of an extremely dangerous aura.
The Territory Lords were all shocked and hurriedly turned back, only to see that the Soul Warming Lotus had opened up at some point, and the Human who had caused them so much pain was standing in the middle of the blooming flower. Divine Sense locking onto a Territory Lord, a golden light shot out.
None of them had expected this Human to rise up and make trouble for them at such a time, but what puzzled them more was the fact that this Human did not seem weak in the slightest. His Soul Avatar was dense and solid, pervading with an imposing might, just short of glistening to show off his power.
[How could this be!?] The eyes of the Territory Lords almost popped out of their sockets.
Even if he had the Soul Warming Lotus to nourish his Soul, what could he do if his physical body failed to hold on? The 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were the perfect example of that.
However, looking at this Human now, the past 3 years did not seem to have made a dent in his strength.
[This is impossible!]
Unlike his attacks from before, Yang Kai did not scream miserably this time, yet violent pain still shot through his Soul Avatar, as if his very being was being torn apart. He forced himself to bear with it only so that he could make this sudden attack, and the effects were remarkable.
The attention of the Territory Lords were drawn to the strange actions of the 2 Black Ink Disciples. And, further dulled by the preconceived notion that Yang Kai had no more power to fight, none of them kept their guard up.
The first Soul Rending Thorn hit one of the Soul Avatars of the Territory Lords squarely, sinking in viciously, sending him flying back as he screamed, drawing distance between himself and Yang Kai.
But could Yang Kai still have the energy to bother with him? A second Soul Rending Thorn was already targeting a different Territory Lord.
He originally wished to attack Hong Di, as from their previous exchanges, it seemed that this Territory Lord was of a higher status than the others, so it would naturally be more meaningful to kill him off or at least severely injure him.
Unfortunately, whether intentionally or not, Hong Di was now the furthest away from him.
Yang Kai had no choice but to choose a closer, more certain target.
As the second Soul Rending Thorn came out, the Territory Lords had also aimed a flurry of attacks at Yang Kai.
However, Yang Kai did not pay them the slightest mind. He had already summoned the Soul Warming Lotus to protect himself and was not as helpless as he was before, so why would he still have to fear the attacks of these Territory Lords?
Violent Spiritual Energy collided with the Soul Warming Lotus, but only a seven-coloured ripple appeared on its light halo before the attacks were completely dissipated. On the other hand, Yang Kai’s second Soul Rending Thorn broke through the Soul defences of the Territory Lord in an instant, nailing straight into his body.
However, he fared a little better than the first Territory Lord, for he had at least taken some precautions. The Soul Rending Thorn did not dig into his body completely, a small portion of it remaining outside, making it look as if he had been struck by an arrow.
A similar howl of pain left the second Territory Lord’s mouth though as he stumbled backwards, his Soul stirring violently.
Whether it be in its refinement or use, the Soul Rending Thorn had cost Yang Kai a great deal of energy to activate, so it was naturally very powerful.
Its limitations were such that anyone who obtained it would only be able to use it as a one-time trump card, impossible to bring out again after one use.
However, Yang Kai could use it over and over again thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus which would always repair his damaged Soul.
So what did it matter?
Once they saw that Yang Kai had already released 2 Soul Rending Thorns, the remaining 4 unharmed Territory Lords finally breathed sighs of relief.
Based on their past experiences, this Human could at most use that strange artifact twice before becoming incapacitated. It was impossible for him to shoot out a third needle within a short period of time.
Before they could even finish that thought though, a terrifying scene emerged.
As Yang Kai opened his mouth, a third Soul Rending Thorn shot out like a golden light just as the Territory Lords began to relax!
The timing was perfect.
This strike was even more effective than the first and second ones as the Soul Rending Thorn shot straight into the Soul Avatar of a third Territory Lord, disappearing from sight.
Another wail of horror broke out!
Throughout the Black Ink Nest Space, Soul auras fluctuated madly, from the 3 injured Territory Lords to the 3 unharmed Territory Lords, as well as Yang Kai’s. It was pure chaos.
After 3 years of silence, chaos suddenly broke out inside of the Black Ink Nest Space with the final blaze of the lives of 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples as the starting signal.
As their Souls were damaged, the painful wails of 3 injured Territory Lords and Yang Kai’s echoed in unison.
The other 3 uninjured Territory Lords were all on high alert, none of them daring to lower their guards. Who knew if the Human could launch a fourth attack?
They had no idea what that artifact was, but it was something that even the Territory Lords could not defend against, to the point where it could almost be described as a sure hit.
A long time passed before the Territory Lords gradually relaxed, because it seemed like the Human really lacked the strength to attack again. Just from looking at his state, they could tell, for his Soul Avatar seemed to be warping constantly, as if it had sustained great damage. The glow of his Soul Avatar had also dimmed, like it was on the verge of collapsing.
If not for the Soul Warming Lotus’s protection, then such damage would have been enough to extinguish his Soul entirely.
Only then did the 3 Territory Lords dare to check on the injuries of their 3 companions. After a short while, all of them were frowning.
Just like the conditions of the few Territory Lords who were hit in the past, the artifact was able to dig into and shred one’s Soul Avatar. Moreover, it was extremely stubborn and difficult to expel in short order.
Things suddenly became extremely tricky for them.
Hong Di’s face was so dark that the abyss would blush in shame.
6 Territory Lords and 4 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, they had a whole 10 top Masters equivalent to 10 Eighth-Order Human Masters lying in ambush inside the Black Ink Nest Space, but the result? The Seventh-Order Human was able to last until now, leaving them with 3 alive and 3 injured. The 4 Black Ink Disciples had truly perished, without any chance of survival.
Counting the 4 Territory Lords from the previous battles, there were now a total of 11 powerful Masters who had either been killed or seriously injured by this one Seventh-Order Human.
Hong Di could not understand how things had come to this state; however, there was no point in getting entangled with this Human any longer. Even 10 Masters could not kill him, so what could they do now that only 3 Territory Lords remained unharmed?
Were they going to wait until that Human fully recovered and then wiped all of them out?
That would be the epitome of foolishness.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, the thought of withdrawing rose in Hong Di’s heart. Among other things, he had to first get the 3 injured Territory Lords back so they could heal their Souls. Indeed, the dead Black Ink Disciples were a painful loss for the Black Ink Clan, but to lose another 3 Territory Lords would really damage their foundation.
However, the Human seemed to be able to read his mind, and as soon as the thought came to Hong Di, the Human who was wailing incessantly said through clenched teeth, “Want to run? If you dare to open this place, I’ll immediately escape!”
Those words left Hong Di in a horrible mood, not knowing whether to go forward or retreat, there was no need to mention how aggravating that feeling was.
Another Territory Lord howled in anger, “A petty human dares to act so impudently!? You’re just a trivial Seventh-Order brat! It’s pure luck that you’ve lasted this long, how much longer do you think you can last!?”
Yang Kai snickered, “I’m afraid I won’t last for long, but at the very least, I can hold longer than those 3! Why don’t you place your bets!?”
The Territory Lord coldly snorted and said nothing more.
There were only 2 choices for the Territory Lords at this point in the confrontation. First, they could ignore the life or death of their injured companions and continue fighting it out with Yang Kai.
3 years have passed, so even if this Seventh-Order Human’s body could hold out this long, he must be near his limit.
It would be best if his World Energy was depleted before the condition of their 3 peers deteriorated; however, the Territory Lords were concerned that this Seventh-Order Human had some method to replenish his World Force. If that wasn’t the case, it did not make sense for him to be able to last 3 years. If that truly was the case, then wasting any more time with him would be pointless.
The second choice was naturally to open up the Black Ink Nest Space so that both sides could retreat.
However, that would mean that the Black Ink Clan had put in all that effort and capital for nothing, and the 4 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples would also have died in vain. How could the Territory Lords bear to accept that?
The 3 uninjured Territory Lords conversed through their Divine Senses for a moment, none of them knowing which choice to make.
Inside of the Soul Warming Lotus, Yang Kai was barely able to maintain a trace of mental clarity.
Using the Soul Rending Thorn thrice in succession was no different than an insane test of his ability to cheat death, but it was a chance that he could not miss as he might never get it again.
Currently, with his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, it would be amazing enough to be able to escape if he truly faced off against a single Territory Lord. If he wished to injure or even kill such a Master, then favourable conditions and an advantageous position were required, along with a good deal of luck.
However, in this Black Ink Nest Space, the number of Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples that he had either cut down or crippled already reached 11.
Of course, that also meant he only had a single Soul Rending Thorn left of his original 12.
This was the best chance he had to reduce the number of Territory Lords without taking too much of a risk. Whether it be for him or the Human Race, this was an extremely rare opportunity.
Thus, Yang Kai was unwilling to leave before finding a way to use his final Soul Rending Thorn.
Otherwise, how could he be in any mood to provoke the Territory Lords? Currently, the best way for him to describe his condition would be a life worse than death. Even the Soul Warming Lotus’ power was barely able to dampen the extreme pain he felt in his Soul.
In spite of his immense suffering, Yang Kai had no choice but to divert some of his attention to the Territory Lords’ movements.
Who knew whether they would open the Black Ink Nest Space or not? If, on the off chance, it did happen and he missed the timing, then he might truly be trapped here forever.
Something else seemed to confuse him, but with his Soul in such turmoil, he didn’t have much energy to be thinking about anything else.
As Yang Kai was in the middle of suffering, the 3 uninjured Territory Lords were also discussing their options.
After only a short debate, the 3 Territory Lords decided to open the Black Ink Nest Space. As things stood, the Human’s physical body showed no signs of withering; otherwise, how could his Soul Avatar have been so full of energy just now?
3 years passed and there were still no obvious changes to his physical body. This Seventh-Order Human must have some special trick that allowed him to maintain the World Force of his Small Universe.
If this went on, once he had a chance to restore himself, the 3 of them would be the unfortunate ones.
Furthermore, the other 3 Territory Lords who were injured could not stay here any longer as this situation was only exacerbating their condition.
Hong Di had an ugly look on his face as he could almost imagine the Royal Lord’s fury when he found out about this debacle.
The withdrawal of his Army from Great Evolution Pass, and his abandonment of his own Black Ink Nest could be said to have been forced, and the Royal Lord was also responsible since it was his order, so the blame could not be put on him.
However, this failure was likely going to affect Hong Di’s position in the Black Ink Clan, but what else could they do now that things had come to this?
Since they finished their discussion, there was no need to delay things.
The Black Ink Nest Space was sealed off by a special technique, and unsealing it was not a difficult task. The Territory Lords just had to use the same technique to open it again.
However, while they were opening the Black Ink Nest Space, the Territory Lords took precautions and opened it for just a brief moment. The 3 uninjured Territory Lords escaped with their injured compatriots at the same time, then they quickly sealed off the Black Ink Nest Space again.
They hoped that the Human would not be able to react in time and then be trapped inside; however, the results were bound to disappoint them. Hong Di had clearly seen the Seventh-Order Human make a quick escape as they were leaving.
The entire Black Ink Nest Space became empty in an instant without any signs of life left behind.
At the universe fragment where the Black Ink Nest was located, Yang Kai woke with a stifled grunt.
Gong Lian, who had been watching over him from the side, came over immediately and helped Yang Kai steady himself while shouting, “Honoured Master, Brother Yang is awake!”
Ou Yang Lie breathed a deep sigh, “Brat, you’re finally back. You really scared me this time.”
Saying so, he stuffed a large handful of Spirit Pills into Yang Kai’s mouth as if they were common candies.
Yang Kai did not even have the energy to thank him and quickly refined and absorbed the pills.
Only after watching his condition stabilize slowly did Ou Yang Lie let out a sigh of relief. He gave his Disciple a look with his eyes, signalling for him to come out of the Black Ink Nest with him.
“What are your orders, Honoured Master?”
Gong Lian asked curiously.
Ou Yang Lie said, “Go back to the Pass and report to the Old Ancestor. Tell her that Yang Kai has made a safe return.”
After receiving the order, Gong Lian left quickly.
As he watched his Disciple’s back, Ou Yang Lie’s tense heart finally relaxed; not because Yang Kai was able to return safely, but because of the Old Ancestor.
Since Yang Kai’s Soul entered the Black Ink Nest Space, he had not returned for 3 years, a fact that could not be hidden from the Old Ancestor.
Everyone knew that something must have happened to Yang Kai in the Black Ink Nest; otherwise, he couldn’t have been trapped inside for so long, but nobody knew what happened exactly.
They could only guess that the Black Ink Clan must have used some sort of trick to seal off the Black Ink Nest Space, preventing Yang Kai from returning.
It was not known how the news had reached the Old Ancestor’s ears, but when it did, she immediately declared she would visit the Royal City to ‘ask’ about the situation.
A panicked Mi Jing Lun hurriedly tried to stop her.
He knew that the Old Ancestor would not just show her aura from afar to taunt the Royal Lord like she had done before. If she really did go there now, then she would definitely attack the Royal City to put pressure on the Black Ink Clan to see if she could help Yang Kai out of his predicament.
Even if she was an Old Ancestor, to attack the Royal City alone still bore serious risk.
How could Mi Jing Lun allow that to happen? He immediately negotiated with the Old Ancestor, and they finally agreed to wait 3 years to see whether or not things would change. If Yang Kai still did not return after 3 years, then the Great Evolution Army would join the Old Ancestor to attack the Royal City!
The reason why they decided on 3 years was because Mi Jing Lun had received news from Ou Yang Lie that it would take around 3 years of time for Yang Kai’s Soul to recover after each attack.
According to Mi Jing Lun’s estimation, the stalemate would definitely break once Yang Kai’s Soul was able to recover.
