“The Divine Spirits were the first to rule the Universe. They were born powerful, and had almost no natural enemies except themselves. They were Kings in those days and the vast world bowed at their feet.”
Cang began to orate and the Ninth-Order Masters listened carefully.
Although they were all top Masters who lived for many tens of thousands of years and stood at the pinnacle of the Human Race, they were considered Juniors when compared to Cang.
They knew this, so as soon as they found out about Cang, they treated him as their honourable Senior.
The Old Ancestors never knew these secrets of the Primordial Era and Early Ancient Era. No one had ever told them these while the ancient books did not have much in terms of details.
Everyone realized that today they would be learning from Cang things that they never knew before.
“The Divine Spirits were proud and undefeatable, but they had innate arrogance that they needed to prove to others. So, the Divine Spirits fought amongst themselves, and all Divine Spirits were enemies to all but their own.”
“Such a war soon swept across the 3,000 Worlds. As the battle raged on, it shattered the Heavens and Earth. Countless living beings perished while even the Divine Spirits themselves were not spared as many were killed. The battle of the Divine Spirits of the Primordial Era was almost a battle of complete extinction.”
“It was not until millions of years later when most of the Divine Spirits were exterminated and those that survived could barely sustain their Clans that the era of the Divine Spirits dominating all lives came to an end!”
“That also marked the beginning of the Early Ancient Era!”
“When the Divine Spirits fought, they created many servants and descendants. As the Divine Spirits declined, these servants and descendants, who were all essentially soldiers themselves, grew stronger. Their strength may not have been on par with the Divine Spirits, but they reproduced much faster than their predecessors, and if they grew to the very limits of their strength, they may not be worse off compared to the Divine Spirits themselves.”
“Those servants and descendants were the Monster Race! The Early Ancient Era was a period where the Monster Race ruled the Universe. All kinds of powerful Monster Beasts emerged, and in terms of pure numbers or species, they were far more numerous than the Divine Spirits.”
“While the Divine Spirits became dormant, the Monster Race were the Masters of the World. They also attacked and killed each other, along with those of other races as well.”
As Cang spoke, the grand images of the Primordial Era and Early Ancient Era gradually formed in the minds of the Old Ancestors.
The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were in awe as they listened while Yang Kai stood still, stopped pouring wine, and listened carefully to Cang’s narration.
No one would have thought that the Primordial Era and Early Ancient Era would be such periods where Divine Spirits and the Monster Race dominated the World.
“Senior, what about Humans? When was the Human Race born, and who created it?” An Old Ancestor asked.
The Monster Race was created by the Divine Spirits, but what about the Human Race? Everyone was curious who created the Humans.
“The Human Race…” Cang smiled and then replied, “The Human Race was not created by anyone. When the Heavens and Earth were created, the Human Race was born. The Human Race has existed throughout all the ages, even when the Divine Spirits ruled the Primordial Era and the Monster Race ruled the Early Ancient Era. During both Eras, there were traces of Human activity. At that time, the Human Race was separated into many small tribes. The Humans were born weak. The Divine Spirits were born with great power, and the Monster Beasts were born with strong bodies, so what about the Human Race? Human infants and children only knew how to cry and would perish without protection from others. The Human Race was slaughtered during those times of chaos.”
“That was until the dawning of the Late Ancient Era,” Cang said solemnly, “A great power felt that the Human Race had to grow stronger in order to survive the various hardships it had to endure, and 10 people were selected by that great power to travel the Universe and teach other Humans to cultivate and slowly become stronger. As time passed, the Humans became capable of competing with the Monster Race. Although Humans were born weak, they had an advantage compared to the Divine Spirits and the Monster Race, the ability to reproduce rapidly. This meant that their population grew at a pace that was orders of magnitude greater than others, allowing the Race as a whole to quickly become strong. The Human Race grew and grew until by the end of the Late Ancient Era, they were strong enough to rule this vast Universe. At that time, Humans flourished in every Great Territory and every World.”
“A great power…” An Old Ancestor asked seriously, “Senior mentioned about a great power. What is it?”
Cang leisurely mused, “Perhaps the Heavenly Way?”
He did not answer directly and the crowd was not sure if he did not want to say or really did not know.
The Old Ancestor who asked did not pursue the question while another asked, “The 10 who were entrusted to teach the other Humans. Senior… are you one of the 10?”
The reason why there was such a question was because Cang had lived for so long. To know what went on during the Primordial Era, Early Ancient Era, and Late Ancient Era, the only way was to have personally experienced those times.
Furthermore, when Cang spoke about the restriction, he said that the restrictions were set up by him and his nine other friends.
That was exactly 10 people!
Cang smiled faintly and said, “Sort of.”
The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were in awe. They were originally sitting in the void, but now they all rose up and bowed to Cang in deep respect.
An Old Ancestor held up his jar of wine and roared, “To Martial Ancestor!”
Martial Ancestor!
If the 10 of them did not go around teaching the Human Race how to cultivate, it would be unimaginable what state the Humans would still be in today. As one of the 10 who originally taught the Human Race about the existence of the Martial Dao, Cang deserved the title of Martial Ancestor.
“To Martial Ancestor!” All the Old Ancestors proclaimed with utmost respect.
The crowd shouted in unison, tilting their heads and drinking the wine in the cups.
Cang reached out and cupped his fist humbly, “Back then, when I taught with my nine old friends, I was only abiding by the Will of the Heavens. It was the only way the Human Race could continue to survive, so I do not deserve the title of Martial Ancestor.”
Yang Kai diligently poured wine for him and chuckled, “The people in front of you are the top Masters of the Human Race. When they say that you are the Martial Ancestor, then you are our Martial Ancestor. If not for you and the other nine Martial Ancestors, the Human Race would not be here today.”
A true Martial Ancestor! Yang Kai never dreamed he would one day meet such a mythical figure, one of the founders who taught the Human Race about the great Martial Dao.
Although this was only a one-sided revelation from Cang, no one doubted it.
Who could have known so much if they had not experienced the events themselves?
“What about Mo? When did it appear?” An Old Ancestor asked.
Regardless of what happened during the Primordial Era, Early Ancient Era, and Late Ancient Era, the only thing that everyone was now more concerned with was Mo. Only when it was resolved, would this crusade of the Human Race be considered a success. It would only be then that there would be no more conflicts to resolve.
“Mo…” Cang sighed, “In the beginning of the Universe, when the First Primordial Light came into existence, darkness was also born. That darkness was Mo. Its existence is even older than that of the Divine Spirits!”
The Ninth-Order Masters gasped.
As Cang mentioned, the Divine Spirits ruled the Primordial Era and the Monster Race ruled the Early Ancient Era, making them sound like they were the first beings to exist. Who would have expected that Mo was even older than them?
“Since Black Ink Strength was so invasive, why didn’t Mo rise up to dominate everything during the Primordial Era and the Early Ancient Era, when the Divine Spirits and the Monster Race were ruling?”
If Mo rose up during that time, neither the Divine Spirits nor the Monster Race would have had a chance to rule over the Universe. No matter if it was in the Primordial Era or Early Ancient Era, it would have been the Black Ink Clan that ruled the World.
Cang shook his head and explained, “Although it existed since the beginning of the Universe, its sentience formed much later. It lay dormant during the Primordial Era and Early Ancient Era, and even during the Late Ancient Era, before the Human Race became dominant, it still remained unaware. It was not until a long time later that it became sentient and began to leave this place on its own accord.”
“This place?” The Ninth-Order Masters paid close attention to Cang’s choice of words, “Senior, does it mean that it was born here as well?”
Cang nodded and said, “This is where the Heavens and Earth began, and it is also the birthplace of Mo. It can also be considered the end point of the Universe. That is why we laid the restrictions here, deceived it here, and sealed it.”
“Deceived…” the Old Ancestors murmured to each other.
Cang said solemnly, “In fact… its sentience is not too developed, at least, before it was imprisoned. In fact, Mo’s sentience was only equivalent to that of a child. It was a little naughty, but it was not bad in nature. Unfortunately, its existence itself is evil.”
The Old Ancestors were surprised to hear his comment.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was suddenly reminded of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, whom he met in the Chaotic Dead Territory. Both of them were also extremely powerful, but their personalities were just like that of children.
The Old Ancestors may not be able to understand Cang’s comment on Mo, but since Yang Kai could associate what he said with his experience with Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, he could understand the situation better.
Upon that realization, Yang Kai suddenly wondered, [Perhaps, in this World, once their strength reaches beyond a certain level, their sentience becomes limited?]
“The Late Ancient Era ended as Mo’s sentience began to take form, slowly assuming a form that then left this place. At that time, the Human Race had already dominated the 3,000 Worlds, so you can imagine what it would be like for a child who suddenly arrived in an extremely prosperous World. Someone who grew up in deathly silence, was always alone, and had never had any companions.”
The Old Ancestors fell silent, leaving Yang Kai to respond, “It must have been very happy and wanted to be part of it.”
“En,” Cang nodded, “Mo did not intend to harm anyone, it just wanted to immerse itself and enjoy its prosperity, to get to know others and feel the bustling world around it. However, it did not know that its power was too overbearing for the mundane world. Thus, everywhere Mo went, all the people were corrupted. Everyone honoured it, saw it with reverence, and fulfilled all of its demands.”
“Everywhere that was occupied by Mo became tainted in its colour. Every Great Territory was corrupted by Mo and its power grew rapidly. Everywhere Mo went became its territory! World Force was its favourite food, and the noisy cities became its favourite places.”
“In less than a few hundred years, hundreds of Great Territories fell, all the World Force was consumed, and the lands naturally died. The people living in these dead lands became corrupted by Black Ink Strength.”
“This Old Master and my nine old friends came to investigate immediately after we became aware of the news, and learned about the strangeness of Black Ink Strength. We knew that if we could not solve this problem, the 3,000 Worlds would one day be completely consumed by Mo, and by that time, there would be no one else in this World!”
“This Old Master and my friends came with hostile intentions, but Mo did not realize it at all. Instead, it welcomed us and showed us the beauty of its territory and its achievements with great delight…”
Looking back, Mo truly behaved like a child. It had something that it was proud of but there was no one to share it with. It was a rare occasion that others could be its guest; thus, it happily tried to show off to Cang and the nine other Martial Ancestors.
The reason why Mo liked Cang and his friends was because they could resist its Black Ink Strength, unlike the others who became subservient to it and obeyed its orders after being corrupted.
For Mo, what it needed was not a servant, but a friend, whom it could share joy and happiness with.
“Initially, Mo considered us friends with completely pure intentions. It was so friendly and honest that we did not know what to do when we were faced with it. We originally thought of killing it, but when it came time to act, not one of us could bring ourselves to be ruthless against a child. Black Ink Strength was simply the power it was born with. It did not have the intention of wreaking havoc on the 3,000 Worlds, it just did not understand what harm it could do to the Human Race, and that its existence would lead to the destruction of everything.”
“In addition to our own feelings, Mo was indestructible, so there was essentially nothing that we could do to destroy it. So, our plans gradually changed. We explored its birthplace and decided to lure it here. Once it was here, we would use our strength and seal it here. We wanted to slowly find a way to understand its power, not only to see if we could find a way to preserve its life, but also to neutralize its Black Ink Strength.”
“Before we did that, we worked together to split apart the Great Territories occupied by Mo so that its Black Ink Strength would not poison the others that remained uncontaminated. At that time, many Masters gathered under Mo’s command, so when we imprisoned Mo here, it was furious and ordered its servants to attack the Human Race. That was how the war began, and the vast void behind you is where the two sides fought.”
“Initially, we could still perceive the movement of the battle, but as time passed, the battlefield gradually expanded outward, and we lost track of how the war was progressing.”
The war suddenly broke out after Cang and the other nine imprisoned Mo. The Human Race wanted to stop the encroachment of Black Ink Strength and protect their home; however, Mo was angry with Cang and the others’ betrayal and ordered its slaves to slaughter all living beings.
Thus, the Black Ink Battlefield was born in this new era. It was an era where the Human Race had experienced many new dangers, dangers that persisted to today. At that time, there was a tragic great war where the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race fought to the death across the vast Black Ink Battlefield. For both sides, retreat was not an option.
“That great war lasted for around 10,000 years. Many Human Masters were killed and injured. Naturally, the forces under Mo were ruthlessly killed as well. Just when we thought that Black Ink Strength’s hidden problems were basically pacified, Mo’s power suddenly erupted out from the restriction. It had been accumulating power for those 10,000 years, and the 10 of us were caught off guard and nearly overwhelmed by it. Although it took a lot of effort for us to reseal it, some of the servants it created escaped from this place… If I’m not mistaken, you call those servants Royal Lords.”
Yang Kai nodded as the pieces seemed to come into place.
When Yang Kai questioned the Territory Lord who was trapped in Void Crack, Ge Chen, he said that the Royal Lords came out of the Source Domain and brought with them their Black Ink Nests.
Now, it seemed that those Royal Lords were the same ones that escaped at that time.
Yang Kai was horrified.
What kind of power did Mo have to directly create so many Royal Lords?
Then, what kind of powers did Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors possess to be able to imprison Mo?
Cang said that he was only in the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but how could he merely be in the Ninth-Order? Was it really as simple as him being further along the Martial Dao than the current generation’s Ninth-Order Masters?
“Mo’s intention was very simple. It could not get out from within by itself; thus, it hoped that its servant could break it out from the outside. Although the restriction created by the 10 of us was strong, it would not withstand a concentrated attack by numerous Royal Lords from the outside. Mo might really be able to escape if 500 Royal Lords bombarded the restriction at the same time.”
“Thus, we were very worried when we saw those Royal Lords escape. If those Royal Lords managed to conquer the 3,000 Worlds and take over everything, it would be enough for them to create an endless number of Black Ink Clansmen. With such numbers, it would not be difficult for them to amass 500 Royal Lords in time.”
“However, thankfully this never came to be. When not one Royal Lord returned to help Mo out of the trap, we knew that the Human Race had pushed them back. This made us very happy; however, as the years passed, it became harder to guard this place. One by one, my old friends could not endure and began to fall. In the end, this Old Master was the only one left here, waiting for you all to come.”
Cang managed to give the Old Ancestors magnificent descriptions of what happened during the Primordial Era, the Early Ancient Era, and the Late Ancient Era. He also revealed a lot of unheard-of secrets to the Old Ancestors and explained to them the origins of Mo.
At the end of the Late Ancient Era, the battle between the Black ink Clan and the Human Race was so fierce that even the Supreme Masters of the Human Race were killed. With a lack of records or distortions as generations passed, it created a gap in the Human Race’s knowledge of the World’s history, which was why even the Cave Heavens and Paradises ended up not knowing much about these ancient events.
If the Human Army had not arrived here today, they still would not understand the origins of their history.
Although they were unclear, the tradition of fighting against the Black Ink Clan had continued because the Human Race needed to survive. They had to prevent the Black Ink Clan from ever getting to the 3,000 Worlds, or it would be the end of the Human Race.
More than 100 Theatres in more than 100 Great Passes continued to resist in the Black Ink Battlefield. Countless years and generations of Humans gave their lives to ensure this steadfast protection.
The battles were grand and glorious. The Humans and the Black Ink Clan had a long history of fighting since the end of the Late Ancient Era, which continued on to this day.
The reason why the Black Ink Clan invaded was because they needed to use the resources to breed more Royal Lords so that they could return to this place to free Mo.
The Old Ancestors were silent after Cang finished speaking.
What they heard today was beyond their imagination, and they needed some time to process all the new and alarming information.
After a long time, an Old Ancestor asked, “Senior, our Crusade Force has arrived. What can be done to completely destroy Mo? We have around 2 million soldiers pledged to fight to the death. Is this enough to clear all the evil that lies within?”
Cang slowly shook his head and replied grimly, “Mo was born with the Universe itself, its existence is special. The 10 of us could only seal and weaken it, but we could never completely destroy it.”
The Old Ancestors listened with trepidation. [It could not be completely destroyed?]
If there was no way to completely destroy it, then was this not a true immortal and indestructible existence?
The Great Battle Cave Heaven Old Ancestor quickly noticed something, however and asked, “The 10 of us could only…? Did you mean that there is a way? Senior, please enlighten us. Since we came here, we will not just turn around empty-handed.”
Cang pondered a little and said, “There is a way, but this Old Master cannot guarantee whether it will work or not. This solution was discussed by all my old friends when they were still alive, but this idea had never been proven.”
The Ninth-Order Masters listened carefully.
“Previously, this Old Master said that when the World first began, the Primordial Light came into existence together with darkness, which later became Mo. Therefore, we believe that the Primordial Light and the darkness are in a symbiotic relationship. If we want to completely eliminate the darkness, perhaps we need to find the Primordial Light in this World. Perhaps, with the power of the Primordial Light, we can eliminate Black Ink Strength once and for all.”
“The Primordial Light…”
The Ninth-Order Masters’ jaws dropped, while Yang Kai was dumbfounded.
How were they supposed to find that?
When the World was created, light was born. How could they know how to find the first light in existence? How do they find the Primordial Light that existed since the dawn of time?
It was totally unimaginable.
Cang noticed what they were wondering and said, “There may be a way. Since Mo was born when the darkness achieved sentience, then when the Primordial Light achieved sentience, someone or something must have been born from it. This entity must be somewhere in the 3,000 Worlds; however, it could be a person, a Monster Beast, or even a tree or a blade of grass on the roadside. If you can find it and bring it here, then the problem with Black Ink Strength would be resolved as its power should be enough to restrain Mo.”
When he said this, all the Ninth-Order Masters suddenly turned their heads towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered the two Supreme Beings he was acquainted with.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan!
If there was any power in this Universe that could truly restrain Black Ink Strength, it was the Purifying Light, which Yang Kai could produce by using the two marks granted to him by those two and fusing the Sun’s Burning Light and the Moon’s Serene Glimmer’s power which was contained in the Yellow and Blue Crystals.
[Were Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan once the Primordial Light?] Yang Kai was also a bit confused. [If they are the Primordial Light, how did they become two beings? Could it be that the two could fuse into one? That doesn’t sound right either. These two represented the extremes of Yin and Yang, and they have been fighting each other for countless years in the Chaotic Dead Territory. How could they ever fuse together as one?]
Whether or not it was Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, these two were avatars of destruction whose mere presence annihilated the world around them, so how could they possibly be brought here?
Seeing the reactions of the Old Ancestors, Cang asked, “Does this little friend know something about the Primordial Light?”
Yang Kai replied, “I’m not sure if those two are the incarnations of the Primordial Light, but Senior, I had received some power from them…”
After saying that, he activated the two marks, drawing power from the Yellow and Blue Crystals to merge into Purifying Light.
As the white light blossomed, Cang’s eyes glowed brightly as he concentrated on perceiving the light for a moment, only to shake his head and say, “This light is not pure enough, and far from matching the Primordial Darkness. However, it should have some relationship with the Primordial Light. Where did you get this power, little friend?”
Yang Kai told him about the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Cang softly murmured, “Burning Light, Serene Glimmer… So, it’s them!”
He obviously knew about these two as well.
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had existed for a very long time and were known as the two legendary ancestors of all Divine Spirits. It was because of them that there were Divine Spirits.
The Divine Spirits existed during the Primordial Era, so these two Supreme Beings must have existed even earlier than the Divine Spirits.
Since Cang was from the Late Ancient Era, how could he not have heard about them?
Cang didn’t know that the powers of those two could be combined. The Human Race of the Late Ancient Era did not have a very good opinion of the Divine Spirits and rarely wanted to come into contact with them, let alone the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer who were the supposed progenitors of the Divine Spirits. Furthermore, the Chaotic Dead Territory was a Forbidden Zone for the Human Race.
Although Cang and other nine Martial Ancestors were from that era, they had never set foot in the Chaotic Dead Territory and did not know much about Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
Even if they did come into contact, they might not be able to consider the two being able to help.
After all, it was only thousands of years after Cang and other nine Martial Ancestors got locked up here to guard Mo that they considered how they could completely defeat Mo. That was when they first thought of the Primordial Light.
Now, it seems that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan most likely had something to do with the Primordial Light.
It might really be the case that those two could really merge, but who could bring them here?
Considering that the Primordial Light might also be eliminated when Mo was destroyed, who could force those two to sacrifice themselves if they were unwilling to?
The Old Ancestors were faced with a conundrum. Although they had learned from Cang that there was a possible solution, it was still too difficult to implement.
“Senior, in that case, is our Human Race’s crusade here pointless?” An Old Ancestor asked gravely.
Without a way to completely eliminate Mo, the war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan would never end. Did the 2 million soldiers of this mighty army brave through all those dangers for nothing?
Cang shook his head and solemnly said, “It’s not useless. To tell you the truth, you came just at the right time.”
“Senior, please elaborate…”
Cang sighed and said, “Back then, when we laid the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction here, it was because it was Mo’s birthplace. As the years passed, Mo’s servants turned this huge void into a Spiritless Land. So, we simply had no way to replenish our own strength. Even my old friends passed away one by one, until this Old Master was the only one left.”
“If you came even 1,000 years later, this Old Master would have followed in the footsteps of my friends. Even if this Old Master doesn’t die though, Mo would still be able to get out of this trap on its own one day.”
During the countless years of being trapped in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Mo was not just waiting for death, it was secretly building up its strength and testing the restriction from the inside.
In its first real attempt, it almost succeeded, but in the end, it was once again resealed by the 10 Martial Ancestors. That incident had led to more than 100 Royal Lords escaping with their Black Ink Nests.
Those 100 or so Royal Lords who escaped were the root of the major Theatres.
Today, even if Cang did not know how powerful Mo had become, after suffering a few losses, it undoubtedly became smarter and more patient. Although Cang had tried several times to dig up information from it, Mo would never reveal how powerful the force it was amassing had become.
It was lying dormant, waiting patiently for the moment when Cang became weak enough for it to attempt to break out again.
That was why Cang said that they came at just the right time. If they arrived some years later, he might have been unable to hold on. By then, Mo would escape and bring disastrous for the Universe.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao narrowed her eyes and asked with great concern, “Senior, how strong is Mo compared to you?”
Cang pondered a little and said, “Mo itself is not too strong. If we really fought, it might not be this Old Master’s match; however, it cannot be completely destroyed. I can defeat it once, or maybe twice, but I will be the one who dies in the end! Its real strength is not in itself, but in the servants it creates.”
Being an immortal entity, even if it was inferior in raw strength, it could still kill its opponents who were much stronger than it by simply persisting through the ages. This was why Cang and the other nine did not directly attack Mo.
They knew they could not destroy Mo, so they did not waste their strength.
The Ninth-Order Masters suddenly realized something and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked, “Does Senior mean that over the years, Mo may have created many Black Ink Clansmen inside the restriction?”
Cang quickly answered, “Indeed. Probably more than you can imagine, including many, many Royal Lords.”
The Ninth Orders all looked very grave.
This was terrible news.
Not only was the source of the Black Ink Clan close to breaking free of its seal, but there were also many Royal Lords trapped inside along with it that would break loose when the time came.
Thinking about the scale of the restriction, just how many Royal Lords could be hidden in this huge area?
That number was unimaginable.
Setting aside all other things, if there was even just 200 Royal Lords inside, that would be a huge problem for the Human Race. However, right now, they could not even tell how many were inside?
There must be at least 46 as there were originally 50 that ambushed the Old Ancestors in the Black Ink Space. Though some had died, there were bound to be many more than 50. Mo had been imprisoned here for millions of years, after all, and it had nothing else to do but to create servants.
“Mo cannot possibly create Black Ink Clansmen out of thin air, it must need to consume energy to do so. Since it is imprisoned here, where does the energy come from?” An Old Ancestor asked.
The main reason for this question was because the people knew that Black Ink Clansmen were born from Black Ink Nests, but when a Black Ink Nest spawned Black Ink Clansmen, it had to consume a lot of resources.
Although Mo was the source of the Black Ink Clan, it still had to draw its energy from somewhere.
Cang smiled bitterly and replied, “This could also be considered our blunder. This place is the Primordial Heavens’ Source, the origin of both the Universe, the Primordial Light, and Primordial Darkness. When we tricked Mo into coming here, we wanted to harness the vast energy here to suppress and seal it. We thought that the unlimited energy of the Primordial Heavens Source could strengthen the restriction; after all, it is the origin of all things, even Mo. But, it seems the Heavens are truly fair in all things. Mo can also extract the power of the Primordial Heavens Source for its own use while it is here.”
The Old Ancestors gasped audibly as they listened.
Mo could draw the power of the source of the 3,000 Worlds with the help of this special place. In other words, since the 3,000 Worlds were infinite and indestructible, Mo’s strength was inexhaustible!
Cang and the other nine could initially refine and absorb Starlight Strength or other forms of energy from the void to maintain the restriction; however, when the Royal Lords escaped and turned a huge swath of the void into a Spiritless Land, they could not do so anymore.
Instead, Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors had to draw from their own strength, weakening themselves day by day as they had no means to replenish their power.
Before the nine Martial Ancestors died, each of them directed all their remaining might, sacrificing their core essence to the restriction to enhance its strength; otherwise, Mo would have escaped out of this restriction long ago.
After all his old friends had departed one after another, Cang would be next if the Crusade Force had not arrived.
After his death, the restriction might still be able to suppress and seal Mo for some years, but it would not last for long and Mo would eventually be able to get out of the trap.
That was why he said that the Human Race Army came at the right time.
Even such an ancient supreme being would have felt desperate after waiting for millions of years. Who knew how excited Cang was when he perceived the aura of that battle a few years ago.
When he realized that someone was fighting in the Black Ink Nest Space, he decisively took action.
“Since you have come here, you must have the intention to get rid of Mo, and it just so happens that this Old Master needs your help.”
The Old Ancestor all looked solemn as the Great Battle Heaven Old Ancestor said, “We do not know Mo as well as Senior does. When we led the crusade to this place, we thought that we could ruthlessly kill whatever was here. We did not expect things to turn out this way. Perhaps Senior can instruct us on what to do now.”
The other Old Ancestors all nodded in unison.
Cang was the first to cup his fist and said, “This Old Master thanks all of you in advance. To be honest, if a fight breaks out, you will lose a lot of the 2 million you’ve brought here.”
The Old Ancestors laughed as one of them replied, “Senior, the founding purpose of the Cave Heavens and Paradises was to fight against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield. Over the years, many of our ancestors have died to fulfil that purpose. If they did not have the Will to fight and die, they would not have dared to set foot onto the Black Ink Battlefield to kill the enemy. Senior, not to mention if we had large numbers of casualties, even if this entire Army perished here, it would be worth it if we could destroy the Black Ink Clan. As for thanking us, we should be the ones to thank you, Senior! Without Senior’s great devotion to guarding this place, the 3,000 Worlds would have been lost and we would not be here today.”
Cang looked at the crowd, and saw that the many Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters did not flinch, even though they were aware of the power and evilness of Mo. He began to smile with relief.
[This generation of warriors is indeed competent; otherwise, it would not have taken the Human Race more than a million years before they came.]
Just as Cang was about to speak, a voice echoed, “You all want to listen to this old man’s nonsense and become my enemies?”
The voice was so indistinct that none of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters knew where it came from, but all of them soon turned pale.
“Mo!”
Mo was the only one who would say such words at this moment.
No one expected that Mo, which was suppressed and sealed in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction where the Heavens and Earth were created, could still communicate with them. What made things worse was from the tone of its voice, it had heard everything that was said here.
Yang Kai looked very odd. Moments ago, Cang said that Mo’s personality was like a child; furthermore, it seemed that its voice was also that of a child.
It was practically the same as Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
When he thought about it, Mo, Big Brother Huang, and Big Sister Lan seemed to actually have a lot in common. Perhaps the solution to resolving the crisis of the Black Ink Clan really depended on those two.
“This Supreme One cannot be killed. What the old man said about the Primordial Light is pure nonsense. This place is the birthplace of this Supreme One, what Primordial Light could be found here?” Mo sarcastically said.
“You are only seeking your own doom if you listen to this old man’s nonsense.”
Cang slowly shook his head and retorted “Mo, just because you do not know about something does not mean that it does not exist. Or perhaps… are you afraid?”
“Afraid?” Mo raised its voice and replied, “Why would this Supreme One be afraid of you? I hate you! I hate that I trusted you so much! I hate how I was tricked into coming here, only to be imprisoned for countless years! Old man, once I get out of here, you will be the first one to die!”
Cang chuckled and said, “Rest assured, there won’t be such a day.”
Mo ignored him and said to the Old Ancestors, “It’s surprising that you’ve made it this far. However, your efforts are pointless. How about this? Why not make a deal with this Supreme One?”
The Great Battle Heaven Old Ancestor looked up at void, narrowed his eyes and asked, “What kind of deal?”
Mo replied, “If you help me kill this old man, this Supreme One will promise you that after I get out of this cage, I will rule alongside your Human Race! Black Ink Battlefield… is what you call this stretch of void. The Black Ink Clan and I will never set foot outside of Black Ink Battlefield or bring harm to your lands.”
Unlike Cang, Mo knew a lot about the Humans of today. The bizarre nature of the Black Ink Nest allowed Mo to monitor every Theatre at all times.
The Great Battle Heaven Old Ancestor snickered, “How could we possibly sleep in peace?”
There was no guarantee that Mo would keep this agreement. Even if it did, how could the Human Race be at ease? Who knew if Mo changed its mind?
After all, it was the source of the Black Ink Clan!
The Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had fought with each other for countless years. The countless dead soldiers had forged an eternal blood feud. This was not a matter that could be so easily resolved.
All the Old Ancestors wanted to hear was Mo’s proposal, but they had no plans to take it seriously.
Even Cang knew that the Human Race would not accept this proposal which was why he chose to remain quiet and not interfere.
Mo sighed and said, “You Humans keep saying that you want to kill this Supreme One for your own survival, but you have not achieved this even after so many years. You have lost a lot of people, just as I have lost a lot of my servants. No one has the upper hand. Didn’t that old man say that this Supreme One was born when the Heavens and Earth began? If the Heavens and Earth were destroyed, how can this Supreme One live on? I would be alone. When I first became sentient, I didn’t know anything and could not control my own power, that is why I caused such a great disaster. Now that I know the seriousness of what happened, I will not let it happen again. I promise. If this Supreme One says that the Black Ink Clan will never step out of the Black Ink Battlefield, this Supreme One will definitely not go back on my word. This Supreme One swears by its Soul that if I lie, may the Heavens smite my Soul and end my life.”
Cang was slightly moved and remarked, “Looks like you are determined!”
An Old Ancestor looked at Cang and asked, “Senior means that this guy can be trusted?”
Cang nodded and said, “The most important thing to Mo’s existence is its own Soul, or in other words, its sentience. Since it swore by its Soul, it should be true. If it violates its oath, even if its Soul does not get destroyed, it would suffer a fate worse than death.”
Cang did not try to exaggerate or lie and just spoke straightforwardly.
Hearing what Mo said, there was no doubt that it was extremely eager to get out of this trap. For this reason, it was even willing not to step out of the Black Ink Battlefield.
“Not only do Humans desire a prosperous future, so does this Supreme One. I naturally desired to go somewhere most bustling and alive. The disaster that happened eons ago was unintentional, and for it I have been trapped here for so many years. Isn’t that punishment enough?”
Cang sighed slightly and said, “It is not a question of if it is enough. Mo, you should know that yourself.”
Mo replied indignantly, “Then, you want to ruthlessly kill me simply because I was born with this power?”
Cang remained silent.
Was Mo wrong?
Its power was simply what it was, and what happened back then was not intentional. It wanted to be part of the Human Race’s prosperity and was driven by instinct to feel the splendour of a world it had never felt before.
But, was it right?
Its presence resulted in the decimation of hundreds of Great Territories and the death of all living things in those lands. Countless Human Race Masters became corrupted by Black Ink Strength, their original personality annihilated as they were reduced mere slaves.
This was no longer a question of right or wrong.
In the silence, the Great Battle Heaven Old Ancestor coldly snorted and said, “You were ignorant back then, but don’t you understand now? For countless years, the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield have been trying to invade the 3,000 Worlds. Your words sound sincere at first, but they are dishonest!”
Mo said leisurely, “If you had been trapped here for millions of years, wouldn’t you try to find a way to get out? There is only one way for this Supreme One to get out of here, but that was the past. Now, as long as you are willing to help me, this Supreme One naturally does not need to do that again. This Supreme One can even promise you that after I get out of this trap, this Supreme One can retract all my Black Ink Strength. Then, there would not be any Black Ink Clansman in this world except for this Supreme One!”
“That certainly sounds tempting!” An Old Ancestor chuckled.
If Mo was true to its word, it would remain in the Black Ink Battlefield and take back all its Black Ink Strength. This was undoubtedly a good outcome. However, could it keep its word?
Even if it could keep its promise for a short time, what about in the long run?
If it could never step out of the Black Ink Battlefield, it meant that it was still imprisoned!
The only thing that changed was that it had gone from a small cage built around the Primordial Heavens Source, to the big cage of the Black Ink Battlefield.
Did it not just say that it sought for prosperity? Perhaps it could endure loneliness for 1,000 years, or even 10,000 years, but what would happen after 100,000 years, or a million years?
How could an entity that had been imprisoned for millions of years, once freed, agree to be imprisoned again? They certainly could not believe everything it said.
Thus, none of the Old Ancestors took its words seriously. Mo’s sincere-sounding oath could only be taken superficially and anyone who believed in it was a fool.
Mo had sensed the Old Ancestors’ thoughts towards its proposal and it began to fume as, regardless of how long it had lived, its thoughts were still like those of a child. It now felt upset and aggrieved that even its willingness to compromise could not satisfy the greedy Human Race.
“Do you really want to be the enemy of this Supreme One?” Mo raged.
“Years of blood feud can only end in death!” The Great Battle Heaven Old Ancestor’s aura turned sharp as it pointed to the void.
Mo gloomily said, “Consider carefully. You may not be able to win if you really want to fight! This old man has also said that this Supreme One created countless servants over these millions of years. You may have a 2 million strong Army, but that is still not enough to be this Supreme One’s opponent. How can you win? What will be the final outcome? Since you cannot kill this Supreme One, are you going to continue to imprison me?”
An Old Ancestor said with a smile, “Originally, I did not have much confidence in this battle when I heard what Martial Ancestor said. However, now that I have listened to you, I think we can win. Perhaps we can even kill you!”
“You must be tired of living!” Mo shouted angrily.
The Old Ancestors did not bother to say anything else. They were all Masters with firm Wills who had led their Armies to this place; thus, they would not be swayed by what Mo said.
No matter how tempting Mo’s promises were, its very existence was a huge threat to the 3,000 Worlds. The only way to solve this problem was to completely annihilate it.
Although there was no way to find the Primordial Light for the time being, they could not just leave Mo alone.
Cang was already dying, and to relieve his burden, they must first weaken Mo. Once the situation stabilized here, the Human Race could then search for the Primordial Light.
Looking around at the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Cang asked, “Have you all thought it through?”
The Old Ancestors all nodded.
The Myriad Demons Old Ancestor smiled and said, “Senior, tell us what we should do. Honestly, we had not expected things to turn out this way, so we hardly know how we should proceed.”
Cang nodded and said, “Since you and the others are determined to fight, then the matter is very simple.”
He did not try to hide what he was going to say from Mo; in fact, he could not hide it even if he wanted to. Although Mo was not particularly strong in terms of raw combat power, its Divine Sense was exceptionally keen. Thus, Mo could sense whatever he was about to say no matter how he tried to conceal it.
“When you are prepared, this Old Master will open the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Once the restriction is open, you and the army must kill the Black Ink Clansmen as soon as they emerge,” Cang explained.
An Old Ancestor asked with worry, “Once the restriction is open? Won’t Mo take advantage of the opportunity to escape?”
Cang shook his head and said “This Old Master will use the power of the restriction to restrain it. It will not be able to get out.”
Cang was confident about this point; otherwise, he would not dare to open up the restriction.
“But you must be very careful, Mo has an innate ability which also can be said to be a Secret Technique. Even if Mo does not have direct contact with you, the Secret Technique might cause you and the others to be corrupted and turn into servants.”
“An Innate Divine Ability!?” An Old Ancestor bellowed.
Cang nodded and said, “So to speak. So, be sure to protect your Souls. This Old Master will try not to let it have the opportunity to strike you, but you should also protect yourselves.”
“We understand.”
The Human Race was no stranger to such abilities of the Black Ink Clan. In fact, the Royal Lords had such an Innate Divine Ability, which the Humans simply called the Royal Lord Secret Technique.
As Cang said, even without direct contact, once their Soul was hit by such a Secret Technique, it would be corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
As the source of the Black Ink Clan, how could Mo not possess such a skill?
“Over the years, this Old Master was not sure of how many servants Mo had created, so this battle will most likely be very difficult, if you and the others can’t hold on anymore, you should inform Old Master immediately and I will close the gap!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and exclaimed, “Senior can both open and close the restriction? Can we keep repeating this, so that we can keep wearing down its strength.”
As long as Cang had good control of this gap, the Human Race might even be able to kill the entire Black Ink Clan Army without any damage.
Cang, however, smiled and replied, “No. Opening and ensuring that the gap does not expand and closing it requires much time and strength. Furthermore, doing it too many times would make the restriction unstable. If Mo breaks out from inside, even this Old Master might be powerless to suppress and seal it.”
Yang Kai understood. He also knew that it could not be that simple.
“In addition…” Cang appeared slightly grave as he said, “Over these years, Mo seems to have hidden some kind of power. When he first used that power, he almost broke out of the restriction. Unfortunately, I still do not know much about this power. All of you must be extremely careful.”
The Old Ancestors all listened solemnly. If Mo nearly broke out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and even Cang, who had been here guarding this place for millions of years did not understand how, then this power was obviously Mo’s trump card.
Millions of years ago, when Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors sealed Mo, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was not so large. At that time, it was at most a small piece of the void, hardly a thousandth of its current size.
As time passed though, Mo drew on the power of the 3,000 Worlds, through this Primordial Heavens Source, and its own power fiercely rose.
Thus, the Grand Restriction also expanded along with it.
By now, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had almost reached its limit. The greater the size of the Grand Restriction, the more difficult it was for Cang to maintain it, and when the scope exceeded a certain threshold, the restriction would naturally burst.
That was also why Cang said that the Human Race Army came just in time. Even if he did not die, he would be unable to maintain the seal if they came more than 1,000 years later.
Now, in order to relieve his burden, they had to wear down the Black Ink Strength inside. If he could get better control over the restriction, then there would not be any concerns about Mo breaking out of the trap. By then, the Human Race Masters would be free to search for the Primordial Light.
Thus, no matter what, a battle was inevitable.
The Human Race would fight to weaken the Black Ink Strength, while Mo would try to use this opportunity to escape.
Mo had been suppressed and sealed here all this time, but even Cang did not know what the situation inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was.
Mo completely isolated the inside with its own power and its Divine Sense was extremely powerful, so it intentionally prevented anyone from sensing what was going on. Even Cang was unable to peek into it.
However, when Mo nearly broke out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction long ago, there was indeed an extremely powerful force that blew up from the inside. Even when Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors quickly suppressed it, some Royal Lords still managed to escape.
Those Royal Lords first took this surrounding area, where the Heavens and Earth was formed, as their target and managed to turn this huge stretch of void into a Spiritless Land so as to cut off any source of power for Cang and the others. They then took their Black Ink Nests across the dangerous ancient battlefields to search for suitable locations to create Royal Cities. Thereafter, they began to spawn large armies so that they could invade the 3,000 Worlds, gain more resources, breed more Black Ink Clansmen, and then return to rescue Mo.
In fact, back then, more than 200 Royal Lords had escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but in that era, the restrictions and residual Divine Abilities that remained on the ancient battlefields were far more powerful than the ones the Human crusade experienced along their way here. Thus, many Royal Lords fell, leaving just over 100 survivors.
Those restrictions and residual Divine Abilities were from the first great war between Mo’s servants and the Great Experts of the Late Ancient Era. Cang had mentioned that the battle raged for 10,000 years.
The Royal Lords who moved to create their Royal Cities did so too far away for Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors to monitor their movements.
At that time, the Human Race, and the Dragon and Phoenix Clans of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land joined forces to guard the only path that connected the Black Ink Battlefield to the 3,000 Worlds; after all, when the Royal Cities first appeared, it naturally alarmed the Human Race.
In order to cope with the future Black Ink Clan invasion, the Human Race also built their Great Passes, one for each Royal City, forming the basis for the various war Theatres. The Human Race Masters then returned to the 3,000 Worlds to prepare. They chose cultivation paradises with abundant resources and World Energy to foster new talents. It was these cultivation holy lands that later became the Cave Heavens and Paradises. From there, they recruited disciples widely and trained elite Masters for the coming war.
Hence, the layout of the Black Ink Battlefield was formed step by step.
However, Cang and the nine Martial Ancestors did not know these details; after all, they had long joined forces to imprison Mo and were trapped alongside it to maintain the Grand Restriction.
It was because they managed to suppress and seal Mo that the Late Ancient Era’s shocking war between Mo’s servants and the Human Race could even occur.
The ancestors of those who created the Cave Heavens and Paradises only knew to fight against the Black Ink Clan, they did not even know where they originated from.
The Great Experts who knew the full story had all been killed by the end of the Late Ancient Era in the battle of extinction against Mo’s servants.
Millions of years then passed with neither side being able to make a true breakthrough. The Black Ink Clan never managed to take down the Great Passes en masse, settling for recklessly attacking and retreating, not caring if they incurred huge losses each time.
They were all spawned from Black Ink Nests rather than being born and raised by parents. As long as there were sufficient resources, they could endlessly continue to create more Black Ink Clansmen.
It was only in recent centuries that the Human Race had gradually turned from its defensive position to an offensive one. Now, the 2-million-strong army crusade had finally marched to this point with the means to threaten Mo directly.
A great war was inevitable!
“This Old Master needs some things to restore himself,” Cang requested.
Although he had used Shi’s power to steal some of Mo’s power from time to time over the years, Black Ink Strength was still corruptive by nature and he did not dare to use it indiscriminately.
Even Shi was at risk of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength because he devoured too much of it. He eventually could not sustain himself and had to sacrifice himself to the restriction.
Thus, over the years, Cang had always been in a state of malnutrition and was barely able to maintain the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. That was why he became skin and bones, much like a living dead.
The only reason why he now had a somewhat normal physique was because he did not want to frighten these Juniors.
It was naturally not an issue to help provide Cang with some resources, as while most of the Old Ancestors only carried a few on them, Yang Kai had plenty.
Yang Kai immediately took out a Space Ring, filled it with all kinds of resources, and handed it to Cang, “Senior, see if this is enough, if not, Junior still has some more.”
Cang took the ring and looked before smiling lightly, “It’s enough.”
After saying that, he looked at the Old Ancestors and said, “Go and prepare yourselves first, after this Old Master restores himself, I will open the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
Some Ninth-Order Masters asked, “Senior, where is the best place for us to assemble?”
They knew nothing about this Spiritless Land, so it was natural to ask for Cang’s instructions.
Cang looked around for a while before pointing in a certain direction, “There. Over there is where Mo tore open a crack and those Royal Lords managed to escape from back then. Relatively speaking, that position is easiest to open, and due to some old setups by my friends, it is also the easiest to close.”
The Old Ancestors looked in the direction he pointed and naturally had no objections.
“Then we will go and prepare.”
The Old Ancestors flew away and Yang Kai followed.
Soon, all the Army Commanders of the Great Passes quickly understood the situation after receiving instructions from the Old Ancestors. Orders were given, and all the soldiers began to make preparations for battle.
For so many years, the Human Race had mostly been in a passive and defensive state, repeatedly invaded by the Black Ink Clan while forced to repel them.
Countless Black Ink Clansmen were killed when the Royal Cities were pacified. Thereafter, the Great Passes crossed the Late Ancient Era battlefield, which had many residual dangers, and finally arrived here. It was only today that they could finally take the fight to Mo.
Such an opportunity was scarce.
As Cang said, the objective here was for the Human Race to kill as many of the Black Ink Clansmen who tried to escape the gap as possible after he opened the restriction.
Who could withstand a combined attack of more than 100 Great Passes and a 2-million-strong Army?
Even Royal Lords would be annihilated in an instant before such power.
The Human Race was completely confident in this battle which aimed at weakening the Black Ink Strength.
Another good thing was that the battlefield was in the void. If it was a flat land, it would be impossible to properly arrange the 106 Great Passes. Even so, it still took the Humans a full month of work before battle lines were formed.
More than 100 Great Passes were divided into layers, with each layer consisting of some 30 Great Passes. Inside each of the Great Passes, the soldiers were all busy preparing and repeatedly checking their artifacts, formations, and Warships.
Various pills were also distributed.
It took them about one and a half months before everything was ready.
Cang had consumed a large number of resources by now and was close to being fully restored.
Mo angrily snapped, “Cang, do you really want to do this? What happened back then was unintentional. I’ve already been imprisoned for millions of years. I’ve suffered a lot, can’t you let me live?”
All this while, Mo continued to chatter into Cang’s ears. Sometimes it threatened, other times it intimidated, and at times, it softly begged.
However, Cang remained unmoved.
He knew better. The dangers that Mo could bring to the 3,000 Worlds were too great. What happened during the Late Ancient Era was still fresh in his mind, so how could he allow history to repeat itself?
All his old friends had already perished to suppress and seal Mo, leaving him alone to stand guard here. How would he allow his friends’ sacrifice to be for nothing?
This had nothing to do with whether Mo did anything wrong, its existence itself was harmful so it could not be allowed to live. Mo was indestructible, so if he was released, this vast world would never have peace again.
“Old Man, do you think that what you do now will really wear me down? You can’t weaken me unless I allow it!” Mo angrily scolded.
Although it was venting, it was also telling the truth. Even if Cang opened a gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, if Mo did not command its servants to fight, the Humans could not do anything about it.
Cang finally responded with a light chuckle, “Mo, you have existed for so long and you are no longer a child, so please don’t throw a tantrum. Don’t you want to get out of here after so many years in captivity? When this Old Master opens a gap, it will be both a crisis and an opportunity for you. Don’t you want to take advantage of this chance to get out of this seal? As long as you can kill all these people and then let your servants kill this Old Master, no one else will be able to stop you.”
“You liar! Liar, liar, liar!” Mo screamed angrily, “You even told them before that you could close the gap at any time, do you think that I didn’t hear you?!”
Cang laughed but did not say anything.
Mo said again, “You’ve been lying to me all this time! You bully! What have I done wrong for you to treat me like this!? Cang, Old Man… let’s not fight, okay? You let them leave and I will withdraw all my Black Ink Strength. You can then seal the Black Ink Strength within this Grand Restriction. As long as this restriction does not break, my Black Ink Strength will not escape. So, it will not endanger the others.”
“Hmm…” Cang said softly but seriously, “Mo, stop pretending. This might be possible if you had cooperated back then, but it is too late now. You have chosen this path and you must bear the consequences of your actions. What’s more, you know that Mu proposed to make the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to seal off your Black Ink Strength, but even she could not be sure of whether it would work or what risks it would carry.”
“Mu…” Mo’s memory must have been evoked and it angrily cried out, “She died! Right in front of me! You killed her!”
When Mo became friends with Cang and the others back then, it was completely sincere with them.
Among the ten, it was most fond of Mu, who was always gentle and amiable. Compared to the others, Mu was also more friendly to Mo.
When the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction started taking effect, Mu suggested planting the restriction inside Mo’s body so that it could internally suppress its Black Ink Strength. That way, they didn’t have to restrict Mo’s freedom. As long as the restriction wasn’t broken, its Black Ink Strength wouldn’t leak out, and Mo wouldn’t have to bear the suffering of being imprisoned. By then, they could bring Mo with them and monitor it at all times.
However, no one could guarantee that the idea was feasible. Everyone would be happy if it worked, but if it didn’t, Mo wouldn’t let them suppress it again when it was aware of their intentions.
In the end, Cang and the others didn’t dare to take the risk.
Mu passed away pretty early on when Mo flared up for the first time after it was suppressed. To appease Mo, she ignored the others’ dissuasion and entered the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction on her own.
No one knew what happened to her while she was inside, but when she returned, she was horribly wounded. Before her death, she blended all her power and her body into the restriction to strengthen it.
That day, Cang and the others were heartbroken while Mo’s wails reverberated across the entire universe.
Among the ten of them, the gentle and compassionate woman was the most talented. It could be said that the others were not comparable to her. She was the one who came up with the idea of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and Duan personally crafted it while the rest assisted from the side.
Mu was also the most powerful among them. Cang even suspected that she had found the path that led beyond the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Unfortunately, she passed away when she was still fairly young. Given her aptitude, she could have ascended to a realm that was beyond the Ninth Order.
Cang turned solemn when he heard Mo mention Mu and grimly said, “You’re fully aware of how Mu was killed, Mo.”
A furious Mo roared, “Do you think I killed her? It wasn’t me! I’d never kill her! Why would I do that to her?”
Cang snorted, “She passed away after returning from inside the restriction. Why had she fallen into such a state if not for you?”
“It really wasn’t me!” Mo refuted.
“Enough. Whether or not it was your doing no longer matters.”
Now that 2 million Human Race soldiers had arrived, they had to weaken Mo’s power even if they couldn’t destroy it. Cang couldn’t persevere any longer.
Like a child who had been wrongly accused, Mo cried, “It really wasn’t me…”
When Mu entered the restriction, Mo indeed ordered his servants to attack her because it was mad at her betrayal. However, Mu was extremely powerful, so how were his servants supposed to be a match for her? While they were able to slightly injure her, killing her was simply impossible.
Nevertheless, it was a fact that Mu passed away after leaving the restriction. Even after all these years, Mo had never been able to explain why.
In fact, Cang and the others initially thought that it was Mo’s doing and were furious after Mu passed away, but after giving it some thought, they realised that might not be the truth.
Mu was just that strong. Even though the servants that Mo had created were formidable, they couldn’t possibly cause enough injury to her for her to fall. Moreover, Mu was the one who came up with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If she wanted to leave it, there was no way Mo could stop her, and there was certainly no reason for her to fight with Mo to the death.
As they recalled the scenes from back then, they realised that Mu’s injuries were not a result of fighting against someone. There was some other reason for them.
At that time, she was critically injured and on her last breath.
Before her death, she passed them a piece of jade and left for the next world without saying anything more.
Now, that jade was in Cang’s hands. He had examined the jade over and over again, but was never able to figure out what it was for. He just felt that the jade had something to do with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Therefore, he wouldn’t dare to try it out lest the restriction was affected.
The incident in the past remained a mystery. Perhaps Mo knew something about it; however, it might also know nothing.
“Everything is prepared, Senior.”
The Great Battle Heaven Old Ancestor landed beside Cang, causing him to snap back to the present.
Cang looked up and saw over 100 Great Passes hovering in the void. On the Great Passes, the determined Humans were filled with murderous intent. He pulled himself together and nodded gently, “Let’s begin, then.”
The Great Battle Cave Heaven Old Ancestor turned around and nodded at the people in the distance.
“Prepare for war!”
A roar reverberated across the entire void as World Forces started exuding from the Great Passes. The arrays and the artifacts all lit up.
They were ready to strike.
Seeing that, Cang shouted, “Open!”
In the next instant, his figure expanded rapidly. He soon became enormous as a powerful aura exuded from his frail body.
The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters’ eyes brightened when they felt that aura.
Previously, when they asked Cang what realm he was in, he only told them that he was still in the Ninth Order, just further beyond the Old Ancestors.
The Old Ancestors asked nothing more.
However, at this moment, they could clearly feel that this old man, who had been guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for millions of years, had an aura that none of them could match.
The entire void seemed to be trembling as his aura spread out.
It was apparent that he wasn’t just further ahead of them in the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. These Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters couldn’t help but think that Cang might have broken through the Ninth-Order and reached a realm that they were not aware of.
As such, these Ninth-Order Masters were thrilled.
It had come to a point where they had reached the end of their cultivation journey, and they still hadn’t managed to find any new path forward. However, as they observed Cang’s aura now, they realised the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm was not the peak of the Martial Dao, there was still a higher summit to reach. They were just incapable of discovering it.
As Cang’s aura undulated, ripples started spreading across the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and began gathering at a particular spot.
In front of that spot stood the Human formations. It was also where Mo formed a crack with its strength back then.
As the ripples spread, a gap appeared in the originally flawless restriction. In the beginning, it was just a small gap, but it soon expanded rapidly.
Cang roared and surged his power to control the size of the gap. Soon, the gap became as large as a lake, with space itself seemingly having been torn apart.
An extremely malevolent aura exuded from the opening, and despite having the protection of many Grand Arrays, those on the Great Passes could still clearly feel that chilling aura.
As they stared intently, they could see impossibly thick darkness sweltering in the gap. They could also faintly hear growls coming from within.
Seeing that, the Humans quickly put their guard up.
A long time later, the darkness still never spilled out of the gap, nor did any Black Ink Clansmen appear, but eventually, there came a moment when Mo’s roar sounded, “It really wasn’t me, you old fart! You’re all pompous people who never listen to me explain! Why? It wasn’t my fault! Since you don’t even care to listen to what I have to say, I’ll destroy everything and kill everyone!”
Following Mo’s howl, darkness gushed out of the gap like a flood bursting through a dam.
It wasn’t really darkness though; it was a torrent made from countless Black Ink Clansmen.
“Kill!”
Following the Army Commanders’ order, arrays on the Great Passes thrummed and the powers of the Secret Techniques and artifacts shot forth.
The first batch of the Black Ink Clansmen who stormed out of the gap hadn’t even managed to see what the outside world looked like before they were vaporized.
The place where the attacks from over 100 Great Passes landed instantly turned into a living Hell.
More and more Black Ink Clansmen were destroyed; however, since their first appearance, the Black Ink Clansmen had never stopped flooding out of the darkness.
They stepped on the corpses of their clansmen and fearlessly charged forward. Just a moment later, they were struck by the Secret Techniques and artifacts and killed. Their Black Ink Strength burst forth, and their corpses were then stepped on by the ones behind them.
This stretch of void, which had remained silent for millions of years, suddenly erupted with light and sound.
The Humans never stopped firing at the enemy, while the Black Ink Clansmen marched forward without pause. Regardless of the danger ahead, they didn’t even hesitate.
The gap was soon shrouded with Black Ink Strength.
Above the wall of Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai was hovering in the void as he stared coldly at the front and remained still.
It wasn’t the right time for him to make a move yet.
This was a war that was unlike anything the Humans had experienced before, a fight that would be remembered by all future generations. If the Humans won, they could ensure some peaceful days for the 3,000 Worlds, but if they lost, the 3,000 Worlds would descend into chaos as Mo had threatened to destroy everything.
Even though there were a lot of soldiers and countless Masters on the Humans’ side, they didn’t dare to make rash moves. Those that were attacking the enemies were the cultivators who were in charge of the arrays on the walls of the Great Passes. The rest were conserving their strength.
It would take a long time before the war ended; therefore, they needed to ration their energy.
Three rotations of soldiers were arranged to control and activate the arrays to ensure that they would be able to fire continuously.
The Artifact Refiners and Array Masters were also on standby to repair the artifacts and arrays at any moment.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai sported a solemn expression.
Although the war had just started and he hadn’t participated in the fight, he could feel immense pressure washing over him from afar.
Even though the Humans managed to destroy these Black Ink Clansmen without getting hurt, the enemies who gushed out of the gap were all very weak.
According to the Black Ink Clan’s own classification, those enemies were just Serfs, even weaker than Low-Rank Clansmen.
As long as there were enough resources and a Black Ink Nest, they could produce an infinite number of such Black Ink Clansmen.
Although Mo appeared infuriated, it didn’t let its fury get the better of it. It knew it had to use these weak soldiers to drain the Humans’ strength first.
In fact, it wasn’t so surprising. The Black Ink Clan and the Human Race had been fighting against each other on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless years, and as the source of the Black Ink Clan, Mo, was able to monitor what was going on in every Theatre. Therefore, it was familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the Human Race.
Its way of dealing with the Humans now was the best solution available.
Even though the Black Ink Clan soldiers gushing out of the gap were weak, they came in an enormous quantity. They would be a threat to the Humans if they were allowed to roam freely; therefore, the Humans had no choice but to kill them.
What surprised Yang Kai was that most of the Black Ink Clansmen rushing out of the gap looked like Monster Beasts, which was something new to the Humans.
For as long as the Human Race could remember, even though the Black Ink Clansmen in every Theatre came in all different shapes and sizes, they mostly had a Human frame. The Human Race had never seen Black Ink Clansmen that looked purely like Monster Beasts before.
Now, however, there were a large number of such creatures. They were apparently created by Mo using Black Ink Strength after it was confined in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Even though these Monster Beast-like creatures were weak, they came in a larger number than even ordinary Black Ink Clansmen, and after they were killed, the Black Ink Strength in their bodies gushed out and filled a vast swatch of space.
The war unfolded just like the Humans had expected as Cang was able to control the size of the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Therefore, there wouldn’t be too many Black Ink Clansmen who could dash out through the gap. As over 100 Great Passes joined forces, they could ensure they killed all the enemies who emerged. As long as they never stopped attacking, they wouldn’t have to worry about the Black Ink Clansmen breaking through their defence.
100,000, 200,000, 300,000, 500,000…
Although they were unable to get an accurate count, it was roughly estimated that over 1 million Black Ink Clansmen had rushed through the gap in just half a day. All the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Beasts were killed the moment they left the gap, so they were unable to move any further.
Regardless, a torrent of these creatures still continuously gushed out from the darkness. Seeing that, Yang Kai felt a crawling sensation on his scalp.
A million Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Beasts was about how many casualties there would be in a major war, but only half a day had passed so far.
How many Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Beasts were still hiding in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction? How many servants had Mo created over the past several million years? No one knew the answer. Perhaps only Mo was aware of the exact number.
Half a day later, another million of Black Ink Clan soldiers were killed, and after another half a day, the same thing happened.
A few days later, over 10 million Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Beasts had been slaughtered, but other than the fact that some of their artifacts and arrays were damaged from overuse, the Humans hadn’t suffered any kind of damage.
Despite being in an advantageous position, none of them were happy.
Mo didn’t seem concerned about losing over 10 million soldiers. The subordinates it had been summoning were still the weakest Black Ink Serfs and Black Ink Beasts.
These cannon fodder were simply meant to wear down the Human Race Army’s strength, and there seemed to be an infinite number of them hiding in the depths of the darkness.
By this point, everyone realised that something was off.
Regardless of whether there was really an infinite number of Black Ink Clan soldiers, the Humans’ defence would collapse in a month given the fact that they had been using the artifacts and arrays with such intensity. The Artifact Refiners and Array Masters were unable to make repairs as quickly as damage was accrued. Without the help of these artifacts and arrays, the Human Race would have no choice but to personally stop these Black Ink Clan soldiers from advancing further. By then, there were bound to be casualties.
What the Humans found amiss was that since over 10 million Black Ink Clan soldiers had passed away, the entire region should have been filled with the Black Ink Strength from the dead Black Ink Clansmen, and there should have been innumerable Black Ink Clouds around them.
In past wars, the Black Ink Clan always left behind a lot of Black Ink Clouds after suffering a large number of casualties. Those clouds would then merge together into Black Ink Oceans.
However, at this moment, almost all the thick Black Ink Strength hovered around the opening in the Grand Restriction, concealing it from sight. Not much of it had even spilled through the gap.
Realising the crux of the problem, Cang shouted loudly, “It’s been retrieving the Black Ink Strength to recycle it! Stop it! Otherwise, its strength will be endless!”
Only then did Yang Kai realise what was wrong.
It was no wonder that Mo had been sending these weak Black Ink Clansmen out so recklessly, and why it didn’t seem to care despite so many of them being killed. The Black Ink Strength left behind from these corpses could be reused by it.
That way, it would have an infinite supply of Black Ink Strength. Perhaps it could fight until the end of time itself using this method.
The reason the Humans hadn’t discovered it earlier was that it was chaotic at the opening. Black Ink Clansmen continuously passed through the gap and got killed as the Black Ink Strength concealed it, and hid the traces of Mo retrieving its power.
Although Cang had been guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for a long time, it still took him several days to figure out what was happening.
Upon hearing Cang’s warning, the Humans promptly came up with a solution as Squads were dispatched from the Great Passes to the battlefield.
Soon, the Squads summoned artifacts that looked like fishing nets and began to dredge the battlefield with them. Every net could capture a lot of Black Ink Strength which the Squads would then haul away and discard.
These artifacts that looked like fishing nets were specifically developed by the Humans to clean up Black Ink Strength. They could also be used to trap enemies, but they were much less effective at this. Therefore, the Humans usually wouldn’t use these artifacts when dealing with the Black Ink Clan and only bring them out after the fighting was over.
After Yang Kai experienced his first major war back in Blue Sky Pass, he received Zhong Liang’s order to clean up the battlefield. At that time, he also experimented with this kind of artifact.
Over 1,000 Squads moved around the battlefield to capture the Black Ink Strength left behind by the dead Black Ink Clansmen; however, it was still an inefficient process because after seizing the Black Ink Strength, they had to bring it somewhere far away and discard it, which was quite time-consuming.
After observing for a bit, Yang Kai turned to the rest of Dawn’s members and said, “Give me some spare Space Rings.”
Realising his intention, they fished out the Space Rings they did not need and passed them to Yang Kai.
Seeing that from a nearby place, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao knew what he was trying to do, but she didn’t stop him, only giving him a reminder, “Be careful. Even though all those Black Ink Clansmen are weak now, that doesn’t mean there won’t be Masters hiding among them.”
“Understood,” Yang Kai nodded lightly before charging towards the battlefield.
Behind him, the Great Passes continuously fired at the Black Ink Clansmen gushing out of the gap, but they cleverly ensured Yang Kai and the other Human Squads wouldn’t be struck.
Soon, Yang Kai arrived at the place where the Black Ink Strength came together. Flying around, his Divine Sense surged and large quantities of Black Ink Strength disappeared.
The idea of putting Black Ink Strength inside Space Rings wasn’t something revolutionary and had already been proven possible, but the prerequisite was that one had to wrap the Black Ink Strength with their Divine Sense before they could do so.
The average cultivator, even if he or she was an Eighth-Order Master, wouldn’t dare to recklessly do such a thing. The Black Ink Strength’s corruption had no limitations, so it was able to affect both a Human’s body, Small Universe, and Soul.
A powerful Eighth-Order Master could resist the Black Ink Strength’s influence for a while, but they still would be corrupted in short order if they actively tried to handle it.
It was a different matter for Yang Kai as he had a World Tree clone to protect his Small Universe from any external invasion. There was also the Soul Warming Lotus to safeguard his Soul.
He just had to put the Black Ink Strength inside the Space Rings without the need to go somewhere else to discard it; therefore, he was more effective than several hundred Squads combined.
The Space Rings were soon filled with Black Ink Strength, so he was unable to capture more. In just half a day, he had used up all the Space Rings that he had collected.
If possible, he wouldn’t mind storing the Black Ink Strength inside his Small Universe; however, there was simply too much of it. Even though his Small Universe was safe from any corruption, it couldn’t take in so much Black Ink Strength.
Left with no choice, Yang Kai could only return to Great Evolution Pass. Fortunately, Xiang Shan was well prepared as he had collected a lot of Space Rings for Yang Kai.
A moment later, Yang Kai returned to the battlefield and continued collecting Black Ink Strength.
The efforts of over 1,000 Squads and Yang Kai proved to be useful as a large amount of Black Ink Strength was soon swept away. Enraged, Mo’s roar sounded from the depths of the darkness, “You all court death! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!”
As its screams reverberated across the void, the Black Ink Clansmen became increasingly savage and other than the weak Serfs and beasts, there were now also Low-Rank and High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen leaving the opening. Even a few Feudal Lords were hiding amongst the crowd.
Some of the unsuspecting Squads that were cleaning up the Black Ink Strength were caught off guard by the stronger Black Ink Clansmen. Fortunately, none of them lost their lives as they had their Warships’ protection.
Nevertheless, as the Black Ink Clan soldiers’ power increased, the attacks from the Humans also appeared insufficient.
Initially, the arrays and artifacts on the Great Passes were good enough to deal with the weak cannon fodder and no Black Ink Clansmen that dashed out of the gap was able to leave very far.
However, the Black Ink Clansmen appeared now were powerful enough that the Human’s long-range bombardment was unable to immediately destroy them all.
The Black Ink Clansmen were marching forward while the Squads that were cleaning up the Black Ink Strength had to move backwards. It was the same case for Yang Kai.
Several hours later, the Humans were no longer able to stop the Black Ink Clansmen from taking ground and the enemies gushed out of the opening and flew towards the Great Passes.
Even though they were still unable to get anywhere near the Great Passes as they were intercepted far from the walls, a new phase in the war had begun.
Everyone knew that this was just the beginning, for Mo hadn’t fully exhibited its power. It was still sending out mostly weak servants with a few Low-Rank, High-Rank Clansmen, and a tiny number of Feudal Lords.
No Territory Lords or Royal Lords had appeared yet. No one knew how many of such top Masters were hiding in the darkness. Mo had been accumulating its power for millions of years, so it probably had a staggering number of Black Ink Clansmen with it.
The one-sided slaughter lasted for half a month as innumerable Black Ink Clansmen had been killed in the void. The Squads and Yang Kai seized every chance to clean up more Black Ink Strength. Nevertheless, the Black Ink Clan Army was steadily getting closer to the Humans.
Then came the moment when a truly powerful aura bolted out of the gap.
The first Territory Lord had appeared.
The Territory Lord was gigantic, and his entire figure was covered in an armour that seemed to be made from bones. Even his head was protected by a bone helmet as an eerie light radiated from his eyes.
All of the Human Masters were stunned as they had never seen a Territory Lord in such a form before. The Territory Lord’s appearance suggested that he had thick skin and strong flesh. He was the kind of soldier who would clash with the opponents head-on.
Apparently, Mo had specially crafted this Territory Lord. It must have expected this day to come; otherwise, it wouldn’t have created such a creature.
After the first, more and more Territory Lords that seemed to be cast in the same mould appeared among the Black Ink Clan soldiers.
The moment these huge Territory Lords in bone armour appeared, they spat Black Ink Strength that formed into bone shields in their hands so that they would have an even stronger defence against the Humans.
The Territory Lords’ auras suggested that they were Innate Territory Lords. These powerful beings were much stronger than the Acquired Territory Lords that the Humans had mostly encountered before. Basically, they were about as strong as Che Kong.
The attacks from the Great Passes became less lethal as they struck the bone shields.
As these Territory Lords roared, they dispersed and charged towards the Great Passes. The Black Ink Clansmen following behind them were like a rushing river.
The hum of the arrays on the Great Passes intensified. The walls shook, and the Great Passes started trembling.
More and more bone shields were shattered as the Territory Lords behind them staggered upon impact as sparks flew from their bone armours. They could only persevere for a short moment before they were killed.
Faced with continuous attacks from over 100 Great Passes, even Royal Lords wouldn’t be able to last for long, let alone these Territory Lords.
Without the protection of the Territory Lords in bone armour, the Black Ink Clansmen behind them were killed the moment they were exposed.
However, things were not looking good for the Humans as the powers of their arrays and artifacts were no longer sufficient. With the sacrifice of those Territory Lords in bone armour, the Black Ink Clan Army managed to close much of the gap between the opening in the Great Restriction and the Great Passes.
Countless Black Ink Clansmen were killed in the process, but that did not soothe the Human Race’s worries.
Mo had clearly been preparing for this day for over a million years, so the heritage it had built up was unimaginable. From the looks of it, even though the Humans currently held the advantage, no one knew what the outcome would be as the war dragged on.
After several more days of intense battle, it was impossible to count the number of corpses of weaker Black Ink Clansmen, while the Humans estimated they had killed over 1,000 Territory Lords.
This was an astounding number, especially when all these were Innate Territory Lords directly created by Mo. They were gifted with sturdy defence and extraordinary power, each of them equivalent to a top Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
There weren’t a lot of Human Eighth-Order Masters to begin with. On average, there were only 40 to 50 Eighth-Order Masters in every Great Pass. In other words, there were fewer than 5,000 Eighth-Order Masters in the entire Human Race Army.
Over 1,000 Territory Lords was equivalent to the number of Eighth-Order Masters in more than 20 Great Passes. They were undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, and if not for the fact that the Humans held an advantageous position, they would have had to pay a huge price to kill these enemies.
Territory Lords clad in bone armour and Black Ink Clan soldiers continuously gushed out of the opening and charged forward fearlessly. Their only purpose was to help Mo break free of the restriction, so their deaths were predestined the moment they were created.
The Humans were no longer able to clean up the Black Ink Strength, for the entire battlefield was now engulfed in chaotic energy fluctuations. If the Squads continued moving about on their own, either the Black Ink Clan would kill them or they would be hit by friendly fire. Even if that did not happen, it was simply too hard for them to do their job.
Mo was still recycling Black Ink Strength. That was clear due to the scale of the Black Ink Ocean around the opening not having expanded much.
Fortunately, even though it was able to easily create those weak cannon fodder, it couldn’t possibly replace those Territory Lords, Feudal Lords, or even the High-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen that had been killed as it pleased. Therefore, every Territory Lord or Feudal Lord that the Humans killed was a loss for Mo.
The Royal Lords were still nowhere to be found though, most likely still hiding in the dark, making the Humans feel wary, as though a blade was hanging above their heads just waiting to fall.
One month after the war broke out, a Territory Lord in bone armour roared and condensed a spear in his hand using Black Ink Strength. The next moment, he hurled the weapon at a Great Pass in front of him.
The black spear easily cut across space and struck the Great Pass’ defensive barrier, causing ripples to spread across it.
Even though the Territory Lord was soon blasted to pieces, this attack served as a breakthrough for the Black Ink Clan’s advancement.
A Ninth-Order Old Ancestor ordered grimly, “It’s time.”
The defensive barriers around the Great Passes and the attacks from the arrays and artifacts were no longer able to stop the Black Ink Clan soldiers from marching forward. If the situation was allowed to continue like this, the Black Ink Clan soldiers would soon be able to attack the Great Passes.
It was time for the Human Army to make a move. Following the order, auras that seemed able to shake the entire void undulated from the Great Passes as countless dazzling lights were shot from the Warships.
Wherever the lights struck, those Territory Lords in bone armour were unable to endure and were swiftly dispatched, leaving behind black blood where they fell.
The Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques cast from over 100 Great Passes then resumed firing, forming trails of vacuum in the void. Along the way, the Black Ink Clansmen were either injured or killed.
For a moment, the originally clamorous battlefield fell into dead silence.
The Old Ancestors had made a move!
Seizing the chance, the well-prepared Humans drove their Warships out of the Great Passes. The vessels formed into rays of light as they coordinated with each other and sailed towards the battlefield.
As the Warships set off, the Eighth-Order Masters also charged towards the battlefield. They targeted the Territory Lords and cast their Secret Techniques in an attempt to tie down the enemy Masters.
Dawn from Great Evolution Pass also darted forward. In fact, they were the ones leading the charge.
The other Squads didn’t have a lot of members, and their Warships were not particularly robust, so on such a battlefield, they had to group up to be effective. However, as a Special Operations Squad, Dawn was used to charging around the battlefield on their own.
Yang Kai was at the front while Shen Ao and Blood Crow protected the Warship from both sides. Ren Bing Bai, Yu Zi You, and Miao Fei Ping were at the rear of the Warship. Meanwhile, Bai Yi stood at the bow, channelling her World Force into her longbow to the point where the weapon radiated a glow.
They had experienced countless life-and-death battles together in the past, so on such a battlefield, there wasn’t a need for Yang Kai to give any orders. All of them knew what they were supposed to do. These close-knit members were ready for war.
As Yang Kai summoned his Azure Dragon Spear, he took a deep breath and ordered loudly, “Kill!”
A Dragon Roar sounded as the Azure Dragon Spear transformed into countless spear shadows which engulfed the Black Ink Clansmen in front and blasted them to bits. As for the Black Ink Clansmen who managed to escape, they were slaughtered by Shen Ao and Blood Crow.
Aboard Dawning Light, the arrays and artifacts started buzzing as flashes of light shot in all directions. They didn’t even need to aim as they were surrounded by enemies. Bai Yi’s arrows split into countless streaks of light which struck the swarming Black Ink Clansmen, splattering them into blood mist.
Meanwhile, Ren Bing Bai, Yu Zi You, and Miao Fei Ping brought up the rear, making sure the Black Ink Clansmen couldn’t get anywhere near the back of the Warship.
As Dawning Light soared out of Great Evolution Pass, it turned into something akin to a blade and cut across the Black Ink Clan Army. Wherever it went, the enemy was consigned to the Yellow Springs.
After the Human soldiers appeared on the field, the Black Ink Clan soldiers changed their tactics. They stopped charging towards the Great Passes and instead focused on besieging the Human Warships.
Mo knew that if it wanted to get out of its cage, it had to destroy the Humans who were here on a crusade against it. As long as all the Humans were killed, the Great Passes would be rendered useless.
After just one hour, the vast battlefield had become a clamorous melee, but even though everything seemed to be chaotic, there were still tactics and strategies being employed.
Although the Human Warships didn’t maintain a formation to kill the enemies, they were constantly on the lookout for each other so that they could ensure their safety.
More and more Black Ink Clan soldiers were killed.
Over the past month, the Humans had made use of the arrangements on the Great Passes to stop the Black Ink Clan soldiers from marching forward and had killed many enemies this way. Regardless, stationary arrays and artifacts were inflexible.
Now that over a million Human soldiers had moved forward to engage the enemy on the battlefield, there was no doubt they were more efficient at killing than the fixed emplacements.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan didn’t have any experience with coming together in formations. Although they had enormous numbers, they appeared crowded and disorganized, which made it easier for the Human Warships to butcher them.
After the initial charge, the Humans essentially fell into a bloodlust. The battlefield was covered with broken limbs and hashed meat, making it look extremely horrifying.
Finally, a long howl sounded from the rear. It was a signal for the Human Army to retreat.
The Humans, who were still slaughtering the enemies, promptly and in an organized fashion fell back with their Warships. At the same time, another group of Warships in peak condition set out from the Great Passes.
This was going to be a long fight, so there was no way the higher-ups would let all the soldiers join the battle at the same time. Even though they would be able to destroy more Black Ink Clansmen in a shorter time by doing so, they would be powerless to counterattack if all their strength was used up.
Only half of the Human Army had left the Great Passes in the first round while another million stayed back.
Now, it was time for them to go to war.
The high-spirited million soldiers dashed out of the Great Passes to replace their fellow Brothers and Sisters on the battlefield. They brushed past each other as the Black Ink Clansmen were intercepted and killed.
The battered Warships soon returned to the Great Passes where Array Masters and Artifact Refiners, who had been waiting for quite a while, hurriedly made repairs.
Somewhere on the battlefield, Yang Kai turned around and ordered, “All of you, retreat!”
Shen Ao guffawed, “There’s no need for that. We still can fight!”
They were an elite Squad, after all. Even though this battlefield was stressful for the average Squad, the members of Dawn could still persevere. Just like Shen Ao had said, it hadn’t come to a point where they needed to go back and recuperate.
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “All of you should withdraw. We don’t know how long this war will last, so maintaining your peak states is more important.”
Shen Ao decided to stop insisting as he nodded, “Be careful, Squad Leader.”
Since Yang Kai had told them to retreat, Shen Ao knew that he was going to stay on the battlefield.
The heritage of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was far more ample than average, and he had the World Tree clone to further refine his power. Moreover, the living beings in his Small Universe would continuously provide World Force for him. There was no denying that Yang Kai had a much greater stamina than the ordinary Seventh-Order Master, allowing him to remain energetic when others in the Seventh-Order would feel exhausted.
Soon, Shen Ao and Yang Kai exchanged places as the former led Dawn to return to Great Evolution Pass.
Seeing that, some of the Black Ink Clansmen pursued Dawning Light while some of them pounced on Yang Kai.
Earlier, this bigger-than-normal Human Squad had rendered them powerless to counterattack, but now that Yang Kai was on his own, the Black Ink Clansmen naturally wouldn’t let him off.
Despite being surrounded by the enemy, Yang Kai wasn’t afraid at all. Instead, he put on an eerie grin as he prepared for a massacre!
Yang Kai had always felt that he was best suited to fight on his own.
He had a power that far surpassed that of those in the same Order, and even if he was faced with a Territory Lord, he was able to transform into an Ancient Dragon to do battle. He also had Space Secret Techniques that allowed him to come and go freely as well as several other advantages that were unrivalled among Seventh-Order Masters.
Only by fighting on his own could he maximise his advantages.
Of course, he would be exposed to less risk when he fought alongside Dawn, but it was also a kind of restraint for him. The others were unable to match his speed and quick reflexes, so he had to coordinate with them when making a move.
Now that Dawning Light was gone, all restraints on Yang Kai were lifted.
Wielding the Supreme Limitless Spear Art, innumerable spear shadows spread out in all directions, and by the time they faded, all the surrounding the Black Ink Clansmen burst into blood mist.
With his spear in hand, Yang Kai charged towards places where the Black Ink Clansmen were most concentrated. Wherever he went, the enemies collapsed like straw amidst a storm.
As a Dragon Roar reverberated across the void, Yang Kai transformed into his 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon Form. He let out a Dragon Breath and swept his Dragon Tail across the swarm of enemies, clearing out large spaces on the battlefield.
However, he wouldn’t dare to remain in his Dragon Form for extended periods.
Although he was able to battle against the Territory Lords as an Ancient Dragon, his figure was too big and it was hard for him to move around. Not to mention, in his Dragon Form, he made an obvious target and was wounded by the attacks coming from all directions in short order.
Even though most of them were flesh wounds, Yang Kai couldn’t ignore them if they continued to pile up.
His Dragon Form abruptly disappeared and the Black Ink Clan lost their target. After turning back into Human Form, Yang Kai rampaged around the battlefield again.
As he alternated between Human Form and Dragon Form, he attracted the attention of lots of Black Ink Clansmen. Although many enemies were chasing after him, he fearlessly dashed forward and silently destroyed his opponents.
All of a sudden, Space Principles undulated as Yang Kai abruptly disappeared. When he reappeared, it was in the middle of an intense battle.
It was a battle between an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and a Territory Lord in bone armour.
At that instant, Yang Kai’s eyes reflected the figure of the Territory Lord in bone armour. As Time Principles spread, the world seemed to have frozen for a moment.
He pushed out his spear and stabbed it right into the back of the Territory Lord’s head.
Even though the bone armour that this Territory Lord was wearing was thick and nigh impenetrable, it was not without any weaknesses, and the crack at the back of this Territory Lord’s head was one of them.
The Azure Dragon Spear accurately penetrated the crack, and sparks instantly flew. Suddenly, Yang Kai felt an immense force of resistance, making it impossible to push his razor-sharp spear any further forward.
He was stunned, for it never crossed his mind that he wouldn’t succeed even though he had targeted his opponent’s weakness while he was distracted.
Madly surging his World Force, he roared, “Die!”
Exerting even more force into his thrust caused more sparks to fly and eventually, the crack in the armour broke and the spear penetrated the Territory Lord’s head.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t able to push his spear out from the other side as the opponent’s hard skull stopped him from doing that.
Having succeeded, Yang Kai immediately tried to retreat, but it was too late.
The moment the Territory Lord was attacked, he swung the bone shield in his hand at Yang Kai and a violent force swept across his stomach. Instantly, Yang Kai felt half of his body turning numb and a huge gash opened on his abdomen. Golden Blood gushed out of the wound as his squirming organs could be seen.
The Territory Lord wanted to kill Yang Kai ruthlessly, but the latter actually activated Purifying Light and engulfed the enemy with it.
The light could restrain Black Ink Strength, so there was no way Yang Kai wouldn’t use it now that its existence had been exposed. He just hadn’t come across any opponents that left him with no choice but to use the Purifying Light until now. Facing a powerful Territory Lord, he naturally wouldn’t keep this trump card rotting.
The Territory Lord was unfazed even when his head was struck by the Azure Dragon Spear; however, when the pure white light engulfed him, he wailed in agony as though he was experiencing the cruellest torment in the world.
As though having a spirituality of its own, the Purifying Light snuck into the Territory Lord’s body through his wounds and clashed with his Black Ink Strength, causing both forces to fizzle and vaporize.
While the Territory Lord was stunned, a sabre light flashed across his neck and shattered his bone armour, sending his head flying away as black blood gushed from his neck.
“Well done!” Xu Ling Gong praised the other man while holding a large sabre in his hand.
If not for Yang Kai’s help at the critical moment, he would’ve been killed by this Territory Lord; after all, it had only been a short time since Xu Ling Gong ascended to the Eighth Order, so his heritage wasn’t comparable to those of the experienced Eighth-Order Masters. On the other hand, these powerful Innate Territory Lords in bone armour were specifically created by Mo to endure large amounts of abuse.
The instant Xu Ling Gong clashed with the opponent earlier, he fell into a disadvantageous position.
He had even used an Evil Purging Divine Spear; however, the Territory Lord only had a small number of weaknesses to exploit and Xu Ling Gong was unable to shatter the other party’s armour, so even the Evil Purging Divine Spear became useless.
The most effective method of using the Evil Purging Divine Spear’s power was to stab it right into the opponent’s body, letting the Purifying Light explode inside their body so that it could directly grind down their Black Ink Strength.
Now that these Territory Lords were all equipped with robust armour, it was hard for Evil Purging Divine Spears to play any role.
On the other hand, Yang Kai could pose a bigger threat to these Territory Lords in bone armour by directly channelling Purifying Light against them because he could guide the Purifying Light to pass through the bone armour’s gaps and enter their bodies.
Before Xu Ling Gong could ask whether Yang Kai was alright, the latter had disappeared and re-entered the chaotic battlefield.
Xu Ling Gong was rendered speechless at that. Regardless, he knew that Yang Kai had a powerful Dragon Clan Bloodline, so even though he looked battered, he was supposedly fine. Therefore, Xu Ling Gong decided to ignore him and shifted his attention to another Territory Lord before darting forward.
The battlefield was a mess, and there seemed to be an infinite supply of Black Ink Clan soldiers to replace those who fell. Since the opening appeared, the torrent of darkness had not stopped spilling from it.
More and more Feudal Lords and Territory Lords appeared. Fortunately, the Humans were quick to destroy the enemies, so they were able to maintain a balance.
After helping Xu Ling Gong kill a Territory Lord, Yang Kai went on to make several more contributions.
Using the disorderly Black Ink Clan soldiers as cover, he swiftly yet stealthily approached the Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords. When he was close enough, he would directly activate Space Principles and launch a sneak attack.
He had learned his lesson after the setback earlier.
He no longer summoned his Azure Dragon Spear to attack the enemies and instead used Instantaneous Movement to appear behind a Territory Lord and cast a bolt of Purifying Light at them. Ignoring the furious Territory Lord, he then directly disappeared.
Many Territory Lords suffered a setback because of this tactic. The Purifying Light was able to restrain Black Ink Strength, and their bone armour couldn’t fully cover the Territory Lords up. Once they were struck by the Purifying Light, their powers would significantly weaken and the Eighth-Order Masters naturally wouldn’t let such a chance slip through their fingers.
As Yang Kai stealthily moved around and struck the Territory Lords in bone armour, they inevitably faltered. As such, the Eighth-Order Masters were able to kill these Territory Lords with ease.
The Black Ink Clansmen soon noticed Yang Kai’s action and more and more of them began chasing after him. Wherever he went, a chaotic storm followed.
Even Cang, who had been guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, couldn’t help but have his eye drawn to him; after all, it was rare for a Seventh-Order Master to be able to make such an impact on this kind of battlefield.
As a thought flashed across his mind, Cang parted his lips and sent a Divine Sense transmission to Yang Kai.
After being startled for a moment, Yang Kai was elated as he became even more reckless.
Earlier, he still wouldn’t dare to move further into the battlefield, for he was worried that he might not be able to escape should he come across a powerful enemy. Upon hearing Cang’s transmission though, his worries disappeared.
His high-pitched Dragon Roar reverberated across the void again and his 70,000 metres Ancient Dragon’s figure reappeared in the Void while his Dragon Scales radiated a golden glow. As he let out a Dragon Breath, the Black Ink Clan soldiers in front of him melted like snow under the hot sun.
Throughout history, perhaps only the war in the Late Ancient Era was comparable to the magnificence of the war today. Over 100 Great Passes and all the elites of the Human Race had come together. It was a war that would determine the future of all Humans, so they couldn’t afford to be negligent.
As time passed, the number of these 2 million soldiers decreased as they were no longer able to make use of the Great Passes to ensure their safety. As the Humans had to fight with the enemies on the battlefield, deaths were inevitable. Everywhere on the battlefield, Small Universes ruptured and Human Masters passed away.
Besides the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Masters, even the Eighth-Order Masters were not spared the fate.
About 2 million Human soldiers had been taking turns to strike the enemies, but things were still not looking good. All the same, no one faltered.
In the Great Passes, the Old Ancestors had only made a move once before falling silent. It wasn’t that they were not willing to act, but that they didn’t dare to. The strongest Black Ink Clansmen that had streamed out of the gap so far were Territory Lords, while the Royal Lords were still nowhere to be seen.
None of them knew how many Royal Lords were hiding in the dark, but since the Royal Lords hadn’t appeared, the Old Ancestors could only remain unmoving. Otherwise, their weaknesses would be exposed to the enemies.
It had come to a point where even a slight mistake could cost their lives.
The battlefield was filled with chaos, but invisible undercurrents were also stirring as the Humans and Black Ink Clan were also waging a contest of patience. Whether the Old Ancestors or the Royal Lords appeared on the battlefield first would play a large role in determining the outcome of the war.
Seeing that so many Human soldiers had been killed, the Old Ancestors were naturally heartbroken; nevertheless, they knew that they could only grit their teeth and hold their ground lest their plans all be derailed.
Presently, Yang Kai was badly wounded. Even though the living beings in his Small Universe continuously replenished the World Force for him, he realised he would not be able to persevere for much longer.
While the other cultivators took turns to return to the Great Passes to recuperate, he had not rested once since he joined the battle. He had managed to kill over 100,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers and even though he hadn’t personally killed a Territory Lord, a few dozen of them had been harassed by his Purifying Light and subsequently been eliminated.
Still, this made only a minimal impact on the overall battle. It seemed like this war would never end at this rate.
It was then that an imposing aura was felt coming from the gap that changed everything. The Black Ink Clan’s attacks intensified while the Humans felt their chests tightening.
All of them realised that the Royal Lords, who had remained patient all this time, had finally made a move.
This was the change the Humans had been longing to see. If the Royal Lords still refused to appear and the Black Ink Clan just kept sending more Territory Lords and weaker soldiers to fight, the Humans would descend into a state of despair.
Now that the Royal Lords had appeared, it showed that the Black Ink Clan could no longer bear the loss of Black Ink Strength. It had come to a point where the Royal Lords had no choice but to take to the field.
A majestic figure stepped out of the darkness through the gap and a Royal Lord’s savage aura swept across the void.
Before he even left the gap, he darted his gaze around in a condescending manner, but at that instant, over 10 figures abruptly appeared near the gap, as though they had always been there yet no one knew when they had appeared.
Just then, a seemingly thin and powerless sword light appeared and slashed across the Royal Lord’s head, a palm pushed forward gently, a bamboo cane tapped on the Royal Lord’s skull, and several other Divine Abilities of different forms appeared.
The smug Royal Lord was frozen in place. After he was struck by the Divine Abilities, his body started trembling violently; then, the bamboo cane tapped on his skull again and formed a black bloody hole. As the sword light faded, what was left of the Royal Lord’s head was sent flying away before extremely thick Black Ink Strength that mixed with black blood gushed out of the fresh corpse.
A Royal Lord had been killed! Before the Royal Lord even stepped out of the gap, he had been struck by over 10 Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and killed.
It wasn’t that the Royal Lord wasn’t powerful, it was just that the Humans had devised such a plot in advance and their reaction was swift. Furthermore, the Royal Lord had to step through the gap if he wanted to leave; hence, he was unable to dodge the attacks from the Ninth-Order Masters.
Any Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have suffered the same fate if they were faced with the attacks from a dozen Royal Lords.
The gap was the greatest edge that the Humans could make use of, so it was expected that the Old Ancestors would try to maximise the advantage.
Before the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could rejoice though, more Royal Lords stepped through the gap.
Their companion’s sudden death didn’t deter them from advancing. Despite knowing that they were faced with mortal danger, they still boldly streamed out of the gap.
Certainly, the dozen or so Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters outside the opening wouldn’t go easy on them. They cast their Divine Abilities in quick succession and killed another two Royal Lords the moment they stepped through the gap.
Regardless, even more Royal Lords rushed out of the opening. Leveraging the sacrifices of their companions, they soon broke through the Ninth-Order Masters’ defences and charged towards the battlefield, ignoring the Human Old Ancestors behind them.
There were even more Royal Lords who had to leave the gap, so the Black Ink Clan knew the battlefield couldn’t just be at the mouth of the opening. That was the reason the Ninth-Order Masters had to be lured away.
More Ninth-Order Masters flew out of the Great Passes to meet the Royal Lords who had broken through the first defence line.
Royal Lords continued to be killed at the opening, but even more of them managed to break through the siege.
In such a situation, even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had to go all out, directly using their most powerful moves to try to stem the flow of enemy reinforcements.
Everywhere on the battlefield, magnificent auras appeared in battles that the average cultivator wouldn’t have a right to approach.
Within just half a day, over 100 Royal Lords had rushed out of the opening, and even though 20 of them had been killed before they could do anything, there were still about 80 of them who had managed to break through.
It required the same number of Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to restrain these 80 Royal Lords.
There were only a small number of Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters left in the Great Passes at this point, and all of them sported solemn expressions because there were still Royal Lords flooding out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
No one knew how many Royal Lords were hiding in the darkness. If there were too many of them, the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters wouldn’t be able to deal with them. If the number of Royal Lords exceeded what the Ninth-Order Masters could handle, the Human soldiers would fall into a perilous situation.
One hour later, the defence of the dozen Ninth-Order Masters at the opening was finally broken. All of them were wounded and powerless to stop the enemies from leaving the opening, so while they were retreating, more than ten Royal Lords bolted out of the gap and chased after them.
Cang, who had been guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, sported a grim expression. He had been comparing the differences in powers between the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and the Royal Lords. If things came to a point where the Humans were no longer able to manage, he would immediately close the opening.
At this moment, the Humans had reached their limits as all the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had left the Great Passes to engage in life-and-death battles with the Royal Lords. The Humans were unable to deal with more Royal Lords.
If another five Royal Lords appeared, the balance on the battlefield would be shattered, so Cang was ready to seal the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction at any moment.
At this point, Mo had released quite a lot of the power that it had accumulated over the years, but while Cang felt less pressured, it still wasn’t enough. Even so, that was the last of his concerns now. If the Humans were destroyed, his efforts to guard the Grand Restriction over the past few millions of years would all be wasted.
To his surprise though, no more Royal Lords emerged from the opening, causing him to furrow his brow. He didn’t think Mo had released all of its Royal Lords as Cang could still feel some powerful auras lurking in the dark. Apparently, quite many Royal Lords remained hidden.
Nevertheless, Mo didn’t release any more Royal Lords at this moment, and after giving it some thought, Cang realised the other party’s intention.
Presently, he wasn’t the only one who wanted to retain the balance of the battlefield; Mo shared the same sentiment. It was fully aware of Cang’s intentions, and knew that once it released even more Royal Lords, the Humans would lose any hope of winning the war, and the gap of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction would be closed. By then, it would no longer be able to escape.
While Cang wanted to maintain a balance, Mo was trying to do the same. Even though more and more of its servants were killed, it seemed it thought the sacrifice was worth it.
[But… What’s the point of Mo doing all this? This kind of balance won’t help it get out of the trap. What is it really up to?] Cang was unable to figure out the reason behind it.
Initially, Mo was indeed as gullible as a young child, but certainly, Cang wouldn’t really regard Mo to be a child after the latter was imprisoned for millions of years. Although Mo had been trapped inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it was able to make use of the Black Ink Nests to find out everything that was going on in the outside world.
Millions of years had passed, so even the most gullible child would have grown cunning.
Since Cang was unable to figure out Mo’s intention, he decided to push it to the back of his mind. At any rate, things were still within his control.
Even though no more Royal Lords stepped out of the gap, there were still a large number of Black Ink Clansmen, including Territory Lords and Feudal Lords, emerging.
Despite their best efforts, the Humans were unable to gain the upper hand on the battlefield, for the Black Ink Clan Army was continuously replenished. The human race couldn’t hope to reclaim their advantageous position if they were unable to cut off the enemy’s flow of reinforcements.
However, this war’s objective was to alleviate some pressure on Cang. Although a large number of Black Ink Clansmen had lost their lives, Cang still hadn’t closed the Grand Restriction; in other words, it still wasn’t time to do so yet.
Left with no choice, the Humans could only grit their teeth and soldier on.
At this moment, Yang Kai was in a difficult spot as well. It seemed that because of his frequent use of Purifying Light, he had been targeted by a female Territory Lord with a curvy figure.
It had come to a point where the Territory Lords streaming out of the gap were no longer clad in the same bone armour as before; they now came in all different shapes and sizes.
Unlike the Territory Lords in bone armour who had an impenetrable defence, these Territory Lords in different forms had their own unique characteristics.
This alluring Territory Lord who had targeted Yang Kai had a special trait; she was extremely agile. She was able to move at lightning speed, and even though Yang Kai had repeatedly used Instantaneous Movement to dart around the battlefield, he was unable to shake her off.
The Territory Lord ignored everyone else as she locked onto Yang Kai and relentlessly pursued him.
If Yang Kai was still at peak strength, he could have transformed into his Ancient Dragon Form and fought it out with her. Unfortunately, he had exhausted himself by moving around the battlefield earlier, so he wasn’t a match for this alluring Territory Lord at this point.
Powerless, he repeatedly fell into danger. Seeing that the situation he was in was increasingly perilous, Yang Kai clenched his teeth and charged towards a particular direction.
A moment later, he appeared beside Cang and instantly felt a force engulfing him. It was the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction’s power.
Then, Yang Kai turned around and glared at the Territory Lord who had followed him to this place.
Cang teased him, saying, “Does she have her eyes on you or something?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Well, she has fine taste when it comes to men.”
Cang was stunned, for he hadn’t expected this little brat to be so thick-skinned.
“Kill her, Senior!” Yang Kai urged.
Hearing that, the Territory Lord appeared flustered and instinctively took a few steps back as she warily stared at Cang. If someone like Cang made a move on her, she wouldn’t be able to resist.
Nevertheless, Cang shook his head, “I can’t. I can only make a move within the bounds of the restriction. Anything outside the restriction is beyond my control.”
Yang Kai widened his eyes in disbelief, “Is there such a restraint?”
Cang appeared helpless as well, “There’s no choice. I’ve practically become part of the Grand Restriction. The restriction is me, and I am the restriction. Only by doing so could I maximise my control over it. That’s the trade-off.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai replied, “I see. It’s fine then, I’ll just get some rest here and kill her later.”
The reason he came all the way here was that Cang had sent a Divine Sense transmission some time ago saying that he could seek his help when he was in danger.
Cang was unable to help the Human Army kill their enemies, but he could make use of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction’s power to protect some of them.
It was because of Cang’s assurance that Yang Kai had the guts to act recklessly on the battlefield. If he didn’t have a nearby sanctuary, he wouldn’t have been so audacious.
Then, Yang Kai turned to glare at the Territory Lord and ran his fingers across his neck, “Wash your neck and wait for me!”
He conveniently ignored the fact that he was just a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and that even if he was at full strength, he couldn’t defeat the other party.
Enraged by Yang Kai’s arrogance, the Territory Lord sported a dark expression and lifted her hand to summon her Black Ink Strength, which turned into a dark Flood Dragon. As it widened its jaws, it came charging towards Yang Kai.
“Idiot,” Yang Kai snickered, was unfazed. As he was now protected by Cang’ in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, no one else could harm him. Therefore, he didn’t even bother to blink when he was faced with this ferocious strike.
All of a sudden, Cang chuckled and performed a different hand seal.
About 10 metres before Yang Kai and Cang, the dark Flood Dragon was stopped by an invisible barrier.
A turn of events took place suddenly.
The dark Flood Dragon instantly turned around. As its body expanded, it reached for the Territory Lord and opened its mouth wide. While the Territory Lord was flabbergasted, the Flood Dragon swallowed her before shaking its head and flicking its tail smugly.
Yang Kai was equally astounded.
The next instant, Yang Kai shot out with his spear in hand as a Great Sun rose from behind him. This time, no Golden Crow was heard cawing, nor was there any scorching heat for this Great Sun was formed from flawless Purifying Light.
The dark Flood Dragon exploded and the battered Territory Lord appeared. Even though the Secret Technique was powerful, she was the one who activated it, after all. Cang managed to hijack it and send it back against her, but even though the Flood Dragon had been strengthened, it couldn’t possibly kill her.
However, it was inevitable that she would be hurt since she was caught completely off guard.
The moment she extricated herself, a Great Sun exploded in front of her and made her unable to open her eyes. At the same time, she was engulfed in a great sense of danger.
Instantly, this Territory Lord screamed as her Black Ink Strength madly left her body and was dispelled by the Purifying Light.
As though having a spirituality of its own, the white light streamed into her body through her seven orifices and freshly opened wounds. In an instant, her expression turned hideous and she howled in agony.
At that moment, she did not only feel that her Black Ink Strength was being destroyed as though it had come across an archnemesis, but also that her very body was melting like snow under a scorching Sun. Her alluring face literally began to warp like a burning candle.
Just then, the Azure Dragon Spear stabbed right between her eyes. Black blood spattered as she instinctively threw a palm on Yang Kai’s chest.
Yang Kai didn’t bother to dodge it, taking the blow directly as he infused all of his strength into the Azure Dragon Spear and thrust it forward, “Fall!”
The spear penetrated the Territory Lord’s head and a violent World Force exploded, causing her skull to shatter to pieces.
At the same time, Yang Kai was sent flying away as he plunged back beside Cang and gasped, clearly in pain.
Cang looked down at him, and upon seeing his chest caved in, he was surprised as he commented, “You were almost killed!”
In that moment earlier, the Territory Lord didn’t just land a palm on Yang Kai once. In fact, she had struck him several dozen times on the same spot; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so horribly injured given the fact that he had an extremely powerful Dragon Vein.
Any other Seventh-Order Master would have lost their life if they were in Yang Kai’s shoes as not just anyone could kill an opponent that was far more powerful than themselves.
In Cang’s eyes, the battle between Yang Kai and the Territory Lord was no different from two small children fighting with each other, but to those involved, given their powers, it was truly a life-and-death contest.
The moment the Territory Lord suffered a backlash of her own Divine Ability, Yang Kai directly charged forward, which went to show how determined he was. When he saw a chance, he did not hesitate to seize it.
Not many could be as determined and ruthless as he was. Any hesitation at that moment would have cost him the chance to kill his enemy.
Even faced with the counterattack of an enemy much stronger than he was, he didn’t back down and instead risked being further injured in order to end the enemy’s life, which showed how ruthless he was to both his enemies and himself.
Even though the process was short, it was a life-and-death moment that even somewhat surprised someone like Cang.
Yang Kai sat down with his legs crossed and spat out a mouthful of blood before grinning, “I certainly had to do my best to kill the enemy. If the Human Race had backed down at any point, we would’ve lost the fight long ago.”
Then, he gulped down some healing pills and started recuperating. The reason he came to Cang’s side was to seek his refuge and restore some strength. It never crossed his mind that the Territory Lord would be so relentless, or Cang would create a chance for him to turn things around.
Cang had never expected that his nonchalant move would lead to such an outcome. Upon hearing Yang Kai’s words though, he turned to look at the battlefield in silence. Everywhere on the battlefield, he saw Human soldiers clashing with the Black Ink Clan, the auras of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters spreading across the void, and even the Ninth-Order Masters fighting with everything they had.
They were all risking their lives to destroy the enemy. At that instant, Cang fell into a dazed state, [They’re the Humans of the current generation.]
It was because of their willingness to sacrifice themselves that they managed to reach this place. Cang had been waiting for millions of years, and only this generation of Humans allowed him to see the silver lining.
The battlefield was filled with chaos, and with every breath there would be powerful auras withering. Both the Humans and Black Ink Clan suffered immense losses.
Even some of the Royal Lords lost their lives. Earlier, several Royal Lords were killed the instant they left the gap, not because they were weak, but because of the circumstances they had to deal with. If they wanted to escape out of the gap, they had to bear the attacks from the Ninth-Order Masters lying in ambush for them.
In such a situation, it was expected that some Royal Lords were killed; however, once they managed to leave the gap, they became much harder to kill. Even so, as the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters joined forces, they managed to kill four more Royal Lords.
However, the situation didn’t change at all. After four Royal Lords were killed, another four Royal Lords appeared from the gap to replace them. There were no longer any more Ninth-Order Masters outside the gap, so the Royal Lords could leave at will.
At this point, the Human Race Masters realised that Mo was trying to maintain balance on the battlefield. There were surely even more Royal Lords hiding in the darkness; however, Mo didn’t release them all at once. Instead, it had been replacing the dead Royal Lords with new ones in an attempt to make it look as though both sides were equally matched.
Regardless, even Cang was unable to figure out Mo’s intention, let alone the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Fortunately, this was the situation they hoped to see. If the Black Ink Clan soldiers were so powerful that the Humans were unable to deal with them, it was bad news to the Human Race as a whole.
Cang had been paying close attention to the movements in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. He was wary of Mo’s plans, thinking it must be up to something; however, he was unable to figure out what since it wasn’t the right time yet. Now, he could only keep his guard up. If something went wrong, he would immediately seal the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and stop Mo from getting out of the trap.
“Heaven Devouring Battle Law?” Yang Kai turned to Cang with a doubtful expression. While Yang Kai was restoring his energy, Cang wasn’t just sitting idly by either.
Previously, Yang Kai had passed him a lot of resources to recuperate, and Cang had been refining them in order to replenish his losses this whole time.
Cang was able to refine resources extremely quickly, which was understandable as he was a powerful cultivator, but the real crux of the matter was that Yang Kai detected traces of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in the way the old man refined the resources.
Yang Kai had cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law before; however, he hadn’t mastered this Secret Art, so he wasn’t comparable to Wu Kuang in this regard. With that said, he understood this Evil Art more than anyone else aside from the latter.
Therefore, the moment he detected similar traces of it, he was stunned.
Initially, Yang Kai thought that he was mistaken, but as he observed Cang for a while longer, he confirmed that the latter was indeed using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. If that wasn’t the case, even though Cang was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he couldn’t have refined resources so quickly.
Moreover, he wasn’t just refining the resources that were given to him. If one paid close attention, they would realise that Cang was even devouring the Black Ink Strength left behind by the nearby dead Black Ink Clansmen.
Upon that realization, Yang Kai was flabbergasted.
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was a Secret Art that Wu Kuang had personally created, and it was probably the most extraordinary and evil one in history, so why was Cang able to use it?
Hearing Yang Kai’s words, Cang was also startled for a moment before a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face and he asked, “Do you recognise this Secret Art?”
Yang Kai replied with uncertainty, “Perhaps I’m mistaken.”
There were countless Secret Arts in this world, and even though Heaven Devouring Battle Law was quite possibly the evilest Secret Arts in existence, Cang was someone who had lived for millions of years, so it shouldn’t be surprising that such an unrivalled Master knew some amazing Secret Arts. Perhaps his Secret Art only shared some similarities with Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Cang said, “It’s fine. Look closely.”
Saying so, he openly used his Secret Art again. In order to let Yang Kai see clearly, he exhibited the movements of his aura and the fluctuations of energy in detail.
Yang Kai’s expression turned more and more stunned as he watched.
Although this Secret Art was slightly different from the one he knew, it was indeed the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. The two Secret Arts shared more than 90% of the same circulation paths while the remaining 10% seemed to be due to some kind of personal abstrusity that he couldn’t quite grasp.
A puzzled Yang Kai asked, “Why does Senior know the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?”
He was even more perplexed at the fact that Cang appeared so thrilled at this moment. [What’s so exciting about it? He didn’t seem this exhilarated even after so many Royal Lords were killed.]
Instead of answering his question, Cang asked, “You call this ‘Heaven Devouring Battle Law’? Who do you know who uses this Secret Art?”
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai replied, “There’s an old fart named Wu Kuang who cultivates this Secret Art. As far as I knew, he was the creator of this Secret Art. I had a chance to cultivate this Secret Art in the past and even did so for a time in a sense, though not anymore. Supposedly, there should be no one else who has cultivated it. Oh, I also taught the Stone Spirit Clan this Secret Art long ago.”
The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was too wicked and even though it could help a cultivator increase their strength rapidly, its drawbacks were simply unbearable for most people. Even Yang Kai was unable to resolve those drawbacks; therefore, the moment he realised something was wrong back then, he stopped cultivating it.
Wu Kuang was different, for he had the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus, so he could recklessly devour external powers without worrying about any backlash. However, there was only one Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus in existence, so no one else could imitate him; hence, there was only one Heaven Devouring Great Emperor in the World.
The reason the Stone Spirit Clan members were able to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was that their physiques were unique. Their bodies were not made from flesh, and they had an innate ability to refine and expel all kinds of impurities; therefore, they were best suited to cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
“Wu Kuang…” Cang muttered, “Tell me more about that guy.”
Although Yang Kai was puzzled at the fact that Cang seemed interested in Wu Kuang, he still told him everything he knew. Honestly, he had mostly learned about Wu Kuang through rumours and stories.
Yang Kai hadn’t even been born when Wu Kuang was first active, so he wasn’t sure of the details of the war in the Shattered Star Sea back then. He only knew that many Great Emperors of the Star Boundary were killed in that clash while they managed to ‘kill’ Wu Kuang in the end.
In truth, Wu Kuang faked his death and escaped. Then, he waited for a chance to resurrect.
It took 20,000 years or so, but Wu Kuang’s wish was eventually granted. Although he had managed to escape from the Shattered Star Sea, his cultivation had plunged. At that time, he occupied Bustling World Great Emperor’s body and spent quite a long time sharing it with the body’s original owner, Duan Hong Chen.
Then, Wu Kuang appeared on Dragon Island and kicked up a storm before vanishing into thin air again. When he reappeared, it was when the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary joined forces to deal with Great Demon God.
The Star Boundary was almost destroyed in that war, and after the death of Great Demon God, Mo Sheng, Wu Kuang seized the former’s body and fully resurrected. Then, he broke free of the Star Boundary’s restraints and headed out into the Outer Universe to seek greater heights in the Martial Dao.
Yang Kai had no idea what Wu Kuang went through after the latter left the Star Boundary.
Yang Kai knew that he could cultivate pretty quickly, but Wu Kuang wasn’t any slower. When they met again after that day, both of them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Then, Wu Kuang hid inside the New Great Territory for a while before Yang Kai brought him to the Shattered Heaven.
Someone like Wu Kuang could only be in his own skin in a place such as the Shattered Heaven. After that, Yang Kai never heard from him again.
Sometimes, Yang Kai wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t defeated Blood Crow, who was later brought away by the Fisherman Uncle from Bright King Cave Heaven. He imagined that when Wu Kuang arrived at the Shattered Heaven, there would have been a fierce battle between two evenly-matched opponents.
Both the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture could absorb and refine other people’s powers, so they shared some similarities. It would surely be an interesting fight if Wu Kuang and Blood Crow encountered one another.
In a straightforward comparison, there was no denying that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was more powerful as there was nothing that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could not refine as long as it had some energy.
On the other hand, even though the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture could devour another person’s strength, it was mainly focused on refining their Blood Essence. In that sense, it was inferior to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
With that said, Blood Crow had been subdued and brought back to Bright King Heaven a long time ago. When Wu Kuang arrived at the Shattered Heaven, only the stories of Blood Crow remained.
Yang Kai reckoned that if the two of them ever met, there was no doubt Blood Crow would be at a disadvantage. Several hundred years had passed since then, and he wondered how Wu Kuang had been doing in the Shattered Heaven. Given the wickedness of his Secret Art, he must be the focus of much ire and contempt.
At that moment, Yang Kai even felt a bit sorry for him.
“Wu Kuang…” Cang muttered before he started guffawing. He appeared so exhilarated that he almost broke into tears of joy as he chanted, “Wu Kuang!”
Yang Kai was astounded, “You know Wu Kuang, Senior?”
Cang shook his head, “Nope. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard his name.”
At that, Yang Kai was baffled. [Since you don’t know Wu Kuang, why are you so happy to hear about him?]
Unbeknownst to him, even though Cang wasn’t aware of who Wu Kuang was today, he knew someone else similar to him. In fact, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was the primary Secret Art that other person cultivated.
There was no denying that this Secret Art was evil. With that said, there was no such thing as right or wrong when it came to Secret Arts, only people who could be divided into good and evil. Whatever Secret Art it was, the person using it would determine whether it was just or malevolent.
[Part of Shi’s plan succeeded! Otherwise, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law wouldn’t have been passed down to someone else. However, looking at the matter from another perspective, his plan also seems to have failed.]
Although Cang had never come into contact with Wu Kuang, through Yang Kai’s words he could tell that Wu Kuang never inherited all of Shi’s memories.
Perhaps after Shi left this place back then, his Soul was gradually worn down after encountering many different crises. As such, Wu Kuang had no idea what had happened in his previous life, he only retained knowledge of the wondrous Secret Art named the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Regardless, this was the best news Cang had heard in the past few millions of years.
“Have you been to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary?” Cang suddenly asked.
Yang Kai was caught off guard by the sudden change of topic, but he was even more astounded by the old man’s question and couldn’t help asking, “How do you know, Senior?”
Cang replied with a smile, “I can feel the World Tree’s aura coming from you.”
Only then did Yang Kai understand.
“I saw you running around the battlefield without worrying about getting corrupted by Black Ink Strength. It’s apparent that you have a World Tree clone protecting your Small Universe.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You have sharp eyesight, Senior. There’s indeed a World Tree clone in my Small Universe, but I didn’t get it from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. I acquired it from a Universe Cave Heaven that was left behind on the battlefield.”
The World Tree clone he had obtained from Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was planted in the Star Boundary, an action that saved the Star Boundary from collapsing and also transformed it into the Open Heaven Realm Cradle it was today.
Then, Yang Kai realised something and asked in shock, “The World Tree and the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary existed in your era, Senior?”
Cang had been guarding this place and separated from the outside world for millions of years, so it surprised Yang Kai that he was aware of the World Tree and the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Cang chuckled, “The World Tree and Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary are far more ancient than you think. I heard that the World Tree was born the moment Heaven and Earth split apart.”
[It was born with the Universe itself…] Recently, Yang Kai had learned quite a number of secrets that were previously unknown to him.
“As for the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary…” Cang frowned, “No one knows how exactly it was formed. I told you all that in the Late Ancient Era, a mighty force realised that the Humans were suffering in hardship, so it gathered together 10 Humans to spread the Martial Dao. Only then did the Human Race truly learn to cultivate.”
Yang Kai nodded as Cang had told them about it before. Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors were those 10 people who had created the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Millions of years had passed since then, and the other nine people had all passed away. Only Cang was left guarding this place.
At that time, an Old Ancestor asked what the mighty force was, but Cang only replied with a smile that it was the Will of the Heavenly Way.
Presently, the battlefield was in chaos, but the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was completely unaffected. The Black Ink Clansmen didn’t bother to attack the two of them because they knew they were unable to break the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Cang went on to say calmly, “The 10 of us managed to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm after we were swept into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai was astounded.
“Before that, even though the Humans could gain some power through simple cultivation, we could only reach somewhere below the Open Heaven Realm. At that time, the realm below the Open Heaven Realm was the end of Martial Dao.”
Yang Kai hurriedly straightened his back. He had a feeling that he was about to hear some incredible secret.
“The 10 of us were not born in the same place. Rather, we all came from different Great Territories. We managed to gain the acknowledgement of our homelands and became Venerables in our own lands. Only then were we able to shake off our Universe World’s restraints and head out into the vast void to explore a higher Martial Dao.”
He went on to say, “At that time, Monster Beasts were everywhere with all of them possessing the bloodlines of Divine Spirits, though the purity of those bloodlines varied greatly. Their cultivation was unhindered as the powers of their bloodlines alone allowed them to grow into formidable beings. The Humans were unable to defend themselves from the Monster Beasts. In order to solve this crisis, we had to seek a higher Martial Dao. However, no one managed to succeed.”
After a pause, he continued, “One day, I was swept away by a rolling fog and brought to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. In that place, I came across the other nine and became friends with them. Just like me, they had left their homelands in search of a higher Martial Dao. A long time has passed, so I can’t remember many of the details, but with that said, I will never be able to forget the strangeness of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. While we were there, we experienced countless crises, but by working together, we eventually resolved all of them. Looking back now, I realize that those were all trials for us. In the end, we arrived at a place where there was an enormous tree, the World Tree.”
Yang Kai nodded, for he had seen the World Tree as well, though it wasn’t a pleasant encounter. Still, he had gained some benefits from the World Tree; otherwise, the Seventh Order would have been his limit in this lifetime.
“The tree gave us one fruit each.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai was surprised, “The World Tree was so generous?”
At that time, he had gone through the trials of different Worlds before he acquired some Low-Rank and Mid-Rank World Fruits, and the only reason he obtained a root was because the World Tree sacrificed it to throw him out.
However, Cang and the other Martial Ancestors were just given World Fruits without doing anything. What’s more, the achievements of Cang and the others suggested that the World Fruits they had acquired were High-Rank World Fruits. Perhaps they were even superior to High-Rank World Fruits.
In comparison, what Yang Kai had obtained was nothing worth noting. He had the urge to head to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary again and rob the World Tree.
Cang went on to say, “After we consumed the fruits, we were able to open Small Universes in our bodies and step into the Open Heaven Realm. Only then did we comprehend the cultivation method of the Open Heaven Realm. After leaving the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, we taught everyone this cultivation method, and the Humans were finally able to oppose the Monster Beasts.”
Yang Kai said solemnly, “It was thanks to Sir and the other Seniors that the Human Race was finally able to cultivate. Your contributions should be remembered by all.”
With a smile, Cang waved his hand, “The reason I’m telling you all this is that over the years, I’ve faintly detected something.”
“Please enlighten me, Senior.”
After a moment of deliberation, Cang continued, “Back then, we came from different Great Territories and Universe Worlds, but we were swept into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary by the rolling fog all at the same time. The crises we faced seemed to be the trials to test our temperaments. In the end, the fruits given to us seemed to be the World Tree’s rewards.”
He paused for a moment, “Initially, we didn’t read too much into it. Since we had acquired greater powers, we decided to teach the other Humans how to do the same so that we all had the capital to gain a footing in the vast universe. Later, we created the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and confined Mo to this place. Only then did we have time to ponder on certain issues. The World Tree’s existence seems to have something to do with the entire 3,000 Worlds. To be precise, the World Tree might be the source of the 3,000 Worlds.”
Yang Kai was astounded, “You mean… the 3,000 Worlds are just a reflection of the World Tree’s power?”
Cang shook his head, “That’s not what I meant. There’s a reason the tree is named the World Tree and it must have something to do with the 3,000 Worlds. The 10 of us were swept into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and given the fruits by the World Tree, thus allowing us to create a complete Martial Dao system. Rather than saying it was our opportunity, it was more like a method the 3,000 Worlds used to help itself.”
“Help itself?” Yang Kai muttered, “You mean the 3,000 Worlds has a consciousness of its own?”
“Perhaps not a consciousness, or at least one that we would understand. Think of it as there being some ‘rules’ that we’re unable to comprehend,” Cang explained, “At that time, Mo’s sentience had just awakened, and Black Ink Strength started spreading across the Great Territories. If left unhindered, the entire universe would have been taken over by Black Ink Strength. Therefore, someone had to stop it. Even if it was not us, there would have been another 10 to take up that role.”
Cang stared fervently at Yang Kai, “What’s more, there must have been more than one attempt to help itself. The World Tree gave you a clone. If I’m not mistaken, you’re also one of the ones selected by these ‘rules’.”
It was because of that realization that Cang paid extra attention to Yang Kai and sent a transmission to him, telling him to seek refuge next to him when he fell into danger. It was also because of this realization that Cang told Yang Kai so many things.
In the Late Ancient Era, Cang and the other nine were just a means the ‘rules’ tried to use to save themselves. Now, Yang Kai could very well be those same ‘rules’ trump card.
Yang Kai fell into a dazed state.
Even though the clone he had obtained in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was subsequently planted in the Star Boundary, he inadvertently acquired another to shelter his Small Universe at a later point. Rather than it all just being a big coincidence, Cang’s speculation made more sense.
Was Yang Kai also one of the ways the unfathomable ‘rules’ tried to save themselves?
As Yang Kai looked back, he realised it was inconceivable that he even managed to snatch a root from the World Tree. At that time, he was pretty weak as he wasn’t even an Open Heaven Realm Master yet. He had only condensed his Dao Seal and had yet to even refine all the necessary Powers.
On the other hand, the World Tree was an ancient existence born with the Universe. As time passed, it must have developed spirituality of its own and grown into a powerful being.
How was an Emperor Realm Master supposed to snatch a root from the World Tree? After he acquired the root, the World Tree just swept him to a faraway place, which showed that it was fully capable of dismissing him, it just didn’t bother to do so until after the fact.
If Cang’s speculation was right, Yang Kai was also one of the ways the unfathomable ‘rules’ tried to save themselves, which explained everything. The Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was where the trials took place, and the root and the World Fruits were the rewards granted by the World Tree.
Millions of years ago, Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors were selected and given World Fruits by the World Tree, thus allowing them to enter the Open Heaven Realm and teach the others how to do the same. When the Humans grew stronger, they were able to fight against the Monster Beasts and Mo itself.
Millions of years later, Yang Kai arrived at the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and obtained a root from the World Tree. Even though the outcomes were different, they were both methods the 3,000 Worlds used to help themselves when they found themselves in crisis.
In that case, the original owner of the World Tree clone in Yang Kai’s Small Universe was likely also one of the ways the rules had selected to save themselves. Unfortunately, that Senior passed away on the Black Ink Battlefield, and his or her Small Universe was left behind as a Universe Cave Heaven. Countless years later, Yang Kai had the opportunity to enter it and obtain the World Tree clone.
Perhaps there were other people just like them over the eons; however, Yang Kai didn’t have a way to find out who they were, nor did he know whether they were even still alive.
Cang’s words were too shocking, but believable; after all, he had lived for millions of years and his life in this place gave him ample time to ponder on some deeper issues. Even though Yang Kai found his words inconceivable, it could very possibly be the truth.
“You must be careful,” Cang suddenly said.
A puzzled Yang Kai asked, “What do you mean, Senior?”
With a solemn expression, Cang explained, “Many years have passed, and Mo might have also realised what I’ve come to understand. Perhaps it even knows things that I don’t. If my speculation is right, you are in a perilous situation.”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment, but he soon realised what Cang meant.
If he was indeed one of the ways the ‘rules’ had selected to save themselves, he must be special in some way. As long as Mo noticed his presence, he wouldn’t let him off.
“You swaggered around the battlefield without worrying about getting corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so perhaps you’ve already caught Mo’s attention.”
Yang Kai replied, “The Four Universe Pillars are also able to protect one’s Small Universe and fend off Black Ink Strength. It might not realise that I have a World Tree clone.”
Cang nodded, “You have a point, but you still have to be careful. Also, even though you have the World Tree clone, which makes you immune to the Black Ink Strength of ordinary Black Ink Clansmen, that might not be able to drive off Mo’s Source Strength. Its strength is far greater than that of ordinary Black Ink Clansmen. Perhaps it might be able to break through the barriers of your Small Universe.”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “With you around, Mo won’t be able to get out of the trap, so how is it going to make a move against me? If even Senior is unable to suppress Mo, the Human Race won’t be far from extinction either way.”
Cang replied solemnly, “I’ll do my best.”
The next moment, Yang Kai got to his feet and lifted his Azure Dragon Spear, “I’ve gotten enough rest, Senior. I’ll kill some more enemies before coming back to chat with you.”
Then, he directly charged towards the battlefield.
Half a day later, Yang Kai returned, covered in blood. The Territory Lords chasing after him appeared furious, for the moment Yang Kai landed beside Cang, they had no choice but to leave. This time, he was in a better state than before, so it took him less time to recover.
After getting some rest, Yang Kai continued battling against the enemy. As he repeated this over and over again, the Black Ink Clansmen grew annoyed. Some of the Territory Lords now directly waited outside the safe zone on the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction so that they could kill Yang Kai the moment he left Cang’s shelter.
However, Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space, so as long as the space around him wasn’t sealed, these Territory Lords had no way to capture him. Eventually, the Black Ink Clan stopped bothering with him, and without any restraints, Yang Kai was able to kill even more enemies.
Nevertheless, he was the only one capable of such things, as the other Humans were unable to imitate him. As they were not experts in the Dao of Space, they couldn’t cross the vast battlefield quickly and safely; therefore, only Yang Kai could run to Cang’s side to seek refuge and recuperate. Although he had made significant contributions, he was unable to single-handedly change the tide of battle.
Several months had passed since the war started, and 30% of the original 2 million Human soldiers had been killed in action. In other words, some 600,000 Human soldiers had lost their lives, all of them in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. The losses they had suffered were simply staggering.
There was no denying that the losses that the Black Ink Clan had suffered were dozens of times greater than those of the Humans as innumerable Territory Lords and Royal Lords had lost their lives. Still, even more Black Ink Clansmen continuously poured out from the opening and entered the battlefield to make up for the losses.
All the Humans were exhausted, and even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters appeared weary. The two Races had been fighting against one another on the Black Ink Battlefield for many years, and although some wars lasted for months or even years, it was always a process of intense battles, followed by a period of rest and recovery before they clashed once again.
This time was different as the two Races had never stopped fighting since the war started. The chaos on the battlefield was constant. Fortunately, the various Army Commanders had already expected that this war would be a long one, so the 2 million soldiers were divided into two groups that took turns to battle the enemy. If not for this rotation of troops, the Humans would have been defeated by the Black Ink Clan long ago.
At this point, the Black Ink Clan had gained the upper hand. Although it wasn’t conspicuous, they were indeed in a favourable position. This was the balance Mo had been trying to sustain. Had it recklessly released all its servants to the battlefield, the Humans would’ve been defeated long ago.
Cang’s expression became increasingly solemn as he felt that it was time to seal the gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If this dragged on and the Humans were routed, the situation would surely get out of hand.
After months of releasing Black Ink Strength, he could feel that the pressure within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been alleviated somewhat. Although it wouldn’t be as much as he hoped for if he stopped now, it was still acceptable. At the thought of this, he hesitated no more. As he performed a different hand seal, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction started vibrating.
All of a sudden, Mo, who had remained silent all along, said, “I thought you were going to wait for a while more.”
Cang snorted, “You’d better quickly show us what tricks you still have; otherwise, you won’t have the chance to do so soon.”
Since the beginning, Cang had realised that Mo must have been holding something back; otherwise, it wouldn’t have tried to maintain the balance of powers between the two sides. It knew that once the balance was broken and the Humans were defeated, Cang would immediately seal the gap, giving it no chance to escape.
While the balance was being sustained, Cang was more than happy to weaken Mo’s power. It could be said that the situation on the battlefield was a tacit coordination between the two Races with the 2 million Human soldiers and the tens of millions of Black Ink Clansmen serving as chess pieces.
Cang also knew that once he started sealing the opening, there was no way Mo would sit idly by. There was bound to be a fierce fight where both sides did everything they could to gain the upper hand.
“You’ve grown old, Cang,” Mo let out a sigh of pity.
Even a cultivator as powerful as Cang had grown old after staying here for millions of years. As Mo recalled the days when it and the 10 Humans were still friends, it couldn’t help but feel rueful.
Those were the best days of its life. It could talk with his friends, travel with them, and share tea and wine together. It was carefree. Those days were gone for good once it was confined to this place. There wouldn’t be another Mu or Cang in this world.
It was fully aware that they didn’t hold any malicious intent trapping it in this place, but it was unresigned. It was born the way it was, it didn’t acquire its strength through cultivation. Since the Heavens had given it a power to turn others into the same beings as it, it was destined to rule over the Universe.
As all its friends were gone for good, so it stopped having any pity for this world. Everyone was bound to be subservient to it.
“All of you have underestimated me!” As Mo roared, an immense force burst out of the endless darkness. A magnificent aura spread out and shocked both the Black Ink Clansmen and the Humans on the battlefield. It was a power that was so overwhelming that even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were dazed by it.
Cang’s expression changed, for he realised that the resistance coming from the opening was making it impossible for him to reseal it for the time being. With that said, he wasn’t flustered. He wouldn’t think that Mo didn’t even have the capabilities to do such a thing. Everything was well within his expectations. This wasn’t Mo’s trump card, he must have another trick up his sleeve.
All of a sudden, Cang had a bad premonition. After several months of intense fighting, countless Black Ink Clansmen had lost their lives on the battlefield. Black blood, Black Ink Strength, and severed limbs were everywhere in the void.
The moment Mo’s Will spread out, these miscellaneous scraps on the battlefield started squirming and shooting towards the same place as though they had been guided by a mysterious force.
The expressions of all of the Humans changed. That was because these miscellaneous things were moving towards the opening.
In just a moment, the black blood, Black Ink Strength, and the hashed flesh left behind from fallen Black Ink Clansmen formed a colossal dark tide. The dark tide crossed the battlefield, and along the way, some Human soldiers were accidentally swept into it and killed.
The entire universe trembled as the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction shook. Even more dark blood, Black Ink Strength, and smashed meat joined the dark tide and fortified it.
Besides that, even the Black Ink Clansmen, who had been dealing with the Humans, abandoned their opponents and dashed towards the dark tide before disappearing. The turn of events stunned the Humans. They had been in a disadvantageous position on the battlefield when they suddenly lost their opponents.
“Damn!” Cang exclaimed as he hadn’t expected that Mo was able to use such a move. In fact, even though the 10 of them were close friends with Mo in the past and they subsequently confined it to this place for millions of years, they didn’t really know its capabilities very well.
Cang had never seen Mo use this Secret Technique before, nor could he figure out what the other party was about to do. With that said, he finally realised why Mo had been trying to sustain the balance on the battlefield, even letting so many of its servants get killed. It had all been to prepare for this moment.
Despite not knowing what Mo was about to do, Cang reckoned that he had to immediately stop it; otherwise, the Humans would be in grave danger. He madly surged his power in an attempt to reseal the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; however, from the depths of the darkness a violent force burst forth to resist it, stopping the gap from closing.
As this competition unfolded, Cang eventually gained the upper hand because he had the restriction’s help, but even though the gap was closing, it was extremely slow.
“Kill!” A Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s roar reverberated across the entire battlefield. Everyone knew that they had reached the most critical moment. Regardless of what Mo was up to, if they couldn’t stop him, they would lose the war.
Several hundred thousand Human soldiers who had been recuperating in the Great Passes charged towards the battlefield. All the Human soldiers were ready to strike. Even the soldiers guarding the arrays drove their Warships towards the battlefield. In an instant, the 106 Great Passes became empty.
The Black Ink Clan soldiers also divided into two groups, the first group leaving to intercept the Humans while the other group joined the dark tide to strengthen it.
The competition between Cang and Mo was still ongoing. Having said that, Cang was apparently in an advantageous position as the speed at which the opening of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was closing had increased.
Just then, a force that was as immense as a tidal wave gushed out from the depths of the darkness and penetrated the gap before joining the squirming dark tide. Then, the dark tide contorted and wiggled before forming into an arm.
The arm was made from countless limbs, black blood, and Black Ink Strength, but it wasn’t engulfed in Death Qi at all. Instead, it was as vibrant as a real arm. The bulging muscles of the arm suggested that it was full of strength. It was so gigantic that everyone could see nothing else and the aura billowing from it shook all beholders to the core.
The arm was connected to the force coming out from the gap. Looking from afar, it was as though a giant was sticking a hand out from the opening.
In fact, Cang could indeed feel a horrifying aura coming to life from the darkness where a giant was rapidly taking shape. The arm that penetrated the gap became a force that stopped the restriction from sealing.
Cang’s expression changed drastically as he exclaimed, “Have you reached that realm?”
The realm that was beyond the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
In the past, Cang and the other nine had been trying to ascend to that realm, but none of them succeeded. Even though Cang was more powerful than the average Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he still hadn’t broken free from the Open Heaven Realm.
He believed that beyond the Open Heaven Realm was the Creation Realm that no Humans had ever reached.
However, Mo’s voice sounded dispirited, “That realm? Maybe… I don’t know. Do you think I’ve reached that realm? I don’t think so.”
Cang was flabbergasted as he recalled the turmoil that took place in the restriction back then. At that time, Mo almost managed to break free from the trap. It seemed that Mo had already reached the Creation Realm at that time as in the endless darkness, it had created a lot of powerful beings.
