Before the Star Boundary became an Open Heaven Realm Cradle, though it was very rare, there were still a small number of people who directly ascended to the Seventh Order.
After countless years of accumulation, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had a number of such gifted people.
However, only 100 or so managed to break through that final barrier and ascend to the Ninth Order. Some of them were still growing their powers, like Xiang Shan, Luo Ting He, and a few others, nonetheless, many more had been killed on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Most Ninth-Order Masters achieved the required enlightenment while battling the Black Ink Clan Masters on the Black Ink Battlefield. Only by killing the enemies would they stand a chance to achieve a breakthrough.
Yang Kai didn’t know any of this, for he didn’t come from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises. He just instinctively wanted to secure a better future for Humans by using his experiences.
That was why he decided to strike a peace deal with the Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory. It was just an experiment.
The experiment turned out to be useful and feasible; therefore, when the Black Ink Clan wanted a peace deal 300 years later, those from the Supreme Headquarters were willing to agree.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been easy for the two Races to discuss a peace deal given the blood feud between them.
Since all the details had been confirmed, the Masters of the two Races took their leave. Unlike the earlier heated atmosphere, the mood was quite peaceful.
The Black Ink Clan would give the Humans some resources as compensation, while the Humans didn’t have to worry about the Black Ink Clan going back on their word.
When the content of the peace deal was spread one month later, the Human cultivators in different Great Territories were thrilled.
Out of the 13 Great Territory Battlefields, apart from Profound Nether Territory, the remaining 12 Great Territories had been in turmoil. As such, the soldiers from the major Armies were envious of the environment and situation in Profound Nether Territory. Over there, the Territory Lords were not allowed to take part in the war; as such, the Profound Nether Army had essentially been disbanded since there weren’t any large-scale battles. Comparatively, the Humans in Profound Nether Territory were both safer and freer.
Now, they didn’t have to be envious. 6 out of 12 remaining Great Territory Battlefields would become copies of Profound Nether Territory. Although the other Great Territories would remain unchanged, things would become much better for the Humans as the number of Territory Lords who could take part in the war would be decreased.
Of course, those from the Supreme Headquarters had to look at the big picture and mobilise the Human Masters to different battlefields accordingly.
The Human cultivators from Profound Nether Territory started streaming into the six new Great Territories that were included in the peace deal. As such, a lot of pressure had been lifted off the originally cramped Profound Nether Territory.
Many ambitious people even started penetrating the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clan had occupied. As Hunters, they naturally had to bear a higher risk, but it was nothing compared to the potential rewards. It was said that fortune favoured the bold, after all.
As a peace deal was reached between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan, the situation in the expansive 3,000 Worlds changed completely.
This kind of situation would be sustained for many years to come.
Perhaps there would come a time when a certain incident would shatter this agreement; after all, the Humans and Black Ink Clan couldn’t co-exist forever. One of the parties would be completely wiped out eventually. When some triggering event took place in the future, the two Races would surely engage in a final decisive war.
Everyone was working hard to prepare for that future.
It had been 300 years since Yang Kai first visited the Myriad Monsters World.
The sapling he had planted back then had grown into an enormous tree, its gigantic crown like a green cloud that covered the entire sky.
A lot had changed in the Myriad Monsters World. Compared to 300 years ago, the World Energy was undoubtedly richer and the Grand Daos and Principles were more perfect as well.
More and more Humans appeared in this wild World as cities and towns of different sizes popped up everywhere.
This World, which was originally fully occupied by the Monster Race, now had many Human residents.
Most Humans living in this place had ancestors who had made contributions on the various battlefields. They used their Military Merits to exchange for a right to let their Juniors or Disciples reside in the Myriad Monsters World.
Of course, there were also some Open Heaven Realm Masters responsible for standing guard over this World. As such, even though the Humans and Monster Race weren’t exactly compatible, the situation had been peaceful. There hadn’t been any incident where the Humans recklessly hunted the Monster Race or vice versa.
In fact, many Great Monsters chose a different path forward, broke through their shackles, and gained Human Form. They took the initiative to come into contact with the Humans and left the Myriad Monsters World before heading to the various battlefields to fight the Black Ink Clan.
The World Tree clone’s nourishment had started showing its effects.
Although the quality and quantity of prodigies born in this World were not comparable to the Star Boundary yet, some impressively gifted people had already begun to appear.
As time passed, this World would be another Star Boundary.
Everything was right on track, just as Yang Kai had planned.
Yang Kai didn’t inform anyone about his arrival here. Even the Open Heaven Realm Masters responsible for monitoring this World were unable to detect Yang Kai’s presence as they were mostly in the Fourth Order and Fifth Order.
It wasn’t until two years later that Yang Kai left the Myriad Monsters World.
He didn’t return to Profound Nether Territory though. Since they had struck a peace deal with the Black Ink Clan, he couldn’t make a move as he pleased, unless the Black Ink Clan went back on their word first.
The Human Race’s future did not hinge on him alone, but rather on all the Juniors who were now battling the Black Ink Clan. Yang Kai was unable to bear the weight of saving an entire Race. All the same, he had done his best. As for whether the future was bright or dark, that would be up to all Humans to decide.
Yang Kai thus returned to the Star Boundary and arrived at the place where the World Tree clone was located. After giving it some thought, he landed on a branch and directly opened a tree cave in its trunk before sitting down inside.
The noise he made naturally alerted the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were recuperating or cultivating in this place.
The World Tree clone was the very foundation of the Star Boundary and the most valuable asset for the entire Human Race. It could be said that without this clone, the Star Boundary wouldn’t have become what it was today, and the Humans’ future would’ve been extremely bleak.
As such, there were always at least five Eighth-Order Masters on guard here who were tasked with preventing any accidents from happening. What’s more, due to the clone’s mysterious powers, one would gain some benefits by recuperating or cultivating here.
Therefore, there were many Open Heaven Realm Masters in this place who had to use a lot of Military Merits to obtain a quota.
However, these Masters only occupied a branch or sat down somewhere on the tree crown. They treasured the World Tree clone and wouldn’t dare to damage it one bit.
With five Eighth-Order Masters monitoring this place, no one had the guts to do so either.
Hence, it was shocking that Yang Kai directly carved a hole in the trunk.
The five Eighth-Order Masters widened their eyes in disbelief and quickly investigated. If anyone else had done this, they would’ve dealt with him like he was a Black Ink Disciple; however, when they realized the responsible party was Yang Kai, they all turned a blind eye to his behaviour.
This couldn’t be helped. Although the World Tree clone was said to be a treasure of all Humanity, it was Yang Kai who actually brought it out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and planted it here.
Even if he wanted to uproot the entire clone, the Humans could only try to dissuade him from doing so, not to mention that he only opened a tree cave for himself. There was no way they could forcefully stop him.
Furthermore, they were probably no match for Yang Kai to begin with.
These Eighth-Order Masters exchanged glances and communicated with each other using their Divine Senses.
“It seems that Junior Brother Yang is injured. His aura is quite weak.”
“Since a peace deal has been struck, he can’t make a move as he pleases, so how did he get injured?”
“Did he go to the No-Return Pass and pick a fight with the Royal Lord?”
“Since he knows he isn’t a match for the Royal Lord, why would he invite trouble to himself? Moreover, I think he just returned from the New Great Territory.”
These Eighth-Order Masters were puzzled as they had no idea what happened to Yang Kai that caused his aura to plunge and made him look so frail.
Nonetheless, it was apparent that Yang Kai had made a cave mansion in the trunk to recuperate. As such, they didn’t dare to say anything or disturb him.
Yang Kai used to be a little brat who had to call them Seniors, but now he was significantly more powerful than they were. At the thought of this, these old Eighth-Order Masters couldn’t help feeling dejected.
However, it was thanks to these talented young people that they had a chance to oppose the Black Ink Clan. If the next generation was weaker than the previous one, there wouldn’t be a future for Humans.
Inside the clone, Yang Kai bore the excruciating pain in his Soul and looked around, feeling pleased with this simple tree cave.
He then began cultivating in seclusion in this place.
He figured he had to cultivate for many years this time and only hoped he had the patience for it. At any rate, he knew that he had to grow strong so that he would have the power to protect himself when war broke out in the future.
Now, he was one of the most formidable Masters in the Human Race, but when a new batch of Ninth-Order Masters and Royal Lords appeared in the future, he would become far less useful.
It would be best if he could make it to the Ninth Order, but even if he failed to do so, the peak of the Eighth Order would have to do.
As he sat down with his legs crossed, Yang Kai refined sets of materials as he stimulated the Soul Warming Lotus to repair his Soul.
The Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art was indeed savage. Although Yang Kai had already used it once 300 years ago, he still almost couldn’t bear the pain of doing so again.
The pain of literally tearing his Soul in half was several times more intense than using Soul Rending Thorns.
Wu Kuang knew that Yang Kai had the Soul Warming Lotus, which was why he taught him this Secret Technique. If Yang Kai didn’t have the Soul Warming Lotus, it would’ve been pointless for him to acquire this technique, for he would have perished the first time he tried to use it.
Just like the Soul Rending Thorns, only Yang Kai could fully utilize this Secret Technique.
Yang Kai was glad that he had acquired this Supreme Treasure when he was still a budding cultivator. Without the Soul Warming Lotus, he wouldn’t have become who he was today.
As a cool sensation spread across his mind, the pain gradually subsided.
Time went by slowly.
Several years later, a man got to his feet in a secret room in High Heaven Palace. His aura was restrained, and he appeared calm and collected.
Fang Tian Ci waved the jade in this hand and opened the secret room’s restrictions before exiting. It took him 10 years of retreat before he finished stabilizing his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation.
The bright light made him squint as he felt as though a very long time had passed.
Suddenly, he realised that he was no longer in the Void World. He was in the 3,000 Worlds, which was far more expansive.
A disciple from High Heaven Palace had been waiting for him, and hearing the door open, he turned around and saluted Fang Tian Ci, “Greetings, Senior.”
“The Head Manager has ordered that once you come out of your retreat, you have to immediately go and see her,” the disciple from High Heaven Palace said.
[The Head Manager…]
A woman’s image flashed across Fang Tian Ci’s mind. If he remembered correctly, the Head Manager was standing beside the Dao Lord at that time. It seemed that the Dao Lord valued her.
Understanding this, Fang Tian Ci wouldn’t dare to be negligent as he extended his hand, “Please lead the way.”
Soon, they arrived at a Grand Hall where Fang Tian Ci saw the Head Manager of High Heaven Palace, Hua Qing Si. This woman was fairly powerful. Just like him, she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm; nonetheless, it must have been quite a long time since she achieved her ascension, for she had an ample heritage and robust aura.
Fang Tian Ci saluted her, “Greetings, Head Manager.”
Hua Qing Si responded with a smile and caringly asked him about his retreat. When she learned that he had stabilised his cultivation, she set her mind at ease.
Over the years, when the Open Heaven Realm Masters who came from the Void World ended their retreat, they would be led to this place to meet her; then, she would assign them to different Great Territory Battlefields.
After all, it was Yang Kai’s order, so she had to meticulously execute the task.
However, because these Open Heaven Realm Masters, who came from the Void Dao Temple, were not familiar with the outside world, Hua Qing Si had compiled some information to be given to them before they set off.
“Palace Master has ordered that once all of you are done stabilising your cultivation, you are to deploy to the Great Territory Battlefields for training. This is the information about those Great Territories. Take a look at it. If there’s any particular place you want to go, you can tell me about it,” as Hua Qing Si spoke, she fished out a jade slip.
Although she had the right to send them to any place she wanted, she would always discuss the matter with these people first. Yang Kai only told them to get some training, but he didn’t specify where they had to go. As such, Hua Qing Si’s action was reasonable.
Fang Tian Ci took the jade slip and thanked her. As he infused his Divine Sense into it and went through the information, he soon had a better understanding of the 3,000 Worlds and the situation that the Humans were in. The information he saw astounded him. Back then in the Void Dao Temple, he had heard Liu Jing Shan mention that in the world where the Dao Lord lived, the Humans were fighting the Black Ink Clan, a powerful and malicious enemy.
However, he had never expected that the Human Race was in such a perilous situation.
Suddenly, a sense of urgency rose within him. The Human Race had been forced to retreat to a mere 15 Great Territories. Once the Black Ink Clan occupied these Great Territories, the Humans would no longer have a place they could call their own in this expansive Universe.
Nevertheless, when he read that the Black Ink Clan had taken the initiative to strike a peace deal with the Humans after the Dao Lord applied pressure on them, which helped alleviate the Humans’ situation, he couldn’t help admiring the Dao Lord, who seemed able to achieve anything.
Although there were many Eighth-Order Masters, the Dao Lord was still in a league of his own.
At that moment, Fang Tian Ci felt honoured and secretly decided that when he ventured into the outside world, he must not tarnish the Dao Lord’s name. After all, they came from the Dao Lord’s Small Universe, so they were different from the other Open Heaven Realm Masters.
When Hua Qing Si saw him lowering the jade slip, she asked softly, “Is there any place you’d like to go?”
Fang Tian Ci replied, “I’ll let you make the decision, Head Manager.”
He didn’t have a particular place in mind as he felt that it made no difference where he went; after all, wherever he went, he would be fighting the Black Ink Clan. After spending 2,000 years to build his current heritage, he had the confidence that even if he came across a Feudal Lord, even if he couldn’t win, he would be able to escape. He was confident but not conceited. Although he had never exchanged moves with the Black Ink Clan before, he was different from the newly promoted Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were impulsive in their youth.
“Before that, I’d like to see the Dao Lord. I have some doubts that I’d like to consult with him about.”
“You mean Palace Master? He…” Hua Qing Si appeared to be in a tight spot. She was aware that Yang Kai had returned to the Star Boundary and opened a cave mansion in the World Tree clone to recuperate. As such, they shouldn’t disturb him at this point. After giving it some thought, she asked, “If there’s anything you’d like to know, I can tell you.”
Fang Tian Ci shook his head and said apologetically, “I can only tell the Dao Lord about it.”
Hua Qing Si hesitated for a bit. Since this man appeared serious, she knew that it must be something important. As such, she rose from the chair and said, “Come with me; however, I can’t guarantee that the Dao Lord will see you.”
[If the Palace Master is recuperating, he might not respond to us.]
“Many thanks, Head Manager.”
They then left the Grand Hall and shot into the sky.
A moment later, Fang Tian Ci looked at the gargantuan tree in the distance and fell into a dazed state.
In fact, when he ascended to the Open Heaven Realm 10 years ago, he had seen this tree while following Hua Qing Si back to the Star Boundary. However, he was preoccupied with the joy of having achieved an ascension and also confounded by the mysteries surrounding his circumstances, so he didn’t ask her about it. It wasn’t until this moment that he asked, “What tree is that, Head Manager?”
Hua Qing Si replied with a smile, “It is a clone of the World Tree.”
She then related to him the clone’s background. A myriad of expressions flashed across Fang Tian Ci’s face as he subconsciously placed his hand on his abdomen.
He initially thought that it was just a large tree that had lived for a very long time, so he was surprised to learn that the tree was the Human Race’s very foundation. It was thanks to this tree that the Star Boundary could continuously produce prodigies, who were the Humans’ hope for opposing the Black Ink Clan.
If not for this tree, the Human Race’s future would’ve been bleak.
Furthermore, such an enormous tree was only a clone. Fang Tian Ci wondered how majestic the real World Tree must be.
“What about the other one?” Fang Tian Ci took a look at the other tree beside the World Tree clone.
The tree was significantly smaller than the clone, and its tree crown wasn’t as expansive; however, there was no denying that it was gigantic as well. From a distance, the tree even looked somewhat translucent and immaterial. One could hardly tell if the tree really existed in this world.
Just then, a curvy figure flew down to the tree and disappeared the next moment.
“That is the Immortal Parasol Tree,” Hua Qing Si explained patiently, “It is a Sacred Treasure that belongs to the Phoenix Clan. You should keep your distance from it if you’re not required to approach it. Phoenix Clan members are very proud people, so they may attack you if you intrude into their sacred ground.”
“The Phoenix Clan…” Fang Tian Ci fell into a dazed state. Although he had never met a Phoenix before as he came from the Void World, he knew that the Phoenix Clan members were some of the most powerful Divine Spirits in existence, second only to the Dragon Clan.
Just then, another curvy figure appeared from the tree before leaping into the air. The next moment, a dazzling light exploded as a high-pitched Phoenix cry reverberated across the sky.
Fang Tian Ci instantly saw a stunning and glorious Phoenix with a very long tail manifest before him. The figure soon disappeared into the Void, but the after-image lingered for quite some time.
[How beautiful…]
Fang Tian Ci couldn’t help feeling awed. He wondered who would be capable of winning the favour of such beautiful and noble creatures.
While he was lost in his thoughts, Hua Qing Si suddenly said, “I’ll let you in on a little secret. One of the Palace Master’s Wives is a Phoenix Clan member.”
Fang Tian Ci wasn’t surprised one bit, for he thought that the Dao Lord totally had the right to marry a noble Phoenix Clan member.
Soon, they arrived at the bottom of the World Tree clone.
Instantly, Fang Tian Ci felt many Divine Senses probing him from all directions, each one of them at least as powerful as his own. There were also several Divine Senses that were especially powerful which Fang Tian Ci believed belonged to the Eighth-Order Masters.
After giving it some thought, he realised it was only natural that some formidable Masters were protecting such an important place.
Hua Qing Si looked up at a particular spot on the clone and turned to Fang Tian Ci before sending him a Divine Sense transmission, “Don’t disturb the others.”
Hearing that, Fang Tian Ci bent his back as he spoke, “Disciple Fang Tian Ci requests an audience with the Dao Lord.”
He didn’t use a Divine Sense transmission, nor did he dare to speak too loudly. If the Dao Lord wanted to see him, he would naturally hear it, if not, Fang Tian Ci wouldn’t dare to be insistent.
Fortunately, not long after he finished speaking, the Dao Lord’s voice was heard coming from that direction, “Come over.”
An elated Fang Tian Ci turned around and saluted Hua Qing Si, “Many thanks, Head Manager.”
Hua Qing Si responded with a smile and waved her hand, “Go on.”
Fang Tian Ci leapt into the air and traced the source of the voice before arriving at a huge tree cave. The instant he stepped inside, he saw the Dao Lord looking smilingly at him.
“Dao Lord,” Fang Tian Ci hurriedly saluted him.
“Have a seat,” Yang Kai motioned for him to sit down and raised his hand to reactivate the cave mansion’s restrictions, ensuring that no one could see or hear them.
Fang Tian Ci took a seat as he was told. When he noticed how pale Yang Kai looked, he exclaimed, “Are you hurt, Dao Lord?”
Finally, he realised why the Head Manager appeared hesitant when he requested to see the Dao Lord, for the latter seemed to be in the middle of recuperating.
At that moment, Fang Tian Ci felt guilty and apologized, “I shouldn’t have disturbed you, Dao Lord. Please forgive me.”
Meanwhile, he was shocked that even a powerful Master like the Dao Lord had been so heavily injured. It seemed that the Humans were indeed in a perilous situation.
There was an awkward expression on Yang Kai’s face as he said gently, “It’s not serious. I’ll recover in no time. What are you here for?”
Fang Tian Ci replied respectfully, “There’s something I need to ask you about, Dao Lord.”
Yang Kai looked meaningfully at him. Without asking him what the matter was, he said, “Everyone has their own secrets. Some secrets can be shared with others, but some are best kept to oneself. You have to know that Humans are born with greed and selfishness. Sometimes, you think you’re just being frank, but such qualities may make your relationships difficult to handle.”
Fang Tian Ci was surprised by the insinuation in his words, [Does the Dao Lord know already? That’s impossible, even I didn’t notice it at all in the past! It wasn’t until I started focusing on stabilizing my cultivation these past few years that I realised it. Although he’s the Dao Lord, he can’t possibly know everything…]
“Dao Lord, you’ve given me everything, so I trust you,” Fang Tian Ci said solemnly.
Yang Kai felt speechless, [What’s going on with my Human Self? He’s way too honest and upright. He doesn’t have any of my shrewdness or caution.]
After pondering for a moment though, he realised that the trust Fang Tian Ci had in him was a kind of virtue and courage. Furthermore, the disciples from the Dao Temple all had some blind admiration for him, so it was only natural that Fang Tian Ci trusted him.
At that moment, Yang Kai put on a gratified expression, “I’m glad that you think so.”
However, he felt awkward in secret, for in reality, he was having a chat with himself. Probably no one had experienced such a strange situation before in history.
Nonetheless, his Human Self was oblivious to everything.
Fang Tian Ci couldn’t be blamed for this as he should have died when he was still in his Mother’s belly. If not for Yang Kai tearing his Soul apart and saving him, Fang Tian Ci wouldn’t have been born at all.
However, Fang Tian Ci was only a fetus at that time, so he couldn’t bear the immense power of half an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s Soul. As such, Yang Kai had sealed most of his Soul fragment, including all of his memories and powers.
As Fang Tian Ci grew powerful, these seals would gradually dissolve and allow him to realise his true self.
In other words, Fang Tian Ci was still his own person at this point.
Nonetheless, he was now in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so the seal in his Soul must have loosened, and when he ascended to the Eighth-Order one day, the seal would shatter entirely and he would find out everything.
This was the same case for both Yang Kai’s Human Self and Monster Self.
Fang Tian Ci trusted Yang Kai not only because he was a Dao Temple disciple, who typically admired the Dao Lord, it was also because he, as the Human Self, trusted his true body.
There was no way anyone would harm himself in this World. Fang Tian Ci of course hadn’t noticed this yet, but he instinctually understood that the man before him only had the best of intentions for him.
“Dao Lord, do you remember I told you before that my Small Universe had materialised?” Fang Tian Ci asked.
Yang Kai snapped back to reality and nodded, “Yes, I remember.”
Fang Tian Ci went on to say, “You told me that perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I’ve cultivated the Dao of Space; however, I feel that might not be the case.”
“Why do you think so?” Yang Kai pretended that he knew nothing.
Fang Tian Ci replied solemnly, “Please have a look, Dao Lord.”
Saying so, he suddenly opened a portal to his Small Universe and let Yang Kai see inside.
Yang Kai secretly sighed to himself, thinking that an honest person like Fang Tian Ci would easily suffer setbacks in life. He hoped that this guy wouldn’t be so naïve in front of the enemy and just casually open the portal to his Small Universe, for that would be disastrous.
As he looked into the Small Universe with his Divine Sense, Yang Kai feigned surprise, “This…”
There was no doubt his Human Self had a solid heritage. Although Fang Tian Ci was a newly promoted Sixth-Order Master, the World Force in his Small Universe was only slightly weaker than that of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai realised it wasn’t so surprising. His Human Self had the right to directly ascend to the Seventh Order and in fact, he had succeeded in just that, but due to the true body’s restrictions, Fang Tian Ci was forced to regress to the Sixth Order.
Despite that, his heritage didn’t decrease much.
The Human Self was destined to be a Master who would be able to fight enemies much stronger than his Realm would suggest was possible.
With a solemn expression, Fang Tian Ci said, “I only discovered this thing in my Small Universe when I was cultivating in seclusion. Clearly, it was already there when I first formed my own Small Universe. When I discovered it for the first time, it was still a sapling; however, as time passed, it grew into a huge tree. With this thing around, I feel that my Small Universe is stable and impervious to outside interference. I have a feeling that this thing seems to have something to do with the fact that my Small Universe has materialised. What do you think this thing looks like, Dao Lord?”
Yang Kai looked up at him, “It’s a World Tree clone.”
[I was the one who put it into your body, so how could I not know about it?]
Back then, Yang Kai acquired three World Tree clones from the Old Tree. One of them was given to Wu Kuang, another was planted in the Myriad Monsters World. The final one was sealed in Fang Tian Ci’s body.
Before he ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, the World Tree clone was in a dormant state and naturally unnoticeable, but now that he was an Open Heaven Realm Master, the World Tree clone sprung to life.
Time waited for no man. If Yang Kai wanted Fang Tian Ci to grow as quickly as possible, this World Tree clone was essential.
“It really is a World Tree clone!” Fang Tian Ci seemed to have expected this, but was still shocked by the answer.
If he hadn’t seen the World Tree clone in the Star Boundary, he wouldn’t have associated it with the one in his Small Universe. He only knew that it must be some kind of amazing tree; however, when he saw the giant World Tree clone in the Star Boundary, he instantly realised that there was also one in his Small Universe.
“Dao Lord, do you know why there is a World Tree clone in my Small Universe?” Fang Tian Ci appeared puzzled. He wanted to see Yang Kai because he wanted to ask him about this.
“What’s so surprising about it?” Yang Kai smiled, “Look.”
As he spoke, he opened a portal to his own Small Universe.
Fang Tian Ci looked up and infused his Divine Sense into the portal, after which he saw the entirety of the Void World. He also saw the Void Dao Temple and a massive tree in the centre of this World that was even larger than the World Tree clone in the Star Boundary.
“Dao Lord, you…” Fang Tian Ci widened his eyes in disbelief. He had lived in the Void World for 2,000 years and travelled the entire World as far as he knew, but he had not known that there was such an enormous tree in the Void World.
It was apparent that the Dao Lord had hidden it from them.
“You’re not the only one who obtained such an opportunity.” Yang Kai closed the portal and didn’t intend to explain anything. When the seal in his Human Self dissolved one day, Fang Tian Ci would understand everything. It was pointless to explain anything to him now.
Fang Tian Ci was still baffled. He felt that he had gotten the answer to his doubts, but it also felt as though he had learned nothing.
“Having this opportunity is just one factor in your life, the key is how you turn this opportunity into your own power,” Yang Kai explained. The Human Self appeared to be straightforward and honest, so Yang Kai decided to be a little more direct, “Do you know why I’ve become who I am today and why I’m more powerful than other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters?”
Fang Tian Ci shook his head.
“It’s because I’ve had many opportunities in life,” Yang Kai stated bluntly, “There’s no use only doing things step by step when it comes to cultivation. Only by seizing opportunities will you grow stronger quickly. It’s only been around 2,000 years since I started cultivating, but I’m now an Eighth-Order Master. Moreover, I started as a Fifth-Order Master. Anyone else would’ve been considered lucky if he could ascend to the next Order in 2,000 years.”
After a moment of silence, he continued, “The World Tree clone contains a mysterious power that seals and stabilizes one’s Small Universe. With the clone in your possession, your Small Universe is naturally shielded from any external forces. More importantly, you do not have to fear Black Ink Strength. Other Open Heaven Realm Masters, even Eighth-Order Masters, have to divert part of their strength and attention to resist Black Ink Strength while fighting the Black Ink Clan, but we don’t have to do that. Just let it wash over you, for you can suppress it with ease. You’re not at risk of getting corrupted by Black Ink Strength; therefore, when you battle against the Black Ink Clan in the future, go all out without fear. Don’t let the other party off if you can defeat them. If you’re less powerful than them, run. You’re also an expert in the Dao of Space now, and given your Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation, no one can harm you unless an Innate Territory Lord makes a move.”
Yang Kai paused for a moment before saying, “Also, the World Tree clone can condense and purify World Force which will help you refine your strength. You’ve been cultivating for many years already, so I’m sure you know that the purer one’s power is, the more powerful one is.”
Fang Tian Ci nodded.
What Yang Kai said was simple to understand. Hitting someone with a one-kilogram wooden slab or a one-kilogram iron block had totally different effects. Although they weighed the same, there was no doubt the latter would cause more damage. That was the benefit of having purer power.
Over the years, Fang Tian Ci had fought many battles, but he had never been defeated. What he relied on wasn’t his Realm, but his solid foundation, which brought him very pure power. Most of the time, his opponents had higher cultivation than his own, but he remained more powerful.
When Yang Kai saw that Fang Tian Ci was mesmerised, he went on to say, “Certainly, these benefits are useful for going against enemies, but let’s also talk about the benefits this thing has when it comes to cultivation. When an Open Heaven Realm Master ascends to the Seventh Order, their Small Universe will materialise. That allows them to raise living beings in their body. However, if you ask around, you’ll realise that no Open Heaven Realm Master, not even the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors, keeps living beings in their Small Universes. Do you know why?”
Fang Tian Ci shook his head as he appeared eager to find out more.
Certainly, Yang Kai was pleased with his reaction.
“That’s because, without something to seal and stabilize one’s Small Universe, when an Open Heaven Realm Master deals with a powerful opponent, their Small Universe inevitably shakes violently. When that happens, the entire World is thrown into turmoil. In that case, how many living beings do you think will survive?”
Upon hearing the explanation, Fang Tian Ci said, “Does Dao Lord mean that with the World Tree clone protecting my Small Universe, when I fight with someone, my Small Universe won’t be affected?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “You’re a promising young man. I’ve exchanged moves with countless Masters before, and even some Royal Lords who tried to hunt me down. However, when you lived in the Void World back then, did you ever feel any tremors? Without the World Tree clone to guard my Small Universe, the Void World would’ve been destroyed instead of becoming as prosperous as it is today.”
A puzzled Fang Tian Ci asked, “Dao Lord, what benefits do we get by doing so?”
“There are a lot of benefits,” Yang Kai explained enthusiastically, “As living beings are born, live, and die in the ones’ Small Universe, they produce a lot of World Force. In other words, even if you don’t cultivate, your heritage will still grow slowly. The more living beings there are, the quicker your power will grow.”
Fang Tian Ci finally realised something, “Is that why Dao Lord’s cultivation speed is much quicker than others?”
“Yes.”
An excited Fang Tian Ci said, “Disciple understands now. What Dao Lord means is that I should find some living beings and place them into my Small Universe as well. That way, I’ll also become a Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order Master sooner.”
“There’s no need for that. Don’t tell anyone you have a World Tree clone. There will always be some wicked people out there who will stop at nothing to acquire treasures. I have enough power to protect myself, so no one will dare to harm me; however, once others find out that you have a World Tree clone, you might fall into danger.”
“What should this disciple do, then?” Fang Tian Ci asked humbly. It wouldn’t have mattered if he didn’t know the World Tree clone’s advantages, but now that he was aware of them, he had to make good use of it.
“I’ll give you something. Open up your Small Universe,” Yang Kai ordered.
Fang Tian Ci opened up the portal as he was told.
Yang Kai did the same as a thought flashed across his mind. The next moment, Fang Tian Ci felt that the Dao Lord had stuffed something into his Small Universe.
As he looked into his Small Universe, he was amazed.
A moment later, Yang Kai closed the portal and explained, “They are Small Stone Race members. Although they have very low sentience, they reproduce rapidly. Moreover, by raising them, you’ll gain 10 times the benefits compared to raising other living beings. Take good care of them. They’ll be useful to you.”
“Many thanks, Dao Lord.” Fang Tian Ci saluted him.
“I’ll also give you some resources. You’ll need them when you cultivate.”
“Disciple thanks Dao Lord for his generosity.”
“I also have some artifacts for you. You’re a Sixth-Order Master now. Just take them and refine them when you’re free. They might save your life when you’re in danger.”
“Yes.”
“Good, I have to continue recuperating. You may leave now.”
Fang Tian Ci got to his feet and saluted him, “Disciple will take his leave now.”
Yang Kai only waved his hand.
Fang Tian Ci felt his emotions undulating in his heart as he left the cave mansion. After cultivating for 2,000 years, he finally had the chance to fight against the Black Ink Clan. He decided that he must not disappoint the Dao Lord or tarnish the Dao Temple’s name.
Suddenly, he realised that the Dao Lord hadn’t actually answered his question. He still had no idea whether the fact that his Small Universe had materialised had something to do with the World Tree clone or not.
Soon, he shook his head with a smile, for it was no longer necessary to harp on this issue. After his chat with the Dao Lord, he now knew what he had to do for his future. Just by heading in that direction, he would grow stronger quickly.
Furthermore, the Dao Lord had given him many things.
Hua Qing Si had been waiting for him. Fang Tian Ci walked up to her and cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Head Manager.”
She shook her head with a smile, “Don’t mention it.”
“Head Manager, which Great Territory should I head to?”
Hua Qing Si replied, “There’s no rush. There’s something I have to ask you.”
“Please go ahead, Head Manager.”
“The Palace Master… I mean, your Dao Lord is an expert in three Grand Daos, which are the Dao of Space, the Dao of Time, and the Spear Dao. I’m sure you’re aware of this.”
Fang Tian Ci nodded. Every cultivator in the Void World knew this, for the Dao Essences of these three Grand Daos were the richest in the atmosphere.
“Have you cultivated one of these three Grand Daos?” Hua Qing Si asked.
Fang Tian Ci replied, “I’ve cultivated all of them.”
Hua Qing Si was startled, “Really?”
She had come into contact with many disciples from the Void Dao Temple before and it could be said that 1 out of 10 had a certain mastery of one of these three Grand Daos. A much smaller number of them had dabbled in two of these Grand Daos.
However, she had never met anyone who had cultivated all three Grand Daos before. Fang Tian Ci was the first.
It was no wonder that the Palace Master was willing to see him even though he was recuperating. It seemed that he valued Fang Tian Ci highly.
“Then, do you know your level of mastery over these three Grand Daos?”
Fang Tian Ci appeared hesitant as he had no idea how to reply to her.
Hua Qing Si smiled, “It’s fine. Come with me.” She knew that it wasn’t easy to answer this question.
Saying so, she led the way for him while Fang Tian Ci followed her.
Soon, they arrived at a secret place at the back of High Heaven Palace. There were three palaces in front of them. Fang Tian Ci looked intently and felt that some mysterious powers were undulating from those three palaces.
Hua Qing Si explained, “These are the Sealed Worlds that the Palace Master has left behind for the disciples of the Void Dao Temple. They correspond to the Dao of Space, the Dao of Time, and the Spear Dao. If anyone has inherited part of his legacy into one of these Grand Daos, they can enter and get some training. It’s also a place to test your mastery over these Grand Daos.”
Fang Tian Ci’s eyes brightened when he heard that. Since the Dao Lord had left behind these Sealed Worlds, they must be amazing. If he could go in and cultivate, he would benefit from it.
“Test our mastery over these Grand Daos?”
Hua Qing Si nodded, “There is no end to the cultivation of the Grand Dao. In the past, there were no guidelines or specific quantitative measures to gauge one’s mastery. The Palace Master invented some guidelines for categorising one’s mastery over each Grand Dao, and most people have acknowledged it.”
Fang Tian Ci’s interest was piqued, “What are the guidelines?”
Hua Qing Si explained, “The guidelines are based on the Open Heaven Realm, so there are nine levels in total. The First Level is the lowest and Ninth Level is the highest. In sequence, they are Superficial Contact, Peering Through the Doors, Taking the Initial Steps, Traversing a Familiar Path, Attaining Mastery Through Comprehensive Understanding, Exceeding the Ordinary to Reach the Extraordinary, Standing Above All Others Within Sight, Summiting the Peak, and Shocking History and Dazzling the Present. Usually, when a person manages to condense their Dao Seal using their main Grand Dao, they will be at a level of Peering Through the Doors. When they ascend to the Open Heaven Realm, they will automatically reach the level of Taking the Initial Steps.”
(Note: There were 10 levels in the past… the author seems to have decided to change that so there are now 9.)
Fang Tian Ci gave it some thought and felt shocked. When a person condensed his or her Dao Seal, they had only reached the Second Level of mastery, and when they ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, they reached the Third Level. Fang Tian Ci couldn’t help but wonder how high the Dao Lord’s achievements in the three Grand Daos were.
Furthermore, the categorisation showed that the higher the level, the more difficult it was to comprehend new insights.
“These three Sealed Worlds correspond to the three Grand Daos. There are some hurdles inside, and every hurdle represents a level. Your limit will be the level of your mastery of a specific Grand Dao,” Hua Qing Si explained.
Upon hearing her explanation, Fang Tian Ci nodded, “Disciple understands.”
“Which Sealed World would you like to try first?” Hua Qing Si looked at him.
Fang Tian Ci replied, “The Space Dao Sealed World.”
Hua Qing Si pointed at the leftmost Grand Hall, “That is the Space Dao Sealed World. Just go in on your own. I’ll be waiting outside.”
Fang Tian Ci saluted her and stepped into the Grand Hall while Hua Qing Si waited outside.
After Yang Kai left behind these three Sealed Worlds back then, those from High Heaven Palace were the ones who built these Palaces. Over the years, many disciples from the Void Dao Temple came to this place to get some training. They had inherited the three Grand Daos thanks to Yang Kai’s blessing.
Even some Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan members were interested in the Time Dao Sealed World and the Space Dao Sealed World.
These Sealed Worlds were not only places to test one’s mastery of Grand Daos but also wonderful training grounds. Hua Qing Si had never entered any of these Palaces before, so she had no idea what was inside. However, she was sure that the Palace Master must have left behind many of his own insights. By breaking through the hurdles inside, those who had cultivated these three Grand Daos would gain massive benefits.
It wasn’t until half a month later that an energetic Fang Tian Ci left the Grand Hall.
Without stopping, he entered the second Palace where the Time Dao Sealed World was located.
Half a month later, he stepped into the Spear Dao Sealed World.
When he finally shuffled out of the third Grand Hall, Hua Qing Si could feel that his aura had become far more stable. Although his cultivation didn’t increase much, his strength must’ve improved significantly.
“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Head Manager,” Fang Tian Ci saluted her with a joyful expression. He had gained massive benefits by going through the three Sealed Worlds this time. Nonetheless, he had reached his limits. He reckoned that when he cultivated for a longer time and gained a deeper understanding of the Grand Daos, he would be able to cross even more hurdles.
Hua Qing Si shook her head to show that it was fine, “How many hurdles have you passed in the Space Dao Sealed World?”
Fang Tian Ci replied, “It’s embarrassing, but I was stuck at the sixth hurdle.”
Hua Qing Si was slightly surprised. Fang Tian Ci had just ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, but he had managed to overcome five hurdles. Such an achievement had never happened before. Many disciples had left the Dao Temple over the years, and some of them had cultivated the Dao of Space; however, the best result achieved so far was the fourth hurdle. In other words, they were on the level of Traversing a Familiar Path.
Nonetheless, Fang Tian Ci had achieved the level of Attaining Mastery Through a Comprehensive Understanding of the Dao of Space.
One must not underestimate the difference of one level, for it meant a vast disparity between achievements. The difference was akin to the differences in Order in the Open Heaven Realm.
The Palace Master’s First Disciple, Zhao Ye Bai, had only achieved the Sixth Level when his mastery was tested.
Hua Qing Si thought that it was such a shame. There was no doubt Fang Tian Ci was a talented person, but unfortunately, he had only ascended to the Sixth-Order. Had he directly ascended to the Seventh-Order, he could’ve attained amazing achievements like the Palace Master’s three Disciples.
The mastery of a Grand Dao was different from cultivation. As long as one hadn’t reached their innate limit, they could improve their cultivation by putting in the effort and resources.
However, comprehension and enlightenment were required to master Grand Daos. Without enough wits, one couldn’t advance far in any Grand Dao regardless of how powerful their cultivation was.
Hua Qing Si was also a veteran Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so she naturally understood this.
She initially only wanted to find out Fang Tian Ci’s mastery over the Dao of Space, but she couldn’t suppress her curiosity as she asked, “What about your results in the Time Dao Sealed World and the Spear Dao Sealed World?”
A bashful Fang Tian Ci replied, “I only overcame the fifth hurdle in the Time Dao Sealed World. It’s worse in the Spear Dao Sealed World. I only passed the fourth hurdle.”
He looked embarrassed, as though he had disappointed the Dao Lord.
On the other hand, Hua Qing Si was lost for words.
When she heard Fang Tian Ci say that he had cultivated all three Grand Daos, she thought that he had only majored in one and perhaps dabbled a bit in the other two.
Now, that didn’t seem to be the case.
This Fang Tian Ci had attained a high level of mastery in all three Grand Daos!
One had to know that Fang Tian Ci had just made it to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he had already attained such achievements. There was no doubt he had a bright future ahead of him.
Although the Spear Dao was his worst Grand Dao, he had still passed the fourth hurdle, which was already something most Dao Temple disciples were unable to achieve.
Given this man’s amazing comprehension skills and achievements, Hua Qing Si even suspected that he might be the Palace Master’s illegitimate child; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so gifted even though he came from the Void World.
After examining his face though, Hua Qing Si shook her head, for Fang Tian Ci looked nothing like Yang Kai.
Finding her thoughts ridiculous, she smiled helplessly. The Palace Master had many beautiful Wives, so if he wanted to have a child, he didn’t have to do it furtively. Since the Palace Master still didn’t have any descendants after so many years, he apparently didn’t want to distract himself by having to look after his offspring yet.
Nonetheless, she didn’t know that this seemingly preposterous idea was actually quite close to the truth.
Fang Tian Ci wasn’t an illegitimate child; instead, he had an even closer relationship with Yang Kai, for he was the latter’s Human Self.
“Head Manager?” Fang Tian Ci called out to her. For some reason, he felt there was something off about the Head Manager’s gaze when she looked at him.
Hua Qing Si came to her senses and cast away her wild ideas before saying, “Is there any Great Territory you’d like to go to?”
Fang Tian Ci shook his head with a smile, “No. I’m fine with any assignment given to me.”
After pondering for a moment, Hua Qing Si said, “In that case, you should probably head to Profound Nether Territory. The Palace Master is in charge of that place on paper; however, since there’s an agreement in place, he can’t make a move as he pleases. As such, he decided to return here to cultivate.”
Fang Tian Ci didn’t understand when she mentioned the ‘agreement’, but when he learned that Yang Kai was in charge of Profound Nether Territory, he nodded joyfully, “I’ll go to Profound Nether Territory, then.”
Certainly, he had to take a look at the Great Territory where the Dao Lord was in charge.
“Good. If you are interested, once you arrive at Profound Nether Territory, you can look for a little bra… young man named Yang Xiao. His Squad is recruiting members who are experts in the Dao of Space. You can make your own decision, of course, and this is by no means an order. In fact, no one in Profound Nether Territory will give you any orders. You’ll be free to do as you see fit there,” Hua Qing Si explained with a smile. [Stinking Brat, I’ve done my best to help you, as for whether you’ll be able to keep him, that depends on your own capabilities.]
A few years ago, Yang Xiao had sent a message to Hua Qing Si and asked her to look out for disciples from the Void Dao Temple who had cultivated the Dao of Space. Although quite a number of disciples had left the Void Dao Temple over the years, there still weren’t a lot of them. As such, there were even fewer people who were skilled in the Dao of Space.
Hua Qing Si had recommended two people so far, but unfortunately, their mastery over the Dao of Space was not up to Yang Xiao’s standards.
Fang Tian Ci, on the other hand, was a suitable candidate.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t like she could force Fang Tian Ci to do anything. She had only given him a suggestion; as for whether he would look for Yang Xiao, that was his decision to make.
“Disciple understands,” Fang Tian Ci nodded.
Then, Hua Qing Si gave him a Universe Chart, “Head to Profound Nether Territory on your own, then. Don’t forget to check in at the Army Headquarters and register your name when you arrive.”
“Yes!” Fang Tian Ci replied and put away the Universe Char before leaping into the air.
He only had to pass through one Great Territory to go from High Heaven Territory to Profound Nether Territory. It was also the Great Territory where the Supreme Headquarters was located, so it was safe. In fact, as long as the 13 Great Territory Battlefields on the frontlines were not broken through, the defence at the back would remain impenetrable.
Fang Tian Ci kept checking the Universe Chart to verify his location while sometimes using Space Principles to hasten his pace.
A month later, he passed through the Great Territory where the Supreme Headquarters was located and arrived at Profound Nether Territory. Then, he intercepted a Squad of people, who seemed like they were heading back from the battlefield to get some rest, and asked them for directions. Following that, he headed straight to the Universe Fragment where the Army Headquarters of Profound Nether Territory was located.
Upon his arrival, he reported his name and background. After his information was registered, he received an Identity Token. The person handling this matter for him was a beautiful woman who was only a Third-Order Master.
Due to her weak cultivation, she could not contribute much in terms of war potential, so she dealt with administrative matters as part of the support staff.
The woman was very patient, and upon learning that it was Fang Tian Ci’s first time in Profound Nether Territory and that he had never fought with the Black Ink Clan before, she explained many things to him, which Fang Tian Ci was grateful for.
Then, Fang Tian Ci asked, “Do you know Yang Xiao?”
The woman’s eyes brightened when she heard that, “Sir Yang Xiao? I know him, of course. Are you looking for him?”
Fang Tian Ci was startled. Hua Qing Si only told him to come to Profound Nether Territory and look for Yang Xiao if he was interested, but she never gave him any details. He initially thought that it would be hard to look for one person on this vast battlefield, but it now seemed that it wasn’t so difficult.
Since a cultivator dealing with administrative tasks in the rear was aware of Yang Xiao’s name, it seemed that he was pretty famous.
However, when Fang Tian Ci realised that the woman was blushing, he knew that Yang Xiao was not just famous for his battle record.
Just as he expected, when the woman realised that he was looking for Yang Xiao, she appeared more enthusiastic, “Why are you looking for Sir Yang Xiao, Senior Brother?”
Fang Tian Ci explained, “I just came from High Heaven Palace where the Head Manager told me to look for him.”
The woman’s eyes became even brighter, “You’re from High Heaven Palace?”
Yang Kai was in charge of Profound Nether Territory on paper, and he was the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace. Many of the cultivators in this place also came from High Heaven Palace. There was no doubt that High Heaven Palace was the most famous Great Force in the entire Profound Nether Territory. Even the Cave Heavens and Paradises were no match for it.
“Do you have a Universe Chart?” The woman asked.
“Yes,” Fang Tian Ci promptly fished out his Universe Chart and passed it to her.
The woman took it and surged her Divine Sense before giving it back to him, “Sir Yang Xiao’s Squad always remains on the frontlines. Recently, they’re supposed to be getting some rest at this forward outpost. If you head over now, you might find them there.”
Fang Tian Ci looked into the Universe Chart and saw a marked location in Profound Nether Territory. “Many thanks,” he nodded gratefully.
Following that, he was ready to leave.
“Wait a moment!” The woman called out to him.
“Is there anything else, Junior Sister?”
The woman bashfully passed him a Space Ring.
Fang Tian Ci was puzzled as to what was going on.
The woman said sheepishly, “Please pass this to Sir Yang Xiao. Since I can’t fight the enemy directly, I’d like to give Sir Yang Xiao some pills that can heal his wounds and restore his energy. Please tell him to stay safe.”
“Alright,” Fang Tian Ci nodded. Although he had never met Yang Xiao before, he thought that the latter must be quite popular among the ladies. That was why this woman only wanted to give some pills to Yang Xiao even though there were so many soldiers at the frontline.
“By the way, my name is Yun Xi!” The woman added.
Fang Tian Ci was torn between tears and laughter, thinking that Yang Xiao might not even know who this woman was if he gave him her name.
Following the directions in the Universe Chart, Fang Tian Ci took a few days to arrive at the forward outpost; however, before he even entered the place, he was stopped. Although he had shown them his Identity Token, he was still asked to enter a Purifying Array.
The soldiers who fought with the enemy were at risk of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Once that happened, they would become Black Ink Disciples, who didn’t look different from the normal cultivators.
Because it was impossible to tell a Black Ink Disciple from an ordinary Human just by observing them, a large Purifying Array was arranged at every forward outpost. Its design was based on the interior of a Purifying Black Ink Battleship and it contained a lot of Purifying Light.
Anyone who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength or had become a Black Ink Disciple would have that Black Ink Strength dispelled by Purifying Light the moment they stepped into this array.
Someone who hadn’t been corrupted by Black Ink Strength wouldn’t lose anything by entering it.
When there was a change of affairs in Profound Nether Territory back then, some Black Ink Disciples tried to sneak into the forward outposts; however, their Black Ink Strength was purified by the Purifying Array, which allowed them to regain their original nature.
Soon, the Black Ink Clan stopped doing such a futile thing. All the same, the Purifying Array remained, for some cultivators might be accidentally corrupted by Black Ink Strength. The array could save their lives.
The moment Fang Tian Ci stepped out of the array, he was amazed by what he saw.
The huge forward outpost was like a prosperous city. The streets were neat and clean, with shops lining them for as far as the eye could see. There was also a massive number of people walking around.
The cultivators who moved around this place were all Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Fang Tian Ci had never seen so many Open Heaven Realm Masters in one place before, and this was just one of the forward outposts operated by the Humans.
It was said that there were a total of 10 similar forward outposts in Profound Nether Territory.
That wasn’t even including the headquarters at the rear.
Nonetheless, it also made Fang Tian Ci realise how formidable the Black Ink Clan must be. So many Open Heaven Realm Masters had gathered in the same Great Territory, yet they were still unable to destroy the Black Ink Clan, which went to show how powerful the enemy was.
The cultivators were mostly in groups of three to five people with some bigger groups reaching a dozen or so. Rarely was anyone on his own like Fang Tian Ci.
While he was looking around, someone came up to him and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Senior Brother.”
Fang Tian Ci looked around, but upon confirming that the other party was speaking to him, he saluted him back with an awkward expression, “What’s the matter, Junior Brother?”
The other party’s aura suggested that he was a Fifth-Order Master. Given the fact that Fang Tian Ci was a Sixth-Order Master, it was only reasonable that he called him Junior Brother. If they were in the same Sect, seniority would be important. If they were not from the same Sect, they would usually address each other according to their cultivation.
“Is it your first time here, Senior Brother? If so, please come with me.” Saying so, the person passionately took his sleeve and tried to drag him away.
Fang Tian Ci found it strange, [Is it so obvious that it’s my first time here?]
Unbeknownst to him, his reaction was indeed conspicuous to the others. Only a cultivator who arrived at this place for the first time would be curious about his surroundings.
Just then, another person leaped forward and intercepted them before politely greeting Fang Tian Ci, “Well met, Senior Brother.”
Then, he looked at the Fifth-Order Master, who was holding Fang Tian Ci’s sleeve, and said, “Brother Zhou, it’s Fei Yun Squad’s turn this time. You’ve crossed the line by snatching him like this!”
Brother Zhou shook his head, “There are only a few people in the Fei Yun Squad. I told you to merge yours with another Squad, but you just wouldn’t listen to me. So what if you manage to persuade him to join your Squad? You won’t keep him for long.”
The cultivator from Fei Yun Squad snapped, “Nonsense! All four of us in the Fei Yun Squad are above the Fifth Order. In fact, Squad Leader Chai is a Sixth-Order Master. All of us are powerful, so how could you compare us to the other Squads?”
“It’s not like our Squad Leader isn’t a Sixth-Order Master. Senior Brother, we have one Sixth-Order Master and two Fifth-Order Masters in the Thousand Mountain Squad. There are six people in total. Given our collective power, we’re even able to deal with a Feudal Lord if we come across one.”
“Don’t listen to his nonsense, Senior Brother. If his Thousand Mountain Squad ran into a Feudal Lord, they’d immediately run away instead of fighting. The Fei Yun Squad is different. We accidentally bumped into a Feudal Lord the other day, and under Squad Leader Chai’s leadership, not only did we manage to withdraw safely, but we also dealt that Feudal Lord a painful blow.”
Fang Tian Ci was perplexed as he listened to these two, but after giving it some thought, he soon realised what was going on.
Apart from the six Great Territories where things remained unchanged, the other Great Territories didn’t have any Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords involved directly in the war. As such, both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan had scattered their soldiers around. The Humans relied heavily on Squads as they hunted the Black Ink Clansmen down.
Apparently, when these two people saw that Fang Tian Ci was new to this place, and as such wasn’t part of any Squad, they decided to recruit him into theirs.
Nonetheless, Hua Qing Si had already given him a suggestion regarding this matter. Even if she hadn’t, Fang Tian Ci wasn’t ready to join any Squad in a hurry. At the very least, he had to figure out the current state of affairs in Profound Nether Territory first.
One had to sharpen his tools before starting to work. It was crucial to collect more information first.
Fang Tian Ci raised his hand to stop them from arguing and cupped his fist with a smile, “Many thanks for inviting this Fang to your Squads, but I’m afraid I must decline. Before coming to Profound Nether Territory, Head Manager Hua told me to look for a certain Senior Brother.”
Both of the recruiters instantly fell silent while ‘Brother Zhou’ smiled helplessly, “You already have somewhere to go? In that case, please forgive our rudeness.” Then, he asked curiously, “Who are you looking for, Senior Brother?”
Fang Tian Ci had the intention of asking them about Yang Xiao; after all, they seemed to be stationed at this forward outpost, so they should be familiar with the goings-on in this place. He then told them he was looking for Yang Xiao.
Instantly, they wore respectful looks.
“Are you from High Heaven Palace, Senior Brother?”
“Yes.”
“I see. If you’re looking for Senior Brother Yang, you just have to wait here for a few days. Senior Brother Yang has just taken his Ten Directions Supreme Squad out on a hunt. I suppose it’ll take him some time before he returns.”
“Ten Directions Supreme Squad?” After pondering for a moment, Fang Tian Ci replied with a smile, “That’s an interesting name for Senior Brother Yang’s Squad.”
The two of them exchanged glances and let out a dry laugh. The Squad’s name was more than just being interesting, for its full name was ‘My Adoptive Father in all Ten Directions reigns Supreme, but I am Second to Him’!
Upon learning that Yang Xiao’s Squad would come back sometime later, Fang Tian Ci decided to wait beside the Purifying Array. That way, as soon as Yang Xiao returned, Fang Tian Ci would find out about it, ensuring that he wouldn’t miss the chance to meet him.
Having cultivated for thousands of years already, Fang Tian Ci had grown to be a patient person. He could wait for years at a time, let alone a few days.
No one came up to him again; as such, he was able to sit down and cultivate with peace of mind.
Some 10 days later, Fang Tian Ci heard some shouts of excitement while he was cultivating.
“The Ten Directions Supreme Squad has returned! They’ve done something big this time by destroying a Black Ink Clan Army of 30,000!”
“For real?”
“It’s true! I heard that they’ve even killed eight Feudal Lords this time.”
“He’s just as formidable as his Father.”
“Well, that’s nothing. We could do the same if our Squad had so many powerful members.”
“What nonsense are you saying? It’s extremely difficult to destroy a Black Ink Clan Army of 30,000. No one would dare to challenge so many Black Ink Clansmen if they weren’t capable enough. Usually, it’ll take more than 10 Squads and at least the same number of Seventh-Order Masters to deal with so many Black Ink Clansmen. The Ten Directions Supreme Squad hadn’t sought any external help this time. Furthermore, it seems that they’ve returned unscathed.”
As Fang Tian Ci listened to the noise around him, he realised something and opened his eyes, only to see the cultivators around him staring fixedly at the Purifying Array. There was a look of reverence on their faces, as though they were waiting for a Heroic General who had just won a great war to return.
As a light flashed across the Purifying Array, a figure emerged.
He was a young man who was clad in white robes. Even his hair was silvery-white. Not only did he look handsome, but he also appeared noble and imposing.
The moment he appeared, the people around him started greeting him hospitably. It seemed that this white-robed young man was quite popular in this forward outpost.
The men looked at him with admiration while the women stared at him with fervour, as though they were trying to melt the young man with their eyes.
They kept greeting him by calling him ‘Big Brother Yang Xiao’ and ‘Sir Yang Xiao’.
[Is this the Yang Xiao that the Head Manager told me to look for?]
Fang Tian Ci examined the young man and realised that the latter was indeed an outstanding individual. After stepping out of the array, Yang Xiao greeted everyone with a faint smile. He wasn’t aloof, but he wasn’t passionate either.
However, what puzzled Fang Tian Ci was that there was an old-looking turtle the size of a small plate sitting on the young man’s head, looking just like a hat.
As though noticing his stare, the old turtle extended his neck and took a look at him.
Fang Tian Ci was startled, for this small turtle was obviously a powerful Master. The aura he exuded momentarily suggested that he was no less powerful than a Seventh-Order Master.
Following behind Yang Xiao was a woman who was also clad in a white dress. Fang Tian Ci wasn’t sure if it was just his delusion, but he felt that the woman and the Dao Lord looked similar.
Then, more figures shuffled out of the array. Following behind Yang Xiao and the white-robed woman were two young men and one young woman.
One of the men looked like an honest and cheerful person, but something seemed to be troubling him as he kept shaking his head.
The woman walked alongside him as she whispered to him. Although she was gorgeous, her expression was frigid, like an unsheathed blade. Fang Tian Ci only looked at her for a moment, but he still felt as though something had pierced into his soul.
The other young man had a distinct bowl-cut hairstyle. Just like Yang Xiao at the front, he kept greeting the cultivators around him, seemingly enjoying the attention.
Behind them was an Ancient Ominous Beast. On its head sat a Stone Man with his arms crossed, looking as though he was full of himself.
Meanwhile, riding on the Ominous Beast’s back were a young boy and a young girl.
The young boy appeared to be adorable, but when he smiled, his mouth tore apart and revealed a hideous set of teeth.
On the other hand, the young girl appeared quite cute and delicate.
[This Ten Directions Supreme Squad’s members are a bit strange…]
Despite their eccentricity, Fang Tian Ci could feel that they were all powerful.
None of the members in the Squad were weak, as most of them exuded a might equivalent to Seventh-Order Masters; as for those who didn’t, they were all Sixth-Order Masters.
It was no wonder that this Squad was able to destroy a Black Ink Clan Army of 30,000. Any Black Ink Clan Army would be doomed if they came across such a lineup.
Nevertheless, the fact that they were completely unharmed illustrated just how strong they were.
The Head Manager had given Fang Tian Ci a good recommendation. If he could join such a Squad, Fang Tian Ci would never be bored again.
After giving it some thought, he stepped forward and soon arrived in front of Yang Xiao. Then, he cupped his fist and said, “High Heaven Palace, Fang Tian Ci, greets Senior Brother Yang.”
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the Dao Lord and this Senior Brother shared the surname Yang.
[Are they related in any way?]
However, Yang Xiao looked nothing like Yang Kai. On the other hand, the white-robed woman beside him resembled the Dao Lord quite a bit.
“Oh?” Yang Xiao looked at him with surprise, “You’re from High Heaven Palace?”
Yang Xiao found the other man unfamiliar. Since he didn’t know him, he reckoned that the latter was a newly promoted Sixth-Order Master.
“Yes. The Head Manager said you’re recruiting members, and she told me to look for you.”
Hearing that, Yang Xiao appeared pleasantly surprised, “Head Manager Hua told you to look for me?” He then realised that this guy was from the Void Dao Temple; otherwise, Head Manager Hua wouldn’t have asked him to seek him out. At that moment, Yang Xiao started feeling expectant. Hua Qing Si had recommended two people previously, but unfortunately, their abilities were not up to his standards; as such, he recommended them to other Squads.
Anyway, cultivators who had cultivated the Dao of Space were universally welcomed, so they were soon accepted.
When fighting with the Black Ink Clan, even though strong Masters could help kill more enemies, there would also be times when escaping was essential. In times like these, cultivators who had cultivated the Dao of Space proved to be invaluable.
On all the battlefields, there was no doubt that the disciples from the Void Dao Temple were the most popular, especially those who had cultivated the Dao of Space. Once such people appeared, countless Squads would invite them to join them by offering many perks.
Yang Xiao was eager to find out Fang Tian Ci’s abilities, so without hesitation, he turned to the honest-looking young man and said, “Junior Brother Zhao, give him a test.”
Zhao Ye Bai stepped forward and motioned for Fang Tian Ci to follow him.
Fang Tian Ci knew that it was a test he had to pass if he wanted to join the Ten Directions Supreme Squad. As such, he followed the other man without any questions.
Soon, they left the forward outpost and disappeared into the void.
An hour later, they returned together. While Zhao Ye Bai remained calm and collected, Fang Tian Ci seemed to be lost in his thoughts.
The test was nothing special as Fang Tian Ci was only tested on his utilisation of the Dao of Space.
Fang Tian Ci was initially confident, but he never expected that Zhao Ye Bai was also a Master of the Dao of Space. Moreover, Zhao Ye Bai had a greater mastery over this Grand Dao than he did.
There was no doubt that Fang Tian Ci had been defeated by the other man when it came to the Dao of Space, and it wasn’t because Zhao Ye Bai was an Order above him, but rather because his comprehension of the Dao of Space was greater.
Fang Tian Ci felt that he had learned a lot, and he also came to realise that there were always people beyond people.
“How was it?” Yang Xiao asked eagerly.
Zhao Ye Bai gently nodded in response.
Yang Xiao guffawed and passionately patted Fang Tian Ci’s shoulder, “From now on, you’re a member of the Ten Directions Supreme Squad. We can finally do something greater.”
His Squad was basically unrivalled in the entire Profound Nether Territory. Others were envious that they were able to kill enemies with ease, but the truth was, how was it possible for them to improve themselves if they felt no pressure?
Only the weak bullied those weaker than themselves, while those who were strong challenged those who were stronger.
Their goal wasn’t to make a name for themselves in Profound Nether Territory; instead, they wanted to storm into the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clansmen had occupied, destroy their Black Ink Nests, and ruthlessly kill all the Black Ink Clansmen they could find.
However, if they wanted to do that, they would face a huge risk even though their Squad members were powerful; as such, they needed enough power to protect themselves.
They initially had such a member.
Back then, with Liu Yan and Zhao Ye Bai joining forces, they could escape if they came across enemies they were unable to defeat; however, after Liu Yan returned to the Star Boundary to cultivate in seclusion in her Phoenix Nest, the Squad’s mobility and ability to escape had been significantly reduced. That was why Yang Xiao sent a message to Hua Qing Si, asking her to look out for people who were experts in the Dao of Space.
Since Fang Tian Ci had passed Zhao Ye Bai’s test, there was no doubt that he had gained the latter’s acknowledgement. Yang Xiao had faith in Zhao Ye Bai’s judgement.
“Come on. I’ll introduce our members to you,” Yang Xiao said enthusiastically.
As he introduced the Squad members to Fang Tian Ci, the cultivators around them were envious. They knew what it would mean if one could join the Ten Directions Supreme Squad; however, they also knew that it wasn’t easy to become one of them.
Yang Xiao wasn’t interested in anyone who wasn’t capable enough.
Although it was Fang Tian Ci’s first time meeting these people, he somehow felt as though he had known them for a long time; as such, he became close to them very quickly.
He sincerely admired Zhao Ye Bai as he cupped his fist and said, “Please give me more guidance in the future, Senior Brother Zhao.”
Zhao Ye Bai smiled frankly, “If there’s some free time, we can discuss the Dao of Space and have a friendly competition. Since you’ve cultivated the Dao of Space, you must be from the Void Dao Temple and have inherited the Honoured Master’s Grand Dao. As such, you shouldn’t underestimate yourself.”
“Honoured Master?” Fang Tian Ci was stunned.
Yang Xiao smilingly wrapped his arm around Fang Tian Ci’s shoulders, “Junior Brother Zhao is my Adoptive Father’s First Legacy Disciple.”
“Adoptive Father?” Fang Tian Ci was astounded.
“I’m talking about the Dao Lord as you all call him,” Yang Xiao explained nonchalantly. Then, he appeared somewhat envious, “That old man certainly has had some fun by building a Dao Temple in his Small Universe. If I had one of the Four Universe Pillars and a Small Universe, I would’ve done the same.”
Fang Tian Ci was bewildered.
Hua Qing Si only told him to come look for Yang Xiao, but she didn’t give him many details. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised many members of this Squad were closely related to the Dao Lord.
The Dao Lord’s Adoptive Son, Little Sister, and three Legacy Disciples were all members.
Certainly, Fang Tian Ci was aware of Zhao Ye Bai and the other two Legacy Disciples. When he was cultivating in the Dao Temple back then, he was informed that the Dao Lord had taken on three Disciples in the Void World. They were all legendary figures, but they were now standing right in front of him.
Upon that realization, Fang Tian Ci felt relieved. It was no wonder that Zhao Ye Bai had a better grasp of the Dao of Space; he was the Dao Lord’s First Disciple who inherited his Dao of Space. It wasn’t surprising that he was more skilful in this Grand Dao.
It was only reasonable that Fang Tian Ci was defeated.
Fang Tian Ci felt that the Head Manager had found him a wonderful Squad to be a part of.
Initially, he only decided to take a look at Yang Xiao in Profound Nether Territory after getting a suggestion from the Head Manager, but he hadn’t made up his mind yet to join his Squad. After all, he had been cultivating in seclusion in the Star Boundary since he left the Void World; as such, he knew little about the 3,000 Worlds.