And now, that did seem to be the case. As soon as the 3-year limit hit, Yang Kai’s Soul returned.
Ou Yang Lie was naturally in a hurry to send Gong Lian to Great Evolution Pass to report the matter. In case the Army really was mobilized and the soldiers followed the Old Ancestor to attack the Royal City, it would be difficult for them to revert that decision.
Sometimes, Ou Yang Lie wanted to cut Mi Jing Lun’s head open to see what was inside. How could he be so far-sighted and always know what others did not?
However, he did not feel discouraged since to him, everyone had their own strengths. At the very least, charging through enemy lines was his strength, something that Mi Jing Lun could not replicate. Moreover… He was manlier than Mi Jing Lun!
News of Yang Kai’s Soul returning quickly reached Great Evolution Pass, and the Old Ancestor, who was ready to mobilize her troops and spur her horse, asserted that she wished to make a trip to the Royal City to visit the Royal Lord and thank him for taking care of her subordinate for the past 3 years.
Mi Jing Lun was unable to stop her this time, nor did he even try to.
Since Yang Kai was fine, then the Old Ancestor would surely act more prudently.
Another 3 years went by in the blink of an eye, and the trauma on Yang Kai’s Soul finally recovered.
The successive recoveries after heavy injuries actually increased his Soul’s strength by about 10% compared to just over a decade ago.
If Yang Kai’s Spiritual Energy was comparable to that of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had just advanced a dozen years ago, then his Spiritual Energy was now on par with an established Eight-Order Master.
This was indeed a shortcut to cultivating one’s Soul, a shortcut that belonged only to Yang Kai. Without the Soul Warming Lotus’ protection, anyone trying to use the same technique would just be digging their own grave.
However, Yang Kai never wanted to cultivate in such a way again after experiencing that much pain. It was simply inhumane torture.
He would not consider using such a method to raise his Spiritual Energy unless he was left with absolutely no other choice one day.
12 Soul Rending Thorns, 10 years of time, entering and leaving the Black Ink Nest thrice. As many as 11 Territory Lord equivalent Masters either died or were seriously injured at his hands, it was an unprecedented feat in all of history.
There were no Open Heaven Realm Masters who could replicate this feat in the Seventh Order or even the Eighth Order.
But Yang Kai knew that the greatest reason why he could achieve such a feat was thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus. He did not achieve it because of his own strength, so even though the results were great, he did not dare to be arrogant.
If he underestimated the Black Ink Clan too much, then he would be the one to suffer a loss in the future.
Right now, there was another matter for him to consider, and it was the strange reactions displayed by the 2 Black Ink Disciples at the final moment inside of the Black Ink Nest Space.
Yang Kai had noticed the unusual reactions of the 2 Black Ink Disciples back then, but he was in no mood to contemplate such a thing at that time. He just instinctively seized the best moment to strike and unleashed a Soul Rending Thorn, severely injuring a Territory Lord.
Then, after 3 Soul Rending Thorns were used, Yang Kai’s Soul was so unstable and he was in such miserable pain that he simply had no energy to be thinking about anything else.
Now that the damage to his Soul had been restored, he naturally recalled the strange movements shown by the 2 Black Ink Disciples at the end of their lives.
There were all sorts of signs that indicated that the 2 Black Ink Disciples had recovered their true natures when their Souls were about to dissipate. Otherwise, there was no way that they would launch an attack on the Territory Lords. Only, they were already too weak at that time, so even if they joined forces, their hasty attack still failed to deal any sort of damage.
How did they break free from the Black Ink Strength’s corruption and restore their true natures?
After some thought, Yang Kai had a vague feeling that there could only be one explanation.
The reason why those two Black Ink Disciples died was not because they were injured or some other reason, but because their Small Universes had collapsed due to their World Force being drained by the Black Ink Nest over a long period.
Black Ink Strength corrupted the foundation of an Open Heaven Realm Master, which meant their Small Universe, which in turn overrode their minds.
Since the Small Universe which had been corrupted had already collapsed, then the foundation that the Black Ink Strength affected was already gone. So, at the end of their lives, they were able to recover their identities as Humans and made a sudden attack against a Territory Lord.
That must have been why they were laughing so unreservedly and so happily before their deaths.
For a Black Ink Disciple, such a death was undoubtedly the greatest release they could have from life.
Yang Kai had heard that the Black Ink Clan had left behind over 100 Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples when they withdrew from Great Evolution Pass as was agreed with Mi Jing Lun.
Even Xiang Shan and the others had no idea how they were going to deal with these Black Ink Disciples, so in the end, they had no choice but to ask for the Old Ancestor’s instructions.
Even though the Old Ancestor was a woman, she had a firm heart and decisive will. With one move, the over 100 Black Ink Disciples were executed.
The Old Ancestor seemed to have used an inexplicable power then to return the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples to their senses for a brief moment, allowing them to die as Humans in Great Evolution Pass.
This was the best way to honour the warriors who fought against the Black Ink Clan all those years ago.
The fall of the 2 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples was different from those of Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples at Great Evolution Pass, but it was also similar at the same time.
Yang Kai was relieved that at the very least, they died a worthy death. If they truly died on the battlefield as Black Ink Disciples, then they would have died muddle-headed.
Their final attack may not have brought any harm to the Territory Lord, but it did create a good opportunity for Yang Kai to strike.
In that respect, they could be considered to have fought alongside Yang Kai.
At the sound of footsteps, Yang Kai looked up to see Ou Yang Lie approaching.
Ou Yang Lie had come over from time to time to check on him recently just to see how he was recovering from his injuries. Without interrupting, he would just take a glance and leave.
Every time he came, the condition of Yang Kai’s Soul became better. Even after experiencing it twice, Ou Yang Lie had to admit that the Soul Warming Lotus was truly invaluable when it came to matters of the Soul.
With such a Supreme Treasure, would one still have to worry about injuring their Soul?
“You look full of energy, kid. You even look like you’re glowing. Have you recovered?” Ou Yang Lie joked.
Yang Kai got up, “This Junior is fine now.”
Then, he bowed, “Many thanks for standing guard for me, Sir.”
Ou Yang Lie waved his hand, “It’s nothing. Actually, I have a question to ask you.”
“Please ask away, Sir.”
Ou Yang Lie moved closer with a curious look on his face, “After all those years going in and out, how many Territory Lords did you do in?”
Yang Kai’s face twitched slightly. Without bothering to question Ou Yang Lie’s crass use of words, he answered honestly, “2 Territory Lords during the first round, and another 2 during the second. The third round, I managed to get 4 Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples and 3 Territory Lords. 11 altogether.”
Ou Yang Lie’s eyes widened as he listened, thinking back to the battle back then where he nearly lost his life charging into an Army of tens of thousands only to cut down a single Territory Lord.
Yet Yang Kai’s back-and-forth venture netted him 11 casualties…
There was simply no comparison! As he looked at the young face in front of him, Ou Yang Lie sighed inwardly, feeling like a small wave about to be swallowed up by a giant tsunami coming from behind.
But more than that, he was relieved.
Only when the latter wave becomes successful would they, the front waves, have no lack of worthy successors.
Ou Yang Lie did not know how exactly the battle went on inside of the Black Ink Nest Space, but he had also heard some scattered information from Mi Jing Lun over the years and learned that Yang Kai was able to achieve this level of success seemingly because of a strange artifact that was given to him by the Old Ancestor, complemented by the Soul Warming Lotus.
This was something that no other cultivator could emulate.
Yang Kai added, “It is certain that the 4 Black Ink Disciples perished, but this Junior is unsure about the conditions of the 7 Territory Lords.”
Ou Yang Lie broke out in laughter, “At least one of them must be dead. Previously, I heard your Martial Uncle Mi mention that the Old Ancestor just happened to feel the aura of a Territory Lord perishing during one of her visits to the Royal City to see their Royal Lord, and there might have been more than just one death.”
Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, this Junior’s efforts over the years have not been in vain. Sir has come at a good time today. I was just about to make another visit to the Black Ink Nest Space and require Sir’s protection again.”
Ou Yang Lie’s face turned serious, “Boy, one does not play the same trick thrice. After going back and forth from the Black Ink Nest, you’ve killed a total of 11 already, it’s too risky to continue. We’ve already taken a huge advantage of them, so the Black Ink Clan will surely be targeting us.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Rest assured, Sir. If this Junior’s guess is correct, then we may not need to fight the Black Ink Clan this time.”
Of course, he wasn’t afraid even if he did have to fight. He still had one last Soul Rending Thorn that he was itching to use.
“What do you mean?” Ou Yang Lie was confused.
Yang Kai explained, “It isn’t that this Junior is trying to hide anything, it’s merely a guess at this point. I don’t dare to be sure, but we’ll know after another visit.”
Ou Yang Lie looked deeply at him for a moment, feeling at a loss over whether he should let him continue or not.
Yang Kai followed up, “If this Junior does not return within a few days, then I must have encountered the Royal Lord inside the Black Ink Nest Space. In that event, I will need to ask Sir to please inform the Old Ancestor and ask her to rescue me.”
The Territory Lords were unable to do anything to him, so if they were truly planning to fight, then the Royal Lord would have to come out personally.
However, the Royal Lord had also been going through hard times during these years. His wounds were not getting any better and he still had to be wary of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao showing up randomly at his doorstep, so where would he find the time to deal with him?
So, Yang Kai felt that it was unlikely for him to be attacked this time.
Ou Yang Lie’s mouth twitched, “You really don’t stand on ceremony, but that’s fine. I’ll allow you to go, but you must be careful. If things go awry, withdraw immediately. Don’t go quiet on me again for years like last time.”
“I will remember!” Yang Kai bowed in response and then circulated the power within his Small Universe, opening it, allowing the Black Ink Nest to devour his World Force. With the World Force as a bridge, he connected his consciousness to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness and prepared to enter the Black Ink Nest Space.
After a moment, Ou Yang Lie looked curiously at him, “What are you doing?”
Yang Kai blinked his eyes and turned to look at him, “I can’t enter.”
“What do you mean you can’t enter?” Ou Yang Lie was completely flabbergasted.
Yang Kai said, “I can’t enter the Black Ink Nest Space anymore! Previously, when this Junior’s consciousness connected to the Black Ink Nest’s, I would immediately arrive at the space, but now it seems to have disappeared.”
“Truly?” Ou Yang Lie was astonished, “Let me try!”
Yang Kai did not stop him either and withdrew his power, allowing Ou Yang Lie to try.
After a few moments, Ou Yang Lie had a surprised look on his face, “I really can’t get inside! But how could this be?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “There can only be one explanation for this situation.”
“What is it?”
“Our Black Ink Nest has been cut off by the Black Ink Clan. In other words, the Black Ink Clan has severed all connection with the Black Ink Nest in our possession.”
“Can the Black Ink Clan do such a thing?” Ou Yang Lie was astonished.
Yang Kai explained, “Based on this Junior’s understanding, the situation of the Black Ink Nest Space is as such, each Black Ink Nest has its own consciousness, but it doesn’t have a Will, so it cannot be considered alive. The consciousness of the Black Ink Nest can take the form of a strange space that acts as a platform for the Black Ink Nests spawned from it to communicate with each other and to exchange information.”
“For example, in Great Evolution Theatre, the consciousness of the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest is the highest-ranking platform that allows all Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests’ consciousnesses to enter it. Similarly, the consciousness of our Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest can also be a platform that can allow Low-Rank Blank Ink Nests’ spawned from it to enter. Of course, we do not have any Low-Rank Black Ink Nests, so we are unable to ascertain that.”
“The relationship between the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest and the High-Rank Black Ink Nest is that of subordinate and superior. The former is derived from the latter, and the latter, I’m afraid, has complete control and domination over the former. If the latter has the intention of severing the link with the former completely, then it may not be impossible; otherwise, there is no other way to explain the situation we have at hand.”
Upon hearing this, Ou Yang Lie was silent for a moment, “It’s like a woman who gave birth to a bunch of Sons, and one of them brought home some unwelcome guests to cause trouble, which angered the woman, so she expelled him from the household and cut off their relationship.”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “That sounds about right.”
Ou Yang Lie laughed, “I think I understand now. Just like Big Head Mi, if you speak in a roundabout way, it’s easy to get someone confused.”
Yang Kai answered readily, “It was this Junior who was not considerate enough.”
Ou Yang Lie waved his hand, “So that means that the Black Ink Clan have completely given up on this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest in our hands?”
Yang Kai nodded, “That should be the case!”
Ou Yang Lie guffawed, “Truly, we were wearing out iron shoes while seeking our feet, but now we ended up getting it without any effort instead.”
As early as when Mi Jing Lun requested the Black Ink Clan to leave this Black Ink Nest behind, he had intentions of building an intelligence network for the Human Race through it. Only, even if it was him, he would never have expected that the Black Ink Clan would put up such a fierce struggle with them over the Black Ink Nest, unwilling to back down in the slightest.
As a result, there was nothing they could do about it.
After 10 years, Yang Kai’s efforts have caused the Black Ink Clan to give up on the Black Ink Nest on their own initiative, which means that Mi Jing Lun has now more or less achieved what he initially intended to do.
Yang Kai was also surprised since he had only acted to deal with those Territory Lords. He never thought that they would end up taking over this Black Ink Nest completely as well.
The Royal Lord Black Ink Nest may have completely severed its connection with this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, which was in the hands of the Humans; however, the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest did not wither away as a result of it. The crux of the matter was that this connection could be severed. Though the space created by the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest could deny access to this Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, the hierarchical relationship between superior and subordinate could never be broken.
In other words, as long as the Black Ink Nest in the Royal City was not destroyed, then nothing would happen to this Black Ink Nest in their hands.