After giving it some thought though, Cang realised it wasn’t surprising. Mo was able to create innumerable servants. All the Black Ink Clansmen were created from its Black Ink Strength and given its innate power and years of accumulation, it shouldn’t be shocking that it had reached the Creation Realm.
In truth, Mo didn’t directly create Black Ink Clansmen. It was fundamentally the initial darkness of the Heavens and Earth. What it had created were the Black Ink Nests, and all the Black Ink Clansmen were nurtured in those Black Ink Nests. It was Mo’s innate ability. However, this time, this powerful being in the darkness was indeed created by Mo.
All of a sudden, Cang turned calm and let out a sigh, “Mo, you were born alongside the Universe with unrivalled gifts and incredible capabilities. You’re supposed to be free from any restraints, but your strength dictates that you’ll not be accepted by everyone else.”
Mo asked hesitantly, “What are you trying to do?”
Cang replied impassively, “Millions of years have passed, so this matter should come to an end. I’m worried that my friends have grown anxious from waiting for so long.”
All of a sudden, Mo had a bad premonition and shouted, “Don’t do anything silly!”
Cang guffawed, “You’re the one who’s doing something silly.”
Saying so, he flicked his fingers as a ray of light broke through the air. Wherever the light went, it penetrated the Black Ink Clansmen and destroyed them.
Previously, he told Yang Kai that while he was part of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he could only make a move within the restriction; he was unable to have a hand in the affairs outside the Grand Restriction. That wasn’t a strict rule though, but there was a huge price to pay for breaking it. In order to send this ray of light out of the restriction, he had no choice but to put himself at stake.
The moment he made a move, the entire Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction seemed to have become unstable. Seizing the chance, Mo exerted more force to expand the gap. The arm that spanned the gap was shaking in an attempt to enlarge the opening.
“Stop it!” Mo’s Divine Sense spread across the void. Even though it had no idea what the ray of light was, it couldn’t let Cang achieve his goal at this point.
A Royal Lord extended his hand to catch the ray of light, but before he could even grasp it, his arm exploded. The power within the light was unimaginably horrifying.
Seeing that, the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who had been chasing after this Royal Lord, immediately summoned his Divine Manifestation that turned into a hideous giant beast and swallowed the Royal Lord whole. Then, the Ninth-Order Master cast several seals at the Royal Lord and directly refined him.
Driven by Mo, the other Black Ink Clansmen along the way tried to stop the ray of light; however, even a Royal Lord was unable to intercept it, so how were the other Black Ink Clansmen supposed to achieve anything?
The ray of light crossed the void and left behind a vacuum in its wake before it actually penetrated Yang Kai. Upon impact, Yang Kai’s figure shook, and before he could figure out what was going on, he saw countless Black Ink Clansmen savagely coming at him from all directions. He promptly retreated and dashed towards the place where the Human Race soldiers gathered together.
The Black Ink Clansmen chased after him, but they were soon intercepted. Both parties clashed in the void as their blood spattered.
On the other hand, after casting that ray of light, Cang extended his hand into the void and pulled out a rough, uncut jade.
“Mu!” Mo exclaimed. It could feel Mu’s aura coming from this uncut jade. This was definitely something Mu had left behind after her death.
Among the 10, Mo was most fond of Mu, and it was also closest to her. However, in the end, it was confined to this place because of her. Millions of years had passed, but it didn’t hold hatred for her. Nevertheless, when it felt the familiar aura again, it couldn’t help but have conflicted feelings.
Mo soon pulled itself together and roared in a voice that still sounded childlike, “Ah! What do you plan to do, Cang!?”
As it spoke, another hand stuck out from the opening and clenched the edge. The other arm that had originally penetrated the gap retracted and grasped the other side.
Both hands exerted themselves and pushed the gap open as though they were opening a door. A horrifying aura streamed out of the gap, and at the same time, a gigantic head stuck out from the chasm. Its dark eyes reflected the entire battlefield, as though it was going to devour everything in sight.
The world trembled as the universe seemed to have been turned upside down and countless cracks started appearing in the Void.
“I don’t know what is going to happen either,” Cang’s voice sounded helpless.
His words sounded perfunctory, but he indeed had no idea what was about to happen. The uncut jade was the last testament left behind by Mu. She told them that they just had to summon this uncut jade at the most perilous moment.
Back then, Mu entered the Grand Restriction and arrived at the depths of the endless darkness. When she returned, she was already on her last breath. After passing the uncut jade to them, she blended herself into the restriction to fortify it.
She didn’t explain anything about the uncut jade; however, Cang and the others never doubted her decision or judgement. Now, it had come to the most perilous moment just like what she had said. Perhaps she had seen something in the darkness back then and expected this day to come.
After the uncut jade was summoned, it rose into the sky and shone brightly. From the light, a slender figure appeared. The figure was so colossal that she seemed to cover the entire sky, but no one could make out her face. Nevertheless, the moment she appeared, she became the centre of the universe.
Everyone stopped fighting on the battlefield as their attention was drawn to her. It was the most immaculate figure in the world, as though everything good and beautiful had been condensed within her. No one would ever have any evil thoughts about her.
“Mu!” Cang looked up with a conflicted gaze.
“Mu!” Mo muttered.
There seemed to be a smile on Mu’s face as she spoke in a gentle tone, “We haven’t met for ages, Mo.”
“Are you still… alive?” There was a hint of pleasant surprise in Mo’s voice.
Mu shook her head, “I’m dead. You know that I passed away a long time ago.”
Mo let out a sigh and replied in a dejected tone, “Yes, I know. I thought you were still alive, but since you’re dead, what are you trying to do now?”
All of a sudden, Mu said in a mischievous tone, “I’m going to play your favourite game with you for the last time.”
Mo was torn between tears and laughter, “You’re such a good friend.”
Mu refuted, “Call me Big Sister. I’m not that old.”
Saying so, she swept her hand across the darkness and muttered under her breath, “There, there. When you wake up, there’ll be games to play and food to have.”
Following her movement, the entire Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction started shining brightly and pulsing rhythmically. On the battlefield, both the Humans and Black Ink Clansmen became sluggish as a sense of sleepiness washed over them, making them feel dizzy.
Besides the Fifth-Order, Sixth-Order, and Seventh-Order Masters, even the Eighth-Order and Ninth-Order Masters were unable to fight off the sleepiness.
At that instant, a strange scene appeared on this violent battlefield. The weaker soldiers of both Races fell into a peaceful sleep all of a sudden. In general, the Black Ink Clansmen were most heavily affected as the Humans had their Warships’ protection, so they still had some power to resist the mysterious force.
Yang Kai was sleepy as well. He felt his eyelids threatening to shut against his will, but at the most critical moment, a sense of coolness coursed through him, making him come back to his senses. It was the Soul Warming Lotus.
Even though he had no idea what move Mu had used, it was apparently a technique that affected the Soul, so the Soul Warming Lotus’ protection helped him endure it.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai stimulated his Dragon Source and transformed into a 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon. He then swiped his Dragon Claw in a particular direction.
Over there, a Royal Lord was staggering while exchanging moves with an equally sleepy Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Unlike the violent fight earlier, they now looked like two kids haphazardly slapping at each other.
Yang Kai directly grasped the Royal Lord in his claw and clenched.
The Royal Lord’s figure was huge, but while he was in Yang Kai’s claw, only his head was shown outside the iron grip.
The Royal Lord struggled hard but couldn’t get out of the trap. As he felt intense pressure from all directions, his bones cracked and his dark blood gushed out of his body.
“You’re pretty tough,” Yang Kai grumbled; after all, this was a powerful Royal Lord. Yang Kai was unable to squeeze him to death and hadn’t even managed to severely injure him. At most, he had slightly wounded the Royal Lord.
As a sharp pain shot through him, this Royal Lord showed signs of regaining his senses.
Instantly, Yang Kai felt an immense force of resistance coming from his grip and his claw was forced to expand as the Royal Lord was about to free himself.
At the critical moment though, a flash of sword light repeatedly cut across the Royal Lord’s throat.
His head was sent flying away and dark blood spurted out of his neck as his vitality swiftly drained away.
The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master struggled to keep himself awake as he smugly lifted his sword and said to Yang Kai, “Kid, you’re still too weak.”
Yang Kai refuted through clenched teeth, “You’d better not fall asleep, Senior.”
This person was none other than the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor from Blue Sky Pass, so Yang Kai was naturally familiar with him.
The Old Ancestor had been tangled up with the Royal Lord for a long time, with neither side able to deal critical damage to the other party, but with Yang Kai’s help, the Old Ancestor finally managed to kill his opponent.
Hearing Yang Kai’s mockery, the Old Ancestor did his best to stay awake as he retorted, “Why would I fall asleep? Are you mocking me?”
Saying so, he turned into a sword light and dashed towards the battle between a nearby Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and a Royal Lord.
Yang Kai shook his head and charged towards the vast battlefield.
Presently, both the Humans and the Black Ink Clansmen, regardless of their cultivation, had been affected by Mu’s Soul Technique and their combat effectiveness plummeted while Yang Kai was safe and sound with the Soul Warming Lotus’ protection.
On the entire battlefield, he was probably the only one who was still wide awake and fully able to use his power; therefore, it was time for him to deal a fatal blow to the enemies.
As he let out a Dragon Breath, his Dragon Form zigzagged across the battlefield. He wielded his Dragon Tail and easily slaughtered countless Black Ink Clansmen along the way.
Soon, he approached the battle between a Royal Lord and a Ninth-Order Master. With the previous experience, he directly extended both claws this time and shouted, “I’m here to assist, Old Ancestor!”
As the Royal Lord saw the claws closing in on him, he felt his face twitching. He wanted to dodge, but he realised that the Space around him had become viscous. Unable to escape, he was grasped by Yang Kai with both claws, leaving only his head exposed outside the grip.
The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s eyes brightened when he saw this and immediately launched a series of Divine Abilities.
Upon impact, the Dragon Scales on Yang Kai’s claws were blown off and his skin started bleeding. He was in so much pain that he roared at the top of his lungs.
…..
Above the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Mu’s colossal figure shone even more brightly, as though she was radiating the last gleam of light in her life. She was singing a song in a language no one could understand.
No one knew what the lyrics meant, but as they listened to it, they realised they could barely keep themselves awake.
While still singing, Mu suddenly turned to Cang and said, “Thanks for everything.”
Cang let out a sigh. At this point, he finally figured out what Mu’s plan was. He replied, “Don’t mention it. I’m finally able to feel relieved. It’s a shame that you passed away so early.”
Mu’s talent was unfathomable. Among the 10 of them back then, even though she was the only woman, none of the other nine were comparable to her.
If not for the fact that she passed away so early on, given her intelligence and skill, she may very well have come up with a real solution to the problem.
Mu replied with a smile, “The moment we were chosen back then, the outcome was determined. There’s nothing to feel regretful about. We’ve done our best, and the rest is beyond our control.”
All of a sudden, she turned to the battlefield, her eyes reflecting the 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon, “Is he also a chosen one?”
Cang nodded.
A glint flashed across Mu’s eyes, “He’s not bad.”
Despite her seemingly perfunctory remark, Cang knew that she had acknowledged Yang Kai to be a capable youth.
“All of you are so noisy…” Mo muttered under its breath from the darkness, as though it was talking in its sleep. It seemed to have returned to millions of years ago when it was taking a nap on Mu’s lap, but it was helplessly disturbed by the discussion among them, “You’re making it hard for me to fall asleep.”
Mu said gently, “We’ll be quiet.” Then, she turned to Cang, “We’re still not there yet. I need to borrow some power.”
Cang nodded solemnly, “I’ve been waiting for this moment.” Saying so, he performed a different hand seal and yelled, “Take my body and strengthen the restriction!”
Following that, all the power in his body dissipated as he assimilated his very essence into the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The restriction was originally invisible and intangible, but after it absorbed Cang’s power, the barrier became obvious to all.
The barrier covered a radius of hundreds of millions of kilometres and didn’t seem to have an end to it, while inside was only endless darkness.
Cang’s aura gradually withered and eventually disappeared. Even his figure turned into motes of light and dissipated.
Above the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Mu’s figure solidified to the point where one could almost see her unrivalled beauty.
The vitality she had hidden within the restriction many years ago exploded at this moment. With the help of Cang’s power, it infused into her illusory phantom, making her look vivid and lifelike, as though she had really resurrected.
She turned to look at the void with her dark gaze, as if she was trying to take in the entire universe. The next instant, she leaped into the darkness.
“I can finally have a good sleep…” Mo muttered from the darkness, which shook all of a sudden. There seemed to be an ominous monster hidden within the darkness that turned over in its sleep, and a hush fell abruptly.
The void trembled as though it was mourning for the death of these powerful beings.
The moment Mu leaped into the darkness, all the Humans and Black Ink Clansmen, who had been affected earlier, snapped back to their senses in an instant.
The battlefield, which had become calm due to Mu’s Soul Technique, turned violent instantly.
However, everyone sensitively detected that two powerful beings’ Wills were missing. One of them was Mo, and the other was Cang.
With that said, there was now another powerful Will.
In the darkness, the enormous creature was still prying open the edges of the gap with half of his body having been revealed.
Even though it hadn’t fully revealed itself, even half of his body was enough to give off indescribable pressure.
Mu’s Soul Secret Technique had a huge impact on this giant as well and it had stopped moving earlier; however, the moment Mu leapt into the darkness, the influence of her Secret Technique disappeared. As though having received an order, the giant struggled even harder to get out of the darkness.
But it was too late. Cang had sacrificed himself to strengthen the restriction, and Mu had used a trump card she had left behind years ago. Not only had Mo fallen asleep, but the gap of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was closing rapidly as well.
Regardless of how hard the giant tried, he was unable to stop the gap from closing. In just three breaths of time, the wide gap was shut.
However, the giant still hadn’t fully crawled out of the gap. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was like a razor-sharp blade that cut across the giant’s waist, splitting him in half.
No black blood streamed out of his body, only Black Ink Strength gushed out of his wounds. The dark giant roared in pain as his voice spread across the universe.
Yang Kai took a glance at the giant and became startled, “A Giant Spirit God?”
Earlier, he had been assisting the Ninth-Order Masters to kill the Royal Lords, so he didn’t have time to look at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Now, he was stunned by what he saw.
The dark giant was actually a Giant Spirit God!
[Were Giant Spirit Gods created by Mo? No!] Yang Kai soon dismissed the idea, for the creature was not a real Giant Spirit God. He believed that it was a creature that Mo had created based on the Giant Spirit Gods. The giant had the size and appearance of a Giant Spirit God, and perhaps even the power of one, but he certainly wasn’t a member of the amiable Giant Spirit God Clan.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but recall the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that he came across in the Black Ink Sealing Land in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Back then, he thought that a Giant Spirit God had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Now, it seemed to him that it wasn’t the case. Perhaps that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was also created by Mo.
At the thought of this, Yang Kai felt a crawling sensation on his scalp.
Giant Spirit Gods were incredibly powerful beings that even the Divine Spirits were no match for. He had also personally witnessed a Giant Spirit God’s power. In the past, Ah Er brought him to barge into the Chaotic Dead Territory, but despite being surrounded by mortal danger, Ah Er was completely at ease.
The Chaotic Dead Territory was a place where even Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were unable to remain for long.
In other words, Giant Spirit Gods were more powerful than Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Perhaps they were as strong as Cang and the other Martial Ancestors.
The Heavens didn’t give the Giant Spirit God Clan a very high level of intelligence, but with that said, they were gifted with unrivalled powers.
Now, Yang Kai wondered how powerful this Black Giant Spirit God was.
What made him relax slightly was that the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had cut this giant figure in half, causing his strength to plummet.
On the battlefield, more auras soon disappeared for good.
In the short moment when Mu’s Secret Technique had affected the entire battlefield, Yang Kai had helped the Ninth-Oder Open Heaven Realm Masters kill five Royal Lords.
Initially, after five Royal Lords were killed, there supposedly would be another five Royal Lords who would step out of the darkness to make up for the losses; nevertheless, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been closed, and Mo was now sound asleep. There wouldn’t be any new Royal Lords.
In the battles between the Ninth-Order Masters and the Royal Lords, the Humans had gained the upper hand and as time passed, this advantage would be increasingly enhanced until the Black Ink Clan were no longer able to resist.
If not for the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s appearance, the Humans would be guaranteed to win this war.
However, with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s existence, no one could tell what the outcome would be.
Following a roar, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God stuck out a hand and grasped somewhere on the battlefield. Faced with the giant hand, both the Human Warships and Black Ink Clansmen found it hard to dodge.
Warships exploded apart, and before the Humans could even flee, they were vaporized by the impact. It was the same case for the Black Ink Clansmen. Without any Warships to protect them, they were killed even before the Humans.
The hand then swept across the void, and although it seemed sluggish, that was only because it was too colossal.
Space itself was torn apart wherever the hand swatted.
A Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who happened to be available activated his World Force and transformed into a giant.
However, this giant still looked like a child in front of this Black Ink Giant Spirit God; there was that huge of a difference between their sizes. Even as the giant rained attacks on this Black Ink Giant Spirit God, he was unable to harm the other party at all. On the other hand, the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master trembled after he was struck by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
In the far ancient past, a single Black Ink Giant Spirit God had wreaked havoc on the Divine Spirits in Ancestral Land. In the end, it was the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress of that generation who made use of the Sacred Treasures of the different Clans, along with burning their entire Blood Essence and vitality to finally suppress and seal the rampaging Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
This resulted in the Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress passing away, and as the Void itself collapsed, the Dragon Emperor Source and the Phoenix Empress Source were lost for millions of years, eventually being acquired by Yang Kai and Su Yan.
Since they were both Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, they were supposedly equally powerful; however, the one before their eyes only had half of his body left after the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction sliced him in two. As such, he wasn’t nearly as powerful as the one who had kicked up a storm in Ancestral Land in the past.
Even so, a single Ninth-Order Master still wasn’t a match for him.
Although the Black Ink Giant Spirit God didn’t have a lower body, he was still pretty agile. Soon, he left the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and barged into the battlefield to begin a slaughter.
In his eyes, there were no friends or foes. Be it the Humans or the Black Ink Clansmen, as long as they were in his way, they were targets to be destroyed.
Within moments, many from both Races lost their lives while the flesh and blood of the dead Humans and Black Ink Clansmen, as well as the Black Ink Strength on the battlefield all seemed to be drawn to his figure. As he absorbed more and more, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s lower body showed signs of taking shape again.
He was already so overwhelmed with just his upper body, so if he managed to form a complete lower body, the situation would only become more dire.
More Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters charged towards him, but it wasn’t until the 13 Old Ancestors joined in that they managed to pin down the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, an almost inconceivable reality.
For a very long time, the Ninth-Order Masters were thought to be the most powerful beings in the world that only the Royal Lords were a match for. Now, it required 13 of them to stop a Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was missing half a body. It was unimaginable how powerful he would be if his body was whole.
The Humans had initially gained the upper hand in the battles between the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and the Royal Lords; however, with 13 Old Ancestors needed to restrain the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the momentum of the battle had shifted again.
Many Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had to deal with two Royal Lords on their own while some of them even had to fight three at once. Only by doing so could they stop the Royal Lords from slaughtering the Human soldiers.
The appearance of a Black Ink Giant Spirit God with only half a body destroyed the advantage that the Humans had accumulated. Even though the Humans were still in an advantageous position in the battles below the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, their edge would disappear if this dragged on.
Yang Kai had kept his Dragon Form and returned to his Human Form. With the Azure Dragon Spear in his hands, he charged around the battlefield.
The turn of events at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction happened too suddenly. Cang wanted to seal the restriction, but his actions triggered Mo’s trump card in the process. Then, Mu, who passed away eons ago, appeared and sang an unknown lullaby as she stimulated the restriction’s power.
Now, Cang’s figure was nowhere to be found, and the auras of Mu and Mo had disappeared. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had become as flawless as it used to be.
Yang Kai knew that Cang had passed away, Mu was gone for good, and Mo had fallen into a state of deep sleep. Now, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been resealed, which meant that there would be no more Black Ink Clansmen leaving it.
The ones left on the battlefield were all the soldiers that the Black Ink Clan had. As long as the Humans could wipe out these Black Ink Clansmen, they would win the war.
However, that was an extremely difficult task. Besides the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that was able to go against 13 Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at the same time, it was also hard to kill the remaining Royal Lords.
In fact, quite a number of Royal Lords had been killed so far. Since Mo had deliberately tried to sustain the balance on the battlefield, the Humans managed to destroy a lot of Royal Lords. Before the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s appearance, at least a dozen Royal Lords had lost their lives.
On the other hand, the Humans had also paid a huge price as several Old Ancestors had fallen in battle.
When everyone on the battlefield was affected by Mu’s Soul Secret Technique earlier, several Royal Lords were suppressed by Yang Kai and subsequently killed by the Old Ancestors, leading to there being more Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters than Royal Lords.
Nevertheless, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s appearance negated that advantage and even reversed it.
With that said, none of the Human soldiers backed down as they still fearlessly clashed with the enemy. All of them knew that if they couldn’t win this war, there wouldn’t be another chance for them.
All the Ninth-Order, Eighth-Order, Seventh-Order, Sixth-Order, and Fifth-Order Masters were going all out. They didn’t care if their Warships were shattered as they could summon their spare Warships and continue fighting. Even if all their Warships were destroyed, they would clash with the enemies and kill as many as they could before their death.
There was no time for rest or recuperation. If they held back any of their powers, they would fall into the abyss.
Yang Kai darted around and killed all the enemies he could with his Azure Dragon Spear, sending black blood splattering everywhere. He was looking for Dawn; however, the battlefield was chaotic, so it was hard to find anyone.
A while later, Yang Kai finally spotted Dawn as a large, swirling Blood Sea was a clear sign of Blood Crow’s presence.
Before he could even get near them though, Yang Kai felt alarmed all of a sudden. The next instant, he detected a violent force coming at him from the side. Before he knew what was happening, Yang Kai coughed up a mouthful of blood and was sent flying away.
He still hadn’t gotten out of danger though. As he extended his spear to the back, a Golden Crow cawed and a Great Sun leaped into the air before it shone brightly.
Then, a hand gently gripped the Great Sun and extinguished it. The next instant, a fist came at Yang Kai.
Flabbergasted, Yang Kai lifted his spear to parry the attack. The next moment, he shook as if struck by lightning before he was sent flying again. While tumbling, he sprayed out more blood.
It wasn’t until this moment that he made out the person who was attacking him. It was a Royal Lord with a sheep head and Human body. Just like Mo Zhao from Great Evolution Theatre, this Royal Lord had a pair of dark wings extending from his back.
As their eyes met, a hint of surprise flashed across the Royal Lord’s eyes. He hadn’t expected that he wouldn’t be able to kill Yang Kai after striking him twice. Although he hadn’t used his full power, he was certain Yang Kai wouldn’t stand a chance to survive given the fact that the latter was just a Seventh-Order Junior. Regardless, that was indeed what had happened.
On the other hand, Yang Kai felt a metallic taste in his mouth as he choked down the blood in his throat. While bearing the pain, he kept his guard up. He had just escaped from death’s door! The moment he detected danger earlier, he drew upon his Dragon Source madly and covered himself with Dragon Scales. If not for that, he would have exploded upon impact.
Even though his Dragon Scales were sturdy though, they were still smashed through after being struck twice.
What he had been most worried about eventually happened. Since 13 Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had to deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the Humans, who were in a favourable position earlier, had completely lost the advantage.
Some of the Royal Lords were now available to deal with the weaker Human soldiers, and this particular Royal Lord had set his eyes on Yang Kai.
Having said that, Yang Kai wasn’t surprised that he was being targeted. Cang had told him to be careful because he had been charging around the battlefield without worrying about getting corrupted by Black Ink Strength, perhaps drawing Mo’s attention.
What’s more, in his last moments, Cang had cast a ray of light which then penetrated Yang Kai’s body. The Black Ink Clansmen all saw this and were certainly concerned about what that ray of light was. Since this Royal Lord was unrestrained, he naturally had to hunt Yang Kai down and find out what the ray of light was.
Yang Kai released his Divine Sense and scanned his surroundings. He realised that all the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were already locked in intense battles with the Royal Lords and the Eighth-Order Masters were occupied with the Territory Lords. All the Warships were dilapidated, and the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Masters on the vessels were in danger of dying at any moment while the Seventh-Order Masters around the Warships were soaked in blood.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s aura seemed to be growing with each moment. His lower body continued to absorb the Black Ink Strength from the battlefield and showed signs of taking shape.
Suddenly, Yang Kai let out a long sigh. He gave up on the idea of seeking help from the Ninth-Order Masters or the other Humans. As he wielded his spear, he bolted towards the Royal Lord.
A hint of contempt and mockery flashed across the Royal Lord’s eyes as he extended his hand towards Yang Kai. His nonchalant manner made it look as though he was trying to swat dead an insect.
As a Royal Lord, he indeed didn’t have to exert himself to deal with a Seventh-Order Human. Even though he didn’t manage to achieve his goal earlier, he had severely injured the other party. This time, he had the confidence to kill Yang Kai.
All of a sudden, he was dazzled by a pure white light, which expanded and dispelled the Black Ink Strength around them before it engulfed the Royal Lord.
The sheep-headed Royal Lord was enraged. He was certainly aware of the Purifying Light, which was the archnemesis of Black Ink Strength, but all else aside, he was still a Royal Lord. Even though the Purifying Light could harm him, it couldn’t kill him.
Therefore, the instant he realised Yang Kai’s intention, he didn’t dodge the attack and instead directly extended his hand into the Purifying Light.
Yang Kai skirted past the Royal Lord whose black blood spattered from a wound on his face. The Royal Lord turned around and saw the battered Yang Kai running away. Without hesitation, he raced after him.
While coughing up blood, Yang Kai felt that he had never been so severely injured before. After he was struck by the Royal Lord three times, half of his bones were broken, and his five viscera and six organs were a mess. If not for the fact that he had a potent Dragon Vein, he would have already been killed.
On a nearby battlefield, when a Ninth-Order Master saw that Yang Kai was in danger, he intended to lend him a hand; however, his opponent suddenly flared up and held him down. Left with no choice, the Ninth-Order Master could only watch as Yang Kai fled.
Along the way, several Ninth-Order Masters wanted to save him, but the Royal Lords turned even more ferocious and refused to allow them to do so.
All the same, Yang Kai never intended to seek the Ninth-Order Masters’ help. He had seen the big picture after scanning the battlefield and knew if he lured the Royal Lord behind him to any Old Ancestor, the latter would be at risk of losing their life. It wasn’t fun dealing with two equally powerful opponents on your own.
Yang Kai couldn’t pin his hopes on the Eighth-Order Masters either. Perhaps they couldn’t even persevere as long as he did; therefore, he could only find a way to save himself.
He had no idea if he could escape from a Royal Lord, but Yang Kai knew that the Humans were now in a disadvantageous position on the battlefield. As such, he couldn’t bring trouble to the top Masters.
Furthermore, if he could lure a Royal Lord away, he could lift some pressure off the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters despite not being able to influence the war in any way.
Two figures dashed across the bloody battlefield that looked like a living Hell. While Yang Kai never stopped fleeing, the Royal Lord relentlessly chased after him.
Just a moment later, the distance between them shortened and without hesitation, Yang Kai manipulated Space Principles and disappeared from the spot.
The sheep-headed Royal Lord behind him was evidently startled. He had lived his entire life inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Even though he was able to learn about the Humans through the Black Ink Nests, he had never come across an opponent like Yang Kai, so it was the first time he witnessed a Space Secret Technique.
Soon, he detected Yang Kai’s aura and turned to look in a different direction. Over there, a blood-soaked Yang Kai appeared inside a Human Great Pass. While standing on the wall, he eyed the Royal Lord from across the battlefield and pointed his spear at him in a provocative manner.
Running away wasn’t his sole intention. On such a vast battlefield, Yang Kai couldn’t just focus on his own safety. Since this Royal Lord had set his eyes on him, Yang Kai had to come up with a way to lure him away from the others.
He had no idea which Great Pass he was in as all the Humans had left to attack the enemy, so all the Great Passes were empty with not even a single person remaining behind. Therefore, he didn’t have to worry about luring the Royal Lord to this place.
Seeing how smug Yang Kai looked, the Royal Lord was enraged and charged towards him.
On the wall, Yang Kai settled his spear on the floor and sat down on a large array. The Array Core was an artifact that looked like a giant crossbow. Usually, it required three Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to activate such an array.
At this moment, Yang Kai turned his hands into Dragon Claws and clutched the giant crossbow before madly infusing his World Force into the array. The patterns on the array lit up, and all the energy entered the crossbow. Despite being strong, Yang Kai realised he almost couldn’t control this crossbow. He activated his Divine Sense and locked onto the Royal Lord with his aura, a hideous expression on his face.
Following a buzz, the entire wall started shaking and the next moment, a gigantic light column condensed into an arrow and shot towards the Royal Lord. This violent attack was equivalent to an Eighth-Order Master’s all-out strike.
There were only a small number of arrays of such powers in the Great Passes and they were the most powerful and lethal ones the Humans could refine. Most of the artifacts and arrays could only cast attacks that were equivalent to a Seventh-Order Master’s attacks.
The arrow formed from the light column was not only intimidating but also rapid. In the blink of an eye, it was about to strike the Royal Lord; however, he didn’t seem to have the intention of dodging it. The black wings on his back folded in front of him to cover his body as he withstood the light arrow and dashed towards the Great Pass before shattering the array and artifact on the wall with a punch. A large part of the wall collapsed and as his force spread, levelling many buildings in the Great Pass.
It didn’t matter if the attack was equivalent to an Eighth-Order Master’s strike, he was a Royal Lord, so why would he be afraid of such a blow? However, he soon frowned as Yang Kai was nowhere in sight.
In fact, right after Yang Kai fired the arrow, he disappeared.
Detecting something, the Royal Lord turned to look at a nearby Great Pass and saw Yang Kai standing on the wall. Again, he was trying to activate the power of an artifact.
Enraged, the Royal Lord pounced on his opponent once again.
The same thing happened again; however, this time, what shot out of the Great Pass wasn’t a light arrow but a rain of sword waves.
The Royal Lord surged his Black Ink Strength and blocked all the sword waves. Seeing that Yang Kai was about to jump to another Great Pass, he locked onto him with his aura, which then burst and caused Yang Kai to stagger as he fell out of the Void.
Yang Kai clenched his teeth as he retreated and concealed his aura. He directly entered the Great Pass and used the buildings as cover.
Booms were continuously heard from behind him as the Royal Lord hunted him down and destroyed countless buildings along the way. The entire Great Pass soon turned into ruins.
Finally, Yang Kai found a chance to manipulate Space Principles and escape.
The moment he reappeared, the Royal Lord locked his aura onto him and pursued him like maggots on rotting bones.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened as he realised he couldn’t go on doing this. The Royal Lord hadn’t dealt with someone who was a Master of the Dao of Space before, which was why Yang Kai managed to escape from him earlier.
Now that the Royal Lord had a way to deal with him though, Yang Kai was no longer able to use Instantaneous Movement as he pleased. At this rate, he would be cornered sooner or later. After glancing at the chaotic battlefield, Yang Kai grit his teeth, turned around, and charged towards the depths of the void.
It had come to a point where the Ninth-Order Masters were all engaged in life-and-death battles against the Black Ink Clan Masters. With that said, the Human Race Masters below the Ninth Order still had a slight advantage against the Black Ink Clan. As long as they could enlarge that advantage, they would be able to influence the battles between the Ninth-Order Masters and the Royal Lords.
When the Eighth-Order Masters were free from restraints, they would be able to lend the Ninth-Order Masters assistance.
Nevertheless, it remained hard to deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. All the same, this wasn’t a problem that Yang Kai could solve. He was in a perilous situation himself, so he had to focus on staying alive first.
Yang Kai’s action surprised the Royal Lord. As he looked in the direction Yang Kai was fleeing, he hesitated for a bit before chasing after him.
Even though no one knew anything about the ray of light that Cang had cast into Yang Kai at the last moment, it was obviously something important. That was why the Royal Lord decided to personally deal with him.
He initially thought that he could easily achieve his goal, so it surprised him that there were so many twists and turns. Certainly, he wouldn’t let this Seventh-Order brat flee from the battlefield as the latter clearly intended.
The black wings on his back flapped before he turned into a flash of light and shot towards Yang Kai.
On the battlefield, when the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters saw this, they wanted to help, but they were unable to shake off their opponents. Only a few Eighth-Order Masters managed to break free from their entanglements and rushed towards Yang Kai from different directions.
While running across the void, Yang Kai stuffed a handful of Spirit Pills into his mouth and even consumed a Low-Rank World Fruit that he had kept in storage for years.
At this point, nothing else mattered than restoring his reserves. He had consumed too much of his World Force, and only a bit of power was left in his Small Universe. It was inefficient to refine Open Heaven Pills, so he needed a World Fruit to replenish his energy quickly.
He knew that this was a life-and-death tribulation for him. Everything would be fine if he managed to shake off this Royal Lord; however, if he was captured, he would be doomed despite being able to transform into an Ancient Dragon.
In fact, he wasn’t sure if he could escape; after all, the Royal Lord could move much faster than he did. The only thing he could rely on was Space Principles.
Yang Kai had quite several experiences when it came to fleeing from Masters who were more powerful than him, but in such a situation, he could only do his best and let the Heavens decide his fate.
He was aware that several Eighth-Order Masters were trying to aid him; however, they were no match for a Royal Lord. Once both parties clashed, those Eighth-Order Masters would certain die; therefore, he wouldn’t dare to stop.
Yang Kai madly pushed his World Force and Dragon Clan Secret Techniques as he moved across the void at the speed of lightning, soon leaving the battlefield behind as he escaped further and further away.
However, the threat behind him was only getting closer. In less than an incense stick worth of time, Yang Kai was engulfed in a great sense of crisis. This sense of danger suggested that he was already within the range where the Royal Lord could strike him.
He wanted to manipulate Space Principles to teleport away, but the Royal Lord had locked his aura onto him. Once he made a move, that aura would explode and destabilize the surrounding Void. When that happened, his Instantaneous Movement would be disrupted and he would be killed.
Silently, he flicked a bead out as he wanted to use a Space Beacon to save his life; however, the Royal Lord was extremely vigilant and didn’t even let something as small as a Space Beacon off. From a distance, he cast an attack and destroyed the Space Beacon.
Yang Kai secretly cursed at the Royal Lord. Since he was unable to make use of Space Beacons, he could only try to cut off the aura on him if he wanted to make use of Space Principles.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai decided to engulf himself in Purifying Light. There was no doubt that Purifying Light was the archnemesis of Black Ink Strength, but he wasn’t sure if this power could cut off the Royal Lord’s aura.
Aura was invisible, but strictly speaking, it was also a form of Divine Sense. Since Purifying Light could restrain the Black Ink Clan’s power, it could also theoretically cut off a thread of aura.
What disappointed Yang Kai was that as he was covered in the Purifying Light, the aura wasn’t thrown off. However, he was pleasantly surprised at the fact that even though the aura locked onto him, he was able to isolate himself from it temporarily.
The next moment, he pushed Space Principles and disappeared from the spot. At the same time, a brutal force came at him from a distance. Apparently, the Royal Lord wanted to kill Yang Kai upon seeing that the latter was about to flee.
When a battered Yang Kai reappeared in a place that was a few million kilometres away, he sprayed out a mouthful of blood.
He was hampered at the most critical moment of activating Instantaneous Movement and failed to cross a distance that was as far as he’d hoped and instead landed in the wrong place. Even though he was injured, he had gotten rid of the threat for now at the very least.
However, before Yang Kai could catch a breath, the Purifying Light around him dissipated. As soon as that happened, the Royal Lord’s aura locked onto him again.
“Bastard!” Yang Kai cursed. He felt his own aura trembling and his power becoming intermittent. At that moment, he was unable to manipulate Space Principles again, so he had no choice but to fly forward.
He had suffered several setbacks because of this Royal Lord, and even though he had consumed a lot of Spirit Pills, his wounds had only gotten worse.
Fortunately, being an Ancient Dragon, he had a robust body. Given enough time, his injuries would heal themselves.
A moment later, the small advantage he had gained by using Instantaneous Movement to move across millions of kilometres was wiped out. The distance between them was shortening fast.
Feeling the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Strength undulating behind him, as though a Secret Technique was about to be cast, Yang Kai once again engulfed himself with Purifying Light and isolated himself from the other party’s aura. Then, he did the same thing by activating Instantaneous Movement.
The Royal Lord had no choice but to stop using his Secret Technique and detonate the aura which was near Yang Kai, forcing the latter from the Void a few million kilometres away.
Again, Yang Kai sprayed out a mouthful of blood.
The same thing repeatedly happened to the point where Yang Kai was infuriated. On the other hand, the Royal Lord, who had been relentless, was also cursing non-stop. He had never expected that despite being a Royal Lord, it would be so hard for him to end the life of a puny Seventh-Order Human.
Before this war, the sheep-headed Royal Lord had never dealt with Humans, so his knowledge of them was limited to what he had gathered from the Black Ink Nest Space.
After leaving the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he immediately engaged in an intense battle with a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was a fight between two equally matched opponents and in fact, he found himself at a slight disadvantage almost from the start, so he truly admired that Ninth-Order Master’s power.
But what was happening now? He felt disgusted by having to chase after Yang Kai, unlike his fight against the Ninth-Order Master a while back. When dealing with the Ninth-Order Master, he just had to exert all his strength in a life-and-death struggle; however, when pursuing this Seventh-Order Master, he felt helpless despite having far greater strength.
As such, there was an awkward scene in the void where a Seventh-Order Human was unable to get rid of a Royal Lord, who, on the other hand, couldn’t capture the Seventh-Order Human.
Initially, the Eighth-Order Masters coming from the battlefield could still see some traces and follow them. Nevertheless, barely a day later, they had completely lost track of Yang Kai and the Royal Lord.
One repeatedly manipulated Space Principles while the other could move extremely quickly. Eighth-Order Masters like them were unable to catch them.
One of the Eighth-Order Masters who had tan skin said grimly, “Damn it! Little friend Yang is in danger.”
If they were able to reach the two of them, they might have been able to help Yang Kai; however, given their strength, the most likely outcome would be their deaths. Since Yang Kai and the Royal Lord were nowhere to be seen though, how were they supposed to find them in this vast void?
Without their help, could a Seventh-Order Junior like Yang Kai even hope to get rid of a Royal Lord’s pursuit? Despite being a Master of the Dao of Space, he couldn’t possibly persevere for long.
The others remained silent, but they shared the same sentiment. After they exchanged glances, another Eighth-Order Master sighed, “Perhaps this is his fate. Let’s go back.”
The war was still raging, and as Eighth-Order Masters, they had to return to make some contributions. Doing nothing in this place was meaningless.
Being Eighth-Order Masters, they were all decisive people. Since they were unable to save Yang Kai, they wouldn’t force themselves, so they returned to the battlefield.
On the other hand, Yang Kai kept activating Purifying Light to separate himself from the Royal Lord’s aura before using Instantaneous Movement to widen the gap between them. When the gap shortened to a certain point, he would do it again.
By doing so, he could ensure his safety with some difficulty; nevertheless, it was impossible for him to completely get rid of this Royal Lord.
Aware of this fact as well, the Royal Lord relentlessly pursued him. Regardless of how hard Yang Kai tried, he was unable to escape this Royal Lord.
Having witnessed Yang Kai’s methods, the Royal Lord soon acclimatised himself to the strangeness of Space Principles. Although he was indeed unable to stop Yang Kai from using Instantaneous Movement after the latter used Purifying Light to block his aura, he could still bombard the Void itself from a distance the moment Yang Kai activated his Space Secret Technique.
Without much effort, he could harass and disrupt Yang Kai.
By doing so, he could ensure that Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to move across a long distance by using Instantaneous Movement, and Yang Kai would always arrive at a place that was different from what he had expected.
On Yang Kai’s end, he knew that his current method of escaping was dangerous. Since he was unable to determine where he would re-appear after using Instantaneous Movement, he was taking a chance with his life each time he teleported; however, he couldn’t care less at this point as stopping would mean certain death.
He could risk using Instantaneous Movement or die. By using the Instantaneous Movement, he stood a chance to survive, and as long as he wasn’t too unlucky, he wouldn’t come across any real danger. Also, he had figured out the Royal Lord’s plan.
The Royal Lord must have figured it was fine if he couldn’t capture his target for now. As long as he relentlessly chased after Yang Kai and made sure the latter was within his detection range, Yang Kai would eventually exhaust his strength.
Regardless of how ample the heritage of a Seventh-Order Human’s Small Universe was, there was a limit to it. Even though this Human brat could replenish his energy with pills, he should only be capable of persevering for a while longer.
On the other hand, the Royal Lord was barely expending any of his strength or stamina, so he had ample time to hunt down Yang Kai.
Realizing the other party’s thought process, Yang Kai secretly sneered. If this was indeed the Royal Lord’s plan, he was bound to be disappointed.
During the war some time ago, Yang Kai had indeed exhausted himself, but after he consumed a lot of Spirit Pills and a Low-Rank World Fruit, the heritage in his Small Universe had mostly been restored. Furthermore, as the living beings in his Small Universe went through the vicissitudes of life, they continuously helped increase his heritage.
Having said that, he would eventually run out of energy if this dragged on for too long. All the same, he had more than one Low-Rank World Fruit, and although he didn’t have many of them, they could allow him to persevere for a while longer.
Once again, Yang Kai was disturbed while using Instantaneous Movement. When he abruptly appeared somewhere, his five viscera and six organs weltered and he started seeing stars. To say that he was feeling uncomfortable would be a gross understatement.
Before he could pull himself together though, a remnant Divine Ability came at him from a nearby place.
An astounded Yang Kai hurriedly dodged.
Fortunately, the Divine Ability was quite weak, so despite looking magnificent, it wasn’t lethal and Yang Kai quickly evaded it.
He had arrived at the Late Ancient Era battlefield. Basically, he had rushed back along the route the Human Race Army had used on the crusade and made it past the region that could be considered the Spiritless Land.
When they initially arrived here, the Humans had no idea why this vast area of void was a Spiritless Land. It wasn’t until Cang explained to them that it was the Black Ink Clan’s doing to prevent him and the other Martial Ancestors from replenishing their energy.
After crossing the vast Spiritless Land, one would arrive at the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
In the Late Ancient Era, the Humans and the Black Ink Clan fought for 10,000 years without pause, causing countless people to lose their lives. As such, there were a lot of hidden dangers on this battlefield. Many restrictions and Divine Abilities remained dormant, but they would explode if someone approached them. The Great Passes had suffered miserably when they passed this area.
Yang Kai knew that he was no match for the sheep-headed Royal Lord, and he couldn’t even get rid of him using Space Principles; therefore, he decided to make use of this Late Ancient Era battlefield.
Although he had to be careful as well, it was better than letting the other party keep chasing him. Perhaps he could make use of the hidden dangers in this place to shake off his pursuer.
The Divine Abilities and restrictions in the periphery were weak, so Yang Kai ignored them and charged towards the battlefield’s depths. Wherever he went, the dormant Divine Abilities and restrictions would be triggered. Like cats that caught a whiff of fish, they all came alive and pounced.
A few Divine Abilities and restrictions were triggered the moment Yang Kai arrived, striking at him almost instantaneously.
Fortunately, he was able to run swiftly. As a result, those Divine Abilities and restrictions turned into flashes of light that relentlessly followed after him.
It was not long before there seemed to be a tail of colourful lights behind Yang Kai. After moving across some distance, the energy of some lights was used up as they dissipated; however, even more Divine Abilities and restrictions joined, so the light tail only enlarged.
As for the majority of the Divine Abilities and restrictions, they were sluggish to react as they had remained dormant for far too long. They were only activated a short time after Yang Kai brushed past them. As a result, the Royal Lord, who was chasing after Yang Kai, became the target of these Divine Abilities and restrictions.
A short time later, there was a longer and more brilliant tail of lights that was behind the Royal Lord.
Initially, the Royal Lord wasn’t concerned about the light tail behind him. He was one of the most powerful Masters in the world, so why would he be bothered by these worn-out Divine Abilities and restrictions?
However, as time passed, the light tail grew and grew. The innumerable restrictions and Divine Abilities intertwined with each other. Some of them clashed and wore each other down, but others synergized and merged, evolving into something entirely different from their original form. At this point, even a powerful Master like him felt threatened.
Therefore, the Royal Lord hastened his pace as he knew that he would be in trouble once the light tail caught up with him.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was running as fast as he could. Even though the light tail behind him was smaller than that of the Royal Lord, he was much weaker than the other party, so it was still lethal to him.
As time passed, the distance between them shortened again.
All of a sudden, the Royal Lord recalled that this guy named Yang Kai was able to leap across the Void and wondered, [What would happen to the light tail behind him if he uses that teleportation technique?]
Before he could figure it out, he saw Yang Kai turning to look at him with an eerie grin. He had been chasing after Yang Kai for quite a while, but it was the first time he had a bad premonition.
The next instant, the power of Space Principles undulated and without hesitation, the Royal Lord pointed at his opponent and struck from afar.
Yang Kai disappeared from the spot, but the next moment, he reappeared in a place that was a couple million kilometres away.
Initially, even if he was interrupted by the Royal Lord when using Instantaneous Movement, he could cross a distance of roughly 10 million kilometres; however, he only managed to traverse some 3 million kilometres this time. It went to show how chaotic the space and energy in this Late Ancient Era battlefield was.
Still, it was enough, as after losing Yang Kai, the light tail that had been chasing him started showing signs of becoming dormant again, only to become attracted to the Royal Lord’s aura a moment later.
With a livid expression, the Royal Lord watched as the light tail, which was initially chasing after Yang Kai, turned around and came at him.
Enraged, the Royal Lord madly activated his Black Ink Strength and swelled up into a giant. As a roar reverberated across the void, he punched out and destroyed the light tails in front of and behind him.
When Yang Kai saw that from afar, he couldn’t help but shudder.
In the end, he was still a Royal Lord. It was naive of Yang Kai to think that he could make use of these dormant Divine Abilities and restrictions on this Late Ancient Era battlefield to deal with this kind of opponent. Left with no choice, he could only keep running for his life.
After suffering such a setback, the Royal Lord became even more ruthless as he shattered all the Divine Abilities and restrictions along the way so that they wouldn’t gather together to pursue him.
On the other hand, Yang Kai did his best to quicken his pace.
The Royal Lord was furious. Perhaps he had become irritated from chasing after his prey for so long. If Yang Kai was captured by the Royal Lord in such a situation, he reckoned that the other party would certainly torture him to death.
After moving around the Late Ancient Era battlefield for a month, Yang Kai dismally realised that he had become lost.
His initial plan was simple. Since he wasn’t a match for this Royal Lord, he could make use of the restrictions and Divine Abilities on the Late Ancient Era battlefield to distract him. By doing so, he would stand a chance to shake him off his trail.
Even if he couldn’t achieve his goal by making use of the Late Ancient Era battlefield, he could still cross this place and head to the No-Return Pass,
The Dragon and Phoenix Clans were standing guard at the No-Return Pass, and with a Divine Dragon and Divine Phoenix who were even more powerful than Ninth-Order Masters, if this Royal Lord chased him all the way to the No-Return Pass, he would be doomed.
Certainly, there was a huge risk to take, for it would take Yang Kai a long time to arrive at the No-Return Pass.
Back then, after the Humans set off on the crusade, it took them several years to arrive at Mo’s whereabouts. Even though Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space, which allowed him to move extremely quickly, in his current battered state, and not fully able to make use of his Space Principles, he estimated it would take him about a year to reach the No-Return Pass.
Yang Kai wasn’t even sure if he could survive a Royal Lord’s pursuit for several months, let alone a whole year; however, it was already the best solution he could think of. Regardless, his plan had been derailed, for he had lost his way.
Everywhere he looked on this vast Late Ancient Era battlefield, everything looked the same, so he couldn’t tell where he was or where he should head. Initially, he was still confident he was moving in the right direction, but he had been interrupted by the sheep-headed Royal Lord on several occasions when using Instantaneous Movement, which resulted in him reappearing in random places. Now, he wasn’t even sure which direction the No-Return Pass was in.
Left with no choice, he could only keep activating his Space Secret Technique to run for his life, for the other party seemed determined to destroy him.
Nevertheless, things were only getting worse. As Yang Kai traversed this Late Ancient Era battlefield, regardless of how careful he was, he couldn’t avoid getting hurt by the dormant restrictions and Divine Abilities. For the past month, he kept getting injured, so instead of healing from his wounds, his injuries had turned worse.
As though realising that Yang Kai was at a dead end, the Royal Lord became even more ruthless.
Yang Kai knew that if this dragged on, he wouldn’t be able to persevere for long; however, it was unlikely that he could get rid of this Royal Lord. As he was running away, he gritted his teeth and looked in a particular direction.
Over there, a gigantic cloud of fog covered a vast region of the Void. Although Yang Kai was many millions of kilometres away, the fog bank still looked enormous.
It was a Celestial Phenomenon!
Years after the Humans set off on their crusade, they came across a lot of different Celestial Phenomena that came in a myriad of forms and sizes. Regardless, all of them shared a common trait; they gave off a dangerous vibe.
Yang Kai had not explored any of those Celestial Phenomena. On the other hand, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had barged into one on a whim a while back, but when she returned, she refused to say what she had seen inside. She only said that it was extremely dangerous and even a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like her was at risk of losing her life if she remained inside.
Therefore, as those from Great Evolution Pass crossed this place, they would always make a detour whenever they came across a Celestial Phenomena lest they fall into mortal danger.
No one knew how these Celestial Phenomena were formed. Perhaps it had something to do with the clash between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan in the Late Ancient Era, or perhaps they were naturally born.
The Humans knew little about this area of the void behind the Royal Cities.
The Celestial Phenomenon that looked like a fog bank was the only one Yang Kai could see right now and he had no idea how dangerous it was; however, it wasn’t like he had a choice now as he was pursued by a Royal Lord. If he couldn’t find a way to turn things around, he would just be waiting for death. Even if there were some dangers within the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, they were the least of his concerns.
Apparently, the Royal Lord saw the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon as well and there was a hint of doubt behind his gaze.
Yang Kai had seen quite many Celestial Phenomena, but it was the first time the Royal Lord came across one, so he had no idea what it was.
Regardless, when he saw Yang Kai heading towards the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon all of a sudden, he understood the latter’s intention. As he quickened his pace, the distance between them shortened.
However, the Seventh-Order boy was just too slippery. When his opponent was close enough, he teleported and disappeared once again, widening the gap between them.
After using the same trick several more times, Yang Kai reached the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon.
When he scanned the Celestial Phenomenon with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai was surprised, for he couldn’t feel any danger from this dense fog. It was very strange indeed. The Celestial Phenomena he had seen in the past all exuded dangerous auras, but this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon appeared somewhat special.
At that instant, he wasn’t sure if he should be worried or happy. If there was really no danger in the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, it would be safe for him to enter it; however, he also wouldn’t be able to make use of this Celestial Phenomenon to eliminate the Royal Lord.
With that said, things had come to such a point where there was no turning back. Having made up his mind, Yang Kai crashed into the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon.
Following that, he realised that something was off. He couldn’t detect any danger when he was outside the Celestial Phenomenon, but once he was inside, he immediately found himself in a perilous situation.
An ominous aura engulfed him, like death itself. At that moment, all his hair stood on end as he activated the power of his Small Universe and raised his guard as high as it would go.
Outside the Celestial Phenomenon, the Royal Lord was stunned. That was because he lost track of Yang Kai the moment the latter entered the Celestial Phenomenon.
The brat named Yang Kai seemed to have entered another world as even his Divine Sense was unable to penetrate the fog and find out what was going on inside. After a moment of hesitation, he, too, dashed inside.
The next instant, he was baffled by what he saw. Yang Kai was indeed in the fog, but at this moment, he seemed to be battling against an invisible enemy.
His World Force burst forth, and his Golden Blood spattered. Within a breath, he was completely battered. As a Dragon Roar reverberated, Yang Kai even transformed into his 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon Form. Still, he was unable to ward off the danger within the fog as even his Dragon Scales were being blown off.
The Royal Lord was perplexed as he had no idea what was going on.
However, he didn’t have time to ponder on it. Just like Yang Kai, the moment he stepped into the fog, he was deluged with an enormous sense of crisis that came at him from all directions, which prompted him to madly push his Black Ink Strength.
Soon, he realised what Yang Kai was fighting against. There seemed to be immense pressure that was intent on crushing him to death.
Certainly, he wouldn’t stand idly by and wait for death to come. He immediately activated his power to push back against the fog. At the same time, he tried to leave this area.
What shocked him was that, even though he had moved backwards a long distance, he still couldn’t escape the fog.
He had just entered this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, so he should have been able to leave by taking a single big step back; however, as though a mysterious force had sealed off this space, he was unable to escape.
The pressure around him intensified, and left with no choice, he could only surge his power to resist it. From the corner of his eye, he could see that the 70,000 metres Ancient Dragon had stopped moving and now hovered in the distance. Half of his Dragon Scales were gone, and his entire figure was soaked in blood, making him look totally battered.
Seemingly having lost consciousness, Yang Kai reverted from a Dragon back into a Human.
[Is he dead?] The Royal Lord found it hard to believe. He had been chasing after this Human for so long but hadn’t managed to kill him; yet now, this brat had lost his life just like that. At that instant, the Royal Lord had some conflicted feelings.
Regardless, he wasn’t in the mood to find out whether Yang Kai was dead or alive because he realised he had come across the biggest crisis of his life. If he couldn’t find a way out, and soon, he would be accompanying this Human to the Yellow Springs.
…..
A long time later, Yang Kai finally regained consciousness and immediately realised some energy fluctuations were coming from a nearby place.
Instantly, he recalled what he had gone through before he blacked out. To shake off the Royal Lord’s pursuit, he barged into a Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon and faced a mysterious attack. He tried his best to resist the pressure coming from all directions, but in the end, he was in so much pain that he passed out.
He still hadn’t figured out what it was in the fog that had attacked him. Although he was equally puzzled why he was still alive, he hurriedly circulated his power and kept his guard up. The next instant, his expression darkened, [Here it comes again!]
Just a dozen breaths later, he once again passed out due to the pressure coming from all directions.
Before that though, Yang Kai caught a glimpse of the battered Royal Lord who was not far away. He seemed to be fighting against an invisible enemy as well, the energy fluctuations Yang Kai felt earlier obviously coming from him.
[He’s a Royal Lord, after all. I’ll pass out again soon, but this guy is still engaged in an intense battle. He’s simply more powerful than I am!]
…
When Yang Kai woke up for the second time, he once again felt energy fluctuations nearby, and they were even more violent this time. He hurriedly turned his head and saw the Royal Lord casting a Divine Ability. Black Ink Strength billowed from his body and turned into a gigantic illusory phantom before it covered him like a protective film.
At this moment, the Royal Lord was in a sorry state. He was badly wounded and his aura was unstable while he was covered in dark blood.
Seeing that, Yang Kai snickered. It was indeed embarrassing that he had blacked out twice, and he didn’t even know who his enemy was; regardless, it seemed he had made the right decision by diving into this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon.
At the very least, the Royal Lord had also suffered a setback.
But soon, Yang Kai became doubtful. He had passed out twice, so if there was really an invisible enemy in the fog, why hadn’t it seized the chance to kill him?
Moreover, as he carefully reviewed what he had gone through, Yang Kai found that the odd pressure didn’t feel like a kind of attack. Instead, it was like an automatic response, similar to the effect of some arrays.
Quite a number of arrays could do the same by reflecting one’s own strength to wound them.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai decided to not immediately make any moves. He just secretly activated his power and kept his guard up.
Just like what had happened previously, he felt pressure coming from all directions. The last time, he subconsciously tried to resist and push the pressure away, but this time he didn’t make a move and instead let the pressure do as it pleased.
He still felt some discomfort, but it was bearable. Still, even this mild force had irritated his wounds, causing him to gasp.
After remaining still for a moment, Yang Kai realised the pressure didn’t intensify. As he pondered on it, he stopped circulating his World Force entirely and completely relaxed.
Just like he had expected, as his power dissipated and he became at ease, the pressure coming from all directions diminished and eventually disappeared.
Upon that realization, Yang Kai was dumbstruck. There was no invisible enemy in this fog; in fact, he was his own enemy. Although he had no idea how this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon was formed, he believed that it was similar to a powerful Reflection Array.
The pressure that came at him was actually caused by him. As he let his power go, the pressure also vanished. Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter as he realized that he had blacked out twice because he was essentially bludgeoning himself.
As he glanced at the Royal Lord, who was still fighting against the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai felt a bit better about himself. At least he wasn’t the only idiot in this place.
Upon figuring out the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon’s secret, Yang Kai darted his gaze around while continuing to lie in the same position. As he never activated his power, the fog around him remained calm. Next, he examined his body and couldn’t help feeling sorry for himself.
In summary, his condition was terrible.
Before he was hunted down by this sheep headed Royal Lord, he was already badly injured; then, during the pursuit, he was repeatedly struck by this Royal Lord and his injuries exacerbated after he entered this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon.
His five viscera and six organs were a mess as they all nearly ruptured exploded. About 70% of his bones were broken and there were even sharp bones stuck out from his flesh here and there.
Half of his Dragon Scales, which were originally hidden under his skin, were gone. If he transformed into his Dragon Form now, he would be half-naked.
Fortunately, despite his serious injuries, he wasn’t at risk of losing his life. Coupled with his own restorative power and his potent Dragon Vein, he was actually on the mend.
He stealthily stuffed some Spirit Pills into his mouth and took a glance at the Royal Lord, only to see that the other party was still engaged in an intense fight. Amazing Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques were cast from the Royal Lord’s hands as he his fight against the fog seemed to have turned the entire universe upside down.
[That guy is really dumb!] Yang Kai was gleeful; however, it wasn’t until he blacked out twice that he realised the secret behind the fog. The Royal Lord still hadn’t passed out after persevering for such a long time, so it wasn’t surprising that he hadn’t discovered the truth yet.
Anyone who fell into danger would instinctively counterattack to save themselves. Who would have thought that in this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, doing nothing was the best way to protect oneself? The more one attacked, the more perilous their situation became.
[Maybe he’ll exhaust himself to death!] Yang Kai hoped.
However, his wish wasn’t to be granted. Just like what happened to him previously, the Royal Lord was unable to fend off the pressure despite going all out. He kept roaring and releasing his Black Ink Strength until he had no more energy left and finally passed out several days later.
As soon as he became unmoving and all the noise in the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon died down.
Staring at the unmoving Royal Lord, Yang Kai knew that the other party wasn’t dead, so he was naturally disappointed. Nevertheless, he soon pulled himself together and gazed fervently at the Royal Lord. His eyes were filled with murderous intent.
[Since this guy is unconscious and exhausted, maybe I can kill him now!] As soon as Yang Kai began gathering his power though, he realised he felt the pressure coming from the fog again. The more he exerted himself, the more powerful the pressure became.
Soon, he released his power, as he realised his idea wasn’t feasible. The Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon was extremely sensitive to any foreign power. Before Yang Kai could gather the necessary strength to kill the Royal Lord, he would pass out again.
Left with no choice, he could only gather his World Force on his palms and test the response from the fog. He tried to adjust his energy fluctuations to reach a kind of balance. Then, he slowly wriggled his arms as though he was swimming towards the sheep headed Royal Lord.
However, Yang Kai found himself to be outrageously slow. Two whole hours passed, but he only managed to cross half of the distance between them.
Another two hours later, Yang Kai arrived at a place that was 100 metres away from the Royal Lord. He slowly summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and pointed it at the Royal Lord’s neck. Then, he squirmed and stealthily inched closer to him.
During the process, the balance he had been trying to sustain was almost shattered. Fortunately, he managed to dispel his power in time and let the fog calm down. He then approached his target again.
Watching as the Azure Dragon Spear was about to stab into the opponent’s neck, Yang Kai felt his heart thumping in his chest. Perhaps the Royal Lord was shocked by the murderous intent or he indeed had an incredible restorative power, but he opened his eyes all of a sudden.
Seeing that, Yang Kai forcefully extended his spear.
Black blood spattered as the razor-sharp Azure Dragon Spear was even able to penetrate a Royal Lord’s robust body. His spear jabbed right into the opponent’s throat and was about to stick out from the other side, but just then, the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon launched a counterattack.
Instantly, Yang Kai felt immense pressure coming at him. His wounds split open, and as he faced enormous resistance, unable to extend his spear one bit.
He couldn’t help but curse.
As a sharp pain shot through him, the Royal Lord came to his senses and turned his head, only to see Yang Kai stabbing a weapon into his throat.
[This brat is still alive!?] The Royal Lord was startled. When he saw Yang Kai looking battered and unmoving earlier, he thought he had died. To his surprise, not only had Yang Kai survived, but he had also seized this chance to try to kill him while he was unconscious.
If the Royal Lord hadn’t woken up in time, he very well might have lost his life. Enraged, the Royal Lord released his aura as his Black Ink Strength burst forth.
“Wai…” Before Yang Kai could even get a word out, his expression had darkened as the pressure coming from all directions intensified many times, causing all the bones in his body to crack. He couldn’t help but spray out a mouthful of blood, and following that, he blacked out and lost consciousness.
The Royal Lord extended his hand in an attempt to kill him, but his hand was forced to stop just a metre away from Yang Kai, and he was unable to push it any further.
His expression changed. Ignoring Yang Kai, he surged his power in an attempt to shake off the restrictive force; however, the force became so immense that he soon fell into a state of despair. Three breaths later, his eyes rolled back into his head and he too passed out.
Without the disturbance of foreign powers, the fog soon calmed down.
When Yang Kai awakened, he saw the Royal Lord hovering somewhere near him. This guy had passed out, but his hand still remained stretched out towards Yang Kai. Seeing that, Yang Kai knew what the other party intended to do after he blacked out.
After hesitating for a bit, he gave up on the idea of killing this Royal Lord.
The Royal Lord indeed looked like he was powerless to resist now, but based on the previous experience, Yang Kai believed that the Royal Lord would regain consciousness the moment he made a move against him.
A Royal Lord’s sense for danger was extreme, so any external threat would undoubtedly wake him up.
Moreover, the reflective power in this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon was savage. Yang Kai had to activate his power if he wanted to kill the Royal Lord, but if he did that, he would be the one who would suffer. Before he even managed to kill the Royal Lord, he would pass out upon getting squeezed by the pressure.
In this damned place, neither one of them could kill the other. In that case, Yang Kai reckoned that his best option for now was to flee.
Since the Royal Lord was still unconscious, he had to try to leave the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon. Perhaps he could return to the battlefield and join the war again. Making use of his previous experience, Yang Kai carefully activated his power and infused energy into his hands. Then, he flailed about as he awkwardly swam away from the Royal Lord.
Half a day later, the Royal Lord also regained consciousness. This time, he didn’t immediately make a move; instead, he remained still and fell into his thoughts.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai blacked out twice that he found out the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon’s secret. Since the Royal Lord was not a fool, he certainly could do the same.
If there was really an invisible enemy in this fog, the two of them would have died after falling unconscious. Since he and the Human brat were still alive, something was obviously off.
A moment later, the Royal Lord also figured out the secret behind this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon. As he scanned his surroundings, he soon spotted Yang Kai swimming away from him. After giving it some thought, he imitated Yang Kai and infused some of the power into his arms. Then, he started swimming in this fog.
Detecting something, Yang Kai turned his head and saw the Royal Lord running after him. He couldn’t help but curse, “You’re a stubborn one aren’t you!?”
Both of them were in a sorry state, yet this guy hadn’t given up on the idea of killing him, leaving Yang Kai vexed.
The Royal Lord snorted as his eyes reflected Yang Kai’s figure. Slowly, he followed behind Yang Kai.
“Haa… even if we get into a life-and-death battle here, it won’t affect the war between the two Races. I’m just a Seventh-Order Human, so it’s pointless for you to kill me. Why don’t we bid each other farewell here? We’ll meet again if fate brings us together in the future.”
With a cold expression, the Royal Lord remained unfazed.
Yang Kai kept persuading him by saying, “You’re a Royal Lord, so what’s the point of you making things difficult for me? If you spare my life now, I’ll spare yours in the future. Who knows? We might even be friends.”
However, the Royal Lord remained silent.
“It’s not like you’ll be able to reach me, so stop wasting your time. I can see that you’re horribly injured, so why don’t you recuperate now to prevent your injuries from becoming worse?”
Seeing that the other party totally ignored him and refused to back down, Yang Kai grew incensed and said through clenched teeth, “Injured Black Ink Clansmen have to recuperate inside Black Ink Nests. You’re badly wounded now, so I guess you can only use half of your strength right now. On the other hand, I’m different. My wounds are healing quickly, and I’ll be energetic again in a few days. Chase after me all you like, when we leave this place, let’s see which one of us will die!”
When the Royal Lord heard that, his expression changed slightly.
Yang Kai had a point. The Royal Lord indeed needed a Black Ink Nest’s help to recuperate, and given how wounded he was, using half his strength would really be his maximum. He was already unable to capture Yang Kai when he was at the peak of his power, so now that he only had half of his strength left, he probably wouldn’t have a way to deal with this tricky opponent.
Nevertheless, he was still a Royal Lord. He had personally made a move against a single Seventh-Order boy, yet after such a long time, he was the one who ended up in a horrible state. He was simply unresigned.
As for Yang Kai’s threat, that didn’t bother him one bit. Even though he was only left with half of his power, that was still significantly more than a Seventh-Order Human could hope to handle. He could even deal with an Eighth-Order Master with ease in his current state.
If Yang Kai had the guts to make a move on him, he would be the one who would suffer.
As the Royal Lord squinted his eyes, he said, “Pass me the last thing Cang gave you and I’ll leave.”
A helpless Yang Kai sighed, “Will you believe me if I say that old man never gave me anything? That was his way of diverting all your attention away from him so he could use that strange jade. It’s laughable that you all believe it to be true.”
The Royal Lord sneered while relentlessly pursuing him.
A frustrated Yang Kai roared, “It seems that you don’t believe me. Forget it! It’s not like there’s anything I can do about it. Just chase after me all you like.”
Without speaking further, he tried to control his power and strike a balance with the fog. As he waved his hands, he swam further away.
Somewhere behind him, the Royal Lord imitated him and pursued him, the two of them swimming forward ever so slowly.
There didn’t seem to be an end to this vast Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, so Yang Kai wasn’t even sure if he would have a chance to leave.
Fortunately, being in this Celestial Phenomenon, both he and the sheep headed Royal Lord didn’t dare to activate too much of their strength lest they draw a counterattack to themselves.
In this way, even though the Royal Lord was significantly more powerful than Yang Kai, it was unlikely that he could capture him.
Three years, five years, 10 years… The Human and the Royal Lord were still swimming in this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon with no end in sight.
Yang Kai even suspected that this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon also had the effect of a Bewildering Array; otherwise, he should have left this place after swimming in the same direction for 10 whole years despite his slow movements.
He was initially anxious and fidgety, but he gradually became as calm as a tranquil lake.
His original plan was to make use of this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon to get rid of the Royal Lord and return to the battlefield to fight against the Black Ink Clansmen; however, 10 years had now passed, so the war should already be over.
Who won? Did many Humans lose their lives? Was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God with only half a body killed?
Yang Kai didn’t have the answers to any of those questions. At any rate, since he was in a trap, it was pointless for him to think about those things. The most pressing issue for him was that he had to leave this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon as quickly as possible.
His wounds had all healed after 10 years of recuperation, and he was at peak strength again. On the other hand, the Royal Lord was still wounded as without a Black Ink Nest, it was hard for him to recuperate.
Regardless, Yang Kai was irritated at the fact that the Royal Lord still followed closely behind him.
It wasn’t easy for him to get rid of the other party either. This Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon had significantly restricted their movements, and the Royal Lord was determined to hunt him down. Unless he had a way to kill this Royal Lord, he was helpless to shake him off.
After 10 years of exploration, Yang Kai had figured out more secrets about this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon. As he activated his Demon Eye of Annihilation, his left eye turned golden, allowing him to see through all falsities in the world. In this way, he was looking for a way out of this fog.
The Royal Lord, who was following closely behind him, helplessly discovered that Yang Kai was inconsistent in the ways he moved around. There were no regular patterns to speak of.
Finally, there came a day when Yang Kai suddenly spoke to his partner behind him, “Hey, can I have a word with you?”
The Royal Lord said smugly, “There’s no need to beg for mercy, unless you’re willing to pass me the thing Cang gave you.”
A helpless Yang Kai refuted, “I told you that old man named Cang didn’t give me anything, but you just don’t believe me. Forget it. We’ve been trapped in this Celestial Phenomenon for 10 years, and there isn’t any hope of us getting out if we keep blindly stumbling around. Recently though, I’ve discovered some traces of regular patterns in this fog. Perhaps I’ll be able to find a route to leave this place.”
Instantly, the Royal Lord’s face stiffened as he quickened his pace.
Despite noticing it, Yang Kai was unfazed, “Relax. Given my current ability, it’s unlikely I’ll be able to leave here. Therefore, I need to cultivate for some time. You don’t want to get stuck here forever, do you? If I can find a way out, it’ll be beneficial to you too.”
A myriad of expressions came over the Royal Lord as he wasn’t certain if Yang Kai was telling the truth or not. Nevertheless, Yang Kai had a point; if he could find a way out, both of them would stand to benefit. The Royal Lord was equally vexed being trapped in this damned place.
Even though they both had thousands, if not tens of thousands of years left to live, there would eventually come a day when they passed away if they remained stuck in this place.
“You want to cultivate?”
“Yes.”
“How do I know you won’t seize this chance to break through?”
It was already so hard to deal with Yang Kai when he was just a Seventh-Order Master, if he managed to make it to the Eighth-Order, the Royal Lord wasn’t confident he would ever capture him.
Yang Kai was rendered speechless for a moment, then said, “It has only been several hundred years since I reached the Seventh-Order, how is it possible that I’ll achieve a breakthrough so soon? Don’t worry. I’m just going to cultivate an Eye Secret Technique.”
“Are you being serious with me?” The Royal Lord was doubtful.
“What’s the point of me lying to you in this situation? Moreover, you will certainly be able to tell what I’m doing at this range,” Yang Kai explained, “What do you think? It has come to a point where we have to cooperate if we want to get out of this trap. Why don’t we stop making things difficult for each other?”
After giving it some thought, the Royal Lord nodded, “Good.”
Saying so, he stopped in his tracks.
Yang Kai let out a breath and stopped moving as well. There was nothing he could do if the other party insisted on chasing after him relentlessly. Even though he was still able to cultivate the Eye Secret Technique while moving around, it was far less efficient than if he could sit and focus. Without anyone interrupting him, he could concentrate on doing it.
Not long after the Royal Lord started chasing after him back then, Yang Kai activated the Demon Eye of Annihilation in an attempt to see through the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon’s mysteries.
After 10 years of hard work, he had indeed discovered some patterns in it. What made him feel even more pleasantly surprised was that the Demon Eye of Annihilation showed signs of a breakthrough.
In other words, he was about to achieve a breakthrough with this mastery of this Eye Secret Technique. The Myriad Demons Old Ancestor, who was Yang Kai’s mentor, had told him about it when they were still in the Myriad Demons Pass back then.
At that time, Yang Kai had coughed up a lot of Military Merits to get a chance to ask the Myriad Demons Old Ancestor to teach him the profundities of the two Eye Secret Techniques.
Over the years, Yang Kai had been working hard to improve these Eye Secret Techniques, but he had never had the time to really focus on cultivating them.
All the same, the chance presented itself after he barged into this Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon.
Although the Royal Lord had stopped pursuing him, Yang Kai naturally didn’t fully trust him and kept his guard up while activating his power to run a special cultivation route and improve his Eye Secret Technique. It was a process that required lots of hard work and attention to detail.
Regardless of how powerful a cultivator was or how robust their body was, they still possessed some innate weaknesses, and a person’s eyes were especially fragile.
The reason it was difficult to cultivate the Eye Secret Techniques of Myriad Demons Heaven wasn’t that they were particularly abstruse. On the contrary, it was actually quite easy to start cultivating these two Eye Secret Techniques. One just had to activate their power and run a special cultivation route around their eyes as they continuously improved their vision. As time passed, they would succeed at mastering these Eye Secret Techniques.
What was difficult was the process. The eyes were a weakness to every cultivator. By using one’s own power to train the eyes, they would either yield no results or risk damaging these sensitive organs. If one wasn’t careful enough, their eyes might explode, turning them blind.
It was said that in the early days, there were a lot of blind people in Myriad Demons Heaven because they had cultivated these two Eye Secret Techniques. Then, the high-ranking officials of Myriad Demons Heaven realised they couldn’t let this keep happening; otherwise, all their disciples would become blind. Therefore, they stopped letting ordinary disciples learn these Eye Secret Techniques. Only the brightest disciples had a chance to cultivate these Eye Secret Techniques, and they would have to pass a number of tests before they began.
Unlike the disciples of Myriad Demons Heaven, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about his eyes exploding.
That was because he had inherited his Eye Secret Techniques from Great Demon God, Mo Sheng. He had gotten the hang of the Eye Secret Techniques long ago, but his current problem was that his eyesight wasn’t acute enough. With such a natural advantage, he was far ahead of young disciples from Myriad Demons Heaven when it came to cultivating these Eye Secret Techniques. It could be said that he didn’t have to go through the dangerous initial stage of cultivation at all.
Mo Sheng had built the foundation for him, so he just had to keep on improving and master the Eye Secret Techniques.
10 years of exploring the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon was also a kind of training for Yang Kai; hence, it wasn’t surprising that he was about to achieve a breakthrough with his Demon Eye of Annihilation.
As the Royal Lord watched closely, Yang Kai sat down with his legs crossed and closed his eyes. His aura became completely still as though he was dead.
The Royal Lord’s expression changed as he had the urge to flare up and take Yang Kai’s life; however, as he considered the distance between them and the strangeness of this fog, he knew that even if he made a move now, he wouldn’t be able to achieve his goal.
Moreover, this Seventh-Order Human was certainly still wary of him. If he made a move, the other party wouldn’t just sit idly by; therefore, he could only suppress this urge.
On top of all that, if Yang Kai could really find a way out, the Royal Lord could follow him and leave this place as well. He had the confidence to deal with whatever happened afterwards, which was why he agreed to Yang Kai’s request.
As time passed, following Yang Kai’s activation of power, he felt that his left eye was getting hotter until it became unbearably scorching, as though something was stuck in his eye. Instead of feeling shocked though, he was thrilled. He knew that it was the sign of achieving a breakthrough that the Myriad Demons Old Ancestor had told him about before; therefore, he exerted more force to sharpen his vision.
Half a month later, the feeling of blockage intensified. When it reached a peak, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes. His right eye looked perfectly normal, but his left eye was blood red. His aura undulated and turned into several streams as they crashed into his left eye.
With a solemn expression, the Royal Lord stared fixedly at him.
Although he was able to learn a lot about the Humans through the Black Ink Nest in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it wasn’t first-hand information after all. It wasn’t until he witnessed Yang Kai cultivating a Secret Technique that he realised there was a reason why the Black Ink Clan hadn’t managed to defeat the Humans after all these years of war.
While the Royal Lord was lost in his thoughts, Yang Kai started growling like an injured beast.
At the same time, not only did Yang Kai feel that his left eye was scorchingly hot, he also felt as though countless needles had jabbed into his eye. A moment later, there seemed to be innumerable ants that crawled through his body, making him feel limp and numb.
Yang Kai secretly cursed, for the Myriad Demons Old Ancestor had never told him that he would be bothered by all sorts of odd sensations when achieving a breakthrough with this Eye Secret Technique. The average Open Heaven Realm Master could easily bear such disturbance; however, it had come to a critical point where he was trying to achieve a breakthrough and the slightest anomaly could make him suffer cultivation dissonance. When that happened, he wouldn’t only risk failing to achieve the breakthrough, but his eye might also explode.
He withstood the discomfort in his eye and continued to activate his power to sharpen his eyesight. A moment later, a cloud of blood mist billowed from his left eye.
When the Royal Lord saw that, he couldn’t help arching his brow. He wasn’t even sure if he should feel pleased or worried.
He was pleased because there seemed to be something wrong with Yang Kai’s cultivation; otherwise, a cloud of blood mist wouldn’t have appeared from his eye. What he was worried about was that if Yang Kai failed in his attempt, could they still find a way out?
Although the Royal Lord was tremendously more powerful than Yang Kai, that didn’t mean he would be capable of finding a way to get out of this eerie Celestial Phenomenon.
While he was waffling back and forth in his head, Yang Kai suddenly turned to look at him. What came into the Royal Lord’s sight startled him.
He initially thought that Yang Kai’s left eye must have exploded, but at this moment, his eye was still intact. His left eye was no longer filled with redness. Instead, it was radiating a glow. Initially, Yang Kai’s eye was golden after he activated the Demon Eye of Annihilation, but it had turned into something that looked like a cross now.
The sheep-headed Royal Lord could clearly see his own figure in the reflection of Yang Kai’s eye. At that instant, he was overwhelmed with a sense of discomfort. Astounded, he realised that this was no ordinary Eye Secret Technique. What he saw in Yang Kai’s eye was definitely more than just a reflection.
Just then, a glint flashed across Yang Kai’s pupil as he grinned, “It seems that you’re badly injured. It must have been difficult for you.”
The Royal Lord’s expression turned livid. When a glint flashed across Yang Kai’s eye earlier, he had a feeling that his secrets were being pried into. He secretly cursed at this Human while simultaneously thinking that this Eye Secret Technique was indeed extraordinary.
On the other hand, Yang Kai ignored the Royal Lord and scanned his surroundings. A moment later, he straightened up and flapped his arms before moving in a particular direction.
The Royal Lord hurriedly followed him.
He had agreed to Yang Kai’s request to allow him to cultivate his Eye Secret Technique in the hope that he could get out of this fog. As for whether Yang Kai would pull a trick during this period of time, that was all but certain.
Regardless, the Royal Lord was confident that he could follow Yang Kai and get out of this trap.
Therefore, he paid close attention to every move that Yang Kai made, and he followed him closely wherever the latter went. He practically imitated Yang Kai in every way, as though he was a delayed shadow.
As Yang Kai’s Demon Eye of Annihilation had improved, he was able to see through this strange fog more clearly now; however, he wasn’t confident that he would be able to get out just yet. No one in the world could truly comprehend all the secrets behind such a Celestial Phenomenon.
Another year passed as Yang Kai silently looked for a way out. The Royal Lord had been patient as he kept a fixed distance from him when, suddenly, Yang Kai’s figure disappeared from the Royal Lord’s sight, as though everything he had seen until now was nothing more than an illusion.
The Royal Lord was slightly shocked, but he soon pulled himself together and imitated Yang Kai’s movements while moving in the same direction.
In the meantime, Yang Kai felt relieved as the sense of danger that had surrounded him for over 10 years disappeared all of a sudden. There was no longer any fog in front of him.
[I’ve finally left!] Yang Kai was elated.
After hesitating between ambushing the Royal Lord and fleeing this place for a moment, he chose the latter. Even though he could certainly catch the Royal Lord off guard, given his strength, it was impossible for him to kill his foe with a single move.
If he couldn’t kill the Royal Lord in one move, he would be tangled up with him again. By then, he wouldn’t be able to get rid of him.
It would still take some time before the Royal Lord could get out of the fog, and while the average cultivator couldn’t move across a large distance in such a short time, as a master of the Dao of Space, Yang Kai stood a great chance to escape the other party’s detection range.
After making up his mind, he hesitated no more. As he manipulated Space Principles, Yang Kai disappeared from the spot.
Three breaths of time later, the Royal Lord also left the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon. As he looked around, he realised Yang Kai was nowhere to be found. Having witnessed Yang Kai’s methods, he knew that this Human must have activated his teleportation technique and left. At that instant, his expression darkened.
It could be said that he had failed miserably in his mission. Not only did it take him such a long time, but he also achieved nothing in the end. Furthermore, he was terribly injured, and his strength had plunged.
Now that Yang Kai had left using Instantaneous Movement, it would be hard for the Royal Lord to find him again. With that said, he wasn’t willing to just give up. After examining the traces of Space Principles, he looked in a particular direction and charged forward.
Soon, he detected some energy fluctuations in front of him, and as he examined them, he became elated. That was because the energy fluctuations came from the Seventh-Order Human.
He initially thought that he had lost him, so he was surprised at the turn of events. Although he had no idea what happened to the Seventh-Order brat, he still had a chance as the other party wasn’t able to flee.
At this moment, Yang Kai was so vexed that he was about to spit blood. He felt that he had never been unluckier in his life. Not long after he escaped one trap, he fell into another.
Even though Instantaneous Movement was a Secret Technique that could help save his life, there was a certain degree of unpredictability with it. It would be fine if he was in a familiar environment as he could accurately arrive at a place of his choice; however, if he wasn’t familiar with the environment, he would have to rely on luck for where he would land as there could be danger waiting for him.
He had used Instantaneous Movement many times in the past, but he had never come across any serious threats while using it. Nevertheless, he suffered a setback this time.
After leaving the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon earlier, he activated Instantaneous Movement and fled, but it never crossed his mind that he would actually land inside a spider’s nest.
There were certain creatures that lived in the void, collectively known as Space Beasts. When Yang Kai left the Star Boundary back then, he ran into a Myriad Facets Insect. He and Zhang Ruo Xi were swallowed by that Space Beast and became separated. Yang Kai was then brought to Seven Wonders Land while it took Zhang Ruo Xi some effort to arrive at Exquisite Paradise.
There were always some Human Masters who guarded the Void Docks of Star Cities and Sects, first to inspect the people entering and leaving to ensure order was maintained, second to fend off the Space Beasts that loved harassing densely populated areas.
It took quite a number of Open Heaven Realm Masters to guard the Void Docks of every Star City to prevent accidents from happening.
Throughout his adventures around the 3,000 Worlds over the years, Yang Kai had come across many Space Beasts. When he was weak, he would stay as far away from Space Beasts as possible, and when he became strong enough, he just disregarded them.
Upon arriving at the Black Ink Battlefield, he never discovered any Space Beasts; after all, the war between the two Races had been ongoing for years, and the Space Beasts that were sensitive to danger usually stayed far away.
Yang Kai had not seen any Space Beasts during the crusade, so he thought that such creatures simply didn’t exist on the Black Ink Battlefield. Therefore, it surprised him when he came across them at this point.
This was the nest of a group of Void Ant Spiders which was located in a dead Universe World. The entire Universe World was covered in spider webs. They seemed to be a family with two adults and five children.
The adult spiders were just as large as Yang Kai’s 70,000 metres Ancient Dragon Form. On the other hand, the five smaller Void Ant Spiders were just 10,000 metres long. They looked like a cross between spiders and ants with hideous appearances and had probably been living here for eons.
Yang Kai felt that the auras exuding from the two adult Void Ant Spiders suggested that they were as formidable as the most powerful Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. It even seemed like they had traces of Divine Spirit bloodlines.
The five smaller spiders were equivalent to Seventh-Order Masters.
Usually, such levels of strength wouldn’t have bothered Yang Kai, the crux of the problem was that the void around the spiders’ nest was filled with webs of different sizes.
Right after he activated Instantaneous Movement from outside the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai crashed into one of these spider webs. Worse, the webs had a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking property. As soon as he came into contact with the web, he became trapped and was unable to break free from it.
He couldn’t figure out how this family of Void Ant Spiders survived in such an environment. With that said, Space Beasts usually had some unusual powers; therefore, hostile environments wouldn’t bother them.
Thrilled to feel Yang Kai’s aura, the five smaller spiders, which had been hiding in the nest, came over and surrounded him. The two adult spiders never moved, but their eyes reflected Yang Kai’s figure.
Noticing the larger spiders’ stares, Yang Kai felt a crawling sensation on his scalp.
He had already summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and was now battling against the five smaller spiders. Despite the fact that they were only equivalent to Seventh-Order Masters, Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to kill them lest the two parents become enraged.
Furthermore, due to the spider web’s restriction, Yang Kai was in a perilous situation while he was besieged by the small ant spiders. Some spider silk coiled around his spear, making it hard for him to wield his weapon.
Just then, he felt the Royal Lord’s aura. Turning his head, he indeed saw the Royal Lord standing outside the webs and staring curiously at him.
“Help!” Yang Kai exclaimed as though the other party was his saviour.
The Royal Lord snorted and ignored him. He had been hunting Yang Kai for over 10 years now. Even though it was a shame that he couldn’t personally kill him, he wouldn’t mind seeing him lose his life here. Having made up his mind, he stood outside the spider webs and waited for Yang Kai’s eventual death.
Seeing that, Yang Kai realised his intention and shouted, “Don’t you want to know what Cang gave me before his death?”
The Royal Lord replied impassively, “Regardless of what it is, it will be useless after you die.”
Yang Kai said through clenched teeth, “I don’t think so. I’ll definitely activate that thing before I die. It’s the last method that Cang left behind to deal with Mo!”
The Royal Lord squinted his eyes, “Tell me more about it.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I won’t tell you about it, and you won’t find out unless you save me from this place!”
“Then die.”
“You’re forcing me to do it!” Yang Kai roared as a golden light radiated from him.
The Royal Lord was instantly astounded, for the golden light indeed contained the aura that Cang had left behind.
“Even if I die, Mo will suffer as well! Mo is in a deep sleep now, so it is definitely unsuspecting of any danger. This thing might not kill Mo, but it’ll certainly injure it!” As Yang Kai spoke, the golden light shone more brightly. The golden light faintly engulfed Yang Kai as though it was ready to bring him out of this place.
The Royal Lord’s expression changed.
The reason he decided to watch on the sidelines and ignore Yang Kai’s plea was that he believed that regardless of what Cang’s trump card was, it would be rendered useless following Yang Kai’s death.
However, it now seemed that if Yang Kai was pushed over the edge, he would activate the trump card; as for what happened after that, the results were completely unpredictable.
The Royal Lord had no idea if Yang Kai was telling the truth, but Mo was the source of the Black Ink Clan. To the Black Ink Clan, it was their Supreme Being, their God, so there was no way the Royal Lord would allow anything to injure Mo.
If Mo was wounded because of him, he would never be able to make up for his mistake.
“Stop!” The Royal Lord roared.
“Cut the crap. If you don’t save me, I’ll make sure Mo suffers!” Yang Kai gritted his teeth and yelled.
The Royal Lord’s expression turned livid. He had never expected to be threatened by Yang Kai in such a situation. Suppressing his fury, he surged his Black Ink Strength, which turned into a dark tide that penetrated the spider webs.
He decided not to kill those Void Ant Spiders and instead tried to corrupt them with Black Ink Strength.
Given the fact that he was a Royal Lord, it should be easy for him to corrupt these Void Ant Spiders. As long as he succeeded, they would become loyal to him, and he would be able to easily capture Yang Kai.
Soon, the dark tide coursed through the void that was filled with spider webs before engulfing the five smaller spiders.
Seeing that, Yang Kai secretly cursed at the Royal Lord for being so cunning.
Although Yang Kai hoped that the sheep headed Royal Lord could get him out of this place, the other party was naturally not so kind-hearted. As long as the Royal Lord could corrupt these five small ant spiders with Black Ink Strength, he could take control of Yang Kai.
Seeing that the dark tide was about to swallow the little ant spiders, Yang Kai activated his Divine Sense and sent a transmission to the two larger spiders, “If you keep watching and do nothing, your children will be doomed! He’s a Black Ink Clansman!”
Yang Kai had no idea if these two large ant spiders had any spirituality, nor could he be certain whether they understood what he said; however, if he wanted to survive today, he had to provoke them into action.
The best outcome would be the large ant spiders getting into a fight with the Royal Lord; that way, he could watch the show from the sidelines.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was bound to be disappointed, for the large ant spiders were unperturbed by his words. Even though they still remained in their nest, they just stared vigilantly at the Royal Lord without acting.
Unlike Yang Kai, this Royal Lord gave off a great sense of danger, which was why they had to keep their guard up yet didn’t dare make any rash moves.
At this point, the dark tide had engulfed the five small ant spiders, which were unable to resist as the Black Ink Strength instantly corrupted them. In just a moment, they were stained with Black Ink Strength and their originally bright eyes turned dark.
Finally realising something was wrong, the two large ant spiders started squirming anxiously and hissed.
The little ant spiders turned violent all of a sudden. They spat out threads of silk that turned into spider webs that further restrained Yang Kai.
The spider webs were not only robust, but also able to trap people. Yang Kai had suffered a setback because of them already, so he was wary of such things. Understanding the situation was deteriorating, he directly used Golden Crow Casts the Sun.
A Great Sun leaped from behind him and a Golden Crow cawed as a scorching heat spread out.
Many spider webs melted, but they came in such large quantities that even Golden Crow Casts the Sun was unable to ward them all off. Within moments, the Great Sun disappeared, and the spider webs covered Yang Kai, wrapping him up tight.
The little ant spiders surrounded him and wielded their legs; however, as soon as they got close, Yang Kai’s figure faded and disappeared. It was nothing more than an illusion.
Just as the little ant spiders were baffled, Yang Kai appeared in front of one of them with his spear in hand. With a solemn expression, he surged his World Force as his Azure Dragon Spear transformed into innumerable spear shadows and engulfed the ant spider.
In an instant, the little ant spider was rooted to the spot. All its eyes exploded and green liquid burst out of its wounds. Following that, even its head exploded.
At that moment earlier, Yang Kai had struck the ant spider countless times. Sparks were formed as his Azure Dragon Spear came into contact with its armoured head.
Even though these little ant spiders had strange abilities and formidable strength, they were still just equivalent to Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters; therefore, it wasn’t hard for Yang Kai to kill them.
The reason he didn’t make a move earlier was that the spider webs in the void had greatly restricted his movements. Moreover, he was wary of the two large ant spiders, so he didn’t dare to kill the little ones.
Now, he had no choice, for the Royal Lord had corrupted the little ant spiders. If Yang Kai didn’t kill them, he would be trapped here forever. As for what would happen after he killed them, that was the last of his concerns.
The moment the little ant spider was killed, the other four were astounded as they hurriedly retreated.
The two large ant spiders, which had been hiding in the nest, were startled for a moment before they became enraged. They started hissing angrily as they climbed through the webs and came at Yang Kai. Before they even arrived, one pointed leg scythed at Yang Kai.
Surprisingly, Yang Kai saw the shadow of a Space Secret Technique in that attack. The pointed leg broke through the blockage of space and stabbed at him.
A flabbergasted Yang Kai knew that he had underestimated these large ant spiders so he promptly raised his spear to block the attack.
The next instant, a violent force came right at his face and his Azure Dragon Spear was almost knocked away from him. Upon impact, he was sent flying away while he sprayed out a mouthful of blood.
Shortly after that, he fell into a spider web with his limbs spread wide. Regardless of how hard he tried, he was unable to break free from the restraint.
The other large ant spider that hadn’t made a move charged forward. Its figure was elusive, and with the blessing of Space Principles, it kept disappearing and reappearing as it approached Yang Kai.
Seeing that, Yang Kai felt his heart thumping in his chest, knowing that the Void Ant Spiders had cultivated the Dao of Space. Perhaps it was their Bloodline Talent.
“What are you waiting for!?” Faced with the danger, Yang Kai growled as a golden light radiated from him and Cang’s aura spread out again.
The Royal Lord’s face fell when he saw that. He initially wanted to use the ant spiders’ to kill Yang Kai, but he had no choice now but to order the four little ant spiders to protect him.
While reaching for Yang Kai, the large ant spider was evidently startled. It had no idea why its children were going against it. Then, it started hissing as though it was communicating with the smaller ant spiders, but having been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, the little ant spiders ignored it and started attacking.
At that instant, the large ant spider was flustered.
The large ant spider that had attacked Yang Kai earlier probably had some degree of sentience, and realising something, it spat out a web to cover the Royal Lord in the distance.
The Royal Lord snorted and evaded the spider web; however, the spider web expanded suddenly and covered a vast area of the void.
The surprised Royal Lord was instantly trapped, and before he could destroy the spider web, the large ant spider dashed towards him.
Still stuck to the spider web, Yang Kai was ecstatic when he saw that as he complained to himself, [They should have just fought from the start!]
With no one harassing him anymore, he could now find a chance to flee.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai surged his Golden Crow’s True Fire.
The silk threads were robust and sticky, but based on his previous experience of using Golden Crow Casts the Sun, Yang Kai was confident that he could destroy these spider webs with his flames.
This time, he summoned his Golden Crow’s True Fire as his World Force burned madly. Soon, he turned into a fireball, and as expected, the spider webs around him began melting.
When the Royal Lord, who was fighting against the large ant spider, saw this, he widened his eyes in disbelief and raised his hand to swat the ant spider away.
Although the large ant spider had a power that was equivalent to the peak of the Eighth-Order, and the Royal Lord was heavily injured, there was still a huge gap between their strengths.
If the Royal Lord wanted to kill the large ant spider, it would only take him 10 breaths to do so.
On the other hand, Yang Kai, who had just broken free from the spider web, felt his chest tightening as he realized he had underestimated the Royal Lord.
He was secretly glad that he didn’t decide to ambush him after leaving the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon a while back.
Back then, by using the Demon Eye of Annihilation, Yang Kai could see that the Royal Lord was horribly injured and even had the urge to fight it out with him. Now, it was apparent that if he had done so, he would’ve ended up in a horrible state. Although the Royal Lord had been weakened, he was still significantly more powerful than Yang Kai.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but admire himself for being able to escape from this Royal Lord for such a long time.
After driving the large ant spider off, the Royal Lord immediately tried to pin down Yang Kai; however, the large ant spider came at him again.
Infuriated, the Royal Lord threw out his fist with greater strength than the previous time and a dent was instantly formed on the ant spider’s head. It wasn’t clear whether it was dead or alive at this point.
Then, the Royal Lord bolted towards Yang Kai.
Currently, Yang Kai’s figure was burning with fire as he broke through layers of spider webs. Three breaths of time later, there were no more restraints.
Then, he activated Purifying Light and blocked the Royal Lord’s aura. The next instant, Space Principles undulated as he disappeared from the spot.
The moment Yang Kai disappeared, the Royal Lord’s aura exploded.
After such a long time, the Royal Lord had learned how to deal with Yang Kai’s Instantaneous Movement. If he did nothing, this Seventh-Order Human could move across a vast distance with ease, and although he was unable to stop Yang Kai from using Instantaneous Movement altogether, he could effectively interrupt the latter by bombarding the Void with his aura.
As expected, barely a million kilometres away, Yang Kai fell from the Void while spitting blood. Without turning his head, he continued charging forward.
“You think you can escape?” Incensed, the Royal Lord raced after him.
After they were gone, the large ant spider with a dent in its head shook its body and turned to look at its partner and four children that were still locked in an intense battle.
Even though the little ant spiders were no match for the large ant spider, the latter didn’t have the heart to kill them.
…..
Yang Kai and the Royal Lord seemed to have returned to the time before they had barged into the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon. They traversed the expansive void as one ran away from the other.
After crossing many billions of kilometres, they realised that there were no more worn-out Divine Abilities and restrictions left in the void.
It seemed that they were no longer in the Late Ancient Era battlefield. Even more wonderful Celestial Phenomena came into Yang Kai’s sight and they came in a significantly larger quantity than what could be seen on the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think that perhaps in the Late Ancient Era, that particular battlefield was also filled with Celestial Phenomena. However, many of them must have been destroyed during the epic conflict.
Every Celestial Phenomenon exuded a very dangerous aura, and having suffered a setback in the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai was wary of them now and would not dare to dive into any of them again.
Of course, inside the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai wasn’t the only one who had been made miserable. Even the Royal Lord had suffered a huge setback in that place as all his current wounds were formed while he was in the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon.
Right now, Yang Kai didn’t even have time to stop and activate the Universe Transference Law.
If he could activate the Universe Transference Law, he could make use of it to locate a Purifying Black Ink Battleship and rendezvous with his fellow Humans, but that was currently impossible.
Moreover, he had already lost his way, so he wasn’t sure how far away the Purifying Black Ink Battleships were from him. Even if he used the Universe Transference Law, he probably couldn’t connect to the Universe Array onboard one of the Purifying Black Ink Battleships.
After years of fleeing, he was still in an unfavourable position.
Every time Yang Kai used Instantaneous Movement, he would be struck by the sheep-headed Royal Lord. He could certainly bear the consequences of getting struck one or two times, but he had forgotten how many times he had been lambasted now.
After getting wounded repeatedly over the months, Yang Kai found it hard to heal his wounds despite having a Dragon Vein.
On the other hand, the Royal Lord remained the same as his injuries didn’t seem to exacerbate.
Yang Kai had to activate Instantaneous Movement more frequently, which meant that it was getting harder for him to shake off the Royal Lord. After some quick calculations, he realised that if nothing was done, he would be caught after less than half a year.
If his wounds were exacerbated, things would only get worse. That was why Yang Kai realized he had to make use of another Celestial Phenomenon.
Regardless of how strange those Celestial Phenomena were, he would be doomed if he didn’t do something. By making use of a Celestial Phenomenon, there was a chance he could survive. Upon making up his mind, Yang Kai continued to escape while scanning his surroundings.
Two months later, a vast area of blue that covered the void came into view.
Yang Kai fell into something of a daze at this sight. Although he had seen quite a number of Celestial Phenomena so far, the one before his eyes was definitely the largest and most staggering.
With it still being so far away, Yang Kai had no idea what this Celestial Phenomenon was, so he could only quicken his pace.
The Royal Lord behind him saw the Celestial Phenomenon as well and realised Yang Kai’s intention, so he also hastened himself. As he pushed his Black Ink Strength, his speed increased.
After what happened inside the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon, he couldn’t risk letting Yang Kai enter another one.
Yang Kai’s expression changed when he realised the Royal Lord’s aura was getting closer to him. Without hesitation, he manipulated Space Principles and left using Instantaneous Movement.
The next instant, he fell from the Void and sprayed out a mouthful of blood. Even so, he happened to find himself right in front of the Celestial Phenomenon.
When Yang Kai made out what the Celestial Phenomenon was, he was astounded.
From afar, he could see that the Celestial Phenomenon was vividly blue, but he had no idea what it was. It wasn’t until he was right in front of it that he realised it was a Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon. It was a Great Sea that occupied a massive region of the Void.
Before this, if anyone told him that there was a Great Sea floating in the void, he wouldn’t have believed them. But at this moment, there was indeed a vast ocean before his eyes. He couldn’t help but think that there were too many unknown secrets in the Universe.
However, the Great Sea seemed to be dead. The water was so still there wasn’t even a ripple. At the same time, Yang Kai failed to detect any danger coming from it.
However, he had learned from his experience with the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon that he shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Only by entering this Great Sea would he find out if there was any danger inside.
Standing in front of the Great Sea, Yang Kai turned around and saw the Royal Lord charging towards him with an anxious expression on his face. His inaction seemed to have made the Royal Lord misunderstand something though as he shouted, “Given your current state, you’ll undoubtedly die if you go in! Why not just surrender without a fight?”
Yang Kai grinned at the Royal Lord before cocking his head to spit out some blood. After cursing the Royal Lord, he turned around and leaped into the sea boldly and without hesitation, with the thought that if he was going to die, it would be on his terms, not at the hands of the enemy!
The Royal Lord’s expression changed, stunned by Yang Kai’s resoluteness.
A moment later, he reached the Great Sea and scanned it. Next, he pushed his Black Ink Strength to engulf himself and plunged into the Celestial Phenomenon.
Soon, the Royal Lord leapt out of the Great Sea with a gloomy expression.
The Great Sea appeared perfectly tranquil from outside, but the moment he entered he realised it was extremely turbulent inside. The currents were complex and intertwined and moved with astonishing force inside the Great Sea.
The Royal Lord was shocked to find that the undercurrents were so violent that he was unable to withstand them despite his strength. Three breaths of time after he entered it, his Black Ink Strength protection was already heavily worn down.
Fortunately, the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon was unlike the previous one. When he barged into the Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon back then, he was unable to leave no matter how he tried; however, he was able to break free from the undercurrents here with brute force.
The Royal Lord didn’t think the Seventh-Order Human named Yang Kai could survive in such an environment. Besides believing that Yang Kai was doomed to die, he also understood that the currents in the Great Sea were constantly shifting, so finding him would be all but impossible.
As he hovered in the void, a myriad of expressions came over the Royal Lord’s face. After debating on it for a moment, he turned around and left. Soon, he moved a dead Universe World to the periphery of the Great Sea.
There were countless dead Universe Worlds like this one in the void. As he pursued Yang Kai all this time, he had come across many of them; therefore, it wasn’t hard to find one.
The Universe World was fairly large, but compared with the Great Sea, it was like an ant standing in front of an elephant.
The Royal Lord stared fixedly at the Great Sea for a moment before spitting some extremely pure and dense Black Ink Strength from his mouth. The Black Ink Strength didn’t dissipate like normal however and soon condensed into a flower bud.
It was a Black Ink Nest!
Royal Lords like him who came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction each carried their own Black Ink Nests with them. That was because Mo hoped that they would defeat the Humans and occupy the 3,000 Worlds, and in turn, return to extricate it from its prison.
Black Ink Nests were the foundation of the Black Ink Clan, so the Royal Lords would naturally carry them wherever they went.
The Royal Lord held the Black Ink Nest in his hands. He looked at it with such devotion that it was as though it was the most sacred treasure to him. Soon, he planted the Black Ink Nest and infused his Black Ink Strength into it.
The Black Ink Nest expanded rapidly and bloomed. In just half a month, many Black Ink Clansmen stepped out of the Black Ink Nest. After saluting the Royal Lord, they dispersed.
Gazing at the Great Sea, the Royal Lord snorted. Although he believed that Yang Kai was doomed, he couldn’t afford to take any chances. During this period of time, he had witnessed this Seventh-Order Human using all sorts of strange methods, so he knew it would be difficult to kill him.
Perhaps this brat named Yang Kai could break free from the Great Sea. As such, he had to stay.
However, since he was on his own, the Royal Lord couldn’t monitor the entire periphery of the Great Sea. Having said that, he had his Black Ink Nest to depend on.
Given enough time and resources, he could simply spawn enough servants to surround the entire Great Sea. If Yang Kai managed to escape, he would immediately find out about it.
Moreover, the Royal Lord was badly injured, so he could take this opportunity to recuperate. It was like killing two birds with one stone, so he chose to stay here.
As time passed, the Black Ink Nest became larger and larger and even more Black Ink Clansmen began appearing in the dead Universe World.
These Black Ink Clansmen would then spread out through the void to mine resources, which would then be deposited into the Black Ink Nest to produce even more Black Ink Clansmen.
..…
Inside the Great Sea, Yang Kai felt dizzy. He was horribly wounded, and there wasn’t a single part of his body that wasn’t bloodstained and lacerated.
He had transformed into his 70,000 metres Ancient Dragon Form, but still found it hard to resist the violent currents in the Great Sea. All his Dragon Scales were gone by this point, and his skin was covered in black bruises. Dragon Blood streamed out of his wounds constantly.
The undercurrents were not the only thing he had to deal with. Even though it was difficult, he could still persevere with his Ancient Dragon Form against those turbulent flows. What made him truly helpless was that the undercurrents contained many different sorts of Martial Domains.
The Five Element Dao Essence swirled and transformed in the undercurrents while some flows even contained potent Sword Dao Essence that cut through the skin of Yang Kai’s Dragon Form.
Every undercurrent was like a powerful Master surging their might to attack foreign enemies.
Yang Kai was swept from one undercurrent to the next, enduring so much hardship that he almost passed out.
Before he barged into the Great Sea, he understood that he would have to face unimaginable danger inside, but the strangeness of this place still astounded him.
The strengths of the undercurrents varied greatly. When he came across weaker flows, he could seize the chance to catch his breath. In times like these, he would swallow some Spirit Pills to sustain his energy.
Initially, Yang Kai didn’t have a way to deal with these undercurrents as he just let them push him around in this Great Sea.
However, as time passed, he eventually began to adapt and ride these undercurrents to minimize the damage he took.
Despite that, he still couldn’t completely avoid the impact these undercurrents had on him.
Having said that, he knew that he was just stalling for time. Sooner or later, he would be killed by the undercurrents in the Great Sea.
He wanted to find a way out, but the undercurrents were turbulent without any regular patterns, so how was he supposed to achieve such a goal?
His injuries had gotten worse, and the World Force in his Small Universe was running out. Even though Low-Rank World Fruits could quickly replenish his World Force, Yang Kai had already used them all up when escaping from the Royal Lord. Now, he could only consume Open Heaven Pills to supplement his energy.
Once the power in his Small Universe dried up completely, the consequences would be dreadful. Therefore, he had to find a way out before then, or he would be doomed.
Yang Kai had tried releasing his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings, but the undercurrents simply shredded his Divine Sense, causing him excruciating pain.
The Great Sea was so vast though that there had to be somewhere that was calm. Yang Kai didn’t believe this entire place was filled with such powerful undercurrents.
Gritting his teeth, he released his Dragon Form and returned to his Human one. As he let the undercurrents sweep him away, he scanned the surroundings with his Divine Sense irrespective of the damage this act caused.
He felt a sharp pain in his head as the damage to his Divine Sense made his facial features contort. However, he could only soldier on.
A long time passed, but just as Yang Kai was about to lose hope, he suddenly detected that there was a nearby area that was far less violent. Elated, he hurriedly activated his power and swam towards it.
The process was strenuous as his flesh was peeled from his bones. As he wielded his Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai stubbornly made his way across the undercurrents of the Great Sea.
An hour later, he finally broke through the blockage of the present undercurrent he was occupying and barged into the next.
Scanning his surroundings, Yang Kai realised that the less violent area was actually moving away from him. Flustered, he madly activated his power.
He had no idea what it was like in that area, but he knew that if he missed this chance, there wouldn’t be a second one. He had never been more eager to survive in his life.
The pain in his body and Soul was so excruciating that he had almost turned numb. The only thought that occupied his mind was that he had to break through all the obstacles before him and survive.
“Break!” With a great roar, Yang Kai opened his mouth and spat out a round bead.
To a Dragon Clan member, their Dragon Bead was like a Monster Core to a Monster Beast. It was the essence of their cultivation, and they wouldn’t easily summon it, but once they did, either their enemy would die, or they would perish.
Summoning a Dragon Bead to deal with enemies was a powerful trump card, but it almost always resulted in damage to the Dragon Bead. When that happened, the power of their Dragon Vein would be like a tree without roots or a river without a source, diminishing their strength to a great degree, if not crippling or killing them outright.
In the past, Yang Kai had summoned his Dragon Bead to kill a badly injured Territory Lord. As a result, his Dragon Bead was damaged, and it took him many years to restore it.
At that time, his Dragon Vein was still very weak, and he could only transform into a 30,000-metre Grand Dragon.
Now, he was an Ancient Dragon, so his Dragon Bead was significantly mightier than in the past.
This was the last move he could use. At this moment, the power in his Small Universe had almost dried up, and his physical body had reached its limit, yet the undercurrents in the Great Sea were as turbulent as ever. If even his Dragon Bead couldn’t open up a path for him to survive, he would be powerless to do anything else.
Fortunately, the Dragon Bead of an Ancient Dragon did not disappoint. The instant it was summoned, an immense power exploded forth. There seemed to be a Dragon swimming within the Dragon Bead, and the intense Dragon Pressure which was released smashed all the turbulent undercurrents in its way.
At the same time, cracks started appearing on the Dragon Bead.
Yang Kai followed his Dragon Bead closely as he broke free from the undercurrent he was currently stuck in and entered the next.
The Dragon Bead shot forward, breaking through all the obstacles as more and more cracks appeared on it.
It smashed through three undercurrents in quick succession, and just as Yang Kai was worried that his Dragon Bead would be destroyed, he felt that all the pressure around him had been lifted. It was as though he had arrived at a completely different World.
Since he entered the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, it had been one crisis after another; however, this space felt totally serene.
It was still an undercurrent, but it was significantly less violent than the ones he had encountered before. Yang Kai even had a feeling that he was surrounded by a different kind of Martial Domain, but before he could look into it, his vision turned dark, and he realised he was about to pass out.
He knew that he had reached his limits. His body, Soul, and Dragon Bead had all been damaged, so he was just one step away from death.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai quickly retrieved his Dragon Bead, which was so full of cracks that it was as though it would break apart at any moment. Following that, he blacked out and collapsed.
At this moment, Yang Kai was so lethargic and dazed that he couldn’t think straight, a clear sign that his Soul had been badly damaged.
Outside Great Evolution Pass back then, Yang Kai had experienced a similar kind of sluggishness after he used too many Soul Rending Thorns to attack a number of Territory Lords inside a Black Ink Nest Space.
He had no idea how long he remained unconscious, but when Yang Kai regained his senses, he was still in a daze.
Withstanding the excruciating pain, he soon recalled what had happened before he blacked out. Without hesitation, he emptied his mind and stimulated his Soul Warming Lotus’ power to repair his Soul.
Due to the damage to his Soul, he was unable to think clearly. Now that he was in a somewhat safer situation, his most important task was to restore himself. Other matters could wait.
The Soul Warming Lotus was a Supreme Treasure of the Universe, so even when Yang Kai was unconscious, it continued to exude its wondrous power to heal him, but now that he was wide awake, he could make far better use of its effects.
Even so, it still took Yang Kai about half a year before he managed to mostly recover from the injuries on his Soul.
He still hadn’t fully recovered, but he was at least able to think straight now. The Soul Warming Lotus would take care of the rest of the damage on its own.
While he was restoring his Divine Sense, Yang Kai did not forget to heal his physical wounds either.
He consumed lots of pills and stimulated the restorative power of his Dragon Vein to mend his wounds. Although he still looked battered, at the very least his bones weren’t visible anymore.
His injuries were severe this time; in fact, he had never been more badly wounded before. Even though there were times when he fell into perilous situations in the past, he had never been so battered.
He was almost pushed over the edge when he was pursued by the Royal Lord.
It wasn’t until now that he had time to inspect his surroundings.
After inspecting them for a while, Yang Kai had a better idea of what was going on.
He was certain that he was still within an undercurrent in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon. This undercurrent was apparently carrying him as it traversed the Great Sea, as though there would never come a day when it stopped; however, this undercurrent was different from the ones he had encountered before. Those undercurrents were all filled with different kinds of Martial Domains which formed into invisible attacks that killed any invaders.
Nevertheless, the present undercurrent was stable, without a hint of murderous intent. All Yang Kai could feel was peace and tranquillity, which was a stark contrast to the other undercurrents.
He couldn’t help but wonder why there wasn’t any Martial Domain in this undercurrent. What made it different from the others?
As he continued his inspection though, Yang Kai was surprised by what he found.
In fact, there was a Martial Domain that pervaded this undercurrent as well, but it was not savage and chaotic, which was why it felt calm and tranquil.
[What kind of Martial Domain is this?]
Yang Kai emptied his mind and immersed himself in the Martial Domain. As expected, he soon felt an invisible power washing over his body; however, it didn’t have any negative impact on him, which was unlike the other undercurrents that could harm him.
All of a sudden, his entire figure shook.
That was because he finally realised what kind of Martial Domain it was.
It was a Martial Domain of Time!
If not for the fact that he had cultivated the Dao of Time and could be considered an expert in it, Yang Kai wouldn’t have noticed this.
Time was invisible and intangible. A living being could barely notice the flow of time, which went by in silence and without a trace.
However, Yang Kai could feel time flowing in this undercurrent.
Since this was a Martial Domain of Time, then the power that was washing over him had to be Time Principles. It was delicate and almost imperceptible.
All of a sudden, a name he had heard of a long time ago sprang into his mind.
[Temporal River!]
The cultivation of an Open Heaven Realm Master was all about accumulation as it took much time and effort for a cultivator to enhance the heritage of their Small Universe.
Other than consuming an Innate Open Heaven Pill which was formed in the Universe Furnace, or a World Fruit from the World Tree, there were no shortcuts to speak of when it came to the cultivation of an Open Heaven Realm Master.
Nevertheless, that didn’t mean that this rule couldn’t be bent.
There were two shortcuts when it came to the cultivation of an Open Heaven Realm Master.
Firstly, there were the Small Source Worlds. When Yang Kai was still a newly promoted Sixth-Order Master, he had entered a Small Source World in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven that had benefited him greatly.
The reason he was able to break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm so quickly was largely thanks to his experience in that Small Source World, which saved him several hundred years of cultivation.
The second shortcut was the Temporal River.
When Xu Ling Gong led Yang Kai to the Small Source World back then, he told him about this miraculous treasure. Xu Ling Gong said that the flow of time inside a Temporal River was different from the outside world. Perhaps 10 years or even 100 years would pass in a Temporal River while only a single year went by in the outside world.
In comparison, Small Source Worlds were true shortcuts, while Temporal Rivers were more akin to the situation inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe. While one was inside a Temporal River, the flow of time was indeed real, but it was faster than in the outside world.
Yang Kai had experienced a Small Source World before, and it was indeed incredible. All the Cave Heavens and Paradises regarded them as core treasures, and only the best disciples were allowed to enter them.
Moreover, every time a Small Source World was used, it would take many years before it would be activated again as part of its Source Strength would be absorbed.
Although Yang Kai had heard about Temporal Rivers from Xu Ling Gong before, he had never seen one.
There were no known Temporal Rivers in the 3,000 Worlds, nor were there any on the Black Ink Battlefield, so Yang Kai had always thought that they were just an ancient legend.
Xu Ling Gong must have seen such a record from the ancient books in Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.
It wasn’t until this moment that Yang Kai realised that Temporal Rivers were real.
If this undercurrent he was presently in was isolated, it would basically be a river.
If the undercurrents that contained different Martial Domains were isolated, in addition to the Temporal River, there would be Sword Dao River, Saber Dao River, Yin Dao River, Yang Dao River, Alchemic Dao River, and so on.
Temporal Rivers must have existed in the 3,000 Worlds before, which was why there were records of them.
Yang Kai should have realised it the instant he entered this undercurrent; however, his mind was muddled due to the damage in his Soul at the time, so he failed to notice anything.
[How was this Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon formed?] Yang Kai was dumbstruck.
As he recalled it, the transformation and evolution of those Martial Domains in the undercurrents looked like different Masters casting incredible attacks at first sight, but thinking back on it now, Yang Kai realised that the intrinsic nature of all of these rivers was ancient and untraceable.
All of a sudden, something seemed to have dawned on him.
This Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon as well as the Celestial Phenomena he had and had not seen might have naturally formed when the Heavens and Earth first split apart. Those Celestial Phenomena contained the purest form of powers of the Universe, which was why the Martial Domains in this Great Sea all felt so ancient.
Only when an Emperor Realm Master realised their own Grand Dao and condensed their Dao Seal would they be capable of breaking through their shackles and ascending to the Open Heaven Realm.
There were all sorts of Grand Daos in the Universe, and each of these Grand Daos had an infinite number of variations; therefore, the Dao Seal of every Open Heaven Realm Master was slightly different.
Even for cultivators who cultivated the same Grand Dao, their Dao Seals wouldn’t be identical.
The Dao of Space that Yang Kai had cultivated was distinct and different from that of Li Wu Yi.
His mastery and understanding of the Dao of Time were also different from that of the Flowing Time Great Emperor, and could not be the same as those of Yang Xiao and Yang Xue.
The brightest cultivators who had left Yang Kai’s Small Universe often inherited his aptitudes in the Spear Dao, Dao of Space, and Dao of Time. They had a natural advantage when it came to cultivating these three Grand Daos; however, none of them followed the exact same Martial Dao as Yang Kai.
If one compared the myriad Grand Daos to a tree, then each Grand Dao was like a branch that would grow into many different twigs and leaves. Those twigs and leaves came from the same source, but they were all slightly different.
All the Grand Daos intertwined with one another, and there had to be a source, which was the very foundation of the Grand Daos.
Although there were many different Grand Daos, they all could be traced back to the same source.
If this Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon was naturally formed when the Heavens and Earth split apart, the Martial Domains rich in Dao Essence in the undercurrents might not be the source of those Grand Daos, but they must contain part of the source’s aura.
In other words, these undercurrents contained the raw power of the Universe, the very foundation of all Grand Daos!
Upon that realization, Yang Kai couldn’t help grinning. His laughter was muffled initially, but as time passed, he started guffawing to the point where he cried tears of joy.
Although he had gone through so much hardship and almost lost his life, he came across such an opportunity!
To escape from the sheep-headed Royal Lord, he took the risk and dove into this Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon. It never crossed his mind that he would arrive at such a cultivation paradise.
There was no doubt that the undercurrents in the Great Sea were akin to innate treasures of the Universe. Their very existence was a natural wonder.
At that instant, Yang Kai even had the urge to thank the Royal Lord. If not for the latter’s relentless pursuit, he would never have come across this place.
It had only been several hundred years since he ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, and although time flowed several times faster in his Small Universe than other Open Heaven Realm Masters, and he had a World Tree clone to purify his World Force, both of which allowed him to cultivate multiple times faster than average, he was still a long way off from the Eighth-Order.
Yang Kai estimated that it would be another 1,000 to 2,000 years before he could achieve a breakthrough.
That length of time seemed too daunting to him.
Initially, this reality was giving him a severe headache. He had been trying to come up with ways to increase his cultivation speed so that he could make it to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm sooner. He even had the urge to seek out the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary so that he could ask for a High-Rank World Fruit from the World Tree.
However, the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary had been elusive since time immemorial. He was extremely lucky even to have a chance to enter it back then, so it seemed practically impossible for him to go there again.
Furthermore, even if he managed to find the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, would the World Tree even give him a High-Rank World Fruit?
Just like Mo, the World Tree was one of the oldest living beings in the Universe. If it refused to give Yang Kai the World Fruit, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
Now that he was inside a Temporal River though, Yang Kai didn’t have to worry about ascending to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm anymore.
Yang Kai wondered what the time flow differential in this Temporal River was compared to the outside world, but by analyzing the Time Principles around him and considering the density of Time Dao Essence, he believed the flow of time here was at least 10 times faster than normal.
In other words, if he spent ten years in this place, only one year would pass in the outside world.
He could cultivate in this place with peace of mind until the day he made it to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Although as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was no match for the sheep headed Royal Lord, he was able to evade him for several years. If he managed to ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had the confidence to flee from the Royal Lord with ease even if he was incapable of defeating him.
A fervent Yang Kai immediately fished out all sorts of resources and started refining them, but a problem soon came to his mind.
Did he have enough resources to reach the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm?
Initially, he had accumulated a staggering amount of resources, more than enough to reach the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm; after all, he had plundered quite a few Black Ink Clan territories over the years and acquired a massive quantity of cultivation materials.
However, when Cang asked for some resources to restore himself back then, Yang Kai had passed the bulk of what he owned to him.
Moreover, to escape from the Royal Lord over the years, Yang Kai had used up a large amount of the Blue and Yellow Crystals he had left. As a result, he was seriously lacking in Yin and Yang Element materials.
He certainly had sufficient Five-Element materials, but if he used up all his Yin and Yang Element materials before he ascended to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he would be in serious trouble.
However, it was pointless for him to worry about it at this point. He would find out if he had sufficient resources as he cultivated.
He then circulated his Secret Art and began refining a set of Seven Element materials. They were absorbed by Yang Kai and turned into the heritage of his Small Universe.
The speeds at which Open Heaven Realm Masters could refine materials varied. The fundamental reason was the sturdiness of their Dao Seals they had condensed when they were still Emperor Realm Masters.
The more robust their Dao Seal was, the quicker one could refine cultivation materials.
Therefore, even if two Open Heaven Realm Masters were in the same Order, the speeds at which they could refine resources could be very different. The one with a better foundation could refine materials more quickly and grow their power more rapidly. Even a slight difference would become massive over hundreds or thousands of years.
When Yang Kai condensed his Dao Seal back then, he was able to withstand the impact of Seventh-Order materials, so when it came to the speed of refining materials, only those once-in-a-generation geniuses from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were somewhat comparable to him in the entire 3,000 Worlds.
Since Yang Kai was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, he could fully refine a set of Fifth-Order materials in a few days.
Then, he fished out another set of materials.
The process of cultivation was dull, but the increase in power was real and exhilarating.
Therefore, despite the monotony, a cultivator was more than capable of cultivating in seclusion for hundreds of years.
Once a person was engrossed in the increase of their power, they would no longer feel the passage of time.
Half a year later, Yang Kai’s flesh wounds had mostly healed, and although his Soul was still damaged, he didn’t have to worry about it as he had the Soul Warming Lotus’ help.
However, his Dragon Bead was still full of cracks. From previous experiences, Yang Kai knew that repairing a Dragon Bead couldn’t be rushed. It required him to use the power of his Dragon Vein to nurture it slowly. Perhaps it would be restored to a perfect state again in several hundred years.
After refining another set of materials, Yang Kai opened his eyes and sensed his surroundings.
Then, he furrowed his brow because he detected some unusual changes.
Over the past six months, besides refining materials to increase his cultivation, Yang Kai had also been making use of the ambient Time Principles and Time Dao Essence in the Temporal River to comprehend the Dao of Time.
He had benefited greatly from this.
The Bloodline Talent of the Dragon Clan was the Dao of Time. Back in the Dragon Pool, Yang Kai managed to grow into a 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon. With the increase in the power of his Dragon Vein, his mastery over the Dao of Time had also improved significantly, growing from the Sixth Level to the Seventh Level. It was only one level behind his mastery over the Dao of Space now, which had reached the Eighth Level.
Nevertheless, that single level was still a far distance to cross.
The reason the flow of time was different in a Temporal River was that it was filled with ample Time Dao Essence.
The Time Dao Essence and Time Principles continuously washed over Yang Kai’s mind and body. This kind of impact was invisible and imperceptible to someone who had never cultivated the Dao of Time, so they wouldn’t detect any anomaly while inside the Temporal River. It wasn’t until after one left this place that they realised the flow of time was different.
On the other hand, Yang Kai could make use of these impacts to study the Dao of Time. He could even refine the Time Dao Essence directly to improve his mastery of the Dao of Time.
That was what he had been doing these past six months; however, he now realised that the Temporal River seemed to have become shorter.
The lengths of the undercurrents in the Great Sea were all different, and although he had not checked it carefully, Yang Kai reckoned that the Temporal River was about 9,000 metres long when he first entered it. Now, however, it was 500 metres shorter.
Was it because he had barged into this place and absorbed the Time Dao Essence here?
Yang Kai had no idea, but after giving it some thought, he stopped comprehending the Dao of Time and instead focused on just cultivating.
Half a year later, Yang Kai opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings once again.
The Temporal River had become shorter again, though it wasn’t as severe as the previous time. It was now about 20 metres smaller. The difference was minimal, but Yang Kai could easily detect it as he had been paying close attention this time.
These kinds of changes made him realise something.
It seemed that his presence and the absorption of Time Dao Essence were the main reasons for the shrinking of the Temporal River.
In other words, as long as he was inside the Temporal River, he would consume the amazing power in this place, and the river would continue to become shorter; after all, the Time Dao Essence was constantly washing over him, causing the flow of time in this isolated space to be different from that of the outside world.
He had only been cultivating for another half a year, but the river had become 20 metres shorter. In other words, the river would shrink about 40 metres a year if he did nothing but cultivate. As such, this Temporal River would be gone for good in around 200 years at most.
If he simultaneously absorbed the Time Dao Essence in this place and cultivated it, the river would disappear even sooner.
Upon this realization, Yang Kai’s expression darkened.
Initially, he intended to stay in this Temporal River until he ascended to the Eighth Order, but now it seemed that the Temporal River would disappear in just about 200 years.
That amount of time wasn’t sufficient for him to make it to the Eighth Order.
[What should I do now?]
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai realised that the Great Sea was vast, and it had countless undercurrents in it. Since there was one Temporal River here, there might be another. Even if this Temporal River was completely consumed, he could just go looking for the next one. As long as there were five to six Temporal Rivers of this size in the Celestial Phenomenon, he would be able to ascend to the Eighth Order.
Right now, Yang Kai’s main task was to increase his strength. He wasn’t sure if the Royal Lord had also dived into this place, but if he had, there might come a time when they bump into one another.
Regardless, where there was a will, there was a way. It was pointless for Yang Kai to overthink things at this point.
He then set his mind at ease and stopped absorbing the Time Dao Essence in the Temporal River; instead focusing all his efforts on cultivating.
Sets of materials were refined as time went by.
Just like what he had estimated, about 40 metres of the Temporal River would vanish for every year he spent in this place.
Yang Kai slowly became wholly absorbed in cultivation and lost track of the outside world.
He had never cultivated for such a prolonged period of time before. Initially, he found it difficult to adapt, but as the heritage in his Small Universe increased, he slowly got used to it.
About 160 years later, Yang Kai was shocked awake by an anomaly while cultivating.
He hurriedly opened his eyes and realised that the Temporal River was only 100 metres long now. It was originally a long river, but it had significantly shortened over the years.
Due to its length, it couldn’t even sustain its own existence anymore and as it was battered by the other undercurrents, it was on the brink of collapse.
Yang Kai could feel that the Martial Domains in the other undercurrents had broken through the isolation of the Temporal River.
His expression changed as he stored the set of materials he hadn’t fully refined and got to his feet.
It was time to leave this Temporal River.
Despite knowing that this day would come, Yang Kai still felt lost when he finally had to set out.
He had no idea if he could find another Temporal River. The undercurrents in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon were turbulent, so perhaps before he could find the next Temporal River, he would be killed by them.
However, he had no other choice.
Surging the power of his Dragon Vein, Dragon Scales started appearing on Yang Kai’s skin, including his eyelids, and his entire figure radiated a golden glow.
The undercurrents in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon were savage and Yang Kai didn’t have the confidence to resist them without relying on the power of his Dragon Vein.
He summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and let out a breath as he checked to ensure he was in peak condition.
Just as he was about to bolt out of the Temporal River, he paused as an idea sprang to his mind.
The Temporal River was only 100 metres long now, and as the other undercurrents clashed with it from all directions, it would probably fall apart soon. When that happened, this Temporal River would be gone for good.
Although the 100-metre Temporal River couldn’t be considered long, it still contained a lot of Time Dao Essence. Thinking about this precious resource, Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering if he could keep it inside his Small Universe.
The instant he had that thought, he could no longer contain the impulse to act.
Time Dao Essence was hugely beneficial to him. If he could keep it inside his Small Universe and absorb it, it would help improve his mastery of the Dao of Time.
Without hesitation, he opened a portal to his Small Universe and released his Divine Sense, which engulfed the Temporal River and drew it into the portal.
The next instant, Yang Kai’s expression changed drastically. He quickly shut the portal to his Small Universe and surged his World Force before infusing it into his Azure Dragon Spear.
His Dragon Roar reverberated as the Azure Dragon Spear transformed into a massive Dragon and shattered the blockade of the undercurrent in front of it, leading Yang Kai to charge forward.
Sparks flew from his Dragon Scales as Yang Kai groaned in pain as his Dragon Blood gushed out of his wounds.
Although his power had increased significantly, he was still horribly injured the moment he was swept into the undercurrent.
Clenching his teeth as his gaze was full of determination, Yang Kai wielded his spear and traversed the chaotic undercurrents. At the same time, he released his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings.
He had to look for another Temporal River. Only by finding one would he stand a chance to survive; otherwise, he would be tortured to death by these undercurrents.
As his Divine Sense was shredded, Yang Kai felt excruciating pain in his Soul.
The Dragon Scales that had covered his entire body were battered and blown off in quick succession.
After just an incense stick of time, Yang Kai was covered in blood. There wasn’t even a part of his skin that was left intact, but he still hadn’t managed to find another Temporal River.
One hour later, half his flesh had been ripped off, revealing many of his bones and making him look extremely miserable.
His aura was weakening fast, like candlelight amidst the storm that might put it out at any moment.
His vision was blurred, and he found it hard to sustain his Divine Sense. Every time he activated it, he felt a sting of pain that seemed to be tearing his head apart.
Yang Kai nearly fell into despair at his situation. Previously, he was lucky as he had made use of his Dragon Bead at the critical moment to plunge into the 9,000-metre Temporal River. Now though, it seemed his luck had run out.
Moreover, even though he had been nurturing his Dragon Bead for nearly 200 years now, it still hadn’t been restored as there were many cracks on it. If he used it again now, it would probably shatter.
Just as he was about to lose hope, Yang Kai faintly sensed a calm undercurrent nearby.
[Another Temporal River!]
Ecstatic, he wielded his spear and desperately swam towards that place.
A dozen breaths later, he broke through two undercurrents and entered the one after them. He quickly sensed his surroundings, and upon making sure there was no danger, he collapsed to the ground and passed out.
After two years dedicated to just recovering, Yang Kai began to assess his situation.