He had his own ideas, but he would also accept kind recommendations. He had passed Zhao Ye Bai’s test, and he acknowledged that the latter had a better grasp of the Dao of Space. By cultivating alongside such a powerful person, he would gain immense benefits.
However, he soon realised that the Ten Directions Supreme Squad did not only have Senior Brother Zhao, but also Senior Sister Zhao and Senior Brother Xu.
The Dao Lord’s three Disciples had respectively inherited his three primary Grand Daos.
By joining the Ten Directions Supreme Squad, it would mean that Fang Tian Ci had a chance to frequently exchange insights on these Grand Daos with them. It was a good reason for him to join the Squad.
An energetic Yang Xiao declared, “Since that is settled, we should go and get some resources first; then, we’ll throw a welcome party for Junior Brother Fang. When we’re done getting prepared, we’ll set off.”
They could finally leave the Profound Nether Territory and roam the Great Territories that the Black Ink Clan had occupied. Yang Xiao could not wait to get started.
The others were naturally fine with it. Over the years, Yang Xiao had been the one leading the Squad. It wasn’t that he was the strongest. In fact, the Seventh-Order Masters in the Squad were all equally powerful. It was just that the others had no interest in managing the Squad’s affairs, so they decided to let Yang Xiao take charge of everything.
At the mention of resources, Fang Tian Ci suddenly recalled something and fished out a Space Ring, “By the way, Senior Brother Yang, when I was at the Army Headquarters the other day, a Junior Sister named Yun Xi told me to pass this to you. There are some pills inside…”
Before he could finish his words, he felt a forceful clasp on his shoulder, which caused him some pain.
Fang Tian Ci was astounded, thinking that Yang Xiao’s strength was quite intense.
“What are you talking about, Junior Brother? I don’t understand.”
Fang Tian Ci was confused so he tried to explain again, “Senior Brother, it was a Junior Sister named Yun Xi…”
“Hehe…” A melodious laugh was suddenly heard from the side. Fang Tian Ci reckoned that it was Yang Xue’s voice, and he could feel that Yang Xiao was shuddering.
When he turned his head, he saw Yang Xiao glaring at him, “Junior Brother, you should not follow the crooked path.”
Fang Tian Ci was puzzled.
Without explaining further, Yang Xiao left him and walked up to Yang Xue before whispering to her. Fang Tian Ci could faintly hear him saying, “I don’t know any such woman. Don’t listen to his nonsense.”
Zhao Ye Bai came over and patted Fang Tian Ci’s shoulder with a smile, “Let’s go, Junior Brother Fang.”
A worried Fang Tian Ci said, “Senior Brother Yang…”
“He had it coming!” Zhao Ya walked past them and snorted.
…..
In a dense forest, the sprawling branches seemed to be connected. All the trees were gigantic, and their crowns were so vast that when one looked down at the continent from above, it was as though it was a sea of green.
Although many Humans lived in the Myriad Monsters World now, the environment hadn’t changed much. Such wilderness had been sustained for uncountable years, so not much change would happen in a short time.
In this dense forest, danger was hidden everywhere. The roles of hunters and prey could be flipped upside down in an instant. A more powerful creature might just be hiding somewhere behind, waiting to pounce on its prey and gnaw at it.
It was the perfect representation of natural selection.
In such an environment, the Monster Race had an unrivalled advantage when it came to their cultivation. The Heavenly Way and Principles of this World favoured Monster Race too. It was made even more conspicuous after a World Tree clone was planted several hundred years ago.
More and more Great Monsters broke through their shackles and shook off the Universe World’s shackles, allowing them to head out into the expansive Outer Universe to explore the unknown.
As the strongest Great Monsters left, the original balance was shattered. After several hundred years of change, there was now a new order in this World.
Even though it was daytime, it was still extremely dark in the forest as the tree crowns blocked all sunlight.
An arm-thick snake with glistening skin slithered around a branch and approached its target in silence, a tree cave in the trunk that exuded the aura of blood and flesh.
Although the snake was furtive, the prey in the tree cave still noticed its presence. Just as the snake stuck its head into the tree cave, a grey shadow dashed out at the speed of lighting.
The snake seemed prepared. The moment the grey shadow appeared, the snake shot forward and opened its hideous mouth before biting down.
The grey shadow howled in pain, but it couldn’t get rid of the snake. As poison entered its body, the grey shadow soon stopped moving.
The snake then wrapped its body around the trunk and widened its bloody mouth. It was ready to enjoy its meal.
Unbeknownst to it, there was a shadow behind it that moved slightly. The shadow perfectly blended into the tree’s shadow, ensuring no one could see it. The shadow had seen the snake successfully take down its prey, but it remained unmoving, which showed how patient it was.
Just as the snake was deluged with the joy of having killed its prey, the dark shadow leapt out.
Compared to the snake, there was no doubt that the dark shadow was smaller, but it was extremely agile and appeared behind the snake in the blink of an eye before biting its neck.
The snake hissed in pain as its figure started writhing and fell to the ground. The dark shadow quickly leapt away with a piece of flesh in its mouth and gulped it down.
As a metallic tang permeated the area, the snake hissed wildly as it coiled up and raised its head high to intimidate the opponent.
However, the dark shadow remained unphased. As it stepped on the fallen leaves, it made no noise. It just kept circling the snake, patiently waiting for a chance to strike.
This kind of life-and-death battle frequently took place in the forest. The winner would enjoy its delicious meal while the loser ended up in the other’s stomach.
Half an hour later, the battle ended.
The snake lay on the ground with countless wounds on its body, many of which were bone-deep. The dark shadow was the winner as it now devoured its prey.
However, the dark shadow soon collapsed to the ground.
Although it had gained victory, it wasn’t unharmed. Its prey resisted fiercely and bit the dark shadow several times earlier; as such, the dark shadow had been struck with poison.
This kind of poison wasn’t lethal, but it would make the dark shadow blackout for a while.
However, in such a dangerous forest, the dark shadow probably wouldn’t wake up again.
An incense stick later, the sound of something brushing through the canopy was heard in this silent forest and several figures dexterously jumped from branch to branch.
Although the Human Race had started living in the Myriad Monsters World over 200 years ago, this World remained a treasure trove that was yet to be fully exploited.
Apart from Monster Beasts in this World, the things that were most useful to the Humans were Spirit Flowers and Herbs.
After all, this was a Universe World where ancient wilderness remained unexplored, and Monster Race knew nothing about Alchemy. Other than the Spirit Herbs that could be consumed directly, the rest wasn’t put to good use. As such, the Humans living in this place would come together and enter the forest to collect precious resources every so often, gaining massive rewards each time.
However, this came with many risks. Although Yang Kai had told the Great Monsters in the Myriad Monsters World they could not hunt the Humans back then, this kind of thing couldn’t be prevented entirely. There were still some Monster Beasts who retained their wild nature and who functioned more on instinct than reason, so if they came across a Human on their own, they would normally just eat them.
Under most circumstances, the Humans and Monster Race got along fairly well in the Myriad Monsters World. Neither side made a move on the other for no reason, which was why the Humans dared to enter the forest and collect Herbs. Without Yang Kai’s restriction in the past, these Human cultivators would’ve been destroyed the moment they stepped into the forest.
Suddenly, a petite figure stopped in her tracks. She looked like a beautiful young woman in her early twenties and her aptitude was clearly quite good as she was already in the Separation and Reunion Boundary.
The metallic tang in the air was obvious, so she certainly noticed it.
As she looked around, she soon saw the bloodied battlefield. She leaped from the branches and landed beside the snake; then, she saw the dark shadow lying on the ground.
“Junior Sister,” another figure landed beside her. He seemed to be a young man who was a few years older.
The young woman pointed at the dark shadow and said, “It’s a Shadow Leopard!”
“Is it dead?” The man asked.
“I don’t think so,” the young woman replied. Then, she placed her hand on the Shadow Leopard’s neck and said affirmatively, “It’s still alive, but I think it’s been struck with poison.”
The man urged her by saying, “Ignore it. In the Myriad Monsters World, it’s only normal that Monster Beasts fight with each other. We should focus on our mission.”
“However, if we ignore it, it will be eaten by other Monster Beasts.” The woman didn’t have the heart to let the small leopard die, so she looked up at the man, “Please save it, Senior Brother.”
The man frowned as he wasn’t willing to have a hand in the affairs between Monster Beasts, so he dissuaded her, saying, “It would be terrible if its parents misunderstand us. This Shadow Leopard is still very young, so perhaps its parents are nearby.”
The young woman replied, “If they were nearby, they would’ve saved it already. Its parents must be dead. It’s such a pity that this leopard has to start hunting at such a young age.”
As she recalled certain memories, she felt a lump in her throat.
She went on to say, “Moreover, it’s fine even if its parents come looking for it. We’ll just give the leopard back to them. Please save it, Senior Brother.”
As she tipped her head back, she looked at the man with teary eyes.
The man didn’t have the heart to see the woman cry, so he raised his hands and gave in, “Alright. We’ll save it. Stop crying.”
The young woman instantly stopped crying and smiled, “You’re the best, Senior Brother.”
Then, she crouched down and picked up the Shadow Leopard, “Let’s go, Senior Brother.”
“Are you going to carry it just like this?”
“Yes?”
“Shouldn’t you give it a detoxifying pill and dress up its wounds?”
“Ah…” only then did the young woman come to her senses and start treating the little leopard. Since they had to enter the forest to collect Spirit Herbs frequently, they always made sure to bring some detoxifying pills with them as they never knew what they might encounter. Such pills were useful at this moment.
In the expansive Universe, there were countless Sects and Great Forces. The Cave Heavens and Paradises had a long history with ample heritage, and were unrivalled in the 3,000 Worlds. As such, they were considered First Class.
Under the Cave Heavens and Paradises, the Great Forces with Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters assuming command were considered Second Class.
For the Great Forces that didn’t even have any Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters, they were classified as Third Class.
Supposedly, the Universe should be filled with the lowest class Great Forces, but the truth was, Second Class Great Forces came in the largest number in the 3,000 Worlds.
Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm ranged from the Fourth-Order to the Sixth-Order, and as long as a cultivator’s aptitude wasn’t too terrible, he or she could make an initial breakthrough to the Second or Third-Order Open Heaven Realm. After that, given enough time, effort, and resources, such a person would become a Fourth-Order Master.
As such, there were a lot of Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Masters in any Great Territory, while there would be quite a number of Sixth-Order Masters as well.
However, even if the two Great Forces were both second-class, the difference in their heritages could be immense.
As long as there was a single Fourth-Order Master in a Sect, it was considered Second Class. On the other hand, a Sect with several Sixth-Order Masters in charge was also considered Second Class, but no one would say two such Sects were comparable.
Great Feather Pavilion was a below-average Second Class Great Force. At the peak of its power, it only had two Fifth-Order Masters and four Fourth-Order Masters. This kind of heritage could only be described as ordinary.
However, even a Great Force like Great Feather Pavilion had occupied a Great Territory and had it named after their Sect.
Following the Black Ink Clan’s invasion however, all Great Forces, no matter their size or strength, had no choice but to give up on their heritages and evacuate to High Heaven Territory, even the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Back then, Great Feather Pavilion was visited by a Human Squad that was deployed from the Barren Territory. Following their instructions, they met up with the Great Forces from the other nearby Great Territories and headed to High Heaven Territory. Although they experienced some dangers along the way, they safely arrived at their destination.
Their lives in High Heaven Territory were hard.
At that time, there were countless cultivators from different Great Forces that had gathered together. Just like those from Great Feather Pavilion, they had left their homes and didn’t have a place to stay.
There were two Universe Worlds in High Heaven Territory. One of them was the Star Boundary and the other was the Demon Realm. No ordinary people could go to the former, while the latter wasn’t suitable for most people to live in.
Since there was a lack of space and resources, everyone from Great Feather Pavilion was filled with a sense of despair.
It wasn’t until High Heaven Palace sent them to a Universe World in the New Great Territory that they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
After such a traumatising experience, everyone from the Elders down to the lowest disciples of the Sect realised just how miserable it was to be weak. However, it was extremely difficult to increase one’s strength.
Therefore, when the Masters of the Star Boundary spread word about the Myriad Monsters World, the Open Heaven Realm Masters from Great Feather Pavilion all headed to Profound Nether Territory without hesitation to join the war against the Black Ink Clan so that they could earn Military Merits, which could be traded for the right to live in the Myriad Monsters World.
The appearance of the Myriad Monsters World was like a beacon of hope for the weaker Great Forces.
They didn’t have the right to enter the Star Boundary, but the Myriad Monsters World represented a new beginning. As long as they could let their Juniors cultivate in the Myriad Monsters World, they would get nourishment from the World Tree clone. Perhaps there would be a prodigy who could directly ascend to the Sixth Order or Seventh Order in the future. Just one such person would be enough to help them overcome their destitute destiny.
Finally, when the Myriad Monsters World was opened up, the first batch of people from Great Feather Pavilion settled down in that place. Initially, there were only 10 or so disciples from their Sect, but as time passed, more and more moved into the Myriad Monsters World.
They occupied a small Spirit Peak and rebuilt Great Feather Pavilion. Although the beginning was tough, they were no longer in the position like that of several hundred years ago where they were unable to even imagine a future for themselves.
Now, there were 8,000 to 10,000 Great Forces that had settled down in the Myriad Monsters World, and there would surely be even more in the future.
Fortunately, the Myriad Monsters World was vast. When Yang Kai inspected this place back then, he realised that it was much larger than an average Universe World. If it wasn’t, it couldn’t have accommodated so many Great Forces.
Presently, the Open Heaven Realm Masters above the Third Order from Great Feather Pavilion had headed to the battlefields to battle the enemy. Only several old and frail Second-Order Masters stayed behind in the Sect to teach the younger disciples.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much danger in the Myriad Monsters World. Otherwise, these Second-Order Masters couldn’t have ensured everyone’s safety.
Several young kids stood outside the Sect’s entrance and appeared expectant. Suddenly, one of them exclaimed, “Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters are back!”
Following the cheers, many agile figures passed through the forest and approached them in the blink of an eye.
There were fewer than 100 people, and they were all young people in their teens and twenties.
The effectiveness of the World Tree clone’s nourishment had a lot to do with cultivation and age. A young person with low cultivation would get the most benefits, while an old Third-Order Emperor Realm Master might not gain any benefits at all.
Every quota to live in the Myriad Monsters World was valuable; as such, those from Great Feather Pavilion wouldn’t dare to waste them, sending those young disciples who had excellent aptitudes to this place with the bare minimum of Elders to look after them.
Chatters and laughter were heard in front of the entrance.
Soon, the young kids were attracted to a particular anomaly. It was a little beast with black and smooth fur. The little beast seemed to be injured as it was asleep in a Senior Sister’s arms. Blood had seeped through the bandages around its body.
The young kids surrounded the Senior Sister and chirruped. It appeared they had instantly become fond of this little beast.
A young disciple asked, “Senior Sister Qin Xue, is this a Monster Beast?”
Qin Xue smiled and nodded, “En, it’s a Shadow Leopard.”
The disciple extended his hand in an attempt to touch the Shadow Leopard, but he soon retracted it as he was worried that the Shadow Leopard would wake up suddenly and bite him.
A Second-Order Master asked, “What’s going on?”
Qin Xue then briefly relayed to him what happened to the Snow Leopard and asked, “Elder, can I raise it?”
The Elder replied, “I don’t mind you raising it, but how do you intend to feed it?”
“I can bring it out and do some hunting.”
The Elder shook his head, “When that Sir planted the World Tree clone in this place 300 years ago, he made an agreement with the Great Monsters that both Races should coexist harmoniously and that we couldn’t harm each other for no reason. Although there have been incidents of Monster Beasts hunting Humans over the years, that was mostly related to beasts who had retained their wild nature. As such, we couldn’t settle the score with them. If you make a move on the Monster Race though, it will be a breach of the agreement between that Sir and the Monster Race. If the Monster Race members flare up, no one can protect you.”
It was the first time Qin Xue heard about this, so she was caught in a dilemma. After pondering for a moment, she asked, “Will it be alright if we hunt some normal beasts?”
The Elder nodded, “That should be fine.”
Normal beasts were not part of the agreement; after all, some weaker cultivators still needed to eat to survive.
An elated Qin Xue said, “I’ll keep it for now, then. Now that it’s hurt, it won’t survive if we release it back to the forest. When it recovers, I’ll let it go if it doesn’t want to stay.”
“Good,” the Elder nodded.
As such, the little Shadow Leopard was kept in the Great Feather Pavilion.
Qin Xue was initially worried that the Shadow Leopard wouldn’t be able to adapt to the new environment, but she soon realised that her concerns were unnecessary.
Although the Shadow Leopard was still very young, it seemed to have some sentience as it knew who saved it. After it awakened, it didn’t show any hostility towards Qin Xue.
As Qin Xue took good care of the Shadow Leopard and it recovered quickly.
When she went to visit the Shadow Leopard a month later, she realised that it was nowhere to be seen. She searched everywhere in Great Feather Pavilion but still couldn’t find it.
It seemed that the Shadow Leopard had left without a word.
This made the young woman sad; however, after giving it some thought, she realised that a Monster Beast like the Shadow Leopard was supposed to live in the wild. By keeping it in the Great Feather Pavilion, it might wear away the leopard’s instincts, which would inevitably weaken it. As such, she soon accepted this reality.
It wasn’t until half a year later that she came across the Shadow Leopard again.
As though they were destined to meet again, Qin Xue bumped into the dark shadow when she was collecting Spirit Herbs in the forest. The Shadow Leopard walked up to her with obvious affection, which pleasantly surprised Qin Xue. They hadn’t met for half a year, and the Shadow Leopard had grown much larger.
She managed to collect more resources this time, as with the Shadow Leopard leading the way, she easily found a lot of precious Herbs.
Since then, collecting Spirit Herbs was the activity that she looked forward to the most.
As time passed, both Qin Xue and the Shadow Leopard both grew stronger.
The young woman had grown up to be a beautiful lady like a blooming flower. She had married her beloved Senior Brother and given birth to children. She lived a full and happy life.
On the other hand, the Shadow Leopard had grown from a Monster Beast to a Monster General, then a Monster Commander, and eventually an intimidating Monster King.
The Great Forces nearby knew that there was a Monster King that was equivalent to an Emperor Realm Master protecting the Great Feather Pavilion’s territory. As such, the disciples from the Great Feather Pavilion were safe whenever they headed out to collect herbs or wander around.
All this was because a young woman took the initiative to save a Shadow Leopard in the past. Others couldn’t help feeling envious.
Although they wanted to do the same, they didn’t know where to start.
Several hundred years later, heavy rain poured down from the sky as lightning struck through the night.
Qin Xue heard a familiar growl when she was cultivating. Her expression changed as she immediately stopped.
Then, she pressed her ear against the door and listened for a while. Following that, she dashed out of the Great Feather Pavilion and charged forward in the rain. Now, she was an Emperor Realm Master who had condensed her Dao Seal. As long as she refined the Seven Elements, she would be able to ascend to the Open Heaven Realm. Her aptitude was fairly good, though not the best, so she had been refining Fifth-Order materials over the years. As such, she could most likely directly ascend to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
One had to know that just a few hundred years ago, the strongest Master in Great Feather Pavilion was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and he had worked his way up to that level from the Third-Order. No one in Great Feather Pavilion’s history had ever directly ascended to the Fifth Order in the past. All this was thanks to the World Tree clone’s nourishment.
Now, several people in the Great Feather Pavilion also had the potential to directly ascend to the Fifth Order. Although no one had yet shown the aptitude to reach the Sixth Order directly, there was no doubt Great Feather Pavilion was on the rise.
Qin Xue’s Emperor Qi blocked out the pouring rain for her as she dexterously ran forward and soon stood above a tall tree crown.
When she looked up, she felt her chest tightening.
On a peak that was several hundred metres above the ground, lightning struck and illuminated the entire world.
She saw the well-built Shadow Leopard, who had been her friend for hundreds of years, standing on the peak and howling at the sky, no trace of fear in its voice.
[It’s going to attempt a breakthrough!]
Qin Xue couldn’t help but feel worried at this sight.
Now, Qin Xue was no longer an inexperienced 20-year-old woman. At the very least, she was an Emperor Realm Master who had been living in the Myriad Monsters World for hundreds of years, so she was aware of many secrets that commoners did not know.
This expansive Universe had gone through three very long eras, which were the Primordial Era, the Early Ancient Era, and the Late Ancient Era. They were respectively ruled by the Divine Spirits, Monster Beasts, and finally the Humans.
In every era, the Heavenly Way favoured these different rulers.
In the Early Ancient Era, the Heavenly Way favoured the Monster Race, and as such, it was easier for the Monster Race to cultivate. Following the fall of the Early Ancient Era and the arrival of the Late Ancient Era, Humans rose to prominence; therefore, the preference was shifted from the Monster Race to the Humans.
In other words, the Humans were the current favourites in this Universe. Perhaps it had something to do with the Humans’ influence on the Heavenly Way due to their rise in power. However, even though Qin Xue was an Emperor Realm Master, she couldn’t form judgements of her own as she had only heard about such things from others.
The only thing she was certain of was that the current era wasn’t friendly to the Monster Race, making it more difficult for them to cultivate than the Humans.
The ancient cultivation techniques of the Monster Race had been lost to time, so most relied on the Humans’ Open Heaven Realm method to achieve an ascension. In other words, they had to assume Human Forms to shatter their shackles.
However, the Myriad Monsters World was a place which somehow preserved the aura of the Early Ancient Era quite well. It was said that when the Lord of the Star Boundary arrived at this place several hundred years ago, the Great Monsters here had not only lost the ancient cultivation techniques, but they had also never met Humans before. As such, how were they supposed to assume Human Forms and make use of the Humans’ Open Heaven Realm cultivation method to break their innate shackles? Therefore, in the past, the Great Monsters were unable to get rid of the World’s restrictions. Once they became Monster Kings, they were unable to improve any further.
The Lord of the Star Boundary did not only plant a World Tree clone here though, he had also taught the Great Monsters the Primal Art. It was thanks to him that the Great Monsters were able to continue cultivating.
Therefore, in the Myriad Monsters World now, there were two methods the Monster Race could use to cultivate. One was to use the Primal Art left behind by the Lord of the Star Boundary, and the other was the Humans’ Open Heaven Realm method. There were pros and cons to both, so neither could be said to be superior. The Monster Race members had to make their own decisions.
Many Monster Beasts became close to Humans when they were still very young, and were subsequently raised by them. Since these Monster Beasts quickly learned how to assume Human Form, they naturally chose the Human’s cultivation method.
However, a Monster Race member like the Shadow Leopard, who had always remained a beast, chose the Primal Art.
It had been over 10 years since Qin Xue last met the Shadow Leopard, and at that time, she already felt that the beast was on the brink of achieving a breakthrough. Nevertheless, she hadn’t heard any news from it since then.
Much to her surprise, she heard the noise of its breakthrough on this stormy night.
She had read a lot of ancient books and found out that Monster Race members who chose to achieve a breakthrough by using the Primal Art had to face a much greater risk than those who relied on the Open Heaven Realm method.
That was because Monster Race members cultivated the Primal Art by refining their Monster Cores, which were their very foundation. The stronger the Monster Core, the more powerful the Monster Race member was, but there were also a lot of uncertainties in this refining process.
Qin Xue couldn’t help feeling worried. She had spent the last few centuries with the Shadow Leopard, so she had already regarded it as her friend. In her heart, this Monster Race member was just as important as her husband and children.
Now that the Shadow Leopard was at the most critical moment of its ascension, it was only natural that she was anxious.
Just then, another roar reverberated across the sky.
Following the roar, thick Monster Qi permeated the area as though it had materialised. In an instant, the peak was surrounded by a layer of fog.
*Kacha…*
As though responding to the Shadow Leopard’s roar, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky.
Qin Xue could faintly see that on the peak, the Shadow Leopard spat out a round object that soon hovered above its head.
It was the Shadow Leopard’s Monster Core!
A bolt of lightning struck down at the small Monster Core like it was a long whip.
Qin Xue flinched as though she was the one being whipped. She widened her eyes and looked intently at the Shadow Leopard.
The originally still Monster Core started rotating around after being hit by the lightning. Threads of lightning whirled around the dark Monster Core and formed some cracks in it.
The Shadow Leopard growled as its Monster Qi surged to repair its Monster Core.
Just like how the Humans had to go through a World Baptism when achieving an ascension, Monster Race members experienced a similar trial. However, the current situation was more dangerous than the trials Humans had to face.
After all, the Heavenly Way was in favour of the Humans presently. If a Monster Race member relied on the Open Heaven method to achieve a breakthrough, they were essentially complying with the Heavenly Way. However, if they chose the Primal Art, they were defying the Heavens. As such, the wrath of lightning wasn’t just a trial, but a Heavenly Tribulation.
It was thanks to the primitive environment in the Myriad Monsters World that the tribulation was less severe. If a Monster Race member attempted a breakthrough in such a way in any other Universe World, it would face an even more ferocious attack.
Everything seemed frail beneath the Heavenly Tribulation. If the Shadow Leopard couldn’t persevere, it would be killed and its Monster Core would be destroyed; however, if it could survive, it would gain massive benefits.
Another even more powerful flash of lightning struck just then, causing Monster Core to spin even faster.
Seeing this, Qin Xue set her mind at ease. She had known the Shadow Leopard for years, so she was aware of its capabilities. This kind of Heavenly Tribulation supposedly wouldn’t cause the beast serious harm.
She secretly prayed that her friend would not get too greedy. If she had known what would happen, she would’ve looked for the beast and discussed with it earlier.
Nevertheless, given the Shadow Leopard’s temperament, she reckoned that it was useless to talk to the beast about it.
This fellow was obstinate. When it was still a little beast back then, it left Great Feather Pavilion without a word after it recovered.
As the bolts of lightning continued to strike, the Shadow Leopard remained unmoving. It only kept howling in response, as though it was trying to shatter the sky.
“Who goes there?” Qin Xue’s expression turned cold abruptly as she charged forward in a particular direction. While in mid-air, a sword appeared in her hand.
“Jade Moon Sword Arts, 3,000 Sword Lights!”
A rain of sword lights poured down like a storm as countless trees were instantly leveled; however, a momentary glint from within the chaos made Qin Xue’s heart sink.
Violent Monster Qi surged from below. The sword lights struck Monster Qi and disappeared, as though the latter was a mire.
Certainly, Qin Xue hadn’t fully unleashed her power, but it also showed how powerful the other party was.
Finally, Qin Xue realised who had been acting furtively in this nearby place.
It was a Monster King, not a Human.
A series of hisses were heard. From the thick Monster Qi, a snake head that was as large as a house emerged. The snake head was angular, as though it was carved from a rock, and its scales looked extremely robust. The snake glowered at Qin Xue, who was standing on a nearby branch. There seemed to be a sense of ruthlessness behind those eyes.
“Rock Snake King!” Qin Xue’s pupils dilated, but she soon calmed herself down, “Snake King, please withdraw!”
She secretly cursed, thinking that it indeed wouldn’t be easy for the Shadow Leopard to achieve an ascension.
Following the agreement between the Lord of the Star Boundary and the Great Monsters back then, the Human Race and Monster Race had been living together harmoniously in the Myriad Monsters World. However, the Monster Race still fought amongst themselves quite fiercely. Every living Monster King made a name for itself by killing many other Monster Race members.
The Shadow Leopard was no exception to this. When Qin Xue saw the Shadow Leopard for the first time, she felt that it was cute and adorable, but the truth was he was the most ferocious Monster Race member she was aware of. Moreover, it was quite arrogant.
This kind of Monster Race member naturally had a lot of enemies.
Qin Xue had saved the Shadow Leopard’s life before. As such, a grateful Shadow Leopard never showed its wild side in front of her over the years.
The Rock Snake King was one of the Shadow Leopard’s enemies as their territories were next to each other. The Shadow Leopard was bullied by the snake when it was weak, so when it grew stronger, it was determined to get its revenge.
Certainly, the Rock Snake King wouldn’t allow its enemy to grow in power. If the Shadow Leopard passed through the tribulation and ascended above the Monster King Realm, the Rock Snake King would be doomed.
Therefore, the moment it realised that the Shadow Leopard was attempting a breakthrough, it slithered over and approached the Shadow Leopard in secret, waiting for a chance to deal a fatal blow to its enemy. Nonetheless, Qin Xue managed to detect its presence.
The Rock Snake King was extremely powerful; furthermore, its skin was as hard as steel. The Shadow Leopard had exchanged moves with it several times but could never defeat it outright. Although Qin Xue was an Emperor Realm Master, she didn’t have the confidence to defeat the Snake King either. In fact, she might not even be able to protect herself.
Even though it was difficult for Monster Race members to cultivate, they were innately more powerful than the Humans when in the same Realm. That was because they had robust physiques and spent much longer accumulating heritage.
“You dare make a move against me, Human?” The Rock Snake King glared at Qin Xue as it hissed and spoke Human language.
Qin Xue frowned and cupped her fist, “Please forgive my earlier offence, Snake King.”
They had to comply with the agreement between the Lord of the Star Boundary and the Great Monsters, which was the very foundation of the Human Race’s survival in the Myriad Monsters World. Without this agreement, the Humans would find it hard to live in such a world.
The Rock Snake King snorted, “Scram. I don’t want to waste any time on you.”
Following that, its burly figure zigzagged towards the Shadow Leopard.
Certainly, Qin Xue couldn’t back down; otherwise, the Shadow Leopard’s ascension would be interrupted. Let alone break through to a higher Realm, it might even lose its life.
A hint of hesitation flashed across Qin Xue’s eyes, but she soon brought down her sword and sent a sword wave slashing across the route where the Snake King was heading, forming a crack on the ground.
“Please retreat, Snake King!”
Rain poured down from the dark sky as the small woman stood steadfastly on the tree branch in front of the Rock Snake King.
The eyes on the snake head beamed with an insidious glow as it hissed rapidly. Soon, a Human-like smile appeared on its face, “Good, this King has never eaten a Human before. I’ll devour you before dealing with that stupid leopard!”
The moment it finished speaking, its snake head appeared in front of Qin Xue all of a sudden and opened its hideous mouth, emanating a pungent breath. It was as though the snake wanted to swallow Qin Xue in one fell swoop.
A terrible stink exuded from the snake’s gruesome mouth. Qin Xue’s petite figure was stuck inside the mouth as though she would be devoured at any moment.
At the most critical moment, she resisted the snake’s teeth with her sword. Following a violent impact, she was sent flying away, thus widening her gap with the Rock Snake King.
Although the snake was heavy, it zigzagged forward at an incredible speed. As its Monster Qi surged, the trees along the way cracked and fell to the ground as though they were just straws.
The moment Qin Xue stabilised herself, she felt an immense force coming from behind. She swung her sword and infused her Emperor Qi into it to protect her back.
With a boom, the huge snake tail struck, almost shattering her protective Emperor Qi. Qin Xue staggered forward, but before she could regain her footing, she saw a green fog coming at her.
She was astounded. Although she knew that it wasn’t easy to deal with a Monster King, it wasn’t until she exchanged moves with the Rock Snake King that she realised how powerful the other party was.
Initially, she just wanted to stop the Rock Snake King from harming the Shadow Leopard, but she soon realised that she couldn’t deter the other party without going all out.
“Snake King, forgive my disrespect!” She wielded her sword and cast the fog away with a flash of sword lights that soon formed a light screen and covered the snake.
She had used the most powerful method she possessed to strike back.
“Good!” The Rock Snake King was enraged. It let the sword lights rain on it and cut across its robust skin. As its blood streamed down from the wounds, it roared, “Since the agreement has been nullified, what are you all waiting for?”
Qin Xue’s expression changed drastically, “Snake King, you…”
The Rock Snake King smiled wickedly, “You’re the one who broke the agreement first, so it is not our Monster Race’s fault if your Sect is destroyed!”
Several hundred years ago, that Master who taught the Monster Race the Primal Art agreed with the strongest Great Monsters of the time, which stated that the two Races must not harm each other for no reason. As such, both Races had been living together harmoniously for the past few hundred years.
However, the Myriad Monsters World originally belonged to Monster Race.
More and more Humans appeared in this place with each passing day, and although their existence posed no threat to the Monster Race, many of these Humans had ample vitality in their bodies. Therefore, Monster Race members coveted them. If they could devour these cultivators, it would be beneficial to their growth.
Many Monster Kings intended to eat these Humans as food; however, they were unable to do so since there was an agreement in place.
Nonetheless, several hundred years had passed, so the initial fear which enforced the agreement was less oppressive now. The Monster Race only needed a chance to nullify the agreement.
Only now did Qin Xue figure out that the Rock Snake King did not only want to get its revenge, but was also plotting against the Humans when it decided to interrupt the Shadow Leopard’s ascension.
Streams of Monster Qi started surging from all directions suddenly. They were all Monster Kings who were just as powerful as the Rock Snake King.
These Monster Kings approached in the rain.
Qin Xue was naturally flustered.
Many figures emerged from Great Feather Pavilion and looked into the distance. The Shadow Leopard’s ascension, the fight between Qin Xue and the Snake King, and the Snake King’s roar were by no means quiet, so there was no way those from Great Feather Pavilion didn’t hear them.
Among the crowd, a young woman, who resembled Qin Xue, exclaimed with a flustered expression, “Mother is over there!”
Several Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who were in charge of the Great Feather Pavilion, sported solemn expressions.
Given their strength, they were not afraid of those Monster Kings. Regardless of how powerful Monster Kings were, they hadn’t broken free from the World’s restrictions. On the other hand, even though their Order was low, they were still Open Heaven Realm Masters. These Monster Kings were not comparable to them at all.
However, these Humans couldn’t make a move; otherwise, the peace that had been sustained for hundreds of years in the Myriad Monsters World would be shattered. When that happened, the entire Myriad Monsters World would descend into chaos.
They couldn’t possibly bear the responsibility.
“How could Qin Xue be so foolish to make a move on a Monster King?” One Second-Order Master snapped. As he spoke, he took a step forward, “I’ll bring her back.”
The Humans were not supposed to meddle in the Monster Race’s affairs.
Nevertheless, after the Second-Order Master took two steps forward, a figure stood in his way. She was the young woman who resembled Qin Xue, and although her cultivation was low, she still spread her arms and stood steadfastly there, “You can’t go, Elder. Leopard King is achieving an ascension, and the Snake King is its enemy. If you bring Mother back, Leopard King will be killed.”
“If I don’t bring your Mother back, she will die. If she’s killed by a Monster King, we won’t even be able to avenge her death,” the Second-Order Elder stared at the young woman, who appeared hesitant.
“Step aside!” The Elder ordered.
Tears welled up in the young woman’s eyes as she didn’t know what to do.
After a sigh, a middle-aged man emerged from the crowd, “I’ll go over.” He was also an Emperor Realm Master.
The young woman called out in pleasant surprise, “Father!”
The middle-aged man lovingly stroked the young woman’s head and looked at the Second-Order Master, “Please look after Shuang’er, Elder.”
The Elder frowned and said solemnly, “You mustn’t act on a whim.”
The middle-aged man smiled, “Don’t worry.”
The next moment, he turned into a ray of light and charged forward.
Meanwhile, a large area of the forest where Qin Xue and the Rock Snake King were fighting had been levelled, covered with a thick green fog. Inside the poisonous fog, sword lights could faintly be seen flickering. The fight between them had reached a climax.
Although Qin Xue had condensed her Dao Seal, she still found it hard to deal with a Monster King who was only one step away from achieving a breakthrough. Moreover, her Emperor Qi was draining quickly as she needed to defend herself from the poisonous fog and fight at the same time. There was no doubt she was in a perilous situation.
Just then, a figure boldly charged into the fog with a sword in hand and joined the fight. As he and Qin Xue joined forces, they were able to fend off the Rock Snake King’s violent attacks.
“There’s one more here. Very good!” The Rock Snake King guffawed at how foolish these Humans were. Since one more Human had joined the fight, things would be simpler for Monster Race. It had made the right decision to persuade the other Monster Kings to take action together.
The middle-aged man wrapped his arm around Qin Xue’s waist and flew backwards for several hundred metres. The moment they left the fog, the man shouted, “Snake King, why don’t we stop things here?”
“In your dreams!” The Rock Snake King shot out of the fog. Although its figure was huge, it was extremely agile. The snake opened its mouth and hissed, “Since you dare make a move, don’t even think about leaving this place alive!”
“So be it,” the middle-aged man put on a bitter smile. He knew that they couldn’t settle the problem easily, but he still wanted to give it a try. As such, he wasn’t disappointed when he failed.
Then, he lifted his sword and surged his Emperor Qi before shouting, “I, Hou Qing Hai and my Wife will take responsibility for today’s matter. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Please abide by the agreement, Monster Kings. Don’t be fooled by any unscrupulous villain and risk ruining your futures!”
His voice travelled for quite a distance, and the Monster Kings, who were crossing the borders and approaching them, were startled for a moment, but they soon shrugged it off.
Inside Great Feather Pavilion, the Second-Order Elder sighed. He had already expected this kind of outcome when Hou Qing Hai offered to go, but he was unable to stop him.
The young woman cried, “Father! Mother!” Just as she was about to dash forward, the Second-Order Elder tapped his hand on her head, and the young woman collapsed.
“Take her inside,” the Elder ordered.
Some Senior Sisters who were close to her carried her and entered the pavilion.
Several Second-Order Elders looked in the battlefield’s direction and sighed.
“I’m afraid this issue will be hard to settle.”
“Since we’re here, Great Feather Pavilion will be safe. The Monster Kings won’t have the guts to attack us.”
“I’m worried today’s incident will affect the current affairs in the Myriad Monsters World. If the Monster Race members turn hostile against the Humans as a whole, we will be held responsible.”
“We have to inform the High Heaven Palace about this and ask them to help settle this issue.”
“Do we just let Qing Hai and Qin Xue fight on their own?”
“There are Monster Emperors in the Myriad Monsters World. If we make a move, those Monster Emperors won’t stay silent and do nothing. Unless we’re ready to fight the entire Monster Race, we mustn’t act rashly.”
Someone let out a long sigh. They were powerless to solve this crisis; after all, they were only Second-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so they were not powerful enough to suppress all the Monster Race members in the Myriad Monsters World. It was a pity that two bright disciples were in trouble. Both Hou Qing Hai and Qin Xue had the potential to directly ascend to the Fifth Order. They had already condensed their Dao Seals and just had to keep cultivating for another century or two before making that final breakthrough.
Although the Elders were frustrated, they were unable to stop it. They were aware of Qin Xue’s relationship with the Leopard King. Since the Leopard King was attempting a breakthrough, it was only natural that Qin Xue would stand up for it.
On the battlefield, Hou Qing Hai and Qin Xue joined forces and finally suppressed the Rock Snake King.
However, they were not one bit pleased, for they could feel the streams of powerful Monster Qi approaching.
“I’m sorry for dragging you into this, Husband,” Qin Xue sent a Divine Sense transmission apologetically.
Hou Qing Hai chuckled as he replied, “What are you saying? Since we’re married, we will live and die together, there’s nothing for you to apologize about. Moreover, this matter is not irresolvable.”
“Husband, you mean…”
Hou Qing Hai shifted his attention to the Shadow Leopard, “If Leopard King successfully breaks through, it will be able to protect us.”
Qin Xue’s eyes brightened. Earlier, she was too anxious to realise this. Upon her Husband’s reminder though, she finally understood they were not in a hopeless situation.
Indeed, if the Shadow Leopard could achieve a breakthrough and become a Monster Emperor, it would be able to save them.
Following a flash of lightning, a gigantic figure appeared in the sky and let out a high-pitched caw. Thick Monster Qi was approaching fast from the sky.
Hou Qing Hai’s expression changed as he looked up and saw a huge figure descending.
“Iron Wing Eagle King!”
It would take most Monster Kings some time to arrive, but the Iron Wing Eagle King could move swiftly, so it naturally appeared sooner than the others. Seeing that the Rock Snake King was besieged, the eagle swooped down to lend its aid.
The two Emperor Realm Masters had lost their advantage since they had to deal with two Monster Kings now.
The Rock Snake King sneered, “You’ve come at the right time, Eagle King! We’ll eat these two Humans together then kill that stupid leopard!”
Without responding to it, the Eagle King fiercely attacked the Humans.
Immediately, Qin Xue and her Husband fell into a dangerous situation. During the intense battle, Qin Xue took a look at the Shadow Leopard and instantly felt a chill run up her spine.
Since the Heavenly Tribulation started, bolts of lightning had never stopped striking down mercilessly at the spinning Monster Core.
The flashes of lightning were the manifestation of the Heavens’ might, and they were horrifyingly destructive.
Whenever lightning struck, it would form a new crack in the Monster Core. The Shadow Leopard continuously activated its power to repair its Monster Core, and as long as it could do so faster than the lightning could damage it, the beast would successfully achieve an ascension.
Moreover, this kind of uninterrupted destruction and repair would purify and strengthen the Monster Core while it absorbed part of the power of the lightning.
Usually, it wasn’t too risky for a Monster King to attempt a breakthrough, only a bit more than an Emperor Realm Master trying to make it to the Open Heaven Realm. As long as he had accumulated enough heritage, it wouldn’t be hard for a Monster King to succeed.
Since the Lord of the Star Boundary left behind the Primal Art in the Myriad Monsters World back then, no Monster King had failed to break through their limits; however, their strengths varied greatly after their breakthroughs.
Nevertheless, the Shadow Leopard was different. Compared to the long years of accumulation the older generation Monster Kings possessed, it had only cultivated for a relatively short time.
The Shadow Leopard managed to become a Monster King after just several hundred years because it had devoured many other Monster Beasts. In doing so, it had offended many Monster Kings.
Half of the Rock Snake King’s offspring had been eaten by the Shadow Leopard; therefore, it was only natural that it hated the Shadow Leopard to its core.
In just several hundred years, the Shadow Leopard grew from a little cub to a powerful Monster King by devouring many others, which naturally resulted in its power being mixed with many others.
The Heavenly Tribulation was a crisis, but also an opportunity. The flashes of lightning could dispel any impurities from its Monster Core, greatly strengthening its foundation and heritage.
Any other Monster King would have successfully achieved a breakthrough after such a long time; however, the Shadow Leopard was still making use of the Heavens’ power to purify its strength. It already had a high level of sentience, so it knew that this was a rare opportunity. If it didn’t seize the chance to temper its Monster Core fully, its future would be limited even if it became a Monster Emperor.
Bolts of lightning continued to strike and form even more cracks in the Monster Core, indicating that it had already reached its limit.
But limits were meant to be broken through.
The Shadow Leopard was ambitious, so it wasn’t content with only becoming a weak Monster Emperor in the Myriad Monsters World. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it had been friends with Qin Xue for years, but it had learned from her that there were extremely powerful Humans. Even the current Monster Emperors were no match for those Seventh-Order, Eighth-Order, and Ninth-Order Human Masters.
The moment Qin Xue turned her head, she saw the Monster Core was full of cracks and that some lightning whirled around it.
It seemed to her that the Monster Core would shatter at any moment, which was why she was anxious. More importantly, the Shadow Leopard appeared to be running out of power.
Unlike how upstanding its figure was when the Heavenly Tribulation started, it had now crouched down. Under Heaven’s power, even the hardest backbone would shatter eventually.
“That’s enough, Leopard King!” Qin Xue exclaimed.
If the Shadow Leopard forcibly attempted a breakthrough at this moment, it would most likely succeed; however, if this dragged on, the situation would get worse.
“You should worry about yourself first!” The Rock Snake King said insidiously as a glint flashed across its hideous teeth.
The storm seemed to have intensified.
Another flash of lightning struck just then. The Shadow Leopard seemed unable to persevere any longer as its knees came into contact with the ground. Blood streamed out of its wounds. The Monster Core above its head appeared ruined as lightning flashed out through the cracks.
“Got you!”
A yell was heard all of a sudden as a gigantic figure shot out from the side of the peak and attempted to assault the Shadow Leopard with its huge hand.
A flash of lightning revealed that this gigantic figure was a white-haired ape. More importantly, before it flared up, no one had detected its aura. It seemed to possess a method to conceal its aura.
Monster Qi undulated wildly around the huge hand. Even if the Shadow Leopard was at the peak of its power, it would be instantly killed after getting struck by such an attack, not to mention in its current, powerless state.
“White Hair Ape King!” Qin Xue exclaimed as her heart sank.
Just like the Rock Snake King, the White Hair Ape King’s territory was adjacent to the Shadow Leopard’s. Since they were neighbours, conflicts were inevitable. While a lot of the Rock Snake King’s offspring had been eaten by the Shadow Leopard, the same thing had happened to the White Hair Ape King.
Since the Snake King had appeared, there was no way the White Hair Ape King would stay put.
However, the Ape King had been hiding in the dark and waiting for a suitable chance, so it was even more insidious than the Rock Snake King. Following the bolt of lightning earlier, the Shadow Leopard’s aura plunged. As such, the White Hair Ape King instantly appeared as it felt it was the best chance to make a move.
Its strong hand struck the Shadow Leopard dead on, but the latter’s skull was not shattered, nor was there any blood at all. The huge hand simply slipped through the Shadow Leopard’s skull directly.
At that moment, the Shadow Leopard seemed to be just an illusory figure.
“Huh?” The White Hair Ape King’s Human-like face appeared doubtful, but before it could figure out what happened, it met the Shadow Leopard’s amber eyes, which were tinged with mockery.
[A trap!]
The White Hair Ape King’s heart was filled with trepidation. Although he had no idea what kind of Divine Ability the Shadow Leopard had used just now, the latter must have hidden it for such a moment.
Both Monster Kings were so close they could feel each other’s breath.
The Shadow Leopard’s aura appeared weak just moments ago, but now it surged all of a sudden. Its sharp claws accurately ripped open the White Hair Ape King’s abdomen, causing blood to splash out wildly.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t have been possible for the Shadow Leopard to kill the White Hair Ape King in such a way, not to mention that it was exhausted. However, the White Hair Ape King thought that the Shadow Leopard was doomed, so it had put down all its defences when assaulting the latter. That was how the Shadow Leopard succeeded in one blow.
A single moment was long enough to determine the White Hair Ape King’s fate.
The instant the Shadow Leopard retracted its claws, a fist-sized Monster Core was pulled out. Without hesitation, the Shadow Leopard stuffed the Monster Core into its mouth and gulped it down.
“You…” The White Hair Ape King wasn’t dead yet, but since its Monster Core was lost, around 90% of its cultivation was gone for good. Nonetheless, it was a Monster Race member, so it had intrepid vitality. If it could escape and spend some time recuperating, it might just survive. However, it would take a very long time for it to become a Monster King again, if that was even possible.
*Kacha…*
Another bolt of lightning struck.
The White Hair Ape King’s face filled with terror. The Shadow Leopard didn’t have the spare time to finish its opponent off, but the Ape King couldn’t possibly resist the Heavenly Tribulation in its current state.
As lightning hit the Ape King, it exploded and turned into ash.
The Shadow Leopard was at the most critical moment of its ascension and it was initially running out of power, but after it devoured a Monster King’s Monster Core, its power had been significantly replenished.
Some of the Monster Core’s power was of course wasted since the Shadow Leopard didn’t have time to absorb it properly; nevertheless, it was the last of the beast’s concerns. Presently, it surged its Monster Qi to repair its Monster Core, healing the old cracks just as more were formed under the Heavenly Tribulation.
The Shadow Leopard knew that if this dragged on, it would lose its life, so without hesitation, it swallowed the Monster Core in front of it.
At that instant, lightning swirled around its figure. Beams of lightning were seen shooting out of its wounds, making it look like a lightning leopard.
“Not enough! It’s still not enough!” The Shadow Leopard roared as its amber eyes had been dyed red. It turned its head and glared at the two nearby Monster Kings who were fighting with the two Emperor Realm Masters.
Both the Rock Snake King and Iron Wing Eagle King shuddered when they met the Shadow Leopard’s gaze.
They were already flabbergasted by the White Hair Ape King’s death. They initially thought that the Shadow Leopard was doomed, so it stunned them when they realised the latter had been concealing its power. The Divine Ability that helped its figure turn illusory didn’t seem like something a Monster Race member could master. Instead, it looked more like a Human Secret Technique.
The White Hair Ape King could never have expected that it would be killed in such a way.
Presently, the two Monster Kings were shaken to the core since the Shadow Leopard had targeted them.
“Snake King, many thanks for everything that has happened today! I must give you something in return!” The moment the Shadow Leopard finished speaking, it disappeared from the peak.
[Damn!] The Rock Snake King secretly cursed. If it had known this would be the outcome, it wouldn’t have tried to interrupt the Shadow Leopard’s breakthrough today.
The White Hair Ape King was a fool, letting himself be killed so easily by the Shadow Leopard. The Snake King was certain that the Shadow Leopard was on its last legs, so all the Ape King had to do was wait patiently and the Heavenly Tribulation would have taken care of everything.
Nevertheless, the Ape King’s Monster Core had become the Shadow Leopard’s source of power now.
Without hesitation, the Rock Snake King turned around and shot off. It had given up on the idea of avenging its offspring’s death. It stuck its head close to the ground and quickly retreated to its territory.
Meanwhile, the Iron Wing Eagle King was doing the same. However, unlike how flustered the Snake King was, the Eagle King was still calm and collected. It was a Monster King that specialized in flight, after all, so its speed was far greater than average. Furthermore, it didn’t have a blood feud with the Shadow Leopard. If the Shadow Leopard chased after the Snake King, the Eagle King could flee with ease.
While it was still thinking so though, it felt a figure approaching it in the sky.
The Eagle King was shocked, wondering why the Shadow Leopard had targeted it instead of its archnemesis, the Snake King.
Just then, it felt a weight on its back as the Shadow Leopard landed. The next moment, a flash of lightning struck.
Both Monster Kings quivered.
Unlike when its Monster Core was out there withstanding the Heavenly Tribulation earlier, the Shadow Leopard had swallowed it now. As such, the Heavenly Tribulation now directly struck the Shadow Leopard, putting it in a more dangerous situation.
However, the Shadow Leopard wasn’t bothered.
If it couldn’t overcome the Heavenly Tribulation, it would lose its life.
Both Monster Kings stiffened when they were struck by the Heavenly Tribulation, after which they fell from the sky. The Shadow Leopard had become somewhat adapted to the lightning and was prepared for its onslaught unlike its opponent, so it was the first to recover as it extended its claws and tore the Eagle King’s back apart. After digging its Monster Core out, the Shadow Leopard directly gobbled it up.
Then, the Shadow Leopard landed on the ground as lightning swirled around its burly figure. It looked in the direction the Snake King was fleeing and roared, “Since you’ve come today, don’t even think about leaving!”
Following that, it streaked across the land like a flash of lightning and reached the Snake King in the blink of an eye before pressing its claws against the snake and forcing its head down, “Why are you running off so quickly, Snake King?”
“I… No!” Following a shriek, another Monster King’s Monster Core was dug out.
As the Shadow Leopard swallowed several Monster Cores of Monster Kings who were just as powerful as it was, its aura reached its peak.
The invisible shackles broke apart as the Shadow Leopard achieved a breakthrough. While it roared painfully and wildly, its aura transformed into something new.
Claps of thunder were still heard. While the Heavenly Tribulation was harming the Shadow Leopard, it was also purifying its power.
There came a moment when, with the Shadow Leopard as the centre, a round of visible shockwaves spread out in all directions. An extremely powerful aura exuded from the Shadow Leopard.
“It succeeded!” Qin Xue, who had been paying close attention to the Shadow Leopard, cried tears of joy, oblivious to the fact that she had dug her fingers into her palms from all her worrying.
She initially thought that the Shadow Leopard was doomed, so it surprised her when the latter overcame a seemingly impossible crisis and even achieved greater heights.
“Incredible,” Hou Qing Hai was standing beside her and was astounded by the Shadow Leopard’s determination. If he were in the Shadow Leopard’s situation, he reckoned that he wouldn’t have survived.
As he felt the Shadow Leopard’s aura, he remarked, “It’s now a Third-Order Monster Emperor.”
After a Monster King achieved a breakthrough, it would become a Monster Emperor and the Orders were categorised based on the Humans’ Open Heaven Realm method. As such, the Orders corresponded to those of the Humans.
In other words, the Shadow Leopard, who was now a Third-Order Monster Emperor, was equivalent to a Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Human Master.
This kind of cultivation was low compared to Human standards, and if the Shadow Leopard had achieved an ascension through the Open Heaven Realm method, its limit would be the Fifth Order.
On the various Great Territory Battlefields, there were innumerable Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
However, the Shadow Leopard had achieved a breakthrough using the Primal Art, so its potential was limitless. As long as it continuously tempered its Monster Core and absorbed enough power, it would reach the Ninth Order one day.
Certainly, it would take the beast a long time to achieve that; after all, the strongest Monster Emperors from the Myriad Monsters World were currently only in the Fifth Order.
In the dense forest, many Monster Kings were initially making their way over from all directions, but following the deaths of the White Hair Ape King, Iron Wing Eagle King, and Rock Snake King, these Monster Kings quickly hid themselves and retreated.
They had wanted to hold the Humans responsible using today’s incident and invade several Human Sects to feast on them. They were determined to nullify the agreement and chase the Humans out of the Myriad Monsters World. However, the Monster Kings who were the masterminds behind this plot were dead, so what was the point of the others staying there?
“Not enough! It’s still not enough!” The Shadow Leopard growled.
Finally, Qin Xue realised that something was off. Supposedly, since the Shadow Leopard had successfully achieved a breakthrough, its aura would stabilise soon. Instead, the Shadow Leopard’s aura, which showed that it was a Third-Order Monster Emperor, was still rising.
As a bolt of lightning struck, the Shadow Leopard disappeared once again.
Soon, a shriek was heard from the distance as a Monster King questioned furiously, “Why!?”
Following the Monster King’s demise, the dark clouds, which were initially fading, returned. The Heavenly Tribulation seemed to be brewing again in those dark clouds.
Another roar was heard moments later.
The originally quiet forest became clamorous as though a handful of salt had been thrown into a frying pan full of hot oil. These Monster Kings seemed to have detected danger, so they stopped hiding and madly surged their powers to retreat to their territories as quickly as possible.
A Monster King growled, “Leopard King, since you’ve become a Monster Emperor, why do you still want to kill us ruthlessly!?”
The Shadow Leopard didn’t answer the question as it focused on killing and devouring.
Qin Xue’s face turned pale again as she looked up at the increasingly thick dark clouds and the flashes of lightning, “What is it trying to do?”
The Heavenly Tribulation was supposedly over, and the Shadow Leopard had become the Leopard Emperor; however, it was still hunting those Monster Kings down. It didn’t seem to have the intention of letting them off.
Although the Shadow Leopard had just achieved an ascension, the difference in power between a Monster Emperor and a Monster King was unimaginably huge, not to mention that the Leopard Emperor was still withstanding the bolts of lightning. As the Heavenly Tribulation struck randomly and with enough strength to harm the Leopard Emperor, these Monster Kings were unable to bear the fallout.
The auras of these powerful Monster Kings subsequently disappeared, and in the blink of an eye, four or five Monster Kings had been killed. The Shadow Leopard was dextrous to begin with, and now that it had become a Monster Emperor, it could move even faster. From a bird’s eye view, one could see a leopard moving across the land like a flash of lightning.
The Shadow Leopard was badly injured, but it had never felt more alive than it did today. It knew that it had made the right decision.
The Third-Order Monster Emperor Realm wasn’t the end of its ascension this time.
Hou Qing Hai was dumbfounded, but he soon recalled something, “Great Emperor!”
“What?” Qin Xue was startled for a moment before coming to her senses, “Husband, you mean it is trying to become a Great Emperor of the Myriad Monsters World?”
“That’s the only possibility,” Hou Qing Hai nodded with certainty, “Did you tell it about the Great Emperors?”
Qin Xue nodded, “It did ask me about it once. In fact, most Monster Kings are aware of the existence of Great Emperors. When they became Monster Emperors, they certainly hoped to become Great Emperors as well; however, none of them have received the acknowledgement of the World’s Will over the years. As such, there has never been a Great Emperor in the Myriad Monsters World.”
Hou Qing Hai sighed, “It seems that the Leopard Emperor has found a way to become a Great Emperor.”
Perhaps the leopard didn’t look for the way as it merely conformed to the Heavenly Way of this World. There was no order to speak of among the Monster Race. Compared to Humans, Monster Race members lived in a constant state of battle. Furthermore, the Myriad Monsters World’s environment was primitive. Regardless of what the Shadow Leopard had done, it had undoubtedly garnered the attention of the World’s Grand Dao.
If it succeeded, it would most likely become a Great Emperor; however, if it failed, it would be doomed.
It was a huge gamble.
The dark clouds showed signs of dissipating after the Shadow Leopard first became a Monster Emperor, but as its aura continued to rise and it relentlessly killed and devoured other Monster Kings, the dark clouds reconstituted and grew in scale.
Flashes of lightning struck down at the Shadow Leopard like whips, both wounding it while also purifying its aura all at once.
The Shadow Leopard, which was originally a Third-Order Monster Emperor, was about to break through to the Fourth-Order.
As such, it became increasingly easy for it to kill other Monster Kings.
A Monster King that looked like a fox had returned to its territory and withdrawn its aura. While hiding in its den, it shuddered. However, the next moment, the earth was lifted off as a figure with lightning whirling around it appeared above the fox’s head. Its eyes were like two blood Moons as it glared at the fox.
“M-Monster!” The fox spoke in Human language with anxiety. Its voice was soft and demure, so one could imagine that if the fox assumed Human Form, it would be a seductive woman. Its mind had turned blank at the most critical moment, so it could only muster such a response.
“Damn you, Leopard Emperor! You demon!” The Shadow Leopard yanked the fox out of the den and opened its bloody maw to devour its prey.
“Leopard Emperor, stop!” A growl that sounded like it came from a hefty beast was heard at that moment. In the distance, a gigantic figure rushed over and landed in front of the Shadow Leopard. It was a Monster with an ox head and a Human body. The two horns on its head made it look intimidating, and scorching breath was seen puffing out from its nostrils. Given its power, it was already able to assume a full Human Form; nevertheless, it seemed too lazy to do so and only took a half-human form to move around more easily.
“Save me, Sir!” The fox exclaimed.
“You’re finally here!” The Shadow Leopard directly stuffed the fox into its mouth and chewed it as blood spilled through its teeth. There was no doubt the beast was cruel and merciless, its eyes appearing nonchalant, as though it had just killed an ordinary Monster Beast instead of a powerful Monster King. Bolts of lightning continued to hit the Shadow Leopard which made it quiver.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor was both shocked and furious as he roared, “You dare!”
The fox was the ox’s favourite concubine as it knew many tricks to infuse some fun into its boring life. The ox was shocked to see the fox being killed right before its eyes.
The Shadow Leopard’s voice sounded like a sneer, “So what if I’ve killed her? Do you want to avenge its death?”
The breath emitted from the Ox Head Monster Emperor’s nostrils seemed to have materialised, which showed how incensed it was. Nevertheless, it forced itself to calm down and nodded, “Leopard Emperor, since you’re also a Monster Emperor now, you should comply with the rules in this World and mustn’t kill Monster Kings as you please.”
No one had set such rules, but a tacit agreement had been passed down over the generations.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor initially thought that since it had personally shown up to deal with the matter, the Shadow Leopard would give it some face, but much to its surprise, the Shadow Leopard didn’t show any regard for it at all. If the Shadow Leopard were any other Monster Emperor, the Ox Head Monster Emperor wouldn’t have let it off so easily. Monster Race members loved fighting, after all, and it had been a Monster Emperor in the Myriad Monsters World for 300 years, so it wasn’t afraid of anyone.
However, the Leopard Emperor’s aura showed that it was about to reach the Fourth Order, and Heavenly lightning continued to strike it. As such, the Ox Head Monster Emperor wasn’t willing to get into a conflict with it.
It hoped that the Shadow Leopard would be killed by the lightning.
“Why don’t you finish your Heavenly Tribulation first? We can talk after that.”
“Cut the crap! Do you think this Emperor doesn’t know that you’re the one behind all this? That slut must have instigated you to do this as well! I was going to look for you anyway, but since you’re here already, it’s saved me some trouble!”
“You wanted to look for me?” The Ox Head Monster Emperor widened its eyes and looked at the Shadow Leopard in disbelief.
The Shadow Leopard laughed cruelly, “Give me your Monster Core and I’ll spare your life.”
The moment it finished speaking, it turned into a flash of light and charged towards the Ox Head Monster Emperor.
The Heavenly Tribulation still hadn’t ceased, and the Shadow Leopard wasn’t so foolish as to think that the other party would agree to its demand, so it struck first.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor was flabbergasted, for it never expected the crazy leopard to take action without even trying to negotiate. It now regretted coming here.
As Monster Qi surged, both Monster Emperors engaged in battle, elevating the conflict beyond a mere brawl between Monster Kings. Monster Emperors were already the most powerful beings in the Myriad Monsters World, so a life-and-death fight between the two could cause unimaginable damage.
Mountains collapsed and rivers flowed in reverse. The Heavenly Tribulation intensified amidst the thunderstorm as claps of thunder seemed to be cheering on this battle.
In the distance, Qin Xue and Hou Qing Hai stood on the crown of a tree, pale as they circulated their Emperor Qi to fend off the aftereffects of the battle.
Although they had no idea whether the Shadow Leopard would win, its words made them realise that the Ox Head Monster Emperor was the culprit behind the incident tonight.
In the Myriad Monsters World, not all Monster Race members were willing to comply with the agreement. Some of them believed that the Myriad Monsters World belonged to the Monster Race, and as such, all the Humans should be killed or become their food.
Despite having such thoughts, they wouldn’t dare to do anything to directly break the agreement.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor was a leader among this faction of the Monster Race. It had expressed its hostility against the Human Race on many occasions and the Sects run by the Humans in its territory had an especially hard time. The disciples from these Sects would even disappear from time to time.
Although it didn’t dare to brazenly target the Humans, the disciples of those Sects could never collect herbs from the forests as easily as those from Great Feather Pavilion.
The disciples in its territory didn’t have the guts to move far away from their Sects as they were worried they wouldn’t be able to return.
Similarly, there were several Monster Emperors who shared the same sentiment as the Ox Head Monster Emperor, but most never showed their intentions explicitly.
Upon hearing Shadow Leopard’s words, Qin Xue and her Husband were certain that the Ox Head Monster Emperor was the mastermind behind this incident.
Qin Xue and Shadow Leopard had been close friends for hundreds of years, which was no secret. As Shadow Leopard went through the Heavenly Tribulation that night, Rock Snake King and White Hair Ape King, who were on bad terms with it, would make a move. There was no way Qin Xue would sit back and do nothing. Once she decided to meddle though, it was no different from destroying the agreement. As such, there wouldn’t be a problem for those of the Monster Race to flare up and retaliate.
It was hard to imagine that a Monster Race member could come up with such a vicious plan; after all, the Ox Head Monster Emperor looked like a forthright being. Nevertheless, Monster Emperors were no less intelligent than Humans.
Everywhere in the Myriad Monsters World, some Monster Race members were secretly paying close attention to the battle between these two Monster Emperors.
They were not Monster Kings, who were unable to have a hand in the battle between two Monster Emperors. Those who could watch this fight were all Monster Emperors in the Myriad Monsters World.
This single breakthrough had affected the entire Myriad Monsters World. Qin Xue was worried that if Shadow Leopard lost the fight, the Myriad Monsters World would descend into turmoil.
She wasn’t certain if Shadow Leopard would win. Although its aura suggested that it was only one step away from becoming a Fourth-Order Monster Emperor, it was badly injured because of the Heavenly Tribulation. Moreover, it had just achieved a breakthrough, so no one knew how much of its power it could utilize.
On the other hand, even though the Ox Head Monster Emperor was only a Third-Order Monster Emperor as well, it had been 300 years since it entered that realm. Not only did it have ample heritage, it was also steady and obstinate. There was no doubt it was a formidable opponent for Shadow Leopard.
Shadow Leopard’s growls and Ox Head Monster Emperor’s bellows reverberated across the sky.
These two gigantic figures crashed into the ground, causing a radius of 10,000 kilometres around them to tremble.
Lightning continued to strike Shadow Leopard, increasing its wounds. Presently, it was fighting against the Heavens and a Monster Emperor, making this the greatest crisis it had ever faced.