“Big Head Mi will be ecstatic once he hears the news. I’ll go and tell him now,” Ou Yang Lie left after saying so.
After he left, Yang Kai immersed his consciousness again, opening up his Small Universe and connecting it to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness.
Even though he could no longer enter the space created by the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest’s consciousness, there were no problems when it came to connecting to the consciousness of the Black Ink Nest he was inside. Moreover, he no longer had to put his guard up in preparation for any possible attacks.
Without any disturbance, Yang Kai easily brought the entire Black Ink Nest under his control. As his thoughts shifted, it was as if the Black Ink Nest had become his arms and legs, with all of its functions and abilities within his grasp.
Yang Kai had, after all, many experiences before. Not to mention the Black Ink Nest before him now, even back in the Black Ink Clan’s territory, he had connected to the consciousness of countless Black Ink Nests, so he was no stranger to it.
Only, he was in no mood to mess with anything else back then, so he did not probe too deeply into the Black Ink Nest’s capabilities. But now, things were different. The Humans were trying to make use of this Black Ink Nest to create their own information network. So, naturally, the more he could find out about it, the better.
A short while later, Yang Kai had more or less figured out all the Black Ink Nest’s functions. Though, unlike the last time, preparations to create a sub-nest was not as readily set up.
In a flash, he arrived at the Black Ink Pool and poured a large amount of resources into it as he controlled the Black Ink Nest inwardly to absorb and refine the power within the resources.
The Black Ink Pool was a very important place for every Black Ink Nest. It was also the source of its power, so no matter what resources were put into it, they could quickly be turned into nutrients for the Black Ink Nest.
With these nutrients, the Black Ink Nest could spawn new Black Ink Clansmen or sub-nests. Even when it came to the strange mental Soul Space, energy was required to maintain it.
Of course, Yang Kai would not spawn Black Ink Clansmen using the Black Ink Nest, he only wanted to obtain a sub-nest.
He needed a sub-nest for his Small Universe so that he could familiarize the disciples of the Void Dao Temple with the Black Ink Clan’s special characteristics early on.
The Human Race also required a large number of sub-nests to create its intelligence network. At the same time, he also wanted to confirm his and Ou Yang Lie’s guess from earlier.
He wanted to see whether a higher-class Black Ink Nest was truly able to sever its connection with one of its sub-nests and whether that connection could be restored afterwards.
If the connection couldn’t be restored, then that would naturally be a good thing for the Humans. It would mean that they could rest assured and use the Black Ink Nest in the future.
If the connection could be restored, then they would have to tread carefully; after all, nobody could tell when the Black Ink Clan would suddenly restore the connection and try to spy on the Human Race’s communications. It would also be no small matter if they were to suddenly attack the Humans standing by inside of the Black Ink Nest.
Under Yang Kai’s control, the mass of resources in the Black Ink Pool was quickly refined, and all of its energy was directed towards the surrounding flesh walls.
Soon, a tumour bulged out from one part of the flesh wall.
With only a glance at the tumour, Yang Kai could not bear to look at it any longer. This couldn’t be helped as he could already feel very clearly that what was coming out of the tumour was not the sub-nest that he wanted, but a Black Ink Clansman!
The first attempt was a failure.
Yang Kai was not discouraged. He killed the Black Ink Clansman before it was even fully birthed and tried again.
After several failed attempts, a new aura appeared inside the Black Ink Nest. It was Mi Jing Lun who had rushed over after receiving the news.
He was not alone, however. Xiang Shan and Li Zhi Ping, the two Army Commanders, came with him. Including Ou Yang Lie, all four Army Commanders of the Great Evolution Army were now gathered in this place.
It could be seen how much importance the higher-ups placed on the Black Ink Nest from this alone.
Yang Kai had no choice but to put his attempts on hold and went forward to greet them.
They had already heard the gist of the situation from Ou Yang Lie, so when they saw the situation here, they knew that Yang Kai must be trying to create a sub-nest. Xiang Shan asked at once, “How is it progressing?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I have tried a few times, but have not succeeded so far.”
Xiang Shan nodded, “If the Black Ink Clan can produce a sub-nest, then there’s no reason why we can’t. If a few tries aren’t enough, then just keep at it. One matter should not bother two men. I will leave you to deal with the Black Ink Nest and wait for you to create a sub-nest.”
“Understood!” Yang Kai responded.
Liu Zhi Ping was encouraging, “Do a good job, and if you succeed, I will personally ask the Old Ancestor to grant you more merits.”
Yang Kai answered humbly, “This Junior is merely attending to his responsibilities and dares not take credit for the work done.”
Mi Jing Lun laughed, “You’ve basically injured or killed 11 Territory Lord level figures in 10 years. If such an outstanding feat is not rewarded, then it would seem as if our Great Evolution Army has no order. Think about it and see if there’s anything that you want. Once matters here are settled, you may come forward with your request, and as long as it’s not excessive, we will satisfy it.”
There wasn’t anything that Yang Kai wanted, other than the sub-nest. All his previous actions were aimed at that goal to begin with.
However, since Mi Jing Lun had already spoken, Yang Kai did not drag things out any further and just thanked him.
Xiang Shan also asked about Yang Kai’s struggle with the Territory Lords inside of the Black Ink Nest Space over the past few years. Naturally, Yang Kai explained everything to them without concealing any details.
The Army Commanders listened with raised brows, even Ou Yang Lie.
Even though he knew the outcome, he had never asked Yang Kai the details of the fight. It was only now that he realized just how devious Yang Kai’s method of attack was. Even they would not have been able to resist it if they were the Territory Lords. Unless they gave up on the Black Ink Nest, there was simply no solution for them in this matter.
One does not play the same trick thrice was true for Yang Kai, but also for the Black Ink Clan. After Yang Kai entered and left the Black Ink Nest Space thrice in a row, they made a firm decision to give up.
They did not have too many Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples left to lose after all.
Repairs were still going on in Great Evolution Pass, and the Army Commanders were also busy. After leaving matters here in Ou Yang Lie and Yang Kai’s hands, Xiang Shan and the others soon left.
Ou Yang Lie was a hands-off type of person, so the task of breeding a Black Ink Nest sub-nest was left to Yang Kai, and he did not refuse that responsibility either.
However, the Inner Sanctum was quick to move over a large amount of resources for this matter. After all, Yang Kai was already putting in the work, so it would be unreasonable to have him contribute the materials as well.
With the support of these resources, Yang Kai could rest assured and continue his attempts with increased boldness.
After failing again and again, Yang Kai finally got a hang of the process.
When his consciousness was connected to the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness, he could control the entire Black Ink Nest and use it to move the energy output of the Black Ink Pool.
The countless pits on the Black Ink Nest’s flesh wall were where the Black Ink Clansmen were born. If the Black Ink Nest’s energy was directed to these pits, then naturally, new Black Ink Clansmen would be born.
However, if all the energy was concentrated in the Black Ink Pool and not allowed to flow out, then once the energy reserves reached a certain level, a sub-nest would be created.
Yang Kai had to fail many times before finding this technique. Previously, he had been trying to find where the sub-nests were created, and since the pits were the breeding grounds for the Black Ink Clan, he assumed that the sub-nest would also be born from one of them.
In the end, he realized that something was not right about that speculation, and it turned out that the sub-nests were actually spawned from the Black Ink Pool itself.
After having found the solution, things were simple from there.
With a lot of resources invested, Yang Kai constantly gathered the Black Ink Nest’s energy inside of the Black Ink Pool, and at a certain point, the liquid in the Pool began to form waves as if something was about to rise out of it.
Under Yang Kai’s perception, he could clearly feel that it was a new sub-nest.
The black water parted, and a black growth resembling a flower bud emerged, just like the sub-nest that he saw back then at Zha Gu Feudal Lord’s place.
Yang Kai carefully picked it up and breathed a sigh of relief for a job well done.
However, when he considered how many resources it took to create this sub-nest, he could not help but feel speechless inside. It was no wonder why the Feudal Lords who had their own Black Ink Nests would treat them with such importance, and why most of the Feudal Lords had no Black Ink Nest of their own.
The cost to create a sub-nest was not small, so only a few Feudal Lords had the capital to afford one.
Moreover, this was only a Low-Rank sub-nest. It was not hard to imagine just how much it would cost to create a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest. It would probably cost several dozen to 100 times the amount of resources.
Ou Yang Lie rushed over after receiving the news, and as he looked at the sub-nest in Yang Kai’s hand, not even as large as one’s palm, he clicked his tongue in wonder, “Is this what a Black Ink Nest looks like when it’s just been spawned?”
“Indeed. I’ve seen one before in the hands of a Feudal Lord, and it is no different.”
“What is the next step?” Ou Yang Lie asked.
Yang Kai answered, “Even though the Black Ink Nest has been created, it still requires a significant amount of resources to nurture it. I intend to place this one inside my Small Universe to observe. If all goes well, then more sub-nests can be bred for the creation of our intelligence network.”
“Good!” Ou Yang Lie nodded. Yang Kai was not afraid of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so it did not matter if the Black Ink Nest was placed inside of his Small Universe. No one else would not have the guts to do such a thing.
The Humans simply knew too little about the Black Ink Nests, and were ignorant in many ways in regards to them. Take the last time for example. If Yang Kai had not entered the Black Ink Nest Space alone and caused the Territory Lords to suffer huge losses with the help of his Soul Warming Lotus and Soul Rending Thorns, then the Humans would not have known that a higher-rank Black Ink Nest could cut off connection with their lower rank sub-nests.
The Black Ink Nests were the foundation of the Black Ink Clan. If they could uncover all the secrets of the Black Ink Nests, then the Human Race may have less to lose against the Black Ink Clan in the future.
The Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest in the possession of the Great Evolution Army was particularly valuable for that purpose.
Inside of his Small Universe, Yang Kai found a suitable area to plant the Low-Rank sub-nest before using his World Force to seal off a large area around its vicinity, creating a kind of Forbidden Zone.
In this manner, none of the living beings inside of his Small Universe, whether they be part of the Human Race or the Small Stone Race, could possibly get close to the Black Ink Nest, which also prevented it from being damaged unnecessarily.
There was less to worry about with the Human Race as even if they did approach it by accident, it was unlikely for them to raise their hands against this strange thing. However, it was hard to say what the Small Stone Race would do. This was a race with low sentience and acted entirely based on their instinct. Heavens know what reaction they would have if they ever saw the Black Ink Nest.
Incubating the Black Ink Nest was not difficult. Back then, Yang Kai saw how Zha Gu was able to grow his own Black Ink Nest, so he had some idea of what he had to do.
In fact, when he brought the Low-Rank Black Ink Nest into his Small Universe, Yang Kai had already sensed something unusual about it.
From his knowledge of Black Ink Nests accumulated over the years, he could almost conclude that the Black Ink Nests were living things rather than inanimate objects. That was because each Black Ink Nest possessed a consciousness of their own, only that it had no Will.
If it was a living thing, then it should naturally have its own instincts.
The Black Ink Nest’s instinct was to devour all kinds of energy to turn it into nutrients for itself, especially World Force, which for it, was considered the greatest delicacy in the world.
Naturally, there was no lack of World Force inside of Yang Kai’s Small Universe, so it was not strange for the Black Ink Nest to react after arriving at this place.
Yang Kai did not try and suppress it, but rather allowed the nest to devour the energy.
As his madly World Force drained away, the Black Ink Nest, which was not even the size of a palm before, could be seen growing at a visible rate.
And, perhaps due to how pure and rich Yang Kai’s World Force was, the speed at which the Black Ink Nest grew far surpassed that of the growth rate he saw with Zha Gu back then.
After just a few days inside of the Small Universe, the Black Ink Nest had already grown to the height of a man.
A few more days passed, and it was already many metres tall.
More days passed, and it reached as tall as a tall building, and one had to crane their necks to look upon it.
In a month, the small Black Ink Nest had grown to a gigantic size. Even though it could continue to grow, Yang Kai could perceive that no matter what, it couldn’t grow as fast as it did before. At the very most, it would only increase in size a little bit at a time.
Once it reached this point, it was more or less ready.
Controlling his World Force, Yang Kai poured it inside, and the Black Ink Nest resembling a large flower bud expanded and contracted, spreading out rich Black Ink Strength in all directions.
If Yang Kai did not restrict it, then this Black Ink Strength would surely spread out to cover his entire Small Universe, and if that were to happen, all the living beings inside would surely suffer. All of the Humans and the Small Stone Race would likely transform into Black Ink Disciples.
However, as this place was his Small Universe and with the assistance of the World Tree clone, he could control everything with a single thought.
The large area he had previously sealed off with his power was the limit of where the Black Ink Strength could spread. This was also the place where he was going to raise some Black Ink Clansmen, and where they would live.
Only when the entire area became suitable for the survival of the Black Ink Clan did Yang Kai stop and begin using the Black Ink Nest to nurture some Black Ink Clansmen.
Inside of the Small Universe, the current Void Dao Temple was thriving with the elite cultivators from across the entire Void Continent gathered in one place, each of them a rarely seen talent in the outside world. In fact, if their talent was low, then they would not have even been able to enter the Void Dao Temple to begin with.
The Dao Temple had more resources than any Sect in the World and provided cultivators an excellent environment for training. There was also a vast collection of books that were inaccessible to the common man.
The entire Void Dao Temple had already become a self-sustaining entity of his own after being in operation for thousands of years.
The spiritual source of the Dao Temple was, of course, Dao Lord Yang Kai, whose Small Universe was rumoured to be the entire Void Continent, and that everyone was living inside of his Small Universe.
Though they revered him, the Dao Lord was only a legendary figure to them.