Even though there was no murderous intent in this second undercurrent he stayed in, it was not a Temporal River like he thought it was, for there was no Time Dao Essence in this place.
Instead, it was a coherent Grand Dao of Nature River.
The river was about 20,000 metres long, which was much longer than the Temporal River he previously stayed in.
Unfortunately, this Grand Dao wasn’t suitable for him. Therefore, for the past two years, other than recuperating, he mostly spent his time studying the 100-metre Temporal River he had put inside his Small Universe.
After the Temporal River entered his Small Universe, he was able to digest the Time Dao Essence, which allowed him to gain some new understanding of the Dao of Time.
It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing; after all, if he comprehended the Dao of Time in the Temporal River for a year, about 40 metres of the length would be consumed.
Therefore, a 100-metre Temporal River couldn’t bring about tremendous transformation to his comprehension.
With that said, Yang Kai had now found another way to cultivate.
Every undercurrent in this Great Sea was evolved from a Grand Dao. Although he could improve himself by absorbing the Grand Dao’s power in the undercurrents, the speed at which he could refine it would be much faster if he could keep it inside his Small Universe.
He had never cultivated the Dao of Nature before. In fact, among the cultivators he had come into contact with before, only those from Free and Unfettered Paradise like Ning Dao Ren had deep attainments in this Grand Dao. Every move such cultivators made harmonized with the Heavens and Earth and they believed that everything was born of Nature and should not be governed by individuals but instead lived alongside with. Cultivators of the Dao of Nature were carefree and unconcerned about worldly affairs, so although Yang Kai admired their mindset, he could never be like them.
With the previous experience of taking in the 100 metres Temporal River, he was curious about what would happen if he absorbed this 20,000 metres Nature Dao River and assimilated it into his Small Universe. Would he have a solid foundation in the Dao of Nature after he absorbed it?
In that case, the Temporal Rivers wouldn’t be the only thing he could benefit from in the Great Sea.
As long as he could absorb and refine enough undercurrents, he could integrate 10,000 Grand Daos into his Martial Dao.
The reason a cultivator had to focus on a single Grand Dao was that they had limited energy and time while there were unlimited Grand Daos. Only when one became a Master in a particular Grand Dao would they achieve something great. If someone cultivated too many Grand Daos, other cultivators of the same generation would easily surpass them for their comprehension wouldn’t be deep.
Quality was more important than quantity when it came to cultivating Grand Daos.
Yang Kai had actually cultivated quite a number of Grand Daos, which included the Dao of Space, the Dao of Time, the Spear Dao, the Alchemic Dao, and the Dao of Artifact Refining. It could even be said that he knew a thing or two about Dao of Spirit Arrays because when practising Alchemy and Artifact Refining, he would need to use some Spirit Arrays.
However, there were only three Grand Daos that he had real accomplishments, which were the Dao of Space, the Dao of Time, and the Spear Dao. He was pretty skilful in Dao of Alchemy before he entered the 3,000 Worlds, but he hadn’t practised it for a long time.
That was because he had limited energy, so it was impossible that he could spend lots of time studying every Grand Dao he came across.
Nevertheless, the unique characteristics of this Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon made him realise it might be possible to do just that.
Yang Kai wasn’t sure what would happen if he managed to comprehend and integrate 10,000 Grand Daos.
With the previous experience of taking in the 100-metre Temporal River, it wasn’t hard for Yang Kai to absorb this Nature River. Although a 20,000-metre river sounded quite long, it was nothing compared with the capacity of his Small Universe.
Opening the portal to his Small Universe, Yang Kai engulfed the 20,000-metre river with his Divine Sense before drawing it in.
In just 20 breaths of time, the entire river was gone.
Before Yang Kai could inspect the changes in his Small Universe though, the surrounding undercurrents swarmed him.
Just like what he had done two years ago, he wielded his Azure Dragon Spear and summoned his Dragon Scales to protect himself. He pierced through the undercurrents and charged forward.
According to previous experiences, he had to find a safe place within an hour; otherwise, he might not be able to persevere.
Fortunately, he was now aware that there were some calm undercurrents in the Great Sea. As long as he wasn’t cursed with terrible luck, he could find a safe place and recuperate before setting off again.
In just 10 years, Yang Kai managed to recuperate five times and absorb five rivers of different Grand Daos, while the sixth time, he finally managed to enter a Temporal River again.
Upon that realization, Yang Kai was ecstatic. He hadn’t come across another Temporal River in the past 10 years, so he worried he would never find one.
Since there was a second Temporal River, there should be a third. As long as he had enough time and energy, he would find more and more.
Just like what he always did after entering an undercurrent, Yang Kai first focused on recuperating.
When he was fully healed, he finally had some time to inspect the Temporal River.
This Temporal River was longer than the previous one as it was about 13,000 metres long. He knew that he would consume about 50 metres every year just by remaining inside it to cultivate. In other words, this Temporal River could last him 250 to 260 years.
Elated, he hurriedly fished out a set of resources and began refining them.
Although the Great Sea was full of wondrous treasures, Yang Kai had never forgotten his main goal, which was to make it to the Eighth Order as soon as possible. He would only be considered truly powerful with ample heritage, while everything else was just a bonus.
Temporal Rivers were the key to his rapid increase in strength.
As he refined materials to increase his heritage, Yang Kai looked into his Small Universe and inspected the changes.
Over the past 10 years, including the Grand Dao of Nature River, he had taken in six rivers of Grand Daos with different lengths.
All six rivers were gone for good as he had fully refined them.
All these rivers contained abstruse powers as they dispersed and blended into his Small Universe.
The Dao Essences of the Grand Daos that Yang Kai had never dabbled in before started appearing in his Small Universe.
The length of a river determined the strength of the Grand Dao’s power, and it indirectly influenced his achievements in that particular Grand Dao.
According to his classifications of Grand Daos, some of the Grand Daos he had absorbed had now reached the Second Level, Peering Through the Doors.
Different Grand Daos corresponded to different Principles. Yang Kai couldn’t be considered skilful in these Grand Daos, but they had brought about changes to not only himself but also his Small Universe.
He had a feeling that there were some subtle differences in his Small Universe, but the changes were so tiny that even he, as its owner, was unable to sense them clearly.
Perhaps only after he refined even more Grand Dao Rivers would the changes in the Small Universe become conspicuous.
One thing he was certain of was that the changes were beneficial to his Small Universe.
Yang Kai was elated. The Great Sea was probably the biggest treasure trove he had ever chanced upon. In fact, it was a treasure trove of the entire Universe.
He wondered if the sheep-headed Royal Lord had barged into this place and discovered it; however, Black Ink Clansmen and Humans cultivated differently, so even if the Royal Lord had come to realize this place’s worth, there was nothing he could do.
After realizing such benefits, Yang Kai no longer confined himself to the Temporal River.
From time to time, he would go out and absorb other undercurrents before coming back to continue cultivating.
With that said, he bore some risks by doing so. The undercurrents were turbulent and flowed about randomly. If he didn’t act swiftly enough, the Temporal River would leave his detection range and he would be stuck.
Therefore, he would only absorb the undercurrents within reach every time he left. Even so, he benefited greatly from these excursions.
About 250 years later, the second Temporal River was only left with a length of 100 metres.
Just like what Yang Kai had previously done, he transferred the remnants of the Temporal River inside his Small Universe so that he could gradually refine it. Then, he set off on his adventure to look for the next Temporal River, resting in the less violent undercurrents as he traversed this Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
Time passed by slowly.
Initially, Yang Kai kept count of how many years had passed, but gradually, he had lost himself in this kind of unusual cultivation, forgetting the passing of time as he kept looking for more Temporal Rivers.
Every time he absorbed and refined any kind of calm Grand Dao River, it would bring about some changes to his Small Universe, allowing him to gain some understanding of many Grand Daos he had never touched before in his life.
His entire Small Universe was filled with traces of all sorts of Grand Daos now.
In the past, when the Humans in Void Continent cultivated, given enough aptitude, they could easily comprehend the Dao of Space, the Dao of Time, the Spear Dao, or other Grand Daos Yang Kai had dabbled in.
However, as Yang Kai refined more and more Grand Dao Rivers, the cultivators in his Small Universe now found it easier to comprehend even more kinds of Grand Daos.
The entire Void Continent was now a fertile place where cultivators could freely choose from a variety of Grand Daos and focus on the ones that interested them.
In the Void Dao Temple, many bright cultivators had reached the peak and were just one step away from ascending to the Open Heaven Realm.
However, Yang Kai was currently trapped in a place where he couldn’t even guarantee his own life, so he couldn’t release them.
The lengths of the Temporal Rivers in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon varied greatly. Some of them were thousands of metres long while some were as short as hundreds of metres, causing Yang Kai to wonder just how they were formed in the first place.
Of course, longer Temporal Rivers allowed him to stay there and cultivate for a longer time.
As he absorbed even more rivers, Yang Kai acquired some insights on many of the Grand Daos. In fact, he could now be considered something of a Master in quite a few of them.
As more and more resources of different Orders were consumed, the heritage in his Small Universe increased by the day.
It was an extremely long and unusual cultivation session and Yang Kai was fairly certain he was the first person in history who had ever cultivated this way for such a long time.
One day, when Yang Kai was engrossed in cultivating in a Temporal River, he realised there were some unusual changes occurring in his Small Universe.
Shocked, he hurriedly investigated.
As he inspected it, he felt that his Small Universe was going through an indescribable enhancement. The territories were expanding, and the World Force in his Small Universe was becoming more condensed.
The World Tree clone seemed to resonate with the changes in his Small Universe as its leaves rustled noisily and it began to madly refine his World Force.
Trails of light appeared in the sky, but they were not cracks but the manifestations of the Dao Essences of a myriad of different Grand Daos.
Furthermore, some Heavenly Manifestations appeared in different parts of the Void Continent.
The cultivators living on the Void Continent were pleasantly surprised to learn that the entire World seemed to have come alive. The Grand Daos became active, which allowed cultivators to comprehend them with ease. Therefore, many hurriedly entered seclusion to take advantage of this occasion.
Something suddenly dawned on Yang Kai.
[I’m about to break through to the Eighth Order!]
He had observed Xu Ling Gong ascending to the Eighth Order before, and he had learned a lot from that experience; however, his ascension seemed slightly different compared to Xu Ling Gong’s.
Every Open Heaven Realm Master who attempted to make it to the next Order would fall into a perilous situation, for any accident at this moment could cause their Small Universe to rupture and their life to be extinguished, and it was more dangerous the higher one’s Order became.
The Eighth Order was only one Order below the peak, the Ninth Order, so it was by no means a safe endeavour.
Although on the surface, Xu Ling Gong didn’t seem to be at any risk when he achieved his breakthrough back then, the real danger lay in his Small Universe, which others were unable to observe.
Fortunately, his ample heritage helped him get through the crisis and successfully break through.
However, some Open Heaven Realm Masters would face a bottleneck at this point, and before shattering that bottleneck, they wouldn’t be able to achieve a breakthrough.
Back then, it took the Proprietress around 200 years to break through to the Seventh Order.
Another example was Feng Ying who spent some 200 to 300 years trying to ascend to the Eighth Order. It wasn’t until the grand battle against the Black Ink Clan that she reappeared.
Initially, Yang Kai was worried he would face a similar bottleneck, but now it seemed that he had been worried for nothing.
He didn’t face any kind of bottleneck, and with ample heritage in his Small Universe, everything just proceeded smoothly.
Perhaps it had something to do with the World Tree clone, which had been in his Small Universe for hundreds of years now and helped to refine his World Force to an incredible degree. His current World Force was purer than any other Seventh-Order Master’s, and the purer one’s World Force was, the more robust their heritage was. As a result, bottlenecks simply did not exist for Yang Kai.
Yang Kai could even clearly feel that there was no danger to speak of when achieving this ascension. Although there were all kinds of different phenomena in his Small Universe, those were just the manifestations of the Grand Daos he comprehended and the results of his cultivation, which were harmless to his Small Universe.
Everything just took place smoothly.
Yang Kai had been extremely eager to reach the Eighth Order as soon as possible, but when the day finally came, his heart was as tranquil as a clear lake. He wasn’t as surprised or excited as he had imagined he would be.
He had already expected this day to come, and he was confident he would make it to the Eighth Order no matter what. It was just a matter of time before he achieved it.
His Small Universe continued to expand as it was going through an evolution, but he soon ignored the changes and continued refining materials.
On the other hand, the cultivators living in Yang Kai’s Small Universe had benefited greatly from this change. In every corner of the Void Continent, there were cultivators who gathered together as they gained greater understanding of the Grand Daos they cultivated and made breakthroughs in their comprehension.
In the Void Dao Temple, where the essence of the entire continent came together, many youths even managed to condense their own Dao Seals at this moment.
The babies born during this period of time had even more outstanding aptitudes than before.
As the Grand Daos all came alive, it made it easier for the cultivators to grasp them. The expansion of the World also widened the Martial Dao as a whole.
Gradually, all the Heavenly Manifestations disappeared and the visible traces of the Grand Daos’ manifestations vanished. The entire Void Continent returned to calmness.
However, the Emperor Realm Masters could detect that this World was already very different from the past.
For one, it had become vaster.
Cultivators formed into groups and began surveying these new lands, confirming their initial suspicions.
In the past, there was a World Barrier that they couldn’t move past, but now that barrier was gone and many more territories had appeared.
These territories were fertile, but there weren’t any living beings in them.
When the Sects got wind of this, they sent out their Masters who led many disciples to occupy these virgin lands.
Yang Kai had only placed a small number of people in his Small Universe back then, about 10 million or so.
However, the environment in the Small Universe was filled with vitality, making it a paradise where cultivators could thrive. Moreover, there were no major wars or disputes, only some minor conflicts between the various Sects.
With the Void Dao Temple’s appearance, even these conflicts also gradually vanished.
With such a peaceful environment, the number of people in his Small Universe swelled over the millennia.
As the population increased, there was a greater need for land. In the past, those from the Void Dao Temple were worried that if this went on, the entire Void Continent wouldn’t be able to accommodate the increasing population within a few thousand years.
Now though, that problem was solved.
The land mass of Void Continent had expanded by five times at the very least, so even if the rate of population growth continued as it was, there was no need to worry about not having enough living space for several tens of thousands of years.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai was oblivious to all of this because he was pondering on another issue.
Now that he was in the Eighth Order, could his power continue to increase?
Back then, he was forced to ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so theoretically, his limit was the Seventh-Order.
However, after he consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit, his limit became the Eighth Order.
With him being in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm now, was there any future for him?
There were quite a number of Human cultivators whose limit was the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Many of the Eighth-Order Division Commanders had directly ascended to the Sixth Order back then. In other words, the Eighth Order was the best they could achieve in their lifetimes.
Yang Kai had asked the Eighth-Order Masters about it in the past, and he was told that after they ascended to the Eighth-Order, they could faintly feel a layer of restraint covering their Small Universes. It was this invisible restriction that confined them to the Eighth Order. Regardless of how hard they cultivated, they could never break through to the Ninth Order.
If they forcefully tried to break that restraint, they would risk their Small Universes exploding, ending their lives.
As such, it wasn’t that the Eighth-Order Masters didn’t want to keep improving themselves, but rather that their Small Universes were unable to bear greater power.
Now, Yang Kai was also an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master himself, and just like what the Division Commanders had told him, he could feel an invisible shackle on his Small Universe.
This kind of restraint was weak and barely perceptible at the moment; however, as he strengthened his power as an Eighth-Order Master, this kind of restraint would grow stronger to the point where he would be stopped from advancing further.
As he recalled his decision of ascending to the Fifth Order back then, Yang Kai did not feel regretful. At that time, under the lead of Ti Zheng, a Seventh-Order Master from Myriad Demons Heaven, several Masters stopped him from attempting to directly ascend to the Seventh-Order. This had nothing to do with personal grudges as they were just trying to prevent a potential crisis. That was because there was such a catastrophe that took place in the 3,000 Worlds in the past that made the Cave Heavens and Paradises grow distrustful of those who ascended directly to the Seventh Order who were not supervised by them directly.
At that time, if Yang Kai hadn’t ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, he wouldn’t have been able to enter the Shadowless Cave Heaven and save the Proprietress.
After pulling himself together, he continued refining the materials to strengthen his heritage.
He was still a newly promoted Eighth-Order Master, so there was some road ahead of him yet. However, once he reached the peak of the Eighth Order, that would be his limit.
There might be some ways in the Universe that would allow one to shatter the restraint on his Small Universe. At the very least, the Innate Open Heaven Pills that were born in the Universe Furnace were one way to go about it; therefore, Yang Kai wasn’t worried about it. In the future, he could go looking for the Universe Furnace so that he would have a chance to make it to the Ninth Order.
Unfortunately, those that he got from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven did not seem to have any effect on shattering the restraint on his Small Universe. Maybe it was the age of the Pills. Or maybe, there was some other reason. Regardless, Yang Kai remained hopeful that his hope lay in the Universe Furnace.
Time continued to go by slowly as he repeatedly set off on journeys to look for more Temporal Rivers. It was a rare chance, so it would be a shame if he missed it.
When looking for the next Temporal River or cultivating, he would seize the chance to refine even more Grand Dao Rivers.
Finally, there came a day when he finished refining a set of materials in a Temporal River that was still 3,000 metres long, but when he was ready to fish out another set, he realised that he no longer had complete sets of materials.
Also, added ‘Unfortunately, those that he got from the Blood Monster Cave Heaven did not seem to have any effect on shattering the restraint on his Small Universe. Maybe it was the age of the Pills. Or maybe, there was some other reason. Regardless, Yang Kai remained hopeful that his hope lay in the Universe Furnace.’
Initially, Yang Kai had a massive amount of resources.
Before he left the 3,000 Worlds for the Black Ink Battlefield back then, he had made some preparations by bringing many materials of all different Elements with him.
Over the years, he had acquired even more resources on the Black Ink Battlefield, especially when he raised chaos in the Black Ink Clan’s territory and robbed many of their cities.
Every Black Ink Clan Master’s territory had a large number of shops where there were innumerable resources for sale.
Therefore, Yang Kai had never worried about not having enough cultivation resources. When Cang asked for some resources to restore his strength, Yang Kai gave him some without hesitation.
Now, he still had a lot of materials, but those were all of the Five Elements. He no longer had any Yin or Yang Element materials with him, including the Yellow and Blue Crystals he had acquired from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
Among the different sorts of materials, Yin and Yang Attribute resources were the hardest to come by. In the 3,000 Worlds, higher Order Yin and Yang Element materials were considered strategic reserves even in the Cave Heavens and Paradises. They wouldn’t use them unless they absolutely had to.
The situation was slightly better on the Black Ink Battlefield, but all in all, Yin and Yang Element materials were still much rarer than materials of the Five Elements.
Without a complete set of materials, he couldn’t continue cultivating.
He regretted using too many Yellow and Blue Crystals to block the Royal Lord’s aura back then. Every time he used Instantaneous Movement, he had to release potent Purifying Light to block the Royal Lord’s aura, and after years of running away, he had consumed a lot of those crystals.
However, it wasn’t like he had a choice. If he didn’t use Purifying Light, he would’ve been killed.
Even though he had a lot of Open Heaven Pills, consuming them to cultivate was extremely slow in comparison. Moreover, he had been staying in this Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon for far too long, so he intended to leave.
This cultivation session should come to an end.
After making some quick calculations, Yang Kai realised he had spent 4,000 years in the Temporal Rivers. It only took him around 2,000 years to make it to the Eighth-Order, while he spent the next 2,000 years cultivating, which allowed him to establish himself in the Eighth-Order.
Just like that, 4,000 years had passed.
With that said, a significantly shorter amount of time had passed in the outside world. As the flow of time in every Temporal River was different, and Yang Kai wasn’t aware of the exact ratio compared to the outside world, so he was unable to calculate how much time had really passed by in the rest of the Universe.
However, he knew he had spent about 100 years outside of the Temporal Rivers, so taking some rough estimates, he guessed that somewhere between 400 and 500 years had passed in the outside world.
[How is the war between the two Races?] It wasn’t until this moment that he thought about this matter.
After such a long cultivation session, Yang Kai had almost forgotten everything about the outside world. All of a sudden, he recalled that the very reason he even barged into the Great Sea was that he was chased after by the sheep headed Royal Lord.
He hadn’t seen the Royal Lord after such a long time, so he wondered if the other party had entered the Great Sea as well, or if he was even still alive.
Yang Kai shook his head to push the thought to the back of his mind. To him, the most important thing now was to leave here as soon as possible.
When he had ample resources, he had forgotten about the passing of time in the Great Sea. Now that he didn’t have sufficient resources, it was pointless for him to keep staying here.
Nevertheless, leaving this place wasn’t so easy. There were countless undercurrents in the Great Sea that intertwined with each other, so it was hard for him to identify any kind of direction.
Having said that, Yang Kai believed that where there was a will, there was a way.
He summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and opened up a portal to his Small Universe before absorbing the 3,000 metres long Temporal River. Then, he charged towards the undercurrent nearest to him.
Unlike when he first plunged into the Great Sea, he was no longer flustered. Over the years, he had moved across the Great Sea countless times to look for more Temporal and Grand Dao Rivers, so he had learned some tricks to deal with these undercurrents.
Every undercurrent had evolved from a Grand Dao, which formed a Martial Domain. Yang Kai had never dabbled in many of those Grand Daos, so it was hard for him to react accordingly.
Now, he had devoured quite a lot of Grand Dao Rivers, including some of the Grand Dao of Space, which helped improve his mastery over the Dao of Space. By this point, it could be said that he had some basic achievements in most of the Grand Daos in the Universe, though his level of mastery in them varied greatly.
When he was particularly skilled in a certain Grand Dao, he would have it easier in the corresponding undercurrent.
For example, Yang Kai had come across several Space Dao Rivers which were full of Space Dao Essence and Void Cracks that moved about randomly. Most people would find such an environment to be a death trap. Even Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords would find it hard to survive once they landed in such a river.
However, Yang Kai was able to traverse the Space Dao Rivers like he was strolling across a flat meadow. He just had to use his Space Principles to resonate with the currents in the river so he could ride along with it without being harmed.
After absorbing such rivers in the past, he realised his mastery over the Dao of Space had still improved, and when he came across another Space Dao River, it became easier for him to deal with it.
It was a virtuous cycle.
Now, Yang Kai wasn’t skillful in all the Grand Daos, but as long as he knew a thing or two about them, he could make use of his comprehension to ward off some of the dangers in the undercurrents. If the rivers were cohesive enough, he could even refine part of them and enhance his mastery of those Grand Daos.
Therefore, despite knowing that it would be easy to leave, Yang Kai wasn’t worried he wouldn’t be able to achieve it.
Given enough time, he could absorb and refine all the undercurrents in the Great Sea, and without these undercurrents, the Great Sea would simply cease to exist.
This would be an enormously strenuous task as just based on his observations so far, the Great Sea was so vast that it would take him several tens of thousands of years to achieve this on his own.
His experience of absorbing the undercurrents this time was different from the previous ones.
Back then, Yang Kai primarily focused on looking for Temporal Rivers to improve his cultivation while absorbing undercurrents was something he did when looking for the next Temporal River or to break up the monotony of cultivating.
However, as he focused on taking in undercurrents now, his efficiency was far higher.
This caused his Small Universe to be filled with Grand Dao Rivers that he hadn’t managed to refine. These rivers contained all sorts of abstrusities as they clashed in the Small Universe, causing some unusual phenomena.
When it became too much, Yang Kai had to look for tranquil undercurrents to refine the remnants of the rivers, and only after they were fully refined would he continue with his journey.
As he absorbed the Grand Dao Rivers, his mastery over various Grand Daos improved rapidly. He had also managed to raise his Spear Dao to the Seventh Level of Mastery.
His Mastery of the Sword Dao, which he hadn’t even properly studied before, reached the Fifth Level, Attaining Mastery Through Comprehensive Understanding.
Reaching the Fifth Level in this Grand Dao didn’t do much to add to his strength, but it was enough for Yang Kai to now be considered a Great Master in the Sword Dao.
Of course, that was just the level of Mastery he had achieved in a theoretical sense and he still wasn’t comparable to those who reached the same level through their own hard work and comprehension.
Regardless, that was none of Yang Kai’s concern as he just wanted to make use of the advancements in the Grand Daos to help him get out of this Great Sea.
Furthermore, it would take one a long time and much effort to reach the Fifth Level of Mastery in any Grand Dao, but Yang Kai only had to refine a number of Sword Dao Rivers to achieve that.
As more and more Grand Dao Rivers were extracted by Yang Kai, he found it easier and easier to traverse the undercurrents in the Great Sea.
Having said that, there was one point that made him torn between tears and laughter.
Back then, he was eager to cultivate and make it to the Eighth-Order as soon as possible, so he always exerted himself to seek out Temporal Rivers, but only found one every 10 years on average.
Now that he no longer needed Temporal Rivers to cultivate though, he chanced upon them quite frequently.
After absorbing a couple dozen Temporal Rivers of different lengths, he suddenly felt that the flow of time in his Small Universe changed once again.
In the past, the flow of time in his Small Universe was five times faster than the outside world, but at this moment, the ratio had increased significantly.
After some quick calculations, Yang Kai realised that the flow of time in his Small Universe was now about seven times faster than in the outside world.
In the meantime, he had acquired some new insights on the Dao of Time. His Dragon Vein throbbed as his Dragon Pressure spread out wantonly.
He had achieved a breakthrough in the Dao of Time!
When he visited the No-Return Pass several hundred years ago and cultivated inside the Dragon Pool, his Mastery of the Dao of Time had improved tremendously, reaching the Seventh Level.
Now, after he absorbed a few dozen Temporal Rivers, he directly broke through to the Eighth Level, bringing it to the same level as his comprehension of the Dao of Space.
With that said, Yang Kai had a feeling that he wasn’t far from achieving another breakthrough in his Dao of Space. The prerequisite was that there were enough Space Dao Rivers in this Great Sea for him to absorb and refine.
The realization made him feel ecstatic.
As he examined the changes in his Small Universe, he continued to move across the undercurrents.
…..
In the periphery of the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, there were a lot of dead Universe Worlds where Black Ink Nests had been planted, with one of them being especially huge as it belonged to a Royal Lord.
There seemed to be a powerful aura hiding in this Black Ink Nest.
About 500 years ago, the sheep headed Royal Lord arrived at this place and saw Yang Kai dive into this vast Celestial Phenomenon. After entering it himself to inspect the situation, the Royal Lord realised the Great Sea was full of danger, so he had no choice but to withdraw.
At that time, he was badly injured, and if he insisted on chasing after Yang Kai, forget about finding the latter, he might even lose his life.
Therefore, the sheep headed Royal Lord dragged a dead Universe World to this place from the void and planted his Black Ink Nest. By doing this, he could monitor the Great Sea so that he could immediately capture Yang Kai should the latter manage to somehow survive and escape. Secondly, he had to recuperate.
Now that 500 years had passed, his Black Ink Nest wasn’t the only Black Ink Nest in the periphery of the Great Sea. There were about several hundred Low-Rank Black Ink Nests.
With that said, there were no Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests yet; after all, it would consume a vast amount of energy to nurture Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests, and the Royal Lord didn’t have the intention of having his own Territory Lords yet. The reason he even nurtured other Black Ink Clansmen was to help him monitor the Great Sea.
Several hundred Low-Rank Black Ink Nests were scattered around the Great Sea with only a short distance between them while almost 10 million Black Ink Clansmen had been spawned from these Black Ink Nests.
The resources in the nearby void had been fully extracted and sent to the Black Ink Nests to help nurture more and more Black Ink Clansmen.
Now, most of these Black Ink Clansmen were posted around the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, so if Yang Kai really managed to emerge, they would immediately discover him.
At this moment, a Feudal Lord was staring at the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon in front of him with a frown, sporting a doubtful expression.
He had a feeling that the Great Sea had changed somehow over the years. It seemed to have become smaller; however, the change was so gradual and minute that he wasn’t sure.
Then, he turned to look at the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest and hesitated about whether he should report this matter.
The Royal Lord was still recuperating, and although 500 years had passed, he still hadn’t fully recovered. If this Feudal Lord bothered him with a trivial matter, he was worried he would be punished.
[Perhaps I’m imagining things!]
The Feudal Lord shook his head. He had many companions who had been keeping an eye on this Great Sea as well, so if the Great Sea had really become smaller, the others would have noticed it.
Since none of them had detected it, the Feudal Lord believed that he must be overly worried.
While he was lost in his thoughts though, there was suddenly an anomaly in the Great Sea. With a start, he looked towards it intently.
He had been in this place for 300 years, but he had never seen any movement in the Great Sea, as though it was completely dead. It was odd that there were some ripples on this day.
Before he could see clearly what was happening, a figure bolted out of the Great Sea with a spear in hand. The person seemed to be fighting against an invisible enemy as his murderous intent surged and his World Force undulated.
When the person appeared, he happened to meet eyes with this Feudal Lord.
Both of them were startled, but the Feudal Lord soon came to his senses as he hurriedly retreated and howled to alert the others.
The Human that the Royal Lord had been waiting for had finally appeared!
Although the Feudal Lord had never seen Yang Kai before, he knew this was the target the Royal Lord had been looking for the moment the Human appeared.
Following the howl, the Azure Dragon Spear stabbed into the Feudal Lord’s mouth. As World Force burst forth, the Feudal Lord’s head exploded.
[Why is there a Feudal Lord here?] Yang Kai frowned. As he looked up, his doubt intensified because there was a Low-Rank Black Ink Nest on a Universe Fragment nearby. There were also quite a lot of Black Ink Clansmen wandering around this Universe Fragment.
Sweeping his eyes around, Yang Kai realized there were even more Black Ink Clansmen in the void that scattered around the Great Sea, as though they were monitoring something.
After giving it some thought, he realised what was going on.
[That Royal Lord sure is clever. I suppose he has been waiting for me to come out all this time. He must have had his own Black Ink Nest; otherwise, he couldn’t have nurtured so many Black Ink Clansmen. As soon as I left the Great Sea, regardless of direction, he’d immediately find out about it.]
It seemed that the Royal Lord never entered the Great Sea and instead was recuperating in the periphery over the years. But, how many years had Yang Kai been inside the Great Sea? Since the day he decided to leave the Great Sea, he had spent 200 years looking for a way out. During that period of time, he had simply been dragged around the undercurrents with no way to identify which direction he was headed.
Yang Kai almost lost hope after spending 200 years looking for a way out. Fortunately, his efforts had ultimately not been in vain.
Before he could ponder on this matter, a powerful aura awakened from a Universe World in the distance. Following that, he saw a burly figure shooting towards him like a meteor. Before the figure even arrived, he was engulfed in the familiar Royal Lord’s pressure.
[He’s quite quick!] Yang Kai knew that the Feudal Lords nearby must have informed the Royal Lord about his appearance through the Black Ink Nests.
The Feudal Lords in the void also started charging towards Yang Kai in an attempt to hold him down.
Yang Kai gripped his Azure Dragon Spear and grinned. Then, he dashed towards the Royal Lord, and everywhere he passed, all the Black Ink Clansmen exploded into blood mist.
In the void, the Royal Lord was startled as he wondered, [Why isn’t he running away?]
He initially thought that Yang Kai would immediately flee after leaving the Great Sea. Although this Human was weak, his skill at escaping was phenomenal.
Therefore, the moment he received the news from his subordinates, the Royal Lord dashed out of his Black Ink Nest as he was worried that Yang Kai would escape. To his surprise though, instead of running away, the Human came right at him.
What gave this Human brat such confidence? Had he forgotten about how battered he was while being chased by him 500 years ago?
Soon, however, the Royal Lord realised where the Human’s confidence came from.
As they got closer to each other, the Human’s aura surged and soon exceeded the limits of the Seventh Order before reaching the Eighth Order.
[He’s now in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm!] The Royal Lord was startled. [He broke through!? This damned Great Sea is full of deadly danger. Back then, I couldn’t even stay inside for long. It would be considered lucky for this boy to have just survived, so how did he even manage to achieve a breakthrough? Did he come across some kind of astonishing opportunity inside the Great Sea?]
The Royal Lord’s expression darkened, [So what if he’s made it to the Eighth Order? I’m a Royal Lord!]
In the past, he was unable to kill the Human because he was horribly injured, so he couldn’t fully use his strength; however, after 500 years of recuperation, his wounds had mostly healed. Although he still wasn’t in peak condition, he was already much better than 500 years ago.
Even if there were five Eighth-Order Humans in front of him, he could easily deal with them, not to mention that Yang Kai was on his own.
The only worry the Royal Lord had was about Yang Kai running; as long as the latter didn’t try to escape, everything was fine!
As the two figures charged towards each other, the distance between them shortened rapidly. Their powerful auras clashed, and before they even exchanged moves, the void had started warping.
Suddenly, the Royal Lord lost sight of Yang Kai. The next instant, he was engulfed in a powerful sense of murderous intent and innumerable spear shadows.
At this moment, Yang Kai wielded his spear as he showcased the skills he had acquired in the Great Sea. With his own Spear Dao as the foundation, he weaved the Grand Daos of Luck, Yin, Yang, Life, Death, Five Elements, Karma, Murder, Bloodlust and many others together.
The power of his spear made the entire universe tremble. Even if there was a Territory Lord in front of him, he had the confidence to destroy him with this move. It was the strongest spear attack he had ever unleashed.
Faced with this exquisite series of attacks, the Royal Lord responded with pure brute force. Circulating his Black Ink Strength madly, he forcefully pushed out his fist.
The next instant, Yang Kai was sent flying away while he sprayed out a mouthful of Golden Blood.
Overwhelming power triumphed over 10,000 skills!
Although Yang Kai had acquired much in the Great Sea and comprehended numerous different Grand Daos, it still couldn’t make up for the huge discrepancy between their raw powers.
He hurriedly stabilised himself, but instead of feeling downcast, Yang Kai was thrilled. That was because he realised he was able to compete against a Royal Lord.
Before he entered the Great Sea, he couldn’t have imagined battling against a Royal Lord as the other party only needed to land a single punch to end his life.
But now, despite still looking battered, Yang Kai had managed to trade blows with a Royal Lord.
His breakthrough to the Eighth-Order and the assimilation of many different Grand Daos had improved his strength tremendously. Yang Kai was no longer the frail Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master he used to be.
The Royal Lord was also flabbergasted. After striking Yang Kai with that punch, he didn’t rush to pursue him and instead looked down intently at his fist.
All kinds of indescribable powers swirled around his fist and they also lingered in the void where they clashed. Those powers were inscrutable, as though they had something to do with the very foundation of energy and existence themselves, something he could not understand in the slightest.
But soon, he cast those distracting thoughts away and glared at Yang Kai, murderous intent burning in his eyes.
Some 500 years ago, this Human escaped from him by diving into the Great Sea, but after emerging, he had become significantly more powerful. The Royal Lord knew he could not let such a Human escape again; otherwise, many Black Ink Clansmen would die at his hands in the future. Therefore, he was determined to kill Yang Kai regardless of what it took.
On the other hand, Yang Kai had also decided to purge this Royal Lord at all costs.
It wasn’t that he was overly confident in himself because of the increase in his strength, but rather that he knew the secrets of this Great Sea and couldn’t afford to let this Royal Lord live.
There was no denying that the Great Sea was a massive treasure trove. Although he had been trapped inside for many years, Yang Kai had benefited enormously from the experience. Such a Celestial Phenomenon was hugely beneficial to all Humans, not just him.
Perhaps he could come back in the future and cultivate here again. As such, he couldn’t let the secrets of this place be leaked out.
If he allowed the Royal Lord to live, after witnessing Yang Kai’s massive growth in strength, the latter would surely dive into the Great Sea and possibly discover its secrets.
The Grand Daos in the undercurrents were useless to the Black Ink Clan, but they were beneficial to Black Ink Disciples.
They just had to bring some Black Ink Disciples with them to reap all the benefits of this Celestial Phenomenon.
To prevent such a thing from happening, Yang Kai had to kill this Royal Lord.
Moreover, it was obvious that this Royal Lord wouldn’t let him flee either. He had been waiting in this place for hundreds of years, so now that his enemy had appeared, there was no way he would let him off.
Today, either this Royal Lord died, or Yang Kai would perish!
It just so happened that both of them were determined to destroy each other. In the next instant, Yang Kai disappeared from the spot while the Royal Lord surged his Black Ink Strength and flapped his wings.
Following that, Yang Kai abruptly appeared behind the Royal Lord and thrust out his spear.
As though there was an eye on the Royal Lord’s back, he swung his hand out, his palm seemingly able to suppress the Heavens and the Earth.
Nevertheless, he realised he couldn’t grasp his target. Yang Kai’s afterimage dissipated in his hand while the true body reappeared on his left.
Having expected this though, the Royal Lord directly pushed out his fist. The moment Yang Kai appeared, it was as though he chose to crash into the opponent’s attack.
They had exchanged over 100 moves in an instant, but they weren’t going all out yet.
Yang Kai’s afterimages scattered around the void, as though there were dozens of him appearing at the same time. Before an afterimage dissipated, a new one had appeared.
As he repeatedly thrust out his spear, Yang Kai channeled all sorts of Grand Daos into his attacks and soon there seemed to be a web of Grand Daos that engulfed the Royal Lord.
Unperturbed, the Royal Lord reacted accordingly. He knew that this Human was a Master of the Dao of Space, so despite being the stronger one, he couldn’t allow the other party to dictate the flow of this battle; otherwise, he might be the one defeated.
As he was not as skillful as this Human, all the Royal Lord could rely on was his immense power. As long as he found a chance, he could kill the other party with a single blow.
At that instant, the battle appeared quite lopsided.
One party repeatedly cast flashy attacks as he activated different sorts of Grand Daos through his spear while the other seemed clumsy but unfazed as every move he made exuded immense pressure.
Not long after the intense battle started, both Yang Kai and the sheep-headed Royal Lord felt their hearts sinking as they sported solemn expressions.
For Yang Kai, even though his strength had increased by several times, he was still no match for the other party.
Although there was only a difference of one Order between them, it was the biggest gap to cross.
When Yang Kai was a Fifth-Order Master, he could kill a Sixth-Order Master. When he was a Sixth-Order Master, he could kill a Seventh-Order Master. When he was a Seventh-Order Master, he could kill a Territory Lord; however, as an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, he realized he had no hope of killing a Ninth-Order Master with his own strength alone.
A Royal Lord’s power was equivalent to that of a Ninth-Order Master.
He could even clearly feel that the Royal Lord still hadn’t fully recovered. In other words, the other party wasn’t in peak condition, yet he still wasn’t a match.
[Damn it! If this drags on, I’ll fall into an unfavourable position; however, if I don’t kill this Royal Lord, I can’t keep the secrets of the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon safe.]
While this was giving Yang Kai a headache, the Royal Lord was equally frustrated.
The Human across from him was significantly more powerful than he was 500 years ago. Although they hadn’t been fighting for long, the Royal Lord came to realise that it wouldn’t be easy for him to kill this opponent.
There was no doubt this Human still wasn’t a match for him, but he already had the power to oppose him.
Other powerful Eighth-Order Human Masters could also probably deal with him for a time, but the Royal Lord was confident he could kill such enemies sooner or later. However, Yang Kai was different. This guy was a Master of the Dao of Space and the Royal Lord vividly remembered being unable to capture him despite having pursued him for years 500 years ago.
If nothing changed in their current battle, Yang Kai would probably flee.
[I can’t give him a chance to run; otherwise, I’ll never find out what Cang gave him. Cang’s trump card must be of critical importance and must be controlled by us!]
Both of them had different thoughts in their minds, but at that moment, they decided they needed to go all in to defeat the other party at the same time.
The next moment, Yang Kai suddenly leaped away from the Royal Lord, widening the gap between them. He initially thought that the Royal Lord would stop him, but instead, the Royal Lord just let him go.
Despite his puzzlement, Yang Kai didn’t have time to ponder on the issue as he dropped the Azure Dragon Spear and began rapidly forming a set of hand seals.
A Golden Crow cawed as a Great Sun leaped into existence. Following that, a cold Full Moon rose from behind him as it cast its glow onto the void. The Sun and Moon appeared at the same time, forming a wondrous vision.
The moment the Sun and Moon manifested, they began orbiting around Yang Kai, affecting both space and time in the surrounding region.
Time Principles spread out, while Space Principles undulated and intertwined with them, forming an entirely new kind of strength.
Sun and Moon Divine Wheel!
This was the most powerful trump card Yang Kai could bring out besides his Dragon Bead.
It was also the Divine Ability he had invented through his own comprehension. Activating it was not difficult, but the prerequisites to cast it were extraordinarily difficult, such that only Yang Kai was capable of it as it was formed from the resonance of his two strongest Grand Daos. Therefore, this Divine Ability displayed an extraordinary might when he used it.
He was unable to use his Dragon Bead casually, so to deal with this Royal Lord, Yang Kai could only rely on his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
If this move wasn’t even useful, he would have no choice but to retreat before trying to come up with another way to kill the Royal Lord.
The instant Yang Kai cast his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, the Royal Lord also looked up and glared at him.
His dark eyes seemed to have turned into a bottomless abyss as though they could devour Yang Kai. His obsidian eyes reflected Yang Kai’s figure, which was engulfed in endless Black Ink Strength. It was as if he was burning with a dark flame.
Royal Lord Secret Technique!
At that instant, both Yang Kai and the Royal Lord brought out their most lethal moves in an attempt to defeat the other party. It could be said that they had made the same judgement in this situation and acted decisively on it.
Yang Kai was startled as he was quite familiar with the Royal Lord Secret Technique.
For the Black Ink Clansmen below the Royal Lords, if they wanted to corrupt a Human, they just had to release their Black Ink Strength to invade that Human’s body and Small Universe. If that Human couldn’t resist, they would be turned into a Black Ink Disciple.
Royal Lords could naturally do the same, but they also had a better and more efficient method, which was known to the Humans as the Royal Lord Secret Technique.
It was well known among the Humans that when a Royal Lord activated the Royal Lord Secret Technique, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master couldn’t resist it, instantly turning them into a Black Ink Disciple.
This was one of the reasons the Eighth-Order Masters didn’t interfere carelessly when a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor battled a Royal Lord. A Ninth-Order Master could fend off the Royal Lord Secret Technique, but those in the Eighth-Order couldn’t. Once they were struck by the Royal Lord Secret Technique during an intense battle, the Humans were bound to suffer immense losses.
To deal with a Royal Lord, a Ninth-Order Master had to personally make a move.
The Humans had been studying the secrets behind the Royal Lord Secret Technique for years, but they hadn’t found out anything useful yet, mainly because no Royal Lord would easily activate the Royal Lord Secret Technique.
Without a target they could study or examples they could learn from, the Humans obviously couldn’t gather any useful information.
With that said, the high-ranking officers had speculated that the Royal Lord Secret Technique might be a kind of Innate Divine Ability that was exclusive to the Black Ink Clan. Only Royal Lords were able to use this Innate Divine Ability, and it was most likely a kind of attack that directly affected one’s Soul.
Certainly, Yang Kai had heard of such information and even experienced it for himself twice in the past, but he was too weak back then to really understand what was happening. Now, having reached the Eighth-Order and possessing incredible Soul cultivation, he was finally able to realize that the Royal Lord Secret Technique wasn’t purely a Soul Technique, but rather a combination of one with an Eye Secret Technique.
When the Royal Lord activated the Royal Lord Secret Technique, Yang Kai could clearly see his own reflection in the other party’s eyes.
The figure was engulfed in thick Black Ink Strength, as though he had really turned into a Black Ink Disciple.
At the same time, Yang Kai was indeed covered in Black Ink Strength in reality. The Black Ink Strength was pure, and it was as though it had appeared out of nowhere. At the very least, Yang Kai didn’t see his opponent releasing this Black Ink Strength.
The thick and pure Black Ink Strength soon penetrated his physique, and despite his best efforts, Yang Kai was unable to resist its invasion.
This kind of corrosion was harmless to his body, but the Royal Lord Secret Technique was never meant to be lethal.
The pure and dense Black Ink Strength invaded Yang Kai’s Small Universe in the blink of an eye, but unlike what would normally happen, the Black Ink Strength just sputtered, like a stone dropping into an ocean.
Any other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have been turned into a Black Ink Disciple and been enslaved to the Royal Lord by now; however, Yang Kai’s Small Universe had the protection of a World Tree clone. He had even planted a Low-Rank Black Ink Nest in his Small Universe many years ago to nurture some low-level Black Ink Clansmen to use as training tools for the disciples of the Void Dao Temple.
A massive amount of Black Ink Strength had already been suppressed and sealed in his Small Universe; therefore, Yang Kai was truly not afraid of its corrosion anymore.
Cang once told him that the World Tree clone might not be able to fend off the Black Ink Strength from Mo itself, for he was the source of all Black Ink Strength, but although the sheep-headed Royal Lord was also powerful, he was orders of magnitude weaker than Mo. As such, he could never break through the World Tree clone’s protection.
Suddenly, Yang Kai realised that the Royal Lord’s aura had plunged tremendously after he cast the Royal Lord Secret Technique.
At that instant, Yang Kai recalled the reason why the Royal Lords wouldn’t use the Royal Lord Secret Technique unless it was absolutely necessary to do so.
That was because there was a price to pay if they wanted to use it.
This Secret Technique was extremely powerful, and it was silent when it was cast. As such, the Eighth-Order Masters could not hope to defend themselves from it. If the Royal Lords could repeatedly cast it without any restraints, the Black Ink Clan would just have to send a Royal Lord to wander around the battlefield to turn all the Eighth-Order Masters into Black Ink Disciples. Once that happened, the Human Race would be doomed.
However, since there was clearly a big price to pay, the Royal Lords wouldn’t use the Royal Lord Secret Technique as they pleased lest the Ninth-Order Masters seize the chance and kill them.
Obviously, the life of a Royal Lord was far more important than a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Upon that realization, Yang Kai started grinning. He was still engulfed in Black Ink Strength, making him look extremely evil.
He was initially worried that his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel might not be powerful enough to deal with this Royal Lord; nevertheless, the latter had been significantly weakened after he activated the Royal Lord Secret Technique. As such, the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel would probably be quite deadly to him.
Just as Yang Kai was affected by the Royal Lord Secret Technique and his entire figure was covered in Black Ink Strength, the power of the swirling Sun and Moon reached the Royal Lord.
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened as he was secretly thrilled.
It wasn’t the first time he used the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel. In fact, he had cast this Divine Ability many times back then to deal with opponents who were more powerful than he was; however, the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel had never been more powerful than it was now. It was to the point where even Yang Kai felt the Divine Ability was unusually powerful on this day.
There was no denying it had something to do with his advancement in the Dao of Time; however, he reckoned the biggest reason was that he had reached a form of equilibrium.
In the past, his mastery over the Dao of Space had always been greater than his mastery over the Dao of Time.
Before he headed to the No-Return Pass, his mastery over the Dao of Space had already reached the Eighth Level while his mastery over the Dao of Time was only on the Sixth Level.
After the training in the Dragon Pool, the power of his Dragon Vein increased tremendously, which resulted in his mastery over the Dao of Time reaching the Seventh Level.
When he was cultivating in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai managed to absorb and refine several dozen Temporal Rivers, thus pushing his Dao of Time to the Eighth Level, which was on the same level as his Dao of Space.
In the past, when he activated his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, Yang Kai realised that there was an imbalance between the Space Principles and Time Principles that composed the attack. This kind of imbalance stopped the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel from unleashing its full potential.
He had speculated that once both of his Grand Daos reached a state of balance, he would see a significant increase in the power of his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel. Now, it seemed that his speculation was right.
As the powers of both Grand Daos intertwined, they showcased an entirely new Space-Time Strength, which seemed to resonate with the Universe itself. The instant the Royal Lord cast the Royal Lord Secret Technique, his expression changed drastically.
His aura was frail at this moment, and faced with the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, he couldn’t help feeling that his life was at risk.
The Royal Lord madly surged his Black Ink Strength in an attempt to drive it off; however, affected by the strange Space-Time Strength, his mind and movements became sluggish. Before he could come to his senses, the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel had already struck his figure.
An invisible impact then spread across the void. The Sun and Moon exploded and formed into a massive sphere of light.
At that instant, time and space seemed to have fallen into a chaotic state. Even Yang Kai, the one who cast this Divine Ability, felt that everything seemed to have turned upside down.
At that moment, Yang Kai widened his eyes and looked fixedly at the light sphere. Although tears started sliding down his cheeks in response to the dazzling light, he still didn’t close his eyes.
That was because he was seeing something inconceivable. There seemed to be some images flashing across the light sphere.
In the images, he saw a vague figure that was engulfed in Black Ink Strength with a big head in his hand. Black blood was seen spilling from the head and countless Black Ink Clansmen surrounded the figure as though they were worshipping him.
Before he could see anything clearly though, the images had disappeared, and the images he saw next were even more stunning.
Thriving Stars and Universe Worlds filled with vitality were shrouded in Black Ink Strength as they soon turned into barren wastelands void of any life. These images soon disappeared as well.
Then, he saw a humongous tree that appeared to be sick. The leaves had withered, and even the fruits on the tree were shrivelled. They appeared so wrinkled as though they had been exposed to Sunlight for years on end.
Strange images continued to flicker through the light sphere but they all disappeared before Yang Kai could look into them. As such, he couldn’t take in the details.
In just a moment, over 100 scenes had flashed past the light sphere, which was soon replaced by darkness as though there was no longer any light in the Universe.
Yang Kai fell into a dazed state. [What were those images?]
He had activated the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel before, but he had never seen such a strange phenomenon.
The light sphere had disappeared before he could figure anything out. Engulfed in the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, the sheep-headed Royal Lord was soaked in black blood, and his face had been transformed by horror. His aura had already turned weak after he used the Royal Lord Secret Technique, and it now seemed even more frail.
He had seen the images at the same time as Yang Kai; however, even Yang Kai had no idea what those things were, so how was he supposed to know? Moreover, he wasn’t in the mood to ponder on it.
The power of the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel had exceeded Yang Kai’s expectations and had also gone beyond the Royal Lord’s imagination. The amazing Space-Time Strength was now corroding the Royal Lord’s mind and body, making him suffer indescribable pain; however, he still felt confident that the dust had settled.
No Human could resist the Royal Lord Secret Technique, or at least the Royal Lord thought so, as the next instant, his expression changed drastically, for Yang Kai, who was covered in Black Ink Strength, suddenly grinned mockingly at him.
[Four Universe Pillars!] These words sprang into the Royal Lord’s mind in an instant.
The Royal Lord Secret Technique wasn’t without its archnemeses. The Four Universe Pillars could block the Royal Lord Secret Technique, ensuring that the Humans who possessed one of them wouldn’t be corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
However, as far as the Royal Lord knew, precious treasures like the Four Universe Pillars were extremely rare throughout the entire Universe; therefore, only a small number of Humans would possess one.
The Royal Lord had never expected that the Human he had been hunting down had one as well.
He had heard that precious treasures like the Four Universe Pillars were always owned by the strongest Eighth-Order Masters. This Human was only in the Seventh Order 500 years ago, so why did he have one of the Four Universe Pillars as well?
At that instant, the Royal Lord deeply regretted activating the Royal Lord Secret Technique, which caused him to be weakened; otherwise, he would have been able to deal with the opponent’s strange Divine Ability.
He was already weakened to begin with, and he was subsequently struck by the opponent’s Divine Ability, which exacerbated his condition.
Realising he was in a dangerous situation, the Royal Lord’s figure shook as he used a Secret Technique. At the same time, the Royal Lord Black Ink Nest which was planted nearby started transmitting Black Ink Strength to him, allowing his aura to surge.
His Black Ink Nest wasn’t far away, so he could make use of it to improve his condition.
Although he looked battered, everything was still well within his control. He still had a chance to kill this Human.
The moment the Royal Lord drew energy from his Black Ink Nest though, Yang Kai’s facial features warped, as though he was going through some excruciating pain. He then howled in agony.
The Royal Lord was startled, but before he could figure out what was wrong with Yang Kai, a howl of even greater intensity burst from his lips.
At that moment, he felt an immense force tearing apart the defence of his Soul and badly damaging it. Coupled with the Space-Time Strength’s influence, his mind went completely blank.
Soul Rending Thorn!
When Yang Kai asked Grandmaster Ma Fan to refine Soul Rending Thorns for him for the first time, the latter crafted 12 for him to use. Then, Yang Kai used 11 of them in the fight for the Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, which resulted in him badly injuring or killing the equivalent number of Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. After that, outside the Royal City in Great Evolution Theatre, he used the last one to kill Che Kong.
With such a record of success, Yang Kai naturally made sure to get more Soul Rending Thorns for himself.
When the Great Evolution Army set off on their second crusade, Yang Kai gathered some materials and asked Grandmaster Ma Fan to make more Soul Rending Thorns for him. It took Grandmaster Ma Fan some time and energy to do so, but now Yang Kai had several dozen Soul Rending Thorns with him and had been hiding them from the enemies. Even when he cast the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel earlier, he did not use them.
That was because he would be the first one injured before he could harm his opponent. Using a Soul Rending Thorn would result in mutual injuries; therefore, Yang Kai wouldn’t use one unless it was necessary to do so.
Now, it had come to a point where he had no choice but to use them.
The Royal Lord was indeed powerful. Even though his Soul had been struck by the Soul Rending Thorn and Space-Time Strength, he still managed to pull himself together quickly, but when he looked up, he realised Yang Kai was nowhere to be found.
When his mind was blank earlier, Yang Kai had vanished. Reacting on instinct, he turned around as he widened his eyes and roared, “You court death!”
Above the dead Universe World where his Black Ink Nest was located, Yang Kai’s figure abruptly appeared. He wielded his spear as his weapon turned into a spear light and struck the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest.
Yang Kai didn’t directly attack the Royal Lord because he didn’t have the confidence to kill him with one strike. It was difficult to deal with a Royal Lord at the peak of his power. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was unable to succeed back then under similar circumstances, so Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t think he could do any better.
Therefore, he believed that it would be best for him to seize the chance and destroy the other party’s Black Ink Nest.
A Black Ink Nest could not run away or counterattack, after all.
Yang Kai had learned his lesson in the Great Evolution Royal City back then, so he held nothing back this time. As the spear light slashed across the Black Ink Nest, it was cut clean in half. Spear Intent burst forth and vaporized the Black Ink Nest down to its roots.
All the Black Ink Clansmen in the Black Ink Nest were killed in an instant as their auras disappeared.
The next moment, the Low-Rank Black Ink Nests around the Great Sea started collapsing and withering as they had lost their support.
Without the support from their source, which was the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest, all the Low-Rank Black Ink Nests were doomed to perish.
With his spear in hand, Yang Kai turned around and faced the Royal Lord, who was coming at him. His facial features contorted in pain, but the murderous intent behind his gaze seemed to have materialised as he pointed his spear forward and roared, “It’s your turn!”
The Royal Lord had just reached the peak of his power before his aura plunged again to the point where it was worse than before.
Faced with the glistening spear, he felt panic for the very first time. The other party was indeed weaker than him, but after they exchanged finishing moves, he was the one badly injured. He couldn’t help but think if the fight dragged on, he would be killed by his opponent.
Soon however, he cast his fear away and grit his teeth as he charged towards Yang Kai. His expression was more hideous than that of his opponent for it had come to a point where there was no turning back. Today, one of them would fall, there was no other possible outcome.
Yang Kai remained unwavering. As they brushed past each other in the Void, their blood spattered and they growled at the same time.
This couldn’t be helped, as Yang Kai seized the chance to use another Soul Rending Thorn during their exchange of moves. While his Soul was again wounded, the Royal Lord wasn’t feeling any better.
Yang Kai had the Soul Warming Lotus, so he wasn’t worried about his Soul being damaged too much, but the same couldn’t be said for the Royal Lord. The moment they stabilised their figures, they turned around and charged at each other again.
In the void, countless Black Ink Clansmen surrounded them in all directions. Knowing that he was in a perilous situation, the Royal Lord intended to make use of his subordinates.
Unfortunately for him, back then, he abstained from spawning any Territory Lords to save some energy, so his most powerful subordinates were only Feudal Lords.
The Royal Lord wasn’t sure if such an Army could pose any threat to Yang Kai, but it had come to a point where he had no choice but to give it a try.
Yang Kai had apparently realised this as well. Under normal circumstances, he would certainly have no regard for these Feudal Lords, but the situation now was different. Presently, he was surrounded by millions of Black Ink Clansmen, and he had to deal with the Royal Lord at the same time. If he wasn’t careful enough, he might lose his life here.
Therefore, he became even more ruthless with his moves as he madly activated the Soul Rending Thorns.
After using a fourth Soul Rending Thorn, Yang Kai realised he had fallen into a dazed state. He secretly cursed because he had used too many Soul Rending Thorns and had now affected the very foundation of his Soul.
If he continued to use the Soul Rending Thorns, his Soul would be ripped apart before he could even kill the Royal Lord. When that happened, even the Soul Warming Lotus couldn’t save him.
These thoughts all occurred in a flash before his mind suddenly turned blank as he was no longer able to think clearly. Then, he lost consciousness.
Some unknown amount of time later, Yang Kai abruptly came to his senses when he felt a cool sensation.
His head was in pain as his Soul had been badly damaged, which made him unable to think clearly. It was only thanks to the Soul Warming Lotus that he could even regain consciousness.
Following that, Yang Kai realised he was surrounded by enemies that stretched out into the distance with no end in sight. They were the Black Ink Clan soldiers!
At this moment, he was fighting against the Black Ink Clan soldiers, and wherever he went, blood flowed like rivers as countless Black Ink Clan corpses littered the void.
Despite the fact that he was unconscious earlier, his body honed by hundreds of years of combat reacted instinctively to kill the enemies, which saved his life. Otherwise, the Feudal Lords would have been able to kill him.
He considered himself lucky that there were no Territory Lords among the Black Ink Clansmen; otherwise, he wouldn’t have stood a chance to survive.
The next instant, he realised the Royal Lord was nowhere in sight.
[Where is he?]
The reason he fell into a stupor was because he had activated too many Soul Rending Thorns. His Soul was unable to bear the damage brought about by four repeated sacrifices.
Since he had fallen into such a state, he reckoned that the Royal Lord wasn’t in a better condition either despite the fact that the latter was stronger.
However, now that he was awake, he couldn’t detect the Royal Lord’s aura. [Did he run away? No!]
Suddenly, Yang Kai looked down at his hand and realised he was holding a huge head with sheep horns. This head’s eyes were still wide open as though he was unresigned before his death. Black blood could be seen dripping from his severed neck.
At that instant, Yang Kai realised he had seen such a sight before.
The sheep-headed Royal Lord was dead!
What was certain was that the Royal Lord died by Yang Kai’s hand, but Yang Kai didn’t know exactly how he had decapitated the Royal Lord.
He also didn’t know why he was holding the Royal Lord’s head in his hand.
In this situation, there was no way Yang Kai could think clearly, and when he tried, he just felt dizzier.
He knew this was because his Soul was seriously injured. So far, he had relied on the fact that he had the Soul Warming Lotus and had done many risky things; however, the injury to his Soul this time was something that could not be compared to any other in the past.
The consequences were huge, but the result was worth it!
He had killed a Royal Lord!
This was also the very first Royal Lord he personally killed all by himself.
Although he had previously killed a Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple in the Royal City of Great Evolution Theatre, that Black Ink Disciple’s actual strength was much inferior to a Royal Lord’s, not to mention that he only delivered the last lucky blow while the opponent had his guard down.
The opponent’s Small Universe was already extremely unstable after taking a blow from Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, and Yang Kai just happened to have the means to defeat him. Using the unique features of his Cow Punch, Yang Kai was able to send his opponent to his death with just one punch.
Thus, the killing of that Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple was more of a lucky accident rather than a show of strength and skill.
But this was a real battle.
Since being chased after by the sheep-headed Royal Lord from outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai had faced innumerable dangers, used up a lot of time, and was even forced into the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon to save himself during his escape.
However, the winner was king, while the loser was the villain. He was still alive, while the sheep-headed Royal Lord was dead.
At that moment, Yang Kai felt a sudden sense of satisfaction rise in him. He felt his 4,000 years of dull cultivation didn’t go to waste, nor did the countless resources he used when in the Temporal Rivers inside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
It just so happened that the cultivation that lasted who knows how many actual years in the outside world had given him the strength to kill a Royal Lord in a head-on battle.
Of course, the consequences he suffered weren’t minor either. Yang Kai could tell that several of his bones were broken, and Golden Blood was oozing from a penetrating wound on his lower abdomen, seemingly having been inflicted by the sheep-headed Royal Lord’s claws. Also, one of his arms and one of his legs were bent in a strange way, with the most serious injury being the one to his Soul. After using the Soul Rending Thorn four consecutive times in short order, Yang Kai felt about half of his Soul had been sacrificed. In fact, if it had been anyone else, that person would have already died.
It was also because he had the Soul Warming Lotus that Yang Kai was able to stay alive and regain consciousness.
The successful killing of the sheep-headed Royal Lord was not only because of his efforts, but also luck. If such a battle were to happen again, Yang Kai couldn’t guarantee that he would be the ultimate winner.
Now, he indeed had the capital to fight against a Royal Lord, but there was still quite a large gap between their real strength.
Yang Kai felt groggy, as he could not keep himself conscious for much longer. He was barely able to stay awake and felt like he was suspended in water while constantly sinking into the abyss.
This was because his Soul was desperate to shut down and sleep to heal.
In the end, Yang Kai sank into a state of semi-consciousness again just moments after it had woken up.
Though his mind fell into a daze, his body didn’t stop killing the enemy.
When Yang Kai woke up the second time, his injuries seemed to have worsened even more. The Black Ink Clansmen were still besieging him from all directions, and he was continuously killing the enemies as if this battle would never end.
Having his mind falling asleep and waking up several times, Yang Kai didn’t know how much time had passed, but eventually, he woke up to find himself simply standing in the void. His body was exuding a heavy murderous aura that was so potent it seemed like it could condense into a tangible substance while all around him were corpses and pieces of the Black Ink Clansmen. There were so many that it seemed like they were going to fill up the entire void.
As for Yang Kai, he was currently standing tall above the mountain of corpses.
At some point, his killing spree had stopped.
There was not a living Black Ink Clansman in sight, though Yang Kai wasn’t sure if he had killed them all. However, judging by the remains on the battlefield, he guessed that even if some Black Ink Clan soldiers had escaped, there wouldn’t be too many of them.
He had killed at least 70% of the Black Ink Clan Army here!
The strongest among this Black Ink Clan Army were only Feudal Lords, so even if they escaped, it wouldn’t make much difference because the dangers they would face in this region of the deep void were great, even for someone like Yang Kai.
Without a truly powerful Master protecting them, they would all die in this place sooner or later.
Lowering his head to look at his hands, Yang Kai discovered the head of the sheep-headed Royal Lord he was holding when he woke up the first time was gone. Perhaps he had unknowingly lost it at some point.
But he wasn’t concerned with that. After having a look around his surroundings, he found a Universe Fragment the Black Ink Clan had moved here before stuffing a handful of Spirit Pills into his mouth and began to adjust his breathing and recuperate.
The injuries to his Soul had yet to heal, but they were constantly being nourished and repaired by the Soul Warming Lotus, so their condition was better. If that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t have been able to wake up several times.
On the other hand, the injuries on his body were very severe; after all, there were a multitude of Black Ink Clansmen here, so even if their strongest were only Feudal Lords, that was still enough to pose a huge threat to him.
His body was covered in wounds of all sizes that were too numerous to count. Many of them were even layered atop old wounds.
Fortunately for him, the Royal Lord was dead, and he had killed who knows how many Black Ink Clansmen, so there was no one here to disturb him while he was healing.
The first thing Yang Kai did was to reconnect all his broken bones before correcting his twisted arm and leg, which made him break out in cold sweat during the process.
After doing all that, he carefully checked his body internally and externally to ensure there weren’t any hidden injuries.
Having done so, he did find something that made his face twitch.
His Dragon Bead had cracked again…
During the 4,000 years he had been cultivating in the Great Sea, his previously damaged Dragon Bead had already been fully restored. Now that the Dragon Bead had cracked again, it meant that he had activated his Dragon Bead while in his hazy state.
There was no need to even guess though, it was undoubtedly the Royal Lord who had damaged his Dragon Bead again.
It seemed like the sheep-headed Royal Lord didn’t die without a fight.
At the beginning of their battle, the Royal Lord was already not in peak condition, then he used his Royal Lord Secret Technique which had weakened his strength, making it difficult for him to resist the blast from the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel. At that point, he could be said to be severely injured.
Following that, Yang Kai used four Soul Rending Thorns in a row, which tore into the Royal Lord’s Soul, causing massive damage.
Therefore, when Yang Kai summoned his Dragon Bead, the Royal Lord’s end was set in stone.
Just thinking about it, Yang Kai couldn’t help shivering slightly. Since his body could instinctually kill enemies while he was in a semi-conscious state, it would naturally be the same for the Royal Lord, who was far stronger.
Yang Kai couldn’t even imagine what would have happened if the Royal Lord had shattered his Dragon Bead when he summoned it in his fugue state…
Thinking of the Royal Lord, Yang Kai thought about something else.
When he woke up the first time, he was holding the Royal Lord’s head while being surrounded by countless Black Ink Clan soldiers…
That scene closely resembled one of the scenes he saw after using the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
Back then, he thought the Black Ink Clan that had surrounded him were showing their admiration for something, but now it seemed like they weren’t admiring anything, they were clearly besieging him to kill him.
Yang Kai was shocked.
[How can this be? Could the scene I saw be the scene I just experienced?]
After activating the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, he did have the feeling that time itself had become chaotic. [Could the misalignment of time lead to me being able to foresee future events?]
Instinctively, Yang Kai wanted to deny this conjecture, but one of the flashing scenes he had seen at the time slowly became clearer in his mind, and he discovered that it was very similar to the scene he saw when he first woke up.
The moment time became warped, the first scene Yang Kai saw was a figure holding a detached head. The figure looked almost identical to him, but the face was blurred, and no matter how Yang Kai tried to recall it, he couldn’t make out who it was.
He then shuddered.
[If that is true, then what do the other scenes I saw represent? Could they be future events as well?]
He had seen many scenes back then, but most disappeared immediately after appearing, so he couldn’t determine what they were. Still, there were a few scenes that he was able to see clearly.
Prosperous Stars and Universe Worlds that were full of vitality being enveloped by Black Ink Strength, rapidly turning into wastelands devoid of life.
There was also a gigantic tree that seemed to be sick. Its branches and leaves were shrivelled, and even its fruits lacked any lustre as they shrivelled up as if they had been exposed to the sun for too long.
…..
As for the Universe Worlds that had their vitality destroyed and turned into wastelands after being enveloped by Black Ink Strength, that scene might correspond to what might happen if the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 worlds.
If the Black Ink Clan had successfully invaded the 3,000 worlds, there was no doubt that such a future would happen.
[What about that gigantic Tree? Could it be the World Tree?]
At that point, Yang Kai suddenly recalled Cang’s words. He said that the World Tree was almost as old as the Universe itself, and its appearance wasn’t that different from when Mo was spawned, which appeared when the Heavens and Earth first split apart. Moreover, the World Tree had an inexplicable relationship with the 3,000 Worlds. Cang, the other nine Martial Ancestors, and even Yang Kai himself were means by which this vast Universe tried to help itself by exerting its Rules through the World Tree.
Cang and the others had gotten a gift from the World Tree and were able to enlighten themselves about the Martial Dao while comprehending the method of reaching the Open Heaven Realm, earning them the title of Martial Ancestors.
Yang Kai was also barely considered to have received a gift from the World Tree as he had obtained a root from it.
Since ancient times, others must have entered the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and received gifts from the World Tree. These were all the Universe’s means to save itself, but unfortunately, those people seemed to have all failed and fallen.
Suppose the World Tree and the 3,000 Worlds did have an unbreakable connection. If the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds and turned all the flourishing lands into wastelands, plunging the entire Universe into turmoil, then the appearance of the World Tree that seemed like it was severely ill…
The more Yang Kai thought about it, the more he sweated. He couldn’t help but shake his head to disperse those thoughts from his mind.
However, he didn’t expect that when he moved, his head felt like it had turned into mush and the pain was so intense that he almost passed out again.
Luckily, after such an interruption, he did not have the intention to think about such nonsense anymore.
The ability to foresee the future was too surreal to Yang Kai, so he wasn’t willing to believe it was possible. Even though the Space-Time Strength he used was mysterious as well, it was just a type of strength that made use of his comprehension of the Grand Daos of Space and Time. How could such strength break through the flow of time itself and allow one to peer into the future?
[Healing my injuries is more important!]
A while later, cold sweat began dripping from Yang Kai’s forehead.
No matter how much he refused to believe it, he could vaguely sense that he seemed to have obtained a glimpse of the future. The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel had warped and broken time to the point that it let him witness events that had yet to transpire.
After a year of focusing all his efforts on recuperating, Yang Kai had almost made a full recovery.
Emerging from the Universe Fragment, Yang Kai observed his surroundings for a while before his figure dashed in the direction of the Black Ink Nest.
Though the High-Rank Black Ink Nest exploded after his attack, there were still some remnants left behind.
After searching through the debris, Yang Kai found quite a lot of resources.
These resources were mined by the Black Ink Clan from surrounding areas. The Black Ink Clan had a high demand for resources when spawning more of their members and the Royal Lord also needed resources to heal his injuries.
All these unused resources now belonged to Yang Kai.
However, he did not intend to use these resources on himself, nor did he intend to further his cultivation at this moment. He scavenged for these resources because he wanted to arrange a Universe Array.
The Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon was a natural treasure trove, and Yang Kai wasn’t sure if he would be able to find it again after leaving, so he decided to leave a Universe Array here, which might be of use someday.
In fact, he still had quite a lot of resources on hand, but he was lacking some critical components. It just happened that the resources he found from the Black Ink Nest were enough to make up for the shortage.
Soon, a Universe Array took shape in what was left of the Universe World where the High-Rank Black Ink Nest was originally situated. Yang Kai then made some arrangements to cover up and conceal the Universe Array.
After taking a good look at the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai turned around and left.
All that was left now in this vast stretch of void were densely scattered corpses that seemed to be a sign that there was once a tragic battle here.
Previously, outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, where he was targeted by the Royal Lord and chased all the way here, Yang Kai planned to follow the path the Humans took during their crusade back to the No-Return Pass to seek help from the Dragon and Phoenix Clans to defeat the Royal Lord.
Unfortunately, he got lost on the way and the longer he ran, the more unsure he was of where he was heading.
Now, he didn’t even know where he was or which way he should travel now.
But he wasn’t too worried about it because he knew he would eventually find his way back, he just needed to take some time.
Another thing that made him feel helpless was that he didn’t know how much time had passed.
He could accurately calculate the time he spent in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, but he had no idea about how much time had passed in the outside world.
The speed of time in each Temporal River was different, so there was no way to make an accurate estimate.
[I wonder what happened after the war between the two races.] When Yang Kai escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Cang fused his body with the restriction to summon the energy Mu needed to leave Mo in deep sleep.
Just before making that sacrifice, Cang left his backup plan to Yang Kai, which was extremely important!
It was because the Black Ink Clan saw this take place right before their eyes that Yang Kai was targeted by a Royal Lord.
Now that things had gotten to this point, Yang Kai did not resent Cang because he was the only person Cang could trust during that last moment; after all, he was also one of the means chosen by the vast Universe. To be able to be chosen meant that Yang Kai was special in some way. Therefore, if it were Yang Kai, he would make the same choice as Cang.
But no matter how that battle ended, the Human Army couldn’t stay at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
If the Humans won, they would definitely withdraw their forces.
If they were defeated, they would still retreat back to the No-Return Pass to join forces with the Dragon and Phoenix Clans because that was the only way they could resist the Black Ink Clan Army’s attack.
That was why Yang Kai only had one destination in mind, the No-Return Pass!
In his current situation, it would be difficult for Yang Kai to be certain which direction would lead to the No-Return Pass, but as long as he could find the Late Ancient Era Battlefield, he would be able to estimate his whereabouts.
Flying through the void, Yang Kai’s figure soared along at amazing speed.
He would stop every half a month or so to activate the Universe Transference Law to try and connect to any of the Universe Arrays he had set inside those Purifying Black Ink Battleships; however, the only Universe Array he could sense was the one he set up next to the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
Such a situation meant that his distance from those Universe Arrays was too great for the Universe Transference Law to even detect them.
Although he couldn’t sense the position of any Purifying Black Ink Battleship, this tactic wasn’t useless because, at the very least, he could use the Universe Array he left at the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon to deduce his current position.
As time passed, his connection with the Universe Array at the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon became vague, which told Yang Kai that he was getting further away from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
It was not until half a year later that he could no longer sense that Universe Array.
With the speed he could travel, coupled with Instantaneous Movement, Yang Kai still used about half a year before he lost all contact with the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, which showed how vast an area a Universe Array could cover.
There were Celestial Phenomena of all shapes and sizes in the void, and Yang Kai had seen many of them while he was escaping from the sheep-headed Royal Lord. He even dove deep into a Dense Fog Celestial Phenomenon and the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
But since he was running for his life to avoid being killed, he didn’t have the time to enjoy the beauty of these Celestial Phenomena along the way.
Now that he was feeling more relaxed, he had time to study these Celestial Phenomena more carefully and even found them quite miraculous.
These Celestial Phenomena might be the manifestation of the Universe’s original form and might. Many radiated extremely dangerous auras, while some of them were deep and unfathomable. Just like the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, though they looked tranquil and calm on the outside, one would only know of the dangers lurking inside after entering them.
The 3,000 Worlds didn’t have any Celestial Phenomena, possibly because of all the activities of Human cultivators causing them to fade away.
[Wait! The 3,000 Worlds does have some.]
Yang Kai suddenly recalled rumours about some strange Forbidden Zones in several Great Territories. Those Forbidden Zones were filled with dangers, and they were very difficult for ordinary cultivators to even approach.
Those so-called Forbidden Zones might be remnants of ancient Celestial Phenomena. They weren’t complete anymore and only retained a portion of their mysteries and might. As time passed, coupled with repeated explorations by cultivators, those Forbidden Zones would also gradually disappear into the annals of history.
Suppose one could explore the mysteries of these Celestial Phenomena. Maybe one could use the opportunity to gain insight into the true meaning of the power of the Heavens and Earth!
That thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he flew past different Celestial Phenomena.
Year after year, his dull voyage continued in solitude.
The void was incredibly vast, and it contained all sorts of wonders, but he wasn’t anxious because he knew it was no use being anxious.
Along the way, Yang Kai left hidden marks inside some dead Universe Worlds, making it easier for him to find his way back to the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
Suddenly, on a particular day when he used the Universe Transference Law, Yang Kai finally sensed a Universe Array in a particular direction.
The distance was still quite far away, and the connection he felt was exceptionally weak, but if he exerted all his efforts to get there, he could probably arrive within half a year.
Yang Kai was elated. All his efforts had paid off as he finally discovered something and hurriedly moved in that direction.
A few days later, he used the Universe Transference Law to determine his position.
Another few days later, it was still the same…
One month later, after Yang Kai used the Universe Transference Law again, he frowned.
Over this one month’s time, he had used the Universe Transference Law five times, and although he could establish a connection with the faraway target, there was something wrong with the situation.
He was now rushing there with all his might and had activated the Space Principles, so his speed was exceptionally fast.
Therefore, it was reasonable to say that he could have easily shortened the distance between them in this one month’s time, and the nearer the distance with the Universe Array, the stronger the connection he had with it when using the Universe Transference Law.
But the reality was that the connection was still very weak.
There were only two possibilities that could cause such a situation. One was that the Universe Array he was connecting with was also continuously moving forward and was keeping a constant distance from Yang Kai.
However, a Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s speed was incomparable to Yang Kai’s, so even if it was somehow moving in exactly the same direction as him, the distance would still have been greatly shortened.
Which meant it could only be the second possibility.
The Universe Array he had set up in this Purifying Battleship was damaged!
Yang Kai had arranged the Universe Arrays in the very heart of the Purifying Ink Battleships, along with the storage room for Purifying Light, and after all the Great Passes had obtained their Purifying Black Ink Battleships, they specifically reinforced the defences around the Universe Array to the point that it could be said that it would not be damaged unless the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was completely crippled.
But now, the Universe Array on this unidentified Purifying Black Ink Battleship was actually damaged, so what about the Purifying Black Ink Battleship itself?
Did they encounter some kind of battle?
Were there still… survivors there?
Yang Kai was so anxious that he pushed his speed even harder.
Two months later, Yang Kai estimated it was about the distance that he could transmit with his now Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation and strong physique. Also, it wouldn’t be too risky to teleport at this point, so he used the Universe Transference Law, wanting to use the Universe Array and directly transport himself onto that Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
However, when the patterns of a Grand Array lit up under his feet, there was no sign of transmittance.
With a deep frown on his face, Yang Kai discarded this plan and continued to move forward under his own power.
It seemed that the Universe Array he had sensed was indeed damaged to the point that it was no longer functional.
Along his way, Yang Kai kept his vigilance up, guarding against the possibility that there might be enemies lurking nearby.
Another two months passed when Yang Kai suddenly looked up and could vaguely make out a lofty shadow standing tall inside the void.
It was a Great Pass!
Even though it was still quite far away, and the visibility inside the void wasn’t too good, he could still make out an outline of a huge Great Pass.
Yang Kai’s mind suddenly shook as his figure dashed forward.
However, as the distance shortened, Yang Kai’s heart also gradually sank.
It was indeed a Great Pass, but it was a destroyed one.
The originally majestic-looking Great Pass was now in ruins with large holes broken in its thick walls. Outside the Great Pass were scattered corpses of soldiers from both Races and fragments of broken Human Warships.
Yang Kai’s figure gradually slowed down as he passed through the mountain of corpses and blood, feeling suffocated.
He didn’t know what kind of battle this Great Pass had encountered, but judging from the gruesome scene before him, it was one filled with brutal bloodshed.
Outside the destroyed Great Pass, Yang Kai forced down his anxiety and released his Divine Sense like a flood, wanting to find any trace of vitality that might still be around; however, it was clear that this battle ended many years ago, so if there were any survivors, how could they still be here?
Moreover, he couldn’t sense any signs of vitality.
Crossing the battlefield that looked like a hellscape, Yang Kai arrived above the Great Pass and looked down. What he saw was the ruined interior of the Great Pass with corpses scattered everywhere.
Yang Kai’s face fell.
Although he didn’t know what kind of battle the Humans of this Great Pass had gone through, he could guess just by looking at the scene before him. The Black Ink Clan Army broke through this Great Pass’ defences and swarmed inside, engaging in a battle to the death with the Human soldiers.
Soon, he saw a Purifying Black Ink Battleship that was broken in two and sensed the weak connection coming from the Universe Array inside of it.
It was this particular Universe Array that had led him over here.
[Which Great Pass is this?]
Yang Kai couldn’t figure this out from just a cursory examination, so he continued his search and soon came to the Inner Sanctum.
The Inner Sanctum of every Great Pass, specifically the Central Square, could be said to be a Human Army’s drill ground. Now that he looked at this place, he could see obvious traces that were left behind from the battle as there were numerous Black Ink Clan corpses littered around the area.
Those dead Black Ink Clan soldiers were piled up layer by layer and almost covered the entire Central Square.
And in the centre of all those dead Black Ink Clan soldiers was an empty space where a figure was quietly sitting cross-legged with both eyes wide open and a peaceful expression.
At that moment, Yang Kai felt like his heart was being squeezed by an invisible hand.
He slowly walked forward, cleaning out a path among the piles of corpses before arriving before the figure.
The two pairs of eyes met each other, and Yang Kai felt a deep sense of sorrow fill his heart.
He now knew which Great Pass this was.
Azure Void Pass!
Although each Great Pass had similar layouts, Yang Kai had visited Azure Void Pass many times and was quite familiar with this place.
It was because Azure Void Pass was a complete mess after the great battle that Yang Kai couldn’t immediately recognise it.
However, he did recognise the peaceful-looking fallen cultivator sitting cross-legged in the middle of the courtyard.
It was the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestor of Azure Void Pass! He was the one who gave Yang Kai a piece of beef all those centuries ago. That beef was cooked into soup and allowed Xu Ling Gong to gain a burst of enlightenment and break through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The Old Ancestor of Azure Void Pass had died in battle here!
Even in the last moments of his life, he still didn’t give up on the Great Pass he protected.
Thinking of that, Yang Kai felt his vision becoming a little blurry.
Beside the Old Ancestor of Azure Void Pass was the Ox Monster which was missing one of its horns that the Old Ancestor had kept for numerous years. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had her eyes on this Ox Monster for a long while but never succeeded in getting it.
At this moment, the Ox Monster was in the same situation as Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor. Its body was covered in wounds while its other horn was broken as well. Even its tail was nowhere to be seen.
The Ox Monster quietly lay beside Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor with its head lowered.
Yang Kai blinked a few times to dispel the blurriness in his vision. Then, he faced the Old Ancestor of Azure Void Pass and bowed with a solemn expression.
[I vow to live and die together with the Great Pass!]
That was the oath that every soldier in every Great Passes swore.
Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor had fulfilled that oath!
Every soldier in Azure Void Pass had done so!
For numerous years, countless Human soldiers died on the Black Ink Battlefield to protect the 3,000 Worlds, and the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestors weren’t an exception.
No matter their cultivation or status, these Humans who died fighting the Black Ink Clan were all honourable warriors.
Their corpses shouldn’t be left out in the void to rot. Since Yang Kai wasn’t able to join this battle and had coincidentally arrived here, it wouldn’t be a problem for him to help gather these corpses.
When he rose to his feet, he suddenly saw the Ox Monster beside Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor raising its head and saying, “Take the Old Ancestor’s corpse. If you encounter another Supreme Master, it can help you defend yourself against the enemy!”
Yang Kai was elated, “Senior Ox, are you still alive?”
However, the Ox Monster didn’t answer his question but continued, “There’s no need to hesitate. This is also the Old Ancestor’s last wish before he died. If his corpse could be used to kill a few more enemies, he would surely feel happy in the afterlife.”
After that, the Ox Monster again closed his eyes and silently laid its head down.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened. It seemed like the Ox Monster had already died as well.
The reason it was able to speak might be due to the effect of some Secret Technique.
If the being that came here was Human, the Ox Monster would speak and tell that person to store away the Old Ancestor’s corpse, but if it were a Black Ink Clansman, things might not be that simple.
Since the Old Ancestor’s corpse could also be used as a weapon still, it must be because the Old Ancestor had left some kind of last Will behind before his death.
This final Will probably held extraordinary power, and it was after hearing this that Yang Kai suddenly realised why the corpse of Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor was able to remain undisturbed here.
The only enemy who could face an Old Ancestor was a Royal Lord, and Yang Kai could see that the injuries on the Old Ancestor’s body were not left by just one Royal Lord. Just by looking at those injuries, Yang Kai could distinguish the auras left by three Royal Lords.
In other words, before Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor died, he had fought at least three Royal Lords but was unable to defeat them and died.
As for why the three Royal Lords didn’t choose to destroy the Old Ancestor’s body and simply left it here, they must have seen that Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor left behind that last Will and were afraid to do anything, lest they encounter an accident.
If it hadn’t been for that, Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor’s body would have already been destroyed.
Considering all this, Yang Kai felt his heart clench.
If the Royal Lords noticed this, how could they not leave some people behind to monitor the situation to avoid any surviving Human soldiers from approaching this place?
Just as he was thinking so, Yang Kai suddenly raised his head and looked up.
What he saw were three figures suddenly appearing from inside Azure Void Pass, each with a majestic aura.
They were Territory Lords!
The Black Ink Clan had indeed left guards behind. A Royal Lord couldn’t wait here for such a reason, but a few Territory Lords could be spared for such a duty!
If three Territory Lords worked together, they could deal with most situations.
Among those three Territory Lords, one of them had a seductive figure and a flirtatious expression, which reminded Yang Kai of the Charm Demon Clan.
There was also a tall and strong Territory Lord that looked more than three times taller than the seductive Territory Lord. Two fangs were poking out from both sides of his lips and curved upwards, making him look hideous like he was a crazy wild boar.
The third one looked more normal and had many Human traits, with the only difference being that his limbs resembled talons that were shining with cold light. This Territory Lord also had a pair of wings.
It was unknown where they were hiding because Yang Kai didn’t even sense the slightest trace of their auras before now.
The three Territory Lords weren’t in a hurry to appear, seeming to be not worried that Yang Kai would escape.
The seductive Territory Lord spoke up first, “When the Sirs asked us to stay here in case any Humans decide to come back, I first thought they were being too careful, but now it seems that there are indeed some Humans that are seeking death.”
The fang-toothed Territory Lord snorted lightly, “We’ve waited here for 200 years. I think my body is about to become mouldy. Human, you’re unlucky today.”
On the other hand, the taloned Territory Lord frowned while warning, “Don’t be careless. This Human is an Eighth-Order Master, so he might not be easy to deal with.”
After letting out a snort, the fang-toothed Territory Lord retorted, “So what if he’s an Eighth-Order Human? It’s not like we haven’t killed any of them. Let me kill him while you two stand guard!”
Saying so, the fang-toothed Territory Lord charged at Yang Kai. Because he had a burly and bulky body, his actions seemed clumsy, but in fact, he was moving very fast, and his huge frame fell like a meteor, quickly approaching Yang Kai.
The terrifying aura of a Territory Lord burst forth, causing the broken walls in the Great Pass to begin to creak.
Meanwhile, the taloned Territory Lord fixed his eyes on Yang Kai, and even his eyes reflected the latter’s figure. He was the fastest among these three Territory Lords, so he needed to be vigilant in case Yang Kai decided to activate whatever final seal was left on the Ninth-Order Master’s corpse.
Although they didn’t know what this seal was or what it was for, the Royal Lords had specifically told them it was definitely something the three of them couldn’t resist. Even they, as Royal Lords, might not be able to resist the power which was hidden inside that seal.
Even after death, a Ninth-Order Master still couldn’t be underestimated because the Secret Techniques those Humans practised often had unimaginable power.
If Yang Kai really did exhibit any intentions of touching that corpse, the taloned Territory Lord had to stop him immediately.
While watching Yang Kai’s every action carefully, the taloned Territory Lord tried to think in Yang Kai’s shoes and predict his next move. Just like he had said, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wasn’t so easy to deal with.
The Territory Lords had indeed killed many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but the Territory Lords had suffered huge losses as well. The number of fallen Territory Lords in that battle was two to three times higher than that of the enemy.
Even he himself had been severely injured by a near-dead Eighth-Order Open Master. Though several hundred years had passed since that battle, he could still feel slight pain coming from his injuries whenever he thought about that scene.
In this situation, this Eighth-Order Human only had two possibilities for survival. One was activating the seal on the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor’s corpse, while the other was to flee immediately.
No matter how strong an Eighth-Order Master was, when faced with three Territory Lords, the only possible ending was death.
What shocked the taloned Territory Lord was that the somewhat excessively young-looking Eighth-Order Master didn’t reveal the slightest bit of panic since they appeared. Instead, this Human kept a saddened expression, which was naturally because of the death of his people and the destroyed Great Pass.
Under that veil of sadness, however, was endless murderous intent!
This Human clearly had no intention of activating the seal on the corpse.
The taloned Territory Lord felt his heart sink and hurriedly warned the others, “Be careful!”
Right after he said that, he saw the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master lunging at his fellow Territory Lord with a vicious expression. The Human was so fast that he left a blurred afterimage behind him, making it look like there were countless clones of him charging forward to kill.
The taloned Territory Lord felt his pupils shirk. [This speed… it’s too fast for me to interfere!]
When the big and small figures clashed, the sound of bones breaking rang out, but the expected scenario of the small Human being sent flying away did not appear. Instead, the figure being sent flying was the tall and strong fang-toothed Territory Lord. His chest had caved in, and his expression looked shocked, as if he couldn’t believe that he was not a match for his enemy in a head-on confrontation.
However, as the Territory Lord was sent flying, he still viciously punched his opponent.
Yang Kai wasn’t able to dodge that attack, or more precisely, he didn’t intend to dodge, simply lifting his arm to guard himself.
At the same moment, his other hand made a grabbing motion towards the void and the Azure Dragon Spear appeared. With a flourish of the spear, numerous Dao Strengths manifested, creating a kind of unstoppable torrent.
Following that, the long spear pierced out.
A soft, muffled sound came out, causing the taloned Territory Lord’s pupils to shrink to the size of needles as he felt the entire world suddenly freeze.
*Hong…*
At that moment, the fang-toothed Territory Lord that was sent flying out finally fell onto a ramshackle house, smashing the already toppling building to the ground.
*Drip…*
*Drip…*
Fresh blood dripped down and splashed onto the ground, creating a beautiful blood flower.
Time seemed to have stopped at this moment.
Above Azure Void Pass’s Central Square, Yang Kai held his spear with one arm, and on the spear was a curvaceous body. The spear had penetrated that figure, and black fresh blood was dripping from it.
While the different Dao Strengths intertwined, they created a strange balance above the figure pierced with the spear. However, the owner of the figure could feel that the balance was very weak and could be broken with just a slight change. Once the balance was broken, those Dao Strengths would suddenly explode, and what awaited her would be her death.
“You…” On the Azure Dragon Spear, the seductive Territory Lord looked at Yang Kai with a conflicted expression. Her eyes were wet, making her look pitiful, but she felt more disbelief than anything.
It was as if she didn’t expect that she, a Territory Lord, couldn’t even stand a single spear thrust from her opponent.
Her figure was smaller than the fang-toothed Territory Lord, so when the fang-toothed Territory Lord was charging forward, she used a Secret Technique to follow behind him and silently approach her enemy.
These three Territory Lords never thought to look down on an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, a lesson they learnt from fighting the Humans on the battlefield outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and in various places throughout the vast void.
So, at that moment, though it looked like only the fang-toothed Territory Lord was attacking, it was actually a joint attack from all three Territory Lords.
The seductive Territory Lord concealed herself behind her companion, while the taloned Territory Lord intimidated the enemy with his sharp aura, distracting his attention with his focused Divine Sense.
This wasn’t the first time these three Territory Lords worked together. Back when they attacked Azure Void Pass, they used such techniques to kill several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
That was why the Royal Lord had specifically left them here, because they were strong enough to deal with any dangers that might arise.
By coordinating with each other, these three hadn’t made any mistakes and could be said to be unbeatable.
However, they had encountered an anomaly this time!
The fang-toothed Territory Lord was sent flying after a head-on clash, followed by the seductive Territory Lord being run through by a spear. Meanwhile, the taloned Territory Lord’s pupils just shrank as he didn’t dare to make a move.
He could detect that the opponent still had an explosive force that had yet to be unleashed condensed inside that spear, so if he moved rashly, the seductive Territory Lord would immediately die.
Although they were shocked at how powerful this Eighth-Order Human was, they… had actually won!
The seductive Territory Lord indeed looked quite pitiful at this moment as Yang Kai’s spear was piercing her, but her efforts and sacrifices weren’t in vain as her jade hand had pierced into Yang Kai’s chest and grabbed his heart. She could feel the strong beating of his heart inside his chest in the palm of her hand!
Just by tightening her grip, she would be able to crush this Human’s heart and kill him; however, she didn’t do that. Instead, she silently looked into Yang Kai’s eyes and suddenly smiled, “You’re very strong!”
[Such a strong Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, I don’t feel like killing him anymore.]
Black Ink Strength filled the air and flowed into Yang Kai’s body. In an instant, the outside of Yang Kai’s body was surrounded by Black Ink Strength.
She was going to corrupt this strong opponent with Black Ink Strength and make him her Black Ink Disciple!
Though she was by no means weak, if she had such a strong Black Ink Disciple protecting her, her strength would more than double.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stayed put as if he were afraid of something.
The Black Ink Strength soon enveloped him, and even his eyes turned black.
[Success!]
The taloned Territory Lord, who was feeling nervous all this while, relaxed his breath as he was also reluctant to see his companion dying here. Now that the Black Ink Strength had corrupted their enemy, their side would gain a strong helper, which was undoubtedly the best outcome of this situation.
“Put me down,” the seductive Territory Lord ordered gently as if she were sweet-talking her lover.
“Yes!” Yang Kai responded.
At that moment, the seductive Territory Lord suddenly felt something wasn’t right and immediately roared before trying to tighten her grip on Yang Kai’s heart.
But before she could crust her opponent’s heart, she felt a mysterious strength suddenly erupt from inside her body. Right then, numerous Dao Strengths ran rampant, rapidly expanding the seductive Territory Lord’s curvaceous body into a ball before exploding it!
Black blood fell like rain, and pieces of flesh flew everywhere!
The seductive Territory Lord’s body exploded into a pretty-looking blood flower.
That sudden turn of events shocked the taloned Territory Lord so much that he turned pale. It was then that he realised that his enemy wasn’t afraid of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
At that point, Yang Kai had stealthily appeared by his side, and with a sweep of his spear, it transformed into a huge shadow that slashed down at his head.
With a roar, the taloned Territory Lord channelled his Black Ink Strength into his claws and wings, instantly turning them into weapons as he battled with Yang Kai.
Fresh blood flew everywhere from both Yang Kai and the taloned Territory Lord. The battle looked even from the outside, but the taloned Territory Lord felt his blood run cold.
After their initial clash, he knew he wasn’t a match for his opponent, and the only reason this Eighth-Order Human was being wounded was because he completely gave up defending himself to kill him faster.
In just three breaths of time, the two figures separated.
While panting heavily, the taloned Territory Lord had a shocked expression on his face while sporting hundreds of injuries of all sizes all over his body, leaving almost no place unscarred. It wouldn’t have mattered if that was all though, but these injuries all contained some strange power that affected his ability to use his Black Ink Strength, which made him continuously grow weaker.
At that moment, an angry roar sounded, and a huge figure charged over from the side and instantly appeared behind Yang Kai before spreading his arms wide and closing them while approaching Yang Kai.
It was the fang-toothed Territory Lord who had finally regained consciousness and came to help.
He was still a little confused as to why one of his companions wound up severely injured while the other died during the short moment he was knocked away.
All he knew was that he and his companions had greatly underestimated this Human Eighth-Order Master.
Just as he was about to slap his hands and crush his enemy, the fang-toothed Territory Lord suddenly felt a strange power surging in the air and surprisingly found that no matter how he tried to bring his palms together, he couldn’t shorten the distance between them. At this instant, the space between his palms seemed to be infinitely stretching.
This scene shocked him even more.
While he was distracted, the Eighth-Order Master had already disappeared, and a grunt and roar came from the other side.
Raising his head to look over, the fang-toothed Territory Lord felt his heart jump as he watched his taloned companion being madly beaten up by the Eighth-Order Master like a sandbag.
The space over there seemed warped, distorted beyond recognition, causing the two figures on the other side to appear occasionally elongated or shortened like they were reflections in a broken mirror.
Black blood spewed everywhere, and the taloned Territory Lord seemed to be unable to resist the relentless thrusts of Yang Kai’s spear. Many Principles and Dao Strengths were being activated by Yang Kai and turned into killing power.
Noticing the situation, the fang-toothed Territory Lord howled madly before dashing over to help his companion.
They came here as a trio, but now one of them was dead. If another one of them fell, they might be completely wiped out!
Having never encountered such a terrifying foe before, the fang-toothed Territory Lord thought that all the other Eighth-Order Masters they had previously killed were simply incomparable to the one before him.
Despite the fact that his aura wasn’t stronger than any of the other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, this Human had control over some various kinds of Strengths that were exceptionally difficult to deal with.
They had seen such Strengths used by other Human Masters, but those Humans would only be proficient in one to two of them, so they weren’t so difficult to counter.
There had never been a Human who could wield so many different kinds of Dao Strengths. These Strengths weren’t much on their own, but when they all intertwined in one place, they seemed to produce unpredictable effects.
After madly running halfway to help his companion, the fang-toothed Territory Lord suddenly stopped and immediately turned around before charging out of Azure Void Pass’s broken walls and into the void’s depths.
This couldn’t be helped as he saw the taloned Territory Lord’s head blown to pieces by Yang Kai before he could even arrive to offer assistance.
In just 30 breaths of time, even with three Territory Lords working together, two of them had been killed, leaving only one alive. Would he be able to keep his life if he stayed there?
Before the fang-toothed Territory Lord could escape Azure Void Pass though, he suddenly stopped and looked up with a heavy expression.
Standing tall above the crumbling walls was a figure with a long spear that was pointing down at him as black blood dripped from his hand. That figure was glaring at the fang-toothed Territory Lord with cold eyes.
That figure was the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was supposed to be behind him!
The fang-toothed Territory Lord felt a truly bitter taste in his mouth.
However, he soon composed himself because after killing both his companions, this Human must have also suffered severe injuries. The most obvious sign of that was the Human’s aura, which felt wavered between strong and weak, clearly indicating the other party was not in top form anymore.
[I… might be able to defeat him! I can’t let him intimidate me with his aura alone after he killed two Territory Lords. If I don’t fight, I might really die here. I can kill him! I must kill him!]
The fang-toothed Territory Lord roared as Black Ink Strength poured out of him like a tsunami, making his figure become even bulkier. With determined eyes, his aura flared to the point that it felt like he could kill the enemy with one punch, even if the one standing before him was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Then, he charged at Yang Kai.
Following that, the two figures entangled together, their fight drifting from Azure Void Pass out into the void. Attacks were exchanged back and forth as the two were locked in an intense battle.
At that moment, the fang-toothed Territory Lord was indeed very happy.
He discovered that, just like what he had expected, this Eighth-Order Human’s strength really had fallen after killing his two companions. Even though the enemy was still very strong, this Human couldn’t kill him with his current strength.
Sensing this, the fang-toothed Territory Lord immediately changed tactics.
Since the opponent seemed to be fighting with all his might, wanting to end this battle as quickly as possible, he would focus on defence instead. He then decided that he would drag this battle out until the Human couldn’t hold on any longer.
An hour, six hours, half a day later…
The battle was still as intense as ever, but the fang-toothed Territory Lord didn’t feel as relaxed as before, and his expression was gradually becoming heavy.
As the battle gradually became disadvantageous for him, he was able to discover the root of the problem as well.
The strength that this Human Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was exerting was slowly increasing.
In other words, the Human was slowly becoming stronger.
[This Human… What’s wrong with him?]
The fang-toothed Territory Lord could never have expected that the opponent before him had only just broken through to Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm recently and was considered newly advanced.
Yang Kai had spent quite some time cultivating inside the Great Sea so his foundation was extremely stable and his heritage wasn’t distinguishable from veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s, so the thought that he had only just reached this Realm was hard to imagine.
Under normal circumstances, there were two criteria for determining if an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was a veteran or newly promoted, one of them was that the heritage of that person’s Small Universe had achieved a certain threshold.
Under normal circumstances, even 2,000 years after a cultivator advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they could still not be counted as a veteran.
2,000 years was basically just sufficient for an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to stabilise their foundation and be able to freely exert their strength.
The second criterion was one’s experience in battling and killing enemies.
No matter how strong one’s heritage was, if they didn’t have any battle experience, they would be restricted in battle and wouldn’t be able to bring out their full strength.
Among all the Human Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Black Ink Battlefield, there were only a few newly advanced Eighth-Order Masters, while the rest were veterans. After they had advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they continued cultivating while simultaneously battling the Black Ink Clan, slowly training themselves to master and enhance their strength. Therefore, situations like being unable to bring out their complete strength essentially never occurred.
However, Yang Kai was an exception.
He had a breakthrough to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm inside the Temporal Rivers of the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and then cultivated there for 2,000 years before exiting.
After Yang Kai left the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, he battled the sheep-headed Royal Lord and even decapitated him, but during that fight, he had constantly been going all out in a desperate struggle as there was a huge difference between his and the Royal Lord’s true strength, even using four Soul Rending Thorns, causing himself to become delirious due to his injured Soul. In the end, he didn’t even know how he killed the Royal Lord as he was already holding onto his head when he came to his senses.
This time, it was different.
With his current strength, a Territory Lord wasn’t too strong nor too weak, but rather just right for him to use as a polishing stone.
After he killed two Territory Lords one after the other, Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry to end the third Territory Lord’s life. Instead, he wanted to borrow this Territory Lord’s strength to hone and familiarise himself with his newfound strength.
The many Grand Dao Strengths he had refined inside the Great Sea, especially, were unfamiliar to him. If he could hone them during an intense battle, Yang Kai could gain better control over them and would be able to use them more effectively.
That was why the fang-toothed Territory Lord felt that the Yang Kai’s strength was growing. Yang Kai now controlled so many Dao Strengths that he wasn’t able to skillfully wield them.
He desperately needed an opponent to battle against.
Therefore, he chose to quickly kill two Territory Lords, even if it meant getting hurt in the process.
Another half a day later, the fang-toothed Territory Lord felt despair because this battle, which started with them being on par with each other, then turned against him slightly, was now approaching the point where he was completely overwhelmed.
His heart was filled with bitterness.
The battle had now made a complete turnaround. Yang Kai’s attacks were calm and unhurried as he was still honing his strength while on the other hand, the fang-toothed Territory Lord was fighting back desperately as he knew that the longer the battle continued, the stronger his opponent would become. Once this Human had reached a certain limit, he would die.
But in battle, sometimes fighting with everything one had simply wasn’t enough.
Another half a day passed, and the fang-toothed Territory Lord’s aura had already weakened beyond recognition. His body was covered in every kind of wound imaginable, and his Black Ink Strength was leaking out from all those injuries. If this went on for much longer, there was a high likelihood that his strength would regress from that of a Territory Lord to a Feudal Lord.
At this moment, he felt envious of his two companions because at least their deaths were swift.
Meanwhile, he was like a piece of meat being slowly shaved by a dull knife, a torturous process for both his body and mind.
Knowing that he was destined to die today, the fang-toothed Territory Lord made a decision and completely gave up on defending before brazenly charging towards Yang Kai in a final, desperate struggle.
After a dozen breaths, a long spear pierced into his eye socket, and numerous Dao Strengths surged into his brain, grinding it into a paste. His originally fierce-looking expression gradually turned peaceful, feeling a sense of relief as the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
Yang Kai withdrew his spear and frowned slightly because he was quite dissatisfied with his current strength.
He didn’t consider the battle with the sheep-headed Royal Lord because he had completely lost consciousness during that fight, relying almost solely on his instincts to kill the enemy.
After the battle with these three Territory Lords, he discovered his shortcomings.
Back when he was a Seventh-Order Master, he could crush those in the same Realm without any difficulty. No matter how strong a Feudal Lord was, they were no better than children before him and had no chance of fighting back.
But now that he had advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, his situation couldn’t compare to the glory he had when in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
During this battle, Yang Kai had paid quite a large price to kill the seductive Territory Lord and taloned Territory Lord. It was even so for the fang-toothed Territory Lord he killed last. Although he had intended to use this Territory Lord to hone his strength, the time he took to finish the latter off was less than satisfactory.
According to the intelligence he obtained during the previous crusade, these three Territory Lords were considered Innate Territory Lords, ones who were spawned directly from a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. Therefore, they were stronger than those Black Ink Clansmen who advanced to become Territory Lords through their own cultivation.
Innate Territory Lords were already the strongest among all Territory Lords.
In other words, Yang Kai might still be invincible among his peers, but was far from being able to crush those in his Realm!
But after giving it another thought, Yang Kai understood that he had only been in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm for 2,000 years, so the heritage in his Small Universe hadn’t reached anywhere near its maximum yet. Once he reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it wouldn’t be a problem to crush his peers.
On the other hand, he also discovered the biggest problem he was having now.
He had too many Dao Strengths under his control!
To escape from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, he had no choice but to absorb those undercurrents, which increased his attainment in many, many different Grand Daos.
It seemed now that he had absorbed and refined too many undercurrents, so his foundation, which comprised of all the different Grand Daos, was just too broad. With the ability to wield so many Dao Strengths, it meant he had more means of dealing with different enemies, which was a good thing; however, Yang Kai was finding it difficult to integrate all these varied Dao Strengths into a coherent force. While he had comprehension of many Dao Strengths, he did not know how to harmonize them to enhance his power and could only clumsily smash them all together at the moment.
Also, he had a vague feeling that if he could properly gather all these Dao strengths into one, the power he could exert would definitely experience an Earth-shattering change.
In his current situation, he could only think about these things because, among the variety of Dao Strengths, he did have attainments in some of them, but none were comparable to his mastery of the Dao of Space, Dao of Time, and Spear Dao. How could he gather all these Dao Strengths into one when he hadn’t even comprehended the true mysteries behind them?
Even with just the Dao of Space and Dao of Time, which he had focused on cultivating over many centuries, Yang Kai still hadn’t managed to achieve a perfect fusion.
Shaking his head to clear out such distracting thoughts, Yang Kai turned to look into the distance and stared for a moment before shouting, “Come out.”
From the cover of the messy battlefield, a few figures slowly emerged from the shadows. Each of them looked at Yang Kai with shocked expressions on their faces.
They had watched the battle just now, and the scene where an Innate Territory Lord was slowly being tortured to death was quite an eye-opener for them.
“Great Evolution’s Yang Kai greets fellow Martial Brothers and Sisters!” Yang Kai bowed.
He had already discovered that people were spying on him while he was battling the fang-toothed Territory Lord and could feel that they weren’t very strong, nor were there many of them.
Clearly, they had been attracted here by the fallout from the battle.
Since these visitors kept themselves hidden nearby and showed no intention of coming out, Yang Kai couldn’t tell whether they were friends or foes.
It was not until this moment that he was certain that these observers were Humans!
“It’s Senior Brother Yang!” One of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was elated after hearing Yang Kai announce his identity.
They were originally worried that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that killed those Black Ink Territory Lords might be corrupted by Black Ink Strength, which was the reason why they didn’t show themselves even after Yang Kai had killed the fang-toothed Territory Lord.
But upon learning his identity, those worries disappeared.
This couldn’t be helped, because every Human soldier in every Great Pass knew Yang Kai’s name. He was the one who brought them Purifying Light, so it was well-known he wasn’t afraid of being invaded by Black Ink Strength.
All those below the Ninth Order had the possibility of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength, but Yang Kai was an exception.
Meanwhile, the others also revealed happy expressions as they hurriedly approached Yang Kai. When they saw Yang Kai’s face, they could finally determine his identity.
Yang Kai also thought these people looked quite familiar, and after taking a closer look, he stated hesitantly, “You’re the Senior Brother who was always on guard duty at the Space Array.”
Having visited Azure Void Pass several times, Yang Kai naturally recognised the Seventh-Order Masters that guarded the Great Pass’ Hyper Space Array, and he was sure that this person before him was one of them.
That Seventh-Order Master seemed like he was about to cry from joy and choked out, “Sun Mao greets Senior Brother Yang!”
Then, Yang Kai swept his gaze over the others, and his face fell, “Are you… all that remains of the Azure Void Army?”
Sun Mao composed himself before answering, “There are a few other Fellow Brothers and Sisters, but they are currently in hiding. We came here because we sensed there was a battle happening and wanted to investigate.”
“How many of you are there?” Yang Kai asked.
Sun Mao replied in an astringent voice, “Less than 1,000…”
Feeling his face twitching slightly, Yang Kai felt as if his heart was being torn out.
Azure Void Pass should have had 30,000 Human Masters stationed here, about the same as Blue Sky Pass back then. After the attack on the Royal City in the Azure Void Theatre, they undoubtedly suffered some casualties, but there should have still been more than 20,000 troops here during the second crusade.
Less than 1,000 of the original 20,000 survived, while even the Old Ancestor died in battle. It was nothing less than tragic.
“Senior Brother Yang, are there still any Black Ink Clansmen in the Inner Sanctum?” Sun Mao asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I didn’t make a thorough check, but there shouldn’t be any left.”
Since the three Territory Lords hidden here had been killed, any remaining Black Ink Clansmen would have appeared by now, even if it was just to try to flee.
Hearing that, Sun Mao felt relieved, “If that’s the case, then Division Commander Huang and the others can be saved.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Why did you say that?”
Sun Mao explained, “Division Commander Huang and some Fellow Brothers and Sisters were invaded by Black Ink Strength. Since we ran out of Purifying Black Ink Pills and didn’t have access to any Purifying Light, they were unable to eliminate that Black Ink Strength. Previously, Division Commander Hai led some troops here, intending to recover the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any news from them since they left, so we assumed they ran into trouble.”
Quite a number of the remaining soldiers gathered here had been stained by Black Ink Strength and had been suppressing the Black Ink Strength inside their bodies over the years using various methods, but every once in a while, one of them could not hold on any longer and would have to commit suicide.
The battle 200 years ago not only destroyed Azure Void Pass, but also cut off the Humans’ supply lines. Even the Purifying Black Ink Pills and Evil Purging Divine Spears were all used up by now.
Although there were still Alchemists among their ranks, it was impossible for them to refine Spirit Pills without any Spirit Herbs or materials.
Division Commander Huang Xiong was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so even if he was invaded by Black Ink Strength, he could still hold on for a time, but if too long passed, he would also find it difficult to cope.
Now, the only thing that could save them was the Purifying Black Ink Battleship that lay in the Inner Sanctum. Purifying Light might still be sealed inside the Battleship, so the only way they could survive was to extract it from the Great Pass.
When the Purifying Black Ink Pill was first introduced, Yang Kai did some experiments with the Alchemy Great Grandmasters of Blue Sky Pass.
That pill could indeed allow one to resist Black Ink Strength and eliminate it from their Small Universe, but only if one had not completely become a Black Ink Disciple.
The stronger the cultivator was influenced by Black Ink Strength, the more limited the effect of the Purifying Black Ink Pill.
Whenever a Human was invaded by Black Ink Strength, they would choose the most appropriate method to resolve the crisis. Before a big battle, the Human soldiers would take a Purifying Black Ink Pill, and only if they were unlucky enough to be stained by Black Ink Strength after the pill’s effects wore off would they resort to using Purifying Light.
After Azure Void Pass fell, about 1,000 soldiers were left from the original complement of 20,000 troops, and among those 1,000 soldiers, many had been invaded by Black Ink Strength.
Therefore, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship here was their only hope.
That was why Division Commander Hai Xing led some soldiers here to try to recover the Battleship, but there had been no news since they left, so Sun Mao and the others presumed that they had encountered a strong enemy and ultimately ended up dead. From this, they also surmised that there were strong enemies still occupying Azure Void Pass, which was why they were hesitant to come here all these years.
Yesterday, they felt the fallout from a great battle coming from the direction of Azure Void Pass, so Sun Mao and the others risked their lives to come over and investigate, only to personally witness Yang Kai killing the fang-toothed Territory Lord.
“Where are Division Commander Huang and the others hiding? Quickly bring me…” Yang Kai wanted to ask them to lead him there and let him help dispel the Black Ink Strength from their bodies until he suddenly remembered that he couldn’t do that anymore.
They needed Purifying Light to dispel Black Ink Strength, but to create Purifying Light, Yang Kai needed Yellow and Blue Crystals.
However, he had consumed all the Yellow and Blue Crystals he had left during his 4,000 years cultivating inside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon…
At this moment, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling frustrated. If he had known this would happen, he would have saved some of the Yellow and Blue Crystals, but then he thought about when he was cultivating in the Temporal River. He could feel his strength increasing steadily, so how could he be willing to stop before he was forced to?
He might still be cultivating inside the Temporal River if he had more resources.
Such an opportunity was simply too rare to come by.
“Please invite Division Commander Huang and the others over. I’ll sweep Azure Void Pass to see if there are any more Black Ink Clansmen in hiding,” Yang Kai instructed them.
Sun Mao and the others were instantly elated and left in a hurry.
After they departed, Yang Kai began inspecting Azure Void Pass again. This time, he did a thorough sweep using his Divine Sense to ensure there were no more Black Ink Clansmen inside.
After an incense stick’s worth of time, Yang Kai determined that those three Territory Lords he just killed were the only Black Ink Clansmen stationed here.
But that wasn’t strange. This Great Pass had already been thoroughly destroyed, so it was impossible that the Black Ink Clan would pay much attention to this place. Moreover, three Territory Lords were posted here mainly to prevent any Humans from coming over to retrieve Azure Void Pass’s Old Ancestor’s corpse.
With three Innate Territory Lords working together, they could handle most situations, when there was no Old Ancestor.
The Division Commander Hai that Sun Mao mentioned might have fallen at the hands of those three Territory Lords.
After finishing his inspection, Yang Kai returned to the central square and bowed again to the Old Ancestor before carefully storing his corpse and the now hornless Ox Monster in his Small Universe.
Immediately after that, he came to where the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was. This Warship was severed in two, but fortunately, the place storing the Purifying Light and Universe Array weren’t too severely damaged; otherwise, the Universe Array wouldn’t have responded to Yang Kai when he used the Universe Transference Law.
The question now was whether the Purifying Light inside had all leaked out. Technically speaking, Purifying Light was just another kind of energy. When designing the original Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Yang Kai had joined forces with several Array Masters to create a sealed space that would ensure the Purifying Light would not leak out.
As for getting in and out of that space, they could use a Space Array.
Now that the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was heavily damaged, if the formations inside were also affected, even if it were a minor flaw, the Purifying Light sealed inside would all eventually flow out and dissipate.
Yang Kai prayed silently for that not to be the case. Since he no longer had any Yellow and Blue Crystals, he couldn’t create more Purifying Light, so if the Purifying Black Ink Battleship no longer had any, Division Commander Huang and the others would fall into a difficult situation.
Standing on the deck, Yang Kai checked the Space Array and found it to be slightly damaged, so he quickly went about repairing it.
In less than half a day, the Space Array was fixed, and Yang Kai stood above it before trying to activate it. He felt relieved and lucky that the Space Array inside of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was intact; otherwise, he didn’t know how he was going to get inside.
The light of the array flashed, and Yang Kai was instantly transported inside the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s main cabin. After giving it a good look, the hope inside him disappeared.
The interior of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was clearly damaged, meaning the seal was broken and there was no longer any Purifying Light.
Moreover, there was a Black Ink Clan corpse here…
When the Black Ink Clan attacked Azure Void Pass, they must have discovered that the Purifying Black Ink Battleship looked different from other Human Warships, so they naturally investigated it.
This dead Black Ink Clansman must be the one who went inside to probe the situation, instantly falling into this space that was filled with Purifying Light. Like an ant that fell into a pot of boiling oil, the Black Ink Clan let out a final attack before dying and damaged the Arrays from the inside, causing the leakage of Purifying Light.
Gnashing his teeth, Yang Kai teleported back outside.
Since the Purifying Black Ink Battleship no longer had any Purifying Light, and he couldn’t produce any, Purifying Black Ink Pills were their last hope.
Now, Yang Kai could only hope that the survivors weren’t too heavily invaded by Black Ink Strength, or else the Purifying Black Ink Pills wouldn’t have much effect on them.
Since the introduction of the Purifying Black Ink Pill, every Great Pass had been mass refining them and would distribute them to all soldiers before a battle.
With a World Tree Clone in his Small Universe and the ability to cast Purifying Light, Yang Kai naturally did not need Purifying Black Ink Pills, so he did not have any on him.
However, he was the one who found the remnant recipe for the Purifying Black Ink Pill, while it was later completed by the Great Grandmaster Alchemists of Blue Sky Pass, so it wasn’t hard for Yang Kai to refine them.
Moreover, he didn’t lack Spirit Herbs. Back when he was still stationed at Blue Sky Pass, Yang Kai had planted large numbers of the herbs necessary to refine Purifying Black Ink Pills in the medicine garden in his Small Universe, leaving his two Wood Spirit helpers to look after them. Over 4,000 years had passed since then for Yang Kai, while time in his Small Universe flowed several times faster than that, so now there was an abundance of all kinds of Spirit Herbs, Flowers, and Fruits in his medicine garden. He had even stockpiled over 1,000 Profound Yin Spirit Fruits, which were normally so rare and in demand that there was never any in stock in the various Great Passes.
Understanding what needed to be done, Yang Kai took out an Alchemy Furnace and got to work.
He had essentially abandoned the Alchemic Dao after ascending to the Open Heaven Realm, but with his experience in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, his mastery of the Alchemic Dao had actually improved greatly.
Though he hadn’t reached the level of Great Grandmaster, or even Grandmaster, Purifying Black Ink Pills weren’t too difficult to refine, so his current skill was more than sufficient.
One furnace of Purifying Black Ink Pills was soon produced, and Yang Kai immediately started on the next. Before this second batch was finished, Sun Mao and the others had already led the 1,000 or so remnant soldiers over.
It had been more than 200 years since they last stepped into Azure Void Pass, so those soldiers who wouldn’t even frown in the face of death all had teary eyes.
Looking at the Inner Sanctum and the gruesome battlefield reminded them of the bloody battle they had fought here 200 years ago, causing them to feel quite emotional.
The one in the lead was a middle-aged man with a stout figure and a firm gait. His face was fair and without a beard while his expression looked fierce without appearing angry. However, the man saw Yang Kai was in the middle of refining pills, so he stayed far back to not disturb him.
This man had an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation and was the only Eighth-Order Master among the bunch. It was obvious he was the Division Commander named Huang Xiong Sun Mao mentioned before.
They didn’t come forward, so Yang Kai bowed and greeted them first, “Great Evolution Army’s Yang Kai greets Division Commander Huang and Fellow Brothers and Sisters.”
Huang Xiong’s eyes lit up, “Martial Nephew, your name has spread far and wide. I only found out today that not only do you have superb combat capabilities, but you also have high attainments in the Alchemic Dao. How remarkable.”
He didn’t come forward to disturb Yang Kai just now because he was afraid he might disturb the latter, causing him to fail the refinement of the batch of pills he was currently working on, but when he saw Yang Kai appearing at ease while continuing to refine pills, even greeting them, it showed that he obviously had quite some skill in the Dao of Alchemy.
Squeezing out a smile, Yang Kai shook his head, “Division Commander Huang is too polite. I just finished a furnace of Purifying Black Ink Pills. Please distribute them to the others.”
Although it was a happy thing to reunite with his fellow comrades, the current situation made it hard for Yang Kai to truly smile.
He swept his gaze over the 1,000 soldiers before him and found that many of them had been stained by Black Ink Strength. Even Huang Xiong had a faint Black Ink Strength lingering around the surface of his body, and while they were talking, there was even a trace of darkness flashing in the depths of his eyes.
That was an obvious sign of being seriously invaded by Black Ink Strength. If left unattended, it was only a matter of time before Huang Xiong would be entirely corrupted.
Of course, he wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen because he would either end his own life or sacrifice part of his Small Universe before then.
Huang Xiong came forward and received the Purifying Black Ink Pills that had just been refined before casually tossing them to the soldiers behind him. As for him, he sat cross-legged beside Yang Kai and silently watched him refine pills.
A while later, Huang Xiong finally spoke up, “Inside the Purifying Black Ink Battleship…”
With a slow shake of his head, Yang Kai replied, “The Black Ink Clan sent someone inside to investigate and they damaged the Sealing Arrays. The Purifying Light has all leaked out.”
Although Huang Xiong had already guessed this outcome when he first saw Yang Kai, he still sighed heavily after getting confirmation, “I shouldn’t have let Senior Brother Hai come over. They lost their lives for nothing.”
There were already not many Masters among the survivors here, and the only surviving Eighth-Order Masters were him and Division Commander Hai. More than 10 years ago, when Division Commander Hai brought some soldiers to Azure Void Pass to salvage the Purifying Black Ink Battleship but never returned, Huang Xiong understood that Division Commander Hai must have fallen at the hands of the Black Ink Clan.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stayed silent because he didn’t know what to say.
Huang Xiong suddenly asked, “Martial Nephew, did you encounter some kind of opportunity? When did you advance to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm?”
As far as he knew, Yang Kai was a Seventh-Order Master who had broken through less than 1,000 years ago.
But looking at him now, not only did Yang Kai break through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he even managed to kill three Innate Territory Lords above Azure Void Pass all on his own.
Only the strongest, most veteran Eighth-Order Masters might be capable of such a feat. Although it seemed like Yang Kai suffered some serious injuries in the process, it didn’t seem to affect him at all as he was casually refining pills here, which surprised Huang Xiong greatly.
After asking, Huang Xiong realized his question was somewhat rude and intrusive, so he added, “If you find it inconvenient to tell me, you can take it as if I never asked.”
Since this matter was related to a cultivator’s personal secrets, it was inappropriate to pry into it.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai replied, “There’s nothing inconvenient about it. I indeed managed to break through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm because I met with an opportunity.” He then stopped for a moment before continuing, “Division Commander Huang, how long has it been since the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Huang Xiong looked at him strangely. Though he didn’t know why Yang Kai would ask such a question, he still answered honestly, “It’s been 512 years.”
“512 years…” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow. The actual time was somewhat different from his estimations, but the difference wasn’t too big.
Back at the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, the hardest thing to estimate was how long had passed in the outside world for he had spent some 4,000 years in and out of numerous Temporal Rivers which all had different ratios for the flow of time.
However, he could clearly account for part of that time.
He had spent about 100 years searching for Temporal Rivers to cultivate in, and after deciding to leave, he used up almost 200 years to escape from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
With that in mind, and with the information from Huang Xiong, it seemed the time he spent cultivating inside the Temporal Rivers was just about 200 years as well.
Though only 200 years had passed in the outside world, Yang Kai actually spent 4,000 years cultivating, which meant that the average rate of time flow inside the Temporal Rivers was 20 times that of the outside world, which was actually much higher than he expected.
After composing himself, Yang Kai used a Pill Condensing Technique to collect the furnace of Spirit Pills before handing them to Huang Xiong. This time, Huang Xiong ate one before passing the rest to the soldiers behind him.
With a slightly complicated expression, Yang Kai explained, “Division Commander Huang, while 512 years passed in the outside world, I’ve actually been cultivating in a certain place for over 4,000 years.
Huang Xiong was taken aback, “4,000 years? How is that…”
Following that, he suddenly thought of something and asked, “A Temporal River?”
It was obvious that he had heard rumours about Temporal Rivers in the past; therefore, if there was any place in this Universe that could allow Yang Kai to have such a strange encounter, that was the only possibility.
Rumour had it that time flowed faster inside Temporal Rivers compared to the outside world, allowing one to cultivate inside for 10 or even 100 years while only a single year passed by in the rest of the Universe.
Many Open Heaven Realm Masters had heard these rumours, yet the overwhelming majority had never seen a Temporal River for themselves, much less used one.
If that were true, it wasn’t a surprise that Yang Kai was able to break through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm so quickly.
Yang Kai’s aptitude was clearly exceptional as well, seeing how high his strength had risen in just 4,000 years.
Nodding, Yang Kai answered, “It was a Temporal River. Outside the Primordial Heavens Source Restriction, I was targeted by a Royal Lord. All of the Old Ancestors and Eighth-Order Division Commanders had their own enemies to face, so with no other option, I could only try to escape. Originally, my plan was to pass through the Late Ancient Era Battlefield and head for the No-Return Pass to seek help from the Dragon and Phoenix Clans to deal with that Royal Lord, but my plans went astray and I became lost along the way…”
Even though Huang Xiong was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with a calm nature, he couldn’t help but want to chuckle after hearing Yang Kai say he actually got lost.
When one’s strength had reached the Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, with a Universe Chart in hand, they could freely roam throughout the vast void without ever getting lost.
However, the Black Ink Battlefield was too vast, and the region beyond the Royal Cities was completely uncharted territory, so becoming lost wasn’t actually that surprising.
It was especially so with Yang Kai’s situation, where a Royal Lord was chasing him, so it made sense that he got flustered and lost his way.
Then, Yang Kai began talking about the dense fog Celestial Phenomenon and how he repeatedly escaped from the grasp of the sheep-headed Royal Lord before encountering the mysterious Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
When Huang Xiong took all of this in, his eyes brightened as an excited expression appeared on his face.
Yang Kai could see that the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon was a very valuable place, so naturally, Huang Xiong could as well.
Within the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, many undercurrents hid several kinds of Martial Domains that evolved from the purest form of Grand Dao Essences. Absorbing and refining even one compatible undercurrent could save a cultivator tens, if not hundreds of years of hard cultivation, not to mention the existence of so many Temporal Rivers. To an Open Heaven Realm Master, Temporal Rivers were a shortcut to a higher Martial Dao on a path that wasn’t supposed to have any shortcuts.
“Where is this Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon? Can you still find it?” Huang Xiong asked.
With a nod, Yang Kai answered, “I’ve left markers along my way here and arranged a hidden Universe Array at its outskirts, so finding it again shouldn’t be difficult.”
Huang Xiong was excited, “Great! Such a treasure will surely be helpful to us Humans in the future.”
But after expressing his excitement, his mood immediately turned gloomy. For now, they couldn’t head to the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, because the Human Race wasn’t in a good situation.
“What was the result of the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction? How was Azure Void Pass destroyed to such an extent?” Now that Yang Kai had answered Huang Xiong’s questions, he asked some of his own.
Back then, Yang Kai was targeted by the sheep-headed Royal Lord not long after the battle had begun and was forced to escape from the battlefield, so he had no idea what actually happened afterwards.
Huang Xiong sighed heavily, “That battle… was our Human Race’s loss!”
Hearing that, Yang Kai felt his heart sink.
Actually, he had already guessed this outcome because if the Humans had won, Azure Void Pass wouldn’t be in such a state.
“The Black Ink Giant Spirit God?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
If there was one variable on the battlefield outside the Primordial Heavens Source Restriction, it would be the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. Before the battle, Mo, the ancient Supreme Master, kept trying its best to maintain balance on the battlefield, which was why there were never more Royal Lords leaving the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction than there were Old Ancestors.
It was like Mo wasn’t interested in defeating the Humans, but rather fully intended to maintain the balance between the two sides.
In the beginning, no matter whether it was the Humans or Cang, no one could understand Mo’s intentions.
But when the Black Ink Giant Spirit God appeared, everything became clear.
The corpses of the Black Ink Clansmen that died in battle had left behind a massive amount of Black Ink Strength, and all of that became a huge help to the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. Moreover, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had pried open the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction from the inside in order to free itself. In fact, if Cang hadn’t fused his body with the restriction to trigger the hidden hand that Mu had left behind, sealing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and forcing Mo into a deep slumber, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction might have been torn open then and there and Mo would have been set free.
If such a scenario had come to pass, the Human Race wouldn’t have just lost the battle, they would have been wiped out.
Fortunately, Mo was rendered unconscious and the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was sealed up in the end.
The number of Royal Lords on the field was actually lower than the number of Ninth-Order Masters, for the Territory Lords, the Eighth-Order Masters could deal with them, and for the Feudal Lords and below, the Humans actually held the advantage. However, the Humans still lost that battle, so there was only one possible reason, which was that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was just too powerful!
When Yang Kai was escaping, he noticed a scene where several Old Ancestors worked together to suppress the Black Ink Giant Spirit God; otherwise, the sheep-headed Royal Lord wouldn’t have had the time to deal with him.
He had only caught a quick glance, but what he saw was that those Old Ancestors were already stretched to their limit just dealing with the Black Ink Spirit God whose lower half had been cut off by the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction when it abruptly closed. How strong would a complete Black Ink Giant Spirit God be?
Huang Xiong nodded gravely, “It was the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods! If there had been only one, though the Humans would still have had a hard battle, we would still have had a chance to emerge victorious. However, another one of those monsters appeared!”
Yang Kai’s pupils contracted, “There were two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods?”
[Where did it come from? Before the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was sealed, there was only one Black Ink Giant Spirit God; in fact, it was only half of one since the Grand Restriction sheared him in two, so where did the second one come from? Could it be that the Grand Restriction re-opened?]
Contrary to Yang Kai’s worries, Huang Xiong slowly explained, “I don’t know where the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God came from either, it just suddenly appeared from behind the Army and instantly destroyed a Great Pass, signalling our defeat!”
“From behind the Army?” Yang Kai was instantly dumbfounded.
[Why would there be a Black Ink Giant Spirit God that came out from behind the Army?]
Although Mo clearly created the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the image of the true Giant Spirit God Clan, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God wasn’t much different in terms of strength and ability.
If such a behemoth were to launch an ambush from behind the Army, it would be impossible for the Humans to react in time.
Suddenly, Yang Kai thought of something and asked, “Did the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God appear from the direction of the Late Ancient Era battlefield?”
Huang Xiong nodded, “Indeed! “
Yang Kai took a breath, “I probably know the origin of the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God.”
Huang Xiong was stunned, “You do?”
He still couldn’t figure out how a second Black Ink Giant Spirit God appeared. Even the Azure Void Pass Old Ancestor couldn’t deduce anything after hundreds of years of pondering the issue, so how could Yang Kai uncover the truth after just hearing about it.
Yang Kai said solemnly, “If I’m not mistaken, it came out of the Late Ancient Era battlefield. During the second crusade, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and I encountered a true Giant Spirit God…”
Along the path Great Evolution Pass travelled to reach the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai saw a Giant Spirit God who was rampaging across the Late Ancient Era battlefield, holding a huge bone club, seemingly fighting a swarm of invisible enemies.