However, it was the Ox Head Monster Emperor who felt increasingly terrified. Although the Heavenly Tribulation mainly struck Shadow Leopard, its fallout was giving the Ox Head Monster Emperor a hard time. Although it was a Third-Order Monster Emperor, such fallout was still deadly to it, and as more time passed, the impact would only become more pronounced.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor was also astonished that instead of plummeting, Shadow Leopard’s aura continued to rise.
“Just die already!” Shadow Leopard roared.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor was both terrified and furious. It had already regretted making use of the Shadow Leopard’s ascension to deal with the Humans. Initially, it was worried that the stronger Open Heaven Realm Masters might intervene to ruin its plan, but it never crossed its mind that before it could even carry out its plot, it would be destroyed by Shadow Leopard.
Another bolt of lightning struck, as though responding to Shadow Leopard’s roar.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor widened its eyes in disbelief because it realised that Shadow Leopard had broken through to the Fourth-Order Monster Emperor Realm.
Such an incident was simply unheard of.
Usually, when a Monster King became a Monster Emperor, its Order would be fixed. It was inconceivable that even though Shadow Leopard had become a Monster Emperor, it could still ascend to the next Order during its Heavenly Tribulation.
Initially, both of them were Third-Order Monster Emperors, so the Ox Head Monster Emperor had the confidence to oppose Shadow Leopard since it had been hundreds of years since its own ascension. However, the moment Shadow Leopard became a Fourth-Order Monster Emperor, the Ox Head Monster Emperor knew that it was doomed.
What’s more, it felt uneasy because the Myriad Monsters World seemed to be favouring Shadow Leopard. Presently, Shadow Leopard was no longer defying the Heavens; instead, it was harmonizing itself with the Will of the Myriad Monsters World.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor suddenly realised that this was the true Grand Dao of the Monster Race.
If it could survive this day, it would only take a short time to make it to the Fourth Order, and in the future, it would probably have great achievements.
However, could it escape from death’s door?
Its epiphany at this point seemed laughable.
“It’s incredible! Good! Great!” Shadow Leopard seemed to have gone mad as its amber eyes were filled with ecstasy when all of a sudden, it stepped backwards.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor, who had been bearing the storm of attacks, could finally take a breather. Although it had no idea why Shadow Leopard suddenly retreated, it did not question this unexpected reprieve.
While panting, it took a look at Shadow Leopard, but just as it was ready to say something, it saw Shadow Leopard’s robust figure crouching down. One of its paws was in front of the other while it bent both of its back legs.
The leopard looked like a bow that was ready to shoot.
The Ox Head Monster Emperor felt a chill running down its spine, for it was most familiar with Shadow Leopard’s posture.
The posture showed that it was ready to take down its prey.
“Hear me out, Leopard Emperor!” The Ox Head Monster Emperor exclaimed despite feeling embarrassed.
An unfazed Shadow Leopard roared, “Block my move, and I’ll spare your life!”
Upon finishing its words, it seemed to draw in all the lightning around it before vanishing into the darkness.
However, the Ox Head Monster Emperor wasn’t elated at all as it felt the aura of death coming right at it. Faced with the leopard’s glare, it involuntarily stiffened.
As the lightning struck, the Shadow Leopard’s figure was illuminated. It leaped into the air and pounced on the Ox Head Monster Emperor. As it opened its hideous maw, lightning flickered in it. It was as though the leopard had bolts of lightning in its mouth.
Thunder Bite!
Following a flash of lightning, a low shriek was heard reverberating across the Myriad Monsters World. Upon hearing the shriek, all Monster Race members shuddered and remained silent in their dens.
A powerful aura died out in the next instant.
It had been 800 years since the Myriad Monsters World opened up to the outside world, but the Ox Head Monster Emperor was the first Monster Emperor to pass away on it.
Following the use of Thunder Bite, the Ox Head Monster Emperor didn’t even have the strength to counterattack. It stiffened after the lightning struck its figure. Shadow Leopard bit its neck and dug out its Monster Core before gulping it down.
A Third-Order Monster Emperor’s Monster Core was quite nourishing to the leopard.
The Heavenly Tribulation seemed to have become more violent at that moment as nine lightning columns struck consecutively. The peak where Shadow Leopard was located became a valley upon impact.
It felt as if only an instant had passed, but simultaneously like a million years had gone by. Dark clouds continued to gather in the sky, but there was no more lightning.
In the mountain valley, a battered Shadow Leopard got up with difficulty and roared at the sky, after which the dark clouds dissipated.
In the void, the figure of a sturdy black leopard was reflected. The figure looked exactly like Shadow Leopard, right down to its fur.
Throughout the entire Myriad Monsters World, wherever the Humans and Monster Race members were, as long as they looked up, they could see this magnificent figure.
The World hummed as it seemed to be filled with joy.
The Shadow Leopard’s illusory figure in the sky warped before transforming into two ancient characters. The language didn’t belong to the Humans or the Monster Race and seemed to be a direct manifestation of the Heavenly Way. They represented the World’s Will, so everyone could recognise their meaning in an instant.
Thunder Shadow!
The trillions of living creatures in the Myriad Monsters World instantly realised that there was a new Great Emperor that had gained the World’s acknowledgement, and Thunder Shadow was its title.
While the Humans were astonished, the Monster Race celebrated.
They had only heard about Great Emperors from the Humans; however, while many Monster Race members had managed to become Monster Emperors over the years, none had risen to claim the mantle of Great Emperor. They initially thought that it was because the Monster Race was different from the Humans; after all, the Heavenly Way in this era favoured Humans while the Monster Race was only the darling of the previous era. As such, they were worried there would never be a Great Emperor from the Monster Race.
The birth of Thunder Shadow Great Emperor allowed them to see new hope. Fortunately, the Heavens had not cut off the dream of becoming Great Emperors. They were in the Myriad Monsters World where the environment and aura were primitive and favoured them, which was almost like an extension of the previous era.
Since Shadow Leopard had become a Great Emperor, it meant that the other Monster Kings had such a chance as well.
In comparison, the deaths of more than 10 Monster Kings and a Third-Order Monster Emperor were nothing worth mentioning.
Initially, many long-time Monster Emperors were worried about Shadow Leopard’s actions and planned on suppressing it after the dust settled to let it know that it couldn’t kill as it pleased.
Now though, none dared to suppress it, nor were they capable of doing so. Shadow Leopard was the only Great Emperor in the Myriad Monsters World, so they would consider themselves lucky if Shadow Leopard didn’t find fault with them. How would they have the audacity to challenge it?
This fellow had killed countless Monster Race members to get to where it was today, so if it was disgruntled one day, it might just kill some Monster Emperors and eat them as a snack.
Soon, the two abstruse characters turned into rays of light and shot into Shadow Leopard’s body, leaving a mark in the deepest part of its Soul.
Shadow Leopard had gained the acknowledgement of the Myriad Monsters World and earned a title. Its aura, which was faint and withering, immediately started burning again as though it had been splashed with oil. In all directions, the might of the World streamed into its body, allowing its battered figure to acquire immense nourishment. Its blood stopped flowing out of its wounds which were now healing at an incredible speed. Even its Monster Core, which was about to shatter due to the Heavenly Tribulation, became hard and perfect once more.
The rapid increase in its aura allowed it to rapidly ascend to the Fifth Order before it gradually stopped.
It was a gift from the World, openly showing its favour to Shadow Leopard.
Countless living beings were dumbfounded upon sensing this and many couldn’t help feeling envious.
“The One-Legged Ox Clan offers congratulations to Thunder Shadow Great Emperor! From now on, you will be our leader, and we will always obey your commands!”
A loud voice was heard coming from the Southwest. It was a Monster King from the Ox Head Monster Emperor’s Clan who was expressing his loyalty. Since their Clan’s Monster Emperor was killed, there was supposed to be a blood feud between them; however, to the Monster Race, strength mattered above all else, so the dead Monster Emperor no longer mattered.
“The Ice Frog Clan congratulates Thunder Shadow Great Emperor. May you reign over the Myriad Monsters World for generations to come!” A croak was heard coming from the Northeast.
“The Snow Mink Clan congratulates Thunder Shadow Great Emperor.”
It was from the Southeast this time.
One by one, Monster Emperors and Monster Kings raised their voices.
Besides Monster Race members, even the Open Heaven Realm Masters from various Sects congratulated Shadow Leopard.
After it became a Great Emperor, congratulations came from all around.
To the Humans, a Fifth-Order Monster Emperor was certainly not worth much attention; after all, millions of Open Heaven Realm Masters ranged from the Fifth-Order to the Seventh-Order on the various battlefields.
A Great Emperor was nothing special either as every Universe World could produce their own Great Emperors who were powerful in their domains, but insignificant in the expansive Universe.
However, a Great Emperor of the Myriad Monsters World was different; after all, Thunder Shadow Great Emperor was of the Monster Race.
The Humans were fully aware of the achievements of the Great Emperors who came from the Star Boundary. Apart from the Universe-famous Yang Kai, there was Zhan Wu Hen, Duan Hong Chen, Mo Huang, and others who were also well-known figures. They all had made a name for themselves on the battlefields as they slaughtered Black Ink Clansmen.
These Great Emperors only directly ascended to the Sixth Order when they made it to the Open Heaven Realm in the past, but now, most of them were already in the Eighth Order. Two or three of them were still in the Seventh Order, but it wouldn’t be long before they made it to the next Order.
The key was that it had only been about 2,000 years since they first ascended to the Open Heaven Realm.
It would take the average person 2,000 or more years just to ascend from the Sixth Order to the Seventh Order, while it should be impossible to make it to the Eighth Order no matter how many resources they had available. After all, it took time to refine resources too.
However, by relying on their identities as Great Emperors or the Star Boundary, they were able to take advantage of the abundant World Force drawn in and purified by the World Tree clone to shorten the time they needed to cultivate, allowing them to create countless miracles.
Unfortunately, every Universe World had its limit. The World’s Bottle in the Star Boundary was already full, and all the positions had been occupied. Unless a Great Emperor fell, there wouldn’t be new ones rising up. Hence, no one else could enjoy this advantage.
Perhaps the capacity in the Star Boundary would increase in the future, but that would take a long time, and there would surely be fierce competition for any newly opened spot.
In the beginning, the World’s Bottle of the Star Boundary could only accommodate 10 Great Emperors, but that number had expanded to 12 now.
Apart from the Star Boundary though, there was also the Myriad Monsters World.
The first Great Emperor from the Monster Race was born in the Myriad Monsters World today. Although it was currently only a Fifth-Order Monster Emperor, everyone knew the Monster Emperor titled Thunder Shadow would be able to grow in power at an unimaginable pace.
If the Shadow Leopard had used the Open Heaven Realm method to achieve its ascension, its limit would be the Seventh Order since it was now in the Fifth Order; however, it had achieved a breakthrough by relying on the Primal Art. As such, it had a chance to make it to the Eighth Order or even the Ninth Order.
Once it became a Ninth-Order Monster Emperor, given how fierce the Monster Race was, perhaps no Human Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be a match for it.
Certainly, the Humans wouldn’t dare to disregard such a rising Star, not to mention that it was the only Great Emperor in the Myriad Monsters World for now. In other words, the entire Universe World was its territory. Since the Humans wanted to make a living in this world, they had to give face to the Shadow Leopard.
At that instant, many people shifted their attention to the Great Feather Pavilion.
They were aware the Great Emperor was good friends with a woman from the Great Feather Pavilion. It was a well-known fact that it was hard to get along with the Monster Race, but they reckoned that they could try approaching those from the Great Feather Pavilion. As long as they could strike up a relationship with Thunder Shadow Great Emperor through Great Feather Pavilion, that would be beneficial to their Sects.
Currently, the Sects found in the Myriad Monsters World were all smaller Great Forces. The truly powerful Great Forces of the 3,000 Worlds had already settled down in the Star Boundary. The disciples from these smaller Great Forces wouldn’t dare to ignore a Great Emperor’s influence.
This was destined to be a restless night. The Great Forces started planning on how to establish ties with Great Feather Pavilion. Although Great Feather Pavilion was ordinary, it was now the centre of attention in the entire Myriad Monsters World.
Since the sky was now clear, Stars shone down brilliantly at this moment.
The Heavenly Tribulation was over as the dark clouds had dissipated; however, Thunder Shadow Great Emperor had fallen into a deep slumber. It was exhausted from all the battles, not to mention that it had to go against the Heavenly Tribulation at the same time.
Although it had become the Fifth-Order Monster Emperor, its body and soul were now quite weary.
Just then, two figures came over. They were Qin Xue and her husband, who had been paying close attention to the Shadow Leopard. When they heard its loud snoring from a distance, they were startled, but after exchanging glances, they were torn between tears and laughter.
While the Myriad Monsters World experienced a paradigm shift, the one who caused everything was flopped onto its belly, snoring away peacefully, leaving them quite speechless.
“Please go back first, Husband. Don’t let Shuang’er and the others worry about us,” Qin Xue sent him a Divine Sense transmission, “I’ll stay here and take care of it.”
Hou Qing Hai nodded, “Good.”
There wasn’t a need to say anything else. The Shadow Leopard was on good terms with Qin Xue, and now that it was a Great Emperor, no one in the Myriad Monsters World would dare to harm her.
After Hou Qing Hai left, Qin Xue walked over lightly and took a seat beside the Shadow Leopard. As she ran her fingers through its smooth fur, she couldn’t help but recall the first time she met the Shadow Leopard several hundred years ago. It never crossed her mind that the little cub from back then would grow up to be so powerful one day.
She decided to hurry up and break through to the Open Heaven Realm to catch up to it.
As for the agreement between the two Races, there was no need to worry about it. Since the Ox Head Monster Emperor was dead, its plan had failed miserably. Moreover, the Shadow Leopard was now the sole Great Emperor, so as long as it was willing to uphold the agreement, everything would remain the same even though it was just an oral agreement.
No Humans or Monster Race members would dare to disobey a Great Emperor in the Myriad Monsters World at this point.
Shadow Leopard had never shown any hostility towards Humans, and it had always let the disciples from Great Feather Pavilion roam its territory and collect Spirit Herbs at will. The Monster Race members in its territory had also never antagonized the Humans.
As the Shadow Leopard continued to snore, it changed to a more comfortable position.
All of a sudden, its eyes shot open and it gazed up into the sky, but its amber eyes reflected nothing.
“What’s wrong?” Qin Xue asked.
“Nothing,” the Shadow Leopard replied while feeling doubtful. Earlier, it sensed that someone was observing it, but it discovered no one upon scanning the surroundings.
Either it perceived wrongly, or the one spying on it was far more powerful.
It was a Monster Beast with a sensitive perception, so the former was unlikely; hence, the person lurking in the shadows must be significantly more powerful than it.
It reckoned that the person was either a Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order Human Master, as only such a formidable being could hide its presence so completely.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t worried because it didn’t detect any hostility from this gaze. The other side was merely examining it.
As such, it closed its eyes again and dozed off.
Up in the sky, Yang Kai looked down with a faint smile. It seemed that his Monster Self indeed had sharp senses.
It had been 500 years since he built a cave mansion in the World Tree clone in the Star Boundary to enter secluded cultivation. Over the years, he had been refining all sorts of resources to strengthen the heritage of his Small Universe and had gained a lot.
If not for a sense of danger suddenly washing over him one night, he wouldn’t have stopped cultivating and exited retreat.
Since he was only cultivating inside the World Tree, he naturally wouldn’t fall into danger. The feeling he had suggested that either his Human Self or Monster Self was in peril.
The two Soul Clones were independent beings who didn’t even know of their connection to the true body’s existence; however, they were still closely related to him.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai concluded that his Human Self was likely fine, so he immediately left the Star Boundary and headed to the Myriad Monsters World.
Given his strength, it only took him two hours to travel from the Star Boundary to the Myriad Monsters World.
Upon his arrival, he saw the Shadow Leopard facing its Heavenly Tribulation. Although he was mentally prepared, Yang Kai was still shocked by Shadow Leopard’s cultivation speed.
It only took Shadow Leopard 500 years to grow from a little cub to a Monster Emperor. The average Monster Race member could never have achieved this.
Although Monster Race members were powerful, their cultivation rate was innately slower compared to that of Humans. It usually took them a long time for them to reach the same relative Realm as their Human counterparts, though they were usually more powerful as a result. It was for this reason that many Monster Race members assumed Human Form early on and gave up on refining their Monster Cores through the Primal Art.
Nevertheless, the Shadow Leopard’s achievements went against common sense. Its cultivation speed was even quicker than that of talented Humans.
When Shadow Leopard came across Qin Xue back then, it was only two years old. At that time, Qin Xue was already in the Separation and Reunion Boundary, but now it was a Great Emperor while Qin Xue had only condensed her Dao Seal.
Although Qin Xue’s cultivation speed wasn’t considered fast among the Humans, it wasn’t slow by any means.
The Shadow Leopard’s growth had broken all rules and conventions. Even some Human prodigies paled compared to the Shadow Leopard when it came to their cultivation speed.
Certainly, this wasn’t solely due to the Shadow Leopard’s capabilities. It was thanks to an amazing Secret Art named the Heaven Devouring Blood Light Scripture.
It was the combination of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. Yang Kai had cultivated both Secret Arts before, and given that he was an Eighth-Order Master now, it wasn’t hard for him to combine these Heaven-defying Secret Arts and devise a new one.
The Secret Art was specifically prepared for his Monster Self.
When he split his Soul to create his Monster Self back then, Yang Kai imprinted this Secret Art into Shadow Leopard’s petite figure, turning it into its own Innate Secret Art.
That was the reason Shadow Leopard had been making enemies everywhere over the years. To cultivate the Heaven Devouring Blood Light Scripture, it had to kill and gobble up the physiques and Monster Cores of other Monster Beasts to strengthen itself.
Now, it seemed that Shadow Leopard had done a great job.
Yang Kai had travelled far and wide since he started cultivating and considered himself quite knowledgeable, but the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was still the most profound and powerful Secret Art he had ever encountered.
This wasn’t a surprise though seeing how it was deduced by the Martial Ancestor most skilled at creating Secret Arts and Techniques, Shi. Even the core Secret Arts used by the Cave Heavens and Paradises paled in comparison to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Of course, it also had obvious drawbacks. This Secret Art allowed a cultivator to devour anything and everything which possessed even the slightest bit of energy, embracing and consuming all of creation like how every river eventually flowed into the sea. However, a cultivator’s body wasn’t a sea and what was being devoured weren’t rivers.
Unbridled devouring of external power for oneself could help a cultivator gain a large amount of strength quickly, but having too many kinds of strength gathered in one’s body was akin to drinking impurities which would affect one’s mentality. Hence, this Secret Act could easily cause dissonance in one’s cultivation.
Since Wu Kang had the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus, which kept one’s physical body completely free of all impurities, he could safely practice the Heaven Devouring Battle Law while others couldn’t. Only one Heaven Devouring Great Emperor had ever existed since ancient times for this exact reason.
In truth, the ones who were the most suited to cultivate this Secret Art were the Stone Spirit Clan members. The Stone Spirit Clan possessed the innate ability to extract and purge all impurities, so it was a perfect match for them to practice this Secret Art.
Embodiment, who Yang Kai retrieved from the Demon Realm, had cultivated using the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
Compared to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture didn’t have as many drawbacks. However, it had a huge limitation because it could only devour Blood Essence.
Yang Kai merged the advantages of the two Secret Arts and deduced the Heaven Devouring Blood Light Scripture. Though it wasn’t as profound as the Heaven Devouring Battle Law or even the Great Evolution Indestructible Blood Light Scripture, it was incredibly well suited for his Monster Self.
The growth of the Monster Race had always been accompanied by bloodshed. After a battle, the victorious Monster would devour the losing Monster’s physique and Monster Core.
This sort of devouring was instinctual, so Yang Kai only turned that instinct into an Innate Secret Art which greatly accelerated his Monster Self’s growth rate.
This only worked because devouring and refining power from a Monster Beast’s physique and Monster Core wouldn’t have large drawbacks compared to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Since the power contained in a Monster Beasts’ physiques and Monster Cores was already compatible with other members of the Monster Race, even without the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus, a Monster Race member’s body could naturally expel any impurities while this new Secret Art helped it far more efficiently and effectively refine that strength for its own use.
Now, there were clear results.
In just a short 500 years, his Monster Self advanced to the Monster Emperor Realm and rose to claim the mantle of Great Emperor.
Yang Kai only felt a bit remorseful now because his Monster Self would no longer be able to kill other members of the Monster Race recklessly and devour their Monster Cores and essence.
Now that his Monster Self was a Great Emperor, the entire Myriad Monsters World was its territory, and all Monster Race members looked up to him, so if it did start a massacre, it would break the balance and might even lose the acknowledgement of the Myriad Monsters World.
Fortunately, Yang Kai’s Monster Self didn’t necessarily need to use such methods to gain more strength. Moreover, there weren’t many Monster Emperors in the Myriad Monsters World in the first place, so even if it killed them all, it wouldn’t gain much growth.
His Monster Self was now the Myriad Monsters World’s only Great Emperor and could follow the example set by Zhan Wu Hen and the others by absorbing World Force directly from the World itself to cultivate. In that sense, it could use the entire Myriad Monsters World’s power without having to share it with any others. Unless a second Great Emperor rose up, Yang Kai’s Monster Self could easily break through to the Sixth-Order, Seventh-Order, or even the Eighth-Order Monster Emperor Realm extremely quickly!
In this way, its growth rate would greatly surpass even Zhan Wu Hen and the other Star Boundary Great Emperors.
His Human Self had a World Tree clone inside his Small Universe, while the title of Great Emperor gained by his Monster Self allowed it to cultivate the power of the World Tree clone in the Myriad Monsters World. Both his Soul Clones had promising futures.
Currently, the Humans and Black Ink Clan were maintaining a delicate balance. The agreement between the two Races stated that besides the six Great Territories where any form of war was permitted, the Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords were not allowed to interfere in the ongoing battles; however, no one could be sure when this balance would be broken.
After a rough estimation, Yang Kai realised that it had been about 1,000 years since the Great Armies had retreated from the Barren Territory Battlefield. During this millennium, the Human Race had seen the rise of many talented individuals, but so had the Black Ink Clan.
Even though Yang Kai was in retreat inside the World Tree, it didn’t mean he didn’t know what was happening outside. He was a Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, so nothing that happened in the Star Boundary escaped his senses.
There were also reports coming in from the 13 Battlefields, so Yang Kai knew the Humans had gained several rising stars that shone brightly in each of the Great Territories. Of course, many highly regarded and aspiring youths had also died in battle.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan had successfully nurtured a new batch of Territory Lords. Though these Territory Lords weren’t as strong as Innate Territory Lords, they symbolised infinite possibilities as they could one day become Royal Lords.
With how much territory and resources the Black Ink Clan had conquered, they could nurture quite a lot of Royal Lords if they were willing to dedicate all their resources to this pursuit.
Both Races were gathering their strength for the future, so the relative calm they were maintaining was just an illusion. Once one of the clans gained enough of an advantage to wipe the other out, the final battle would commence.
How long would that take? 2,000 years? 3,000? No one could say for certain.
However, Yang Kai knew that there wasn’t much time left.
Judging by the situation on the battlefields, the Human Race didn’t have much of an advantage. Many aspiring individuals had directly broken through to the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, saving them a lot of cultivation time; however, these individuals still needed a long time to enhance their heritages before advancing to the Eighth and Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realms.
On the other hand, with their Black Ink Nests, though the Black Ink Clan had to steadily rise up from the very weakest as well, they could still advance quicker than the Humans.
Therefore, it could be estimated that when a new Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master appeared among the Humans, the Black Ink Clan would also see the birth of new Royal Lords.
After returning to the Star Boundary, Yang Kai threw himself into his secluded cave mansion and started another round of cultivation.
Years went by.
Yang Kai had completely lost track of time and his secluded cave mansion had slowly been covered in a thick layer of green leaves. Now, if passing Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t look closely, they would never notice that there was a tree cave here.
A full 1,200 years later, the sealed-up cave mansion opened again, and Yang Kai emerged.
After more than a thousand years of seclusion, and adding on the time from before he was interrupted by his Monster Self’s advancement, Yang Kai’s retreat lasted for 1,700 years.
This wasn’t the longest time Yang Kai had ever spent cultivating, that distinction belonged to his stay in the Temporal Rivers inside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, where from his perspective he had secluded himself for some 4,000 years.
Since he had spent so much time in retreat though, Yang Kai had depleted all the resources he had gathered. One had to know that the number of resources he had collected was simply unfathomable as he had huge piles of various valuable things he had gained through various exploits over the years, but now, all of that was gone.
Of course, with such a huge expenditure, he had achieved equally great results.
Though he hadn’t reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was not far from it. Also, his Small Universe now had countless living beings inside, which would constantly bring him more benefits. Even if he didn’t enter retreat ever again, he would have still reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm in short order. That was also his limit in this lifetime.
Yang Kai gently clenched his fists as he felt the majestic strength inside his Small Universe.
If he encountered an Innate Territory Lord now, he was confident that even without using a Soul Rending Thorn, he could kill the other party within 10 moves.
This was something impossible for him 1,700 years ago.
After nearly 2,000 years of retreat, Yang Kai was eager to find some ignorant Innate Territory Lord and test his current strength. Unfortunately, that idea could only exist in his head, for if he took action, it would violate the peace deal.
For now, the Human Race wasn’t ready for a final battle with the Black Ink Clan, and neither was Yang Kai.
A shadow flashed before Yang Kai’s eyes at that moment as a slender figure landed nearby. The woman had a surprised expression as she exclaimed, “Palace Master!”
Looking at the familiar face, Yang Kai nodded lightly, “You’ve worked hard.”
Hua Qing Si had already broken through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. After all, many years had passed, and the High Heaven Palace didn’t lack cultivation materials, so it wasn’t hard for her to break through from the Sixth Order to the Seventh Order. However, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was her limit because her aptitude back then was average and she only made her initial breakthrough to the Fifth-Order.
“I’ve only done what is necessary,” Hua Qing Si replied humbly as she observed Yang Kai and discovered that while his appearance didn’t change much after all these years, his aura had become heavier. This showed that Yang Kai’s strength had significantly increased after this retreat.
“I have something for you to do,” While Yang Kai spoke, he casually waved his hand, and in the next instant, 800 hundred people appeared before them.
All of them were at the peak of the Emperor Realm, and judging by their auras, they had all condensed their Dao Seals and refined all sorts of materials. They were now just one step away from breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm.
These people were naturally the disciples gathered in the Void Dao Temple over the years.
While looking at the situation, Hua Qing Si understood what Yang Kai meant; after all, it wasn’t the first time she had seen this scene before. As such, she simply nodded, “Palace Master, please rest assured that I will make the necessary arrangements.”
After that, she addressed these Emperor Realm Masters, “Follow me.”
The Emperor Realm Masters respectfully bid the Dao Lord Yang Kai goodbye before leaving with Hua Qing Si.
Once the Head Manager distributed Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills, the group of Emperor Realm Masters started breaking through to Open Heaven Realm outside of the Star Boundary. This scene attracted many bystanders.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai stood in place and used his Divine Sense to cover the entire Star Boundary. Instantly, he heard a multitude of conversations.
While listening, Yang Kai soon understood the latest situation on the various Great Territory Battlefields.
In general, both clans were still maintaining their side of the agreement, and it seemed like it would stay that way for some time to come. Besides the ones in those six Great Territory Battlefields, the other Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters remained silent.
On the contrary, the six Great Territory Battlefields which had remained unchanged from the beginning now had very few ordinary soldiers as many Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters now used these vast expanses as their own battlegrounds.
While quite a number of new Territory Lords had appeared in the Black Ink Clan, the Humans also had many new Eighth-Order Masters, all of whom swarmed into those six Great Territory Battlefields, intending to temper themselves while weakening the enemy’s strength by killing their top Masters. It could be said that the intensity of the battles in those six Great Territory Battlefields vastly exceeded all others.
There were constantly Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords dying in battle, which was very tragic news.
After 1,700 years of retreat, Yang Kai was now eager to move his body. Moreover, he had long decided to search for the first Primordial Light after finishing his latest retreat. To his knowledge, the Primordial Light was the only instrument capable of completely wiping out Mo; therefore, after gathering some intel, Yang Kai flew up to the sky and soon left High Heaven Territory.
Now that nearly 2,000 years of changes had passed, the situation in Azure Sun Territory had already changed.
Originally, the Humans and Black Ink Clan in Azure Sun Territory were engaged in a massive total war with battles of all sizes never ceasing. But as time passed, such sights became rarer.
This place was now the battlefield where only the strongest Masters battled each other. Ordinary soldiers from both Races had already moved out of this Great Territory; after all, ordinary soldiers had no right to participate in battles involving such Masters.
At this moment, those who were still actively moving about in this Great Territory were at least Feudal Lords and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who came here to gain some stimulation and break through their bottlenecks.
There were Masters from both Races fighting each other in every corner of this Great Territory, the fallout so intense that it could be felt across vast distances in all directions. These fights wouldn’t continue for long periods as those who gained small victories would immediately fall back, lest they attract the attention of reinforcements from the other side.
The quiet void was like a sleeping monster that would wake up at any moment and devour all the active Masters from both Races.
Amidst all his tension and chaos, a figure leisurely toured around the void, and though he was alone, he was completely calm and relaxed. It was as though that figure thought of this dangerous battlefield as his own home garden.
His Divine Sense carefully swept through the entire void as if he was looking for something but couldn’t find it, causing a disappointed expression to fill his face.
At some point in time, three large Black Ink Clouds rushed over from three different directions, coincidentally surrounding him.
However, this person didn’t seem to notice them at all and just continued searching his surroundings.
When this person arrived at the centre of the three Black Ink Clouds, three figures appeared from within the three Black Ink Clouds. Those three had strong auras and were clearly Territory Lords.
In the front was a burly Territory Lord with a single horn. He had a vicious expression as his Black Ink Strength surged and he fiercely slammed his palm towards that Human while roaring, “Die!”
Behind him was a slender female Territory Lord that charged towards the Human at breakneck speed. Then, she reached out her hand, which was equipped with nails that were as sharp as knives, aiming at her target’s heart from behind.
Finally, the third Territory Lord launched his own attack at that Human. Though he wasn’t as burly as the first Territory Lord, and he wasn’t as fast as the female Territory Lord, a huge amount of Black Ink Strength enveloped a large patch of the void at the shake of his arms. That dense Black Ink Strength was like the Astral Wind from the Nine Heavens, cutting through the void as it sliced towards the Human.
The three Territory Lords attacked together, creating a vortex of death that surrounded their lone target.
Such a lethal momentum wasn’t something any Eighth-Order Master could resist.
The Territory Lord in front was smiling wickedly, as if he could already see the terrified expression of his enemy.
[I wonder where this Eighth-Order Human came from. How bold of him to wander around Azure Sun Territory alone. He’ll pay for his ignorance!]
However, what happened next stunned that Territory Lord.
The Eighth-Order Master, who should be terrified, was smiling at him with an expression that seemed excited and eager. Palming his fist, the Human cracked his knuckles and joyously called out, “You guys did this to yourselves, so don’t blame me for what happens next!”
The gleeful expression on the Human’s face looked like he had just received a huge gift and was celebrating his good fortune.
[Something’s not right…]
However, it was too late to turn back. Since the three Territory Lords had already surrounded the Human, they didn’t care that something felt off and decided to kill first before figuring out anything else.
Instantly, all three Territory Lords arrived before the lone Eighth-Order Master, and the first burly Territory Lord threw a punch as a violent wave of Black Ink Strength surged out.
The next moment, however, his expression froze and the look of determination and resolve on his face quickly warped with confusion and doubt.
It was because that Eighth-Order Master had also thrown a punch. Even though this punch seemed small and weak, it shattered his own attack. The burly Territory Lord clearly saw how the other party’s fist seemed to vaporize his arm as it advanced towards him, an overwhelming strength surging behind it. The next moment, this seemingly slow punch moved upwards unimpeded and landed on his head.
Like an exploded watermelon, the burly Territory Lord was instantly turned into a headless corpse.
The Eighth-Order Human turned around abruptly, his bright eyes coincidentally meeting those of the female Territory Lord attacking him from behind.
Both of them were so close their faces were practically touching. The female Territory Lord felt her body tremble as she suddenly felt as though she wasn’t facing an Eighth-Order Human, but some Ancient Ominous Beast that had been caged for countless aeons. The shocking and terrifying murderous intent that radiated from this Human gave the female Territory Lord chills as her heart continuously sank. In desperation, she gathered all her Black Ink Strength at her fingertips as her nails turned black before striking at the Human.
To her astonishment though, rather than the feeling of her nails sinking into flesh, she felt a tight grip around her wrist, clearly indicating that the enemy had somehow caught her.
A low whisper sounded from beside her ear, causing her heart to clench, “You’re next…”
Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in her abdomen, followed by a violent energy that resembled a volcanic eruption exploding inside her. She felt like her enemy had punched through her body and completely broken her spine. The violent energy then surged out and attacked her strong body, and in less than a breath’s time, the female Territory Lord exploded into a mist of blood.
It was only after the death of the first two Territory Lords that the violent Black Ink Strength wave created by the third Territory Lord reached its target. This was supposed to be a powerful Secret Technique that could create an optimum battleground for his two companions, but now, it was what saved the third Territory Lord.
Seeing his two companions being decapitated and exploded by a single attack each from the mysterious Human before him, the third Territory Lord didn’t dare to remain any longer.
In a state of utter shock, the third Territory Lord instinctually tried to escape, but the space around him warped, instantly giving him an illusion that it was being stretched out infinitely. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t move from the spot where he stood.
At that moment, a figure shot out of the rolling Black Ink Strength, splitting the Black Ink Cloud apart before arriving in front of the third Territory Lord in the blink of an eye. Then, the Human casually reached out and easily grabbed the Territory Lord’s neck like he was picking up a chicken, tilting his head as he wondered aloud, “You guys are so weak…”
[Weak?] When the remaining Territory Lord heard that comment, he didn’t know what to say.
[Are we weak?]
Since they were Territory Lords, of course, they weren’t weak. Though the joint attack these three Territory Lords used wasn’t invincible in Azure Sun Territory, there was rarely anyone who could beat them. They had killed some Human Masters using this tactic and thought that since this Human was alone, it would be impossible for him to do anything to them, no matter how strong he may be. However, it was only now that this Territory Lord understood the Human expression ‘there are always mountains beyond mountains’.
It wasn’t that they were weak, it was just that their enemy was absurdly strong.
[How could there be such a strong Eighth-Order Master?] Perhaps it was because the Territory Lord was near-death that his memory was suddenly jogged and he recalled a name that had disappeared for nearly 2,000 years.
“You’re…”
“Alright, time’s up!” Yang Kai didn’t let the Territory Lord finish his words as he simply exerted some strength with his hand before separating the latter’s head from his body, causing a fountain of blood to spurt everywhere.
[Good! As I expected, these 1,700 years of retreat weren’t in vain. I’m now far stronger than I was before.]
However, Yang Kai immediately understood that he could kill these three Territory Lords so easily because they weren’t Innate Territory Lords but Acquired Territory Lords.
Back when they were on the Black Ink Battlefield, it was common knowledge that under normal circumstances, a Territory Lord’s strength would be weaker than an Eighth-Order Master’s because Humans acquired their strength through long-term accumulation.
Yang Kai had killed quite a few Innate Territory Lords, so these Acquired Territory Lords were nothing to him.
With his current ability, he could kill one of them with a single punch, just like when he was at the peak of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm back then and slaughtered Feudal Lords like chickens and dogs.
If he were to encounter those strong Innate Territory Lords, it might not be as easy to kill them, but with his fearful reputation, those Innate Territory Lords wouldn’t dare to come and find trouble with him. Only these Acquired Territory Lords who never experienced his terror would have forgotten his infamy and mistakenly targeted him.
Though Azure Sun Territory was vast, the sudden annihilation of three Territory Lord auras was enough to attract the attention of many Masters.
Following that, several Divine Senses came from all directions, including Divine Senses from Territory Lords, Feudal Lords, and Seventh and Eighth-Order Masters. During these years of continuous battles, both races suffered losses, but never had a battle ended so quickly, much less with three Territory Lords dying at once.
Yang Kai naturally sensed these probes and secretly sighed, [There has indeed been a significant increase in Masters from both races during my years of retreat.]
The Black Ink Clan could use their Black Ink Nests to cultivate, so it was normal for them to become stronger quickly. As long as there were enough resources and Black Ink Nests, it wasn’t surprising for them to nurture many Feudal Lords and Territory Lords.
However, it was surprising that so many Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Masters had appeared so quickly. Theoretically, it would be difficult for so many Humans to break through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm after just 2,000 years, especially those rising stars because they wouldn’t have enough accumulation.
The truth, however, was that the rate of breaking through to a new realm amongst those rising stars was not any slower than those veteran Open Heaven Realm Masters. Moreover, some of them even broke through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm earlier than veteran Seventh-Order Masters.
Perhaps this was a blessing from the Heavens.
Just like how the Heavens chose Yang Kai as a means of protecting themselves from the Black Ink Clan’s invasion, all the Human soldiers who fought against the Black Ink Clan had gained the Heavens’ favour as they were complying with the Heavens’ Will.
Such people could be said to be fighting on behalf of the Heavens and would thus receive far more opportunities and good fortune.
In the past, there weren’t many such people around, but now that the Black Ink Clan had invaded the 3,000 Worlds and the Humans were forced to defend just a handful of Great Territories, was the time when they needed to increase their overall strength the most. It was for this reason that the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors and Yang Kai worked hard to create a safe environment for them to grow. This very scenario imperceptibly shortened the time the Humans needed to grow stronger.
It was said to be difficult to predict the Heavens’ Will, but in truth, it could be seen in everything.
While in a trance, Yang Kai seemed to have realized something.
But soon, he was interrupted by a frantic Divine Sense.
Those Acquired Territory Lords didn’t know of Yang Kai’s reputation, but the Innate Territory Lords certainly did. Back in the day, all Innate Territory Lords were shown images of him so that they could memorise what he looked like.
1,700 years had passed, and the Black Ink Clan had gradually forgotten the shadow cast over them by Yang Kai. Moreover, according to the reports from the various Black Ink Disciples, this killing star had seemingly entered retreat in the Star Boundary soon after the peace deal was signed and not shown his face ever since.
No one expected that he would suddenly appear inside Azure Sun Territory and announce his return by slaughtering three Territory Lords!
“Sir Yang Kai, what’s the meaning of this?” A magnificent Divine Sense suddenly reverberated from the depths of the void. Though it sounded like the voice was questioning Yang Kai, it didn’t dare to be too reckless with its tone or words. Clearly, it was the Innate Territory Lord who was overseeing this place.
1,700 years ago, the number of Innate Territory Lords Yang Kai killed had reached more than 30; what’s more, those Innate Territory Lords were basically killed in a single blow by Yang Kai. Although Yang Kai had used special external means to kill them back then, that did nothing to diminish his incredible strength.
Now that 1,700 years had passed, no one knew exactly how this killing star’s ability had changed, but from how he killed three Acquired Territory Lords in just a few short breaths, everyone could tell he was stronger than before.
The terror that had faded away after nearly 2,000 years of silence had now resurfaced and tightly gripped the Innate Territory Lords.
[Is this monster… going to start another killing spree? If that’s true, the peace we maintained for more than 1,000 years will surely shatter.]
“Sir, are you planning on breaking the peace treaty our two Races agreed upon?” The Innate Territory Lords asked again, his voice echoing from many different directions, as if he was deliberately trying to hide his whereabouts.
Yang Kai snorted disdainfully as he felt somewhat displeased. These Innate Territory Lords reacted too quickly. It seemed he had killed those Territory Lords too quickly. He should have taken more time to tear them apart so he could have killed a few more Territory Lords without drawing attention to himself.
However, he hadn’t taken action for nearly 2,000 years, so his fine control of his strength was somewhat lacking at the moment.
Yang Kai’s gaze drifted for a moment, then seeming to have ignored the barriers of space, he fixed his eyes on a particular position in the void. Then, he yawned out of boredom and waved his hand, “I’m just looking around. You can all go back to what you were doing.”
The Innate Territory Lord who had spoken earlier while hiding in the dark had already broken out into a cold sweat as he felt a fierce aura locking onto him from far away and pinning him down. Fortunately, that aura disappeared in the next instant.
Knowing that his position had been exposed and that his tricks to hide his whereabouts meant nothing before Yang Kai, the Innate Territory Lord realised that if the latter wanted to kill him, Yang Kai could have arrived in front of him within a couple of breaths. He didn’t have the slightest confidence in resisting Yang Kai’s assault.
On the other hand, Yang Kai’s answer made several Territory Lords feel their chests tighten.
[Looking around… He’s just looking around, yet he killed three Acquired Territory Lords…]
However, they also knew that couldn’t be helped because it was those three Territory Lords who attacked first. In other words, they were the ones who courted death themselves.
The peace treaty did state that Yang Kai couldn’t participate in the war or attack any of the Territory Lords, but it never said Yang Kai couldn’t fight back if he was the one attacked. Moreover, since those three were killed by this killing star, the other Black Ink Clansmen didn’t dare to harp on this matter for fear they would be next.
“I hope what you said is true!” That Innate Territory Lord barely managed to keep his remaining dignity by broadcasting such words in all directions.
A short while later, a frenzy of activity occurred in Azure Sun Territory as all the Feudal Lords and Territory Lords around their main base hurried back inside while those too far away simply found places to hide.
Panicked energy fluctuations could be felt coming from all directions.
How could the Seventh and Eighth-Order Masters let such an opportunity go? Immediately, they began intercepting those Feudal Lords and Territory Lords while going all out to kill them. In an instant, the originally quiet Azure Sun Territory became extremely lively.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai slowly moved across the void while sweeping his Divine Sense around. He soon came across several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters surrounding a group of Feudal Lords. The Humans already had a slight upper hand, but when Yang Kai passed by, the Feudal Lords became terrified. Even though Yang Kai didn’t even glance at them, those Feudal Lords felt like death itself was stalking them, causing their strength to plummet by some 30 or 40%.
Before Yang Kai even left, the Feudal Lords, who had barely maintained a balance before, were now at a total disadvantage. It was only a matter of time before they were killed by those Seventh-Order Masters.
A while later, Yang Kai came across another battlefield, but this time he stopped to take a look.
There were three Eighth-Order Human Masters currently battling a single Innate Territory Lord. Though it was three against one, the Humans didn’t hold much of an advantage.
Besides the fact that an Innate Territory Lord was already a very powerful foe, these three Eighth-Order Masters had clearly broken through to their current realm not long ago, so they didn’t have much heritage.
However, the three Eighth-Orders Masters were able to work together seamlessly and were proficient in many kinds of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques. Despite not having an overwhelming advantage in this battle, they were still able to surround and pin down this Innate Territory Lord.
The space around this battlefield was warped, especially at its centre, and rays of bright light and murderous intent flared wildly.
Yang Kai’s arrival had naturally attracted the attention of these four, and the terrified Innate Territory Lord couldn’t help bellowing, “Sir Yang Kai, are you going to attack?”
Yang Kai chuckled, “No. I’m just having a look. You guys can continue your fight.”
Then, his expression turned grim as he reprimanded those Eighth-Order Masters, “You three little brats, what have you been cultivating for all these years? It’s three against one, and this is the best you can do? If word of this spread out, my reputation would be completely ruined!”
A young man with an innocent expression immediately wore a bitter look on his face as he complained, “Honoured Master, we only broke through to the Eighth Order 300 years ago, and this guy is an Innate Territory Lord.”
If their opponent had been an ordinary Territory Lord, their fight wouldn’t have been nearly this difficult, but Innate Territory Lords were far more powerful than the current generation of Acquired Territory Lords.
Yang Kai’s face darkened, “You dare talk back to me? Has this Honoured Master’s teachings been in vain for all those years?”
He then raised his head slightly and spoke in a sorrowful tone, “Didn’t your Honoured Master ever tell you that he killed a Royal Lord just after breaking through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm?”
Among those three Eighth-Order Masters, the young man with a bowl cut pursed his lips, “Honoured Master, all you know is how to boast about your achievements.”
They would have believed Yang Kai if he had said he killed an Innate Territory Lord as they had heard about how powerful he was for many years. However, killing a Royal Lord? Even they, Yang Kai’s Legacy Disciples, wouldn’t believe him, let alone others.
All three of them were silently complaining about how they never knew their Honoured Master was so shameless.
“How could you all get distracted during a battle? Do you want to die?” Yang Kai scolded them.
The only female Eighth-Order Master amongst them gripped her spear and swept it out fiercely with an angry roar, “Kill!”
Yang Kai applauded, “Ye Bai, you should learn more from your Junior Sister. How can a man not have any murderous intent? When fighting an enemy Master, it’s either you die or they do, so if you don’t give it your all, you won’t be the one to laugh in the end.”
“Yes!” Zhao Ye Bai’s expression became stern as his murderous intent surged.
The Innate Territory Lord was already afraid that Yang Kai would suddenly make a move and kill him, but now he felt completely hopeless after listening to this conversation.
[Honoured Master? Yang Kai is these three Eighth-Order Masters’ Honoured Master? What the Hell am I supposed to do now?]
If these three had been any other Eighth-Order Masters, it wouldn’t have mattered if he killed them, but these were Yang Kai’s Disciples. Once he made a killing attack, would Yang Kai really just stand there and do nothing?
Even if Yang Kai killed him today, the Black Ink Clan would not bring up the peace agreement for discussion and would just let the matter slide.
At that instant, the Innate Territory Lord fell into a dilemma.
Meanwhile, the three Eighth-Order Masters had been through many battles, so they wouldn’t show any mercy to their enemies when given such a good opportunity. Now that the Innate Territory Lord could only defend himself and had no way of striking back, the three redoubled their assault, sending out all sorts of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques which illuminated the entire void.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “You three can barely achieve one or two parts of my strength back then.”
Hearing that, Zhao Ya felt her veins bulging and couldn’t stand it anymore, so she spoke while thrusting out her spear, “Honoured Master, why don’t you go look around somewhere else?”
[We three Senior Brothers and Sister are fighting a life-or-death battle! It’s fine if this old fart can’t help us, but can he not just stand there boasting shamelessly while making sarcastic remarks?]
Yang Kai raised his hand and knocked her head, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want me here?”
Zhao Ya felt aggrieved, but at the same time, she was secretly astonished at her Honoured Master’s ability. Although she didn’t have her guard up against him and was fully focused on fighting the Innate Territory Lord, she was still an Eighth-Order Master, after all. However, she didn’t even notice when her Honoured Master arrived beside her.
While thinking of that, she couldn’t help but exclaim inside, [Indeed, old ginger is spicier than young ginger. Boasting might be a habit every man has, but this old man does have some skill it seems. I guess I’ll just let him continue to boast…]
As such, she didn’t say anything.
“Why is it only the three of you? Where’s that little bastard Yang Xiao?” Yang Kai looked around curiously. If he remembered correctly, his three Disciples should have been with Yang Xiao because they seemed to have formed a group called the Ten Directions Supreme and had also made a name for themselves.
But now, there were only the three of them, and Yang Xiao was nowhere to be seen.
Xu Yi used Time Principles to disrupt the Innate Territory Lord’s senses while finding a moment to answer, “These years, our Fellow Brothers and Sisters have broken through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm one after another, so it’s not suitable for us to stay in a single Squad and kill enemies together anymore. The three of us parted ways with Senior Brother Yang some time ago.”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding.
Back then, they formed a squad to kill the enemy because they weren’t strong enough. Although there were quite a lot of Seventh-Order Masters among them, going into the Great Territories conquered by the Black Ink Clan was extremely dangerous; therefore, it was a better choice to band together.
But now, these little ones had all broken through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so there was no need to act as a unit anymore.
Also, this was a wise choice because only in this way could they continue to break through their limitations by exposing themselves to dangerous situations.
Yang Kai’s three Disciples had all directly broken through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm back then and were now Eighth-Order Masters. Once they had accumulated enough heritage, they could strive to break through to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If they did, they would become pillars of the war against the Black Ink Clan.
It was the same for Yang Xiao. He was a pure Dragon Clan member and had a very strong Bloodline Talent, so he could only rely on purifying and tempering his Dragon Vein and nothing else to achieve a breakthrough.
As for Yang Xue, she was the same as Yang Kai. The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm was her limit.
“Die!” A fierce roar suddenly sounded as Zhao Ya pierced the Innate Territory Lord’s chest with her spear. Violent energy exploded, directly opening a huge hole in the enemy’s chest.
With her strength, she couldn’t land such a blow on an Innate Territory Lord so easily. The best outcome for today’s battle would have been both sides suffering injuries or both sides retreating on their own.
However, Yang Kai standing there talking non-stop forced the Innate Territory Lord to divide some attention to guard against him. Also, the Innate Territory Lord had to be mindful of Zhao Ye Bai and the others being Yang Kai’s Disciples, so he didn’t dare to kill them.
Since the Innate Territory Lord couldn’t escape or pay full attention to fighting his opponents, he naturally wouldn’t have a good end.
“Senior Brother!” Xu Yi bellowed. The three Brothers and Sister had been together for many years and had gone through countless battles together, so they knew each other incredibly well by now. When Zhao Ya succeeded in attacking the enemy, Xu Yi immediately seized the chance.
Zhao Ye Bai roared, “Coming!”
The two of them immediately pushed their Time Principles and Space Principles, intertwining their strength to create a mysterious energy.
At that moment, the local Space became a mess, and the entire battlefield was rendered into a patchwork of light. The Innate Territory Lord had a surprised and frightened expression on his face as he watched a spear coming at him, swiftly moving about as it slashed him 18 times.
During this critical life-and-death moment, the Territory Lord no longer cared about Yang Kai. The Black Ink Strength surrounding his body surged as it spread out in all directions like a tsunami.
The chaotic Space was disrupted and three figures were sent flying, all of them coughing up fresh blood.
At the same time, the Territory Lord had 18 new injuries and was covered in fresh black blood, making him look incredibly haggard.
Not intending to remain a moment longer, he turned around and transformed into a Black Ink Cloud before making his escape.
“In your dreams!” Zhao Ye Bai roared. The trio had exerted a lot of effort to heavily injure their enemy. If they let their opponent escape, they would have spent their years of cultivation in vain.
Moreover, their Honoured Master was watching them from the side.
Zhao Ye Bai had no expectations that his Honoured Master would lend a helping hand, and Yang Kai had no such intentions either. Instead, he just watched them with interest.
While Zhao Ye Bai roared, his figure flickered. Then, with a slight step, a vague shadow remained in place while his true body appeared in front of the escaping Innate Territory Lord. At some point, a mysterious object appeared in Zhao Ye Bai’s hand. It seemed like a sword, but it also looked like a snake. The thing was squirming in his hand like an untamed animal that could bite back at him at any moment.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he offered some silent praise. Though he did not pay much attention to his Disciples, he didn’t expect the dopiest little one to have grown so much.
The thing in Zhao Ye Bai’s hand wasn’t a sword or a snake, it was a Void Crack. He was using a Void Crack as a weapon.
“Scram!” The Territory Lord yelled madly as a palm appeared from within the rolling Black Ink Cloud and slammed towards Zhao Ye Bai.
The Space Sword didn’t slash downwards but nimbly formed a curve that cut into the Black Ink Cloud. At the same time, Zhao Ye Bai ducked and avoided the Territory Lord’s palm while also revealing Xu Yi standing behind him.
While using Space Principles to intercept his enemy, he also brought along his Third Junior Brother with him.
The Innate Territory Lord had been completely focused on running away, and the two Brothers had combined their auras, so he didn’t notice that there were two Humans before him rather than one.
Xu Yi had a stern expression as he placed his palms together. Then, a dense layer of Time Principles surrounded his body, and with a gentle slap, Time itself was sent flying.
As this palm struck, the surrounding void seemed to pass through countless years in an instant. When the Innate Territory Lord’s attack reached Xu Yi’s palm, only half of its power remained.
With a shake of Xu Yi’s body, the Innate Territory Lord was sent flying, and Zhao Ye Bai’s Space Sword slashed downwards.
The huge Black Ink Cloud roiled and split, revealing the Territory Lord’s figure with a large wound at his waist that was gushing out blood. The wound didn’t look like it was from a sharp object piercing him; instead, it was as if some beast had ripped a chunk of his flesh out.
Before the Territory Lord could steady himself, an intense murderous intent struck him from behind. Zhao Ya had harnessed the essence of the Supreme Limitless Spear Art and transformed her weapon into a giant phantom image that swiftly enveloped the Innate Territory Lord.
At that moment, the Innate Territory Lord could no longer escape.
“Kill!” Xu Yi called out and charged forward with his Eldest Senior Brother.
However, The trio didn’t dare to be reckless and the fight with the Innate Territory Lord lasted another half an hour before they finally took him down with great difficulty.
After Zhao Ya used her spear to blast the Innate Territory Lord’s head off, she withdrew it while all three of them looked pale and panted heavily. However, they were feeling indescribably happy inside.
This was the first Innate Territory Lord they had killed!
Even though they had fought Innate Territory Lords before, it would always end with them suffering a loss and the three of them escaping under their Eldest Senior Brother’s lead. There were also some rare times when both sides suffered heavy losses and mutually withdrew, but never had they imagined killing an Innate Territory Lord so soon.
Yang Kai overseeing the situation might have contributed to their win, but during the latter half of the battle, the Innate Territory Lord had gone all out and no longer restrained his attacks.
This life-or-death battle was certainly beneficial to them. Once they had absorbed the experience from this fight, they were confident that they wouldn’t be in such a wretched state when encountering another Innate Territory Lord in the future.
“Honoured Master, please give us some guidance!” After steadying his breath, Zhao Ye Bai looked at Yang Kai and cupped his fist.
Yang Kai smiled, “Your Master simply shows you the path, how you walk it is up to you. Your Honoured Master has no more advice for you. I only have one comment. Well done.”
Although he felt that the three little ones still had a few rough edges while battling their opponent, and many opportunities weren’t grasped perfectly, nothing was truly perfect in this World. Even he had times when he made mistakes and misjudgments. Moreover, the situation on the battlefield was constantly changing, and only by continuously overcoming their limitations could they grow strong.
Also, Yang Kai noticed that they had adopted an original approach when using their Martial Daos, especially when Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi combined both Time and Space Principles, allowing them to display a kind of Space-Time Strength.
Yang Kai could summon the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel and use Space-Time Strength because he was proficient in both the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time. It was like a person’s left and right hands working together seamlessly and not too difficult to achieve; however, Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi were two different individuals. When one person’s left hand had to work with another person’s right hand, it didn’t only require perfect timing but also absolute trust in each other.
As Yang Kai thought of that, he couldn’t help but sigh. It seemed like the young eagles had grown their feathers and were able to soar in the sky.
He suddenly understood how Ou Yang Lie and the others felt back then. Each age offered new talents, and those new talents would surpass the older ones! The veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters might have had high hopes and felt like they had passed their prime when looking at the young and active him back then.
“After so many years, Honoured Master has never taught you anything in detail, but since we’ve encountered each other today, I will give you one final lesson!” Yang Kai wore a kind smile on his face.
The three Disciples looked serious as they felt inexplicably sad. Though their Honoured Master didn’t seem old and could even be considered young when compared to other veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they knew that the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm… was their Honoured Master’s limit in this lifetime.
That was undoubtedly a ruthless fate for a cultivator who used up all his life to pursue the peak of the Martial Dao. Though their Honoured Master’s appearance would not age for tens of thousands of years at least, his ambition to pursue Martial Dao would no longer be as strong as it once was.
Zhao Ya’s eyes reddened slightly as she remembered how Yang Kai had taken such gentle care of them when they were young. All these years, they seemed to have never been filial to their Honoured Master, so she secretly decided that if they could wipe out the Black Ink Clan, they must stay beside their Honoured Master and take care of him.
However, while such thoughts flashed across her head, Yang Kai raised his fist to his lips and coughed twice before suddenly shouting, “This King’s three Legacy Disciples are right here! An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! If any of you Territory Lords have a grudge against me, feel free to target them! If you manage to kill them, that just proves your capability, and this King will not avenge them in the future!”
The three Disciples slowly widened their eyes as their sadness instantly disappeared while looking at their Honoured Master with stunned expressions.
Yang Kai then winked at them, “The final lesson is that your Honoured Master can’t protect you for a lifetime, so you have to learn how to fend for yourselves!”
After saying that, Yang Kai didn’t bother to see what their reactions were before taking a step and appearing a million kilometres away from them. Then, he laughed from afar and announced, “There will come a day when the eagle learns to fly and soars high in the sky!”
He seemed to be in an extremely pleasant mood.
In just a few short moments, his aura disappeared from Azure Sun Territory, obviously indicating that he had left through one of the Territory Gates.
At that instant, many Divine Senses swept towards Zhao Ye Bai and the others from all directions and the trio felt like countless pairs of eyes were now staring at them from the dark.
“Run!” In a panic, Zhao Ye Bai grabbed his Junior Sister and Brother before turning around and dashing towards one of the Human Race’s forward outposts.
“Master?! How could there be such a terrible Master in this life!? Ahhh! I’m going to drop out of the Master’s Sect!” Xu Yi felt like he was going mad.
In this World, the number of those who knew they were Yang Kai’s Legacy Disciples was not low, but it also wasn’t high; after all, Yang Kai had arranged for them to be cared for at the High Heaven Palace before he went to the Black Ink Battlefield, which was some 3,000 years ago. Back then, the three of them were still weak, so the others only thought of them as ordinary High Heaven Palace disciples. No one had ever expected them and Yang Kai to be Disciples and Master.
Of course, they also wouldn’t announce this fact to the wider world.
They knew what their Honoured Master had done to the Black Ink Clan, so if the Black Ink Clan found out about their relationship, they would definitely be targeted.
That was also why the Human higher-ups never said a word about them despite knowing the whole story.
Never would they have imagined that Yang Kai would take the initiative to expose their Master and Disciple relationship today.
There were so many Territory Lords who died because of Yang Kai, but since the Black Ink Clan couldn’t do anything about him, their next best option was to target his three Disciples.
It was easy to predict that the dangers and risks these three would be facing in the future would vastly surpass what they encountered previously. Perhaps they would be targeted by multiple Territory Lords the moment they appeared in any Great Territory.
Zhao Ya bit her lips as her eyes reddened even more.
She had secretly decided that once her Honoured Master turned old, could no longer move about, and was bedridden, she would show him the real meaning of filial piety!
After giving it some more thought, she realized that this old fart had never taught them anything these past few millennia. All he did was take them under his wing when they were young and naïve. Since he brought them out from the Void World, they had hardly even met, so how could he have taught them anything?
Yet this old ghost dared to say this was their final lesson!
“Eldest Senior Brother, run faster! They’re chasing us!” Xu Yi screamed in panic. It had only been a short moment, but several powerful auras which obviously belonged to Innate Territory Lords were rapidly closing in on them. On top of that, there were dozens of weaker auras following closely behind them in the dark. Clearly, everyone now saw the three of them as prime targets.
“Don’t resist!” Zhao Ye Bai shouted while using Space Principles to wrap around his Junior Sister and Brother, their figures beginning to flicker.
By the time he had almost run out of energy, they finally reached the Human Race’s main camp. Zhao Ye Bai fell to the ground, feeling like he didn’t even have the energy to move a finger. While he looked up at the jet-black void, he only had one thought in mind.
[Honoured Master is definitely trying to screw with us!]
After nearly 2,000 years, the Human Race’s biggest killing star, Yang Kai, had emerged from retreat; then, he appeared in Azure Sun Territory and killed three Acquired Territory Lords.
When the news spread out, the Black Ink Clan was terrified!
Acquired Territory Lords were also Territory Lords, and although they weren’t as powerful as Innate Territory Lords, or even ordinary Eighth-Order Human Masters, they weren’t easy to kill by any means.
The Black Ink Clan then heard that those three Territory Lords were the ones who initiated the attack, but all of them were killed within three breaths.
Fortunately, Yang Kai didn’t start a killing spree or even intend to break the treaty they had agreed on previously. Instead, he just strolled around Azure Sun Territory and left.
At that moment, all the Black Ink Clansmen in all the Great Territory Battlefields shivered in fright as they did all they could to get news about Yang Kai.
Soon, they received word from all directions that Yang Kai had appeared on the Great Territory Battlefields one after another; however, he never started a fight and just wandered around as if searching for something.
No one knew what he was searching for.
There were many times when he appeared near the Black Ink Clan’s bases, which made the Territory Lords eager to start a fight but also extremely wary.
They were eager to start a fight because if they did, they might stand a chance of defeating Yang Kai if the entire Army attacked him together. However, they were worried that if a battle broke out, there was no telling how many Territory Lords would die, and there was also a chance that they might not be able to defeat Yang Kai.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai left that the Black Ink Clan finally felt relieved.
However, more news spread across the Great Territories, saying that Yang Kai’s three Legacy Disciples were in Azure Sun Territory, so many began thinking of ways to surround and kill them. This news greatly energized the Black Ink Clan.
The fear of Yang Kai would forever stay with them because he was so strong and overbearing that no Black Ink Clansman dared to offend him. Since the Black Ink Clan couldn’t do anything about Yang Kai though, they could take out their frustrations on his three Legacy Disciples.
Moreover, it was Yang Kai who exposed their relationship before leaving Azure Sun Territory. Also, he said that if the Black Ink Clan managed to kill his Disciples, he would not take revenge.
Just as countless Black Ink Clansmen were focusing their attention on Azure Sun Territory, they heard even more news from other Great Territories.
Yang Xiao and Yang Yue, who made a name for themselves recently, were revealed to be Yang Kai’s Adopted Son and Younger Sister.
Also, a few women who had recently broken through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm were said to be his Wives.
In an instant, the Black Ink Clan began targeting everyone with close connections to Yang Kai. The Black Ink Clan had also devised several plans to round them up and slaughter them; however, whether they would actually kill them was doubtful as none of the higher-ups in the Black Ink Clan believed Yang Kai would really not seek revenge.
If they could capture these important people and corrupt them with Black Ink Strength though, turning them into Black Ink Disciples, it would certainly allow them to restrain Yang Kai’s actions greatly.
Undercurrents surged throughout the various battlefields surrounding those cultivators with close relationships with Yang Kai. The Human Race and the Black Ink Clan continuously fought each other in battle after battle, turning the situation into a chaotic mess.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had long left the 13 Battlefields. With a Universe Chart in hand, he began touring around all the Great Territories.
If the Human Race wanted to get rid of the Black Ink Clan once and for all, they had to find the Primordial Light. Although Yang Kai had ventured into the Chaotic Dead Territory to ask Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan about it, the information he received wasn’t of much use; therefore, Yang Kai still didn’t have a clue about what the Primordial Light was or where to find it.
Now, he could only use the dumbest method of performing an exhaustive search, hoping he would get lucky.
Cang had previously said that when the Primordial Light was born, Primordial Darkness appeared alongside it. Light and darkness were opposite sides of the same coin and were inextricably linked, but now, that darkness had become Mo and was set on devouring the Universe while the light was nowhere to be seen.
The Primordial Light might not take the form of light, just like how darkness had taken the form of Mo. The light could be a blade of grass, a simple tree, or even a Monster or a Human. There was even the possibility of it being everything in this World.
Yang Kai wasn’t sure if he could find it, but he believed that where there was a will, there would be a way.
Moreover, his cultivation was approaching his personal limit. Though it hadn’t reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm yet, the heritage in his Small Universe was constantly increasing without the need to go through bitter secluded cultivation.
After chasing his limits for all his life, Yang Kai had reached the end of his Martial Dao, but he didn’t feel the slightest joy. That was because he knew that this wasn’t the peak of the Martial Dao. This knowledge was undoubtedly the greatest despair to a cultivator.
Since he didn’t need to cultivate and couldn’t head to the battlefield to fight the enemy, Yang Kai couldn’t stay idle. If he were an ordinary man, he could stay with his family and be filial to his parents, or spend the rest of his life in peace, but he wasn’t an ordinary man.
It would be best if he could find the Primordial Light, but if he couldn’t, he would take this journey as a trip to reorganize his mind and calm his spirit.
His Divine Sense was constantly surging like the tide, leaving no stone unturned. In every Great Territory he visited, he would bring out his Universe Chart and use his Divine Sense to draw a cross on its corresponding position.
Now, most of the Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds were conquered by the Black Ink Clan, and the Universe Worlds that used to be flourishing and filled with vitality were now dead because they were depleted of World Force and had their Grand Daos destroyed. Numerous Black Ink Clansmen could be seen moving about the void and there were many Black Ink Nests above the dead Universe World.