The ones in charge of the Dao Temple on the surface were the Temple Master and Deacons, whose aptitudes may not be better than the disciples of the Dao Temple, but they excelled in terms of life experience. All of them were Emperor Realm Masters originating from the top great forces of the Void Continent, so they were mature and stable Seniors, responsible in handling some of the Dao Temple’s administrative matters.
Generally, the Temple Master and the Deacons did not interfere with the cultivation of the Dao Temple’s disciples, and to tell the truth, they were oftentimes unable to even manage them. That was because of the gap present between them whether in terms of talent or current strength.
Most of the time, the only thing they could do was provide care in their daily lives and also logistical assistance.
From a certain point on, a new tradition was born in the Dao Temple. At the end of every year, the disciples of the Dao Temple would burn incense and pray to the Dao Lord Yang Kai’s statue under the leadership of the Temple Master and the Deacons for the good fortune of the disciples of the Dao Temple in the coming year.
The huge and majestic statue which stood at the centre of the square inside of the Void Dao Temple was said to be crafted by the hands of the first Temple Master.
It was because the Temple Master of that generation had seen the Dao Lord with his own eyes.
That day of every year was also the one filled with most excitement in the Dao Temple. As long as one did not have important matters to attend to or was in secluded retreat, they would generally be present.
It was a day of both incense burning and worship.
Thousands of disciples, led by the Temple Master and Deacons, burned incense and bowed down to pray in order.
The disciples were all looking forward to the exciting days to come after this. That was because the day after prayer day was always a time for the disciples to step onto the field and spar with each other, testing the results of what they had learnt during the year. Especially for those who had not been inducted into the Dao Temple for long and whose abilities were still not very strong, they needed to make good use of these few days as it was a time when they could seek out their Seniors to ask for advice on cultivation.
Usually, these powerful Seniors were all in retreat, so they couldn’t be found even if they wanted to seek them out.
At the same time, the Dao Temple’s shopping district would also be open for the disciples to pick up anything they fancied.
Burning incense and praying had now become a major festival in the Void Dao Temple, affecting the entire Void Continent along with it. On this day, the sound of gongs and drums reverberated through the sky with great festivity.
As was always the case in previous years, everything progressed without a hitch; however, just as the ritual was coming to a close, an unnatural wave of energy suddenly spread out.
Everyone in the square looked up in shock as if they had been drawn in by something, all looking up at the statue.
What they saw shook their hearts.
This couldn’t be helped, as the eyes of the statue, which was supposed to be inanimate, were now glowing and filled with spirituality. It was as if the entire statue had come to life.
Everyone felt as if they were being watched silently as the statue’s gaze swept over them.
A commotion broke out instantly among the crowd.
[Is the Dao Lord making an appearance?]
Not to mention the ordinary disciples of the Dao Temple, even the Temple Master and Deacons themselves had no idea what was happening.
In the midst of the confusion, a powerful Divine Sense exploded in everyone’s minds, transmitting a message to them.
“Void Continent, the Black Ink Clan has invaded. If left alone, life will perish and the World will collapse. Disciples of the Dao Temple must set an example. It is your inescapable duty to slay the Black Ink Clan and destroy evil.”
The same words were repeated three times. When the crowd came back to their senses, the statue returned to normal.
After a few moments of silence, the disciples broke out into an uproar, discussing in groups with Divine Senses passing to and fro.
Many of the Dao Temple’s disciples were in the Emperor Realm so they could naturally guess that the Dao Lord must have transmitted a message to them through the statue. This could almost be said to be the Dao Lord’s guidance.
However, Black Ink Clan in the Void Continent?
The Dao Temple had some knowledge of the Black Ink Clan and knew that the Dao Lord was currently in the midst of a great war with the Black Ink Clan, and the cultivators who walked out of this Void Continent would also join the battle alongside the Dao Lord while facing the risk of losing their lives at any moment. Anyone without that awareness was in no position to make that step.
However, they never imagined that the enemy would one day appear in this Void World.
Could their Dao Lord have fallen into an unfavourable position in his fight outside, thus causing his Small Universe to be infested by the Black Ink Clan?
No one knew the answer, but the message from the Dao Lord was still clearly guiding them, pointing in a certain direction.
The Dao Temple’s Temple Master and Deacons briefly conferred with each other and decided to follow the lead to see what was going on.
A few moments later, three figures took to the skies, heading in the direction where the Dao Lord had pointed them in while the rest of the Deacons stayed behind to pacify the many disciples.
Some days later, the three figures who set off from the Dao Temple stopped and gazed at the murky void in the distance. That place seemed as if it had been stained with ink with an immensely evil power surging inside of it. The oldest of them, the Temple Master, muttered, “The peaceful days of the Void Continent are over.”
Even from such a great distance, the malevolence of the black power there could be felt, so what would it be like if they were to face it personally?
The Deacon on the left was thoughtful, “The Void Continent has been peaceful since the advent of the Dao Temple, and the disciples are lacking in hardship during their training. This may be an opportunity to change that.”
Before the advent of the Void Dao Temple, battle was quite common on the Continent, with each major Sect vying for territory, talents, and resources. Large fights would often break out and even the eradication of an entire Sect was a common occurrence.
One can say that though the average realm of the cultivators on the Void Continent back then was low and gifted people were rare, many heroes fought bravely and fiercely.
However, since the emergence of the Void Dao Temple, all of the cultivators on the continent put their focus on the Dao Temple and were most proud that their disciples could be chosen by it. Who would care about other trivial matters?
It was good that there were no large-scale wars since that meant fewer people suffered and died.
However, this was not an entirely good thing either since the cultivators raised in such an environment would lack the insight and honing of trials of life and death. No matter how high their cultivations became, if they did not encounter any great difficulties along the way, then it would also be hard to entrust them with serious and dangerous missions.
Many years ago, some of the Dao Temple’s Elders realized this problem, but there was no suitable way for them to solve it. They could not just pick an excuse for the Dao Temple’s disciples to kill each other, right?
Even if there was some tension between the large Sects, they would simply exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk upon the intervention of the Dao Temple’s disciples’ mediation.
After all, every Sect now more or less had a few disciples who were cultivating in the Dao Temple.
The appearance of the Black Ink Clan might solve that problem.
The old Temple Master said thoughtfully, “Do you mean to say that this situation is the Dao Lord’s intention?”
The Deacon quickly waved his hands, “A trivial person like me dares not speculate on the Dao Lord’s thoughts. I was just putting it forth as I see it.”
The Temple Master pondered for a moment and said nothing more. As the Deacon said, the appearance of the Black Ink Clan in the Void Continent may not be a bad thing. The disciples of the Dao Temple could make use of it to hone themselves in the future.
The Deacon who spoke earlier looked left and right before saying, “This is a suitable place to set up a base. If we can build a defence line here, then with the Dao Temple’s disciples as the main force and the major Sects providing auxiliary support, we can stop the spread of the Black Ink Clan and protect the peace of Void Continent’s mortals.”
The Temple Master nodded lightly, “Very good!”
With the decision made, one of the three men stayed behind to monitor the movements of the Black Ink Clan while the others hurried back to the Dao Temple. Immediately afterwards, the entire Void Dao Temple was mobilized.
The Dao Temple’s disciples came from all corners of the Void Continent, so as soon as they were mobilized, the forces of the Sects behind them would also begin to move.
In less than a month’s time, a towering fortress was built in the open lands, facing the Black Ink Clan.
As if by some divine providence, a large batch of oddly shaped monsters covered in the colour of Black Ink came to attack as soon as construction was complete.
The Void Continent’s cultivators had known of the existence of the Black Ink for many years, but this was the first time they had seen them, even though these Black Ink Clansmen were just serfs who were hardly worth mentioning in the outside world.
During the battle, the Dao Temple’s disciples charged forward and felled many enemies; however, it was unavoidable for there to be some who were accidentally tainted by Black Ink Strength out of carelessness.
Those who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength all lost their wills and began siding with the enemy.
At this time, the Dao Lord passed down another decree, granting them the refining techniques for the Purifying Black Ink Pill. It was only by countering the Black Ink Strength with this method that they were able to avert danger.
After several victories, the Dao Temple’s disciples wanted to make a counter-attack to cut off the problem at its source, but the Black Ink Strength was so dangerous that it was difficult to progress, thus they were forced to abort their plans to launch a counter-offensive halfway through and retreat to the fortress to gather their strength.
Years went by with this pattern continuing.
Yang Kai opened his eyes. The situation in his Small Universe had already stabilized, and with the energy supplied by his own Small Universe, the Low-Rank Black Ink Nest was able to produce a steady stream of new Black Ink Clansmen. Once they reached a certain level of strength, they would attack the Human defence line and further hone the Dao Temple’s disciples.
These Black Ink Clansmen were not very strong at the moment; after all, their growth period had been too short, so the Dao Temple disciples were enough to deal with them with ease. However, as time passed, stronger and stronger Black Ink Clansmen would begin to appear, so Yang Kai believed that it would become more difficult for them to be dealt with.
However, Yang Kai was mainly intending to train his future troops, allowing the Dao Temple’s disciples to familiarize themselves with the special characteristics of the Black Ink Clan early on, so he naturally would not let things get out of hand.
So, no matter how the Black Ink Clan grew, there was still a limit. They couldn’t surpass the Dao Temple in strength.
Doing so was a great burden to Yang Kai.
After all, the power being absorbed by the Black Ink Nest was the World Force of his own Small Universe.
Yang Kai had already prepared a large amount of resources for the Black Ink Nest to refine, but soon, he realized that he had been worried for nothing.
The Black Ink Nest gave birth to Black Ink Clansmen, and the Dao Temple’s disciples killed them. That in itself was a part of the cycle of life and death, which resulted in a large amount of World Force being produced in his Small Universe.
Even though it was not equivalent to the amount being devoured by the Black Ink Nest, it was better than his energy being consumed one-sidedly.
Currently, though Yang Kai’s Small Universe had expended a lot, he also received sizable returns. It was not an equal exchange, but it was still much better than what Yang Kai had initially anticipated.
By occasionally supplying some resources for the Black Ink Nest to refine and absorb, the loss of World Force in his Small Universe could be disregarded.
Yang Kai’s Small Universe right now was more or less like a miniature Black Ink Battlefield. It seemed that since ancient times, Humans had always had an indescribable tacit understanding on how to deal with foreign enemies.
He had not given the Dao Temple any detailed instructions on what to do, but the Dao Temple had done exactly what the Humans did on the Black Ink Battlefield. They built a fortress similar to the Great Passes and used it as a shield against enemy invasion.
With this large-scale tempering exercise now set up, Yang Kai believed that the next time disciples walked out of his Small Universe, they would carry a different spirit compared to those who came out before.
Fighting and killing should become natural to them! It was impossible to avoid death if they joined the Black Ink Battlefield.
He was looking forward to it.
Over the years, Yang Kai had researched all there was to know about the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest in the possession of the Humans, and also created some Low-Rank sub-nests with its power.
Ou Yang Lie sent these sub-nests to Great Evolution Pass while Mi Jing Lun arranged for men to incubate them in different places so that they could test out the intelligence network.
The results were a success. The Low-Rank sub-nests were able to communicate with each other easily through the space of the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest no matter how far away they were.
Whether or not there was a limit to that distance was yet to be determined; however, the closure of the Black Ink Nest Space and the severance between the connection of higher and lower rank Black Ink Nests had already been tested.
It was Yang Kai who carried out this research.
Since he had been standing inside of the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest these past years, testing matters such as these should naturally be left to him.
When the Humans connected to the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest’s consciousness via the sub-nests and communicated with each other, Yang Kai discovered that he could sense everything without deliberately looking into it.
That was because the space that they were communicating inside of was created by the consciousness of the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest that he was overseeing, so he was aware of everything that happened within it.
Yang Kai could even urge the Black Ink Nest’s consciousness to seal off the Black Ink Nest’s space completely.
Just like what he encountered back then inside of the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest Space, he could block or sever the connection to any specific Low-Rank sub-nest.
The connection could be easily restored if it was merely blocked, but if it was severed completely, then it appeared irreversible. It was equivalent to giving up on the connection between them forever.
In Ou Yang Lie’s words, it was like a mother driving out her rebellious son, forbidding him from entering the house ever again.
The results of these experiments were very valuable for the Human Race.
If Yang Kai had known this information beforehand, he would not have been trapped inside the Black Ink Nest Space for 3 years.
However, Yang Kai could not figure out whether the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest had merely blocked off the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest that he was occupying, or if the connection had been severed completely.
Naturally, it would be for the best if it were the latter, then the two of them would not have to deal with each other in the future; however, if it were the former, then they would have to be careful. If the Black Ink Clan suddenly restored that connection, then there was a high chance that they would launch an attack and make the Humans overseeing the Black Ink Nests suffer a serious loss.
So, if Yang Kai was to oversee the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, then he had to be careful and prepared at all times.
Great Evolution Pass, Dawn’s courtyard.
During Yang Kai’s many years of absence, the courtyard that Dawn had been assigned to had been beautifully tended by the several female members of the Squad and was filled with fragrant flowers.
Inside of the courtyard was a small bridge with flowing water underneath it, giving the place an idyllic appearance.
At this moment, in the garden, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was lounging lazily on a taishi armchair, sunbathing with narrowed eyes, appearing very comfortable.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood to the side with a bitter look on his face.
He had been ordered to return recently to help out with repairing the Great Pass.
The matters regarding the Black Ink Nest had already come to an end and all immediate issues had been worked out. The Black Ink Nest’s capabilities had all been passed on to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master taking his place in overseeing the Black Ink Nest, and there was nothing that anyone could not be rest assured about with an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master taking on that task.
However, Yang Kai reckoned that the ones in charge of overseeing the Black Ink Nest in the future were likely going to do so in rotation.