At that time, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao went to investigate with him, and they were almost accidentally smashed by that Giant Spirit God.
From their observations at the time, the two of them speculated that the Giant Spirit God had already died in battle; however, it seemed the Giant Spirit God Clan, despite being childlike and innocent, possessed truly indomitable Wills that even in death were able to maintain the instinct to fight on. That Giant Spirit God had probably been rushing across that battlefield for millions of years even after perishing so long ago.
Yang Kai was deeply moved at the time, believing that the Giant Spirit God’s obsession was with trying to save its friends and allies rather than killing the enemy, because with the strength of a Giant Spirit God, while there might be some enemies it could not defeat, there was no enemy it could not escape from. The fact that it died in battle meant it had chosen to remain behind and keep fighting.
However, now it seemed his speculations back then were incorrect and that Giant Spirit God was not at all what he suspected.
That Giant Spirit God was probably also a Black Ink Giant Spirit God which was created by Mo a long time ago, possibly even before it was trapped by Cang and the other Martial Ancestors in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
When the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was opened this time, Mo must have used some unknown method to revive that Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Late Ancient Era battlefield and directed it to attack the Human Army from behind!
Although he had not personally witnessed that battle, Yang Kai could still imagine how desperate and helpless the Humans must have felt when that second Black Ink Giant Spirit God set foot on the battlefield!
Originally, the Old Ancestors had a slight advantage over the Royal Lords, but the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God occupied at least a dozen Ninth-Order Masters, flipping that advantage on its head. When the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God appeared, it was like the Black Ink Clan suddenly received a dozen more Royal Lords as reinforcements, with no one capable of stopping it!
Once that second Black Ink Giant Spirit God started rampaging, what could be done to stop it?
In such a vast yet almost even battle, even the smallest breakthrough could result in a chain reaction that completely tipped the scales of war, much less the intrusion of a being as powerful as a Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Huang Xiong was stunned when he heard this and couldn’t help asking, “Are you saying that the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God was the one you saw before?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Other than that, there is no other possibility.”
Huang Xiong was speechless as sorrow filled his heart.
After a long while, Huang Xiong finally spoke up, “The two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods attacked us from both front and back, destroying a few Great Passes in the opening moments of the battle. The Old Ancestors had no choice but to order us to retreat from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to preserve our strength. The Black Ink Clan naturally didn’t just let us go, so their Army pursued us under the lead of the Royal Lords…”
During the bloody battle in the void, the two races both suffered serious casualties.
Meanwhile, the two raging Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were constantly causing havoc.
In such a situation, even the Old Ancestors weren’t able to reverse the declining trend.
While they were retreating, the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods destroyed several more Great Passes, and though most of the Humans inside those Great Passes managed to escape in time, there were still a significant number of casualties.
The situation had taken a turn for the worst, and even if the Human Army and the others from all the Great Passes managed to reorganize themselves, they were still facing annihilation.
Therefore, the Old Ancestors had a rapid discussion and decided that the remaining Great Passes would split up into several groups and retreat separately.
The group to which Azure Void Pass belonged to was particularly unlucky as they were targeted by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that came from the Late Ancient Era Battlefield. Besides that Black Ink Giant Spirit God, there were nearly 20 Royal Lords and large numbers of Territory Lords and Feudal Lords within the pursuing Black Ink Clan Army.
If the Humans didn’t think of a way to escape from the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, it would be impossible for them to escape using this route.
At the critical moment, Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor split off from the main group in order to lure the Black Ink Giant Spirit God away. Naturally, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t give up on chasing the Humans so easily, so the Black Ink Clan Army surrounded the Humans from different sides under the lead of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and Royal Lords.
That struggle lasted for nearly 300 years. It was only 200 years ago that Azure Void Pass’ casualties reached a breaking point where too many Eighth-Order Masters had fallen, making it impossible for them to flee anymore. As such, they made a last stand against the Black Ink Clan.
The result was clear and required no other explanation.
Azure Void Pass was destroyed, and the Old Ancestor couldn’t resist the joint assault of several Royal Lords and ultimately died in battle.
The huge holes on the walls around the Great Pass were made by the huge bone club of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
From that moment, Azure Void Pass, which had been guarding the Black Ink Battlefield for millions of years, met with total defeat, ending its magnificent history.
More than 20,000 soldiers had guarded this place, yet less than 1,000 remained after the nearly 300-year battle. Azure Void Pass could be said to be almost entirely wiped out!
Among the less than 1,000 remnant soldiers, many had been stained by Black Ink Strength and were constantly at risk of falling. Moreover, because their supplies had been completely used up, most of those corrupted soldiers had to sacrifice themselves just so that they wouldn’t become Black Ink Disciples and bring more trouble to their fellow survivors. This situation was just like Meng Qi’s, the Seventh-Order Master Yang Kai met when he first arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield.
Meng Qi was the first Open Heaven Realm Master Yang Kai had met that had the courage to give his life for the Human Race!
Back then, Yang Kai felt greatly touched by this selfless sacrifice.
In the 3,000 Worlds, Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivators were true Masters who were only found in the Cave Heavens and Paradises, making them all but invincible and untouchable.
However, on the Black Ink Battlefield, such a Master willingly ended his life without any hesitation in order to protect the secret of the Void Corridor leading to Black Territory.
It could be said that the Human Race was able to endure until today because there were millions of Humans like Meng Qi who sacrificed their blood, sweat, and even lives to protect the 3,000 Worlds.
Such bravery should be respected by all.
The remnant soldiers of Azure Void Pass didn’t leave this place but instead found a dead Universe and silently hid inside. For one, they knew they might not be able to survive if they left, and two, Azure Void Pass was taken from their hands, so they still wished to take it back, even if their chances were slim at best.
Their wait lasted nearly 200 years and finally ended when Yang Kai arrived yesterday.
While they were waiting for an opportunity to re-take what they had lost, they also looked for a way to solve their troubles of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength and tried to salvage a derelict Purifying Black Ink Battleship; however, after the disappearance of the Eighth-Order Master named Hai Xing who led that effort, the rest didn’t dare to act rashly.
If Yang Kai had arrived just half a year later, the remnant soldiers of Azure Void Pass would have launched a last-ditch attack under Huang Xiong’s lead.
Even if they couldn’t get Azure Void Pass back, they would rather die with the Great Pass than linger on in disgrace!
While they spoke, Huang Xiong’s body suddenly expelled a dense cloud of Black Ink Strength. It was a sign of the Purifying Black Ink Pill taking effect.
Purifying Black Ink Pills were effective as long as a cultivator had not been entirely turned into a Black Ink Disciple. The less Black Ink Strength in them, the better their situation would be, and the more effective the pill was. Therefore, Purifying Black Ink Pills were usually taken prophylactically.
A short while later, Huang Xiong had dispelled all the Black Ink Strength in his body and let out a long sigh of relief.
It had been difficult for him to keep suppressing the corruption of the Black Ink Strength, but now, that problem was completely solved.
Yang Kai looked at Huang Xiong and asked, “Division Commander Huang, did you previously sacrifice part of your Small Universe?”
Yang Kai hadn’t paid attention to it at first, but he now noticed that Huang Xiong’s aura was quite unstable. It felt like his Order would regress at any moment. That was a clear sign that the latter’s Small Universe was damaged.
On the Black Ink Battlefield, such a situation only occurred when one was forced to sacrifice a large portion of their Small Universe.
Huang Xiong nodded, “This is already the second time I was invaded by Black Ink Strength. I was able to sacrifice part of my Small Universe to save myself the first time, but this time… I did not have the option to do so again.”
His aura was already fluctuating unstably, so if he sacrificed part of his Small Universe again, he would definitely regress into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Under other circumstances, Huang Xiong would not have hesitated to sacrifice part of his Small Universe to purge the Black Ink Strength’s corruption from himself, but he was the last Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master among the remnant soldiers of Azure Void Pass, so his strength was indispensable for their survival. Without a powerful Master to lead them, this rag-tag band of soldiers’ fate would be sealed.
Huang Xiong wasn’t the only one who was concerned about such a possibility because everyone among the 1,000 or so remnants that were stained with Black Ink Strength had similar thoughts. None of them was unwilling to sacrifice their Small Universe, they simply felt it was better to retain as much strength as possible to launch one final attack on the Black Ink Clan!
Meanwhile, Yang Kai knew of Huang Xiong’s worries without needing him to explain anything.
With a slight nod, Yang Kai retrieved a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit and gave it to Huang Xiong, “Division Commander Huang, refine this.”
Just as Huang Xiong was about to refuse when he saw Yang Kai take out several dozen more Profound Yin Spirit Fruits and called out to Sun Mao, “Senior Brother Sun, please distribute these fruits to those with damaged Small Universes.”
Sun Mao agreed and happily came forward to accept the fruits.
Noticing the situation, Huang Xiong didn’t refuse anymore and readily took one for himself. Despite not having any more troubles with Black Ink Strength, the amount of strength he could exert now was at best on par with a newly promoted Eighth-Order Master. If he could repair his Small Universe, his strength would increase significantly.
After all, he was originally a veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Having suffered hundreds of years of hardships and torment, these soldiers finally attained a moment of peace and could finally dispel Black Ink Strength plaguing them and restore their Small Universes.
Sun Mao came forward and whispered to Yang Kai, “Senior Brother, I would like to lead a few people to gather the bodies of our fallen Brothers and Sisters. Might I trouble you to stand guard here?”
Nodding, Yang Kai agreed, “Of course. Go ahead.”
Even if Sun Mao hadn’t mentioned this, Yang Kai had also planned to spend some time helping to gather the remains of the fallen Azure Void Pass soldiers. These soldiers had all died in battle and deserved to be laid to rest with dignity rather than simply being left in the nameless void to rot.
Receiving permission, Sun Mao quickly led a few others away to carry out the task.
A month later, the interior and exterior of Azure Void Pass had been cleaned out. All the bodies of fallen soldiers they could bring back were buried in the restored Cemetery. Then, Sun Mao and the others found a way to dispose of the corpses of Black Ink Clansmen and the remaining Black Ink Strength in the nearby void.
Inside the Core Hall of Azure Void Pass, Huang Xiong led Yang Kai to investigate the situation.
Since he had consumed a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit and repaired his Small Universe, Huang Xiong was no longer at risk of regressing to a lower Order, but he still needed some time to cultivate to restore his strength to its peak.
Now that Azure Void Pass was rid of its external enemies, the two of them needed to think about what they had to do next.
Of course, there was only one idea that came to mind, which was to head towards the No-Return Pass!
There must still be a Heaven-shaking war happening there!
Although it had been hundreds of years, both of them weren’t sure whether the Black Ink Clan had captured the No-Return Pass; therefore, they needed to head over and take a look for themselves in order to be sure.
With two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods and dozens of Royal Lords, there was no telling whether the Divine Spirits headed by the Dragon and Phoenix Clans would be enough to withstand the enemy.
Perhaps the No-Return Pass had already been defeated.
But the 3,000 Worlds were everyone’s homeland after all, and they all had to return there at some point.
Great Evolution Pass had a Core, so Azure Void Pass naturally had to have one too. In fact, every Great Pass had its own Core, which was placed in the most central location in each Great Pass. Moreover, every Great Pass was only able to function as a Mobile Palace Artifact and engage in a crusade because of the existence of its Core.
These Cores were the crystallisation of the wisdom of Great Experts from the Early Ancient Era.
After a thorough investigation, Huang Xiong discovered that a strong force had shattered Azure Void Pass’ Core, and from the lingering aura, he determined that it was the Old Ancestor’s doing.
Seeing that Azure Void Pass was lost, the Old Ancestor must have shattered the Core at the last moment, preventing the possibility of the Black Ink Clan causing more trouble to the Human Race after gaining Azure Void Pass.
Yang Kai’s accomplishments in Dao of Artifact Refining and Dao of Spirit Arrays were quite profound now, but it was still completely beyond his capabilities to refine a new Core.
Moreover, even if he was able to refine a new Core, there were nowhere near enough soldiers in Azure Void Pass to power it.
During the Great Evolution Army’s crusade, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao personally controlled the Core while 30 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters worked together with her to power it.
Now, the only Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters here were Huang Xiong and Yang Kai, so it was impossible for them to even activate a Core if they sank all their strength into it.
Huang Xiong also understood this. It was never his intention to regain Azure Void Pass but instead to simply retrieve the Core for possible future use.
Since the Old Ancestor had shattered the Core though, he could only discard this plan.
“There are 935 of us in total, so although it will be cramped, one Purifying Black Ink Battleship should be able to fit everyone. I need a few who are skilled in Artifact Refining and arranging Spirit Arrays to assist me. Please help me arrange that, Division Commander Huang.”
Huang Xiong nodded, “Then I shall have to trouble you, Division Commander Yang.”
On the Black Ink Battlefield, once a cultivator reached the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they were qualified to become a Division Commander. Though no Old Ancestor or Army Commander had appointed Yang Kai to such a position, the situation was different now, so it was normal for Huang Xiong to address Yang Kai as Division Commander.
If they wanted to head towards the No-Return Pass, they couldn’t only rely on just the few soldiers they had here. A Warship was necessary to maximise the strength of the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them and reduce their consumption in battle.
At this moment, the strongest Warships Humans fielded were the Purifying Black Ink Battleships.
Whether it was in terms of capabilities, capacity, or raw power, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was not something any other class of Warship could compare to.
Even Dawning Light was inferior to the Purifying Black Ink Battleships.
Therefore, a Purifying Black Ink Battleship was the most obvious choice for Yang Kai and the others.
With Yang Kai’s current capabilities, though it would be difficult, he could refine a new Purifying Black Ink Battleship from scratch, but that would take far too much time and effort. Instead, the better option was to simply repair the derelict Battleship which was lying in the Great Pass.
With a plan worked out, the remnant soldiers of Azure Void Pass were in high spirits as, after more than 200 years of fleeing and hiding, they finally had a chance to go on the attack.
After a short month of continuous work and using up large amounts of resources, the broken Purifying Black Ink Battleship was finally good as new.
The soldiers then began salvaging the artifacts that weren’t entirely destroyed from Azure Void Pass before letting their fellow soldiers who were proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays and Dao of Artifact Refining install them onto the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
As for Yang Kai, he was responsible for repairing other Warships.
When Sun Mao and the others gathered up the bodies of their fallen comrades, they also found several damaged Warships. Though none of these Warships were functional, they each had parts that were still in working condition, so Yang Kai simply salvaged whatever was usable and combined pieces from 10 to 20 broken Warships into a new one.
Another half a year had passed before the less than 1,000 lineup of soldiers gathered in the Central Square. Despite their small number, they still exuded the air of an Army many times their size.
Meanwhile, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was quietly docked outside the square, displaying its ferocious new appearance.
Since preparations had been completed, it was time to set off. Everyone was eager to head to the No-Return Pass and unwilling to waste a moment more.
Huang Xiong swept his gaze over everyone and boomed, “Today, we rejoin the war, and even if it is our fate to die, we will take many times as many enemies down with us!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
“Kill!”
When everyone thought back to when Azure Void Pass was overrun and defeated, the Old Ancestor’s death in battle, and all the corpses of their fellow soldiers, their eyes reddened with tears and the murderous intent coming from them soared!
Everyone then boarded the Battleship!
In just a few short moments, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship sailed out into the void and melted into the darkness before disappearing from sight.
While repairing this Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Yang Kai had arranged several other Grand Arrays, including an Illusion Array that could be used to conceal it. Although the Purifying Black Ink Battleship wasn’t small, this Array would allow them to move undetected as long as their luck wasn’t too poor. If the enemy wasn’t wary enough, they might not discover the Purifying Black Ink Battleship even if they were just 1,000 kilometres away.
This Purifying Black Ink Battleship that carried the last forces of Azure Void Pass looked very different from its original design. It was now far more ferocious in appearance.
After all, this Purifying Black Ink Battleship had gathered all the remaining war potential of the entire Azure Void Pass!
While repairing this Warship, Yang Kai and the others had installed every usable artifact they could find.
Not only was the Purifying Black Ink Battleship equipped in such a luxurious manner, every Squad Class Warship in their possession was similarly armed.
Even though Azure Void Pass was destroyed, no matter how broken it appeared, there were still many treasures left behind; therefore, they used the remaining essence of the Great Pass and merged it into this Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
When they turned around to look back and saw Azure Void Pass gradually disappearing from view, everyone had mixed feelings.
Among them, some of them had been stationed at Azure Void Pass for thousands of years, while some had even been here for over 10,000 years. After setting foot onto the Black Ink Battlefield and being deployed to Azure Void Pass, they had abided by the oath of living and dying together with the Great Pass as they fought the Black Ink Clan.
But now, they had survived, yet Azure Void Pass was left broken and destroyed.
There was no telling whether there would be a chance to recover and restore the Great Pass in the future.
Since almost 1,000 soldiers were in their group, they could just about form two complete Divisions. Each Division was comprised of 500 soldiers separated into approximately 40 Squads and led by Yang Kai and Huang Xiong respectively.
Huang Xiong and the others had been on the run for 200 years, but they didn’t only spend their time hiding. At the very least, they had familiarised themselves with this region of the void.
Their situation was better than Yang Kai’s, who had been lost for a long time and didn’t even know where he was before finding Azure Void Pass. How could he know in which direction the No-Return Pass was when he didn’t even know where he was?
As they headed in the direction of the No-Return Pass, their journey was fairly uneventful. Along the way, they could vaguely see traces of battles and even pieces of broken Human Warships.
Back when the Old Ancestors decided to retreat to the No-Return Pass, the Black Ink Clan Army had naturally chased after them. It could be said that the battlefield stretched from outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to the No-Return Pass. No one knew how many Human soldiers had fallen during that war or how many had successfully reached the No-Return Pass.
Whenever they discovered bodies of fallen Human soldiers, they would quietly gather them.
A couple years later, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was quietly sailing through the void when Yang Kai, who was monitoring the surroundings from the deck, suddenly opened his eyes and turned to look in a certain direction. The next moment, his figure disappeared.
Sun Mao, who was nearby, heard Yang Kai’s order, “Hide!”
After receiving his orders, Sun Mao quickly relayed the order, and the Purifying Black Ink Battleship hurriedly approached a nearby Universe Fragment to conceal itself.
On the other hand, Yang Kai moved rapidly and soon arrived millions of kilometres away. He looked over and saw a severely tattered Warship that looked as if it would be destroyed at any moment under the siege of the surrounding Black Ink Clansmen.
The Warship was clearly a Human Warship, and the Squad on the deck were running around anxiously. The arrays and artifacts were constantly activated, and though they killed and injured many of the Black Ink Clansmen, there were still more besieging them. There were at least 1,000 enemies here, and there seemed to be a Territory Lord hiding his aura amongst them.
Yang Kai’s expression brightened!
After more than 2 years of travel without meeting any other Human survivors, he had finally encountered a remnant Squad.
Though he didn’t know which Great Pass this Squad came from, the current situation didn’t allow him to think too much about it. Just as he was about to make a move to assist them, he suddenly paused.
He carefully surveyed the surroundings and discovered that despite the situation of the Warship being fairly dangerous, the Squad manning it were still trying their best to lure the surrounding Black Ink Clansmen in a specific direction.
In that direction was a small, tattered Universe Fragment, probably debris leftover after the Black Ink Clan mined all the resources out of it.
Immediately, Yang Kai seemed to have seen through this Squad’s plan and suppressed his murderous intent before quietly following them.
The Black Ink Clan’s attack was fierce and continuous, so even though the Squad’s Warship moved nimbly, it still couldn’t avoid all the incoming attacks. Once the Warship’s shields failed, the Human Squad would be facing the mad attacks from the Black Ink Clan head-on. By then, their situation would become dire.
However, the Squad seemed to be very lucky because even after they had retreated to the tattered Universe Fragment, the light barrier still hadn’t been broken through.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clan was now in position.
At that moment, lights from several arrays above the Universe Fragment suddenly lit up and turned into bolts of light that blasted towards the Black Ink Clan soldiers.
Those Arrays had powerful artifacts serving as Array Cores, or else they wouldn’t have been able to exert such terrifying might.
The light beams blasted towards the Black Ink Clan Army, clearing out a few areas and killing hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen.
Following that, an even brighter ray of light transformed into a huge net and directly enveloped the Territory Lord hidden amongst the Black Ink Clan Army.
Meanwhile, the Territory Lord obviously didn’t expect his whereabouts to be exposed so quickly and was shocked when he was directly targeted. The net that surrounded him was incredibly strong, so he couldn’t break free immediately.
A dozen or so Squads hiding inside the Universe Fragment suddenly appeared and began firing as they moved to surround and protect the tattered Warship approaching them.
After that, the Black Ink Clan suffered even more casualties.
This was obviously a plan to lure the enemy into a trap. The Human Squad that was being attacked risked their Warship being blown up to lure this small Black Ink Clan Army to the spot where they had previously arranged a number of Killing Arrays that were just waiting to be activated.
Though it was a simple trap, it worked perfectly.
No matter how vigilant the Black Ink Clan Army was against such a plot, it was impossible for them to not chase after the Humans once they fled. As long as the Black Ink Clan wanted to kill these Humans, they would fall into the trap.
When it came to the use of Spirit Arrays and artifacts, the Humans were vastly superior to the Black Ink Clan.
The ambushing Squads were made up of soldiers who had endured hundreds of battles, so not only did they manage to take the opportunity and trap the hidden Territory Lord with the help of certain Arrays and artifacts, they even neatly split into two teams, one of them corralling the flustered Black Ink Clan Army and killing them, while the other team focused on pinning down the Territory Lord.
They didn’t have an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with them, so they knew they had to kill the Territory Lord before he broke free, or else they would suffer heavy losses.
Following that, several Divine Abilities and artifacts were fired at the Territory Lord, causing him to mumble with a gloomy expression, “I thought we could lure a big fish out, but I didn’t expect to see only some small fry!”
Once those words were spoken, the Humans who were vigorously attacking the Black Ink Clan Army instantly felt their hearts sink. One of the Seventh-Order Squad Leaders who appeared to be the leader of this group wore a grim face as he shouted, “Retreat!”
With one shout, every Warship turned around, wanting to leave this place, disregarding their almost-won battle.
All of this was because of the fear they felt after listening to the simple message that came out of the Territory Lord’s mouth.
They had waged this battle to lure out the enemy, but it was not clear which side was the hunter, and which was the fish prey.
“Still not making a move yet?” The trapped Territory Lord bellowed.
Right after he said that, a figure emerged from the shadows. The figure seemed to have merged with the darkness so no one had noticed its existence right up to the moment it appeared and blocked the Warships’ escape route.
On the other side, another Territory Lord released an imposing aura and appeared like a ghost.
All the Humans felt their blood run cold.
There were about a dozen Squads gathered here, so if there was only one Territory Lord, they might be able to handle him. Two Territory Lords would cause them to be in danger, but now there were actually three Territory Lords present!
These three were different from the Territory Lords of old that attacked the Great Passes from the Royal Cities. The Black Ink Clan hadn’t had enough time to naturally cultivate more Territory Lords yet, which meant these three Territory Lords came from the Primordial Heavens Grand Source Restriction and were all Innate Territory Lords. Each one of them wasn’t much weaker than Che Kong.
Even with Yang Kai’s current ability, he had paid quite a high price to kill those three Innate Territory Lords back at Azure Void Pass, which clearly showed how strong Innate Territory Lords were.
Now, the Human Squads were facing three Innate Territory Lords without a single Eighth-Order Master backing them up. In such a situation, annihilation was all but certain!
The Seventh-Order Master that gave out the order to retreat earlier clearly knew this, so after understanding that there was no chance of survival, he immediately yelled, “Kill!”
There were only three breaths of the time difference between two totally opposite orders, but they were orders that perfectly suited the situation.
None of the Humans hesitated, and the dozen or so Warships that were about to flee all stopped momentarily before charging straight at the Black Ink Clan Army.
When facing certain death, killing one enemy would allow them to break even, while killing two would gain them a profit!
There were even two Squads that charged straight at the Territory Lord who was trapped by the arranged Array. They were going to give it their all to kill this Territory Lord because only that way would their deaths be truly valuable.
“Naïve!” The third Territory Lord who had appeared sneered disdainfully before putting power into his legs, but just as he was about to shoot forward, a sense of crisis suddenly overwhelmed him, making him feel like he had fallen into an ice pit.
The last time he had such a feeling was back at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. At that time, he had just emerged from the darkness and was fighting a bloody battle with a Human Division Commander.
While locked in battle, a nearby Old Ancestor randomly slashed at him…
That slash almost cost him his life, but fortunately for him, that Old Ancestor was dealing with a Royal Lord and had no time to finish him off; otherwise, he would certainly have died before he could blink.
More than 500 years had passed since then, but he was feeling the same feeling again.
Although this Territory Lord didn’t have much experience in battle, he was very sensitive to danger. Noticing something was wrong, he immediately gathered his Black Ink Strength to protect himself.
However, the next moment, he felt the space around him solidify, and his thoughts seemed to be affected by a strange kind of energy, which caused his reaction to be delayed.
Before he could come to his senses, a long spear brushed past his head, blowing nearly half of it off in one violent thrust.
If he hadn’t forcefully jerked his head to the side at the critical moment, that spear would have pierced right through his brain and blown his head apart!
Despite suffering such a serious injury, the Territory Lord wasn’t dead, and if he was lucky enough to escape, he would only have to return to a Black Ink Nest to recuperate for a few hundred years before being able to make a complete recovery.
Behind the Territory Lord, Yang Kai couldn’t help but click his tongue when he saw that his spear had missed, seemingly dissatisfied with his performance.
He had been hiding in the dark, yet his sudden sneak attack still wasn’t able to kill this Innate Territory Lord in one blow, which proved that the opponent was no weakling.
But that was all.
Under the intertwining of many Dao Strengths, and having surrendered the initiative to Yang Kai, this Territory Lord had lost all ability to fight back.
The Territory Lord that had just escaped death hadn’t even seen what his opponent looked like before a multitude of strands of interwoven Dao Strengths sliced through his body.
At that instant, Yang Kai flicked his spear and shot past him before charging straight at the second Territory Lord.
Behind him, the third Territory Lord exploded into numerous pieces of flesh!
The sudden change of events completely shocked everyone on the scene.
The Black Ink Clan were shocked, while the Humans were ecstatic!
They thought they were going to die for sure, but who knew that reinforcements would appear right when they had resolved themselves to fight to the death? Moreover, their reinforcements were far stronger than they could imagine and had even killed an Innate Territory Lord in just two moves!
Following that, the cries of the Golden Crow sounded, and a Great Sun rose as Yang Kai guided it with his spear towards the sturdy-looking Territory Lord.
The might of the attack was glorious and unstoppable!
The Territory Lord roared madly as Black Ink Strength surged from his figure. Then, he raised his hand and cast a powerful Secret Technique.
But the next moment, he felt an immense pain in his mind, as though something had pierced directly into his Soul and was shredding it to pieces. Under the intense pain, he howled in agony and even the Black Ink Strength he had gathered began to disperse.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai’s expression twisted into a ferocious one. He knew his strength best, and though it wouldn’t be a problem for him to kill this Territory Lord with conventional means, it would take him some time. However, the situation on the battlefield was ever-changing, and he wasn’t sure if any other Black Ink Clan Masters were hiding nearby, so he had to end things here quickly.
In this situation, the Soul Rending Thorns were his best option.
Having used this combination Soul-type artifact Technique many times, Yang Kai had grown somewhat accustomed to its activation. Moreover, he only needed to sacrifice a piece of his Soul to power the Soul Rending Thorn, and with the Soul Warming Lotus, that damage would heal on its own in time.
It was a different situation for the enemy. After being seriously injured by the Soul Rending Thorn, the Territory Lord instantly lost half his combat strength.
Right when the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Strength began to scatter, the spear with the Great Sun at its tip arrived and viciously blasted at his chest.
The might of Yang Kai’s Golden Crow Casts the Sun exploded and enveloped the Territory Lord before turning into an even brighter Great Sun, illuminating the void in all directions.
A moment later, the light faded and Yang Kai had disappeared, while the sturdy-looking Territory Lord had a giant see-through hole in his chest. His vitality dispersed quickly while his eyes were filled with pain and disbelief.
He seemed to be unable to believe that there was actually an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who could kill him so easily!
After his previous encounters with a few Human Masters, his impression was that they were not much. Besides the top Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, the others’ strength was basically on par with his, while some were even weaker.
In addition, he had the confidence to face those top few Eighth-Order Masters. Even if he couldn’t beat them, he wouldn’t die at their hands.
But today, he met an Eighth-Order Human who almost instantly killed his companion before slaughtering him in the next breath. As for his last comrade, he would probably meet with a disastrous end soon…
Before his vitality dispersed, he struggled to turn around and look at his final companion, and just as he had expected, he saw the strange Human Master had already reached him and was thrusting his spear at his fellow Territory Lord’s head.
The light in his eyes faded before he could see the ending of his last companion.
The Azure Dragon Spear thrust out with unparalleled momentum as Yang Kai condensed his many Dao Strengths to their extreme. If given a few breaths of time, the Territory Lord trapped inside the Array net would be able to escape, but now he had no chance of doing that.
Looking at the approaching spear, he wanted to resist, but couldn’t.
After barely managing to put up a defence by condensing all his Black Ink Strength in front of his face, the Territory Lord’s head was pierced through and blown apart by the spear, leaving behind nothing but a headless corpse that spurted out black blood
The situation had completely turned around!
It had been less than 10 breaths since Yang Kai’s appearance, but all three Innate Territory Lords had fallen while the only damage Yang Kai suffered was the self-inflicted wound from using a single Soul Rending Thorn.
With the Soul Warming Lotus, such damage was completely ignorable.
This victory boosted the Humans’ morale to untold heights!
They originally thought they were going to die here today, but this sudden change gave them a huge pleasant surprise.
Though they didn’t know who the Eighth-Order Division Commander that came to their rescue was, they all swore they had never seen such a powerful Eighth-Order Master before.
However, the battle wasn’t over yet. The three Innate Territory Lords were dead, but many Black Ink Clansmen were still alive. After these remnants saw how their Territory Lords died such tragic deaths though, they didn’t dare to remain and began escaping in all directions.
Aboard the Warships, the dozen or so Squad Leaders were eager to kill, but their surroundings suddenly began to tremble, and in the next instant, an inexplicable power seemed to have flashed through the void.
Following that, a scene that shocked everyone appeared.
The entire region around them seemed to have transformed into a mirror!
To be more precise, it was a broken mirror with cracks running everywhere through it, extending out far enough to encompass every surviving Black Ink Clansman’s body, silently slicing them to pieces.
Those cracks seemed to have spirituality because they moved around the Warships. Even if there were Warships that were moving too fast to dodge around where these cracks appeared, the crack itself would suddenly disappear and cause no harm to them.
Within a few silent breaths of time, all the remaining Black Ink Clansmen were dead.
The Warships stopped moving, and the Humans aboard them had their jaws dropped in shock. But more than shock, they felt joy as they turned their gazes towards Yang Kai, their eyes filled with admiration.
“Space Principles!” One of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters muttered.
To be able to create cracks in the void was obviously the work of manipulating Space Principles, and judging from how Yang Kai had killed the enemy so easily, it was clear that he had reached an extremely high level of mastery in the Dao of Space. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to be able to avoid his allies in such proximity while killing the enemy.
The Seventh-Order Masters had vaguely guessed Yang Kai’s identity by this point.
In the entire Black Ink Battlefield, only one person had cultivated the Dao of Space to this extent.
Everyone gathered over, and the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that gave the commands cupped his fist and bowed, “Primordial Army’s Lin Qi, greets Senior Brother. Are you perhaps Senior Brother Yang Kai?”
When Lin Qi announced that he was from the Primordial Army, he wasn’t saying that he was from Primordial Cave Heaven, but rather a soldier from Primordial Pass, similar to how Yang Kai introduced himself as Great Evolution Army’s Yang Kai. He wasn’t from Great Evolution Paradise because Great Evolution Paradise was long gone.
They were able to guess Yang Kai’s identity because Yang Kai had made quite a name for himself on the Black Ink Battlefield. Besides the Old Ancestors overseeing every Great Pass, even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters weren’t as well known as him.
The mere appearance of Purifying Light was enough for the ordinary soldiers to know Yang Kai’s name.
Sweeping his gaze across everyone, Yang Kai nodded lightly, “It is this Yang. This place is not safe. Come with me!”
After gathering everyone, Yang Kai led them to the place where the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was hiding.
No one spoke on the way, and they soon arrived at a large Universe Fragment before finding the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s hiding spot and meeting up with Huang Xiong.
Noticing the group of Humans following Yang Kai, Huang Xiong was so happy that his eyes lit up as he asked, “Division Commander Yang, I sensed movement from a battle just now. Did you encounter enemies?”
When Yang Kai left in a hurry, Huang Xiong was cultivating inside the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s cabin.
He had previously sacrificed part of his Small Universe, so he needed time to cultivate if he wanted to restore his original strength. Of course, this was easier than the first time since he was just re-tracing a path he had already walked before.
He could sense the movement from the battlefield from here and wanted to head over to help, but he didn’t dare to leave this ship easily because he was the only other Eighth-Order Master present. If he left as well, Sun Mao and the others would have no way to defend themselves if a truly powerful opponent appeared.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai endured the sharp pain in his Soul and explained to Huang Xiong what had just happened.
After understanding the current situation, Huang Xiong turned to Lin Qi and the others before asking bitterly, “How is Primordial Pass…?”
Lin Qi’s eyes turned red as he quickly reported, “Primordial Pass has been defeated. The Old Ancestor died in battle, and countless of our Fellow Brothers and Sisters fell or were injured in the battle.”
“Besides you all, is there anyone else?” Huang Xiong asked next. He had guessed that Primordial Pass might be gone when he saw Lin Qi and the others in such condition, because if that wasn’t the case, a dozen Squads couldn’t be moving about in the void randomly instead of protecting the Great Pass, but when he heard Lin Qi’s confirmation, he still felt forlorn.
None of them knew how many of the 106 Human Great Passes had been destroyed.
Lin Qi solemnly shook his head.
He didn’t know if there were any other survivors in the neighbouring regions, as the situation at Primordial Pass was similar to that of Azure Void Pass. Both were chased after by the Black Ink Clan while retreating to the No-Return Pass, and in the end, Primordial Pass had no other choice but to split off and act as a diversion, resulting in its tragic fall.
Everyone knew that those who stayed behind would not have pleasant ends, but with the Black Ink Clan hot on their tails, sacrificing a few to save the many was the only viable option.
On the day Primordial Pass fell, the Old Ancestor and several Eighth-Order Division Commanders died in battle, while Lin Qi and some others were ordered to scatter and try to escape. Since that day, they had been running and hiding.
At first, there were quite a lot of them, a couple thousand in fact, but after enduring repeated attacks from the Black Ink Clan just a dozen or so Squads remained, less than 200 soldiers in total.
They might have been wiped out today if they hadn’t coincidentally met Yang Kai. With three Innate Territory Lords working together and being supported by nearly 1,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers, just 200 Humans wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Do you know anything about the situation at the No-Return Pass?” Yang Kai asked while having a sinking feeling in his heart.
Lin Qi’s expression darkened, “The No-Return Pass was breached.”
“What!?” Huang Xiong yelled in shock.
[The No-Return Pass fell as well? The Dragon and Phoenix Clans were standing guard there, blocking the only passageway from the Black Ink Battlefield to the 3,000 Worlds. If the No-Return Pass has been breached, what is the current situation in the 3,000 Worlds!?]
Huang Xiong couldn’t bear to think further!
Meanwhile, Yang Kai sighed as he had vaguely guessed this was the case.
To be honest, he had already assumed such a result when he saw Lin Qi and the others here. If the No-Return Pass was still standing, how could Lin Qi and the others be wandering the void aimlessly? Even if Primordial Pass had fallen, they could have retreated to the No-Return Pass to battle against the Black Ink Clan alongside the other Great Passes. The only reason they had to not do so, was that the No-Return Pass had already been occupied
With two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods working together, as well some 100 Royal Lords and a massive Black Ink Clan Army, even if the No-Return Pass had the Dragon and Phoenix Clans standing guard and all the surviving Humans from the Great Passes had joined them, the situation would still be bleak.
Along the way here, Huang Xiong still held out hope that the No-Return Pass could block the Black Ink Clan’s advance, but now that he heard that the No-Return Pass had also been defeated, he fell into a daze.
It wasn’t because he lacked mental fortitude, but when he thought about the Black Ink Clan invading the 3,000 Worlds, the scenes he imagined in his mind were simply too terrifying.
At that instant, Huang Xiong didn’t know where he and the other soldiers in their group should go. Though they didn’t fear death, they could not just die for no reason by idiotically charging an enemy they had no hope of defeating. If they did, it would simply be a pointless sacrifice.
Yang Kai, who had already assumed such an outcome, composed himself more quickly before looking at Lin Qi and asking, “Did you see for yourself that the No-Return Pass has been breached?”
Shaking his head, Lin Qi explained, “Although I didn’t see it for myself, we sometimes send scouts to observe the No-Return Pass from afar. Currently, that place is engulfed in Black Ink Strength, and many dead Universe Worlds and Universe Fragments have been brought over by the Black Ink Clan on which they have planted an enormous number of Black Ink Nests. There were originally some signs of battle occurring there, but that was many years ago and now, there is only silence. If the No-Return Pass was still standing, it could not possibly be so quiet.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. If there were still Humans at the No-Return Pass, they would no doubt be engaging in constant battle with the Black Ink Clan. Since there weren’t any disturbances coming from there, it meant that the situation at the No-Return Pass had settled.
The Black Ink Clan had conquered the No-Return Pass!
This was the worst news they could have received.
Now that the Black Ink Clan had conquered the No-Return Pass, they would definitely invade the 3,000 Worlds as that had been their goal for millions of years. Every Great Territory in the 3,000 Worlds was flourishing and had rich World Force with abundant resources.
The Black Ink Clan only had to conquer those Great Territories to be able to have a near-unlimited supply of materials that they could use at will. Also, there were countless Human cultivators there that could be turned into Black Ink Disciples.
If that were to happen, the Black Ink Clan could eventually gain enough strength to return to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to free Mo!
After a brief pause, Yang Kai suggested, “The most important thing now is to investigate the situation at the No-Return Pass. Even though it has been occupied by the Black Ink Clan, we still need to know what kind of garrison is stationed there.”
Their original plan had centred around the idea that the No-Return Pass was still in the hands of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans. In that plan, Yang Kai would lead Huang Xiong and the others to find a chance to pass the Black Ink Clan Army before rejoining the Human Race Army.
But now that the No-Return Pass was occupied by enemy forces, they could only try to return to the 3,000 Worlds.
If they wanted to return to the 3,000 Worlds, the No-Return Pass was a place they couldn’t avoid; therefore, they had to first learn about the forces of the Black Ink Clan stationed at the No-Return Pass.
Without needing to say anything, everyone understood that if the No-Return Pass had more than three Royal Lords, it would be impossible for them to return to the 3,000 Worlds.
If there were only two, perhaps they could still find a way.
Since Yang Kai had retrieved the corpse of Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor, he could use it in this situation.
Although the Old Ancestor had passed, his corpse could still be used to fight with the Black Ink Clan in some limited capacity, which was also his dying wish.
“Other than that, there might be more remnant soldiers like Brother Lin, so we have to think of a way to gather them together.”
They would only get a single chance to pass through the No-Return Pass and return to the 3,000 Worlds, so any survivors that they left behind on the Black Ink Battlefield would undoubtedly die at the hands of the Black Ink Clan sooner or later.
Moreover, the more allies they could gather, the better their chances of making it through were.
Lin Qi immediately nodded, “There must be quite a few. Over the years, we have come across some traces of large-scale battles and even felt the fluctuations from such fights. However, the void is too vast, so we don’t know where the others are hiding.”
At that moment, Huang Xiong finally came back to his senses and spoke up, “No matter where they are hiding, they must now be thinking about returning to the 3,000 Worlds, so there is a high possibility that they are monitoring the No-Return Pass, looking for an opportunity. As long as we can cause a commotion at the No-Return Pass, it wouldn’t be difficult to contact them.”
Yang Kai agreed, “Division Commander Huang’s idea has merit.”
Whether it was returning to the 3,000 Worlds or contacting the other remnant soldiers, the No-Return Pass was the key. With a rough plan set, everyone rested for a bit before heading towards the No-Return Pass.
During the time Lin Qi and the others had been hiding around the Black Ink Battlefield, they had suffered huge losses, and their resources were almost used up. The situation was so dire that their Warships were all on the brink of failing as they lacked the supplies to even repair them.
Now that they had met up with Yang Kai, they naturally needed to address this issue. Under Yang Kai’s direction, many Artifact Refiners and Array Masters worked together to repair those Warships. Then, they all received pills from Huang Xiong and began to recuperate.
Another month passed, and the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was passing by a shattered Universe World. With just a glance, Yang Kai could see the ruins of a vast city on that Universe World, all its structures and buildings destroyed beyond repair.
Although hundreds of years had passed, there were still signs of the intense battle which was fought here.
It was one of the Royal Cities, at the centre of which were the remains of a destroyed High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
Yang Kai retrieved his Universe Chart and compared it to their surroundings and determined that this was the Theatre where Nine Star Pass stood guard.
This Royal City had already been destroyed before the Human Army departed on their second crusade. Now, there was no vitality left in the Royal City.
Since they had reached this place, it meant they weren’t much further from the No-Return Pass.
At first, they were hoping to encounter other groups of remnant soldiers like Lin Qi and the others, but along the way, not only hadn’t they met a single Human, they didn’t even encounter any Black Ink Clansmen.
However, it made sense because now that the Black Ink Clan had successfully conquered the No-Return Pass, all their efforts would be focused on invading the 3,000 Worlds. How could they spare any significant manpower to deal with the remnant forces of the Human Armies on the Black Ink Battlefield?
Even if there were Black Ink Clansmen staying here, there wouldn’t be many of them.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai vaguely felt that the Black Ink Clan might not have left too many troops at the No-Return Pass. The Human Army had retreated to the 3,000 Worlds, so it was meaningless for the Black Ink Clan to garrison a large force at the No-Return Pass.
If that were true, their chances of passing through the No-Return Pass would go up significantly.
A few months later, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship arrived at the place where Nine Star Pass once stood. Of course, the Great Pass was no longer here, so all that was left was an empty void.
However, now that they had reached this place, they had to be even more cautious. Despite the fact that the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t leave too many soldiers at the No-Return Pass, that was only relative to the forces they sent to attack the 3,000 Worlds. It would not be surprising if there was still a sizable Army tasked with hunting down the remaining Human soldiers on the Black Ink Battlefield as well as guarding the No-Return Pass.
Just like they had anticipated, as they moved forward, they gradually encountered a few groups of Black Ink Clansmen ranging in size from just a few dozen, to several thousand. These groups seemed to be searching the void for something.
Yang Kai had arranged many arrays on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, which enabled it to move about unnoticed. As long as the Black Ink Clan didn’t pay much attention while searching, they wouldn’t be able to detect them.
The Black Ink Clan’s actions undoubtedly signalled that other Human soldiers were hiding around here. If not, there would be no need for the Black Ink Clan to be searching this region.
At this moment, the most troublesome issue was how to contact these other Human groups.
They continued for a few more months and were now getting close to the No-Return Pass.
A small asteroid drifted through the void, moving not too fast nor too slow as it gradually moved in the direction of the No-Return Pass.
Then, at some point, the asteroid stopped moving as if it were blocked by something.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship was naturally nestled inside the asteroid, using it as an extra layer of cover to fool the enemy. As for how this asteroid could be steered, that was thanks to Yang Kai arranging some hidden Arrays on it which could be powered by the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
At this moment, Yang Kai was prepared to move out when Huang Xiong earnestly reminded him, “Be extra careful. There must be Royal Lords guarding the No-Return Pass.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You may rest assured, Division Commander Huang, I may have to trouble you to look after this place for some time. I’ll return as soon as I can.”
Finishing his words, he then dashed out of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. After scanning his surroundings, Yang Kai shot straight towards the No-Return Pass.
This place was about a month away from the No-Return Pass by Warship, so if they continued ahead, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship might not be able to remain undetected. In a situation where they didn’t know anything about their enemy, Yang Kai didn’t dare to let the Purifying Black Ink Battleship get too close to the No-Return Pass, lest they accidentally expose themselves.
Therefore, he and Huang Xiong had a quick discussion and decided that Yang Kai would head to the No-Return Pass alone. That way, he wouldn’t have anything holding him back and could fight or run according to the situation while probing for information.
This situation reminded Yang Kai of when he first arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield.
Back then, he appeared right in the heart of the Black Ink Clan’s territory and had no choice but to pose as a Black Ink Disciple while following behind a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman.
He could vaguely remember the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman was called Nu Yan, a character who was too lazy to memorise his Human name, so he was just called E-5…
Besides him, there were also A-1, B-2, C-3, and D-4.
As he thought back on those days, Yang Kai felt like they were truly distant memories.
Adding on the time he had spent inside the various Temporal Rivers, those events happened some 5,000 years ago.
While he was disguising himself as a Black Ink Disciple beside Nu Yan, Yang Kai was unable to find a way to escape. Luckily for him, the Old Ancestor from Blue Sky Pass led an attack on the Black Ink Clan’s territory. Soon after the chaotic battle, Nu Yan was killed by Feng Ying, and Yang Kai gained his freedom.
Later on, he and Feng Ying gathered a large number of Black Ink Disciples, restored them to their senses, and killed their way out of the Black Ink Clan’s hinterlands as they headed towards Blue Sky Pass.
It was during those days that Yang Kai met Ning Qi Zhi, Qi Tai Chu, Shen Ao, and many others whom he went on to serve with.
Among those three, Qi Tai Chu and Ning Qi Zhi died in battle one after another, while Yang Kai wasn’t sure if Shen Ao was still alive.
Now, he needed to lead Huang Xiong, Lin Qi and the other remnant soldiers to make their way past the No-Return Pass, which largely resembled the situation back then.
The difference was that Blue Sky Pass was in the hands of their fellow Humans, while the No-Return Pass was now in the hands of the Black Ink Clan. Although his strength was many times stronger than back then, the level of danger this time around was even more exaggerated.
Being alone, Yang Kai was able to move rapidly and soon arrived outside the No-Return Pass.
This was the second time he had come here.
As he moved forward, his heart felt heavier because he couldn’t establish a connection with the Dragon Altar.
The Dragon Altar, or more specifically the Dragon Pool which was linked to the Dragon Altar, was the origin of the Dragon Clan, hidden in a mysterious place that others couldn’t find, much less access. Only when the Dragon Clan hosted the ceremony could the entrance to the Dragon Pool be opened for the Dragon Clan’s descendants to head inside and cultivate.
Since he couldn’t connect with the Dragon Pool, it meant that the Dragon Clan was no longer inside the No-Return Pass.
There were Black Ink Clouds all over the void, so Yang Kai used them to conceal his figure and aura as he closed in on his target.
It would be difficult for the Black Ink Clan troops coming to and fro outside to detect his existence.
Looking in the direction of the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai couldn’t see clearly because of the vast distance and numerous Black Ink Clouds impeding his vision; however, the situation was just as Lin Qi had said. The outside of the No-Return Pass was surrounded by Black Ink Strength, and there were numerous dead Universe Worlds moved here by the Black Ink Clan. Above those Universe Worlds were dozens to hundreds of Black Ink Nests, all densely packed in.
There were new Black Ink Clans constantly emerging from these Black Ink Nests and heading towards the No-Return Pass.
Outside the Black Ink Nests were many Black Ink Clansmen transporting resources to them.
The Black Ink Clan was spawning new soldiers in massive quantities, and Yang Kai had discovered many Universe Worlds along their way here that were completely mined out. Previously, there were still many unmined Universe Worlds floating in this stretch of the void, but they were now scarce because everywhere the Black Ink Clan Army passed, they would exploit every resource they came across.
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai raised his finger and gently wiped his left eye.
[Open!]
A golden cross appeared, and Yang Kai’s gaze passed through the dense Black Ink Strength and saw beyond them.
The next moment, he narrowed his eyes.
Right behind the blockade of the Black Ink Strength, he saw many Great Passes, at least 70 to 80 of them.
The Humans had 106 Great Passes, corresponding to the 106 Cave Heavens and Paradises other than the Dragon Altar and Phoenix Nest, which were special and unique.
During the crusade, all of these Great Passes gathered outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction in the most powerful Human Army to have been assembled since the Late Ancient Era.
However, even this Army couldn’t defeat their enemy in the war outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. While retreating, a few Great Passes sacrificed themselves to divert the enemy’s attention, allowing the others to escape. Without exception, those Great Passes were destroyed far from here.
In the end, less than 80 Great Passes had reached the No-Return Pass.
Now though, every Great Pass was destroyed beyond recognition, while some were so broken that the only fragmented ruins remained.
Although Yang Kai hadn’t participated in that war, he could imagine what kind of earth-shattering battle the No-Return Pass had experienced just by looking at these broken Great Passes.
In such a battle, numerous Old Ancestors and Royal Lords had certainly died.
Now, those destroyed Great Passes were placed outside of the No-Return Pass and had become platforms where the Black Ink Clan placed their Black Ink Nests. Every one of the Great Passes had towering Black Ink Nests planted atop it.
Looking further inside, Yang Kai noticed that the No-Return Pass looked far different from before. There were traces of battle everywhere, and the Immortal Parasol Tree was gone.
It was impossible to tell whether the Immortal Parasol Tree was destroyed, or the Phoenix Clan had simply moved it; however, the latter was more likely as it was the very foundation of the Phoenix Clan. If the Immortal Parasol Tree was destroyed, the Phoenix Clan would be facing extinction, so no matter what, the Phoenix Clan would not allow such a thing to pass.
Behind the No-Return Pass was a massive Territory Gate which led to the 3,000 Worlds. When Yang Kai visited this place the last time, he didn’t pay much attention to this Territory Gate, but even a brief glance was enough to know there were numerous powerful restrictions placed around it, making it difficult to open.
But now, this Territory Gate looked like it had been torn open by an incredible force and transformed into what looked like a giant black hole in the void.
Moreover, Yang Kai could feel Space Principles pulsing from this black hole.
This was the portal through which the Black Ink Clan could invade the 3,000 Worlds!
Yang Kai felt his heart tighten, but he couldn’t see through the hole and investigate the situation at the 3,000 Worlds. They would need to kill their way past this place in order to do that.
It had only been a bit more than 500 years since the war outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, where the Humans were defeated and forced to retreat to the No-Return Pass. Following that, another huge battle between the Humans and the Black Ink Clans must have occurred at the No-Return Pass before the Humans were defeated and retreated again.
Strictly speaking, it hadn’t been long since the Black Ink Clan began their attack on the 3,000 Worlds. Perhaps their attacks might have started about 200 years ago or even less.
In such a short time, the Black Ink Clan might not have advanced too much, so the Humans might still be able to fight back.
However, there was no use in thinking about such meaningless matters because the most important thing now was to lead Huang Xiong and the others to break through the Black Ink Clan’s blockade.
Also, Yang Kai wanted to gather all the remaining survivors from the Black Ink Battlefield!
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Kai’s eyes brightened. Originally, he was stealthily observing the No-Return Pass while carefully hiding from the Black Ink Clan, but now his gaze suddenly turned aggressive.
The next moment, a strong Divine Sense suddenly came probing from the No-Return Pass.
It was a Royal Lord’s Divine Sense!
There were bound to be Royal Lords guarding the No-Return Pass, but no one knew exactly how many there were. Yang Kai’s goal right now was to figure that out, even exposing his position to do so.
Using his Eye Secret Technique to aggressively probe the situation at the No-Return Pass was also a type of provocation!
If it was any other Eighth-Order Master who dared to do such a reckless thing, they would simply be courting death; however, Yang Kai was not worried. Back when he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he had successfully escaped from the sheep-headed Royal Lord. Now that he had reached the Eighth Order, he had the capital to even fight a Royal Lord, so it wasn’t a big deal to him if a Royal Lord really came to find him.
Since he had attracted the Royal Lord’s attention, Yang Kai no longer bothered hiding himself and charged out of the Black Ink Cloud before heading in the direction of the No-Return Pass.
The Royal Lord seemed to have noticed this and the aura surged from his Divine Sense, clearly showing that he was enraged. If the distance between them hadn’t been so great, the Royal Lord would have used his Divine Sense to directly teach Yang Kai a lesson.
But across such a vast distance, while the Royal Lord could sense Yang Kai’s rough position, he couldn’t do anything about it.
Therefore, the Royal Lord directly withdrew his Divine Sense.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was vigorously moving forward and continuously increasing his aura, soon reaching a peak. Then, everywhere he passed, space shook, creating a massive disturbance that could be felt from extremely far away.
If he wanted to gather the other remnant soldiers, he would have to cause a commotion. Other than doing this, he didn’t have any means to contact the others.
Following the flaring of his aura, Yang Kai almost entirely turned into a bright shooting star that was openly charging towards the No-Return Pass.
From afar, a large Black Ink Cloud around the No-Return Pass churned as a troop of Black Ink Clansmen appeared with two Innate Territory Lords leading them.
An Eighth-Order Human wasn’t an easy foe to deal with, which was why the Black Ink Clan decided to deploy two Territory Lords. In addition, there were thousands of Black Ink Clansmen, including quite a few Feudal Lords. Such a lineup was enough to deal with any known Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai’s actions angered the two Territory Lords, but also confused them.
They naturally knew that there were Humans still lurking on the Black Ink Battlefield, but after being hunted down by the Black Ink Clan for so many years, all of them acted stealthily, afraid of being discovered. None of the Black Ink Clansmen here had expected that there would be such a crazy Human.
The strange situation caused the two Territory Lords to act cautiously, carefully checking their surroundings in case other Humans were hiding nearby. These two continued to observe while instructing the thousands of Black Ink Clan soldiers under them to attack the enemy.
A moment later, sounds of battle echoed through the void. Sweeping out with his spear, Yang Kai killed a large number of Black Ink Clan soldiers. Even the Feudal Lords were slaughtered like helpless chickens by him.
The fight had only been going for a moment, but nearly 1,000 Black Ink Clansmen had been killed.
After making sure that there wasn’t an ambush nearby, the two Territory Lords couldn’t hold back their anger anymore and attacked Yang Kai from both sides.
In an instant, Yang Kai was overwhelmed and was soon beaten to the point of spitting out blood. His aura had also dimmed greatly.
Seemingly not wanting to continue fighting, he found a chance to escape the Black Ink Clan’s siege and flew away from the battlefield.
The two Territory Lords naturally wouldn’t give up that easily, so they led their subordinates to chase after Yang Kai, but how could they have caught up with a Master of the Dao of Space? Less than an hour later, they had completely lost track of Yang Kai and had to return unhappily.
After they reported everything to the Royal Lord, the latter frowned slightly.
The Black Ink Clan knew there were remnant Human soldiers around and had even killed off many of them throughout these few years, so they were certain that there weren’t many Eighth-Order Masters left.
The Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Masters were the backbone of the two Races Armies; after all, though Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords were far stronger, there weren’t many of them. Thus, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Territory Lords were the real mainstays of their respective forces.
That was why the Black Ink Clan would go all out to kill an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master whenever they appeared alone in order to weaken the Humans’ overall strength.
It was difficult for the Humans to produce new Eighth-Order Masters, so the more the Black Ink Clan killed, the weaker the Human Race would be.
Therefore, besides the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that had retreated to the 3,000 Worlds with the main Human Army, there weren’t many Eighth-Order Masters scattered around the Black Ink Battlefield as most had already been killed.
Based on the information that the Black Ink Clan had, there were at most five Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters remaining among the Human survivors, so the appearance of a never before seen Eighth-Order Master came as a bewildering situation to the Royal Lord.
However, he was in charge of overseeing the No-Return Pass and could not leave easily. Since his subordinate Territory Lords were unable to catch this Human, he had no choice but to set the matter aside.
After suffering such a loss, he believed that this Eighth-Order Human surely would not recklessly appear again.
But he was wrong…
The very next day, the same Eighth-Order Master came over again, charging in boldly towards the No-Return Pass with great momentum and an aura which seemed to indicate he hadn’t suffered any injuries at all.
From afar, this Human acted extremely provocative with his Divine Sense and also hunted down a good number of Black Ink Clan teams who were bringing back resources from the outside, robbing them of all their goods.
The Royal Lord was furious and reprimanded the two Territory Lords who were chasing him that day severely. According to their report, the Eighth-Order Human was severely injured after their beating and would not be able to show his face again in a short time.
Yet, just one day later, he showed up again.
If not for the trust he had in his subordinates, the Royal Lord would have seriously wondered if these two had been lying to him.
The two Territory Lords also could not keep their heads up after being chastised by the Royal Lord. At once, they vowed to bring their Armies to take the head of this Eighth-Order Master. So, once all their troops were gathered, together with three more Territory Lords, they left the No-Return Pass, splitting up so they could encircle him.
The Eighth-Order Human was seemingly unaware of their plans as he fought his way forward and engaged one of their groups for a time before the other suddenly swarmed him from the opposite side.
Flustered, the Human hurriedly fled.
Even as he fled, many Black Ink Clansmen were cut down, but the Eighth-Order Human also took numerous hits and coughed up blood incessantly. His condition could only be described as miserable.
However, the united efforts of five powerful Innate Territory Lords still lost him during the chase.
This Human looked half-dead, but he was still ridiculously quick. It was not known what sort of extraordinary Secret Technique he cultivated, but as soon as he noticed that something was wrong, a blood mist would explode from his body and he would then disappear without a trace.
The five Territory Lords returned to the No-Return Pass in disgrace, which naturally made the Royal Lord very unhappy. Still, the matter was already in the past, so what could they do now?
Everyone thought that the injuries of that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were so severe that he must not be far from death. He surely had to find a place to recuperate and would not stir up any trouble again.
And yet… that was exactly what he did!
Just one day later, this Human showed up again, mighty as a dragon and fierce as a tiger, picking fights outside of the No-Return Pass and continuing to hunt down the Black Ink Clansmen bringing back recently mined resources.
All the Territory Lords were flabbergasted and even the Royal Lord himself had a vague feeling that something was not right.
After sustaining such heavy injuries, an Eighth-Order Master couldn’t recover back to peak condition in such a short amount of time. This could mean that his injuries were feigned, or… the Eighth-Order Human who came to pick a fight the other day was not the same person at all.
There was no way for his injuries to be faked though. No matter how strong an Eighth-Order Human was, they would not be able to emerge from an ambush of five Territory Lords unscathed.
That meant that there was a high possibility that it was a different person.
There were rumours of twins appearing on the Human side, or Human Masters who practiced some profound Illusion Techniques to disguise themselves as other people, but what was the point of doing that?
The Black Ink Clan couldn’t understand; however, the provocation of this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was hard to ignore, so each time, troops were deployed to surround him.
But each time, they returned empty-handed.
The Black Ink Clan started by mobilizing two Territory Lords, but that number continued to increase until a full 10 were sent out, even setting up a hidden ambush outside of the No-Return Pass. Despite taking such drastic measures, they were still unable to take down this annoying Human.
On one occasion, the Royal Lord was even prepared to set out himself, but as if the Eighth-Order Master could sense this, he quickly escaped, leaving the Black Ink Clan feeling frustrated as if they had thrown out a heavy punch only to hit the clouds.
In just one short month, the Eighth-Order Master with the same appearance made several dozen raids on the No-Return Pass, wiping out hundreds of Black Ink Clan mining teams. If they included the casualties incurred when they tried to encircle him, then as many as 50,000 Black Ink Clansmen had died at his hands in just one month, among which there was no lack of Feudal Lords.
The Territory Lords, on the other hand, were unscathed; however, the loss that they incurred from just one Human did no favours to their pride. All of them hated this Eighth-Order Human to the marrow of their bones, and anytime he dared to show his face, he was chased down by numerous Territory Lords and given a good beating!
The results of his plan thus far were just as expected. Yang Kai had no idea whether or not this would be effective, but the decisive factor to gain results was effort. There were surely some remnant Human soldiers observing the situation here, perhaps even hiding nearby, waiting for their chance to move.
However, with such a strong force in their way, it was simply impossible for these scattered Human soldiers to break through the blockade of the Black Ink Clan and return to the 3,000 Worlds.
With nobody to rally and lead them, they would die here sooner or later.
Yang Kai left some subtle hints each time he clashed with the Black Ink Clan, but he had no idea whether the Humans in hiding would pick up on them.
All he could do was hope they were smart enough.
Yang Kai could not be too obvious under the eyes of the Black Ink Clan. It would be truly foolish of him if he were to treat them as idiots.
So, from the start, he didn’t dare to reveal his true strength, only using the power of an ordinary Eighth-Order Master to deal with the Black Ink Clan’s encirclements before escaping at the last moment using Space Principles.
As for the Black Ink Clan’s suspicions that he had cultivated some sort of miraculous Escape Technique that made him burst into a cloud of blood mist, that was merely a show to cloud their eyes.
Yang Kai also didn’t dare to kill any of the Territory Lords because, if he were to expose such strength, the Royal Lord would not be able to sit still and would have to personally come out to eliminate him.
He worked hard to keep the situation manageable.
It was hard for Yang Kai to maintain this cycle as the injuries he sustained were not fake. It was true, after all, that he was being encircled by many Innate Territory Lords at once.
However, his restorative powers were so great that as long as his injuries were not critical, he would be able to recover rapidly, giving rise to the suspicion the Black Ink Clan had of him having a twin.
Outside of the No-Return Pass, two figures were lurking on a small shattered asteroid.
Both of them were only in the Seventh Order, but even though they both cultivated profound Secret Techniques that concealed their auras, they did not dare to approach the No-Return Pass too closely, lest they reveal themselves.
They had been hiding here for three days now after having recently changed their hiding spot several times in recent days. This was because the Black Ink Clan had now put up their guard and also increased the strictness of their patrols outside of the No-Return Pass due to the recent disturbance from their repeat uninvited guest.
The two Seventh-Order Humans had nearly been exposed on several occasions, but the absence of a Master among the patrolling Black Ink Clansmen allowed them to slip away each time.
At this moment, they were watching the Eighth-Order Division Commander being chased by the Black Ink Clan towards the depths of the void, soon disappearing from sight.
It was a scene that they had seen many times before as it was a performance that was put on almost every day.
After the No-Return Pass regained its peace, the two would quietly communicate with each other through their Divine Senses.
“Did you get a good look at which Division Commander that was?” The slightly older one of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters asked.
The younger one shook his head, “It was too far, I couldn’t see. What about Brother Zhou?”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master surnamed Zhou sighed, “Me neither.”
They were in a rather remote location, but with their mere Seventh-Order strength, they did not dare to spy on them too openly, so it was naturally difficult for them to get a complete picture of the situation.
What’s more, even if they could see the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s face, they might not be able to recognize him. There were many Division Commanders among the Great Passes, and they rarely interacted with any of them, so how could they recognize all of them?
After a moment’s silence, the Seventh-Order Master surnamed Zhou muttered, “There’s something strange about that Division Commander’s actions.”
The younger one nodded, “Indeed.”
His actions were so risky that the slightest mistake could mean death. Many times, they thought that this Division Commander was going to meet an unfortunate end; after all, the Territory Lords who chased him out from the No-Return Pass were quite numerous.
However, he would always escape and make an appearance the very next day.
His actions seemed meaningless and also quite dangerous, which was a fact that they found quite strange.
Even stranger than that, this Eighth-Order Division Commander always brandished his power recklessly, making it all but impossible to not notice him even from afar.
Even across such a great distance, these two would always sense this Eighth-Order Division Commander the moment he appeared.
If something seemed unusual, there must be some reason behind it. No Eighth-Order Division Commander was a fool, so there had to be a reason for his strange actions.
The Seventh-Order Master surnamed Zhou suddenly thought of something and said excitedly, “Brother Ge, is the Division Commander trying to tell us something?”
The Seventh-Order Master surnamed Ge also had the same suspicion for a time now and nodded, “Does Brother Zhou think so too?”
The one surnamed Zhou said, “If he’s trying to tell us something, the only logical conclusion is he is trying to gather us somewhere… He surely knows that there are other survivors like us monitoring the No-Return Pass, which is why he is taking the risk to show up here so that they could lead us to a gathering place.”
The one surnamed Ge was roused by his words, “Then, which direction does Brother Zhou think that Division Commander is trying to point towards?”
The one surnamed Zhou narrowed his eyes as he replied, “I don’t know if you noticed, but that Division Commander will most frequently escape in a certain direction each time he gets chased by the Territory Lords. Many times, he also moves in that same direction for unusually long periods of time.”
Certain things felt foggy if not mentioned, but once brought up, then it became simple and clear.
The two of them exchanged glances, then they turned their heads in unison to a certain direction. That was exactly the place where Yang Kai’s actions were pointing towards!
Both their spirits were lifted. After a brief exchange, they quietly snuck out of their hiding place and flew in that direction.
On a certain day half a month later, after escaping from the Territory Lords chasing him, Yang Kai landed on a certain asteroid, taking a break to recover.
A short while later, he took out a Space Beacon that served as a link between him and Huang Xiong.
He would basically take the Space Beacon out and communicate with Huang Xiong for a while whenever he was free to confirm the situation on the other side.
During these days, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship had been peaceful without any unusual occurrences.
Some Black Ink Clan teams were searching the area, but the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was so well hidden that these Black Ink Clan soldiers were unable to find anything.
However, just after taking the Space Beacon out today, he could feel Space Principles fluctuating. Clearly, Huang Xiong had been trying to get in contact with him.
Yang Kai raised his brow as the next moment, a jade slip appeared before him from the Void.
He reached out to grab it and immersed his Divine Sense into it, then he breathed a long sigh of relief.
His efforts during this period were finally showing results. The remnant soldiers lurking outside of the No-Return Pass were fortunately perceptive enough. On this very day, the first of the remnant soldiers found Huang Xiong and safely converged at the meeting point.
Considering how much time had passed, it was clear that there were some smart ones among the Human survivors. They had likely noticed the hidden signs he was giving them after appearing only a few times outside of the No-Return Pass; otherwise, it would be impossible for them to find Huang Xiong and the others so quickly.
These remnant soldiers were few in number, only several dozen or so. Enough only to form a few Squads; however, this was a good start.
If there was one group of them, then there had to be a second, and a third…
However…
Yang Kai felt that he was running out of time.
He had been doing this every day for more than a month, so if he continued to do so, his true intentions would probably be exposed. The Black Ink Clan were not complete fools after all. If they were able to see through his goal and where he was pointing towards, then things would not end well.
However, there was a bright spot in all of this.
There was only a single Royal Lord standing guard at the No-Return Pass.
Yang Kai had been worried that there would be too many Royal Lords at the No-Return Pass; but now, it seemed like he had been overly concerned.
Whether it be the battle outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction or the battle outside of the No-Return Pass, both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan must have suffered heavy casualties.
Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Old Ancestors too, were certain to have fallen.
Yang Kai did not know the overall situation of the Human Race, but he could be sure that the strongest Masters had been whittled down in numbers, with the Black Ink Clan not being better off.
In other words, for both Races, whether it be Royal Lords or Ninth-Order Old Ancestors, their numbers won’t be high. There should be several dozen of each in the best-case scenario.
The Black Ink Clan had already breached the No-Return Pass and invaded the 3,000 Worlds, so the Humans were bound to put their lives on the line to stop them. With the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors there to suppress them, the Royal Lords would not be able to leave as they please.
Under such circumstances, how could there be several Royal Lords standing guard at the No-Return Pass?
The fact that they left a single Royal Lord here was probably only because they knew the importance of the No-Return Pass. This was the only known entrance to the 3,000 Worlds from the Black Ink Battlefield. As far as the Black Ink Clan were concerned, they couldn’t afford to lose this place now that they had taken it; after all, they had to pass through here sooner or later to return to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to help Mo break free from its prison.
This was good news for Yang Kai.
If there was only one Royal Lord, then he would not have too many constraints. Not to mention that he had previously collected the body of Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor, which he could use to face such an enemy; even without it, he still had the capital to compete with a Royal Lord for a time on his own.
In the days that followed, Yang Kai would charge the No-Return Pass and provoke the enemy every now and then, pointing the way subtly each time. Even though he had no idea how many of the Human Race soldiers left behind would understand the message, he had to keep trying.
The Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass grew more and more irritable. The repeated raids made them hate this Eighth Open Master greatly. Worse yet, every time they thought that they had cornered him, the Eighth-Open Human would suddenly use his strange Escape Technique and disappear without a trace, which would unfailingly result in them, the Territory Lords, being chastised by the Royal Lord who berated them for their incompetence.
The more they were scolded, the more their hatred for Yang Kai grew.
On a certain day, Yang Kai was again picking fights outside of the No-Return Pass, drawing a dozen Territory Lords over with their troops to attack him. He swept back and forth, weaving in and out of the Black Ink Clan Army but avoiding the Territory Lords, only picking on the soft persimmons, felling countless Black Ink Clansmen with his Azure Dragon Spear.
All of a sudden, he felt a shocking murderous intent explode from within a certain Black Ink Cloud.
Immediately afterwards, Yang Kai saw a familiar imposing figure emerge from it, his fiery red hair billowing behind him as he held up a huge sabre with both hands.
Peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm might burst out as that sabre slashed down at a nearby Territory Lord.
“Die!” At the same time, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master howled, the large blade in his hand burst into flames, causing space itself to warp from the intense heat.
The Territory Lord who was caught by the saber light was shocked. Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected to be ambushed here.
However, it wasn’t that the Black Ink Clan hadn’t been careful, just that Yang Kai had been fighting alone for such a long time without any help, so how could they anticipate being ambushed here today?
They were not the only ones who did not expect this situation though, as even Yang Kai did not anticipate this happening.
The sudden slash was the crystallization of the lifelong cultivation of a Peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. What’s more, this attack had clearly been channelled and prepared for a long time, so when it struck, even a powerful Innate Territory Lord was cut in half.
Black blood spilled out and evaporated in the blazing heat left from the sabre strike.
This blow had exceeded the Eighth Order in terms of pure force, but it clearly caused an overdraft of the Master who used it, so after cutting down that Territory Lord, he froze in place, unable to move.
After the other Territory Lords recovered from their shock, how could they hold back? They all attacked this unmoving target with their Secret Techniques.
Seeing that his situation was about to become dangerous, Yang Kai swiftly retreated and put one hand on this unexpected ally’s shoulder, pulling him behind him as numerous Dao Strengths condensed onto his spear before he thrust it out.
The violent energy shook the void and blood trickled out from the corner of Yang Kai’s mouth and his body got struck.
Behind him, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master shouted, “Yang Boy, I came to help you! Let’s kill these bastards! Kill one to break even, kill two to gain a profit!”
Yang Kai choked down the fresh blood in his mouth and said through ground teeth, “In that case, I really should thank you.”
Making use of the force of the Territory Lords’ combined blow, Yang Kai retreated quickly while suffering from a great deal of discomfort.
Fortunately, the sudden loss of one Territory Lord had frightened the other Territory Lords, so they did not dare to chase after them right away for fear that there might be other ambushers nearby, just waiting for an opening to strike.
While the enemy was distracted, Yang Kai hurriedly left.
Before he got far, another figure came out of hiding and shouted at Yang Kai from a distance, “Brother Yang, take me with you! I don’t want to be left behind here!”
Yang Kai turned back his head, feeling so aggrieved that he was about to cough up blood again; however, he had no choice but to dart over to that side and bring along the figure that suddenly appeared.
However, this delay allowed the Territory Lords to compose themselves and chase after them.
Yang Kai desperately pushed his World Force as he fled.
If he was alone, then he could easily shake off his pursuers under this situation, but now, he had to bring along an Eighth-Order Master who was practically a lamp running out of oil and could do nothing but cackle with a smug look on his face, as if killing a single Innate Territory Lord made him invincible, and another Seventh-Order Master, too. How could Yang Kai escape quickly under such circumstances?
The Territory Lords behind them were gaining on them, constantly blasting Secret Techniques out in their direction, causing Yang Kai to stagger.
He threw his hand back and pulled the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master onto his back.
The Eighth-Order Master was shocked and gasped, “Yang Boy! I’ll die like this!”
With him on Yang Kai’s back, the first one to get hit by the attacks coming from behind would be him.
Yang Kai naturally acted as if he didn’t hear him.
Behind them, as another round of the Territory Lords’ attacks were about to reach them, Space Principles undulated and the trio disappeared.
After several uses of Instantaneous Movement, Yang Kai finally escaped his pursuers, but he did not dare to stop. He continued moving forward and it wasn’t until half a day passed that he found a place to hide.
After putting the two deadweights down, Yang Kai fell to the floor and sighed.
It had been quite the thrilling trip…
The Eighth-Order Master also wanted to relax on the floor, but as soon as he touched the ground, he jumped up again. Touching his back, he found it covered in blood and hurting like hell.
He suspected that Yang Kai put him on his back on purpose so he could use him as a shield…
On the other hand, the Seventh-Order Master bowed to Yang Kai, “Many thanks, Brother Yang, for this life-saving grace.”
Yang Kai looked at him, then at the Eighth-Order Master, getting furious at once and scolding, “Brother Gong, your Master doesn’t have a brain, but are you also lacking one? Why did you jump out like that? Were you trying to save me or harm me?”
The Seventh-Order Masters was none other than Gong Lian, whom Yang Kai knew well as he was the Legacy Disciple of the Great Evolution Army’s Southern Army Commander, Ou Yang Lie.
Gong Lian was a man of great aptitude and intelligence, his only fault was his lazy nature.
When Yang Kai was in the Great Evolution Army, he had the chance to interact with Gong Lian on several occasions, but every time he saw him, this guy always had a sleepy look on his face. Even in the Main Conference Hall, during important meetings that would decide the fate of the war, Gong Liang could still sleep while leaning against a pillar.
This time was different, however, as Gong Liang was wide awake, seemingly still in shock from his life being put on the line.
After being reprimanded by Yang Kai, Gong Lian only smiled awkwardly, too embarrassed to say anything.
Next to him, Ou Yang Lie naturally wasn’t happy and glared at Yang Kai, “Smelly Brat, how can you talk like that? What do you mean this Old Master doesn’t have a brain? Look!”
He patted his own head, “Can’t you see this Old Master’s big head?”
Yang Kai looked at him and could not help but think of Xiang Shan and Mi Jing Lun.
The two Big Heads had heads filled with strategies, whereas Ou Yang Lie’s hand was probably filled with water…
Yang Kai sighed a long sigh. One should not compare people lest they anger themselves to death!
Ou Yang Lie was indignant for a while, but then he was suddenly smiling again, “Brat, when did you advance to the Eighth Order? Your cultivation speed is really a sight to behold.”
Then, he turned to Gong Lian, “Damn Disciple, why don’t you learn from him? Yang Kai didn’t even advance to the Seventh Order as early as you, but now he’s already in the Eighth Order. What about you?”
Gong Lian pursed his lips and kept silent, acting like he heard nothing.
Ou Yang Lie tossed the matter to the back of his mind after scolding him. He then turned back to Yang Kai, “If this Old Master hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, then it’s simply hard to believe what happened. Back then, this Old Master even worried about you when you were chased out of the battlefield by that Royal Lord. I wondered whether or not you’d be able to survive and there had been no news all this while. Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was worried sick about you.”
Many people had seen Yang Kai being chased by the Royal Lord outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; however, the Old Ancestors were completely powerless to help. A few Eighth-Order Masters tried to offer assistance, but Yang Kai and the sheep-headed Royal Lord were both too fast, so they were only able to chase them for a while before losing track of them, forcing them to return to the battlefield and continue their fight against the Black Ink Clan.
Everyone who saw that scene thought that Yang Kai’s fate was surely going to be bad; after all, he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master being chased by a Royal Lord. So what if he was proficient in the Dao of Space? The gap in strength was so great that it was simply impossible for Yang Kai to escape.
However, when Ou Yang Lie saw Yang Kai again today, not only was the latter alive and well, but he even advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Ou Yang Lie was stunned, to say the least.
Ou Yang Lie had also been there to witness Yang Kai being chased by the Royal Lord. He also wanted to help Yang Kai, but he was outnumbered two to one back then. Being targeted by two Innate Territory Lords by force, he was unable to extricate himself and could only watch as Yang Kai was chased.
It had been 500 years since that event, but rather than dying like everyone expected, Yang Kai had actually advanced from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Eighth-Order.
Ou Yang Lie could also sense from his perception that Yang Kai’s heritage as an Eighth-Order Master was both rich and sturdy, completely unlike someone who had just broken through. This filled him with many doubts. He had no idea how Yang Kai was able to shake the Royal Lord off, and what sort of opportunities he encountered.
Yang Kai originally had a stomach full of grievances. This was the final time he had planned to show up to guide the remnant Human soldiers. He never expected to see Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple halfway through, and for them to make such a mess of the situation. If his current strength had not grown far beyond what it was the last time they had met, they might all have fallen into a disastrous state now.
However, after hearing Ou Yang Lie’s words, Yang Kai really couldn’t find it in him to be annoyed at him.
Ou Yang Lie had used all of his strength to kill that Innate Territory Lord with one strike. In other words, that one blow had completely drained him, leaving him completely defenceless. Even a Feudal Lord could have killed him at that point.
It was a sneak attack to begin with, and Ou Yang Lie had brought out all his strength in a single Secret Technique. Only then was he able to cut down that Innate Territory Lord on the spot.
Otherwise, how could an Innate Territory Lord die so easily?
Even though what he did was rash, Ou Yang Lie had only done so because of the confidence he had in Yang Kai. He believed that Yang Kai could get him out of there; otherwise, he would not have put himself in harm’s way so easily even if he was a muscle-head.
Unfortunately, his actions burdened Yang Kai, who was forced to clean up after him and bring the Master and Disciple pair along to escape.
“Why is Senior Ou Yang here?” Yang Kai asked while tossing Ou Yang Lie a bottle of Spirit Pills. Huang Xiong and the others had run out of supplies after so many years of fierce battling, so Ou Yang Lie was likely in the same condition.
As expected, Ou Yang Lie’s eyes lit up at the sight of the healing pills. He took them, gulped them all down, then shut his eyes to adjust his breathing, but not before signalling to Gong Lian with his eyes, telling him to explain the situation to Yang Kai.
Naturally, Gong Lian obeyed, “We have been hunting around the outer periphery of the No-Return Pass all these years. Only, we normally stay a bit further away since we dare not venture too close. Some days ago, we received a report from one of our Squads about there being movements of Masters fighting at the No-Return Pass, but by the time they arrived, they were unable to find anything. After that, another few Squads vaguely felt movements over the following days, so Honoured Master led me over to see what was going on.”
It was quite coincidental since this was Ou Yang Lie and his Disciple’s first time coming over here to check on the situation, and the reason he had to bring Gong Lian was so that he could make use of Gong Lian’s unique ability.
Many years ago, when they were investigating the situation of the Black Ink Clan in Great Evolution Pass, Ou Yang Lie brought Gong Lian with him as he was able to spy on others without alerting as his perception was somehow untraceable. Naturally, it would not be different this time.
The two of them had only just hidden themselves for a short while before Yang Kai appeared, picking fights recklessly outside of the No-Return Pass.
Even more coincidentally, Yang Kai actually passed by where they were hiding while being chased by those Territory Lords.
How could Ou Yang Lie resist such a golden opportunity? Moreover, with the Territory Lords being so close, Ou Yang Lie wasn’t sure that they wouldn’t be discovered.
Since the possibility of being found was high, he naturally decided to seize the initiative. It was at the instant when Yang Kai passed by the Black Ink Cloud that the hiding Ou Yang Lie burst forth and cut down an Innate Territory Lord.
The actions of the Master and Disciple were as much a matter of necessity as they were a matter of coincidence and circumstance.
After hearing Gong Lian’s account, Yang Kai realized that he had mistakenly blamed Ou Yang Lie for acting recklessly, saying that this old fart should not be acting so brainlessly, lest he hurt the people around him and himself.
“Brother Gong, how is it that you’re still here and have not returned to the 3,000 Worlds? As far as I know, the vast majority of the Human Army managed to withdraw to the 3,000 Worlds other than a few remnants from the Great Passes that acted as a rear guard to delay the Black Ink Clan. Could it be that Great Evolution Pass was also…” Yang Kai’s heart jumped in worry.
Huang Xiong and the others were roaming around the Black Ink Battlefield because Azure Void Pass had fallen in battle. Stuck behind enemy lines, and with no way back, they instead chose to attempt to retrieve the bodies of the Old Ancestor and Azure Void Pass’ Core.
If Great Evolution was also broken through, then that would mean that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had perished!
Yang Kai’s feelings grew heavy.
As if knowing his worries, Gong Lian hurried to explain, “It’s not as Brother Yang thinks. What remained of the Great Evolution Army after that war basically managed to return to the 3,000 Worlds, but as for us… Well, it’s an… interesting story.”
Saying so, he glanced at Ou Yang Lie, finding it difficult to speak.
Yang Kai could tell at a glance that it was Ou Yang Lie who messed something up.
As expected, Ou Yang Lie opened his eyes and said, “There’s nothing much to be said about it. When the Human Race Army lost the battle outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the Old Ancestors gave the order for us to retreat to the No-Return Pass to regroup with the Dragon and Phoenix Clans so we could make a stand against the Black Ink Clan. Many battles were fought and both sides incurred heavy casualties. This Old Master led the troops across the battlefield, but our ranks were unfortunately splintered by the Black Ink Clan Army and were unable to reach the No-Return Pass in time. We had no choice but to take in the other survivors and become drifters after that.”
In the heat of the battle, Ou Yang Lie probably couldn’t be bothered to care about something like a fleet formation either. He led his Army forward boldly, but that also allowed the Black Ink Clan to cut them off.
Yang Kai was relieved after finding out what happened.
The fall of the No-Return Pass was something that happened only about 200 years ago, and Ou Yang Lie was seemingly able to gather some helping hands in this period. Only, just like with Huang Xiong, they were all remnant soldiers. The numbers Ou Yang Lie managed to gather up were actually higher than Huang Xiong’s side. Over the years, he was able to assemble a considerable force, almost 3,000. There were even two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Masters in their group. Besides Ou Yang Lie, there was another called Fei Yuan Long, but he did not come with them this time.
They did not dare to provoke the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass; after all, a Royal Lord was overseeing the situation, so the only thing they could do was roam around outside, but they were still relatively successful, killing a considerable number of Black Ink Clansmen.
Yang Kai picked many fights outside of the No-Return Pass over the past one and a half months, subtly guiding the remnant Human soldiers. If Gong Lian could have observed it a few more times, then he would surely be able to catch the hint with his wits. Then, he only had to follow the directions to find Huang Xiong and the others.
Only, his whereabouts were exposed the very first time he came to investigate with Ou Yang Lie, so where would he find the time to ponder Yang Kai’s actions?
“Brother Yang, have you also been drifting about these years?” Gong Lian asked out of curiosity.
Yang Kai sighed, “It’s a long story.”
After that, he gave them a brief account of what he told Huang Xiong, causing Gong Lian’s eyes to flash.
He had heard about the legendary Temporal Rivers before, but even his Honoured Master Ou Yang Lie has never come across one before, so how could he have? Honestly, Gong Lian thought it was just an old folktale, never actually expecting them to really exist.
Such a good thing caused Gong Lian to wonder if he would also have a chance to cultivate in those Temporal Rivers, and how fast it would allow him to increase his cultivation?
However, on second thought, the time spent inside of the Temporal Rivers was real, only passing by faster than in the outside world. That was the reason why it was called the cultivation shortcut for those in the Open Heaven Realm.
At the end of it all, even with a Temporal River, one’s effort was still required for results.
Thinking of all the work that would take, Gong Lian immediately lost interest…
On the other hand, Ou Yang Lie gave great importance to the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and asked many questions about it. Naturally, Yang Kai answered all his questions one by one. When he heard that Yang Kai had marked out a path back to the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon so he could still find it in the future, Ou Yang Lie did not reserve any compliments on his meticulousness.
After finding out that there were other remnant soldiers with Huang Xiong from Azure Void Pass, Ou Yang Lie could no longer sit still.
He was unwilling to live out the rest of his life running and hiding as he had for these past 200 years, but he had no other choice and his own circumstances made him feel very bitter. If he wasn’t so vexed at his situation, he might not have cut down that Territory Lord so decisively when the chance presented itself.
Now, there was a possibility of breaking through the No-Return Pass and returning to the 3,000 Worlds to rejoin the Human Army, how could Ou Yang Lie stand to delay?
But even though his injuries were not serious, that attack earlier drained all of his World Force, and he was barely able to recover some of it even after recuperating for a few days.
Even so, he immediately led Yang Kai towards the base where he and his group were hiding. After gathering everyone, they set out to converge with the remnant soldiers from Azure Void Pass.
In an instant, the strength of the remnant army surged. The army that originally had less than 1,000 troops swelled to more than 4,000. The only complaint would be the small number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters they had. Currently, they only had four, including Yang Kai, which for 4,000 soldiers really wasn’t much.
They were in no hurry to act though; after all, there were far too many variables if they were to launch an attack on the No-Return Pass. They could not act with confidence unless they did some proper planning beforehand.
Moreover, Yang Kai wanted to wait a while longer. Perhaps some other survivors caught on to his clues and would be coming to join them soon.
While the Remnant Army plotted their course, the Black Ink Clan of the No-Return Pass finally found some long-awaited peace and quiet.
That Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master finally stopped showing up.
Even though another Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master suddenly showed up the last time and even killed an Innate Territory Lord, causing the Black Ink Clan to lose all face, it was still better than being teased like monkeys on a daily basis.
Thus, the Territory Lords rejoiced.
However, another thought came to mind. What was there to be happy about? During the days when that Eighth-Order Master stirred up trouble outside of the No-Return Pass, the total number of Black Ink Clansmen who died at his hands was approaching the 100,000 mark. Just the fallen Feudal Lords alone numbered over 1,000.
Even though they would beat him till he spat blood every time and made him look utterly miserable, nobody had any idea how hurt he truly was.
The result was so frustrating that the Territory Lords all vowed to themselves that if they ever saw that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master on the battlefield again, they would surely take good care of him.
The Black Ink Clan did not give up on their search either. Large numbers of search parties were sent out to try to locate that Eighth-Order Human, but they all came back empty-handed. Even if there were any who discovered him, they simply never returned to give a report.
At the hiding place of the Human Remnant Army, over the following month a continuous stream of Human soldiers gathered after understanding Yang Kai’s hints.
The Remnant Army now numbered around 5,000, but they still only had four Eighth-Order Masters among them.
A single Purifying Black Ink Battleship could not fit so many soldiers. At the very most, a Purifying Black Ink Battleship could only hold a maximum of 1,500 soldiers.
However, they were unable to find a second Purifying Black Ink Battleship as the war with the Black Ink Clan had been extremely intense, to the point that even Great Passes were destroyed. Most of the Purifying Black Ink Battleships were blasted to dust, so it was really a miracle to find a Purifying Black Ink Battleship that was only half-ruined in the ruins of Azure Void Pass.
Yang Kai had been dizzy with work during these days.
Since they had to attack the No-Return Pass, they naturally had to be prepared.
Warships needed to be repaired, and all sorts of Spirit Pills had to be refined. As the saying went, before the troops move, fodder and provisions must be prepared.
Yang Kai had exceptional attainments in Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and the Array Dao, so out of all the people present, he naturally became the busiest.
Preparations took two years to complete, and in these two years, Yang Kai had been so busy that he practically never stopped in one place for even a moment. Even though his cultivation was now in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he still turned haggard from overwork.
Most of his energy was expended on repairing Warships. All the remaining ships of the Human Squads were on the verge of falling apart.
Their charge into the No-Return Pass was going to be extremely dangerous, so without the protection of Warships, the casualties among the remnant soldiers would be atrocious at best. So, during these two years, every Warship was carefully repaired so that it could provide the maximum amount of protection during the life-or-death battle to come.
Finally, all the preparations were in place.
The 5,000-strong Remnant Army had been reorganized into four extra-large Divisions, with the four Eighth-Order Masters becoming the Commanders of each Division.
In addition, they spent a lot of time planning for the various scenarios they would face once the attack began, trying to account for every contingency.
The Remnant Army gathered at their hiding spot, equipped and ready to depart. Even though it was quiet, the murderous aura clearly showed each person’s determination.
After leaving here, they would either break through the No-Return Pass and return to the 3,000 Worlds, or die trying.
Among the four Eighth-Order Masters, Ou Yang Lie was the most senior, so he should have been the one to come forward and give a speech to boost the Army’s morale, but as usual, he ended up thinking that it was too troublesome when it came time to do it and discarded the long speech he prepared. Grinning menacingly, he simply raised his fist and roared, “Alright boys and girls, let’s go and fuck those bastards up!”
Gong Lian could not help but facepalm, looking as if he had a headache.
The effect was somewhat unexpected, however, as the morale of the Remnant Army really soared and they all cheered in unison.
They had been extremely vexed after being forced to run and hide for so many years, watching their Fellow Brothers and Sisters die along the way. They would rather die fighting, trying to make their way home, than keep hiding like this, living like rats in the mud, never to see the light of day again.
The Army set out!
At the forefront was the Purifying Black Ink Battleship where Yang Kai personally assumed command. To his left was Huang Xiong, to his right Fei Yuan Long, and Ou Yang Lie brought up the rear.
Fei Yuan Long was the last of the Eighth-Order Masters, and also another old veteran Eighth-Order Master who was no less powerful than Ou Yang Lie.
If they had to compete, then among the four Eighth-Order Masters, the weakest one would actually be Huang Xiong; after all, he was forced to sacrifice part of his Small Universe. Even though he had received a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit from Yang Kai and managed to repair that damage, it would still take many years for him to restore his strength back to its peak.
The current Huang Xiong was stronger than a newly-advanced Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but still far from reaching the strength of a true veteran.
The Remnant Army’s hiding place had changed several times over the past two years, and now they were a three-month journey by Warship from the No-Return Pass.
The first month was uneventful; however, they began to encounter Black Ink Clan squads one after another in the following month. No Territory Lords were overseeing these patrols, and each of them was quite small in number, so there was no need to mention what happened to them.
The further they advanced though, the more Black Ink Clansmen they encountered.
These Black Ink Clansmen were mostly patrolling around the No-Return Pass’ periphery or returning from the outside with freshly mined resources.
One or two teams going missing would not be enough to attract the attention of the Black Ink Clan’s higher-ups, but as the numbers grew, the unusual situation was naturally detected by the Black Ink Clansmen at the No-Return Pass.
After some brief discussion, a few Territory Lords assembled their Armies and set out to investigate the situation.
With only 10 days to go before arriving at the No-Return Pass, the Human Remnant Army encountered their first Territory Lord. From the Purifying Black Ink Battleship that he oversaw, Yang Kai was able to detect the Territory Lord’s aura from afar; however, the other party was only able to detect them after approaching to within a few hundred thousand kilometres.
Yang Kai had arranged an Illusion Array on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, so why would he not equip the other Warships with them?
As long as the enemy didn’t get too close, and didn’t check too carefully, these arrays were enough to conceal the movements of the Remnant Army, making it difficult for the Black Ink Clan to spot them.
When he saw such a large force of Humans coming towards him, the Territory Lord was shocked and ordered his subordinates to block them. At the same time, he turned around, preparing to head back to the No-Return Pass to report this troubling development.
However, as soon as he turned around, he saw a young Human standing silently behind him, giving him an icy glare.
The Territory Lord paled as he had no idea how this Human managed to get behind him without him even noticing.
However, he recognized the other party at a glance. It was the same young Human male who had constantly provoked them outside the No-Return Pass a few years ago. He had crossed blades with this Human countless times and even forced him to cough up blood by joining hands with the other Territory Lords.
For two years, this Human had disappeared, so the Territory Lord never thought he would see him again on this day, leading such a large Human Army no less.
Having fought with Yang Kai before, he more or less understood his strength, so how could this Territory Lord be careless? He immediately charged at Yang Kai as his Black Ink Strength surged, condensing into a giant palm that covered the sky as he roared, “Scram!”
He was not in the mood to get tangled up with this fellow right now. An Army of Humans had appeared just a few days away from the No-Return Pass; this matter had to be reported as soon as possible.
The Territory Lord was stunned, however, to discover that his opponent remained completely indifferent to his attack. The annoying Human simply summoned his spear and unleashed a flurry of thrust at him. After exchanging blows for just two breaths, the Territory Lord was flabbergasted.
After not seeing this Human for two years, his strength had somehow increased to a ridiculous degree. Mysterious powers spread out and intertwined, giving the Territory Lord the illusion that he was caught in a large net, and each fibre of that net contained Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering power.
While Yang Kai fought with the Territory Lord, the Squad Warships on both sides of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship also unleashed a powerful barrage from their artifacts and arrays. In just one volley, they tore apart the Black Ink Clan Army, and with swift movements, the four Divisions closed in, ensuring not a single Black Ink Clansman was able to escape.
Ou Yang Lie originally planned to move to assist Yang Kai, but before he could even head over, he saw Yang Kai’s spear sweep across the Territory Lord’s waist from a distance. At once, the other party’s abdomen caved in as black blood splashed out violently.
Yang Kai thrust his spear out again, piercing through the Territory Lord’s chest. With a fierce explosion of power, the latter’s insides were thoroughly mangled.
Before his death, the Territory Lord gawked at Yang Kai incredulously, seemingly unable to understand how this Eighth-Grade Open Heaven Realm Master had become so overwhelming in just two years.
Yang Kai flicked his spear, causing the Territory Lord’s corpse to burst into a blood mist.
Immediately after, he returned to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and ordered, “Move out!”
The four Divisions of the Remnant Army reorganized themselves and continued forward; however, every soldier who saw the battle earlier had their spirits lifted.
A powerful Innate Territory Lord had been cut down just like that!
They had never seen such a decisive victory before.
Even Ou Yang Lie and the two other Eighth-Order Masters felt their hearts pounding.
Yang Kai seemed strong to an absurd degree!
Huang Xiong and the others were not too familiar with Yang Kai, but Ou Yang Lie had more contact with him and knew that Yang Kai was able to crush those in the same Realm when he was in the Seventh-Other. Back then, against Feudal Lords, Yang Kai was basically able to kill them with a single blow.
Ou Yang Lie had thought that even if Yang Kai found an opportunity to advance into the Eighth Order, he would not be able to retain such an overwhelming advantage like he had in the Seventh Order, but with the strength Yang Kai had just shown, he was on the path of crushing his peers again.
Two years ago, Ou Yang Lie had also killed an Innate Territory Lord with a single slash, but that had been in a sneak attack and had cost him all his World Force. After that, he was completely unable to fight, which was very different from Yang Kai’s case today.
It was no wonder why he had the guts to provoke several Territory Lords at once outside the No-Return Pass. It turned out that he was strong enough to ignore them.
Yang Kai had not even reached the peak of the Eighth Order yet, so Ou Yang Lie was suddenly looking forward to how he would be once he reached that height. Maybe… he might really be able to kill an Innate Territory Lord in a single blow without suffering any injuries!
Yang Kai was wounded this time when he killed that Territory Lord, likely because he wanted to end the fight quickly and was willing to suffer a bit in exchange for speed.
However, those injuries were all internal, so outsiders were not able to see them.
The Remnant Army were unable to approach the No-Return Pass unnoticed in the end, which was something that they had expected.
The Illusion Arrays on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and the Warships were not powerful enough to allow them to go unnoticed under the determined search of the enemy.
Just three days out from the No-Return Pass, the Remnant Army was finally fully exposed.
The No-Return Pass was naturally stunned, unable to figure out how the Humans could still have an Army of this size on the Black Ink Battlefield.
They knew about Human survivors, but they were all scattered about and of no threat to them; however, when they saw such an Army approaching, they had no choice but to take them seriously.
Once the news was reported, the Royal Lord overseeing the No-Return Pass personally came out to investigate the situation, but when he had got a look at the lineup of the Human Army, he just snorted. They dared to come and pick a fight with just four Eighth-Open Heaven Realm Masters? It was no different from suicide in his opinion.
The forces guarding the No-Return Pass were not large, but they still had a Royal Lord and some 20 Innate Territory Lords. The Black Ink Clan garrison here also numbered at least a million, with many more constantly being spawned and sent to the 3,000 Worlds.
This was not something a mere Remnant Army of a few thousand Humans could challenge.
Seeing the Remnant Army led by a huge Warship, constantly approaching the No-Return Pass, the Royal Lord became furious and ordered his Territory Lords to assemble their Armies and meet them in battle.
Under the Royal Lord’s order, the Territory Lords did not dare to delay for a moment. At once, 10 Territory Lords mobilized along with a 300,000-strong Army, showing the importance they attached to this battle.
They themselves knew that the Black Ink Battlefield would be completely under their control after this battle. They would no longer have to worry about being harassed by these Human remnants. The supply convoys would also no longer be intercepted, and they could focus all their attention on invading the 3,000 Worlds.
10 Territory Lords stormed out of the No-Return Pass with great momentum, a massive Black Ink Clan Army at their back exuding unconquerable might.
Under their command, the 300,000-strong Black Ink Clan Army quickly formed a semi-circle that surrounded the Human Army.
It seemed from this arrogant gesture that they meant to take down the 5,000 Humans in one fell swoop.
Instead of being frightened by such a disparity in numbers though, the Humans all lifted their weapons and prepared to meet the enemy.
This was only natural; after all, they had already experienced far too many battles like this.
To fight as 1,000 against 10,000, which Human soldier had not experienced that before?
Only, the Humans were indeed meagre in strength, and the number of Eighth-Order Masters were less than usual for an Army this size with only four in total.
However, what did they have to fear about the trivial Black Ink Clan?
They would still fight to the death!
The two Armies rapidly approached each other, exuding turbulent killing intent.
At a distance of 1 million kilometres, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship acting as the vanguard began its attack. The many arrays arranged around the Purifying Black Ink Battleship hummed and the artifacts at their core lit up, turning into streams of colourful light that cut through the void, illuminating the outside of the No-Return Pass into a glorious light display.
Each burst of light carried terrifying killing power with it and soon exploded amidst the Black Ink Clan Army, clearing out large regions of space.
The Remnant Army’s only Purifying Black Ink Battleship was brought out from Azure Void Pass, and it could be said to contain the remaining essence gathered from the entire Great Pass, so its might was several times stronger than an ordinary Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
The 1,000 or so Human soldiers stationed aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship were essentially all there to power the excessive number of Arrays installed on its hull.
Before the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was breached, they did not need to head out to fight the enemy hand to hand, they only needed to activate the various Arrays and rely on the might of the artifacts.
Not once had a Purifying Black Ink Battleship appeared with such a luxurious loadout before.
The first round of attacks came as a shock to the Black Ink Clan and the 10 Territory Lords instantly realised that this Purifying Black Ink Battleship was different from the others.
They had also seen the Humans’ Purifying Black Ink Battleships before, but what they saw in the past could hardly compare to the might of the Warship before them now.
So, after a brief discussion, five of the Territory Lords charged straight at the Purifying Black Ink Battleship under the cover of their subordinates.
Regardless of where this Remnant Army came from, they seemed to be heavily reliant on this Purifying Black Ink Battleship, so as long as they could finish it off, the Human’s strength would be greatly reduced, leaving the enemy at their mercy.
With the combined strength of five Innate Territory Lords against only one Eighth-Order Master standing guard aboard the battleship, it was practically impossible for them to fail.
Soon, with the sacrifice of their subordinate Black Ink Clansmen, the five Territory Lords were able to close to a distance of 100,000 kilometres from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. From this distance, the Innate Territory Lords could fully exert their strength against this Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
However, before they could make their moves, a stream of light suddenly emerged from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master overseeing the battleship actually charged out to meet them.
The Territory Lords all had sharp vision and excellent memory, so they could naturally tell at a glance that this was that Eighth-Order Human Master who had constantly picked a fight with them outside of the No-Return Pass two years ago.
Similar to the Territory Lord who was cut down by Yang Kai previously, these five greatly underestimated Yang Kai’s strength, thinking that he was only uniquely gifted at escaping and not really that strong.
So, none of the five Territory Lords put this man’s charge to heart. Instead, they each gathered their strength, intending to blast apart this arrogant Human together with the Purifying Black Ink Battleship!
However, the Eighth-Order Human’s figure suddenly blurred and disappeared from their sight.
The next moment, three Territory Lords howled in pain as if they had been subjected to some unbearable torture, their faces twisting in agony.
In an instant, three powerful Innate Territory Lords were rendered helpless.
The remaining two had no idea what happened to their companions, but they were too shocked to even react. They had sensed a surge of Spiritual Energy just now, but they had no idea what took place.
Before they could check on the condition of their companions though, the soldiers on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship who had received Yang Kai’s instructions ahead of time activated all of the Offensive Arrays and fired in the three disabled Territory Lords’ direction.
If these three had been at their peak, then such an attack would not have been much of a threat to them; however, with their Souls being torn into at this moment, they were in a heavily dazed state and unable to react promptly.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship had hundreds of arrays installed, and all of them shot at once in three directions, completely enveloping the enemy Masters. Each Territory Lord was exposed to two to three hundred attacks, each of which was at least equivalent to the full-powered blow of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, with a dozen or so of them even being comparable to the strength of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It was as if the entire void had been torn apart in an instant!
The violent tidal wave of energy not only forced the Black Ink Clan Army back, but even the Purifying Black Ink Battleships’ shields flickered furiously as they were hit by the shockwaves from the close-range explosions.
Amid this chaos, three powerful auras were extinguished.
The three targeted Innate Territory Lords died just like that!
As the dust settled, Yang Kai reappeared and swept his spear out at the two remaining Territory Lords.
The veins on his forehead were throbbing and both his eyes had gone bloodshot. The indescribable feeling of pain coursing through his body made him feel as if his Soul was being torn apart, but he still grit his teeth and endured, channelling his pain into a furious onslaught of attacks.
10 Territory Lords led a 300,000-strong Black Ink Army, while the Humans only had four Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters commanding 5,000 soldiers. The odds were not in the Humans’ favour, to say the least.
So, no matter what, the gap in strength had to be reduced.
At such moments, the Soul Rending Thorn was the best card Yang Kai could play.
From his experience killing the sheep-headed Royal Lord, Yang Kai knew the limits of his Soul. If he were to use the Soul Rending Thorn four times at once, his consciousness would blur to the point where he was no longer able to think rationally just like last time.
He was lucky back then and continued fighting on pure instinct despite blacking out, even managing to kill the sheep-headed Royal Lord in the end, but Yang Kai could not even remember how he accomplished that. He only knew that he had brought out his Dragon Bead since he noticed it was damaged when he inspected his wounds after the battle.
Only by attacking with his Dragon Bead was Yang Kai able to kill a Royal Lord as it was his most powerful trump card.
However, he wouldn’t always be so lucky. So, Yang Kai only used three Soul Rending Thorns this time, targeting three Territory Lords.
This was complemented by a powerful attack from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, which felled the three Territory Lords in one swoop as he expected.
After such an opening move, Yang Kai could just barely manage the remaining two.
The two surviving Territory Lords were both in a state of shock after the instant deaths of their three companions, so they put almost all their strength into defending themselves lest they follow in the footsteps of their companions, which gave Yang Kai an easier time dealing with them.
The fight started so furiously that it vastly exceeded the expectations of the Black Ink Clan.
They had originally planned for the five Territory Lords to surround and attack the Purifying Black Ink Battleship while the remaining five would deal with the other three Eighth-Order Masters, which should have been enough to keep the Humans pinned down. However, the five who were supposed to deal with the Purifying Black Ink Battleship had instantly failed.
The fall of three Territory Lords not only left the remaining two at the enemy’s mercy, it also completely astonished the other five.
Ou Yang Lei and the others were stunned at Yang Kai’s methods, but they also knew that they could not waste the momentum that Yang Kai built up for them and immediately led their troops towards the Black Ink Clan while they themselves engaged the other five Territory Lords.
One by one, lights shot out from the Squad Class Warships.
5,000 against 300,000, yet the Black Ink Clan Army was clearly on the back foot, constantly retreating towards the No-Return Pass.
The dissipation of auras could constantly be felt. The Black Ink Clan’s casualties were innumerable, but Warships were beginning to explode on the Human side, leading to the collapse of Small Universes.
However, no one mourned at this moment. Every Human soldier knew that this would be a steep uphill battle. If they did not break through the blockade of the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass, then they would end up wandering the Black Ink Battlefield until the day they died, never again having the opportunity to return to the 3,000 Worlds to rejoin the main Human Army.
At the central vanguard, Yang Kai fought two Innate Territory Lords alone. Borrowing the momentum from the first attack that left the two Territory Lords hesitant, he was able to gain an absolute advantage.
Right now, even though the heritage of his Small Universe was not much stronger than when he just walked out from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai’s overall combat strength had increased significantly.
For him, his encounters with the Territory Lords had allowed him to hone his skills and develop a far better control over his own power, especially his many Dao Strengths. He was also constantly gaining new insight into these various Grand Daos whenever he used them in battle.
The Soul Warming Lotus constantly emanated a feeling of coolness that soothed his damaged Soul, slowly stabilizing his state of mind.
Seizing this opportunity, Yang Kai opened up some distance from his enemies and executed a Secret Technique.
In a flash, a Golden Crow cried out and a Great Sun rose.
In the next moment, a cold Full Moon manifested as well.
The Sun and Moon orbited around Yang Kai, exuding the mysteries of Time and Space.
A profound power fluctuated forth as the Sun and Moon spun in a kaleidoscope of light. The vast void was filled with Space-Time Strength, making it seem as if time was standing still when viewed from the outside while Space froze in place.
A large swath of the void seemed to be cut off from the rest of the Universe by some strange force.
Yang Kai widened his eyes and stared carefully.
The last time he used his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, he saw something unusual. At that time, his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel seemed to shatter the Space-Time continuum, allowing him to see fragments of the future.
In one of those flashes, Yang Kai saw himself holding the severed head of the sheep-headed Royal Lord as countless Black Ink Clansmen surrounded him, seemingly in worship, but were in fact encircling him to kill him.
But this time… he was unable to see anything.
Still, the might of the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel did not decrease in the slightest. In fact, it had even become slightly stronger than before.
This Secret Technique could be considered one of Yang Kai’s strongest methods right now and was far less risky than the self-harming attack of his Dragon Bead. Even the sheep-headed Royal Lord at that time had suffered when struck by this Secret Technique, so nothing need be said about two flustered Innate Territory Lords.
It was just a flash before the frozen void seemed to return to life, but in that instant, the huge region of space that flowed with Yang Kai’s Space-Time Strength seemed to have passed through millions of years.
As Space and Time re-aligned, all the Black Ink Clansmen within that region of the void, whether it be the Territory Lords or the regular Black Ink Clan soldiers, all of them disintegrated into a cloud of Black Ink Strength, disappearing without a trace.
The five Innate Territory Lords who initially targeted the Purifying Black Ink Battleship had all died!
A single Sun and Moon Divine Wheel massacred 100,000 Black Ink Clansmen in an instant!
The morale of the Humans soared while the Black Ink Clan was horrified.
There was not one of them whose eyes were not filled with terror. 10 Territory Lords came out to meet the Humans in battle, yet mere moments into the fight, half of them had already been killed.
Was that really an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?
When did Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters become so powerful?
They weren’t the only ones who were terrified, even the Territory Lords who remained inside of the No-Return Pass shivered in fright as they witnessed this.
The Royal Lord overseeing the No-Return Pass was in a state of disbelief.
There were four Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the enemy Army, but while three could be disregarded since they fell within the limits of what an ordinary Eighth-Order Human should be capable of, the one who commanded the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was so powerful that it was hard to wrap one’s mind around.
The Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities this Human unleashed were so astonishing they didn’t even seem possible.
After debating for a moment, the Royal Lord came to a decision.
He could not allow such a Human to live; otherwise, if he were left to grow and one day reach the Ninth Order, would he not then be able to cut down Royal Lords like he was chopping fruits or vegetables?
Currently, the Black Ink Clan did not have many Royal Lords left among their ranks; otherwise, he would not be the only one overseeing the No-Return Pass.
With his mind made up, the Royal Lord made his move, turning into a cloud of Black Ink Strength that rapidly approached the battlefield.
Yang Kai had been weakened at this moment. Releasing three Soul Rending Thorns had severely damaged his Soul, and then using his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel had drained a significant amount of his World Force.
If Yang Kai did not have a World Tree Clone to stabilize his Small Universe, it would have already been heavily shaken.
Even then, half of his Small Universe’s heritage had been drained already, leaving him with a feeling of weakness. He quickly took out some Spirit Pills and gulped them down.
Yang Kai used to have Low-Rank World Fruits that would almost instantly recover a large portion of his World Force, but unfortunately, he had used all of them up while being chased by the sheep-headed Royal Lord.
As much as 30% of the 300,000-strong Black Ink Clan Army had been wiped out by him with his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, and the road ahead had been essentially cleared. Of course, there were still Black Ink Clansmen on their flanks, continuing to do battle against the Warships led by Huang Xiong and Fei Yuan Long.
With the path ahead cleared, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was able to divert their attention and provide support to the left and right flanks. Arrays continued to hum as blast after blast was fired from them, coordinating with other two Divisions to eradicate their enemies.
It was at that moment that Yang Kai felt his body seize up as a powerful aura locked onto him.
This sensation was actually quite familiar to him. Back then, the sheep-head Royal Lorded had locked him in place using his aura in much the same way when he was chasing him, forcing him to use Purifying Light to isolate himself before he could activate Instantaneous Movement.
Yang Kai immediately looked up and sure enough, in the No-Return Pass’s direction was a giant Black Ink Cloud rapidly approaching his location. There seemed to be two eyes inside of the Black Ink Cloud that were sharp as swords determined to pierce through him.
The Royal Lord!
In the opening moments of the battle, five Innate Territory Lords had fallen. The Royal Lord who oversaw the No-Return Pass realized the threat that Yang Kai posed and could no longer sit still.
He had to kill this Eighth-Open Human personally to weed out future troubles here.
From afar, the Royal Lord began exerting his power as if to demonstrate his strength and also to shake the morale of the Humans.
The void shook as even the protective barrier of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship lit up, as if there were an invisible weight pressing on it.
Such pressure was formless, but it was real and tangible. A top Master’s pressure was strong enough to cull the weak all on its own.
The Royal Lord naturally made the wrong decision when he tried to intimidate the Humans with his pressure though.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship at the centre of the Army did not slow down and instead continued sailing towards the No-Return Pass. To its left and right, Warships exploded as Humans fell in large numbers.
The horrific death toll left Huang Xiong and Fei Yuan Long red-eyed in grief, but they were unable to do anything about it. They could only block off the attacks of the Territory Lords in order to minimise the casualties on their side.
With the efforts of the many soldiers who sacrificed their lives, the left and right flanks finally broke through the Black Ink Clan’s blockade and rushed forward.
Nobody dared to linger in this place.
They all knew that in this assault on the No-Return Pass, they could not afford to stop for even a moment. They had to break through the Black Ink Clan’s defences in one go if they wanted to have any hope of returning to the 3,000 Worlds. The slightest hesitation would doom the Remnant Army to a slow death.
The rear where Ou Yang Lie was in charge was originally the calmest and least pressured, but now, he was the one facing the heaviest burden. The Black Ink Clan Army which was there to block them had now become their pursuers. If the rear Division couldn’t hold them back, then the formation of the Remnant Army would surely be broken.
At this point, Ou Yang Lie was becoming desperate as he hurled sword waves through the void.
A roar suddenly sounded from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
“Assume formation!”
At that order, the left and right flanks, along with the Warships behind their lead, quickly moved closer to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
Aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, a Grand Array was activated under the combined efforts of 10 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. In an instant, an Array diagram spread out in the void with the Purifying Black Ink Battleship at the centre, its patterns illuminating all directions.
At that moment, the rest of the Warships also activated complimentary Spirit Arrays all at once. Like swallows returning to their nest, they were merged together into the Array diagram.
In just a short dozen breaths of time, the auras of all the surviving Human Warships became interconnected with the Purifying Black Ink Battleship serving as their Core, as if they had truly become one.
Four Symbols Formation!
This was originally a Formation used by Human cultivators to link their strengths together to deal with powerful enemies. It was neither special nor profound, but under the aid of this Battle Formation, four Human cultivators were able to exert far greater power than any of them could individually in order to battle stronger Black Ink Clansmen.
However, the Four Symbols Formation had been modified by Yang Kai who integrated it into a Grand Array, allowing the four Divisions to link themselves together.
In the past, Yang Kai would never have been able to do such a thing; however, he had received a huge harvest in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, so with his attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, it was not a problem for him to create something like this.
There was only one problem. The Four Symbols Formation which had been so heavily modified was not stable and could not be sustained for long. That was the reason why the Remnant Army didn’t simply use it from the start.
However, they were now at a critical point that would decide their victory or death, so how could Yang Kai continue to hesitate?
With the Purifying Black Ink Battleship serving as the core, all the Warships were closely linked together under the Formation, greatly improving both their lethality and defence.
As soon as the Formation was completed, the huge Black Ink Cloud arrived in front of them. The Black Ink Cloud swiftly retracted to reveal a towering figure who raised his hand and slammed his palm down towards the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
Even though it looked like a casual blow, it still sent chills down the Humans’ backs.
This was an attack from a Royal Lord.
However, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s momentum did not decrease. Yang Kai stood on the deck, looking ahead at the Royal Lord blocking their path before bowing towards the void, shouting, “Old Ancestor, please!”
At those words, a cross-legged figure suddenly appeared. As Yang Kai had just retrieved it from Azure Void Pass, Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor’s corpse was still unmoving, his aura completely absent, as though he was in a deep slumber.
However, stimulated by the Royal Lord’s aura, Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor who had already departed for the Yellow Springs, suddenly opened his eyes. In an instant, the void thundered.
The Royal Lord in front of them was taken aback. He never imagined he would be ambushed by an Old Ancestor here, so before he could withdraw his palm, the Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor lifted his finger and shattered the approaching palm strike.
The Royal Lord let out a roar of rage. As he withdrew his hand, quickly discovering a bloody hole at the centre of his palm where black blood spilled out.
Yang Kai was shocked at what he saw.
Even though he had collected the body of the Old Ancestor just as the Old Ox had told him to back in Azure Void Pass, and summoned it in a time of need to deal with a powerful enemy, Yang Kai was not sure how much power a dead Old Ancestor could actually exert.
But now it seemed that even in death, the power of an Old Ancestor was still unfathomable.
Catching the enemy off guard was a big reason behind the Old Ancestor’s ability to harm the Royal Lord in a single attack, but it was also a reflection of the Old Ancestor’s profound strength.
The Remnant Army was still rapidly approaching the No-Return Pass, and the sudden appearance of an Old Ancestor made the Royal Lord very wary, forcing him to withdraw.
The Old Ancestor turned his head and looked around as if to judge the situation. After quickly familiarizing himself with the battlefield, he sighed, “Even the No-Return Pass has been lost?”
Yang Kai lowered his head, looking ashamed.
Many had given their lives to stop the Black Ink Clan, including numerous Old Ancestors, but the final bulwark of the Human Race, the No-Return Pass, had still been lost. Even though Yang Kai did not participate in the war at the No-Return Pass, all Humans shared honour and disgrace in this war.
“Where is my ox?” The Old Ancestor then turned to look at Yang Kai, asking in a surprisingly cheerful tone.
Yang Kai hurriedly brought out the Ox Monster with its broken horns. The Ox Monster also had its eyes tightly shut without any aura emanating from its body.
The Old Ancestor stroked the head of the ox as if it were his own child and spoke warmly, “Wake up, little one. Come run with me one final time!”
The Ox Monster’s eyes suddenly opened, and its powerful aura quickly revived. It shook its head at the Old Ancestor in displeasure, “We’re already dead and you’re still worrying about this? Are you not tired, old man?”
The Old Ancestor chuckled, “It can’t be helped. I’m an Old Ancestor after all. I inevitably carry heavier burdens on me.”
Saying so, he got onto the back of the ox and looked down at Yang Kai next to him, nodding lightly. Saying nothing more, he slapped the ox’s rump and pointed forward, shouting, “Kill!”
It was a childish gesture that would normally make one want to laugh; however, not a single one of the 1,500 soldiers aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship found this scene the slightest bit amusing.
Yang Kai’s eyes filled with tears as he bowed deeply, “Farewell, Old Ancestor!”
“Farewell, Old Ancestor!”
The soldiers roared in unison, their voices shaking the world.
In the distant past, a young child rode on the back of a Black Bovine, riding freely through the mountains, fantasizing about fighting and killing enemies that did not exist, dreaming of establishing himself as someone great after growing up, getting married, and having children.
At that time, an old man with an immortal temperament suddenly descended from the Heavens and looked upon the child with a smile, “Call me Honoured Master and I shall pass on a supreme technique to you!”
The boy asked, “Can I become rich if I call you Honoured Master?”
The old man said, “You can.”
The boy then asked, “Can I get women if I call you Honoured Master?”
The old man nodded again, “You can.”
And so, the boy got down and bowed with respect, calling him Honoured Master. The old man laughed and took the boy and the ox away.
That year was so long ago that it was impossible to trace back…
“Kill!”
Aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Yang Kai’s face twisted as he roared. The arrays thrummed as they fired with even greater intensity than before.
A violent wave of power stirred in the surrounding void as the Old Ancestor engaged the Royal Lord in battle.
This sudden change of events was a surprise to all of the Black Ink Clansmen. Nobody had expected an Old Ancestor to suddenly appear at this time. When they saw the Remnant Army getting closer and closer to the No-Return Pass, the Territory Lords staying behind to defend the No-Return Pass could no longer stand by.
Several Territory Lords stayed behind to defend the pass while the remaining ones rushed out with their Armies.
In an instant, the Remnant Army fell into an absolute disadvantage, both in terms of numbers and strength.
The only thing the Remnant Army could rely on now was the might of their Warships.
However, with the Territory Lords here to obstruct and harass them, it was difficult for the Remnant Army to advance. If they could not break through this siege, they would be trapped here and eventually annihilated.
There were Warships constantly being stripped from the Formation by powerful attacks. Those Warships without exception exploded, resulting in all the soldiers aboard dying.
Seeing that they were reaching a critical situation, Yang Kai ground his teeth and soared out of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. His fierce aura all but materialised as he enveloped all of the Territory Lords in it.
A Soul Rending Thorn was silently released, striking one of the Territory Lords. In the moment of disorientation that followed, Yang Kai blasted the Territory Lord with his Golden Crow Casts the Sun, vaporizing him.
“Who dares block my way!?” Yang Kai’s face grimaced fiercely, and when he raised his spear and pointed it at them, the Territory Lords who appeared to stop them were all struck with terror.
Dizzy and bleary-eyed, Yang Kai was seeing stars but still gave off an aggressive air for he knew that if he were to show even the slightest sign of weakness, then the Remnant Army would surely be wiped out today.
He had no choice but to use a fourth Soul Rending Thorn, which was really his limit.
Even with the Soul Warming Lotus, he could not use another Soul Rending Thorn.
Fortunately, the Territory Lords were so frightened they could not see through the strong front that he put up. The might of this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had seeped deep into their hearts. In the opening moments of the battle, he was able to cut down three Territory Lords alone, then two more with an astonishingly powerful attack, and just now he had slaughtered another with one blow. Not a single one of them was able to see how he was doing this.
The Territory Lords were hesitant, but the Remnant Army was not. With this display of intimidation from Yang Kai, the struggling Remnant Army finally found the opportunity they were looking for and broke through the Black Ink Clan Army, forcing them back. The lights shooting out from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and the surviving Warships never ceased as they charged ahead.
Within that short period, all of the Human soldiers gave it their all.
When a Warship exploded, the unprotected soldiers would give their lives to kill the nearby enemies. Even if they had to die, they would do so honourably.
However, the gap in real fighting strength between the two forces could not be closed so easily.
Without mentioning the Black Ink Clan Army of over 1 million soldiers, just the remaining Territory Lords overseeing the pass still numbered nearly 20.
Yang Kai was able to cut down three of the first ten Territory Lords who came at them with the help of the Soul Rending Thorns, and another two with his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, which left five more from the first wave. However, before the Remnant Army could catch its breath, the Royal Lord had personally made a move, while another six Territory Lords rushed over as reinforcements.
One had to know that these were all Innate Territory Lords who were nearly as powerful as Che Kong.
Excluding the Territory Lord that Yang Kai killed just now, there were still a full 10 Territory Lords engaging the Remnant Army, whereas the Remnant Army only had four Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Even with Ou Yang Lie and the others taking on two enemies at once, they were stretched to the breaking point.
The decline of the Remnant Army’s momentum was evident in the eyes of the Black Ink Clan, while the deterrent effect from Yang Kai’s move earlier also quickly faded.
The more the Remnant Army advanced, the more difficult their situation became. There were constantly Black Ink Clansmen rushing over to surround them from all directions, while the Territory Lords did not rush in lest they were caught off guard by Yang Kai and killed. Instead, they hid behind their Armies and relied on their subordinates to wear down the Humans, occasionally sending out Secret Techniques to blow apart vulnerable Human Warships.
Yang Kai’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. He would want nothing more than to cut down all of the Territory Lords before him with his spear, but his head was throbbing, as if it was going to tear open. It was impossible to do anything against the remaining Territory Lords hiding at the back.
Yang Kai also did not dare to leave the battleship recklessly, for if he did, the Territory Lords would surely come to attack, and the Purifying Black Ink Battleship might not be able to withstand it.
The Remnant Army’s pace became slower and slower, as if they had fallen into a quagmire. Finally, less than 100,000 kilometres away from the No-Return Pass, the Remnant Army was completely surrounded by the Black Ink Clan.
When they looked at the Territory Gate that seemed so close, everyone felt despair in their hearts.
They just had to pass through that portal and they would be able to return to the 3,000 Worlds. Even though they had no idea what the situation there was like, it was still their homeland; however, this short distance seemed like an entire Universe away at this moment.
Nobody was disheartened by this reality, for when they decided to attack the No-Return Pass, they all anticipated that this would happen, including Yang Kai.
It was just that even including him, the soldiers subconsciously held onto a faint glimmer of hope and expectation.
More than anything else, they didn’t want to live hiding like rats on the Black Ink Battlefield, constantly being hunted down by the Black Ink Clan.
They would rather die in battle than waste away their lives in this forsaken place.
“Kill!”
When their hope of returning home was shattered, the Humans suddenly became calm, as if they had completely let go of something.
Shouts rang out across the void as killing intent rose like a tide. The Remnant Army which was encircled by the Black Ink Clan Army and could barely move suddenly burst out with astonishing power. The lights from many Secret Techniques and artifacts shot in all directions.
In that instant, it was not known how many arrays and artifacts dulled and were destroyed due to the sheer overload of World Force pumped into them.
The Seventh-Order Masters emerged from the Warships that protected them and summoned their artifacts for battle.
The Four Symbols Formation with the Purifying Black Ink Battleship at its Core rapidly fractured as more and more Warships were being blown apart.
The Remnant Army’s sudden outburst was difficult for even the Black Ink Clan Army to withstand, and in just a short dozen breaths of time, it was not known how many of them fell. Even a Territory Lord was severely injured under Ou Yang Lie’s life-forsaking battle style and was forced to retreat.
This was the last struggle of the Remnant Army.
Yang Kai had also let go of his shackles. Since he was destined to die here, then he might as well kill freely before he did.
However, before he could leave the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, he heard the bellow of an ox from the void!
There was a disturbance among the Black Ink Clan Army surrounding the Remnant Army. Countless auras vanished all at once, and Yang Kai turned his head only to see an enormous Black Bovine charging through the Black Ink Clan’s lines, Monster Qi turbulently erupting from his figure. Under its hooves, countless Black Ink Clansmen were reduced to minced meat.
As it lowered its head and charged over, nothing could obstruct its path. Even a Territory Lord was sent flying after being rammed, blood spraying out as he tumbled through the void.
“Boys, keep up!” The Ox Monster spoke as it dashed past the Remnant Army, breaking open the path ahead.
Everyone felt their spirits soar, and the soldiers in charge of piloting the Warships quickly spurred them off to follow the Ox Monster’s lead.
On orders from the Territory Lords, the Black Ink Clan soldiers all came forth to stop the Ox Monster when they saw it approaching, releasing one Secret Technique after another, flaying open its skin and flesh.
However, no blood spilled out.
It had died long ago, and only through the profound methods of the Azure Void Old Ancestor was it able to fight on even after death, so why would it have to fear being injured now?
When a Territory Lord saw this, he tried to block it but was sent flying by the Ox Monster’s broken horns. When the other Territory Lords saw this, they no longer dared to act rashly.
Yang Kai had also just realized how strong this Ox Monster actually was. Even though he had seen it twice in the past, it was just grazing leisurely in the green hills and blue rivers like an ordinary bull.
But now, it seemed that this Ox Monster was as strong as a peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, perhaps even stronger!
100,000 kilometres was crossed in the blink of an eye and very soon, the Remnant Army was right in front of the Territory Gate.
Right behind them was the pursuing Black Ink Clan Army. In a flash, the Ox Monster arrived behind the Remnant Army and shook its head, “Go! Niu Niu will stop them!”
Its huge body became a shield, protecting the Remnant Army like a great mountain. Countless attacks landed on its body in that instant, causing it to shake from the impact.
Yang Kai’s eyes reddened as he somehow maintained the Four Symbols Formation and led the Remnant Army towards the portal.
The Territory Gate at the No-Return Pass originally wasn’t very large. Last time Yang Kai saw it, it was even smaller than a normal Territory Gate; the Black Ink Clan had torn apart the portal by some unknown means since occupying this place so it could facilitate the invasion of their Army.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship was not small, but it was still tiny compared to the current Territory Gate.
However, just as the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was about to pass through, the exalted roar of a Dragon suddenly rang out from within the No-Return Pass.
Startled, Yang Kai looked down and his pupils shrank.
Above the square where the Dragon Pool was opened back then was a dense Black Ink Cloud, and within it, the form of an Ancient Dragon could faintly be seen.
“Ji Lao San!” Yang Kai was extremely shocked, for he never expected to see Ji Lao San here.
And, from the looks of things, Ji Lao San had been captured by the Black Ink Clan, but they did not kill him. Instead, they confined him here and enveloped him in a Black Ink Cloud.
Yang Kai had no idea what sort of wicked plans the Black Ink Clan had for him, but from what he saw, it seemed like they were trying to corrupt Ji Lao San. However, they didn’t seem to be having much luck.
Divine Spirits had some level of immunity towards Black Ink Strength thanks to their powerful Bloodlines.
According to the information that Yang Kai received from Cang, supplemented by his own speculations, the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were inextricably linked to the Primordial Light, and the Primordial Light was capable of completely nullifying the existence of Mo.
Purifying Light, which was created by fusing the powers bestowed by the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, could completely purify and dispel Black Ink Strength.
These two were the original ancestors of the Divine Spirits, and so the Divine Spirits had naturally inherited some of that power. As the leaders of the Divine Spirits, the immunity possessed by the Dragon Clan from their Dragon Veins was particularly evident towards Black Ink Strength. This was something that Yang Kai could feel even without the World Tree clone, but with the World Tree clone to protect his Small Universe, Yang Kai had never felt bothered by Black Ink Strength.
Ji Lao San was not particularly strong among the Dragon Clan. During his previous Dragon Pool cultivation, he had advanced from being a Grand Dragon to an Ancient Dragon, but his Dragon Form was still only 55,000 metres long, noticeably smaller than Yang Kai’s 70,000 metres.
However, he was still an Ancient Dragon. In terms of Order, he was equivalent to an Eighth-Order Human Master.
Yang Kai had no idea how Ji Lao San ended up being captured alive by the Black Ink Clan, but he had apparently sensed something unusual occurring in the No-Return Pass and let out a roar.
However, Yang Kai was powerless to help at this moment. If it were any other time, he may have been able to save Ji Lao San, but the Black Ink Clan Army was currently in pursuit of them while the Territory Gate was right in front of their eyes. Yang Kai couldn’t abandon the Remnant Army, so he could only turn around and pretend to have seen nothing.
In the next instant, the Remnant Army rushed through the portal.
With a twist of its rump, the Black Bovine put itself directly in front of the portal with its body, its loud moo shaking the Heavens.
No matter how the Black Ink Clan lay their attacks on it, it refused to budge.
On the other side, the Void spun as the Remnant Army suddenly appeared in an empty Great Territory. After being disoriented for a moment, everyone was on alert again.
Though they had made it past the No-Return Pass, nobody dared to relax.
That was because they knew that the crisis was far from over. Breaking through the No-Return Pass was just the beginning.
Over the past few days, Yang Kai and the others had been guessing what the situation beyond the No-Return Pass would be and trying to figure out how they should deal with whatever they were going to encounter.