Back when the Black Ink Clan had just started invading the 3,000 Worlds, Yang Kai had also visited many Great Territories, but back then, he was rushing about refining the Universe Worlds in an attempt to save as many living beings as possible.
That journey was frantic and brief.
This time, his journey was more deliberate as he performed a thorough search of every corner of each Great Territory, including all the dead Universe Worlds and Universe Fragments.
In comparison to back then, the Great Territories were now undoubtedly duller. Even the void was permeated with the extremely wicked and loathsome aura of Black Ink Strength.
The dead Universe Worlds were like decaying corpses.
Black Ink Strength had swept through the Universe. No one could avoid their personal responsibility when faced with such a tragedy.
During his journey, Yang Kai met quite a few Hunters. These Hunters travelled around each Great Territory, destroying Black Ink Nests and being chased after by the Black Ink Clan, which they all considered exciting and terrifying experiences. While facing such dangers though, they also gained a lot.
As Yang Kai passed through each Great Territory, the number of crosses on his Universe Chart gradually increased and soon almost covered the entire map.
He didn’t pay much attention to how many years he had been searching for until he suddenly came to an extremely quiet place.
After cross-checking with his Universe Chart, he suddenly realised that this was actually the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Yang Kai was very surprised as he had visited the Chaotic Dead Territory thrice, but no matter when he came, this place had always been in complete chaos.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were extremely powerful but couldn’t control their own strength; therefore, wherever they were, the violent might of Yang and Yin they possessed shattered the void.
It was because of this that Yang Kai didn’t succeed when asking them to descend the mountain and help the Humans deal with the Black Ink Clan. If they did so, many other Great Territories would become a part of the Chaotic Dead Territory, which was something the Humans couldn’t accept.
Although many Great Territories now were filled with dead Universe Worlds and were conquered by the Black Ink Clan, restoring them in the future was still possible. However, if a Great Territory became a part of the Chaotic Dead Territory, there would be no hope for restoration.
When Yang Kai came again this time and noticed there was actually something different, he couldn’t help but be curious.
Therefore, he flew deeper into the void while calling out, “Big Brother Huang, Big Sister Lan, your Little Brother is here to visit!”
Following a faint aura he sensed, Yang Kai soon found Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, but when he saw them, he was taken aback, “What are… you two doing?”
Standing before Yang Kai was a single figure, or more precisely, the combined figures of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. The left half of the figure looked like Big Brother Huang, while the right side looked like Big Sister Lan. The figure’s appearance seemed extremely strange, as if some sort of power had forcefully merged them together but failed.
“Uhm…” The strange combined figure looked at Yang Kai, and its two different coloured eyes also showed different emotions. Then, with a roll of their eyes, the combined body split into two.
With a soft popping sound, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were separated entirely. The two of them looked a little exhausted and depressed.
Big Brother Huang massaged his temples, looking like he had a headache, “We’re trying to fuse. When you were here the last time, didn’t you say we might have a connection with the Primordial Light? We thought about it after you left and thought perhaps you were right, so we gave it a try.”
“What’s the result?”
“The result is what you just saw,” Big Brother Huang spread his hands.
“It’s your fault. If you hadn’t tried to gain control, I wouldn’t have fought with you because I was afraid to get devoured,” Big Sister Lan complained.
Big Brother Huang looked aggrieved, “How can that be my fault? You initiated it. How could I comply silently?”
“As a proper Little Brother, you should carry out your Big Sister’s will,” Big Sister Lan chastised.
“Nonsense,” Big Brother Huang jumped one metre high, “I’m the Big Brother, so you should listen to me!”
Then, Big Sister Lan grabbed Big Brother Huang’s collar and threatened angrily, “Say that again!”
Big Brother Huang looked down at her and repeated arrogantly, “I’m the Big…”
“Alright alright,” Yang Kai grabbed them before placing them on either side of himself, “Stop arguing. You guys have been together for so many years. What’s there to argue about?”
They had been arguing about who was the Big Sister or Big Brother for aeons, but they still hadn’t reached a conclusion.
*Hmph!* Both of them coldly snorted before turning their heads to the side as if they didn’t want to talk to each other anymore.
Yang Kai touched his chin and commented, “When this Little Brother saw your condition just now, I seemed to have seen signs of integration.”
“We can integrate with each other,” Big Brother Huang sighed and shook his head. After so many tries, he finally understood something, “However, unless one of us is willing to be devoured by the other, we’ll never truly become one.”
Big Sister Lan added, “Also, even if one of us is willing to be devoured, the most likely possibility is that we’ll simply destroy each other entirely.”
They were originally the manifestation of Yang and Yin, so their powers were opposed, the epitome of incompatibility, so how could they possibly integrate?
“If that’s true, then why are you guys still trying?” Yang Kai was confused.
Big Brother Huang shrugged, “We have nothing to do anyway. Also, she wouldn’t let me devour her.”
That answer was impeccable. It was the same reason why Yang Kai went to look for the Primordial Light. He felt he had to do something, but there was literally nothing else for him to do, in short, he was bored…
“But we did learn something,” Big Sister Lan suddenly spoke up.
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious, “What did you discover?”
Instead of answering him, Big Sister Lan asked a question, “Do you know Alchemy?”
Not knowing what Alchemy had to do with this situation, Yang Kai still answered honestly, “I know a little.”
He had some Alchemic Dao Essence inside his Small Universe. Though he wasn’t as proficient in it as his three primary Grand Daos, his accomplishments weren’t low either. If he was willing, Yang Kai figured he could easily become an Alchemy Grandmaster. Moreover, he actively cultivated the Alchemic Dao in his youth.
Since there were many cultivators in his Small Universe, they were able to benefit from this and some became quite talented in the Alchemic Dao.
Big Sister Lan continued, “Since you know Alchemy, you should know that there are many times when herbs that have opposing natures are put together inside the same furnace, but not only do they not destroy each other, they enhance each other’s medicinal efficiency.”
Nodding, Yang Kai replied, “Indeed. The Alchemic Dao is profound and boundless, and what it focuses on is the ratio of herbs and how they counteract and enhance each other.” After thinking about it, he questioned, “Are you saying…”
“If you think of me and Big Brother Huang as counteracting herbs, what would you do to blend our medicinal efficacies?”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, “A catalyst!”
It wasn’t true that two counteracting herbs couldn’t be placed in the same furnace, one only had to add a suitable medicinal catalyst, and disaster could be turned into a miracle. Not only could a catalyst help maximize the two herbs’ medicinal efficacies, but it could help them fuse together and produce new and astonishing effects.
“I understand now!” Yang Kai was elated, like a terminally ill patient who suddenly found a cure after searching for so long. He was acting almost epileptic.
The last time Yang Kai came to the Chaotic Dead Territory and talked with these two, he realised that they had a huge connection with the Primordial Light, and perhaps were even part of it at one point. That was because Big Sister Lan previously said that she vaguely remembered being abandoned.
[Who would abandon them? And what kind of being could abandon them?]
The answer to that was undoubtedly the Primordial Light.
Although Yang Kai didn’t know the reason behind all of this, the Primordial Light did separate from the Yang and Yin that eventually became the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer.
That was why they vaguely remembered feeling like they were abandoned. They were originally the same being but were separated by a powerful force.
If they wanted to fuse, they would have to reverse what happened. So, there must be a special existence in this World, and that existence was the medicinal catalyst to help Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan reintegrate with each other!
If he could find that catalyst, perhaps they might be able to recreate that glorious light.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan looked at each other, feeling speechless.
But soon, Yang Kai’s expression turned stiff, and he frowned deeply. It only took a moment for his happy expression to disappear.
He managed to figure something out, but it all seemed meaningless…
Would he be able to find the catalyst when he couldn’t even find the Primordial Light? He had been searching around so many Great Territories, but so far hadn’t found anything at all. Even if he searched every Great Territory, there was still a chance that he wouldn’t find what he was looking for.
Logically speaking, Mo was born at the same time as the Primordial Light, so if the latter hadn’t separated from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, it might also have become a sentient existence in the 3,000 Worlds that was equally strong by now.
However, the Primordial Light separated Yang and Yin aeons ago, and now no one knew what it looked like.
Even the World Tree had no idea.
The Old Tree had been around since the dawn of time and was connected to all the Universe Worlds in the 3,000 Worlds, so who would know something that he didn’t?
Yang Kai suddenly felt devastated.
“Hey!” A leg suddenly landed on Yang Kai’s face. The force was so great that he was sent flying out and even saw stars.
When he finally found his footing, he felt something wet on his face. When he touched it, his hands were stained by blood.
He shook his head as he walked back and looked aggrieved at Big Brother Huang as he asked, “Why did you kick me?”
Big Brother Huang snorted coldly, “You looked so depressed, like your family died or something. It was annoying to look at it.”
Smiling bitterly, Yang Kai asked, “Is it that obvious?”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan nodded in sync.
Then, Big Brother Huang jumped up and slapped his small hand on Yang Kai’s shoulder while speaking like an elder, “Little Brother, there is no difficulty that can’t be solved. If you admit defeat before even starting, you’d be better off dead. At least you could have some peace and quiet that way.”
Feeling aggrieved, Yang Kai argued, “I’m not admitting defeat! I just thought…”
“Don’t think,” Big Brother Huang interrupted Yang Kai, “All beings have their own fate. Don’t put everything on your shoulders because you can’t bear that weight. This tragedy that is happening, it’s the whole world’s tragedy, not just yours. If the world would be destroyed without you, so be it.”
Yang Kai lowered his head, suddenly reminded of all he had done all those years ago.
Back then, he was invincible on the battlefield. With the Soul Rending Thorn and his various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques, he killed so many Territory Lords in Profound Nether Territory that the enemy became traumatized by his mere mention. However, even with such a huge advantage, Yang Kai still chose to make peace with them.
Didn’t he do that because of this exact reason?
This war wasn’t solely his struggle. No matter how strong a person was, there was a limit to their strength. This was the Human Race’s war, and only by the constant strengthening of their successive generations could they have hope of defeating the Black Ink Clan.
How could he have forgotten his original intention after so many years?
Yang Kai suddenly turned serious and nodded, “Big Brother Huang, you’re right.”
Also, he saw a new side to Big Brother Huang as he didn’t expect this little guy to have such insight after having stayed in the Chaotic Dead Territory for such a long time.
When Big Brother Huang heard Yang Kai compliment him, he eagerly added, “Don’t worry. If there ever comes a day when you Humans are defeated, your Big Sister Lan and I will charge out from the Chaotic Dead Territory and make this vast world into a dead zone so that the Black Ink Clan will be buried along with you!”
Yang Kai felt his brow twitch when he heard that as he thought, [This might be Big Brother Huang’s real intentions.]
No matter how isolated he and Big Sister Lan were, or how reasonably they seemed to behave, they were still avatars of chaos and destruction. When the Humans were in charge of the Universe, they could still stay here peacefully, but if the Humans disappeared from existence, nothing would be restraining them anymore. At that point, charging out of the Chaotic Dead Territory wasn’t just talk.
“Can the two of you stand against Mo?” Yang Kai felt doubtful. According to what he knew, these two might have abilities that were on par with a Giant Spirit God or stronger; however, was that enough to rival the strength of Mo?
When he thought about it, Mo created Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods while the Primordial Light created the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer; therefore, the Primordial Light might have been in the Creation Realm as well!
After pondering for a moment, Big Brother Huang replied, “We aren’t his opponent, but nothing will happen if you don’t act. Besides, we can’t just sit here and wait for death.”
Yang Kai exhaled lightly before sighing, “That’s right. We can’t just give in and wait for death to come!”
No one knew whether they could find the proper catalyst, but they had to try before knowing the answer.
Slapping his cheeks, Yang Kai thought, [Cheer up, the future is full of difficulties, but you can’t let that stop you from forging ahead!]
Suddenly, he thought of something. Since these two represented chaos and destruction, how could they have peacefully stayed in the Chaotic Dead Territory for so many years? Shouldn’t they be freely roaming around the 3,000 worlds and releasing their strength?
When Yang Kai unconsciously asked that question, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other’s eyes.
“You’re right!” Big Brother Huang was puzzled, “This is a good question. Why do we have to stay in the Chaotic Dead Territory?”
Frowning, Big Sister Lan said, “But we don’t have the urge to wipe out the Humans and destroy this World. What’s more, I think staying here is quite good.”
“Could this be the thoughts left by the Primordial Light?” Yang Kai asked.
The two couldn’t answer him.
At that moment, Big Brother Huang suddenly felt frustrated, “Hey! Why do you have so many questions? There aren’t that many whys in the world.”
For so many years, they had been living their lives this way and didn’t find it unusual, but this annoying Little Brother kept coming over and asking them so many questions that left them confused.
“Is there anything else? If not, please leave,” Big Brother Huang had no trace of politeness when he said that.
“Ugh…” Yang Kai was speechless and thought about it before saying, “Please bestow me some Yellow and Blue Crystals. Also, after so many years, the Small Stone Race…”
Although Yang Kai had brought away a huge batch of Yellow and Blue Crystals and a massive Small Stone Race Army from the Chaotic Dead Territory, so many years of war with the Black Ink Clan had consumed many of the Yellow and Blue Crystals, while few Small Stone Race were remaining. The Small Stone Race soldiers still remaining were mostly the ones who had strength on par with the Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but thanks to their low sentience, they couldn’t exert nearly as much power as the Humans.
“You’re so annoying!” Big Brother Huang felt a headache, “You’ve already taken away everything the last time you were here, yet you’re doing it again.”
Even though it had been nearly 2,000 years since Yang Kai’s last visit, that wasn’t actually a long time from the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s perspective.
But despite Big Brother Huang’s complaints, he and Big Sister Lan had already prepared a huge pile of supplies for Yang Kai. It didn’t matter if Yang Kai didn’t mention it, but now that he did, they wouldn’t be stingy with him. Therefore, Big Sister Lan waved her hand, and a giant-mountain-sized pile of Yellow and Blue Crystals floated over from deep inside the void.
Then, she shouted out an order, and several Small Stone Race Armies charged out from all directions in the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Yang Kai happily opened his Small Universe, and under Big Brother Huang’s constant grumblings, he put away the huge pile of materials and Small Stone Race Armies.
After that was done, Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s nearly 2,000 years of accumulation were gone.
Such a huge pile of materials and reinforcements were enough to influence the final result of the war between the two races.
Without mentioning anything else, if Yang Kai distributed the Small Stone Clan Armies he received to the various battlefields, they could deliver a huge blow to the Black Ink Clan as those Small Stone Race Armies had many that were on par with Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Once Yang Kai was done, he respectfully thanked the two.
Since the two Races still wanted to maintain their current situation of the war, Yang Kai wasn’t in a rush to head back and distribute these Small Stone Race Armies. Also, he had to start his search for the medicinal catalyst.
“I think you should try visiting the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land,” before he could go though, Big Sister Lan suddenly made this suggestion.
According to ancient stories, The Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer were the ancestors of all Divine Spirits. The various Divine Spirits only appeared after these two, followed by the Primordial Era and the glorious days when Divine Spirits ruled the Universe.
During that era, all sorts of different Divine Spirits were found throughout the 3,000 Worlds.
It was a pity that a brutal war that went on for millennia caused the extinction of many Divine Spirit Clans. Today, only a handful of Divine Spirits remained, and many of those Divine Spirits that managed to survive were on the verge of disappearing. The undeniable fact was that Divine Spirits were incredibly powerful, and every Mature Divine Spirit was equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at least. What’s more, all they needed to do was constantly refine their bloodline, and their strength would increase until one day they stood on par with Ninth-Order Old Ancestors, if not higher.
However, according to the information Yang Kai received from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, the rumour about them being the first ancestors was made up. Since they first gained sentience, the only matter that had concerned them was deciding who was the Elder Sibling; moreover, Yang and Yin were counteracting forces, so how could they produce so many Divine Spirits?
The only real joint creation of these two Supreme Beings was when Yang Kai used the Great Sun and Moon Marks to fuse their power to create Purifying Light, which was the most effective method the Humans currently had to restrain Black Ink Strength.
Before Purifying Light appeared, the only thing that could restrain Black Ink Strength was the power of Divine Spirits. Of course, the Divine Spirits’ power wasn’t as effective as Purifying Light, but it was still far better than what mere Humans were capable of.
Ancestral Strength from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was particularly good at this and could be thought of as a purer, stronger version of the Divine Spirits’ Power. At the end of the Early Ancient Era, a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was suppressed and sealed in the Demon Sealing Land by the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress of that generation with the help of the Sacred Treasures from 16 powerful Divine Spirit Clans and more than half of the Ancestral Strength of the Ancestral Land. After so many years, even the Black Ink Strength inside that Black Ink Giant Spirit God had been continuously ground away by the Ancestral Strength.
When Yang Kai opened the Demon Sealing Land back then, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was only an empty husk. If Mo’s Soul Clone hadn’t been injected into the dead Black Ink Giant Spirit God, it would have been impossible for it to be revived.
The Primordial Light was the opposite of the initial darkness, and both the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were separated from it. That was why the combination of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s strength could perfectly counter Black Ink Strength.
If that were true though, why could the Divine Spirits also resist Black Ink Strength? Did the Divine Spirits really have no connection with the Primordial Light?
Now, the Divine Spirits were on the brink of extinction, and there weren’t many of them still alive. Only a few Divine Spirit Clans were left, but even they were no longer as glorious as they were during the Primordial Era. However, the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land endured, so even if Big Sister Lan didn’t suggest this to Yang Kai, he was already preparing to head over there as he might find some clues.
The Shattered Heaven was the land of exile in the 3,000 Worlds. It was where the wicked gathered, so there had been all sorts of characters living there in the past.
Back then, those Open Heaven Realm Masters who wanted to break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but weren’t from any Cave Heaven and Paradise would head to the Shattered Heaven. That was because even the Cave Heavens and Paradises couldn’t control that place.
They could peacefully break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm without having to worry about being besieged by the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Of course, looking back now, the Cave Heavens and Paradises did have the ability to wipe clean and control the Shattered Heaven, they simply chose not to because the world needed a place to hide its dirty and dark secrets.
Even though the 3,000 Worlds was a vast and endless place, it couldn’t be entirely clean. Order and chaos were like light and dark, impossible to exist on their own. Everything had a positive and negative side, and both sides relied on each other to survive.
Deep inside the Shattered Heaven was the Divine Ability Sea, which was placed there by Great Experts near the end of the Early Ancient Era to surround the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. It was a natural barrier and also an invisible cage.
At this moment, Yang Kai was standing outside the Divine Ability Sea and could see a huge, safe passageway that led straight to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
This pathway was obviously the one the Black Ink Giant Spirit God opened when it emerged from the Ancestral Land.
This made things easy for Yang Kai as he didn’t need to deal with the Divine Ability Sea now.
Taking one step after another, Yang Kai strode forward, and with the help of Space Principles, each step carried him 100,000 kilometres further.
Soon, Yang Kai passed through that pathway and arrived at the Ancestral Land.
The Ancestral Land was a vast World that was filled with an ancient aura. If one were to say the Myriad Monsters World had barely managed to retain the aura of the Early Ancient Era, the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land could be said to have perfectly preserved the Primordial Era’s environment without the slightest change.
Counting this trip as well, Yang Kai had visited the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land three times.
The first time was when Cheng Yang chased him here. He was escaping with a female Seventh-Order Master named Xia Lin Lang, and they accidentally barged into this place. Perhaps it was because he had a Dragon Clan Bloodline that he was able to arrive here alive as, back then, Yang Kai was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
The second time was when he came to prevent an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple from reviving the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. Unfortunately, he was too late and was forced to personally kill a respected Senior, Lu An. Then, he personally witnessed the revival of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
That Black Ink Giant Spirit God was the one that charged out of the Demon Sealing Land to the Ancestral Land and then out through the Shattered Heaven before arriving at the Barren Territory Battlefield.
This was Yang Kai’s third visit to this place.
During his first visit, though he had a potent Dragon Vein, he wasn’t a Pureblood Dragon Clan member. During the second visit, all his focus had been on the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, so he didn’t have any spare attention to investigate this place.
But this time, he could feel a natural sense of comfort and closeness when he arrived here. It felt like he had returned home from a long journey and ran back into his mother’s arms. His Dragon Blood was surging inside him, and he couldn’t help wanting to let out a dragon roar to vent his feelings.
Although he was born a Human, the current Yang Kai could be fundamentally considered a Pure-Blooded Dragon, so he had a natural feeling of belonging with this land.
However, Yang Kai soon frowned.
It was because this place was occupied by many Black Ink Nests of all sizes, most of them Low-Rank but three of them Mid-Rank. There were no High-Rank ones, fortunately.
All the High-Rank Black Ink Nests were placed at the No-Return Pass and were guarded by the only remaining Royal Lord.
Despite having already known that the Ancestral Land wouldn’t remain unaffected by the war, Yang Kai still felt enraged when he witnessed this scene.
It felt as though thieves had overrun his home, and not only did they steal his belongings, but they even took his home for themselves.
How could Yang Kai endure this?
These thieves wanted to take over the Ancestral Land, but it seemed like they weren’t very successful because, in any Universe World outside, one Low-Rank Black Ink Nest would be enough to cover it in Black Ink Strength, turning it into the Black Ink Clan’s territory.
But here, even though all the Black Ink Nests were pumping out Black Ink Strength, the area they managed to cover was quite limited. One Low-Rank Black Ink Nest could only cover about a 100-kilometre radius with Black Ink Strength, and the further away from the Black Ink Nest, the thinner the Black Ink Strength became.
The Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests were stronger but, even they could only cover about a 10,000-kilometre radius.
While such distances were not small, compared to the billions upon billions of kilometres diameter of the Ancestral Land, it was actually quite insignificant.
It seemed like there was an invisible force restraining the Black Ink Strength from spreading.
Obviously, it was the Ancestral Strength which could restrain and even dissolve Black Ink Strength! Though it wasn’t as effective as Purifying Light, with the vast Ancestral Land supporting the Ancestral Strength, it could uninterruptedly resist the corruption and spread of Black Ink Strength without much difficulty even after a couple of millennia.
Judging from the scene before him, Yang Kai became even more certain that the Divine Spirits had some link to the Primordial Light.
It was because of the Ancestral Land’s resistance that so many Black Ink Nests had appeared here; otherwise, why would the Black Ink Clan arrange their Black Ink Nest in such a way?
“A Human?” A shocked and puzzled voice sounded.
Yang Kai lowered his head to look in the direction of the voice and saw a Feudal Lord looking up at him from one of the Low-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Since Yang Kai didn’t hide himself, the Feudal Lord immediately discovered him when he entered the range of the Ancestral Land.
When their four eyes suddenly met, the Feudal Lord was certain that the other party was a Human. He immediately grinned and revealed a vicious smile before bellowing, “Kill him!”
[Where did this Human come from? How insolent of him to appear here!]
The Black Ink Clan had been occupying this vast land for many years, but had never seen any Humans come over; after all, this place was too far from the Great Territory Battlefields while also very close to the Black Ink Battlefield, so even Hunters wouldn’t easily venture this deep into their territory.
In this place, the Black Ink Clan didn’t live a comfortable life because some kind of mysterious energy was suppressing their Black Ink Strength and preventing it from spreading. If they had a choice, the Black Ink Clan here would rather fight on the battlefield than remain here.
Previously, there were Territory Lords that had tried to destroy this vast land, but even when an Innate Territory Lord used all his strength to bombard its surface, much of their strength would dissipate before it even struck the ground, which made it impossible to do any real damage.
Unfortunately for them, their progress was still very slow despite their long years of effort.
Now that a Human had appeared here, it naturally stimulated the Feudal Lord’s predatory instincts. He thought of capturing this Human and turning him into a Black Ink Disciple to be commanded at will.
Once the Feudal Lord gave the order, numerous Black Ink Clansmen from the surrounding hundred-kilometre radius charged over, including some Feudal Lords. Those Feudal Lords didn’t have their own Black Ink Nest and could only obey the Feudal Lord who gave out the order.
Instantly, Black Ink Strength surged, and a dense stream of figures flew at Yang Kai, swiftly surrounding him.
That first Feudal Lord stood above his Black Ink Nest and watched this scene with interest, but suddenly, he had a bad feeling and frowned as he noticed that the other party was behaving a little too calmly.
Moreover… he couldn’t sense this Human’s cultivation.
Once that thought flashed across the Feudal Lord’s mind, a burst of light suddenly appeared in the middle of the encirclement. Following that, every Black Ink Clansmen that went over froze in place like they were struck by lightning.
Then, the sound of spurting fresh blood sounded, and all at once, every Black Ink Clansman, no matter their strength, fell to pieces, literally.
The Feudal Lord’s pupils contracted as he turned around to retreat towards his Black Ink Nest without hesitation.
When the Human attacked, the Feudal Lord immediately sensed his cultivation.
An Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Although the Feudal Lord didn’t know why this Human came here, he knew this wasn’t someone he could mess with.
However, just as he turned around, an oppressive force appeared above him. This pressure was like a mountain, rendering him immobile. He barely managed to raise his head to see a palm coming down on him, followed by complete darkness. Then, he didn’t know what had happened next.
In the sky, Yang Kai slowly withdrew his palm. A large palm print had appeared on the ground, and not only did it crush the Feudal Lord, but also the Black Ink Nest below him was smashed to pieces.
That movement wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. Soon, even more Black Ink Clansmen were attracted by the noise.
Inside the area covered by the Black Ink Nests, numerous Black Ink Clansmen were alerted by the movement and came over to investigate. When they discovered Yang Kai’s aura, they immediately became excited.
Their lives in this vast land were too bitter and boring as there was nothing to do but resist the suppression of the strange force. It was unheard of for a Human to barge in here, so how could the Black Ink Clansmens’ violent desires not be stimulated?
Soon, numerous Black Ink Clansmen arrived from all directions.
Yang Kai laughed out loud, “Very good!”
If these Black Ink Clansmen didn’t take the initiative to attack, Yang Kai couldn’t start a killing spree because of the agreement between the two Races. Back in Azure Sun Territory, it was also those three Territory Lords who struck first, justifying him to kill them.
Facing the incoming Black Ink Clansmen, Yang Kai charged forward. Instantly, Yang Kai was like a tiger in a herd of sheep, utterly unstoppable. Though he was surrounded by countless Black Ink Clansmen with Black Ink Strength surging everywhere, none of them was his match.
In a blink of an eye, Yang Kai had moved thousands of kilometres away from his original spot, and unleashed a reign of terror in his wake, destroying Low-Rank Black Ink Nests and leaving fresh corpses.
Although Yang Kai didn’t exert too much of his strength, he could still kill these Black Ink Clansmen with a single punch or palm. He was almost at the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and the strongest among these Black Ink Clansmen were Feudal Lords, so how could they hope to stop him? To put it bluntly, Yang Kai could ruthlessly kill all these Black Ink Clansmen with a single sweep of his Dragon Breath. The huge difference between their strength was not something these Black Ink Clansmen could make up for with numbers alone.
A loud roar suddenly came from the distance, “Yang Kai, stop!”
Yang Kai was instantly frustrated, [Did my identity get exposed so quickly?]
It wasn’t because Yang Kai didn’t take care to hide his strength, but that the Black Ink Clan had been tracking him. Before this, he had been visiting one Great Territory after another in search of the Primordial Light. He didn’t even leave out the Universe Worlds taken over by the Black Ink Clan and personally went over to investigate each and every one of them.
It could be said that the Black Ink Clan knew his whereabouts at all times because everywhere he went, the Black Ink Clan in that Territory would use their Black Ink Nests to report it as soon as possible.
This meant that it was only after Yang Kai entered the Chaotic Dead Territory that the Black Ink Clan lost track of him.
The Black Ink Clan seemed to know that he had been searching for something recently, but they had no idea what it was. Also, orders had been passed down from the No-Return Pass saying that the Black Ink Clan was not to interfere no matter what Yang Kai did. History had proven that if not provoked, Yang Kai would maintain the agreement, so the best option was to just let him be.
All the Black Ink Clansmen in all of the Great Territories had received these orders, so many who were overseeing each Great Territory were on edge, afraid that Yang Kai would suddenly appear in their territory and lash out.
Of course, the Ancestral Land had received the order from the Royal Lord as well.
Everything happened so suddenly that the Feudal Lords didn’t have much time to think about it, but how could the Territory Lord overseeing this place not know what was going on? When he sensed the eruption of battle, he immediately used his Divine Sense to scan the place and realized Yang Kai had come.
There were three Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, so three Innate Territory Lords had been dispatched here to act as supervisors.
The Territory Lord who just spoke up was a black-faced individual that seemed to resemble a Human at first glance, but he was taller and much bulkier than a Human.
However, some Masters were skilled in Body Tempering amongst the Humans and had figures that weren’t much worse than this Territory Lord’s.
Since those Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Nests killed and destroyed by Yang Kai were all under his jurisdiction, he was naturally furious and called out. But Yang Kai didn’t seem like he was going to stand down, so the Territory Lord became even more furious and threw out a punch from afar while roaring, “I said stop!”
Yang Kai’s palm slammed down again and destroyed another Low-Rank Black Ink Nest before he faced the punch coming from afar without any intention of dodging and accepted it. Instantly, his body trembled, and a shimmer of light appeared across his body. He wasn’t the slightest bit injured by the attack.
He then turned his head to look at the black-faced Territory Lord charging at him and asked, “Did you just attack me?”
Both of Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as a trace of cunning flashed in their depths, making him seem overjoyed.
The black-faced Territory Lord was beyond furious at first, but when he met those eyes, he couldn’t help but be reminded of what happened in Azure Sun Territory. He silently cursed himself for letting his anger take over and cause this situation.
Hurriedly stopping, the Territory Lord stammered, “It wasn’t me… I didn’t…”
Since the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, this Territory Lord had been ordered to oversee the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and used Black Ink Strength to corrupt this piece of land, so he had not battled a Human Race Master in several millennia.
However, with the use of his Black Ink Nest, he could still gather information from battlefields without having to leave this place.
There were quite a lot of Masters amongst the Humans, and there were even a few that were stronger than Innate Territory Lords, but no matter how strong, all Humans had their limits, except for one who defied all reason.
During these recent years, a single Eighth-Order Master named Yang Kai undoubtedly shone the brightest. From what this Territory Lord heard from the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai had gone to the No-Return Pass alone, killed several Territory Lords, and destroyed many High-Rank Black Ink Nests before escaping from the pursuit of the Royal Lord.
Later, news came from Profound Nether Territory, saying that the number of Territory Lords killed directly or indirectly by Yang Kai had reached over 30.
News that came from the Acacia Territory said that 10 Territory Lords had worked together to besiege Yang Kai, but seven of them died while in the end, Yang Kai and the over 10,000 Human refugees mysteriously escaped.
Fortunately, after Yang Kai returned to Profound Nether Territory, he made peace with the Territory Lords there, allowing them to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
300 years later, Yang Kai appeared in Twin Poles Territory and killed four Innate Territory Lords in a single battle, forcing the Black Ink Clan there to retreat to their camps in panic. The Black Ink Clan didn’t dare to come out and were even forced to take the initiative to offer peace.
In the subsequent peace talks, the Black Ink Clan established numerous restrictions on Yang Kai and finally restrained the Humans’ most terrifying killing star.
During the 1,700 years after that, there were no signs of the killing star on the battlefields, so the Territory Lords didn’t have to be on edge anymore because the Black Ink Disciples they corrupted occasionally all confirmed that Yang Kai had been in retreat all this time.
Once those 1,700 years were up though, Yang Kai exited his retreat and instantly killed three Acquired Territory Lords in Azure Sun Territory. Later, no Territory Lord dared to challenge him as he was allowed to wander around freely.
Following that, Yang Kai began his long journey… until this day when he appeared in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Despite the fact that the black-face Territory Lord hadn’t fought with a Human Master in many centuries, he knew that he wasn’t this killing star’s opponent. Amongst all Innate Territory Lords, his strength only ranked somewhere in the middle, and he personally knew several Territory Lords who were stronger than him that had died at Yang Kai’s hands.
If those Territory Lords had died, would he be able to survive if Yang Kai attacked him?
He attacked in a moment of anger and didn’t consider the situation too seriously. Moreover, his attack from a distance had only been intended to get Yang Kai’s attention and stop him from killing more of his subordinates. Therefore, Yang Kai only had to dodge slightly to not get hit by that punch.
The reason Yang Kai didn’t dodge was not that he couldn’t, but that he didn’t want to.
Those three Acquired Territory Lords from the Azure Sun Territory died because they had no eyes and accidentally offended this killing star…
[I have also offended him today…] The black-faced Territory Lord instantly felt chills enveloping his whole figure.
“You dare to attack me? Good, very good! Then I’ll attack you too!” Yang Kai had a wicked grin as he raised his large fist and acted like an angry child who stubbornly wanted revenge.
[This time, I can finally have a good battle. I’ve been in retreat for so many years, and, regrettably, I have no way of testing out my current strength. Those three Acquired Territory Lords in the Azure Sun Territory were only the appetisers. If I want to test out my full strength, I have to find an Innate Territory Lord, but none of them have dared to challenge me so far.]
The black-faced Territory Lord immediately turned around and ran without intending to fight Yang Kai. A Black Ink Cloud rolled in and encased the Territory Lord’s figure while he screamed frantically, “Save me!”
He was naturally screaming towards the other two Territory Lords overseeing this place. Those two had also swept over the moment they sensed the fallout, but they had frozen in place after hearing the black-faced Territory Lord screaming Yang Kai’s name.
Most Territory Lords weren’t that fearless; in fact, many feared death greatly, so if they could stay out of this mess, they were more than happy to do so.
“Accept three of my moves! If you can survive, I will let you off! Refuse, and no one can save you today!” Yang Kai’s voice was like a gust of cold wind blowing from the depths of Hell, making that Territory Lord shiver even more.
However, besides being terrified, the Territory Lord also felt a sense of hope.
[If it’s just three attacks, I might be able to resist them! After all, I’m still an Innate Territory Lord, so of course, I’m not weak! No matter how powerful this killing star is, he’s being too arrogant!]
Thinking so, the black-faced Territory Lord decisively stopped, and his voice echoed from inside the Black Ink Cloud, “Really?”
The Territory Lord knew he couldn’t escape because, according to rumours, Yang Kai had astonishing attainments in the Dao of Space and was unmatched when it came to fleeing and chasing. Therefore, trying to outrun this Human was impossible.
Also, it wasn’t realistic to hope that the other two Territory Lords would come to his aid because they were trying to stay out of this situation. Otherwise, they would have come forward and helped him long ago.
His only hope now was that Yang Kai meant what he said.
Yang Kai approached the black-faced Territory Lord while speaking slowly, “I can even keep the promise I made with the Black Ink Clan, so what’s there for you to worry about?”
That made sense.
Although this killing star had caused the Black Ink Clan to suffer a huge loss, he had integrity. Since they made peace, he had never voluntarily broken the agreement. He only attacked those Territory Lords in Azure Sun Territory because they attacked him first. The Black Ink Clan couldn’t complain about him acting in self-defence.
“Deal!” The black-faced Territory Lord gritted his teeth and accepted the challenge. He had three attacks to decide his fate, and he didn’t believe that he would be that useless. All sorts of intel on Yang Kai appeared in his mind, and he immediately used his Divine Sense to protect his Soul.
[This guy has a special artifact that can injure others without them noticing,] Amongst all those Territory Lords Yang Kai killed, many of them were killed because of that special artifact.
Therefore, the black-faced Territory Lord felt that his Soul was the most important thing to protect.
If it were 2,000 years ago, the Territory Lord’s decision would have been a smart one, but now that Yang Kai’s strength had increased significantly, and he was itching to test the extent of his power, he naturally wouldn’t be using the Soul Rending Thorn.
The black-faced Territory Lord was only giving himself false hope when he used his Divine Sense to protect his Soul.
In the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, there were several helpless and furious Black Ink Clansmen looking upwards, watching as one of their Territory Lords was about to resist three moves from Yang Kai to decide his fate.
The Black Ink Clan felt helpless because they weren’t strong enough and couldn’t interfere in this matter. When Yang Kai killed those Black Ink Clansmen just now, he showcased such great strength that the Feudal Lords here knew they couldn’t compete with him.
As for why they were furious, that was because even though Yang Kai’s reputation resounded throughout the 3,000 Worlds, it was far too arrogant of him to say that he would let an Innate Territory Lord live if he resisted three attacks from him.
No matter how strong Yang Kai was, wanting to kill an Innate Territory Lord in three moves was too presumptuous.
The other two Territory Lords were also watching nervously while their Divine Senses flickered as they silently conversed with each other. According to their understanding of the black-faced Territory Lord, they estimated the probability of him still being alive after three attacks was quite high.
Like the black-faced Territory Lord, they thought that since they were Innate Territory Lords, they could withstand three attacks no matter how strong Yang Kai was. They confidently believed that they could return to their Black Ink Nests to recuperate as long as they didn’t die on the spot.
However, despite their silent conversation, they didn’t intend to interfere with this matter as they didn’t want to draw fire to themselves.
Even if they banded together now to face Yang Kai, the chances that they would all then die were extremely high.
Immediately after the black-faced Territory Lord protected his Soul, the Black Ink Cloud around him expanded to a 1,000-kilometre radius. While the Black Ink Cloud hid the Territory Lord’s aura, it also moved towards Yang Kai.
The Territory Lord wanted to seize the initiative to attack!
As an Innate Territory Lord, he had his own principles and pride; therefore, he couldn’t sit back and wait for his doom when facing such an aggressive enemy. He understood that in battle, the one who attacked first had the advantage.
The dense Black Ink Cloud spanning 1,000 kilometres in all directions was enough to confuse any enemy’s senses; moreover, this was a Black Ink Cloud condensed by an Innate Territory Lord, so if Yang Kai wanted to kill him, he would have to dive into the Black Ink Cloud first!
With a bold strike from the Territory Lord, the distance between them quickly decreased.
Inside the Black Ink Cloud, the black-faced Territory Lord was still guarding against Yang Kai’s mysterious Soul attack, but all he saw was Yang Kai stomping one foot forward hard before squatting slightly. Both his hands were clenched into fists that were placed on either side of his waist, with his left fist forward and right fist curled back.
It was just an ordinary stance one took before making the most standard of punches.
However, no matter how ordinary this stance was, it still had great power when it was executed by an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. More importantly, the Eighth-Order Master before him right now was the publicly acknowledged strongest of them all!
Instantly, the entire atmosphere in the Ancestral Land changed. It was like the World itself had transformed into an Ancient Ominous Beast, making every inch of the space dangerous and filled with murderous intent.
The Black Ink Clansmen below instantly felt chills as though there was a sword hanging above their heads, ready to drop at any moment.
On the other hand, the two Innate Territory Lords watching from afar stiffened as their expression turned stern. At that moment, they suddenly had a terrifying feeling as though a vicious beast was eying them, and any sudden movements would lead it to strike.
And all of this was just from the residual power Yang Kai was giving off.
They found it hard to imagine how much pressure the black-faced Territory Lord was currently facing as he was the actual target of Yang Kai’s wrath. They previously felt there was a high chance their black-faced companion would make it out of this duel alive, but they were quickly losing confidence in that prediction.
As for the black-faced Territory Lord himself, he was currently feeling a sense of unparalleled crisis. Even though he was hiding inside a huge Black Ink Cloud while constantly changing his position, that feeling didn’t fade in the slightest.
Refusing to just stand there waiting for death, he exerted more power and used a Secret Technique to instantly triple his speed.
It was at that moment that Yang Kai finally moved. His right fist slowly moved forward, seemingly pushing through unbearable resistance as he thrust it forward. As his fists continued to slowly extend out, space itself seemed to compress layer upon layer.
When Yang Kai’s fist finally fully extended, the entire World rumbled in response.
The 1,000-kilometres-wide Black Ink Cloud that was charging at him abruptly stopped just 100,000 kilometres away from him. The originally fiercely roiling Black Ink Cloud instantly froze and became perfectly still, as if a rushing river had suddenly turned to ice. Even the tiniest of waves were frozen in place.
“Hey!” At that moment, Yang Kai let out a low growl.
That growl was like a trigger as the “ice” exploded, and the 1,000-kilometre Black Ink Cloud was instantly shattered into wisps of black mist that revealed the black-faced Territory Lord hidden inside.
In fact, it wasn’t the Black Ink Cloud dissipating, but rather the space which encompassed it fragmenting. That was because the strength coming out of Yang Kai’s fist was filled with incredibly dense Space Principles.
Like the broken fragments of a smashed mirror, many pieces of the Void brushed past the black-faced Territory Lord’s body, leaving all sorts of deep cuts on him. He was just fortunate that he possessed incredible strength and durability, or else he would have been cut into pieces by the Void Cracks then and there.
Even if he did keep his life though, he was as haggard as could be.
Looking into Yang Kai’s eyes across the gap between them, the black-faced Territory Lord was filled with terror and reluctance. Unleashing a fierce roar, he tried to break free of the Space Principles’ entanglement, but like a mortal caught in a swamp, the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. Forget charging out to meet Yang Kai, just moving forward at all proved almost impossible.
Yang Kai drew back his right fist with a calm expression.
At the same time, he thrust his left fist out.
But this time, his left fist moved extremely fast, so fast that even the other two Territory Lords who were watching closely couldn’t tell just how this punch was delivered.
While they were still in a daze, the punch was already sent out.
Their hearts were already stuck in their throats after witnessing how frightening the power of the previous fist was. They didn’t know what this punch could do.
However, from what they saw, this fist seemed extremely ordinary, as though Yang Kai hadn’t even exerted half as much strength as before. What’s more, the black-faced Territory Lord didn’t appear to have suffered any further injury.
But soon, they discovered something was wrong. When Yang Kai delivered his first blow, the black-faced Territory Lord was still pushing his strength wildly despite the awkward situation because he was desperately trying to defend himself.
With his Innate Territory Lord strength, it wouldn’t be hard for him to break free of his current situation. With just one or two breaths of time, he could escape from the shattered space; however, Yang Kai clearly wasn’t going to give him that chance. During a battle between Masters, life and death could be decided in the blink of an eye, let alone one or two breaths.
After the second fist attack was delivered, the black-faced Territory Lord stiffened in place and stopped moving altogether. A multicoloured river of light seemed to have appeared in a flash as time constantly warped in the local space.
“Ha!” Yang Kai released a guttural shout.
[Success.] Yang Kai stood up straight and unclenched his fists, placing one on his dantian as he exhaled lightly.
The Dao of Time and the Dao of Space were the most powerful Grand Daos he mastered and were also the most mysterious and unpredictable. With his almost peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm strength, using these two Grand Daos had become even easier for him.
Back at the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai had reaped many, many benefits but was unable to completely digest them.
If the three-attack challenge hadn’t restricted that black-faced Territory Lord, he wouldn’t have been in such a haggard state. Yang Kai was sure that in a battle with no constraints, he could kill this Territory Lord in 10 moves, but by goading his opponent into a duel of sorts, Yang Kai managed to release all his strength at his target without having to worry about other distractions. Though it seemed like a good plan, it was actually quite foolish.
Moreover, this was the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. Yang Kai was now a Pureblood Dragon Clan member and an extremely powerful Ancient Dragon. In this place, every Divine Spirit was protected and favoured by the World itself. The previous two punches he delivered not only housed his own strength but also received a boost from this land.
Just like how Yang Kai could borrow the Star Boundary’s power to defend against enemies stronger than himself, he could also borrow the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land.
Therefore, that black-faced Territory Lord could not withstand two attacks!
Taking advantage of the terrain and the opponent’s mental state was perfectly normal in battle. The black-faced Territory Lord only had himself to blame for being unlucky.
As the space had been frozen and the time had been distorted, anyone who barged inside here would feel their minds become stagnant and their bodies become stiff; however, Yang Kai was an exception.
Using Space and Time Principles to capture an Innate Territory Lord was still a difficult task as all Innate Territory Lords could easily escape the interference caused by these two strengths and restore their freedom in short order.
However, the Space-Time Strength Yang Kai used to warp both Space and Time all at once was far more difficult to resist and break free from. Therefore, despite being an Innate Territory Lord, getting out of this trap would require much effort and time on his part.
Yang Kai raised his finger and slowly pointed it at the Territory Lord’s forehead.
“M-Merc…” Before the black-faced Territory Lord finished his first word, Yang Kai’s finger had already touched his forehead.
The Territory Lord felt his head tremble violently, and when Yang Kai withdrew his finger, there was a blood-red hole in the Territory Lord’s forehead. His eyes quickly dimmed and Black Ink Strength leaked out of the hole but was quickly trapped by the surrounding Space-Time Strength and was unable to disperse.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai’s expression looked calm, even somewhat bored as he felt that this Territory Lord had lost before he could really experiment with his new strength.
The two Territory Lords watching from afar were now feeling like someone had pulled their Souls from their bodies. Their knowledge of Yang Kai came from the intel they received from elsewhere, so they only knew he had killed quite a lot of Territory Lords by relying on a special Soul-type artifact. As such, there would always be slight Spiritual Energy fluctuation every time he attacked.
But this time, they didn’t sense Yang Kai using any kind of Soul-type attack. He only used two seemingly ordinary punches to easily incapacitate an Innate Territory Lord who was just about as powerful as they were on the spot before casually walking over and executing him with a poke to the forehead.
This Human was far stronger than those reports described!
Such a strong Human Master was the Black Ink Clan’s greatest misfortune!
Once the two Races started their final conflict in the future, there was no telling how many Black Ink Clansmen would die at this Human’s hands.
“I’ll give you a cup of tea’s time to scram; otherwise, this King doesn’t mind none of you ever leaving here!” Yang Kai glanced over and ordered.
Once he said those words, the Black Ink Clansmen, who were still in a state of shock, became frantic and immediately sped off. Even the two Territory Lords shivered and quickly flew towards their Black Ink Nests.
Ordinary Black Ink Clansmen could easily leave this place, but they couldn’t because their Black Ink Nests were still here. If they lost their Black Ink Nests, they wouldn’t have a place to recuperate after being wounded.
Moreover, each Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest was extremely important to the Black Ink Clan.
The Feudal Lords with Low-Rank Black Ink Nests had similar thoughts.
At that moment, Yang Kai roared, “Everything in the Ancestral Land is mine, you dare try to take my things away!?”
With a loud clap of thunder, the Feudal Lords who were trying to remove their Black Ink Nests abruptly halted.
The two Territory Lords exchanged bitter looks as they felt unresigned. Still, they knew they couldn’t take their Black Ink Nests away now.
Soon, all the Black Ink Clansmen in the Ancestral Land had curried away, leaving only their Black Ink Nests of various sizes behind.
Even after leaving the Ancestral Land, the Black Ink Clan didn’t dare to stop as they were afraid the killing star might suddenly chase after and slaughter them ruthlessly.
Under the two Innate Territory Lords’ lead, the Black Ink Clansmen ran for their lives.
In the meantime, Yang Kai floated above the Ancestral Land, silently feeling the land’s slight changes.
If he were to say that the feeling he had when arriving at the Ancestral Land was like coming home, now he felt like this World had given him a trace of recognition.
Was it because he chased away the Black Ink Clan who came here and committed such outrage? Yang Kai didn’t know the answer, but the feeling of being recognised by the Ancestral Land didn’t seem false. With his current Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation and the Dragon Vein from his 70,000 metre-long Ancient Dragon Form, he could feel even the subtlest change in the World around him.
Suppose that the Ancestral Land was a Matriarch, and all the Divine Spirits were her children. This land had nurtured generation after generation of Divine Spirits from the Primordial Era to now.
Therefore, the Ancestral Land had many, many children.
When the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, even the Ancestral Land couldn’t escape their grasp, so the Divine Spirits were forced out, leaving the Ancestral Land, their Matriarch, alone and without anyone to rely on.
The Black Ink Clan, who moved into the Ancestral Land, were the ruthless invaders of this land. They hatched numerous Black Ink Nests here, trying to turn this place that had been here since ancient times into their territory. Perhaps they could even crack the secret behind why the Divine Spirits could resist Black Ink Strength and find a solution in time.
As the old and lonely Matriarch couldn’t stop them on her own, she could only silently resist. That was until Yang Kai came and chased all the Black Ink Clan away.
Like any Universe World, the Ancestral Land had its own Will and acknowledged Yang Kai’s actions.
Yang Kai wasn’t a true pureblood. He started out as an ordinary Human, but was lucky to gain the Golden Divine Dragon’s Source through an opportunity in his youth. Coincidentally, that Golden Divine Dragon Source originally belonged to the Third Generation Dragon Emperor.
After so many years of constantly refining his bloodline and cultivating in the Dragon Pool, Yang Kai had managed to purify his bloodline and become a real member of the Dragon Clan. Now, he also had the right to enter his name in the Dragon Tome.
However, Yang Kai was still nothing more than an adopted son to the Ancestral Land. In comparison to her biological children, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t be given as much attention and favour. It was the same with Humans. Even if their children were good-for-nothing, they were still their blood-related children.
What Yang Kai did today successfully helped him move closer towards the biological son level from the adopted son level.
This period was when the Ancestral Land was at its loneliest and most helpless. Even the Divine Spirits found it hard to do anything, but Yang Kai, the adopted son, came and chased away all the invaders.
That was why Yang Kai immediately felt the slight change between this land and himself after he drove out the Black Ink Clan. He felt as though this land was more affectionate to him, and there was even the feeling of the omnipresent Ancestral Strength entering his body.
Such a feeling made Yang Kai raise an eyebrow. [The one who nurtured numerous Divine Spirits. I guess Matriarch would be a fitting way to address it. I wonder if she really exists…]
If chasing away the Black Ink Clan could cause such a change, what about removing all the Black Ink Nests and dispelling all the Black Ink Strength?
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel some anticipation; so, he didn’t hesitate as playing tricks with the World’s Will was unnecessary. It was better to simply be straightforward.
Moreover, even without the favour of the Ancestral Land, Yang Kai would still remove the Black Ink Nests and Black Ink Strength here.
With a wave of his hand, all the Black Ink Nests were uprooted from their positions and thrown inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe to be suppressed and sealed. Then, Yang Kai used Purifying Light to dispel all the Black Ink Strength still lingering in the land.
Yang Kai’s hard work, or rather his filial piety, wasn’t in vain because, following the removal of Black Ink Nests and Black Ink Strength, the connection he felt with this land became even closer. When all the Black Ink Nests and Black Ink Strength were cleaned out, Yang Kai could feel that he had surpassed the level of a biological son and jumped straight into being the Matriarch’s favourite son!
It was as if what was left was for the Ancestral Land to reveal its kind smile and compliment Yang Kai for being a good boy.
The sky cleared as Ancestral Strength flowed into Yang Kai’s body from all directions, making his Dragon Vein stir to life.
This made Yang Kai feel elated because he felt all his efforts weren’t in vain.
At first, he was thinking about finding an opportunity to visit the Dragon Pool someday to continue refining his Dragon Vein, but now it seemed like he didn’t have to go through that trouble because it seemed that cultivating in the Ancestral Land would have a similar effect.
The Ancestral Strength inside the Ancestral Land was the most primitive Divine Spirit power that any Divine Spirit could absorb and refine, just like how any cultivator could refine World Energy.
That was also why those Divine Spirits scattered outside instinctually wanted to return to the Ancestral Land. While being here, they could greatly improve their strength and bloodline. It was especially so for young Divine Spirits because living in the Ancestral Land could greatly shorten their growth period.
Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry to cultivate though, because the aim of his journey here wasn’t to refine his Dragon Vein but to find clues about the Primordial Light.
Now that he was here, he still didn’t have any idea about how to find those clues.
Worse, looking around probably wouldn’t be of much use because the clues about the Primordial Light couldn’t be seen.
After one month, Yang Kai had almost circled the entire Ancestral Land, but still couldn’t find anything.
But that was reasonable because, if there were any unique clues, it was impossible for those Divine Spirits living here not to know about them.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel defeated, and wondered if his approach was all wrong.
While strolling around, Yang Kai suddenly came to a huge empty area. This was where the Ancestral Strength was the strongest, seeming to be the centre of the entire Ancestral Land. It wasn’t the geological centre, but rather the core of its power.
Also, this was the exact place where the Third Generation Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress sealed that Black Ink Giant Spirit God. They had even sacrificed half of the Ancestral Land’s territory and used the Sacred Treasures from 16 of the Divine Spirit Clans to form a Grand Array to transform this place into one giant seal.
This place continuously extracted Ancestral Strength to grind away the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s Black Ink Strength; therefore, this place was considered the centre of the Ancestral Land, making it the optimal location to suppress the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Yang Kai sat down cross-legged, thinking of whether it was plausible to put his hopes on the Primordial light to defeat the Black Ink Clan.
According to what he knew, the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer certainly had a high possibility of being forces separated from the Primordial Light. The Divine Spirits might also have a connection to the Primordial Light, but Yang Kai had no clue about what that connection was.
The Primordial Light no longer had the same appearance as before, and no one knew what was left of it after separating the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
Yang Kai estimated that he had to find something like a medicinal catalyst to help Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan fuse together and rebuild the Primordial Light.
Without even mentioning whether he could find a catalyst he had no clue about, even if he did somehow accomplish that, would he really be able to use that to fuse Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan back together?
And if he was, would Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan still exist in this world?
That thought had been on his mind since he left the Chaotic Dead Territory.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had been nothing but good to him. Purifying Light was something essential for the Humans to defend against the Black Ink Clan, and the Small Stone Race Soldiers nurtured by the two of them had provided the Humans enormous help during many instances.
In the Humans’ eyes, even though those two had been living in the Chaotic Dead Territory all this time, and never descended the mountain to directly help them, they had still made massive, irreplaceable contributions to the war effort.
If wiping out Mo required sacrificing Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s lives, Yang Kai would never agree to it, no matter the reason.
He never had a chance to think carefully about this matter before, or perhaps he had unconsciously been avoiding doing so, but now that he calmed down and began to ponder the issue, he suddenly felt as though had betrayed Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
Could those two not have thought of what would become of them if Yang Kai ever found the fusion catalyst?
Of course they had. When Yang Kai went over and saw them trying to fuse together, though it seemed like they were playing around, would they have even attempted such a monumental thing without considering the consequences?
They had provided so much assistance to the Human Race, but never asked for anything in return, so how could Yang Kai just discard them after all they had done? If the only way for the Human Race to survive was to betray their greatest benefactors, repaying kindness with enmity, would they even be worthy of continuing to exist?
Once Yang Kai changed the way he thought about this matter, the issues that had been plaguing him for so long melted away. Relying on external forces and the benevolence of others to end this tragedy was nought but an act of desperation born from weakness.
Even without the Primordial Light, was there really no other way to completely eradicate Mo?
Cang and the others could use the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to seal Mo, which meant that Mo wasn’t omnipotent. The Human Race couldn’t do anything about Mo now purely because they weren’t strong enough!
If the Human Race could transcend their current limits, they wouldn’t even have to bother about all this complicated Primordial Light or Darkness.
In the end, the fundamental problem was strength!
It wasn’t enough to be in the Eighth-Order or Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Humans had to at least reach the Creation Realm, like Mo, to be able to defeat it. Cang and the others couldn’t reach that peak, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t.
New talents appeared in each generation, and though the great achievements of their forefathers were admirable and worthy of praise, that did not mean the descendants should stop striving to outdo them.
Perhaps the Ancestral Land felt her favourite son’s strong desire for power, or maybe realizing it could not escape unscathed from a disaster that threatened her whole family, the Matriarch who had always been fair to every Divine Spirit, finally revealed her doting side to Yang Kai.
The entire Ancestral Land suddenly began shaking, and an unimaginable amount of Ancestral Strength from all directions flowed towards Yang Kai like a torrent and poured into his body.
Yang Kai’s figure trembled, but he was only surprised for a moment before calming down. He then opened his heart and mind to accept the World’s gift.
He was currently almost at the peak of the Eighth Order, but Ancestral Strength wasn’t of any help to his Open Heaven Realm cultivation; instead, it was extremely beneficial to his strength as a Divine Spirit.
Yang Kai could feel his Dragon Vein surging. Following the Ancestral Strength entering his body, he felt like he had lost control of the suppressed Dragon Force within him and tiny Dragon Scales began appearing on his outer skin.
Two lumps had appeared on his forehead as well, and Yang Kai felt as if something was about to pop out of them. Even his bottom felt a little itchy.
Yang Kai hadn’t activated the Dragon Transformation Secret Art, his body was simply showing signs of Dragon Transformation on its own. This was something that didn’t happen even when he was cultivating inside the Dragon Pool.
The Dragon Pool was the Dragon Clan’s Origin and sanctuary, and was useless to other Divine Spirits besides the Dragon Clan; however, Ancestral Strength was an energy that could benefit any Divine Spirit.
If Yang Kai had to compare, the Ancestral Strength was undoubtedly more primitive and wild.
With a loud dragon roar and a bright golden flash, a 70,000 metre-long giant Golden Dragon suddenly appeared where Yang Kai had stood. Since he couldn’t suppress it, he would just allow nature to take its course.
Instantly, Ancestral Strength began flooding in more rampantly. The Golden Dragon shook its head and flicked its tail while its Dragon Scales trembled as it felt its whole body itching. It could also clearly feel its size increasing rapidly, and following that increase, it felt elated.
Since Yang Kai entered the Dragon Pool to cultivate and reached his 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon Form, his Dragon Clan bloodline had been developing very slowly. It had been nearly 3,000 years since then, but his Dragon Form hadn’t even grown another 1,000 metres. The main reason was that he had no time to purify his Dragon Vein. Also, besides cultivating inside the Dragon Pool, it was extremely hard for a Dragon to continue growing after its Dragon Vein reached Yang Kai’s level.
Previously, Fu Guang was healing his injuries inside the Dragon Pool, and after he came out, Yang Kai was still in his retreat; therefore, he didn’t have the time to head over to the Dragon Pool.
Now that Ancestral Strength was pouring into his body, Yang Kai’s Dragon Form was clearly growing, and at breakneck speed just like when he was cultivating in the Dragon Pool back then.
Though this didn’t help him in increasing the Order of his Open Heaven Realm cultivation, the increase of his Dragon Vein was also an increase in his strength.
Yang Kai instantly felt like this trip was worth it, and he finally stopped obsessing over finding the Primordial Light.
While the wind was blowing and the Ancestral Strength was surging inside the Ancestral Land, two Innate Territory Lords led the large group of Black Ink Clansmen that had escaped back to the No-Return Pass.
Sitting on a tall throne was the only Royal Lord of the Black Ink Clan. His face was pale and colourless, which gave others a demonic but also feminine feeling. He had his chin propped on his hand while listening to the two Territory Lords’ fearful and trepidatious report.
Huge bones formed the throne he was sitting on, and every one of them was glowing with colourful lights and flowing with various Dao Strengths.
These weren’t any ordinary bones, but rather the bones of Divine Spirits.
After so many years of battles, the Divine Spirits also suffered casualties. Some of those dead Divine Spirits would have their corpses collected and buried by their allies, but some would be taken away by the Black Ink Clan and have their bones extracted to add to the Royal Lord’s throne.
Building such a huge throne must have taken over 10,000 large bones, so one could guess how many Divine Spirits had died in battle during these years. Even many Dragon and Phoenix Clan members died in battle, especially during the battle when the No-Return Pass was breached.
During the final battle in the Barren Territory, even the Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders had perished.
Although the Royal Lord didn’t release his aura and was simply listening quietly, the two Territory Lords below felt like they were standing on pins and needles. Retreating without a fight was considered a dereliction of duty. They were responsible for guarding the Ancestral Land, but after one of their fellow Innate Territory Lords was killed, they chose not to fight with Yang Kai, and ran away, instead. They even discarded their Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests. Such crimes were enough for them to lose their heads.
Of course, an Innate Territory Lord was a precious asset to the current Black Ink Clan, and many of them had died in battle over the years, so there was a huge decrease in their numbers. The Royal Lord wouldn’t easily execute these two and would most likely just send them to the six battlefields that had Masters from both races so that they could atone for their sins.
On the two sides of the Main Hall were two rows of Innate Territory Lords. Though the Black Ink Clan had quite a lot of Acquired Territory Lords now, they were either battling the Human Race Masters on the battlefields to fine-tune themselves, or devouring Black Ink Strength inside Black Ink Nests as they cultivated their strength.
The only ones free were the Innate Territory Lords because their abilities were fixed right after birth.
At this moment, most of those Territory Lords had sympathetic expressions on their faces. They had also heard of Yang Kai’s reputation during these years, so they knew that it was already lucky to be able to survive after an encounter with that killing star. Of course, it was also because that fellow was worried about the agreement between the two races and didn’t dare to break it easily; otherwise, these two Territory Lords might have already been killed.
Once the two Territory Lords finished their report, they looked up at the throne, waiting nervously for their fate to be decided.
After a long time, the Royal Lord asked, “What you mean to say is, Yang Kai has entered the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, yes?”
“Indeed,” a Territory Lord with two large wings on his back, which made him look like a huge bat, answered respectfully.
“Why did he go there?” The Royal Lord asked as he was reminded of the appearance of the Human who escaped from him around 2,000 years ago.
That Territory Lord answered, shaking, “I don’t know.”
The Royal Lord frowned. To think of it, he had encountered Yang Kai twice.
The first time was when Yang Kai led the Remnant Army to attack the No-Return Pass. During that time, he used the Azure Void Pass’ Old Ancestor’s corpse and the strength of the Ox Monster to forcefully kill many Black Ink Clansmen to open a bloody road and send the remnant Humans to the Barren Territory.
The other time was when Yang Kai came back from the Black Ink Battlefield alone. That time, he destroyed seven High-Rank Black Ink Nests, killed numerous Innate Territory Lords, and finally escaped all on his own.
Back then, the Royal Lord flew into a rage because of that, but couldn’t do anything about it.
He soon heard the news about Yang Kai from the frontline battlefields and knew that Yang Kai had killed numerous Territory Lords. That fellow was now the biggest hidden trouble for the Black Ink Clan.
If the Royal Lord hadn’t learned that Yang Kai could never break through to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he would have ordered his death no matter the cost. That was because Yang Kai was already such a menace when he was an Eighth-Order Master, so how terrifying would he be if he managed to reach Ninth-Order? Perhaps by then, even the Royal Lords might not be his opponent.
It was because the Black Ink Clan knew that Yang Kai was destined to be unable to reach the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm that they slightly suppressed their intentions to kill him and maintained their peace agreement with the Human Race, though the bigger reason was that both sides needed time to accumulate strength.
Once the Black Ink Clan had nurtured enough Royal Lords, Yang Kai would no longer be able to affect the overall situation despite being a menace.
Of course, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t give up a chance to kill Yang Kai, either.
Therefore, when the Royal Lord heard that Yang Kai had entered the Ancestral Land, which the Black Ink Clan previously controlled, he thought that this might be an opportunity.
During these recent years, Yang Kai seemed to be searching for something which had brought him from one Great Territory to another. However, neither the Black Ink Clan nor the Humans knew what he was searching for.
But no matter what it was, it would surely be bad news for the Black Ink Clan.
If they could besiege and kill Yang Kai in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, his plans would all be in vain, and he would no longer restrict the Black Ink Clan. At that moment, they could boldly break the treaty between the two Races and restart the wars in every Great Territory! They had to reduce the Human Race’s territory so that they wouldn’t have the ability to accumulate more strength. That way, the Black Ink Clan could wipe them out someday.
No matter how strong that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was, he couldn’t defeat a Royal Lord. Unfortunately, Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space and was unmatched when it came to escaping. He would run away when he knew he couldn’t win, which made others unable to do anything to him.
That was how he escaped from the Royal Lord.
When dealing with such a person, the Royal Lord understood the need for a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking technique to block all escape routes before going for the kill.
Suddenly, the Royal Lord thought of something and looked down at the two Territory Lords before ordering, “Return there and see what he’s up to.”
The two Innate Territory Lords felt bitter hearing this order, but although they were frightened, they didn’t dare to disobey the Royal Lord’s command, so they could only master up their courage and head back the way they came.
One month later, the two Territory Lords appeared outside the Ancestral Land. They had bitter expressions as they hesitated, secretly hoping that Yang Kai had left; otherwise, they didn’t know how to explain their appearance if they bumped into him. They couldn’t say that they were here to visit him, right?
Even though they were nervous, they weren’t too afraid because if Yang Kai wanted to maintain the agreement between the two Races, he wouldn’t openly attack them. Therefore, this trip might be dangerous, but it wasn’t life-threatening.