After all, not everyone was like him, able to ignore the encroachment of Black Ink Strength. Even though Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were stronger than him cultivation-wise, Yang Kai had a unique advantage in being able to resist the corruption of Black Ink Strength.
So, the person in charge of overseeing the Black Ink Nest would have to be replaced at regular intervals, and with great frequency at that.
With the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters taking over, Yang Kai was also happy to regain his freedom and returned to the Inner Sanctum decisively.
These years, he had not been taking part in the rebuilding of Great Evolution Pass since he had been tangled up with matters concerning the Black Ink Nest. When he returned to Great Evolution Pass after more than a decade, he discovered that it had changed completely,
The entirety of Great Evolution Pass was filled with a sombre atmosphere, something that was always absent when the Black Ink Clan occupied this place. Great Evolution Pass now finally regained some semblance of how it once was when the Humans controlled it.
The Great Passes of the Humans could only bring out their true potential in the hands of Humans.
The restoration of Great Evolution Pass was still in progress, and it was impossible for construction to be completed without at least 100 years of effort. After all, there were far too many Spirit Arrays throughout the Great Pass, and many artifacts also needed to be repaired or replaced.
In fact, Yang Kai was a little bit confused as to why they were doing this. Currently, the foundation of the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Theatre had been severely damaged. There was simply no way for them to be able to attack the Great Pass again, so what was the difference whether they heavily fortified and armed Great Evolution Pass or not?
As things stood, as long as the Humans did not let their guard down, then the Black Ink Clan should never even think about having the chance to retake Great Evolution Pass.
Moreover, if he was right, then the Human Race’s crusade should not be too far off. Once the Human Army took the initiative to strike, then what would the various fortifications be used for?
However, despite his doubts, the higher-ups surely had their own reasons to do so, and he was not arrogant enough to question them.
When he returned to Dawn’s courtyard, all of Dawn’s members happened to be resting.
Everyone in Dawn had been busy rebuilding Great Evolution Pass, only receiving some free time during the past two months. However, they would have to start work again after resting for another month.
As they chatted, Yang Kai suddenly remembered something and immediately took it out.
It was the beef given to him by Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor when he went there to test the Space Array and pass on a report.
He had originally intended for it to be made into soup to share with the members of Dawn, but he had been busy all this while with the Black Ink Nest without any time to spare, so now was the right opportunity to bring it out.
Though Yang Kai originally meant for it to nourish his Squad member’s bodies, it had no such effect.
It was just ordinary beef, while even the weakest in Dawn were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even a gift from Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor, if it had no spirituality, was nothing more than normal food.
However, it was still a gift from an Old Ancestor, which made it much more symbolic than practical. So, while everyone was free, Yang Kai decided to take it out and share it with everyone.
He had only mentioned that it was a gift from Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor, but without saying anything else, Dawn’s members were naturally greatly looking forward to it.
Feng Ying led a few female members to handle the beef and simmer it into soup while Shen Ao and the others brought out long tables and benches, set out some fruit plates and fine wine, and then prepared for a big feast.
This was a rare occasion for everyone on the Black Ink Battlefield, where they could all get together and relax, so they naturally cherished the moment well.
Even Ning Qi Zhi, who was still recovering from his injuries, was helping out.
After years of recuperation, Ning Qi Zhi’s injuries have improved considerably. It should only take a few more years before he fully recovered.
Dawn’s members were drinking and chatting with each other, having a carefree time.
The Old Ancestor had then arrived, drawn over through the fragrance in the air. Yang Kai had no idea how the Old Ancestor’s nose came about, but when the smell of their soup wafted over, she came running over to get a bowl of her own.
Naturally, nobody dared to not welcome the Old Ancestor. In fact, her visit was a great honour for everyone in Dawn.
Only Yang Kai stood by the Old Ancestor’s side with a gloomy face. Looking up, a Great Sun could be seen hanging in the air, and he could feel the power in his Small Universe flowing out of him as if a floodgate had been opened.
“What are you pulling that bitter face for? All I’m asking for is a bit of sunshine from you, is that so difficult?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao muttered disgruntledly without even raising her eyes.
Yang Kai smacked his lips, “But, Old Ancestor, it takes a lot from me to maintain this Divine Manifestation.”
The Great Sun hanging in the air was no Sun at all, but rather Yang Kai’s Golden Crow Casts the Sun Divine Manifestation.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao liked bathing in the Sun, a habit that she picked up inside his Small Universe.
During her youth with the hunter couple, the hunter personally weaved a wicker chair for the Old Ancestor, and the large wicker chair completely enveloped her small body so that she could sit comfortably in the courtyard and enjoy her leisurely time.
As her teacher at the time, Yang Kai had seen Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao relaxing in her yard countless times.
The hunter couple were mortals in the end, so as they reached the end of their lives 150 years later, they both returned to the Earth.
More than 100 years in Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s life was but a snap of her fingers, but Yang Kai knew just how important those days were to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, and no matter how much time passed, she would likely never forget even a moment of that period.
Feng Ying came at just the right time to save the day. The beef soup was done, and she brought a bowl over.
Yang Kai accepted the bowl from her and handed it to the Old Ancestor with respect, “Your meal, Old Ancestor.”
Only then did Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao open her eyes and sit up. Taking the bowl from him, she threw her head back and drank it.
Taking advantage of this moment, Yang Kai quickly withdrew his Divine Manifestation.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao glared at him while she was drinking her soup, but Yang Kai pretended not to have seen it.
In just a few breaths of time, the bowl of soup was emptied. The Old Ancestor wiped the fat from her mouth using her sleeve without any care for her image and pouted, “How petty.”
Yang Kai raised a brow.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao said, “Let’s talk about that old man. You spent all that effort to visit him and this is all he gave you?”
Yang Kai answered, “What else should he give, then? I wouldn’t dare to ask for more either.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao lectured him, “The next time you have the opportunity to see him, go and find the old ox with a broken horn and cut some of its flesh. That meat is very nourishing, and just one bite will give even better effects than 100 years of cultivating!”
While speaking, she had even begun to salivate.
Yang Kai quickly moved to cover her. If the members of Dawn were to see the Old Ancestor like this, she might lose all authority in their eyes. Even if the Old Ancestor did not care about her image, he still had to help defend it, which was tiring work.
“That ox… Is there something special about it?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao explained, “That old man has been taking care of that ox for many years, so it’s brimming with spirituality. The other oxen are the common descendants of that old ox that old man often brings out as gifts to others, but you all act grateful as if it’s some good thing.”
Yang Kai carefully recalled when he saw Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor that day, and there was indeed an old ox with a broken horn on its head.
The ‘many years’ that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao spoke of was probably far upwards of 10,000 years.
Any being that old was most likely incredibly powerful…
Yang Kai shook his head like a rattle-drum, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Moreover, without even mentioning whether or not he would be a match for the ox, how could Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor take things lying down if he really did cut the flesh from his prized ox?
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was the one who wanted to eat beef, yet she came to incite him. It was simply unreasonable.
As they were talking, a loud laugh was suddenly heard in the distance, “What a strong fragrance of meat. Yang Boy, did you make preparations beforehand knowing that you had guests coming?”
Following the emergence of the voice, Xu Ling Gong appeared, coming in a large stride with two of his disciples behind him, Qing Kui and Su Ying Xue.
When he came over and saw the Old Ancestor, Xu Ling Gong put away his smile immediately and like a Daughter-in-Law seeing her In-laws, he came respectfully before the Old Ancestor and bowed, “10,000 blessings to the Old Ancestor!”
While speaking, he made a look at Yang Kai, asking why the Old Ancestor was here.
Yang Kai returned the look, meaning that the Old Ancestor came to ask for food.
Xu Ling Gong understood.
There was not a single person from Yin-Yang Pass who did not know of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s gluttony.
In fact, Xu Ling Gong was not here for any business, just that he had been badly injured during their siege at the Royal City and had been recuperating in the years after they occupied Great Evolution Pass. After that, as Yang Kai was busy handling the matters concerning the Black Ink Nest, the two never got the chance to see each other.
Now that he heard that Yang Kai had returned to Great Evolution Pass, he decided to come over for a visit, but who would have thought that he would bump into Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao here?
That made him a little uneasy.
Even though Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was easygoing and did not put on airs, she was still an Old Ancestor. In all of Great Evolution Pass, apart from Yang Kai who had the guts to forgo formalities in front of her, nobody dared to act so presumptuously.
Instead of catching up with Yang Kai, Xu Ling Gong was called over by Shen Ao and the others to come in with his two Disciples and to share soup and wine with Dawn, and they soon settled in.
To the side, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had another bowl of soup and smacked her lips, looking as if she still hadn’t had enough. When Yang Kai went to grab her a third bowl, the Old Ancestor stopped him.
“One does not do the same thing thrice. Two bowls of this stuff are good enough. There’s no reason to have a third bowl.”
Yang Kai was tempted to say, [Why don’t you ever say that when you’re eating candied fruit and steamed stuffed buns?]
The Old Ancestor seemed to notice what he wanted to say and frowned, “What are you thinking?”
Yang Kai answered decisively, “Nothing at all.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao snorted and continued, “Inside of the Black Ink Nest Space, you fought against the Black Ink Clan alone, and as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, you killed or injured 11 Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. That’s a huge merit, so tell me, is there anything you want? If it’s not too much, I will happily fulfil it.”
Mi Jing Lun had mentioned this to Yang Kai before, but there was nothing that Yang Kai particularly wanted right now.
He had no shortage of Military Merits. The amount he had accumulated after fighting bloody battle after bloody battle with the Black Ink Clan all these years was already enormous.
He did not wish to cultivate any other Secret Techniques of other Cave Heavens or Paradises as the two Eye Secret Techniques of Myriad Demons Heaven were enough for him to digest for a long time to come. Things such as Secret Techniques should be strong in quality rather than high in numbers.
He had no shortage of cultivation resources either. In fact, right now, no one on the Human side lacked resources.
“Don’t say you don’t want anything,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stopped Yang Kai before he could speak, “Big Head Mi is right. Even if you do not want a reward for such a great achievement, the Great Evolution Army still needs to show our appreciation; otherwise, it would seem as if the allotted rewards and punishments are unclear and our system is handled poorly. Now that I happen to be here, I might as well handle this matter.”
Yang Kai didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, to think that even a reward could be forced upon someone.
But really, why ‘Big Head Mi’? Ou Yang Lie called him that, and even the Old Ancestor was calling him that.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but ask, “Why refer to Senior Mi as such?”
The Old Ancestor said leisurely, “That man has a mind as vast as the sea, so is his head not big? Big Head Xiang is also the same.”
Yang Kai rubbed his forehead…
[Wonderful.] Not only was there a Big Head Mi in Great Evolution Pass, there was even a Big Head Xiang now. Yang Kai had a deep suspicion that this name actually started from the Old Ancestor.
“You haven’t told me what reward you want yet. I came here personally, so you can’t make me leave empty-handed, can you?” The Old Ancestor urged him.
Yang Kai was about to tell her that there was nothing that he wanted, but then he suddenly saw a graceful figure appearing and placing a bowl of beef soup down in front of Miao Fei Ping, red tinging her shy cheeks before she mustered in a tender voice, “Senior Brother Mao, please have some soup.”
Miao Fei Ping answered politely, “Many thanks, Junior Sister.”
The woman waved her hands, “Senior Brother is too polite.”
At once, Yang Kai pointed with his hand, “Xiao Cai was born from my Small Universe and cultivates the Dao of Space. I have the intention to nurture her properly. If I’m ever too busy in the future, she can help me handle some matters relating to the Dao of Space. I would like to ask Old Ancestor to please allow her to enter Dawn and become one of my Dawn Squad’s members.”
He did not speak very loudly, but how could Xiao Cai not have heard it? She was stunned in place and turned to look at Yang Kai in astonishment.
Since advancing into the Open Heaven Realm, she had been assigned to a different Squad just like the other cultivators who came out of Yang Kai’s Small Universe; however, she would still come around to Dawn to help out now and then.
Now that they had good things to share, Feng Ying naturally would not forget to call this young woman over.
Only, Xiao Cai never thought that she would encounter such a thing today.
Naturally, it was her dream to join Dawn, but after accepting Blood Crow and the others, Dawn was already full. The Army had its own system and it was impossible for them to make exceptions, so Xiao Cai knew that unless someone from Dawn fell in battle, she would never be able to join them.
However, if that opportunity were to come, it would mean that heavy casualties were sustained in both Dawn and the Squad that she was in leading to a mass culling of their numbers.
This was something that she was unwilling to see no matter what.
Yang Kai’s sudden comment came as a pleasant surprise to her, but she also felt at a loss, unsure of what to do for a moment.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was also surprised, “Oh? Are you planning to take on a Disciple? That’s not a problem. Most of these little ones who come from your Small Universe have traces of your Daos, so there would be no one more suitable to guide them than you.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I don’t need to go as far as taking in a Disciple. I can just give her a few pointers here and there.”
Yang Kai was not even done raising his current three Disciples, so how could he take on another?
To him, three Disciples were already sufficient. In his life, he was proficient in three Grand Daos, and so three Disciples was just right to receive one inheritance each.
It made him feel a little ashamed to say that he had not done his duty as a Master to his three Disciples, only tutoring them earnestly during their time inside of his Small Universe.
Since they came out of his Small Universe, not to mention teaching them, even seeing them was difficult.
Yang Kai did not even know how the three little ones were doing now, but obviously, with their aptitudes, and them living in the Open Heaven Realm Cradle of the Star Boundary, their future achievements should be boundless.
The Old Ancestor said after pondering for a moment, “Dawn is already full at 50 members. Reasonably, you can’t accept anyone else; however, since you asked, we can make one exception, just this once, but it will not become a precedent.”