Now that the Black Ink Clan had taken over the No-Return Pass, it was inevitable that they would assemble their troops and try to establish a forward position beyond the Territory Gate, so if they really managed to rush through, then the worst-case scenario they could encounter would be plunging headlong into an endless horde of Black Ink Clansmen. If that were to happen, then there would be no possible way for the Remnant Army to survive. Right now, everyone could only carry the idea of killing one to break even and killing two to gain a profit, intent on fighting the Black Ink Clan to death.
Yang Kai may be able to escape, but there was no hope for the rest.
However, according to Ou Yang Lie, that situation was unlikely.
It wasn’t that their predecessors from the Cave Heaven and Paradises never contemplated what would happen if the No-Return Pass was to be breached by the Black Ink Clan, so countermeasures had naturally been put in place long ago.
The current Black Ink Battlefield was created from the many Great Territories occupied by Mo in the Early Ancient Era, and was also carved out by the hands of Cang and the other Masters of that time.
The purpose was to prevent Black Ink Strength from encroaching onto other Great Territories.
The Black Ink Battlefield and the 3,000 Worlds were now connected by only a single Territory Gate, so as long as that gate was well guarded, the Human Race would be able to seal off Black Ink Strength in the Black Ink Battlefield.
However, this was not a foolproof solution. Mo was such a bizarre and powerful existence that the ancestors of the Human Race, after the era of Cang and the other Martial Ancestors, wondered on more than one occasion what would happen if the Territory Gate connecting the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield were to be broken through by the Black Ink Clan.
If they were unprepared, then the Black Ink Clan would be able to charge straight into the 3,000 Worlds and quickly build up their strength by ravaging one thriving Great Territory after another. When that time came, the mighty force of the Black Ink Clan would surely snowball in strength until the Human Race could no longer stop them!!
So, in order to deal with this possibility, their ancient ancestors completely cleared out the Great Territory that the Black Ink Battlefield was connected to.
Thus, the Great Territory was named the Barren Territory!
If the Black Ink Battlefield was the First Battlefield between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan, then the Barren Territory would be the Second Battlefield as imagined by the Ancient Ancestors.
In other words, there was, in actual fact, more than one strategic point between the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield. Besides the No-Return Pass, there was the Barren Territory.
The Barren Territory was where one ended up after passing through the Territory Gate.
There were originally several Territory Gates connecting to many other Great Territories from the Barren Territory, but as it could hypothetically become the Second Battlefield, then it was naturally better not to leave too many Territory Gates behind.
The Ancient Ancestors destroyed or sealed most of the Territory Gates while leaving only a single one intact, and the Great Territory that gate connected to was the Shattered Heaven!
Yang Kai only learned about this from Ou Yang Lie and the others when they were planning their attack on the No-Return Pass; after all, he didn’t enter the Black Ink Battlefield through the usual route. Yang Kai had followed a Void Corridor from Black Territory to the Blue Sky Theatre back then.
Any cultivator entering the Black Ink Battlefield would have to first transit through the Shattered Heaven and the Barren Territory before arriving at the No-Return Pass, so it was natural that one would learn of these secrets then.
Now that the No-Return Pass had been breached, the Humans had to defend the Barren Territory no matter the cost, so they naturally made many arrangements in this place to set up an ambush for the Black Ink Clan.
This Great Territory was very different from all others because every Great Territory had, more or less, their own Universe Worlds, which gave the void vitality and life.
However, there was nothing in the Barren Territory; it was as empty as its name implied.
That was because they had to prevent the Black Ink Clan from harvesting resources and creating even more clansmen, which led the Ancient Ancestors to destroy or remove all of the Universe Worlds in this Great Territory when they were setting up the Barren Territory.
The only things that existed here were fortifications that the Human Race had built up over countless years. There existed in this place a defence line even more extensive than that of any Great Pass on the Black Ink Battlefield.
That was why Ou Yang Lie guessed that while the No-Return Pass breach may have come as a result of the Black Ink Clan’s power, it was also possible that the Humans had given up the Pass voluntarily.
After all, after evacuating and withdrawing from outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, if the Humans fell back to the Barren Territory, they would be in a better position to engage the Black Ink Clan there with the arrangements they had made beforehand.
It was because of such speculation that Ou Yang Lie believed that it was unlikely that the Remnant Army would end up surrounded by the Black Ink Clan Army if they were to pass through the No-Return Pass.
Here in the Barren Territory, it was more likely they would find the Humans and Black Ink Clan engaged in a fierce war, and if that was the case, then the Remnant Army would have a hope of rejoining the Human Army.
Now that the Remnant Army had broken through the No-Return Pass and arrived at the Barren Territory, the first thing Yang Kai did was check for movement in all directions.
What he saw allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
The worst had not yet happened!
However, this situation was not ideal either.
As they expected, both the Human Race and Black Ink Clan were engaged in a brutal battle in the Barren Territory. There were fights taking place practically everywhere in the vast expanse of the void, with Human Warships flying everywhere, either chasing Black Ink Clansmen or being chased by them.
There were also violent aftershocks from great clashes radiating out from each direction.
One particular set of shockwaves had even surpassed the level of a battle between the Old Ancestors and Royal Lords.
Yang Kai turned his head over instinctually and was taken aback by what he saw.
There, in the far distance, two enormous figures were clashing with each other. Their movements looked clumsy with each of them exchanging punches and kicks in a juvenile manner, like two small children randomly flailing at each other, but each of these attacks carried Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering might. Even a fully intact Universe World would not be able to withstand a single blow from such a clash.
It was the fight between two Giant Spirit Gods!
One of them was the one that Yang Kai saw at the Late Ancient Era battlefield. Currently, his body was enveloped in Black Ink Strength, covering his figure in a dark colour.
The other Giant Spirit God was different, however. He had a tuft of black hair atop his head which looked rather comical.
Ah Er!
It was the same Ah Er that carried Yang Kai into the Chaotic Dead Territory!
Yang Kai had a deep impression of the tuft of black hair on his head. Ah Da’s head was completely bald with nothing on it, but Ah Er had a very conspicuous characteristic that allowed Yang Kai to recognize him at a glance.
Ah Er was here, fighting against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Giant Spirit Gods were an ancient and extremely rare Race, while the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was a creation of Mo, designed based on the Giant Spirit Gods and not truly one of their kind.
These two were, in fact, very different beings; however, even if it was not a real Giant Spirit God, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s power was not lacking in comparison to Ah Er. It was not known how long these two behemoths had been fighting for, but they kept on exchanging blows without rest, leaving each other bruised and battered.
Neither the Humans nor the Black Ink Clan dared to even approach their battlefield.
[Since Ah Er is here… What about Ah Da?]
Yang Kai looked around, but there was no sign of Ah Da, so he could not ascertain whether he was here or not.
However, he did see the remains of another Black Ink Giant Spirit God. This Black Ink Giant Spirit God had come out from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but with the hidden hand left behind by Mu, Cang had forcibly closed the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, cutting off its body before it could fully emerge, so it was easily identifiable.
At this moment, it was not known how the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had been cut apart, but only half of its body, which was originally already lacking parts, remained.
Yang Kai calmed down. The strongest forces on the Black Ink Clan’s side were undoubtedly the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, and the No-Return Pass’ collapse definitely had something to do with them.
Now that one of them had been cut down, and the other was being dealt with by Ah Er, the pressure on the Human Race was greatly reduced.
Apart from the battlefield of the two Giant Spirit Gods, Yang Kai also saw Dragons and Phoenixes soaring through the void. There were also other Divine Spirits of all shapes and sizes in their true forms, fighting bloody battles in every direction.
Yang Kai did not have time to keep observing the situation though as there were already gazes locked onto him from all directions.
The sudden emergence of the Remnant Army from the No-Return Pass naturally attracted attention, especially from the Black Ink Clansmen nearby who rushed over in droves. They were surprised, but they had no time to think about what had happened at the No-Return Pass.
There was one source of headache for the Remnant Army however, and that was the presence of a Royal Lord.
The Royal Lord overseeing the No-Return Pass had the fallen Azure Void Pass Old Ancestor to stop him, but nobody was here to block this one.
When he saw the Royal Lord approaching, Yang Kai made a quick decision to lead the Remnant Army off in a different direction. However, their attack on the No-Return Pass had not been easy, resulting in many Warships, arrays, and artifacts being heavily damaged. So, with their speed greatly reduced, how were they supposed to outrun a Royal Lord?
From a distance, the Royal Lord used his Black Ink Strength to create a Black Ink Cloud that enveloped the Remnant Army. He did not kill them yet, though. He wanted to capture a few of them alive to ask about the situation at the No-Return Pass; however, even though he was only making a casual blow, with the state of the current Remnant Army, many would surely be injured or killed.
Almost half of the 5,000-strong Remnant Army were lost during the attack on the No-Return Pass, so they now number slightly less than 3,000. If they were to fight a Royal Lord here, they would surely lose several hundreds more.
At the critical moment, a young man in white robes suddenly appeared above the Remnant Army. Nobody knew how he arrived there as it was almost like he had been standing there the whole time.
Faced with the approaching Black Ink Cloud, the young man’s body flickered before he suddenly transformed into a 100,000-metre-long Dragon.
Intense Dragon Pressure filled the void!
The Dragon had a flawless snow-white body, which made for a bright and dazzling sight on this chaotic battlefield.
Yang Kai raised his brows as he recognized who this Dragon was.
[Fu Guang!]
It was the Ancient Dragon that he saw at the bottom of the Dragon Pool.
Before Yang Kai entered the Dragon Pool, Fu Guang had been in retreat inside the Dragon Pool for 5,000 years in order to break through to become a Divine Dragon.
The strength division of the Dragon Clan was simple. Once one reached 10,000 metres, they were a Grand Dragon, 50,000 metres, an Ancient Dragon, and 100,000 metres, a Divine Dragon.
And, the most powerful among Divine Dragons was the Dragon Emperor.
Not all Divine Dragons were Dragon Emperors, but every Dragon Emperor was an extremely powerful Divine Dragon of their generation.
In the Dragon Pool, Yang Kai helped Fu Guang with his Great Sun and Moon Marks, which resulted in immense gains for both of them. Now, it seems like the latter had successfully advanced to become a Divine Dragon!
Yang Kai never thought that Fu Guang would suddenly come to their rescue at such a crucial moment.
In fact, Fu Guang had been hiding on the battlefield, waiting for an opportunity to kill one or two Royal Lords. After becoming a Divine Dragon, Fu Guang had become significantly stronger than an ordinary Royal Lord, so if he was able to catch one by surprise, he might actually succeed in killing them.
Only, the sudden appearance of the Remnant Army disrupted Fu Guang’s plans, so he had no choice but to reveal himself.
After assuming his Dragon Form, Fu Guang charged straight towards the Royal Lord, which shocked the latter. He had suffered a loss at Fu Guang’s claws before and knew just how powerful this White Divine Dragon was. Simply put, in a one-on-one fight, he was not Fu Guang’s opponent. So, how would he still be in any mood to pick a fight with the Remnant Army? He immediately turned around and fled.
Fu Guang naturally gave chase, and using a number of Dragon Clan Secret Techniques, he was able to beat the Royal Lord into a miserable mess.
The fight lasted only a few moments before another Royal Lord charged over and joined hands with his companion to resist Fu Guang. Still, the White Divine Dragon was undaunted. Opening his mouth, a river suddenly burst forth. Caught off guard, the two Royal Lords were swept into this river, their bodies instantly freezing.
Fu Guang also dove in and fought the two Royal Lords inside the river, gaining the upper hand even against two enemies.
One could tell from this display alone that the power of a Divine Dragon was far greater than an ordinary Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
An ordinary Old Ancestor would not be able to gain the advantage against two Royal Lords.
If it were a one-on-one fight, then Fu Guang might have the opportunity to cut down a Royal Lord, but that was basically impossible if he had to deal with two of them. He knew that, in this fight, he would only be able to deal damage to the enemy, so his attacks grew less calculated and more ruthless. Even if he could not kill a Royal Lord, he intended to beat these two half to death.
With Fu Guang’s help, the Remnant Army led by Yang Kai escaped its immediate crisis. A large Human army in the distance also noticed the commotion and was quickly making their way over to support them.
With a thought, Yang Kai sent a transmission to Ou Yang Lie and the others, “I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Ou Yang Lie, who was bringing up the rear, was startled and quickly asked, “What are you going to do?”
However, Yang Kai was no longer aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship when he looked over. Apparently, he had disappeared as soon as he left those words.
Ou Yang Lie frowned slightly. He could vaguely guess what it was Yang Kai planned to do. He was a little worried about it, but there was no point in fretting now. Yang Kai had already run off and he could not stop him either. Helpless, he had no choice but to hurry over to assume command of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in Yang Kai’s place, continuing to lead the Remnant Army towards the approaching Human Army.
After killing several Black Ink Clansmen who were blocking the way, the two Human Armies met and the Eighth-Order Masters in charge communicated with each other through their Divine Senses. The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was both surprised and delighted to hear of Ou Yang Lie’s retelling of the Remnant Army’s origins.
Everyone knew that there were survivors still trapped on the Black Ink Battlefield, but they couldn’t rescue those remnant soldiers. They never thought that these rag-tag soldiers they believed were destined to perish under siege by the Black Ink Clan would actually be able to break through the No-Return Pass.
Only now could the Remnant Army be considered safe, unlike the precarious situation they were facing before.
Looking back, Ou Yang Lie did not see any sign of Yang Kai, but he knew he must have headed back towards the Territory Gate.
At the same time, on another battlefield far away in the Barren Territory, several women were positioned in a Battle Formation, their graceful bodies shuttling back and forth like a spinning whirlwind, a seemingly uncountable number of Black Ink Clansmen perishing at their hands as they continued charging forward.
Their strength wasn’t particularly impressive, all of them only being in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, after spending countless years together, they had created a tacit bond with each other and were also imparted a profound Formation from a Senior Expert, allowing them to even resist Territory Lords if they combined strength.
One white-robed woman among them wielded a crystal sword, her own temperament cool like ice itself. Suddenly, she raised her hand, holding her chest as she looked in a certain direction.
“Elder Sister, what happened?” Asked a woman in green robes anxiously, thinking that the white-robed woman was injured.
“Husband…” The white-robed woman muttered softly.
In that instant, she got a feeling she had not felt in a very long time.
It had been more than 1,000 years since she felt it, but it pulled at her heart just as before.
Though her voice was soft, the contents of her muttering cracked like the sound of thunder in their ears. All the women looked shocked, and the beautiful eyes of one whose enchanting body was covered in Demon Qi lit up at the sound of it, “Which direction?”
The white-robed woman immediately pointed to the depths of the void.
“Let’s go!” As the Demonic woman’s voice sounded, she led the others off. She served as the Formation Core of their Battle Formation, so as soon as she moved, everyone followed along with her.
All of their hearts were burning with anticipation and anxiety.
The unnatural movement on their side immediately caught the attention of a certain person.
That person moved over to block the womens’ path, frowning, “What are you doing? It’s dangerous over there.”
Each group had its own region to defend, so if they left and were unable to obtain reinforcements, then there was a high possibility of them falling into the danger of being encircled by the Black Ink Clan Army.
The Demonic woman in the lead gave this person who was blocking their way a deep look before not sparing her any semblance of respect as she gritted her teeth and shouted, “He has returned!”
“Who?” The person blocking the way asked with a frown; then, as if realising something, her spirits were roused, “Yang Kai has returned?”
“Yes!” The Demonic woman responded.
The person blocking their path was both shocked and delighted, “How did you find out?”
Even she had no idea of the full situation on this chaotic battlefield, so how did these women obtain such shocking news?
What was more, she and the other Old Ancestors had already speculated that Yang Kai had fallen; after all, there was no word from him for over 500 years after he was pursued by the powerful Royal Lord, so how could he have survived?
It was only after returning to the Barren Territory and obtaining some information from the members of Void Land that they concluded that Yang Kai was actually still alive. Only, nobody knew where he was.
The Demonic woman had no patience to explain; however, she knew that she had no choice but to do so at this moment, “He and Su Yan have cultivated a profound Dual Cultivation Art for many years, so they have formed a connection between their Souls. It allows them to sense each other as long as they are not too far away.”
The person blocking the way immediately turned towards the white-robed woman and asked, “You felt his presence?”
Su Yan nodded and pointed in a certain direction, but just as she was about to speak, she suddenly frowned, “He’s gone again!”
The Demonic woman was furious and ground her teeth at the person who was blocking their way, “If it turns out you made us lose our man again, you must compensate us!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She had heard similar words many times over the past few centuries, despite her being a powerful Ninth-Order Old Ancestor. She had spent countless years overseeing the Black Ink Battlefield, rendering meritorious service. All of her Juniors and subordinates always treated her with the utmost respect, but this woman from the Demon Race showed no such inclination. When she learned that Yang Kai had been serving under her all this while for so many years but ended up missing, she made a huge uproar about making her compensate for this.
But, what kind of compensation could she possibly offer? She did not even have the slightest idea where Yang Kai was.
The battle on the Barren Territory was currently raging. The Human soldiers from the Great Passes had suffered heavy casualties; so, after retreating to the Barren Territory, they had a discussion with the Cave Heavens and Paradises and decided to recruit soldiers from the Second Class forces to form a new Army to bolster their ranks.
There were countless Second Class forces in the 3,000 Worlds, and there were many Masters among these great forces who were in the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. All of them were qualified to join the battle against the Black Ink Clan.
In the past, these Second Class forces were kept from this war because the Cave Heavens and Paradises were there to oversee the Black Ink Battlefield.
Now that the Black Ink Battlefield had been lost to the enemy, the Barren Territory had become their last line of defence. If they failed to defend even here, then the 3,000 Worlds were doomed.
Facing such a crisis, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to abandon their old conventions.
Void Land was also considered a Second Class great force; so naturally, it was unavoidable that some of them would be conscripted.
With her connection to Yang Kai, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao took command of Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters, intending to shelter them as best she could.
Yet, she never expected that this Wife of Yang Kai’s would be so bold.
Even more difficult for Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao to understand was how much of a womaniser that little bastard actually was. To have attracted so many women to his side, yet all of them were so attached to him, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was stupefied, but more so, impressed.
To be honest, when Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao found out that Yang Kai’s Wives, plural, were coming to the Barren Territory to join the fight, she was quite surprised. Without thinking much of it, she immediately took the reinforcements sent from Void Land under her wing.
However, when these alluring women came to report to her, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was flabbergasted.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5… There were a total of 9 women!
Human, Demon, Monster, Divine Spirits… A variety of Races were included among them.
[That brat! He is truly uninhibited! How was he able to bear such a load?]
But what made Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao even more speechless was the fact that apart from the 9 Wives who had already married him officially, there seemed to be a good many women still back in Void Land who shared an ambiguous relationship with him.
At first, Old Ancestor thought that there must have been a mistake, but upon closer questioning, she realized that there was no mistake at all.
She suddenly felt as if her understanding of Yang Kai was lacking.
That brat gave the impression of an upstanding and earnest man all those years on the Black Ink Battlefield. She had never seen any semblance of such philandering from him. Even Feng Ying and Bai Yi, two women of exceptional beauty and strength, who were in his Squad, were only regular comrades to him.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could not help but criticize him inwardly. Sure enough, one cannot judge a book by its cover! If one were to peel back that bastard’s prim and proper skin, then one would surely find a flowery bunch of innards inside.
“Compensate us!” The Demonic woman was still shouting, while the other women wore indignant expressions on their faces.
Helpless, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao turned her head and looked in that direction. After some thought, she turned to ask Su Yan, “Could there be any mistake with your senses?”
Su Yan replied coldly, “I have never been mistaken.”
“In that case, what would the sudden loss of that sensation imply?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao then asked.
Su Yan explained, “He has either died or left the range of our connection. I cannot sense him across Great Territories or over extremely large distances. However, my cultivation is now far higher than it was before. As long as he remains in the Barren Territory, I should be able to sense him.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao nodded, “That direction is where the Territory Gate is located. He must have fought his way here from the Black ink Battlefield. Since you lost the connection, then he must have gone back. I will go and check it out. None of you are allowed to make any rash moves while I am gone.”
Saying so, she dashed off in that direction.
The women were left to look at each other, not knowing what to do.
Xue Yue looked at Yu Ru Meng, “Elder Sister, what should we do?”
Yu Ru Meng’s face was gloomy for a while before she grit her teeth and shouted, “We wait!”
Just now, she had been too agitated and was about to lead her Sisters over in the heat of the moment, but even though they were no longer as weak as they were in the past, it was still not wise for them to run around on such a chaotic battlefield.
All these years, they never knew what happened to Yang Kai until the Human Race Army retreated to the Barren Territory. Only then did they hear about Yang Kai from some of the soldiers who fought alongside him.
All of them were heartbroken and wished for nothing more than to fight side by side with their Husband.
Now that their Husband had finally returned, as the Eldest Sister, Yu Ru Meng would not be able to explain to Yang Kai if anything were to happen to any of them.
Even though she wanted to rush over to see what the situation was herself, she had no choice but to resist that urge. Clenching her fists, she led the others towards a group of Black Ink Clansmen, venting their endless rage on them. The Black Ink Clansmen that they fought were filled with grievances, wondering just what had come over these madwomen for them to act so viciously.
On the other side, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao transformed into a stream of light that swept across half of the battlefield, heading straight for the Territory Gate.
Her ostentatiousness naturally attracted the attention of many Royal Lords.
Neither the Old Ancestors nor the Royal Lords would move casually on this battlefield, forming a kind of mutual restraint towards each other.
A rash move from either side could precipitate a major battle.
However, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao couldn’t care less about the bigger picture at this moment. Frankly, she blamed herself for losing Yang Kai, and she had been feeling guilty about it all these years.
However, with so many soldiers dying on the battlefield, she had no way of protecting all of them even if she was in the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
There was no helping it if there was no news of Yang Kai, but now that she had a solid lead, she naturally wanted to look into it.
Before Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could reach the Territory Gate though, a Royal Lord swooped in to stop her. Naturally, the two of them promptly engaged in a shocking battle.
At that moment, Yang Kai had already passed through the Territory Gate.
He did not encounter any obstacles along the way, both because he had used his Space Principles to merge with the Void to hide his aura, making it difficult for the Black Ink Clan to notice him, and because the portal was being guarded very closely.
The Black Ink Clan had already begun their attack on the Barren Territory. This was their battlefield against the Human Race, and as long as the Human defence lines here were completely destroyed, they would be able to conquer the entire 3,000 Worlds. When that time came, with the insidious nature of Black Ink Strength, the Black Ink Clan’s strength would snowball and grow to the point where the Human Race couldn’t fight back.
Therefore, it did not matter to them whether they guarded the Territory Gate or not. The Humans would not think about capturing the portal since their goal was the same as the Black Ink Clan. Only by fighting here could they be rid of them once and for all.
As for capturing the Territory Gate, nobody had even thought about it since it was a senseless endeavour.
As such, Yang Kai had no difficulty crossing the portal.
When Su Yan sensed him, he had also sensed her and raised his head in a hurry, but he could not catch Su Yan in his sight.
They were simply too far apart!
It was surprising to him that Su Yan had also joined the fight.
When he entered the Black Ink Battlefield, Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, and Zhu Qing were still in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land to cultivate. More than 1,000 years had passed since then.
Since Su Yan was participating in the war, then the Divine Spirits of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land must be participating as well. Yang Kai understood the crux of the matter instantly. It was no wonder he saw so many Divine Spirits on the battlefield just now.
It was impossible to say that he was not worried. Even though it had been more than 1,000 years, he was still not sure to what extent Su Yan could grow in that period. What’s more, on this chaotic battlefield, even Eighth-Order and Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could fall.
However, as things had already come to this point, worrying was pointless.
The battle for the Barren Territory was one that concerned the entire 3,000 Worlds. If the fight here was lost, then the 3,000 Worlds would be doomed.
After tossing aside the miscellaneous thoughts weighing his mind, Yang Kai tried to forcibly suppress the head-splitting pain from using four Soul Rending Thorns. If he wanted to recover from this, then he would likely have to wait for the Soul Warming Lotus to slowly mend his Soul.
When he stepped into the portal, Yang Kai’s Space Principles flared and the seemingly short distance between the endpoints of the Territory Gate seemed to stretch infinitely rather than send him back to the Black Ink Battlefield immediately.
Instead of fully going through, Yang Kai actually remained inside the portal.
An ordinary person couldn’t do this as anyone who passed through a Territory Gate would definitely reemerge in the Black Ink Battlefield or the Barren Territory.
However, Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space and had already reached the level of Summiting the Peak. So, with a clever use of Space Principles, it was easy for him to stretch the space inside the portal.
He was in no hurry to return to the No-Return Pass. Instead, he wanted to seal the Territory Gate completely!
Just like he did back then when he went from the Black Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield.
The Barren Territory was the Second Battlefield imagined by the Ancient Ancestors, and they had long emptied up that territory. In other words, it was simply impossible for the Black Ink Clan to obtain any resources from the Barren Territory. Without resources, the Black Ink Clan would not be able to breed new Clansmen.
The Black Ink Clan was now completely dependent on the No-Return Pass for reinforcements and supplies.
Tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan teams were sent to harvest resources across the Black Ink Battlefield and deliver them to the Black Ink Nests, where new Clansmen were bred. At this moment, all of the High-Rank Black Ink Nests were located in or around the No-Return Pass, even using the destroyed Great Passes as platforms.
As such, as long as the Territory Gate connecting the Black Ink Battlefield to the Barren Territory was closed, the flow of supplies and reinforcements to the Black Ink Clan would be cut off.
Without reinforcements, one more death on the battlefield would mean one less Black Ink Clansman to deal with. Sooner or later, they would be wiped out by the Human Race.
Even if all the Black Ink Clansmen in the Barren Territory were wiped out, it would be difficult to say that the scourge of the Black Ink Clan was completely dealt with, but at the very least, the 3,000 Worlds could be kept safe, and the situation would basically return how it was to before the No-Return Pass was lost.
With that logic in mind, Yang Kai knew he had to seal the Territory Gate connecting the No-Return Pass and the Barren Territory.
No one else had the means to achieve this.
Currently, the Clan Leader of the Phoenix Clan may have the necessary skills to achieve this as well, but she was far too big of a target. As a Master on par with the current Dragon Clan Leader, she was under constant watch by at least two Royal Lords, making it impossible for her to move as she pleased.
As early on as when he decided to attack the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai had this idea in mind. Only, he never mentioned it to anyone.
If the Remnant Army managed to break through the No-Return Pass, then it would be just as Yang Kai hoped, while if all seemed lost, he could still take the opportunity to rush towards the Territory Gate alone while the Remnant Army held off the Black Ink Clan.
Originally, Yang Kai planned to seal the Territory Gate as they passed through it; however, what he saw in the No-Return Pass made him change his mind slightly. Right now, the Remnant Army had already arrived at the Barren Territory, and a large Human Army had rendezvoused with them, temporarily putting them out of danger. Only now did Yang Kai turn back to the portal.
As Space Principles fluctuated, the Territory Gate began to shrink and flicker.
Yang Kai had done something similar more than 1,000 years ago, so he naturally had no difficulty now.
As soon as the sealing process began, its visual manifestation in the Barren Territory began showing signs of distortion. The portal, which was originally a giant, churning tear in the Void, now seemed as if an invisible force had smoothed out its chaotic lines.
The speed of rotation gradually decreased, and the torn traces were rapidly healing over.
At first, the Black Ink Clan did not notice anything, but soon enough, they detected the abnormality of the Territory Gate.
Even though they had no idea what this occurrence meant, they relied on the Territory Gate to provide support and reinforcements to their Army so they dared not be careless. At once, a Royal Lord went forward to investigate.
What the Black Ink Clan could notice, the Humans naturally noticed as well.
In particular, the Phoenix Clan who were proficient in the Dao of Space could tell what the source of the portal’s change was, and a loud Phoenix Cry was soon sent out in all directions.
When the Human Masters learned that someone was sealing the Territory Gate, all of their spirits were lifted and they all rushed towards the location of the portal to stop the Black Ink Clan from disturbing the process.
The two Armies immediately engaged in a brutal fight to the death around the Territory Gate, with Masters from both sides falling frequently. Even the powerful Divine Spirits were not spared from the carnage.
Inside of the Territory Gate, Yang Kai pushed his Space Principles to the limit. He knew that as soon as he made his move, the Black Ink Clan would definitely notice, so he had to act quickly to avoid being stopped by them.
Shuttling through the Void from the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai not only sealed the corridor, he also filled the Void around him with violent turbulence wherever he passed, adding to the blockage.
This blockage was not permanent or foolproof by any means. If there existed a Master as skilful as him in the Dao of Space, then the blocked Territory Gate could be reopened and the turbulence cleared out in short order.
Only, there were no individuals among the Black Ink Clan who were proficient in the Dao of Space.
It did not matter even if they forced their way through as they would just be swept up by the chaos and forced to aimlessly wander the Void forever.
In just a dozen breaths of time, the portal in the Barren Territory had become as smooth as a mirror, its manifestation disappearing completely.
All the Humans were shocked to see this. How could they not know that their side had succeeded?
Some of the Black Ink Clansmen were unconvinced and rushed towards where the portal was originally located, yet there was no sign of them being transported at all. It was as if they were just traversing past ordinary space.
This made all in the Black Ink Clan’s hearts sink.
Being cut off from their rear support by the Humans was going to be disastrous for them.
They needed to act quickly…
Otherwise, their troops would be eradicated, and they would have no chance of turning the tides anymore.
Once Yang Kai blocked up the entire corridor and returned to the No-Return Pass, he immediately saw Niu Niu fighting against several Territory Lords.
It had been less than a half cup of tea’s time since Niu Niu stopped their pursuers, allowing Yang Kai to lead the Remnant Army to the Barren Territory, and his subsequent return alone.
In just a short half a cup of tea’s time, Niu Niu had already been beaten beyond recognition. Countless pieces of his body were torn to shreds and he was now practically a broken skeleton that barely managed to maintain its original shape.
The Ox Monster was certainly very strong, but it was still no match for a dozen Innate Territory Lords combined.
In a few more moments, it would surely be torn completely to shreds.
Yang Kai could not bear to watch this scene any longer, but he had no intention of helping either. Niu Niu was already dead and was now shining his final light. If he tried to help, he would only be throwing himself into a trap.
The Old Ancestor of Azure Void Pass was the same. On another battlefield, the Old Ancestor stood alone, fighting against the Royal Lord there as well as several Territory Lords. It was clear that his energy was already close to being exhausted.
After returning to the No-Return Pass again, Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned his Azure Dragon Spear before rushing straight to the Central Square.
Niu Niu was about to give up resisting, but when he noticed Yang Kai’s aura, he immediately became energized and mooed to the sky, desperately distracting his opponents lest they cause trouble for Yang Kai instead.
The Old Ancestor acted similarly.
Even though they noticed that Yang Kai had come back, the Territory Lords were unable to extricate themselves from their current battles. They could only scream and shout for their subordinates to stop him.
But how could such dregs stop Yang Kai, whose current strength was sufficient to easily kill an Innate Territory Lord with just one Soul Rending Thorn? Even without a Soul Rending Thorn, he could similarly kill Innate Territory Lords quickly while only paying a small price.
The Feudal Lords were simply unable to block his way, and any who tried simply turned into broken corpses.
After cutting through the Black Ink Clan’s Army in a reign of terror, Yang Kai descended upon the square with great momentum.
With just one sweep of his Divine Sense, he found the aura of Ji Lao San, who was heavily suppressed and imprisoned. Even with the power of a Divine Spirit to protect him, he was already showing signs of being corrupted after being in contact with Black Ink Strength for who knows how long.
Ji Lao San’s Dragon Form was also locked in place firmly by a type of black chain.
He no longer had much power to resist.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai’s body erupted in a golden light, and following a Dragon Roar, he instantly transformed into a 70,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon.
He grabbed the black chains holding Ji Lao San down and his Dragon Force burst out.
Ji Lao San knew what Yang Kai was trying to do, and under their combined efforts, the chains were swiftly snapped.
“Transform into your Human Form!” Yang Kai roared at him.
Ji Lao San reacted quickly and shrank down, assuming a Human shape.
Yang Kai grabbed him with his claws and with a swing of his giant body, wiped out the Black Ink Clansmen around him. Amid a loud Dragon Roar, he disappeared towards the depths of the void without looking back.
From the distance, a loud Dragon Roar resounded, “I’ve blocked the Territory Gate and cut off the supplies to the Black Ink Clan on the other side. Victory will surely be ours!”
The Azure Void Pass Old Ancestor, who was fighting the Royal Lord silently and without rest, suddenly grinned at his words and shouted, “Good boy!”
In the next moment, his old flesh completely transformed into a sword light. Man and sword merged into one and slashed out at the Royal Lord, horrifying the latter!
Yang Kai had already disappeared with Ji Lao San, so he was unable to see the glory of the Old Ancestor’s final attack. Naturally, he also had no idea that the Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass had nearly been cut in half by this shocking move.
As the sword light disappeared, so did the Old Ancestor. Only an everlasting Sword Intent remained behind, cleaving open countless cracks in the Void.
The slash also left a three-metre-long gash through the front of the Royal Lord’s chest where his flesh could be seen turning inside out from which Black Ink Strength constantly spurted. With a look of shock still on his face, the Royal Lord turned in Yang Kai’s direction and shouted through gritted teeth, “Follow him!”
In the next instant, eight Territory Lords soared towards the depths of the void in the direction Yang Kai escaped to.
The Royal Lord’s face was incredibly gloomy. Despite him personally overseeing this place, a small Human Army was still able to break through their blockade and pass through the No-Return Pass, which was a great shame to his name.
But what made him feel even more indignant was the Eighth-Order Master from earlier.
That Human was too strong. In just this battle alone, that one Eighth-Order Master had cut down six Territory Lords. The Royal Lord made a move personally to exterminate this threat, but he did not expect a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to come out to hinder him at the critical moment.
Worse yet, that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master came back and rescued the Dragon imprisoned by them in the No-Return Pass after so much difficulty, delivering another slap to his face.
In a fit of rage, the Royal Lord’s body flickered and appeared in front of Niu Niu, who had been beaten to pieces. With just a single punch, the still-defiant Ox Monster was reduced to paste.
“Wastes! All of you!” The Royal Lord roared. Even with several Territory Lords uniting their strengths, they were held up by a literal dead thing until now, which made him extremely dissatisfied with their performances.
The Territory Lords felt ashamed after being criticized, but they did not dare to retort.
At this time, a Feudal Lord came forward to give a report, “Sir Royal Lord, there’s something unusual happening to the Territory Gate on this side. Please inspect it, Sir.”
The Royal Lord’s heart clenched at those words and he turned back to look at the portal, a single glance being enough to send a chill down his spine.
He hadn’t noticed the changes in the Territory Gate before, but now that he looked over, he saw that the portal was gone!
He quickly rushed over to try and pass through the gate, but it was useless. He tried a few more times, but it still did not work. Only then did he realize that the Humans had somehow closed the Territory Gate leading to the 3,000 Worlds by some unknown means!
The Royal Lord became even more livid, and when the eight Territory Lords who had gone to chase after Yang Kai returned empty-handed, his rage reached a peak.
…..
Yang Kai had escaped from the pursuit of a Royal Lord when he was only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so now that he was in the Eighth-Order, what could a few Territory Lords do even if they tried to catch him?
His Dragon Form made him an extremely conspicuous target, so not long after leaving the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai returned to his Human Form and wrapped Ji Lao San with his power. With a few successive Instantaneous Movements, the pair left the Territory Lords chasing them far behind.
But Yang Kai did not stop immediately and instead continued escaping towards the depths of the void.
It was not until half a month later that he found a barren Universe World to settle down on and recuperate.
While moving deeper into the Universe World, Yang Kai opened up two shelters for them and told Ji Lao San, “Rest by yourself for now. I need to heal my wounds.”
Ji Lao San nodded with a complicated expression on his face, remaining silent.
Yang Kai headed to his spot and sat down cross-legged before taking out a large handful of pills and stuffing them into his mouth.
The injuries he suffered from this battle were not light, not to mention the damage he incurred to his Soul from using four Soul Rending Thorns. As the one leading the Remnant Army, Yang Kai had stood at the vanguard, and so he was also the one who received the most pressure for the majority of the battle.
In particular, the World Force from his Small Universe was severely depleted, so he was in desperate need of time to properly recuperate.
Right now, Yang Kai no longer had complete sets of cultivation materials on hand so he could only rely on Open Heaven Pills to restore himself. Fortunately, the time flow inside of his Small Universe was seven times faster than that of the outside world, and the bustling vitality of the living beings in his Small Universe was also providing him with fresh World Force every moment.
That was why recovering was not a difficult task for him.
After a month or so, Yang Kai had just about recovered all of his depleted energy. Other than the damage to his Soul, which still required some more time to heal, he was generally fine.
The wounds on his Soul did not need him to sit in meditation to recover because he had the Soul Warming Lotus, which would automatically nourish and repair it.
Yang Kai got up and went to where Ji Lao San was resting, and when he heard the noise, Ji Lao San, who was circulating his Dragon Force and recovering his energy, opened his eyes and got up, “Many thanks for this life-saving grace, Brother Yang.”
Looking at the spirited Yang Kai, Ji Lao San could not help but recall the scene from back then when Yang Kai had just arrived at the No-Return Pass all those years ago. At that time, he still looked down on this guy and would repeatedly seek trouble with him. Who would have thought that hundreds of years later, it would be this guy who would save his life?
“I’ve troubled you this time, Brother Yang,” Ji Lao San was no longer the haughty Dragon from back then. Clearly, the shocking events at the No-Return Pass had allowed him to mature a lot.
However, it was not only those events that made him change. Yang Kai was part of it, too.
Even though Yang Kai was a Human who chanced upon a Dragon Source, allowing him to acquire a Dragon Vein, the Source he possessed was actually from the Third Generation Dragon Emperor.
This point alone made it so that no Dragon would dare to underestimate him.
Furthermore, the Dragon Clan’s Elders had intended for Yang Kai to record his name in the Dragon Tome back then at the No-Return Pass.
The Dragon Tome was a Sacred Treasure to the Dragon Clan, which had existed since their founding. It could be said to be one of the Dragon Clan’s most important possessions, on par with the Dragon Pool itself.
There were countless Dragonkin in the 3,000 Worlds, but only True Dragons who were recognised by the Dragon Clan had the qualifications to record their name in the Dragon Tome. Furthermore, Yang Kai was the first Dragonkin to become a True Dragon and gain this qualification since ancient times.
The Elders even promised to record his name with his own surname. If that truly were to happen, then a new lineage would be born in the Dragon Clan. Since the beginning of history, the feat of ancestral establishment was achieved by only three members of the Dragon Clan, resulting in the current Fu, Zhu, and Ji Families. If Yang Kai had agreed at the time, then a new Yang Bloodline would have been born in the Dragon Clan.
However, due to the Bloodline Great Oath from the ancient past, Yang Kai refused the kindness of the Elders and chose not to record his name in the Dragon Tome even though the benefits of doing so were not small…
Even without recording one’s name, Yang Kai had already become a Pureblood Dragon after advancing to become an Ancient Dragon. It could be said that there was no difference between him and Dragons like Ji Lao San, who were born and raised as Dragons. In fact, thanks to his Source, he was even more powerful.
The Dragons would not so much as spare a glance at the Dragonkin of mixed Bloodlines, but how could Ji Lao San act recklessly in front of his own kin?
Not to mention, he just received Yang Kai’s life-saving grace.
Upon hearing Ji Lao San’s words, Yang Kai knew that he had misunderstood him and tried to explain, “I didn’t return to the No-Return Pass just for you, Brother Ji. The main reason was to seal the Territory Gate.”
Ji Lao San was stunned when he heard what Yang Kai said, but then he looked delightfully surprised in realization, “The portal has been blocked?”
He had been confined this whole time and enveloped by a thick Black Ink Cloud, so he was completely oblivious to outside matters.
Yang Kai nodded, “I came from the Barren Territory and blocked the portal using my Secret Technique. The Black Ink Clan should not even think about opening the portal again unless they have a Master as skilled as me in the Dao of Space.”
Ji Lao San was ecstatic, “This way, our side only needs to take care of the enemies in the Barren Territory, and the Black Ink Clan’s plan to invade the 3,000 Worlds will be completely crushed.”
He had been in the No-Return Pass for a long time, so Ji Lao San naturally knew about the Barren Territory. Every so often, he would even use a Soul Clone to run around the Barren Territory when he was bored. Only, the Barren Territory was quite literally barren, with only the necessities left behind by the Human ancestors to wage war. Ji Lao San only went a few times before losing interest.
Rather than go to that damned place, he might as well stay in the No-Return Pass and quarrel with the Phoenixes.
With his spirits raised, Ji Lao San thought of something again and mentioned tentatively, “But blocking the Territory Gate doesn’t mean the war will end.”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Why do you say that?”
Rather than answer his question, Ji Lao San asked, “I heard that the Humans encountered an extremely ancient Master during a previous crusade called Cang?”
Yang Kai nodded.
Ji Lao San said, “Truthfully, the ancient books of the Dragon Clan do have some records about this, but only in scattered fragments. Perhaps it may have something to do with the Dragon Clan’s decline at the time.
Yang Kai nodded thoughtfully.
Based on what Cang told him back then, the Divine Spirits were active during the Primordial Era, the era in which they ruled over the vast Universe. It was just that their vicious battles against each other caused many Divine Spirits and their Clans to go extinct. By the time the Early Ancient Era arrived, it was the Monster Races that assumed dominance.
During the Early Ancient Era, Monster Beasts ran rampant and the Human Race were put in a difficult position. Under the influence of some sort of mysterious power, Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors entered the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, and with the power of the World Tree, gained enlightenment to the path to the Open Heaven Realm. It was only after this that the Human Race was able to slowly rise.
During the age when the Humans were rising up, the Divine Spirits had already begun to decline, and the Dragon Clan spent all their time in the Ancestral Land, so they did not know much about the outside world.
However, they still had some records from that time.
“Does Brother Yang Know how the Black Ink Battlefield was formed?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Senior Cang told me about it. It was the ten Martial Ancestors that carved out the battlefield.”
Ji Lao San corrected, “What they carved out was merely the Great Territories that had already been taken over by Black Ink Strength. A boundary was built between those Great Territories and those not occupied by the Black Ink Clan!”
After a pause, Ji Lao San said, “Let’s put this another way. Does Brother Yang know why the Black Ink Battlefield is so vast and expansive?”
Yang Kai said hesitantly, “I heard that it was made up of a fusion of many Great Territories.”
Ji Lao San nodded, “Exactly. Then, why did these Great Territories fuse together?”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he realized what Ji Lao San was trying to say now.
Ji Lao San sighed, “Black Ink Strength is an extremely sinister power. Not only can it corrupt the bodies and Souls of living beings, it can even erode the boundaries between Great Territories. Once the density of Black Ink Strength reaches a certain point in a Great Territory, the boundary wall will disappear, and without that barrier, the Great Territories will naturally fuse into one.”
Yang Kai exclaimed, “The Barren Territory!”
He finally understood why Ji Lao San said blocking the portal would not end the war.
He had indeed sealed off the No-Return Pass from the Barren Territory for now, but if the boundary walls of the Barren Territory were to be eroded, then it would fuse with the Shattered Heaven. If that were to happen, the defensive line constructed by the Humans in the Barren Territory would become meaningless.
Ji Lao San went on, “You don’t have to worry too much though, Brother Yang. Even though the Black Ink Clan is strong right now, without any supplies, it will become difficult for them to produce more members or Black Ink Strength. The Barren Territory is not small by any means, so it would be unfeasible for the Black Ink Clan to try and erode the boundary walls using just the Black Ink Strength available to them. I’m only telling you this in case you suffer a loss due to something similar happening in the future.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Many thanks for the lesson!”
Ji Lao San added, “Besides, if I know about this, then the Elders of my Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan should know about it too. They will take the necessary precautions. No matter what, the Black Ink Clan has already lost half the battle since the Territory Gate has been blocked by you, Brother Yang.”
During the Late Ancient Era, the reason why the boundary walls between the Great Territories eroded so easily was mainly because of Mo.
Mo was the origin of Black Ink Strength and its power was incredibly pure and powerful. Most of the boundary walls between the Great Territories occupied by the Black Ink Clan were personally eroded by its hands.
The boundary walls were a real existence; only, it was difficult for ordinary people to even perceive them.
The places where the Territory Gates were located were essentially gaps in the boundary walls, as well as the portals that connected two Great Territories.
In fact, boundary walls were incredibly sturdy existences; otherwise, it would be impossible for the Humans to confine the Black Ink Clan inside the Black Ink Battlefield. Trying to erode the boundary wall with Black Ink Strength alone was a difficult feat to achieve.
Now, Yang Kai had sealed the Territory Gate between the No-Return Pass and the Barren Territory, cutting off the Black Ink Clan’s supply line, but he was powerless to do anything more.
He asked more about the No-Return Pass, and learned from Ji Lao San that the Pass’ fall was attributed to the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods just as he expected.
The Human Race Army retreated all the way from outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to the No-Return Pass, suffering countless casualties along the way. Somewhere between 20 and 30 of the Great Passes were destroyed in the process, while even more Ninth-Order Old Ancestors died in battle.
The casualties they sustained could be described as unprecedented since the Late Ancient Era!
Even though the Black Ink Clan also sustained their fair share of casualties, they were much less significant when compared to the Humans; after all, the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were far too powerful.
After retreating to the No-Return Pass and receiving the support from the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan, the two sides fought a brutal war around the No-Return Pass.
In the end, the Human Army and its allies were unable to hold. The No-Return Pass was broken through and for the first time in history, it became engulfed in the flames of war. Half of this result was because they were truly helpless to fend off the enemy, but the other half was intentional. The united Army of the Humans and the Divine Spirits executed a coordinated retreat to the Barren Territory to use the Second Battlefield to continue their war against the Black Ink Clan.
Ji Lao San had gone too deep into enemy lines while fighting and was surrounded by the Black Ink Clan, resulting in him being unable to return to the No-Return Pass in time to join the evacuation. In the end, he was captured by a Royal Lord in the final battle.
The Black Ink Clan did not kill him though. They placed Divine Spirits in high regard, so the Royal Lord imprisoned him in the No-Return Pass and surrounded him in a cloud of Black Ink Strength, seemingly in an attempt to study the innate resistance of Divine Spirits towards their Black Ink Strength. It was to find a way to corrupt them quickly through research.
If the Royal Lord had not had such intentions, then Ji Lao San would not have survived after being captured.
His 55,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon body was comparable to an Eighth-Order Master in strength; however, an Ancient Dragon could hardly make any waves in front of a Royal Lord.
Over the years, it had become increasingly difficult for Ji Lao San to persevere. Fortunately, his Dragon Vein was quite pure, giving him fairly high resistance to the corruption of Black Ink Strength. However, if another decade or so had passed, even he could not be sure whether or not he would be corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
If he really were corrupted, then he would surely become a stain on the Dragon Clan’s pride.
That was why Ji Lao San was so grateful to Yang Kai for saving him. He had saved not only his life, but protected the honour of the entire Clan.
Ji Lao San still had some Black Ink Strength lingering in his body, so Yang Kai gave him some Purifying Black Ink Pills to finally eliminate this hidden danger.
Freed from the Black Ink Strength’s shadow, Ji Lao San’s body felt light and he heaved a long sigh in his hiding place before asking, “Brother Yang, what do you plan on doing next?”
“I’m going back!” Yang Kai had already made up his mind.
Ji Lao San did not understand, “The portal has already been blocked though, how will you return? You’re not thinking of reopening it, are you?”
That would be a bad idea. Yang Kai was able to catch the enemy by surprise when he sealed the Territory Gate the first time, but if he were to try it again, the Black Ink Clan would surely respond more quickly and forcefully, making it questionable whether he could succeed or not.
If things progressed as expected, the Black Ink Clan would have already tightened their guard around where the Territory Gate used to be while they looked for a way to reopen the portal.
“That won’t be necessary,” Yang Kai shook his head, “I know a passage that leads to the 3,000 Worlds. We can use that path.”
His words shocked Ji Lao San. To think that the Black Ink Battlefield actually had another passage that led to the 3,000 Worlds! This was big news, and if the Black Ink Clan were to ever learn about it, they would surely rejoice.
The passage that Yang Kai spoke of was the one he used to get to the Black Ink Battlefield from Black Territory back then.
Since he could come from Black Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield at that time, he would naturally be able to do the opposite. He just had to reopen the passage, which would not be difficult for the current him at all.
Now, of course, the existence of the passage was quite peculiar in itself. Based on Yang Kai’s speculation, it may be a special type of Territory Gate, or it may be a weak point in the boundary walls. In ancient times, a Royal Lord somehow found her way into the Black Territory through this passage and was suppressed and sealed by Human Race Masters of the time before a Super Array was set up to suppress her and the Void Corridor.
Countless years later, Yang Kai shook the foundation of the Grand Array while mining the resources in Black Territory and almost allowed the Royal Lord to escape. Fortunately, she had been imprisoned for an incredibly long time, so her strength had declined greatly. Otherwise, with the lineup that the Humans had at the time, they would have suffered far heavier losses in order to deal with that Royal Lord.
The Void Corridor was located in the Blue Sky Theatre, which was quite far from here.
Yang Kai took out his Universe Chart and ascertained the direction before flying side by side with Ji Lao San, occasionally using Space Principles to speed up their journey.
If he was alone, Yang Kai could have just repeatedly used Instantaneous Movement to dramatically reduce the amount of time the journey required, but it was hard to do so with Ji Lao San tagging along, as the latter was an Ancient Dragon, meaning he could not be ‘carried’ by Yang Kai so easily.
Along their journey, the scenery in the vast void all looked the same.
They passed through several Theatres, which used to be defended by the Great Passes, and took nearly 10 years to finally reach the Blue Sky Theatre.
Blue Sky Pass, which had guarded this stretch of void for aeons, was long gone. Yang Kai did not even know whether it had been completely destroyed or not. There were 70 to 80 remnant Great Passes floating outside of the No-Return Pass, all of them shrouded by Black Ink Clouds, making it hard to identify them.
From Yang Kai’s perspective, it had been several thousand years since he came here, but he still remembered how he had sealed up the Void Corridor along his way after departing from Black Territory until he suddenly stepped into a Sealed World.
The Void Corridor in Black Territory was connected to that Sealed World.
The Sealed Worlds of the Black Ink Battlefield were basically the Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens left behind after the fall of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from ancient times.
The Universe Cave Heaven encompassing the passage connecting Black Territory and the Black Ink Battlefield should not have appeared there as an accident, but rather been placed there by artificial intervention.
The owner of the Universe Cave Heaven clearly knew about the existence of this Void Corridor, and so they took the initiative to leave their Small Universe behind, enveloping the passage and hiding it from the eyes and ears of all others.
Doing so meant sacrificing one’s lifetime of cultivation, as well as their life itself.
Their ancestors sacrificed their lives for the sake of peace for the Human Race. Countless years later, their descendants still upheld this philosophy.
That was why Meng Qi, whom Yang Kai encountered in the Sealed World, willingly sacrificed himself without a single word of complaint in order to keep the Void Corridor a secret.
The sacrifice of this unnamed ancestor was worth it. Countless years went by yet the Black Ink Clan never learned of the existence of a Void Corridor that connected straight to the 3,000 Worlds. If Yang Kai had not come over from Black Territory, then he would not have triggered the abnormality in the Universe Cave Heaven, and then it would naturally not have been noticed by the Black Ink Clan.
It was because of his actions that the Universe Cave Heaven’s location was exposed, and only then did several Feudal Lords come over to investigate.
Fortunately, the passage had been sealed shortly after it opened, so the Feudal Lords couldn’t have detected anything.
There were several Feudal Lords and their subordinates, as well as other High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen who came to investigate the Sealed World. Regardless of whether or not they could find anything good in the Sealed World, the World Force that existed there in itself was the favourite food of the Black Ink Clan.
World Force was the foundation that maintained the existence of a Sealed World. Even though the Sealed World’s owner died long ago, as long as the Small Universe remained intact the World Force would not dissipate.
However, after being devoured by the Black Ink Clan, the World Force was gone, and without that foundation, the Sealed World would naturally collapse into nothingness, never to be found again.
It took a decade for Yang Kai and Ji Lao San to arrive at the Blue Sky Theatre, and another 2 years to locate the original location of the Sealed World, not because Yang Kai was incompetent, but because it was difficult to find a single spot in the vastness of the void.
Fortunately, he had specifically noted down the location in his mind back then; otherwise, he might have come up empty on this trip.
Standing at a certain point in the void, Yang Kai silently sensed his surroundings for some time before he was certain that this was where the Sealed World collapsed, and the Void Corridor was hidden.
If anyone else were to come here, they would naturally be helpless in the face of this situation, but Yang Kai had great attainments in the Dao of Space. Even in such a case, he could find the Void Corridor’s entrance, he just needed to spend some time and effort on it.
So, for the next few months, Yang Kai used Space Principles to probe for the Void Corridor over and over again while Ji Lao San sat silently.
Until one day, he suddenly raised his brow and called out to Ji Lao San who was a short distance away, “Brother Ji, come quickly!”
Ji Lao San’s spirits were lifted and he came over in a flash, “Did you find it?”
Yang Kai nodded, “We must connect our auras together. Remember to follow me closely lest you get lost in the Void Crack. If that happens, even I may not be able to find you.”
Ji Lao San laughed, “No need to go through such trouble.”
While saying so, his body flickered and he took on his Dragon Form; only this time, rather than a 55,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon Form, he transformed into a tiny Dragon, no longer than an ordinary snake…
This was also one of the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques, allowing even a Dragon that could cover the sky to become as small as a mustard seed.
Yang Kai knew this Secret Technique too; however, he could not shrink himself as small as Ji Lao San could. Currently, his Dragon Form could range between 70,000 metres and 70 metres long.
Seeing this display, Yang Kai decided in his heart that he had to properly cultivate this Dragon Clan Secret Technique once he returned; after all, sometimes, it was quite inconvenient for him to fight when his body was too large.
The snake that Ji Lao San transformed himself into, wrapped itself around Yang Kai’s arm…
Yang Kai could not help but chuckle. Then, while madly surging his Space Principles, a ripple appeared in the Void in front of them. A short while later, the sealed portal slowly revealed hints of itself.
Yang Kai was the one who sealed off this Void Corridor nearly 1,000 years ago, so it was naturally no problem for him to open it again.
However, not only did he have to open the Void Corridor today, but he also had to seal it behind him as he passed through, so he still faced some difficulty.
This was also the reason why Yang Kai had not brought the Remnant Army back to the 3,000 Worlds via this particular route.
After gathering the Remnant Army, they numbered almost 5,000. There were simply too many of them. In a unique environment like this Void Corridor, Yang Kai was only capable of protecting one or two people at most; thus, he could not bring all of them with him. If they were caught up in the Void Turbulence, they were bound to be swept away into the Void Crack, never to find their way out again.
Thinking about the Remnant Army, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling depressed. 5,000 of them had attacked the No-Return Pass, but less than 3,000 made it through. Not to mention, that was with the assistance of the Old Ancestor and Niu Niu holding back their enemies. Without their help, all 5,000 of them would have died that day.
Composing himself, Yang Kai concentrated on forging a path forward.
The Void Corridor to Black Territory was much longer than the one at the No-Return Pass. At present, he had to open a path in front of him while simultaneously closing it behind him; therefore, it was a huge challenge to his mastery of the Dao of Space.
Ji Lao San, who had transformed into a small Dragon resembling a snake, had wrapped himself tightly around Yang Kai’s arm. Looking around at the dangerous Void Turbulence swirling around them in all directions, he secretly felt speechless.
It was his first time entering a place like the Void Crack. In the past, he had heard from the Phoenix Clan at the No-Return Pass that Void Cracks were extremely dangerous and the slightest negligence could cause a person to lose their way forever. Nevertheless, he did not truly understand the risks since he only heard stories but never experienced them in person.
He once asked one of the Phoenix Clan members to bring him deep into the Void Crack so that he could experience the environment for himself, but that Phoenix Clan member had sternly reprimanded him for making such a request. After all, though the Phoenix Clan was proficient in the Dao of Space, most would rather choose not to venture deep into a Void Crack for no reason, much less bring another person along with them.
Yang Kai’s movements had a sense of rhythm and order to them, even though he looked like he was struggling somewhat.
[This guy’s attainments in the Dao of Space are probably higher than most of the Phoenix Clan members’!] Ji Lao San secretly speculated in his heart. Not only was Yang Kai an Ancient Dragon, allowing him to be proficient in the Dao of Time, but he also had such profound attainments in the Dao of Space. Just what kind of a freak was he…
On the other hand, Yang Kai did not know what nonsensical thoughts were running through Ji Lao San’s head as he was focused solely on passing through the Void Corridor safely.
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed when the obstruction ahead finally vanished without warning and he abruptly found himself standing in the vast void. An irregular portal filled with chaos and nihility remained open behind him. He quickly turned around, reached out his hand in a swiping motion, and manipulated Space Principles to make the portal vanish out of sight. It was not until he finished hiding the entrance to the Void Corridor that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking around, Yang Kai did not see any scenery that was familiar to him, there was only pitch-black darkness that seemed darker than certain areas on the Black Ink Battlefield. Be that as it may, he knew that he had arrived at Black Territory!
In the past, he had entered the Void Corridor that brought him to the Black Ink Battlefield from this very spot.
Without further delay, he immediately consumed some Open Heaven Pills to replenish the energy he had used up and quickly set off towards the Territory Gate.
More than 10 years had passed since Yang Kai led the Remnant Army to the Barren Territory, so there was no way to know what the situation there was now. For that reason, he pressed down the urge to return to the Star Boundary. Even though he wanted to go back and check on the Star Boundary, he knew that now was not the right time to return. His greatest priority at the moment was to rush towards the Barren Territory as soon as possible.
If he wanted to reach the Barren Territory, then he would first need to head towards the Shattered Heaven. He took out a Universe Chart of the 3,000 Worlds and quickly figured out his direction, then he hurried on his way.
Ji Lao San seemed to have gotten used to this travelling method and did not change back to his original form, simply choosing to remain wrapped around Yang Kai’s arm. If one did not observe carefully, one would have assumed that Yang Kai was wearing a fancy bracelet.
To arrive at the Barren Territory as soon as possible, Yang Kai pushed his speed to its limits as he travelled through Great Territory after Great Territory. It was fortunate that he had left his Imprint on a large number of Universe Temples, allowing him to save a significant amount of time.
One day, Yang Kai’s figure appeared atop a Universe Temple’s Universe Array of a certain Great Territory before he immediately flew out.
The cultivator guarding the Universe Temple didn’t even have the time to check Yang Kai’s identity before the latter disappeared without a trace. Hence, he was stunned by the strange and fleeting incident.
The Universe Temples located in each Great Territory had been left behind by the Human Race in ancient times and were presently under the joint control of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Most Great Territories had a Universe Temple, with the rare exception of several Great Territories located in extremely remote regions. For example, the Great Territory in which the Star Boundary was located had not contained a Universe Temple originally. That was because the Martial Dao in that particular Great Territory was too backward, and there were no cultivators who could shuttle through the void.
Guarding the Universe Temple could be considered a kind of training for the disciples of the various Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, the task was boring since fighting was forbidden inside the Universe Temples. That was why very few disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would willingly volunteer to guard these places.
Most of those assigned to these posts had relatively low cultivations. Aside from the mandatory Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master presiding over the Universe Temple, the rest were either in the Fifth-Order or below. Not to mention, their numbers were not high.
Yang Kai was currently in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, which would make him a Supreme Elder or Ancestor-level character in any Cave Heaven or Paradise. How could these guards in the Fourth and Fifth Order possibly trace his whereabouts?
In any case, he had no plans to stay here for long because he had to continue on his journey; however, today, he noticed a battle between cultivators right outside the Universe Temple. Two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and a Seventh-Order Master were locked in an intense fight for some reason.
Although there was a clear gap in their cultivations, the two Sixth-Order Masters were holding their own against their opponent in a two-against-one battle. That was an unusual sight indeed as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was considered a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. How could two Sixth-Order Masters be a worthy opponent for such a foe?
Yang Kai observed for a while and soon figured out the reason!
The two Sixth-Order Masters were clearly disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so the artifacts in their possession were excellent, and their Secret Techniques were powerful. They were most likely peak Sixth-Order Masters.
On the contrary, the Seventh-Order Master’s aura was clearly unstable. It looked like not much time had passed since he broke through to the Seventh Order. Which great force he came from was unknown, but he clearly did not originate from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling surprised.
According to convention, any Seventh-Order Master who did not come from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises in the 3,000 Worlds was absorbed into the Cave Heaven or Paradise closest to them. They would also be given the position of Guest Elder without any real responsibilities.
Take the Great Battle Heaven for example. They were affiliated with more than 10 Great Territories. If a cultivator within any of these Great Territories advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, they would then be absorbed into Great Battle Heaven.
However, all the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who became Guest Elders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises in this manner would vanish without a trace soon after. There were no exceptions to this unspoken rule since time immemorial.
As a result, the general public in the 3,000 Worlds had various misunderstandings towards the Cave Heavens and Paradises. The general assumption was that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were using their authority to suppress all other great forces to prevent any unaffiliated cultivators from reaching the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, lest the foundation of their ruling position be shaken. That was why they immediately captured and subdued any cultivator who was discovered to have advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Of course, the truth of the matter was that most of those cultivators who advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm were sent to the Black Ink Battlefield. As for the others, they simply entered seclusion in the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
It was not that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were trying to suppress the other great forces; on the contrary, they wanted more Seventh-Order Masters to appear as such cultivators could not be considered weak. They were qualified to become Squad Leaders and Vice Squad Leaders on the Black Ink Battlefield. For countless years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had nurtured countless disciples who were then dispatched to the Black Ink Battlefield. As a result, they suffered countless casualties as the same cycle repeated generation after generation.
If Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were born from other great forces, then they should also do their part to maintain the peace of the 3,000 Worlds; however, participation was not mandatory.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were welcomed into the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be told about the secret of the Black Ink Battlefield by the Sect Master in person; then, they were given the choice to enter the Black Ink Battlefield and contribute to the safety of the Human Race or remain within the Sect for the rest of their lives.
Information regarding the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength could not be leaked to the public; therefore, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were aware of this secret could only remain within the confines of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Consequently, only the Cave Heavens and Paradises could be ranked as First Class forces. No matter how large or powerful other great forces became, they could only be considered Second Class because no Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were overseeing them.
Due to these circumstances, many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Second Class great forces did not dare to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm even though they had the heritage and capital to do so as they were worried that they would suffer at the hands of the Cave Heavens and Paradises if they did so.
It was not that these great forces were too weak and could not produce Seventh-Order Masters, but that the cultivators simply did not dare to advance to that Realm.
That was also how some Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters eventually found themselves hiding in Shattered Heaven. They secretly snuck into the Shattered Heaven before reaching the Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order in order to avoid the pursuit of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Although they seemed free and relaxed, only they knew about the pain and suffering they endured; after all, the Shattered Heaven was not a pleasant place.
Even though this practice of the Cave Heavens and Paradises caused great dissatisfaction among the countless Second Class great forces, there was nothing that could be done. They could not allow the information regarding Black Ink Strength to become common knowledge. If that were to happen, those with immoral intentions would inevitably take the initiative to seek out Black Ink Strength.
Even Vice Sect Master Yuan Du of Lang Ya Paradise could not resist the temptation of Black Ink Strength. He had actively sought out Black Ink Strength and absorbed it into his body before spreading it to a number of elite disciples, transforming them into Black Ink Disciples.
It had to be said that Yuan Du was a Vice Sect Master belonging to one of the 72 Paradises. If even such a character could not resist temptation, how were others with lower strength, status, and talent do so? Most cultivators would gain the courage to break the rules and make some unexpected choices when faced with the limitations of their Martial Dao.
Over the years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises might have made mistakes in other aspects. Nevertheless, there was no denying that they had performed splendidly in terms of protecting the 3,000 Worlds!
Outside this Universe Temple, the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were fighting a newly advanced Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai only needed a single glance to determine that the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had come from one of the Second Class great forces and not one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
There was also a large ship outside the Universe Temple with several Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters standing on the deck, observing the battle.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was an old man with a white head of hair and beard. After advancing to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he thought that he could easily escape the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise, but it wasn’t until they started fighting that he realised how powerful these two were.
He could only lament the fact that it had not been long since his advancement, so he could not bring out the full strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If he had the opportunity to cultivate in retreat for several dozen to 100 years to consolidate his cultivation and familiarize himself with it, then two trivial Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would have been nothing to him.
Seeing that he could not escape, the old man shouted, “The Cave Heavens and Paradises have been gathering Fifth and Sixth-Order Masters from the Second Class great forces in every Great Territory recently, it’s obvious that they are planning to destroy the foundation of all Second Class great forces to prevent their ruling authority from being shaken! They have revealed their wolfish ambitions! How long are the rest of you going to stand there and watch the show!?”
The expressions of the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters standing on the large ship changed drastically upon hearing those words.
It was just as the old man had said. They were cultivators from various Second Class great forces in this Great Territory which was under the jurisdiction of Golden Antelope Paradise. In recent years, Golden Antelope Paradise had gone around gathering Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from various Second Class great forces. It was just that they had not explained the purpose of their actions, so many people became uneasy about the situation.
It was not strange for the old man to have such thoughts. Too many rumours and misunderstandings about the Cave Heavens and Paradises had propagated over the years. Many had the same thoughts as the old man but did not dare to voice their opinions.
The old man continued, “Yan Yi! 1,800 years ago, the Former Temple Master of Golden Light Temple advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and was taken away by Golden Antelope Paradise. Have you heard from him since then!?”
A scholarly Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master stood on the large ship with a gloomy expression. He was none other than Yan Yi of Golden Light Temple, whom the old man had addressed.
The old man then shouted, “Bian Yuan Shan! 3,200 years ago, your Ancestor showed outstanding talent and advanced directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. He was expected to advance to the Eighth Order one day, but more than 3,000 years have passed since he was ‘recruited’ by these people! Have you seen or heard from him even once!? The Bian Family has repeatedly gone to the Golden Antelope Paradise to request a meeting with him, but they were always refused, isn’t that right?”
A middle-aged man standing beside Yan Yi on the large ship looked bitter. He was Bian Yuan Shan, the person whom the old man had called out in his speech.
The Bian Family was not particularly outstanding in this Great Territory; nevertheless, it was true that an exceedingly talented Ancestor who was born to them around 3,000 years ago.
In addition to outstanding talent, that Ancestor was also blessed with great luck. He had managed to obtain a complete set of Sixth-Order materials from somewhere and advanced directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. With the limited financial resources of the Bian Family, it would have been impossible for him to obtain a complete set of Sixth-Order materials for his advancement otherwise.
Unfortunately, he was taken away by the Masters of the Golden Antelope Paradise not long after he ascended to the Open Heaven Realm.
After that incident, the Bian Family had gone to the Golden Antelope Paradise on numerous occasions to meet their Ancestor; however, it was just as the old man had mentioned. Their attempts had been fruitless to date.
This incident had been a painful thorn in their hearts since then. The descendants of the Bian Family had never forgotten that a mighty individual, who had advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm with the expectation to one day become an Eighth-Order Master, had been born from their humble family.
Judging by the talent of their Ancestor, he should have advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm by now since more than 3,000 years had passed.
Bian Yuan Shan naturally felt bitter and depressed to be reminded of this incident. If the Bian Family had received the protection of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, they would not have fallen into such desolation.
The Seventh-Order old man had clearly lived for a very long time; therefore, he was extremely knowledgeable about the secrets of the nearby Great Forces. He called out to each person and mentioned various incidents that were related to them, causing many Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the large ship to become furious.
He called out to six people in quick succession, all of whom were similar to Yan Yi and Bian Yuan Shan. Their Ancestors or Elders had either shown outstanding talent or advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Consequently, they were taken away by Golden Antelope Paradise and disappeared without a trace.
The Second Class great forces had always harboured some resentment towards the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It was just that they buried these feelings in their hearts and did not dare to express them out loud. Now that the old man had flamed these resentments though, hostility began to bubble to the surface.
When the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting the old man saw where the situation was going, one of them shouted, “Jiu Yan, stop talking nonsense! We can still resolve this issue if you stop now! If you insist on being stubborn, then don’t blame us for showing no mercy!”
The old man called Jiu Yan coldly snorted, “This Old Master is speaking nonsense? You should know well just how many dirty things the Cave Heavens and Paradises have done over the years! This Old Master is simply revealing the truth! Don’t even think about capturing and imprisoning this Old Master! Now that this Old Master is in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, I can just kill you both here and then escape to the Shattered Heaven to live freely!”
The other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master shook his head, “Jiu Yan, the truth is different from what you believe. Golden Antelope Paradise has indeed acted a bit ambiguously over the years, but we had no other choice. If you wish to know the truth, then please stop resisting. The truth will naturally come to light once my Senior Brother guides you to a certain place!”
Jiu Yan sneered coldly, “This Old Master has lived for so many years. I am not a three-year-old child. How can I be deceived by such nonsense?”
While speaking, his attacks became more and more ruthless as he addressed the people on the ship once more, “Why aren’t you doing anything!? Are you truly planning to follow in the footsteps of your ancestors?”
The people on the large ship had seemingly been bewitched and were eager to take action. The expressions of the Golden Antelope Paradise disciples, who were tasked with the responsibility of guiding these people, changed drastically at those words and raised their vigilance significantly.
Needless to say, there were more than just the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among the Golden Antelope Paradise disciples here. There were several other Fifth-Order Masters on the ship, but their numbers were not high; after all, the battle in the Barren Territory was currently in an extremely dangerous state. The Cave Heavens and Paradises simply could not afford to spare much manpower. If it really came down to a fight, they might not be a match for the people gathered here. In the worst case, they might even lose their lives.
“Kill them all! This Old Master will bring you to the Shattered Heaven! We will never be controlled by others again!” Jiu Yan yelled. At this moment, he spotted an opening and slammed his palm towards one of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. World Force surged madly from the palm of his hand, enveloping it in an unstoppable force.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master turned pale with fright. He had been distracted for a moment just now, and that momentary distraction had given Jiu Yan an unexpected opportunity. That palm strike was not something he could bear. If he was struck by that blow, then he would either end up dead or heavily injured. At that point, his Junior Brother would be forced to confront Jiu Yan by himself, which was clearly impossible.
When the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master saw that his Senior Brother was in danger, he tried to help; unfortunately, there was not enough time. In his desperation, he could only roar at the top of his lungs, “Jiu Yan, stop!”
Not only did Jiu Yan refuse to stop, but he channelled even more strength into his attack.
His palm was about to land on the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s forehead when all of a sudden, a hand appeared out of nowhere and lightly grabbed Jiu Yan by the wrist. Jiu Yan’s aura that was flaring madly suddenly withered like a deflated ball.
Jiu Yan was horrified, but when he tried to withdraw his hand, he discovered that he could not move a muscle. His body seemed to be imprisoned in place. Shifting his eyes, he saw a tall and handsome young man had appeared in front of him at some point. Although the young man was simply looking at him indifferently, those eyes seemed to contain a mysterious power that prevented him from shifting his gaze away. It felt as though his entire soul was sinking into the depths of those eyes.
In the blink of an eye, Jiu Yan’s arrogance and boldness vanished. His entire body trembled in fear under that gaze. Fortunately, the young man did not do anything to him and soon looked away, allowing him to feel a sense of relief, as though he had been granted mercy from the Heavens.
After a brief pause, the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise recovered from their shock and realized that the young man in front of them had saved their lives.
Nevertheless, they exchanged an astonished glance with each other. Blocking Jiu Yan’s attack so easily was definitely not something a Seventh-Order Master could do. Moreover, the faint aura emanating from this young man indicated that he was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
“Golden Antelope Paradise’s Fan Nan/Xi Yuan greets Ancestor!” They quickly bowed in unison.
Yang Kai nodded lightly before glancing over at the large ship. The people who were eager to take action after being incited by Jiu Yan’s provocation hurriedly lowered their heads, terrified of being singled out by the Master who appeared out of nowhere.
On the other hand, the Golden Antelope Paradise disciples on the boat were ecstatic. With the arrival of an Eighth-Order Ancestor, their troubles were no longer troubles. Their anxious feelings were finally relieved.
Fan Nan was the Eldest Senior Brother here, so he hesitantly asked, “From which Cave Heaven or Paradise does Ancestor hail?”
There were many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, and although he did not recognise all of them, he could recognise many of them. Even for the ones he could not recognise, he would have heard most of their names before. Be that as it may, none of those names or descriptions matched this young man. He couldn’t help feeling curious and quietly wondered to himself. [Could it be that the situation in the Barren Territory is so desperate that even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had not come out for such a long time, are required to take action?]
Yang Kai waved dismissively, “I am not from any Cave Heaven or Paradise.”
Both Fan Nan and Xi Yuan were shocked.
[Is there an Eighth-Order Master who does not come from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises?] For a time, their heads buzzed with various thoughts and they couldn’t help forming many misunderstandings about the situation.
Fortunately, Yang Kai quickly added an explanation, “Lord of the Star Boundary, Yang Kai.”
He did not mention Void Land as although Void Land was the great force he established with his own hands, it could not compare with the fame of the Star Boundary thanks to the World Tree clone. Many people in the 3,000 Worlds had heard of Void Land, but absolutely everyone who had any form of strength knew about the Star Boundary.
Naturally, Fan Nan and Xi Yuan knew of the Star Boundary. They had even heard of Yang Kai; thus, they immediately looked surprised and asked, “Senior Yang, didn’t you head to… that place?”
The incident in Black Territory had caused a huge uproar back then. To deal with the Super Array that covered the entire Black Territory, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had dispatched many people to harvest the Ore Stars which made up the Array Nodes.
It was not a secret that Yang Kai had left Black Territory for the Black Ink Battlefield. Even Fan Nan and Xi Yuan were aware of his departure.
Yang Kai casually explained, “I just came back from there.” Then, he inquired further, “Are you escorting these people there?”
Fan Nan hurriedly said, “That’s right, but… we encountered some trouble. I apologise for troubling you with this.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It is related to the survival of the 3,000 Worlds. You’ve worked hard.”
Upon receiving the affirmation of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai, their grievances immediately dissolved. They had not been able to explain anything even though Jiu Yan had been accusing them of many heinous crimes. Combined with the risk of life and death looming over them, the pressure and stress on their shoulders had been as heavy as a mountain.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had suddenly appeared and took control of the situation.
Yang Kai suddenly turned to look at one of the people on the ship, “Yan Yi!”
On the large ship, the person named Yan Yi, who was previously addressed by Jiu Yan, hastily bowed in greeting, “Golden Light Temple’s Yan Yi greets Senior.”
Yang Kai felt slightly speechless… Now that he had advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, everybody immediately called him ‘Senior’; however, he was probably much younger than all the people in front of him.
Too lazy to correct them, Yang Kai simply continued indifferently, “I don’t know about what happened to Golden Light Temple. In fact, I’ve never even heard of this name before, but I do have a few questions for you. Did your Golden Light Temple suffer any harsh treatment after its Former Temple Master advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and was taken away by Golden Antelope Paradise?”
Yan Yi answered honestly, “Never.”
“Did you receive extra care?”
Yan Yi nodded, “After the Former Temple Master was taken away, Golden Antelope Paradise indeed provided our Golden Light Temple with generous compensation. They not only bestowed us with some Secret Arts and Techniques, but also deliver many precious cultivation resources to the Sect every year.”
Yang Kai stretched out a finger and pointed at Yan Yi, “Those are the rewards that the Former Temple Master of Golden Light Temple received in exchange for his life!”
Yan Yi’s expression changed slightly. It was obvious that he had misunderstood Yang Kai’s meaning.
Yang Kai was in no hurry to explain anything though and instead turned to look at the other person, “What about the situation in your Sect, Bian Yuan Shan? Is the situation similar to the Golden Light Temple? Or, has the situation remained unchanged?”
Bian Yuan Shan pursed his lips and shook his head, “Reporting to Senior, there have been no changes in our Family’s situation.”
He was now quite confused. Golden Light Temple had received increased protection and support from Golden Antelope Paradise after the Former Temple Master of the Golden Light Temple was taken away; however, his Bian Family had not received any kind of compensation at all even though the Ancestor had also been taken away. Was there some sort of difference between them?
Yang Kai glanced at the third person, “What about you?”
That man raised his head and replied, “We have a similar experience with Golden Light Temple. After the Ancestor was taken away, Golden Antelope Paradise would deliver various cultivation resources to the Sect every year. Furthermore, Golden Antelope Paradise Masters would come to guide the Sect’s disciples in their cultivation at regular intervals over the years.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and continued questioning several others who were called out by Jiu Yan earlier.
The great forces that these people came from could generally be divided into two categories. One type did not experience any changes, while the other type received extra care from Golden Antelope Paradise. Not only were they bestowed with Secret Techniques and Secret Arts after their Ancestors, Elders, or Seniors were taken away, but they would also receive various cultivation resources every year. These cultivation resources made things much more convenient for the disciples of these great forces to cultivate.
The great forces that received extra care had always kept their special treatment a secret, lest they attract the jealousy and hatred of the other great forces, which was why nobody was aware that they were not the only great force to receive the favour of Golden Antelope Paradise.
Nevertheless, the fact that Yang Kai was questioning them regarding these matters at this time clearly indicated that there was a deeper meaning behind the situation.
“Do you know why Golden Antelope Paradise treats your great forces so differently?”
Everyone fell silent. Some seemed pensive, but they did not dare to voice their opinions arbitrarily; after all, there was a chance of saying the wrong thing. Who would dare to speak nonsense in the presence of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?
Regardless, Yang Kai had no intention of waiting for a response from them and promptly answered his own question, “Every one of you lives in the 3,000 Worlds. Although there are some disagreements and the occasional fight between the many great forces, these are nothing more than minor disputes, quarrels involving grievances and grudges over various issues. But there is a vast battlefield in a distant place that remains unknown to most of the world; moreover, that battlefield is the site of an ancient and ongoing war involving the very survival of the Human Race!”
Everyone aboard the ship couldn’t help feeling surprised.
Hearing the words ‘survival of the Human Race’ from the mouth of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, anybody would immediately realise the seriousness of the situation; however, just what kind of battlefield would involve such high stakes? Not to mention, he also used the word ‘war’… and not the word ‘battle’.
Fan Nan couldn’t help exclaiming in shock, “Ancestor Yang… this…”
Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt Fan Nan, “You’re already planning to bring them there in the first place. Under the current circumstances, they will surely resist if we don’t explain the situation to them clearly. Besides, what’s the difference between learning the truth now and a few days from now?”
Fan Nan thought about it and realised that Yang Kai was right. The Cave Heavens and Paradises had restricted the information regarding Black Ink Strength in the past because they were afraid that some people would not be able to resist its temptation. However, the current situation in the Barren Territory was so dire that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were forced to recruit Fifth and Sixth-Order Masters from the Second Class great forces for support. If these people were sent to that battlefield, then the existence of the Black Ink Clan and all that entailed would soon be revealed anyway.
After this realization, he did not object again.
“You might think that I’m simply trying to frighten you, but this King would like to ask one question. Over the years, have you never wondered why the heritage of the Cave Heavens and Paradises is so feeble despite having an inheritance that spans hundreds of millennia? True, compared to the Second Class great forces, the Cave Heavens and Paradises are unshakeable behemoths; nevertheless, where are all the Sixth, Seventh, and even Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that they nurtured over the aeons? It is impossible for all of them to just remain in secluded retreat inside their Sects.”
These doubts had plagued Yang Kai himself before, so he did not believe that these people had never wondered about it.
Compared to their long years of inheritance, the strength the Cave Heavens and Paradises showed to the 3,000 Worlds was far too weak.
“Open Heaven Realm Masters have incredibly long lives, and anyone who breaks through directly to the Fifth Order has hope to advance to the Seventh Order. Among the disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, the number who advance directly to the Fifth Order can be counted in the hundreds per century. Over the years, they should have accumulated so many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that meeting one would be considered common. At the very least, there should be several tens of thousands of them per First Class great force, but have you ever seen so many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises?
“Simply put, those Seventh-Order Masters are not in the Cave Heavens or Paradises as most of them have been dispatched to that far-off battlefield! They have been fighting an enemy that you know nothing about for hundreds of thousands of years, and the vast majority of them have died in battle as a result.”
“There are also no Ninth-Order Masters in the 3,000 Worlds because any Eighth-Order Ancestor who has the qualifications to break through to the Ninth-Order is sent to that battlefield as well to fight our enemies!”
“The Cave Heavens and Paradises have played a pivotal role in maintaining the safety and tranquillity of the 3,000 Worlds. The peace you all enjoy is built upon countless generations of blood and sacrifice.”
“This… is the truth you have never been told.”
Yang Kai’s speech caused the expressions of Yan Yi and the others to change greatly. They seemed doubtful, but it was easy to understand their feelings. If Yang Kai himself had been in their position, he would also have had trouble believing something so shocking without witnessing the tragic situation on the Black Ink Battlefield with his own eyes.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises that they silently resent and hate turned out to be the guardians of the vast universe known as the 3,000 Worlds. Moreover, it was only thanks to the silent efforts of the Cave Heavens and Paradises behind the scenes that their Great Territories could remain so prosperous. That completely overturned their understanding of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Yan Yi of Golden Light Temple mustered his courage to ask a question, “Senior, who is the enemy that the Cave Heavens and Paradises are fighting?”
“The Black Ink Clan!”
They were of course confused by the answer.
Yang Kai explained, “For countless years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises have restricted information regarding the Black Ink Clan, so it is only natural that you have never heard of them. All you need to know is that they are an enemy who are bent on completely annihilating the Human Race! 200 years ago, they broke through the first line of defence that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were guarding and are currently ravaging the second line of defence located in a place known as the Barren Territory which lies just beyond the Shattered Heaven. That is also the final line of defence for the Human Race. The Black Ink Clan breaking through the Barren Territory means the Cave Heavens and Paradises have ceased to exist, and the 3,000 Worlds will be no more. Naturally, none of you will survive either.”
Jiu Yan, who was being restrained by Yang Kai, seemed rather unconvinced. It might be that he realised Yang Kai’s temperament was mild and not prone to violence; hence, he boldly protested, “That’s just empty words coming from you. How will we know the truth?”
Yang Kai turned to look at Jiu Yan.
Jiu Yan’s expression immediately changed drastically, and he hastily averted his gaze.
On the other hand, Yang Kai abruptly raised his hand and a stream of Black Ink Strength suddenly wrapped around Jiu Yan.
Jiu Yan nearly died of fright, thinking that Yang Kai was trying to kill him, but to his surprise, he did not show any signs of injury when the Black Ink Strength wrapped around him. Nevertheless, his expression soon changed.
“That is the power of the Black Ink Clan. Black Ink Strength is extremely invasive. Once contaminated by the Black Ink Strength, it will not take long for you to become completely corrupted by it. Then, you will be reduced to a Black Ink Disciple whose loyalty is sworn only to the Black Ink Clan!”
While Yang Kai was speaking, Jiu Yan had already noticed that something was wrong. The others might not understand the dangers he was facing, but how could he remain ignorant when he could personally feel the malevolence of Black Ink Strength? It was just as Yang Kai had said. Wrapped in that pitch-black energy, he could feel his entire body and mind being corrupted by it.
“Senior, mercy! I was wrong!” Jiu Yan panicked in fear.
Yang Kai ignored Jiu Yan outright and continued leisurely, “When one’s Small Universe is invaded by Black Ink Strength, a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master can protect themselves by sacrificing a part of their Small Universe. Unfortunately, those below the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm have no such option. Once a person is completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they will be transformed into a Black Ink Disciple. Although nothing about their outward appearance changes, their hearts are completely warped and they become slaves who worship the Black Ink Clan above all else!”
“S-Senior…” Jiu Yan cried in horror. It had not been long since he advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm so his foundation was unstable and his Small Universe was still weak. How could he resist the invasion of Black Ink Strength? In the time it took for Yang Kai to speak a few sentences, he discovered that 10% of his Small Universe had already been corrupted.
Although Yang Kai had mentioned that he could sacrifice a part of his Small Universe to protect himself, how could he bring himself to do something so drastic? If he were to do that, then he would surely regress to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. More importantly, he would never be able to advance to the Seventh Order again.
“Countless Open Heaven Realm Masters have been corrupted by Black Ink Strength on that battlefield. Converted to serve the Black Ink Clan instead, they turned their blades upon their former comrades! Have you ever experienced the pain and helplessness of having to kill your loved ones on the battlefield?”
Witnessing Jiu Yan’s suffering and listening to Yang Kai’s explanation, the people on the ship felt their blood run cold in fear.
Even the two Sixth-Order Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise, Fan Nan and Xi Yuan, shuddered at those words. Although they knew about the Black Ink Clan to a certain extent, they had never stepped foot on the Black Ink Battlefield. It was only natural that they were ignorant about the cruelty of the situation there.
At the same time, Yan Yi and the others finally understood why Yang Kai had claimed that the Black Ink Clan was an enemy that could destroy the entire Human Race. This Black Ink Strength… was simply too evil!
Even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was having such a difficult time trying to resist the Black Ink Strength, so what need be said about Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order cultivators like themselves? Wouldn’t they be doomed the moment they were contaminated by Black Ink Strength?
A low roar escaped from Jiu Yan’s throat, making him seem like an injured beast. Wisps of the Black Ink Strength slowly seeped out of his body, and darkness flickered in the depths of his eyes from time to time.
Yang Kai raised a hand and tapped Jiu Yan on the chest.
Jiu Yan involuntarily opened his mouth, and a Purifying Black Ink Pill was tossed into it.
“Carefully refine that pill,” Yang Kai commanded.
Jiu Yan seemed to wake up from his nightmare and hurriedly sat down cross-legged to refine the medicinal efficacies of the Purifying Black Ink Pill.
Yang Kai turned back to Yan Yi and the others, “The Cave Heavens and Paradises have protected the 3,000 Worlds for hundreds of thousands of years. They have been doing so since their Sects were first established. Over the years, innumerable outstanding disciples have lost their lives on that battlefield. Even the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors are no exception. Every one of them is a hero!”
“Restricting the information regarding Black Ink Strength is a necessity. Be that as it may, those from the Second Class great forces who advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm must also bear some of the burden in this war. Among the people who were taken away, those who are willing to fight the Black Ink Clan and protect the Human Race will be sent to the battlefield. As for those who are unwilling to do so, they will simply remain in Golden Antelope Paradise for the rest of their lives!”
The realisation suddenly dawned upon Yan Yi and the others. They finally understood why the treatment from Golden Antelope Paradise was so different even though all of them had the same experience where their Ancestors and Seniors had been taken away.
Those who were willing to enter the Black Ink Battlefield and fight the Black Ink Clan to protect the futures of their descendants would naturally receive better treatment. How could those who were too cowardly to fight the enemy and simply chose to remain in Golden Antelope Paradise for the rest of their lives receive any kind of support? It was only natural that Golden Antelope Paradise would not give such people any special treatment.
Yan Yi suddenly recalled that Yang Kai had pointed at him and claimed that the special treatment Golden Light Temple received was obtained in exchange for the Former Temple Master’s life. He had misunderstood the meaning behind those words earlier, but he now understood clearly.
“Originally… these matters would not have fallen upon your shoulders. Unfortunately, the situation on the battlefield has changed greatly over the past few hundred years. We are in the middle of a war for the survival of the Human Race. That is why we need your support on the frontlines! The Human Race will be able to rest easy if we win this battle. But, if we lose…” Yang Kai sighed softly. If they lost the battle, then the 3,000 Worlds would be engulfed in the flames of war. At that point, how many people would be able to survive?
Yan Yi felt his blood boiling and immediately shouted, “Golden Light Temple is willing to fight to the death for the Human Race!”
With Yan Yi taking the lead, Bian Yuan Shan also cupped his fist, “The Bian Family is also willing to fight for the Human Race!”
The remaining representatives of the great forces quickly followed suit. Regardless of whether they were truly sincere, who would dare to act presumptuous in front of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had earnestly explained so many things to them? It was only natural for them to express their respective attitudes.
“Good!” Yang Kai shouted, adopting the posture of a senior expert, “Unity is strength! With your determination, the 3,000 Worlds will not need to fear the Black Ink Clan!”
Among all the people present here, nobody knew better than him about the brutality of fighting the Black Ink Clan. When these people stepped onto the battlefield, chances are most would not return alive. Unfortunately, he could only speak such encouraging words under the current circumstances.
Then, he turned back to look at Jiu Yan and said calmly, “As for you…”
Jiu Yan had just managed to purge the Black Ink Strength in his body. Seeing Yang Kai looking at him, he immediately panicked, “Jiu Yan is willing to fight for the Human Race! I will not hesitate to die for this noble cause!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Inciting rebellion for your own selfish interests and shaking the morale of the Army… If this was any of the Great Passes, your death would not be worth pitying. However, the Human Race desperately requires manpower at this moment. As a Seventh-Order Master, you don’t deserve to die by my hand. Go to the battlefield and atone for your crimes!”
Hearing the first half of Yang Kai’s speech made a chill run through Jiu Yan’s body. He thought that he was about to die for certain. The only reason he had tried to incite the others and resist his capture was that he had been unwilling to be controlled by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Who could have thought that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would happen to pass by and capture him instead?
After listening to the rest of Yang Kai’s speech though, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been saved. As for atoning his crimes on the battlefield, there was nothing he could do to escape such a fate; therefore, he could only grovel gratefully, “Many thanks for your mercy, Senior!”
Yang Kai raised a hand and placed several restrictions on Jiu Yan’s body. The restrictions sealed Jiu Yan’s cultivation to prevent him from causing further trouble along the road. Yang Kai then instructed Fan Nan and Xi Yuan, “This matter cannot be delayed any further. You should continue on your journey as soon as you’ve finished your preparations here. The Shattered Heaven is still some distance from here so the earlier you arrive, the sooner you can provide support to the situation there.”
“Yes!” Fan Nan and Xi Yuan quickly responded.
Yang Kai nodded, then with a shift of his figure, he vanished from sight.
He was also heading towards the Shattered Heaven; however, it was inconvenient for him to bring these people along with him despite heading in the same direction.
What’s more, he was planning to stop at Void Land along the way. On the way to the Shattered Heaven, he would only need to travel through two additional Great Territories to arrive at Void Land. Such a detour would not take much time.
However, the previous incident made him realise something. The situation on the battlefield in the Barren Territory must be highly unfavourable for the Human Race; otherwise, the Cave Heavens and Paradises would never be forced to gather support from the 3,000 Worlds.
If this was the case for Golden Antelope Paradise, then the other Cave Heavens and Paradises were surely doing the same. The Human Race might just need to gather all the available manpower in the 3,000 Worlds to stand a chance against the Black Ink Clan.
He couldn’t help feeling worried. Although he had sealed the Territory Gate leading to the Black Ink Battlefield from the Barren Territory and severed the flow of reinforcements and supplies to the Black Ink Clan, that did not mean the Black Ink Clan forces were weak.
During his brief exposure to the situation in the Barren Territory, the number of Royal Lords he detected clearly outnumbered the auras of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. This gap between the top Masters was likely to affect the dynamic of the entire war.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai cleared out such distracting thoughts as he hurried onward with all his strength.
It took a whole month of travel before he finally passed through the Territory Gate and arrived in Void Territory. Unfortunately, he was in no mood to admire and appreciate the familiar scenery as he immediately sped forward in the direction of Void Land.
Thanks to the development over the past 1,000 years, Void Land had transformed from a little-known Spirit Province to become famous across the 3,000 Worlds, even possessing several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters!
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had acquiesced to the existence of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land, unlike in other Second Class great forces where such Masters would be taken away as soon as they reached such a level, leading to rumours that Void Land was the strongest great force below the Cave Heavens and Paradises!
And those claims were undoubtedly true. Void Land’s situation was unique among the Second Class great forces as none of them had Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
What’s more, the Void Land’s Sect Master was also the Lord of the Star Boundary. By joining Void Land, one could gain an advantage that would give them a higher chance of being sent to the Star Boundary for cultivation as long as they performed well enough!
The Star Boundary was now a true Open Heaven Realm Cradle. Even the Cave Heavens and Paradises were scrambling over themselves to send their outstanding disciples there to reap benefits from the mysteries of the World Tree clone’s nourishment. Be that as it may, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were also limited by certain quotas, so only their most elite disciples would be sent there.
It was precisely due to these benefits that countless people tried to send their disciples with outstanding aptitudes to Void Land for cultivation. In response, Void Land accepted all who came without rejecting anybody.
Nowadays, the disciples in Void Land no longer consisted of just those who were brought out by Yang Kai from the Star Boundary back then. It was not an exaggeration to say that they now included people from hundreds of Great Territories.
There were as many as 300,000 disciples in Void Land, a number that could only be described as shocking. Few Second Class great forces in the entire 3,000 Worlds had so many disciples.
What’s more, each of these disciples had outstanding aptitude which only improved further after they were sent to the Star Boundary for cultivation in their youth. These disciples demonstrated extraordinary talents and performed far beyond their peers. As long as they did not perish as they walked their Martial Dao, they would surely become pillars of Void Land and the Star Boundary in the future.
It was just that too little time had passed, so the potential of these disciples had not been fully realised yet.
At this moment, on top of a mountain peak in the middle of Void Land. A hunch-backed and stooped old man was playing chess with a fat and bloated middle-aged man dressed in elegant robes.
The battle in the Barren Territory was raging, and almost all the great forces in the 3,000 Worlds had been mobilised; yet, for some reason, this scene was so leisurely and elegant. It was truly a rare sight nowadays.
The hunch-backed old man had long, white eyebrows that hung down his face. On the other hand, the fat man sitting on the opposite side resembled a literal meatball. His bloated face was squeezed together so much that there were only slight gaps where his eyes were located. If he smiled, then even those gaps would be lost in the dense mass of flesh.
At this moment, the fat man held an absolute advantage in the chess game. He had set up an encirclement around the chess pieces of his opponent and only needed a few more moves before his victory would be set in stone; therefore, he was looking extremely triumphant.
Leisurely sipping on his tea, he watched the gloomy old man in front of him and did not pester his opponent to hurry up; after all, the old man was getting on in years, so it was only natural for the fat man to be more tolerant.
Besides the chess players, there were also two children standing to the side. One was a boy dressed in black, and the other was a girl dressed in red. The girl had delicate features that made her seem as though she had been carved out of jade. On the other hand, there were no words to describe the boy who was dressed in a simple black shirt. Leaving aside his fangs and sharp teeth, he would also drool for no reason. Furthermore, his saliva would corrode large holes in the ground whenever it dripped.
Although the little girl kept wiping his mouth for him, there seemed to be no end to his drool. It was obvious that the potholes dotting the entire mountain were caused by this boy.
A long time passed, but the stooped old man did not place his piece. The fat man smiled and joked, “Old Man, it’ll be getting dark soon if you don’t hurry up and make your move… Old Man?”
After repeatedly calling out to the old man but receiving no response, the fat man took a closer look. The old man’s eyes were slightly closed, and there was a slight snoring sound coming from him.
The fat man immediately became speechless as he muttered, “Old Man, do you have to pretend to fall asleep every single time?”
Similar situations had happened more than once or twice; in fact, it happened every single time, so it was almost something of a routine.
Just as the fat man was just about to call out again, the old man opposite him abruptly opened his eyes, looked up into the sky, and uncharacteristically shouted, “He’s back!”
The fat man followed the old man’s gaze but saw nothing; thus, he couldn’t help wondering, “Who’s back?”
When he turned back though, the chessboard in front of him was a total mess and the previous game could no longer be discerned. The old man had clearly flipped the board at some point in time.
“Old Man, you…” The fat man didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
However, the old man ignored the fat man and raised his hand above his head. He made a pushing motion as though he was opening a door and the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array that covered the entire Void Land instantly split to the left and right.
At the same time, the fat man seemed to sense something and hastily looked back up into the void. With just one glance, he gave a little scream and rushed out at a speed that did not match his bloated body. He immediately went to welcome Yang Kai, who was leisurely strolling towards them.
Before he even approached Yang Kai, the fat man became emotional and wept bitterly, “Sect Master! You’ve finally returned! This subordinate has been waiting for you for 1,000 years! To think that today is finally that day!”
Yang Kai watched as the massive meatball charged towards him while wailing and blubbering; moreover, its eyes, which had been squeezed shut by the fleshy meat until only a tiny slit remained, were desperately trying to open wide at this moment. It was as though the massive meatball was trying to reveal its bloodshot eyes to demonstrate its utmost loyalty and longing.
Yang Kai immediately shuddered in horror and raised his hand to stop the massive meatball. He shouted, “What is this monster!?”
The fat man froze on the spot as if struck by lightning. A while passed before he raised his hand and parted the fringe covering his forehead to the sides. He pushed his fleshy face nearer and squeezed out a smile, “Sect Master, it’s me! It’s the fatty who holds the greatest loyalty for you!”
Yang Kai finally noticed certain familiar features on that fat face and his brow twitched involuntarily at the realization, “Fatty!? Why have you gotten so fat!?”
Chen Tian Fei had always been obese, but after not seeing him for 1,000 years, he had gotten even more bloated than before. He had practically turned into an actual meatball at this point.
“Please don’t tease me, Sect Master. This subordinate will work hard to lose my body fat tomorrow, no, today!” Chen Tian Fei vowed harshly.
“Forget it!” Yang Kai waved dismissively. He knew that Chen Tian Fei did not become fat because he was lazy. Chen Tian Fei’s Secret Art was simply unique, which resulted in his extremely bloated body. If he lost his fat, then his strength would also be greatly reduced.
Chen Tian Fei immediately seized the opportunity to profess his loyalty again. Smiling brightly, he proclaimed, “You are kind and sympathetic indeed, Sect Master. This subordinate is willing to die to repay your great kindness, Sect Master!”
Yang Kai sighed.
After being away for more than 1,000 years, the first person he met as soon as he returned to Void Land was actually Chen Tian Fei. Nevertheless, it was this particular flattering attitude that made him feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside. Thinking back, it had been a wise decision to accept Fatty Chen into the Loyalty List.
Yang Kai was feeling quite happy at the moment, so unable to help himself, he tapped the belly fat on Chen Tian Fei’s stomach. Although the flesh looked bloated, it felt soft and tender to the touch. It was a very comfortable feeling. He joked, “Did you have a comfortable life?”
It was easy to tell at a glance that Chen Tian Fei had advanced to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Back when Chen Tian Fei offered up the Loyalty List and signed it to preserve his life, he had only been in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was very different from his current cultivation. However, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was his limit. He had initially advanced directly into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so his cultivation could no longer advance any further.
Chen Tian Fei was very satisfied with his current situation.
When he was the Second Manager of Scarlet Star, he had been nothing more than an Elder of a small great force. No matter how hard he worked, he would never have obtained a substantial amount of cultivation resources.
In contrast, the supply of cultivation resources had been continuous and inexhaustible ever since he started serving under Yang Kai. That was how he managed to break through two Orders and advanced from the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the short span of around 1,000 years.
If he had remained as the Second Manager of Scarlet Star, then he would never have had the achievements he enjoyed today.
Whenever he recalled the decision he made on that fateful day, he praised his past self for being bold and wise. If he had not been bright enough to bring out the Loyalty List before Yang Kai killed him that day and voluntarily offered to be Yang Kai’s slave, he would be rotting in a grave by now.
Besides, Yang Kai had been very fair to him over the years, never mistreating him. More importantly, he was not ordered around at will like a slave despite him actually being one. In fact, it was quite the opposite; the treatment he received was more like a trusted subordinate instead.
To have such a master could also be considered an opportunity of a lifetime; therefore, Chen Tian Fei smiled graciously in the face of Yang Kai’s teasing and bowed repeatedly, “It’s all thanks to your care that this subordinate has attained such achievements, Sect Master. This subordinate will repay your kindness no matter what it may cost.”
Yang Kai chuckled and did not take those words seriously.
Chen Tian Fei was extremely scared of death, so there was no saying whether he could actually be relied upon in times of danger. It was enough to listen to those words without taking them seriously.
Yang Kai did not continue the idle chatter though and taking a step forward, he descended to the ground. Chen Tian Fei followed behind Yang Kai respectfully, acting like the perfect subordinate.
Two streams of light rushed over from below. One was red, and the other was black. When the lights came closer, they dispersed and revealed two children dressed in red and black.
“Master!” The little girl shouted with a lively expression.
The boy also wanted to call out to Yang Kai, but a stream of saliva flowed out as soon as he opened his mouth.
Yang Kai looked troubled, “It’s been so many years. Why haven’t you fixed this bad habit of yours?”
The children in front of him were the Scarlet Flood Dragon and Earth Dragon he had brought out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary back then. Both of them carried a Dragon Bloodline in them. When he first brought them out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, they had the appearance of beasts and their bodies were truly enormous. It was not until they arrived at Void Land and received the teachings of Old Man Bi Xi that they finally acquired Human Forms. Be that as it may, the Earth Dragon Xiao Hei still had some bad habits.
Xiao Hei simply smiled and giggled. It was obvious that he was very happy to see Yang Kai.
“You’ve both gotten stronger,” Yang Kai swept them with his senses and commented. From his perception, it was clear that both Xiao Hong and Xiao Hei were much more powerful than before, basically equivalent to Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Therefore, he couldn’t help feeling a little emotional.
How time flies!
He reached out and stroked their little heads. Only then did he lead them down the mountain peak and came to a stop in front of the old man. He bowed in greeting, “Old Man!”
“Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm!” Old Man Bi Xi narrowed his eyes slightly, “Sect Master, your cultivation speed is fast indeed!”
Chen Tian Fei’s strength was insufficient, so he couldn’t sense Yang Kai’s strength while he was not actively using it. However, Old Man Bi Xi was a Mature Divine Spirit whose strength could rival any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he could see through Yang Kai’s true state at a glance and was secretly shocked as a result.
Yang Kai had only been in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm when he departed from the 3,000 Worlds, yet just 1,000 years later he was already in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Old Man Bi Xi had lived for many years, and although he had seen many young and talented people in that time, none of them could compare to Yang Kai in terms of cultivation speed.
“I encountered some opportunities,” Yang Kai nonchalantly explained without saying too much.
Behind Yang Kai, Chen Tian Fei was so excited that the fat on his body literally would not stop jiggling. He was amazed that Yang Kai was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It should be said that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was considered a Supreme Elder or Ancestor in the Cave Heavens or Paradises.
Fatty Chen couldn’t help suddenly feeling a sense of pride and honour.
During the brief conversation, two other streams of light came speeding over from opposite directions and landed nearby. They turned out to be Lu Xue and Mo Mei.
Lu Xue came to serve under Yang Kai when they were in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, joining him even earlier than Chen Tian Fei. Back in those days she was bestowed with a Mid-Rank World Fruit by Yang Kai in a time of crisis to improve her Order.
On the other hand, Mo Mei was the former City Lord of Ding Feng City in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The cultivators from Ding Feng City had been under the effects of the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture’s Bloodline Restriction, so they could not leave the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was Yang Kai who used the Grand Evolution Immoral Blood Light Scripture to remove that seal from them and brought them out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. They had since become part of Void Land.
When Yang Kai departed, Lu Xue had been in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm while Mo Mei had been in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Today, Lu Xue was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and Mo Mei had advanced to the Seventh-Order!
The reason for their arrival was that they had detected the disturbance caused when the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array was opened. Although they were shocked to see Yang Kai, they quickly bowed in greeting.
Yang Kai nodded, “Are you the only ones who remained behind to oversee the Sect?”
He had actually expected this situation.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises were currently recruiting Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Second Class great forces as reinforcements for the Barren Territory battlefield. Under these circumstances, Void Land couldn’t be an exception.
When he swept his Divine Sense over Void Land earlier, he had not perceived the auras of many Masters in Void Land, with the ones in front of him being the strongest people present who had remained behind to guard the Sect.
As the strongest Human Master present, Mo Mei had command of Void Land now, so she replied, “We received orders from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, so for the past 100 years, all Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and above in Void Land have gradually been deployed to the front lines. Only a few of us remained behind to manage the Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded. Having sensed Su Yan’s aura back on the Barren Territory battlefield, he had already guessed that this was the case. Even Su Yan had gone to the front, so Void Land couldn’t have had many people remain behind.
“Sect Master, did you return from ‘that place’?” Mo Mei inquired.
“Yes, and no,” he replied without explaining in detail. The explanation would take too long after all, “I was simply passing by. There are some things I need to deal with, and then I need to rush back to the battlefield.”
While saying so, he gave a wave of his hand and the portal to his Small Universe opened.
In the blink of an eye, many figures emerged from the portal. There were men and women, both old and young. More importantly, every one of them was at the peak of the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, having condensed their Dao Seals and refined all the necessary Element Powers. There were no exceptions. Some of them even experienced a surge in their aura and showed vague signs of a breakthrough as soon as they walked out of the Small Universe.
Mo Mei and the others looked slightly stunned by what they could perceive from these people, “Sect Master, these…”
“They are all about to break through to the Open Heaven Realm. I’ll leave them in your hands.” During the brief moment it took for Yang Kai to speak, no less than 100 people had walked out of the portal. Be that as it may, more were still streaming out.
These people were the cultivators who had been living in his Small Universe.
Back in Blue Sky Pass and Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai would regularly allow some cultivators to leave his Small Universe and advance to the Open Heaven Realm.
Unfortunately, he had been pursued by a Royal Lord during the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Then, he spent several years in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and later had to find a way back to the 3,000 Worlds. Having been constantly in mortal danger and engaged in brutal fighting, Yang Kai simply had no time to take care of the cultivators in his Small Universe.
In the outside world, it had only been a bit more than 500 years since the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; however, close to 5,000 years had passed for him.
As for those in his Small Universe, time had to be counted in units of tens of thousands of years! After all, the flow of time in his Small Universe was currently seven times faster than the outside world.
After so many years of accumulation, the number of talents who gathered in the Void Dao Temple had reached a terrifying number!
Living inside his Small Universe, they were unable to break through their limitations and advance to the Open Heaven Realm even though they had cultivated until the peak of the Emperor Realm. As a result, there were many examples of Emperor Realm Masters who died of old age in Void Continent over the past tens of thousands of years.
Unfortunately, there was nothing Yang Kai could do about this situation. He could not allow these people to leave his Small Universe and advance to the Open Heaven Realm when he was in the Temporal Rivers of the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon as that would simply result in them dying.
That long wait finally ended today though, and the accumulation over tens of thousands of years was released into the world all at once.
After an hour, the mountain peak became crowded with people, nearly 5,000 people in total! Many of them could barely suppress their auras from surging; moreover, this caused a kind of resonance among them which resulted in a form of Heavenly Manifestation appearing in the sky.
Advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was an extremely meticulous affair that could broker no outside interference, so if these people were not separated as soon as possible, at least half of them would die a tragic death once their auras began to soar.
Mo Mei hastily instructed the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land to provide support to these people. At the same time, she also instructed the others to bring out all the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills from the warehouse to help these people with their breakthroughs.
For a time, the entire Void Land was extremely hectic. Even Old Man Bi Xi constantly used the power of the Grand Array to send the cultivators from the Void Dao Temple to different locations in order to separate them from each other.
After making the necessary arrangements, nearly 5,000 disciples began the process of breaking through.
On the other hand, Yang Kai did not remain for long. The goal of his return trip to Void Land had been to deliver these people here so that they could advance into the Open Heaven Realm.
Before Yang Kai departed, Chen Tian Fei expressed great reluctance for their separation, so Yang Kai casually quipped, “In that case, why don’t you join me on the battlefield, Fatty? You can prove your mettle and loyalty by slaying the enemy!”
Those words made Chen Tian Fei turn pale and ashen-faced with horror. He hurriedly backpedalled, weakly babbling that it was better for him to stay behind and help Yang Kai protect Void Land.
How could slaying enemies on the battlefield compare with living a leisurely life in Void Land? Besides, he had always been very scared of dying. He would never have offered up the Loyalty List otherwise.
Yang Kai chuckled and did not force Chen Tian Fei, instead turning to look at Old Man Bi Xi as his expression became grim, “Old Man, please take care of the people if Void Land has to migrate.”
Old Man Bi Xi asked solemnly, “Is the situation that serious?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s just a precaution.”
After saying that, he soared into the sky and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai had no intention of hiding the contents of his final conversation with Old Man Bi Xi; consequently, Chen Tian Fei became anxious and secretly prayed that the Human Race fighting in the Barren Territory could return victorious. Otherwise, he would never have time for a leisurely life again despite how vast the 3,000 Worlds were.
Similarly, Mo Mei and Lu Xue became worried and quickly began to make various plans for a future emergency.
Even the Inner Disciples could clearly perceive the abnormal situation in Void Land.
In Fire Spirit Land, a young man in a brocade robe followed behind a young woman. The young woman had a graceful figure and a beautiful appearance. In particular, her eyes resembled pure spring water. She was truly a rare beauty.
The young man was laughing as he made small talk, “Junior Sister Chen, with this Senior Brother’s current aptitude, it is only a matter of time for me to break through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. I’m sure it’s more than enough to match up to your talents, Junior Sister. Not to mention, our families have a long-standing relationship already. The Elders are hoping that we will marry. Now that we have entered Void Land, we should support and take care of each other. Why are you ignoring me and being so cold to me?”
The young woman ignored him and looked up at the sky. After a long time, she finally spoke, “Senior Brother Liu, do you feel that? Somebody is about to break through.”
Likewise, Senior Brother Liu looked up at the sky, “Of course, I feel it. But… it’s strange. It feels like more than one person is about to advance.”
Junior Sister Chen nodded, “I sense many people on the cusp of breaking through!”
The two of them, who came from the same Great Territory, had only just joined Void Land in the past century. At present, they were both in the Emperor Realm and had yet to condense their Dao Seals.
It was very common in Void Land for talented individuals like them to enter the Sect as disciples; after all, Void Land’s current philosophy was to accept everybody from all walks of life. That was because a huge foundation was necessary for them to select better and more outstanding disciples.
The current philosophy was not Void Land’s initial intent, but the result of many discussions with the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
After the Star Boundary became famous, everybody came to know about the Open Heaven Realm Cradle. It was a place where they could obtain the feedback of the World Tree if they cultivated there. The younger they were and the lower their cultivation, the greater the benefits of this nourishment.
With such tempting incentives, who would not want to send their descendants to the Star Boundary and share in the glory of the World Tree clone? Be that as it may, the Star Boundary was only so big. If everybody were to send their descendants over, then the Star Boundary would not be able to accommodate them all.
Not to mention, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had also established their respective Dao Temples in the Star Boundary. By dividing some of the territories to become independent and autonomous zones, they were given the rights to bring in excellent disciples to cultivate in their respective Dao Temples.
Just the Cave Heavens and Paradises alone had already taken up around 30% of the territory in the Star Boundary. If the Second Class great forces were to also send their own descendants there, then it was only a matter of time before the Star Boundary became overcrowded; however, the benefits of the Star Boundary were coveted by all so it was bound to arouse public outrage if they rejected all of them.
In the end, the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary discussed the issue with the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises and decided that it was better to regulate entry to the Star Boundary than to block it off completely.
Therefore, they gave a chance to the great forces that wanted to send their descendants to the Star Boundary. These descendants had to join Void Land first, after which Void Land would select the best candidates from among them. Only the selected candidates could go to the Star Boundary for cultivation.
It was because of this decision that Void Land currently had as many as 300,000 disciples. Not to mention, this number was the result of a rigorous and careful selection process. It could be said that Void Land’s disciples were the accumulation of the most elite talents from great forces across hundreds of Great Territories.
Senior Brother Liu and Junior Sister Chen were no exception. They were both outstanding cultivators who demonstrated rare talent in their respective families from a young age.
After looking at the sky for some time, Senior Brother Liu laughed, “There are so many people in Void Land, so what’s so strange about somebody undergoing their advancement? In any case, how can they compare to me? This Senior Brother is a genius that only appears once every 100 years. You will not find many who are more talented than me in Void Land, Junior Sister.”
Junior Sister Chen retorted, “That’s because the more outstanding ones have already been sent to the Star Boundary!”
Those words felt like needles stabbing directly into his heart, so he immediately countered angrily, “Junior Sister, don’t you dare look down on this Senior Brother! This Senior Brother will definitely go to the Star Boundary one day!”
Generally, those chosen to be sent to the Star Boundary were those who had yet to condense their Dao Seals. It would be too late for them if they went to the Star Boundary after they had done so. The reason was that the future path of a cultivator was basically set in stone once they formed their Dao Seal.
That was why it was better to head to the Star Boundary as soon as possible. Unfortunately, such matters were not up to the disciples to decide as the decision was completely based on the assessment of the Elders in Void Land.
Both Senior Brother Liu and Junior Sister Chen would have no trouble condensing a Fifth-Order Dao Seal; in fact, Senior Brother Liu was aiming to condense a Sixth-Order Dao Seal. He believed that he could advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future.
If he could refine various Sixth-Order cultivation materials into his Dao Seal, then he would be considered extraordinary indeed. In the past, that would have been enough for him to be considered a Core Disciple even among the Cave Heavens and Paradises. For example, Core Disciples like Gu Pan and the others who became acquainted with Yang Kai in the past had all condensed the Sixth-Order Dao Seals.
Even among the Cave Heavens and Paradises, people like him only appeared once every few hundred to 1,000 years. There were only a few such candidates in each generation. Hence, he definitely had reason to be proud of himself.
Senior Brother Liu coveted Junior Sister Chen’s beauty and it was because he wanted to obtain her hand in marriage as soon as possible that he followed behind her and chattered away endlessly.
On the contrary, Junior Sister Chen had other intentions. Although she had been sent to Void Land, her goal was actually not the Star Boundary. Be it her or the Elders of the Chen Family, they all knew that she would never obtain the qualification to enter the Star Boundary with her aptitude. Her true goal was the talented disciples of Void Land!
If she could secure an outstanding and talented cultivator as her future husband, then he could help to protect the Chen Family in the future. The Chen Family had not been prosperous in recent years. They not only suffered various difficulties in life, but the talents their family produced had also withered away. It could be said that she was the greatest hope for the salvation of the entire Chen Family.
It was precisely because of such considerations that she was so standoffish towards her Senior Brother’s courtship, neither accepting or rejecting him. If he could really condense a Sixth-Order Dao Seal and advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, then accepting him would not be a problem. It was just that nobody would know whether he truly was capable of such a feat until the results were out. How could she dare to gamble on him so easily?
He studied the side profile of the beautiful woman in front of him. The sight of her fair and slender neck made him swallow hard, and he forced himself to look away, “Don’t bother, Junior Sister. Even if someone is breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm, those who currently remain in Void Land will only reach the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm at best. What is there to see? This Senior Brother obtained a new artifact a few days ago. It’s very interesting. Why don’t I show it to you?”
The better his understanding of her intentions, the more he wanted to become intimate with her.
As soon as the words left his mouth though, a loud howl came from the depths of the void. It was immediately followed by a powerful aura emanating from that direction.
Senior Brother Liu’s expression changed, “How could it end so quickly?”
Likewise, Junior Sister Chen was also very astonished.
Although advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was said to come naturally to those who were prepared, the process still took some time. The process might last anywhere from days to months. In some cases, it might even take longer.
However, not much time had passed since they felt the first signs of someone breaking through. A generous estimation indicated that only a cup of tea’s time had passed. How could a breakthrough finish so quickly? They had never heard of anybody who managed to advance to the Open Heaven Realm at such speed.
How could they know that the people of Void Dao Temple had been painfully suppressing their cultivation for so many years? Living inside of Yang Kai’s Small Universe, they were limited by the Principles of that World; hence, they could not take the last step in their advancement. It could be said that most of the 5,000 people were only short of that final step! Now that they were released from Yang Kai’s Small Universe, it was only natural that their breakthrough took place extremely quickly.
“This aura…” Junior Sister Chen’s eyes abruptly brightened, “Senior Brother, this belongs to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, right!?”
She was only in the Emperor Realm, so her perception towards auras in the Open Heaven Realm was not very clear. For that reason, she was not certain whether that person had advanced into the Sixth Order or not.
Although Senior Brother Liu also had a vague feeling that this person had reached the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he stubbornly denied, “Impossible! Those who can advance directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm have all been sent to the Star Boundary. They would not have remained in Void Land. That’s definitely just the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm!”
1,000 years ago, advancing directly into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm was a great blessing to any of the Second Class great forces. Those disciples would be nurtured and trained as successor candidates. Moreover, the cultivation resources in the Sect would be generously supplied to them.
Be that as it may, his words ‘just’ indicated that advancing into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm was nothing special in his opinion. After coming to Void Land and learning more about the wider world, his horizons had naturally been broadened.
Even though she had the feeling that it was the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Junior Sister Chen also felt that his reasoning made sense. All the candidates who could advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had indeed been sent to the Star Boundary. None of them would have remained in Void Land.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t shake the doubts in her mind. She had once felt the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura coming from Elder Lu Xue and Elder Chen Tian Fei, who had remained to oversee Void Land. Their auras had felt very similar to the aura just now.
During their conversation, another powerful aura erupted outward somewhere in the void.
Senior Brother Liu was dumbfounded, unable to figure out what was happening today. [Did something happen to the World Principles that made advancing into the Open Heaven Realm become easier?]
Meanwhile, Junior Sister Chen became more and more excited, “Senior Brother Liu, this must belong to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, right?”
Naturally, he continued to be stubborn and refute, “No. It’s the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm!”
“I see!” She nodded.
Just then, another aura spread out, one that was obviously much stronger compared to the previous two.
Junior Sister Chen’s eyes shone brightly, “What about this one?”
Senior Brother Liu now looked livid.
“What about this one?”
“And this one?”
Her questions flowed out endlessly, and his expression became increasingly ugly. He wished he could rush over and butcher those people who had just advanced into the Open Heaven Realm.
[If these people have such great aptitude, then why didn’t they leave for the Star Boundary? Why did they remain in Void Land and advance to the Open Heaven Realm in such a showy manner!?] Seeing his coveted Junior Sister’s eyes grow brighter and brighter, Senior Brother Liu felt his chances of marriage with her swiftly disappearing. A huge sense of sorrow engulfed his heart, and he turned to leave.
Junior Sister Liu was just about to repeat her question when she turned to the side and discovered that Senior Brother Liu was no longer standing beside her. Seeing his figure in the distance, she shouted after him, “Where are you going, Senior Brother?”
To which he responded angrily, “To enter retreat!”
The shock had hit him hard today. Those with better aptitude than him were generally sent to the Star Boundary, allowing him to stand out in the crowd in Void Land. His aptitude was certainly among the best of the disciples here, but be that as it may, he was nothing compared to the people who were currently undergoing their advancement in the sky.
Having experienced such a huge shock, Senior Brother Liu felt deeply saddened. At the same time, he came to a sudden realization. As a cultivator, strength was his foundation. Lust was simply a stumbling block on the Martial Dao!
[When I come out of retreat one day, I will definitely make my lovely Junior Sister kneel at my feet in awe!]
Junior Sister Chen ignored the departing Senior Brother Liu. Her eyes gleamed brightly as she stared intently at the sky as though she could penetrate the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array and see the heroic figures of the people undergoing breakthroughs in the void.
On the mountain peak where Old Man Bi Xi resided, Mo Mei, Lu Xue, and Chen Tian Fei were completely dumbfounded by the sight in front of them. Even Old Man Bi Xi’s long eyebrows twitched incessantly as he could not hide the astonishment in his heart.
Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm…
Senior Brother Liu and Junior Sister Chen were too weak to carefully discern the cultivation of these people who had just advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, but that was not the case for Mo Mei and the others.
In their perception, all the people who had just advanced into the Open Heaven Realm were either in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm or the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. There was not a single person who was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Naturally, they were shocked to their core.
Yang Kai had not said much when he left these 5,000 people here. He only told them that these people were about to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Although they had been surprised to receive such a large number of talents into Void Land all at once, few things could truly surprise them again after they witnessed the prosperity of the Martial Dao in the Star Boundary.
But that was only up until this moment!
The cultivators undergoing advancement here were consecutively breaking through to the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Essentially one out of every 10 people would advance directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. In other words, it was a ratio of 1:10.
In addition, these were not ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Having advanced directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, they were cultivators with hope of one day reaching the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Those who advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were considered Core Disciples among the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As for those who advanced directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, they were ranked as Legacy Disciples.
In the past, all the Cave Heavens and Paradises combined would at best produce one such talent every 1,000 years or so.
Any cultivator who broke through directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was considered an invaluable asset by the Cave Heavens and Paradises; after all, the current Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were characters who had advanced directly to the Seventh-Order in the past.
Yang Kai had come into contact with many Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but even after meeting so many powerful cultivators, Luo Ting He of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was the only one he knew in the entire 3,000 Worlds who had broken through directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Wu Qing, the Southern Army’s Army Commander of Yin-Yang Pass, was also someone who had advanced directly to the Seventh Order. That was why he eventually advanced to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm and took over command of Yin-Yang Pass.
There were naturally others from the Cave Heavens and Paradises who had advanced directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but their numbers were small to say the least. It wasn’t until recently that a large number of cultivators who advanced directly to the Seventh Order emerged from the Star Boundary. Be that as it may, all of them were still in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm as not enough time had passed since their appearance for them to grow sufficiently.
This was only possible because it was the Star Boundary, which possessed a World Tree clone that constantly provided nourishment to its inhabitants, resulting in an abundance of peerless talents appearing.
[What is with the people Sect Master brought back!?] Mo Mei couldn’t help wondering, [Don’t tell me he went to the Star Boundary and kidnapped all the talented individuals there!?]
Not only was there no need for Yang Kai to do something as drastic as kidnapping, but the Cave Heavens and Paradises would never allow that to happen either. It was not easy for them to nurture these budding talents, so how could they allow Yang Kai to just take their treasures away?
Besides, even the current Star Boundary could not gather such an impressive line-up out of nowhere. It was not 5 or 50 people, but a whole 5,000 people after all!
During the first few days, Mo Mei and the others still had their doubts. They speculated that the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were undergoing advancement first as their talents were superior, while Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Masters would probably appear later. However, the aura emanating from every single person who advanced into the Open Heaven Realm was either in the Sixth Order or the Seventh Order.
At this point, nobody had any more doubts. The 5,000 people Yang Kai brought back were all incredible talents who could advance directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm or the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!
The breakthroughs lasted for nearly three months. The fluctuation of breakthroughs would occur almost every day, ranging from dozens to even hundreds each day…
Various accommodations were prepared for all the people who advanced to the Open Heaven Realm. After questioning the first few of them, Mo Mei and the others finally understood the origins of these people.
Yang Kai’s Small Universe was unique. Mo Mei and the others knew about the countless living creatures flourishing inside his Small Universe; after all, they had known Yang Kai for many years and were privy to some of his secrets, what they could not figure out was what was so special about his Small Universe that produced so many extraordinary talents.
These people were not inferior to those who were nurtured by the Star Boundary for the past 1,000 years. Out of nearly 5,000 people, as many as 500 of them had advanced directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
On the other hand, how many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had emerged from the Star Boundary over the years? Only 300 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had been produced in the past 1,000 years. That number could not compare with the people Yang Kai brought back at all!
Unbeknownst to them, the number of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were nurtured and produced by the Star Boundary for the past 1,000 years had all truly emerged within a 1,000-year timeframe.
On the contrary, tens of thousands of years had passed in Yang Kai’s Small Universe. Even if his Small Universe could not compare with the Star Boundary in terms of size or population it held its own advantages that would be displayed over time. It was only natural to have such rich accumulation when so many years had gone by.
The fact that Void Land suddenly gained 5,000 Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters greatly pleased Mo Mei and others.
Void Land and the Star Boundary originally had several Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among their ranks. There were not many of them, only around 100 in total; nevertheless, such a line-up was absolutely impossible for ordinary Second Class great forces to achieve. Unfortunately, almost all of these Masters had been deployed to the Barren Territory battlefield after receiving conscription orders from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Only three Masters had remained behind to oversee Void Land, but today, Void Land suddenly experienced an extraordinary boost in strength. As long as these people had time to consolidate their cultivations properly, they could eventually head to the Barren Territory as reinforcements. With so many people, they might even be able to play a decisive role in certain aspects of the battlefield!
Due to the appearance of 5,000 Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Void Land became very busy.
On the other hand, Yang Kai arrived at the Shattered Heaven with Ji Lao San after his short detour.
He had visited the Shattered Heaven twice in the past.
For his first trip here, he had received information about the Proprietress and came to save her. In the end, he had been forced to break through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm outside the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
At the time, Yang Kai held great resentment towards the arrogant and domineering attitude of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Although he never complained to anyone about this resentment, he had secretly made a vow to himself that once he was powerful enough, he would definitely take revenge. They should never have looked down on him just because he was young and poor!
However, when he entered the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai slowly learned about the Black Ink Clan and the efforts of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As a result, his resentment towards the Cave Heavens and Paradises gradually faded away.
What happened to him back then seemed like the result of certain people acting out of personal interest, but the truth was they had simply been following the rules and did not act too extreme.
He had only been at the peak of the Emperor Realm at the time. If an Open Heaven Realm Master like Ti Zheng of Myriad Demons Heaven had truly wanted to kill him, it would have taken nothing more than a flick of his finger. What’s more, the person who instigated everything died a long time ago.
One’s personal grudges were nothing compared to the survival of their entire Race. If Yang Kai stood in the shoes of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, he would not have hesitated to eliminate any possible future dangers.
His second trip to the Shattered Heaven was purely for cultivation purposes. Unfortunately, he encountered Blood Crow and experienced bad luck as a result. Blood Crow was eventually captured by the Fisherman Uncle of Bright King Cave Heaven and then held captive here, only to later be sent to the Black Ink Battlefield to kill the Black Ink Clan.
It was also during Yang Kai’s second trip to the Shattered Heaven that he fled to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land under the pursuit of the Cheng Yang. He experienced numerous opportunities during that trip to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
This could be considered his third trip to the Shattered Heaven.
Yang Kai had not known that the Shattered Heaven was connected to the entrance to the Black Ink Battlefield or that the disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would first need to travel through the Shattered Heaven to reach the No-Return Pass; after all, he had not entered the Black Ink Battlefield through the official route but through the Void Corridor in Black Territory instead.
Despite returning to a place he was familiar with, Yang Kai was in no mood to enjoy his surroundings and simply concentrated on travelling quickly.
A few days later however, the small Dragon that had been wrapped around Yang Kai’s wrist all this time suddenly called out, “I sense the aura of Black Ink Strength!”
During their travels, Ji Lao San had not bothered to transform back to his original form and simply remained wrapped around Yang Kai’s arm. Yang Kai’s speed was incredible after all, so it was more convenient for them to travel in this manner. Besides, Ji Lao San’s foundation had been badly damaged back in the No-Return Pass, so this was a good opportunity for him to recuperate from his wounds.
When Ji Lao San suddenly spoke up, Yang Kai was startled so badly that he almost tripped over his own feet. Coming to an abrupt halt, he muttered, “Why would there be traces of Black Ink Strength here?”
[This place is not the Black Ink Battlefield or the Barren Territory. Where did such traces of Black Ink Strength come from?]
His first thought was that the Barren Territory had been breached, and the Black Ink Clan had invaded the Shattered Heaven, but upon further consideration, Yang Kai knew that could not be the case. If the Black Ink Clan had broken through the defence line of the Barren Territory, then the Shattered Heaven would be ravaged by war. How could the situation in the Shattered Heaven remain so peaceful?
Immediately after that, he became puzzled, [Even I don’t sense any trace of Black Ink Strength here. How did Ji Lao San sense it?]
When Yang Kai voiced his question, Ji Lao San answered, “As you know, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans have been responsible for guarding the No-Return Pass since it was first established. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to do there all day long, and our only options were either to sleep or to cultivate. We couldn’t even leave the No-Return Pass, so it was extremely boring. The Dragon Clan Seniors from several generations ago were so bored that they began experimenting with creating a brand-new Secret Technique. The Secret Technique allows us to detect Black Ink Strength by activating our powers as Divine Spirits, but its use is quite limited. The Dragon Clan couldn’t be bothered to cultivate this Secret Technique and simply stored it away to collect dust. It wasn’t until the Black Ink Clan attacked the No-Return Pass that I began cultivating this Secret Technique.”
“And now you sense the existence of Black Ink Strength here?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
Ji Lao San nodded, “Yes, but it’s only a slight reaction.”
Yang Kai was tempted to ask whether Ji Lao San had made a mistake, but he did not dare to be careless when Ji Lao San was so serious.