Carefully approaching the Ancestral Land, the two Territory Lords soon sensed something strange. The Divine Spirit Ancestral Land seemed to have changed drastically from how it was when they were last here. An inexplicable energy was surging and permeating the entire World, and even the wind and clouds were churning.
At first, they were carefully hiding their bodies and aura lest they be exposed, but after looking at the current state of the Ancestral Land, they became bolder. Then, they released their Divine Senses to look around and gradually discovered what was happening.
All that energy seemed to be moving in one direction. There was a vague golden light shining in that direction and a huge being hibernating amidst the clouds.
When they looked through the clouds, they could vaguely make out a figure of a curled-up Dragon Clan member.
It was Yang Kai!
With all the intel the Black Ink Clan had gathered, the fact that Yang Kai could transform into a True Dragon was no longer a secret; after all, there were many Black Ink Disciples who were loyal to the Black Ink Clan hiding in the dark now.
Those two Territory Lords looked at each other and revealed ecstatic expressions. They suddenly realised why the Royal Lord wanted them to return here.
Silently retreating, they hurried back to the No-Return Pass.
This time, it didn’t take them a whole month to reach the No-Return Pass. When they got back, they once again bowed down before the Royal Lord’s throne of bones and reported everything they saw and heard to him.
The Royal Lord sneered, “As I had expected!”
When he first heard that Yang Kai went to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, he made several guesses. Now, it seemed like he had gone there to cultivate. According to what he heard, it was said that the power inside the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was very beneficial to Divine Spirits.
“Did you two expose yourselves?” The Royal Lord asked.
The bat-winged Territory Lord shook his head, “No. Yang Kai was entirely immersed in his cultivation and didn’t sense anything.”
“Very good.” The Royal Lord nodded in satisfaction while tapping his fingers on the back of his throne while looking down at the two, “Qing Fu, Mu Yu, don’t complain that this King didn’t give you a chance to make up for your crimes. The two of you are to immediately enter the Black Ink Nest together for Source Fusion!”
Once those words were said, all the Territory Lords became pale.
The two Territory Lords, Qing Fu and Mu Yu, shivered as they looked up at the Royal Lord with terrified eyes. Mu Yu even screamed frightenedly, “Sir, please have mercy!”
It was as though the so-called ‘Source Fusion’ was a death sentence.
Even though Qing Fu didn’t say anything, he had a depressed and desperate look on his face.
However, the Royal Lord didn’t show any change in expression; instead, he looked at them calmly before declaring, “If you live, that is your good fortune. If you die, that is your fate. Go!”
The Humans had many sayings for when one returned home, each describing it as something glorious after enduring difficulties or achieving something astonishing that brought honour to the family.
However, Source Fusion in the Black Ink Clan had nothing to do with returning with honour. The only similarity with those sayings was that it was somewhat related to going home.
To the Humans, one’s homeland was their place of birth; in that sense, the Black Ink Nests were the Black Ink Clan’s homeland because they nurtured all Black Ink Clansmen.
To the Black Ink Clan, Source Fusion was both punishment and glory; moreover, only Territory Lords could perform Source Fusion.
Technically speaking, Source Fusion was a type of Secret Technique that only the Black Ink Clan could use, and to use it, they must have a High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
A Territory Lord would enter the High-Rank Black Ink Nest and use the Source Fusion Technique to fuse their body and essence with the Black Ink Nest. Though any Territory Lord could easily perform the technique, it had never been used since ancient times.
That was because when the Territory Lord fused their body with the Black Ink Nest, there was a huge possibility that they would be devoured by the Black Ink Nest and cease to exist.
Despite the fact that there were quite a lot of Territory Lords in the Black Ink Clan, they were all pillars of the various battlefields, so it wasn’t easy to sacrifice any of them.
Of course, with such a high risk, the reward naturally wouldn’t be small.
If the Territory Lord who performed the Source Fusion Technique could withstand the Black Ink Nest’s devouring and instead assimilate the Black Ink Nest, they would achieve earth-shattering changes.
Simply put, the relationship between the Territory Lord using the Source Fusion Technique and the Black Ink Nest was that they had to devour each other. Only one between them would survive.
Since the day of their birth, an Innate Territory Lord’s abilities were fixed and had no way of increasing.
This limitation, however, wasn’t completely impossible to overcome as they could have a chance to greatly increase their strength by performing the Source Fusion Technique, even though the chances of success weren’t high.
High-Rank Black Ink Nests were derived directly from Mo; therefore, one could see the Black Ink Clan as Mo’s creations. If the creation devoured the Source Qi from their creator, they would gain unimaginable benefits.
By using the Source Fusion Technique, an Innate Territory Lord would have the chance to become a Royal Lord! Of course, such a Royal Lord would inevitably be weaker than an ordinary Royal Lord and could only be called Pseudo-Royal Lord.
Such a Secret Technique needed the Black Ink Clan to sacrifice many Territory Lords to succeed, and even if they did, they would lose a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. Each High-Rank Black Ink Nest was connected to dozens, if not over 100 Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests, and thousands of Low-Rank Black Ink Nests which birthed and served massive Black Ink Clan Armies.
Back when Yang Kai destroyed a few High-Rank Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass, the Black Ink Clan had been distressed about it for many years. Additionally, that incident thwarted several plans the Black Ink Clan had for some Great Territories.
In short, the Black Ink Clan was loath to lose any High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
These were the reasons why no Territory Lord had even performed this Secret Technique and why the Humans had no idea about it despite having waged war against the Black Ink Clan for so many millennia.
If it weren’t for the importance of killing Yang Kai, the Royal Lord would never have been willing to make such a sacrifice. However, that killing star had now become a dangerous obstacle to the Black Ink Clan’s plans, so if they could remove him, the situation between the two Races would change entirely. At the very least, the Black Ink Clan would no longer have to obey the so-called peace deal between the two races.
It would be best if one of these two Territory Lords could succeed, but it didn’t matter if they didn’t because their failure would contribute to the next Territory Lord’s chances of success.
When it came to the Source Fusion Technique, the more Territory Lords that failed to consume the High-Rank Nest, the greater the chances the following Territory Lords who performed the Secret Technique would have of succeeding. Therefore, as long as the Black Ink Clan was willing to make enough sacrifices, they would eventually succeed.
However, the Black Ink Clan weren’t sure what the odds of success were because there had never been a Territory Lord who had used this technique. Even the Royal Lord only had a rough estimation that the initial chances of success were around 10%, and would increase by about that much for successive attempts.
In other words, even if things went smoothly, they still had to sacrifice around a dozen Territory Lords before a Pseudo-Royal Lord could be born.
Of course, those estimations didn’t account for the amount of Territory Lords, Feudal Lords, and ordinary Black Ink Clansmen that the destruction of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest would implicate.
Such a huge sacrifice for such a small reward was obviously not cost-effective for the Black Ink Clan outside of extremely special circumstances.
However, sending Territory Lords was no longer a viable method to deal with Yang Kai, so a Royal Lord was required. Unfortunately, there was only one Royal Lord in the entire Black Ink Clan currently, and he had to oversee the No-Return Pass and couldn’t leave at will.
The Royal Lord clearly remembered the incident where a pure white Dragon Clan member boldly barged into the No-Return Pass roughly 1,000 years ago. According to the intelligence they possessed, the Black Ink Clan naturally knew that this Divine Dragon was stronger than any Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Luckily for them, that White Divine Dragon didn’t attack the No-Return Pass and seemed to just be passing by as he dashed off into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. That Dragon Clan member disappeared and hadn’t returned since then, and no one knew what he was up to.
However, the mere existence of this kind of Master made it impossible for the Black Ink Clan to leave the No-Return Pass undefended!
A Pseudo-Royal Lord was also a Royal Lord!
Therefore, no matter what price they had to pay, the Black Ink Clan had to kill Yang Kai in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Qing Fu and Mu Yu felt devastated as they left. Though they were reluctant to die in such a way, it was in the Black Ink Clan’s nature to obey those superior to them. Since the Royal Lord had given the order, they could only abide.
After finding a High-Rank Black Ink Nest, the two Innate Territory Lords looked at each other and saw the despair in each other’s eyes. They smiled bitterly at each other before flying into the Black Ink Nest.
When they arrived at the innermost part of the Black Ink Nest, the two Territory Lords sat cross-legged and began performing the Source Fusion Technique.
At that instant, the fleshy walls of the Black Ink Nest squirmed as the two Territory Lord’s bodies gradually sank downwards as if they were in a swamp.
Their figures disappeared in a few short breaths as the Black Ink Nest completely devoured them. Only their auras remained, trying to resist the Black Ink Nest from within.
As time passed, the two Territory Lords’ auras weakened before finally disappearing.
Back inside the Main Hall, the Royal Lord and many Territory Lords were monitoring the situation. When they were certain that the two Territory Lords’ auras had completely disappeared, many of the Innate Territory Lords sighed. It seemed like the Source Fusion Technique really wasn’t something that could be easily used.
But the sacrifice these two made was destined to not be wasted as they soon heard the Royal Lord asking, “Is there any of you who is willing to perform Source Fusion with this Black Ink Nest?”
It was almost like asking if any of them would be willing to die.
Having witnessed Qing Fu and Mu Yu’s end, none of the Innate Territory Lords below dared to volunteer to perform Source Fusion with the Black Ink Nest. Therefore, it was complete silence after the Royal Lord asked his question.
Finally, after a long time, a Territory Lord came forward and declared, “Sir, I am willing to try!”
Coming forward while everyone was silent made this Territory Lord stand out greatly and many gazes of all sorts landed on him.
The Royal Lord sitting above them revealed a gratified expression. Although many Black Ink Clansmen were afraid of death because of the personality they were born with, there were still some who were willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of their Race.
Nodding, the Royal Lord said, “If that’s what you wish, Di Wu, I’ll give you a chance.”
“Yes!” The Territory Lord called Di Wu cupped his fist and waited to receive further orders.
“Is there anyone else?” The Royal Lord turned to look around, but didn’t get any response, so he was a little frustrated and began calling out a few Territory Lords’ names with no trace of politeness.
The faces of those few Territory Lords instantly became ashen as they came forward with difficulty.
Meanwhile, the other Territory Lords watched the scene and secretly analysed the situation. Then, they realised that those Territory Lords had either lost to Human Race Masters or made blunders on the battlefield that harmed the Black Ink Clan. It seemed like the names the Royal Lord called out weren’t at random, which made a few Territory Lords feel relieved.
“Di Wu stays behind while the rest of you go ahead. Black Ink Eternal!”
Though the few Territory Lords couldn’t put their feelings into words, their expressions still became stern as they yelled, “Black Ink Eternal!”
After that, they turned around and set off.
Moments later, the auras of the chosen Innate Territory Lords disappeared one after another inside the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, obviously indicating that they had failed. Although it all failed, those auras were hung on for longer and longer, which meant that the Source Fusion Technique was getting closer to success.
At that moment, the desire in those Innate Territory Lords still on the scene were ignited.
An Innate Territory Lord was indeed strong, and ordinary Eighth-Order Masters weren’t their opponents, but it had always been a point of frustration that their abilities were fixed with no way of increasing in the future.
Right now, the Innate Territory Lords could still occupy a pivotal place in the war against the Human Race, but once the final battle between the two Races began, there would surely be quite a lot of Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Masters. By that time, what was the use of being an Innate Territory Lord when they couldn’t even save themselves from danger?
They also wanted to have greater power and become Royal Lords, even if they were only Pseudo-Royal Lords!
In the meantime, six Territory Lords had gone through Source Fusion with the Black Ink Nest, which meant the chances for succeeding was growing increasingly higher. Perhaps one of them might be able to devour the Black Ink Nest, break through their innate shackles and transcend to the next level.
While they feared death, they also craved power. If the Innate Territory Lords in the hall could be said to be avoiding the Source Fusion Technique before, they were now feeling a little excited.
After the eighth Territory Lord had fallen, the Royal Lord asked again, “Who else is willing to give it a try?”
The Territory Lords were now far more enthusiastic than before.
Of course, the Royal Lord knew what they were thinking, but he still nodded lightly while looking at them with a gratified expression. However, he didn’t let the Territory Lords take action together this time. The ones before were to build a foundation, and now that it had been built, it was time to carefully collect his harvest.
Under the Royal Lord’s command, the first Territory Lord in line entered the Black Ink Nest and performed the Source Fusion Technique. Half a day later, his aura disappeared.
Following that was the second Territory Lord, then a third…
Each Territory Lord was able to last much longer than the previous one, which meant they were creeping closer to success.
However, it wasn’t until the 13th Territory Lord failed to return that the other Territory Lords below the throne began looking at the Royal Lord with burning gazes! Anyone could see that success was near. Perhaps it would be the next one or the one after that…
Since the Royal Lord hadn’t said anything, none of them dared to move, and those whose names were called out were looking at the Royal Lord with anticipation filling their eyes.
On top of the throne of bones, the Royal Lord gently tapped his fingers, seemingly hesitant about something. After a long time, he finally opened his eyes and looked down at the Territory Lords, “Di Wu, you go.”
That order was directed at the first Territory Lord that had volunteered.
Di Wu was pleased and grateful for the Royal Lord’s favour, so he cupped his fist and quickly said, “I won’t disappoint you, Sir!”
Turning around determinedly, he strode out of the Main Hall.
The rest of the Territory Lords looked at each other before smiling bitterly because they couldn’t stop Di Wu, nor did they dare to blame the Royal Lord for being biased.
Since Di Wu was the first to stand up and volunteer when the Royal Lord asked who was willing to perform the Source Fusion with the Black Ink Nest, he had shown that he was braver than the other Territory Lords. The Royal Lord naturally appreciated and favoured such a Territory Lord. In addition, it was obvious that the Royal Lord had chosen Di Wu to receive the benefits in the end, all along.
The previous Territory Lords who went to perform the Source Fusion Technique were all sacrifices to pave the way for Di Wu.
Now that the Royal Lord had instructed Di Wu to head over, it undoubtedly meant that the Royal Lord also felt that success was at hand. If Di Wu didn’t move now, he might not get a chance to.
Several Divine Senses were probing at what was happening inside the High-Rank Black Ink Nest as Di Wu entered and quickly performed the Source Fusion Technique, letting the Black Ink Nest Devour his body while leaving behind his aura.
This time, his aura endured for a long time without weakening, constantly resisting the Black Ink Nest’s devouring. His aura stayed longer than any of the previous Territory Lords.
Meanwhile, the other Territory Lords had complicated feelings as they continued to sense what was happening. They both anticipated Di Wu’s success, but also hoped he would fail.
If he succeeded, he would be the first Pseudo-Royal Lord that emerged from using the Source Fusion Technique, a momentous occasion for the Black Ink Clan. But if he failed, the other Territory Lords present would have a chance to obtain that glory for themselves.
Several days later, the long battle between auras suddenly quieted down, and the Royal Lord sitting on the throne relaxed his furrowed brow before grinning, “Success!”
The Territory Lords below hurriedly offered congratulations.
It was indeed a success. Di Wu had undoubtedly devoured the High-Rank Black Ink Nest and even absorbed part of the strength from the 13 Territory Lords before him. In short order, he would break through the Innate Territory Lord’s restrictions and become a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
That time wouldn’t be too long either.
No one in the Black Ink Clan was sure whether their decision to sacrifice a High-Rank Black Ink Nest and 13 Innate Territory Lords in exchange for a single Pseudo-Royal Lord was worth it. Still, if they could use this newly acquired strength to kill Yang Kai, it would be a huge strategic win for them.
Now that everything was prepared, it was time to start planning their attack.
The Royal Lord released a burst with his Divine Sense, and several Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples soon came to the Main Hall before bowing down.
While leaning forward to look at an old man among the Black Ink Disciples, the Royal Lord asked, “How is your research progressing? Is your Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array usable yet?”
That old man replied, “Reporting to Sir Royal Lord, we have already perfected it long ago and have refined many Array Boards and Banners.” Then, the old man’s expression became serious, “My Lord, are you planning on using this Array?”
In recent years, quite a lot of Humans were corrupted by Black Ink Strength and turned into Black Ink Disciples, but very few were proficient in the Dao of Spirit Arrays. The few standing before the Royal Lord were the Array Masters among the Black Ink Disciples that had high attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays.
More than 2,000 years ago, the Royal Lord began gathering these specialists in the No-Return Pass, providing them with protection and any materials or resources they required while giving them a single order, to develop a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array that they could use when needed.
Although the Royal Lord didn’t specify who they would use that Spirit Array on, the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples weren’t fools.
It wasn’t enough to just deduce a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array however, refining Array Boards and Banners had also cost numerous resources, and powerful Masters were also needed to set up and maintain the Grand Array.
Considering the massive investment, the Royal Lord must want to use this Grand Array for a special purpose. That target must be a tricky enemy who was great at escaping.
Among all the Eighth-Order Masters in the Human Race, there was only one who the Black Ink Clan would take so seriously.
However, such a huge Array wasn’t easy to arrange. The person they were trying to trap could easily escape if they alerted him and he found out about the Grand Array before it was fully activated.
That was why they hadn’t used this Grand Array despite it already being ready to deploy.
They didn’t expect the Royal Lord would gather them here today.
After listening to the old man’s answer, the Royal Lord nodded calmly, “Very good. Yang Kai has trapped himself inside the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and seems to be immersed in cultivating. This is a perfect chance to deal with him.”
“The Divine Spirit Ancestral Land!” That old man seemed surprised, “Sir, are you going to use this Grand Array to seal that place?”
“Can it be done?” The Royal Lord looked at that old man with a serious expression.
How could that old man dare to say no? Judging by the Royal Lord’s behaviour, he might perish on the spot if he said no.
So, the old man quickly replied, “Yes. If Yang Kai is indeed immersed in cultivation, there is a high chance for success. But the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land is an incredibly vast place, and this Old Master doesn’t have enough strength to seal it entirely. I must trouble Sir to allocate some Territory Lords to cooperate with me.”
“How many do you need?”
“Eight. No, 10 Territory Lords!”
The Royal Lord replied flatly, “I will give you 20 Innate Territory Lords. This plan can only succeed and not fail!”
When the old man heard this, he was taken aback. It was no small deal using 20 Innate Territory Lords to deal with one Human, but it also showed how cautious the Black Ink Clan was of that Human.
He had also heard of Yang Kai’s reputation, but no matter how strong Yang Kai was, he would not be able to escape after being trapped inside this Grand Array. Therefore, the old man accepted the order, “Yes, Sir!”
Afterwards, the Royal Lord called out 20 Territory Lords and gave them an order, “You will accompany them and offer whatever assistance they require to set up the Grand Array. However, don’t act recklessly before Di Wu arrives. Once Di Wu arrives, he will take charge.”
All the Territory Lords accepted their orders, “Yes, Sir!”
“Go,” With a wave of the Royal Lord’s hand, the 20 Territory Lords and several Seventh-Order Array Masters immediately left the Main Hall and flew away.
Looking outside the Main Hall, the Royal Lord appeared gloomy. Although he couldn’t personally kill Yang Kai to vent his rage, this small displeasure was nothing before the Black Ink Clan’s plans for total conquest.
In fact, if they hadn’t lost more than a dozen Territory Lords to the Source Fusion Technique already, he wouldn’t have only sent 20 Territory Lords but 30!
When dealing with someone like Yang Kai, there were only two options before them, leaving him alone, or attacking him with overwhelming force to ensure he died.
Once this battle was over, the Black Ink Clan would no longer have any worries, and that agreement between the two Races would become meaningless.
The Black Ink Clan Masters immediately left the No-Return Pass, but soon after, a Black Ink Clan Army consisting of a million troops followed behind under the leadership of many Feudal Lords.
They were also heading for the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, but weren’t in a rush to get there, so the Territory Lords departed before them. After all, no one knew how long Yang Kai would remain in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. It would be a total waste of effort if they arrived too late and Yang Kai had already left.
As they were moving quickly, it only took the group of Masters 20 days to pass through the Divine Ability Sea and arrive at the outskirts of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Even though they had the advantage in numbers, they didn’t dare to expose their whereabouts and auras lest Yang Kai notice them.
Next, they let a Territory Lord who was skilled in concealment go forward to scout the place.
Soon, that Territory Lord returned and told the others what he discovered. Strange things were happening inside the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. The wind and clouds constantly churned, causing a huge commotion, but Yang Kai was obviously still immersed in his cultivation and unaware of his surroundings.
That news made the other Territory Lords feel relieved.
In the meantime, that Seventh-Order old man laughed mockingly, “That fool is courting death by creating such a huge commotion while cultivating, but the commotion gives us cover while we prepare.”
“Enough nonsense. Hurry up and tell us what we have to do,” one of the Territory Lords asked impatiently.
Black Ink Disciples never had much of a status among the Black Ink Clan; therefore, the group consisting of only Innate Territory Lords naturally would look down on them. However, the Territory Lords didn’t act outrageously because they still needed these Black Ink Disciples to arrange the Grand Array.
That was because the Black Ink Clan had little to no aptitude in the Dao of Spirit Arrays.
“Yes, Sir.” That Seventh-Order Old man nodded and bowed before instructing them politely, “Please, come with me.”
While saying so, he took the lead and flew away.
He had already told the Territory Lords the basics of the Grand Array and even gave them a jade slip each to let them better understand it. These Territory Lords might be powerful, but it was difficult for them to understand anything about Spirit Arrays. That was why these Territory Lords still didn’t know much about the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array, despite having 20 days to study it already.
If possible, that old man would rather work with the other six Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples to set up the Grand Array, not these Innate Territory Lords; however, he needed these powerful Territory Lords to enhance the Spirit Array’s power, so he was stumped.
For now, his only choice was to teach them while hoping these Territory Lords wouldn’t be too ill-tempered.
Under the Seventh-Order old man’s guidance and directions, the Territory Lords stood in pre-arranged positions while holding an Array Banner each. Then, the old man followed down the line and placed several Array Boards before arranging for the other Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples to stand in the critical Nodes.
This arrangement took them more than 10 days. The old man was tuckered out and secretly grateful to the Royal Lord for sending 20 Territory Lords over.
At first, he thought they would only need a few Territory Lords for this Spirit Array, but after arriving here, he discovered that he had greatly underestimated how vast the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was.
In the end, they used 12 Innate Territory Lords and every Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple to seal this place up.
Luckily for them, Yang Kai, who was cultivating in the Ancestral Land, had no idea of the changes being made outside and was still immersed in his cultivation.
Once everything was ready, the old man secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He went over and stood at one of the critical Nodes of the Grand Array and with a serious expression, pulled out an Array Banner and channelled his strength into it.
Instantly, World Force surged.
Around the Void, the Grand Array’s Nodes and Array Boards hummed simultaneously while the anxious Territory Lords also inserted their strength into their Array Banners.
Following the activation and trembling of each Array Banner, the Array Boards also quickly released their aura and intertwined with them. Invisible energy appeared and passed through the place where the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples and 12 Innate Territory Lords stood.
After 10 days of hard effort, they succeeded in activating the Grand Array.
Instantly, the Void where the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was located was entirely enveloped by the Grand Array, isolating it from the outside world.
It was only then that the old man responsible for setting up the Spirit Array finally felt relieved. He was terrified of the possibility that Yang Kai might realise the Grand Array was being assembled before it was done. If that happened, they wouldn’t be able to trap him. Now that the Grand Array had been activated though, no matter how proficient Yang Kai was in the Dao of Space and escaping, he would have no way to flee.
The only way out was to destroy the Grand Array, but now that it enveloped the entire Ancestral Land, that would be no easy task.
The old man’s expression became stern as he used the Array Banner in his hand to inform everyone, “The Grand Array’s successful formation has caused a substantial change in the surrounding Void, so Yang Kai must have already noticed it. Sirs, please be on guard.”
If others were trapped inside the Four Gates Eight Places Great Pagoda Array, they might not sense any changes; moreover, they went with a more stable plan and used 12 Innate Territory Lords to activate this Grand Array and seal the entire Ancestral Land to guard against any unexpected events.
However, Yang Kai was different. He was proficient in the Dao of Space, and this was a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array that would isolate the inside from the outside. Such a huge commotion wouldn’t be able to escape Yang Kai’s senses.
The Territory Lords felt anxious after hearing the old man’s warning and raised their guard up while using their Divine Sense to scout their surroundings, afraid that Yang Kai might suddenly appear and attack them.
After waiting for an entire day though, they didn’t notice any suspicious movements.
They waited another day, but it was still very quiet.
The Territory Lords used their Array Banners to converse with each other secretly and were dumbfounded by what Yang Kai might be planning.
One of the Territory Lords couldn’t help asking, “Are you sure that guy is still here?”
It wasn’t their fault for doubting because if Yang Kai was here, how could he remain so idle? According to how domineering he usually treated the Black Ink Clan, he would definitely have caused a huge scene if he noticed he was sealed inside this place.
Even if he didn’t cause a commotion, he would at least show his face and not be as quiet as he was now.
There were several Territory Lords with the same doubts.
Soon, another Territory Lord’s voice came from the Array Banners, “He should be here. When I scouted this place earlier, I felt a strange change in the Ancestral Land, which is clearly his doing.”
“Did you actually see him?”
“I didn’t,” Since the Territory Lord didn’t dare to expose his whereabouts, he was very careful when scouting ahead and didn’t dare to investigate too deeply. What if he accidentally alerted Yang Kai while scouting, causing him to get suspicious and leave? He wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.
“Let’s just wait. Maybe he’s lurking around in the dark.”
The group of Territory Lords calmed down and continued to wait.
But several more days passed and there were still no signs of Yang Kai. By now, all the Territory Lords had grown anxious. All the signs pointed to the possibility that Yang Kai might no longer be inside the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. If that was really the case, all their efforts would be for nought.
Another silent conversation was exchanged, and they decided to send someone out to investigate. They had been afraid of Yang Kai sensing their presence before, but now that the Grand Array was active, they had already revealed themselves. Therefore, it didn’t matter if they went over to investigate the situation.
However, they couldn’t reach a conclusion on who would be going.
All of them were aware of Yang Kai’s reputation, and any Territory Lord who encountered him back then had a high chance of dying once he struck out. Now, they even used a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array, which was clearly meant for him, so how could Yang Kai show mercy when they encountered each other?
Therefore, all the Territory Lords passed the responsibility among them as no one was willing to enter the Ancestral Land.
Luckily for them, the Black Ink Clan Army from the No-Return Pass, that had departed after them, had now arrived. So, the Territory Lords picked out a Feudal Lord and ordered him to lead 3,000 soldiers into the Ancestral Land.
That unlucky Feudal Lord felt bitter but couldn’t do anything but follow his orders.
Moving forward carefully, the troops soon arrived in the sky above the Ancestral Land, but before landing, the Feudal Lord sensed a suppressive force coming at him from all directions.
He had never felt this kind of sensation, and under this suppression, he found that he couldn’t circulate his Black Ink Strength as smoothly as before. Even his Feudal Lord aura had slightly decreased.
Such a change surprised him, and he quickly stopped moving before looking around.
He noticed the 3,000 Black Ink Clan soldiers he brought with him also wore uncomfortable expressions.
[Is this the suppression of the Ancestral Strength?] The Feudal Lord’s expression turned gloomy as he wondered.
Of course, he knew that the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land had Ancestral Strength; after all, the Black Ink Clan had occupied this place for thousands of years and had sent back comprehensive reports describing the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land that had a certain amount of resistance to Black Ink Strength. Therefore, the Black Ink Clansmen with lower strength would feel more uncomfortable being in this place.
However, the Feudal Lord didn’t expect the suppression to be this intense. He was barely at the outskirts now and hadn’t even entered the Ancestral Land. What would happen if he dove deeper inside?
Though he was worried, he didn’t dare to disobey the orders given to him by the Territory Lords, so he could only muster up his courage and lead the Black Ink Clan soldiers to continue forward.
As the Feudal Lord expected, the closer they got to the Ancestral Land, the more obvious the suppression of their strength was. His Feudal Lord aura was constantly weakening as if there was a mysterious force suppressing the strength inside him.
When he finally arrived at the Ancestral Land, his expression had already turned extremely stern. He summoned his strength but realised that his current output was only on par with that of a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman. That omnipresent, extremely dense Ancestral Strength had actually suppressed his strength by an entire Realm.
If this was his condition, the other 3,000 Black Ink Clansmen would naturally be in an even worse state.
The lower the strength, the more obvious the suppression. There were already some Black Ink Clansmen who couldn’t stand the pain and released suppressed roars.
Meanwhile, the Feudal Lord was terrified and immediately knew that there was something off about this piece of land.
He suppressed the discomfort he was feeling and began looking around. Then, he led his army away after not finding anything.
It wasn’t until they left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land that the feeling of suppression gradually faded. The Feudal Lord reported what happened to the Territory Lords, making all of them frown.
[Is the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land’s suppression really so powerful? How did Qing Fu and Mu Yu stand living in this place back then?]
Unfortunately, those two had undergone Source Fusion with a Black Ink Nest; otherwise, the other Territory Lords would have asked them to come over because they would certainly learn more about this situation.
“They’re dead, but there are a few Feudal Lords that escaped alive at that time. So, we’ll know the answer after asking them,” one of the Territory Lords said.
It was a plan. Among the millions of soldiers that followed them here, there were a few Feudal Lords who had previously guarded the Ancestral Land. Those Feudal Lords were called over and asked about the previous situation here. After finding out that things were completely different now, the Territory Lords were certain that, while there was previously Ancestral Strength here as well, it wasn’t nearly as dense as it was currently. It was clear that the Ancestral Land had gone through a dramatic change they knew nothing about, which was likely caused deliberately.
In other words, Yang Kai was still inside the Ancestral Land, but no one knew where he was hiding or what he was doing.
Should they keep searching for him?
Now that they had a Black Ink Clan Army that consisted of millions of Black Ink Clan soldiers, there was a huge possibility of finding Yang Kai in his hiding spot if they scattered enough people around the Ancestral Land. However, what would they do with him after finding him?
Another round of discussion later, the Territory Lords decided to just lay low and wait.
They were now very sure that Yang Kai was still inside the Ancestral land, and as long as he was here, he couldn’t run away.
Moreover, the Royal Lord had ordered them to wait for Di Wu to arrive and take over, so they would do just that. After Di Wu successfully performed the Source Fusion Technique, he became a Pseudo-Royal Lord. Now, all he needed to do was to absorb the power from the Black Ink Nest and all 13 Innate Territory Lords sacrificed before him, and he would have enough power to defeat Yang Kai.
Once a decision was made, all the Territory Lords felt relieved and waited silently.
In the meantime, Yang Kai had sunk deep into the Ancestral Land, but this wasn’t by his own doing. At first, he was just an adopted son to the Ancestral Land, the so-called Matriarch, and then he advanced into a true son after contributing something. Later, he became the Ancestral Land’s favourite son. Following that, the Ancestral Land might have sensed Yang Kai’s desire for power and decided to help him with all it could.
Yang Kai transformed into a 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon before beginning to absorb and refine as much Ancestral Strength as he could from the Ancestral Land. While refining his Dragon Vein, he was so immersed in his cultivation that he didn’t notice that his body had involuntarily sunk into the ground and arrived deep below the surface of the Ancestral Land. Yang Kai didn’t even notice signs of his body fusing with the Ancestral Land.
This phenomenon was naturally not the same as the Black Ink Clan’s Source Fusion Technique, which required devouring one another. It was as though the Matriarch had opened her arms to welcome Yang Kai into her embrace because she was trying to inject that huge amount of strength into his body.
With the constant refining of his Dragon Vein, Yang Kai noticed that the effects here were even more outstanding than those he had while cultivating in the Dragon Pool.
As Yang Kai had entirely sunk into the ground, not only did he not notice that the Black Ink Clan had set up a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array called the Four Gates Eighth Palaces Great Pagoda Array, but the Black Ink Clan who came in to look around for him also wouldn’t be able to find him.
Time passed by and Yang Kai’s fusion with the Ancestral Land was becoming stronger, like he was about to become one with it. At a certain point, his perspective seemed to entirely change, becoming both ancient and wide.
As his Dragon Vein continued to be refined, he felt a strange power seeping into his body and gradually resonating with the entire Ancestral Land.
It was the purest form of Time Dao Essence.
The Dragon Clan’s Bloodline Talent was the Dao of Time. If a Dragon Clansman’s bloodline reached a certain level of purity, they would naturally become proficient in the Dao of Time and gain the ability to use Time Principles.
Yang Kai possessing a Dragon Vein might have been a huge factor as to why he could reach such high attainments in the Dao of Time back then.
Now, the Time Dao Essence of this World seemed to have caused some kind of strange change.
Though Yang Kai still retained his consciousness, it had expanded greatly as he felt himself fuse with the Ancestral Land. The sensations of his body faded away, as he then saw a strange phenomenon.
He witnessed several Black Ink Clansmen investigating something in the Ancestral Land before leaving quickly. This wasn’t strange in and of itself, but what was odd was the scenes seemed to be occurring in reverse. Yang Kai even saw some Black Ink Clansmen walking backwards…
Next, he saw a Grand Array, which enveloped the entire Void around the Ancestral Land, disperse before several Black Ink Disciples began running around with a number of Territory Lords seemingly disassembling it.
Another two Territory Lords suddenly appeared outside of the Ancestral Land, but left after investigating what was inside. Those two Territory Lords seemed like the two he had previously released.
Yang Kai also saw the Territory Lord he killed revive from the dead. He even witnessed himself withdrawing his finger from that Territory Lord’s forehead before their battle played out in reverse.
All these scenes rapidly appeared and disappeared, but Yang Kai’s emotions remained as tranquil as an ancient wall. It was like he was a bystander who was observing what had happened in the Ancestral Land. Even watching himself kill that Territory Lord didn’t draw any kind of reaction from him.
At that moment, Yang Kai suddenly realised that he was going back in time.
The Dao of Time was profound and mysterious. Since ancient times, there were very few cultivators who cultivated this Grand Dao. Cultivators of the Dao of Time were even fewer than cultivators of the Dao of Space.
Only the Dragon Clan, who had their Bloodline Talent, would reliably become extremely gifted in the Dao of Time.
Back when Yang Kai was outside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, he used his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel to shatter Space-Time and glimpse the future. Later, everything that happened proved that what he saw was real.
However, that opportunity was an accidental coincidence. Yang Kai had tried using the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel again, but never saw the future in that way again.
That experience led him to understand that if he could master the Dao of Time to its extreme, he might be able to peer into the future. Moreover, the ability to foresee the future was definitely a great method to avoid danger.
The truth was that, once a cultivator’s cultivation reached a certain level, they would naturally have a bit of prophetic ability, allowing them to sense danger and crisis before they happened. But without the Dao of Time, they couldn’t see the future and would only have vague intuitions.
Since the Dao of Time could allow a cultivator to foresee the future, of course, it could allow them to see the past. Time flowed from the beginning of the Universe, through ancient times to the present, and continued flowing towards the end of all things. Therefore, if one glanced at where the river was flowing, they could see the future, while looking back would allow one to see the past.
Though Yang Kai’s attainments in the Dao of Time weren’t low, possibly even among the best in the vast world, when it came to mysterious matters such as the past, the future, and even the nature of time itself, he was still fairly clueless about them.
Just like this time, he had unknowingly triggered the rewinding of time in the Ancestral Land.
This rewinding of time wasn’t like he was travelling to the past, because the flow of time in the Ancestral Land remained unchanged. After Yang Kai fused with the Ancestral Land, he simply became a bystander who was observing the reverse flow of time in this land.
Such a strange encounter must have some sort of connection with him being a Dragon Clan member and the fact that the Ancestral Land was pampering him. All these factors combined led to this astonishing development.
Yang Kai should have been extremely happy to encounter such an opportunity, but he didn’t feel any changes in his emotions. It was as if he had completely turned into the Ancestral Land and had become restrained and emotionless. Also, this act of rewinding time was just this piece of land silently reminiscing about the past.
But all of that didn’t stop Yang Kai from receiving benefits.
Following each passing breath, Yang Kai found his understanding of the Dao of Time increasing slightly. This kind of comprehension differed slightly from what he received by refining Temporal Rivers back in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon. Temporal Rivers were filled with Time Dao Essence and Strength, so Yang Kai naturally could increase his attainments in the Dao of Time by refining and absorbing them into his Small Universe. However, that was only refining external energy.
By fusing with the Ancestral Land, Yang Kai was now experiencing this mysterious land reminiscing about its past like he was thinking back to his own life’s experience. Of course, those were illusions as the one with these memories was the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. Yang Kai’s current situation was more like using his body to replace that of the Ancestral land, but this change didn’t hinder Yang Kai from obtaining benefits.
Yang Kai silently comprehended what was happening, and his emotions completely calmed, disregarding the changes in time and other things happening outside.
Inside the Ancestral Land, that dense Ancestral Strength kept surging and flowed towards one spot.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clan Army outside the Ancestral Land stood there with their guards up. The 20 Innate Territory Lords and several Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples treated this situation seriously and kept the Grand Array activated, sealing everything inside.
Time gradually passed, and about two years later, an extremely fierce aura sped over from the far-off void, causing the Innate Territory Lords to look in that direction with shocked expressions.
Di Wu had finally arrived!
He had absorbed the power of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest and 13 Territory Lords who had sacrificed themselves to it. Naturally, he needed quite some time to refine everything and consolidate his new strength.
Fortunately for him, the others had sealed this place with a Grand Array so that Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to escape; therefore, he wasn’t in much of a hurry.
Also, this counted as the first time the Black Ink Clan produced a Pseudo-Royal Lord with the Source Fusion Technique, so the other Territory Lords were naturally curious about Di Wu’s condition.
After they briefly probed Di Wu, the Territory Lords all turned grim.
That was because Di Wu had a blaring aura. By comparing only their auras, Di Wu seemed to have the strength of a real Royal Lord, but all of the Territory Lords knew that this was just an illusion.
The reason Di Wu’s aura was so pronounced was that he could not control it.
Royal Lords didn’t wantonly release their aura because they could perfectly control their strength. Therefore, the rampaging aura was a sign that Di Wu couldn’t actually handle his current power properly.
It was obvious from this situation that no matter how strong an Innate Territory Lord was, and what methods they used to bypass their innate shackles, there was still an absolute limit. Even though Di Wu had received a power that was far above his original strength and had two years to adapt to it, it was still hard for him to fully control himself. Perhaps it would be impossible for him to gain full control over that power in his lifetime, or else he wouldn’t be regarded as a Pseudo-Royal Lord. Rather, he would be a true Royal Lord.
Despite knowing all that, the Innate Territory Lords were still envious of Di Wu because their strength had been fixed since their birth. Who wouldn’t want to become stronger?
Especially when there was an unavoidable final battle between the Black Ink Clan and Humans brewing. More power meant better protection for oneself when facing the catastrophe that was about to sweep through the entire Universe.
It was a pity that the others could only admire Di Wu because the birth of a Pseudo-Royal Lord meant that a High-Rank Black Ink Nest and more than a dozen Innate Territory Lords had to be sacrificed through the Source Fusion Technique. The Black Ink Clan could not create a large amount of Pseudo-Royal Lords unless they were in a desperate situation, and even then, it was doubtful if such sacrifice would be worth the gains.
A while later, a deep, dark cloud arrived before them. Even the Innate Territory Lords couldn’t see Di Wu’s appearance because he was enveloped in extremely dense Black Ink Strength. The shocking momentum and murderous intent coming from the Black Ink Cloud made the Territory Lords even warier.
When Di Wu was still a Territory Lord, he was more of a staid individual, but now, he was like a caged Ominous Beast that had broken free, wanting to devour every person he saw.
“Where is he?” Di Wu’s raspy voice came from within the cloud.
The Territory Lord nearest to him quickly pointed in a specific direction, “He should still be inside the Ancestral Land.”
Once that was said, the Black Ink Cloud immediately shot towards the ground. A short while later, a violent vibration seemed to have come from below, accompanied by Di Wu’s angry roar, “Come out!”
The World shook, and the wild shockwave made the Void itself tremble. Even the Grand Array was slightly affected, forcing the Territory Lords to channel more strength to stabilise it quickly.
Inside the Ancestral Land, the Black Ink Cloud seemed like a rampant child as it continuously released the huge power it suddenly acquired.
Soon, Di Wu, who was inside the Black Ink Cloud, noticed something strange.
He clearly felt a dense ill-will coming from all directions, like the World itself was rejecting his presence.
It wouldn’t have bothered him if that was all, but this strange Will also had the power to suppress his strength!
Ancestral Strength!
Of course, Di Wu wouldn’t be unaware of the most primitive strength of the Divine Spirits. It was just that he had never visited the Ancestral Land before and never anticipated that the Ancestral Strength here would be so dense.
Being a Pseudo-Royal Lord, even if he couldn’t completely control his strength, dealing with an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master like Yang Kai shouldn’t have been a problem.
However, the dense Ancestral Strength here suppressed almost half of Di Wu’s strength, leaving him only slightly stronger than he originally was as an Innate Territory Lord.
Knowing Yang Kai’s ferocious reputation and ridiculous strength, Di Wu wasn’t confident that he could win against him with such a limitation placed on him.
He came here with full confidence, but now he was suddenly worried, which was quite embarrassing. In this situation, not only might he fail to kill Yang Kai, but he was actually at risk of being the one killed.
Looking around, he had a serious face as he prepared himself for Yang Kai’s sudden appearance.
Luckily for him, there weren’t any movements around him.
Frowning, he began investigating his surroundings.
He found that all the Ancestral Strength on this land was gathering in one direction.
[Is that bastard still cultivating?] Di Wu vaguely muttered to himself after reaching his own conclusion.
Under normal circumstances, he would have interrupted Yang Kai’s cultivation no matter what because, as an enemy, he couldn’t just sit and watch Yang Kai become stronger. That killing star was already too strong, so what benefit would there be to let him grow stronger?
However, Di Wu currently had another plan.
Since Yang Kai was busy devouring the Ancestral Strength to cultivate, perhaps he should just let him be; after all, this land couldn’t have an infinite amount of Ancestral Strength. Therefore, the longer Yang Kai cultivated, the less Ancestral Strength there would be. Once all the Ancestral Strength here had been depleted, there would be nothing suppressing the Black Ink Clan’s strength, and by that time, he could exert his full power.
Although Yang Kai would also become stronger, as long as he didn’t break through to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Di Wu was confident that he could defeat Yang Kai.
Could Yang Kai break through to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm?
The answer was no. This man had reached his limit at the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm; the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t mess up such a critical piece of intelligence, or else they wouldn’t have agreed to negotiate with the Humans.
Once he decided, Di Wu didn’t remain any longer and flew up into the sky, heading back towards the Grand Array.
When he returned, many pairs of eyes fell on him, which made him feel a little embarrassed. Luckily, he was hiding inside a thick Black Ink Cloud, so the other Territory Lords couldn’t see his face.
“I haven’t mastered my current strength, so I’ll let him live a while longer and head over to kill him once I’ve become better familiarised with myself!”
It was clearly an excuse, and the Territory Lords all knew what Di Wu was thinking. They secretly snickered, but didn’t dare to show anything on the surface, “Sir Di Wu, you’re the one in charge. We will keep a close watch on Yang Kai’s movements.”
Di Wu nodded lightly, “Inform me immediately if there are any changes!”
After saying that, he shot to the side and silently began familiarising himself with his strength. Despite spending two years devouring the strength from the Black Ink Nest and 13 Territory Lords, this wasn’t strength he had built up through his own efforts, so it was somewhat incompatible with him and rioted regularly. That was also one of the reasons he could not stop releasing his aura.
If he let Yang Kai continue to cultivate, he could also gradually polish the strength that didn’t belong to him and make himself stronger.
At the same time, in the depths of the Ancestral Land, Yang Kai was still looking into the past while fusing with the Ancestral Land’s aura. But a moment ago, there seemed to be a kind of external force that almost interrupted his cultivation.
Fortunately, the interruption ended as swiftly as it arrived.
In the meantime, the Ancestral Land’s time had rewound to almost thousands of years ago, and Yang Kai saw incidents that happened then.
Once again, he saw himself moving around the Ancestral Land.
That scene was when he first arrived at the Ancestral Land. Back then, the Kun Clan had forced him to open the land that had been sealed for ages, and it was also the first time he saw a Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Everything was going backwards as the time rewound while Yang Kai, the bystander, watched everything that made the Ancestral Land what it was today.
At the same time, the omnipresent Ancestral Strength was still continuously flowing into his Dragon Form, causing his Dragon Vein to constantly grow stronger.
His original Dragon Form was 70,000 metres long, and his Dragon Clan bloodline was extremely pure. At that point, it would have been difficult for him to refine his Dragon Vein further without massive amounts of time. That was why his Dragon Form only grew about 1,000 metres after leaving the Dragon Pool.
In such a state, only by returning to the Dragon Pool to cultivate would he have any possibility of quickly improving his Dragon Vein.
But now, his Dragon Form was obviously changing as he continued to absorb more Ancestral Strength. As his Dragon Vein grew stronger, so did his attainment in the Dao of Time, which then increased the speed at which time was being rewound.
For the first two years, the Ancestral Land only rewound through some 40,000 or so years. In the following two years, 50,000 years passed by. Two more years later, 60,000 years…
Yang Kai had now witnessed historical moments that happened in the Ancestral Land over multiple millennia and soon even reached the incident during the Late Ancient Era where the Third Generation Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Empress made a blood sacrifice to seal the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
After watching that incident, Yang Kai became even more silent.
This review of time was now significantly longer than when he was cultivating in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, as he had only spent some 4,000 years there. This journey back through the Ancestral Land’s past had lasted millions of years already, and he might need to spend a similar amount of time to return to the present!
Outside the Ancestral Land, the Black Ink Clan’s Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array was still operating. Since no external forces were attacking this Grand Array, the Territory Lords only had to keep it active, which didn’t require much strength at all, so they didn’t feel tired.
However, they didn’t dare to slack off. It had now been several decades since they first set up this Grand Array, but they hadn’t seen any traces of Yang Kai. Only the continuous surging of Ancestral Strength below indicated that Yang Kai was still cultivating.
At the same time, Di Wu had been familiarising himself with his strength. After the time he ignorantly barged into the Ancestral Land and caused a commotion, he didn’t dare to step foot into the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land again.
He couldn’t use his full strength under the suppression of the rich Ancestral Strength and was afraid of encountering Yang Kai under such conditions; therefore, he could only stall for time, hoping that the Ancestral Land would someday be depleted of Ancestral Strength.
During these dozens of years, though he didn’t personally head back inside, he had ordered the Territory Lords to head inside the Ancestral Land to check the situation. However, the reports he received were disturbing. Even though several dozen years had passed, the Ancestral Strength was showing no signs of being depleted. It was as if this mysterious energy was completely inexhaustible.
The Royal Lord had sent people over from the No-Return Pass to check on them a few times. Di Wu didn’t dare lie, so he reported everything that happened honestly. The Royal Lord wasn’t upset with him though and only instructed him to wait for the perfect opportunity. When the time came, he had to kill Yang Kai in the Ancestral Land. In that sense, the Royal Lord wasn’t worried about waiting.
After getting the Royal Lord’s reply, Di Wu felt more assured and was filled with determination as he waited.
100 years passed, but the situation inside the Ancestral Land remained unchanged. By now, Yang Kai had rewound through untold ages. Currently, he was witnessing an abundance of Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land. There were even some species that Yang Kai had never seen or heard of before. This was during the Early Ancient Era when the Monster Race ruled the Universe and the Divine Spirits’ glory had faded. Despite that fact, the Ancestral Land was still a paradise for the Divine Spirits.
Rewinding further, he witnessed an unimaginably huge battle that happened in the Ancestral Land. That battle was an internal struggle between Divine Spirits. Those large bodies were as tall as the sky and broad as the Earth, and during that period, the Ancestral Land was actually far broader than what it was now.
That war resulted in many Divine Spirit species, and an enormous amount of Divine Spirit Sources, shattering. Even a vast stretch of the Ancestral Land was destroyed.
Further back was the Primordial Era.
This was the time when the Divine Spirits ruled, and it was also when they were at their prime. They were so strong they were practically invincible. If they hadn’t gone through that internal war, the Monster Race wouldn’t have had a chance to rise up.
Yang Kai suddenly had a strange feeling, like he was witnessing something unfathomable. That feeling started vague, but as time passed and the longer he witnessed the Ancestral Land’s reverse evolution, the more that feeling became obvious.
At this moment, the rewinding of time was extremely fast, and many scenes were rushing by as though they were only flashes of memory. If Yang Kai hadn’t become one with the Ancestral Land and was currently relying on it to look back in time, he wouldn’t have been able to see those scenes at all.
It wasn’t until one moment that all the Divine Spirits on the Ancestral Land had completely disappeared, and the entire land was filled with an ancient and barbaric aura that a bright light flashed across the land before everything returned to stillness.
Yang Kai felt his heart skip a beat as he suddenly felt anxious. Then, for the first time, he took the initiative to activate the Time Principles to affect the huge Ancestral Land.
The rate of time rewinding slowly and gradually came to a stop.
It was then that Yang Kai was able to get a closer look at this land.
The Ancestral Land of this Era was different from all other Eras because this was what it looked like before Divine Spirits and Ancestral Strength existed.
In this era, the Ancestral land was only a vast, empty expanse. Such an ordinary World could be found everywhere in the 3,000 Worlds of this time.
Yang Kai didn’t see the bright light from before and knew he had gone too far back in time. After that realization, he couldn’t help but feel anxious as he vaguely felt he had missed something of critical importance.
It was meaningless to continue looking back in time as the Ancestral Land was now just an ordinary continent. Yang Kai wouldn’t be able to get any new information if he just let things proceed.
How this continent became the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was the most important piece of information, and that bright light that flashed past just now…
Yang Kai immediately surged his Time Principles, making the Ancestral Land lock onto that specific time and dig into the memories branded deep inside it.
Slowly, time began to flow again, but this time, it wasn’t flowing backwards but forwards from the point at which Yang Kai had stopped!
The vast and barren land was quiet and without any vitality except the lush green forests.
Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the sky and illuminated everything. The light was so bright that it lit up every part of the continent that would be the Ancestral Land.
When Yang Kai was rewinding the time, he caught a glimpse of the Primordial Light, but it flashed by so fast that even he couldn’t be sure he could capture its true appearance. That was why he decided to use Time Principles to take a closer look.
Never had he seen such a bright and powerful light. It was as if all the colours in existence had combined into this ball of light but didn’t fuse. Every colour was radiating its own glow.
This scene made Yang Kai subconsciously think of the Primordial Light he had been searching for!
Yang Kai suddenly had the urge to laugh. He had spent hundreds of years visiting one Great Territory after another, trying to find any trace of the Primordial Light only to come up empty. Then, he came to the Ancestral Land and decided to abandon his search. However, he didn’t expect that he would be able to see the Primordial Light while looking into the Ancestral Land’s past!
How could he have stumbled upon such fortune?
After thinking about it, Yang Kai thought this was a pre-ordained result.
Since the Primordial Light had a close connection to the Burning Light, Serene Glimmer, and all Divine Spirits, of course, Yang Kai would see something related to it in the Ancestral Land’s past.
This was also why Yang Kai came to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land in the first place. But he didn’t expect that the connection would be so direct and that he would manage to see the Primordial Light’s actual form while rewinding time.
This was certainly the most important moment for this World, so Yang Kai focused all his attention and carefully observed what happened, not daring to miss the slightest detail.
He had a feeling that he might be able to solve many mysteries surrounding the Primordial Light today.
However, an external force suddenly attacked at that moment, surprising Yang Kai and almost severing him from this strange situation.
Yang Kai was shocked and quickly calmed himself down before focusing his attention on controlling Time Principles to make time flow forward faster.
He didn’t know what was happening outside and only knew that he had seen the Black Ink Clan set up some sort of Grand Array outside the Ancestral Land when he just began peering into the past. Therefore, he suspected that the external attacking force might have something to do with the Black Ink Clan.
If he didn’t speed things up, there was a huge possibility that he would be completely interrupted and forced out of this mysterious state, which was naturally something he couldn’t accept.
It had been extremely difficult for him to come this far, so she couldn’t stop at the cusp of success, only to return empty-handed.
He quickly felt rage rising up inside him, but the destabilization of his mood seemed to disrupt his state of mind even further, so he quickly calmed himself and discarded all distracting thoughts.
Soon, he saw the bright light sweeping down from the void. Thousands of colours flickered within the light, making for a beautiful sight. That light was flawless, just as one would expect from the first light in this World.
However, Yang Kai soon noticed that the Primordial Light was extremely unstable. The countless colours within the light were in conflict with each other, and even the light’s true form showed signs of collapsing.
After observing it for a while, Yang Kai realised that this was the Primordial Light after it had separated out the powers of the Yang and Yin. It already had some deficiencies, so it was no longer in its perfect state!
Before coming here, the Primordial Light had lost the power of the Yang and Yin. After countless years of confusion and silence, those two most fundamental energies would transform into the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer. Since those two had conflicting powers, they then unconsciously created the Chaotic Dead Territory.
How could the Primordial Light maintain stability when it had lost its two most fundamental energies?
In a blink of an eye, the Primordial Light ruthlessly crashed down onto the most primitive continent from billions of kilometres away. At that instant, the light enveloped every inch of the Ancestral Lad, and the thousands of different colours splashed out across the World.
The Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array outside the Ancestral Land, the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array, was still active.
Meanwhile, inside the Ancestral Land, Di Wu was recklessly releasing his strength to vent his rage.
300 years had passed. He had been waiting here for 300 years, but there were still no signs of Yang Kai. Although the Royal Lord in the No-Return Pass didn’t urge him, he knew that not taking down Yang Kai after such a long time showed his inability.
It wouldn’t be too bad if he were a Territory Lord, but now that he was a Royal Lord, though not a true Royal Lord, he still represented the peak of the Black Ink Clan.
Before, Di Wu dared not head too deep inside the Ancestral Land because he was still unfamiliar with the huge, new power inside him. Also, the extremely dense Ancestral Strength of this place had a massive suppressive effect on him.
Back then, he wasn’t confident in defeating Yang Kai even if he managed to lure him out.
So many years of waiting weren’t in vain though, because 200 years ago, the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land began gradually decreasing and thinning out day by day.
Until this day, the amount of Ancestral Strength remained stagnant.
Now, although there was still Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land, it wasn’t nearly as dense as it was 300 years ago. It was at a level that Di Wu could tolerate.
Of course, the more important reason was that he had finally gained more control over his strength after so long.
It was impossible to fully control the strength he obtained from the Black Ink Nest and 13 sacrificed Territory Lords because if he could, he wouldn’t be a Pseudo-Royal Lord but a real Royal Lord.
In other words, by using the Source Fusion Technique, the total strength Di Wu possessed wasn’t any less than a real Royal Lord, but his ability to control that strength was inferior to one.
Now that the environment had changed and he had gained better control over his strength, Di Wu finally had the bravery to attack.
Every time Di Wu attacked with his majestic Black Ink Strength, the Ancestral Land would tremble. If this had been an ordinary Universe World, it wouldn’t have withstood the ruthless bombardment of a Pseudo-Royal Lord and might have been shattered already.
However, the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was different. This was a continent that had existed since the Primordial Era and had nurtured numerous Divine Spirits. Whether it was the land’s robustness or the strength of its Grand Dao and Principles, all were far beyond ordinary.
While Yang Kai was looking into the past, he even witnessed the internal war between the Divine Spirits. There were countless powerful Divine Spirits involved in that battle, including many on as strong as the Dragon Emperors and Phoenix Empresses, which made it difficult to estimate how many Divine Spirits had died in that battle. That war was definitely among the most shocking the Universe had ever witnessed, with few if any matching its magnitude and intensity.
Even that great battle that involved the entire Ancestral Land didn’t destroy this World though and only damaged it somewhat, so how could a lone Pseudo-Royal Lord be capable of that?
Therefore, Di Wu couldn’t help but be dumbfounded after releasing a series of attacks. The Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was far more mysterious than he imagined, and most importantly, his actions seemed to have evoked hatred and resistance from this World.
The Humans had an old saying: The World lives. Even a relatively young Universe World like the Star Boundary had its own Will, let alone one as ancient and vast as the Ancestral Land. When the Primordial Light fell onto the Ancestral Land and turned into numerous colourful rays of light, the Ancestral Land’s consciousness appeared. As a result, this World’s Will was far stronger and purer than other Universe Worlds.
If this wasn’t the case, the Ancestral Land wouldn’t have shown such favouritism to Yang Kai. All of this was because the Ancestral Land could feel the Golden Divine Dragon Source inside Yang Kai was one of those colourful rays.
Of course, Di Wu’s efforts weren’t totally in vain, as he had almost shaken Yang Kai from his strange state.
If he had succeeded, Yang Kai would have been frustrated to the point that he spat blood.
After using so much time to witness the Ancestral Land’s history and evolution, he had reached a moment of critical importance, so failing at this point would be too much to bear.
Luckily for him, he quickly calmed down his emotions after noticing the strange sensation.
“Come out!” Di Wu’s roar spread throughout the entire Ancestral Land, especially in the direction the Ancestral Strength was moving in. He could roughly guess where Yang Kai was hiding, but since he couldn’t break the Ancestral Land apart, he didn’t have a way to get Yang Kai to come out.
He had been waiting here for long enough and wasn’t willing to continue idling; so, he decided that no matter what, he must make Yang Kai come out of hiding and kill him.
Suddenly, a resounding dragon roar came from below the surface. It sounded furious, and Di Wu could clearly feel a powerful aura rising from below.
Di Wu wasn’t surprised but happy because, to him, making Yang Kai come out was the most difficult task. As for killing Yang Kai, Di Wu thought that it wouldn’t take too much effort to kill him, so he immediately prepared.
Right after he had readied himself, that strong aura closed in. Following that, a huge Golden Dragon Head suddenly appeared from the ground.
That Dragon Head had two horns with thick Dragon Scales all over its body. Its Dragon Beard was swaying under its widely opened mouth that looked like it could bite away a mountain. The Dragon’s mouth bit down fiercely at Di Wu as though it was about to swallow him whole.
Time Principles surged, and even with his newfound strength, Di Wu couldn’t help but fall into a daze. Luckily for him, he instantly woke up and quickly retreated.
The Dragon chased after him with eyes that were filled with fiery rage, seemingly wanting to burn him to ashes.
In that moment of running and chasing, the Pseudo-Royal Lord and Dragon leapt 1,000 kilometres into the sky, and it was only then that Di Wu caught a glimpse of what this Dragon looked like.
It was a huge Dragon Form that seemed to be 100,000 metres long! Though the Dragon Head was right before him, the Dragon Tail seemed to stretch out forever, and the Dragon Pressure was so strong that it was like a furious wind that shook the world around it.
Di Wu felt his heart sink, [Is this guy… Yang Kai?]
He couldn’t help but doubt whether the intelligence had been mistaken because the being before him wasn’t an ordinary Dragon, or even a powerful Ancient Dragon, but quite possibly a Divine Dragon!
According to the information the Black Ink Clan had obtained, while Yang Kai possessed a potent Dragon Clan bloodline, he was still far from becoming a Divine Dragon. Yang Kai’s Dragon Form was supposed to be just 70,000 metres long.
But the Dragon before him… was unquestionably 100,000 metres in length.
A 100,000-metre-long Dragon was a Divine Dragon, a Master superior to ordinary Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Not to mention Di Wu, who was a mere Pseudo-Royal Lord, even the Royal Lord back at the No-Return Pass would have to act cautiously if he encountered a Divine Dragon.
However, there was only one White Divine Dragon left among the Dragon Clan, and that Divine Dragon had flown into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield over 1,000 years ago, disappearing without a trace. How could there be a second Divine Dragon here now?
Along with everything he saw these past 300 years, Di Wu immediately concluded that the Divine Dragon in front of him was indeed Yang Kai, and these years of cultivation allowed him to gain significant growth!
[This is bad! My Pseudo-Royal Lord strength is enough to crush an Eighth-Order Master, but if Yang Kai has become a Divine Dragon… I’m the one in danger of dying today!]
While Di Wu was panicking, Yang Kai was also shocked and half of the rage in his eyes faded.
[A Royal Lord? How could there be a Royal Lord here?]
Previously, an external force almost interrupted his hard work of many years, so Yang Kai was naturally furious. After witnessing the Primordial Light landing on the Ancestral Land and what happened shortly after, he furiously charged out from the depths of the Ancestral Land.
It seemed like he had been too lenient and determined to adhere to the agreement between the two Races. The Black Ink Clan might have forgotten what it felt like to fear him, so Yang Kai had decided to teach them a lesson about the consequences of enraging him.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Kai wouldn’t be so reckless and would instead examine the situation before devising a plan, but his strange experience made his consciousness spend millions of years in the past, so his subconscious took over and did everything instinctively under the influence of his rage.
When he felt the aura of the Black Ink Clansman in front of him though, he finally regained his senses.
The Black Ink Clan wouldn’t challenge him if they weren’t confident that they could kill him. So, the Royal Lord before him was undoubtedly the Black Ink Clan’s trump card.
[Has the one at the No-Return Pass come all the way here? Wait! This Royal Lord isn’t the one from the No-Return Pass.]
Yang Kai had encountered the Royal Lord from the No-Return Pass a few times, so he knew what he looked like. However, the Black Ink Clansman before him was someone he had never seen before.
[The Black Ink Clan actually has a second Royal Lord!] Yang Kai was shocked. If the Black Ink Clan had a second Royal Lord, wouldn’t that mean they could have a third or a fourth?
At that instant, Yang Kai suddenly had no idea how many years he had spent in the Ancestral Land. Could he have been here for a few 1,000 years? If not, how could the Black Ink Clan have a new Royal Lord?
But no matter what it was, he couldn’t remain here and fight a meaningless battle!
The escaping and pursuing pair were both lost in their own thoughts at the same time, but came to their senses just as quickly. Following that, the Dragon released a powerful Dragon Breath from its huge maw, which became a blast of raging golden fire threatening to burn the sky down.
In response, Di Wu threw a few punches that were surging with Black Ink Strength with all his might.
A loud boom sounded in the air, and the Dragon Breath was put out while the Black Ink Strength dispersed.
Yang Kai and Di Wu were both sent flying.
The huge Golden Dragon suddenly shrunk and returned to Human Form. Then, Yang Kai immediately flew away without turning back. He didn’t have any intention of fighting a Royal Lord.
With his current strength, it was still quite difficult for him to kill a Royal Lord, and he was anxious to find out what had happened in the outside world. How long had he been here, and what was the state of the Human’s side?
However, he had only flown a short distance when he heard an angry roar from above, “Get down!”
Immediately after that, the Void trembled and a huge bolt of lightning came crashing down on him.
Although the bolt wasn’t overpowering, it wasn’t weak either.
Not expecting to encounter an ambush, Yang Kai looked up and saw a Territory Lord holding an Array Banner while pointing at him from afar, looking nervous but feigning calm.
Yang Kai coldly snorted before manipulating Space Principles, preparing to flee.
But just as his Instantaneous Movement activated, it sputtered and he was ejected from the Void. That short pause caused the thunderbolt to hit him directly, making him tremble. Even a few strands of his hair were made to stand on end.
[A Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array!]
At the thought of that, Yang Kai’s face fell as a memory from the depths of his mind emerged. He vaguely recalled that when he was looking back in time, he saw a group of Territory Lords setting up some sort of Grand Array outside the Ancestral Land. Now it seemed like they had sealed the Ancestral Land.
[No wonder the Black Ink Clan dared to attack me. It’s because of this!]
Instantaneous Movement was indeed one of the most mysterious and unpredictable techniques among Space Techniques, and Yang Kai relied on it to escape from many Masters in the past. However, the Black Ink Clan’s arrangement prevented this Secret Technique from activating. With the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking in effect, everywhere inside this Grand Array was cut off from the outside, meaning if one wanted to leave, one had to destroy the Grand Array first.
It wouldn’t be easy to break such a Grand Array though. Not only was a Royal Lord targeting him, but Yang Kai was sure that this Grand Array had other functions besides being Heaven Sealing Earth Locking. The thunderbolt that hit him just now was obviously created by this Grand Array because Black Ink Clansmen didn’t have such an ability.
Having charged out in a fury but being met with such an awkward situation, Yang Kai couldn’t care about being angry anymore. Adding on to the fact that his consciousness had witnessed millions of years of the Ancestral Land’s history, he was still a little muddleheaded and knew this wasn’t the time to get entangled in a battle with the Black Ink Clan. At the very least, he had to figure out his current situation first.