“Many thanks, Old Ancestor!” Yang Kai bowed.
Over on the other side, Xiao Cai also thanked them with great glee. With the golden word from the Old Ancestor, it meant that she was one of Dawn’s members from now on.
The Old Ancestor waved her hand and looked thoughtfully at Yang Kai, “Was it worth it to you, exchanging such a large merit for this condition?”
Yang Kai smiled, “Merits are dead but people are alive. These things cannot be compared.”
The Old Ancestor nodded lightly and stood up from her seat, “I’m tired. I’m going back to sleep.”
Saying so, she disappeared in a flash.
“Farewell, Old Ancestor!” Everyone stood up in unison a saluted.
With the Old Ancestor gone, the atmosphere also became livelier. The crowd mingled with each other, exchanging glasses and drinking freely.
As they chatted, Xu Ling Gong was stunned to learn that the soup was made from the beef gifted by Wind and Cloud Pass’ Old Ancestor, and soon he sank into a state of introspection.
All eyes turned to him.
The aura inside of Xu Ling Gong’s body suddenly fluctuated in a not-too-natural way, and the noise in the courtyard transformed into noises of wonder and excitement.
Holding the wine cup in his hand, Xu Ling Gong grinned, “I thought there was something strange about this soup, but it turns out it was a gift from an Old Ancestor. Its effects are extraordinary indeed. After gaining such an opportunity today, I can’t let the Old Ancestor’s kindness go to waste. I will go and advance to the Eighth Order at once. Everyone, please wait for my good news.”
With those words, he drained his wine and took to the skies, his aura still fluctuating incessantly.
He left the crowd to stare at each other and click their tongues in wonder.
Yang Kai did not say much when he took out the beef and handed it to Feng Ying and the others to make soup with, only informing them about its source.
The rest of Dawn was filled with anticipation; after all, it was a gift from an Old Ancestor, so it might have some extraordinary effects.
But when they heard what Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao said after drinking the soup, there was no way that they did not know that this beef was just an ordinary thing without any special effects at all.
Only that the Old Ancestor of Wind and Cloud Pass had raised the ox well, and so the meat was able to impart a deep flavour to the soup.
Xu Ling Gong came later and did not hear what Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao said. He did not know the truth of the matter and only heard by chance that it was a gift from an Old Ancestor, so it was a real surprise that he had been blessed by it.
Both Xu Ling Gong’s Disciples were confused at the strange reaction of the crowd, so Qing Kui asked Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, what’s going on?”
Yang Kai laughed, “It’s nothing. Martial Uncle Xu is advancing to the Eighth Order. This is a rare opportunity, so I will go and stand guard for him.”
As he spoke, he had already taken to the air.
Rather than call it standing guard, it was more accurate to call it observing and emulating. In fact, the moment Xu Ling Gong departed, Great Evolution Pass was filled with countless figures taking to the air, a number of whom were in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
They had also sensed the fluctuation of Xu Ling Gong’s aura and realized that someone was going to break through to the Eighth Order. Even if none of them knew him before today, they would still take the initiative to stand guard for him.
Most of these people were in the Seventh Order, and among them, many were also qualified to take the same step. In the Black Ink Battlefield, even though a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master advancing to the Eighth-Order was not a once-in-a-millennium event, it wasn’t common either. It was rare for them to encounter such an opportunity, so they would naturally take this chance to observe the process so that when it was their turn to break through in the future, they at least had an example to learn from.
The qualified Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Dawn also followed suit.
Those under the Seventh Order did not move. Their goal for the time being was to advance to the Seventh Order, so Xu Ling Gong’s breakthrough was of little use to them. Premature exposure would not be beneficial to their cultivation either.
Feng Ying flew side by side with Yang Kai, asking through her Divine Sense, “That meat… is there some sort of mystery behind it?”
Yang Kai laughed, “What mystery could there be? The Old Ancestor said that it was just an ordinary item. You drank the soup too, but did you feel anything special about it?”
Feng Ying shook her head.
Yang Kai said, “This is likely just Martial Uncle Xu’s opportunity. Speaking of which, it has been many years since Martial Uncle Xu advanced to the Seventh Order, so he should have reached the critical point to advance to the Eighth Order. During the attack on the Royal City, he was heavily injured, so perhaps he gained some insight while teetering between life and death. When he heard that the meat was a gift from an Old Ancestor, he formed a preconceived notion that it was some sort of divine treasure. Perhaps that spark of inspiration was all he needed to make this next step.”
This was Yang Kai’s guess, but it should be close to the truth; otherwise, there was no way to explain why Xu Ling Gong would suddenly sense an opportunity for a breakthrough.
This was not the work of the Old Ancestor’s gift, but rather Xu Ling Gong’s own opportunity.
In the void, Xu Ling Gong stood alone with the aura inside his body churning like a tidal wave. He was making the final preparations before advancing.
Millions of kilometres away, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters stood ready in case anything were to happen. Even though they wouldn’t be of much help if something critical went wrong during Xu Ling Gong’s breakthrough, they could still provide a small amount of guidance, which may turn the situation around for Xu Ling Gong at a crucial moment.
Further out were the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, watching from afar.
Even Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao in Great Evolution Pass was looking over in his direction at this moment.
The battle to retake Great Evolution Pass caused nearly half of the Great Evolution Army’s Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to be lost. Now that there were signs of a Seventh-Order Master making a breakthrough, she naturally would not ignore it.
Breakthroughs in the Open Heaven Realm were different from those below it. Below the Open Heaven Realm, the advancement to a new Great Realm was accompanied by a baptism from the Heavenly Way, which was naturally a risk that came from the outside world.
However, after a Small Universe was created inside the body of an Open Heaven Realm Master, breaking through each Order was really an advancement in one’s Small Universe, so all of the dangers came from within, which could be said to be even more dangerous. The slightest mistake could cause irreparable damage.
As time passed, Xu Ling Gong’s aura tumbled more and more violently. Where he stood, a Small Universe vaguely appeared, and this entire World was expanding and contracting, changing incessantly.
That Small Universe was a manifestation of his Martial Dao and all he had comprehended on that journey.
As time passed, the Small Universe gradually grew in size. This growth was destined to break through the limits of the Seventh Order and reach the ranks of the Eighth Order.
The breakthrough took just over a month, which was considered an extremely short amount of time. As expected of Xu Ling Gong as a veteran Seventh-Order. He had a strong heritage and a solid foundation, so even though the advancement process was not completely smooth, it was still calm and steady.
It was clear that he had been preparing for this day for many years.
Every Open Heaven Realm Master with plans to advance to the Eighth Order was the same. Without sharpening one’s spear before battle, who can guarantee that nothing will go wrong?
At one point, when the might of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm swept through the void, a long cry rang out filled with emotions of joy.
On that day, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Xu Ling Gong successfully advanced to the Eighth Order outside of Great Evolution Pass.
This was the first Human Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to advance in Great Evolution Pass after more than 30,000 years, so it bore great significance.
The Eighth-Order Division Commanders who had been standing guard for more than a month all came forward to congratulate him. Xu Ling Gong exchanged pleasantries with the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters all around with a wide grin on his face, greeting them warmly and happily. It was a proud moment in his life, so why dampen it with restraint and humility?
The Old Ancestor also withdrew her Divine Sense, and soon after, Yang Kai felt a faint fluctuation of Space Principles, appearing for just an instant in Great Evolution Pass.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he realized that the Old Ancestor had used the Space Beacon.
Her intentions were so obvious that even a child could understand.
This was a happy event for the Humans, so how could the Old Ancestor not go to the Royal City to report the good news? Who knew whether the Royal Lord was sick of her yet?
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai called out to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Dawn. Everyone gained something during this observation session. At the very least, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters knew what they should do, and had a better idea of what they were going to encounter when they advanced to the Eighth-Order in the future.
This was very useful knowledge for them, and it would save them from having to go through some detours.
On the way back, everyone was chattering loudly, with only Feng Ying remaining silent.
Yang Kai did not pay too much attention to this small detail along the way, and it was only when they returned to the courtyard that Feng Ying said, “Squad Leader, I want to enter retreat.”
Yang Kai looked at her, a little surprised, “Did you have an epiphany?”
Feng Ying nodded.
Yang Kai smiled, “That’s good. In that case, you better not delay it. Hurry and enter retreat.”
Feng Ying did not hesitate to return to her abode at once, activating the Spirit Array to isolate herself, and began cultivating in retreat.
For Xu Ling Gong to advance to the Eighth-Order with one sip of soup was surprising enough; but now, it seemed possible for that soup to birth two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Yang Kai even began to question whether there truly was some sort of mysterious effect from that beef given to him by the Old Ancestor.
However, he did not notice anything special from the soup he drank and even Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao herself said that it was just an ordinary thing.
Ultimately, opportunities were mysterious and unpredictable things. For many of Dawn’s members, the soup was just a tasty meal, but for Xu Ling Gong, it was an opportunity for a breakthrough.
Observing and emulating Xu Ling Gong’s advancement then resulted in an opportunity for Feng Ying.
Opportunity after opportunity, it was a mysterious and inexplicable thing.
Yang Kai had no idea where his own opportunity lay, but he knew that even if an opportunity were to appear in front of him right now, it would be difficult for him to grasp it because he did not have sufficient accumulation in the Seventh Order yet.
Only when he had raised his cultivation to the limit and accumulated enough experience would he have a chance to advance to the Eighth Order.
Still, Yang Kai had an advantage that could not be matched by others. There were countless living beings inside of his Small Universe being born, living their lives, growing old, getting sick, and dying, constantly increasing his World Force. Additionally, the World Tree clone was always refining that World Force, allowing it to become purer and denser than any other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The purity of his World Force was the foundation that gave Yang Kai the power to suppress his peers in the Seventh Order. Despite being in the same Realm, he was able to exert power several times that of an ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he was naturally much stronger. In the long run, it would also provide him with a lot of help when he advanced to the Eighth Order.
Yang Kai had no idea how long it would take for him to reach a breakthrough, but he estimated that it would take at least 1,000 years.
Advancement in the Open Heaven Realm had always been a long journey without any shortcuts.
The renovation and reconstruction of Great Evolution Pass was in full swing. As a Grandmaster Artifact Refiner, Yang Kang was extremely busy too. He collaborated with other Artifact Refiners to refine different large-scale artifacts, and then installed these artifacts as Array Cores in various areas all across Great Evolution Pass.
Now that the Pass’ Space Arrays had been fully repaired, many messages from the outside world could be transmitted through it.
As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai didn’t have many qualifications to have access to any confidential information, but much news of victory was actually purposefully disclosed by the higher-ups, so everyone would eventually be aware of them.
There was plenty of news of victory, as the Human Race’s disadvantage on the Black Ink Battlefield appeared to have vanished overnight. The battle between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race resulted in a resounding triumph for the latter in most of the recent battles as opposed to the constant stalemates of the past.
On the whole, the Black Ink Clan’s forces seemed to be on the back foot. The Human Race joyously marched across the battlefield in celebration, and just like at Blue Sky Pass, forward bases were constructed in the direction of the Black Ink Clan Royal Cities to reduce the Black Ink Clan’s capacity for movement.
This was the change in the situation that had been in a deadlock for countless aeons. On the battlefront, the Purifying Black Ink Battleships, Black Ink Pills, and Void Yin-Yang Mirrors all played critical roles.
If one traced back all of these innovations, it could be seen that there was one person behind them.
Even taking the entire history of the Great War into account, this individual was without a doubt the one who caused the greatest change on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Yang Kai’s days were incredibly busy, but equally fulfilling; it was even fair to say that the lives of the tens of thousands of soldiers in Great Evolution Pass were all fulfilling. On usual days, they would be busy repairing the Pass. Then, they would cultivate during their breaks.
Originally, it was estimated that Great Evolution Pass’ repairs would take 100 years.
But in reality, everything was only finished after almost 200 years.
The Great Evolution Pass of this day was completely different from when it was occupied by the Black Ink Clan previously. It took about 200 years, tens of thousands of people from the Great Evolution Army, and enormous amounts of energy and resources to restore it back to the state of more than 30,000 years ago.
It could be said that Great Evolution Pass was not any weaker than any of the Great Passes now.
With the current Great Evolution Pass and the Great Evolution Army, the Black Ink Clan would never retake it, even if their foundation was restored.
Not to mention, the Black Ink Clan could only turtle around the Royal City, too afraid to cross the Humans.
For the past 200 years, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao occasionally disturbed the Royal Lord, forcing him to remain on alert at all times. After such a prolonged period, rather than his injuries showing signs of improvement, they had worsened.
He was, without a doubt, the most miserable Royal Lord among all other Royal Lords.
Though Great Evolution Pass had been restored, the soldiers remained in a state of heightened tension. Everyone was waiting for the crusade to begin.
The crusade was initially a secret, which only the highest-ranking members of the Human Race were aware of; however, over time, the soldiers of the lower rankings became aware of the direction the Human Race was taking. Naturally, after the ‘seemingly’ unintentional disclosure by the higher-ups.
The war with the Black Ink Clan had continued for far too long, so long that it was impossible to trace it back to when it began. Throughout these endless years, the elite Open Heaven Realm Masters of the 3,000 Worlds were deployed to this battlefield one after another to wage war with the Black Ink Clan generation after generation. All their sacrifices were to protect the Human Race’s last line of defence.
Throughout these years, the Human Race had suffered countless losses.
This situation could not persist indefinitely. Every generation strived to make a difference and eliminate all possible future problems; yet, there was nothing they could do about it.
But now that the stalemate situation had been broken, the Human Race was no longer on the defensive and had what was necessary to take the fight to the enemy.