Other people might not understand the dangers of Black Ink Strength, but Yang Kai was all too familiar with the danger it posed. It could be said that Black Ink Strength was the perfect manifestation of how a single spark could cause an entire field to burn up. As long as the slightest bit of Black Ink Strength existed, then the entire Great Territory could be in danger.
“Which direction?” Yang Kai asked.
Ji Lao San used his Dragon Tail and pointed ahead. Yang Kai immediately headed in that direction.
It didn’t take long for them to arrive on a Universe Fragment. They could tell at a glance that there were traces of a battle here, and judging by the traces left behind, the gap in strength between both parties involved in the fight was not small. One of them had clearly been subdued quickly.
Yang Kai circled the Universe Fragment several times but did not find anything.
Nevertheless, Ji Lao San confidently said, “There are traces of Black Ink Strength here. They’ve intentionally been wiped away, but it was definitely less than half a day ago at most.”
Yang Kai closed his eyes and his Divine Sense surged as he carefully inspected his surroundings. A short while later, his expression changed and became extremely grim.
It was just as Ji Lao San had said; he discovered slight traces indicating the presence of Black Ink Strength in the surrounding Void. It was a very slight signature, almost impossible to perceive; however, he could not be more familiar with Black Ink Strength after fighting the Black Ink Clan for so many years.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a chill shoot up his back. Why was there Black Ink Strength in the Shattered Heaven? Was there a Black Ink Clansman here? Or, could it be a Black Ink Disciple instead of a Black Ink Clansman?
The Black Ink Strength here had already dissipated, clearly indicating that somebody had activated Black Ink Strength before erasing traces of it. Combined with the traces of battle that could be found on the Universe Fragment, there was a high probability that a Black Ink Clansman or a Black Ink Disciple had corrupted another person with Black Ink Strength here.
If it was something that took place half a day ago, the Black Ink Clansman or Black Ink Disciple could not have gone far, so Yang Kai hurriedly searched his surroundings.
Another half a day passed. Standing above a Spirit Province, Yang Kai observed what was happening below.
There was no shortage of Spirit Provinces where many cultivators gathered in the Shattered Heaven. The environment in the Shattered Heaven might be harsh, but this unique environment also contained many opportunities. That was why the Shattered Heaven often attracted adventurous cultivators to explore its depths. What’s more, criminals from various Great Territories and traitors who turned their backs on their Master Sects would seek shelter in the Shattered Heaven.
Over countless years of accumulation, the prosperity and liveliness of certain areas in the Shattered Heaven would not lose to any other Great Territory. Be that as it may, the Shattered Heaven was different from the other Great Territories. The balance of power here was not based on various Sects or Clans but instead divided among countless great forces. Needless to say, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Divine Monarchs like Cheng Yang stood above them all.
The Spirit Province ahead was the territory of one of these great forces. It was just that Yang Kai was not very familiar with the Shattered Heaven, so he did not know which great force this Spirit Province belonged to.
However, Ji Lao San immediately gave another warning as soon as they arrived here. He told Yang Kai that he could sense the aura of the Black Ink Strength coming from the Spirit Province, so it was obvious that somebody here had activated their Black Ink Strength recently.
After observing silently for some time, Yang Kai took a step forward and descended towards the Spirit Province.
There was a city located in the centre of this Spirit Province, which was also the most prosperous place in the Spirit Province. Many cultivators were gathered there; however, Yang Kai did not detect the existence of any High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters when he swept his Divine Sense over it. Although there were many people here, the strongest were a few Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at most.
While Ji Lao San could detect the aura of Black Ink Strength coming from this Spirit Province, he could not figure out the exact location.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling troubled. How was he supposed to search for the root of the Black Ink Strength in such a dense crowd?
At the very least, he could be certain that there were no Black Ink Clansmen here. If a Black Ink Clansman was hiding here, Yang Kai’s Eighth-Order strength would allow him to see through any disguise at a glance. Since there was no Black Ink Clansman here, it could only be a Black Ink Disciple.
Under normal circumstances, a Black Ink Disciple was no different from an ordinary person until they activated their Black Ink Strength and revealed their true nature.
Of course, Yang Kai could not check every single person in the Spirit Province as that would just take too much time.
In any case, the question that bothered him the most was the reason for the appearance of a Black Ink Disciple in the Shattered Heaven. If there was a Black Ink Disciple, then there had to be a source of Black Ink Strength. Where was the source?
A trace of unease grew in the depths of his heart as it felt as though something ominous was about to occur.
Just as he was thinking about how to search for the hidden Black Ink Disciple, two streams of light appeared in the sky and descended.
The newcomers gave off an imposing aura, clearly showing no intention of concealing their presence whatsoever. Moreover, they were both Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Forget the Shattered Heaven, even in the 3,000 Worlds, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were considered the strongest as long as the secluded High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters did not take action.
In an instant, countless Divine Senses and gazes were attracted to the two streams of light. The streams of light paused in mid-air before the light around them faded away to reveal the figures of a man and a woman.
The eyes of anybody who saw this pair would immediately light up. At the same time, they would secretly praise those two for being the perfect match for each other. The man was extraordinarily handsome, while the woman was absolutely gorgeous. When they stood together, they were a sight for sore eyes indeed.
The people living in the Shattered Heaven were mostly lawless criminals; therefore, numerous lecherous gazes immediately fixed upon the woman’s graceful form. They secretly swallowed nervously, thinking that if they could become intimate with such a stunning beauty for a night, death would not be too high a price to pay.
The woman was evidently accustomed to such gazes, so she simply snorted coldly before ignoring them.
On the other hand, the man revealed great dissatisfaction, surging his Divine Sense and causing many Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to clutch at their heads and scream in agony.
After teaching these lawless criminals a lesson, he announced loudly, “Heavenly River Divine Monarch has an order to convey! Where is the person in charge of this Spirit Province? Come out and receive the orders immediately!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the expressions of the cultivators on the Spirit Province changed greatly. Those who were watching the woman with lustful gazes quickly lowered their heads and did not dare to take another look. That couldn’t be helped, as the name ‘Heavenly River Divine Monarch’ carried far too much weight.
There were only three Great Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven. In other words, there were three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters here. One of them was Bright Sun Divine Monarch, Cheng Yang, who pursued Yang Kai in the past, while the other two were Heavenly River Divine Monarch, Tian Luo, and Withering Flame Divine Monarch, Ku Yan.
These three had refused to be controlled by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so they fled to the Shattered Heaven for shelter. Tens of thousands of years had passed since they entered the Shattered Heaven, and they gradually improved from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The cultivators living in the Shattered Heaven could ignore or even insult the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but they could not show the slightest disrespect to the three Great Divine Monarchs. The environment in the Shattered Heaven was harsh, and chaotic, so while those who offended the Cave Heavens and Paradises might survive here, death was inevitable if the three Great Divine Monarchs were to target them; after all, the three Great Divine Monarchs held absolute authority in the Shattered Heaven.
This beautiful pair, who came carrying the orders of Heavenly River Divine Monarch, were clearly from the Heavenly River Palace. Furthermore, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were considered very powerful in the Heavenly River Palace. These two might even be Disciples of Heavenly River Divine Monarch. With such a close connection to Tian Luo, even the lawless criminals in this Spirit Province did not dare to be disrespectful towards them in the slightest.
Following their command, a figure immediately flew out from the Grand Hall in the middle of the Spirit Province. This person was also in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he did not look like a warrior. He was dressed luxuriously, seeming more like a wealthy merchant. His face was round and clean, and his smile was ingratiating. Cupping his fists from a distance, he bowed, “Bamboo Basket Province’s Tan Chuan greets the Special Envoys. Allow me to apologise for my late greetings.”
Although they were all in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Tan Chuan was nothing more than the Master of a small Spirit Province. In terms of status, he could not compare to the two people who served under Heavenly River Divine Monarch; hence, he naturally showed a humble attitude as soon as he appeared.
The male Envoy nodded lightly, “So you are the person in charge here, Brother Tan Chuan. This Senior Brother and Junior Sister have not left the Heavenly River Palace in a long time, so we were not aware.”
Judging from his words, they seemed to be acquainted with each other. Nevertheless, his attitude remained aloof. It was obvious that they did not have a close relationship with each other.
“It’s nothing, Brother Wu. Such a rough place cannot be compared to Heavenly River Palace. May I know what brings you here today, Brother Wu? What orders does the Divine Monarch have for me?” Tan Chuan inquired respectfully.
When it came to business, the man surnamed Wu did not procrastinate. He immediately took out a jade slip and announced in a resounding his voice, “By order of my Honoured Master, Tan Chuan of the Bamboo Basket Province must gather 200 Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above, then head to the designated rendezvous location in three months.”
Tan Chuan’s expression became solemn when he heard the announcement. Raising his hand to receive the jade slip, he examined the contents carefully and confirmed that the jade slip truly contained this command from Heavenly River Divine Monarch. After that, he revealed a puzzled expression, “Brother Wu, is Heavenly River Palace planning to wage war against the others?”
The three Great Divine Monarchs had divided the Shattered Heaven among themselves, so it was impossible for them to be at peace. There had been countless squabbles and skirmishes among them over the years, but those were mostly inconsequential disputes, nothing serious enough to warrant concern. However, Tian Luo’s actions clearly indicated that he was planning something big.
Although the number of cultivators living in Bamboo Basket Province was not small, there were not many Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. That was especially true for Sixth-Order Masters, whose total numbers could be counted on one hand. Even though there were somewhere between 400 and 500 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Tian Luo had directly demanded a force of 200 people. That was equivalent to taking away half of the Bamboo Basket Province’s strength! How could that not shock Tan Chuan?
The man surnamed Wu simply shook his head in response. Glancing around, he then kindly pointed out something, “Brother Tan Chuan, if I were you, I would close the Grand Array first before asking questions. At this rate, you might not be able to gather 200 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters if you delay any longer, and you know what will happen to you if you disobey Honoured Master’s orders.”
Tan Chuan was taken aback by those words and looked around him. What he saw enraged him so much that his face visibly twitched.
After hearing the order relayed by the man surnamed Wu just now, some of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters living in the Bamboo Basket Province had urgently fled to prevent themselves from being recruited by Tan Chuan. Many of them were simply passing by this area or stopping here temporarily to trade with others, so wouldn’t they be wronged if they were caught by Tan Chuan?
A few Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had taken the lead, causing even more Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to take the opportunity to escape. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen such Masters were gone.
Furious, Tan Chuan roared loudly, “Activate the Array! If anyone else dares to leave Bamboo Basket Province, I will slaughter them without mercy!”
After saying that, he took to the skies and instantly caught one of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who was about to leave and swung out his fist at him.
This Fifth-Order Master was rather unlucky. He didn’t even get the chance to speak a word before Tan Chuan punched his face in.
In order to make an example, Tan Chuan had not held back at all. How could a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master survive against the full attack of a Sixth-Order Master? That blow shattered the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s head to pieces. Fresh blood spurted out of his neck like a fountain, and his headless corpse slowly dropped back to the ground.
Such an occurrence would rarely happen in any of the Great Territories across the 3,000 Worlds, but in contrast, the Shattered Heaven was a truly lawless place. Killing others over even a small disagreement was very common here.
After witnessing Tan Chuan murdering a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the others no longer dared to act recklessly. They quickly backed down like cowardly quails.
There was a loud hum, and the Grand Array covering the entire Bamboo Basket Province closed. The inside and the outside were now isolated from one another. With this, nobody could leave without Tan Chuan’s express permission.
Many of the cultivators were panicking at the sudden turn of events; however, Tan Chuan ignored them and looked at the Special Envoys from Heavenly River Palace, “What’s going on, Brother Wu?”
The man surnamed Wu shook his head and said nothing. The reason for all this was in no way glorious, and could even be said as shameful, so how could he reveal the truth at will?
Tan Chuan only became more anxious seeing this. Revealing a pleading expression, he begged, “Brother Wu, why don’t you come over and have some tea? You must allow this Tan to provide some hospitality as a host. Bamboo Basket Province might lack many things, but we have a specialty known as the Jade Spirit Fruit. The taste is sweet and exquisite. You’ve come from afar, why not take a short rest? It won’t be too late for you to leave after a cup of tea.”
What he mentioned was not without reason. The so-called ‘Jade Spirit Fruit’ was certainly a local delicacy. It was not very useful in terms of cultivation, but it had beauty-preserving effects when consumed by female cultivators. Unfortunately, the number of such fruits produced was very small so they would be cleaned out in a matter of breaths every time they appeared on the market. It was precisely because Tan Chuan was overseeing the Bamboo Basket Province that he could preserve a few for his own use.
He did not have a close relationship with the man surnamed Wu, so there was nothing he could do if the other party was not willing to divulge much, so in order to learn more, a more convoluted method was required. He hoped that the Jade Spirit Fruit would catch the interest of the woman standing nearby.
Sure enough, the eyes of the woman, who had remained silent and indifferent all this while, suddenly brightened at the words ‘Jade Spirit Fruit’.
As a Disciple of Heavenly River Divine Monarch, it was only natural for her to know about the Jade Spirit Fruit. It was just that these fruits were often shared among the wives and concubines of Heavenly River Divine Monarch whenever they were offered to Heavenly River Palace, so how could she hope to get any?
Women would always be conscious of their appearance. Even if she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and her appearance could be described as youthful, she still wished to look young forever. Nevertheless, she said nothing and simply used her large eyes to plead with her Senior Brother.
After spending so many years together, how could the man surnamed Wu not understand the meaning behind that look? Thinking to himself that a moment of delay would not hurt, he nodded in agreement, “Good. We can rest for a moment before we leave.”
Tan Chuan was overjoyed and quickly motioned his hand to guide them, “This way, please.”
A short while later, Tan Chuan led the two Envoys from Heavenly River Palace into the Grand Hall and sat down.
The man surnamed Wu was thinking about how he should respond if Tan Chuan brought up the matter from earlier; after all, one was generally partial towards those who bestowed favours upon others. His Junior Sister had benefited from Tan Chuan, so it would not be reasonable for him to ignore the latter’s inquiry.
Unexpectedly, Tan Chuan did not mention the matter and simply had a leisurely chat with the man surnamed Wu.
The man surnamed Wu was very satisfied, thinking that Tan Chuan knew how to show proper respect, causing his impression of the latter to increase significantly.
After a short wait, a servant brought over a platter of Spirit Fruits. These Spirit Fruits were the size of a fist and crystal clear. Moreover, a sweet fragrance permeated the air.
The woman from Heavenly River Palace stared at the Jade Spirit Fruits without blinking. She immediately fell in love with the appearance of the fruits and couldn’t bring herself to eat them. Just as she was about to put them away, Tan Chuan suddenly turned towards her, “These fruits are freshly picked. You, Young Lady, should eat them immediately for the best effect.”
When the woman heard those words, she looked conflicted.
As her Senior Brother, the man surnamed Wu knew what she was thinking and laughed, “Since there are six fruits, why don’t you eat some right now and save the rest for later?”
She smiled brightly at those words and nodded, “I’ll do as you say, Senior Brother.”
Her smile was absolutely brilliant; in fact, even the slightly dim hall seemed to brighten because of her smile.
Reaching out her slender jade fingers to pick up one of the fruits, she brought it to her mouth and lightly bit through the peel. A stream of sweet fruit juice immediately turned into a warm current that flowed down her throat. As for the Spirit Fruit in her hands, only a layer of peel remained.
Before she could savour the wonderful taste of the Spirit Fruit though, her beautiful face abruptly turned pale. Her World Force also surged and fluctuated wildly all of a sudden.
The man surnamed Wu was shocked and cried out, “Junior Sister, what’s wrong!?”
However, she instead quickly looked over at Tan Chuan and coldly declared, “What did you do!?”
When she swallowed the fruit juice, she clearly felt a strange energy entering her body at the same time. Although she had never eaten the Jade Spirit Fruit before, she knew that this strange energy did not belong to it. In that case, it could only mean that the fruit itself had been tampered with.
Following her question, she immediately noticed that something was wrong. The strange energy was extremely corrosive, and she could not contain it even with her powerful Sixth-Order cultivation.
When she observed her own condition, she saw traces of black energy that felt extremely vile and malevolent swirling around inside her originally pure and flawless Small Universe; thus, she hastily activated her World Force to defend against the corrosion. Her expression seemed pained, as though she was suffering from poison.
The man surnamed Wu was shocked for a moment, then he immediately became livid. Summoning a sword with a flick of his hand, he thrust it out, “Tan Chuan, you court death!”
A sword wave flashed from the tip of his longsword, flicking like the tongue of a spirit snake. The sword wave conveyed a sense of unparalleled sharpness that sliced off several strands of Tan Chuan’s hair.
Unexpectedly, Tan Chuan remained completely calm, leisurely picking up his tea cup and taking a sip. Only then did he calmly turn to look at the man surnamed Wu with a slight smile, “Brother Wu, why are you so angry?”
At this moment, he no longer portrayed the same ingratiating attitude as before. On the contrary, he seemed confident that victory belonged to him.
Tan Chuan’s behaviour enraged the man surnamed Wu even more, but just as he was about to attack, he heard Tan Chuan’s relaxed voice entering his ears, “You should be careful, Brother Wu. Swords have no eyes, so you can easily hurt someone if you are not careful. It doesn’t matter if you take this Tan’s life, but if you do, you will never be able to save Junior Sister Ling.”
“Are you working for the other two Divine Monarchs!?” The man surnamed Wu suddenly thought of something. He had no previous enmity or grievances against Tan Chuan, so there was no reason for Tan Chuan to plot against him or his Junior Sister; however, everything would make sense if Tan Chuan was working for the other two Divine Monarchs. He gritted his teeth and snarled, “My Junior Sister is Honoured Master’s most beloved Disciple. If anything happens to her, even the other two Divine Monarchs will not be able to protect you! Tan Chuan, hand over the antidote immediately if you don’t wish to die!”
While the man surnamed Wu seemed enraged on the outside, inwardly he was feeling very puzzled. Both he and his Junior Sister had Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivations, so at their level of strength, just what kind of poison could make his Junior Sister experience such difficulty? He even noticed a trace of black energy gradually emerging from her body out of the corner of his eye.
[What is this poison!?]
Listening to the man named Wu’s self-righteous misunderstanding, Tan Chuan laughed loudly, “The other two Divine Monarchs? How could they be worthy of my service?”
The man surnamed Wu was stunned… [Isn’t Tan Chuan working for the other two Divine Monarchs? How could he spout such presumptuous nonsense, as though he doesn’t put the Divine Monarchs in his eyes!?]
While the other party was stunned, Tan Chuan stretched out two fingers and slowly grasped the longsword pointed directly at him. Moving the longsword away from his face, he warmly comforted the man surnamed Wu, “Rest assured, Brother Wu. Junior Sister Ling is not in danger. This Tan has no intention of harming her. As long as you cooperate with me, Brother Wu, this Tan will not only make amends to the both of you. I will also show you the Heavenly Grand Dao that will bring you directly to the peak of the Martial Dao!”
The man surnamed Wu’s first reaction was disbelief. What nonsense was this guy spouting? His Junior Sister looked like she was about to be overwhelmed by the poison, so how could Tan Chuan say that he has no intention of harming her?
Tan Chuan earnestly continued, “If this Tan remembers correctly, you initially advanced directly to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm; isn’t that right, Brother Wu? As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, you have reached your limit. Don’t you wish to advance to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and have a taste of the glory that belongs to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters? Junior Sister Ling advanced directly to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so she has hopes of reaching the Seventh-Order in the future, but in contrast, you can only waste away in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. How will you be a match for Junior Sister Ling when that time comes?”
Those words seemed to hit a sore spot for the man surnamed Wu, and his expression involuntarily darkened.
He did not know how or where Tan Chuan received this information; however, it was just as Tan Chuan had said. His Junior Sister was expected to advance to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future, but he could only remain in the Sixth-Order forever. Would his Junior Sister even bother with him when she was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm?
His mind wavered for a moment, feeling as though Tan Chuan’s words were filled with an inexplicable appeal. His voice changed slightly, no longer as cold and sharp as before, “If you’re capable of guiding us to the peak of the Martial Dao, then why are you still just a Sixth-Order Master yourself?”
Tan Chuan’s situation was similar to his. When they advanced into the Open Heaven Realm back then, they had advanced directly to the Fourth Order; therefore, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was their limit. If there truly was such a wonderful method to break through their innate shackles, then why didn’t Tan Chuan break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm himself?
Upon hearing the other party’s question, Tan Chuan chuckled softly and circulated his strength. His entire body suddenly turned black, and his aura increased steadily. Under the stunned gaze of the man surnamed Wu, Tan Chuan’s aura quickly broke through the limits of what a Sixth-Order Master should have and gradually increased to the Seventh-Order.
Following the surge of aura, his figure that resembled a wealthy merchant also began to swell. Then, he soon withdrew his aura and returned to normal, looking no different from before. He then said mildly, “If this Tan wishes to break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, I can do so at any time.”
“How did you…” The man surnamed Wu blanked out completely in astonishment. He instinctively refused to believe what he was witnessing, but all his senses indicated that Tan Chuan’s words were not false.
“Senior Brother!” The woman who was currently fighting against the corrosion in her body shouted, “It’s Black Ink Strength!”
“What!?” The man surnamed Wu turned pale with fright, “Is this Black Ink Strength!?”
Several months ago, they had been completely oblivious to the existence of something like Black Ink Strength, but then, one particular day, two honoured guests in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm came to Heavenly River Palace. They had not known the identity of those honoured guests, but they left quickly after an extensive discussion with Heavenly River Divine Monarch.
Afterwards, Tian Luo had summoned them and given them an important task. They were ordered to head to the Spirit Provinces under the jurisdiction of Heavenly River Palace, recruit Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth Order and above, and rendezvous at the designated location within a short time limit.
Heavenly River Divine Monarch also told them about certain matters that day.
It was at that moment that they learned the identity of the honoured guests who arrived at Heavenly River Palace that day. The two honoured guests were Eighth-Order Ancestors from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, who came to ask for Tian Luo’s cooperation in a war concerning the survival of the 3,000 Worlds. This war apparently involved many secrets and concerned the survival of the Human Race as a whole, so even the Shattered Heaven could not turn a blind eye to the situation.
It was also from Heavenly River Divine Monarch that they learned about the existence of the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength.
Be that as it may, they had never seen the Black Ink Clan or Black Ink Strength before. They had assumed that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were exaggerating the dangers of the situation, believing that the war related to the 3,000 Worlds and the survival of the Human Race was nothing but bullshit; after all, they had never even heard of such things in this World.
They truly believed that their Honoured Master had only agreed to cooperate with the Cave Heavens and Paradises under duress, which was quite embarrassing.
The Shattered Heaven had remained outside the influence of the 3,000 Worlds for aeons. They were not governed by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but this incident had forced them to be at the beck and call of those same forces. That was the reason why the man surnamed Wu had not explained anything when Tan Chuan asked about Heavenly River Divine Monarch’s command. He had felt that the reason was too shameful to reveal.
The neutrality and detachment that the Shattered Heaven had always enjoyed turned out to be nothing more than the indulgence of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. With the enormous heritage of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, were they really helpless to control the Shattered Heaven?
The people in the Cave Heavens and Paradises simply understood that some things could not be forbidden completely no matter how hard they tried. That was why they tacitly agreed to the existence of the Shattered Heaven and allowed this place to become the gathering spot for those who refused to follow the order of the 3,000 Worlds. Nevertheless, they could easily force the Shattered Heaven to compromise when they needed their cooperation in their schemes. Just like this incident…
The Senior Brother and Junior Sister did not know what kind of conditions the people from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had offered to their Honoured Master; however, Tian Luo seemed very enthusiastic about this endeavour. He even entrusted this task to them and asked them to carry it out with all diligence so as not to make him lose face.
Despite having heard of the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength, they had never seen the Black Ink Clan or Black Ink Strength in person; therefore, the man surnamed Wu never associated this incident with Black Ink Strength even though he had witnessed the black aura enveloping his Junior Sister. He simply thought that she had been poisoned.
On the other hand, the woman being corroded by the Black Ink Strength suddenly realised what was going on. [These symptoms… Aren’t they identical to the corruption of Black Ink Strength that Honoured Master mentioned previously?]
Tan Chuan chuckled, “So, you know about Black Ink Strength? Since you already know, then that saves this Tan the effort of explaining the situation to you. That’s right. This is Black Ink Strength!”
The man surnamed Wu felt a chill in his heart, “Are you a Black Ink Disciple?”
[No wonder Tan Chuan showed no particular signs of abnormality earlier.] He had heard that Black Ink Disciples looked no different from ordinary people, but their true nature had long been lost.
Tan Chuan laughed lightly, “So what if I am? Besides, this Tan is not the only Black Ink Disciple in this place.”
After his declaration, four figures suddenly walked out of the shadows of the Grand Hall. One was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and two were in the Sixth-Order. The last person was completely wrapped in darkness, so his face could not be seen. His exact cultivation could not be determined either, but anybody could tell that he was very powerful.
The expression of the man surnamed Wu changed drastically as he grabbed his Junior Sister and rushed into the sky to try to escape this place immediately.
A person would completely lose their true self once they were corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Even if he could advance to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, would he even be himself at that point? Nobody faced with such a choice would willingly compromise on something like that unless they were absolutely desperate.
Unfortunately, he failed to escape. He barely managed to flee more than a dozen metres before being stopped by a transparent light barrier. It turned out that a Grand Array had been set up in the Grand Hall at some point in time, isolating the inside from the outside.
At this moment, the man surnamed Wu finally understood why Tan Chuan seemed so confident about his victory. Tan Chuan had probably planned out everything from the moment he invited the Senior Brother and Junior Sister duo to his palace.
The man surnamed Wu could only laugh bitterly at how they had stupidly walked into the trap without knowing anything.
The enemy had at least three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and they were stuck inside the Grand Array with them. Under these circumstances, he had no choice but to admit that he and his Junior Sister were not their opponents even if they combined their strength. Things were looking very dismal for them at the moment.
Even so, he refused to give up and wait for death. He spun around and protected his Junior Sister behind him. At the same time, he drew his longsword and prepared his battle cry to bolster his courage; however, he couldn’t help feeling surprised by the scene unfolding before him as Tan Chuan and the others were no longer paying any attention to him.
At this moment, the three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, including Tan Chuan and the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were all staring at the mysterious person who was completely enveloped in darkness.
“Who are you, Your Excellency?” Tan Chuan’s next sentence left the man surnamed Wu scratching his head in confusion.
The man surnamed Wu did not understand, [Don’t you know the person who appeared in your own territory? Why would you still need to ask?]
Faced with Tan Chuan’s question, the mysterious man covered in darkness answered lightly, “Don’t ask so many questions.”
After saying that, a powerful aura suddenly erupted outward before disappearing in a flash.
The expressions of everybody in the Grand Hall, including the man surnamed Wu and his Junior Sister, changed drastically. That was because this mysterious person was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
He had concealed his aura previously, so nobody could determine anything about him; however, how could they fail to perceive his strength when he deliberately released an Eighth-Order aura?
Tan Chuan and the three others hurriedly bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Sir!”
Under the cover of the darkness, Yang Kai nodded lightly and made a non-committal sound in response, perfectly displaying the demeanour of a senior expert.
In reality, being in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm meant that there was indeed no need for him to pay much attention to these Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples. If not to figure out the source of these Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven, he would have just captured them from the start.
Yang Kai had received guidance from Ji Lao San earlier and pursued those traces until he reached Bamboo Basket Province; as a result, he happened to overhear the Heavenly River Divine Monarch’s command that was conveyed by the man surnamed Wu and his Junior Sister; thus, he secretly concealed himself and snuck into the Grand Hall.
Although he knew that the Jade Spirit Fruit that the Junior Sister ate had been tampered with, he did nothing to stop her so that he did not alert the enemy to his presence.
If he still had Yellow and Blue Crystals in his possession, then he wouldn’t have needed to resort to such troublesome methods. He would only need to activate the Purifying Light to expel and purify the Black Ink Strength from the bodies of the Black Ink Disciples inside the Grand Hall, then they would willingly help him. Unfortunately, he no longer had the means to create Purifying Light and could only rely on petty tricks.
Yang Kai made a mental note to visit the Chaotic Dead Territory as soon as possible so that he could obtain more Yellow and Blue Crystals from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. In addition, he wanted to ask them about the Primordial Light…
On the Black Ink Battlefield, he had disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple for years, and was so familiar with the act that even the Black Ink Clan could not see through him, so what more these Black Ink Disciples?
Although Tan Chuan and the others did not know Yang Kai’s identity, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of them was clearly a Black Ink Disciple like them. How could they suspect him?
Every one of them became animated. They had been worried about failing their task because they were only Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples; therefore, it was a pleasant surprise to have an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple appear before them.
One of the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples beside Tan Chuan asked respectfully, “What brings you here, Sir?”
Yang Kai replied indifferently, “I just happened to be passing by and wanted to gather some manpower, but it seems someone made their move in advance. Seeing as that’s the case, this King will not snatch another person’s property. You’ve done well. Since these two are part of Heavenly River Palace, we can send them to the other Spirit Provinces after enlightening them with Black Ink Strength. That will certainly allow us to act more easily.”
The Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple was ecstatic, “This subordinate had the same idea. That’s why I asked Brother Tan to invite them back to his palace.” After a pause, he continued, “Sir, this subordinate has a favour to ask.”
“Speak!” Yang Kai waved his hand slightly.
The Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple said, “Sir, I’m sure you’ve seen the situation here. Our forces in Bamboo Basket Province are too weak. Although we have several Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples on our side, it will take great effort for us to corrupt all the cultivators here with Black Ink Strength. This subordinate implores you to take action, Sir. With your help, Bamboo Basket Province will definitely fall into our hands!”
Following that statement, the man surnamed Wu felt the colour draining from his face. It was difficult to imagine what the situation would be like if all the cultivators in Bamboo Basket Province were corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
“You want me to take action?” Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, and his smile deepened meaningfully, “Is the one behind you willing to accept such an arrangement?”
The Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple replied straightforwardly, “Please rest assured, Sir. It is pure coincidence for this subordinate to meet you here. After gifting me with Black Ink Strength, he only gave me orders to convert more companions with Black Ink Strength. There were no other orders.”
Yang Kai frowned and looked displeased, “Whoever it is sure is careless. Where did he go?”
During this brief exchange, he managed to figure out that the person who actually held decisive authority here was not the Master of Bamboo Basket Province, Tan Chuan. On the contrary, it was this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple who was speaking to him.
This Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple had most likely encountered a higher Order Black Ink Disciple somewhere. After he was corrupted by Black Ink Strength, he was released with the goal of corrupting all the cultivators in Bamboo Basket Province.
He probably bumped into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master during his return trip. Seizing the opportunity, he had taken action out in the void to quickly subdued the latter.
That would explain why Yang Kai and Ji Lao San first found traces of Black Ink Strength on a Universe Fragment some distance from here. It was because this person used Black Ink Strength to corrupt the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and left traces behind, allowing Ji Lao San to notice.
Afterwards, this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple brought the Fifth-Order Master back to Bamboo Basket Province with him. It was here that Tan Chuan and the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were also corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
Although they were all in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Tan Chuan and the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were likely caught unprepared. Combined with the powerful corruptive nature of Black Ink Strength, they were practically powerless to resist.
Yang Kai secretly heaved a sigh of relief. It would seem that the situation was not too bad. Seeing as he managed to arrive here in time, the only Black Ink Disciples on Bamboo Basket Province were probably the ones standing in front of him right now. If he had been a few days later, the situation might not have been so easily resolved.
Even though his question earlier seemed casual, it was the one that Yang Kai was most concerned about getting an answer to. He wanted to know the whereabouts of the Black Ink Disciple, who corrupted this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple with Black Ink Strength! Only by finding the original Black Ink Disciple could he get to the bottom of this matter and figure out the source of Black Ink Strength in the Shattered Heaven.
Faced with Yang Kai’s inquiries, the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple did not suspect anything and quickly answered, “Sir did not tell me where he was going, but this subordinate noticed that he and another companion were travelling towards the Shattered Ruins.”
Beneath the darkness, Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly, [The Shattered Ruins!?]
The Shattered Ruins was the most dangerous Forbidden Zone in the Shattered Heaven, as well as the location of the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land. Surrounding the Shattered Ruins was the Divine Ability Sea, which was filled with enormous dangers.
[Why is a Black Ink Disciple heading in the direction of Shattered Ruins? And judging from what this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple had said, it sounds like there was more than one Black Ink Disciple! In fact, there are two of them! What is their realm? Where did they come from?] Yang Kai did not know anything.
“Did they mention why they were heading there?” Yang Kai inquired.
The Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple shook his head, “No.”
“What were their cultivations?”
Although Yang Kai’s questions puzzled the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple, he did not think too deeply into the matter and answered honestly, “The person who enlightened me with Black Ink Strength is probably in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm like you, Sir. The other person did not take action, but his cultivation was likely not inferior!”
[Two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples! I can’t believe there are two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven!] Yang Kai suddenly realised that he had greatly underestimated the severity of the situation.
Aside from the three Great Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters only existed in the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, they were existences regarded as Ancestors or Supreme Elders.
Were these two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples originally hiding in the 3,000 Worlds? Or, did they sneak in from the Barren Territory?
Regardless of which scenario was the truth, the situation was absolutely terrible. If it was the former, then many of the Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises on this side had probably been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. If it was the latter… Seeing as the Barren Territory battlefield had not been breached, then there was only one other possibility. There was another passage connecting to the 3,000 Worlds!
At that moment, various thoughts swirled around in Yang Kai’s mind as a dull and ominous premonition made him feel very uneasy. He felt as though he had overlooked something very important, but he could not remember what it was in the heat of the moment.
Numerous expressions flitted across his face as he remained silent in thought.
Meanwhile, Tan Chuan and the others looked at each other uncertainly for a moment before the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple hesitantly called out, “Sir?”
Yang Kai returned to his senses and nodded, “This King will take action in Bamboo Basket Province, but this King has another task for you.”
The expression of Tan Chuan and the others brightened, and they cupped their fists respectfully, “Please enlighten us, Sir!”
“Enter my Small Universe first.” Yang Kai commanded and opened the portal to his Small Universe.
Tan Chuan and the others exchanged a glance with each other, but they did not suspect him and quickly rushed into his Small Universe.
“Oh, right,” Yang Kai suddenly asked another question, “Are there any other Black Ink Disciples here in Bamboo Basket Province?”
Just for safety’s sake, he decided to confirm the situation.
The last Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple who was the last one remaining outside quickly replied, “No, we are the only ones at the moment. This subordinate only returned not long ago, so there was no time to take action.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, and when the last Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had entered his Small Universe, he closed the portal and withdrew his Black Ink Strength around him to reveal his face. Then, he turned to look at the man surnamed Wu.
At this moment, the man surnamed Wu was filled with despair. He had mustered the courage to fight back when his opponents had been Tan Chuan and the others; however, the person in front of him was an authentic Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. How was he supposed to fight back? His opponent could crush him to death with a mere flick of his finger!
Seeing Yang Kai looking at him, the man surnamed Wu tried to act strong and shouted loudly, “My Honoured Master is Heavenly River Divine Monarch Tian Luo! If you dare to raise a hand against us, then Honoured Master will never forgive you!”
Yang Kai chuckled and reassured the other party gently, “Don’t be scared. I’m not a Black Ink Disciple.”
The man surnamed Wu reacted with an expression that seemed to say, “Who will believe you?”
Regardless, Yang Kai couldn’t be bothered to explain himself. He then raised his fingers and flicked a Purifying Black Ink Pill towards the man surnamed Wu, “Give this pill to your Junior Sister. I guarantee that she will be safe.”
If the woman had been completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength, then the Purifying Black Ink Pill would no longer be effective. Be that as it may, the medicinal efficacies of the Purifying Black Ink Pill would still be effective under the current circumstances.
The man surnamed Wu took the Purifying Black Ink Pill, but he clearly did not trust Yang Kai.
Yang Kai pointed out, “Things have already come to this point. What can be worse than becoming corrupted by Black Ink Strength? If I were you, I would take a gamble!”
The man surnamed Wu had been confused and at a loss for what to do after experiencing such a huge turn of events, but after listening to Yang Kai’s words, he couldn’t help feeling that what he said made sense.
There really was nothing for him to do but take a leap of faith. In any case, if an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master truly wanted to kill them, they would die regardless of how they tried to resist. As for whether the Spirit Pill would be effective, he would know once he gave it to his Junior Sister.
Gritting his teeth, he turned around and placed the Purifying Black Ink Pill into his Junior Sister’s mouth. Then, he stood guard over her while secretly being vigilant towards Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai ignored the man surnamed Wu as he was now thinking hard.
For some reason, he had the feeling that he had forgotten something important ever since he stepped foot in the Shattered Heaven; however, he simply could not remember what he had forgotten despite racking his brain for so long.
In addition, he was extremely concerned about the origin and whereabouts of those two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.
It was not easy to corrupt an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with Black Ink Strength. The Human Race had been fighting against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless millennia, but there were very rarely cases where an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
Thanks to the immense strength of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, they had a strong resistance towards Black Ink Strength. What’s more, even if they were accidentally invaded by Black Ink Strength, they could prevent themselves from becoming corrupted by sacrificing a part of their Small Universe.
The most common method to convert an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master into a Black Ink Disciple was for a Royal Lord to personally take action, using their Royal Lord Secret Technique.
However, the situation on the battlefield was constantly changing and even a Royal Lord would not dare to use their Secret Technique without good reason.
In the past, the sheep-headed Royal Lord chasing after Yang Kai had caused his body to weaken considerably by unleashing the Royal Lord Secret Technique. Immediately after, he had taken the full brunt of Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, which played a big role in how a mere Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was able to kill him.
Unless there was no other choice or under the premise that their safety was guaranteed, a Royal Lord would never use the Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
In any case, Yang Kai had no means of learning the origins of the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples without locating them first.
While Yang Kai was pondering these matters, the woman from Heavenly River Palace swallowed and refined the Purifying Black Ink Pill. It didn’t take long for the Spirit Pill to take effect, and under its medicinal efficacies, the Black Ink Strength corroding her was slowly forced out of her body.
The man surnamed Wu was overjoyed by the sight and finally believed Yang Kai’s words from before. At the same time, he couldn’t help wondering about something.
Wrapped entirely in darkness earlier, Yang Kai had clearly given off the impression of being a Senior Black Ink Disciple. How was he not affected by Black Ink Strength?
Unfortunately, the man surnamed Wu did not have a deep understanding of Black Ink Strength. All he knew about Black Ink Strength was what he heard from his Honoured Master, so his knowledge was severely limited.
A short while later, the woman’s condition improved considerably and she exhaled deeply and opened her eyes. Although she couldn’t shake off the lingering fears in her heart, she quickly came forward to thank Yang Kai.
Likewise, the man surnamed Wu was extremely grateful.
Yang Kai questioned them briefly and learned that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had dispatched several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to Heavenly River Palace. Moreover, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had already reached an agreement with Heavenly River Divine Monarch.
It was not just Heavenly River Divine Monarch though. According to the two Envoys, all three Great Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven were working together with the Cave Heavens and Paradises now.
This was a war that involved the survival of the Human Race, so nobody could afford to stay out of the fight. Although the three Great Divine Monarchs had lived leisurely in the Shattered Heaven for many years, they were familiar with the principle, ‘Without lips, the teeth go cold’.
Therefore, the three Great Divine Monarchs who controlled the Shattered Heaven had come forward. They issued commands to the various Spirit Provinces, ordering Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to gather at the assembly point within the time limit.
In the Shattered Heaven, the command of the three Great Divine Monarchs held more authority than the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As soon as their commands were spread out to the public, all the cultivators who wanted to live peacefully in the Shattered Heaven did not dare to disobey.
Take Bamboo Basket Province for example. Heavenly River Divine Monarch had ordered Tan Chuan to gather 200 Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth-Order and above, so the latter had to ensure that the command was carried out properly if he wanted to keep his life.
In this way, the combat forces in the Shattered Heaven would also contribute to the war.
Meanwhile, the three Great Divine Monarchs had already headed to the battlefield with several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had promised them that they could freely travel to any of the Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds after the war, regardless of the outcome. As long as they did not commit any outrage, their past transgressions would no longer be pursued.
For the three Great Divine Monarchs, these were conditions that could not be refused.
They were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters after all, so no matter where they went in the 3,000 Worlds, they would be considered peak existences. It was only due to their fear of the Cave Heavens and Paradises that they remained hidden in the Shattered Heaven for so many years. As such, their lives were usually extremely boring. If they survived this war, then they would no longer need to waste away in the Shattered Heaven. They could go anywhere they wanted.
It was with such incentives that the three Great Divine Monarchs obeyed the Cave Heavens and Paradises; otherwise, nobody would willingly risk their lives if there were no benefits.
However, nobody expected that Black Ink Disciples had already appeared in the Shattered Heaven.
“I want you to spread the message and inform everyone about the appearance of Black Ink Disciples as fast as possible so that others will be wary of suspicious figures. Can you do that?” Yang Kai looked at those two.
The man surnamed Wu considered for a moment, “With the help of Heavenly River Palace’s intelligence network, we can pass the message to the other two Divine Monarchs. Unfortunately, it will take some time since the Shattered Heaven is vast.”
“Just do your best,” Yang Kai nodded as there was nothing that could be done; after all, spreading messages across a vast Great Territory was not a task that could be done overnight.
“Please rest assured, Senior! We will do our best!” The man surnamed Wu cupped his fist.
Yang Kai nodded, but just as he was about to leave, he remembered something and immediately turned around again, “By the way, I’d like to ask about somebody.”
The man surnamed Wu probed, “Who is this person you’d like to inquire about, Senior?”
“Have you ever heard the name ‘Wu Kuang’ in the Shattered Heaven?”
As soon as Yang Kai’s question came out, the expressions of the man surnamed Wu and his Junior Sister became strange. The man surnamed Wu carefully asked, “Senior, are you acquainted with Wu Kuang?”
“I guess.”
The man surnamed Wu smiled wryly, “If it’s ‘that’ Wu Kuang you’re asking about, then he is very famous in the Shattered Heaven.”
After listening to their explanation, Yang Kai learned that Wu Kuang had made a name for himself in the Shattered Heaven over the past 1,000 years.
There was no helping it as the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was simply too overbearing and astonishing. Anyone who made an enemy of Wu Kuang was bound to die a miserable death, having all their strength devoured cleanly by him.
At the beginning, Wu Kuang was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so the people in the Shattered Heaven did not consider him a significant threat; however, he grew and developed very quickly. After advancing to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm 500 years ago, he became increasingly unscrupulous. Many cultivators in the Shattered Heaven suffered at his hands.
Even the people from Heavenly River Palace, Withering Flame Divine Palace, and Bright Sun Temple were no exception. For that reason, the three Great Divine Monarchs were livid. Withering Flame Divine Monarch Ku Yan even pursued him personally, but Wu Kuang actually managed to escape into the Shattered Ruins.
Withering Flame Divine Monarch searched for a full 100 years with no results. In the end, he angrily returned empty-handed.
It had been a long time since Wu Kuang last appeared, so there was no saying whether he was even alive or not. In any case, more than 200 years had passed since the last time he showed his face and was chased by Withering Flame Divine Monarch.
After listening to the explanation, Yang Kai had a strange expression on his face despite knowing that Wu Kuang would not live a quiet and peaceful life. When he brought Wu Kuang to the Shattered Heaven, he knew that the latter was bound to stir up a storm.
Nevertheless, he never imagined that Wu Kuang would be so reckless as to provoke the three Great Divine Monarchs.
Even so, most of the cultivators in the Shattered Heaven were criminals, so with Wu Kuang’s wicked personality and his Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he couldn’t show mercy in this place.
Of course, Wu Kuang was no fool, so he knew his limits. The disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would often come to the Shattered Heaven for life experience and training, but even if Wu Kuang encountered them, he would not attack them. He knew that nothing would happen to him if he killed the local cultivators in the Shattered Heaven, but he was bound to suffer if he provoked the ire of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
More than 1,000 years ago, Yang Kai fled from the Shattered Heaven and escaped into the Shattered Ruins when he was chased by Bright Sun Divine Monarch Cheng Yang. On the other hand, Wu Kuang was chased by Ku Yan and fled into the Shattered Ruins around 300 hundred years ago.
Their experiences were rather similar.
As for Wu Kuang’s absence for the past 200 years, the man surnamed Wu speculated that he had died. On the contrary, Yang Kai did not believe that speculation at all. As the saying went, ‘The good die young, but a scourge lasts 1,000 years’. By that logic, with how treacherous Wu Kuang was, he would probably live forever.
It was just that the Shattered Ruins was not a pleasant place. The Divine Ability Sea surrounding the outer layer of the Shattered Ruins was filled with various dangers, so Wu Kuang had most likely been trapped there.
As Yang Kai was thinking such thoughts, a Blood River surged and swept across the Barren Territory battlefield. The Blood River wrapped around a Feudal Lord, churning violently with an extremely corrosive nature.
Caught in the Blood River, even the Feudal Lord could not endure. It didn’t take more than a few breaths for his body to dissolve and Black Ink Strength to dissipate. The Blood River then fearlessly devoured and refined the body of the Feudal Lord, growing even stronger after receiving this nourishment.
On this battlefield, the only person who could cause such a scene was Blood Crow.
Together with Yang Kai during the great crusade, Blood Crow had used his Grand Evolution Immoral Blood Light Scripture to refine Black Ink Clansmen and obtained a great harvest as a result. After tasting such benefits, he had continued using this method to fight.
Although he suffered some drawbacks after refining Black Ink Clansmen, he would be safe as long as he consumed large amounts of the Purifying Black Ink Pill or used the Purifying Light in the Purifying Black Ink Battleships. Consequently, Blood Crow was the most frequent visitor to the Purifying Black Ink Battleships at Yin-Yang Pass.
Be that as it may, his growth was extremely remarkable. He could now be considered among the strongest Seventh-Order Masters alive. Even Feng Ying from back then could not compare with him. Combined with his brutal method of fighting the Black Ink Clan, even his comrades, who were part of the Human Race, couldn’t help feeling frightened of him.
Just as he was about to successfully refine the Feudal Lord though, a figure rushed over from the side and reached out a hand. A mysterious energy surged, forcefully stealing away most of the energy inside the Blood River.
Blood Crow was furious. Turning to the side, he roared, “Wu Kuang, can you be more shameless!?”
Wu Kuang snorted with laughter, “You’ve eaten too much. Be careful, or your belly might burst. This King is simply helping you out. There’s no need to thank me!”
Blood Crow was so furious that his face visibly twitched.
He originally thought that Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was the evillest Secret Art in the world, until he encountered this person known as Wu Kuang on the Barren Territory battlefield.
Wu Kuang cultivated a Secret Technique known as the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. The effects of this Secret Technique were similar to Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture as they both refined foreign energy to enhance their strength.
However, the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture could only refine Blood Essence, while there was nothing the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could not refine. Forget the Blood Essence of the Black Ink Clan, even Black Ink Strength could be refined with the latter!
When Blood Crow first saw Wu Kuang directly refining Black Ink Strength, he was shocked to the core.
Black Ink Strength was extremely corruptive. Once touched by Black Ink Strength, it would stick to a person like maggots on rotting bones. If the Human Race did not have Purifying Light and Purifying Black Ink Pills, there would not have been a crusade in the first place. They would also have suffered a crushing defeat by the Black Ink Clan during the battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction without these two methods.
Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could prevent Black Ink Strength from corrupting them to a degree, but Wu Kuang could just rush straight into the dense Black Ink Clouds to refine them.
What shocked Blood Crow even more was that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was said to be a Secret Art created by Wu Kuang himself! This kind of genius was simply awe-inspiring!
If that were all, Blood Crow would have been scrambling over his feet to become close acquaintances with Wu Kuang to exchange their experiences in refining and devouring. They might even have become close friends. However, Wu Kuang constantly snatched the benefits that were just about to fall into his hands. Such actions infuriated Blood Crow and made him hate Wu Kuang.
There was nothing he could do though since his Secret Art was inferior. He could only resign himself to his fate or curse at Wu Kuang even though his prey had been stolen as he couldn’t do anything more to Wu Kuang.
Thanks to the powerful devouring nature of their respective Secret Arts, these two were considered apex Seventh-Order Masters. They also made a name for themselves on the Barren Territory battlefield, standing out from even the top Seventh-Order Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
However, Blood Crow had enough self-awareness to know there could only be one outcome to a duel between the two of them.
He would be completely devoured by Wu Kuang and turned into nothing but a pile of bones!
When it came to devouring energy, the Grand Evolution Immoral Blood Light Scripture paled in comparison to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
At the moment, both Wu Kuang and Blood Crow were under the jurisdiction of the Great Evolution Army. They served as Division Commander Feng Ying’s right-hand men!
Wu Kuang’s appearance in Barren Territory was the result of a series of coincidences. A while back, he had offended one of Ku Yan’s men and Withering Flame Divine Monarch personally came forward to kill him. Wu Kuang had no choice but to flee into the Shattered Ruins in the hopes that the dangers there would help him escape Ku Yan’s pursuit.
Wu Kuang was an intelligent fellow, so it was not surprising he could think up the same strategy that Yang Kai once used.
Wu Kuang broke into the Shattered Ruins and was caught in the Divine Ability Sea, but he was actually more fortunate than Yang Kai.
Yang Kai deduced that no one heard anything from Wu Kuang for 200 years because he was stranded inside the Divine Ability Sea, but in reality, Wu Kuang managed to get out of that place after just one year; furthermore, he even stumbled into the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land by chance.
He had no clue he was in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and assumed that he had fallen into an unknown Sealed World. Just as he was searching for opportunities, he chanced upon a golden rooster.
That golden rooster was innocent and naive. He had apparently lived much of his life in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and was unfamiliar with the sinister side of Humans’. In fact, he even excitedly approached Wu Kuang, an unfamiliar face.
Wu Kuang, a lawless person through and through, immediately started getting ideas when he noticed that the golden rooster seemed to possess a Divine Spirit Bloodline but was still just a fledgling.
While he had devoured all kinds of beings in his life, Wu Kuang had not tasted a Divine Spirit with power equivalent to a Master in the Open Heaven Realm before. There was a high chance that his power would soar to greater heights if he could consume this rooster.
With this mind made up, Wu Kuang decided to act immediately. He used his Heaven Devouring Battle Law to try and devour the golden rooster, but just as he made his move, a much bigger golden rooster appeared.
Wu Kuang finally realised that an older golden rooster had followed the little one, and the older one’s strength was akin to a peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master!
Once again, Wu Kuang cut a sorry figure as he fled. In fact, he would likely have met a disastrous end if the commotion had not drawn the attention of Shan Qing Luo, who was cultivating nearby.
The two were shocked to see each other as neither expected to run into an acquaintance from the outside world in this place.
Shan Qing Luo acted as a mediator and Wu Kuang was able to set aside his pride and sincerely apologise. After finding out that Wu Kuang was an old acquaintance of Yang Kai, and since Great General had not actually been harmed, Mie Meng decided to let Wu Kuang off the hook just this once. Thus, things were settled just like that.
However, Mie Meng did give Wu Kuang a harsh warning. She would not show any mercy if he ever tried to approach her child again.
Naturally, Wu Kuang gave his word, for what that was worth…
After talking to Shan Qing Luo, Wu Kuang finally realised that he had ended up in Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. Shan Qing Luo was not the only one here either. Su Yan, Zhu Qing, and all the others from Void Land who had Divine Spirit Sources and Bloodlines were all cultivating here and had been for several hundred years.
Ordinary Humans were not allowed to remain in Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, so Shan Qing Luo reached out to Su Yan and the others. They were all discussing sending Wu Kuang away when the Black Ink Clan captured the No-Return Pass and the war erupted in the Barren Territory.
The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan sent word for the Divine Spirits in Ancestral Land to come to their aid in the Barren Territory.
When the Divine Spirits received this message, they rushed to the No-Return Pass at once with the Four Phoenix Pavilion and Kun Clan at the helm. Wu Kuang decided to tag along to witness the excitement.
For the time being, he dared not return to the Shattered Heaven, so he figured he might as well join the fun on the Barren Territory battlefield.
Due to their connection with Yang Kai, the others apart from the Divine Spirits from the Ancestral Land, such as Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, Liu Yan, Jiu Feng, and the others from the Star Boundary were all taken into the Great Evolution Army under the command of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
Once the group arrived at the Barren Territory battlefield, Wu Kuang took to the place like a duck to water. He could unleash his Heaven Devouring Battle Law here to the fullest without anyone condemning him, allowing his cultivation to rise rapidly.
He felt as if he had been born for battlefields such as this. Black Ink Strength, something that all Humans feared and reviled, was actually the greatest supplement he could obtain.
In this place, Wu Kuang developed a kind of kinship with Blood Crow, who cultivated the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. He took good care of the latter, so much so that anyone who saw his actions would be moved by him, in a good way, of course.
…..
Of course, Yang Kai knew nothing of Wu Kuang’s eventful escapades. After giving his instructions to the Senior Brother and Junior Sister of Heavenly River Palace, he passed them a large number of Purifying Black Ink Pills and informed them that anyone who was corrupted by Black Ink Strength but had not turned into a Black Ink Disciple yet could consume this pill to drive the Black Ink Strength out of their body.
The woman had experienced this herself and so greatly valued these pills. She accepted them with a grateful heart before both she and her Senior Brother vowed that they would do as Yang Kai requested and ensure that his instructions were carried out to the letter.
It was only then that Yang Kai took his leave.
“Are you not heading to Barren Territory?” Ji Lao San quickly asked when he noticed that Yang Kai seemed to be heading in the wrong direction.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Something’s happened in the Shattered Heaven. Black Ink Disciples have shown up here, so I need to investigate their movements and check where they came from. I will have to trouble you with something though, Brother Ji.”
“Do tell.”
“Make a trip to Barren Territory and tell them that Black Ink Disciples have appeared in the Shattered Heaven. Also, please ask the Old Ancestors there if a Royal Lord has used the Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt some Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. If that’s indeed the case, then I’m afraid a portal from the Barren Territory to the Shattered Heaven has somehow been opened. The Old Ancestors must locate the point of connection and find a way to block the linkage. The Phoenix Clan’s Leader should be able to take care of it!”
Ji Lao San was fully aware of the severity of this request, so he immediately nodded and agreed, “I understand. I’ll leave for the Barren Territory right now.”
“Also, tell them to send some people over to the Shattered Heaven to guard the Territory Gates.”
Since there were Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven, if the Humans did not seal off this place at once, it was likely that the threat of the Black Ink Clan would soon spread to the other Great Territories.
The situation would still be manageable if the Black Ink Clan remained contained within the Shattered Heaven, but it would be impossible to control the threat if too many Great Territories were infected by Black Ink Strength.
Yang Kai would have personally gone over the seal off the Territory Gate to the Shattered Heaven if he had not been in a rush to pursue the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.
Ji Lao San swiftly sprinted for the Barren Territory’s Territory Gate while Yang Kai rushed towards the Shattered Ruins.
According to what the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple said, he ran into the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples by chance and they corrupted him with Black Ink Strength. After doing so, they did not tell him to do anything else other than to corrupt other Humans with Black Ink Strength.
From the looks of it, they had no specific motive for doing so and had merely done it because the opportunity presented itself to them.
It was likely that there were others in the Shattered Heaven who were in the same situation as that Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple, but it would be hard to pinpoint them if these Black Ink Disciples did not expose themselves.
If things were exactly as Yang Kai guessed, then it was very likely that another portal had opened between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven.
However, the situation in the Shattered Heaven was still fairly stable, which meant that if a new portal existed, it was probably highly unstable. Or else, the Black Ink Clan Army would have flooded through the portal and laid siege to the Humans instead of merely sending two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples over.
They sent Black Ink Disciples because it was easier for them to move about unnoticed since they were Humans. If the Black Ink Clan showed up instead, everyone would easily recognise them for who they were. How could they possibly engage in subterfuge if everyone targeted them everywhere they went?
Yang Kai did not know what the situation was truly like right now, so all of this was just his deductions.
He was even more curious to find out about the purpose behind the appearance of the two Black Ink Disciples.
Although they were heading towards the Shattered Ruins, there was very little chance that they were aiming to get to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. There was nothing of value to them there.
However, a thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind and his expression turned grim at once.
He finally realised what he had been forgetting all along.
[Divine Spirit Ancestral Land! Black Ink Sealing Land! That Black Ink Giant Spirit God!]
Yang Kai would not have given it much thought if it had not been for the precedent set by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God which appeared on the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
That Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Late Ancient Era battlefield had clearly already died, though his body remained indestructible and even retained the Will to slaughter his enemies. However, the Black Ink Clan used some sort of method to bring it back to life. As a result, outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods attacked the Human Race Army from both sides and caused their defeat.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Lane had been dead for many years, but its body remained.
Since the Black Ink Clan could awaken a dead Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Late Ancient Era battlefield, why would they not awaken the one in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land?
If the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had come with that goal in mind, there was only one possibility!
They wanted to reawaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God at Divine Spirit Ancestral Land!
Yang Kai felt goosebumps all over his scalp.
A Giant Spirit God was too powerful of an existence. Even if over a dozen Old Ancestors joined forces, they might still fail to lay a finger on a Giant Spirit God.
Although the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were created by Mo, they were essentially on par with true Giant Spirit Gods. Just their massive size was enough to easily unleash Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering power.
Had Mo reached the realm of being able to create living beings? The fabled Creation Realm!?
If the Black Ink Clan had the power to awaken and unleash the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, the Humans were done for.
No one but a Giant Spirit God could stop a Black Ink Giant Spirit God!
After thinking this through, Yang Kai became frantic and desperately urged his Space Principles, moving with all speed towards the Shattered Ruins.
In half a month, he arrived on the outskirts of the Divine Ability Sea. It looked just the same as the last time he came here, as if the passing of time meant nothing in this place.
The situation at this Divine Ability Sea was similar to the Late Ancient Era battlefield, but the one there had been left after a great battle, whereas the one here was specifically created by Humans.
The last time Yang Kai was here, he did not understand why there was the Divine Ability Sea here until he saw the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
The Divine Ability Sea was a barrier against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, acting like a cage to keep it imprisoned.
However, the Ancestral Strength of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was able to suppress Black Ink Strength, and the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress of that generation used the Sacred Treasures of 16 Divine Spirit Clans to forge an immense Sealing Array. After countless aeons, the Ancestral Strength had worn away all of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s power, leaving nothing but an empty shell behind.
This was the reason why Yang Kai did not consider this possibility until now.
He secretly hoped that the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples’ motives were not as he deduced as he dove straight into the Divine Ability Sea.
He was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master the last time he came here, so he and Xia Lin Lang went through great pains before they stumbled into the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Now that he was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai was over 100 times stronger than he was back then, so he simply forged ahead boldly.
The Divine Ability Sea had been left behind innumerable years ago and its power had weakened during that period. The main reason why Yang Kai managed to take Xia Lin Lang through the Divine Ability Sea when he was just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, other than his mastery over the Dao of Space, was this weakening.
He had to tread carefully then, but he did not need to do so now after he had gotten stronger and improved his mastery of the Dao of Space.
As Yang Kai was in a hurry, he could not spare the time to worry about much else. He dashed straight through and triggered countless barriers and restrictions. Divine Abilities situated throughout the area all activated and chased him down as he flitted through the void, making it look as if he had a tail made of rainbow-coloured lights behind him.
He did encounter a few setbacks, but they did not affect him much.
Within the short span of 10 days or so, Yang Kai managed to make his way through the Divine Ability Sea and step foot onto Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, albeit with a bruised and battered body.
This was a truly ancient place and was also the origin of all Divine Spirits. It was said that back in the earliest days, a myriad of Divine Spirits lived and flourished here; however, over time, the conflict between the various Divine Spirits grew until it culminated in a dreadful war.
The place of origin of the Divine Spirits had fragmented in the destruction and the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land of today was merely the largest piece that remained.
Even so, it was still the Divine Spirits’ most important Holy Land. Although Ancestral Strength could cause great harm to those who did not have a Divine Spirit Bloodline, it was a great help to those who did. By using Ancestral Strength, Divine Spirits could significantly shorten the time it took for them to cultivate and grow.
The last time Yang Kai came here, the Ancestral Strength had become thin and sparse, which was why the Divine Spirits, under the leadership of the Kun Clan, were all eager to open up the Black Ink Sealing Land as the Ancestral Strength was thick and abundant there.
Now that Yang Kai was here in this Ancestral Land again, he immediately sensed that the Ancestral Strength was a lot more plentiful than it had been before. While there were dangers that came with opening the Black Ink Sealing Land, the Divine Spirits did benefit from the Ancestral Strength that flowed out from the Black Ink Sealing Land.
However, Yang Kai was in no mood to ponder the changes in the Ancestral Strength density right now. As soon as he arrived, a fierce battle that was happening a great distance away instantly caught his attention.
He looked over and saw two flashes of light, one black and one white, tangled up together in the void. The Ancestral Land in its entirety rumbled and quaked each time the two flashes of light came into contact, which made it obvious that two Masters were engaged in battle.
Now and then, shrill, sorrowful bird cries pierced through the air.
Yang Kai’s expression hardened. He cursed under his breath at how fast the enemy had arrived. Even though he rushed over as quickly as he could, he still failed to arrive in time.
By now, he was more than clear that his earlier deductions were accurate. The two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were after the Black Ink Giant Spirit God inside the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, planning on reawakening it!
The fight that was happening in the distance was between Hong Hu of Four Phoenix Pavilion and one of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, though Yang Kai did not know which one.
Yang Kai swiftly concealed his aura and raced over.
Halfway there, he spotted a large group of Divine Spirits in various states fleeing in his direction. The one in the lead was a golden rooster that was about as tall as a building. He held his head up high with its chest puffed out even though he was clearly trying to make an escape.
This golden rooster looked a little familiar to Yang Kai, and when they got closer, he quickly showed himself and called out, “Ruler of the Dawn Great General?”
The golden rooster froze briefly when he saw Yang Kai, but surprise soon took over as he flapped his wings and came over at once. With a flicker of Divine Sense, he communicated to Yang Kai, “What are you doing here?”
Neither one of them could have predicted that they would meet again under such circumstances.
There was no time to catch up however, so Yang Kai quickly explained, “I’m here because I’m chasing after the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. Is Senior Hong Hu holding them back? Where’s the other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple?”
Ruler of the Dawn Great General’s tone was a little bitter, “You’re too late. The two Black Ink Disciples infiltrated this place and snuck up on Senior Kun Ao, who was standing guard here, leaving him gravely injured. Then, one of them stayed here to stop Senior Hong Hu while the other went into the Demon Sealing Land. I don’t know what he’s trying to do there.”
Yang Kai’s heart sank. He saw Hong Hu battling against an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple and assumed that the situation was not quite so dire yet, but unexpectedly, things had already reached the worst-case scenario.
Ruler of the Dawn Great General hurriedly explained the current situation, “A fierce battle has broken out in the Barren Territory, and most of the Divine Spirits have gone to help. Senior Hong Hu and Kun Ao stayed behind to take care of us young ones, but now we can’t even tell if Senior Kun Ao will survive his wounds. I’m leading the young ones as far away as possible to hide. Come with us.”
Although he was huge in size, Great General was still considered a child when viewed in the light of the Divine Spirits’ prolonged growth period. It was the same with the other Divine Spirits behind him. Yang Kai could sense that even the strongest among them was only equal to a Fifth-Order Human Master, incapable of helping much on the battlefield. This was why they had been left behind under the care of Hong Hu and Kun Ao.
This way, even if some of the Divine Spirits who went to aid the Humans in the Barren Territory were sacrificed, their bloodlines would continue.
However, no one expected two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to quietly sneak into the Ancestral Land and heavily injure Kun Ao by catching him off-guard. Hong Hu noticed the commotion and rushed over to stop them, but it was already too late.
One of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples stayed behind to hold Hong Hu back while the other seized the chance to infiltrate the Demon Sealing Land.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I came here to deal with the two Black Ink Disciples. Hurry up and leave, all of you. The other Black Ink Disciple probably intends to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God inside the Demon Sealing Land. The Ancestral Land isn’t safe anymore. You must leave here at once!”
The young Divine Spirits were all panicking, but one of the braver ones declared, “Ruler of the Dawn, let’s turn back and fight back with all we’ve got! Our parents aren’t here and Senior Hong Hu can’t fight alone. We should be defending our home!”
Ruler of the Dawn was young, but he lived among the Humans for a while and was thus a lot more mature than the others, so he swiftly turned around and snapped, “How are you going to fight them? We’re all too weak! We’d just get in the way before dying pointlessly! Do you want your parents to come back to find that even your corpse no longer exists? You’re all leaving with me!”
The young Divine Spirit dared not say anything in rebuttal after being rebuked as Ruler of the Dawn seemed to have some prestige among the little ones.
Initially, Ruler of the Dawn only wanted to lead the young ones away from the battlefield and find someplace further away to hide, but after hearing what Yang Kai said, he knew that they could not stay in Ancestral Land any longer. The Ancestral Land would most likely be destroyed the moment the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple awakened the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Thus, he instantly made the decision to lead the young ones away out of Ancestral Land.
Fortunately, there was the safe passage that he and his Mother took to return to the Ancestral Land back then and he could still remember the way; otherwise, they would all be doomed if they had to break through the Divine Ability Sea like Yang Kai had earlier.
“Yang Kai, hurry up and help Senior Hong Hu,” Ruler of the Dawn quickly said.
Yang Kai nodded, “Be extremely careful, all of you. Once you’ve left the Ancestral Land, don’t stop for anything. Do you still remember Seven Wonders Land?”
Back then, Yang Kai had gotten to know Ruler of the Dawn Great General in Seven Wonders Land, so it was unlikely for him to have forgotten about it, and indeed he nodded right away.
“Head to Seven Wonders Land and look for Bi Xi. Get that old man to protect all of you.”
A large group of young Divine Spirits was far too eye-catching, and things could quickly turn dangerous if those with ulterior motives set their sights on these fledglings. It would be best for them to head to Seven Wonders Land, which was now known as Void Land, and sought protection from Bi Xi.
Yang Kai could have also kept them inside his Small Universe, but he was on a dangerous mission right now and did not know whether he could make it out alive. If he died here, then these young Divine Spirits would all die with him.
The young Divine Spirits were the ones who would carry on their bloodlines, so he dared not take such a risk.
“Go!” Yang Kai said firmly.
“You be careful too!” Ruler of the Dawn called out before fleeing once more with the group of young Divine Spirits.
Yang Kai glanced at the fight between the black and white flashes of light in the sky and breathed out. He decided against hiding his aura again and instead summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and charged into the sky.
At first, only the alarming light of the spear appeared, but a plethora of Dao Strengths soon joined the mix. The imposing aura grew stronger until the earth shook, the sky dimmed, and the wind and clouds whipped around.
As for the two that were fighting on the battlefield, Hong Hu was distraught as what happened today had been far too unexpected. Two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had managed to sneak into the Ancestral Land without anyone noticing them and had gravely injured Kun Ao who had been standing guard. Even though she managed to hold off one of them, the other had already entered the Demon Sealing Land.
She did not know what their motives were and did not have any idea where these two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples came from; thus, she could not stop herself from viewing the situation pessimistically. Had the Barren Territory battlefield been breached as well? Were all her friends dead? Was an enemy invasion on the way?
Still, she was a mature Divine Spirit. Although she did not rank highly among the Divine Spirits, she had a Phoenix Clan Bloodline, so an ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was no match for her.
That being said, her opponent was fighting with reckless abandon, as if he did not care if he died here today, so there was no way Hong Hu could defeat him quickly.
Just as the two clashed, they both detected the appearance of a terrifying Spear Intent, and soon, a flash of piercing aura came from afar and locked onto the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
Hong Hu was gleefully surprised, while the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s expression darkened.
He never thought that an Eighth-Order Master would come over to render aid at a time like this. Furthermore… he was familiar with the newcomer’s aura!
The Black Ink Disciple kept trying to use his Secret Techniques to break off the aura that was locked onto him, but his opponent seemed to have seen this coming and kept increasing the force behind his aura, preventing him from breaking free.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple chuckled bitterly, as if he could tell what his fate would be, “That brat… has actually become an Eighth-Order Master already!”
He could tell who it was from the person’s aura, but he never thought the Brat they all thought had died back then would still be alive. Not only was he still alive, but he even possessed an Eighth-Order cultivation!
Knowing that he would not be leaving this place alive, the Black Ink Disciple gave up any attempt to defend himself and instead channelled all of his power into attacking Hong Hu instead. He wanted to take Hong Hu down with him.
Hong Hu was immediately overwhelmed by a series of relentless attacks, but as she was more powerful than her opponent, she managed to control the situation, even if just barely.
Meanwhile, spear and Master merged into one. As Yang Kai’s Dao Strengths continued to intertwine, his expression turned sorrowful and his eyes turned a little red; however, he resisted the reluctance in his heart and thrust out with all of his power.
At this very moment, he could not help but recall the words he had lectured Jiu Yan with back when they were outside the Universe Temple.
On that battlefield, countless soldiers had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength and ended up serving the Black Ink Clan as they fought against those who were once their Fellow Brothers!
‘How would you ever know the agony and helplessness of having to kill those who were once your closest allies?’
Back then, Yang Kai was only trying to reprimand Jiu Yan with those words. He never imagined that they would be so prophetic!
Despite being part of the Black Ink Battlefield for so many years, Yang Kai had actually killed very few Black Ink Disciples.
Since he could use Purifying Light, he would save any Black Ink Disciples he encountered whenever possible.
Shen Ao, Ning Qi Zhi, and Qi Tai Chu were just some of the ones he saved; however, after years of crusades, out of those three Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that he saved, Shen Ao was the only one left. Ning Qi Zhi and Qi Tai Chu had both fallen in battle.
Sacrificing their lives in battle was an honourable death for both of them, though it did not make their passing any less sad.
Yang Kai never thought that there would come a time when he would have to do just as he said to Jiu Yan and kill someone who once fought alongside him in battle, and an Elder who took great care of him at that!
He did not have any Yellow or Blue Crystals left with him and thus could not use Purifying Light, but even if he could, he did not have the chance to do so.
After all, Yang Kai’s opponent was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with formidable strength and was fully aware of Purifying Light. After being corrupted by Black Ink Strength, Yang Kai knew his opponent would fight to the bitter end and never give him a chance to purify him.
Perhaps there might have been hope under different circumstances, but this situation was critical and Yang Kai had to end the fight as swiftly as possible so that he could head over to the Black Ink Sealing Land to stop the other Black Ink Disciple!
Yang Kai’s silhouette turned into a ray of light as his Dao Strengths combined. The dominance of his spear today surpassed every other attack he had ever launched as all of the Ancestral Land’s Principles resonated with him.
“Please go on ahead, Elder Lu!”
Yang Kai bellowed with great agony. His voice echoed all around as the pain and sorrow in it almost seemed as if it was dripping with blood.
“Magnificent!” Lu An, who was still relentlessly battling Hong Hu, roared with laughter. He did not show any signs of fearing death. His hands kept moving as he sent out several of Yin-Yang Heaven’s profound Secret Techniques. He turned a piece of the sky into the powers of Yin and Yang, which acted like a pair of scissors that launched ferociously cut towards Hong Hu.
Before he died, he wanted to drag Hong Hu down with him to make it easier for his partner.
Hong Hu cried out and a dazzling white light appeared to protect her. The strength of a Divine Spirit was unleashed to its fullest as she was forced to assume her True Form, a flawless phoenix-like creature.
Even though she was more powerful than Lu An, she dared not underestimate him as he was literally fighting with his life on the line, forcing her into a defensive posture.
The powers of Yin and Yang cut through the void and the light which had been protecting Hong Hu’s body was sheared apart. As feathers scattered in the air, Hong Hu gasped in pain as her blood splattered across the sky.
However, she at least managed to avoid suffering a fatal blow.
Just as Hong Hu was injured, the light of a spear brushed past Lu An.
It was as if the black and white in the sky were disarmed with a binding technique as they immediately froze, their intense fight coming to an abrupt halt.
Yang Kai had his back towards the Elder, tears streaming down his cheeks. His veins bulged out of his arm as he tightened his grip around his spear.
“Damn!” Lu An lamentingly sighed, “I’ve fought on the Black Ink Battlefield for more than 6,000 years. I’m old now, but it seems I can’t even maintain my dignity in my final moments. I’m too embarrassed to face the Ancestors of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
At last, Yang Kai slowly turned around and bowed deeply to Lu An.
He heard someone mentioning that when Mi Jing Lun took back Great Evolution Pass, he instructed the Black Ink Clan to leave behind all Black Ink Disciples who were below the Seventh Order. They could not be saved as they had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength for too long and relied on it to break through their innate restrictions.
Even Xiang Shan did not know what to do with those Black Ink Disciples, so in the end, they had to report the matter up to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao did not hesitate at all, and with a single blow, all the Black Ink Disciples received a fatal injury.
However, just before their deaths, they seemed to return to their old selves for a moment, freed at last.
Lu An’s behaviour was evidently a sign that he had regained his former self; after all, he had not been under the corruption of Black Ink Strength for long and was originally an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. His situation was a lot better than that of those Black Ink Disciples back then.
“This Junior still remembers everything that you have taught and will never forget the words you have spoken. This Junior now sends you off, Elder!” Yang Kai softly declared in grief.
Lu An was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who took great care of Yang Kai when he first entered Blue Sky Pass as he partly counted as someone from Yin-Yang Heaven.
At that time, Yang Kai still possessed a World Spring, one of the Four Universe Pillars, and the superiors of Blue Sky Pass naturally discussed extracting it to give to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master instead.
The Four Universe Pillars were far too important for the Human Race as they could be used to resist Black Ink Strength. The best use for such a tool was in the hands of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
During that discussion, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Tian Xiu Zhu strongly petitioned to take the World Spring away from Yang Kai and grant it to Lu An, who could be considered Yang Kai’s Elder. Lu An naturally tried to decline, and as the discussion progressed, the situation was eventually resolved.
However, after Yang Kai and Dawn Squad were reassigned to the Great Evolution Army, he never got to meet Lu An again.
Yang Kai never thought they would meet again under these circumstances, and that he would be forced to kill Lu An.
After hearing Yang Kai’s words, Lu An nodded and hurriedly said, “Ye Ming of Azure Nether Paradise is carrying one of Mo’s Soul Clones and intends to use it to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God here. Mo created this Soul Clone before being sealed up. You have to stop Ye Ming!”
Yang Kai’s expression turned grim, “One of Mo’s Soul Clones?”
“Every Black Ink Giant Spirit God can be considered one of Mo’s Soul Clones. As its body is essentially indestructible, it can be awakened with Mo’s Soul Clone. A secondary passage between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven has opened, but it’s highly unstable. If the Giant Spirit God is awakened here and joins forces with the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory though, they can permanently open that passage!”
Lu An’s expression faltered once he finished speaking and muttered, “Seems my time’s up…”
As soon as he said those words, his eyes drooped and his body fell limp.
Yang Kai’s spear had destroyed his vitality, but through sheer force of Will, Lu An held on just a little longer to relay this information.
Yang Kai’s heart was pounding wildly after hearing what Lu An had to say while all the colour drained out of Hong Hu’s face as well.
Everyone thought that Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were simply powerful servants that Mo had created, but Lu An now informed them that the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were actually Mo’s Soul Clones!
Mo’s true body was sealed up inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and could not escape, but it seemed it was still possible for Mo to send out its Soul Clones.
This meant that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction back then had been one of Mo’s Soul Clones as well.
This explained why the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Late Ancient Era battlefield could still come back to life after being dead for so many years.
Mo must have sent out more than one Soul Clone without anyone noticing, and one of them had entered the body of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God on the Late Ancient Era battlefield. After being revived, that Black Ink Giant Spirit God snuck up on the Humans from behind and the crusade failed, falling short at the last moment.
Another Soul Clone had been brought to this place by Lu An and Azure Nether Paradise’s Ye Ming.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body was indestructible, so as long as it had Mo’s Soul Clone, it could come back to life.
Yang Kai also found it tough to swallow the news that there was indeed a second passage between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven. Although he had guessed at such a possibility earlier, it was only a guess, and he held onto the hope that he was wrong.
Now, all his hopes were dashed.
Thankfully, Lu An said that the passage was highly unstable and needed the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Demon Sealing Land to join forces with the one in the Barren Territory to open it permanently.
There was still a chance to turn things around if he could stop the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from awakening.
At last, Yang Kai finally understood why the Black Ink Clan did not send an Army but just a couple of Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples instead.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to send their Army, but rather that they couldn’t. Sending two Black Ink Disciples to revive the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was the best option available. As long as they succeeded, no one could stop the Black Ink Clan from carrying out their plan unless several Ninth-Order Old Ancestors came over to deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
But, could several Old Ancestors come over?
The answer would definitely be a no. The Barren Territory battle was already a worrying situation with the Humans at a disadvantage; thus, none of the Ninth-Order Masters could leave easily.
All sorts of thoughts raced through Yang Kai’s mind as he rushed towards the Black Ink Sealing Land. Hong Hu could not waste time tending to her injuries either as she followed closely behind.
The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan had partitioned the Black Ink Sealing Land with an unbreakable barrier, but that seal had been lifted back then. Now, the entrance to the Demon Sealing Land was just a large portal that Ancestral Strength continued to flow out of.
Yang Kai and Hong Hu dashed through the portal and arrived inside Demon Sealing Land, but their hearts dropped as soon as they saw what was going on inside!
Black Ink Strength from the Black Ink Giant Spirit God at the centre of the sealed land was surging, seeming to congealing around its body while an imposing aura was swiftly recovering.
They were too late!
Apparently, it was far easier than anyone expected to revive a Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Ye Ming of Azure Nether Paradise had not been inside for long, at most half a day, but all he seemingly had to do was plant Mo’s Soul Clone inside the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Yang Kai did not know who Ye Ming was, but he spotted him right away.
Ye Ming was lying on top of a hill, his aura completely dried up, like there wasn’t a drop of vitality left in him. He was barely more than a bag of bones and his breath was failing. It was clear that he would soon die.
He, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, now looked like an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before.
Upon noticing Yang Kai and Hong Hu’s arrival, Ye Ming mustered the strength to glance at them and eke out a bitter smile.
Lu An had only told Yang Kai that Ye Ming had one of Mo’s Soul Clone with him and wanted to reawaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, but even Lu An did not know that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have to pay a heavy price to carry one of Mo’s Soul Clones with him.
Ye Ming’s current state was the price he had to pay.
Mo was a Supreme Master, formed from the Primordial Darkness alongside the Primordial Light at the beginning of the Universe. Mo far exceeded the Open Heaven Realm as Humans knew it, while even the powerful Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods could only count as Mo’s Soul Clones.
Even a mere Soul Clone of such a being was not something that just anyone could hold onto.
Even if a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor carried it, it would still severely damage their foundation within a short time.
An Eighth-Order Master like Ye Ming would have to pay with his life.
Knowing that Ye Ming was about to die, Yang Kai simply sighed. He knew Lu An well, but was forced to kill him himself. Thus, he was deeply sorrowful over that; however, he was not acquainted with Ye Ming. Also, after so many years of battles and witnessing death countless times on the battlefield, while Yang Kai felt pity at the imminent death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it was simply that.
Staring at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God whose aura continued to rise, Yang Kai gripped his spear tightly, “Leave first, Senior Hong Hu.”
Hong Hu turned to him, “What about you?”
“Someone has to deal with this,” Yang Kai replied.
“Can you deal with it?”
To such a question, Yang Kai could only grimly shake his head.
Yang Kai was only an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but even if a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor came here, they would not be confident about facing off against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
All he could do was go all out!
“I’ll stay here with you!” Hong Hu declared.
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “Senior Hong Hu, you heard what Elder Lu said, right? Someone needs to take this information back to the others. There’s no one else here apart from you and me. Who will pass this information along to our allies if we both die here? I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to make the trip, Senior.”
Hong Hu wanted to argue, but no words came out.
At first, she wanted to say that Kun Ao was here too, but Lu An and Ye Ming had managed to sneak attack him earlier. Kun Ao was still unconscious from his injuries and it was uncertain whether he would even survive or not, so how could he be the messenger?
“Before I came, I asked someone from the Dragon Clan to rush over to the Barren Territory battlefield; unfortunately, the situation has changed and we’ve run out of time. You must leave now, Senior!”
Hong Hu clenched her jaw and nodded solemnly, “Be careful.”
Immediately, she turned around and sped out of the Demon Sealing Land. After locating Kun Ao, who was still unconscious, she swiftly left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land with him.
Meanwhile, Ji Lao San went through the Shattered Heaven’s Territory Gate and finally arrived at the Barren Territory battlefield. Soon, he saw the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor who was overseeing the nearby battlefield.
“Senior, have any of the Eighth-Order Masters on the Barren Territory battlefield been corrupted by Black Ink Strength?” Ji Lao San quickly asked as per Yang Kai’s instructions.
The Old Ancestor did not understand why Ji Lao San was asking about this all of a sudden, but he did know about such a situation, so he nodded, “Many years ago, a Royal Lord managed to sneak into the battlefield and use his Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.”
That Royal Lord who used the Royal Lord Secret Technique even sacrificed his life to do so.
This was the reason why the Royal Lords dared not arbitrarily use the Royal Lord Secret Technique. It was incredibly useful as even Eighth-Order Masters could be immediately turned into Black Ink Disciples, but each time it was used, it would also damage the user’s foundation.
A nearby Old Ancestor took advantage of the opportunity to strike the Royal Lord down after he corrupted a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength.
Although the Humans lost a handful of Eighth-Order Masters, they managed to kill one of their enemy’s Royal Lords. Generally speaking, it could be said that the Humans came out on top.
This Ninth-Order Old Ancestor could still remember that the Human Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength included Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Lu An, Azure Nether Paradise’s Ye Ming, and an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yuan Origin Paradise.
No one could figure out why that Royal Lord had done such a thing. Throughout the past 500 years of war, a significant number of Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords had died, leaving the top battle strength of both races at around 30% of their peak, with the rest having fallen in battle!
Under these circumstances, Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were indispensable forces to the war. Both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan were now far less inclined to have their top Masters engage in battles as any casualties among them could tip the balance of the war.
“How did you know about this?” The Old Ancestor stared at Ji Lao San in puzzlement. According to what Ji Lao San had said, Yang Kai was the one who brought him back through Black Territory via a hidden Void Corridor on the Black Ink Battlefield before travelling through the Shattered Heaven to arrive at the Barren Territory battlefield.
Shouldn’t this Dragon be clueless as to what happened here?
All the colour drained out of Ji Lao San’s face as his heart filled with dread. It was exactly as Yang Kai deduced.
Ji Lao San hurriedly explained about how he and Yang Kai chased down a Black Ink Disciple in the Shattered Heaven and discovered that two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had entered the Shattered Heaven.
The Ninth-Order Old Ancestor’s expression turned extremely grim as he listened to this story.
Several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength some years ago, so it could not be a coincidence that two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had shown up at the Shattered Heaven now. There was a high possibility that Yang Kai was right. There had to be another passage between the Barren Territory battlefield and the outside world, though it remained to be seen whether the passage connected to the Shattered Heaven.
The Old Ancestor could not afford to waste any more time and quickly passed the message along to the other Old Ancestors.
All at once, flashes of Divine Sense whizzed through the air through all forms of communication devices.
The Human Race learned from the functions of the Black Ink Nest and created a set of artifacts that would make communication and transmitting messages a lot more convenient.
While many of the functions had not been perfected, it was still good enough to use to communicate across the entire Barren Territory battlefield.
Soul Avatars began popping up in that Artifact Space and the news soon reached every single one of the Old Ancestors, whose expressions slowly hardened.
Divine Senses resonated as they communicated, and soon, the Old Ancestors agreed.
The most important task right now was to find the opening that connected the Barren Territory battlefield to the outside world. Once they found where it was, they could address the core of the crisis.
The Barren Territory was naturally formed, but was heavily altered by Human hands. The ancestors of the Human Race mimicked the actions of Cang and the others and isolated the Barren Territory by splitting it from all other Great Territory.
There had originally been more than one Territory Gate that led to this Great Territory, but the ancient Humans had done everything they could to either destroy or seal up the other Territory Gates, leaving just a single one that connected to the Shattered Heaven.
This new opening had to be one of the original Territory Gates, but as they had been sealed up hundreds of thousands of years ago at least, even the Old Ancestors were unclear where the original portals were.
They had no choice but to send messages back to the various Cave Heavens and Paradises’ Master Sects to ask those there to go through the ancient books and records in hopes of finding some clues.
They also sent word to the Phoenix Clan Masters and sought their help as their attainments in the Dao of Space meant they could search for Space Principle fluctuations within the Barren Territory.
If there was indeed an opening somewhere, then there would be faint traces of Space Principle fluctuations emanating from it. The Phoenix Clan was the most adept at investigating this.
In this way, a month passed as the numerous Phoenix Clan Masters searched the entire Barren Territory, but found nothing. However, several Cave Heavens and Paradises sent word that they found records pertaining to the original Territory Gates in the Barren Territory.
The Old Ancestors came together and combed through the records.
According to these ancient records, the Barren Territory originally had four Territory Gates. One connected to the Shattered Heaven, while the other three connected to three other Great Territories.
After comparing the records and confirming the present topography of the Barren Territory, the Old Ancestors soon located the opening!
It was where the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God had died!
The Black Ink Clan had two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. The first was the one who came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but at the time, Cang had borrowed the strength of Mu and forcefully closed the Grand Restriction, slicing that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body in half.
The second Black Ink Giant Spirit God was revived from the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
It was these two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods who combined their powers and doomed the Crusade Force. The Human Race were forced to retreat to the No-Return Pass, but as they were confronted by the combined strength of two Giant Spirits Gods, they could not defend the No-Return Pass either. In the end, they retreated once more to the Barren Territory.
Once there, the Human Race relied on arrangements they had made over the millennia to finally establish a solid defense line. It was also there that the Humans gained a powerful ally in the form of Ah Er, the Giant Spirit God who flew in and dealt a crushing blow to the enemy.
Ah Er and numerous Old Ancestors joined forces to kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit God whose body had been broken in half by the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, leaving its corpse to rot in the void.
Yang Kai even encountered that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body when he led Ou Yang Lie and the others out of the No-Return Pass and into the Barren Territory.
However, no one had ever imagined that the place where the fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body had landed was atop one of Barren Territory’s former Territory Gates.
The Phoenix Clan could not detect any sign of Space Principle fluctuations throughout the past month, but that was most likely because they were being hidden by the dense Black Ink Strength that remained after the death of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
At last, the Humans figured out the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
There was a high chance that the Black Ink Clan had already decided to sacrifice that first Black Ink Giant Spirit God and use its body to hide the existence of the original Territory Gate. On top of that, the concentrated Black Ink Strength could be used to wear down the seal on the portal and create an opening.
Next, one of their Royal Lords used his Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt numerous Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength. In the chaos of the war, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength silently snuck out through the opening and headed to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land in the Shattered Ruins to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God there!
While these were merely conjectures by the Old Ancestors, it was in fact, the reality.
What they did not know was that it was three, not two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who left through the opening. While Lu An and Ye Ming travelled to the Shattered Heaven together, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yuan Origin Paradise had another task assigned to him that the Humans were as of yet unaware of.
Now that they had come to this conclusion, a lot of things became clear to them.
One of the things they now understood was the reason why the constant battles between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan over the past years mainly occurred a great distance away from that fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body.
Up till now, the Humans never thought much of it since the Black Ink Strength that had spread after the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God terrified them and they did not want to get near that area.
Yet, from the looks of it now, the Black Ink Clan had done this on purpose and were pleased that it worked.
Furthermore, even the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was surprising to all, even though Ah Er and numerous Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had joined forces to kill it.
At the time, the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Late Ancient Era battlefield had not come forward to aid the first one, despite being completely capable of joining the fight and saving the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
At the time, the Humans assumed that Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods did not have a high enough sentience to understand tactics, or what it meant to rescue an ally, but from the looks of it now, the Black Ink Clan was merely taking advantage of the situation.
Even if Giant Spirit God Ah Er did not come to help the Humans, the Black Ink Clan would have probably have found a way to make sure that the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God died in battle at that very spot.
Only with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s death could they use the dense Black Ink Strength inside its body to erode the boundary walls while simultaneously concealing what they were doing.
This was all part of the Black Ink Clan’s sinister plot!
Even the Royal Lords could not have plotted this. The only one who had the ability to formulate such a strategy had to be Mo, the ancient Supreme Master.
Since Mo was so ancient, it most likely knew about the original situation of the Barren Territory; thus, it was aware of where the original Territory Gates were. What’s more, this plan involved the sacrifice of a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the Royal Lords could not possibly have the authority to make such a decision, only their creator, Mo, could do so.
“Where does that Territory Gate lead to?” An Old Ancestor asked.
Another Old Ancestor promptly replied, “Wind Mist Territory!”
Everyone fell silent in thought.
Wind Mist Territory was an unassuming place among the 3,000 Worlds. There were too many Great Territories, so apart from the Great Territories that were well-known due to the Cave Heavens and Paradises having their headquarters there, the most famous ones were now High Heaven Territory where the Star Boundary was located, and Void Territory.
Wind Mist Territory was presided over by Wind Mist Sect. Although the sect had a few Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among its ranks and could be considered a local hegemon, it was still just a Second-Class great force.
Prior to this, the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors might not have even heard of Wind Mist Territory before, but now, the name of this Great Territory was seared into their minds.
Why were the Humans willing to lay down their lives against the Black Ink Clan Army here in the Barren Territory?
Was it not to hold the Black Ink Clan back and stop them from swarming into the 3,000 Worlds?
Now though, a few Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had managed to enter Wind Mist Territory through a forgotten portal; was there still any meaning to the efforts and sacrifices made by the Human Army in the Barren Territory?
This news would have shaken the beliefs of someone with a feeble mind, even if he had held fast to them all this while.
However, those present were all Ninth-Order Old Ancestors. Steadfast would not even begin to describe their Will. No matter how dire a situation seemed, they would not waver in their resolve to eliminate the Black Ink Clan and protect the Human Race.
This was the mission of their lives, their very reason for being.
The Old Ancestors were the Human Race’s strongest Masters and their pillar of strength; thus, after a brief moment of silence, one of the Old Ancestors said, “The Black Ink Clan went through all this effort and even sacrificed one of their Royal Lords just so they could corrupt a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength and send them out. This proves that even if there’s an opening that connects the Barren Territory to the outside world, it’s unstable and one would probably have to pay a heavy price to get through.”
The others nodded in agreement. If the opening to the outside world was stable, the Black Ink Clan Army would have poured through it by now without having to go through all this trouble.
“Perhaps the opening can only allow a few on the level of Eighth-Order Masters to pass through, or there’s some kind of adverse effect to using the opening that we don’t know about yet.”
For the sake of creating the Barren Territory, the Second Battlefield as it were, the Human ancestors had worked meticulously for millennia. There were originally four Territory Gates, so an enormous amount of time and effort had gone into either sealing off or destroying three of them. It would not be so easy to reopen one.
Even if the Black Ink Strength that spread out after the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was intense and concentrated enough to erode the existing seals on the portal, that was apparently not enough to actually open it.
“The best-case scenario would be if only three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples left. If that’s the case, then the situation isn’t too dire yet.”
“However, if things are just as Yang Kai suspects, then the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land is going to cause serious trouble for us.”
“Don’t forget about Wind Mist Territory. Since those Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples could enter Wind Mist Territory, they would’ve surely done something there. It would be child’s play for Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to corrupt others with Black Ink Strength.”
“It should be simple enough to resolve the situation in Wind Mist Territory. Right now, the Black Ink Clan are most likely trying to keep a low profile to avoid their plans being exposed too early. Since Yang Kai found traces of two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven, then it seems that one must have stayed behind in Wind Mist Territory. We should deploy a Division to Wind Mist Territory, along with a Purifying Black Ink Battleship, and have the Phoenix Clan send a few of their Masters as well. They can seal off the Territory Gate linking to Wind Mist Territory. We must keep the threat of the Black Ink Disciples contained within Wind Mist Territory. It must not spread anywhere else!”
“Who will head to the Shattered Heaven then?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao volunteered, “I’ll go. Yang Kai went missing under my watch. I should go and bring him back. However, the Great Evolution Army…”
One of the other Ninth-Order Old Ancestors said, “Go on. I’ll help you keep an eye on the Great Evolution Army. It’s just a couple of Royal Lords. I can handle them!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gratefully replied, “Many thanks, Senior Brother.”
Though it was extensive, it did not take the Old Ancestors long to finish their discussion. In just a few breaths, they formulated a plan to deal with the crisis. A series of orders were soon passed down and a Division of Human soldiers and three Phoenix Clan Masters withdrew from the Barren Territory battlefield before quickly rushing towards Wind Mist Territory.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao then concealed her aura and quietly left.
There were two reasons why she volunteered. The first was as she said earlier, Yang Kai was her subordinate and he was lost under her watch. She had thought that he was bound to have met his death, but since he was still alive, it was only natural that she had to bring him back.
Secondly, she was truly annoyed by Yang Kai’s wives, especially that Yu Ru Meng from the Demon Race, who would scowl at her and demand she compensate them by bringing her Husband back.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could not stand it anymore…
At the same time, she also knew the grave importance of this task.
The situation in Wind Mist Territory was no big deal; at most, a few Humans might have been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, and a 500-strong Division was heading over there with a few Phoenix Clan Masters so they could handle that with ease.
The real trouble was happening in Shattered Heaven. If the Black Ink Clan’s plan was a success, then they might truly be able to open the passage between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven.
…..
Just as Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao left the Barren Territory and arrived at the Shattered Heaven, Yang Kai was breathing heavily with the look of someone who was refusing to resign himself to the situation. His hand was trembling violently as he gripped his Azure Dragon Spear inside the Black Ink Sealing Land of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
He had been attacking the Black Ink Giant Spirit God for a full month and now completely understood why the Dragon and Phoenix Clans chose to seal it here instead of destroying him completely.
That was because it was impossible to accomplish that!
Yang Kai never would have thought that a living being’s body could be this strong and unbreakable.
He was by no means weak as he was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was proficient in numerous Dao Strengths, Divine Abilities, and Secret Techniques. He could easily destroy a Universe World in a blink of an eye, but even after a month had passed, he failed to deal any real damage to this Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
This being’s restorative capabilities were simply ludicrous, completely capable of recovering from any and all injuries within a matter of moments.
Of course, this was probably also due to the fact that he and his opponent were worlds apart in terms of true strength.
Although Yang Kai was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was even stronger than Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; thus, due to the power differential, his wide repertoire of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques all amounted to nothing.
It was just as if a First or Second-Order Master was to try to attack him; even if Yang Kai just stood there, the former would not be able to do anything to him either.
It had been a month and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was nearly fully revived now. The formidable aura was deeply alarming, and the Demon Sealing Land seemed to have a hard time withstanding the pressure as space itself continuously cracked and healed under its weight.
Yang Kai was beginning to lose hope. He was attacking with full force while his opponent did not fight back at all, but even so, he couldn’t even wound him. Just what was he supposed to do to stop this Black Ink Giant Spirit God?
After consuming handfuls of pills, Yang Kai quickly restored his strength. He knew that he did not have much time left. Calamity would befall the entire 3,000 Worlds if this Black Ink Giant Spirit God walked out of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Feeling he had little to lose, Yang Kai stared at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and suddenly asked, “Mo, how do you benefit from destroying the 3,000 Worlds?”
This was Yang Kai’s first attempt at communicating with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God throughout this entire month.
All along, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s eyes had been closed as he continued to restore his aura. He ignored everything that Yang Kai did, but when he heard this question, his eyes flew open as he stared at Yang Kai in surprise, “How did you know I’m Mo? Even Cang and the others were deceived by me.”
“What’s so shocking about me knowing that you’re Mo?” Yang Kai retorted coolly.
Yang Kai would not have known that the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were Mo’s Soul Clones if Lu An had not regained his senses just before his death and informed him about this.
A Soul Clone like this was far too powerful, so much so that no one would even consider the possibility of him being a Soul Clone.
Mo studied Yang Kai solemnly for a while before it abruptly shook its head, “You’re smart. Smart people aren’t good people.”
Yang Kai suddenly felt the urge to curse.
[This guy, the source of all chaos and disasters, and possibly the calamity that would befall the 3,000 Worlds, resulting in the extermination of all life, is saying that I’m not a good person!?]
However, before he could say anything, Mo sighed heavily, “Mu was the smartest, and she wasn’t a good person.”
Mo had been tricked by Mu. That was why it was sealed up inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and could not escape even after millions of years. Thus, it seemed to have somewhat of an aversion to smart people.
[That old man Cang was right. Mo is quite dumb, or rather naïve to be more accurate. It’s a pity he eventually grew smarter.] Yang Kai swallowed the words that were right on the tip of his tongue as his brow furrowed slightly. Mo was behaving rather childishly, which reminded him a lot of what Cang had said about Mo in the past.
Mo was an ancient entity that formed out of nothingness. It was the darkness of the first Primordial Light and was not a true sentient being; therefore, even though it had been alive for many millions of years, its sentience was still on the level of that of a child.
Back then, when it used Black Ink Strength to corrupt all those Great Territories, it did so because it was its natural born power, not due to any malicious intent.
“That’s right,” Yang Kai agreed decisively, “Smart people are despicable. Dumb people like me often get tricked. If only all the smart people ceased to exist.”
Mo felt a tinge of kinship, “Do you feel the same way too?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
Mo quickly extended an invitation, “Why don’t you let me enlighten you with Black Ink Strength? Join me. We can kill off all the smart people that exist. That way, we can become the smart ones.”
Yang Kai remained silent and stared at Mo for a while before chuckling all of a sudden, “You’re already smart, to begin with. Why do you need to kill off everyone else?”
Perhaps Mo was a little childish in its thoughts, but that did not mean it was foolish.
However, Mo seemed to have missed what Yang Kai said as it stared at Yang Kai curiously, “Do you have a World Tree clone? Are you like Cang and the others? Why can’t my Black Ink Strength corrupt you?”
The Black Ink Sealing Land was now, ironically, filled with Black Ink Strength, but Yang Kai was not affected by it at all, which meant that he could stave off the effects of Black Ink Strength.
“You know about the World Tree clones?” Yang Kai asked.
“Of course,” Mo replied, “That Old Tree isn’t a good thing either. I haven’t seen him in so long now, so I don’t know how he’s doing.” Then, Mo shook its head, “How annoying. You might not be able to withstand it if my true body was here. It’s a shame that I’m just a Soul Clone right now and can’t corrupt you with Black Ink Strength.”
A thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he recalled what Cang said to him back then. He said that Yang Kai should not feel at ease simply because he had a World Tree clone inside his Small Universe, which helped to seal and protect it. Even that was not infallible against Black Ink Strength.
From the looks of it now, the strength of Mo’s true body was most likely able to break through the World Tree clone’s protection. Perhaps the only thing that could stop the encroachment of the strength of Mo’s true body was the World Tree itself.
However, if even the World Tree clones were not enough to withstand the strength of Mo’s true body, then how did Cang and the others avoid getting corrupted by Black Ink Strength?
Perhaps if Mo wanted to use Black Ink Strength to corrupt Cang and the other Martial Ancestors, it would have to pay a heavy price, similar to how the Royal Lords would suffer when they use their Royal Lord Secret Technique!
Setting aside such thoughts, Yang Kai asked a question that he was more concerned about, “Since you know that Old Tree, do you know where to find it?”
The World Tree was within the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but no one knew where the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was. One could only enter if one chanced upon it. Throughout all these ages, there was no record of anyone being able to find the entrance to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary on purpose.
Yang Kai was now an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and had basically reached the peak of his Martial Dao. At most, he could hit the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he couldn’t become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, he could resolve this issue if he had a High-Rank World Fruit.
“You want to look for him?” Mo asked instead of answering the question.
“Do enlighten me,” Yang Kai got up and bowed.
Mo shook his head, “I can’t find him. He’s hiding from me.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “He’s hiding from you? Why is he hiding from you?”
Mo chuckled and said nothing.
Yang Kai frowned. He could not understand at all. Mo and World Tree were two of the oldest entities in existence. What kind of history and resentment was there between them, that the World Tree actually had to hide from Mo?
Cang’s words flashed across Yang Kai’s mind once more. The 10 of them had relied on the power of the World Tree to gain enlightenment on how to reach the Open Heaven Realm before passing on that knowledge to future generations, becoming the Martial Ancestors of the current Martial Dao! This was how the Humans managed to carve out a place for themselves in the harsh, brutal environment of ancient times. It was also the spread of Martial Dao that put a stop to the encroachment of Black Ink Strength.
Cang also said that this was a form of self-preservation. The 10 Martial Ancestors had been chosen, and likewise, Yang Kai was chosen as he had received a World Tree clone.
Since it was a form of self-preservation, who was the one who was trying to save themselves?
Was it the vast universe? Was it some mysterious and inexorable Will that somehow existed?
The World Tree was the key factor in this method of self-preservation as it worked through the World Tree’s power.
One was focused on self-preservation while the other was determined to destroy; thus, it stood to reason that it was impossible for the World Tree and Mo to peacefully coexist.
There were too many mysteries and unanswered questions from the ancient era. Perhaps Cang had some of the answers, but everyone from those ancient times that they could possibly ask had passed on, and it was difficult for even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the present era to fathom the circumstances of that distant past.
Yang Kai did not linger on these unanswerable questions and instead turned to Mo and sincerely tried to convince him, “Mo, just give it up now. The Human Race have sacrificed too much throughout all these years in their attempt to fight back against the Black Ink Clan. The 3,000 Worlds is flourishing. Why must you destroy everything?”
Mo eyed Yang Kai with interest, “Will the Humans let me go if I stop now?”
“The Humans can form a truce with you. You can have the Black Ink Battlefield, and as long as you promise to never invade the 3,000 Worlds again, the Human Race won’t interfere with the Black Ink Clan,” Yang Kai replied.
Mo suddenly chuckled, “I thought you were a smart person. Who knew that you’d turn out to be a fool? You’re an Eighth-Order Master. How can you represent the entire Human Race?”
“I can’t, but there will be someone who can,” Yang Kai declared firmly.
Mo slowly shook his head, “It’s impossible. You’re telling me to give it up now because the Humans are at a disadvantage; however, if there comes a time when the Humans have faith that they can overpower me, they will surely try to find a way to get rid of me once and for all. The Humans and the Black Ink Clan have been fighting for countless eons now. The chasm between us that grew out of our blood feud has grown too deep. This bitter resentment will only end when one of us has been completely wiped out. It cannot be resolved with a simple truce.”
“When there’s a will, there’s a way!”
Mo stared at Yang Kai fixedly. All of a sudden, he started looking a little wistful, “Mu used to say that I’m very naive. I didn’t understand what that meant back then, but now I do.”
Yang Kai did not care about Mo’s insult as he continued to try and persuade the latter, “It’ll be an unthinkable catastrophe if Black Ink Strength invades the 3,000 Worlds. You don’t gain anything from doing this, so why do you insist on being so stubborn about it?”
“It was Mu and the others who betrayed me first!” Mo became furious all of a sudden, “I never thought about destroying the 3,000 Worlds. It was them! They were the ones who thought that my very existence was a sin! That’s why they locked me up inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. I had no way of getting out even after millions of years, but you know what’s ironic? They died just to keep me locked up in there!”
Yang Kai had nothing to say in response.
Even though Yang Kai knew that he would only be wasting his breath, he still had to try, and now that he had tried and failed, there was no reason for him to continue.
Just as Mo had said, a blood feud that lasted countless years could only end when one party was completely wiped out. The truth behind the conflict and being right or wrong no longer mattered in this war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan.
Mo slowly rose to its feet. Although its movements were sluggish and somewhat clumsy, every single move it made seemed to give off an explicable pressure that suffocated those around it. As Mo stood up and its feet pressed down on the ground, even the Demon Sealing Land was struggling to bear its massive body.
“You’re so wearisome!” Mo snorted as he reached out to grab Yang Kai.
It felt as if the sky had come crashing down as Yang Kai suddenly felt a heavy pressure descend on him. It was as if something was weighing down on his shoulders, thoroughly immobilising him.
Even so, he did not attempt to flee or hide. He raised his head to stare at Mo’s face, which was nearly out of sight and sighed quietly, “In that case, you’ll just have to join me in exile!”
Space Principles flared as the World Force from Yang Kai’s Small Universe flooded out.
In an instant, a vast swath of the Black Ink Sealing Land turned into a shattered mirror with a myriad of cracks spreading out like a spider web as far as they eye could see.
All the streaks of Void Cracks were incredibly sharp and even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would have a hard time defending themselves from them. One false move and they might end up getting sliced in half.
Mo’s large hand continued its motion though. The Void Cracks left streaks of bloodied cuts all along its arm, causing black blood and Black Ink Strength to spew out, but it remained unaffected.
The next breath, the massive mirror that covered the Demon Sealing Land shattered entirely, and the area crumbled apart.
After a brief delay, a huge region of the Demon Sealing Land caved in and started collapsing towards its centre. As space warped, everything inside the Demon Sealing Land, including Yang Kai and Mo’s Soul Clone were all dragged in as well.
Meanwhile, outside Shattered Ruins, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao charged straight through the Divine Ability Sea, rushing all the way until she arrived at Divine Spirit Ancestral Land; however, as soon as she entered, her pupils shrank as she saw the expansive Void twisted up and teetering unstably. The collapse lasted for a brief moment before an impossibly large black hole appeared, filled with chaotic nothingness.
Her silhouette flickered and she immediately arrived outside the black hole, staring at it as she ground her teeth.
[I was a step too late!]
She knew that everything she saw in front of her right now was a result of Yang Kai’s use of Space Principles. While she did not know what the situation was like now, she knew that it could not be good if Yang Kai was forced to this extent.
Even though she was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she was unwilling to charge into this black hole because, once inside, she was not certain she could find her way out again. After thinking in silence for a moment, she turned around and flew off.
What she now knew for sure was that the opening in the Barren Territory battlefield was connected to Wind Mist Territory, so if the Black Ink Clan did awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, it would surely head for Wind Mist Territory.
All she needed to do was wait there and she would be able to stand in her opponent’s path.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was in a rush, so she pushed herself as quickly as she could and soon, she left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
However, she did not get far when she sensed a massive outburst of energy emanating from behind her. Turning around to see the source, she witnessed space itself being ripped apart as a massive hand the size of a mountain emerged from within.
The black hand was pulsating with extreme amounts of Black Ink Strength as it ripped the Void apart in a flash. A large silhouette appeared and roared, “Do you think this is enough to trap me?!”
“The Black Ink Giant Spirit God!” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook. Immediately after, she spotted the tiny silhouette beside the huge figure.
“Yang Kai!”
Before she could rush over, Yang Kai used Space Principles once more to invert Space and drag both him and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God back inside the Void Crack.
Inside the Void Crack, Yang Kai was extremely distressed.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was too humongous and his power was too immense. At first, Yang Kai figured that since he could not kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, he could at least exile Mo’s Soul Clone and leave it lost inside the Void Crack. Mo’s Soul Clone would never be able to escape, and thus, the Human Race’s present crisis could be resolved.
However, he never expected that Mo could easily find its way out of the Void Crack.
There were no traces of Mo using Space Principles, and Yang Kai had never heard of Mo being proficient in the Dao of Space, and yet, the Void Crack which frightened even Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords seemed to pose no threat to Mo at all. It was as if it was walking on normal ground.
Mo could seemingly tear apart space with its bare hands. After easily finding a weakness to exploit, it ripped through space and escaped through the opening.
Initially, Yang Kai thought it was just a coincidence, but after Mo escaped from the Void Crack a second time, he then knew that it was not a coincidence. Mo could not be trapped within the Void!
Mo noticed the confused and disbelieving look on Yang Kai’s face and sneered, “I was born from the chaos of nothingness and existed inside of it for countless millions of years, it was my birthplace and home since before time itself, do you really think this would be enough to trap me?”
Yang Kai was struck with realization. He finally understood why Mo could easily escape from the Void Crack.
Mo was the Primordial Darkness born alongside the Primordial Light when the universe first formed, and just as Mo had said, it had lived inside that chaotic nihility all that time. The Void Crack might be an inescapable prison to all others, but to Mo, it was just the warm bed that once nursed it.
How could such a place serve as a trap for it?
Yang Kai felt chills down his spine. He no longer had anything else up his sleeve; after all, he was only an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. That being said, he did not stop trying to drag Mo back into the Void Crack to delay it.
All of a sudden, he heard a cry and sensed a familiar aura rushing over to him. He turned around and saw a flash of light shooting over.
When the light came close and formed a silhouette, Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “Old Ancestor!”
It was Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao who came. Originally, she wanted to head over to Wind Mist Territory and make preparations for an ambush, but upon noticing the aura of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, she immediately changed course and rushed over.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao did not have any time to spare in greeting as two different coloured lights swam around her figure and she struck heavily at Mo.
Mo’s blood spurted out and rained down as it roared in pain, raising its hand to swat at Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
A grunt was heard as the two-coloured lights shattered and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s silhouette reappeared. Blood was dripping out the corner of her lips and it was clear she had suffered an injury. She then shot over to Yang Kai in a flash and dragged him away with her.
Mo showed no intention of going after them. Although it was a lot more powerful than Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, it would not be easy for it to kill her if she was determined to flee, so instead of wasting time here, it was better for it to start heading for its next destination.
This was also the reason why it did not bother killing Yang Kai earlier. Although Yang Kai was a fairly weak Human, he was proficient in the Dao of Space and would not be easily killed.
Moments later, somewhere in the void several million kilometres away from the Demon Sealing Land, Yang Kai and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s figures came to a stop.
“How are your injuries?” Yang Kai asked in concern.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao wiped the blood from the corner of her lips and shook her head, “I’m alright.”
“Did Brother Ji of the Dragon Clan deliver my message?” Yang Kai asked.
“Yes, but alas, I arrived a little too late.”
Yang Kai could not help but feel a little dejected as well. He had also been a little too late. If he had managed to stop Lu An and Ye Ming before they entered the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, perhaps things would not have been as dire as they were now.
Now that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Ancestral Land had been revived, the situation was not something Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could handle by herself.
Who would have thought that the Black Ink Clan would come up with such a plan?
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God began striding through the void. Though his movements appeared clumsy, every single step he took spanned hundreds of thousands of kilometres, and everywhere he went, the light faded and the area turned to darkness as Black Ink Strength diffused all around.
Yang Kai and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stared at the massive silhouette with the same thought in mind, [The Shattered Heaven is doomed!]
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth and said, “He’s headed for Wind Mist Territory, which is where the other passage the Barren Territory battlefield connects to. He wants to go there and work with the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory to open the passage for good!”
“Wind Mist Territory?” Yang Kai frowned. He had never even heard of this Great Territory, let alone been there; however, after hearing Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s explanations, he realised that he had been mistaken in his earlier guess. He thought that the other portal in the Barren Territory battlefield was connected to the Shattered Heaven, but from the looks of it now, it was connected to Wind Mist Territory instead.
The only passage between the Shattered Heaven and the Barren Territory battlefield was still under the Human Race’s control.
Thus, Lu An and Ye Ming must have travelled from Wind Mist Territory to the Shattered Heaven instead of appearing in the Shattered Heaven directly.
Yang Kai quickly pulled his Universe Chart out and studied it before saying, “Wind Mist Territory isn’t far from here, just three Great Territories away, which means there’ll be three Territory Gates in the way!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at once, “I can seal off these three Territory Gates to buy us some time.”
In the past, he would have assumed that the Black Ink Clan would be stuck once he blocked off these Territory Gates, but since the Black Ink Clan managed to erode even a portal in the Barren Territory despite the Human ancestors having sealed it off for hundreds of thousands of years, it proved that it was just as Ji Lao San had said. Sealing off the Territory Gates was not a foolproof plan.
An ordinary member of the Black Ink Clan, or even a Royal Lord might not be able to reopen a Territory Gate that had been sealed, but the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was Mo’s Soul Clone and could use his pure and abundant Black Ink Strength to corrode the boundary walls to reopen the portal.
Even if Yang Kai managed to seal off the three Territory Gates in the path that led to Wind Mist Territory, this would only serve as a delay. He could not block off Mo’s Soul Clone’s path entirely.
“Then what?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked.
Yang Kai quickly said, “The only ones who can stop the Black Ink Giant Spirit God are the true Giant Spirit Gods or other equally powerful beings! Old Ancestor, is there a bald Giant Spirit God at Barren Territory battlefield, apart from the Giant Spirit God with a tuft of hair on his head?”
“I haven’t seen one like that,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook her head.
At present, there were only two Giant Spirit Gods in the Barren Territory battlefield. One was on the side of the Humans, which was the one with a tuft of hair on his head as Yang Kai described, while the other one was a Black Ink Giant Spirit God. These two beings had been fighting for hundreds of years now, not showing any signs of fatigue. It seemed as if they would carry on until the end of time.
[Ah Da isn’t in the Barren Territory!] Yang Kai concluded.
If he could find Ah Da, perhaps he could get him to stop Mo’s Soul Clone. Of course, Yang Kai had no idea where to find Ah Da.
There had been no news of Ah Da ever since he left the Star Boundary. Although Giant Spirit Gods were easy to spot due to their massive size, they could also control the size of their body at will, or else, they would not be able to pass through the Territory Gates.
When Ah Er brought Yang Kai through the Territory Gates back then, he had shrunk down a lot.
Plus, Giant Spirit Gods were also heavy sleepers who frequently napped after a meal. What’s more, a short nap for a Giant Spirit God would be several years long, while a long sleep could last for over 10,000 years.
Since there was no way of locating Ah Da, Yang Kai’s only choice was to seek help from two others who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Giant Spirit Gods.
Yang Kai made up his mind and said, “I’ll leave you to handle things here, Old Ancestor. I have to head to the Chaotic Dead Territory!”
Upon hearing this, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao immediately guessed Yang Kai’s plans, “You wish to seek the help of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer?”
“There’s no other option left.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s brows furrowed. Words seemed to be on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she swallowed them back down and nodded, “Go. I’ll do my best to delay the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.”
She could not stop the Black Ink Giant Spirit God by herself, but she could still find ways to stall him. Furthermore, Yang Kai was able to seal off the Territory Gates, while he was the only one who had a chance to convince the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to descend the mountain and enter the war.
However…
It might not necessarily be a good thing if they did.
Yang Kai was less experienced and did not know just how terrifying those two were, but Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao knew better.
Those two Supreme Beings were avatars of disaster and destruction, but thankfully, they seemed content to remain in their home and never actively left the Chaotic Dead Territory. If that was not the case, the 3,000 Worlds would have long ago ceased to exist.
Since things were decided, Yang Kai dared not waste any more time. He left at once, and with a flicker of Space Principles, his image lurched into the distance.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao glanced at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was making its way across the void, took a deep breath, and transformed into a streak of light that lunged at its massive back. A series of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques flashed out as she flew forward.
Prior to this, Yang Kai’s attention had been completely focused on the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, so he did not notice the changes in the Shattered Heaven. However, now that he was rushing to his destination, he noticed that a lot of Humans had gathered in groups and were heading towards the Shattered Heaven’s Territory Gate.
They appeared frantic, as if they were fleeing in panic.
Yang Kai immediately realised what was going on; his earlier plan must have taken effect.
Earlier on, he asked the two Envoys from Heavenly River Palace to spread the news about the appearance of Black Ink Disciples. That way, cultivators in the Shattered Heaven would remain on alert for suspicious people.
The situation had not seemed that bad back then, for even if there were a few Black Ink Disciples, the troops under the command of the three Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven were more than enough to deal with them.
However, now that Lu An and Ye Ming managed to enter the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the situation had turned abysmal.
When Hong Hu left with a gravely injured Kun Ao, she actively spread the news that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had been revived, shaking all the people living in the Shattered Heaven.
If anyone else had been the bearer of such news, the reckless and lawless inhabitants of the Shattered Heaven might not have believe it, but Hong Hu was a mature Divine Spirit whose strength eclipsed even the three Great Divine Monarchs, yet even she was fleeing in a fluster. Who would dare not believe her words?
Those who feared for their lives naturally packed their things and escaped their hideouts as soon as possible, wanting to evacuate from the Shattered Heaven as quickly as possible.
However, the majority still chose to stay behind and observe the situation first.
Most of the cultivators in the Shattered Heaven were those who had no other choice but to hide in this place. They would not be accepted anywhere else in the 3,000 Worlds other than in this place.
Thus, even though Hong Hu’s news was incredibly alarming, with no place to go, many chose to remain within the Shattered Heaven.
From the start, the Shattered Heaven was the land of chaos and violence. Right now, the people’s hearts were filled with fear and the three Divine Monarchs had all gone to the Barren Territory battlefield to aid in the war effort; thus, with no powerful Masters to keep some semblance of order, the Shattered Heaven completely fell into chaos.
There were signs of killing and robbery everywhere, which was the sight that greeted Yang Kai now.
His heart grew heavier as these scenes came into his view. News of the revival of a single Black Ink Giant Spirit God was enough to wreak havoc across the expansive territory of the Shattered Heaven, so what would happen when the Black Ink Clan Army invaded the 3,000 Worlds? Would there still be peace anywhere?
Unfortunately, chances were that all the Great Territories would turn into what the Shattered Heaven was like now.
Yang Kai travelled at breakneck speed, and in just a few days, he arrived at the Territory Gate; however, he was surprised to find that many cultivators were gathered outside the Territory Gate, forming a long line as they waited to pass through.
The order they maintained surprised Yang Kai as these were not civil people who would follow directions.
Soon though, Yang Kai understood why this was so.
A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was overseeing things at the Territory Gate, along with a group of cultivators who were standing guard together with him. Anyone who wished to pass through had to pay an enormous fee.
Yang Kai was immediately infuriated.
Even when all of the Shattered Heaven was in chaos, some people were trying to profit from the situation.
That being said, he knew that those holed up in this damned place were not the kind to uphold the pillars of morality. In the past, not many people used the Shattered Heaven Territory Gate, so a business like this would not be very profitable. Now that a lot of people wanted to leave the Shattered Heaven though, someone came up with the brilliant idea of making money out of it.
Yang Kai stormed up to the Territory Gate, his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation on full display, terrifying the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at the portal.
No one would have expected the arrival of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at a time like this.
There were only three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the entire Shattered Heaven, and this Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master heard that they had all left for some unknown reason; otherwise, he would not have had the gall to throw his weight around out here.
He was originally a cultivator from a small Sect, and though he was talented, he had coveted the Sect Master’s Wife and did something reprehensible. Thus, he was forced to flee and hide in the Shattered Heaven. However, he thrived in this place and after many years ended up becoming a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
He was an ambitious fellow and did not choose to serve any of the Divine Monarchs. Instead, he formed a great force of his own as he believed it was better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. All in all, he led a pretty carefree life.
When he found out that a lot of people were leaving the Shattered Heaven to seek refuge in other Great Territories, he led his forces to block the Territory Gate and demand a fee from those who wanted to leave.
Some tried to protest but they were killed off as examples, causing those who remained to not dare to fight back anymore.
In front of these scattered cultivators, he was a high and mighty Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but he knew he was nothing in front of an Eighth-Order Master.
Understanding that escape was impossible, he choked down his fear and came forward to meet Yang Kai, bowing politely, “Flower Butterfly Sect Nan Yun greets Senior!”
His manner was cordial and respectful as he observed the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s expression to try and figure out what he was thinking.
Only those that were quick to adapt to situations could survive in the Shattered Heaven while those who could not, died off before long.
Nan Yun was highly adept at reading other people’s thoughts and feelings.
However, after glancing at the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, his heart clenched up tight as the stormy look on this person’s face made it clear that he was enraged.
[I’m doomed!]
Nan Yun sorely wished that this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was kind and benevolent to others. He had only just managed to flaunt his power, but from the way things were looking now, he might end up dying here instead.
The act of forcibly demanding payment for use of the Territory Gate was something that easily enraged others; after all, all Open Heaven Realm Masters would have had to use these Territory Gates. How could they possibly have enough funds to sustain themselves if they had to pay a fee each time they passed through one?
Nan Yun had only taken the risk to do such a thing because he knew that no Masters were around in the Shattered Heaven. As the saying goes, the monkey acts like the king when the tiger leaves the mountain. He never thought that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would suddenly show up.
What made Nan Yun even more uneasy was the tension he sensed in this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s posture.
In that instant, he couldn’t help but think of fleeing, but he was also aware that as a Seventh-Order Master, he had no chance of doing so in front of an Eighth-Order Master as it would only take a wave of the other party’s hand to kill him.
With cold sweat dripping down his forehead, Nan Yun knelt on the ground to beg for mercy, “Senior, please forgive me. This Junior’s thoughts were clouded by greed. I dare not repeat the same mistake. Mercy, Senior!”
It was extremely rare for a majestic Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to be so meek and subservient; after all, all Masters in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm were considered mighty existences in the 3,000 Worlds. Even in Cave Heavens and Paradises, they still existed as Elders and were highly regarded by many.
For such a Master, it was extremely hard to lose his composure and make such a meek and subservient gesture.
However, Nan Yun was not born in those Cave Heavens and Paradises. As a result of his lifelong wandering and hardships, he developed a fear of death and a tendency to behave to his benefit and act in accordance with the situation regardless of shame.
As long as he could save his life, put aside begging for mercy, it wouldn’t even be a big deal if he had to address the other party as Grandfather.
It was not like he hadn’t been in such a position before after so many years in the Shattered Heaven, facing the majesty of the three Divine Monarchs.
Little did he know, Yang Kai’s tense complexion was not due to this small character taking advantage during the disaster. It was just that a question crossed Yang Kai’s mind at this very moment.
[What will the cultivators of the Shattered Heaven do if I block this Territory Gate?]
Although the vast majority of cultivators here were criminals, there was no small proportion of kind individuals whose luck was just bad. In addition to that, many cultivators born in the Shattered Heaven were here simply because of their forefathers’ wrongdoings rather than their own.
This was not a matter of one or two cultivators, or even one or two Great Forces, but rather the fate of all living beings in the Shattered Heaven!
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was already on its way here, and the Black Ink Strength it naturally gave off was many times more intense than even the Royal Lords, able to stain and corrupt countless cultivators wherever it went.
Once the portal here was sealed and the Shattered Heaven cultivators had no way to escape, the entire Shattered Heaven would soon become filled with Black Ink Disciples.
However, without sealing the Territory Gate, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could not be delayed, and the Black Ink Disciples hidden in the Shattered Heaven would also escape to other Great Territories!
By that time, it would be a situation where a tiny spark kindled a whole prairie of fire.
[Perhaps the Black Ink Disciples have already left the Shattered Heaven by now…]
Yang Kai looked down at Nan Yun who was kneeling in front of him and quickly commanded, “Get up. I have a task for you.”
Yang Kai’s previous silence made Nan Yun feel like he was under a mountain of pressure, and the fear that he might die at any moment enveloped him, so as soon as he heard Yang Kai’s remarks, he dared not hesitate. Rising up swiftly he smiled ingratiatingly and said, “Senior, if you need anything, just give me your order. You can count on me.”
Yang Kai pointed behind himself and declared, “Lead them to a secluded and safe hiding place. The Shattered Heaven’s fate is already sealed and it won’t be long before there is no pure land left here. Spread the word as widely as possible for everyone to go into hiding and not come out until the issue is resolved.”
Nan Yun was taken aback and inquired, “Because of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God?”
If it was more than a month ago, Nan Yun would have no idea what a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was at all; however, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was no longer an unknown since Hong Hu spread word about it after she left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Nan Yun initially did not take this matter all that seriously, but after hearing Yang Kai’s words, he felt that he was too naïve previously.
The situation in the Shattered Heaven was probably far worse than he imagined; otherwise, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of him wouldn’t be so solemn about this matter.
“Can you do it?” Yang Kai asked in a solemn voice.
Nan Yun cupped his fist and replied, “Junior will do his best!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Go. The more isolated and concealed, the better.”
After he waved his hand signalling him to leave, Nan Yun retreated respectfully and quickly used a Secret Technique to command everyone to follow him. Of course, there were a few who were unwilling to obey. Nan Yun tried to persuade them patiently but failed, and as a result, he lost his composure and wounded one of them. Later, he secretly cast a glance at Yang Kai, only to see no reaction from the latter and taking it as tacit agreement. Unshackled, Nan Yun wounded numerous people who refused to obey his commands one after the other.
Now, everyone was obeying him.
Following Nan Yun’s order, all the cultivators gathered in front of the Territory Gate turned around and headed for the depths of the Shattered Heaven.
Yang Kai felt desolate.
Blocking the Shattered Heaven’s portal was equivalent to cutting off the escape route for many cultivators, but if it was not sealed, it would only make the situation worse.
When disciples first left their Sects for life experience in the wider world, their Elders would often ask them whether they would save one or 100 to test their morals.
If they chose to save one, 100 people would die.
If they chose to save 100, one would die.
How would they make the decision?
In truth, there was no right answer to this question, it all merely depended on their heart.
Yang Kai never imagined that one day he would really face such a choice.
And his choice was to save 100!
Blocking the Shattered Heaven Territory Gate now might doom everyone living here to a miserable fate, but if it was not sealed, that disaster would multiply hundreds of times over as disaster would descend on the entire 3,000 Worlds.
Furthermore, even if the cultivators here were corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they would not be at risk of losing their lives immediately, they would just lose their sense of self and become subservient to the Black Ink Clan. Such chaos could still be restored with Purifying Light, so there was no reason to hesitate.
This did not solely apply to the Shattered Heaven of course, but to the three Great Territories on the way to Wind Mist Territory as well.
The most urgent issue at the moment was keeping the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from entering Wind Mist Territory.
Yang Kai did not dally after Nan Yun took the crowd away. He flashed into Territory Gate, manipulated Space Principles to disrupt the Void, and sealed the portal.
Having previous experience sealing the Territory Gate connecting the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield, it was far easier this time for Yang Kai.
The portal had been entirely smoothed out by the time Yang Kai rushed through from the other end of the short Void Corridor.
With no delay, he immediately rushed to the portal leading to the other Great Territory while along his way, he warned everyone he could.
…
While Yang Kai was doing his best, the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan began a violent battle on the Barren Territory battlefield, surrounding the body of the slain Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
How could the Human Race sit idly by now that the location of a breach in the Barren Territory had been discovered? Under the mobilisation of all the Army Commanders, the Human and Divine Spirit forces quietly moved to occupy this portal.
As long as they could seize control of the Territory Gate, the Black Ink Clan would be unable to establish a link to the 3,000 Worlds. Likewise, the Human Race might be able to find a way to close the portal permanently.
Before this, the battle between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had gradually decreased in intensity. After all these years of fighting, both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had suffered tremendous losses with even the number of Royal Lords and Old Ancestors falling to a third of their peak.
Both parties sought to maintain their strength while waiting for the circumstances to change.
Initially, the Black Ink Clan was unconcerned with this tiny loss as their Armies were essentially endless with fresh troops being sent from the Black Ink Battlefield constantly. There were over 100 High-Rank Black Ink Nests many times more Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest breeding new soldiers, not to mention countless Low-Rank Black Ink Nests doing the same.
The Black Ink Clansmen could be created indefinitely as long as there were sufficient resources.
They could use this advantage to conduct a battle of attrition with the Human Race, slowly wearing the enemy down and eventually gaining an absolute advantage.
However, Yang Kai’s return trip from the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield completely wiped out that advantage.
He sealed the Territory Gate that connected the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield!
How despicable!
This seal was not unbreakable of course; the Black Ink Clan still had a Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was capable of tearing open the sealed Territory Gate.
However, because it lacked the necessary intelligence to be aware of its surroundings and was entangled with Ah Er in a battle, it did not have time to deal with the sealed portal. Only a Giant Spirit God could fight another Giant Spirit God. These two Giant Spirit Gods were engaged in a fierce battle on the Barren Territory battlefield and no one from the Black Ink Clan nor the Human Race dared to get within a million kilometres of that clash.
The Black Ink Clan never imagined that their side would one day face a shortage of troops. Many Royal Lords despised that Human with all their hearts, and they all secretly swore that they would rip his corpse into 10,000 pieces if they were ever given the chance.
Because of this, for the past 10 years or so, the battles between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had settled down considerably, to the point where it almost seemed tepid.
The strongest Masters would simply never join in the battle and the two Armies would often just launch tentative attacks, only pressing ahead when they were certain they would win.
However, the fragile peace was shattered the moment the Humans tried to seize control of the second Territory Gate.
The Armies of the two Races were never frightened of death and soon were going all out to gain control of that region.
The original Human Army was not dominant in terms of military might; after all, they had suffered way too much over the preceding years of war; however, they were on equal footing at the present moment.
This was thanks to the assistance of the Divine Spirits, who made up for much of the Human Race’s lack of high-end battle capability, particularly that of the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan leaders who were stronger than even the strongest Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
These two were, after all, from the Races that ruled over the entire Early Ancient Era. When the Dragons and Phoenixes ruled the 3,000 Worlds, the Human Race was still among the weakest of all living beings, not even comparable to the Monster Race.