Thinking so, Yang Kai didn’t hesitate, and his figure flickered before instantly disappearing.
He didn’t use Instantaneous Movement to leave; instead, he escaped into the depths of the Ancestral Land and concealed his aura.
The Ancestral Land was incredibly firm, and even Di Wu, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, couldn’t cause any real damage to it despite attacking with full force. However, Yang Kai didn’t feel any resistance from the land when escaping to its depths.
That was because this land had shown its pampering attitude towards Yang Kai. This was just like how he was a Star Boundary’s Great Emperor and could instantly travel to any corner of it with just a thought as long as he was within its borders. Although he wasn’t the Great Emperor chosen by the Ancestral Land’s World’s Will, he was not far from it.
Next, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense flowed out like the tide and quickly examined the Ancestral Land and its surrounding void, which was indeed enveloped by an unknown Grand Array that had sealed this place and separated it from the outside world.
Yang Kai’s face fell. It was bold of the Black Ink Clan to come after him, but judging by the arrangements they had made, they did have the capital to do so. With a Royal Lord overseeing the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array and who knows how many Innate Territory Lords hiding in the dark, the Black Ink Clan could take the risk to fight for victory.
[How many years has it been since I came to the Ancestral Land?]
Calming down, Yang Kai began estimating the days and soon felt relieved.
Thankfully, it had only been 300 years!
When he saw an unfamiliar Royal Lord, Yang Kai worried he had spent thousands or even tens of thousands of years in the Ancestral Land, but it seemed only 300 had passed.
Though 300 years wasn’t a short amount of time, it wasn’t too long either as Yang Kai had just previously spent 1,700 years in retreat.
In such a short period, the situation between the Black Ink Clan and Human Race couldn’t have changed much.
However, since that was the case, where did this unfamiliar Royal Lord come from? Logically speaking, a Territory Lord wouldn’t have grown to become a Royal Lord in such a short time frame. Could it be that this Royal Lord had been hiding in the dark all this while?
But that seemed impossible because if the Black Ink Clan had a second Royal Lord available, they wouldn’t have hidden him away. With the situation on the battlefield, if the Black Ink Clan deployed a Royal Lord, the Humans would at least have to give up a few more Great Territory Battlefields and countless more of Eighth-Order Masters would have died in battle.
Yang Kai couldn’t figure this point, and soon worried about something even more disturbing. If the Black Ink Clan had a second Royal Lord, would there be a third, or perhaps even more?
If that were the case, the Humans would be in trouble.
Temporarily discarding such worries, Yang Kai calmed down and tried to reach the World Tree, thinking of using Old Tree’s power to help him get out of this situation.
If he succeeded, he could instantly head to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. He had done something similar before in Acacia Territory back then. The Black Ink Clan still couldn’t figure out how Yang Kai left Acacia Territory with more than 10,000 Human refugees when they had blockaded all the Territory Gates and never saw a trace of Yang Kai.
As Yang Kai had refined thousands of Universes Worlds back then, he and the World Tree’s connection couldn’t be broken. Even in a place like the Black Ink Battlefield that wasn’t possible.
In fact, even now, there was still a connection between them, but Yang Kai’s plan of using the World Tree’s strength to escape this situation proved impossible. Unless he could break the seal of the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array, he wouldn’t be able to head to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Though Yang Kai had somewhat expected this, he still felt frustrated.
After figuring out his situation, and having spent time in a type of cultivation trace, Yang Kai was no longer so anxious. Now, it seemed like this wasn’t a well-thought-out conspiracy enacted over thousands of years by the Black Ink Clan, but just a plan which took advantage of fortuitous circumstances. His long stay in the Ancestral Land had simply allowed them to act against him.
If he hadn’t remained in the Ancestral Land for so long, or fallen into a near unconscious state because he was witnessing the Ancestral Land reminiscing about its past, he wouldn’t have been oblivious to the changes in his surroundings.
It wasn’t that Yang Kai wasn’t cautious enough, there were just some unexpected things in this world that could not be avoided.
Moreover, he was only trapped here, which couldn’t be compared to the benefits he received while witnessing the Ancestral Land’s evolution.
[That multi-coloured light entity…] Even when he recalled that moment, Yang Kai couldn’t hide his shock. The World couldn’t have such a magnificent light anymore.
Naturally, the Primordial Light that was born at the beginning of the Universe was the most magnificent of all lights!
Towards the end of the rewound time, Yang Kai saw the Primordial Light crash onto the Ancestral Land and explode. A myriad of colourful lights dispersed and melted into this ancient and barren World, turning it from ordinary to extraordinary. Later, this vast land gradually became a land filled with a mysterious energy that still existed today.
The places where those colourful streams of light landed had experienced the passing of countless years before gradually giving rise to the Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and many other Divine Spirit Clans. In the end, this land became the Divine Spirits’ birthplace and homeland.
More importantly, this was also why the Divine Spirits’ strength could restrain Black Ink Strength to a certain degree.
The Divine Spirits were the same as the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer. They were all born from the Primordial Light, so all of them came from the same Source. The rumour that said the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were the progenitors of the Divine Spirits was just nonsense. The more accurate description would be that the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were the Big Brother and Big Sister of all Divine Spirits because they were the ones that were first separated from the Primordial Light.
Those two had lived since the Primordial Era until now, and their strength was pure and unchanged throughout history. On the other hand, the Divine Spirits had gone through generations after generations of inheritance, so the characteristics of their strength had diverged from the Primordial Light over the aeons and had a less obvious effect on Black Ink Strength compared to the Purifying Light.
When Yang Kai saw what finally happened to the Primordial Light, he knew that it was impossible to find it because how could he search for something that didn’t exist anymore? Unless he could really turn back time and return to the Primordial Era to stop the Primordial Light before it disappeared, but that was not something a Human could do.
Luckily, Yang Kai had long given up hope of relying on the Primordial Light. The Humans had to rely on themselves to eliminate Mo.
Since Humans had become the favourite of this era, Yang Kai naturally had to take up the responsibility of protecting it! If he couldn’t even take up such a small responsibility, he would have no right to exist.
As for the Primordial Light, Yang Kai had a general understanding of its history and end, but there was one thing he cared about.
While he was watching the Primordial Light crash onto the Ancestral Land and explode, he could vaguely make out a blurry and distorted Human figure at the place the light landed…
However, the rays of light were too intense, so he couldn’t make out what that was.
[Does the Primordial Light have a connection with Humans as well? What could it be?]
While the Monster Race were the descendants of the Divine Spirits, created to battle one another, Humans had been born from the Universe’s Energy itself. The Primordial Era and Early Ancient Era all had traces of Human activity, but the Humans were far too weak back then. So, no matter whether it was the Divine Spirits or the Monster Race, they all saw Humans as ants, unworthy of their attention.
It wasn’t until the Late Ancient Era when Cang and the other Martial Ancestors were enlightened by the World Tree and created the Open Heaven Realm Cultivation Method that true Masters began emerging from the Humans who could resist the rampant Monster Race and Divine Spirits. Later, it was the Human Race that gradually assumed the position of rulers of the Universe.
Humans were born weak and couldn’t even be compared to the average Beast in their formative years, but perhaps because of their humble beginnings, Humans had infinite possibilities for their futures.
Yang Kai soon stopped thinking about this matter because he had decided not to insist on finding the Primordial Light, and it was meaningless to think about these things at the moment. The most important thing now was to solve the problem he was currently facing.
Since a Grand Array had sealed this place and stopped him from escaping, his only option was to fight his way out.
Even if it meant fighting a Royal Lord, Yang Kai had to try. Among his current means, the Soul Rending Thorns were still the sharpest weapon he had to deal with a Royal Lord. The Soul Rending Thorns were what played the biggest role when he killed a Royal Lord outside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
Back then, he had used four Soul Rending Thorns consecutively, which caused him to fall into a dazed state, but with how strong his Soul was now, Yang Kai estimated he could use five Soul Rending Thorns at once and still barely maintain lucidity.
No matter how that Royal Lord guarded himself, five Soul Rending Thorns could critically injure his Soul.
Moreover, Yang Kai’s strength had reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so he was far stronger than he was when he had just come out of the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon.
He was able to kill that Royal Lord back then mainly because he was lucky, but luck was never something one could rely on.
However, Yang Kai soon brightened up because he discovered that his Dragon Vein had grown significantly stronger after 300 years of cultivation.
Just now, though he had managed to battle the Royal Lord in his Dragon Form for a short while, he didn’t pay any attention to the changes in his Dragon Vein. After examining himself though, Yang Kai could feel that his Dragon Vein seemed to have hit a bottleneck. It was the bottleneck between the Ancient Dragon Realm and the Divine Dragon Realm!
If he could achieve a breakthrough, he would be able to advance from an Ancient Dragon into a Divine Dragon!
This realization greatly enthused Yang Kai.
A Divine Dragon was an existence on the same level as a Royal Lord or Ninth-Order Master. Also, in general, a Divine Dragon would be stronger than other Masters in the equivalent Realm.
When Yang Kai met Fu Guang in the depths of the Dragon Pool, the latter was in the same state as he was currently. But Fu Guang was now a White Divine Dragon.
Even without transforming into his Dragon Form, Yang Kai knew that he had reached an astonishing 99,999 metres in length. Once he could take that last step forward, he could reach the 100,000-metre mark and regain the glory of the Third Generation Dragon Emperor whose Source he had inherited.
If so, he wouldn’t be embarrassing the Third Generation Dragon Emperor who had passed away.
Yang Kai’s Gold Divine Dragon Source came from the Third Generation Dragon Emperor, and the Third Generation Dragon Emperor didn’t only have a 100,000-metre Dragon Form. 100,000 metres was only the minimum required length to reach the Divine Dragon Realm, while only the strongest among Divine Dragons would have the right to be crowned a Dragon Emperor and command the Dragon Clan.
During the Third Generation Dragon Emperor’s Era, there wasn’t just one Divine Dragon in the Dragon Clan, so being able to stand out among all the Divine Dragons meant that the Third Generation Dragon Emperor was indeed unmatched.
But even such a strong Master had paid the ultimate price along with the Phoenix Empress of that era just to suppress and seal the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, which clearly showed how powerful a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was.
In regards to the speed of cultivation among Dragons, Yang Kai was ridiculously fast.
Looking at today’s Dragon Clan, he could be said to be the second strongest Dragon after Fu Guang.
He had expected his Dragon Vein to be refined because Ancestral Strength constantly flowed into his Dragon Form while he had been hiding deep below the Ancestral Land these 300 years. It would be stranger if his Dragon Vein had not been further refined.
At this moment, Yang Kai could clearly feel that the Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land had thinned out a lot because of him.
The refining of his Dragon Vein had caused his Dragon Form to grow from 70,000 metres to 99,999 metres.
As for the increased length of his Dragon Form, though it didn’t bring any benefits to his Open Heaven cultivation, his strength had undoubtedly increased. At the very least, the intrepidness of his physique and ability to withstand punishment had increased appreciably, which would be of great importance when battling the Royal Lord later.
However, the benefits didn’t stop there.
The Dragon Clan’s Bloodline Talent was the Dao of Time, so the more refined their Dragon Vein was, the higher their attainments in the Dao of Time rose. That was one of the benefits gained from inheriting a Divine Spirit Bloodline. The Dragon Clan didn’t need to have strong comprehensive skills. As long as their bloodline reached a certain purity, they would naturally comprehend things that ordinary people couldn’t.
Yang Kai could clearly feel that his attainments in the Dao of Time had greatly increased.
Since coming out of the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, his Dao of Time could be said to have reached the Seventh Level, Standing Above All Others Within Sight.
All these years of constantly absorbing the things he gained from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, he had gone much further in this stage,
Now, following the growth of his Dragon Vein, Yang Kai’s attainment in the Dao of Time had entirely surpassed the Seventh Level and reached the Eighth Level, Summiting the Peak!
It was now on the same level as his Dao of Space.
All this while, Yang Kai’s attainments in the Dao of Space had always led his attainments in the Dao of Time. This wasn’t only because he had been cultivating the Dao of Space for longer, but also because he had a natural aptitude in the Dao of Space.
If he hadn’t obtained an extremely pure Dragon Clan Bloodline, there was a huge possibility that he wouldn’t have any attainments in the Dao of Time at all.
Now that his attainments in these two Grand Daos had become even, they had a huge effect on him.
The first was that time in his Small Universe now flowed even faster.
If the previous speed of time in his Small Universe was between six and seven times faster than in the outside world, it was now 10 times faster. The faster flow of time in his Small Universe meant that his heritage would increase faster as well. Of course, this didn’t hold much meaning to Yang Kai anymore because he would soon reach his innate limit in the Open Heaven Martial Dao. Once he reached that peak, his heritage and Realm wouldn’t improve no matter how much strength he accumulated.
However, if he could break through the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm’s restrictions, this change would become very meaningful. The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm was a new start, and a 10 times flow rate of time in his Small Universe could help him save many years of bitter cultivation.
While the changes in his Small Universe’s time flow were directly affected by his advancement in mastery of the Dao of Time, there was another effect that wasn’t so direct.
That was with his strongest Secret Technique, the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
A long while ago, Yang Kai had noticed that because his attainments in the Dao of Time and Dao of Space had some disparity, he would always feel like there was something incomplete with the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, limiting its power.
The Sun and Moon Divine Wheel was a Secret Technique that combined both Grand Daos to create a brand-new Space-Time Strength. Since his attainments in the two Grand Daos were different, with one slightly higher than the other, this Space-Time Strength was unstable. That was why he couldn’t perfectly combine the full strength of those two Grand Daos.
Yang Kai had previously surmised that when both these Grand Daos had reached the same level of mastery, he might be able to use the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel’s complete power.
But after so many years, even he didn’t have a way to force the two Grand Daos into a balanced state. That was, until today!
Since Yang Kai’s attainments in the Dao of Space and Dao of Time had both reached the Eighth Level, how much power would he be able to exert when he used them to activate the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel? At the thought of that, Yang Kai became excited and secretly decided to test this out as soon as possible.
With the growth of his Dragon Form, improvement of his Dragon Vein, and new attainments in the Dao of Time, Yang Kai’s overall strength had increased dramatically over the past 300 years.
So what if he had to face a Royal Lord? Since he couldn’t escape, he would just have to kill his way out!
However, he first needed to understand the Black Ink Clan’s plan. When he was fighting with that Royal Lord earlier, everything happened too quickly and he was too muddle-headed, so he didn’t have time to carefully assess the situation. The only thing he knew was that there was a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array outside the Ancestral Land, a Royal Lord waiting for a chance to strike, and an unknown number of Innate Territory Lords lurking in the shadows, observing the situation!
At the same time, in the sky above the Ancestral Land, the arrogant expression on Di Wu’s face was gone, replaced with one of uncertainty.
After becoming a Pseudo-Royal Lord and gaining tremendous strength, he was confident that he could succeed in killing Yang Kai, but how could he have anticipated that a single clash with Yang Kai would terrify him so greatly?
Yang Kai was just a half-step away from becoming a Divine Dragon, and in his fluster earlier, Di Wu nearly turned around and ran. Luckily for him, Yang Kai ran even quicker, or else he might have humiliated himself.
Now that Di Wu carefully thought back on the previous exchange, though Yang Kai’s aura was indeed powerful, it had not yet reached the stage of a Divine Dragon. Di Wu had previously felt the aura of the White Divine Dragon back at the No-Return Pass and clearly remembered that it was far more imposing and majestic than the aura Yang Kai exuded.
[Although that guy has grown significantly while cultivating in the Ancestral Land, he has still yet to break through that final barrier, so he should still be an Ancient Dragon.]
Having realised that, Di Wu felt relieved. If Yang Kai really had become a Divine Dragon, Di Wu would have no choice but to flee.
Di Wu was a Pseudo-Royal Lord, while Yang Kai could be regarded as a Pseudo-Divine Dragon, so the two were on par, with neither side being the genuine article. In fact, being a Pseudo-Royal Lord meant that he was the stronger of the two because he possessed the raw strength of a Royal Lord. Even if he couldn’t control that strength properly, he still had it, as opposed to Yang Kai whose total strength was still lacking by comparison.
Now that Yang Kai had gone into hiding though, things had become difficult for him because, if he couldn’t damage the Ancestral Land with his strength, he wouldn’t be able to find Yang Kai. In short, although the Black Ink Clan had cut off Yang Kai’s hope of escape with the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array, as long as Yang Kai didn’t reveal himself, there was no way for them to kill him.
This was what troubled Di Wu the most. Before coming here, he didn’t expect the situation in the Ancestral Land would turn out like this.
Di Wu could sense Yang Kai’s Divine Sense probing around, checking the situation, but he couldn’t pinpoint where the latter was, so he could only sit and wait.
Just as he was thinking about how to lure Yang Kai out, he suddenly felt the latter’s aura appear somewhere inside the Ancestral Land.
[Over there!]
Di Wu turned his head and saw Yang Kai’s figure shooting up into the sky. Then, he immediately moved his body and shot towards Yang Kai while shouting, “Stop him!”
They couldn’t let Yang Kai hide within the depths of the Ancestral Land again!
As Di Wu shouted his order, a thick bolt of lightning shot down from above. The Innate Territory Lords responsible for maintaining the Grand Array had activated one of its functions, a Killing Array.
Numerous lightning bolts appeared in the sky, resembling a Thunder Dragon flying through the sky and instantly stopping before Yang Kai. Yang Kai’s figure flickered across the sky as he easily dodged the attack, but the Thunder Dragon chased him as if it had a mind of its own. At the same time, more bolts of lightning rained down from above.
Yang Kai managed to dodge many of these attacks before finally arriving at the edge of the Grand Array. With the Azure Dragon Spear in hand, he unleashed a powerful thrust.
Space shattered, and even the Grand Array shook, revealing the figure of an Innate Territory Lord in one of the Array Nodes. He was the one who first summoned lightning bolts just now.
When the two pairs of eyes met, the Innate Territory Lord shivered as he was filled with terror.
Among all the Humans, there were a few Masters that the Black Ink Clan was wary of, but there was only one that inspired fear in all.
This couldn’t be helped as too many Innate Territory Lords had died at Yang Kai’s hands. Even if three Innate Territory Lords ran into him, their deaths were almost assured if they couldn’t quickly receive assistance from more Territory Lords.
Even though they had the Grand Array as a barrier between them, the Innate Territory Lord didn’t feel the slightest bit secure. He would have long fled by now if he didn’t need to operate the Grand Array.
However, he was a crucial part of this Grand Array, so he couldn’t escape. The only thing he could do was to fiercely gather his strength while channelling it into the Array Banner, trying to strengthen the barrier in front of him.
Fortunately, Yang Kai only attacked once before he immediately flew away with no intention of striking again.
It wasn’t because he didn’t want to strike again, but because he couldn’t. The Royal Lord was about to arrive, and lightning bolts were closing in on him from all sides. Any delay could land him in a critical situation.
However, that one spear attack gave Yang Kai some insight into this Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array and he realized it wasn’t nearly as sturdy as he originally thought. With his strength, he could easily break through this Grand Array given half a cup of tea’s time without any distractions.
Of course, Black Ink Clan wasn’t going to give him a chance to do that.
With the continuous strikes condensed by the Territory Lords operating the Grand Array, Yang Kai soon noticed that the bolts of lightning were increasing in number so rapidly that there was almost no place for him to run anymore.
Therefore, he could only use Space Principles to exile his body to the Void.
The moment his figure turned illusory, the many lightning bolts hit their mark. Since Yang Kai had phased his body though, he managed to avoid most of the attack while the remnants didn’t have enough power to harm him.
This was the biggest advantage of having an extremely pure Dragon Vein. The Dragon Clan was unparalleled when it came to physical resilience and even had a high degree of resistance when it came to most Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities. So, it wouldn’t matter if he was hit by some of the attacks.
But before Yang Kai had the time to recover, four figures suddenly jumped out at him, each charging at him with their auras blazing.
They were four Innate Territory Lords that had been hiding nearby. These four Innate Territory Lords had linked their auras in a Battle Formation which Yang Kai was very familiar with!
Frowning, Yang Kai muttered, “Four Symbols Formation!”
The Three Fortunes, Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Paths, Seven Stars, Eight Desolations, and Nine Palaces were the most standard Battle Formations of the Human Race which were used by its soldiers on the Black Ink Battlefield in particularly dangerous or dire circumstances; for example, when their Warships were destroyed.
A Warship was the largest reliance a Human Squad had when fighting against the Black Ink Clan. Whether it was back at the Black Ink Battlefield or on the current Great Territory Battlefields, when both Races fought, the Humans were outnumbered.
The only reason the Humans could persevere was that the average strength of their soldiers was greater than that of the Black Ink Clan’s, and they had Warships.
Each Warship was essentially a mobile fortress with numerous artifacts that could greatly enhance the offensive and defensive capabilities of its crew. If the Humans didn’t have Warships, they would have been wiped out long ago. Without mentioning anything else, it was difficult for Humans to resist the corruption of Black Ink Strength when they were either too weak or injured; however, a Warship could offer such Humans safety and protection.
After so many years, the Humans had used countless resources to build and maintain their Warships. It could be said that the number of resources used on Warships was larger than the amount cultivators used to cultivate.
Every time there was a large-scale battle, Warships were damaged and destroyed. Once a Warship was destroyed though, the Human soldiers would have to face the Black Ink Clan’s attack and the corruption of Black Ink Strength without this additional layer of protection. When that happened, the survivors would often use Battle Formations to greatly increase their chances of surviving.
Three Humans could create a Formation called the Three Fortunes Formation. Add one more person, and it would be the Four Symbols Formation. Five people would form the Five Elements Formation, and so on and so forth until one reached the Nine Palaces Formation.
Under normal circumstances, the more Humans in a Battle Formation, the stronger it would be.
When Yang Kai was on the Black Ink Battlefield, he led the many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of Dawn Squad to form the Eight Desolations Formation several times to kill their enemies, producing outstanding results.
However, such Battle Formations could not be formed on a whim as they needed a long period of joint practice. Additionally, the people forming a Battle Formation had to be familiar with and trust each other because once it was formed, not just their auras, but their very lives would become linked. If one suffered, all suffered, and if one prospered, all prospered. If there wasn’t enough trust between partners, it would be impossible to even form a Battle Formation, much less bring out its full strength.
On the Great Territory Battlefields, there were significantly fewer Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters than Territory Lords, but the reason the Humans could stubbornly resist the Black Ink Clan’s continuous onslaught was that they made good use of Battle Formations.
The Black Ink Clan generally wouldn’t use such Formations because they didn’t trust each other like how the Human cultivators would. Rather than wasting their time and effort in forming Battle Formations, they preferred fighting alone because they could more freely use their strengths.
Yang Kai had never encountered a situation where the Black Ink Clan used a Battle Formation, and never expected to see it happen today.
More importantly, it was four Innate Territory Lords that formed this Formation, which illustrated the Black Ink Clan’s determination to kill him. In the face of the huge pressure of confronting Yang Kai, these four Territory Lords had set aside all their reservations and banded together to defeat this formidable enemy.
These four Territory Lords with linked auras charged forward, and though Yang Kai could see at a glance that their Battle Formation wasn’t tightly bonded, he didn’t want to be entangled with them for too long.
With a sweep of his spear, Yang Kai thrust out more than a dozen times in the direction of those Territory Lords to slow down their approach. Then, he quickly flew downwards before immediately shooting away.
Those four Territory Lords immediately changed directions and chased after him.
The Royal Lord also quickly changed directions, trying to cut Yang Kai off. Despite there not being much difference in their speed, Yang Kai was proficient in Space Techniques, so it wasn’t easy for the Royal Lord to block him.
After flying around the Ancestral Land several times, the Black Ink Clansmen sadly found that although they had taken advantage of the time Yang Kai was cultivating to seal him here, there was nothing they could do about him if he didn’t fight them head-on. On the contrary, Yang Kai had managed to discover the Black Ink Clan’s strength with his constant probing.
This made Di Wu furious.
At that moment, a voice entered Di Wu’s ear. It was from the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple responsible for setting up the Grand Array. Once Di Wu heard what was said, he revealed a happy expression and nodded subtly.
While Yang Kai was moving around the Ancestral Land, the Killing Array linked to the Grand Array surrounding the Ancestral Land didn’t stop and was constantly sending lightning bolts towards him. It was a pity that this Grand Array’s primary function was to act as a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking barrier. Though it had a Killing Array embedded inside, it wasn’t very powerful, so Yang Kai could easily dodge its attacks.
With Yang Kai’s current strength, only a Grand Array set by a Great Grandmaster in the Dao of Spirit Arrays could completely incapacitate him. A Spirit Array set up by a few Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples with mediocre achievements in the Dao of Spirit Arrays naturally wasn’t as profound.
As the chase continued, the Ancestral Land suddenly became covered in mist. This mist wasn’t that dense in the beginning, but as time passed, it became denser and denser until visibility became essentially zero. Even Divine Sense was restricted to only being able to extend 100 metres from an individual.
All of that was because the Grand Array had changed. Since the Killing Array was useless, they had switched it for a Trapping Array.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but slow down and carefully probe his surroundings. There were sounds of wind blowing, birds chirping, and a vague sound of a cry and howl. Knowing that all these were disturbances generated by the Spirit Array, he couldn’t help but snicker.
Everyone, including the Black Ink Clan, knew that Yang Kai was proficient in the Daos Time and Space, but very few knew he had dabbled in the Dao of Spirit Arrays.
Of course, his attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays weren’t particularly high and were all gained from his experiences in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon. Back then, there were Grand Dao Rivers of all kinds flowing inside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, and Yang Kai had absorbed and refined many of them. Yang Kai had taken so many Dao Rivers with different Great Daos filled with Dao Essence into his Small Universe that talents in all kinds of different Grand Daos were now born in the Void Continent.
If Yang Kai only relied on these shallow attainments, he wouldn’t be able to see through this Trapping Array, but that wasn’t all he had to rely on.
He closed both eyes, and when he opened them next, a golden cross flashed across his left pupil.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation was an Eye Secret Technique he inherited from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven. It could see through all illusions and was rumoured to be able to see the past and tell the future once cultivated to its extreme.
Yang Kai didn’t have any intentions of seeing the past and looking into the future, but the Demon Eye of Annihilation’s ability to see through illusions was the perfect thing to unravel Spirit Arrays.
With this Secret Technique active, Yang Kai was able to see through the mist and get a clear view of his surroundings. Even though he hadn’t reached the point where he wasn’t affected by the mist at all, it was enough to help him in this situation.
If the Black Ink Clan had placed their hopes on this Trapping Array to restrict his movements, they had made the wrong choice.
Yang Kai wasn’t in a hurry to reveal his secrets though, so he wore a gloomy look on his face and slowed down his actions so that he could test the Black Ink Clan and learn more about their situation.
Soon, he saw the Royal Lord had stopped near the border of the Grand Array, seemingly ordering some kind of attack while looking in his direction with murderous intent filling his face.
But Yang Kai noticed the Royal Lord didn’t intend to charge right at him, which surprised him as he didn’t know what the other party was worried about.
Di Wu was indeed worried.
Despite knowing that Yang Kai wasn’t a true Divine Dragon, when they exchanged moves earlier, he had fully experienced how strong Yang Kai was. Adding on to the invisible suppression from the Ancestral Land, Di Wu wasn’t confident he could kill Yang Kai without being injured.
To a Black Ink Clansman, being injured was a troublesome thing. They could endure minor injuries, but they would have to hibernate inside a Black Ink Nest if they got seriously wounded.
Di Wu couldn’t accept the idea of having to hibernate and recuperate after his first battle as a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
Moreover, Yang Kai had a strange method to attack one’s Soul, and he had yet to use it, so Di Wu thought that he had to wear down Yang Kai’s strength and means before he could deal the finishing blow. Otherwise, if he were attacked with that technique, he couldn’t be sure whether he could make it out of this conflict alive.
In the meantime, Yang Kai saw four figures quickly arrive beside Di Wu. They were the four that formed the Four Symbols Formation.
Soon after that, another four Innate Territory Lords appeared.
This scene shocked Yang Kai. He didn’t notice the other four Territory Lords before and couldn’t help but secretly exclaim at how determined the Black Ink Clan was!
When he was circling the Ancestral Land earlier, trying to investigate the Grand Array, he saw at least 10 Innate Territory Lords maintaining its operation from the outside.
Adding on the eight Territory Lords before him, and perhaps a few that were still hiding, didn’t that mean the Black Ink Clan had sent a Royal Lord and more than 20 Territory Lords to deal with him?
When faced with such a line-up, even a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would find it difficult to handle, let alone an Eighth-Order Master like himself.
Yang Kai soon learned that wasn’t all though, for the Black Ink Clan had also apparently deployed a massive Black Ink Clan Army as well.
Moments later, the Black Ink Clan Army mustered their courage to charge into the mist under the Black Ink Clan Masters’ orders. It was obvious that they were planning to exhaust Yang Kai using these cannon fodder. What’s more, there might still be other arrangements on the Black Ink Clan’s side that Yang Kai was unaware of as of yet.
Inside the mist, Yang Kai pretended to be disoriented as he walked around in circles, acting like a headless fly.
When he tried to escape the mist by flying into the sky, he couldn’t. Also, he failed when he tried to dive down and hide inside the Ancestral Land.
This Spirit Array was actually quite good, which showed that those few Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples did have some talent in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, or else the Royal Lord wouldn’t have looked so highly upon them.
Just as Yang Kai was looking dazed and dizzy, the Black Ink Clan Army that had charged into the mist surrounded him. Immediately afterwards, the Feudal Lords followed the instructions of the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple operating the Spirit Array and swarmed towards Yang Kai.
A battle immediately broke out.
A long spear swept back and forward, sending out spear strikes like a dense rain. Immediately after, black blood spurted everywhere as bodies exploded into pieces.
With Yang Kai’s current strength, how could that army of Black Ink Clan cannon fodder defeat him when the strongest among them were just Feudal Lords? To put it bluntly, with sufficient time, Yang Kai alone could wipe out these 10 million Black Ink Clan troops.
Group after group of Black Ink Clansmen were killed, and the speed at which lives were lost was unimaginably fast. On the ground, the fresh black blood had gathered into a pool, which then became a river, and soon began to look like an ocean, one filled with the broken corpses of Black Ink Clansmen.
Yang Kai killed methodically, without feeling any kind of joy or frustration.
Since the Royal Lord was willing to sacrifice these Black Ink Clansmen, Yang Kai was more than willing to oblige. The more Black Ink Clansmen he killed here, the fewer the Humans had to face on the battlefields.
10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000…
Yang Kai’s spear never stopped. In the beginning, Yang Kai moved around to more efficiently slaughter his enemies, but as time wore on, he could no longer be bothered exerting himself like that and simply stood in place while allowing the Black Ink Clan Army to come to him. The scene resembled water splashing onto a rock that was blocking a river, which was an astonishing sight to see.
So many had died so quickly that the Black Ink Clan Army would have broken and routed if not for the Territory Lords and Royal Lord overseeing them, forcing them to continue.
No one could maintain their calm when facing a hopeless battle. The Humans couldn’t, and neither could the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Clan soldiers attacking from all directions couldn’t even get within 1,000 metres of Yang Kai. No matter whether it was a Feudal Lord, a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman, or Low-Rank Back Ink Clan member, they perished with a single swing of the spear.
Under such desperation, the Black Ink Clan Army’s morale soon crumbled.
However, the Royal Lord and many Territory Lords were watching them from the outside, so they dared not retreat and could only force themselves to continue charging forward.
A day later, Yang Kai’s kill count had grown from 100,000 to 200,000. The breath Yang Kai let out was so intensely hot that it seemed like it was about to burn a hole through the void. The hand he held his spear with was still as firm as ever.
A few days later, 200,000 became 500,000.
Half of the million Black Ink Clansmen that came to the Ancestral Land had died, causing the battlefield to reek of blood. Under Di Wu and the other Territory Lords’ gazes, Yang Kai’s speed finally began slowing down. He was sweating profusely, and his complexion seemed a little pale.
Di Wu was satisfied with what he saw. If he could exchange a million Black Ink Clan soldiers for Yang Kai’s life, he would do it without a frown. Moreover, if he succeeded and returned to the No-Return Pass, rather than punish him, the Royal Lord would certainly reward him.
A million lower Black Ink Clansmen was nothing because as long as they had Black Ink Nests and resources, they could easily produce more such soldiers. On the other hand, how many Innate Territory Lords had died at the hands of Yang Kai over the years?
Innate Territory Lords came from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so each one killed meant there was one permanently lost.
Therefore, a million Black Ink Clansmen couldn’t compare to even one Innate Territory Lord.
Since Di Wu had great understanding of the Human’s Open Heaven Realm, he knew that a Human’s strength came from his or her Small Universe. The stronger the heritage of the Small Universe, the stronger the Human was. But the strength inside a Human’s Small Universe wasn’t inexhaustible.
Yang Kai had been fighting alone, non-stop for days and had killed over 500,000 Black Ink Clansmen, so he must have consumed a lot of energy.
[It’s time!]
As Di Wu thought so, he didn’t hesitate and flew straight into the mist. Then, he followed a Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple’s directions and silently advanced towards his target.
Meanwhile, the eight Territory Lords noticed the situation and mustered their courage to follow behind Di Wu.
Although Yang Kai was killing the Black Ink Clan soldiers, he still noticed these external movements and couldn’t help but frown. It seemed like things weren’t moving according to his plan.
He was feigning lethargy right now. To him, the best outcome here would be to lure a few Territory Lords over so that he could kill them first and weaken the Black Ink Clan’s overall strength.
But the Royal Lord didn’t act as Yang Kai expected and instead led eight Territory Lords against him all at once. At that moment, Yang Kai felt a huge sense of danger as he quickly revised his plans.
This Trapping Array couldn’t hold him, as he could see through it quite easily, but there was no use in simply overcoming the Trapping Array because the Ancestral Land was still sealed by the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array. Since he couldn’t escape, would he have to play the game of cat and mouse with the Black Ink Clan Masters again?
Of course, he wasn’t willing to waste his time doing so.
What’s more, he understood that it was better to kill a single Territory Lord than a million Black Ink Clan soldiers.
In an instant, Yang Kai calmed down. Since the Territory Lords dared to come over, he had to let them know the consequences of their actions. If he missed this opportunity, he might not get another one.
Having determined his next course of action, Yang Kai pretended to be even weaker.
The eight Territory Lords had split into two teams and hid within the Black Ink Clan Army, concealing their auras while nearing Yang Kai.
Four of them were mixed within the Army while four remained on the outskirts.
Meanwhile, the Royal Lord was hiding even further away, silently watching Yang Kai’s every move as if he were a predator hiding in the dark, waiting to pounce.
As the distance between them decreased, the four Territory Lords nearest to Yang Kai began secretly linking their auras.
Yang Kai knew it was time for him to act, because once those four Territory Lords linked together, they could easily form a Battle Formation. By then, it would be much harder for Yang Kai to kill them.
As the thought came to his mind, Yang Kai’s murderous intent flared up.
Instantly, whether it was Di Wu or the eight Territory Lords, all of them could clearly sense the sudden change in Yang Kai. He was radiating a dangerous aura and the paleness on his face had vanished.
That sudden change caught them off-guard.
Di Wu immediately stared in the direction Yang Kai was standing, and although there was a dense layer of fog between them, he could see a pair of black eyes looking right at him. In the next instant, an endless darkness enveloped him.
Almost instantly, Di Wu felt like he had fallen into an abyss that contained not even the tiniest bit of light. He seemed to be alone in the Universe and even his senses failed to detect anything around him.
It was one of the two core Eye Secret Techniques of the Myriad Demons Heaven, the Black Purgatory Eye.
If Yang Kai had enough proficiency in this Secret Technique, he could engulf Di Wu in such deep darkness that he could never escape and could be easily killed.
Of course, Yang Kai’s proficiency in this Secret Technique wasn’t nearly high enough for him to do that; moreover, there was a huge gap between their raw strengths, so it only took a moment before the darkness around Di Wu to quickly disappear and the latter to regain his senses.
The moment light returned however, Di Wu trembled and let out a pained roar. His voice sounded so agonizing that it frightened all who heard it. Also, his Black Ink Strength was being released uncontrollably and all the Black Ink Clan soldiers struck by it perished, wiping out the Black Ink Clan Army within a 10-kilometre radius around him.
Di Wu felt like a needle had pierced into his head, making him feel immense pain as his body and mind shivered. It was as though that invisible needle was constantly tearing into his Soul.
At that moment, he felt like his thoughts froze and he became unable to think clearly.
He finally understood how the other Black Ink Clansmen felt when Yang Kai attacked them with his mysterious Soul Secret Technique, and also why those Innate Territory Lords would get killed right after encountering Yang Kai.
When he first heard about these stories, he thought those dead Territory Lords were too weak and careless, but now that he had experienced it himself, he realized that those Territory Lords were neither of those things; it was simply because no one could endure such sudden and excruciating pain.
Di Wu shouldn’t have suffered such intense pain because since the Black Ink Clan found out about Yang Kai’s strange Soul Secret Technique, all Territory Lords who encountered Yang Kai would quickly use their strength to protect their Soul.
Only by doing that could they best weaken the effects of this insidious Secret Technique.
Di Wu naturally did so as well, but the Black Purgatory Eye caused him to lose all his senses and disrupted his focus. Although he recovered quickly, he had lowered the defences of his Soul for a brief moment.
Without protection against the Soul Rending Thorn, the consequences were extremely painful. Even a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Di Wu found it hard to endure.
At the same time Di Wu screamed in pain, four other screams rang out as well.
Those screams came from the four Territory Lords nearest to Yang Kai, who were about to form a Battle Formation.
Yang Kai used the element of surprise and sent out five Soul Rending Thorns in quick succession, one at Di Wu and the other four at the closest Territory Lords.
That was his limit! Using any more Soul Rending Thorn would cause him to lose consciousness.
Even at this moment, Yang Kai felt dizzy and was seeing stars.
Fortunately, he had experienced this many times and had long grown used to it. Now, the intense pain in his head even had the effect of keeping him awake.
A Royal Lord couldn’t bear such pain, but Yang Kai was used to it. No one’s success was without reason as only by withstanding constant tempering could a person achieve great things.
Yang Kai’s figure still floated atop the mountain of corpses, but that was only an after-image as his true body had already reached the Territory Lord nearest to him. Then, he smashed apart that Territory Lord’s head with one spear thrust.
Following that, a second Territory Lord fell!
Yang Kai struck out at the third Territory Lord, but he failed to kill him in one stroke.
Territory Lords weren’t so easily killed. When the four Territory Lords approached Yang Kai, they had paid attention to protecting their Souls, so although the Soul Rending Thorns were powerful, the Territory Lords could greatly decrease the damage they took by taking precautions.
They would still feel pain and have a blurry conscience, but they wouldn’t completely freeze up and become easy targets.
Still, this scenario was a testament to Yang Kai’s cunning and ruthlessness.
Before the four Territory Lords could form a Battle Formation, Yang Kai launched a preemptive strike. With most of their focus on linking their auras to successfully form the Battle Formation, they never expected Yang Kai to launch a sneak attack.
They had thought that Yang Kai was completely trapped in the Spirit Array and hadn’t noticed them silently approaching. How could they have known that Yang Kai had been carefully monitoring their every move?
What happened was the outcome when someone schemed against the unexpected.
This was a desperate gambit within a hopeless battle. The entire Ancestral Land had been sealed with no way to escape, and there were many Black Ink Clan Masters here, leaving Yang Kai with no chance of escape or victory on his own; however, the original predicament changed because of the enemy’s Trapping Array. A real Master needed the ability to turn even the enemy’s advantage into their own.
If one only had brawn but no brain, they would forever be a reckless fool. That was why Yang Kai was the Army Commander of Profound Nether Territory while Ou Yang Lie could only be a Division Commander who had to obey Yang Kai’s orders.
It was this quality that was valued by the Supreme Headquarters and why they entrusted Yang Kai with such an important role.
In an instant, two powerful Innate Territory Lords had died and their Four Symbols Formation couldn’t be linked. The third Territory Lord regained his senses when being attacked, which was why he barely managed to block Yang Kai’s strike.
However, he was still run through by the Azure Dragon Spear, and when a burst of World Force followed up, his body was still split in two, killing him.
Like a fierce tiger, Yang Kai lunged at the fourth Territory Lord.
It was only then that the other four Territory Lords outside finally reacted, but after recovering from their initial shock, they seemed hesitant.
The situation before them was different from what they imagined. Having heard of Yang Kai’s fierce reputation, those four Territory Lords didn’t immediately know how to react.
Luckily for them, Di Wu had finally gathered his wits, and when he noticed the obvious signs of Territory Lords dying, he was shocked and furious while roaring, “Kill him!”
After Di Wu gave the order, the four Territory Lords forced themselves to charge towards Yang Kai, but before they reached him, they were forced back by a storm of Secret Techniques. At that moment, those four Territory Lords quickly joined their auras, wanting to form a Battle Formation.
In the meantime, Yang Kai was exchanging a third attack with the fourth Territory Lord whom he hit with a Soul Rending Thorn.
His assault grew fiercer with every swing of the Azure Dragon Spear. It was purely a release of raging power without any form of technique.
The pain coming from Yang Kai’s Soul made his expression fiercer and more horrifying by the moment, and his behaviour also grew more vicious and ruthless.
It had only been three breaths of time since he began his counterattack. He first used the Black Purgatory Eye to disrupt Di Wu’s senses, then sent out five Soul Rending Thorns before killing three Territory Lords.
The change in situation was so fast that it was difficult to comprehend.
Only by acting faster than the enemy could Yang Kai maximise the advantages of his plan.
The fourth Territory Lord barely managed to resist Yang Kai’s third spear attack, but the same could not be said for the fourth. With a great thrust, the Black Ink Cloud before him dispersed, revealing his unprotected body.
This Territory Lord didn’t last long because he was stronger than his three companions, but rather because he was the last to be targeted by Yang Kai. The first Territory Lord to get killed wasn’t expecting the attack and didn’t protect himself, but the fourth Territory Lord was prepared, which was why he could resist three spear attacks before succumbing.
When Yang Kai arrived at the Ancestral Land 300 years ago, he killed a Territory Lord in his prime with three attacks. There were some elements of opportunistic trickery and verbal incitement, but it still showed how strong Yang Kai was.
Now, even though his Order hadn’t changed after these three centuries, the heritage in his Small Universe had become a bit stronger.
What really changed, however, was the increase of power in his Dragon Vein and his attainment in the Dao of Time, allowing Yang Kai to confidently say he was twice as powerful as he was 300 years ago.
Furthermore, those Territory Lords had been hit by Soul Rending Thorns, so they couldn’t exert their full strength while their minds were in a blurred state.
That was why the fourth Territory Lord couldn’t avoid the fourth spear attack. All he felt was a deadly aura enveloping him and a huge sense of fear filling his entire body, replacing most of the pain in his Soul.
Never had he felt so close to death.
“Save…” When he opened his mouth to speak the first word, the Azure Dragon Spear had already pierced the protective layer of Black Ink Strength he created and stabbed through his wide-open mouth. The Territory Lord’s last word was stuck in his throat as Space Principles wrapped around him, destroying his last hope of escape.
The long spear shot out from the back of the Territory Lord’s head, leaving a huge hole in its wake. That Territory Lord’s aura flared up before instantly melting like snow under the burning Sun.
Before Yang Kai could pull back his spear however, four very powerful Secret Techniques were fired at him from the other four Territory Lords.
At such close range, Yang Kai might not have been able to dodge these attacks in his prime, let alone in his current state.
At the same time, he felt like his head was about to explode, and his consciousness began turning blurry as his thoughts slowed down. Meanwhile on his face, except for the fierce expression he had because of the pain, his eyes turned dull, making him look a little dazed.
Those were the symptoms of his Soul being heavily injured. Many cultivators lost all sentience and sense of self after suffering heavy injuries to their Soul.
Luckily, Yang Kai’s instincts were still intact, so when those four Secret Techniques were about to reach him, he channelled his Dragon Vein’s power and a patch of small, dense Dragon Scales appeared on his skin. The Dragon Scales made his exposed skin suddenly turn shiny, as if he were wearing a gold robe.
The next moment, Yang Kai was enveloped by those four Secret Techniques.
As Black Ink Strength burst out, a large boom sounded, and the world around Yang Kai shook as he released a muffled grunt.
Before the effects of the Territory Lords’ Secret Techniques had faded, the angry Di Wu arrived from behind and lunged at Yang Kai.
Di Wu knew that since Yang Kai had used his strange Soul Secret Technique, this would be the best chance to kill him. Before this, he was wary of Yang Kai’s means, but now, Yang Kai was like a toothless tiger to him, so he naturally wouldn’t let go of such an opportunity.
At the same time, the four Territory Lords that had formed the Battle Formation exchanged a glance before quickly moving back while maintaining their Formation. Since Di Wu had made a move, they didn’t have to do anything else besides keeping up the Four Symbols Formation and preventing Yang Kai from escaping.
The truth was that they were happy to see this situation as well because they were still afraid of dealing with Yang Kai. They were scared of getting killed by this Human killing-star, so they had no qualms about letting Di Wu take the lead.
Sounds of explosions kept ringing in everyone’s ears while there seemed to be figures flying about within the dense Black Ink Strength.
Soon, a figure flew out like an arrow leaving its bow. The figure spat out a mouthful of Golden Blood in midair. It was Yang Kai, and he clearly couldn’t control his body.
At this moment, he seemed extremely haggard. Not only was his hair in a mess, but the layer of Dragon Scales covering his body was also like a broken net, shattered and peeling off in many places.
With the help of an artifact like the Soul Rending Thorn, he could easily kill Innate Territory Lords, but that didn’t mean Innate Territory Lords were pushovers. Every one of their attacks was incredibly strong, so Yang Kai didn’t feel good after forcefully taking four such attacks. Then, Di Wu came right after that and attacked Yang Kai, rendering him dizzy and looking dishevelled.
The advantage of having a stronger Dragon Vein was evident at this moment. If Yang Kai’s Dragon Form was still 70,000 metres long, he might not have been able to withstand such a heavy beating, but now, though he was injured, he didn’t lose all combat ability.
This was the specialty of a powerful Dragon Vein. It granted the physical body incredible resilience!
All the attacks were first weakened by the Dragon Scales before reaching the body, so the impact was naturally weakened. It was especially so for the four Secret Techniques used by those four Territory Lords. First, they were obviously weakened by the Dragon Scales before they hit Yang Kai. However, the effect of the Dragon Scale’s protection was greatly weakened when facing physical attacks like the ones Di Wu used.
Following Yang Kai’s haggard figure was Di Wu. He also flew out from the area covered by Black Ink Strength while staring coldly at the pale figure before him, roaring loudly, “Yang Kai, suffer death!”
Yang Kai’s expression became even more angered as veins throbbed on his forehead, his fury obvious to all.
His original plan was to use the Soul Rending Thorn to kill those four Innate Territory Lords and then quickly escape from the Trapping Array before hiding back inside the depths of the Ancestral Land to recuperate.
Once he had another few years to heal his Soul, he would come back out and ambush the others.
He couldn’t kill the Royal Lord, but he could kill the other Four Territory Lords. Also, if he was decisive and found a good opportunity, he could kill every Territory Lord that came, just like how he had on the Profound Nether Territory Battlefield. Back then, he killed so many Territory Lords that they all trembled in fear whenever they heard his name.
When fighting the enemy, it was best to leave nothing to chance, and it was natural to make full use of all of one’s strength and advantages. The Soul Rending Thorn was now Yang Kai’s trump card when facing Territory Lords and Royal Lords.
It could be said that this move worked every time.
All Yang Kai needed was patience, because someday, the Black Ink Clan forces here wouldn’t be able to withstand the losses and would take the initiative to retreat, or deploy even more Territory Lords.
Either way, it wouldn’t be much of a loss for Yang Kai.
That was his original plan…
But even the best-laid plans often fail to withstand the first clash of battle. No one could predict what would happen next in the heat of combat.
In the end, Yang Kai still overestimated how much his Soul could tolerate.
He thought that he could still manage to keep a clear mind after using five Soul Rending Thorns, and he had built the rest of his plan around that idea.
However, after he threw those five Soul Rending Thorns out, his consciousness became blurry while he barely managed to maintain some clarity.
To put it simply, though he could still think at the moment, his instincts were taking over and he was now showing some signs of falling into a daze.
If a cognitively impaired person was attacked, they would either try to escape or retaliate fiercely…
Yang Kai obviously gravitated towards the latter response, which was already illustrated by his behaviour back at the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon. Otherwise, he would have escaped when he lost consciousness back then.
That was why despite having taken on four Secret Techniques from the Territory Lords and being beaten up by Di Wu, Yang Kai still glared fiercely at Di Wu in his battered state. Veins were protruding from his forehead as he widened his eyes and said through gritted teeth, “You dare hit me?”
Hearing this, Di Wu was filled with murderous intent and turned gloomy after. [What nonsense is he talking about? This is a life-or-death battle, who else would I hit if not you?]
“You actually dared to hit me!?” Yang Kai growled through gritted teeth. He was like a bullied child questioning why he was being targeted while suppressing the vexation he felt inside.
“Enough nonsense, die!” Di Wu roared before immediately charging at Yang Kai. After the previous attack, he was sure that Yang Kai was no longer his opponent. Although he still needed some effort to kill Yang Kai, today was going to be the day of Yang Kai’s death. From today onwards, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t have to be worried about this Human anymore, which was a great contribution on his part.
While the thought flashed across his mind, Di Wu’s expression suddenly fell because at that moment, Yang Kai’s supposedly weakened aura exploded out.
“Since you hit me, I’ll hit you back!” The aggrieved child was finally retaliating.
“Heavens and Earth, lend me your strength!”
The injury to Yang Kai’s Soul made his mind become a little unstable, and the endless rage had influenced his thoughts into forgetting his original plan.
However, he still had his natural abilities, so he instinctually knew he had to go all out when dealing with a Royal Lord.
If his own strength wasn’t enough to deal with a Royal Lord, he would just borrow strength from others!
He was going to borrow strength from the Ancestral Land.
What he did 300 years ago won him the favour of this land; then, he fused with it for 300 years, which allowed him to look back in time and see the evolution of this World. Also, the huge amounts of Ancestral Strength entering his body had helped his Dragon Vein grow stronger and allowed his Dragon Form to grow from 70,000 metres to 99,999 metres. Even cultivating inside the Dragon Pool for 300 years wouldn’t have been so beneficial.
The entire Ancestral Land had opened its arms for Yang Kai, letting him have whatever he wanted.
Under such conditions, it wouldn’t be hard for Yang Kai to borrow some strength from the Ancestral Land.
When Yang Kai was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he had used his identity as Void Great Emperor to borrow the Star Boundary’s World Strength. It was only through that method that he could deal with Zuo Quan Hui, a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Thousand Cranes Paradise.
During that battle where he used the Star Boundary’s World Strength, Yang Kai’s strength advanced from Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm to Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, which helped him solve the crisis he was facing.
This time, though it wouldn’t increase his Order, he might be able to take advantage of the favourable conditions and advantageous position here to overcome his enemy!
Moreover, this was what Yang Kai had secretly planned for long ago. If he were forced to face the Royal Lord, he knew he had to borrow the Ancestral Land’s strength. It was just that his anger got to him, and he exposed this secret method far earlier than he wanted to.
A loud humming sounded all across the Ancestral Land. The Ancestral Strength, which had been gradually thinning out throughout the past 300 years suddenly became dense again. It was as though the Ancestral Strength hiding deep inside the land had surfaced and surged in response to that one sentence from Yang Kai.
Not only that, the Ancestral Strength from the entire Ancestral Land was gathering towards Yang Kai’s body from all directions. Then, the Ancestral Strength formed a layer of brilliant protection around Yang Kai’s figure in the blink of an eye.
While watching the scene, Di Wu felt his face twitch. It didn’t matter if this change only affected Yang Kai, but following the increase in density of Ancestral Strength, Di Wu realised that the suppression this land had on his strength also increased.
The most important sign was that he felt his Black Ink Strength circulation become sluggish when he tried to use it.
He only attacked after waiting 300 years because of the Ancestral Land’s restriction on his strength. Before, that suppression was very obvious, and he wasn’t confident in dealing with Yang Kai if he managed to lure the latter out.
He only acted after the Ancestral Strength had thinned out significantly and the restriction on his strength was almost nonexistent, so he never expected everything would change again with just a few words from Yang Kai.
The original confidence Di Wu possessed was replaced with a sense of danger.
Before he could think more about it though, a bright light suddenly appeared before him. It was Yang Kai, and he was actively attacking Di Wu. The pain in his Soul and rage from being beaten had made Yang Kai lose his rationality. He didn’t even use the Azure Dragon Spear and instead raised his bare fist and threw it out at Di Wu.
At the same time, the dense Ancestral Strength had formed a dense protective light barrier around his skin and even fit to his fist.
This punch was powerful and heavy as Yang Kai had used all his strength. If that fist landed on a Universe World, it would undoubtedly be destroyed.
Even a Master as strong as Di Wu couldn’t react in time as Yang Kai was too fast. Along with the use of Space Principles, Yang Kai literally instantly appeared before Di Wu.
In his rush to protect himself, Di Wu could only cross his arms in front of him.
The punch landed on the spot where Di Wu’s arms crossed, and when it struck, Di Wu sank back and the Black Ink Strength around him was scattered. Even standing mid-air, there were obvious signs that his knees were buckling and almost made him kneel.
Realizing this, Di Wu was enraged and gathered all his might to throw a punch at Yang Kai’s face as Yang Kai was throwing his second punch.
Right after throwing that punch, Di Wu gained an understanding of how much the Ancestral Land had affected his strength.
The Ancestral Strength didn’t restrict his strength too much, only shaving about 10% off his peak, which was still within an acceptable range. It seemed like the surging of Ancestral Strength was just an illusion and wasn’t as bad as he had imagined. This wasn’t surprising as Yang Kai had kept devouring Ancestral Strength these 300 years, so the Ancestral Land had been severely depleted. Even though there were some left behind, it didn’t amount to much. Therefore, Di Wu only had to persevere, and Yang Kai’s state after borrowing the land’s power would soon fade on its own.
If Di Wu’s strength had been suppressed by over 30%, he would have to think about whether he should retreat now.
With two loud booms, both fists hit their respective targets.
Di Wu was sent tumbling backwards quite a distance while Yang Kai was sent flying away. Neither of them had gotten the upper hand in this round.
In regards to absolute strength, Di Wu was definitely stronger than Yang Kai, so when both of them punched each other, the force Yang Kai received was much greater.
However, the Ancestral Land had dampened Di Wu’s strength somewhat while adding a protective layer that had weakened his attack further; as such, Yang Kai wasn’t at much of a disadvantage.
Yang Kai managed to stop his figure in midair and didn’t pause for a moment before charging at Di Wu like a madman.
He arrived before Di Wu in an instant and threw another punch.
Meanwhile, Di Wu was dumbfounded.
He had previously fought with Eighth-Order Humans, but never had he encountered such a situation. More importantly, his opponent seemed like he had lost his rationale and thus became hard to predict.
When faced with an unreasonable Yang Kai’s intense close-quarters attack, Di Wu could only give it his all to resist.
At that moment, the two figures flickered about the Ancestral Land, constantly entangled in a brutal brawl. The scene was extremely lively, with neither side acting like a powerful Master would.
This scene was captured by the eyes of the four Territory Lords at the outskirts of the Trapping Array and even the other Territory Lords who were powering the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array, and all of them were shocked.
Despite the scene looking a little childish, the Territory Lords could clearly feel the horrifying power being delivered by those attacks. Every punch and kick unleashed in this battle caused the Territory Lords to shudder.
[Has the killing star grown to such an extent?]
The fear the Black Ink Clan had for Yang Kai basically flowed from the fact that he had a strange Soul Secret Technique. Even strong Innate Territory Lords could be crippled by that technique, resulting in their swift execution. That was why they would all quickly protect their Soul whenever encountering Yang Kai.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan wasn’t too concerned with Yang Kai’s raw strength.
Yang Kai was acknowledged to be stronger than any other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but there was still a limit to that strength. If they didn’t count the strange Soul Secret Technique, they estimated that two or three Innate Territory Lords would be enough to resist Yang Kai.
That was the objective and impartial analysis given by all the Territory Lords that had encountered Yang Kai, which also formed the general impression the Black Ink Clan had of him.
That was why Di Wu felt like Yang Kai was a toothless tiger that would be easy to deal with after he used up his Soul Rending Thorns. Not only did Di Wu have such thoughts, but the other Territory Lords did as well. They all believed this was the best opportunity to kill Yang Kai because if the latter managed to recover and regain the use of that strange Soul Technique, they would be in trouble.
But when Di Wu and Yang Kai seriously began fighting each other, the Black Ink Clan Masters finally discovered the horrible truth that reality was far different from how they had imagined.
Though Yang Kai was indeed at a disadvantage in this clash, the fact that he could still fight with a Pseudo-Royal Lord to this extent and not get killed immediately was a shocking revelation.
Of course, the Ancestral Land’s restriction and assistance played a part in this, but that did not diminish the astonishing strength Yang Kai possessed.
It seemed like the past 2,000 years of cultivation had allowed this killing star’s strength to grow to a truly unprecedented height for his Eighth-Order cultivation.
The Territory Lords were shocked and couldn’t help but secretly feel lucky. It was fortunate that this Human couldn’t reach the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm in this lifetime, for if he could, even the Royal Lord would have had endless sleepless nights.
At the same time, the battle raged on, and Di Wu found a chance to escape from Yang Kai’s entanglement before opening up some distance between them. Then, Di Wu repeatedly used Secret Techniques from afar to target his opponent.
Di Wu had also noticed that Yang Kai’s actions seemed a little strange. It was obvious that his mysterious Soul attack had drawbacks, which caused Yang Kai to lose rationality and recklessly charge at him. This, to Di Wu, was quite an opportunity.
Powerful Secret Techniques were released from the Pseudo-Royal Lord hands one by one, and that dense Black Ink Strength continued to pummel Yang Kai, causing him even more discomfort and damage. Even the layer of Ancestral Strength protection was constantly breaking apart and restoring.
Fortunately, the Ancestral Strength was still continuously gathering over, creating a strong protective layer around Yang Kai.
Without entirely destroying that layer of protection, it would be impossible for Di Wu to give Yang Kai a fatal blow.
Occasionally, Yang Kai would also take advantage of an opening and appear before Di Wu and give him a few punches. Whenever that happened, Di Wu would feel extremely distressed.
It wasn’t easy to escape from an opponent proficient in the Dao of Space and Di Wu was just lucky that Yang Kai was basically moving completely on instinct. Otherwise, if Yang Kai had used his Space Principles consciously, Di Wu would have had to engage Yang Kai in close quarters even if didn’t want to.
The firm body of a Pseudo-Divine Dragon wasn’t something a Pseudo-Royal Lord like him could compare to.
A while later, Di Wu saw that the protective layer around Yang Kai’s body had been completely restored again and finally gave up on the idea of fighting Yang Kai alone.
He insisted on fighting Yang Kai alone until now because this was his first battle as a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and his opponent was Yang Kai. Therefore, he wanted the credit all to himself so that he could enjoy all the glory before the Royal Lord back at the No-Return Pass.
But since that no longer seemed possible, there was no need to force the issue.
When he escaped Yang Kai’s range again and threw another Secret Technique at him, Di Wu roared, “What are you waiting for!?”
The four Territory Lords standing outside the battlefield secretly complained but didn’t hesitate to attack Yang Kai with their Secret Techniques.
Yang Kai had just steadied himself when he was enveloped by the Secret Techniques coming from afar. The Ancestral Strength gathered around his body instantly broke, and his figure flew out and tumbled like a sack.
Right after landing on the ground and spitting out a mouthful of Golden Blood, Yang Kai became aware of the cool feeling in his mind, causing his consciousness to wake up a little.
The Soul Warming Lotus had kept working to mend his injured Soul this whole time, but since his Soul was injured quite seriously, it took a while to have any noticeable effect.
Yang Kai was confused by his current situation and the danger around him, but he didn’t have time to think about it as several Secret Techniques were already flying his way again.
Instinctively, Yang Kai wanted to use his strength to protect himself, but before he could, the Ancestral Strength, once again, gathered around him and formed a thick barrier. Unfortunately, even this protection didn’t last a single breath before breaking apart again.
Feeling those Secret Techniques landing on his body, Yang Kai felt his five viscera and six organs churning and an immense pain coming from his bones, a number of which were now broken.
Yang Kai’s heart sank as his blurry consciousness became clear again. Everything that happened quickly flashed across his mind and he realised that he had unconsciously made a huge mistake and inexplicably caused this to happen.
Yang Kai felt frustrated. He didn’t mind getting beaten up a bit because his injuries would slowly restore on their own. The key was that he had exposed his ability to borrow strength from the Ancestral Land, which was one of his hidden trump cards.
That was also what he was counting on to battle the Royal Lord.
On the other hand, he felt lucky that he instinctively borrowed the Ancestral Land’s strength after sensing danger; otherwise, this situation would have ended badly.
However, there was still doubt in his mind.
Even though he had borrowed strength from the Ancestral Land, obtaining both favourable conditions and an advantageous position, his opponent was a Royal Lord, so he should have lost long ago.
After all, a Royal Lord was equivalent to a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor. Also, Yang Kai had previously fought a Royal Lord, so he clearly knew how strong they were.
Despite the fact that he could kill Innate Territory Lords like he was slaughtering chickens and butchering dogs, he knew he was no match for a Royal Lord. Otherwise, he would have gone straight to the No-Return Pass and destroyed their Black Ink Nests without bothering to try to maintain some random insincere peace treaty.
The environment in the Ancestral Land had a certain degree of restriction on the Royal Lord, but Yang Kai knew he had devoured too much Ancestral Strength these past years and greatly decreased the Ancestral Land’s heritage, which meant that the suppression wouldn’t be too significant. In other words, the Ancestral Land’s restriction on the Royal Lord wouldn’t affect him too much.
After carefully recalling his battle with the Royal Lord, Yang Kai suddenly realised something.
Without question, the strength exerted by this Royal Lord was indeed at the level of a Royal Lord, but he seemed quite bad at controlling it.
He had 100% of the strength of a Royal Lord, but could only exert 70% to 80% of it, making every attack feel like he was holding back.
On top of that, there was also the suppression from the Ancestral Land’s environment and the protection the Ancestral Strength granted Yang Kai. It was the combination of all these factors that allowed Yang Kai to stay alive until now.
[This guy must be a newly advanced Royal Lord, which is why he can’t perfectly control his strength and why the Humans had never heard of any news about him.]
Yang Kai thought he had guessed the truth, unaware that the real situation was completely different. If he hadn’t been immersed in his cultivation inside the Ancestral Land, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t have sacrificed 13 Innate Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Next to create a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Di Wu. The Black Ink Clan could create such a Master from the start but hadn’t done so until now.
To the current Black Ink Clan, every Innate Territory Lord and High-Rank Black Ink Nest was indispensable, so considering the overall situation, it just wasn’t cost-effective to create a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
But if they could use Di Wu’s strength as a Pseudo-Royal Lord to kill Yang Kai, that would definitely be worth it.
Without mentioning the Black Ink Clan’s plan, Yang Kai was now having a headache about his predicament.
The Trapping Array had been completely destroyed, so the Royal Lord and four Territory Lords by themselves might not be able to stop him if he wanted to disengage. Of course, it was still impossible to leave the Ancestral Land because this World would still be sealed before the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array was broken.
However, Yang Kai didn’t need to leave the Ancestral Land, he only needed to dive deep into it to heal his injuries. If he did so, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t be able to do anything to him.
Unfortunately, the idea of retreating now made Yang Kai feel quite reluctant. His trump cards had been exposed one after another, so he would lose the element of surprise in the next battle. Since that was the case, he figured it would be better to just go with the flow and end this debacle once and for all.
He made the plan to hide deep inside the Ancestral Land after killing the four Territory Lords because he thought he wasn’t the Royal Lord’s opponent, but now that he knew he was up against a Royal Lord who couldn’t exert his full strength… Yang Kai thought that there might be a chance he could kill his enemy here today.
Yang Kai was secretly even hoping for the Royal Lord to lose his patience and use his Royal Lord Secret Technique…
Back outside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai had killed a Royal Lord shortly after breaking through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm not because he was strong, but because many coincidences came together.