If they had an opportunity to end the Black Ink Clan once and for all, the Humans on the Black Ink Battlefield would sacrifice anything to seize it.
For this reason, a crusade was required, and it must be a joint crusade of all Humans in every Great Pass. Only with this, could the Black Ink Clan be eradicated.
Otherwise, if any single one of the Black Ink Clansmen escaped from the battlefield, the war would continue.
This cooperation and coordination between over 100 Great Passes was not an issue that could be addressed overnight. The planning alone would take at least 100 years.
Additionally, Yang Kai’s Purifying Light accompanied by the Evil Purging Divine Spear that Grandmaster Ma Fan created would be the greatest weapon to support the Human Race in this crusade!
That was another reason why Yang Kai was so busy these days.
During the last 10 years of Great Evolution Pass’ restoration, a great number of Evil Purging Divine Spears were delivered through the Space Array and given over to him. Once he received the spears, Yang Kai would need to personally seal Purifying Light into each and every single one of them.
There was no way to seek the assistance of others in this matter because only he had the ability to use Purifying Light.
More than 100 Great Passes refined Evil Purging Divine Spears in enormous quantities during the years when the Great Evolution Army was reclaiming and restoring Great Evolution Pass. The number was simply uncountable after the accumulation of over 300 years.
All of these Evil Purging Divine Spears were transported to Great Evolution Pass, so what was presented before Yang Kai was a literal mountain of them. As a result, he had to drive the Purifying Light to seal it into those spears non-stop.
It was terribly dull doing the same thing over and over again. Yang Kai had no idea how many times he had used Purifying Light too; all he knew was that the amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals in his Small Universe kept decreasing.
At this time, he was grateful that he had taken enough Yellow and Blue Crystals from the Chaotic Dead Territory; after all, he had no idea when or even if he could acquire more if they ran out.
During this period of sealing Purifying Light, Evil Purging Divine Spears were still occasionally transported from other Great Passes.
It was until a few years ago that the number finally began to reduce.
Only after another few more years did Yang Kai finish dealing with all the Evil Purging Divine Spears.
Yang Kai hadn’t counted, but he could feel that there were at least tens of millions of Evil Purging Divine Spears sealed with Purifying Light. As a result, almost half of the Yellow and Blue Crystals in his Small Universe had been used up, showing how huge the consumption was.
There were two types of Evil Purging Divine Spear; one designed for use against Feudal Lords, and the other for Territory Lords.
The former was easier to refine and also required lesser Purifying Light; as such, almost 90% of all the spears were of this rank.
The latter was no more than 10%, but that was sufficient.
Tens of millions of Evil Purging Divine Spears were divided among the 100-plus Great Passes, with each one receiving almost 100,000 spears. If such a number couldn’t make the crusade a success, then the Human Race should just give up any hope of defeating the Black Ink Clan.
In Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai was summoned to the abode of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
Some time ago, he finished dealing with the Evil Purging Divine Spears, and he had been cultivating in retreat ever since.
The crusade was quickly approaching, so he was keen to enhance his personal strength, because only after he grew powerful enough would he be able to make a real difference in the approaching battle.
However, he received a summon from Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao after only a few days of retreat.
When he saw the Old Ancestor, he realised that, as rumoured, the Old Ancestor was not in a good mood.
In recent years, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had been disturbing the Royal City regularly. Despite the fact that she went and returned whenever she pleased, she was still not in a pleasant mood for some reason.
Yang Kai arrived and said cautiously, “Old Ancestor, you asked for me?”
“En. I want you to travel to the No-Return Pass,” Old Ancestor replied.
“The No-Return Pass?” Yang Kai was taken aback when he heard the words, “What for?”
He had heard about the No-Return Pass many times before. Although this was the Human Race’s final line of defence, it was personally defended by the Dragon and Phoenix Clan, with numerous other strong Divine Spirits among them.
According to the information Yang Kai had acquired, a former Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress collaborated back in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land in a great war against the Black Ink Clan. At the cost of their own lives, supplemented by the 16 Sacred Treasures of different Divine Spirit Clans, they managed to suppress and seal a Black Ink Giant Spirit God. At some point after that, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans left the Ancestral Land to take up the role of guardians of the No-Return Pass.
Even after so many years, they hadn’t returned to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Not only that, but ancient Human Great Experts set innumerable restrictions on the periphery of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land to segregate the inside and outside and completely prevent the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from escaping.
Back then, when Yang Kai and Xia Lin Lang were chased after by Cheng Yang, they strayed into that Divine Ability Sea and experienced a lot of hardship.
Upon arriving at the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, there were no signs of the Dragon Clan nor the Phoenix Clan, but a branch of the Phoenixes did remain, headed by Qing Luan, Yuan Chu, Yue Zhuo, and Hong Hu.
Countless years passed as the Ancestral Land’s Ancestral Strength wore down the power of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, eventually turning him into a lifeless corpse, but to do so, much of the Ancestral Strength produced in the Ancestral Land had to be siphoned away.
It was only after Yang Kai arrived in the Ancestral Land and helped unlock the Demon Sealing Land, that the Ancestral Land’s Ancestral Strength began to be restored, making it more suitable for the Divine Spirits to live in.
Su Yan, Zhu Qing, Shan Qing Luo, and the others from Void Land who had Divine Spirit bloodlines were currently cultivating in the Ancestral Land. All of them had Divine Spirit Sources, and cultivating there would undoubtedly bring them great benefits.
Hundreds of years ago, as ordered by Xiang Shan, Yang Kai left the Great Evolution East-West Army to circle behind Great Evolution Pass and search for the Great Evolution North-South Army. At that time, Yang Kai was able to sense the No-Return Pass from afar.
That was all due to his Golden Divine Dragon Source. The Dragon Pool was located at the No-Return Pass, and anyone with a pure enough Dragon Source and sufficient strength could sense the location of the Dragon Pool.
The feeling Yang Kai had at that time was the constant connection between his own Dragon Source and the Dragon Pool.
It was said that the Dragon Pool was the origin of all Dragon Sources, their birthplace so to speak, the root of the whole Dragon Clan.
When Yang Kai initially first stepped into the 3,000 Worlds, seeking out the Dragon Pool was one of his main goals; after all, it was only through finding the location of the Dragon Pool, that he could further cultivate his Dragon Source.
This thought, however, faded as he became stronger over the years.
Unexpectedly, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao actually requested him to travel to the No-Return Pass at this moment.
He had no idea whether there was another deeper intention to it.
“You’ll know why when you get there. No need to ask so much,” the Old Ancestor responded.
Yang Kai hesitated, “But Old Ancestor, the crusade is approaching. If I leave at this time…”
“You don’t need to worry about the crusade. You’re just in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. There won’t be much difference with or without you. Even if you miss it, what would it matter?” Sneered the Old Ancestor.
Yang Kai went speechless.
Perhaps the Old Ancestor thought that her words were a bit too harsh; thus, she clarified, “The crusade is still in its preparatory stage. As long as you don’t take too long, you won’t miss it.”
If the barriers between the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield were to be described as a wall, then No-Return Pass would be the only hole in that wall.
This was also why the No-Return Pass was known as the Human Race’s final line of defence. If the Black Ink Clan managed to break past this barrier, they would be able to access the 3,000 Worlds, and if that really happened, it was destined that all living beings there would be plunged into misery. The whole 3,000 Worlds would be destroyed and remade according to the Blank Ink Clan’s will.
The No-Return Pass was the last line of defence, while the Great Passes were the outer line of defence.
If one were to stand high enough above and connect each Great Pass, one would notice that they could be arranged to form a kind of semicircle. This semicircle acted as a barrier to split off the 3,000 Worlds from the Black Ink Battlefield, with the centre of it being the No-Return Pass.
As long as the Great Passes were not broken though, the No-Return Pass would never be disturbed, keeping the 3,000 worlds safe.
This was why Great Evolution Pass had to be reclaimed before the crusade could begin. A Pass seized by the Black Ink Clan would leave an opening in their entire defence line. If Great Evolution Pass was not retaken, the Black Ink Clan might exploit this flaw and proceed directly to the No-Return Pass while the Humans were busy with their crusade.
At that point, would the Human Race Armies retreat to defend or continue the crusade? The situation was bound to fall into a dilemma.
In order to eliminate this potential risk, Great Evolution Pass had to be retaken. Fortunately, the Great Evolution Army had worked hard for more than 100 years and had achieved this objective after enormous sacrifice.
There were actually no East, South, West, or North in the vast Universe, as there were no fixed reference points, and the terms such as Eastern Army, Southern Army, Western Army, and Northern Army in each Great Pass were just helpful titles.
If directions were to be taken note of, there were only up, down, forward and backwards according to one’s own point of view in the massive void.
In a certain sense, the No-Return Pass lay behind all the Great Passes. This last line of defence, defended by the Dragon and Phoenix Clan, could be considered as a kind of support to the Human Race.
Yang Kai was perplexed in his early years when he learnt that the No-Return Pass was personally guarded by the Dragon and Phoenix Clans as the Divine Spirit had always been haughty regardless of their origins, something he knew from over 1,000 years of experience.
And these were the leaders of the Divine Spirit, the Dragons and Phoenixes.
How could such supreme Divine Spirits voluntarily assist the Human Race in guarding their final line of defence? It should be impossible; after all, they were of different Races and held no good will towards the other.
The only plausible explanation was that the Black Ink Clan was simply that great a threat. The Divine Spirits also understood the proverb ‘without the lips, teeth would go cold’. In the ancient past, a Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress did not hesitate to sacrifice themselves to seal and suppress a Black Ink Giant Spirit God. How could their descendants possibly disregard the sacrifices of their ancestors?
This was most likely why the Divine Spirits had defended the No-Return Pass for so long.
Yang Kai had no idea if there was some other reason or explanation, and it wasn’t an issue he had to be concerned about either.
Although going to the No-Return Pass at this time was a bit hasty, he might at least fulfil a long-cherished dream and see what the mythical Dragon Pool looked like.
In the void, Space Principles flashed and in the blink of an eye, Yang Kai’s figure flickered in and out of existence.
It was possible to use the Hyper Space Array to directly travel from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass, which was convenient and fast; however, the restoration of Great Evolution Pass over the past 200 years had been a huge drain on resources. Additionally, materials were tight during preparations for the crusade; thus, Yang Kai could only choose to fly over.
After all, like the Old Ancestor had said, he was proficient in Dao of Space, so he had an advantage when it came to travelling. There was no need to waste resources unnecessarily.
What else could Yang Kai say to that? He could only obey and go.
Before he left, he notified Dawn, telling them he was going out on a mission.
Until now, Feng Ying had not come out from retreat, causing him to worry a little. After she observed Xu Ling Gong advance to the Eighth Order some time ago, she had an epiphany and chose to enter retreat. With her strength and foundation, her breakthrough shouldn’t be much of an issue.
However, there was no update from her even after so long, which was somewhat surprising and concerning.
Nobody else could provide any help in this situation. There were Masters that would guide a cultivator through the early stages of their journey on the Martial Dao, but one could only rely on themselves after one reached the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm.
After all, at this point, other’s methods would no longer be appropriate for another person.
Normally, it would take at least 3 years for a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master to travel from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass, but Yang Kai covered that distance in less than half a year.
The journey was extremely dull and uneventful.
When a huge Parasol Tree came into view, Yang Kai knew that No-Return Pass was nearby.
This was the renowned Phoenix Nest, the ancestral home of the Phoenix Clan.
Yang Kai had always wanted to see what the Phoenix Nest looked like. Would a magnificent Divine Spirit Clan like the Phoenix Clan build a nest on the tree just like any other bird? That would be far too degrading.
Naturally, Yang Kai wondered if the Phoenix Nest was only a label; after all, the so-called Phoenix Nest could be referring to a grand palace the Phoenix Clan had built.
After thinking about it for some time though, Yang Kai felt that he was being too nosey. Since he had a Dragon Source in him, he should only be concerned about the Dragon Clan, not the Phoenix Clan.
As he got closer, Yang Kai felt the pulsing of his Dragon Vein, giving him a sense as though he was returning home.
He knew this was due to the connection between his Dragon Source and the Dragon Pool; after all, this was not his real home.
This type of mood, however, unavoidably made him a bit anxious. It was as if he was a wanderer who had been away for many years and was not doing well, forced to return home, not knowing how to deal with the Elders’ questioning.
However, Yang Kai did not get the ‘Elders’ ardent questioning’, but rather provocative Dragon Pressure.
A figure dressed in green blocked his path. The figure was tall and dashing, and had a noble complexion, with bright red lips and glowing white teeth.
But, the gaze from him was not at all welcoming. He sized Yang Kai up from top to bottom from afar, as if he wasn’t sure where to attack first.
Yang Kai could tell right away that this individual was part of the Dragon Clan since the Dragon Pressure gushing from him was far too obvious.
Based on the Dragon Pressure alone, this individual should be a Grand Dragon, which was equivalent to his present rank. As to who was stronger, it was beyond Yang Kai’s knowledge, so he would have to see it for himself.
Yang Kai was taken aback; he hadn’t yet reached the No-Return Pass, so why did this man block his path?
He couldn’t help feeling that his obstruction was intentional.
Since ancient times, many cultivators had travelled from the No-Return Pass to the other Great Passes, but few had returned here, yet the man blocking his way was clearly expecting him.
This man’s Dragon Pressure was extremely strong, implying that he was also one of the best among the other Grand Dragons; however, to Yang Kai, it was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Not knowing what he wanted, Yang Kai dared not show any hostility, so he took two steps forward and cupped his fist, “Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai, has travelled to the No-Return Pass under the instruction of the Old Ancestor. Allow me to ask, how should I address this Fellow Brother?”