It wasn’t until Cang and the other Martial Ancestors were enlightened to the Open Heaven Realm that the Human Race’s status gradually rose.
On top of that, the Cave Heavens and Paradises recruited reinforcements from all the various Great Territories, bolstering the Human Army’s numbers. The only element they were lacking was sufficient numbers of Warships.
Every time a battle broke out, numerous Warships were either damaged or destroyed, and even though the Artifact Refiners strove their hardest to refine more and repair those that were broken, they were unable to keep up with the rate of destruction.
Complicating masters were the many cultivators who were new to this kind of battlefield.
These Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had never engaged in a real war and at best had experienced some struggles between rival Sects. None of them had participated in such a large-scale battle involving millions of cultivators!
It was not until these cultivators from the Second Class great forces entered the Barren Territory battlefield that they understood where all the heritage the Cave Heavens and Paradises accumulated over countless years had gone, and only then did they realize how great the sacrifice these top forces had made to protect the 3,000 Worlds.
They couldn’t help feeling shame upon learning the truth.
The initial location of this second Territory Gate was overlooked because it was covered by the corpse of the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God. The Human Race never imagined that this was all the Black Ink Clan’s deliberate attempt to conceal the truth. Now, however, this region had become a battleground for the forces of the two Races, with control see-sawing back and forth numerous times. The battle was so intense that the likes of it had not been seen since the war outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction 500 years prior.
Under such tense circumstances, the Human Race could no longer dedicate additional Masters to other tasks.
So, despite the fact that Hong Hu delivered the news about the Ancestral Land Black Ink Giant Spirit God awakening, only Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was able to intercede.
It wasn’t that the other Old Ancestor didn’t want to help, but that they simply couldn’t.
Originally, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao believed that if she arrived in time, the matter of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could be perfectly resolved, but unfortunately, she was one step too late. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God had awakened and was now passing through the Shattered Heaven, heading towards Wind Mist Territory!
Yang Kai raced through several Great Territories, sealing the Territory Gates as he went. Simultaneously, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was continually pestering the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that had awakened from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, delaying it as best she could.
She, however, quickly realised that something was off.
According to her and Yang Kai’s previous speculation, Mo’s Soul Clone would head from the Shattered Heaven to Wind Mist Territory, where it would cooperate with the Barren Territory’s Black Ink Clan Armies to rip open the sealed Territory Gate and allow an invasion of the 3,000 Worlds to begin in earnest.
If that was the case though, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God first had to leave the Shattered Heaven then travel across three Great Territories before arriving at Wind Mist Territory.
It was also due to this consideration that Yang Kai took the first step to block those connecting Territory Gates.
However, after more than a month of entanglement with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao realised that the route Mo’s Soul Clone was headed was not to the exit from the Shattered Heaven.
She first assumed that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was lost since it had suddenly awakened; after all, even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters could get lost in the enormous void without an appropriate Universe Chart in hand.
A Universe Chart was a must-have item for all Open Heaven Realm Masters to travel through the Great Territories.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao first felt fortunate, because if the other party had truly lost its way, it would be delayed for longer.
But after a few days, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao realised something was off.
This Black Ink Giant Spirit God appeared to have no intention of heading to Wind Mist Territory as the direction it was travelling was actually towards the Territory Gate leading to the Barren Territory battlefield!
There were only two Territory Gates in the Shattered Heaven; one connecting to the adjacent Great Territory, and the other to the Barren Territory.
The two portals were on opposite sides of the Shattered Heaven, and no matter how lost the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was, it couldn’t be that foolish!
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was shocked and instantly recognised the issue that had been overlooked for so long.
What method did the Black Ink Giant Spirit God use to erode the boundary wall? Was it only the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods who were capable of re-opening the sealed Territory Gates among all the Black Ink Clansmen?
Realising this, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s increased the intensity of her attacks greatly.
This change caught the attention of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, who had been silent in the face of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s attacks, finally prompting it to speak, “This is your end. It is destined that the Black Ink Clan will rule the 3,000 Worlds. All of you will become my servants!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was taken aback and she asked in surprise, “You’re sentient?”
Whether it was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God encountered outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction or the one awakened from the Late Ancient Era battlefield, the Human Race were left with the impression that they were dealing with a monster who knew nothing but how to kill and destroy. Everyone believed that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was solely created as a weapon for battle by Mo. Nobody ever imagined it had sentience and was capable of communication.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods had never communicated with the Human Race, after all.
Mo laughed, “Sentience? Didn’t that naïve fellow tell you that all Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods are just my Soul Clones?”
This sentence disclosed far too much, and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s beautiful face paled, “You’re Mo!?”
Yang Kai never informed her that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was Mo’s Soul Clone as he had only recently learnt about it from Lu An.
Before that, no one would have guessed that such a massive and powerful Master was solely a Soul Clone.
Seeing the sudden realization of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, Mo sighed, “You are all much more foolish than Mu.”
In this world, there was probably no one smarter than Mu.
How would Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao care about this mocking attitude when she was so irritated at the moment? She clenched her teeth as she asked, “Are you heading to the Barren Territory?”
While sprinting clumsily, Mo nonchalantly answered, “Of course.”
As Mo passed by a Universe World along its way, it waved its hand and sent out a wave of Black Ink Strength. The previously beautiful rivers and mountains were dyed with Black Ink Strength that instantly corrupted all living beings it touched.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao grit her teeth as she watched the scene, but was helpless to stop it.
Mo had performed this act several times along the way, contaminating countless Universe Worlds and Spirit Provinces with Black Ink Strength.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao suddenly stopped attacking as she knew it was useless. It was a better idea to recover some strength and pry for some information, “You’re not going to Wind Mist Territory?”
Mo laughed lightly and said, “I don’t have to go there.”
“Someone else went there?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao frowned.
Mo shook its head, “No one went there. He was originally there from the start.”
Various thoughts flashed through the mind of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao before she blurted out, “The last Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple!”
Ji Lao San reported that two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had appeared in the Shattered Heaven and were being pursued by Yang Kai. Yang Kai guessed that they were seeking to revive the Black Ink Giant Spirit God sealed in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. That was also why Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao hastened forth to assist.
As for who the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had no idea either.
But she was certain they were two of the three individuals who had been corrupted by the Royal Lord Secret Technique some years ago.
There were three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength at that time. Two went to the Shattered Heaven, so what happened to the last one?
Nobody has given it much thought before as although an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple was certainly dangerous, it was insignificant in comparison to the awakening of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
It wasn’t until now that Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao discovered that the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple had a significant role to play! He remained in Wind Mist Territory, on the other side of the half-opened Territory Gate, for some unknown purpose.
Perhaps Mo was in a good mood since the plan it had been plotting for so many years was about to succeed, so it freely chatted with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
“Given that annoying guy’s capability to block portals, he must be quite gifted, but even if a Territory Gate is blocked, there always remains some traces which can be traced. My strength is not something that can be stopped simply by sealing those portals. In fact, even if he was capable of destroying a Territory Gate, I could always force it open again.”
“How do you open them?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked.
Mo was quite satisfied with this listener, so it continued patiently, “Cang was wrong to open the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. At the time, I sent three Soul Clones and a thread of my own Will. That threat of Will could not completely leave the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction though, so it does not affect the overall situation. Putting that aside, can you guess where my three Soul Clones are right now?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao quickly said, “One was used to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God on the Late Ancient Era battlefield. One is in front of me, and one is… with that Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple?”
Mo praised, “You’re pretty smart after all! En, that Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple has my third Soul Clone. The Territory Gate connecting your 3,000 Worlds to the Barren Territory has been blocked for many, many years, so it is actually quite challenging to force it open. I had to borrow my half-destroyed Soul Clone to open that portal, but that wasn’t enough. Thankfully, I have another spare Soul Clone, and by sacrificing it, that portal will be completely opened!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao clenched her teeth, “Since you are capable of completely opening the portal, why did you send people to Wind Mist Territory rather than doing it from the Barren Territory?”
Mo replied, “Awakening this body was always part of my plan. Besides, would you Humans allow me to take action before this body was awakened?”
An ancient existence like Mo was certainly malicious and cunning. To achieve its plan, it was willing to sacrifice a few Royal Lords as well as two of its Soul Clones.
However, the outcome was extremely remarkable. Two out of the three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that were corrupted by Black Ink Strength went to the Shattered Heaven to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God while one remained in Wind Mist Territory, preparing to open the portal by borrowing the power of the last Soul Clone to erode the boundary wall.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao felt helpless in the face of such an enemy.
Yang Kai had no idea about this since he believed Mo’s Soul Clone intended to head to Wind Mist Territory, hence why he went all the way to seal the Territory Gates in between.
He even planned to ask the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to descend the mountain to intervene directly in the war.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could only hope that Yang Kai would notice the situation when he arrived in Wind Mist Territory, giving him a brief opportunity to foil the Black Ink Clan’s scheme.
As for her side…
There was no need to engage with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God any longer as she understood she couldn’t stop this Soul Clone of Mo on her own.
It was difficult for her to conceive what would happen to the Humans if this Black Ink Giant Spirit God entered the Barren Territory as well.
With this in mind, she no longer hesitated and she shot ahead.
She had to rush back to the Barren Territory before the third Black Ink Giant Spirit God to warn the others.
Mo didn’t even try to stop her. In fact, it actually stopped and simply stood there, watching her leave. At this point, all of its plans had been flawlessly carried out, and all that remained was to savour the sweet victory.
Despite having won though… it did not feel much happiness.
…..
Wind Mist Territory was not well-known among the Great Territories of the 3,000 Worlds, with many never even having heard of it before.
Yang Kai got here less than a month after parting with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao as he had pushed his speed to the limit the whole way.
After blocking the Territory Gate he passed through, he took out his Universe Chart to check his route.
Next, he would proceed to Chaotic Dead Territory and ask Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan for help; if they were quick enough, they might be able to halt the Black Ink Giant Spirit God before it arrived in Wind Mist Territory.
With how dire the situation was. Yang Kai dared not be careless.
He immediately mapped out his next route, and determined he had to pass through five Great Territories to reach the Chaotic Dead Territory. It would take one and a half months with his current speed, so three months in total for a round trip.
Yang Kai clenched his teeth. Time was critical, and he was unsure if he would make it in time; after all, a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was also extraordinarily fast. He could only pray that the sealed Territory Gates would buy him enough time.
Not daring to delay a single breath, Yang Kai set out.
There was also a Universe Temple in Wind Mist Territory, but since Yang Kai had never been there before, he had not left his Imprint on it; otherwise, he would be able to save a lot of time by utilising the Universe Transference Law.
However, he could leave his Imprint at the Universe Temple now, which would save him time on his journey back.
A few days later, Yang Kai noticed a quaint Grand Hall floating in the void from afar and realised that he had arrived at the Universe Temple of the Great Territory.
Just as he wanted to rush into the Universe Temple though, he saw countless cultivators streaming out of it, frantically flying in all directions.
This sight made Yang Kai feel uneasy.
The number of cultivators pouring out from the Universe Temple was so immense that he couldn’t help but suspect that all the cultivators in Wind Mist Territory who could traverse the void were gathered here; otherwise, it would be impossible to gather so many Open Heaven Realm Masters in a Great Territory like Wind Mist Territory on usual days.
Flashing forward, he grabbed a young man who had just stepped out of the Universe Temple and was about to depart, then questioned in a solemn voice, “What happened here?”
The cultivator was enraged that he was seized just as he was panicking fleeing for his life, so he tried to break free from Yang Kai but failed.
Fortunately, he was smart enough to realise that the other party was way stronger than him, so he restrained his rage and explained impatiently, “I don’t know what happened. All I heard was people saying the void had shattered and Wind Mist Territory was about to fall into a catastrophe. Everyone is fleeing, and so am I.”
“The void shattered?” Yang Kai muttered in a daze.
Taking advantage of this, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master struggled again, and finally successfully broke free from Yang Kai, fleeing in an instant.
At that moment, Yang Kai heard the sound of conversation from numerous individuals, so he instantly turned to look. He noticed those individuals were two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master talking to each other, and it appeared that they were the leaders of some Great Forces.
Yang Kai stepped forward, and learning from his prior experience, he deliberately released his Eighth-Order undulations.
The presence of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master among a group of Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters undoubtedly gained everyone’s attention. The three Masters, who were conversing, fell into silence immediately and looked over at Yang Kai.
Striding over in an instant, he cupped his fist, “Star Boundary’s Yang Kai would like to inquire about what happened here.”
The eyes of the three people brightened, and the oldest-looking Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master hesitated before asking, “Is Senior… the Lord of the Star Boundary?”
They were all aware of the mighty reputation of the Star Boundary. Previously, these three had intended to send their talented disciples there to train in order to experience the nourishing benefits of the World Tree clone, but unfortunately, they lacked the means to do so.
They also knew that the Star Boundary had several Great Emperors recognized by it, one of whom was Yang Kai who bore the title ‘Void Great Emperor’.
It was just that according to rumours, this person had been in retreat for 1,000 years and had not been seen for that long.
They had never imagined that they would be able to meet an individual who claimed to be Yang Kai of the Star Boundary.
“It is this Yang!” Yang Kai nodded.
These three were equally delighted and shocked by his response. After many years of being unable to form a connection with anybody from the Star Boundary, they were ecstatic to meet the Lord of the Star Boundary in Wind Mist Territory’s moment of danger. What shocked them even more was the fact that Yang Kai was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master already!
As far as they knew, the Lord of the Star Boundary was only a Sixth-Order Master when he disappeared from the public eye some 1,000 years ago. While 1,000 years sounded like a lot, for those in the Open Heaven Realm, it could not be considered a long time, especially to cross two Orders.
[Are the Word Tree clone’s benefits that astonishing?]
They assumed that Yang Kai’s rapid advancement in cultivation was a result of the World Tree clone; however, this was not just a case of them being ignorant and uninformed. The World Tree clone was largely aggrandized by many and so the general public were unaware of its secrets since they had never visited the Star Boundary.
Additionally, the information made public by High Heaven Palace, the representative Sect of the Star Boundary, was the reason they believed Yang Kai had been in retreat for 1,000 of years. Though many individuals in the Cave Heavens and Paradises were aware of Yang Kai true location on the Black Ink Battlefield, it was unwise to inform the public about it, so they only announced that Yang Kai had been in retreat.
The three Masters exchanged greetings right away once they realised the man in front of them was indeed the Lord of the Star Boundary. These three were Sect Masters of the strongest three Sects in Wind Mist Territory. The oldest Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master among them was the Wind Mist Sect Master, Zhao Long Ji, and the other two were subordinates of his.
Facing an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, who was also the Lord of the Star Boundary, they dared not act nonchalantly, so Zhao Long Ji immediately explained the situation from start to finish.
Some time ago, a disciple of Wind Mist Sect discovered something strange in the void while he was outside travelling. Since his cultivation wasn’t high, he dared not conduct a hasty investigation and instead quickly went back to his Master Sect to report the issue. In turn, one of the Vice Sect Masters led a team to investigate.
This Vice Sect Master was soon startled by what he saw.
It only took less than 10 days from when the disciple discovered the anomaly to when the Vice Sect Master led people to investigate, but in that time, the void, which was initially only slightly warped, seemed to have broken apart and a hole had appeared in it. From that hole, something that looked like the blackest gas imaginable had flowed out, filling the surrounding space.
Being a cautious person, the Vice Sect Master ordered a disciple to enter deeper to investigate the matter, but how could he have expected that as soon as that disciple entered that black gas, it would latch onto him and cause a kind of mutation which he struggled hard to resist.
Fortunately, the Vice Sect Master was strong enough to subdue him.
But what was shocking was that the disciple became perfectly normal after being subdued. Only after the Vice Sect Master carefully examined this disciple and determined that there was nothing amiss did he release him.
After several investigations, he realised that any disciples who came into contact with that black substance would struggle hard at first and then be perfectly fine as soon as it dissipated.
The Vice Sect Master was baffled and had no idea what in the world this black substance was.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had recruited many Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to join the battle in the Barren Territory, yet they still did not disclose any news about Black Ink Strength to the outside world. So, the Masters from Wind Mist Territory were all not aware of the existence and characteristics of Black Ink Strength.
When Yang Kai heard this, he knew something was wrong.
This was unmistakably a case of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
A cultivator would instinctively struggle while being corrupted, but after they were completely overcome by Black Ink Strength, it would be impossible to see anything wrong with them unless their Small Universe was checked.
It was just that it was unthinkable for someone to want to inspect another’s Small Universe; after all, in the 3,000 Worlds, this was one of the greatest taboos. Many store their greatest secrets and valuables in their Small Universes; thus, it would be highly offensive to ask to see another’s Small Universe,
[Did the portal that connects Wind Mist Territory to the Barren Territory expand enough for Black Ink Strength to begin leaking out already?]
This was not a good sign. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God had yet to arrive, but if this situation persisted, the Territory Gate might be completely opened all on its own.
“What about those disciples who are contaminated with that black substance?” Yang Kai asked anxiously.
Zhao Long Ji sighed, “They’re dead. Something went wrong with them which caused them to suddenly assault Vice Sect Master Liu, who later put them to death on the spot. Unfortunately, Vice Sect Master Liu was also stained by that substance despite him escaping. He somehow managed to retain his senses and hurried back to the Sect to deliver a warning. Before the black substance completely changed him as well, he understood what fate awaited him and so he pleaded with this Zhao to spare him from it. It was a duty that this Zhao carried out with great reluctance.”
Vice Sect Master Liu was also a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and a Master like him was rare among Sects such as the Wind Mist Sect. Zhao Long Ji was devastated that had to be killed in this manner.
Suddenly, Yang Kai looked at him seriously and reached out to grab him. That startled Zhao Long Ji who originally wanted to fight back but was instantly seized by Yang Kai, completely immobilising him.
Immediately afterwards, he sensed an overwhelming force intruding into himself, examining his body inside and out.
Only then did he realise what Yang Kai was doing, so he instantly said, “Senior Yang, rest assured. After Vice Sect Master Liu, this Zhao found out about the peculiarities of the black substance and did not allow it to infect anyone else.”
When Yang Kai confirmed that Zao Long Ji was clean, he nodded and replied, “It seems you do understand the dangers of Black Ink Strength now. Anyone that is corrupted by it will become a Black Ink Disciple, who appears no different on the outside. The only way to determine the truth is to investigate their Small Universe. Forgive me for the offence.”
“Black Ink Strength?”
“Black Ink Disciple?”
The few of them looked at each other. This was the first time they heard such terms.
Then, Yang Kai sighed, “Have you all received the conscription order from Cave Heavens and Paradises?”
All three of them nodded upon his words. Some Masters of their Sects also received the order to gather at the Shattered Heaven.
“The Black Ink Clan is our Human Race’s greatest enemy while Black Ink Strength is the power they hold. It is extremely corruptive; once stained by it, it cannot be dispersed. Just like your Vice Sect Master and the few disciples, they will end up as Black Ink Disciples and lose their original selves. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have been fighting against the Black Ink Clan on a distant battlefield for countless years, preventing them from invading the 3,000 Worlds.”
Zhao Long Ji and others turned pale in shock, “We never knew about this!”
“The Cave Heavens and Paradises purposefully concealed this matter to avoid causing panic,” Yang Kai shook his head and said, “But now that the situation has taken a turn for the worse, we need assistance from even Second Class Sects like yours.”
The three came to a sudden realization.
They previously wondered why the Cave Heavens and Paradises suddenly sent out orders to recruit so many Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Not only Wind Mist Territory, they also heard that all other Great Territories were the same.
They had guessed that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had encountered some kind of powerful enemy, but they never knew that this enemy had actually been fought against for such a long time.
Zhao Long Ji responded, “If this is the case, is the opening in the Great Territory caused by the invasion of the Black Ink Clan?”
“Indeed! What is the situation of the opening now?”
Zhao Long Ji replied worriedly, “It is expanding rapidly. The same goes for that thing you call Black Ink Strength. We had no choice but to send orders to everyone to evacuate Wind Mist Territory. As for what measures we should take next, we were discussing that just now.”
Many individuals objected to Zhao Long Ji’s decisions at first; after all, Wind Mist Sect had laid down its foundation in this Great Territory more than 10,000 years ago, making them reluctant to simply abandon it.
However, after witnessing what happened to their disciples and Vice Sect Master, and seeing the rapid expansion of the darkness, Zhao Long Ji overruled all objections and ordered a general evacuation of Wind Mist Territory.
Several other Sects immediately followed suit once word had spread, but the majority of the forces here stayed behind. To those smaller Sects, they would be the largest Sects after Wind Mist Sect and other Second Class Great Forces left, so they would now have an opportunity to rise.
Opportunity and danger coexisted; or at least, for those that were weak, that was how they saw the current situation.
“Your foresight and decisiveness are praiseworthy!” Yang Kai nodded. Although he was unaware of the present state of the Territory Gate, he deduced that Wind Mist Territory was bound to be thrown into chaos soon. The only way for the inhabitants of this place to avoid a disaster was to quickly flee.
“Senior Yang is too polite. This is merely an act of self-preservation,” Zhao Long Ji replied.
Yang Kai nodded and continued to ask, “Is there somewhere for you to go?”
“No. We have nowhere to go for now,” Zhao Long Ji answered as he exchanged glances with the other two Sect Masters.
When preparing to flee, Zhao Long Ji contacted the other Second Class Great Force in the neighbouring Great Territory, intending to shelter there for a while; however, this was not a matter that could simply be consented to despite their usual good relationship as they feared that if Wind Mist Sect had any malicious motives, they would find themselves in a vulnerable state.
Therefore, Zhao Long Ji and the rest could only take one step at a time because they had nowhere to go after they completely evacuated Wind Mist Territory. If they were fortunate enough, they might be able to locate a Great Territory that was not guarded by a strong Great Force to settle down and then make future decisions based on what happened in Wind Mist Territory.
“Head to the Star Boundary,” Yang Kai sighed as he vaguely sensed their troubles. Who would willingly accept competition, since each Great Territory possessed their own Great Forces?
As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhao Long Ji and others were overjoyed, “Can we really go to the Star Boundary?”
If they were really permitted to go to the Star Boundary, they would willingly migrate there even if Wind Mist Territory wasn’t facing a catastrophe.
Their response made Yang Kai question in confusion, “Why can’t you go to the Star Boundary?”
When Zhao Long Ji heard his question, he suddenly realised that this individual before him, who had been in retreat for many centuries, might not know much about the Star Boundary’s current situation. So, he explained in a somewhat shocked manner, “I’m afraid Senior Yang might not be aware that the current Star Boundary is not somewhere that just anyone can enter at will. To enter the Star Boundary, you need to be sponsored by one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, or by the local Great Forces of the Star Boundary. Moreover, there is a restriction on the number of people allowed in.”
Only then did Yang Kai remember that the Star Boundary had the World Tree clone, which made it extremely attractive to all cultivators. If there were no such restrictions, the Star Boundary would instantly be overcrowded.
Knowing that continuing to speak without understanding the specifics would just cause more trouble, Yang Kai took out a jade slip and used his Divine Sense to engrave a quick message inside of it before handing it to Zhao Long Ji, “Bring this to High Heaven Palace in the Star Boundary and someone will settle the following affairs.”
Zhao Long Ji was thrilled. With this Faith Token awarded by the Lord of the Star Boundary himself, entering the Star Boundary would no longer be an issue. He was under no illusions that he would actually be able to settle in the Star Boundary, but even remaining in High Heaven Territory would be a massive boon. This worked in his favour as well because he was one step closer to his objective, a possibility of the talented Wind Mist Sect disciples being able to cultivate in the Star Boundary in the future, helping them greatly.
For this, he was extremely grateful towards Yang Kai.
“It’s not only you few. I need you to evacuate as many people from Wind Mist Territory as possible,” Yang Kai waved his hand and ordered.
He looked in the distance and continued, “I’m afraid that this Great Territory… will soon be engulfed in the flames of war.”
Zhao Long Ji’s heart tightened. He had a question, but it was difficult for him to ask, so he only cupped his fist and said, “Rest assured, Lord Yang. I will send disciples to the various Spirit Provinces of the Universe Worlds to deliver this message. Anyone willing to follow us shall not be forsaken.”
“Good.” Yang Kai simply said. Then, after some thought, he followed up, “I still have other responsibilities so I shall take my leave. Spread the news about the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength along your journey to the Star Boundary. If any others are willing to follow you, bring them along with you.”
Zhao Long Ji realised the seriousness of the issue when Yang Kai said this, so he respectfully agreed.
Soon, Yang Kai departed after asking for the exact location of the portal.
Zhao Long Ji frowned as he watched Yang Kai leave, “Although Senior Yang didn’t say much, judging from his words… I’m afraid that Wind Mist Territory really is facing a calamity.”
The Sect Masters of the other two Great Forces nodded their heads in agreement. They were not fools, so they had their own speculations and thoughts about the situation.
How would Yang Kai have given such a command if the circumstances weren’t incredibly dire?
The reason why they were sent to the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was located was that Yang Kai felt that as the only Open Heaven Realm Cradle, the Star Boundary would be the last bastion of the Human Race if the Black Ink Clan really invaded the 3,000 Worlds. Any other Great Territories could be abandoned, but not High Heaven Territory.
As long as the Star Boundary remained, the Human Race would have a chance to make a comeback!
After four hours, Yang Kai finally arrived at the breach in Wind Mist Territory; his heart sank as he looked over the area.
The void here was enveloped in incredibly dense Black Ink Strength that formed into a huge Black Ink Cloud. This was the first time Yang Kai had seen such a pure and dense Black Ink Cloud. Even a Royal Lord’s Black Ink Strength wasn’t this pure.
Black Ink Strength filled a radius of a million kilometres, and it was still spreading out at a speed that was visible to the naked eye.
Yang Kai even felt the fluctuation of Space Principles coming from the centre of the Black Ink Cloud.
Things were far worse than he imagined.
This Territory Gate from Wind Mist Territory to the Barren Territory appeared to have almost completely broken open.
Yang Kai arrived at the same moment the battle in the Barren Territory battlefield reached its peak. Both the Human Race and Black Ink Clan had been directing vast amounts of troops in that direction, and now the whole void was nearly filled with blood and mangled bodies.
The roars of Divine Spirits echoed without stop across the battlefield.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao had already hurried back, bringing back the news that saddened all the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Another Giant Black Ink Spirit God had awakened and was moving in their direction.
The Human Race had finally managed to stabilize the situation after borrowing manpower from the Divine Spirits and many Second Class Great Forces, but if another Black Ink Giant Spirit God rushed in, all their efforts would be in vain.
In the chaos, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was able to get in touch with the Phoenix Clan’s Leader and urged her to shut the Territory Gate leading to the Barren Territory from the Shattered Heaven.
The portal was immediately sealed shut after the Phoenix Clan Leader received the news.
Her mastery over the Dao of Space was stronger than Yang Kai’s, so whatever he was capable of, she was too.
The truth was, she had actually shut the Territory Gate from the Shattered Heaven to the Black Ink Battlefield when the Dragon and Phoenix Clans retreated from the No-Return Pass, but it was forcefully reopened by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
This was also the reason why Yang Kai noticed the expansion and distortion of the Territory Gate back then. It was because the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had torn it open.
After the invasion of the Barren Territory by the Black Ink Clan, the Phoenix Clan leader intended to repeat the tactic once again, but was not given the chance as her objective was too obvious.
Fortunately, Yang Kai was there to help. He blocked the portal after the death of one of the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods while the other was being held down by Ah Er. The Black Ink Clan was unable to reopen the portal because they were lacking these Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, which as a result, prevented them from receiving reinforcements.
The Phoenix Clan leader was aware that shutting the portal would not solve the issue, only temporarily alleviate it; however, even another breath of time now was incredibly valuable.
It was no challenge to her to seal a Territory Gate, so she finished this task within moments; however, before she could breathe a sigh of relief, the blocked portal suddenly began to crack. Immediately after, a gigantic hand that seemed to come from another universe punched through the barriers, bursting into the Barren Territory.
Black Ink Strength emanated from the gigantic hand, and it was so intense that it caused the nearby soldiers to freeze in fear under the intimidation of the gigantic hand.
Following, another gigantic hand burst through. Both hands then held onto the sides of the portal tightly, mercilessly forcing it open.
Despite their greatest efforts, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and the Phoenix Clan leader were unable to hold back the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Soon, a huge crack was torn open and a giant head poked in, Black Ink Strength flowing off it like a tide.
The Humans in the area immediately scattered; nonetheless, some were still accidentally stained. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was far more powerful than a Royal Lord, so even if it was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, they would quickly become corrupted and turn into a Black Ink Disciple without being able to resist. Fortunately, all the Humans carried spare Purifying Black Ink Pills with them, which they quickly swallowed when they noticed the danger.
Both the Grand Army on the frontlines and the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors noticed the abnormality in the rear, but before the Old Ancestors could even come to support them, they were entrapped by the Royal Lords who knew that it was now the critical moment in their plan.
The battle between the top Masters of both Races quickly heated up, and in less than an incense stick of time, Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Old Ancestors began dying.
Though the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had shrunk in size, it was still as majestic as a mountain. It struggled hard through the portal while enduring constant bombardment from Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and the Phoenix Clan leader, yet it showed no signs of backing down.
Half an incense stick later, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God finally stepped out of the portal, reaching the Barren Territory.
Its immeasurable intimidation spread around and all the Open Heaven Realm Masters of lower orders trembled under its awesome pressure.
“The Human Race shall perish! Only this Divine One, Mo, shall reign eternal!” After letting out this roar, as though it was venting the hardships of being imprisoned for millions of years, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God immediately slammed down its sky-covering hand.
When the Phoenix Clan Leader saw this, she wrapped Space Principles around Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and escaped instantaneously.
Just as she turned to look again, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was already laughing wildly, heading in the direction of the second Territory Gate. On its way, Black Ink Strength surged, forcing the Human Race Army to retreat and give way.
The sudden intrusion of an unrestrained Black Ink Giant Spirit God on such a battlefield was simply disastrous for the Human Race. Many Open Heaven Realm Masters who had set foot on this battlefield not long ago had all lost their will to fight at this very moment.
They had never taken part in such a massive, violent war before they were called up by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. They were also far less capable than the elites from Cave Heavens and Paradises, whether it was their Will or strength.
Even with the full resistance of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and Phoenix Clan Leader, it was impossible to stop this Black Ink Giant Spirit God from moving forward.
The Human Race’s earlier advantage, which placed both Races on roughly equal footing, instantly vanished and only became worse as more time passed. Once it reached the Barren Territory, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God erupted with unparalleled combat power.
In less than half a day, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God that broke into the Barren Territory from the Shattered Heaven arrived at the opening.
This was where the body of the other fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God was located, the Soul Clone of Mo that came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. After its death, Black Ink Strength that flowed out from its corpse transformed into a Black Ink Ocean, covering a vast swath of the void.
With the help of this coverage, the Black Ink Clan secretly sent out three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples without alerting the Human Race.
By this time, all of the Black Ink Clan’s plans had been fully implemented, and the Human Race was powerless to stop them anymore.
With this Black Ink Giant Spirit God charging in all the way, let alone Humans, even the Divine Spirits appeared small and weak in the face of such existence.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God opened its mouth and inhaled deeply when it arrived. Immediately, the vast Black Ink Ocean was drawn in, accumulating towards its mouth like a whale gulping down water.
In just a short while, the Black Ink Ocean that filled the void was completely absorbed, strengthening the already ludicrously powerful Black Ink Giant Spirit God and causing it to grow in size by some 30%.
Without the cover of the Black Ink Ocean, the condition of the region where the sealed Territory Gate was located could be seen at a glance.
The enormous void appeared to be a layer of thin ice that shimmered like rippling light on water in the midst of its warping and distortion. Along with those ripples of light, dense Black Ink Strength could be vaguely felt surging from within as space contorted, as if it was about to shatter apart.
The numerous Ninth-Orders Masters looked at the scene with fire burning in their eyes. They were all aware that the Black Ink Clan’s plan had reached its most vital juncture and that the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory would soon be entirely connected after the boundary wall was broken apart.
Judging by the situation, it would not be long now.
The Black Ink Clan Army had begun to gather from all sides, obviously with the intention of guarding the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and the region as a whole.
The conflict over this territory had not ceased as neither the Black Ink Clan nor the Humans would give up. Now, it was not exaggerated to say that 80% of the two Races’ Armies were gathered in this region.
In the past, control of this region had gone back and forth between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan; however, neither side was able to occupy it for long.
However, things were different now.
The Black Ink Clan now had another Black Ink Giant Spirit God whose aura had just been strengthened after devouring the Black Ink Strength left behind by the fallen Soul Clone.
It would certainly be a challenge to the Human Race to snatch back this stretch of void from the Black Ink Clan now.
Under the orders of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor and Army Commanders, the Human Race Army, from all directions, intensified their assault.
Countless powerful Divine Spirits flitted around the battlefield, cooperating with the Army to wear down the Black Ink Clan soldiers. As the power of various Secret Techniques and artifacts continuously blasted towards their enemies, the auras of many lives disappeared one after another.
The Human Race’s attacks were repeatedly repulsed however, as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that charged in from the Shattered Heaven had broken the balance of power between the two Races all on its own.
While the two Races were fighting, it sat still in the void. Although it rarely launched attacks, when it did, it carried an absolutely unstoppable force that even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters found difficult to resist. Only by working together could the Dragon and Phoenix Clan leaders somehow fight back, but they were still clearly at a disadvantage.
The scene was incredibly disheartening.
All of a sudden, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God abruptly turned its head to gaze at the position of the half-sealed Territory Gate, sneered coldly, then thrust out its palm, causing the already thin, sheet-like boundary wall to shatter.
At the same time, on the opposite side of the boundary wall, Yang Kai’s figure was sent flying several hundred thousand kilometres just from the shockwave before he could stabilise himself.
After cursing for a moment, he surged his Space Principles and used Instantaneous Movement to arrive in front of the almost broken boundary wall.
Upon separating from the Wind Mist Territory’s Sect Masters, Yang Kai followed their directions to locate this portal. Not daring to delay after witnessing the current state of affairs, Yang Kai tried to close and reinforce the breach. If he had succeeded, he might be able to delay things for a while, even if it wouldn’t be enough to stop the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
Yang Kai also found a dying man who was in the same condition as Ye Ming whom he encountered in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Yang Kai didn’t know which Cave Heaven or Paradise this individual came from, but he knew that he was also an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Ye Ming previously carried a Soul Clone of Mo and used a Secret Technique to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, over-drafting his vitality and ultimately causing his death.
Given Ye Ming’s experience, Yang Kai naturally understood what occurred to this Eighth-Order Master before him.
This individual also carried a Soul Clone of Mo! He had clearly unleashed the Soul Clone to corrode the boundary wall connecting this place to the Barren Territory.
Yang Kai’s expression darkened. He had assumed that the awakened Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land would arrive here, all because of the words by Lu An before his death.
It was Lu An who told him about the instability of the passage between the Barren Territory and the outside world which could only be completely opened if the Black Ink Giant Spirit God arrived and collaborated with the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory.
However, it appeared that this was not the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God did not have to be present here as there was already an Eighth-Order Blank Ink Disciple with Mo’s Soul Clone to erode the boundary wall from this side.
Such a thin boundary wall would not be able to withstand the force of Mo’s tremendously strong Soul Clone.
[Did Lu An lie to me?]
If that was the case, it indicated that Lu An had yet to rediscover his true self and was still a Black Ink Disciple when he died.
However, Yang Kai was unwilling to believe that. After ascending to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Lu An had dedicated his life to the Black Ink Battlefield. He had no complaints even after more than 10,000 years of service, so Yang Kai hoped that he had died as a Human rather than a Black Ink Disciple.
If Lu An did not lie to him, the only explanation was that Lu An was also unclear about the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
His only mission was to wake the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land with Ye Ming.
The task of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple here was to use Mo’s Soul Clone to erode the boundary wall and open the Territory Gate.
Of course, in the current situation, it was pointless to seek answers to these questions. What worried Yang Kai more was where the awakened Black Ink Giant Spirit God was headed if it was not here.
Yang Kai understood almost immediately that it had gone to Barren Territory, the battlefield of the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan. If that was the case, the Human Race would not be able to interfere, allowing it to achieve its goal by collaborating with its Army and the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Even Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could not stop it!
As soon as Yang Kai understood everything, he dared not delay anymore. He wanted to quickly block and reinforce the already eroded boundary wall.
However, just as he made a move, a tremendous force from the other side of the boundary wall blasted him away again.
Yang Kai was so anxious that his eyes burned with fire. Now, he finally understood that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had arrived as no one other than a Master like it could cause such an impact across a boundary wall, no matter how thin it was.
When Yang Kai rushed back a second time, what he saw made even his stalwart heart despair.
The boundary wall had entirely shattered, and from the broken Territory Gate, the aura of another Great Territory flowed through Yang Kai could even sense the chaotic energy fluctuating from the opposite side, obviously due to the battle between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race.
And from the broken boundary wall, a giant hand that radiated incredible energy protruded out, continuously enlarging the gap in the broken boundary wall.
With such a gigantic hand stuck in the boundary wall, Yang Kai had no hope to block the Territory Gate again, no matter how proficient he was within the Dao of Space.
The boundary wall between the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory had been completely broken through!
The next instant, a hulking figure with two horns on its head and the aura of a Feudal Lord emerged from the passage, displaying a smug sense of complacency.
He noticed Yang Kai standing not far away and immediately grinned wildly, “How lucky of me! There’s a Human!”
Saying so, he charged towards Yang Kai.
But before he even got close, a pallid light bloomed in his eyes, and his vision became distorted. In that distorted vision, he saw a decapitated body with black blood spurting freely from the neck.
For some reason, he felt that this corpse was somewhat familiar…
He suddenly came to his senses, [Isn’t that my body?]
Without figuring out what happened, his consciousness sank into darkness.
Following him were more Black Ink Clan storming through the passage from the Barren Territory battlefield to Wind Mist Territory.
Yang Kai clutched the spear in his hand, his expression cold as he weaved his Supreme Limitless Spear Art, using the Azure Dragon Spear to unleash a barrage of spear shadows in all directions, slaughtering all the Black Ink Clansmen that were emerging from the Territory Gate.
These Black Ink Clansmen varied in strength, but none were very strong, so in the face of Yang Kai’s attack, they were almost powerless to resist.
The Black Ink Clan were no longer contained in the Barren Territory battlefield since the boundary wall had been breached. Clearly not interested in battling to the death with the Human Army, the Black Ink Clan poured out of the Barren Territory once the Black Ink Giant Spirit God forced open a new portal.
Only in this manner would the Black Ink Clan be able to carry out their next plan.
In such a predicament, Yang Kai had no choice but to stand his ground and kill all the enemies that came through.
He stood alone in front of the passageway and wielded his spear. Before even gaining a clear look at Wind Mist Territory, the Black Ink Clansmen that poured out from the passage died one after another.
As the saying went, as long as one man guards the mountain pass, even a thousand warriors would not be able to enter.
However, no matter how strong Yang Kai was, he couldn’t completely wipe out the seemingly endless stream of Black Ink Clansmen that flooded out through the passageway.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God soon noticed the abnormality too and tried to use the gigantic hand that was forcing open the boundary wall passage to capture Yang Kai several times, but each time Yang Kai managed to avoid its attacks as they were significantly weakened across the Great Territories.
As more Black Ink Clansmen arrived, Yang Kai’s rate of slaughtering became unsustainable.
Initially, these Black Ink Clansmen tried to surge forward to kill Yang Kai, whom they perceived as a formidable enemy; however, after a series of costly defeats, the Black Ink Clansmen must have gotten some sort of command not to engage with Yang Kai at all and instead spread out in all directions as soon as they came out from the passageway.
Yang Kai did everything he could to stop this, but he was ultimately just one man.
Left with no other option, Yang Kai madly surged his Space Principles, causing the surrounding void to fracture like a broken mirror.
This time, things were much simpler. Even without Yang Kai having to take further action, the Black Ink Clansmen that emerged from the passageway were cut to death by the myriad of Void Cracks.
There were still some that managed to avoid being sliced apart by this web of Void Cracks, but Yang Kai’s follow-up attacks took care of them.
This Secret Technique was something Yang Kai only recently developed, and while it was not particularly powerful, making it useless against truly strong foes, it was highly effective against masses of weaker opponents.
With such a Secret Technique deployed outside of the Territory Gate, any Black Ink Clansman that rushed out from the passageway would inevitably fall into this trap.
All Black Ink Clansmen weaker than Feudal Lords would perish on contact with the Void Cracks, and although the Feudal Lords were slightly more powerful, the innumerable Void Cracks still severely damaged them. Only the Territory Lords were immune to the damage caused by this shattered mirror.
All the current Territory Lords were Innate Territory Lords directly created by Mo’s power. They were absolutely strong and were no weaker than the Human Race’s finest Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
In less than an incense stick, Black Ink Clansmen corpses were piled up as high as mountains outside the exit of the Territory Gate. It was impossible to estimate how many had died. Additionally, besides the weaker Black Ink Clansmen, Yang Kai even managed to kill two Territory Lords right after they appeared.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai had reached his limits. More and more Black Ink Clansmen were pouring out of the portal, and his Space Secret Technique was starting to crumble, a sign that it would collapse any time from now.
Yang Kai had the ability to cast this Secret Technique again, but he was currently being attacked by five Territory Lords so he was rather occupied at the moment.
Taking full advantage of his mastery of the Dao of Space, Yang Kai was fighting back fiercely against these five Innate Territory Lords, and despite his disadvantage, it was the Territory Lords who were constantly leaking cold sweat in the face of Yang Kai’s spear.
After comprehending so many Grand Dao Strengths in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai’s Supreme Limitless Spear Art had evolved even further, allowing each of his attacks to become illusory and unpredictable, throwing off these Territory Lords’ senses and forcing them onto the defensive. However, these five learnt quickly after two of their own were injured and now refused to act separately no matter how weak Yang Kai appeared to be, insisting on battling him as a single unit.
Yang Kai repeatedly cursed these five Territory Lords in his heart, but there was nothing more he could do.
If they split up and acted independently, Yang Kai could still find a way to break through and pick them off one by one, but facing all five, he was strong in will, but weak in strength, frequently having to take risks to push them back, which only caused him to suffer more injuries.
As time passed, more and more Black Ink Clansmen emerged from the Barren Territory before quickly dispersing in all directions, ignoring the battle between Yang Kai and the five Territory Lords. In no time, their figures disappeared.
Yang Kai experienced a deep sense of despondence and silently understood that Wind Mist Territory was doomed.
The Human Race would no longer have a place in this Great Territory with so many Black Ink Clansmen arriving and scattering in all directions.
Just like a spark, the Black Ink Clan would set everything aflame with their Black Ink Strength. No Great Territory could resist now that the Black Ink Clan had breached the Barren Territory and were spreading out unchecked as the Human Army’s main force remained in the Barren Territory.
The Human Race had been at war with the Black Ink Clan for countless generations, losing innumerable lives in the process, but on this day, all those sacrifices were rendered pointless.
After today, there would be no peace in the 3,000 Worlds!
Filled with shame and resentment beyond words, Yang Kai’s movement became more and more vicious as all he could think about was butchering every single Black Ink Clansman who rushed out from the passage.
On the Barren Territory battlefield, the Human Race Army was equally at a loss when they saw the boundary wall being completely breached and endless Black Ink Clansmen streaming into it.
No matter how difficult things were previously, the Human Race Army was determined to fight the Black Ink Clan to the very end because they were fighting to protect the 3,000 Worlds and every Great Territory teeming with life.
However, when the boundary wall was completely breached, allowing the Black Ink Clan Army to flood out, the determination and Will that drove them previously ruptured as well.
At that moment, countless were at a loss on the battlefield.
Even the Old Ancestors unconsciously came to a halt.
Defeat!
The Human Race had lost.
Looking back to some 600 years ago, it seemed like victory was within their grasp. The goal to eradicate the Black Ink Clan and put an end to the threat they posed for millions of years was near at hand. They gathered more than 100 hundred Great Passes and the accumulated heritage of the Cave Heavens and Paradises from the past 100,000 years and launched a grand crusade to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
However, outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods flanked them from opposite sides, causing the Humans to suffer their first defeat and forcing them to flee back to the No-Return Pass. While retreating, hundreds of thousands sacrificed their lives to protect their companions.
Despite gaining the assistance of the Dragons, Phoenixes, and several other Divine Spirits at the No-Return Pass, the Human Army still lost to the Black Ink Clan. After this second loss, they abandoned the No-Return Pass and retreated to the Barren Territory.
Now, after just 200 years of battle, the Black Ink Clan managed to break through the boundary wall and completely connected the Barren Territory with Wind Mist Territory.
At this moment, the Humans had been completely defeated, unable to recover from the invasion of the Black Ink Clan.
How did things end up like this?
No one could figure out the reason. The Human Race was not weak, and they had never underestimated the Black Ink Clan; but today, the Black Ink Clan had beaten them. Though the Human Army remained mighty, right now, they could do nothing but watch.
Disheartened, all the soldiers of the Human Race Army secretly wept.
At this moment, the Barren Territory battlefield that was once filled with chaos and death became utterly silent.
The only fight that continued was the one between Ah Er and his opponent. Their battle seemed like it would last until the Universe itself shattered and died. These two Giant Spirit Gods had not stopped ever since they first met. Even though it had already been 200 years, neither side seemed to have gained any kind of advantage.
Suddenly, someone pointed at the gap in the boundary wall and shouted, “Someone is blocking the Black Ink Clan Army!”
The Territory Gate had been substantially widened now, and the two Great Territories were entirely connected due to the arm of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that stretched across the passageway, allowing the Humans in the Barren Territory to see the view on the opposite side, though the image was blurry thanks to the distortions of the Void.
Just as all of the soldiers on the Barren Territory battlefield were losing the will to fight, they realised there was still someone attempting to stop the Black Ink Clan Army on the opposite side of Wind Mist Territory.
And it was just one person!
This one unknown person had killed millions, causing blood to flow like rivers.
Across the passage, black blood and Black Ink Strength almost flood the entire void.
This discovery soon spread as more and more soldiers looked up to see the scenario in Wind Mist Territory.
They didn’t know who this person was, but they certainly knew that they were fighting alone, with no signs of backing down or becoming discouraged.
Seeing this, all of them couldn’t help but feel ashamed.
That one individual was still fighting on while they, the grandest Army the Human Race had ever assembled, had already given up.
It was as if a spark had been lit and was now setting their hearts aflame with the burning desire for victory. The courage and Will to resist that had almost died moments ago was stimulated once more and the need to take action spurred all of them on.
They were the guardians of the 3,000 Worlds and the Human Race, fighting against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield and fending off the invasion of the Black Ink Clan.
The sky was truly falling, but if they, the tallest and strongest did not rise to hold it up, who would?
The 3,000 Worlds was home to their Master Sects, their families, their descendants, and everyone they knew and loved. In a battlefield unknown to ordinary people, they constructed an impregnable line of defence with their own flesh and bones, sheltering the entire Human race.
If they admitted defeat, it would be the end.
“The Human Race will never surrender!” Suddenly, someone lifted his long sword and yelled furiously; his voice rang out across the void as his World Force.
That shout was followed by another, then another, and another…
“Never surrender!”
The shouts erupted one after the other, forming a torrent that shook the Universe.
The previously dejected ambience now burned anew.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God guarding the passageway was first fascinated by the Human Race Army’s hopelessness and grief, as this was something it had never witnessed before, it was extremely intriguing.
But just as it was preparing to stir up trouble to further suppress the Humans, they suddenly regained their fighting spirit and determination, even pushing it to new heights.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was taken aback by what it saw and frowned as it gave it some thought before turning to look at the Territory Gate. Using its vision that could penetrate the Void, it saw a lone Human figure fighting against the Territory Lords in Wind Mist Territory.
[The Humans changed so drastically because of him?]
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was suddenly enraged. If it had known this would happen, it would have gone all out to murder this annoying Human back in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Even if the Human Race did not know who was obstructing the Black Ink Clan in Wind Mist Territory, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God did.
Not only did it know, but the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors all understood who it was on the other side.
The shift in the mentality of the whole Army had also shaken the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors out of their daze. Nobody could have imagined that one person’s effort and persistence would inspire the fighting spirit of the entire Race.
Even they, who had lived for countless years, seemed to have become younger at this moment, with enthusiasm surging in their hearts.
“The young ones are indeed energetic, no?” A Ninth-Order Old Ancestor suddenly said.
“Yes. There is hope for the Human Race with youngsters like these.”
“We were like that once, it’s a shame that the years have dulled me so.”
It was not simply due to their old age, but also the constant weight of their responsibilities. Their existences were burdened by their Sects, their Passes, and their entire Race, disallowing them to be as carefree as they were when they were young.
“Who among you has the courage to be young and passionate with me once again?” With a grin, the oldest and most respected Old Ancestor asked. This Old Ancestor was born in Pure Yang Cave Heaven and had lived the longest among all living Old Ancestors. Before many Ninth-Order Old Ancestors present here were born, he was already a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
In terms of age, he could even be considered an ancestor among all Ninth-Order Old Ancestors.
“It should have been like this a long time ago. Ever since I ascended to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm and started guarding the Black Ink Battlefield, my spirit has grown dull. Every move had to be made with innumerable considerations for all possibilities. When was the last time I simply took action? All I wanted in my life was to be happy and unrestrained.”
“Indeed, indeed.”
“Stop being so long-winded. Those who are truly young act as soon as the words leave their mouths. How can you sentimental old farts be considered young?”
The Ninth-Order Old Ancestors were shouting frantically, losing their prudence, as if they were actually a bunch of immature youngsters who were oblivious to the immensity of Heaven and Earth.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao on the other hand just smiled and brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear, “You old farts, acting like a bunch of immature brats here. Only Wu Qing and I could be counted as youths in terms of age, how could you be considered young now that you’ve all got one foot in the grave already?”
Wu Qing, the former Yin-Yang Pass Southern Army Commander, who ascended to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm about 1,000 years ago, had succeeded Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao in guarding Yin-Yang Pass. Only then did Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao have the opportunity to lead the Great Evolution Army to recapture the Great Evolution Pass.
If there wasn’t a new Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to take over, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao would never have been able to leave Yin-Yang Pass.
Upon hearing her remarks, Wu Qing, who was pale-faced and injured, nodded, agreeing with her that he was indeed the youngest member of all the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors. Regarding Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s age, while it was unclear whether she was the second youngest or not, who would have the audacity to argue with a woman about her age?
Immediately, another Old Ancestor laughed and said, “Xiao Yue Ya is right. We are indeed all old. You young people are our hope and future, so you and Wu Qing should stay back.”
The smile immediately vanished from Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s face as she protested angrily, “Why?”
The oldest Pure Yang Cave Heaven Old Ancestor responded with a smile, “Someone must remain to provide the youngsters with a protector and give them time to mature, or are you going to depend on us old men to do so if you two don’t stay back?”
Displeased, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao remarked, “Never mind about Wu Qing. I won’t stay back.”
The Old Ancestor of Great Battle Cave Heaven shook his head, “The future of the Human Race lies with the Star Boundary and Yang Kai. Among all Old Ancestors, you are the closest to him, so it only makes sense for you to remain behind and watch over him and the Star Boundary.”
Saying so, he transformed into a streak of light and headed towards the Black Ink Giant Spirit God as the sword in his hand shook slightly, not wanting to wait for Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s response.
Just as Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was about to object, another Old Ancestor walked past her and patted her on the shoulder, “I will leave those useless disciples of Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven to you.”
Then, he transformed into a bird of light and flashed away.
“Why not give us old folks one last opportunity to shine?” Another Old Ancestor grinned and added.
While laughing, he proceeded to chase after the two Ninth-Order Old Ancestors.
Like moths to a flame, the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors rushed by Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing one after another as they charged straight in the direction of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God boldly, showing no signs of hesitation or regrets.
In an instant, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s vision blurred. Her body trembled, as if she was attempting to go after them; however, her feet appeared to be weighted down, preventing her from moving.
After all, the Old Ancestor of Pure Yang Cave Heaven was right; someone had to stay behind to protect the young ones. Wu Qing was selected by the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors because he had just ascended to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, whereas Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was chosen because of her relationship with Yang Kai.
There was no prior discussion, simply an agreement made by all the other Old Ancestors in the moment.
There was also no room for refusal or objection.
She and Wu Qing were forced to carry this burden by the older ones, leaving them no chance to argue.
After the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors left, Dragon roars and Phoenix cries resounded throughout the void as a majestic and awe-inspiring sight appeared before everyone’s eyes. Surging with the might of Divine Spirits, the leaders of the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan unleashed their might as they soared over, causing both Time and Space to contort.
By now, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s eyes were utterly soaked in tears.
Wu Qing, whose face was no less wet, cupped his fist and shouted loudly, “This Junior will not disappoint your expectations!”
Without looking back, he turned and ordered, “Withdraw the Army!”
At this moment, ‘crippled and defeated’ was the most straightforward way of describing the Human Army.
Outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the Humans were defeated for the first time and forced to retreat to the No-Return Pass.
At the No-Return Pass, they were again defeated and retreated to the Barren Territory.
This time was their third defeat!
It wasn’t that Wu Qing and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao didn’t want to stand and fight to the bitter end, nor did the Human Race Army want to retreat; however, even if they desired to do so, the only option they had at this moment was to withdraw to the 3,000 Worlds.
Simply put, dying in battle might be glorious and honourable, but what about the day after? Should the future be buried along them as well? Admitting defeat and escaping was certainly shameful, but only by living on could hope endure.
In the present situation, living was undoubtedly the more difficult choice. Perhaps death in battle could be a relief to them, ending all their troubles. The survivors, on the other hand, would have to bear heavier burdens.
To preserve hope for the future, it did not matter if they had to endure this humiliation.
As a result, Wu Qing decisively ordered a full withdrawal of the Army. The fact that the Black Ink Clan Army was pouring into the Wind Mist Territory from the Territory Gate and invading the 3,000 Worlds could not be reversed. Instead of allowing the Human Race’s current limited strength to be completely destroyed on this battlefield, it was wiser to live with this humiliation and blood feud. One day, sooner or later, they would make the Black Ink Clan experience 100 times the pain they endured today.
Nobody knew how much it pained Wu Qing to order this retreat, but if one had looked closely, they would see his fist clenched so tightly that fresh blood was drawn from his palms.
Although the fighting spirit and determination of the Army had been reignited by Yang Kai, the Army Commanders did not let the blood rush to their heads and swiftly organized the march to the Territory Gate leading to the Shattered Heaven under the command of Wu Qing. The Black Ink Clan did not pursue them either because there was simply no need to. All they had to do now was to rush into Wind Mist Territory and then wreak havoc.
Chaotic energy impacts and violent shockwaves stuck from the armies’ backs, yet nobody dared to turn around to witness the heartbreaking scene.
Regardless, they could all feel the withering of extremely strong auras without having to turn to look.
With the exception of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing, all 35 of the remaining Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Human Race died in battle that day.
Both the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan leaders of this generation died as well.
The Barren Territory was filled with mournful Dragons and Phoenixes’ cries.
However, such devastating losses were not in vain.
In that great battle, 44 Royal Lords of the Black Ink Clan perished, along with several million Black Ink Clansmen.
As for the Black Ink Giant Spirit God holding open the Territory Gate, it was also severely injured, its infuriated roars ringing so loudly that they could clearly be heard in neighbouring Wind Mist Territory.
It could be said that the war for the Barren Territory was the most tragic battle between the two Races.
Even though the two Races suffered heavy losses in both the battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and at the No-Return Pass, this was undoubtedly the most tragic one. One after another, the injured Ninth-Order Masters and the Royal Lords fell. Never before had there been so many lives of such powerful Masters lost in such a short time.
After the dust settled, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing were the only Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Human Race that remained.
On the Black Ink Clan side, only two Royal Lords remained. One guarding the No-Return Pass, while the other had charged into Wind Mist Territory before the final battle.
All the Ninth-Order Masters entered this final battle to drag down the Royal Lords with them.
They understood that in order to give the youngsters an opportunity to grow, there couldn’t be too many top Masters on the enemy’s side; however, in order to kill the Royal Lords, they had to put their lives on the line.
With such a mentality, and knowing what the end result would be, they still went forth boldly without hesitation or regrets.
The outcome was indeed quite fruitful. Even though they were outnumbered, the Old Ancestors struck with such speed and ferocity, catching the enemy completely off guard, that they managed to eliminate almost all of the Royal Lords. In fact, if not for the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, at least 10 of them could have survived.
All of the Ninth-Order Masters that went to war that day, however, perished due to the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s interference.
After that battle, the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race both had essentially depleted their top combatants.
Besides the Old Ancestors and the Royal Lords, the Human Race still had Ah Er, a Giant Spirit God, Fu Guang, the Divine Dragon who became the new leader of the Dragon Clan, and another Giant Spirit God, Ah Da, whose current whereabouts were unknown.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan was left with two Royal Lords, one of which was seriously injured, and two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, again one of which was badly injured.
It could be said that the majority of challenges that the Human Race would face in the immediate future had been eliminated by the sacrifice of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors. As for the longer future, the youngsters would have to take care of that for themselves.
The Barren Territory was a battle of significant impact, a battle that changed the status quo of both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan. After this war, word about Black Ink Strength could no longer be kept a secret and quickly spread throughout the Great Territories, sparking terror for some time. Fortunately, the vast Human Army had retreated from the Barren Territory. Under the command of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing and soon split up into numerous Divisions that were deployed to the various Great Territories to maintain control of the situation and begin evacuations. Even the Great Territories occupied by the Cave Heavens and Paradises would soon be emptied out.
At this point, Wu Qing’s decision to withdraw the Army had proven to be the correct one, because enough troops had been preserved to implement this mass-migration.
Since all these cultivators had personally taken part in the battle against the Black Ink Clan and were aware of how bizarre and difficult to handle Black Ink Strength was, none of them slacked or dallied in this task, working as swiftly and diligently as possible.
Three months later, a few hundred Masters returned from a bloody journey to Void Territory.
Among these people, led by the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider Zhu Jiu Yan, were people like Yang Kai’s Wives Yu Ru Meng and Su Yan, Great Emperors like Iron Blood Zhan Wu Hen, rising stars like Li Wu Yi, and Yang Kai’s friends who he met in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary like Xiang Ying, Fang Yue, and Yang Kai’s subordinates like Hui Gu, Luan Bai Feng, and more.
Even the Dragon Clan members from the Star Boundary’s Dragon Island returned for the first time since they left for the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land to cultivate.
Because these individuals shared the same origin, they were all integrated into the Great Evolution Army by Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao before being divided into various Divisions and Battalions on the Barren Territory battlefield.
Divisions like theirs could be found throughout the Great Territories now.
Old Man Bi Xi could feel the aura of these people soon after they entered Void Territory and so he swiftly opened the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array to let them in.
After learning the result of war in the Barren Territory from Zhu Jiu Yin, Old Man Bi Xi sighed heavily, “Yang Kai’s words were prophetic indeed. This day has really come.”
Then, Yu Ru Meng asked in surprise, “Senior, you spoke with that little bastard?”
Old Man Bi Xi nodded, “Yang Kai once returned and told me to take care of it if Void Land needed to be relocated.”
He did question Yang Kai about the severity of the situation on that day, but the latter simply said it was a precaution.
But, looking back, Yang Kai probably had a vague premonition of what was going to happen today, or else he wouldn’t have made such a solemn request.
Turning his head, Old Man Bi Xi said to Xiao Hei, “Tell Lu Xue and Chen Tian Fei to prepare.”
Xiao Hei nodded and left upon hearing this command.
With Yang Kai’s previous warning, Void Land had gotten adequately prepared, so when the time came to evacuate, they could depart at a moment’s notice, bringing along those from Void Star City and even the other Great Forces from Void Territory.
Gritting his teeth, Yang Kai fled through the void as Space Principles undulated.
Behind him was a Royal Lord who was hot on his heels, attacking Yang Kai with various Secret Techniques, forcing him to dodge from side to side.
Yang Kai was unaware of the state of the battle in the Barren Territory and was also unaware that the last of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors died with the Royal Lords of the Black Ink Clan to pave the future pathway for the Human Race. The only remaining Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were Wu Qing and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
He didn’t even know that the Human Army had evacuated from the Barren Territory as he was currently running for his life!
Previously, he was single-handedly intercepting and killing the Black Ink Clansmen flooding out from the Barren Territory battlefield into Wind Mist Territory. Under his attacks, Heaven and Earth quivered, and the blood of his enemies flowed and pooled into an ocean.
The Black Ink Clan was naturally enraged by his actions, and immediately, a Royal Lord passed through the passageway and entered Wind Mist Territory.
Yang Kai dared not hesitate once he sensed the Royal Lord’s aura, so without pause, he turned and fled.
Although he had killed the sheep-headed Royal Lord by himself outside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai knew that was due to the multiple coincidences and accidents that aided him.
Even so, Yang Kai had to use four Soul Rending Thorns in quick succession in that battle, which caused his consciousness to become vague and blurry, so he wasn’t even sure how he killed the sheep-headed Royal Lord. All he knew was that when he regained his senses, he was already holding the head of the sheep-headed Royal Lord.
Although his strength had significantly improved since then, Yang Kai understood that he was still not capable of defeating a Royal Lord in a conventional battle.
When he was young and weak, he had experienced being hunted down by Masters far stronger than him, but what frustrated him so was that even after reaching the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and becoming extremely powerful, he was still being chased after and hunted by more powerful Masters.
At this point, only Royal Lords and Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were strong enough to defeat Yang Kai, but he had actually experienced such situations twice in just a few hundred years.
As he was escaping this time, Yang Kai secretly swore that after he ascended to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he would hunt down lone Royal Lords and give them a taste of their own medicine!
While he was still a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he could barely escape from the sheep-headed Royal Lord with the aid of Purifying Light, but now that he was in the Eighth-Order, his situation was significantly better, even without the assistance of Purifying Light.
In other words, though he might not be the Royal Lord’s opponent, without the strength or ability to isolate space, it would purely be a dream for such a Master to want to kill Yang Kai.
‘Flee if unable to put up a fight’ was a principle Yang Kai had been living by and implementing throughout his entire life.
However, it was still difficult to shake off a Royal Lord. Without the aid from the Purifying Light, there was no way for Yang Kai to isolate himself from the Royal Lord’s aura with his strength alone.
That was not to say he couldn’t escape, but Yang Kai had some reservations about doing so. The current situation was not only because he was not as strong as the opponent, but also because he had other intentions as well.
What worried Yang Kai was Wind Mist Territory. Although he had previously stopped and slain numerous Black Ink Clansmen, many more managed to escape.
Now that he was gone, the Black Ink Clan Army would undoubtedly charge right in.
He knew that Wind Mist Territory was likely to fall in short order, and the catastrophe would subsequently expand to the nearby Great Territories.
Yang Kai could only hope that the Human Race would be able to react quickly and effectively as he no longer had any control over problems relating to the survival of the entire Race.
In the midst of fleeing and dodging attacks, Yang Kai took a glance back and noticed that this Royal Lord was nearly as strong as the sheep-headed Royal Lord he previously met. Both of them were Innate Royal Lords directly created by Mo, unlike Mo Zhao from Great Evolution Theatre, who cultivated to that realm step by step.
The strength of this sort of Innate Royal Lords was exceedingly strong from the moment they were born, equivalent to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters; however, the one drawback was that their strength was essentially fixed at birth, unable to develop any further.
Both the Innate Royal Lords and Innate Territory Lords were the same.
It could be said that all Innate Territory Lords had no possibility of ascending to become Royal Lords. Although they were born with the combat power on par with the strongest Eighth-Order Human Masters, they did not have the chance to advance further.
One would know that just by observing Territory Lord Che Kong, who was an Innate Territory Lord killed by Yang Kai. Che Kong had been born hundreds of thousands of years ago, yet he remained a Territory Lord.
Everything had its pros and cons. Even an ancient supreme entity like Mo could not resolve such issues.
This Royal Lord was not particularly large, so if it weren’t for the surging of Black Ink Strength from him, he would not appear much different from an ordinary Human.
He attacked Yang Kai the moment he emerged from the Territory Gate on the command of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. Initially, this Royal Lord thought this would be a simple task, but he never expected that this Eighth-Order Human would be as slippery as an eel, with each of his attempts to capture Yang Kai failing miserably.
The Royal Lord raged after some time of pursuing Yang Kai, vowing in his heart to rip this annoying Human to pieces the moment he caught him.
Yang Kai had no idea how the battle in the Barren Territory was progressing, but neither did the Royal Lord. He had no idea that pursuing Yang Kai actually helped him escape death.
Because it was only moments after he crossed the boundary wall that the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors of the Human Race launched their attack and killed off all other Royal Lords!
Great Territory after Great Territory, he pursued Yang Kai.
The Royal Lord couldn’t help but marvel as he passed through the flourishing Great Territories where he beheld the stunning and picturesque sights.
Since the day he was born, he had lived inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, where there was only endless Black Ink Strength and darkness. Afterwards, despite the Black Ink Clan Army’s entry into the Barren Territory, it was completely empty with not even a dead Universe World to be seen.
He had never witnessed a spectacle as breathtaking as this.
Particularly in those Universe Worlds, where the World Force was exceedingly rich. The World Force in those Universe Worlds was nothing less than the most delectable banquet for a Royal Lord like him. The aroma of it wafted from afar to his olfactory senses, tempting him to rush over to devour it.
But, he suppressed his inner thrills and continued to pursue Yang Kai all while picturing the wonderful scenario in his head of when the Black Ink Clan Army eventually conquered the 3,000 Worlds.
With these many prosperous Great Territories serving as their base, the Black Ink Clan would undoubtedly grow rapidly, and by that time, the whole 3,000 Worlds would transform into a strong source of nourishment for the Black Ink Clan.
After the Humans had been entirely defeated and the number of Royal Lords had reached a certain number, they could return to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to free Mo.
However, finishing the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master under his nose was currently the most urgent issue. The Royal Lord’s icy eyes glared at the fleeing figure in front of him, and his pace increased by another 30% as his Black Ink Strength surged.
Yang Kai seemed to flee like a stray dog being chased, but in reality he could keep pace with the Royal Lord quite easily. Space Principles flared from time to time as he travelled through the Territory Gates and Great Territories one after another while leading the pursuer behind him.
After a year, Yang Kai finally slowed down, much to the joy of the Royal Lord, who had been pursuing him day and night as he assumed that Yang Kai had finally run out of energy.
Over these days of pursuit, the Royal Lord had used up a lot of his energy too, so nothing more need be said about a mere Eighth-Order Human.
In fact, it was astonishing that Yang Kai could persist for so long.
The distance between them continued to narrow before a Territory Gate came into view. The Royal Lord judged from the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s direction that he intended to cross this Territory Gate next.
The Royal Lord had had enough of this chase, so he pushed his strength and unleashed a Secret Technique, allowing him to condense a hand from pure Black Ink Strength that reached out to seize Yang Kai from a distance.
Soon after, Yang Kai was tightly gripped in the palm of the powerful hand.
The screams of that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were like music to the ears of the Royal Lord, but suddenly, the Human sprang up and broke free from the black gigantic hand as a burst of light blazed. Immediately after, Yang Kai flashed away into the Territory Gate in front of them.
The Royal Lord was furious as his prey managed to escape again, despite having been captured. Unable to tolerate it, he followed Yang Kai and recklessly plunged into the Territory Gate.
The Royal Lord had experienced such situations many times along the way. He was initially extremely cautious since he was afraid that Yang Kai would ambush him on the other side of the Territory Gates, but since that had never happened, he was no longer on alert.
Because there was a significant strength disparity, plotting an ambush was pointless; the only sensible course of action was to flee.
This time, however, after entering the Great Territory on the other side of the Territory Gate, the Royal Lord immediately sensed something strange.
There were extremely violent energy fluctuations clashing with one another here. Two types of energy appeared to have very different Elements. They continually clashed and ground against each other in a seemingly endless struggle.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master that he had been pursuing was nearby too, looking a little stunned.
And Yang Kai was indeed stunned.
The reason he led the Royal Lord who was chasing him all the way here from Wind Mist Territory was not because he was escaping randomly, but rather because there were allies here who could bring down this Royal Lord.
Two of them, in fact!
This was the Chaotic Dead Territory, the home of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
Yang Kai originally intended to come to the Chaotic Dead Territory to request Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan to descend the mountain and help save the 3,000 Worlds, but since a Royal Lord had been pursuing him, Yang Kai felt the best place to lead him was here.
However, Yang Kai was shocked by what he discovered when he arrived at the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Two gigantic armies were battling against one another in the endless void, fighting a war that was no less intense than the battle between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield. Each Army here had millions of soldiers and their clash was so intense that space itself shook, seemingly on the verge of breaking apart, leaving behind endless fields of corpses.
The two armies appeared to be stone-like statues rather than living beings of flesh and blood, very different in both size and strength compared to the Small Stone Race Yang Kai was familiar with.
Among them were the top combatants, whose auras were actually on par with Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters! These giant stone figures each had a body no less than 1,000 metres tall, making them exceptionally conspicuous on the battlefield.
Although these two grand armies appeared to be of the same Race and shared a similar appearance, the energy and power they wielded were diametrically opposed.
The power held by one of the grand armies was blazing hot; the moment they lifted their hands, it was like a flaming Sun had risen into the sky, shining with such blazing heat that the void seemed to melt under it. The other army held a power that was icy cold and as they activated their Secret Techniques, a crescent Moon appeared and cast its frigid glow onto the void, acting as the nemesis of that flaming Sun.
Both the blazing Suns and the crescent Moons melted into nothingness one after another, creating an endless cycle that was both shocking and breathtaking.
The two armies fighting each other were also quite distinct. Each had a different emblem on their chests, one was a Sun and the other a crescent Moon, which perfectly corresponded to their respective strengths.
When Yang Kai entered this place and saw these two strange armies, his mind went completely blank.
[What the Hell are these things? When did the Chaotic Dead Territory come to have these things?]
[Where is Big Brother Huang? Where is Big Sister Lan?]
Upon closer inspection though, Yang Kai could actually find some resemblance between the Small Stone Race and the soldiers of these two armies. But compared to the Small Stone Race he had raised in his Small Universe, the ones in front of him were undoubtedly larger and their strength was also incomparable.
[Could…could they be the Small Stone Race I left behind?]
Yang Kai found it a little hard to believe.
When Yang Kai had visited the Chaotic Dead Territory in the past, he gifted some of the Small Stone Race in his Small Universe to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan so they could use them to resolve the dispute that had plagued them since the dawn of their existence, who was the Big Brother or Big Sister. Instead of fighting personally, the two supreme existences would raise armies of Small Stone Race and then have them battle it out to determine the winner and loser between them.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan found this solution very appealing and over several years, the two had both racked up numerous wins, earning the privilege of being the older sibling until they were defeated.
Yang Kai too had gained quite a lot from this experience. The Yellow and Blue Crystals he had taken to the Black Ink Battlefield had all been obtained from the Chaotic Dead Territory, and over the years, he had used Purifying Light condensed from those crystals to save countless Human soldiers who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
If it weren’t for the fact that he had spent a decade escaping a Royal Lord, and then another 4,000 years in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon cultivating, the Yellow and Blue Crystals he had would not have been used up so quickly.
To Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, the battle between millions of the Small Stone Race was nothing more than a simple game, a way to more peacefully and conclusively settle their issues.
But now, after 1,000 years, these Small Stone Race members seemed to have undergone some kind of inexplicable change.
Looking at the Small Stone Race members raised in his Small Universe, and then at the two armies of Small Stone Race members currently engaged in an epic war that spanned as far as they could see, Yang Kai really wanted to ask those two how they raised them.
Among the Small Stone Race in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, the strongest ones were only about the height of an ordinary Human and had the strength of an Initial Element or Qi Transformation Realm cultivator, certainly more powerful than a mere mortal, but still an ant compared to true Masters. On the other hand, the most powerful beings here were more than 1,000 metres tall and every part of their body was emanating a fierce and majestic might that was in no way inferior to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
If these two armies were to leave this place on a mission of conquest, no single Sect in the 3,000 Worlds would be able to stop them, not even the Cave Heavens or Paradises. In fact, these armies would even be able to put up a fight against a Black Ink Clan Army of similar size.
But after recalling how the true source of the Yellow and Blue Crystals, Yang Kai no longer found it strange for the Small Stone Race under the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to undergo such a transformation.
Yang Kai first discovered the Small Stone Race in a New Great Territory connected to the Star Boundary. It was a Race that no one had ever seen before.
The Small Stone Race were very similar to ants in that they had a strict and clear hierarchy. As long as there was an existence similar to an ant queen and ample resources, this Race could rapidly multiply and flourish.
Their demand for resources was extremely low as well as anything with energy could become food for them.
The reason why Yang Kai had raised many Small Stone Race members in his Small Universe was because the benefits each individual of this Race provided in terms of generating World Force were about 10 times the benefits of an ordinary Human.
The time flow of his Small Universe was much faster than the outside world. In other words, if he raised many Small Stone Race, it would save him a lot of time in cultivation and allow his strength to rapidly increase.
After ascending to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Yang Kai broke through to the Seventh-Order in only about 300 years, with a lot of credit being due to the Small Stone Race.
In fact, his breakthrough to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm was not only because of the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon but also because of the proliferation of the Small Stone Race.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai didn’t dare to allow the Small Stone Race to develop too much. The Small Stone Race in his Small Universe had always been maintained in a stable range, because once their numbers reached a certain limit, the demand for resources would become too much to bear and some thinning would be required.
Such a problem was obviously non-existent for Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
In terms of resources, the Chaotic Dead Territory was the most abundant place in the 3,000 worlds, with Yellow and Blue Crystals literally floating around the void as they were simply the remnants formed from the clash between the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s energy.
In other words, if these two were willing, they could allow the Small Stone Race to expand almost without end. Clearly, after 1,000 years of such rapid evolution, the Small Stone Race in the Chaotic Dead Territory had developed to the point where elites comparable to Eighth-Order Masters had emerged from their ranks.
Yang Kai had come to the Chaotic Dead Territory for two reasons. Firstly, to ask Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan to leave the Chaotic Dead Territory, and secondly, to deal with the tail chasing him.
But as soon as he entered this place, the sight of two Small Stone Race armies fighting with each other really caught Yang Kai by surprise.
[By the looks of it, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s game is still ongoing, and it has already developed to such a ridiculous state.]
By the time he figured out the reason behind these changes, the Royal Lord had caught up to him.
Just as Yang Kai was about to continue fleeing though, a sudden and unexpected change occurred.
The two Small Stone Race armies that were engaged in a fierce battle suddenly all stopped fighting the moment the Royal Lord appeared. All of the Small Stone Race members, regardless of their height or strength, turned their eyes towards the Royal Lord, as if they were drawn in by some kind of irresistible force.
The next instant, the 1,000-metre tall Small Stone Race members roared angrily towards the sky and beat their chest with both hands, sending pieces of rocks flying off everywhere, before charging straight towards the Royal Lord.
Yang Kai could clearly see unbridled hatred burning in the Small Stone Race’s eyes.
The two armies instantly converged into two torrents of Yin and Yang that crashed into the Royal Lord.
The Royal Lord was enraged.
He was already in a foul mood after having failed to catch Yang Kai time and time again for over a year, so when the two Small Stone Race armies started pestering him for no reason, how could he tolerate it?
A thick wave of Black Ink Strength surged from him, transforming into a vast Black Ink Cloud that covered a massive stretch of the void. The wave of Black Ink Strength ripped the Small Stone Race members to pieces. Even the Small Stone Race members that were 1,000 metres tall couldn’t withstand this kind of force for more than a few breaths before they were broken apart.
Nonetheless, the two armies courageously pressed forward like moths to a flame, soon surrounding the Black Ink Ocean in multiple layers, as if they were not afraid of death.
From the start, the Small Stone Race didn’t fear death. Firstly, they didn’t have the cognizance to do so as their intelligence was too low for that and this trait seemed to have remained unchanged, even if the strength of the Small Stone Race in the Chaotic Dead Territory far exceeded that of their ordinary clansmen. Secondly, this kind of slaughter was just a day-to-day occurrence to them.
Normally, the Small Stone Race armies would keep fighting and never retreat a single step unless Big Brother Huang or Big Sister Lan gave the order to withdraw.
Even when they were facing the Royal Lord right now, the thought of backing down never crossed their minds.
More and more Small Stone Race members were sent flying as bits and pieces of rock almost filled the entire void.
The fearless charge of the Small Stone Race members sent the Black Ink Clan Royal Lord into a fury and he kept attacking them without mercy. Amid this fierce battle, he tried using his Black Ink Strength to corrupt these strange creatures and turn them into his slaves, but after a few attempts, he was shocked to discover that Black Ink Strength, which had terrorized the Human Race for millions of years, was completely ineffective against these ignorant creatures.
This left the Royal Lord perplexed, wondering what the Hell these things were.
Much to his shock and dismay, there were living beings in this world who could completely ignore Black Ink Strength! Even Divine Spirits like the Dragons and Phoenixes only showed a strong resistance against Black Ink Strength, but could not totally disregard it.
These creatures had wildly varying strength, and they looked as if they were made from stone and had no flesh or blood.
The Royal Lord even saw many Small Stone Race members cannibalizing the corpses of their fallen comrades, grabbing bits and pieces of rocks and tossing them into their mouths before chewing and swallowing. Soon after, the aura of those particular Small Stone Race members grew stronger…
Yang Kai was somewhat surprised by the actions of the two Small Stone Race armies until suddenly, he recalled his second visit to the Chaotic Dead Territory.
At that time, he had come here in hopes of finding a solution to the corruption of Human cultivators by Black Ink Strength. It was then that he had obtained the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks. Using these two marks on the backs of his hands, Yang Kai could extract the power of the Yellow and Blue Crystals to create Purifying Light.
Back then, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan showed obvious looks of disgust when they sensed Black Ink Strength.
Back then, Yang Kai had not come into contact with many ancient secrets as his strength was low. He did not have a clear idea of the situation back then, but now he had some idea.
If the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer really were related to the Primordial Light, it was only natural for them to hate and reject Black Ink Strength, as Black Ink Strength was the Primordial Darkness opposite the Primordial Light. Basically, Black Ink Strength and Purifying Light, which was based on Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s power, opposed and countered each other.
This was probably the reason why Purifying Light could dispel Black Ink Strength.
The Small Stone Race, which had inherited these two strengths, naturally had an instinctive hostility towards Black Ink Strength. That was why, the moment the Royal Lord appeared in the Chaotic Dead Territory, the two Small Stone Race armies, who were locked in a fierce battle against each other, stopped fighting and attacked the Royal Lord, driven by their instincts.
After sacrificing many of their companions, the two armies split up and surrounded the Royal Lord.
Furthermore, as these two armies had inherited the power of Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, from a distance, it looked as if they had transformed into a giant Yin-Yang symbol that enveloped the massive Black Ink Cloud.
Be that as it may, these two armies couldn’t stop this Royal Lord, and if given enough time, the latter would surely be able to wipe these Small Stone Race members eventually.
At this moment, Yang Kai suddenly felt the back of his hands become hot. When he looked down, he saw that the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks that generally remained hidden had appeared on their own.
At this moment, Yang Kai had a stroke of inspiration.
The next instant, he fiercely stretched his hands out. A wave of World Force fluctuations spread out from him as two enormous illusory palms emerged from his hands. As he curled his fingers and pulled his hands closer, causing the two enormous palms to mimic his actions, enclosing the battlefield in the centre.
Great Sun and Great Moon Marks had also appeared on the back of the giant palms, and each mark was equally massive.
The Yin-Yang fish that had enclosed that enormous Black Ink Cloud also changed at this moment. Under the guidance of the two marks, streams of energy emerged from the Small Stone Race members before fusing together.
The next moment, an extremely pure white light began to bloom within the darkness. In an instant, the white light lit up the entire void like it was high noon.
Purifying Light!
Usually, Yang Kai displayed Purifying Light that could disperse Black Ink Strength by drawing on Yellow and Blue Crystals with the help of the two great marks.
Although he didn’t have any Yellow or Blue Crystals with him now, the Small Stone Race members on the battlefield were equivalent to pieces of the Yellow and Blue Crystals.
Yang Kai had never used Purifying Light on such a huge scale. With the support of the Yin and Yang Elements of the two Small Stone Race armies, this Purifying Light seemed capable of illuminating the entire Chaotic Dead Territory.
The thick Black Ink Cloud began to rapidly evaporate under the brilliance of the pure white light, revealing the hidden Royal Lord whose face was filled with shock, obviously unable to understand what just happened.
The unstoppable Black Ink Strength that struck terror into the hearts of the Human Race and all other living beings was actually restrained by some other force!
The Royal Lord was immediately struck with panic.
Under the guidance of the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks, the two armies of different attributes interweaved together, chasing after each other in a circle like a giant millstone. Every time the Yin-Yang Millstone completed a circle, Black Ink Strength surrounding the Royal Lord’s body would be ground away.
As a large part of the energy was drained from the Small Stone Race members, they quickly shrunk back to their normal size.
The Royal Lord, on the other hand, increased the pace of his merciless onslaught. No Small Stone Race member was able to approach within a 100-kilometre radius of him, owing to his surging Black Ink Strength.
But after a short while, the Royal Lord felt his strength rapidly depleting. Only now did he catch sight of Yang Kai in the distance and understand that he was behind all of this.
This sent the Royal Lord into a frenzy. He let out a fierce roar as his Humanoid body suddenly ballooned into a hideous giant. The next moment, he forcefully broke out of the encirclement of the two Small Stone Race armies by relying on his profound strength and charged straight towards Yang Kai.
Be that as it may, his aura was unstable at the moment, clearly having taken a huge hit under the Purifying Light.
Nonetheless, Yang Kai had no intention of fighting him to the death. When he saw the Royal Lord break out of the encirclement, he simply turned around and ran while shouting, “Big Brother Huang, Big Sister Lan, your Little Brother is in danger! Save me!”
The relentlessly pursuing Royal Lord furrowed his brow after hearing this. He had no idea what was so special about this ‘Big Brother Huang’ and ‘Big Sister Lan’ that Yang Kai was requesting for their help, but anger was now blinding him so the only thing on his mind was to catch Yang Kai and tear him to pieces to calm his rage.
In the Chaotic Dead Territory, it wasn’t just two armies that were fighting each other, there were in fact many other armies fighting each other as well.
These armies varied in size and numbers, ranging from a few thousand to even a few million. It was just that the two armies that Yang Kai saw just after entering the Chaotic Dead Territory were comparatively larger.
At first, Yang Kai was already surprised by the fact that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had raised armies like these two, but to his astonishment, he learned that what he saw was just a small part of their forces.
By the looks of it, the entire Chaotic Dead Territory was engulfed in the war of the Small Stone Race, rendering Yang Kai speechless at the sight.
Furthermore, every single Small Stone Race member would immediately stop and attack the Royal Lord the moment they sensed his aura.
Be that as it may, they were unable to stop the Royal Lord. Even if Yang Kai used their energy to create a mass of Purifying Light, he could only delay the pursuing Royal Lord for a moment, that was all.
Yang Kai had no intention of fighting the Royal Lord head-on so he kept rushing to the depths of the Chaotic Dead Territory, shouting non-stop.
Only when he suddenly felt two shocking auras approaching him did he finally stop and call out, his face beaming with joy, “Big Brother Huang, Big Sister Lan, your Little Brother has come to see you!”
The pursuing Royal Lord behind Yang Kai also sensed the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s auras and his complexion immediately changed. Abruptly coming to a halt, he focused his senses for a moment before hurriedly turning around and fleeing.
Obviously, he had noticed the strength of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer and also understood why Yang Kai had lured him here. It was to seek help from these two beings.
However, just as the Royal Lord was trying to escape, a golden chain appeared behind him all of a sudden. The chain was emanating an extremely rich Yang Element aura; obviously, it was created from Big Brother Huang’s strength.
The chain wrapped around the Royal Lord like it had a mind of its own.
The Royal Lord was quite strong too and his Black Ink Strength surged as he tried to shake off the chains. But suddenly, a small head popped out of the chain. Who knows when Big Brother Huang hid in this chain, but when he did appear, he just lightly blew at the Royal Lord.
This action might have seemed ordinary, but it sent the Royal Lord tumbling through the void.
By the time he regained his balance, a little girl in a light blue dress happened to be standing in front of him, gazing down at him with an innocent and pure gaze.
Enraged, the Royal Lord punched straight at her.
The little girl raised her skirt with both hands and gently lifted her foot, kicking the oncoming fist lightly.
Oddly though, the little girl’s figure remained motionless while the Royal Lord was sent flying like an arrow fired from a bow.
The Royal Lord was completely terrified!
[Who the Hell are these two!?] Much to the Royal Lord’s shock, the two ‘Humans’ were tossing him like he was a piece of trash. What terrified the Royal Lord even more was the fact that he had a faint instinctual fear towards these two insignificant Humans.
The Royal Lord tried his best to regain his footing, but right then, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan shot towards him, leaving two trails of light, one yellow and one blue. The two circled around the Royal Lord and at first, he could still make out their figures, but gradually, he lost sight of them as his vision filled with streaks of yellow and blue light slowly forming a huge net around him.
Yang Kai heard the Royal Lord’s roars and snarls.
The next moment, the yellow and blue colours fused together, transforming into a pure white light. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan also simultaneously stopped and drifted away.
In Yang Kai’s sight, the Royal Lord’s figure was no longer visible, leaving only a white cocoon that was radiating a pure and gentle light.
This light had the same aura as the Purifying Light he used, but it was many, many times stronger and more intense than his own Purifying Light.
This wasn’t a surprise though, as Yang Kai condensed Purifying Light from mere remnants of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s strength, while this Purifying Light was directly condensed by the two supreme beings.
With a deafening bang, the cocoon of light exploded into countless wisps of light. As for the Royal Lord who should have been trapped in this cocoon of light, he simply vanished.
Yang Kai was even unable to sense remnants of his aura!
Yang Kai was bewildered at the sight of this as he inwardly praised Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan as truly being worthy of being the ancestor of all the Divine Spirits. Even a Master as strong as a Royal Lord was disposed of with ease by the two of them.
If he could persuade them to come forward, there would be no need to fear the Black Ink Clan again!
Yang Kai estimated that these two would even be able to kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods without much difficulty.
Yang Kai then enthusiastically greeted the two, “Big Brother Huang, Big Sister Lan, long time no see. Your Little Brother has missed you very much all these years. Now that I’ve seen your noble bearing once more, this Little Brother’s longing for you has finally been quenched.”
Big Brother Huang completely disregarded his flattery as a furrow appeared at his brow and he asked, “Where did that foul thing come from?”
Big Sister Lan rebuked, pursing her lips, “Had you not been chased by him, why would you even think of us? You didn’t even come to play with us all these years. I think you must have forgotten about us.”
Yang Kai put on an earnest look as he defended himself, “Of course not, your Little Brother has been thinking about you two day and night ever since we parted. Unfortunately, this Little Brother was dispatched to a distant battlefield and was unable to return. However, the moment I came back, I immediately came here to see you.”
Big Brother Huang lightly snorted, “You also brought an enemy with you and asked for our help, am I right?”
Yang Kai stated, embarrassed, “Little Brother’s skills are lacking. As I was not his opponent, I had no choice but to turn to you. It’s only natural for Big Brothers and Big Sisters to take care of their Little Brothers.”
Yang Kai’s face was filled with flattery when he was in front of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, which suddenly made him realize how Chen Tian Fei must have felt when facing him.
[That Fatty is still quite good, I should treat him better when I return and stop trying to scare him…]
Big Brother Huang stated, waving off, “Forget it, we Big Brother and Little Sister can’t win against you in a war of wor…”
Before he could finish, the nearby Big Sister Lan shouted, “Big Brother and Little Sister? Humph! It’s Big Sister and Little Brother!”
Big Brother Huang shot a disdainful glance at her, “Wait until you have defeated me in this battle. We are Big Brother and Little Sister until it is over.”
Big Sister Lan suddenly became a little dispirited and depressed. Apparently, she had lost the last round.
As someone who had accompanied these two for a few years, Yang Kai was not surprised by this familiar sight.
Big Brother Huang then turned to Yang Kai and asked, “Tell me, what made you come here this time?” Before Yang Kai could say anything, he interrupted, “Don’t say it’s because you really missed us.”
Yang Kai first smiled in embarrassment before he quickly cupped his fist and requested, “The Black Ink Clan has invaded the 3,000 Worlds and is about to wreak havoc upon all the innocents living in it. Little Brother earnestly requests you two descend the mountain and help resolve the Human Race’s crisis!”
Big Brother Huang slightly frowned, “The Black Ink Clan? Like the one who died just now?”
Yang Kai nodded his affirmation, “Indeed. He was a Royal Lord of the Black Ink Clan, equivalent to a Human Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.”
“How many Royal Lords like him are there?”
Yang Kai answered, “Originally, there were 200 or so, but now there are only a few dozen left. But the biggest danger posed by the Black Ink Clan is not how many Royal Lords they have, but rather the unique characteristics of their Black Ink Strength. You two must have seen it, so you should know how peculiar it is.”
Big Brother Huang nodded his acknowledgement.
Yang Kai continued, “The Black Ink Clan uses something called Black Ink Nests to create more clansmen. So long as they have ample resources, they can keep creating more soldiers. Originally, the Humans tried to eliminate them on the Black Ink Battlefield, but unfortunately, we were defeated and our defences were breached a year ago. Now, the Black Ink Clan has broken through the boundary walls and invaded the 3,000 Worlds. If we don’t find a way to stop them, the Human Race will be finished and we will have no place left in this world! The Humans can take care of the Black Ink Clan Army, but the Black Ink Clan has two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, whose strength is too much for us. Unless Big Brother and Big Sister take action, there will be no way to stop them.”
Having finished speaking, Yang Kai cupped his fist again, “I earnestly request that the two of you come out of seclusion and save the 3,000 Worlds, saving the Human Race from this crisis!”
Big Brother Huang let out a long sigh, “Things have become so grim?”
Yang Kai nodded, “It will only get worse from here.”
When he escaped from Wind Mist Territory, the passageway had already been fully opened. A year had already passed by now, so he had no idea about the situation in the 3,000 Worlds.
Big Sister Lan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly stated, “But we can’t leave here.”
Yang Kai was taken aback, “Even now?”
Big Sister Lan explained, “Since you know our identities, I believe you’ve also heard the rumours about us from the Humans, and those rumours are not exaggerated. We are physical representations of death and destruction. We’ve told you this before. It’s fine if we are in the Chaotic Dead Territory as it has no vitality… but wherever we go, every place will become part of the Chaotic Dead Territory.”
Naturally, Yang Kai had heard of these rumours before and understood what the consequences of them taking action would be.
Big Brother Huang heaved a long sigh, “Originally, the Chaotic Dead Territory wasn’t so big, it was only the size of an ordinary Great Territory, but later it became this…”
Big Brother Huang started speaking but hesitated to continue. As such, Big Sister Lan took over, “Long ago, our consciousnesses were muddled, which resulted in the destruction of many Great Territories, and that’s how the current size of the Chaotic Dead Territory came to be. After we gained sentience, we no longer dared to freely wander about, so we stayed here to avoid harming other places.”
[This sounds a little familiar…]
Suddenly, Yang Kai recalled that the formation of the Black Ink Battlefield was quite similar to the Chaotic Dead Territory, both were the fusion of many Great Territories. However, the Black Ink Battlefield was the result of the wanton release of Mo’s Black Ink Strength, whereas when the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer came to realize the dangers of their power, they chose to remain isolated in the Chaotic Dead Territory.
“I see… Is there really nothing we can do about it?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan looked at each other before answering in unison, ““It’s because we can’t control our own strength.””
Yang Kai was dumbstruck by this revelation for a moment, but then, he recalled the scene when he first came to the Chaotic Dead Territory and realization instantly dawned upon him, “That makes sense; after all, there were so many Yellow and Blue Crystals here!”
The first time he came to the Chaotic Dead Territory, things were not as peaceful as they were now.
At that time, the Chaotic Dead Territory was filled with the energy leaking out of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer. The Yin and Yang Element energies manifested into a myriad of strange avatars that kept clashing with each other everywhere in the Chaotic Dead Territory, literally shaking the void.
Had Giant Spirit God Ah Er not accompanied him at that time, how would Yang Kai, who was just in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, have survived unscathed? He would have died the moment he entered, leaving not even a trace of his existence behind. This was a place where even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could not survive for more than a few breaths.
The entrance to the Chaotic Dead Territory was always guarded by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, with an Eighth-Order Ancestor and several Seventh-Order Masters stationed all year around. It was a mission assigned to Eighth-Order Masters in turn. Normally a dozen Masters would be present at the entrance, tasked with monitoring the Chaotic Dead Territory and the movements of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
This mission was both wonderful and terrible. It was terrible because it was very dangerous. Even though the Chaotic Dead Territory did not expand often, sometimes remaining unchanged for thousands of years, and the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer never came out, if someday these two Supreme Beings got bored and decided to take a walk, the Masters monitoring the entrance would be the first to suffer.
On the other hand, the reason why it was wonderful was that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters stationed here would have the opportunity to collect some Yin and Yang Element materials at the outskirts of the Chaotic Dead Territory. If they were in luck, they could easily harvest some Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order materials.
Yang Kai had visited the Chaotic Dead Territory twice and had met the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master guarding the entrance both times, but he had not seen anyone this time. Similarly, there was no trace of the cultivators he left behind last time to help serve as Generals for these two’s war games. Most probably, they had already left to fight against the Black Ink Clan.
It was precisely because of the dangers of the Chaotic Dead Territory that there was such a shortage of Yin and Yang Element materials, despite the entire Chaotic Dead Territory being absolutely filled with Yellow and Blue Crystals.
If the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer could perfectly control their own strength, there would be no Yin and Yang avatars to confront each other, and neither would there be any Yellow and Blue Crystals.
It was precisely because they couldn’t control their own strength that their energies would leak from their bodies, which would cause all other things.
Later on, when Yang Kai left the Small Stone Race in the Chaotic Dead Territory, the two had tried to directly channel their energies into the Small Stone Race, which ultimately caused the Small Stone Race to mutate.
It didn’t make sense that Yang Kai’s Small Stone Race still remained the same after tens of thousands of years in his Small Universe, while the Chaotic Dead Territory’s Small Stone Race had undergone an astonishing transformation. Surprisingly, even members comparable to Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had been born here, but when the pure energy of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were taken into account, it was only natural for evolution to occur.
The continuous fights between the Small Stone Race were mainly driven by the characteristics of their race, as well as by the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s energies.
It could be said that the confrontation between the Yin and Yang in the Chaotic Dead Territory had never stopped. Only the way they were clashing had changed, and the reason for this change was because it was deliberately directed by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
Naturally, Yang Kai already knew of this.
It was just that he couldn’t understand how beings as powerful as Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan couldn’t control their own strength. Logically speaking, the stronger one was, the greater the control they had of their own strength, but when it came to Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, it was the exact opposite.
Nonetheless, if what they said was true, the destruction they would cause might be even worse than the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai really wanted these two to leave the Chaotic Dead Territory to deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, but by the looks of it, this was just wishful thinking on his part.
Unwilling to give up though, Yang Kai asked, “Are you two completely unable to restrain your strength?”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan both vigorously shook their heads like rattle drums.
Yang Kai rubbed his aching brow and asked, “Have the two of you ever tried to fuse together?”
“Like this?” Big Brother Huang sent a wisp of his Great Sun Force.
Big Sister Lan didn’t say a word as she also sent a wisp of her Great Moon Force.
The two wisps of energies of two different colours slowly converged together and quickly fused into a flash of white light…
Yang Kai stated, “I don’t mean merging your energies, but you two merging together?”
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer both stared at him in a perplexed manner, “How do we merge?”
For a moment, Yang Kai didn’t know how to explain. All he could do was elaborate, “There is a Black Ink Battlefield just outside of the 3,000 Worlds, which is the front line where various Cave Heavens and Paradises resisted the Black Ink Clan. The Humans and Black Ink Clan have been fighting on that battlefield for countless years. Little Brother went to the Black Ink Battlefield more than 1,000 years ago, and about 500 years ago, the Human Race Army embarked on a grand crusade to the source of the Black Ink Clan, where I met an ancient Supreme Master and came to learn of some ancient secrets.”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan didn’t interrupt him, rather both of them summoned a ball of energy that transformed into a mat. They sat down on their respective mats and stared at Yang Kai with great interest; their eyes were filled with anticipation as if they were waiting for him to continue.
It had always been just the two of them in the vast Chaotic Dead Territory, so it was quite boring for them. They rarely got to hear something interesting about the outside world, so naturally, the two were quite happy and excited.
Yang Kai shot a profound stare at them, “Some of these things may have something to do with you two.”
“En en,” Big Sister Lan repeatedly nodded while Big Brother Huang listened attentively.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel as if he was storytelling, with two loyal listeners sitting in front of him…
“Rumor has it that, when the Chaos separated into Heaven and Earth, the first Primordial Light appeared in the World, along with its counterpart, the Primordial Darkness …”
When he reiterated everything he had heard from Cang about the first ray of light and darkness, nothing was exciting about it, it was just going back in time.
Big Brother Huang clucked his tongue and rebuked, furrowing his brow, “Not interesting!”
Big Sister Lan also nodded in agreement.
Both of them felt that if they kept listening to Yang Kai’s nonsense anymore, they would be bored to death.
Yang Kai helplessly stated, “You two, it’s not a question of whether it is exciting or not, don’t you have any ideas?”
Big Brother Huang voiced his thoughts, “According to that old man named Cang, Mo is the manifestation of Primordial Darkness. If we want to eliminate him, do we need to find the world’s first light, the Primordial Light?”
“Yes!”
Big Sister Lan asked, “Do you suspect we are born from the Primordial Light?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Purifying Light is the nemesis of Black Ink Strength, and Purifying Light is the result of the fusion of your energies. I can’t help but think they are related.”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan glanced at each other before the former sighed, “I didn’t expect that after hiding for so many years, it would still be discovered.”
Big Sister Lan also sighed and added, “There’s nothing we can do if we’re discovered.”
“You two really are born from the Primordial Light?” Yang Kai was overjoyed.
Yang Kai’s eyes were filled with anticipation. If Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were really born from the Primordial Light, then he had found a way to deal with Mo, the source of the Black Ink Clan. As long as he could solve the problem of the source of the Black Ink Clan, sooner or later, the entire Black Ink Clan would be wiped out. At that time, peace would return to the 3,000 Worlds.
“What should we do?” Brother Huang looked at Big Sister Lan.
“We can only do that,” Big Sister Lan replied solemnly.
Yang Kai watched as these two spoke in riddles. He was afraid that they would try to silence him; fortunately, the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer didn’t have such intentions. After exchanging a few words, the two of them stood up and, just like when they had killed the Royal Lord, their figures intertwined with each other, swirling in the void.
Yang Kai clenched his fists, his face filled with excitement and anticipation.
As expected, these two were born manifestations of the Universe’s Primordial Light, but somehow separated into two entities. However, the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were seemingly able to fuse into one body at critical moments!
The Black Ink Clan crisis could be resolved with the Primordial Light! Even Mo, the source, could be eliminated!
The two small figures intertwined faster, the yellow and blue colours quickly fused together and transformed into a dazzling white light. Soon, Yang Kai saw the light cocoon again.
Earlier, the Royal Lord had been wrapped in this white cocoon of light, and when it shattered, the Royal Lord had simply vanished into nothingness.
Now that this light cocoon had reappeared, Yang Kai’s heart was rapidly pounding in excitement.
After a while, the light cocoon completely stabilized and floated in front of Yang Kai like a real cocoon.
Yang Kai called out a few times, but there was no response from Big Brother Huang or Big Sister Lan, so he gently stretched out his hand and touched the cocoon.
It was like a solid object, soft and supple, as if he was touching the skin of the most tender baby in the world.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but reach out and gently pinch it…
With a bang, the cocoon of light blew up into countless wisps of light. There was no aura. Nothing. As though it had never existed.
Yang Kai’s entire body went completely cold as if he had fallen into a frozen river before he panicked.
[Exploded!?]
[I pinched it casually, but it blew up!?]
[The cocoon of light exploded… did I just destroy the Primordial Light? Impossible…]
[Am I going to become the eternal sinner of the Human Race…?]
In the future, whenever someone mentioned Yang Kai’s name, they would say that it was he who had destroyed the light cocoon and destroyed the world’s Primordial Light, causing the Human Race to lose the means to deal with the Black Ink Clan.
In an instant, all kinds of thoughts flashed across Yang Kai’s mind like lightning, filling his chest with regret and indescribable pain, but the next moment, he was completely dumbstruck.
Two small figures appeared from behind these glowing specks of light. Big Brother Huang asked with a huge smile, “Are you surprised?”
Big Sister Lan excitedly asked, “Are you surprised?”
The two of them had a look of joy on their faces, like their prank had succeeded.
In that moment, filled with both relief and rage, the veins on Yang Kai’s forehead bulged and he unconsciously raised his fist and socked two naughty children over the head.
Of course, after his fist landed on their heads, Yang Kai abruptly came back to his senses. How could these two… be so easily beaten by him? Even with his current strength, if either of these two even sneezed too hard at him, he would be vaporized.
Yang Kai’s head was filled with indignation and anxiety at that moment and acted without thinking, only wanting to teach these brats a lesson.
Naturally, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were also struck dumb by this and both of them stared blankly at Yang Kai, holding their heads.
This was probably the first time someone had ever knocked on their heads.
Yang Kai had also fallen into a daze. Looking at their figures before him, he suddenly recalled that while he might address them cordially as Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, they were two of the most powerful Masters to have ever lived. Of course, they were still children at heart.
The ancient Supreme Masters Mo was also childlike, so how could the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, who were from the same era and possessed the same level of strength, not be similar. It could be that countless years of isolation from the outside world had prevented them from maturing. Or, it might just be the Universe trying to achieve some kind of balance.
Yang Kai had placed all his hopes of defeating Mo on them, and had even asked for them to merge together, yet he had never asked their opinion.
[Right now, they are Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, but what if they really merged? What would become of them?]
Feeling somewhat guilty, Yang Kai sighed and gently rubbed their heads.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan seemed to have sensed the change in Yang Kai’s mood. Big Brother Huang tilted his head to avoid his hand and stated, “If we really could merge, we would have discovered it long ago. Why would we wait for you to remind us?”
Big Sister Lan also nodded, but she didn’t avoid Yang Kai’s hand, rather her eyes became slightly narrow as a look of enjoyment appeared on her face.
“But…” Big Brother Huang’s tone suddenly changed, “We sensed something strange over the years.”
“Like what?” Yang Kai asked.
Big Brother Huang thought about it for a moment, as if he was trying to sort out his words. After a while, he finally replied, “We have a vague memory from the time when our consciousnesses were not fully developed. It’s as if we Brother and Sister, once existed together somewhere, but one day we suddenly left that place and appeared in the Chaotic Dead Territory.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up after hearing this, “What kind of place was that?”
Big Brother Huang shook his head in response, “We were ignorant at that time and we only have some vague memories of it now.”
Big Sister Lan added, “I think it’s not that we left, but rather that we were abandoned.”
“Abandoned?” Yang Kai was shocked. [These two were already among the strongest beings in existence the moment they were born, so how could they have been abandoned?]
Nonetheless, the only thing he was certain of now was that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were deeply related to the Primordial Light, or else their combined strength would not have been able to restrain the Black Ink Strength so easily.
The Primordial Light and Black Ink Strength were basically complete opposites.
According to Cang, the Primordial Light should have gained sentience a long time ago and now, it might not be in the form of a simple light. It could be a tree, a flower, or anything else in this World.
Combined with what Big Sister Lan had said, Yang Kai suddenly had a bold guess.
[Could it be that after the Primordial Light gained sentience, it stripped away the Great Sun Force and Great Moon Force from its body? That Great Sun Force eventually became the Burning Light, and the Great Moon Force turned into the Serene Glimmer. But in that case, where is its main body?]
Perhaps, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s inability to control their own strength was related to this, because they themselves were only two parts of that Primordial Light. Currently, they are damaged and incomplete, so naturally, they are unable to control their strength, leading to the continuous confrontation between their innate Forces.
But in that case, why did Primordial Light strip these two from its body? What form did it take afterwards?
Unable to figure anything out, Yang Kai suddenly thought of something else and asked, “The World reveres the two of you as the ancestors of all Divine Spirits, but did the two of you really give birth to the Divine Spirits’ Bloodlines?”
Big Sister Lan immediately blushed red, “We’re still children, what nonsense are you spouting?”
Big Brother Huang also stuttered, “Don’t talk nonsense, we’re Brother and Sister.”
Sister Lan corrected him, “Sister and Brother, it’s Sister first then Brother!”
…..
The two of them began arguing like usual while Yang Kai stroked his chin thoughtfully. Before he had met Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, he had not given much of a thought to the fact that the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were progenitors of all Divine Spirits, but after meeting these two and getting to know them, he became highly suspicious of this claim.
How could these two give birth to the Divine Spirits? Moreover, there were so many different types of Divine Spirits, so was it even possible for them to be the common ancestors to all of them.
By the looks of it, these two being the so-called Divine Spirit Progenitors was also just a misunderstanding. However, the reason why Yang Kai’s Dragon Vein could improve so quickly was because of the energy bestowed by them all those years ago.
From this, it could be seen that they had some kind of close relationship with the Divine Spirits, but it no longer seemed like they were the legendary ancestors.
History was shrouded in multiple veils of ancient secrets that had been obscured over millions and millions of years. If one did not belong to that era, there was simply no way to uncover the truth anymore.
Yang Kai couldn’t be bothered to think about such matters now though. The main reason he had come here was to ask these two to descend the mountain and deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. Now that he knew they couldn’t control their own strength though, his plan had failed before even beginning.
However, since he was here, he naturally couldn’t just return empty-handed.
With this thought in mind, Yang Kai cupped his fist and requested, “Big Brother, Big Sister, the Humans’ entire existence is at stake. The Purifying Light created by merging your energies is the nemesis of Black Ink Strength, so Little Brother must earnestly request that the two of you bestow upon us some Yellow and Blue Crystals to prepare for battle.”
Hearing this, the two of them stopped arguing and Big Sister Lan agreed, nodding, “No problem, how much do you want?”
Yang Kai solemnly answered, “The more the better! Also, is there a way for you to allow me to bestow the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks to others?”
Without these two seals, the Yellow and Blue Crystals were just cultivation materials. Only by activating these two marks could the Yellow and Blue Crystals fuse into Purifying Light that could counter the Black Ink Clan.
But Yang Kai had come here alone and didn’t know what he should do to carry the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks and bestow them to someone else. It would be great if Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had a solution to this problem, but if they did not, he would have no choice but to ask someone else to come to the Chaotic Dead Territory and leave them to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
He was considering this now because he was currently the only one who could create Purifying Light. Even if he had enough Yellow and Blue Crystals, the efficiency was still quite low while the risk was also quite high. If more people had the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks though, things would be much simpler.
Big Brother Huang explained, “These two marks are formed from our Source Strength, so while we can bestow a few more to you, it can’t be too many. Moreover, these two marks can only be borne by one with a Divine Spirit Bloodline. You must remember this, for if one doesn’t have the body or Bloodline of a Divine Spirit, they will die trying to refine our two marks.”
Yang Kai repeatedly nodded.
Big Brother Huang continued, “We’ll get you some Yellow and Blue Crystals first.”
Saying so, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s figures flickered before a boundless pressure emanated from them. Even though Yang Kai was already an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he still felt completely insignificant before them as his heart clenched tight.
The next moment, surging waves of energy gushed out from their bodies, transforming into enormous yellow and blue clouds.
The moment these two clouds appeared, they immediately flew at each other and collided non-stop as powerful energy fluctuations began spreading throughout the Chaotic Dead Territory.
As they collided, the two clouds constantly scattered and re-condensed, creating massive amounts of Yellow and Blue Crystals of various Orders.
Nonetheless, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan didn’t stop. They constantly pushed their strength as clouds of various sizes appeared, one after another, flying off in different directions.
It was true that these two were unable to control their own strength, so once they clashed with the energy in their bodies, they were simply unable to direct the result. Their energies would automatically clash once unleashed.
Be that as it may, their strength seemed to be limitless. The entire void was filled with clouds of various shapes and sizes in just a few days, and soon after that, Yellow and Blue Crystals were floating everywhere. All the Yellow and Blue Crystals varied in sizes and qualities; some were as small as beads while some were as large as mountains.
Since Yang Kai didn’t stop them, they had no intention of stopping.
While Big Brother Huang kept pushing his strength, he also taught Yang Kai a set of Secret Techniques. According to him, Yang Kai could create Great Sun and Moon Marks by activating this Secret Technique with his Divine Spirit Source, supplemented with part of their Source Strength.
Yang Kai was naturally overjoyed by this, and carefully memorized this Secret Technique.
After Yang Kai had completely mastered this Secret Technique, Big Brother Huang stretched out his hand and pointed towards him as an orange-yellow bead appeared before him.
Big Brother Huang pointed 10 times, for a total of 10 beads.
Each bead was created using his Source Strength and was also the foundation for cultivating the Great Sun Mark.
On another side, Big Sister Lan also followed suit, creating 10 blue beads.
After they had done this, Yang Kai could clearly feel that Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were a bit exhausted. Obviously, extracting so much of their Source Strength was detrimental to them.
Putting away the 20 beads, Yang Kai wore an earnest look and thanked the two, cupping his fist, “Little Brother thanks Big Brother and Big Sister on behalf of the Human Race and all living beings in the 3,000 Worlds!”
Big Brother Huang stated, shaking his head, “We can’t help you much. This is all we can do.”
Big Sister Lan exhorted, “You must be careful, don’t die so easily.”
Yang Kai grinned, “Don’t worry, how could your Little Brother die so easily if the Black Ink Clan is not destroyed?” Changing the topic, he pointed towards the distance and requested, “Little Brother also has another request, can I take some of your Small Stone Race armies?”
The Small Stone Race in the Chaotic Dead Territory had been raised so well by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan that even 1,000 metres tall clansmen comparable to Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had appeared. It would be a waste to leave them here just to kill each other. The Small Stone Race were unafraid of the corruption of Black Ink Strength, so they could become a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
How could Yang Kai miss this opportunity?
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were both a bit speechless as they felt that Yang Kai’s visit this time had nearly emptied out their entire family’s fortune. He had asked for Yellow and Blue Crystals, and also requested the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks, and now, he was even coveting their Small Stone Race Armies.
Yang Kai quickly proposed, “I also have many Small Stone Race members with me, I can exchange them with you two.”
Although his Small Stone Race looked weak, if they were trained by these two, presumably they would turn into an elite army in a few hundred years at most.
“Forget it,” Big Brother Huang snapped, he could see through Yang Kai miles away, “The Small Stone Race multiplied rapidly. As long as there are Stone Kings, they won’t be exterminated, so there’s no need for you to exchange them for yours.”
He might have seemed reluctant, but Big Brother Huang still gave him permission, “Go collect them yourself.”
Yang Kai was moved to tears, “Many thanks!”
A moment later, Yang Kai came back flying in helter-skelter. There was a massive Small Stone Race Army chasing behind him as blazing Suns and crescent Moons kept flying at him one after another, pushing him into a corner.
The Small Stone Race lacked intelligence, only knowing how to act according to their instincts. Normally, they would fight each other because of their different natures, but when Yang Kai tried to collect them, he broke this balance, inviting their wrath.
Worse, Yang Kai couldn’t fight back; after all, they were going to be his allies in the fight against the Black Ink Clan. He wanted to collect them, not kill them.
As such, it didn’t take long for him to be pushed into dire straits.
“Big Brother, Big Sister, do you two have any good ideas?” Yang Kai hurriedly asked. It was quite interesting that though, as he flew over to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s side, the pursuing army behind him stopped in their tracks. Obviously, they had sensed Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s auras.
As far as the Small Stone Race was concerned, the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were the source of their creation and strength, so naturally, they couldn’t act presumptuously before these two.
Big Brother Huang snapped, “Are you stupid? Don’t you know how to use the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks?”
Yang Kai came to a sudden realization. The Great Sun and Great Moon Marks were created from the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s Source Strength; so, if he wanted the Small Stone Race to obey him, using these two marks was naturally the best option.
Previously, Yang Kai had used these two marks to draw energy from the two Small Stone Race armies and fuse them into a Purifying Light to deal with the Royal Lord, which was a similar kind of act.
Having obtained the answer, Yang Kai turned around and rushed towards the two Small Stone Race armies. He activated the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks before even reaching them and, as expected, the armies did not attack him and he was able to smoothly pull them into his Small Universe.
To prevent them from causing trouble in his Small Universe, Yang Kai had deliberately set up two regions and sealed the Small Stone Race with his World Force. One region was used to house Big Brother Huang’s Great Sun Small Stone Race, while the other was used for Big Sister Lan’s Great Moon Small Stone Race.
After several months of hard work, one Small Stone Race army after another was taken in by Yang Kai, their total number crossing into the millions.
Among them, there were 100 or so 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race Masters that were comparable to Eighth-Order Humans.
There weren’t many of such Small Stone Race members as only an army of a million Small Stone Race would have one or two.
At first, Yang Kai was a bit worried that his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Small Universe wouldn’t be able to accommodate these Small Stone Race members; after all, if they were true Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, he wouldn’t be able to put them into his Small Universe at all.
Everyone’s Small Universe had a limit, and higher Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could only take in lower Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. If they tried taking in someone of the same Order, they would be helpless.
But after giving it a try, Yang Kai found that it was not a problem to take in the 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race members.
Giving it another thought, he realized that these 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race members were not true Open Heaven Realm Masters. They might be as strong as Eighth-Order Masters, but that was just raw strength. They could not be lumped together with true Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who had vast Small Universes.
By the time Yang Kai was done, he had collected almost all of the Small Stone Race forces in the Chaotic Dead Territory.
A few months later, when Yang Kai came to bid farewell to the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, Big Brother Huang shooed him away before Yang Kai could say anything, “Get out of here.”
Yang Kai’s first two visits could be considered acceptable, even mutually beneficial, but this time, he had basically emptied the entire Chaotic Dead Territory. Even Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan felt their hearts bleed witnessing such wanton plundering.
Putting everything else aside, it took them over 1,000 years to raise their current Small Stone Race Armies, so it would naturally take them just as long to nurture another such army.
Yang Kai also knew that he had gone too far this time, yet he had no choice but to be this shameless for the sake of the Human Race. After a moment of silence, he stated, “I’ll come visit you when I have the time.”
Big Brother Huang rolled his eyes, “I’d rather you not.”
An embarrassed but polite smile appeared on Yang Kai’s face, but just as he was about to leave, he suddenly asked, “By the way, do you know how to find the Giant Spirit Gods?”
There were two Giant Spirit Gods he knew of, one was Ah Da who had appeared outside the Star Boundary all those years ago, and the other was Ah Er who had led him into the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Ah Er was previously seen in the Barren Territory, battling with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, but there was no news of Ah Da.
The Black Ink Clan had two Giant Spirit Gods, and as Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan couldn’t descend the mountain, Yang Kai felt that it would be best if he could find Ah Da so that the Humans could make up for the lack of top Masters among their ranks.
Hearing this, Big Brother Huang, and Big Sister Lan both shook their heads.
But Big Sister Lan added, “If it’s the Giant Spirit Gods, you don’t need to look for them. If the Black Ink Clan is as you say, then no matter where the Giant Spirit Gods are hiding, they will be provoked by the Black Ink Clan sooner or later.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before realizing that this was indeed the case. He cupped his fist and bade his farewells, “Little Brother understands. Big Brother, Big Sister, please take care, this Little Brother will take his leave now!”
Turning around, he transformed into a streak of light as he flew straight towards the Territory Gate.
A few days later, Yang Kai finally exited the Chaotic Dead Territory. He then immediately took out his Universe Chart, and after confirming his route, he made straight for the next Territory Gate.
Although he didn’t know the current situation on the Barren Territory battlefield, he knew it was now connected to Wind Mist Territory thanks to the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
The appearance of this gap in the boundary walls meant that the Human Race had suffered a strategic defeat on the Barren Territory battlefield!
Regardless of what advantages the Humans might be able to gain on the main battlefield, the fact that they were unable to stop the Black Ink Clan from invading the 3,000 Worlds could only be considered a complete failure.
The main forces of the Human Race were all gathered in the Barren Territory, while the Black Ink Clan had invaded Wind Mist Territory through the newly opened Territory Gate. In other words, the Human Race could no longer contain them.
It had been roughly a year and a half since the Black Ink Clan Army broke out of the Barren Territory, so it was hard to say what the current situation of the 3,000 Worlds was.
Yang Kai was not worried about the Star Boundary, as with the World Tree Clone present there, the Star Boundary would be the foundation of the Human Race’s future. If he was right, the Cave Heavens and Paradises would protect the Star Boundary at any cost, because only by protecting the Star Boundary would there be hope for the Human Race.
If Yang Kai was one of the Old Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, he would definitely have the remnants of the Human Race retreat to the Star Boundary and use High Heaven Territory as the final pure land to resist the Black Ink Clan, defending it at all costs while they waited for the younger generations to grow!
There was no need to worry about Void Land either as, before all this, he had warned Bi Xi. With a Mature Divine Spirit like Bi Xi around, it should not be too dangerous for Void Land if they wanted to evacuate.
As both the Star Boundary and Void Land were safe and sound, the most pressing issue right now was to assess the current situation of the 3,000 Worlds!
Yang Kai quickly found his bearings and flew in a certain direction. In less than a day, a beautiful Universe World appeared in his sight. From afar, this Universe World looked like a sapphire gem floating in the void, radiating a mesmerizing lustre.
But quickly, Yang Kai noticed that something was amiss. He could feel the fluctuations of someone fighting coming from the periphery of this Universe World.
A furrow appeared on his brow as he sped up. Soon, he arrived at that side of the Universe World and, as he had expected, he found a battle taking place.
On one side were obviously cultivators of some Sect in this Universe World. Their cultivations were quite varied, and many were even First and Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but their opponents were actually the Black Ink Clansmen.
Having said that, the Black Ink Clansmen here were not strong either, probably just a detached squad from the main Black Ink Clan Army. The Black Ink Clansman leading this squad was only a High-Rank Clansmen, equivalent to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Obviously, the Human side held the advantage in numbers, but the situation was extremely dire for them.
Nothing was surprising about this as the peculiarities of Black Ink Strength forced Human cultivators into a difficult position. These cultivators had clearly never come into contact with the Black Ink Clan before and didn’t know how difficult it was to deal with them, so by now, many of their weaker disciples had already been turned into Black Ink Disciples.
How could the other cultivators, who had never heard of Black Ink Strength, bear to kill their fellow disciples, who were fighting alongside them just moments ago? On the other hand, Black Ink Disciples had no scruples about slaughtering their former Brothers and Sisters and even focused their attacks on their vitals, pushing them into dire straits.
Many had lost their lives, and the survivors were completely dispirited; mourning cries could be heard everywhere.
Yang Kai’s heart sank at the sight of this.
This was a Great Territory adjacent to the Chaotic Dead Territory, far, far away from Wind Mist Territory, yet the Black Ink Clan had already reached this far?
Clearly, the Black Ink Clan could no longer be contained.
Probably, Black Ink Clansmen or Black Ink Disciples could be found in almost every Great Territory of the 3,000 Worlds by now. Suddenly, Yang Kai felt his chest tighten up as an uncomfortable feeling surged in his heart.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had been doing everything they could to stop the invasion of the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless millennia. Countless heroes had laid down their lives, their corpses piled up into countless mountains, yet all their efforts had now proven futile.
A single misstep had led to their defeat. The Black Ink Clan Army had invaded every Great Territory, and many Universe Worlds had been reduced to barren wastelands, while countless people must have lost their wives, their sons and daughters, their entire family!
Was the crusade a mistake?
No!
Every generation had taken the complete eradication of the Black Ink Clan as their goal, so the crusade was a must. Even if no crusade was carried out in this generation, one would have been launched by the next. It would have happened no matter what. This generation was the closest to success, but also the one who had sacrificed the most.
The only mistake was that the Human Race’s understanding of Mo was simply too low. No one had expected Mo to be so powerful, or that the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were actually Soul Clones created by Mo. Even the Black Ink Giant Spirit God killed countless eons ago by the Divine Spirits of the Ancestral Land and the one on the Late Ancient Era Battlefield had been awakened by Mo.
Only after uncovering this information did the Humans finally have some understanding of the Ancient Supreme Being that was Mo.
However, despite things not currently looking bright for them, the Humans would definitely be able to completely annihilate the Black Ink Clan and drive them out of the 3,000 Worlds one day.
Yang Kai firmly believed this.
The Old Ancestors who had fought to the death in the Barren Territory firmly believed this as well, which was why they had gone forth without hesitation.
Everyone’s efforts and sacrifices would not be wasted, they would only serve as the foundation for the future victory!
The day the Black Ink Clan was destroyed, the 3,000 worlds would finally regain its peace and prosperity!
The Profound Abundant World was nothing when compared to the entire Swallowing Seas Territory.
For instance, there were quite a number of Universe Worlds like Profound Abundant World in this Great Territory. The development of these Universe Worlds’ Martial Dao differed, with some being strong and some being weak. The stronger Universe Worlds had given birth to some Open Heaven Realm Masters, while the weaker Universe Worlds were like the Star Boundary in the past, where cultivators couldn’t even escape from the World’s shackles.
The Profound Abundant World could be considered average and was the homeworld of Profound Abundant Sect. According to the classification of various Sects in the 3,000 Worlds, Profound Abundant Sect could barely be considered a Second Class Great Force with three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters assuming command.
Such a force could be found anywhere in the 3,000 Worlds. They were neither at the top of the ladder nor were they at the bottom, most of the time having to rely on the stronger Second Class Great Forces to survive.
The most powerful force in the entire Swallowing Seas Territory was undoubtedly the Swallowing Seas Sect, hence the name for this Great Territory.
Nearly a month ago, Swallowing Seas Sect announced that the Black Ink Clan had invaded the 3,000 Worlds on a massive scale. As the hegemon of Swallowing Seas Territory, the Swallowing Seas Sect ordered all the great forces, whether they were big or small, to immediately make preparations to evacuate.
When the news came out, everyone in the Profound Abundant Sect was completely dumbfounded.
Naturally, they were confused as to what the Black Ink Clan was. They had never even heard of this Clan before, and now they were invading?
After asking around a bit, Profound Abundant Sect eventually came to learn that the Human Race had an ancient enemy, the Black Ink Clan. The Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been trying to stop the invasion of the Black Ink Clan in a place known as the Black Ink Battlefield for countless millennia; but unfortunately, the Human Race had suffered a great defeat a few years ago and their defensive lines were broken one after another, giving the Black Ink Clan the chance to invade.
As for the conscription order issued by the Cave Heavens and Paradises a few hundred years ago, that was to summon every Open Heaven Realm Master available to the battlefield to provide reinforcements.
During that conscription period, two of the three Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Profound Abundant Sect had been taken away, leaving only Zhu Ge Xing Wei, the Vice Sect Master, to oversee the Sect.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei found himself under a lot of pressure, finding it extremely hard to handle everything all on his own.
When the Swallowing Seas Sect sent word about the Black Ink Clan, Zhu Ge Xing Wei gathered all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Sect in the conference hall to discuss the matter. Profound Abundant Sect was a little lost as to what to do when they received the order to evacuate and relocate.
This was no simple task. Open Heaven Realm Masters could cross the void and escape from Swallowing Seas Territory, but what about Profound Abundant Sect’s disciples who had yet to reach the Open Heaven Realm?
What about all the living beings in the Profound Abundant World?
This was the place where almost all of them had been born and raised. It was always difficult to leave one’s homeland, and no one wanted to abandon their foundation and family. Who would be so cruel-hearted to do so without even trying to resist?
What’s more, if they left, who would protect the Profound Abundant World?
Furthermore, these Open Heaven Realm Masters here did not have high cultivations, with the strongest of them being in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, not having the ability to take away all the mortals from Profound Abundant World. With the Black Ink Clan about to arrive, anyone left behind would undoubtedly die.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Sect were quickly divided into two camps. One side prioritized their own safety, with the opinion that only by surviving could one still have hope. They believed that since a powerful enemy like the Black Ink Clan was upon them, they should quickly follow Swallowing Seas Sect’s orders.
The other side felt that they should defend Profound Abundant World to the death and resist the Black Ink Clan to the end.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters of both sides kept endlessly arguing, with neither of them able to convince the other. Watching this, Zhu Ge Xing Wei had a huge headache. He was only a Vice Sect Master. Generally, it was the Sect Master who made decisions of this gravity, but now that the Sect Master and the other Vice Sect Master had been sent to the frontlines, it was a little difficult for him to bear the weight of Profound Abundant Sect alone.
As such, he remained silent, not giving his opinion.
Before Profound Abundant Sect could come to a decision though, a disciple suddenly rushed in, reporting that the enemy was already here. Shocked, Zhu Ge Xing Wei led the other Elders of the Sect to investigate, encountering a squad of Black Ink Clansmen just outside Profound Abundant World and immediately getting into a fight with them.
Human Squads were basically composed of 10 to 15 soldiers, but the Black Ink Clan’s squads were different, numbering anywhere from several dozen to over 1,000 members. Compared to the Human Race, the Black ink Clan always had dominance in number.
This time, not many Black Ink Clansmen had come to Profound Abundant World, only numbering about 70.
Although Profound Abundant Sect wasn’t big, they still had some 200 Open Heaven Realm Masters, but most of their Orders were quite low with few real Masters among them.
200 Open Heaven Realm Masters versus 70 or so Black Ink Clansmen. At first, Profound Abundant Sect did not feel any kind of pressure, but after noticing the peculiarity of the Black Ink Strength, everyone began to panic, especially the disciples who were now being attacked by their fellow disciples who had been corrupted. They found this whole scenario hard to come to terms with.
When the High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen leader in the rear revealed his powerful aura, Profound Abundant Sect finally realized how dangerous the enemy they were facing was.
The Black Ink Clan squad leader was comparable to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
In the entire history of Profound Abundant Sect, there had never been a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Fortunately, this Black Ink Clansman didn’t seem to have any intention of personally participating in the battle. Rather, he seemed intent on remaining on the sidelines and simply observing the situation, as if he was afraid that something unforeseen could happen, allowing Profound Abundant Sect disciples to hold on until now; otherwise, they would have already lost.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei was filled with sadness. [Sect Master entrusted Profound Abundant Sect to me before he left. Will the Sect fall today?]
[How can I face the ancestors of Profound Abundant Sect?]
He even tried to sneak attack that High-Rank Black Ink Clansman, but though he managed to close in on him, he had been sent flying by that Black Ink Clan Master with a single slap. Not only had he failed, but he was even contaminated by some of the Black Ink Strength.
At this time, nearly 30% of the many Open Heaven Realm Masters in Profound Abundant Sect had been turned into Black Ink Disciples, 20% had died, and another 30% or so had been contaminated by Black Ink Strength. From the looks of it, they wouldn’t be able to last much longer.
Everyone was filled with despair. At this point, even if they tried to escape, they would not be able to. The only thing waiting for them was either being turned into Black Ink Disciples or being killed on the battlefield, there was no third option.
At that moment, a streak of light flew over from afar, drawing the disciples’ eyes as someone shouted, “Elder Pang has returned!”
The original low morale was suddenly uplifted.
Elder Pang’s cultivation wasn’t high, just Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he had been sent by Zhu Ge Xing Wei to seek help from the Swallowing Seas Sect.
When Zhu Ge Xing Wei noticed that things were not looking good, he sent Elder Pang straight to the Swallowing Seas Sect, which had Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters assuming command. Zhu Ge Xing hoped that with the help of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the tide could be turned.
Hearing this, Zhu Ge Xing Wei, who was in the midst of a fierce battle, turned his head in the direction of Swallowing Seas Sect and saw Elder Pang’s approaching figure.
Despite that, Zhu Ge Xing Wei didn’t show any signs of relief, because Elder Pang had returned alone, without any reinforcements!
Elder Pang was a courageous and stalwart man. Although he had cultivated for many years, he had not lost his drive to improve. At this moment, he charged straight at the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman.
Be that as it may, a Fourth-Order cultivation was too weak. The moment Elder Pang arrived in front of the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman, he was lifted high up by the neck by the Black Ink Clansman.
“Elder Pang!” A disciple called out.
Elder Pang’s face turned red as the rich Black Ink Strength began corroding his Small Universe, only able to roar, “Run! Swallowing Seas Sect is besieged by the Black Ink Clan Army, they can’t even defend themselves, let alone send help here!”
The reason he had risked his life to rush back here was to convey this message to his Sect so that they wouldn’t wait for anything.