His biggest opportunity was when the Royal Lord used the Royal Lord Secret Technique on him, wanting to corrupt him with Black Ink Strength!
The Royal Lord Secret Technique was something only a Royal Lord could use. When performed, it was silent but had an incredible impact. Even Eighth-Order Masters couldn’t resist and would immediately become corrupted. On the Barren Territory Battlefield, a single Royal Lord had corrupted three Eighth-Order Masters, converting them into Black Ink Disciples. It was those three Black Ink Disciples who resurrected the Black Ink Giant Spirit Got in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, triggering the collapse of the entire Human battlefront.
It could be said that the Royal Lord had made a huge contribution to today’s situation where the Black Ink Clan could fully suppress the Humans.
Without the Royal Lord who corrupted those three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, it would have been impossible to resurrect the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, and the Human Race Army would still have been able to bottle up the Black Ink Clan on the Barren Territory Battlefield.
Although it didn’t end well for that Royal Lord, the Black Ink Clan had achieved their goal.
A Royal Lord wouldn’t easily use the Royal Lord Secret Technique though because they would have to pay a high price. Not only would their strength suffer an immediate and substantial drop, they would also have to endure a long period of weakness. On the battlefield, such a situation would give the enemy a great chance to kill them.
Outside the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, that Royal Lord had used the Royal Lord Secret Technique on Yang Kai, causing himself to become weak and lose a huge portion of his strength. Then, he suffered a direct hit from Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel while having his Soul torn apart by four Soul Rending Thorns. Under such circumstances, his chances of surviving decreased greatly.
Even so, Yang Kai also lost consciousness and started a mad killing spree before winning.
Back then, he was only a newly advanced Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Now, he was almost at the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and had help from the Ancestral Land, so his strength was several times higher than back then. If this Royal Lord couldn’t hold back and used the Royal Lord Secret Technique, Yang Kai could easily kill him with his spear. By then, the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array would become useless.
However, Yang Kai’s anticipations were in vain because a Royal Lord wouldn’t use the Royal Lord Secret Technique unless they were certain of success or it was their last resort.
According to what the Black Ink Clan had learned over the years, Yang Kai was fully resistant to Black Ink Strength’s corruption, so Di Wu wouldn’t be so stupid as to use the Royal Lord Secret Technique to deal with him.
Moreover, a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Di Wu couldn’t use the Royal Lord Secret Technique.
But Yang Kai didn’t know that.
Realizing that hoping his enemy would make a fatal mistake wasn’t plausible, Yang Kai figured he could only create his own opportunity; after all, the Ancestral Land wasn’t his only trump card!
Yang Kai’s consciousness had recovered quite a bit now, but he still pretended to be muddled. Faced with attacks coming at him from all directions, he roared in an aggrieved manner at Di Wu, “You called for help? I can call for help too! Come out, my servants!”
The way he was acting was like a kid kicking up a fuss after getting beaten up.
However, in the next breath, the Black Ink Clan Masters suddenly became gloomy.
That was because Small Stone Race Soldiers suddenly appeared one by one beside Yang Kai, transforming into a huge army in the blink of an eye. They were densely packed, making it impossible to count how many of them there were.
The Black Ink Clan naturally recognised the Small Stone Race.
Between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago, this strange race was very active on every Great Territory Battlefield. They seemed like they didn’t have much sentience and had no concept of strategy or tactics, but they weren’t afraid of death or being corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Their presence had brought the Black Ink Clan quite a lot of trouble during wars.
Numerous Black Ink Clansmen had died at the Small Stone Races’ hands.
Following the continuous killings of the Small Stone Race over the years though, their numbers decreased until they more or less disappeared. Occasionally, some cultivators would bring out some Small Stone Race Soldiers leftover from the various battles, but there would only be a dozen of them at most.
From what the Black Ink Clan gathered from the Black Ink Disciple, Yang Kai was the source of the Small Stone Race.
In addition, Yang Kai had also used the Small Stone Race when he attacked the No-Return Pass back then.
The Black Ink Clan initially thought that those strange beings had been essentially wiped out, so they never anticipated seeing such a huge bunch of them be summoned in the Ancestral Land!
At that instant, the Black Ink Clansmen stopped attacking while Di Wu’s expression became as gloomy as a rain cloud.
This couldn’t be helped because back when Yang Kai attacked the No-Return Pass, Di Wu had personally witnessed the attack this killing star had executed with a similar Small Stone Race Army’s help.
Back then, Yang Kai seemed to have used some kind of technique and instantly sacrificed 2 million Small Stone Race Soldiers to form a terrifying explosion of Purifying Light that even seriously injured the Royal Lord, giving Yang Kai a chance to escape!
Therefore, in Di Wu’s memory, while these Small Stone Race members weren’t that terrifying, the means they gave Yang Kai access to was frightening!
“Kill him quickly!”
Seeing that the Small Stone Race Army was growing larger and larger, Di Wu immediately roared while retreating to put some distance between himself and Yang Kai.
The four Territory Lords didn’t need Di Wu’s order for them to go all out as they fired their Secret Techniques at Yang Kai.
But by now, the space around Yang Kai had become densely packed with Small Stone Race. Although those attacks killed and injured a large patch of Small Stone Race Soldiers, Yang Kai remained untouched.
*Hong long long…*
Thunder came down from the sky, and another fight started. The Territory Lords and Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples operating the Grand Array had reactivated the Killing Array to target the Small Stone Race Army.
Not only that, the Black Ink Clan Army, which had retreated far away while Yang Kai was fighting Di Wu and the Territory Lords, came forward once again and surrounded the Small Stone Race from all directions.
In an instant, the battle between Masters had become a violent war between two Armies, further heating up the atmosphere in the Ancestral Land.
The Small Stone Race roared and pounded their chests as their desire to kill the enemy had been raging since they were summoned by Yang Kai. Since the third time he visited the Chaotic Dead Territory, Yang Kai had discovered that the Small Stone Race nurtured by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were extremely sensitive to Black Ink Strength, probably because they were opposites of each other. Therefore, on the battlefield, the Small Stone Race would charge fearlessly whenever they sensed Black Ink Strength and either kill their enemy ruthlessly or die trying.
In the beginning, the Humans didn’t have a method to control them because of these characteristics. Once the Small Stone Race were sent to the battlefield, they became like unleashed wild horses, which caused the Humans to lose many more of them than necessary.
Later, the Humans began using a beast-taming method and an Artifact refining method to control the Small Stone Race. The situation had improved quite a lot. At the very least, the Humans could now issue the Small Stone Race simple instructions.
The Small Stone Race Soldiers Yang Kai summoned just now obviously hadn’t undergone any such taming or refinement. After he gained these Small Stone Race members from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, Yang Kai just kept them inside his Small Universe and ignored them.
That was why these fellows began running around after being let out, charging in the direction where they sensed Black Ink Strength.
At that moment, the scene was a chaotic mess, but Yang Kai just laughed like a madman, “Die! All of you must die! Hahaha!”
A fierce battle was happening in the Ancestral Land.
The Small Stone Race’s intrepid nature doomed them to have a bad ending if no one controlled them. Many Small Stone Race Soldiers charged at the four Territory Lords, but could not get near them because they were rendered to pieces of stone scattered on the ground by the latter’s Secret Techniques.
Even the Black Ink Clan Army that came back had begun surrounding these unruly and scattered combatants.
Numerous Small Stone Race Soldiers were being broken to pieces with each breath.
However, large amounts of Small Stone Races were still appearing around Yang Kai. It was like there was an infinite amount of them, impossible to wipe out. On the other hand, Yang Kai’s laughter grew louder and wilder, as though he had gone crazy.
Di Wu had withdrawn his aura and was now hiding among the Black Ink Clan Army, cautiously observing the situation.
The memory of the technique Yang Kai used at the No-Return Pass, in which he sacrificed two million Small Stone Race Soldiers, was still etched in Di Wu’s mind. Therefore, Di Wu immediately retreated when Yang Kai began summoning his Army to avoid being surrounded and experiencing the same tragedy from that time.
Back then, the Royal Lord had been injured, causing his aura to drop by at least 10%. It took the Royal Lord a full 1,000 years to recover from that incident. So, if Di Wu, a mere Pseudo-Royal Lord, was hit by the same technique, he would likely end up in an even worse state.
In addition, if Di Wu remembered correctly, there were some powerful Masters among the Small Stone Race.
The Black Ink Clan had previously encountered a number of massive Small Stone Race Soldiers roughly 1,000 metres tall that had strength similar to that of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Even though they had lower sentience and couldn’t wield this strength efficiently, their attacks were still not to be underestimated.
After observing for a long time, Di Wu noticed that none of the Small Stone Race Soldiers Yang Kai summoned were 1,000 metres tall. The strongest of them all was only 100 or so metres tall, which gave them power equivalent to Seventh-Order Masters and Feudal Lords.
Di Wu didn’t take these Small Stone Race Soldiers seriously, and even the four Territory Lords currently in battle could easily kill vast swaths of them.
As chaos swelled on the battlefield, Yang Kai summoned more Small Stone Race Soldiers. The four Territory Lords were in a better situation as they had formed the Four Symbols Formation, so they only had to hold their ground and kill every Small Stone Race member that came at them.
However, the Black Ink Clan Army seemed to be having difficulties holding on despite having help from the Killing Array.
Originally, a million Black Ink Clan soldiers had been deployed to the Ancestral Land; Yang Kai had already killed half of them, leaving only about 500,000 of them. Now that the Small Stone Race had joined the battle, even fewer Black Ink Clan Soldiers were left standing. Although the Small Stone Race undoubtedly suffered greater losses, the Black Ink Clan Army would be wiped out eventually if this continued.
Despite the disadvantageous situation, the Black Ink Clan Soldiers didn’t dare to retreat because the Territory Lords were still fighting, so how could they withdraw?
On the other hand, Di Wu finally rejoined the fight, but his target wasn’t Yang Kai. Instead, he was still hiding among the Black Ink Clan Army and killing the Small Stone Race Soldiers, his cautious personality making him decide to continue observing the situation for now.
Four days later, the 500,000 strong Black Ink Clan Army had been reduced to only a few tens of thousands, and all the survivors were soaked in blood and had unstable auras. Despite their discomfited looks, the surviving Black Ink Clansmen all seemed excited.
They won! They killed all the Small Stone Race Soldiers that came at them.
During these few days, they estimated they had killed at least 2 million enemy soldiers!
It wasn’t because they were strong of course, but because they had a Pseudo-Royal Lord hiding among them. The Small Stone Race Soldiers only had Masters on par with Seventh-Order Humans as their strongest combatants, so how could they stand against a Pseudo-Royal Lord? Di Wu could kill hundreds or even thousands of Small Stone Race Soldiers in a single move.
Moreover, the Black Ink Clan had help from the Grand Array. The lightning bolts fired from above had culled many Small Stone Race Soldiers as well.
More importantly, this was only the accomplishments of the Black Ink Clan Army and Di Wu.
Even though the four Territory Lords didn’t kill 2 million Small Stone Race Soldiers, they managed to slaughter at least a million of them.
The originally loud Ancestral Land suddenly fell silent, with pieces of stone scattered everywhere, which were naturally the remains of the fallen Small Stone Race soldiers.
Nearly three million Small Stone Race were lost over the past few days, which was a huge number.
Some time ago, Yang Kai had stopped summoning Small Stone Race Soldiers and engaged the four Territory Lords on his own!
His face was filled with rage, and his eyes were completely bloodshot. Also, his aura fluctuated wildly, as though he was not in a stable state of mind.
Every time he charged at one of the four Territory Lords, he would be repelled by their combined attacks. He would have lost a long time ago if he hadn’t borrowed strength from the Ancestral Land and had Ancestral Strength shielding his body in an impenetrable protective layer.
Of course, the Ancestral Land’s suppression of the Territory Lords’ strength was also very important.
Even a Pseudo-Lord like Di Wu lost 10% of his strength, not to mention the Territory Lords. Those four Territory Lords felt an even heavier suppression of their strength and were now some 20% to 30% weaker than normal.
If they battled Yang Kai one on one in such a state, they wouldn’t be his opponent at all, but since they had formed the Four Symbols Formation and linked their auras, no matter which Territory Lord Yang Kai targeted, it was akin to him trying to attack all of them at once. So, how could Yang Kai win in such a situation?
It could be said that the strength of the four Territory Lords combined, though not as high as a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Di Wu, was greater than that of an Innate Territory Lord at their peak, which was also why they could stand a chance against Yang Kai.
In the beginning, the four of them were still hesitant when facing this killing star, but after battling each other for a while, they felt that Yang Kai wasn’t as strong as they had imagined!
Or, more precisely, it wasn’t that he wasn’t strong. It was more like he had suffered a huge backlash after using his strange Soul Secret Technique and now could not fight effectively.
In the Humans’ words, this man was now an idiot, so he couldn’t exert his full strength anymore.
This realisation greatly bolstered the Territory Lords’ confidence. Since the Small Stone Race had all been ruthlessly killed, and Yang Kai had fallen into this demented state, they had the confidence to slowly whittle away his energy and kill him eventually.
The Ancestral Strength in the Ancestral Land couldn’t be inexhaustible, so once it was completely drained, Yang Kai wouldn’t be far from death!
Successfully killing Yang Kai was an incredibly glorious achievement, and it could only be obtained once in this world. If the Royal Lord decided to create more Pseudo-Royal Lords in the future, they would be the first in line to gain such power, just like Di Wu!
Of course, Innate Territory Lords wished for greater strength, but they could only become Pseudo-Royal Lords, and they would have to pay a high price for that. Therefore, the Royal Lord wouldn’t create a Pseudo-Royal Lord if it weren’t a dire situation.
Regardless, these Territory Lords wouldn’t be able to get their wish because Di Wu was the one in charge of this mission to kill Yang Kai. He was turned into a Pseudo-Lord just for this mission, and now that things were leaning in their favour, how could Di Wu possibly let the Territory Lords steal the credit from him?
If that were to happen, it would make him seem too useless.
After several days of secretly observing Yang Kai, Di Wu concluded that this Human killing star… was an arrow at the end of its flight. According to the current situation, Yang Kai couldn’t turn things around.
Di Wu felt a little lucky that Yang Kai had over-used his Secret Technique, messing up his mind and revealing his trump cards.
Borrowing strength from the Ancestral Land and the 3 million Small Stone Race Army were definitely the secret trump cards Yang Kai had. If he were in a conscious state of mind and used those two methods to corner Di Wu…
If that happened, Di Wu would definitely have been taken by surprise. Once that happened, with the strength Yang Kai had revealed, they would most likely have failed their mission.
At the thought of that, Di Wu shivered.
Although they had lost four Territory Lords and a million Black Ink Clan Soldiers, that was still nothing compared to being able to kill Yang Kai.
When Yang Kai was blown away by one of the Territory Lords again, the light barrier made of Ancestral Strength around him became extremely dim and did not immediately recover like usual. Seeing that, Di Wu didn’t hesitate and dashed over like lightning.
Yang Kai was immediately thrown to the ground, and before he stabilized his footing, Di Wu arrived. With a fierce explosion of power, Di Wu used his hand like a knife and pierced through the Ancestral Strength’s protection and into Yang Kai’s chest.
Following that, Di Wu roared, “Die!”
[I did it!] Di Wu suddenly felt a little excited as he could even feel Yang Kai’s beating heart in his chest.
[Wait! Why is his heartbeat still so… strong?] While frowning, Di Wu instinctively felt something wasn’t right and looked over at Yang Kai.
He saw Yang Kai standing before him, unmoving, his black hair hanging over his forehead, creating a dense shadow that covered his eyes so that no one could see his expression.
Only his lips were showing, curled up in a meaningful grin.
Di Wu then heard something that terrified him.
“You finally decided to come out!”
Yang Kai suddenly raised his head, and Di Wu immediately saw a pair of bloodshot eyes. Those eyes were filled to the brim with ruthlessness and murderous intent, but there was no trace of madness in them.
[A trick!]
Di Wu immediately thought. What he saw all this time was just what Yang Kai wanted him to see, making him think that the killing star was not in a conscious state of mind and had uncontrollably revealed all his trump cards. He might even be feigning weakness right now, making it seem he had reached his limit after being besieged by the four Territory Lords.
All of this was just to lure Di Wu out.
But why would Yang Kai do this? Did he have another way to turn the tide of battle even from this dire situation?
No matter what Yang Kai was up to, Di Wu wouldn’t let him use any more tricks.
Just as Yang Kai finished speaking, Di Wu exerted strength into his hand and stabbed it further into the former’s chest. If he could pierce just a finger length deeper, he could tear apart Yang Kai’s heart.
To an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai, having his heart destroyed might not be a lethal blow, but it would still be a severe injury!
But just as Di Wu exerted his strength, a large hand grabbed his wrist and firmly held him in place.
In terms of cultivation, a Pseudo-Royal Lord was indeed stronger than an Eighth-Order Master like Yang Kai; however, in terms of raw physical power, a Pseudo-Divine Dragon like Yang Kai surpassed Di Wu by a wide margin.
Therefore, how could Di Wu move when he was restrained in such close proximity to Yang Kai?
Although Di Wu had been stopped, he wasn’t flustered. He clenched his other fist and threw a punch at Yang Kai’s face.
Before his fist could reach its target though, it too was seized by Yang Kai.
A Pseudo-Royal Lord and a Pseudo-Divine Dragon were now standing face to face at arm’s length from one another, locked in mortal combat.
Di Wu was entirely at a disadvantage because Yang Kai had the absolute upper hand when it came to physical strength. The excruciating pain coming from Di Wu’s wrist was something he had never experienced before.
“Next time, don’t make others wait so long!” Yang Kai bellowed before headbutting Di Wu. The aggressive force was like the whole world was coming at him, making Di Wu feel dizzy and almost disperse the Black Ink Strength he had gathered inside him.
The sudden change rendered the four Territory Lords dumbfounded. Originally, they thought that this would be an easy kill for Di Wu, but the results shocked them.
In their flustered state, the Territory Lords didn’t have time to think about anything else and quickly attacked Yang Kai with their Secret Techniques, trying to save Di Wu.
A series of explosions sounded across the Ancestral Land. Since the light barrier protecting Yang Kai had been torn open by Di Wu, Yang Kai had to take on consecutive attacks from the Territory Lords with his own body. Although he had his own layer of protection from his World Force, resisting the attacks was difficult. His body was instantly battered, and he kept spitting out Golden Blood.
“Are you done? I’ve been enduring you all for too long!” Yang Kai roared.
Suddenly, a pair of bright but also strange patterns appeared on the back of Yang Kai’s hands.
They were the Great Sun and Moon Marks.
An extremely mysterious force appeared from within the Marks, which then began permeating out across the Ancestral Land. In an instant, tiny wisps of light flew out from the Small Stone Race corpses.
Those lights were either pure yellow or blue. When they first began appearing, there weren’t that many at a glance, but in the blink of an eye, the ground and sky were densely packed with a sea of blue and yellow covering the entire battlefield.
Some three million Small Stone Race Soldiers had died in this vast land over the past few days, and if Di Wu had observed carefully enough, he would have noticed that these Small Stone Race Soldiers had two different characteristics. There were even numbers of Great Sun Small Stone Race and Great Moon Small Stone Race.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had spent years painstakingly nurturing these special beings with their power, and with the Small Stone Race’s nature of devouring and refining resources to grow themselves and breed new clansmen, it could be said that they were now living Yellow and Blue Crystals, although less pure than the real ones. They had the purest form of Yang and Yin Energy contained inside them.
Despite being smashed, this pure energy hadn’t dissipated and if other Small Stone Race members came across this place, they could devour the corpses of their fallen brethren to continue growing stronger.
These three million Small Stone Race Soldiers weren’t sacrificed in vain.
Since deciding to summon the Small Stone Race, Yang Kai had been planning for this very moment.
Never would the Black Ink Clan have thought that the dead Small Stone Race could still have such great power even after death; after all, there were only a dozen or so Divine Spirits who had the Great Sun and Moon Marks, and none of them had shown such mysterious techniques before on the battlefield.
Di Wu thought he had been careful enough, but the reality was that he would never be able to understand just how cunning Humans could be.
When he recovered from his dizzy state, the two-tone lights he saw around him made alarm bells ring in his head, and he was once again reminded of the time when Yang Kai trashed the No-Return Pass.
The Black Ink Strength inside Di Wu surged madly as he desperately wanted to escape from Yang Kai’s grasp. At the same time, he yelled, “Let go!”
“Too late!” Yang Kai snarled while using all his strength to activate the two marks on the backs of his hands.
At that instant, the yellow and blue lights merged, causing the two colours to disappear instantly and transform into the purest white light. The light gradually condensed into a ball that rapidly expanded across the battlefield, like a great rising Sun.
Time seemed to have frozen at that moment, and under cover of the intense Purifying Light, the scattered Black Ink Strength and Black Ink Clouds formed from the massive amount of Black Ink Clansmen killed in this battle were instantly vaporized. It was as if they had never existed before.
On the other hand, the surviving Black Ink Clansmen felt like ants that had been thrown into boiling oil, screaming and struggling, but unable to resist the erosion of the Purifying Light at all. The Black Ink Strength inside their bodies quickly dissolved and their auras grew fainter. Those weaker ones were soon killed on the spot, while the stronger ones were barely clinging to life.
At the same time, the four Territory Lords fired more Secret Techniques at Yang Kai, but these attacks were severely weakened by the Purifying Light and lost at least half of their power by the time they hit their mark.
Not only that, but the Territory Lords were also enduring the pain of having their bodies literally melting as the Purifying Light invaded them, destroying their very foundation.
As for Di Wu, who was right in front of Yang Kai, he was experiencing the worst of these effects.
Since he was the strongest and was literally being held down by Yang Kai, the place he was standing was where the Purifying Light was the most intense. At this moment, the Pseudo-Royal Lord was like a melting candle. The jet-black Black Ink Strength was continuously flowing out of his body, which would then be neutralized by the Purifying Light.
Fortunately for Di Wu, he had mustered all his strength and pushed the knife hand being gripped by Yang Kai further into the latter’s chest just before Yang Kai activated the Purifying Light.
Although Yang Kai wasn’t willing, he was forced to let go at that last moment and quickly put some distance between them to avoid his heart being pierced through.
Now that Di Wu wasn’t being restrained, he immediately flew into the sky, desperately wanting to escape the area being enveloped by Purifying Light.
At that moment, space suddenly became extremely viscous and simultaneously felt like it was being stretched out infinitely. It was only for a moment, but it was still torturous for Di Wu.
It only took three breaths of time for the blast of Purifying Light to dissipate, but during that short moment, the Black Ink Clan had suffered a terrifying loss.
Di Wu finally escaped the space binding and charged out of the area being encased by Purifying Light, but when he looked down, he felt devastated.
The tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan Soldiers that had survived the previous slaughter were now reduced to less than 2,000 by the intense Purifying Light; however, even these survivors were like flickering candles in the wind, at risk of being snuffed out at any moment.
As for the four Territory Lords who had formed the Four Symbols Formation… All four of their auras had disappeared.
Soon, Di Wu saw Yang Kai covered in blood, and in his hand was a huge head. That head belonged to one of the Territory Lords, and the expression on its face was filled with reluctance and disbelief. Obviously, this Territory Lord never expected their originally advantageous situation to suddenly make a huge turn for the worse.
Yang Kai was cornered and at his limit, but he suddenly regained control of the entire situation in the blink of an eye and even had the time, while Di Wu was escaping, to kill the four weakened and stunned Territory Lords who were being tortured by the Purifying Light to the point of wanting to die.
Yang Kai seriously injured a true Royal Lord by sacrificing 2 million Small Stone Race Soldiers back at the No-Return Pass. Today, 3 million Small Stone Race had died here, so how could mere Innate Territory Lords withstand the resulting burst of Purifying Light?
Moreover, there was also suppression from the Ancestral Land. If Yang Kai targeted them in such a situation, where they couldn’t even access 50% of their maximum strength, they were still doomed even if they had formed a Battle Formation.
When the four eyes suddenly met, Di Wu once again felt hopeless and terrified.
He came here in full confidence, but suddenly discovered after this huge battle that perhaps killing Yang Kai was an impossible task.
At that moment, he suddenly had the urge to retreat.
“Now there’s only the two of us.” Yang Kai casually tossed the head away as if he were throwing out the trash. When compared, Yang Kai’s injuries were definitely more serious than Di Wu’s. His Soul was constantly throbbing, and his body was completely battered. Even so, Di Wu’s mental state right now was far worse than Yang Kai’s.
Yang Kai looked at Di Wu with his deep, cold eyes while asking, “Are you ready to die, Sir Royal Lord?”
However, Di Wu just turned around and made a mad dash while yelling, “Open the Grand Array!”
Since the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array was still active, he couldn’t escape without it first being opened.
Once he gave the command, a crack appeared on the Grand Array, and Di Wu immediately charged at it like lightning.
But when it came to speed, none could match Yang Kai.
Di Wu felt his sight blur for a moment before he saw Yang Kai already blocking the opening while looking down at him.
This scene stunned the Black Ink Disciples and Territory Lords managing the Great Array, and they didn’t know what to do.
With this strong opponent blocking his only path of escape, Di Wu steeled himself and gathered all his strength to form a Black Ink Cloud before charging at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai lifted his hands, and a Great Sun ascended into the sky as a Golden Crow cawed.
At the same time, the Full Moon rose into the air, bathing the world in its icy glow.
The mysterious scene of the Sun and Moon rising together reappeared, and Yang Kai stood below them like a deity.
Both Yang Kai’s trump cards of borrowing strength from the Ancestral Land and the Small Stone Race Army were just external aids, while the one he displayed right now was wholly his own.
Sun and Moon Divine Wheel!
That was a Secret Technique only Yang Kai could perform because it was the extreme fusion of both the Dao of Space and Dao of Time. Even though Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi could also stimulate the mysterious Space-Time Strength, they were still two individuals and could never truly comprehend the essence of this esoteric power.
Since Yang Kai had first comprehended this Secret Technique, he had used it many times in battle against enemies he couldn’t defeat through conventional means, and it had not disappointed him before.
However, he had never been able to call upon it so smoothly and with such ease as he did today.
Before now, his attainments in the Dao of Space had always been higher than his attainments in the Dao of Time. Even though he could still use the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, since one of the two Grand Daos that it was formed from was stronger than the other, the technique had always been unbalanced. It was only after he came to the Ancestral Land this time and his attainments in both Grand Daos reached a balance that something had changed.
The Sun and Moon began orbiting around Yang Kai as Time and Space Principles permeated the air. These two Principle Strengths then began fusing together, creating a new Space-Time Strength. Everything happened incredibly smoothly.
It was only at this moment that Yang Kai gained an epiphany. Time and space were originally two interdependent Principles, so when they fused and integrated, they were just returning to their natural state. Space without Time was like a tree without roots, or a river without a source, and Time without Space was only a vast emptiness that had no substance to it.
Time was the imprint of space, and space was the carrier and root of time.
After millennia of studying and comprehending both the Dao of Time and the Dao of Space, Yang Kai was finally showing signs of gaining true understanding and mastery of them.
This newfound enlightenment had immediate tangible benefits in how the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel manifested.
Originally, the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel took the form of a Great Sun and the Full Moon rapidly spiralling towards each other as they shot forth, blasting out waves of Space-Time Strength as they flew forward.
But now that Yang Kai had gained a deeper understanding of Space-Time, the Sun and Moon were able to fuse entirely and turned into a mysterious Seal that was one half Great Sun and one half Full Moon.
This Seal was not nearly as dazzling and awe-inspiring as the original Sun and Moon Divine Wheel but it was actually far more profound as it had condensed all the power which had been blasting out into a single point. With unstoppable momentum, the Seal fiercely slammed into the Black Ink Cloud that Di Wu was hiding within.
The Black Ink Cloud was destroyed, revealing Di Wu’s figure, before the Sun and Moon Divine Seal slammed into Di Wu’s face and silently entered his body.
Di Wu instantly felt like he had been struck by lightning, and his body visibly shook.
When the profound Space-Time Strength exploded, it was like a million tiny millstones began grinding inside him, causing his Pseudo-Royal Lord aura to weaken at breakneck speed.
At the same time, Di Wu could feel his vitality rapidly draining away. The strange strength inside him felt like innumerable sharp daggers slicing into his five viscera and six organs.
[What is this Divine Ability!?]
Di Wu was absolutely terrified.
The newly formed Sun and Moon Divine Seal wasn’t as imposing or overbearing as the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, but it was far more deadly. After all, the Seal was the result of Yang Kai’s comprehension after balancing the Dao of Time and Dao of Space, so it was impossible for it not to have improved.
The power of this new Divine Ability didn’t disappoint Yang Kai. Di Wu’s aura constantly weakening was the best evidence of its efficacy.
At first, the Ancestral Land already had a trace of suppression on Di Wu’s strength, and after being bathed in rich Purifying Light, Di Wu lost a huge amount of his strength, affecting his foundation. He was not a real Royal Lord, but a Pseudo-Royal Lord that was created through the Source Fusion Technique.
Previously, at the No-Return Pass, the Royal Lord had been struck by a similar blast of Purifying Light, and although he was injured seriously and had 10% of his heritage wiped away, his foundation remained stable. It was a different case for Di Wu because once his Pseudo-Royal Lord foundation, which was already unstable, was affected, there was a huge possibility that he would fall back into the Innate Territory Lord Realm.
He couldn’t accept that, and the Royal Lord wouldn’t forgive him if that happened.
The Black Ink Clan had paid an enormous price to create a Pseudo-Royal Lord, which was why Di Wu chose to escape in the end. Unfortunately, Yang Kai had blocked his escape. Now that he was struck with the Sun and Moon Divine Seal, Di Wu’s already weakened Pseudo-Royal Lord foundation finally reached the point of rupturing.
At that moment, dense and viscous Black Ink Strength began pouring out of his body, but it wasn’t by his own doing; instead, it was a sign of his inability to control his own strength.
Di Wu’s expression became extremely pained. He was using all his strength to suppress the rioting strength inside his body, but the Sun and Moon Divine Seal was still wantonly destroying him from the inside, so how could Di Wu succeed?
When Yang Kai noticed Di Wu’s state, he was puzzled but didn’t think too much of it.
He summoned the Azure Dragon Spear again and stared coldly at Di Wu, “Sir Royal Lord, your end has come, suffer death!”
Those words Di Wu had spoken before were returned to him. Who would have thought that their situations would make a complete turnaround after just a few days?
Once those words were spoken, Yang Kai thrust his spear at Di Wu. When the light from the spear bloomed, a myriad of Dao Strengths wove together, giving the spear an unstoppable momentum.
Di Wu roared madly as he counter-attacked, and the two figures instantly became entangled with each other.
Even with the suppression from the Ancestral Land, and after being weakened by Purifying Light and the Sun and Moon Divine Seal, Di Wu still had the strength to fight. However, his strength was constantly slipping away, and as time passed, he would only become feebler. Once his Pseudo-Royal Lord foundation fully cracked, he would return to his original Territory Lord state.
Although Yang Kai didn’t know much about the Royal Lord before him, he noticed the madly decreasing Black Ink Strength and thought that this newly advanced Royal Lord did not seem to have a stable foundation; otherwise, such a situation wouldn’t have happened.
When Yang Kai first met this Royal Lord, he didn’t have any intention of fighting him because he knew he wasn’t a Royal Lord’s opponent. Fighting such a strong enemy would only make things difficult for him with minimal chances of success.
However, a series of accidents changed the battle and caused it to escalate to this point. On the other hand, Di Wu was not an unbeatable Royal Lord anymore. He was now an enemy that could be killed!
While the two of them were fighting, several powerful auras approached from all directions.
They were the Innate Territory Lords managing the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array. They noticed the situation had grown dire and came to help.
If Di Wu died here, they wouldn’t be able to explain themselves to the Royal Lord after returning; therefore, they couldn’t stand by and watch as Di Wu was killed.
Moreover, there were 12 of them, so if they worked together with Di Wu, they wouldn’t need to be afraid of Yang Kai.
There was only one problem with their plan.
Without them powering the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array, the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking effect would disappear, so no one would be able to stop Yang Kai if he decided to escape.
In other words, the moment they decided to stop operating this Grand Array, their mission to surround and kill Yang Kai had basically failed.
But at this moment, they couldn’t care too much about it because if Di Wu died, it would be meaningless to keep the Grand Array running. After all, Yang Kai could easily break through it. This Grand Array was sealing an extremely vast region, so it wasn’t very sturdy.
The aura from the many Territory Lords approaching was very obvious, so Di Wu and Yang Kai could sense them coming. Di Wu’s flustered expression calmed down slightly, probably because he thought he had a chance to survive, but at the same time, he felt a little humiliated.
He was a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and he led so many Innate Territory Lords here to kill Yang Kai, but still failed. Not only did he lose a million soldiers and eight Innate Territory Lords, but he was also heavily injured to the point of his foundation almost rupturing.
In the end, he still had to rely on the other Territory Lords to come to his rescue. Now, he didn’t even know how he would explain himself to the Royal Lord after returning to the No-Return Pass.
It seemed like he didn’t need to explain anything…
Just as his expression calmed down, it changed again because a Small Universe portal suddenly appeared behind Yang Kai and a large number of 1,000-metre-tall figures leapt out one after another.
Small Stone Race Masters!
In an instant, nearly 300 of these 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race Masters appeared, each of them radiating extremely imposing auras that made it obvious they had the strength of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Of course, since they didn’t have much sentience and acted entirely out of instinct, their combat capabilities were far lower than Eighth-Order Masters.
Moreover, ordinary Eighth-Order Masters were weaker than Innate Territory Lords.
However, none of that mattered with this kind of advantage in numbers.
300 Small Stone Race Masters was an enormous lineup.
All the remaining Black Ink Clansmen were thoroughly shocked because. From what they knew, the Small Stone Soldiers were a very special Race that was difficult to nurture. After some 3,000 years of war, the Small Stone Race had basically been wiped out. Even if there were still some, there wouldn’t be many.
Yang Kai summoning the 3 million Small Stone Race Soldiers was already very shocking for the Black Ink Clan.
Back then, Di Wu even specially observed the Small Stone Race, trying to see whether there were any of these more powerful Masters among their ranks, but he never spotted any.
Since Yang Kai could summon so many Small Stone Race, how could it be possible that he didn’t hide any Small Stone Race Masters? It was just that Yang Kai didn’t want to bring them out.
When they witnessed so many Small Stone Race Masters appearing before them, the Black Ink Clan realized their mission to surround and kill Yang Kai had failed before it even began. However, Yang Kai kept this advantage hidden and continuously used his discomfited state to give the Black Ink Clan false hope. He even exposed a number of his tricks and trump cards just to grind away at the Black Ink Clan’s strength.
At this moment, he finally showed his final hidden hand, as if to spell out for them how hopeless and pitiful all their plotting truly was.
Eight Territory Lords were dead, and a Black Ink Clan Army of 1 million soldiers was wiped out. Also, the Pseudo-Royal Lord, Di Wu, was seriously injured and the existence of the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array was exposed.
These were the losses the Black Ink Clan had suffered in this battle, but what about Yang Kai? Some serious injuries? 3 million dead Small Stone Race Soldiers? Did any of that even matter?
Di Wu felt both aggrieved and angry at the same time, [What a scheming bastard!]
The instability of his state of mind caused his Pseudo-Royal Lord foundation to falter even more. Adding on to Yang Kai’s constant attacks, he knew he couldn’t hold on much longer.
After getting summoned, those 300 Small Stone Race Masters dispersed in all directions, roaring as they charged at the approaching 12 Innate Territory Lords.
The Territory Lords were stunned at the same time and didn’t know whether to continue forward or retreat.
If they continued trying to save Di Wu, they would inevitably be besieged by these Small Stone Race Masters, with each of them having to face at least 20 on their own. Even if these Small Stone Race Masters didn’t have much sentience, their incredible strength wasn’t easily dealt with. Once the Territory Lords were surrounded by these Small Stone Race Masters, death was basically guaranteed.
But it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to retreat either.
At that instant, the Territory Lords were caught in a dilemma.
“Run!” Di Wu roared through gritted teeth, “Head back and report to Sir Royal Lord that Di Wu has failed his trust and deserved his death!”
Hearing what Di Wu said, the Territory Lords all turned around and ran. If they had decided to run themselves, they wouldn’t have been able to explain it to the Royal Lord, but now that Di Wu had ordered them to do so, they no longer had a reason to hesitate.
Meanwhile, the Small Stone Race Masters were chasing after them.
Back on the battlefield, Di Wu seemed to have come to a decision after shouting his order.
At first, he thought that though he was in a critical situation, he still stood a chance to escape, but after the appearance of those Small Stone Race Masters, that last hope was thoroughly destroyed.
When even the possibility of survival disappeared, he actually felt a sense of relief.
The surging Black Ink Strength inside his body that he was trying hard to suppress was now free of restraints as he roared, “Yang Kai, so what if you win against me today? This Universe belongs to the Black Ink Clan!”
At that instant, black filled the sky as the dense and fierce Black Ink Strength turned into a huge tornado that was madly spinning with Di Wu in the centre.
Yang Kai suddenly felt pressured.
He had fought against many Black Ink Clansmen, killed Territory Lords, and even won against a Royal Lord, but never had he seen such a fierce and dense Black Ink Strength coming from a single Black Ink Clansman before.
[This isn’t normal,] at a glance, Yang Kai could see that Di Wu was about to suffer a fatal backlash from his own strength.
The best choice now would be for him to escape the battlefield because it was impossible for Di Wu to maintain this state for long; however, Di Wu seemed to have noticed Yang Kai’s plan. Since Di Wu had decided to use his death to show his loyalty and resolve, how could he let Yang Kai escape that easily?
Since he had to die here, he would at least bring Yang Kai with him!
“Enough nonsense! Today, either you die, or I perish!” Yang Kai roared while madly gathering the strength in his Small Universe before channelling it to his spear. Space-Time Strength hovered around him while the Ancestral Land thrummed. What was left of the Ancestral Strength flowed in from all directions and turned into a bright barrier around his body.
As the Matriarch, this was the last protection the Ancestral Land could give her favoured son.
The next moment, Yang Kai boldly charged at Di Wu.
When the bright and dark lights smashed together, the entire World shook as Space ruptured. Both lights exploded, enveloping 100,000 kilometres in a blinding brilliance.
At that moment, it seemed like time itself had ceased to flow.
In an instant, that seemed to last millions of years, the two lights suddenly disappeared, and the violent energy calmed down, signalling the end of the epic battle.
Yang Kai coughed up a large mouthful of blood as his consciousness blurred. Thanks to the Azure Dragon Spear, he barely remained standing. Despite doing his best to seal the gaping hole in his chest by tightening his muscles, the wound was reopened and blood was now pouring out.
Not far before him, Di Wu was standing with his head held high, but his body was completely battered and full of wounds. Black Ink Strength would occasionally spurt from his wounds, but even that had lost the powerful momentum it used to have and seemed quite weak.
His Royal Lord aura had already weakened long ago, and his vitality was almost gone.
Completely unshackling his rupturing Pseudo-Royal Lord foundation had caused a lethal backlash, so how could he possibly survive?
However, he wasn’t dead yet. Creakingly turning his head, he stared at Yang Kai with blurry eyes filled with mixed emotions before gathering the last of his strength to chant, “Black Ink Eternal!”
Then, his body fell with a thud, kicking up the dust around him. Just like that, his aura completely disappeared.
Of course, Yang Kai wasn’t sure Di Wu was dead, so he forced himself to remain conscious as he stumbled over to Di Wu. After giving the corpse a few hard stabs with the Azure Dragon Spear and confirming that Di Wu was gone, Yang Kai spat out another mouthful of blood and cursed.
[Black Ink Eternal, my ass.] He had heard that saying for thousands of years, but never saw the Black Ink Clan dominating the Universe.
The Human Race was not dead yet, so the Black Ink Clan could forget about being eternal as long as Yang Kai remained alive.
While supporting himself with the Azure Dragon Spear, Yang Kai slowly sat down on the ground, regulating his obviously disordered power and activating the power of his Dragon Vein to heal his injuries.
His gaze was still slightly unfocused. Having been locked in a very intense battle for several days and having been constantly thinking of ways to deceive and lure out the Black Ink Clan, he had exhausted both his mental and physical strength.
The injury to his Soul was still there, and it would require a long recovery time before it could be fully restored.
He also suffered a lot of injuries to his body during this battle.
At that instant, he seemed to have forgotten why he came to the Ancestral Land in the first place.
After thinking about it for a while, he remembered he had come here to seek out clues about the Primordial Light.
Fortunately, his journey had been fruitful.
Even though there were still some mysteries surrounding the Primordial Light, Yang Kai had learned its history.
Then, he continued to cultivate in the Ancestral Land for 300 years, during which time his Dragon Vein was greatly refined. Then, he proceeded to kill eight Innate Territory Lords and a Royal Lord.
No matter which angle he looked at it from, this trip to the Ancestral Land was a very rewarding one.
The only thing that would have made it even better was if he wasn’t in such a terrible state.
Yang Kai didn’t rest for long though because the 300 Small Stone Race Masters were still chasing after those escaping Innate Territory Lords. Although it was probably impossible for the Small Stone Race to catch up to those Territory Lords, Yang Kai still needed to oversee their situation.
300 Small Stone Race Masters were a huge war asset, and if Yang Kai didn’t go retrieve them, given the Small Stone Race’s nature, they would most likely get lost or even destroy each other.
So, no matter what, he had to get those Small Stone Race Masters back.
Yang Kai only slightly adjusted his breathing before getting up and dragging his extremely tired body to manipulate Space Principles and shoot away.
Just as he expected, the Small Stone Race Masters didn’t manage to catch up with the Innate Territory Lords. Innate Territory Lords were already very powerful, and if they were determined to escape, the Small Stone Race wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.
While Yang Kai moved throughout the void, picking up batch after batch of scattered Small Stone Race Masters, he chanced upon a surprise.
Since the 12 Innate Territory Lords powering the Grand Array had already escaped, the Small Stone Race weren’t able to catch them. Yang Kai didn’t intend to chase them either because those Territory Lords couldn’t hide forever. There was bound to come a day when Yang Kai would settle accounts with them.
On the other hand, the few Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples that came with the Black Ink Clan weren’t able to escape as quickly because their strength was far lower; therefore, they were still being chased by the Small Stone Race Masters.
When Yang Kai arrived at the scene, those Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples were badly beaten up. If Yang Kai had come any later, the Small Stone Race would have killed them.
The moment those Black Ink Disciples saw Yang Kai, they began calling for help as if they saw their saviour.
To the Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Disciples would forever be slaves, but there were also times when the Black Ink Clan needed these Black Ink Disciples to do something for them that they weren’t capable of. Therefore, they wouldn’t kill Black Ink Disciples at will.
To the Humans, if they encountered Black Ink Disciples, those capable of taking them on would do their best to capture them alive rather than kill them. That was because the Humans now had a method to save these Black Ink Disciples.
In other words, Black Ink Disciples could survive among both Races.
The Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples could not escape from the Small Stone Race Masters’ pursuit, but there was little they could do other than go all out as their loyalty was currently to the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai naturally didn’t make things difficult for them and summoned the Great Sun and Moon Marks to retrieve the Small Stone Race Masters. After that, he used Purifying Light to dispel the Black Ink Strength from within those Black Ink Disciples.
Without Black Ink Strength affecting their minds, the Black Ink Disciples regained their true nature and hung their heads in shame.
The leader among the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples, the old man, cupped his fist at Yang Kai while sweating, “This old man and his companions have committed a great crime. Please punish us, Sir!”
Every Black Ink Disciple who was freed from the influence of Black Ink Strength would have such thoughts. When they recalled their actions while being Black Ink Disciples, it all seemed like a nightmare that they couldn’t understand or accept.
With a wave of his hand, Yang Kai assured them, “You didn’t act willingly, so you don’t have to blame yourselves. If you still feel ashamed, return to the battlefield and kill more enemies.”
The several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Masters nodded and agreed.
“Wait for me at the border of the Ancestral Land. I have some questions I want to ask you,” Yang Kai ordered.
The old man replied, “Yes, Sir.”
After saying that, the Seventh-Order Masters shot towards the Ancestral Land while Yang Kai continued searching for the Small Stone Race Masters.
Yang Kai spent more than 10 days scouring the entire Shattered Heaven but still couldn’t find all the Small Stone Race Masters he summoned, but in the end, he did a count and found that about 10 were missing.
He had no idea whether the Innate Territory Lords killed them or if they had simply gotten lost.
That was a regretful discovery because each Small Stone Race Master was equivalent to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was a pity to lose 10 of them.
But Yang Kai could do nothing about it because that was how the Small Stone Race was. They had simple sentience and acted according to their instincts. Yang Kai didn’t have any other choice but to summon those Small Stone Race Masters before he could tame or refine them because he needed them to block the incoming Innate Territory Lords.
In conclusion, if he hadn’t gone to visit Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan and gotten so many Small Stone Race Soldiers before coming here, he would have been in a dangerous situation.
When Yang Kai returned to the Ancestral Land, his face still looked pale and the throbbing pain in his Soul was still evident.
The several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were waiting for him and came over as soon as they sensed his return.
Raising his hand, Yang Kai skipped the formalities with them and got straight to the point, “Have you all been staying at the No-Return Pass?”
The eldest Seventh-Order Master, the old man, nodded, “Yes. We all had some talent in the Dao of Spirit Arrays, so we were specially sent to the No-Return Pass after being corrupted. The Black Ink Clan there seemed to be particularly interested in Humans like us.”
After a short pause, the old man elaborated shamefully, “The Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array was also created by us. After Sir made a name for yourself on the Profound Nether Territory Battlefield back then, the Royal Lord ordered us to come up with a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array that could be used to deal with you. Previously, there were some Black Ink Clansmen who reported to the Royal Lord that you were in the Ancestral Land and seemed to be immersed in cultivation. Therefore, the Royal Lord thought it was a good opportunity and ordered several Innate Territory Lords to bring us here to set up the Grand Array.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Even though he didn’t get a chance to carefully investigate the so-called Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array, he could sense that it had many rough patches. If it wasn’t for Di Wu pestering him, Yang Kai was confident he could have broken the Grand Array and eliminated its Heaven Sealing Earth Locking effects in short order.
More importantly, 12 Innate Territory Lords were needed to power this Grand Array, which was another sign that this wasn’t a high-end Grand Array.
If that was the case, these Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had limited attainments in the Dao of Spirit Arrays and might even have lower attainments than Yang Kai himself.
Although Yang Kai never formally studied the Dao of Spirit Arrays, he had refined several Array Dao Rivers in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, so his Small Universe had quite a lot of Array Dao Essence in it, which meant he wasn’t without any foundation in this Grand Dao.
“How many Royal Lords are there in the Black Ink Clan?” Yang Kai asked.
He wanted these Seventh-Order Masters to stay behind because he wanted to ask about this matter.
An unfamiliar Royal Lord had suddenly appeared in the Black Ink Clan. Though Yang Kai had killed that Royal Lord using all sorts of means, it was still a very difficult battle. After this fight, Yang Kai would have to recuperate for at least 100 or 200 years to fully restore himself.
[Who knows whether the Black Ink Clan still has more Royal Lords or not.]
The previously Black Ink Disciples looked at each other before the old man replied with a frown, “I know what Sir is worried about, but according to our knowledge, the Black Ink Clan has only ever had one Royal Lord.”
“Only one?” Yang Kai was confused, but the Seventh-Order old man nodded and said firmly, “Only one.”
Yang Kai frowned as he thought these Seventh-Order Open Heaven Masters had spent many years at the No-Return Pass, so they should know some of the Black Ink Clan’s details. But now, it seemed like they weren’t able to get their hands on the core secrets. However, even if the Black Ink Clan had hidden a Royal Lord, the Black Ink Disciples should have heard about it.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan also knew that once the Black Ink Disciples got caught by the Humans, the Black Ink Strength inside them would be expelled. Then, those Humans would regain their consciousness, so if they knew any confidential information about the Black Ink Clan, that information would probably get exposed, so perhaps they were keeping better control over vital information than Yang Kai first thought.
“Actually, we’re confused as well.” While the old man spoke, he looked at Di Wu’s corpse on the far end, “This Di Wu, he used to be an Innate Territory Lord, but he somehow became a Royal Lord…”
“Wait,” Yang Kai interrupted him, “You said this guy was an Innate Territory Lord?”
Nodding, the old man explained, “Yes. He was an Innate Territory Lord, and one of the Royal Lord’s confidants.”
The other Seventh-Order Masters nodded in agreement and confirmed Di Wu’s identity as an Innate Territory Lord.
“How is that possible?” Yang Kai’s eyes widened as he couldn’t believe his ears.
All Innate Territory Lords were born from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and were directly created by Mo. It was also common knowledge that Innate Territory Lords could never advance to become Royal Lords.
Although Yang Kai didn’t know much about the mysteries of the Creation Force, he did know that each Innate Territory Lord was born with more powerful strength than an ordinary Territory Lord. Mo must have used some kind of strange means to stimulate their full potential, completely exhausting it, causing them to be unable to gain more strength afterwards.
No one knew where the news came from, but the Humans believed it. In fact, it had been more than 3,000 years since the battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, yet even with so many Innate Territory Lords, there was never any news about one of them becoming a Royal Lord.
But the matter they thought was impossible had happened now.
Yang Kai felt his heart sink. It wouldn’t be too concerning if this was a special case, but if the Black Ink Clan did have some sort of way to make Innate Territory Lords into Royal Lords, the situation between the two Races would change drastically, with the Humans being at a huge disadvantage.
Also, he didn’t believe the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters standing in front of him were lying because, as fellow Humans, there was no need to joke about such things.
Just as he was thinking about this matter, the Seventh-Order old man added, “Sir, you don’t have to worry too much about this. According to this old man’s observations, while the Black Ink Clan has a way of making Innate Territory Lords into Royal Lords, it must not be easy to accomplish. There must be a huge price to pay.”
“Why would you say that?” Yang Kai was taken aback.
The old man thought back on his memories before explaining, “About 300 years ago, I recall something strange happening at the No-Return Pass, but we weren’t allowed to roam freely, so I couldn’t go and investigate. Over about a month or so, a large number of Innate Territory Lords entered one specific High-Rank Black Ink Nest, but never came back out. It was like they vanished from existence. Di Wu was the last one to enter that Black Ink Nest. After that, we were ordered to come here together with 20 Territory Lords and arrange the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array. However, two years later, Di Wu appeared here as a Royal Lord.”
Although these Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t know about the Black Ink Clan’s Source Fusion Technique, there was quite a commotion when the Innate Territory Lords were performing this technique, so they naturally sensed something was happening. However, as Black Ink Disciples, they had no right to pry; otherwise, they would have known a lot more.
When Yang Kai heard what the old man said, he frowned. It seemed like there was a sudden change in the Black Ink Clan that the Humans didn’t know about; or in other words, the Black Ink Clan possessed some kind of technique unknown to the Humans that they had never used before.
In addition, this technique allowed an Innate Territory Lord to become a Royal Lord! That was enough to make alarm bells ring in Yang Kai’s head. There was only Di Wu this time, but if there had been another Royal Lord, Yang Kai might not have been able to win despite all his powerful trump cards.
“How many Innate Territory Lords entered that High-Rank Black Ink Nest back then?” Yang Kai asked.
The old man replied, “At least a dozen.”
Another Seventh-Order Master interrupted them, “If I’m not mistaken, before Di Wu, there should have been 13. If we include Di Wu, it would make 14.”
Frowning, Yang Kai exclaimed, “14!”
Calming down, Yang Kai began thinking about the situation more carefully. After a long time, he spoke up, “If what you said is true, could the Black Ink Clan have some sort of technique that is similar to a sacrificial ceremony, using the High-Rank Black Ink Nest to gather the strength from many Innate Territory Lords to create a Royal Lord?”
Even though Yang Kai’s estimations weren’t entirely correct, he wasn’t far from the truth. Technically speaking, the Source Fusion Technique and sacrificial ceremonies were still different. It was just that the more Innate Territory Lords performing the Source Fusion Technique inside a High-Rank Black Ink Nest, the greater the chances of success.
The Seventh-Order old man nodded, “That is what this old man thinks too.”
Then, Yang Kai suddenly realised something, “No wonder.”
Before, he kept having the feeling that Di Wu’s performance as a Royal Lord was underwhelming. Di Wu clearly had the raw power of a Royal Lord, but he wasn’t able to utilize it smoothly, resulting in him only being able to display about 70% to 80% of his full strength.
In the last moments of the battle, Di Wu even suffered backlash from his own strength, which should have been impossible unless he used some kind of forbidden technique.
Yang Kai originally thought that Di Wu’s condition was because he was a new Royal Lord and wasn’t familiar with controlling his new strength, but what if the truth was like what he had just guessed?
Di Wu didn’t become a Royal Lord through his own cultivation, but through some strange technique.
He had suddenly gained a massive increase in strength, but that strength didn’t belong to him, which was why he had difficulty using it.
If that were true, the situation might not be as bad as Yang Kai feared.
Though it wasn’t clear whether sacrificing 14 Territory Lords to create a Royal Lord like Di Wu was a loss or gain for the Black Ink Clan, it did give hope to the Black Ink Clan in killing him while he was cultivating in the Ancestral Land. That was why the Royal Lord decided to use this hidden technique.
If the Black Ink Clan could kill Yang Kai, that sacrifice would be worth it.
Sending out one Royal Lord, 20 Territory Lords, a few Black Ink Disciples, and a million soldier Black Ink Clan Army clearly showed how determined the Black Ink Clan was, but how could they have expected that Yang Kai alone could force the Black Ink Clan to abandon everything and flee. Also, even the new Royal Lord, Di Wu, had also lost his life in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
The Black Ink Clan had a lot of Innate Territory Lords at the start of the war, but there wouldn’t be many of them left now. Innate Territory Lords were very powerful, and ordinary Eighth-Order Masters couldn’t easily deal with them; therefore, the utility of a dozen or so Innate Territory Lords on the battlefield was definitely higher than one defective Royal Lord.
While thinking so, Yang Kai felt more relieved. Even if the Black Ink Clan used that technique to make another Royal Lord, it wouldn’t affect the overall situation too much.
At the very least, it wouldn’t reach the point of suppressing the Humans.
Then, Yang Kai suddenly thought of something and said, “This matter is quite important, so I need you all to head over to the Supreme Headquarters and provide them with a full report.”
Even though this matter didn’t change the overall situation much, the Humans still had to take precautions. What if a few Royal Lords suddenly appeared on one of the battlefields? If that happened, the Humans would definitely suffer a huge loss; therefore, it was necessary to report this matter to the Supreme Headquarters as soon as possible.
“We would be glad to do so!” The Seventh-Order old man cupped his fist and moved to leave.
“Wait, there’s no hurry to leave.” Yang Kai stopped them, “It’s a long journey there, and there will be dangers along the way. Although the two Races are still abiding by the peace agreement, there’s no telling whether the Black Ink Clan will make a move after this incident. If they do decide to break the treaty, there would be nothing restricting them. I’ll give you all a Small Stone Race Master each so that you can refine them and use them for protection.”
While saying so, he waved his hand and summoned a few Small Stone Race Masters. Since the Great Sun and Moon Marks were inhibiting them, the few Small Stone Race Masters remained docile for the moment.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were ecstatic and thanked Yang Kai. Then, they each found one Small Stone Race Master and began taming them. With these Small Stone Race Masters protecting them, they wouldn’t be vulnerable even if they encountered a couple of Territory Lords.
Actually, Yang Kai could personally make the trip to the Supreme Headquarters and bring the Seventh-Order Masters with him, but his injuries hadn’t recovered yet; therefore, he had to treat them immediately. Moreover, he suffered a huge loss after being ambushed by the Black Ink Clan, so how could he be willing to let this matter slide?
Even though the Black Ink Clan suffered a huge loss in the end, that was because Yang Kai had many trump cards. If Yang Kai was unlucky this time, he might already be dead.
Since the Black Ink Clan dared to offend him, they should be ready for his retaliation!
While the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters tamed the Small Stone Race Masters, Yang Kai adjusted his breathing and began healing his injuries. After the battle, the Ancestral Land had returned to its former peaceful state.
However, Yang Kai could sense that the heritage accumulated by the Ancestral Land over many millennia was almost depleted because of him.
First, it was because he had been cultivating here for 300 years, constantly absorbing massive amounts of Ancestral Strength, which helped his Dragon Form grow to 99,999 metres long. After that, he engaged in a massive battle with the Black Ink Clan and borrowed strength from the Ancestral Land, further exhausting the Ancestral Strength.
To the Ancestral Land, who resembled a kind and gentle Matriarch, Yang Kai was like a black sheep son who spent almost all her wealth in a short time.
But Yang Kai also knew that this was inevitable because, during that life-or-death situation, the Ancestral Land’s full support allowed him to use the Ancestral Strength as constant protection to block off the bulk of the powerful attacks he faced. Without the protection from the Ancestral Strength, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand such a protracted battle against such powerful enemies.
Fortunately, this situation didn’t greatly affect the Ancestral Land.
The birth of the Ancestral Land was because the Primordial Light had landed here. When that happened, the originally ordinary continent became the source of all Divine Spirits.
Therefore, this land would be forever indestructible.
With enough time, the Ancestral Land could restore its heritage. It might need thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions of years for that to happen, but it would eventually happen.
There would be a time when the Ancestral Land would be restored to its former glory, but all of that hinged on the Human Race defeating the Black Ink Clan.
If the Humans failed, the Ancestral Land would no longer exist.
Two months later, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters finished refining their Small Stone Race companions. Their cultivation was much lower than those of Small Stone Race Masters’, so it took them quite a while to tame them.
However, despite having tamed them, it was difficult for the Seventh-Order Masters to fully control those Small Stone Race Masters and could only order them with basic commands. Once these Small Stone Race Masters moved too far away from them, the Seventh-Order Masters would lose control of them.
They all gathered before Yang Kai, who opened his eyes and retrieved several dozen World Beads.
These World Beads were made by Yang Kai sacrificing small parts of his Small Universe to refine. Although it affected him somewhat, the damage wasn’t too substantial. Moreover, with the World Tree clone assisting him, the damage would gradually be repaired.
After giving those World Beads to the Seventh-Order Masters, he exhorted, “Every bead contains a Sealed World with four 1,000-metre-tall Small Stone Race Masters and 500,000 Small Stone Race Soldiers.”
The Seventh-Order Masters drew in a sharp breath after hearing this.
It didn’t matter if it was one or two beads containing such an Army as they had already witnessed Yang Kai summoning some 300 Small Stone Race Masters earlier while operating the Grand Array, the point was that every bead also included 500,000 Small Stone Race Soldiers!
That number was terrifying because Yang Kai had given them about 50 World Beads.
Wouldn’t that mean there were 25 million Small Stone Race Soldiers?
That was a huge force, and if they introduced all of them to the various Great Territory Battlefields, it could shift the balance between the Humans and Black Ink Clan.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters solemnly received and carefully put away the several dozen World Beads.
Then, Yang Kai told them, “If you encounter a Black Ink Clan Army, just use the Small Stone Race Soldiers to kill them. There’s no need to worry about preserving them if it’s going to cost you your lives.”
Even though the Small Stone Race Soldiers in the World Beads weren’t tamed, they still retained their basic instincts, so they would try to kill any Black Ink Clansmen they encountered. With the protection from so many Small Stone Race Soldiers and Masters, these Seventh-Order Masters could safely return to Human territory.
After thanking Yang Kai again, the Seventh-Order Masters left.
Yang Kai watched until the Seventh-Order Masters disappeared from his sight before withdrawing his attention and diving deep into the Ancestral Land to focus on healing his injuries.
At the same time, in the No-Return Pass’ Main Hall, the Royal Lord was sitting on his throne of bones with a gloomy expression. Below him were 12 guilty-looking Innate Territory Lords with their heads bowed.
The atmosphere inside the Grand Hall was silent and depressing, and the many Innate Territory Lords on both sides of the hall wore differing expressions. The only similarity was the look of disbelief on all their faces.
When they heard that the mission to kill Yang Kai had failed, the Black Ink Clan Masters were all shocked.
A Pseudo-Royal Lord had led 20 Innate Territory Lords and had help from a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Grand Array, all just to kill a single Eighth-Order Master. How could they have failed?
This mission was supposed to be an easy success, and the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t have even attempted it if they weren’t fully confident.
But they had failed!
Not only did they fail, but the Black Ink Clan suffered enormous losses. The deaths of eight Innate Territory Lords weren’t too heartbreaking considering the Human killing star had killed far more than eight Innate Territory Lords already.
But Di Wu was dead as well?
That was the first Pseudo-Royal Lord the Black Ink Clan had ever created through the Source Fusion Technique!
When the many Innate Territory Lords heard this news, they were all terrified. Had Yang Kai grown that much stronger?
At that moment, the Territory Lords were worried as they wondered if even a Pseudo-Royal Lord wasn’t enough to deal with Yang Kai anymore. If that was true, did it mean that the Royal Lord would have to take action personally for there to even be a chance at success?
The depressing atmosphere was like an approaching storm, causing the Territory Lords to feel suffocated. Meanwhile, the silent glare from the Royal Lord on his throne made the few Territory Lords below feel like they were sitting on pins and needles.
“Wastes! All of you!” The Royal Lord roared, “Di Wu, that stupid piece of shit! I trusted him so much, yet he went and got himself killed by an Eighth-Order Human?! How could he be so useless!”
In the meantime, the Territory Lords maintained their silence because they didn’t dare to interrupt while the Royal Lord was raging.
Above them, the Royal Lord had risen to his feet and continuously cursed and reprimanded the 12 Territory Lords that had just returned and the dead Di Wu. His aggressive aura was like a huge mountain pressing down on the Territory Lords to the point that they couldn’t breathe.
Only after a long tirade did the Royal Lord calm down and through gritted teeth snarl, “Report every detail of what had happened to me!”
Even though it pained him to suffer such a huge loss, and he hated Di Wu for being useless, this incident had already happened. At the very least, he should know what went wrong during this plan and how Yang Kai, a mere Eighth-Order Master, was able to kill a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
Immediately, the 12 Territory Lords began talking one after another as they told the Royal Lord what happened after Di Wu arrived at the Ancestral Land. Of course, they skipped over the 300 years they were waiting for Yang Kai to come out because nothing worth mentioning happened during that time.
When the Territory Lords on both sides of the Grand Hall heard that Yang Kai could now use his mysterious Soul Secret Technique to hit five targets, and even kill four Territory Lords in rapid succession while being trapped inside the Grand Array, their expressions immediately changed.
[It seems like the killing star’s strength has indeed grown. He wasn’t capable of this 2,000 years ago.]
Meanwhile, the Royal Lord could roughly guess the rest of the story after hearing that Yang Kai summoned a massive batch of Small Stone Race Soldiers.
Back when Yang Kai came to the No-Return Pass, he had also summoned a large Small Stone Race Army to deal with him. Di Wu should also have known about this, but this was the first time the Black Ink Clan learned that even after those Small Stone Race Soldiers died, they could still be used by Yang Kai.
As a result, all the surviving Black Ink Clansmen, including Di Wu, were enveloped in an intense burst of Purifying Light that dramatically diminished their strength.
The Black Ink Clan fell into an irreversible disadvantage in the battle after that.
After listening to the full story, the Royal Lord’s expression was dark as a storm cloud, while the uninvolved Territory Lords felt slightly relieved.
The Territory Lords thought that Yang Kai was now strong enough to kill a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but now it seemed like the main reason Di Wu failed was that Yang Kai had many coincidental advantages on his side, especially when it came to the battlefield.
The Divine Spirit Ancestral Land could suppress the Black Ink Clan’s strength and even offered its strength and protection to Yang Kai. Such a situation greatly reduced the difference in strength between the two sides.
In addition, Yang Kai was a scheming fellow who used Purifying Light to weaken the Black Ink Clan Masters and deal a crippling blow to Di Wu.
Now it seemed like, though Yang Kai was strong, he still had obvious limits.
For some unknown reason, this realisation made the Territory Lords feel relieved.
After the 12 Territory Lords finished reporting, they stood silently in their spot, not daring to speak.
The Royal Lord sat back on his throne and swept his gaze across them before looking to the side, “Mo Na Ye, what do you think?”