“I’ve been waiting for you,” the Dragon Clansman in green shook his head angrily, opened his lips and roared. His Dragon Pressure solidified and rushed towards Yang Kai.
As he roared, he charged towards Yang Kai, reached out, and grabbed at him.
His fair hands resembled a woman’s in terms of fairness, yet they possessed deadly power; after all, he was from the Dragon Clan, and naturally had a powerful physique.
Even space appeared to shatter under his grasp.
Not only that, but Yang Kai also felt mysterious changes around him, which made him think he was surrounded by illusions.
“Time Principles?” Yang Kai furrowed his brow, wondering if this Dragon Clan member he just met in the No-Return Pass was skilled in the Dao of Time.
Furthermore, his mastery over the Dao of Time did not appear to be mediocre.
In fact, if Yang Kai had not also cultivated the Dao of Time, he would have most likely been completely overwhelmed by this mysterious change and been defeated without a fight.
When Yang Kai came to his senses, the hand was already in front of him, and there was no way for him to escape.
He didn’t want to fight someone from the Dragon Clan just after arriving here, but according to what his opponent had said, he was clearly waiting for him. In addition, the moment he arrived, he was greeted by this attack. Thus, was all of this the result of some kind of grudge?
[But why? There’s no resentment or conflict between the two of us.]
Yang Kai couldn’t figure it out, but all living beings acted for the sake of their benefit. If the other party was pursuing him in this manner, he must have a reason for doing so.
Even so, in what way could Yang Kai have offended him? Was it because he was not a pureblood Dragon?
Yang Kai couldn’t help but sigh. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had ordered him to go to the No-Return Pass, and it now appeared that there was going to be nothing pleasant to be expected from this trip. It was no surprise the Old Ancestor didn’t tell him anything.
He could no longer dodge the hand, so he extended his palm to resist it.
On a branch of the Parasol Tree at the No-Return Pass sat a young woman in a colourful attire. Her legs dangled slowly in an extremely relaxed manner.
A young man stood alongside her, with both of them staring into the void.
“Ji Lao San still has such a short temper,” the woman stated when the man in green made his move, “After all, that guy was sent here by the Human Race’s Old Ancestors. How is Ji Lao San supposed to explain it to the Humans if anything happens to that man?”
“The Old Ancestors of the Human Race can’t control the No-Return Pass. What’s more, this matter involves the Dragon Pool. Ji Lao San has been waiting for this day for thousands of years, and when he finally got a chance, some Human wants to jump the line? How could he possibly tolerate it?” Said the young man standing beside her.
The woman turned her head, “Speaking of which, it’s strange the Ancient Dragons consented to the Human Race’s request. Were they out of their minds?”
“People can hear what you say,” the young man replied as the corner of his mouth twitched.
When the woman in bright clothing realised, she stuck out her tongue and swiftly changed the subject, “Obviously, the Humans must have paid a high price, or else the Dragon Clan would not have agreed to it. How long do you think that Human can survive under Ji Lao San’s assault?”
The man replied, “You’re asking the wrong question.”
“The wrong question?”
“You should question it the other way around. How long can Ji Lao San survive the assault from that Human.”
“You are so optimistic about him? Do you know him?” The girl replied in shock.
“I don’t know him, but since the Humans are willing to pay such a great price to send him here, it implies that he has great significance. And naturally, he would not be a soft persimmon that can be crushed so easily,” the young man replied, shaking his head.
The serious attitude of her companion made the colourful-robed young woman ponder.
As he pointed out, the fact that the Humans dared to send this young man over indicated that they had faith in his abilities and that he would encounter challenges once he reached the No-Return Pass. This Human from the Black Ink Battlefield was most likely one that should not be underestimated.
As she rolled her eyes, the colourful-robed young woman asked, “Shall we make a bet then?”
The days were incredibly monotonous for those who lived at the No-Return Pass. This was the final line of defence, and the hundred-plus Great Passes surrounding it were enough to intercept the Black Ink Clan Army.
When Great Evolution Pass was taken over 30,000 years ago, there were daring Black Ink Clansmen that came from Great Evolution Theatre to try and break through the No-Return Pass, but after experiencing the might of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans, no Black Ink Clansman dared to approach it anymore.
The Dragon and Phoenix Clans, being the two most powerful of the Divine Spirits, were naturally bored as they remained at the No-Return Pass. However, they were bound by the oath their ancestors took and were unable to freely roam about.
It was unusual for there to be such a show like today, so people naturally wanted to participate.
“What are we betting on?” The young man replied casually.
“Let’s bet on the visitor and Ji Lao San; who will win and who will lose,” the colourfully robed young woman replied.
“The prize?”
The woman placed one finger on her crimson lips, went silent for a moment, then snapped her finger, “Whoever loses will give the Human a tail feather!”
The young man glanced at her speechlessly. This way, the Human would receive the reward no matter the result.
The girl didn’t give him a chance to respond before saying, “I bet this Human will lose!”
As soon as she spoke those words though, her jaw dropped as an expression of utter disbelief appeared on her face.
She already acknowledged that if the Humans dared to send this youth alone to the No-Return Pass, there had to be something about him that made him special. Nonetheless, Ji Lao San wasn’t weak. He might not be able to do much harm to this Human, but even so, she did not believe he would really lose. It should at worst end in a tie.
Right after she had spoken though, the visitor had somehow grabbed Ji Lao San by his neck, as if it was as easy as grabbing a chicken, and strolled over from the void.
Their figures had appeared right in front of the pair after just a few steps, leaving behind a trail of afterimages in the distance.
“Space Principles!” The young woman with the colourful robe’s eyes were filled with astonishment. With her ability, it was normal for her to notice that this Human had cultivated the Dao of Space, and to an exceedingly high level of mastery at that. Even she would most likely have to acknowledge his superiority.
She had met several exceptional Humans who cultivated the Dao of Space during her long lifespan, but even so, none had reached such mastery over it.
Yang Kai had long been aware that a man and a woman atop the Parasol Tree were watching him, and that numerous Divine Senses in the No-Return Pass were also observing him.
Counting the actions of the man who blocked him, Yang Kai had no idea what the No-Return Pass had been expecting of him. The blocker’s acts might have been due to something personal, but that didn’t preclude the possibility of him being instigated by the higher-ups of the Dragon Clan.
[Are they trying to test me?]
Yang Kai wasn’t sure why the No-Return Pass held such an attitude, but he could also be considered as half a Divine Spirit; thus, he understood that he couldn’t be too modest while dealing with other Divine Spirits.
Due to the extreme arrogance of the Divine Spirits, only those who were more arrogant could speak to them on an equal footing.
As a result, when confronted with the blocker’s attack, Yang Kai retaliated without holding back.
Still, he just didn’t expect this Grand Dragon to be like an embroidered pillow, pretty to look at but overall useless in the end. Yang Kai hadn’t even used any strength yet, but the opposite party couldn’t resist; thus, currently, he was like a stray cat being dragged around by Yang Kai.
This was the simplest conclusion to a battle he had faced since entering the Black Ink Battlefield. Even the Feudal Lords understood how to fight back, but this Grand Dragon had no power to resist him at all.
Yang Kai raised his head and smirked, “Hello, pretty young lady.”
The colourful-robed young woman’s face twitched and she replied, “You have a sweet tongue.”
Yang Kai then passed what he was grabbing on to her, asking, “Does he belong to you?”
She smoothed her hair and shook her head, “He’s someone else’s.”
“Oh,” Yang Kai simply said, recognising that the female in front of him should be from the Phoenix Clan, which was not surprising given that she was perched on the Parasol Tree.
Ji Lao San on the other hand, who was grabbed by Yang Kai, was exceedingly embarrassed and enraged. He had never experienced such humiliation and disgrace in the tens of thousands of years of his life. Worse yet, all the Divine Senses in the No-Return Pass lingered on him, exposing his embarrassment to everyone.
He had shamed the other Dragons as well. How was he going to face his peers and the Phoenix Clan in the future?
“Let go of me!” He struggled hard and his cheeks flushed. He couldn’t figure out how he was instantly seized without even delivering an attack to his opponent.
In his eyes, the other party was nothing more than a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Human.
Although a Grand Dragon was technically equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Master, if a battle took place between them, the Grand Dragon always had the upper hand.
No Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could compete with a fully grown Grand Dragon, which was the Dragon Clan’s advantage as the head of the Divine Spirits.
This Seventh-Order Human, on the other hand, simply lifted his hand and easily captured him.
Ji Lao San felt like he was in a bad dream when he recalled what had happened just now. When he came into contact with his opponent, his strength was immediately restrained, making it nearly impossible for him to access the power of his Dragon Vein. This was the reason for his humiliation.
“Quit squirming!” Sensing the Grand Dragon’s struggle, Yang Kai forcefully shook his arm.
That caused Ji Lao San to feel dizzy for a moment, but this only made him feel more embarrassed and irritated. Such humiliation was worse than death for an arrogant Grand Dragon.
Dragon Force erupted all over his body, and even the forceful suppression couldn’t stop it.
When Yang Kai noticed something was wrong, he scowled and lifted his hand, throwing Ji Lao San away. Then, he said, “You and I don’t know each other. Why did you attack me?”
Ji Lao San’s Dragon Force was out because he unleashed his own Dragon Bead. This was a move that was equivalent to risking his life. Still, Yang Kai had felt he could merely resist the power of this Dragon Bead. In fact, if he hadn’t released him, even if Ji Lao San could escape, his Dragon Bead was certain to break, severely damaging the latter’s foundation.
Yang Kai had a Dragon Bead too, so he could identify what just happened and what would happen if he took certain moves.
It was not prudent to half-cripple a Grand Dragon before he even entered the No-Return Pass, so he chose to let Ji Lao San go.
It was necessary to demonstrate one’s strength when in front of those from the Dragon Clan; nonetheless, it was equally important to do so in moderation.
When a high-pitched Dragon Roar erupted, Ji Lao San suddenly transformed into a Grand Dragon close to 50,000 metres long. The Grand Dragon’s head was held high, and his Dragon Eyes glared at Yang Kai as if staring at an ant on the ground. His whole body was full of thick Dragon Scales, as he was clearly inflamed with rage.
Yang Kai was as small as dust in the face of this Grand Dragon.
“Trivial Human, you dare!” The Grand Dragon roared violently, and the void around him shook. With a disgruntled expression, the colourful-robed young woman on the Parasol Tree lifted her hands to cover her ears.
“How dare you humiliate me like this! You must pay the price with your life in the name of the Dragon Clan!” When Ji Lao San finished speaking, he opened his lips and spat forth his Dragon Breath, enveloping the ant in front of him.
Dragon Breath was the most common attack method of the Dragon Clan. Though common, it was extremely strong, especially when delivered by a Grand Dragon. Even a Feudal Lord would vaporize if hit by such a blast. What’s more, Time Principles were woven into this Dragon Breath, so along with terrifying destructive force, it also seemed like the withering of 1,000 years was carried along with this Secret Technique.
No Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could survive an attack like this.
After Ji Lao San’s rage had subsided a little, his Dragon Eyes suddenly widened as if he was struck by lightning.
Against the force of his Dragon Breath, there was a figure that was moving upstream. That figure didn’t seem hurried, in fact, it seemed like it was taking a stroll in a garden. Arriving slowly at Ji Lao San’s massive Dragon Head, he put out his hand to tenderly tap it while saying, “Anger will only bring harm to the body, you should calm down!”
With one tap, the majestic and massive Ji Lao San felt his Dragon Vein shiver violently. Being unable to sustain his Dragon Form, his body shrank rapidly and returned back to his Human Form.
Yang Kai once grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and said while facing the No-Return Pass, “Great Evolution Pass’ Yang Kai has come to the No-Return Pass under the command of the Old Ancestor. Is there anyone here?”
Noise broke out as the No-Return Pass’ gate, which was originally closed, opened.
Yang Kai bowed from a distance before entering, dragging Ji Lao San along with him.
As he entered the Inner Sanctum, figures on both sides stared at him. The young man and woman Yang Kai saw on the Parasol Tree earlier were also present.
Those stares were a mix of scrutiny and curiosity.
Being able to stand here indicated that these people were either Dragons or Phoenixes, and they had long known that there would be a Human with a Dragon Source coming to the No-Return Pass. However, both Clans did not know much about him. They had been defending the No-Return Pass, so all the information from the outside world reached them from word of mouth. Rumours from the 3,000 Worlds or the Black Ink Battlefield.
The Phoenix Clan was relatively carefree compared to the Dragon Clan; after all, this wasn’t their Clan’s business. In fact, they’d all come here to watch the drama play out.
The Dragon Clan was different, however. They didn’t stop Ji Lao San from picking a fight and causing havoc. It was probably because they desired to test this visitor’s skill; after all, a visitor from the Human Race only brought disadvantages to the Dragon Clan.
Rather than testing him though, what made the Dragon Clan speechless was that they didn’t witness how the Human fought against Ji Lao San at all.
Ji Lao San seemed to lose all strength to resist after this Human simply waved his hand.
Since when did the Dragon Clan become so weak? If that was the case, how did the Dragon Clan establish such a domineering reputation?
Apart from being perplexed, what happened to Ji Lao San surprised the whole Dragon Clan.
If they did not have the answer to this question, the Dragon Clan would be unable to sleep comfortably in the future.
Yang Kai couldn’t resist smiling and nodding at the people on both sides, regardless of how powerful or old they were, as if they were all here to greet him.
Though, that was far from the case.
After walking a short distance, another figure blocked his path. It was a woman, who looked at Yang Kai with fiery eyes and Dragon Pressure radiating from her body.
She was also from the Dragon Clan, and a Grand Dragon at that!