His words sent chills down every Profound Abundant Sect disciple’s spine.
Originally, they had hoped that Swallowing Seas Sect would be able to come to their aid and save them from this crisis, but with the Black Ink Clan Army attacking them too, how could they possibly send support?
In fact, Elder Pang wasn’t the only one who had gone to ask for help. Another Elder had gone to another Sect that was on good terms with Profound Abundant Sect. That Sect was very close to the Profound Abundant Sect, so logically speaking, they should have arrived to help long ago.
After hearing Elder Pang’s words, how could Zhu Ge Xing Wei not know that the situation of that Sect was likely the same as theirs? Even the Elder who had gone to seek help had most likely died.
Profound Abundant Sect was really going to be exterminated today, and Profound Abundant World… would also be destroyed!
In fact, the entire Swallowing Seas Territory was about to be conquered by the Black Ink Clan!
In such a desperate situation, Zhu Ge Xing Wei suddenly didn’t feel anxious anymore, as if he had just thrown away some kind of burden. The long sword in his hand shook as he prepared to charge the leading High-Rank Black Ink Clansman.
Even if they were to die here today, they could not allow the Black Ink Clan to look down on Profound Abundant Sect!
But, before he could do anything, he suddenly felt that something was amiss. The next moment, the surrounding space started to distort as Void Cracks began to emerge like the cracks on a mirror.
The next moment, the Black Ink Clan squad that made the entire Profound Abundant Sect helpless was sliced into pieces by the innumerable cracks.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei clearly saw a crack appear on the neck of the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman, cutting right through it.
The enemy leader’s face was filled with shock. Obviously, he still could not understand what just happened. Immediately after, a fountain of Black Ink blood spurted from his neck as his head separated from his body.
Elder Pang, whose neck had been squeezed to the point where he could barely breathe, finally managed to extricate himself. He instantly shot a palm at the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman’s corpse, blowing it to pieces, while he became completely drenched in Black Ink Blood.
This sudden change shocked everyone.
In the blink of an eye, all of the Void Cracks disappeared and space returned to normal, leaving behind bits and pieces of Black Ink Clansmen floating in front of everyone. All the Black Ink Clansmen had been killed on the spot, leaving only the Black Ink Disciples behind. Be that as it may, this shocking turn of events left everyone perplexed, unable to understand what just happened.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei, on the other hand, seemed to have noticed something. He suddenly turned his head, and saw a young man slowly approaching. His aura wasn’t obvious, so Zhu Ge Xing Wei couldn’t determine his cultivation either, but the only thing this Vice Sect Master of Profound Abundant Sect was certain of was that the one who had saved them and killed the Black Ink Clansmen was this young man!
[He should be at least a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!]
Zhu Ge Xing Wei was overjoyed. As far as he was concerned, a Cave Heaven or Paradise Master had appeared.
The next moment, he saw the opposite party bring his hands together before a pure and gentle white light enveloped the entire battlefield. The pure white light rapidly dispelled the Black Ink Strength wherever it passed. Even the Black Ink Disciples who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength let out miserable screams as black wisps of energy emerged from their bodies and rapidly vanished into nothingness.
When he was on the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai was quite conservative and restrained when using Purifying Light; after all, he didn’t know how long he would be on the Black Ink Battlefield and the Yellow and Blue Crystals could only be produced in the Chaotic Dead Territory. If all of them were used up, he would be unable to replenish them.
But Yang Kai had just cleaned out the entire Chaotic Dead Territory now, nearly emptying out all of Big Brother Huang’s and Big Sister Lan’s possessions, leaving him with dozens of mountains worth of Yellow and Blue Crystals in his Small Universe. His current stock of resources was so rich that he no longer needed to mind this kind of extravagant expenditure.
Soon, all of the Black Ink Strength was dispersed by Purifying Light.
Just as Zhu Ge Xing Wei was about to thank Yang Kai, his figure flickered before it vanished from Zhu Ge Xing Wei’s sight. Only a voice could be heard from afar, “I’m heading to Swallowing Seas Sect. You should heal yourself first, we’ll talk later.”
A load was immediately lifted off everyone’s mind.
They might not know where this High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master appeared from, but he had obviously heard what Elder Pang had said and was planning to assist the Swallowing Seas Sect.
Swallowing Seas Sect should be safe and sound with the appearance of this Master, and so should Swallowing Seas Territory.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei was about to lead his disciples back to the Sect to rest and recover when he suddenly heard someone break into loud sobs. He immediately looked over and saw a disciple surnamed Zhou holding a woman’s corpse in his arms. The disciple, who was usually stoic and rigid, was now weeping mournfully, his face was filled with incomparable grief.
Profound Abundant Sect wasn’t very big; as such, Zhu Ge Xing Wei knew all of the Open Heaven Realm Masters here and recognized this disciple at a glance.
This disciple surnamed Zhou was corrupted by that strange Black Ink Strength, and turned traitor during the battle. The woman in his arms was his Dao Companion whom he had been together with for hundreds of years. They were completely in love with each other, but in the battle, he had killed her, showing no mercy!
Even though this was the first time they had fought the Black Ink Clan, the first time they had faced Black Ink Strength, this scene made everyone understand just how treacherous it was.
This was an energy that could completely warp a cultivator’s mind and will!
Once they were completely corrupted by this energy, they would no longer recognize their friends and family.
It wasn’t just the disciple surnamed Zhao who had switched sides and killed his fellow disciples. At this moment, many other disciples’ faces were filled with pain and guilt.
As for the rest, they were vigilantly staring at these people and maintaining a certain distance from them, as if they were afraid their fellow disciples would attack them again.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei believed that this was highly unlikely; after all, that High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master had just used some kind of Secret Technique to dispel all the Black Ink Strength, but he still didn’t know how to resolve this situation.
Friends and families had turned against each other, and an air of distrust filled the surroundings.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei had deeply experienced the terror of the Black Ink Clan today!
Their strength was not just reflected in their combat power, but also in the insidious nature of Black Ink Strength!
“Senior Brother Zhou!” Someone suddenly shouted in panic.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei’s expression changed as his figure shot towards the disciples surnamed Zhou before coming to a stop as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. The disciple surnamed Zhou, who was holding his sweetheart, let out a heart-wrenching cry before he shattered his own Small Universe. His World Force swiftly leaked out and his aura started to rapidly wane, even his vitality began to decrease with the dissipation of his aura.
Obviously, the cultivator surnamed Zhou couldn’t bear the guilt of killing his beloved with his own hands, so he ended his life to accompany her to the next life.
On the verge of death, the teary-eyed disciple surnamed Zhou turned to Zhu Ge Xing Wei and begged, “Vice Sect Master, please bury us in the apricot forest…”
Profound Abundant Sect had an apricot forest, which was the place where he and his companion first fell in love.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei reluctantly nodded his assurance, “This Old Master will!”
A smile finally appeared on the disciple surnamed Zhou’s face, “Many thanks, Vice Sect Master…”
Just like that, he passed away!
Tears welled up in everyone’s eyes.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei quickly stated, “All of you follow me back to the Sect, we’ll wait for that Senior’s return.”
He was truly worried that the other disciples wouldn’t be able to bear the guilt in their hearts and chose to end their own lives like the disciple surnamed Zhou, so he immediately mustered his strength and wrapped everyone in it before flying towards the Profound Abundant Sect.
…..
As the hegemon of Swallowing Seas Territory, the Swallowing Seas Sect was quite powerful, almost comparable to the Void Land of 1,000 years ago. After many years of accumulation, they had seven Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, two of whom had the qualifications to break through to the Seventh-Order; however, as were they scared of what might happen, and lacked the necessary resources, they did not dare to casually attempt a breakthrough and had languished in the Sixth-Order until now.
Previously, half of the Swallowing Seas Sect Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had left under the Cave Heaven and Paradises’ conscription order. Two months back, a Squad claiming to belong to the Mo Sha Western Army arrived at Swallowing Seas Sect, asking them to send a message to all the Sects in the Great Territory to prepare for evacuation and relocation.
The Black Ink Clan Army was approaching!
Swallowing Seas Sect had never heard of the Mo Sha Western Army, they only knew of Mo Sha Heaven, which was one of the 36 Cave Heavens. Swallowing Seas Territory itself fell under the loose jurisdiction of Mo Sha Heaven.
One of the members of the Squad belonging to the Mo Sha Western Army was a Sixth-Order Elder who had been recruited from their Swallowing Seas Sect. This Elder had participated in the battle against the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory and was the last surviving Sixth-Order Elder who had been recruited from the Swallowing Seas Sect.
The other three Sixth-Order Elders, including one of their Vice Sect Masters, had all died in battle!
After this Elder, who was originally from Swallowing Seas Sect, explained everything, Swallowing Seas Sect quickly understood the dire crisis they were facing. How could they dare to be negligent after hearing straight from one of their own Elders? Disciples were quickly sent out to the various great forces to relay the evacuation orders while the Sect actively prepared to withdraw.
Unfortunately, the Black Ink Clan Army arrived before they could depart.
Worse, they were faced with a true Black Ink Clan Army. Although no Territory Lord was overseeing this Army, there were a dozen Feudal Lords and some 50,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers.
Swallowing Seas Sect’s entire roster did not exceed 3,000, of which only about 10% were Open Heaven Realm Masters. How could they be a match for such a powerful enemy?
Fortunately, the Squad belonging to the Mo Sha Western Army was quite strong. They had a total of 13 soldiers, of which two were Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. They also had a somewhat functional Squad-Class Warship. Much to everyone’s shock, this Squad actually charged the Black Ink Clan Army, killing one of the Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords and injuring another.
Be that as it may, two fists could not block four palms, and the Squad was forced to withdraw.
Their Warships had suffered serious damage during the battle in the Barren Territory, and after going through another deadly conflict, it was all but scrapped now.
Without the help of a Warship, the Squad’s combat effectiveness dropped dramatically and they were left with no choice but to retreat to Swallowing Seas Sect to take advantage of their Sect Defending Array to contend with the Black Ink Clan.
Swallowing Seas Sect’s Sect Defending Array was also quite extraordinary as over the millennia it had been reinforced and enhanced by the Sect’s Array Masters. Although it was not impregnable, it would not be a problem to hold on for three to five months.
The difficult part was how to break out of this encirclement. One day, the Array would be broken, and if the Swallowing Seas Sect had not managed to escape before then, they would all die.
But now, 50,000 soldiers of the Black Ink Clan Army had surrounded the Spirit Province where the Swallowing Seas Sect was situated. Basically, they had no route to escape!
At this moment, Swallowing Seas Sect Master Yang Qing looked towards the rioting Black Ink Clan Army outside the Grand Array with a worried frown.
Standing not far from him was the Squad Leader of the Mo Sha Western Army’s Squad, Wang Xuan Yi.
According to the Elder who had evacuated with this Squad, their mission was to assist in the evacuation of Swallowing Seas Territory’s cultivators.
Many Squads like them were dispatched to different Great Territories of the 3,000 Worlds. The evacuation and migration was not only limited to Swallowing Seas Territory, but rather included all other Great Territories.
Yang Qing had also asked where they should retreat to. Wang Xuan Yi had told him that their destination was the Great Territory where the Star Boundary was located!
The two remaining Old Ancestors of the Human Race, Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing, felt that the Star Boundary was the foundation and hope for the revival of the Human Race, so it had to be protected no matter what!
That place would be the last pure land for the Human Race to survive in.
At first, Yang Qing was a little reluctant to part with Swallowing Seas Sect and its 10,000-year foundation, but Wang Xuan Yi, on the other hand, gave him a wry smile. The 10,000-year heritage of Swallowing Seas Sect was light compared to the millions of years of inheritance the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be abandoning in the current situation.
Yang Qing felt a little better after hearing this.
If even behemoths like the Cave Heavens and Paradises were forced to retreat, how could Swallowing Seas Sect escape the calamity?
At this point though, the question was no longer whether to retreat or not, but whether they could retreat or not!
Turning around, Yang Qing asked, “Squad Leader Wang, will there be no other reinforcements from the Army?”
Wang Xuan Yi slowly shook his head in response, “The Human Race Army suffered heavy casualties on the Barren Territory battlefield. Although Old Ancestors Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing promptly ordered our forces to retreat, the number of troops who maintained combat effectiveness was still insufficient. Everything related to Swallowing Seas Territory will be handled by our Squad. Our original plan was to rush to the Mo Sha Territory Universe Temple within three months, where we would rendezvous with people from other Great Territories before heading to the Star Boundary. If we don’t arrive at Mo Sha Territory Universe Temple in time though, no one will wait for us.”
Yang Qing’s face turned slightly pale.
He was well aware of the heavy losses that Wang Xuan Yi had mentioned. Although he had not gone to the Barren Territory to participate in the battle, Swallowing Seas Sect had sent four Sixth-Order Elders, but only one of them had returned alive while the other three had died after just a few years of fighting.
Yang Qing could imagine how intense the battle was from this fact alone.
It would be impossible to break out of this encirclement without reinforcements, so most probably, a horrible end was waiting for Swallowing Seas Sect.
Before Yang Qing could ask any more questions, Wang Xuan Yi flicked his sleeve and stepped forward, “I will lead my Squad to launch another attack. If we can kill a few of the Feudal Lords, Swallowing Seas Sect’s crisis will be easily resolved. The chances of that happening aren’t high, but in the worst-case scenario, my men and I will try our best to create an opening in their lines. Sect Master Yang, at that time, lead your men and rush out… take as many as you can!”
Yang Qing raised his hand, wanting to say something, but eventually swallowed the words hanging on the tip of his tongue.
A deep sense of respect welled up in Swallowing Seas Sect Master’s heart at the sight of Wang Xuan Yi’s departing figure.
For countless years, he had never had a good impression of the so-called elites who came from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. He felt they were just luckier and had a better background. If he was also from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, he might have been able to reach the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
But now, after learning that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had sacrificed so much to protect the Human Race for hundreds of thousands of years on the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Qing couldn’t help but feel ashamed.
At this moment, even though Wang Xuan Yi knew that facing tens of thousands of Black Ink Clansmen would only result in death, he still stepped forward!
Could Wang Xuan Yi escape? With his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, if he really tried to flee, the Black Ink Clan probably wouldn’t be able to stop him.
Nonetheless, he didn’t run and instead chose to fight to give the Swallowing Seas Sect even a small chance to survive.
People, who had no connection with the Swallowing Seas Sect, were sacrificing themselves for their Sect. Yang Qing’s heart, which had turned to stone after cultivating for many years, could not help but start beating once more, truly touched.
Facing the departing figure, Yang Qing kowtowed and didn’t get up for a long time.
He believed just like Wang Xuan Yi here, hundreds of thousands of others just like him were working to save the various Sects of all the other Great Territories!
Swallowing Seas Sect was located on a Spirit Province, which was the foundation of their Sect. As the hegemon of Swallowing Seas Territory, the Swallowing Seas Sect was not like Profound Abundant Sect which was situated on a Universe World with many mortals.
Swallowing Seas Sect was similar to Void Land in this respect.
Void Land was also located on a Spirit Province, though that Spirit Province was actually formed atop Bi Xi’s shell.
At this moment, the 3,000 disciples were gathered in one spot within Swallowing Seas Sect, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Many of the young and tender faces were filled with restlessness and nervousness while many of the women were softly sobbing, helpless and panic-stricken.
Just now, the Sect’s higher-ups had ordered the entire Sect to prepare to evacuate.
Be that as it may, how could it be that easy to evacuate when the Black Ink Clan Army still surrounded Swallowing Seas Sect? These disciples might not have gone through the fires of war before, but that did not mean they were fools. They knew that few, if any of them would survive this evacuation.
But if they didn’t try, only death awaited them.
Meanwhile, every remaining Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Sect, along with Yang Qing, looked up. The other disciples could not clearly see what was happening outside due the Sect Defending Array around them, but Yang Qing and the others could.
Under everyone’s attentive gaze, Wang Xuan Yi’s Squad bravely charged the Black Ink Clan Army in their half-destroyed Warship. One after another, Secret Techniques and artifacts lit up the void, killing and injuring the Black Ink Clansmen in their path.
This was a veteran Squad that had gone through countless fights, with every member having fought at least 100 battles against the Black Ink Clan. How to draw out the most strength to cause the most damage in this dire situation was something their Squad knew better than anyone.
They also understood that this would be their final battle!
As such, they unleashed their strongest attacks without holding anything back, determined to go out in a blaze of glory, taking as many enemies with them as possible!
The brazen attacks of the Human Squad quickly drew the ire of the Feudal Lords, and it was not long before 10 Feudal Lords surrounded them from all sides.
These Feudal Lords also knew that this Squad was the only real combat force the Humans had here. As long as they had eliminated this Squad, the rest would be nothing more than fish on the chopping block, completely at their mercy!
Therefore, the Feudal Lords reached a consensus to concentrate all their power to kill this Squad as quickly as possible.
The Feudal Lords immediately launched a joint attack, their powerful energy fluctuations clearly felt by everyone back in the Swallowing Seas Sect.
Yang Qing and the others couldn’t help but become nervous, their eyes cracked wide open as they stared fixedly without even daring to blink.
The Warship, which was already not that far from being sunk, exploded under the bombardment and several Squad members were heavily injured.
Even Wang Xuan Yi and his Vice Squad Leader were thrown out by this powerful wave of attacks, their responses becoming more and more sluggish.
Furthermore, the Feudal Lords launched another salvo of attacks before they could recover.
Wang Xuan Yi’s expression became grim as he shouted, “Formation!”
In the blink of an eye, the 13 members of the Squad moved closer, standing in a criss-cross manner as their auras linked with one another. In the blink of an eye, the 13 soldiers formed a rudimentary Battle Formation with the two Seventh-Order Masters acting as the Core.
As everyone simultaneously circulated their World Force, a dazzling flash of light blinded everyone outside. The next moment, the thirteen figures were nowhere to be found, in place of them was a monstrous sword!
The might of this enormous sword was simply otherworldly, and its Sword Intent rippled across the open sky. Nonetheless, when the attacks of the Feudal Lords and Black Ink Clansmen rained down on it, its aura rapidly began to dwindle as groans and the sound of someone coughing up blood came from inside.
Obviously, some of the Squad members were critically wounded.
Still, the giant sword condensed of pure World Force managed to maintain coherence before flying straight at the two nearest Feudal Lords.
Seeing this, the two Feudal Lords quickly tried to retreat and hide behind the Army they commanded to move forward, but for some unknown reason, they suddenly felt as if a mountain was pressing down on them and they were simply unable to move.
The next moment, the enormous sword of light brushed past the two Feudal Lords, splitting them in half like tofu. The two Feudal Lords’ eyes bulged in shock and disbelief, as if they were unable to understand how they died.
Inside the giant sword, Wang Xuan Yi was also slightly taken aback. Although the Battle Formation they had assumed was good, it should not be this strong.
Nonetheless, the current situation was critical so he did not have time to dwell much on it and simply assumed that these two Feudal Lords had been overconfident and careless. As such, the sword of light spun around and flew towards the next closest Feudal Lord.
The dissipation of the two Feudal Lords’ auras could clearly be felt through the Sect Defending Array of Swallowing Seas Sect. Such an obvious movement was noticed even by the disciples of lower cultivation.
This immediately sent many disciples into a panic, having no idea whether the ones who had fallen were friends or foes.
Sensing the restlessness among his disciples, Yang Qing raised his arm and shouted, “Don’t panic, our Seventh-Order allies just killed two of the Feudal Lords!”
Swallowing Seas Sect had a rough understanding of the classification of the Black Ink Clan through Wang Xuan Yi and the others’ explanations over the past few days. As such, they knew that the so-called Feudal Lords were on par with the Seventh-Order Master!
As far as Swallowing Seas Sect was concerned, Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were unreachable existences, yet now, two such Feudal Lords had been killed!
How long had it been since the battle began?
After hearing this news, the taut nerves of the disciples relaxed significantly. Although they couldn’t see anything, everyone still turned their eyes towards the outside, hope and expectation returning to their faces!
As soon as Yang Qing’s voice fell, everyone could feel the dissipation of another Master’s aura.
Immediately after, they felt another!
And another!
The disciples were completely dumbstruck, completely oblivious to what was happening outside, all of them turning to Sect Master Yang Qing, hoping for an explanation.
Yang Qing’s face flushed red as he shouted, “Five of the Feudal Lords have been killed! Team Leader Wang and his men’s might is truly unparalleled!”
The other Sixth-Order Elders around him nodded in agreement.
At this moment, everyone wondered if the Feudal Lords were just weak. If not, how could they be killed like chickens by Wang Xuan Yi’s small Squad of 13?
This didn’t make sense though, as the strength the Feudal Lords had displayed earlier was quite amazing.
Could it be that Wang Xuan Yi and the others had been hiding their true strength all along? Was this the full extent of their power?
Whatever may be the case, the death of five Feudal Lords was good news for Swallowing Seas Sect. They were already prepared for the worst, so they never expected Wang Xuan Yi’s Squad to be so fearsome.
Half the Feudal Lords had already been killed, so if just a few more could be killed, the Black Ink Clan Army’s leadership would completely collapse. Without a Master to organize them, Wang Xuan Yi’s Squad would have no trouble routing the common Black Ink Clan soldiers.
Soon, everyone could sense the Feudal Lords’ auras dissipating one after another.
Yang Qing and the others couldn’t help but marvel in their hearts. [The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises are astonishing! They can easily kill Black Ink Clansmen of the same realm like they are slaughtering pigs and dogs!]
On the other hand, Wang Xuan Yi was also dumbstruck, along with all the members of his Squad.
Yang Qing and the others might be unaware of how strong Feudal Lords were, allowing them to think that while they had a high realm, their strength was severely lacking, but how could an experienced Squad be so ignorant?
Although a Feudal Lord was indeed weaker than the average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, that did not mean they were easy to kill.
If the Feudal Lords were really so worthless, the Human Race wouldn’t have suffered so much damage over the years.
But now, their Giant Sword Formation had become completely unstoppable, and all the Feudal Lords here were basically powerless to resist even a single blow.
The Squad members’ excitement was through the roof, but Wang Xuan Yi and the other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master keenly noticed that something was strange about this entire affair.
It did not take long before they realized that some Master was secretly helping them. It wasn’t that the Feudal Lords weren’t trying to dodge or resist, rather they were simply unable to do so as some powerful force was locking them in place. This was the reason why they were succeeding so easily.
Understanding this, Wang Xuan Yi no longer had any scruples. Controlling the Giant Sword Formation with his Vice Squad Leader, they raced back and forth across the Black Ink Clan Army, killing all in their path without any resistance!
In short order, all the Feudal Lords were killed and the remaining Black Ink Clansmen broke into pandemonium.
Immediately after, an even bigger commotion could be heard from the outer edge of the Black Ink Clan Army.
At some point in time, the sounds of battle rang out from the periphery as numerous blazing suns and crescent moons rose into the sky one after another, illuminating the entire void.
Wang Xuan Yi was now at a loss as he had no idea what was going on. He immediately drove the Giant Sword Formation towards the periphery of the Black Ink Clan Army to investigate, but when he reached there, he was left completely dumbfounded.
Much to his surprise, he was greeted by the sight of numerous strange creatures engaged in a fierce battle with the Black Ink Clan Army. The sighting of blazing suns and crescent moons was caused by these creatures.
Wang Xuan Yi had never seen such creatures before. All of them looked quite gruff and even a bit simple, like they did not have any sentience. What’s more, it was like their entire body was made up of rocks.
He even saw one of them being torn apart by a Black Ink Clan soldier, but instead of blood flowing out, it was simply reduced to a pile of rubble!
[What are these things?]
He might not have any idea where these creatures popped out from, but they were currently attacking the Black Ink Clan Army. The Black Ink Clan Army of 50,000 soldiers, which had completely surrounded Swallowing Seas Sect, was now surrounded by these strange-looking creatures.
It was exactly as the old adage goes, ‘life is full of ups and downs’.
These creatures looked quite naïve, but when they fought the Black Ink Clan, they were both ruthless and fearless! Furthermore, the Black Ink Strength which the Black Ink Clan was so proud of was completely useless against them.
Wang Xuan Yi wanted to take a closer look, but he quickly noticed that the Giant Sword Formation’s momentum was growing noticeably weaker.
While carrying out the previous attack, not only had his Squad members consumed too much World Force, but many of them had also suffered injuries, making it difficult to maintain the Formation.
When he set out earlier, he had done so with the determination to die in battle, but it seemed his predestined time had not yet arrived. The sword of light turned around as Wang Yuan Yi led his Squad back to Swallowing Seas Sect, sending a Divine Sense transmission from afar, “Sect Master Yang, please open the Array!”
Yang Qing didn’t dare to be negligent and hurriedly formed a hand seal before pointing towards the Grand Array. The next moment, a gap cracked open in the shield, allowing the Giant Sword Formation to rush inside like a bolt of lightning, falling onto the main square of Swallowing Seas Sect. The dozen or so Squad members were no longer able to maintain the Formation and immediately sprawled out on the ground, gasping for breath like fish on the verge of death.
Yang Qing and the others came to greet them, and when he saw the pale faces of Wang Xuan Yi and the others, as well as the blood dripping from the corners of their mouths, his eyes immediately turned red as he respectfully bowed, “Many thanks for your life-saving efforts.”
Waving them off, Wang Xuan Yi and his Squad members took out pills and swallowed them before sitting down cross-legged to adjust their breathing.
Wang Xuan Yi and the others had already returned, but the shockwaves of people fighting could still be felt coming from the void and auras were dissipating one after another. Yang Qing and the others looked up, and the next thing they saw left them completely dumbfounded, the Black Ink Clan Army surrounding Swallowing Seas Sect was fleeing like stray dogs.
Furthermore, bright suns and crescent moons also appeared frequently.
[What’s going on?]
Yang Qing and the others were confused and wanted to ask, but Wang Xuan Yi and the others were currently healing. It would be improper to disturb them, so they could only wait quietly.
At first, the battle in the void was quite intense, but it gradually calmed down.
After an hour or two, everything went still and they did not feel or hear anything more.
The Black Ink Strength spread out after the deaths of the Black Ink Clansmen had filled the void outside Swallowing Seas Sect and nothing could be seen through it, not the shining stars or the moon, nothing at all. The Black Ink Strength had isolated everything, causing the entire Swallowing Seas Sect to become extremely dim.
Swallowing Seas Sect’s Sixth-Order Masters were a little perturbed; after all, they had no idea what the current situation was.
At this moment, Wang Xuan Yi opened his eyes. Although he hadn’t fully healed, he could be considered to have recovered enough to move. He stood up and got straight to the point, “A Master is helping us.”
Yang Qing and the others were shocked. Wang Xuan Yi was already in the Seventh Order, so how strong was this ‘Master’ he spoke of?
Still, he now understood why Wang Xuan Yi and the others had been able to kill the Feudal Lords so easily. It was because someone was secretly assisting them.
Wang Xuan Yi bowed towards the void, “Mo Sha Army’s Wang Xuan Yi thanks Senior for your assistance. Could you please grace us with your presence?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the space in front of him suddenly distorted as a figure appeared out of thin air.
Yang Qing and the others were all appalled as their Sect Defending Array was still active. No one could enter their Sect without his permission, but this person had come in, ignoring the isolation of the Sect Defending Array entirely. Furthermore, no one, not even he sensed any abnormal reaction from the Sect Defending Array.
In other words, their Sect Defending Array was no different from air to this person.
What was even more surprising was that this man looked extremely young.
Although it was hard to judge a cultivator’s age from his or her appearance alone when their cultivation was profound, time still left its marks over a long period of cultivation.
As such, it was possible to roughly judge a cultivator’s age from the air around them.
When this man appeared before them, everyone could tell that he was truly young; no one present here felt that he was older than them!
The one who had come was naturally none other than Yang Kai. He wasn’t trying to act mysterious, he just wanted to observe the battle between the Small Stone Race Army and the Black Ink Clan Army without his direct interference.
When Yang Kai arrived from Profound Abundant Sect’s side, he happened to see Wang Xuan Yi’s Squad’s Warship being destroyed. Immediately after, their 13 members quickly assumed a Formation that took the shape of a giant sword. Yang Kai quietly assisted them in killing the Feudal Lords while setting up a perimeter around the Black Ink Clan Army.
If he wanted, he could have easily wiped out the Black Ink Army himself. Be that as it may, since he had brought the Small Stone Race Army from the Chaotic Dead Territory, Yang Kai wanted to test their strength.
As such, he pulled out two armies of Great Sun and Great Moon Small Stone Race, about 100,000 each.
The Small Stone Race’s intelligence was far too low, only knowing how to act according to their instincts. Even 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race members that were comparable to Eighth-Order Masters were no exception. If he could not find a way to control them, their usefulness would be greatly reduced, and this experiment greatly disappointed Yang Kai!
Unless he activated his Great Sun and Great Moon Marks, he was basically unable to command these Small Stone Race members.
Against the Black Ink Clan, they would simply charge at them and randomly attack, without any form of tactics or strategy.
The only advantage was that the Small Stone Race’s senses were extremely sharp when it came to Black Ink Strength, almost treating those that possessed it as mortal enemies.
Yang Kai suspected that their brains were only the size of a green bean, otherwise, how could they be so stupid?
What further rendered Yang Kai speechless was that, after killing the 50,000 or so Black Ink Clansmen, the two Small Stone Race armies began to fight amongst themselves, sending rocks flying in all directions!
He quickly activated his Great Sun and Great Moon Marks to collect what was left of them.
The reason why they were like this was because of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s energy. The energies of these two Supreme Masters inherently opposed each other; as a result, the Great Sun and Great Moon Small Stone Race viewed each other as enemies.
After this, Yang Kai secretly decided that next time he would not release the Great Sun Small Stone Race and Great Moon Small Stone Race together.
As soon as Wang Xuan Yi requested to meet him, Yang Kai appeared. As for the Sect Defending Array of Swallowing Seas Sect… with Yang Kai’s current Mastery of the Dao of Space, it might as well not exist.
After Wang Xuan Yi’s self-introduction, Yang Kai knew that this Squad belonged to Mo Sha Army, so he nodded and introduced himself, “Great Evolution Army’s Yang Kai!”
Wang Xuan Yi was stunned for a moment before his eyes lit up, “So it is Division Commander Yang!”
Obviously, he had heard of Yang Kai.
However, after he had noticed that Yang Kai broke through to the Eighth Order and couldn’t help but marvel at his cultivation speed. [Compared to him, I’ve been living like a dog all these years.]
Yang Kai didn’t have the time to exchange pleasantries with him and simply asked, “Why are you here? How is the situation in the Barren Territory battlefield?”
He had been attacked by a Royal Lord in Wind Mist Territory and had no choice but to flee to the Chaotic Dead Territory for help. At that time, the boundary wall between Wind Mist Territory and the Barren Territory battlefield had already been broken through.
Although Yang Kai knew that the Black Ink Clan’s invasion could no longer be stopped, he really didn’t know what the current situation was.
Wang Xuan Yi’s expression immediately became gloomy after hearing Yang Kai’s question, “The Barren Territory battlefield has been abandoned already. In the final battle, 32 Old Ancestors, led by Pure Yang Cave Heaven’s Old Ancestor, managed to kill the 44 Royal Lords and severely wound the newly appeared Black Ink Giant Spiritual God. However, they also… sacrificed themselves. The Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders also died in battle. After that battle, the Human Race Army withdrew from the Barren Territory and split up into Squads that were deployed to the various Great Territories to assist in the evacuation. We are responsible for Swallowing Seas Territory. The higher-ups ordered us to lead the Swallowing Seas Territory cultivators to Mo Sha Territory’s Universe Temple where we will rally together with the surrounding Great Territories’ cultivators. The plan is to evacuate to the Star Boundary!”
Yang Kai’s head started ringing as if he was struck by lightning. All he heard Wang Xuan Yi mention was that 32 Ninth-Order Human Race Masters and even the Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders had perished. He did not hear the rest.
After the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and the No-Return Pass battles, not many of the 100 or so Ninth-Order Old Ancestors were left, but now, 32 more had fallen on the Barren Territory battlefield, which was almost all of the Human Race’s top Masters.
[Does the Human Race still have any Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters left?]
In an instant, Yang Kai’s face went pale as he stumbled.
Yang Qing and the others also wore blank expressions.
For Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like them, Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Wang Xuan Yi were already unparalleled existences, while Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like Yang Kai were simply beyond their ability to meet.
Yet the Human Race had lost 32 Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Barren Territory battlefield, along with the leaders of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans!
The leaders of the Dragon and Phoenix Clans were legendary existences that were rumoured to be as, or even more powerful than the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
When they heard about this from the Sixth-Order Elder who had evacuated from the Barren Territory Battlefield, their response was far more dramatic than Yang Kai’s.
“Division Commander Yang… Division Commander Yang!” Wang Xuan Yi called out several times before Yang Kai’s lifeless eyes slowly focused on him.
Yang Kai’s loss of cool did not go unnoticed by him, and he could empathize with his current mood.
The death of so many Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was an eternal sorrow for the Human Race! Every surviving soldier would remember the shame of retreating from the Barren Territory battlefield.
He wanted to comfort Yang Kai, but he didn’t know what to say as any words seemed hollow and pointless. In the end, he simply pursed his lips and sighed.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, suddenly asked, “How many Royal Lords are left now?”
Wang Xuan Yi answered, “All the Royal Lords on the Barren Territory Battlefield were wiped out. As for whether there are Royal Lords left in other places, I have no idea.”
Yang Kai immediately understood the Old Ancestors’ intentions. They were paving the way forward for the younger generation!
All the Royal Lords on the Barren Territory battlefield were annihilated, while the Royal Lord who had chased Yang Kai to the Chaotic Dead Territory was killed by the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
In that case, there was only one Royal Lord left, and that was the one who was guarding the No-Return Pass. Yang Kai had met him before and was forced to use the corpse of the Black Ox and Azure Void Old Ancestor to deal with him.
At the moment, all the Royal Lords were Innate Royal Lords, and even the Territory Lords were all Innate Territory Lords.
There was no way for Innate Territory Lords to become Royal Lords.
In other words, if the Black Ink Clan wanted to produce new Royal Lords, they would need to raise them from scratch, which would take a very, very long time.
As such, the Human Race had gained some breathing room to grow.
The Old Ancestors knew that their current generation was unable to solve the problem of the Black Ink Clan, so they had left their hopes to the next generation. For this reason, they were even willing to sacrifice their lives to take out all of the Royal Lords on the Barren Territory battlefield.
Was there any hope for humanity’s future?
Yes, there was!
It was none other than the Star Boundary!
Yang Kai could even say that he himself was that hope as well!
Because whether it was the Star Boundary or his own Small Universe, both received feedback from a World Tree clone, which could produce a large number of prodigies, especially his Small Universe where the flow of time was seven times faster than the outside world. In some ways, he was even more useful than the Star Boundary.
Of course, the Star Boundary was much larger than his Small Universe, and so was its population. This was something his Small Universe could not compete in.
Overall, the Star Boundary and Small Universe had their advantages and disadvantages.
Combined with what Wang Xuan Yi had said before, the goal of the evacuation was the Star Boundary. The Old Ancestors’ plan was quite obvious.
The next generation would shoulder the heavy burden of revitalizing the Human Race. It was both a pressure and motivation. Only by purging the universe of the Black Ink Clan could they live up to the sacrifices of the many Old Ancestors.
Yang Kai wasn’t a fool. When he first learned that the Old Ancestors had died in battle, he had lost his composure, but after he had calmed down, he instantly understood their intentions.
Taking a deep breath, Yang Kai asked again, “Are there still any Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters left?”
Wang Xuan Yi nodded his affirmation, “Right now, there are two left, one is Old Ancestor Wu Qing and the other is Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao. Both Old Ancestors are currently guarding the Wind Mist Territory’s passageway against the heavily injured Black Ink Giant Spiritual God, just to be on the safe side.”
Yang Kai finally calmed down.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was still alive.
Among all the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, he undoubtedly had the most contact with Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and she had also taken care of him the most. He was glad to hear that she was alive, it was truly a small blessing among so many misfortunes.
Yang Kai silently calculated the difference in strength between both sides. On the Black Ink Clan’s side were two Black Ink Giant Spiritual Gods and one Royal Lord.
Whereas the Human Race had one Giant Spiritual God, two Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and if the Dragon Clan’s Fu Guang didn’t die, the Dragon Clan also had a Divine Dragon.
Furthermore, there was also the Giant Spiritual God Ah Da whose whereabouts remained unknown.
As such, in terms of top combat strength, the Human Race actually had the advantage once Ah Da was added.
Be that as it may, since the Barren Territory’s defensive line was broken and the Black Ink Clan had launched a massive invasion on the 3,000 Worlds, these top Masters alone couldn’t stop them. Black Ink Strength was quite treacherous and extremely difficult to deal with, able to turn an entire Great Territory into the Black Ink Clan’s territory in an extremely short time.
In addition, the Human Race Army had suffered heavy losses over the years. Who knows how many Great Territories were suffering with the heavy losses the Human Race Army had suffered. It was also unknown how many Great Territories were currently tormented by the Black Ink Clan. Who knows how many Humans had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength and turned into the Black Ink Disciples? A mass evacuation of the 3,000 Worlds was a must.
Yang Kai suddenly thought of a problem, “What about the mortals and the countless cultivators who can’t cross the void?”
A great force like Swallowing Seas Sect still had the ability to evacuate the entire Sect; after all, they only had a few thousand disciples so with some flight-type artifacts everything was solved.
But what about Profound Abundant Sect?
What about the Profound Abundant World?
Just like the Star Boundary, the Profound Abundant World had billions, if not trillions of mortals living on it. Profound Abundant Sect couldn’t take all of them away, nor did Swallowing Seas Sect.
If they were to be left behind, the only thing waiting for them was to be turned into Black Ink Disciples, enslaved and ruled by the Black Ink Clan, completely at the enemy’s mercy.
Yang Kai had never given much thought to this before. In the current situation, evacuating and relocating to the Star Boundary was the only option, but only now did he suddenly realize this huge problem.
Gloom immediately took over Wang Xuan Yi’s face as he replied, pursing his lips, “There’s nothing we can do.”
He and the other Seventh-Order’s Small Universe could accommodate some living beings, but there was always a limit, and once they exceeded this limit, it would affect their strength.
There were over a dozen Universe Worlds in Swallowing Seas Territory, each one massive in both size and population.
The two Seventh-Order Master’s Small Universes couldn’t contain so many mortals in them no matter what.
The evacuation of the 3,000 Worlds was quite a quandary and every Squad responsible for this mission had considered this issue.
In the end, all they could do was bring as many with them as possible, but most of them would have to be abandoned.
This was an extremely cruel decision to make, but also the only option.
Yang Kai remained silent for a moment before stating, “Squad Leader Wang, assist Swallowing Seas Sect in evacuating. I’ll go to the Profound Abundant World.”
Wang Xuan heaved a sigh and consoled, “Division Commander Yang, there is a limit to everyone’s ability. All we can do is try our best.”
Obviously, he had misunderstood something. He thought that Yang Kai couldn’t bear to stand by and watch, and wanted to go to the Profound Abundant World and use his Small Universe to bring out as many people as possible.
Yang Kai nodded his acknowledgement before handing a Space Beacon to Wang Xuan Yi, instructing him to keep it close to him before disappearing.
Using Instantaneous Movement, it only took Yang Kai half an hour to arrive in the outer void of Profound Abundant World. It was quite a beautiful world, a huge Universe World was like a lustrous sapphire in the Starry Sky.
Once a beautiful Universe World like this was occupied by the Black Ink Clan though, this beautiful gem would be covered in dust.
There were more than a dozen such Universe Worlds in Swallowing Seas Territory and countless more across the entire 3,000 Worlds. Did the Human Race really have to abandon them all?
Yang Kai was extremely unwilling and wracked his brain to think of a way to resolve this issue.
After staring for a while, Yang Kai suddenly sat down cross-legged before his Divine Sense started surging towards the vast Universe World like a tidal wave.
Although Profound Abundant World was quite big, the Divine Sense of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was extremely powerful.
Not to mention, it was Yang Kai, whose Soul was abnormally strong. Even an ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be able to cover the entire Profound Abundant World with a single thought, so much less needed to be said about him.
The next moment, Yang Kai began manipulating Space Principles, squeezing the Void from all directions. At the same time, his hand quickly formed hand seals as beams of light shot towards Profound Abundant World. These beams of light disappeared into the Universe World before dazzling flashes lit it up.
He wanted to refine the entire Profound Abundant World into a World Bead!
Yang Kai had refined World Beads a long time ago in the Star Boundary.
At that time, Yang Kai’s cultivation wasn’t very high, only in the Emperor Realm. Even his mastery in the Dao of Space wasn’t very high, but he was still able to refine simple World Beads.
World Beads were a kind of storage artifact based on Yang Kai’s original Small Sealed World and could accommodate living beings.
In the past, when the Star Boundary and the Demon Race’s Armies fought, the Armies of the Star Boundary were extremely mobile thanks to these World Beads. Even Su Yan and the other women who were close to Yang Kai had obtained many World Beads, but their World Beads were not used to accommodate an Army but to kill enemies.
Although the World Beads were only the size of a small bead, they were actually refined from massive asteroids and even some Dead Stars. There was no need for any special technique, just throwing such a massive amount of mass at an enemy would cause considerable damage.
At that time, Su Yan and the others had used the World Beads given to them by Yang Kai to kill many powerful enemies.
Anyway, Yang Kai had not refined World Beads since then because there was no need, so the technique remained somewhat rough.
After breaking free from the Universe World’s shackles and leaving the Star Boundary, Yang Kai had spent all his time focusing on his own cultivation, so how could he be in the mood to engage in such pointless research?
Now, however, with the Black Ink Clan launching a large-scale invasion, countless living beings on thousands of Universe Worlds had no one to rely on. Since Yang Kai couldn’t take all of these people away on his own, he figured he could just pack up the entire Universe World!
In this world, perhaps Yang Kai was the only one who could come up with such a bold and crazy idea.
When he was in the Emperor Realm, Yang Kai had been able to refine World Beads from small Dead Stars, so now that he had advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, his strength was thousands of times greater than when he was in the Emperor Realm, while even his mastery over of the Dao of Space was far beyond what it was back then.
Therefore, Yang Kai didn’t think that refining the entire Profound Abundant World into a World Bead was just wishful thinking.
What’s more, his current achievements in the Dao of Artifact Refining and Dao of Spirit Arrays were also extraordinary.
As long as he regarded Profound Abundant World as a kind of Artifact Refining material, and used his understanding over the Dao of Spirit Arrays, Dao of Artifact Refining, and Dao of Space as a foundation, his idea was completely possible.
There was only one problem.
Yang Kai had to be extremely careful when refining this Universe World into an artifact. If he made a single mistake, it would likely cause the entire Profound Abundant World to collapse. At that time, the living beings of the Profound Abundant World were destined to suffer massive casualties under natural and man-made calamities.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai had no other choice. He couldn’t just teleport away all the living beings in this world before refining it.
Profound Abundant Sect, led by the acting Sect Master Zhu Ge Xing Wei, had previously received Yang Kai’s assistance and instructions, and was now preparing to evacuate.
The Sect was not as powerful as Swallowing Seas Sect, but the number of disciples they had was a dozen times higher, reaching the tens of thousands with widely varying cultivations.
After all, occupying an entire Universe World made it easier to select, accept, and house disciples.
Profound Abundant Sect, of course, had its own flight-type artifacts, a few ships of different sizes, which were normally only used by the Sect’s top Masters when they went out, but now they were being repurposed as evacuation ships.
But even if these ships were filled to the brim, they could only carry 5,000 people at most, so it had become a huge problem to decide who would leave and who would stay from tens of thousands of disciples.
Everyone had family and friends, and no one wanted to leave them behind. In less than half a day, the quota of 5,000 people had been filled after much deliberation by the Elders, but there were still many whom they needed to bring with them.
For a moment, the Elders in the main conference hall broke into a heated argument, giving Zhu Ge Xing Wei a massive headache. He was the acting Sect Master, but how could he have imagined that during his tenure, he would be faced with an event that would put the survival of Profound Abundant Sect in jeopardy?
Just as everyone was arguing, everything began to lightly shake. Faintly, something seemed to have changed in this Universe World.
Everyone was shocked and quickly came out to investigate. Upon looking up, they saw beams of light shooting towards them from all directions and disappearing into various parts of Profound Abundant World.
Every time a beam of light fell, the Profound Abundant World would slightly tremble.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei’s expression changed greatly as he quickly linked his consciousness with Profound Abundant World, wanting to investigate.
The reason he was able to accomplish this was not because of his extraordinary strength. His cultivation of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm might be strong, but it was not that strong. He was able to do this because when he was in the Emperor Realm, he had been recognized by the Profound Abundant World’s Will, making him a Great Emperor.
His identity was similar to Yang Kai’s status in the Star Boundary.
Having received the acknowledgement of this World’s Will, Zhu Ge Xing Wei’s perception of the changes in the Profound Abundant World was naturally sharper than others.
After examining the situation for a while, a look of shock could not help but appear on his face.
The entire Profound Abundant World seemed to be undergoing some kind of refinement! The method of this refinement was extremely profound and left markings all across the Universe World. Zhu Ge Xing Wei had no idea what the purpose of this refinement was.
He didn’t dare to neglect this, but just as he was about to go out to investigate, a large hand pushed aside the clouds in the sky as a massive face appeared.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei glanced up and immediately bowed in respect, “Greetings, Senior!”
He recognized this person as the young man who had just saved them from certain death.
Yang Kai slightly nodded to him, but did not waste time explaining himself. He just gave an order, “All Open Heaven Realm Masters, come out!”
How could Zhu Ge Xing Wei dare to refuse? He quickly summoned the Open Heaven Realm Masters in his Sect and soared into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, all of the Open Heaven Realm Masters had disappeared from the Profound Abundant World. When they arrived in the void, Zhu Ge Xing Wei saw Yang Kai sitting cross-legged, his hand constantly forming seals.
Fraught with restlessness, he stepped forward and asked, “What instructions does Senior have?”
Yang Kai replied, “None, you’re just a hindrance inside!”
They were indeed a hindrance, especially since this was Yang Kai’s first time refining an entire Universe World into a World Bead. He wasn’t very familiar with the process and the Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Profound Abundant World were creating further disturbances in his refinement.
Now that they had all left Profound Abundant World, the process became much smoother.
A look of distress appeared on Zhu Ge Xing Wei’s face. He had no idea how he and the others were hindering Yang Kai, but he didn’t dare to ask any more questions. The group of over 200 Open Heaven Realm Masters could only silently stand on one side, watching Yang Kai.
Slowly, they discovered that the void in front of them was starting to distort and couldn’t help but be shocked. They knew that this senior expert was about to do something astonishing to their Profound Abundant World.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei was restless, his mind was filled with many questions, but he did not dare to ask, which only fueled his anxiety.
Yang Kai suddenly asked, “How many Universe Worlds does this Territory have?”
Zhu Ge Xing Wei quickly replied, “Reporting to Senior, counting the Profound Abundant World, there are a total of 14.”
Yang Kai nodded in response, “Pick 13 people and send them to these 13 Universe Worlds. Give each of them one of these and tell them to wait for my message.”
Saying so, he sent out 13 Space Beacons with a wave of his hand.
Yang Kai knew that time was of the essence as the Black Ink Clan had launched a large-scale invasion. If he could save even a little bit of time travelling, perhaps he could save more people.
He had these Open Heaven Realm Masters of Profound Abundant Sect take the Space Beacons and head to the Universe World to wait for him because once he was done here, he could just arrive at the next location in a flash using Instantaneous Movement.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei took the Space Beacons, picked 13 of his subordinates, and handed them one each before sending them on their way.
While Yang Kai was busy refining, the Profound Abundant World was shaking violently, sending countless living beings into a panic; after all, this was the first time he had attempted to refine an entire Universe World into a World Bead, so his process was a bit jerky. Even though he was being extremely cautious, his efforts still brought some natural disasters to the Profound Abundant World.
Tsunamis, earthquakes, mountains collapsing, continents drifting apart, and many more were happening all across the Profound Abundant World.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had remained vigilant all the while. Once he spotted something wrong, he would immediately act to salvage the situation. This way, he didn’t cause too much of a disturbance in the Profound Abundant World, nor did he cause any casualties.
Be that as it may, fear and panic inevitably made its way into everyone’s heart.
Gradually, the huge Profound Abundant World became more and more distorted. Zhu Ge Xing Wei and the others who were standing nearby all felt as if the Profound Abundant World had entered a different time and space. It was clearly right in front of them, but it gave everyone an extremely illusory feeling.
Soon, Yang Kai had reached the critical point.
At this moment, he faintly felt that he was only a step away from refining the Profound Abundant World into a World Bead and achieving the goal he had originally envisioned; however, upon reaching this point, he found that he was unable to continue. The entire Profound Abundant World was showing resistance, which was preventing him from completing the refinement.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before faintly understanding the cause of this.
This resistance was none other than this World’s Will!
Every Universe World had its own Will. The Star Boundary had one, and so did the Profound Abundant World. This was also the fundamental reason for the differences between Universe World, along with their Grand Daos and Martial Daos.
The stronger the World’s Principles, the higher its corresponding Grand Daos and Martial Dao would be.
1,000 years ago, the Star Boundary’s Grand Dao could be said to be very weak, so it could only give birth to Great Emperors while no known Open Heaven Realm Masters had ever appeared.
But after receiving the blessings of the World Tree clone, the Star Boundary’s World Principles were no longer inferior to any Universe World in this vast 3,000 Worlds.
On the other hand, the Profound Abundant World was able to give birth to Profound Abundant Sect, which had some 200 Open Heaven Realm Masters. Its Grand Dao could be said to be extraordinary.
This Universe World’s Principles were extremely profound, which also affected how strong its Will was. Ordinary people would not be able to sense this kind of Will. Only those who were shockingly talented could resonate with the World’s Will, obtaining its acknowledgement and becoming Great Emperors, were even fully aware of it.
Now, when Yang Kai was refining the Profound Abundant World, the World’s Will instinctively resisted; after all, Yang Kai was an outsider, so how could the Profound Abundant World accept being refined by him?
Yang Kai could forcefully refine it, but if he did so, the World’s Will and Principles would inevitably be damaged. Yang Kai was unaware of what would be the consequences of such actions, but he was certain that it would not be good for the Profound Abundant World.
Perhaps, the cultivation of the cultivators in the Profound Abundant World would become more difficult, and the chances of giving birth to new Masters would also be lower.
This did not line up with his original intentions.
Frowning, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense surged as he transmitted the images of what he had seen on the Black Ink Battlefield, about what happened to the Universe Worlds occupied by the Black Ink Nest.
The World’s Will could not be considered fully sentient, but it was an extremely special existence nonetheless.
Yang Kai had no idea if this would have any effect, but if he wanted to smoothly refine the Profound Abundant World, he could only make the World’s Will cooperate with him and stop resisting his refinement.
As the saying went, the World Lives. Yang Kai was hoping for the World’s Will to understand his intent and cooperate.
Yang Kai’s original intention was to let Profound Abundant World’s Will understand what would happen if it was occupied by the Black Ink Clan. It was destined to become the same as the Universe Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield, where the World Force would be devoured and turned into a dead Universe World.
Much to Yang Kai’s surprise, it actually worked.
After showing the scenes he had seen on the Black Ink Battlefield, the resistance of the Profound Abundant World’s Will became much weaker.
Yang Kai was overjoyed by this discovery. Striking while the iron was hot, he continued to transmit what he had seen to the World’s Will using his Divine Sense.
The World’s Will’s resistance became weaker until it was almost non-existent.
At this moment, a heavy sigh suddenly rang in Yang Kai’s mind, like the tolling of a loud bell. Yang Kai’s mind instantly went blank as he faintly felt as if he had become one with the Profound Abundant World, and there was no disjunction between the two.
Another inexplicable feeling surged in Yang Kai’s heart, before his consciousness crossed a vast distance and arrived at an unknown place in a flash.
There was nothing but endless darkness around him and for some reason, he could not lift a finger. He was even unable to sense his own existence.
Yang Kai was beside himself, not understanding how he had encountered such a strange phenomenon when he was only refining the Profound Abundant World.
He calmed himself down though and didn’t panic.
He couldn’t feel the passage of time at all. After an unknown amount of time, a tiny bit of light appeared in the endless darkness. When the Primal Chaos first parted, and Heaven and Earth were created, a fearsome power capable of destroying the entire universe erupted from this point. This kind of power was something even the Black Ink Giant Spiritual God, or even Mo itself, could not compare with.
This was the power of the entire universe.
Suddenly, the constraints binding the light instantly disappeared as everything expanded endlessly, transforming into one Great Territory after another. These Great Territories then gave birth to primitive Universe Worlds.
The Profound Abundant World was one of them!
After an unknown period, the Profound Abundant World gradually gathered the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, and was acknowledged by the Heavenly Way. It slowly perfected its World Principles, transforming into a true Universe World. Slowly but surely, the deathly still World started to gain vitality. This vitality rapidly spread, gradually transforming, filling it with life!
Yang Kai understood that this was the process of the Profound Abundant World’s formation. He seemed to be personally experiencing it after merging with its Will.
In fact, he had experienced this feeling once before, when he was acknowledged by the Star Boundary’s Will and became a Great Emperor.
However, the current experience was different from the last. This time, the feeling was clearer, and the history of this place was even more ancient!
Yang Kai suddenly realized something and made a bold guess.
It was just that he was temporarily unable to investigate these insights as his cultivation was too low and he did not have the time.
He had no way of verifying this conjecture either!
Yang Kai didn’t know how long he had experienced these events for, but to Zhu Ge Xing Wei and the others, it had only been half a day.
In just half a day, Yang Kai’s entire body became distorted and illusory like the Profound Abundant World, as if he didn’t exist.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei and the others also had no idea what had happened to Yang Kai. As there was a massive gap in their strength, and in the way they cultivated, they didn’t dare to disturb him.
Only after some time did Yang Kai’s figure suddenly materialize, allowing them to once again perceive his existence.
The Profound Abundant World, on the other hand, was still the same, the void around it distorting as if it was not in the same space as them.
Suddenly, Yang Kai broke into a long laughter and stood up, “Success!”
Saying so, he stretched out his hand and grabbed towards the Profound Abundant World.
What Zhu Ge Xing Wei and the others saw next was quite difficult for them to accept. Yang Kai’s hand pierced through the Void, seemingly passing through the surface of water, gently scooping something out of it.
When Yang Kai withdrew his hand, the warped space suddenly collapsed and the Profound Abundant World disappeared!
Zhu Ge Xing Wei was beside himself in shock and could not help but cry out, “Where is the Profound Abundant World?”
The 200 or so Open Heaven Realm Masters were also alarmed and bewildered. The Profound Abundant World that had raised them had actually disappeared right before their eyes.
How could they accept this? They still had friends and families in the Profound Abundant World!
“Don’t panic!” Yang Kai smiled and stretched out his hand towards everyone, “Take a look at this.”
Zhu Ge Xing Wei and the others shot a glance over and saw a round bead in Yang Kai’s palm. The surface of this bead was gray, but deep blue inside, as if a sapphire was embedded inside it.
The sapphire embedded inside was extremely familiar, whether it was its shape or colour distribution. It was the same as the Profound Abundant World, the only difference was its size.
After all, the Profound Abundant World was a Universe World, extremely vast, whereas the object in Yang Kai’s hand was only the size of a large marble.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei focused his gaze, trying to see through the fog on its surface. Immediately, he saw the true appearance of the sapphire embedded in the bead.
It was the Profound Abundant World!
He even saw Profound Abundant Sect, its tens of thousands of disciples inside as tiny as dust particles, completely crowding the main square. Many of them were looking around with blank expressions on their faces.
He even saw his Cave Mansion, and also his Wife and concubines, who were hurriedly packing up and preparing to escape after receiving his orders.
He then shifted his gaze and saw the scene of peddlers shouting and hawking in a city close to the Profound Abundant Sect while people went about their daily lives…
Zhu Ge Xing Wei was completely astounded and couldn’t believe his eyes.
[The Profound Abundant World has been refined into a bead?]
[How can anyone do this? Is it even possible!?]
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed this feat even in his dreams.
Soon, his face beamed with excitement. Previously, the Elders of Profound Abundant Sect were arguing about who to bring away and who to abandon, but now that the entire Profound Abundant World had been refined into a bead, there was nothing to worry about!
Not to mention, the tens of thousands of Profound Abundant Sect disciples, even the billions of lives on the Profound Abundant World could be brought with them!
It was only now that he understood Yang Kai’s painstaking efforts and what he had been refining.
[This Senior’s means are truly astonishing!]
Many people who saw the true appearance of the bead like Zhu Ge Xing Wei were beside themselves in shock.
Zhu Ge Xing Wei calmed himself down. He wanted to thank Yang Kai, but just as he was about to, Yang Kai casually tossed the World Bead to him.
A chill shot up through Zhu Ge Xing Wei’s spine.
Even if he was a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was still thrown into a fluster as he tried to catch the bead.
Holding the World Bead refined from the Profound Abundant World in his hands, Zhu Ge Xing Wei’s smile was even uglier than when he was crying. He looked at Yang Kai, stuttering, “Senior, this… this…”
[What do I do now?]
Although it was good news that the entire Profound Abundant World had been refined into a World Bead, how could he keep it? He was afraid that if he made any slight movements, he would cause the entire Profound Abundant World to collapse.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, waved his hand in a totally unconcerned manner and stated, “There’s no need to be so cautious. I’ve also refined the Void around your Profound Abundant World to insulate it. As long as you keep it close to you and prevent it from coming into contact with any powerful shocks, like the attacks of an Open Heaven Realm Master, the Profound Abundant World won’t be in any danger.”
Zhu Ge Xing Wei suddenly understood why the outer layer of the bead was grey, it was actually a buffer space surrounding the Profound Abundant World.
This revelation finally put Zhu Ge Xing Wei at ease. Following Yang Kai’s instructions, he put the World Bead in his pocket close to his chest, and also patted it to check. Even then, he was still not completely at ease, but it would have to do for now.
Then, he earnestly bowed to Yang Kai, “Senior’s great kindness is something that the entire Profound Abundant World will never forget.”
Yang Kai lightly nodded his acknowledgement before stretching his hand out, poking into the Void. The next moment, a portal appeared in front of him, one that led to Swallowing Seas Sect with the help of the Space Beacon he had given to Wang Xuan Yi, “Go in and join up with Swallowing Seas Sect.”
Zhu Ge Xing Wei thanked him once more before leading his 200 or so disciples through the portal. The next moment, they arrived at Swallowing Seas Sect, where they saw Wang Xuan Yi, Yang Qing, and the others. After chatting, when everyone came to learn about Yang Kai’s feat of refining the Profound Abundant World, they were thoroughly shocked.
Even someone like Wang Xuan Yi, who was someone from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, had never heard of people refining a World into a bead.
Thus, he was in great shock, but more than that, he was overjoyed.
Originally, the evacuation and relocation could only ensure the safety of the top cultivators from various Sects and great forces. They were completely powerless to help the myriad living beings in all the defenceless Universe Worlds. Now, thanks to Yang Kai, everyone in the entire Swallowing Seas Territory could evacuate.
Not just Swallowing Seas Territory, as long as there was enough time, the same feat could be repeated in many other Great Territories.
Wang Xuan Yi couldn’t help but recall the question Yang Kai had asked him before, ‘What about the mortals?’
His answer at the time was that they were powerless to do anything.
Even so, Yang Kai had come up with a solution in just a few days, causing an enormous sense of admiration to well up in his heart.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had already arrived at another Universe World’s location via a different Space Beacon. Previously, he had asked Zhu Ge Xing Wei to gather 13 disciples and send them to the 13 other Universe Worlds in this Territory carrying a Space Beacon each, which saved him the time he would have spent on travelling.
This Universe World was the closest to the Profound Abundant World, and it also had a Sect overseeing it with strength similar to Profound Abundant Sect’s. They also had a good relationship with Profound Abundant Sect.
Previously, when Profound Abundant Sect’s Open Heaven Realm Masters were fighting with the Black Ink Clan, Zhu Ge Xing Wei had sent two Elders out to seek help. One of them was Elder Pang, who had gone to the Swallowing Seas Sect. When he saw that Swallowing Seas Sect was besieged by the Black Ink Clan Army from a distance, how could he go and ask for their help? He had no choice but to return empty-handed. The other Elder had come to this Universe World, but they had lost contact with him after that.
After everything Profound Abundant Sect had gone through, Zhu Ge Xing Wei lost his cool and forgot to mention this to Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Profound Abundant Sect’s Elder, who was responsible for bringing the Space Beacon to this World, was quite prudent. He did not rashly approach and instead hid some distance away, concealing his aura and waiting for Yang Kai.
A few days later, Yang Kai appeared beside him, nearly frightening the life out of him.
When this Elder saw that it was Yang Kai though, he finally relaxed and quickly reported everything that had transpired.
A deep furrow appeared on Yang Kai’s brow after hearing the report. He immediately focused his gaze towards the Universe World, and as expected, he saw some Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples moving about.
The Sect governing this Universe World had been completely defeated by the Black Ink Clan, and almost all the surviving cultivators had been converted into Black Ink Disciples.
Fortunately, these Black Ink Clansmen were not that strong and were not many in number, just a squad about the same size as the one that had gone to attack the Profound Abundant World. The leader of this Black Ink Clan squad was only a High-Rank Clansman, that was all, not even qualified to own their own Black Ink Nest.
If a Feudal Lord was here, and if he had planted his Black Ink Nest, the entire Universe World would be flooded with Black Ink Strength, at which point it would be impossible to reverse the situation.
Although the current situation was not something to rejoice, it was still salvageable. For Yang Kai, it was as easy as snapping his fingers.
The Profound Abundant Sect Elder standing next to Yang Kai only saw the latter stretch his hand out and grasp towards the Universe World. And when he pulled his hand back, the Profound Abundant Sect Elder saw several dozen strange-looking Black Ink Clansmen appear in front of them.
These Black Ink Clansmen had no idea what just happened. They were suddenly captured and brought out into the void, so they were completely confused.
Immediately after, a fearsome force swept through them from all directions, wiping out these several dozen Black Ink Clansmen in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai then brought his hands together as a beam of Purifying Light shot down towards the Sect below, enveloping all the Black Ink Disciples and dispelling the Black Ink Strength in their bodies.
After having taken care of the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples, Yang Kai waited for the cultivators in the Sect below to recover before sending a Divine Sense transmission.
A moment later, a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, leading a group of Open Heaven Realm Masters, rushed over to greet him.
Yang Kai didn’t waste time chatting with them and directly opened a portal to Swallowing Seas Sect’s Space Beacon, ordering them to head over and meet up with the others.
Seeing that Yang Kai was an Eighth-Order Ancestor rank figure, the Fifth-Order Master didn’t dare to object and simply led his subordinates into the portal.
After the Profound Abundant Sect Elder responsible for bringing the Space Beacon here had also left, Yang Kai began refining the Universe World.
Having done it once before, this second attempt was naturally smoother and he did not even feel resistance from the World’s Will.
This second Universe World gave Yang Kai the feeling that it was actively cooperating.
This only further confirmed his suspicions.
Just like that, Yang Kai travelled from one Universe World to the next. After arriving at each Universe World, he would open a Void Corridor to the Swallowing Seas Sect and order the Open Heaven Realm Masters of the respective Universe Worlds to go on ahead. Without the complication of Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai was then able to smoothly refine the World Bead.
Not every Universe World had Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Every single Universe World in Swallowing Seas Territory had Humans living on them, but the level of their Martial Daos differed quite significantly. The higher the level, the easier it was to cultivate and give birth to Open Heaven Realm Masters. The strongest cultivators in some of the Universe Worlds were just Emperor Realm Masters though, with no Open Heaven Realm Masters overseeing them. In other words, refining them was even easier.
After more than a month, Yang Kai had finished refining all 14 Universe Worlds in Swallowing Seas Territory. Aside from the original Profound Abundant World, which had been handed over to Zhu Ge Xing Wei, Yang Kai had kept the remaining 13 with him.
With this matter settled, Yang Kai’s next stop was the Swallowing Seas Sect.
At this point, Swallowing Seas Sect and the other cultivators who had rushed to this place, under the leadership of Wang Xuan Yi and his Squad, were prepared to move out at a moment’s notice.
When they noticed Yang Kai’s arrival, Wang Xuan Yi hurried over to salute him.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Yang Kai came to learn that everyone was ready to leave, so he immediately stated, “There’s no time to delay, we need to set out right away.”
To evacuate, the Swallowing Seas Sect would first head to Mo Sha Territory’s Universe Temple, where they would rendezvous with cultivators from the neighbouring Great Territories, and then, they would head to the Star Boundary under the protection of Mo Sha Cave Heaven’s Masters.
Although it would be quite a lengthy journey, with Mo Sha Cave Heaven and Mo Sha Army’s Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters’ protecting them, it would still be much safer than the cultivators of each Great Territory heading out alone.
The evacuation plans of every Cave Heaven and Paradise were basically the same.
For example, the dozen-plus Great Territories under Pure Yang Cave Heaven’s jurisdiction all needed to arrive at the Pure Yang Territory’s Universe Temple within a set period of time, where they would coordinate with the Pure Yang Army’s Masters. Furthermore, Pure Yang Army Squads like Wang Xuan Yi’s Squad had gone to various Great Territories to assist the local Sects and forces in their evacuation.
This was a great migration that involved the entire 3,000 Worlds with no Sect being able to avoid it.
Just as Wang Xuan Yi had said before, even colossal forces like the Cave Heavens and Paradises would have to abandon their Sect’s ancestral foundation, which had been passed down through countless millennia.
As long as they were alive, they would be able to take back their foundations sooner or later, but if all of them died, then nothing would be left.
Already, not much time was left before the deadline. If Swallowing Seas Territory’s group couldn’t arrive in time, Mo Sha Army’s Masters wouldn’t wait for them.
This was something that had already been agreed upon.
So no matter what, they had to arrive at Mo Sha Territory’s Universe Temple before the deadline.
“Is Division Commander Yang not coming with us?” Wang Xuan Yi asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I must head to the other Great Territories.”
Wang Xuan Yi immediately understood that Yang Kai wanted to refine more Universe Worlds and save more people!
Wang Xuan Yi was filled with deep veneration and cupped his fist, “Division Commander Yang, please take care. Although all the Royal Lords have been wiped out and the two Black Ink Giant Spiritual Gods are restrained, the number of Territory Lords is still quite high. The current Territory Lords are all Innate Territory Lords, who are as strong as our strongest Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.”
He thought that since Yang Kai had just broken through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he should not be that strong, thus his warning.
How could he have known that Territory Lords were no longer Yang Kai’s opponent. Not to mention Territory Lords, Yang Kai had even killed a Royal Lord!
If he knew, he would probably be overwhelmed in shock.
Yang Kai nodded his acknowledgement, “You must also be careful as you may encounter the Black Ink Clan along the way…”
Saying so, Yang Kai was suddenly struck with an idea.
As he wanted to go to another Great Territory to refine more Universe Worlds, he couldn’t afford to escort the evacuees from Swallowing Seas Territory.
He might not be able to personally guard them, but he had a great army of tens of millions of Small Stone Race members!
These creatures might have low intelligence, but they were more than capable of dealing with some Black Ink Clansmen. The Small Stone Race hated Black Ink Strength above all else, so if the Black Ink Clan appeared in front of them, they would immediately attack.
Swallowing Seas Territory’s survivors would naturally be much safer if they were escorted by a Small Stone Race Army.
Unfortunately, the Small Stone Race was difficult to control due to their low sentience. If Yang Kai could solve this problem, the Small Stone Race would be of great help to the Human Race’s evacuation.
Considering all this, Yang Kai quickly came up with a plan. Afterwards, he looked left and right before suddenly shouting, “Everyone, prepare to depart!”
Wang Xuan Yi had no idea what Yang Kai had in mind, but since everything was set, and they could set out at any moment, he immediately ordered everyone to leave.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters of all the Sects in the entire Swallowing Seas Territory were gathered here. There were not that many of them, just over 1,000 or so, and their Orders ranged widely.
Swallowing Seas Sect had 3,000 members, but naturally not all of them were in the Open Heaven realm.
Flight-type artifacts were summoned, and in an instant, more than a hundred ships and palaces of different shapes and sizes appeared in the void.
Standing on the deck of the largest ship was Wang Xuan Yi, who was gazing down at Yang Kai. Yang Qing was also standing next to him, following suit. Both of them wanted to see what Yang Kai was planning on doing.
The next thing they saw left the two completely astounded. Swallowing Seas Sect which should have been very close to them was looking like a mirage now, distorted and indistinct. Clearly, it was very close, yet it seemed so far away that it was impossible to grasp.
Yang Qing suddenly came to the realization, “Division Commander Yang wants to refine my Swallowing Seas Sect’s Spirit Province into a World Bead!”
Although he had never seen Yang Kai refine a World Bead, he had heard Zhu Ge Xing Wei describe the process, so how could he not understand Yang Kai’s intentions?
His heart was filled with joy. From the start, he had been reluctant to abandon Swallowing Seas Sect’s heritage that had been passed down for generations, but he was helpless regarding this matter. Now, when Yang Kai wanted to refine it into the World Bead, all his worries were easily resolved.
Hearing this, Wang Xuan Yi only nodded in agreement, also thinking that Yang Kai was refining Swallowing Seas Sect’s Spirit Province into a World Bead. Nonetheless, he failed to understand why Yang Kai was doing this.
The Swallowing Seas Sect disciples were already set to evacuate, leaving just an empty Spirit Province behind. The Black Ink Clan would probably not be interested in it, so there was no need to bring it along.
“Ah!” Yang Qing suddenly cried out as piercing pain filled his heart.
And why would it not? The glorious Spirit Province in front of him suddenly collapsed into at least 100 fragments.
Each and every one of them was almost the same size. Obviously, Yang Kai had done this on purpose, demonstrating extreme power and control.
Yang Qing wanted to cry, but had no tears to shed.
If they could not bring this Spirit Province with them, then so be it, Swallowing Sea Sect still had a chance to return and rebuild their Sect after defeating the Black Ink Clan. But all his hopes had been shattered to pieces, just like this Spirit Province.
His initial joy quickly disappeared as he couldn’t understand why Yang Kai was doing this.
Nevertheless, he didn’t dare to ask any questions. He just consoled himself that Yang Kai’s actions must have a deeper meaning.
Soon, Yang Kai reached out and grabbed towards the distorted Void. Every time he did so, an asteroid would disappear, and soon all of them were collected.
After silently working at something for a while, Yang Kai appeared on the deck where Wang Xuan Yi was using Instantaneous Movement. He then handed him over 100 newly refined World Beads before instructing, “Each of these World Beads contains 10,000 Small Stone Race soldiers. If you run into a Black Ink Clan Army, use them to defend yourselves.”
Wang Xuan Yi’s eyes lit up when he heard this, “Are these Small Stone Race soldiers the ones who were attacking the Black Ink Clan before?”
Previously, he had also witnessed the two Small Stone Race Armies brutally attacking the Black Ink Clan outside Swallowing Seas Sect. Although these strange creatures seemed simple, even somewhat stupid, they were perfect for dealing with the Black Ink Clan as they seemed to be able to ignore the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength.
So, when Yang Kai mentioned this, Wang Xuan Yi immediately understood.
Yang Kai nodded his agreement.
He himself couldn’t escort these people all the way to Mo Sha Territory, but it was no problem for him to pack up a Small Stone Race Army and send them with these people. Even if Wang Xuan Yi and the others couldn’t control the Small Stone Race, all they needed to do was toss them out when they encountered the Black Ink Clan, and the Small Stone Race members would immediately attack.
The reason why Yang Kai had divided the million-strong army into 100 smaller groups was because he had also considered how difficult it would be to retrieve the Small Stone Race after a battle. As Wang Xuan Yi and the others didn’t have the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks, the Small Stone Race would not obey their orders, and if they really released them, there was a high chance they would simply… run off.
A million Small Stone Race soldiers was enough to protect them from any kind of threat. Also, they would be of great help even to the other cultivators in Mo Sha Territory.
With a million Small Stone Race soldiers escorting them, their journey to the Star Boundary would be much safer.
“Many thanks, Division Commander Yang!” Wang Xuan Yi bowed in gratitude, amazed by Yang Kai’s generosity.
He had never seen or heard of the Small Stone Race before, but now Yang Kai had gifted him a million of them in one go. That was truly generous.
Their Warship had already been destroyed, which had greatly affected their Squad’s combat and defensive strength, but a million-strong Small Stone Race Army was more than enough to make up for that.
Yang Kai added, “I only recently obtained these Small Stone Race soldiers, so I haven’t been able to figure out how to control them effectively. Their characteristics are that their intelligence is extremely low, and they rely mostly on their instincts to act. If any of you is proficient in Beast Taming Techniques, I suggest you experiment and try to find a way to control them.”
It was not probably impossible to control the Small Stone Race using Beast Taming Techniques, but as Yang Kai wasn’t versed in any good Beast Taming Techniques, he couldn’t run these tests himself.
Wang Xuan Yi’s eyes lit up after hearing this and repeatedly nodded, “Understood.”
Many cultivators more or less knew a Beast Taming Technique, though the quality and profundity varied wildly. If they could find a feasible method, it would give them far better control over the Small Stone Race in battle.
“Go,” Yang Kai waved off.
Wang Xuan Yi cupped his fist and bid his goodbye, “Take care, Division Commander Yang!”
Having said his farewell, he gave a shout as the fleet of 100 or so flight-type artifacts filled with cultivators led by Swallowing Seas Sect’s largest ship flew towards the Territory Gate, rushing towards Mo Sha Territory.
On the lead ship, Wang Xuan Yi looked back, but Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
Calming himself down, he gathered a group of Sect Masters and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the various Sects and gave each of them a World Bead with an army of 10,000 Small Stone Race members. Then, following Yang Kai’s instruction, he asked them to look for cultivators who were proficient in Beast Taming to begin searching for an effective method to control the Small Stone Race soldiers.
All of them were overjoyed after obtaining the army of 10,000 Small Stone Race members.
Wang Xuan Yi then deployed them to various ships to guard the fleet. Like this, all the cultivators in Swallowing Seas Territory began to evacuate.
At the same time, fleets from every Great Territory were rushing towards the Great Territories where the various Cave Heavens and Paradises were located.
Some of the evacuation went completely smoothly; after all, the Black Ink Clan would need some time to invade all the Great Territories of the 3,000 Worlds, so if the cultivators could gather before the Black Ink Clan reached their lands and immediately rush to the designated Universe Temple, they would encounter no dangers.
Other Great Territories were less fortunate though and were invaded by the Black Ink Clan Army before they could evacuate. Many Sects were occupied by the Black Ink Clan and their cultivators all transformed into Black Ink Disciples.
There were other instances where Black Ink Clan Armies pursued fleeing evacuation fleets, leading to battles of different scales breaking out across the 3,000 World, throwing everything into chaos!
After parting from Wang Xuan Yi’s group, Yang Kai immediately rushed to the adjacent Great Territory. This Great Territory was still under the jurisdiction of Mo Sha Cave Heaven, and the situation here was similar to Swallowing Seas Territory. The Black Ink Clan had already invaded, but the cultivators of the various Sects were still desperately resisting.
Just like Wang Xuan Yi’s Squad, there was also a Human Race Squad in this Great Territory, responsible for coordinating the evacuation. When Yang Kai arrived, he easily eliminated all of the Black Ink Clan invaders and then sent away the fleet. He also gave them 100 or so World Beads containing Small Stone Race troops.
After that, he began refining the Universe Worlds where the Human Race lived.
He knew that he couldn’t save everyone as the Black Ink Can’s invasion was happening everywhere. He could save the Humans of a few Great Territories, but there were more than 1,000 Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds, so how could he possibly save them all by himself?
All he could do was try his best.
At first, the situation in the Great Territories Yang Kai arrived at were still manageable. For example, in the Swallowing Seas Territory, he had refined a total of 14 Universe Worlds into World Beads, saving almost all the Humans living there.
But as time passed, the situation of the Great Territories deteriorated rapidly.
After the order was issued, all the cultivators of various Great Territories were forced to evacuate, leaving behind only weaker cultivators and mortals who were unable to break free from their Universe World’s shackles. These people were completely powerless to resist the Black Ink Clan’s invasion.
The further Yang Kai walked, the more heartbroken he became.
Some of the Universe Worlds already had Black Ink Nests planted on them, absorbing the World Force of the entire World. Rich Black Ink Strength enveloped such Universe Worlds, corrupting all the living beings inside.
Yang Kai could do nothing in the face of such situations.
With his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, he could completely destroy these Universe Worlds if he wanted to, but if he did so, the billions of innocent lives living on them would also be lost along with the Black Ink Clan soldiers.
These people might have been reduced to Black Ink Disciples, but there was still hope for them to be rescued in the future. How could Yang Kai bring himself to ruthlessly slaughter them?
The only option he was left with was to destroy the Black Ink Nest, and all of the Black Ink Clansmen around!
There was nothing else he could do.
At this point, he also got to experience the helplessness Wang Xuan Yi felt when he answered his question.
The Universe Worlds which had been completely devoured by Black Ink Strength now were filled with billions of Black Ink Disciples. Even if he didn’t lack Yellow and Blue Crystals, he couldn’t purify them all. It would drain a lot of Yellow and Blue Crystals, and was too time-consuming, while time was what he was most short of.
The faster he moved, the more people he would be able to save!
Along the way, Yang Kai not only witnessed scenes of disaster and despair though, he also had encountered many heroic deeds.
Many Sects and cultivators weren’t strong, but they had the courage and determination to fight to the death with the Black Ink Clan, refusing to withdraw with the other cultivators of their Great Territory and instead choosing to remain with the Universe Worlds that had raised them, using their lives and blood to protect them for as long as they could!
Cultivators of many such Sects faced total annihilation in the battle, leaving not one survivor behind. Such resistance deeply angered the Black Ink Clan, so what awaited them was death.
Yang Kai’s mood became even gloomier when he saw such scenes!
The order to retreat was not given because they were timid or cowardly, but because it was the best course of action in this situation; after all, only by surviving could they turn the situation around. Their decision to stay and fight to the death may have been praiseworthy, but from a strategic standpoint, it was utterly meaningless.
Who was right and who was wrong, nobody could say for sure. It was just a matter of one’s choice, and everyone had to face the consequences of their actions. Just like Yang Kai, who had chosen to roam various Great Territories and refine Universe Worlds into World Beads to save more lives, causing him to bear witness to far too many tragedies.
20 years went by in a flash.
Over the past 20 years, Yang Kai travelled to hundreds of Great Territories and accumulated over 2,000 World Beads. Each World Bead was a complete Universe World with its Seven Elements, Will, and World Principles intact.
The number of Humans he had saved was difficult to calculate.
But this was already the limit.
There were still many Great Territories Yang Kai had yet to set foot in, but now that 20 years had passed since the Black Ink Clan’s full-scale invasion began, it was difficult for him to find any Universe World that had not been devoured by Black Ink Strength.
The Black Ink Clan could be found in every Great Territory, and almost every Universe World that had a living being on it had a Black Ink Nest planted on it.
Countless mortals and cultivators with low cultivations had been reduced to Black Ink Disciples, and the World Force each Universe World had accumulated over countless aeons had been reduced to nourishment for the Black Ink Clan.
Of the tens of millions of Small Stone Race soldiers he started with, Yang Kai was now left with less than 10 million, the rest were all given away to others.
Over the past 20 years, the number of Black Ink Clansmen who had lost their lives at Yang Kai’s hands was also incalculable, with just the number of Territory Lords who had died at the end of his spear reaching over a dozen.
Now, with only one Royal Lord left alive, and the two Black Ink Giant Spiritual Gods being occupied, the Territory Lords were the top Masters of the Black Ink Clan. Be that as it may, if any of these Innate Territory Lords ran into Yang Kai alone, they would only be courting death. Even if there were two or three of them, Yang Kai was confident he could eliminate them after paying a price.
In these 20 years, those who should have evacuated had already evacuated, and those who couldn’t leave could only stay and bear the fate of being turned into Black Ink Disciples.
Yang Kai estimated that the cultivators who had evacuated from the various Great Territories should have all reached the Star Boundary by now.
He knew in his heart that this mission to save the remaining Humans of the 3,000 Worlds had come to an end. Even if he continued, it would just be a fruitless endeavour.
Looking at the dim stars in the void and the Universe Worlds enveloped in Black Ink Strength, a heavy sigh escaped Yang Kai’s lips as he shouted, “Old Tree, do you still want to hide? I think it’s time we meet!”
As soon as he finished speaking, a mysterious change started to occur in this Great Territory. Immediately after, a rolling fog appeared in the distance and swept towards Yang Kai.
Seeing this fog, Yang Kai knew that his guess was correct!
20 years ago, when he refined the Profound Abundant World, he had a vague guess in his heart. But at that time, he hadn’t refined enough Universe Worlds, so whether this conjecture was just his imagination or if it was true, he still had to verify it.
Over the past 20 years, he had refined more than 2,000 Universe Worlds, which was more than enough to confirm his previous speculations.
Because every time he refined a Universe World, he would sense an invisible connection with that unknown place.
After refining more than 2,000 Universe Worlds, this connection had become pretty strong; so, even if the other party didn’t respond, Yang Kai still had a way to force his way into this unknown place.
The rolling fog soon arrived before him and Yang Kai allowed it to envelop him, concealing his figure.
When the fog dissipated, Yang Kai’s figure was nowhere to be found.
When he reappeared, Yang Kai was already in a mysterious place that was difficult for ordinary people to reach. There happened to be some kind of suppression in this mysterious place, preventing anyone from completely displaying the might of the Open Heaven Realm, no matter what one’s Order was.
The Great Ancient Ruins Boundary!
When Yang Kai was just an Emperor Realm Master, he had been swept up by a mysterious fog and thrown into this Sealed World. It was in this Sealed World he got his hands on a World Tree clone, which he used to save the Star Boundary that was on the verge of shattering.
It was also from here that he brought out the Heavenly Moon Demon Spider, Zhu Jiu Yin.
According to Cang, the World Tree was one of the most ancient existences in the Universe. In the past, the 10 Martial Ancestors had relied on the World Tree to comprehend the mysteries of the Open Heaven Realm, which they later passed down to the wider Human Race, allowing it to gain a foothold in the Universe where the Monster Race ran rampant.
The people who obtained the favour of the World Tree were also a means of protection for the mysterious Heavenly Way. Cang’s group of 10 were chosen by the Heavenly Way, and they had sealed Mo in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for millions of years. If not for their actions, how could the current 3,000 Worlds still exist? Perhaps the entire Universe would have become the Black Ink Clan’s paradise eons ago.
After Cang’s group, there were likely more candidates. The World Tree clone in Yang Kai’s Small Universe also belonged to a previous candidate who had fallen ages ago.
As for Yang Kai himself, he should have been chosen recently.
This method of self-preservation was seemingly performed through the World Tree, so no matter what, the World Tree was an indispensable and important link.
Mo had said that the Old Tree had always been hiding from it, afraid of it.
In the past, Yang Kai didn’t know what Mo meant by this. Both of them were among the most ancient of existences, so although Mo’s strength was hard to imagine, how could it be that the World Tree was weak? Why would it hide?
Now, Yang Kai finally understood.
Because the World Tree was a direct manifestation of the entire 3,000 Worlds. The relationship between the World Tree and the 3,000 Worlds was one of mutual destruction and prosperity.
Mo’s existence had severely threatened the survival of the 3,000 Worlds. If Mo really ruled over 3,000 Worlds, then Black Ink Strength would be everywhere, and every Universe World would die. At that time, the World Tree would also be completely destroyed.
Inside the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary, Yang Kai, who was swept up by the rolling fog, looked up and saw a towering tree in front of him.
Compared to the World Tree Yang Kai had seen in the past, this one was far larger and more majestic.
The tree was absolutely filled with World Fruits.
But different from the past, the current World Tree seemed to be seriously ill, looking very weak and sickly.
Many of the World Fruits hanging on the World Tree were gray, as if they had rotted. Yang Kai could even feel Black Ink Strength coming from these fruits!
He had actually witnessed this scene before.
When he used his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel just outside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Space and Time became chaotic, allowing Yang Kai to glimpse into the future.
One of the scenes was of him holding the head of the Royal Lord.
And the other scene was of a large, sickly tree filled with rotting fruits!
Yang Kai stared blankly for a long time before a sigh escaped his lips, “Old Tree, you’re quite pitiful!”
The World Tree’s body swayed slightly as its huge leaves rustled, looking like it was protesting Yang Kai’s ridicule.
Yang Kai quickly stated, “Don’t get agitated, each of these fruits corresponds to a Universe World. If you shake them off, it won’t be a good thing.”
When he first came here, Yang Kai’s strength, vision, and insight were all too shallow, so he only knew that the World Fruits could help a person break through to the next Order of the Open Heaven Realm. He was totally oblivious to the true mysteries of these World Fruits.
Now, after reaching the Eighth Order, having refined more than 2,000 Universe Worlds scattered across hundreds of Great Territories, and coming into contact with ancient Supreme Masters like Mo and Cang, how could Yang Kai not see the profundities of these fruits?
As he had just said, each of these World Fruits corresponded to a Universe World in some Great Territory, and was the Source of those very Universe Worlds.
It could be said that the World Tree was connected to all the Universe Worlds in the 3,000 Worlds. It was precisely the convergence of these Universe Worlds that had given birth to the World Tree.
Now that these Universe Worlds had been devoured by Black Ink Strength and occupied by the Black Ink Clan, it had affected the World Tree, making it and those World Fruits appear sick.
If a certain Universe World was completely destroyed, the corresponding World Fruit would also cease to exist.
Vice versa, if a new Universe World was born, the World Tree would bear a new fruit.
Yang Kai finally understood why the World Fruits had such potent effects.
This was because these World Fruits contained the mysteries and essences of an entire Universe World.
A Low-Rank World Fruit corresponded to a world with a low level of Martial Dao, a Mid-Rank World Fruit corresponded to a world with a mid-grade Martial Dao, and a High-Rank World Fruit corresponded to a high-grade Universe World, the best possible. Such Universe Worlds might be where the various Cave Heavens and Paradises resided.
If someone were to pick a World Fruit and swallow it, what they were actually eating was not the fruit itself, but the essence of the Universe World.
So naturally, this would rapidly increase their strength and even increase their Order.
But as a result of this, the Martial Dao of the corresponding Universe World and even the perfection of its World Principles would be greatly affected, taking thousands, if not tens of thousands of years to recover.
A Universe World with sufficient Martial Dao would have its own Principles and Will.
These Wills could be said to have come from the Universe World itself, but they could also be considered the wisps of the World Tree’s consciousness.
The Great Emperors of every Universe World had obtained the acknowledgement of their respective World’s Wills, but at its root, it was really the World Tree who had acknowledged them.
As such, every time Yang Kai refined a Universe World, he would gain the approval of the World Tree, allowing him to sense the latter’s existence.
Yang Kai had not understood these mysteries previously, but now he got the complete picture.
If 3,000 worlds were completely occupied by the Black Ink Clan, the World Tree would definitely perish!
Currently, only about 20% of the fruits on the tree remained intact, with most of them corresponding to the World Beads Yang Kai had refined.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai waved his hand as over 100 World Beads refined from Universe Worlds flew out. Each of the World Beads looked like a glorious pearl; a magnificent sight indeed.
As soon as these World Beads appeared, each of them resonated with a World Fruit and disappeared into them.
The World Bead had not really disappeared, but had instead become one with the fruit. It did not affect the living beings inside the World Beads either, and when peace had returned to the 3,000 Worlds once more, when the Black Ink Clan was eliminated, the World Tree would be able to send these World Beads back to the corresponding Great Territory, so that they could regain their former prosperity.
Yang Kai was just giving it a try; after all, it was quite troublesome and risky to carry so many World Beads on him. The World Beads might look small, but as each World was formed from a Universe World, they were actually quite massive in size. It was impossible for him to store them into his Small Universe or Space Ring, so Yang Kai could only sew together a huge backpack to carry them that way.
All these years, Yang Kai had been carrying a bag filled with World Beads on his back, which was extremely inconvenient
Now that he had discovered that these World Fruits could accommodate the corresponding Universe World, it naturally saved him a lot of trouble.
After some time, Yang Kai had finally tossed all 2,000 or so World Beads to the World Tree for safekeeping.
What surprised Yang Kai was that after obtaining these 2,000 or so World Beads, the World Tree’s condition seemed to have improved a little, but he was not sure, it might have just been his imagination.
On top of that, Yang Kai was also concerned about the still intact World Fruits on the World Tree.
The World Fruits corresponding to the Universe Worlds he had refined were intact because they were saved and not corroded by Black Ink Strength, but in addition to those World Fruits, there were several dozen more that were still completely healthy.
These fruits were not showing any features similar to the other ruined fruits, neither were they emanating any Black Ink Strength. Yang Kai even had a special connection with one of these fruits, feeling very close to it.
This feeling greatly surprised him. It was just a World Fruit, so how could he feel close to it?
After examining it for a moment though, Yang Kai raised his brow and asked, “Is this the World Fruit of the Star Boundary?”
He was a Great Emperor recognized by the Star Boundary’s Will, so the World Fruit corresponding to the Star Boundary naturally gave him a different feeling from the rest.
This World Fruit was a Mid-Rank World Fruit. In other words, if one ate it, it could allow a cultivator in the Third-Order to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm to advance an Order, and allow them to have better future prospects by increasing their innate limit.
But correspondingly, the Star Boundary would have to pay a huge price. Perhaps its Martial Dao level would be greatly affected and its World Principles would be damaged.
Yang Kai’s heart clenched as he recalled the Low-Rank World Fruits and Mid-Rank World Fruits he had obtained.
Back then, he had obtained more than a dozen or so fruits from the Old Tree, causing harm to some Universe Worlds.
As if the World Tree sensed his thoughts, it swayed again. Although the World Tree did not speak or transmit anything via Divine Sense, Yang Kai could clearly tell what it wanted to say.
The corresponding Universe Worlds of the World Fruits he had taken back then didn’t have any highly sentient lifeforms on them, so his actions didn’t cause much harm overall. At most, it would have delayed the development and evolution of those Universe Worlds by a few thousand years.
Knowing this, Yang Kai felt less guilty.
But very soon, he had another feeling. By using this World Fruit corresponding to the Star Boundary as a beacon, he might be able to create a passage to the Star Boundary and return to it!
Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly checked the other World Fruits that were still intact. After checking them with his Divine Sense, he discovered that his guess was right on mark; he could indeed open a Void Corridor with the help of these World Fruits and arrive directly at the Universe Worlds corresponding to these fruits.
He could even tell which Great Territory these Universe Worlds were located in by observing the void around them through this link.
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he couldn’t help but ask, “Old Tree, could this place be considered a transit point for 3,000 Worlds?”
The World Tree’s body swayed again as if saying it was a given.
This was not surprising though. The World Tree was the physical manifestation of all the Universe Worlds in 3,000 Worlds, with each of its fruits corresponding to a Universe World. It was closely connected to all the Great Territories and Universe Worlds in this way.
It was no wonder that the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary was so ethereal, and why the rolling fog through which one could enter the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary was able to appear in any Great Territory. Because theoretically speaking, one could enter the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary through any Universe World, depending on whether this Old Tree was willing to let them in or not!
With this discovery, Yang Kai’s interest was immediately piqued as he carefully examined the intact World Fruits.
These fruits corresponded to the Universe Worlds in the Star Boundary’s Territory, while another dozen or so were linked to the Universe Worlds in New Great Territory which was adjacent to the Star Boundary.
The New Great Territory was something Yang Kai had inadvertently discovered when he was fighting with Zuo Quan Hui of Thousand Cranes Paradise. No one from the 3,000 Worlds had stepped foot in it before.
The Small Stone Race was also brought out from the New Great Territory.
Apart from those, there were about 30 more intact World Fruits, which meant that there were an equal number of Universe Worlds in 3,000 Worlds that had not been occupied by the Black Ink Clan, scattered across various Great Territories.
Realizing this, Yang Kai quickly requested, “Old Tree, please assist me!”
Saying so, Yang Kai’s figure flickered as he shot towards one of the World Fruits. This fruit was only the size of a baby’s fist, but at this moment, it suddenly enlarged in Yang Kai’s eyes, allowing him to enter.
The moment he entered the World Fruit, Yang Kai immediately sensed the corresponding Universe World’s location. Space Principles flared and a Void Corridor leading to a distant Great Territory was opened with help from the World Tree.
In a flash, Yang Kai shuttled through the Void and appeared in the vicinity of the Universe World.
The Universe World was both big and beautiful, but it probably hadn’t been long since it was born. Its environment could not be considered good either. It was suitable for inhabitation, but its Principles were still relatively lacking. In other words, if the Martial Dao evolved here, its level would be extremely low.
Scanning it with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai didn’t find any Humans, just some low-level creatures.
He took out his Universe Chart and checked its location, soon concluding that the reason it was not occupied by the Black Ink Clan even after 20 years was because it was located in a remote region. It was quite likely that the Black Ink Clan had simply not discovered its existence, which had allowed this place to escape disaster.
Otherwise, the Black Ink Clan would have definitely not let go of a Universe World like this.
Without further delay, Yang Kai quickly began refining it. After having refined over 2,000 Universe Worlds, he was now quite familiar with this process.
After a couple of days, this Universe World was refined into a World Bead and collected by Yang Kai.
This time, he didn’t even have to ask the Old Tree to pick him up; rather, Yang Kai opened a Void Corridor with the help of the connection between the World Bead and World Tree before stepping inside.
When he reappeared, he was already standing beneath the World Tree.
Yang Kai didn’t even stop to catch his breath, he simply handed the new World Bead he had refined to the World Tree for safekeeping before identifying another intact World Fruit and setting off.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated. Had he known that the World Tree could connect to the various Great Territories and Universe Worlds, he would have contacted it long ago.
He could have easily travelled to other Great Territories with the help of World Tree, saving him massive amounts of time. Had he done so earlier, he might have been able to save even more Universe Worlds.
It was just that he had no idea about the World Tree’s stance, so he didn’t dare to rashly disturb it. It was only after he had refined more than 2,000 Universe Worlds and was closely connected to the World Tree that he called out to it.
30 Universe Worlds were not that many, and Yang Kai could refine a Universe World in just a few days now. These Universe Worlds were all quite remotely located, which was why they were never discovered by the Black ink Clan and thus avoided being poisoned by Black Ink Strength.
Most of the Universe Worlds did not have any Humans, only seven or eight in total, but their Martial Daos were not very high. Even when Yang Kai was refining the entire Universe World, the Human inhabitants never noticed a thing.
Today, Yang Kai arrived in the vicinity of another Universe World with the help of the World Tree, but just as he started refining it and reached a critical point, he noticed fluctuations of battle coming from the distance.
Yang Kai was quite taken aback by this discovery and could not understand why someone was fighting in such a remote location.
Logically speaking, the Humans had already evacuated from the greater 3,000 Worlds. Those who should have left had already left, and those who hadn’t were doomed.
There should not be anyone in such a remote place, but the commotion caused by the battle was quite obvious. Furthermore, the person who was fighting was quite strong, at least in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
[Who could it be?]
Yang Kai’s heart was filled with suspicion. Although he was alone, he wasn’t worried about being disturbed; after all, he still had some 10 million Small Stone Race soldiers on him. If any enemy was to come here, even if he could not divert his attention, Yang Kai could just summon a Small Stone Race Army to protect himself.
He paid no heed to the battle and decided to only take a look after he had refined the Universe World before him. But contrary to his plans, the battle was getting closer and closer, as if both sides of the battle were approaching him.
Yang Kai still ignored it. The other party’s approach shouldn’t be intentional, but it was still good news for him. The only ones who could be fighting at this time would be Humans and Black Ink Clansmen. If they were to approach him, he might be able to provide some assistance to the Human side.
About half an hour later, the sounds of the battle really grew closer and now, a strange look appeared on Yang Kai’s face because he felt a familiar aura!
Yang Kai was immediately overjoyed. [What a coincidence… I was planning to look for him after finishing with this business, but who would have thought that I would run into him here.]
[As the old saying goes, a good man does not live long, but a scourge lasts 1,000 years! Guess that makes this bastard immortal!]
The next moment, Yang Kai sent a message to the other party via Divine Sense.
The Human who was fighting with the Black Ink Clan was momentarily taken aback, but was soon overjoyed and quickly started approaching Yang Kai’s position. From the distance, he saw Yang Kai using some kind of strange technique, causing the Universe World in front of him to twist and distort like a reflection in the water, which greatly surprised him, “What are you doing?”
Yang Kai snapped back, “Why do you care? What are you doing here?”
It was none other than Wu Kuang, his entire body covered in blood, cutting quite a sorry figure.
Wu Kuang broke into carefree laughter after hearing Yang Kai’s question and replied, “I’m currently being pursued by a team of Black Ink Clansmen!”
He was acting smug, as if being chased around was something to boast about.
Yang Kai also admired his shamelessness before glancing behind Wu Kuang and frowning slightly, “Is there a Territory Lord?”
Wu Kuang was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and had mastered the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. It was a simple matter for him to deal with ordinary Feudal Lords. Since he was being pursued and in such a sorry state, obviously, a Territory Lord must have taken action.
Wu Kuang secretly circulated his strength, preparing to flee at any moment, “If you can’t fight, then it’s better to run away; otherwise, there will be no one to even collect your corpse.”
He could also tell that Yang Kai was currently doing something important, and got worried that he wouldn’t be able to help.
Yang Kai smiled proudly, “It’s just a Territory Lord, don’t worry and take a rest, just wait and watch how I take care of him!”
[‘Just’ a Territory Lord…]
Wu Kuang was beside himself in shock, unable to believe that such arrogant words were coming from Yang Kai’s mouth. He then scanned Yang Kai with his Divine Sense before his expression changed greatly, “You’ve reached the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm?”
Wu Kuang and Blood Crow had talked quite a bit while fighting in the Barren Territory battlefield, so Wu Kuang had learned a lot about Yang Kai and knew that the latter had long since broken through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and had even killed a number of Territory Lords.
However, Yang Kai had disappeared after the battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, with no one knowing if he was dead or alive.
So, Wu Kuang also had no idea. In truth, he didn’t care much about Yang Kai’s life or death, so it was a huge surprise to actually run into each other in this place. Furthermore, Yang Kai was already an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Wu Kuang’s heart was filled with bitterness. He knew that he would not lose to anyone in this World when it came to cultivation speed; after all, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was both exquisite and ingenious. It was definitely the best cultivation technique in existence. Even Blood Crow, who cultivated the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture, was forced to admit defeat before him. Yet, it had not been long since Yang Kai had advanced to the Seventh Order, so how could he already have reached the Eighth Order so quickly?
“Did you secretly cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law?” Wu Kuang made a wild guess.
Yang Kai sneered, “Do you think I use it so haphazardly like you?”
Wu Kuang sized him up before vigorously shaking his head left and right, “Then this doesn’t make sense!”
If he hadn’t cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, how could his cultivation increase so rapidly? Yang Kai wasn’t like him, so he would only be dooming himself if he cultivated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law without the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus.
Yang Kai disdainfully sneered, “This King’s aptitude is not something you can fathom!”
Wu Kuang could not wait to slap him to death. No one had ever dared act so arrogantly in front of him!
While the two were bickering, an army of about 100,000 Black Ink Clansmen had already arrived, led by a Territory Lord and a dozen or so Feudal Lords.
Wu Kuang still maintained a ready-to-flee posture, and was no longer in the mood to bicker with Yang Kai, “If you have any tricks up your sleeve, hurry up and use them. If you delay anymore, I’m afraid we’ll both die here today.”
Yang Kai snorted lightly before opening a portal to his Small Universe. The next moment, a 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race member stepped out, followed closely by another.
He had collected millions and millions of Small Stone Race members from the Chaotic Dead Territory back then, and these 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race members were all comparable to Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
In the beginning, Yang Kai had over 100 of these 1,000-metre-tall giants, but after distributing most of the Small Stone Race Army to the evacuating Human forces as protectors, he was left with just 10 million Small Stone Race soldiers, of which just two were 1,000-metre tall.
On one side was an Innate Territory Lord, while on the other was two 1,000-metre tall Small Stone Race Masters. It was a fairly even match.
Right behind these 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race members though was a densely packed army of the Small Stone Race. In an instant, hundreds of thousands charged out of Yang Kai’s Small Universe, and more were still appearing.
Wu Kuang gawked, faintly feeling these creatures were a little familiar. He had spent some time in New Great Territory in the past and had seen ordinary Small Stone Race members; however, the Small Stone Race he had seen was the most primitive of beings, so how could they possibly give off the same awe-inspiring aura as the ones right before him.
The Small Stone Race Army instantly detected Black Ink Strength after stepping out of Yang Kai’s Small Universe. The two leading 1,000-metre tall Small Stone Race Masters furiously roared towards the sky before leading their army towards the Black Ink Clan, as if they had just seen an absolutely irreconcilable enemy.
The Territory Lord on the opposite side couldn’t help but be dumbfounded. They had come here chasing a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Human, but now they were suddenly attacked by a massive army. He was caught a little off guard.
But soon, the Territory Lord recognized these Small Stone Race members.
Over the past 20 years, the Black Ink Clan had encountered armies of similar creatures when they were pursuing the Humans through the various Great Territories. These creatures were extremely valiant when they fought with Black Ink Clan Army, causing them to suffer defeat many times at their hands.
More importantly though, these creatures didn’t fear the corrosion of Black Ink Strength at all, which gave the Black Ink Clan a serious headache.
Apart from directly killing them, the Black Ink Clan had yet to find an effective method to deal with them.
The Territory Lord had never imagined that he would encounter such a formidable enemy here; moreover, the enemy’s numbers were several times greater than his own. On top of all that, there was even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Human staring at them with hostility.
The Territory Lord instantly wanted to retreat, but before he could do so, the two 1,000-metre Small Stone Race members had already surrounded him. Helpless, the Territory Lord could only retreat while fighting. As for his own army, he couldn’t give a damn about them right now. In this situation, his life was naturally more important.
The sudden appearance of the Small Stone Race Army had thrown the Black Ink Clan pursuers into disarray. Wu Kuang, on the other hand, was in high spirits.
He was chased by this Black Ink Clan Army for several months already, during which time he had several brushes with death. In short, he was dead tired. Any other Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have long succumbed to exhaustion. It was only thanks to the wonders of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law that he was able to keep his life.
Since the tables had turned with Yang Kai’s help, how could he just sit back and watch? Of course, Wu Kuang wanted to take revenge. Activating the Heaven Devouring Battle Law across a wide area, Wu Kuang began drawing everything into himself. Not only did he devour the Black Ink Clan’s Black Ink Strength, but he also devoured the energy of the Small Stone Race.
If it had only happened once or twice, it could have been explained as an accident, but after tasting the benefits contained in these Small Stone Race, Wu Kuang became more unrestrained, and the Heaven Devouring Battle Law’s range enlarged. Not only did the Black Ink Clan endlessly cry out in grievance, but even the Small Stone Race Army suffered numerous casualties.
The Small Stone Race in Yang Kai’s hands had all evolved with the help of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, so to Wu Kuang, their energy was far more beneficial than Black Ink Strength.
Yang Kai saw this and immediately cursed, “Old thief, don’t touch my Small Stone Race soldiers!”
It was only because he had reached a critical juncture in his refinement of the Universe World that he couldn’t handle other matters; otherwise, he would definitely beat Wu Kuang up.
Wu Kuang assured, laughing loudly, “It was a mistake, a mistake. Don’t worry about it!”
But at least after that, he acted with some discretion.
Yang Kai quickly concentrated on refining the Universe World, and half a day later, he stretched out his hand and made a scooping gesture in the Void, as if he was trying to pluck the moon’s reflection from a lake. The next moment, the Universe World disappeared and a World Bead appeared in his hand.
Having finished, Yang Kai arrived in front of the Territory Lord who was being attacked by the two 1,000-metre Small Stone Race members in a flash. Not even using his Azure Dragon Spear, he just unleashed a simple punch; however, this one punch made the Territory Lord’s chest cave in as he spurted a mouthful of blood.
The Territory Lord was already struggling under the two-pronged attacks of the two Small Stone Race giants, so how could he resist Yang Kai’s sudden attack?
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to escape, but the 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race members’ attacks were too strong and fearsome, giving him no room for escape.
The Black Ink Clan Army under him had suffered continuous casualties at the hands of the Small Stone Race, dropping to around 30,000 in total from an original 100,000. Now, with the Eighth-Order Master joining in, he knew that his death had come.
Driven into desperation, the Territory Lord became ruthless. His Black Ink Strength started madly surging, making it look like he was prepared to die as long as he could drag them down with him.
Be that as it may, how could Yang Kai allow him to do as he wished? Utilizing numerous Dao Strengths, one after another, Yang Kai beat the Territory Lord dizzy. Coupled with the cooperation of the two Small Stone Race Masters, the Territory Lord was completely powerless to do anything.
In the time it takes to boil a cup of tea, the Territory Lord was blown to pieces by Yang Kai’s fists, spurting black blood everywhere. Wu Kuang, who saw everything from a distance, had his brow twitching visibly.
When Yang Kai had scoffed at it being ‘just a Territory Lord’, he thought that this Brat had become a braggart; even if Yang Kai was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would have had his hands full against a Territory Lord.
By the looks of it, this Brat’s strength was simply abnormal. Although he was assisted by two Small Stone Race members, Yang Kai’s strength was the key.
Wu Kuang was still secretly absorbing some of the Small Stone Race members’ energy, but after witnessing Yang Kai’s strength, he didn’t dare act presumptuously anymore, lest he be beaten black and blue.
He was someone who had been famous for tens of thousands of years before Yang Kai was born, so being taught a lesson by a Junior like him would have made him lose all face.
Without the support of the Territory Lord, the remaining Black Ink Clan Army found it even harder to resist the encirclement of the Small Stone Race Army. Yang Kai did not make any further moves, whereas the two 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race members fought their way into the encirclement, wiping out all of the Black Ink Clan soldiers in less than half an hour.
Only then did Yang Kai activate the Great Sun Mark and collect this Great Sun Small Stone Race Army to prevent them from running about.
After having dealt with this, Yang Kai turned to Wu Kuang and asked, “Why are you here?”
When he was in the Shattered Heaven, Yang Kai had asked a pair of Heavenly River Palace disciples about Wu Kuang’s whereabouts, but they could only tell him the latter had disappeared some years ago.
The Shattered Heaven Masters should have already been evacuated back to the Star Boundary; however, Yang Kai hadn’t expected to encounter Wu Kuang here either.
Wu Kuang casually replied, “After the Human Race Army in the Barren Territory retreated, this King decided to wander off alone.”
As far as others were concerned, retreating to the Star Boundary with the army was the safest option, but to Wu Kuang, this was a good opportunity to apply his talents.
When he was in the Shattered Heaven, he had still restrained himself a little; after all, the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was not a glorious cultivation technique. If some Master from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises decided to exterminate evil and uphold righteousness, they might just kill him.
Even when he was extra careful, Wu Kuang still managed to provoke Withering Flame Divine Monarch and was hunted all the way to the Shattered Ruins. By some chance and coincidence, he entered the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and then followed a group of Divine Spirits to the Barren Territory battlefield.
When he arrived at the Barren Territory battlefield, Wu Kuang finally let himself loose!
There, no one would care what kind of cultivation method one used. So long as one could kill the Black Ink Clan, they would be comrades!
On the Barren Territory battlefield, Wu Kuang had obtained quite a harvest and his cultivation had also risen rapidly.
Unfortunately, the good days didn’t last long. The Black Ink Clan broke through the boundary wall leading to Wind Mist Territory, forcing the Human Race Army to retreat. Wu Kuang couldn’t be bothered to move with the others, so he found an excuse to leave.
When he was fighting together with the other Humans, Wu Kuang always had to worry about accidentally injuring his allies, but now that he was alone and surrounded by enemies, he had completely let himself go.
Not only did he devour many, many Black Ink Clansmen, he even dared to devour the energy from Universe Worlds occupied by the Black Ink Clan. Along the way, his cultivation rose at an astonishing pace, but this also provoked the Black Ink Clan who started pursuing him.
Wu Kuang would really have been in danger if he hadn’t met Yang Kai here today.
It was also because of this encounter that Wu Kuang faintly felt that his strength was still too low. Although the Black Ink Clan could no longer deploy Royal Lords to the battlefield, they still had plenty of Territory Lords. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Wu Kuang was still a little lacking when facing a Territory Lord.
Only after advancing to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm could he truly act without restraint.
Unfortunately, even with the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, it was not easy to break through to the Eighth Order.
The fact that Yang Kai was already an Eighth-Order Master made him quite envious.
How could Yang Kai have known what Wu Kuang had gone through all these years? He only thought that Wu Kuang had been hiding in the Shattered Heaven all this while, so he was extremely surprised when he heard all about Wu Kuang’s experience, “You went to the Barren Territory battlefield?”
Wu Kuang proudly declared, “This King has obtained outstanding military merits! I’m also famous in your Great Evolution Army.”
Seeing his smug look, Yang Kai found it funny and proposed, waving off, “Let’s talk later, come with me.”
Yang Kai had many things he wanted to ask Wu Kuang and he also needed Wu Kuang’s cooperation in a plan he had in mind, but he did not forget there were still many intact Universe Worlds waiting for him to refine.
Having said that, he reached out to grab Wu Kuang.
Wu Kuang hesitated a little, but chose to go along with him. Since the day he became famous, he had become the target of everyone’s hatred. He had long developed a lone-wolf persona, but if there was anyone in this world he was willing to believe, then it would probably be Yang Kai.
In the past, it was Yang Kai who secretly brought him to the Shattered Heaven; otherwise, he would have remained hidden in the New Great Territory all this time. After all, Myriad Demons Heaven’s Pei Wen Xuan had died at his hands.
Space Principles started fluctuating and Wu Kuang felt as if the entire world had flipped upside down. By the time he came to his senses, he found himself standing in an inexplicable place.
Yang Kai ordered, “You stay here and recuperate, I’ll talk to you later.”
Yang Kai turned around and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Wu Kuang didn’t find this strange at all. Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, and now that his cultivation was an Order higher than Wu Kuang’s, it was indeed difficult for Wu Kuang to catch his movements.
Wu Kuang started looking around and soon had his attention focused on a huge, towering tree in front of him. The tree seemed to be ailed by some kind of illness as it looked sickly and most of its fruits were even rotten.
Wu Kuang furrowed his brow as he kept staring at the tree. He vaguely found the towering tree a little familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. Oddly enough, he even got the feeling that there was some kind of bad blood between them!
In another place, Yang Kai once again arrived outside a completely intact Universe World, and this time, the refining process was quite smooth.
After refining that Universe World into a World Bead, Yang Kai returned to the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary and saw Wu Kuang sitting cross-legged in front of the World Tree, staring at it.
He didn’t pay the sight any heed and continued using the World Tree as a transit point to head towards the next Universe World.
After several more trips, he finally finished refining all of the still intact Universe Worlds.
When Yang Kai returned to the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary for the last time, he was beside himself in shock at the sight before him. The towering World Tree was nowhere to be seen, while Wu Kuang was hugging the lower half of a short, stubby old man. By the looks of it, he was pestering the old man, begging for something.
The dense and thick hair on the old man’s head looked like branches, and countless fruits were growing on them.
The old man’s lower body did not have any legs either and was instead something weird that looked like it was composed of countless roots.
Although Yang Kai had never seen this old man before, he could tell that he was the World Tree at a glance; after all, the branches on his head and the roots on his lower body were too obvious.
What surprised him was that the World Tree could actually transform into such an appearance, something he had never seen before.
The old man was also holding a walking stick in his hand and looked completely incensed as he beat Wu Kuang’s head with it. Wu Kuang appeared to be in quite a sorry state, bleeding from his head with red liquid pouring down his face.
Even so, Wu Kuang was still tightly holding onto the old man’s lower body, refusing to let go. Yang Kai could even sense him using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Wu Kuang was pleasantly surprised after seeing Yang Kai appear, and shouted, “Yang Boy, this is the World Tree, quickly help me refine it!”
It had taken him a long time to recognize that this was the legendary World Tree, but once he had, how could Wu Kuang resist the temptation of such a precious treasure?
Over the past few years, he did not even let off Black Ink Strength, so Wu Kuang immediately expressed his desire to refine the World Tree with practical actions. If he really succeeded in refining it, he would definitely be able to reach the Heavens in a single bound.
At that time, not to mention Territory Lords, he would be able to devour even Royal Lords with ease.
Had he still been able to use his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, he wouldn’t be in such a sorry state, but this was the Great Ancient Ruins Boundary where no matter what one’s Order was, it was difficult for him or her to mobilize the World Force of their Small Universe. At most, one could only display the strength of the Emperor Realm.
A mere Emperor Realm Master couldn’t do anything against the World Tree.
The Old Tree kept bashing Wu Kuang’s head with the walking stick to the point that Wu Kuang had started to feel dizzy. Be that as it may, Wu Kuang held on, seemingly willing to die for his great cause.
The roots of the Old Tree’s lower body also kept lashing him like thousands of whips, tearing his skin and flesh.
While they were entangled with each other, Yang Kai walked over.
Old Tree immediately voiced his grievance, “Boy, why did you bring someone like him here!”
The Old Tree was not just angry, he was also exasperated and even a little frightened, for this was actually not the first time something like this had happened. He had faced a similar situation a very long time ago.
At that time, when that fellow named Shi saw him, he had also acted in such a manner, clamouring to refine him, making him panicked!
What’s more, at that time, the Secret Art Shi had used was exactly the same as the one in front of him was using.
The Old Tree immediately understood that the fellow in front of him was definitely connected to Shi somehow; otherwise, how could he come to possess the same Secret Art?
Yang Kai was also rendered speechless by the scene before him. He quickly stepped forward and grabbed Wu Kuang by the neck, lifting him up with a little force.
Having escaped from Wu Kuang, the Old Tree quickly hid far away and breathed a sigh of relief.
Wu Kuang, who was being held by Yang Kai, turned to the latter before stoically and indifferently stating, “This King is still your Senior, is this how you treat me? Put me down!”
Apparently, he was more ashamed of being held like this than anything else.
Yang Kai put him down and warned him in a distressed voice, “Stop messing around!”
Wu Kuang adjusted his clothes as if nothing had happened, but the bruises and bloodstains on his face made him look miserable still.
“Why aren’t you restricted by this place?” Wu Kuang asked curiously.
His cultivation had been suppressed to the Emperor Realm, but clearly, Yang Kai had not been suppressed and was still able to display the strength of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to pick him up like a chicken.
Yang Kai explained, “I have refined many Universe Worlds and obtained the Old Tree’s approval, so naturally I am not restricted here.”
Wu Kuang was absorbed in his thoughts after this revelation.
Yang Kai then looked at the Old Tree and asked, clicking his tongue in surprise, “You can even take Human Form?”
[Since you could assume Human Form, what was the point of shaking your trunk to communicate with me?]
The Old Tree replied, “This Old Master has lived for so long, it would be stranger if I was not able to transform like this. Anyways, why did you bring him here? Quickly take him away!”
Although Wu Kuang’s cultivation was locked at the Emperor Realm, the Old Tree didn’t feel safe with him.
Yang Kai agreed, “I’ll be leaving immediately, but before I leave, Old Tree, I have a presumptuous request.”
Old Tree looked at him vigilantly, “Tell me.”
Yang Kai bowed to him before stating, “The Black Ink Clan has invaded the 3,000 Worlds on a large scale. We Humans had no choice but to retreat to the Star Boundary. Many Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sacrificed their lives on the Barren Territory battlefield in order to buy time for our younger generations. This Junior sincerely asks Old Tree to take pity on us and bestow upon us some of your clones to nurture our Human Race’s talents!”
Judging by the Old Tree’s expression, it appeared as if he had expected this request. As soon as Yang Kai spoke about a request, he had already guessed what it would be.
After pondering for a moment, he asked, “How many do you want?”
Yang Kai pondered about it for a moment. When he saw Wu Kuang secretly gesturing to him, he immediately stated, “Not much, 100 roots should be enough!”
Wu Kuang gasped, secretly shocked by Yang Kai’s unreasonable demand for he had clearly gestured for 10.
The Old Tree chuckled as a kind look appeared on his face, “Boy, you’re quite interesting, how can 100 roots be not much? Why don’t you just let him refine this Old Master instead?”
Wu Kuang immediately took a step forward, expressing that he was ready at any moment, it was just that the old man was not inviting him!
Yang Kai tentatively asked, “Then 90?”
Old Tree stated angrily, “Do you know that every time this Old Master cuts off one of his roots, it will severely damage my foundation? This Old Master’s body is related to the Universe Worlds of the entire 3,000 Worlds. If this Old Master’s foundation is greatly damaged, that damage is distributed back to the Universe Worlds, damaging all of them as well. Moreover, you don’t understand the secret behind the feedback of my clones at all. If you understood its intricacies, you wouldn’t have made such ridiculous demands.”
Yang Kai had really never thought about the feedback of the World Tree clone. He only knew that the World Tree clone was extremely beneficial to the living beings below the Open Heaven Realm, but he had never thought about the reason behind it.
After hearing the Old Tree say so much though, he realized that there was some great secret behind it.
He thus humbly requested, “Please enlighten me, Old Tree.”
The Old Tree looked at him deeply before answering, “The reason why this Old Master’s clones are able to nourish a Universe World is not because of its own abilities, but because all my clones are closely related to this Old Master. My clones draw energy from other Universe Worlds through this Old Master’s body to nourish that particular World. Still, this extraction will affect the development of all other Universe Worlds as well.”
Realization suddenly dawned upon Yang Kai, “Does Old Tree mean that the reason the Star Boundary is so prosperous now is that it extracts good fortune and energy from other Universe Worlds to nourish itself?”
Old Tree nodded his affirmation, “Exactly.”
This was the first time Yang Kai had heard of such a thing, but since it was mentioned by the World Tree himself, it was obviously not a lie. And after he gave it another thought, Yang Kai found this answer quite reasonable.
“If that’s the case, doesn’t it mean that having more clones isn’t the better choice?” Yang Kai immediately realized that the benefits of these clones did not lie in themselves. The nourishment provided by these clones did not actually come from them, but rather was the energy extracted from other Universe Worlds. This extraction could not be without limitations under the premise that it did not damage the development of other Universe Worlds.
If there was only one clone, this kind of feedback would be extremely powerful, but if there were two clones, the feedback energy would also be divided into two. The more of them there were, the less the feedback there would be; after all, the total number of Universe Worlds in 3,000 worlds was fixed.
No wonder Old Tree had said that if he understood the mysteries behind it, he wouldn’t have made such a ridiculous request.
If the benefits of the clones were because of the energy extracted from the other Universe Worlds, then having too many clones would be useless.
Yang Kai suddenly thought of something and asked, “What about the clone in a cultivator’s Small Universe?”
The Old Tree replied, “Naturally, the same is true for it too. Your Small Universe also has one of my clones. Previously, it was difficult for you to detect it, but now that you’ve refined so many Universe Worlds, if you calmly sense it, you’ll definitely be able to see through it.”
Yang Kai didn’t place much importance on these concerns before, but he quickly performed a deeper investigation and realised that, just as the Old Tree had said, the World Tree clone in his Small Universe drew its nourishment from somewhere else, and the direction it drew nourishment from had a lot to do with the Universe Worlds he refined.
[So that’s how it is!]
The nourishment from the clone feedback was not created out of thin air but from the strength of many Universe Worlds! The prosperity of the Star Boundary was also due to the power drawn from other Universe Worlds.
“But, Old Tree, now that most of the Universe Worlds have been conquered by the Black Ink Clan, why don’t I feel a reduction in the incoming nourishment?” Yang Kai was a little puzzled.
If what the Old Tree claimed was true, only the 2,000 or so Universe Worlds that he refined among the rest remained intact whereas the rest were conquered by the Black Ink Clan. Most of the Universe Worlds conquered by the Black Ink Clan already had a Black Ink Nest planted on them, consuming their World Force clean. There were far fewer Universe Worlds now, which should have meant less nourishment from the World Tree clones.
However, Yang Kai did not feel that was the case; instead, the nourishment from the World Tree clone in his Small Universe remained the same as it was previously, and it was most likely the same for the Star Boundary.
Old Tree replied, “If you only need to nourish one World, input from only a few Universe Worlds is required, somewhere between 100 to 200. The Universe Worlds you saved far exceed that number.”
Understanding this, Yang Kai rejoiced. If he hadn’t saved all these Universe Worlds throughout these years, the nourishment from the World Tree clones would have vanished altogether after the Black Ink Clan had taken control of every Universe World. By that time, the Star Boundary would no longer deserve its title as an Open Heaven Realm Cradle, and even the clone in Yang Kai’s clone in his Small Universe might lose its power.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a little frightened. Fortunately, he had been working hard to refine Universe Worlds these past 20 years, which led to this unexpected benefit.
Wu Kuang secretly asked Yang Kai, “How many Universe Worlds did you save throughout the years?”
“Around 2,000,” he simply replied.
After some silent calculation, Wu Kuang said again, “If that’s the case, it shouldn’t be a problem to have another 15 World Tree clones.”
According to the World Tree, it only required 100 to 200 Universe Worlds to share their power to nourish a Universe World, so if there were more than 2,000 left, it shouldn’t be a problem to have 15 more World Tree clones.
Realizing that, he hurriedly told Yang Kai, “Hey, Brat, I want one!”
Who in the Open Heaven Realm wouldn’t crave the mystical effects of a World Tree clone? Though Wu Kuang was proficient in the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and his cultivation had advanced rapidly and without problems throughout the years, he could sense some instabilities in his foundation. If he managed to acquire a World Tree clone to protect and sustain his Small Universe, all those potential problems would be solved.
It was precisely because of this consideration that after recognizing the World Tree, Wu Kuang anxiously wanted to refine it. However, due to him being relatively weaker than the other, he was beaten back by Old Tree.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai realized something and shook his head, “I’m afraid there won’t be that many.”
With a nod of approval for Yang Kai, the Old Tree remarked, “Indeed.”
Wu Kuang might be unclear about it, but Yang Kai and Old Tree knew clearly that though it only required 100 to 200 Universe Worlds to nourish a World Tree clone’s World, there was an issue.
There were currently two active clones out there, one in the Star Boundary and one in Yang Kai’s Small Universe; however, the latter required an immense number of Universe Worlds as time flowed significantly faster there than in the outside world.
Understanding this, Yang Kai respectfully asked, “Old Tree, how many more can you offer?”
After a moment of deep consideration, the Old Tree tapped the walking stick in his hand and sighed, “Only three more! Anything more than that will affect the strength of nourishment.”
Wu Kuang’s expression turned dark. If there are 15 more, he may be able to get one, but if it was just three, Yang Kai might not be willing.
After all, he wasn’t that close to Yang Kai.
Without trying to negotiate, as he knew it would be pointless, Yang Kai bowed and said while cupping his fist, “Old Tree, please give me three of your clones!”
The continuance of the World Tree was linked to the survival of 3,000 Worlds, so Yang Kai believed that at times like this, Old Tree would not be stingy. Three World Tree clones was likely the maximum he could offer.
The Old Tree gave a light nod, and the numerous roots on its lower body squirmed. Three of them eventually broke off and sprouted into three tiny saplings.
Just as Wu Kuang prepared to dash forward to snatch one, space around him froze and he became immobile. He knew clearly that it was Yang Kai’s doing. This Brat who manipulated Space Principles was stopping him, causing him to squirm and glare at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai naturally ignored him. After carefully putting the three clones into his Small Universe, he thanked the Old Tree.
The Old Tree waved his hand, “This old man can only do so much. The future of the 3,000 Worlds is in the hands of you Humans. If you win, I can continue to live; otherwise, I will inevitably perish as well.”
“Old Tree may rest assured, the Human Race will not be defeated. However, Junior may come visit you somewhat frequently in the future,” stated Yang Kai immediately.
Now that he could use the World Tree as a transit point to travel around the Great Territories, he would undoubtedly arrive here frequently in the future.
However, this method of travel had its limitations. After using the World Tree to travel back and forth many times, Yang Kai realised that, though this approach enabled him to connect to the World Tree at any moment and arrive at the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, he had to connect to a Universe World of a particular Great Territory if he wished to travel from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary to that Great Territory as he needed to make use its World Will.
The reason he could travel across almost every Great Territory currently was even though most of the Universe Worlds were occupied by the Black Ink Clan, the Universe World’s Wills had yet to completely vanish. As long as the Universe Worlds still had some semblance of Will, it indicated that the World Tree was still linked to it.
But after some time, it would become difficult for Yang Kai to do this.
Even right now, he couldn’t go to the Black Ink Battlefield, because the Universe Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield had been dead for many, many years, with their Wills all having been destroyed long ago.
The Old Tree nodded lightly, and without delay, his figure shook and his body returned to its majestic towering tree form again. Most of the fruits on the tree were sick and rotting, a worrying sight.
“By the way, Old Tree, this Junior wants to bring out all the Divine Spirits here since they have strong combat abilities,” Yang Kai made such a request.
There were no other sentient living beings in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary except for the Divine Spirits. These Divine Spirits’ strength were restricted by the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary as well so they weren’t very powerful; even once they departed from here, it would take many years before they completely familiarised themselves with the outside world’s Principles and slowly restored their true strength.
This was the case with Zhu Jiu Yin back then. She had power equivalent to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, yet when she first left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she could at most display power similar to a Seventh-Order Master. After that, it took decades to slowly return to her peak.
There were quite a number of Divine Spirits in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, with Yang Kai having seen dozens of them back when he first came here. There were also a number who he had not met. Every single Divine Spirit here was like another High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master, so bringing them along would be of great help now that the Human Race was in a vulnerable state.
Additionally, these Divine Spirits had always wanted to escape from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, so Yang Kai thought that they would also be willing to leave with him.
Old Tree replied, “If you wish, this Old Master has no objection, but do keep in mind that the ancestors of these Divine Spirits have histories of wicked deeds that put the 3,000 Worlds in jeopardy. The current generation is innocent of those crimes, but you should be careful.”
Yang Kai now understood why there were so many Divine Spirits gathered here. It was because these Divine Spirits’ ancestors had done something to threaten the stability of the 3,000 Worlds, therefore, the Old Tree imprisoned them here. However, he was not a merciless jailer and gave a chance for these Divine Spirits to escape this prison.
Each time the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary opened, the Divine Spirits could select a Bearer from among the Humans that were swept inside to engage in the Spirit Seizing War, and the Bearer that won would be able to leave the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary with the Divine Spirit that chose them.
Back then, Zhu Jiu Yin had chosen Yang Kai; otherwise, she would not have been able to escape the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
To the Human Race, the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was a Sealed World that they yearned to enter, but to the native Divine Spirits, it was a prison.
Many Divine Spirits never got the chance to leave this place and simply passed away here; after all, the opening of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was too rare.
“This Junior will tame them well.”
Saying so, he flashed and disappeared into thin air.
Wu Kuang, who was still left frozen in place, cursed Yang Kai furiously.
The next moment, a branch from the Old Tree flicked over and knocked Wu Kuang to the ground, causing the latter to explode in rage!
He had never suffered such humiliation in his entire life of cultivation, not even in the brutal battle with other Great Emperors in the Shattered Star Sea.
In a certain mountain valley, a Divine Spirit resembling an ox with a height of about 3,000 metres was sleeping soundly. It looked exactly like a mountain as it lay there, with white smoke puffing from its nostrils as it snored.
In the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, the Divine Spirits remained essentially inactive because there were no other sentient beings besides them on usual days. It was not until the opening of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary that Humans would flood in, making the atmosphere slightly livelier.
While this Divine Spirit was sleeping soundly, a voice sounded next to his ears, “Zhu Jian, recognize me as your Master, and I shall bring you along to leave the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Are you willing?”
The next moment, Zhu Jian awoke, and as he opened his eyes, he saw a Human figure. He briefly felt lost for a moment before bursting with excitement.
[A Human!? Does that mean that the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary opened?]
Every opening of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was an extremely rare opportunity for the Divine Spirits who were trapped here. The remaining Divine Spirits had been jealous of Zhu Jiu Yin for many years ever since she escaped from here last time.
Now that an unfamiliar Human had arrived and was standing right in front of him, Zhu Jian believed that his chance had finally come!
Rising slowly and purposefully releasing the pressure of a Divine Spirit, Zhu Jian looked down onto the tiny Human and laughed sarcastically, “You want me to accept you as my Master? Are you dreaming? Have you ever heard any Divine Spirit acknowledging any other as their Master?”
Yang Kai thought for a while before shaking his head, “No.”
The Divine Spirits had always been arrogant beings; how could it lower their heads for a mere Human?