One Territory Lord stepped forward, and it just so happened to be someone Yang Kai knew. It was the Innate Territory Lord who led the operation against Yang Kai back in the Acacia Territory. Later, Yang Kai faced off against this same Territory Lord in Profound Nether Territory.
Mo Na Ye was undoubtedly the most strategic and insightful of all the Territory Lords, which was why the Royal Lord decided to still use him after the humiliating incident in Acacia Territory.
After Di Wu became a Pseudo-Royal Lord 300 years ago, the Royal Lord recalled Mo Na Ye from the frontlines to serve as his right hand.
First, Mo Na Ye bowed to the Royal Lord before speaking, “Sir Royal Lord, I think that what we must do now is prepare for Yang Kai’s retaliation.”
The Royal Lord frowned, “You think that fellow would come to the No-Return Pass and try to raise chaos?”
Mo Na Ye nodded heavily, “He definitely will! Although I haven’t encountered him many times, everything I have observed and learned of him indicates that he is not one to simply suffer a loss. The Black Ink Clan planned to deal with him in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land while the agreement between our two Races was still in effect, so he definitely won’t let this matter slide. The Human Race needs to maintain this current situation, so he wouldn’t openly break the agreement. On top of that, he knows that we will not just let him go around killing Territory Lords. In such a situation, his only real option to gain revenge is to attack the No-Return Pass.”
Slightly angered, the Royal Lord bellowed, “He dares!?”
He was personally overseeing the No-Return Pass. Even though it happened before, if Yang Kai caused a scene here again, it would mean that Yang Kai had disregarded him, a Royal Lord, completely.
Mo Na Ye added, “He has always been a reckless risk-taker.”
The Royal Lord was silent because he had to agree that what Mo Na Ye said was justifiable. No matter what the Black Ink Clan had done in the Ancestral Land, both Races still needed to maintain the so-called agreement to ensure the overall situation. Since they needed to maintain the agreement, it was unlikely that Yang Kai would go off and kill Territory Lords on the various Battlefields lest he force the Black Ink Clan to launch an all-out retaliatory war. That was the last thing the Humans wanted right now.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan also didn’t want to break the agreement because if they did, many more Innate Territory Lords would die in the coming days.
Therefore, coming to the No-Return Pass to make a scene was Yang Kai’s only option.
“When do you think he will come?” the Royal Lord asked.
Mo Na Ye replied, “Within 200 years!”
“On what basis?”
“Back in Profound Nether Territory, Yang Kai would make a move every two years to kill Territory Lords. I’m guessing that the reason he took that long in between attacks was he needed time to deal with the huge backlash of using his Soul injuring technique. Every time he used it, he would need a long period to recuperate. However, this time, in the Ancestral Land, Yang Kai not only overused his Soul technique, he also suffered numerous severe physical wounds. Although Humans have an advantage when it comes to healing rate compared to our Black Ink Clan, he must need at least 100 to 200 years to recuperate.”
After listening to the explanation, the Royal Lord nodded as his gloomy eyes showed appreciation. If all the Innate Territory Lords had the same intelligence as Mo Na Ye, he wouldn’t be so troubled.
Unfortunately, most of the Territory Lords didn’t have sharp minds, while the Humans seemed to have plenty of cunning people.
“Sir Royal Lord, please take the necessary precautions early. The Humans… might already have a new Ninth-Order Master,” Mo Na Ye added.
Hearing that, the Royal Lord turned solemn, “Is this news reliable?”
Mo Na Ye shook his head, “The Humans have established extremely strict control over any such news, and only a few higher-ups would know whether a new Ninth-Order Master has been born. The low-level Black Ink Disciples we have converted have no way of knowing about these things. However, according to the reports I have received from the front lines, a few prominent Eighth-Order Masters have completely disappeared from the Battlefields. Without mentioning anyone else, Xiang Shan has been missing for nearly 1,000 years now. No one knows where he is, but if he has not shown up in so long, it must be because he’s trying to break through to the Ninth Order. In the worst case, he may have already succeeded and is simply remaining hidden because it is still not the time for Ninth-Order Masters to appear.”
The Royal Lord’s expression became far gloomier when he heard this.
Even though the Black Ink Clan had always prided themselves as the mightiest army with the finest arms, never having suffered a true defeat on any of the Great Territory Battlefields, they were constantly wary of some Eighth-Order Masters breaking through to become Ninth-Order as even one such Master could alter the course of the war.
Among those Humans, the one they were most wary of was Xiang Shan. Even their worries about Yang Kai were dwarfed in comparison.
After all, Yang Kai’s limit was the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Yang Kai was destined to come to the No-Return Pass and cause a ruckus, and Mo Na Ye just happened to mention a possible new Ninth-Order Master. All of that made the Royal Lord think about a lot of things.
Many years ago, Yang Kai had come to the No-Return Pass alone, and though the Black Ink Clan injured and repelled him, he still managed to kill a number of Territory Lords and destroy several High-Rank Black Ink Nests, which made the Royal Lord fly into a rage. In fact, the Royal Lord was still secretly frustrated about this incident even after so many years.
2,000 years later, Yang Kai had definitely become much stronger than before, and even managed to kill a Pseudo-Royal Lord while borrowing some external aids.
Yang Kai alone would be tricky to deal with, but if a new Ninth-Order Master came along with him, how could the No-Return Pass stop them?
If the Black Ink Clan lost a few more Black Ink Nests, they would quickly find themselves at a huge disadvantage.
The Royal Lord soon realized that he alone was not enough. He needed a helping hand.
Di Wu was a good adjutant, one who was loyal and listened to orders, but unfortunately… a dead helper was worthless.
The Royal Lord slowly turned to look at Mo Na Ye before gazing at the 12 Territory Lords that returned from the Ancestral Lord before making up his mind.
“All of you, go and perform the Source Fusion!”
The 12 Territory Lords all showed shocked expressions. They didn’t escape all the way back to be Source Fusioned into a Black Ink Nest.
Meanwhile, Mo Na Ye lowered his head as his lips undetectably curled into a slight smile.
[All according to plan!]
Once bitten, twice shy. Yang Kai had already caused a huge scene in the No-Return Pass once; thus, the Royal Lord would definitely be worried about Yang Kai coming back.
He would not be able to protect the numerous Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass on his own.
This was not a solo life-and-death battle. Considering the strength of a Royal Lord, he was naturally not afraid of an Eighth-Order Master, even if that Eighth-Order Master had killed a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
However, if Yang Kai really appeared at the No-Return Pass, then his purpose would not be to fight with the Royal Lord nor the Territory Lords, but to destroy High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
High-Rank Nests were the root of the Black Ink Clan right now. The Black Ink Clan Army was created through the various Black Ink Nests, and all Mid and Low-Rank Nests shared an intrinsic link to the High-Rank Black Ink Nest which spawned them. The Source Fusion Technique also required a High-Rank Black Ink Nest to be sacrificed. Once the High-Rank Black Ink Nests were all gone, the Black Ink Clan would not be able to replenish their numbers and would not be able to grow stronger. Eventually, they would die out.
Thus, even if the Royal Lord was strong, if Yang Kai avoided fighting him and instead targeted the Black Ink Nests, it would be impossible to stop him on his own.
It wasn’t just that though; there was also a possible new Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master the Royal Lord needed to be wary of!
Therefore, he needed assistance.
He could not count on the Innate Territory Lords and could only hope for help from a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
However, in all these years, the Black Ink Clan had only ever created a single Pseudo-Royal Lord, Di Wu.
Which Innate Territory Lord did not aspire to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord? In the anticipated final confrontation, the role Innate Territory Lords could play would diminish significantly. Perhaps, they would one day encounter a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and be killed by them.
Mo Na Ye also wanted to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but he was not one of the Royal Lord’s favourites. How could he receive such benefits for no rhyme or reason? If he had such an opportunity, then it would have been him and not Di Wu who was selected in the first place.
Now, he had an opportunity. The other Territory Lords were still shocked by Yang Kai’s terrifying powers, which highlighted Di Wu’s incompetence. They were all intimidated by the Royal Lord’s anger; however, through this crisis, Mo Na Ye was able to spot a light.
The 12 Territory Lords who had escaped were how he could potentially make a breakthrough!
These 12 Territory Lords were now considered to be guilty of serious crimes. If nothing was done, they would probably be sent to the six Great Territory Battlefields by the Royal Lord to fight against the Eighth-Order Humans for an extended time as punishment for their crimes.
However, this was not what Mo Na Ye wanted to see. With just a few words, he was able to influence the Royal Lord’s decision on the fate of these 12 Territory Lords. Throughout everything he had said, at no point did he mention any of his own ambitions. This spoke volumes of his intelligence.
In contrast to Mo Na Ye’s exuberance, the 12 Territory Lords were extremely frightened.
They did not flee from the Ancestral Land just to be sent to perform the Source Fusion Technique. While they could become a Pseudo-Royal Lord if they succeeded, their hopes of success depended on the number of sacrifices before them.
No one could guarantee that they would be successful. Just as Di Wu never guaranteed his success.
Di Wu simply had better luck, and the accumulation from the Source Fusion Technique was sufficient by the time it was his turn.
However, the Royal Lord had already given the order, so they could not refuse.
“Don’t say this King isn’t giving you a chance. All of you enter the Black Ink Nest together. Who succeeds or fails will depend on your own abilities,” the Royal Lord said indifferently.
The 12 Territory Lords all replied bitterly, “Yes!”
The last time the Source Fusion Technique was performed, there 13 Territory Lords were sacrificed in a row before Di Wu succeeded. This time when all 12 of them entered the Black Ink Nest together, if one Territory Lord had enough luck, he might be able to succeed. At least, this was better than having no hope at all.
The 12 Territory Lords left the Grand Hall together and found a High-Rank Black Ink Nest and entered it. Soon, many auras merged and a lot of commotion came from within the Black Ink Nest.
Half a day later, the auras began to disappear one by one until finally, 22 days later, the last one faded away. Many Territory Lords in the Grand Hall now appeared excited.
If the 12 Territory Lords were all sacrificed, then the chances of success for the next one who entered would increase significantly; however, the Territory Lords knew that this opportunity would not be given to them.
Many pairs of eyes looked towards Mo Na Ye, who had gained the Royal Lord’s favour. It was most likely that the Royal Lord would choose him.
As expected, the Royal Lord turned his head towards him and said, “Mo Na Ye.”
Mo Na Ye stepped forward as he suppressed the excitement within him and replied calmly, “Sir.”
“If you were to perform the Source Fusion Technique next, what do you think are your chances of success?”
Mo Na Ye pretended to ponder for a moment and then replied, “70%!”
The Royal Lord frowned slightly. Although 70% was fairly good, there were still some risks. Such a wise and resourceful Territory Lord like Mo Na Ye was incredibly rare, it would be a pity if he died trying to execute the Source Fusion Technique. As such, the Royal Lord called out, “Who is willing to perform the Source Fusion Technique?”
As soon as he said that, a group of Territory Lords became excited and all of their eyes lit up and were about to answer, but Mo Na Ye did not give them a chance as he quickly cupped his fist and said, “Sir Royal Lord, please allow me to try.”
The Royal Lord frowned and said, “But there is still some risk. If you die from the Source Fusion Technique…”
Mo Na Ye interrupted the Royal Lord and quickly said, “If I am too afraid to try when I have a 70% chance, then what use could I possibly be to Sir Royal Lord in the future? Even if I were to fail, I can still lay the foundation for my other comrades to succeed, so I will die with no regrets! Sir, please give me a chance!”
This was a tactful statement. Originally, the other Territory Lord’s were upset with Mo Na Ye for not letting them speak out; however, after hearing this and seeing Mo Na Ye’s sincerity, their resentment quickly dissipated. They now felt that Mo Na Ye’s dedication to the Black Ink Clan’s great cause was both respectable and admirable.
“Please allow me, Sir!” Mo Na Ye pleaded again.
He would not give up this opportunity to the other Territory Lords no matter what happened; after all, he had meticulously planned for this moment. Although there was a risk of failure, the chance of success was decent. If the other Territory Lords managed to grab this opportunity, then it would be a case of desperate to cry but unable to shed any tears.
The Royal Lord seemed to hesitate in deciding, but Mo Na Ye had already expressed his willingness to risk his life. If the Royal Lord still refused now, then he would seem very biased against Mo Na Ye.
He had no choice but to nod and agree, “In that case, go ahead!”
Mo Na Ye’s eyes lit up with joy, “Many thanks, Sir!”
He turned around immediately, walked out of the Grand Hall and entered the High-Rank Black Ink Nest. His aura began to fluctuate.
…..
The Divine Spirit Ancestral Land remained undisturbed for nearly 100 years before a figure finally emerged from its depths. It was Yang Kai.
After 100 years of recuperating, his wounds had now completely healed.
With the Soul Warming Lotus, even the most serious injuries to his Soul could be restored, though this time it had taken quite a bit longer as the damage resulting from using five Soul Rending Thorns at once had been quite serious.
Yang Kai was not only healing during the past 100 years though. He had also been reviewing his new comprehension of the Grand Daos of Time and Space, which he benefited a lot from.
If he performed the Sun and Moon Divine Seal again right now, it would be much more powerful than his previous attempt.
Although he was here for more than 100 years, Yang Kai quickly realized that the Ancestral Land’s situation had not changed much and its Ancestral Strength was still very weak. In such an environment, even if a Divine Spirit was cultivating in the Ancestral Land, they would not benefit much.
It would take a long time for this World to fully recover.
Yang Kai bowed and gave a respectful salute to this World. If the Ancestral Land really had a Will, then it must be able to feel his heartfelt gratitude.
He then straightened up and took off into the sky.
Yan Kai left the Ancestral Land, travelled across the Divine Ability Sea, passed through the Shattered Heaven, entered a Territory Gate, and arrived at the Barren Territory.
He did not come here to enter the No-Return Pass from the Barren Territory though. Although this route was the fastest, it was also the most dangerous.
The No-Return Pass was now in the hands of the Black Ink Clan, and not only was there a Royal Lord stationed there, there was also a large number of Territory Lords. Yang Kai did not know the situation at the Territory Gate either, so if he just barged in, and there was some kind of ambush, he would have sacrificed himself for nothing.
After all, he had done this before, so the Black Ink Clan must have taken appropriate precautions by now.
The reason why Yang Kai came to the Barren Territory was because he wanted to check out the situation of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God here.
Thousands of years had passed since the battle in the Barren Territory. During these thousands of years, the two Ninth-Orders Old Ancestors were unable to move at all. Likewise, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was also unable to extricate itself. Although they were separated by the boundary wall of the Great Territories, they were literally chained to each other.
At least, that was the case initially, because at that time, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was seriously injured!
It was pursued from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land into the Barren Territory. Then, as it passed through the battlefield, it was bombarded by the Human Race Army and numerous Masters. Thereafter, it was attacked by numerous Ninth-Order Old Ancestors and was severely wounded. Old Ancestors Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing found the opportunity to secure its arm through the Territory Wall between the Barren Territory and Wind Mist Territory, but they were forced to remain in Wind Mist Territory as a result.
However, Yang Kai now wondered if the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had restored itself after all these years. If it was restored, the two Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters couldn’t restrict its movement by themselves.
If this Black Ink Giant Spirit God broke free, it would undoubtedly deal a devastating blow to the Human Race.
The Human Race was currently incapable of resisting a Black Ink Giant Spirit God!
Yang Kai was amazed by how quiet the Barren Territory was when he entered.
The last time Yang Kai came over, Giant Spirit God Ah Er and the other, unshackled Black Ink Giant Spirit God, were locked in a brutal battle that shook the entire Great Territory, so it was odd that everything was so calm right now.
Yang Kai used his Divine Sense and very soon, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
He saw that in a vast void, these two Giant Spirit Gods, who had been fighting for thousands of years, were now entangled in a physical stalemate, one of them body-locking the other, while the other head-locked the first.
There was no telling when they ended up in this grappling hold, but it was clear that both had fought viciously as there were wounds all over their bodies. There were even big chunks of their flesh drifting about, looking like asteroids in the void.
This battle had been going on for thousands of years, its two combatants evenly matched.
The only one who could stand up to a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was a true Giant Spirit God. From what Yang Kai saw, these two Giant Spirit Gods, who had been fighting for many years, would simply fight on for the rest of eternity if no external factors were introduced.
Yang Kai watched them silently for a while, but did not bother them. Then, he turned his attention to the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
This Black Ink Giant Spirit God was seated and slightly hunched over. Its lofty figure obscured the large void with one of its arms poking through the boundary wall. This arm was being locked down on the Wind Mist Territory side by the two Ninth-Orders Masters, rendering it immobile.
Originally, it had many wounds caused by the Human Masters and the Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders during the Barren Territory Battle. Black Ink Strength oozed like thick mucus from those wounds; however, after all these years, the wounds on its body had been healed significantly and were no longer such a gory sight.
[Its injuries were slowly recovering!]
Yang Kai was astonished. All Black Ink Clansmen, even Royal Lords, had to enter a Black Ink Nest to recover from serious injuries, but it seemed the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were exceptions to this rule.
Although the speed of healing looked slow, it was indeed healing.
Supreme Masters clearly could not be judged using common knowledge. When this Black Ink Giant Spirit God was being suppressed and sealed in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, its aura had been completely wiped away by the omnipresent Ancestral Strength. A few years after it resurrected, when Yang Kai saw it next after he sent off Wu Kuang, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s aura had clearly decreased again after suffering the final attacks of the top Human and Divine Spirit Masters. Now, however, there were no longer any severe injuries on its body and its aura was stronger. It was clear that this strange creation could heal itself.
Seemingly sensing Yang Kai’s prying eyes, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, who had its eyes shut to recuperate, suddenly opened them and turned its head to look at him.
Invisible oppression instantly weighed down heavily on Yang Kai’s shoulders causing him to feel dwarfed by the giant.
The cultivation of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was a far cry from that of a Giant Spirit God!
This was not the first time Yang Kai found himself in such a situation. When this Black Ink Giant Spirit God was revived in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, Yang Kai had tried to outmanoeuvre it. He even tried to sink it into the Void, but ultimately, he was powerless to do anything to it.
Yang Kai steeled himself before he started organizing something in his Small Universe.
In the distant void, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God seemed to snicker lightly before it stopped paying attention to him.
To it, this insect was no more dangerous than a common fly, there was no need to pay any attention to it. What was an Eight-Order Master? It did not even bat an eyelid about Ninth-Order Old Ancestors and could only be restrained by 20 such Masters.
Yang Kai slowly closed his eyes. Moments later, they opened again and he shouted loudly, “Greetings Old Ancestors!”
His voice reached Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing, who were sitting in Wind Mist Territory, the arm of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God trapped between them like a wall.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao quickly called out, “Yang Kai, you’re in the Barren Territory?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai replied as he opened his Small Universe portal and began to summon a Small Stone Race Army.
When he was in the Ancestral Land, he had given several former Black Ink Disciples some 25 million Small Stone Race Soldiers, but he still had a few million left within him.
However, those Small Stone Race Soldiers that he had retained did not include any of the 1,000-metre Masters. They were all ordinary Small Stone Race soldiers who could not play too big a role in a battle against top Masters. However, for him, they were still the best assistants available.
“What are you doing over there?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked curiously, “What is the situation of the Human Race right now?”
Yang Kai continued to summon more Small Stone Race Soldiers and was soon surrounded by a vast Army, all while communicating, “The situation is quite stable, Old Ancestors do not need to worry about anything. I’m here… to collect some interest from the Black Ink Clan.”
“Collect interest?” Wu Qing asked curiously.
Yang Kai bellowed, “Two Old Ancestors, please be careful!”
“What are you going to do?” In Wind Mist Territory, Wu Qing suddenly had a bad premonition. He glanced at Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, and both of them became alert and raised their guard.
In the Barren Territory, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God also frowned and watched Yang Kai’s movements closely.
Yang Kai raised his arm, before swinging it down. Afterwards, a 2 million strong Small Stone Race Army swarmed towards the Black Ink Giant Spirit God like locusts. They did not fear death even in the face of such an overwhelming enemy like the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Their sentience was low, and their nature was to grow by devouring materials; thus, they did not fear death. Death was just another part of life to them.
The advantage was that they were unmoving in the face of fear, but the disadvantage was they were not flexible. Once a Small Stone Race member died in battle however, their remains would be left behind where they fell.
This kind of swarm attack was most suitable against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was immobile.
The 2 million Small Stone Race Army reached the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in a matter of breaths. Even two million such soldiers, however, were insignificant compared to the giant.
It was like a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing around an elephant, annoying, but not of any real threat.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s vast Black Ink Strength emerged from its body at that moment. Even Royal Lords and Pseudo-Royal Lords were incomparable to it.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God did not know what Yang Kai was up to, but it would not let him just sit there and let him do whatever he pleased.
The rich Black Ink Strength enveloped the Small Stone Race Army like a tidal wave, and in the blink of an eye, receded again to reveal all 2 million Small Stone Race Soldiers had perished without a single injury.
Even Yang Kai did not know how the Black Ink Giant Spirit God killed them.
“That’s it?” Black Ink Giant Spirit God finally asked smugly.
The two marks on the back of Yang Kai’s hand began to heat up and he said fiercely, “No, this is!”
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s smile instantly froze.
The marks glowed yellow and blue, filled the void and then mingled with each other.
The Black Ink tide, which had just receded, surged outwards again, this time in a much more aggressive manner.
In the blink of an eye, a pure white light began to bloom into a huge white Sun.
This mass of pure white light was 10 times more intense than the one Yang Kai tossed out in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. The light not only enveloped the Void, but it also enveloped the huge body of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
The sacrifice of a mere 2 million Small Stone Race Soldiers naturally could not achieve such results. When Yang Kai was in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, he sacrificed 3 million, but the result was less than 10% of the current power.
The reason for this huge difference was that Yang Kai had made preparations this time. He distributed a massive amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals to the Small Stone Race members before summoning them.
This time, the sacrifice was not only the residual power of the fallen 2 million Small Stone Race Soldiers, but also a literal mountain of Yellow and Blue Crystals.
In one move, Yang Kai had consumed 40% of the supplies Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had prepared for him this time.
With such a huge amount of materials invested, the results were remarkable.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was soon engulfed and the Purifying Light began seeping into its body. Black Ink Strength was quickly dispersed and vaporized both inside and outside of it.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God roared in a rage and struggled violently.
In Wind Mist Territory, Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing finally understood why Yang Kai warned them to be careful.
The two of them had been stuck here for around 3,000 years and had been working together to pin down one of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s arms with a joint Secret Technique. Normally, the two of them would not be strong enough to do this; however, when the arm of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had broken through the boundary wall, that meant that they were fighting with Black Ink Giant Spirit God across Great Territories. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s power was greatly weakened by its circumstances, so the two Old Ancestors were able to remain safe and stable.
However, at this moment, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God began to struggle madly as it was suffering in agony due to the Purifying Light. The first thing it wanted to do was to pull its arm back to wipe away the light and crush Yang Kai, who was the orchestrator of its misery.
The chains clattered on the huge mountain-like arm, and boundless Black Ink Strength began to surge wildly, as it tried to break free from the chains.
Wu Qing and Xiao Xiao’s expressions changed dramatically as they spared no effort to enhance their Secret Techniques to keep it restrained.
Over these years, the two Old Ancestors had constantly been reinforcing their Secret Technique; otherwise, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could have broken out of it long ago.
Even so, the two were under a lot of pressure to ensure that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God did not escape, so they were now surprised and relieved by what Yang Kai was doing.
They were surprised at how Yang Kai was able to cause the Black Ink Giant Spirit God so much agony, while they were relieved that the new generation of Humans was so talented that an Eighth-Order Junior had the means to hurt a Black Ink Giant Spirit God to such an extent.
The pure white star exploded after a dozen breaths of time before it slowly dissipated.
To Old Ancestors Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing, it seemed like they had spent thousands of years engaged in a brutal battle…
When everything calmed down, the two looked at each other and each saw the sweat and fear on the other’s forehead when they realized part of the chains had broken into countless pieces. They panicked and quickly rushed to repair them.
Of course, they knew that if Black Ink Giant Spirit God really wanted to get out of this trap, it could do so at any moment by sacrificing its arm. Fortunately, it did not seem things had come to that point yet.
Losing an arm would not affect a Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s life in the long run, but its strength would diminish significantly. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God would not accept such humiliation unless absolutely necessary.
In the Barren Territory, Yang Kai’s face was calm as he quietly looked at the huge figure that was still shrouded in a white afterglow.
The tremors and thunderous commotions within the Barren Territory calmed down as soon as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God stopped struggling. It sat in the void, with the arm that penetrated the boundary wall secured from the other side as it stared at Yang Kai with intense rage.
Technically speaking, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was both Mo’s Creation and Mo’s Soul Clone. It meant that there was no big difference between Mo and it. Apart from the vast difference in strength, it inherited all the thought processes and experiences of Mo.
It was not easy to anger such an ancient Supreme Being, which has survived for millions of years, to such an extent.
During the battle in the Barren Territory, it was attacked repeatedly by Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Even the Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders had joined in on the assault. The wounds they caused were far more severe than what it was suffering just now. Later on, it was shackled in place by the two surviving Ninth-Order Old Ancestors, but even then, it was not as angry with them as it was now.
To it, all the resistance of the Human Race was just an appetizer before Mo’s unification of everything was complete. Not only would it not be angry, it felt that it could have some fun along the way.
However, what Yang Kai did today really upset it.
Not only did the pure and flawless white light reopen its wounds that took thousands of years to heal, but it also wiped away a large portion of its power!
In a mere dozen breaths, Yang Kai ruined thousands of years of cultivation.
The pure white light had caused its heart to be filled with rage.
“You worm! You have truly enraged this Supreme One!” Bellowed the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, causing the entire Barren Territory to reverberate.
Yang Kai taunted in response, “Come and kill me then!”
In Wind Mist Territory, Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing were immediately put on edge. There was nothing they could do if the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was willing to sacrifice its arm in order to get out of their restriction.
Of course, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s powers would be severely impacted if it lost an arm; however, even if the Black Ink Giant Spirit only had one arm, two Ninth-Order Masters were still no match for it.
They were secretly praying that this damn brat would not provoke this monster again, because if it really got upset, the situation would only get worse.
Though the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was furious, it had no intention of sacrificing its arm to get out of this trap. The two Ninth-Order Masters were relieved when it did not move its locked arm.
Yang Kai, however, did not stop provoking it. When he saw that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was not moving, he increased his taunts, “It looks like you are all talk! If you don’t kill me today, I will kill you in the future! Not only will I kill you, but I will also go to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to destroy your lair and slaughter your true body!”
The two Old Ancestors who had just heaved a sigh of relief were now anxious again. They wanted to yell at Yang Kai to shut the hell up!
Worse, Yang Kai’s threats were the most shameless of boasting! Instead of getting more upset though, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God calmed down considerably and, after sizing up Yang Kai, said, “I’ll look forward to the day when you can say that in front of my true body!”
It was as if he had heard something very interesting and wanted to witness it with his own eyes.
Yang Kai nodded his head very seriously and replied, “Hope you meant what you’ve said!”
After saying that, he bowed at the boundary wall that the arm pierced and said, “Many thanks for your efforts, Old Ancestors, this Junior will take his leave now!”
Turning around, he shot away towards the Territory Gate.
He had achieved the purpose of this trip.
He said that he was here to collect some interest, but that was only part of the reason. Yang Kai was aware of the possible consequences of attacking the Black Ink Giant Spirit God with Purifying Light. If he was just here to collect some interest, then how was it possible for him to do something so risky?
His real purpose here was to weaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
He already had this idea when he last came to the Barren Territory; however, he had not done so because at that time, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was still badly injured, so there was no need to aggravate it.
Now, after thousands of years of recuperation, if Yang Kai did not weaken it, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God might become strong enough to free itself.
For this reason, Yang Kai was willing to utilize 2 million Small Stone Race Soldiers, and a mountain of Yellow and Blue Crystals!
However, this tactic could only be used once. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God would never give him another chance to weaken it like this again.
Although it could not move from where it was, it was still able to destroy a Small Stone Race Army far away from where it sat.
While the Barren Territory was in turmoil, a figure rushed through the Territory Gate between the Barren Territory and the No-Return Pass and arrived at the other side.
A short while later, the Royal Lord gathered the Territory Lords in the Grand Hall.
On the bone throne, the Royal Lord looked over at the figure sitting on his left side and nodded approvingly, “Your analysis is impeccable, Mo Na Ye. Yang Kai is really coming to take revenge!”
Mo Na Ye stood up and bowed, “Many thanks for your compliment, Sir. I’ve studied Yang Kai closely; after all, he is currently the biggest threat to the Black Ink Clan.”
Mo Na Ye was able to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord after the sacrifice of 12 Territory Lords. He had been cultivating in retreat for the past 100 years or so and had now adapted to his new strength.
However, his situation was essentially the same as that of Di Wu who was killed by Yang Kai. Although he had the power and might of a Royal Lord, he could not control or restrain it very well.
This was a drawback that was difficult to solve for Pseudo-Royal Lords as the power they obtained was gained through the Source Fusion Technique and not from their own cultivation. Thus, it was naturally difficult to attain true Mastery over it.
Of course, even if Mo Na Ye was never able to overcome this problem, he was already extremely satisfied.
He was an Innate Territory Lord before, and would never have arrived at his current position without careful planning. When the tide of the new Black Ink Clansmen rose, the number of new Ninth-Order Humans and Black Ink Clan Royal Lords would definitely be significant. While Innate Territory Lords could be considered the backbone of the Black Ink Clan Army, a lone Territory Lord could not decide the future situation of the two Races.
Even if a Pseudo-Royal Lord was slightly inferior to a real Royal Lord, Mo Na Ye had already slogged for so many years for this position. It did not matter if he was slightly inferior as he was happy with making any progress at all. Furthermore, he had always been wiser and more resourceful than the rest of the Black Ink Clan, so he was confident that he would not be worse off than any other Royal Lords in the future.
The most important factor was with this new strength, if ever he encountered a Ninth-Order Master, even if he couldn’t defeat them in battle, he could always escape. If he was still an Innate Territory Lord, any Ninth-Order Human would be able to squash him.
After becoming a Pseudo-Royal Lord, Mo Na Ye even had his own seat during these gatherings. He no longer had to stand with the rest of the Territory Lords, which was a clear display of status.
His seat was to the left of the Royal Lord, which was an indication of his importance.
It could be said that today’s Mo Na Ye was third only to Mo and the Royal Lord. It was a huge honour to stand above billions of Black Ink Clansmen. This honour originally belonged to Di Wu, but unfortunately for him, he had messed up and gotten himself killed.
“From what Sir said, that Yang Kai has already arrived?” Mo Na Ye asked.
The Royal Lord nodded, “According to the news from the Barren Territory, Yang Kai is over there now.”
Mo Na Ye exclaimed in surprise, “So fast? He arrived much earlier than expected.”
He had thought that Yang Kai would have to cultivate for about 200 years this time to fully recover given the severity of his wounds. After his defeat in Acacia Territory, Mo Na Ye gathered all the information he could find about Yang Kai and now had a fairly good understanding of his character and behaviour.
From that point on, he paid close attention to Yang Kai’s movements.
In fact, his speculations weren’t entirely wrong as Yang Kai had yet to fully heal, it was just that the latter had decided to take action now rather than wait.
The Royal Lord continued, “The Arrays that have been set up around the Territory Gate and are ready to be activated. If Yang Kai dares to show up, he will walk right into our trap. Mo Na Ye, this time, I will leave the task of capturing this nuisance to you. I hope that you will not let me down, “
Mo Na Ye rose again and bowed, “Rest assured, Sir. If Yang Kai dares to show up this time, he will not be able to go back.”
The Royal Lord nodded with satisfaction, “I will remain here and only enter the battlefield if Yang Kai enters our net.”
Mo Na Ye was relieved to hear what the Royal Lord said. He was not eager to repeat Di Wu’s mistakes, where he fell in the Ancestral Land along with eight Territory Lords.
Although the results were unexpected, it was obvious that the Black Ink Clan had severely underestimated Yang Kai’s means.
This time was different. The No-Return Pass was the base of the Black Ink Clan with a true Royal Lord, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and 100 Territory Lords that could be mobilized.
If Yang Kai rushed in through the Territory Gate and fell into their pre-arranged Array, he would have no hope of escape unless he was a Ninth-Order Master.
Mo Na Ye rolled up his sleeves and suddenly understood Di Wu’s urgency back then. This was his first battle after becoming a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and he was dealing with a pillar of the Human Race at the heart of Black Ink Clan. If he managed to capture Yang Kai, then his achievements would be unquestionable and his position in the Royal Lord’s heart would be firmly established.
At his command, 50 Territory Lords were deployed and lay in wait around the Black Ink Nests near the Territory Gate. They waited for Yang Kai to show up and then they would activate the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array.
Mo Na Ye would not be hiding nearby, but further away, inside a High-Rank Black Ink Nest so he could use the undulating aura of the Black Ink Nest to conceal his presence.
A Pseudo-Royal Lord could not fully utilize their power or control their aura; thus, Mo Na Ye could only do this to avoid Yang Kai noticing him.
The trap was set and now, they lay in wait for him to show up.
They waited and waited, but there were no signs of Yang Kai. All was quiet at the Territory Gate. Even the Black Ink Clan squads that were supposed to deliver supplies from the No-Return Pass to the 3,000 Worlds were temporarily halted.
Mo Na Ye waited patiently, but as time wore on, he grew more and more anxious.
[What is Yang Kai doing? With his speed, he should be able to arrive at the No-Return Pass within hours after entering the Barren Territory.]
After waiting for another month, Mo Na Ye could not stand it anymore. Thus, he sent a Territory Lord to the Barren Territory to find out what was happening.
He was surprised to hear that Yang Kai was no longer in the Barren Territory! He struck and wounded a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, and then left.
Mo Na Ye was stunned for a long while when it was reported that Yang Kai was nowhere to be found. If Yang Kai had not entered the No-Return Pass and was not in the Barren Territory, then where could he be? Could he have been wrong and Yang Kai had no intentions to come to the No-Return Pass to retaliate?
Inside the Grand Hall, Mo Na Ye could feel a scrutinizing gaze coming from the bone throne, one which carried a slight hint of dissatisfaction.
The dissatisfaction was not because Mo Na Ye’s speculation was wrong, but because his speculation had caused the Royal Lord to be determined to create another Pseudo-Royal Lord.
13 Territory Lords were sacrificed to create the first Pseudo-Royal Lord, only to have Di Wu die shortly after. 12 Territory Lords were sacrificed for the second Pseudo-Royal Lord, Mo Na Ye. On top of these, the creation of each Pseudo-Royal Lord resulted in the loss of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
This kind of consumption had a significant impact on the very foundation of the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Clan had new Acquired Territory Lords being born frequently on the various battlefields, so even if all the Innate Territory Lords died, the Royal Lord would not feel too distressed. In fact, Acquired Territory Lords were even more valuable now because they had a chance to become Royal Lords in the future.
However, the High-Rank Black Ink Nests couldn’t regenerate. The number of High-Rank Nests they brought out from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was the maximum number they would ever have. The loss of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest was permanent.
Mo Na Ye knew that he had to remedy the situation to soothe the Royal Lord Sir’s dissatisfaction with him. He quickly searched through his mind for clues and information about Yang Kai and soon said, “Sir, if Yang Kai has already left the Barren Territory, then perhaps his objective is not the No-Return Pass. He could be going after the other Territory Lords on the Great Territory Battlefields, especially the six where our two Races’ Masters are fighting!”
Royal Lord looked sternly at Mo Na Ye and his dissatisfaction grew. This was the exact opposite of what Mo Na Ye said 100 years ago. At that time, he said with conviction that Yang Kai would not risk breaking the peace treaty between the two Races by showing up on the primary battlefields. Thus, he would come to the No-Return Pass to retaliate.
Now, 100 years later, he sang a different tune.
“Sir, please send an order to warn all parties and instruct the Territory Lords to be careful in the coming days,” Mo Na Ye said urgently. If Yang Kai really recklessly attacked the Territory Lords outside, there would be huge losses to the Black Ink Clan.
Mo Na Ye’s head ached as he thought of the consequences.
Yang Kai was too frightening and unpredictable. It reminded him once again of the incident at the Acacia Territory. Until now, they still could not figure out how Yang Kai escaped with over 10,000 Human refugees without even creating a sound!
As Mo Na Ye considered that particular incident, however, he suddenly froze as if he just thought of something. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a layer of fog blocking his thoughts.
Immediately, he sank into contemplation as his thoughts spun rapidly. At the same time, the Royal Lord had begun to pass down orders to instruct all Territory Lords of the Great Territories to be on alert for Yang Kai.
Of course, the Royal Lord still felt some dissatisfaction towards Mo Na Ye, but this Pseudo-Royal Lord had already been created and was destined to become his right-hand man in the future; thus, the Royal Lord could not be too harsh on him.
In fact, Mo Na Ye had objectively done a very good job. If not, he would not have called Mo Na Ye back to the No-Return Pass to hear his opinion before he sent out his orders.
The orders were sent down and soon were disseminated through the High-Rank Black Ink Nests to all parties.
Down below, Mo Na Ye’s eyes suddenly lit up as he looked up and said, “Sir, when Yang Kai was harassing the No-Return Pass years ago, I heard that he attacked from the direction of the Black Ink Battlefield.”
Although Mo Na Ye did not experience it personally as he was in charge of some affairs in another Great Territory during Yang Kai’s assault, he had heard some information about the incident from the other Territory Lords. However, most Territory Lords were secretive about that incident and were unwilling to mention too much about it.
After all, it was a disgrace to the Royal Lord; thus, who dared to keep talking about it?
Over the years, the Royal Lord also never mentioned this matter and seemed to actively want to forget those unpleasant experiences.
The Territory Lords in the Grand Hall instantly felt the ominous atmosphere and they all quickly lowered their heads even more.
From above, the Royal Lord’s gaze was much colder than before as he said indifferently, “That’s right.”
As if unaware of the sensitivity of the situation, Mo Na Ye continued to ask, “Before that attack, did he ever pass through the Territory Gate to enter the Barren Territory from the No-Return Pass?”
“Are you questioning me?” As the Royal Lord leaned forward slightly, it felt as if a huge mountain had leaned down on those in the hall with boundless pressure.
Mo Na Ye was startled and bowed, “How could I dare question you? Sir, please don’t be angry, I just want to clarify certain details which are… are very important!”
The Royal Lord stared sternly at Mo Na Ye’s eyes. He did not sense any trickery; instead, he saw the enthusiasm and sincerity which appeased the Royal Lord’s heart. If Mo Na Ye thought that he could disrespect him after he became a Pseudo-Royal Lord, then the Royal Lord did not mind putting him in his place. However, it really seemed that Mo Na Ye was trying to figure something out.
Thus, even though he was ashamed of that incident and was unwilling to revisit it, he swallowed his pride and answered, “No.”
Mo Na Ye’s expression changed slightly and then said, “If he did not pass through the Territory Gate, and attacked from the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield, but before that he had appeared in various other Great Territories…”
“Furthermore, during the war in the Barren Territory, he led a group of remnants of the Human Race Army to storm the No-Return Pass and managed to break through. However, he returned alone to rescue that Dragon Clansman before escaping into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. Some years later, he reappeared in the 3,000 Worlds…”
In one sentence, Mo Na Ye seemed to be explaining and also muttering to himself.
The layer of fog in Mo Na Ye’s mind quickly dissipated as he looked up and said eagerly, “Sir! Yang Kai must have discovered a passage from somewhere within the 3,000 Worlds to the Black Ink Battlefield other than the one here at the No-Return Pass!”
The Royal Lord raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, “How are you so certain?”
Most of the Territory Lords were also confused, with only a few of them actively trying to figure it out for themselves.
Mo Na Ye was flabbergasted. He had already made it so clear, so why was everyone here unable to figure it out? He suddenly began to worry about their intelligence.
However, this was the sad reality of creations like the Black Ink Clan, which were not regular living beings and had instead been spawned by Black Ink Strength.
Black Ink Strength was unparalleled when it came to the ability to corrupt things and the Black Ink Clan could reproduce at speeds unmatched by other Races. However, nothing was perfect. Perhaps creation through means not deemed natural by the Heavenly Way caused their intelligence to suffer.
Mo Na Ye seemed to be a unique case in the whole Black Ink Clan.
At this moment, Mo Na Ye could only explain patiently, “Sir, Yang Kai did not pass through the Territory Gate connected to the Barren Territory back when he attacked the No-Return Pass, yet he launched that attack from the direction of Black Ink Battlefield when he should be completely isolated from the 3,000 Worlds. Doesn’t that explain everything?”
The Royal Lord pondered for a moment, and then responded, “You’re right!”
[You didn’t notice this until now!?] Mo Na Ye sighed in his heart. If he had known this information earlier, he would have deduced what Yang Kai was planning by now.
“Where is this passage then?” The Royal Lord asked, then remembered something, “Could it be in the Acacia Territory?”
The last time Yang Kai disappeared was in Acacia Territory. It would make sense if the second passage was in the Acacia Territory.
For a moment, the Royal Lord praised himself for his wisdom before frowning and rejecting this idea.
If the passage was in Acacia Territory, he could have entered the Black Ink Battlefield from Acacia Territory, but how could he return without being spotted? According to the information reported by the Black Ink Disciple, after he disappeared from the Acacia Territory, he went straight back to High Heaven Territory.
At this time, a Territory Lord boldly interjected, “This Human is proficient in the Dao of Space, and not only do we have no understanding of the Dao of Space, but the vast majority of Human Masters are also ignorant of it. Perhaps his mastery over the Dao of Space has reached a height where he discovered some means that allow him to travel freely through the boundary walls?”
Mo Na Ye gave an approving look to that Territory Lord and replied, “It is possible.”
Both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan were able to speculate and imagine, like how Yang Kai managed to deduce the process of creating Pseudo-Royal Lords. Although he did not know all the details, by analyzing the available facts, he could arrive at a hypothesis that was quite close to the truth.
Likewise, the Black Ink Clan might not be the most intelligent, but they weren’t fools and could come up with reasonable theories once pushed hard enough.
In truth, Yang Kai’s mastery over the Dao of Space, no matter how profound, was still far from allowing him to freely traverse through all of space under the Heavens. He could only do what he did because he had the help of the World Tree which was connected to all Universe Worlds with intact Grand Daos.
Each such Universe World was represented by a World Fruit on the World Tree.
Yang Kai was able to establish a very close relationship with the World Tree, and he was able to use it and his mastery of the Dao of Space to arrive at the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary from anywhere in the 3,000 Worlds, then from their head to any living Universe World.
If it was a dead Universe World, then Yang Kai was helpless as when a Universe World died, its World Fruit would wither and die. Hence, he could not use dead Universe Worlds to move around.
“If that’s the case, then it’s not just the Territory Lords of the Great Territory Battlefields who need to guard against Yang Kai, but also the No-Return Pass…” Mo Na Ye slowly murmured. Before he finished his sentence, he turned his head and looked in a direction where a powerful aura was approaching at an extremely terrifying speed.
“Yang Kai!” The Royal Lord stood up from his bone throne. With a flicker of his figure, he rushed out of the Grand Hall and headed straight towards the approaching aura.
Mo Na Ye hurriedly did his best to control his aura while heading to the nearest High-Rank Black Ink Nest, so as not to reveal his existence. Yang Kai, should not know that there was another Pseudo-Royal Lord here at the No-Return Pass, so he could use this to his advantage and may have an opportunity to trap Yang Kai completely.
A few moments ago, Yang Kai lurked in the void at a place 1 million kilometres outside of the No-Return Pass, staring at it as a sense of unease in his heart grew stronger.
The No-Return Pass was now in the hands of the Black Ink Clan, so how could he just barge through the Territory Gate?
It was different now compared to previous years. During the battle between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory, the corpse of the Old Ancestor of Azure Void Pass was distracting the Royal Lord’s attention. The Black Ink Clan never expected that Yang Kai would return from the Barren Territory to rescue the captured Ji Lao San.
The situation between the two races appeared stable, and the Black Ink Clan’s control over the No-Return Pass was far stronger than before. If there was an ambush against a Human Race Master at the Territory Gate, then he would be walking right into it.
Therefore, after he left the Barren Territory, he hid his tracks and passed through one Great Territory after another to reach the Black Territory. Thereafter, he entered Black Ink Battlefield silently from the Black Territory.
This was the only known other passageway connecting the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield, and only Yang Kai could pass through it. Every time he passed through it, he would block the way back and seal it up. Thus, the Black Ink Clan should never be able to find out about the existence of this passageway. Even if the Black Ink Clan investigated, after how much his mastery over the Dao of Space had improved, they would never be able to discover the existence of this secret passageway.
This passageway had helped Yang Kai several times.
He was currently somewhere within the Blue Sky theatre. Naturally, Yang Kai could no longer see Blue Sky Pass, a structure that had stood for countless years.
On the way, he encountered some Black Ink Clan mining teams, but Yang Kai did not pay any attention to them, and it only took him two to three months to reach the periphery of the No-Return Pass.
Such speed was only possible because he was well-versed in the Dao of Space.
However, when he entered the Black Ink Battlefield and started to head toward the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai suddenly had an ominous feeling as if something bad was about to happen.
The closer he got to No-Return Pass, the stronger the feeling became. When he arrived outside the No-Return Pass, the uneasiness had reached its peak. Now, looking at the huge great pass, it was like a beast that was ready to devour anyone foolish enough to approach.
It was a warning!
Perhaps because his Dao of Time had improved again, which enabled his perception of the potential future crisis to become sharper.
Since there were great dangers ahead, the wisest thing to do was listen to his gut and retreat immediately. Even if he wanted to seek revenge on the Black Ink Clan, the No-Return Pass was not the best choice.
There were many Territory Lords in the Great Territory battlefields. The Ancestral Land battle was the first one in which Black Ink Clan broke the agreement without warning. If Yang Kai really wanted to kill some Territory Lords to ease his anger, the Black Ink Clan would just endure the losses and not engage in a battle with him.
However, he had to come.
The Black Ink Clan’s ability to turn an Innate Territory Lord into a Royal Lord had to be investigated no matter what. He would not worry about it if it was an exception. However, if it became a possibility, then the Human Race had to be careful in the future.
So, without further delay, Yang Kai rushed boldly toward the No-Return Pass.
He considered hiding his aura, but since a Royal Lord was present here, there was no way he could effectively do that. Thus, instead of sneaking around and hiding his power, it was better to come openly and blatantly.
Yang Kai’s speed is extremely fast. The moment his aura was exposed, he used Instantaneous Movement and dashed to the top of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. He then fiercely smacked down on it.
The huge Black Ink Nest rumbled and disintegrated from top to bottom like a mountain of jade pillars.
Although the Black Ink Nest was the foundation of the Black Ink Clan and could spawn countless Black Ink Clan members, it was not strong enough to withstand an attack by a top Eighth-Order Master like Yang Kai. Even a random Third or Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could destroy a Black Ink Nest with a single blow.
Yang Kai had done this previously. At that time, he destroyed six High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
It seemed that the Black Ink Clan had learned from their mistakes. After he destroyed one, there were no more signs of High-Rank Black Ink Nests nearby. The High-Rank Black Ink Nests were now positioned far away from each other. Thus, even if Yang Kai could destroy one of them, he would need time to destroy the second one.
The moment the High-Rank Black Ink Nest was destroyed, a figure emerged from the ruins, but it was a Territory Lord.
After feeling Yang Kai’s murderous intent, he turned his head and exclaimed, “Yang Kai!”
Yang Kai’s reputation was evident when he was immediately recognized by a random Territory Lord.
The Territory Lord was terrified and had no intention of fighting with Yang Kai. He turned around to run away but the Void suddenly froze and his vision dimmed.
When he looked up, he saw a huge palm descending from the sky to slap his head down.
The Territory Lord was using Black Ink Strength like mad, but it was difficult for him to resist the terrifying power of this palm, and was directly slapped.
Yang Kai withdrew his hand, he was slightly stunned that this Territory Lord was far too weak.
It soon dawned upon him that this was not an Innate Territory Lord, but an Acquired Territory Lord. He had been hiding in the Black Ink Nest to cultivate but had suffered an untimely death.
Killing the Innate Territory Lord or the Acquired Territory Lord did not make much difference to Yang Kai. But if he had to choose, he would rather kill the Acquired Territory Lord.
This was not because the Acquired Territory Lords were weaker and easier to kill, but because Acquired Territory Lords had the potential to become Royal Lords. By killing more Acquired Territory Lords, he could prevent them from ever becoming Royal Lords.
Exterminating the Black Ink Nests and killing the Territory Lords seemed to be tedious, but in fact, it was extremely fast.
However, at that moment, he sensed a powerful aura.
[The Royal Lord is here!]
Yang Kai was not surprised. The Royal Lord was always here at No-Return Pass. Since he came to cause trouble, it was natural that he came out.
The moment he manipulated Space Principles, his Qi fluctuated violently, and in a flash, the Void was like a lake that had a boulder thrown into it.
The Void rippled and Yang Kai’s body swayed.
Although the Instantaneous Movement was successful, his position was vastly different from where he was supposed to be.
It was too late to reposition himself. The Royal Lord came from the depths of the No-Return Pass with a terrifying power and appeared close to him in the blink of an eye. His voice thundered. “Die!”
He raised his hand and brought his palm down at Yang Kai. The power of this palm turned Heaven and Earth upside down. Although Di Wu had the strength of a Royal Lord when he was at the Ancestral Land, the difference was immense.
Yang Kai hastily took up the Azure Dragon Spear. With the subtle Space-Time Strength lingering on the long spear, it managed to stab the Royal Lord a dozen times.
Each time Yang Kai and the Royal Lord moved, they would leave a vivid residual image in place, as if they were portraits painted by the most skilled artists.
The figures of the Royal Lord and Yang Kai could be seen everywhere throughout the Void, filling up the huge Void in the blink of an eye.
A group of Territory Lords that had rushed out from the depths of the No-Return Pass were dumbfounded. They could not tell which of those figures was real and which were just residual images.
However, they did not worry about those. Dozens of Territory Lords ran toward the battlefield. More than ten Territory Lords tried to set up a formation to block Heaven and Earth. Those Seventh-Order Black ink Disciples who were good at Dao of Spirit Arrays had developed the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array. Though they were saved by Yang Kai, and had now returned to the Human Race’s side with a large number of Small Stone Race soldiers, they had still left behind Arrays and Formations that they made or shared with the Black Ink Clan. Thus, although they were no longer present, the Black Ink Clan could still set up the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array.
The remaining Territory Lords formed the Four Gates or Five Elements Formation and were ready to go to the battlefield for support.
When they arrived at the battlefield a figure fell out of the sky. Its face was pale and a long spear lay next to its body. His chest was sunken making him look quite miserable.
It was Yang Kai!
Yang Kai was satisfied with his face-to-face encounter with a Royal Lord, even though he was knocked away in just three breaths.
Back then, when he was messing around at No-Return Pass, he did not dare to fight with this Royal Lord because he would most likely fall and not be able to perform a Space Secret Technique with his strength at that time.
That would be playing with his life. Thus, when he faced the Royal Lord, he immediately ran.
After three thousand years, he met the Royal Lord again. Although he was still far from being a match for his enemy, they at least fought, which was much better than the last time.
This was considered a positive development. It was difficult for a Royal Lord’s strength to improve, but it was different for Yang Kai. He had been an Eighth-Order Master for around three thousand years. Now, he was at the peak of the Eight-Order Open Heaven Realm and might have a chance to break through and become a Ninth-Order Master.
When he reached the Ninth Order, he was confident that he would be able to kill such a Royal Lord with ease!
Even so, there was still a long way to go.
Behind Yang Kai, Black Ink Strength was like a tidal wave. The Royal Lord’s murderous intent was revealed and he was in hot pursuit.
Yang Kai manipulated Space Principles and was about to leave with the Instantaneous Movement.
However, since the last encounter with Yang Kai, the Royal Lord seemed to have found a way to deal with Yang Kai. Just like the Royal Lord who chased him out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The way to deal with Yang Kai was to use his own aura to destabilize the Void around Yang Kai while he was performing the Instantaneous Movement technique.
In this way, although it could not interrupt him, it could cause the location of the teleportation to deviate.
This was proven in the Royal Lord’s previous attempt.
As expected, when Yang Kai used Instantaneous Movement again, the Royal Lord used his aura to destabilize the Void and the Instantaneous Movement did not meet Yang Kai’s expectations. Not only was the distance much shorter, but the position was not even close to a thousand kilometres.
However, Yang Kai was still more than satisfied with this.
He still remembered the time when he escaped from Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. When the sheep-headed Royal Lord chased him, every aura blast would hurt him. Now, it was just his Instantaneous Movement that was affected. It was much better than getting hurt.
One chased while one fled, quickly moving away from the No-Return Pass.
It was a similar scene to the past, and this alarmed Yang Kai.
Previously, he managed to lure the Royal Lord out of the No-Return Pass and then used his Space Beacons to quickly wheel around and destroy several High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
After suffering such a loss, could the Royal Lord really still be so gullible? He was either overwhelmed by rage or the Black Ink Clan had a backup plan.
As the supposed only Royal Lord of the Black Ink Clan, guarding the No-Return Pass was his biggest responsibility at the moment. How was it possible that he could let his rage control him to the point he forgot the bigger picture?
The only logical conclusion was that the Black Ink Clan had some way to guarantee the No-Return Pass’s safety! The Royal Lord was confident that even if he was not here, the Black Ink Clan would be able to deal with Yang Kai’s attack.
That meant that there was at least one more Royal Lord hiding there, possibly more than one…
Even though he had already guessed this, Yang Kai had to follow his original plan. He had planned to draw out the hidden Royal Lord no matter the price he needed to pay.
Yang Kai kept using Instantaneous Movement. However, each time he was interfered with by the Royal Lord’s aura, causing small wounds to gradually build up.
Although his strength was far superior to last time, Yang Kai could not keep this up forever.
The two gradually moved further away from the No-Return Pass.
The Territory Lords behind wanted to chase after them, but Mo Na Ye sent an order in time to stop them.
Mo Na Ye sighed slightly as he looked in the direction the Royal Lord disappeared. He chastised himself for not understanding the situation sooner, so that he could discuss with the Royal Lord about countering Yang Kai before he appeared.
This situation was not what he had expected.
If he had any say, Mo Na Ye would not have let the Royal Lord chase after Yang Kai. If he could not kill Yang Kai, then what good would it be to chase him away?
As long as the No-Return Pass was properly set up, the Black Ink Clan’s numerous Territory Lords and two Royal Lords had a good chance of trapping Yang Kai as soon as he showed up.
As long as the Territory Lords were able to get into position in time and seal Yang Kai off, then the two Royal Lords could join forces and slaughter him.
Unfortunately, the Royal Lord did not give Mo Na Ye a chance to make proper arrangements and just rushed out as soon as he noticed Yang Kai’s aura.
Now, it was difficult to ambush Yang Kai since he was alerted to the situation.
Now, Mo Na Ye could only do his best to respond accordingly. He gave his orders for the Territory Lords to set up the area. As for himself, he did all he could to restrain his aura.
In the void, the Royal Lord chased Yang Kai a billion kilometres from the No-Return Pass. Soon, Yang Kai felt he had led the Royal Lord far enough and activated the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks on the backs of his hands. A pure white light enveloped his figure.
The Royal Lord, who was behind him, was stunned. In that instant, the aura he had locked onto Yang Kai was cut off…
The Purifying Light has such a mysterious effect.
As soon as the Royal Lord’s aura was severed, Yang Kai’s mind connected to a Space Beacon he had placed near the No-Return Pass, and he vanished as soon as his Space Principles surged.
The Royal Lord chased Yang Kai to the place where he disappeared. He then coldly snorted and turned his head to look back at the No-Return Pass, secretly praying that Mo Na Ye would not let him down.
[Yang Kai must have thought that there is no strong Master at the No-Return Pass now. With his skills and past battle records, he would definitely not take the Territory Lords seriously. If he is complacent enough, he might be trapped by the Array. When that time comes, Mo Na Ye can engage him and when I return, we can easily kill this menace off.]
With such thoughts in mind, the Royal Lord hurriedly dashed back towards the No-Return Pass.
At the same time, Yang Kai appeared inside a Black Ink Cloud some 10 million kilometres away from the No-Return Pass.
Without stopping and without hesitation, even though he knew that the No-Return Pass was a lion’s den, he rushed out to attack.
With his own aura surging openly, the Territory Lords guarding the No-Return Pass went on high alert as they awaited their greatest enemy.
As his figure flickered forward, Yang Kai pushed his Time Principles madly, trying to intuit where the future crisis might come from.
He did not think that there would be much risk even if there was one or two Royal Lords hidden at the No-Return Pass. He could still run away if he was no match for them. The greatest danger was undoubtedly the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array.
If he was trapped in such an Array, the Royal Lord would pose a fatal threat to him.
Thus, Yang Kai had to look out for the locations where this Array might appear. The Array needed a certain number of Territory Lords in order to be activated so in fact, he only needed to take note of the location of those Territory Lords.
It was a pity that there were too many Black Ink Nests around. Not only were there around 100 High-Rank Black Ink Nests, there also were thousands of Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests. The aura of each of the Black Ink Nest was so strong that Yang Kai could not detect any Territory Lord hiding inside.
The only thing he could use was the faint sense of crisis he felt, but unfortunately, he could not do anything about it. Thus, he could only use Time Principles to try to peer into his future.
Soon, Yang Kai closed in on the No-Return Pass, but instead of attacking, he began circling the perimeter.
He could clearly sense the Divine Senses of numerous Black Ink Clansmen probing him from the Black Ink Nests below, which allowed him to determine which ones were occupied.
Mo Na Ye did not intend to engage Yang Kai as he hid in one of the High-Rank Black Ink Nests. He just sat like a rock while reigning in his aura. With the information transmitted through the Black Ink Nests, he was able to monitor Yang Kai’s movements without actively searching for him.
Naturally, he became alarmed by Yang Kai’s movements.
Since Yang Kai had already lured the Royal Lord away, this should have been his best opportunity to go on a rampage and create a huge mess. If Yang Kai wanted to, with his current strength, destroying several High-Rank Black Ink Nests was entirely possible.
If he did that though, the Black Ink Clan would have a chance to trap him during the chaos.
However, Yang Kai did not do that. Instead, he kept circling the No-Return Pass.
[What keen instincts!]
Mo Na Ye definitely did not reveal his presence; however, Yang Kai’s experience in the Ancestral Land must have made this killing star wary of the Black Ink Clan. Perhaps, he could guess that there was still another Royal Lord lurking at the No-Return Pass.
Mo Na Ye was both excited and worried.
He was excited because it was more to his liking to fight such an enemy; he felt such clashes were far more interesting than simple head-to-head battles. However, he was worried about this enemy being so difficult to handle. Even with all his arrangements, they might not be sufficient.
Outside the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai’s eyes suddenly narrowed before retreating immediately.
Before he arrived at the No-Return Pass, he already had a very strong ominous feeling. Now that he was here, that feeling spiked tremendously.
This undoubtedly meant that he was in extreme danger. If he attacked the No-Return Pass from this direction, he might fall into the Black Ink Clan’s ambush.
[Is it a Royal Lord? Or is it the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array?]
Yang Kai could not be certain.
After silently calculating the time, Yang Kai continued to circle the No-Return Pass without slowing down before coming to certain conclusions.
Three locations caused him to feel especially uneasy, indicating they were particularly dangerous. There were some aura fluctuations in those locations, but the differences were not that great.
It now appeared that his mastery over the Dao of Time was quite useful in detecting future threats. He had just thought of trying this out and planned to practice it more frequently from now on.
Time was running out as the Royal Lord whom he lured away should be back soon if he came back at full speed.
After a brief hesitation, Yang Kai decided on a direction and swooped down, summoning the Azure Dragon Spear as a Golden Crow cawed. A Great Sun manifested at the tip of his spear before flying straight down towards a certain Black Ink Nest.
Inside this particular Black Ink Nest, an Innate Territory Lord was scared to death when he saw this. He had never met Yang Kai head-on so this was the first time he was feeling such a terrifying presence. Although he had heard of the horrifying reputation of this killing star, it was only today that he realised just how powerful he was.
He swore and cursed at Yang Kai, thinking there were more than 100 High-Rank Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass distributed over a vast area, yet this killing star just had to target the one he was hiding in. It was a better than 100 to 1 chance, yet he was that unlucky 1.
In the face of Yang Kai’s attack though, he could not even escape. He had to do whatever he could to protect the High-Rank Black Ink Nest. If he dared to run now, then he would definitely be the first one to perform the Source Fusion Technique the next time.
With a roar, the Territory Lord rushed out of the Black Ink Nest and headed straight for the Great Sun with a defiant look on his face.
In the face of death, this Territory Lord managed to summon his courage.
At the moment the aura of one of the hidden Territory Lords was revealed, many nearby Territory Lords linked their auras to form a Battle Formation and shot towards Yang Kai.
In the Black Ink Nest where Mo Na Ye was hiding, he could not help but sigh and had no choice but to lunge out.
Yang Kai knew that danger was waiting for him at the No-Return Pass and yet he still came. Even though Mo Na Ye knew he would not be able to trap Yang Kai if he showed himself right now, the moment the enemy attacked, he could not hide any longer. It would be difficult for the Territory Lords to stop Yang Kai from destroying the Black Ink Nests, so if Mo Na Ye did not move, the damage would surely be catastrophic.
Sometimes, even a powerful Master like a Royal Lord was helpless.
Mo Na Ye surged his Royal Lord might towards Yang Kai, hoping to frighten him off.
Unfortunately, rather than looking frightened, Yang Kai actually appeared relieved when he perceived the aura of a Royal Lord. One of his primary objectives for this trip had now been achieved.
There was more than one Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass! In addition to the one lured out by him, there was another one lurking in the shadows.
Yang Kai even felt that this Royal Lord’s aura was somewhat familiar. It was as if they had met somewhere previously.
Yang Kai did not have time to ponder over the issue as he poured even more strength into the Great Sun as he thrust his spear towards the Territory Lord. The huge Black Ink Cloud instantly disintegrated as if the powerful Innate Territory Lord was struck by lightning. He spurted black blood and flew out even faster than he emerged, his body completely charred.
He was severely wounded in just one blow.
He had heard about Yang Kai’s ability to kill his fellow Territory Lords in just three moves but believed all that was hearsay and rumours. Now that he was on the receiving end of this killing star, he realized just how powerless he was.
How could such a Master be born among the Human Race?
The only thing the Territory Lord was glad about at this moment was that Yang Kai did not cast his Soul Secret Technique, otherwise he was certain he would already be dead.
The shockwave from the clash soon hit the High-Rank Black Ink Nest below, causing all the Black Ink Clan’s nerves to tense up.
However, the impact was not too powerful, and the Black Ink Nest remained unharmed.
Nearby Territory Lords who had formed a Four Symbols Formation rushed towards Yang Kai while the Royal Lord’s aura was also approaching rapidly. He would be in grave danger if he was to engage four Territory Lords and a Royal Lord.
Furthermore, the moment he attacked the Black Ink Nest, he sensed that more than 10 Territory Lords were flying over from all directions, each holding an Array Banner in their hands. From the way they positioned themselves, it was obvious that they were going to set up the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array.
The Black Ink Clan’s response was truly swift, as if they had rehearsed it countless times. No matter which direction Yang Kai attacked from, he would be vulnerable to this trap.
Yang Kai knew that this was no time to dwell on the Territory Lords who had formed a Battle Formation. He had no way to deal with them quickly unless he activated the Soul Rending Thorns; however, that would only damage his Soul and force him to withdraw for an extended time.
It would be suicidal if he lost control again like what happened back in the Ancestral Land.
Thus, he made a quick decision and thrust his spear fiercely at the Black Ink Nest below before immediately surging Space Principles to leave using Instantaneous Movement.
The four Territory Lords who had formed the Battle Formation had already sprinted to the fight, but Yang Kai still disappeared right before their eyes. Mo Na Ye also stopped in place and stared in disbelief. The Territory Lords who were holding up the Array Banners were still getting into position as they had yet to notice Yang Kai had already escaped.
Only the Territory Lord who was wounded by Yang Kai’s Golden Crow Casts the Sun, roared angrily. Disregarding his own serious injuries, he rammed himself at the spear shadow that Yang Kai left behind.
This spear shadow would surely hit the High-Rank Black Ink Nest if he did not block it with his body…
His heart was filled with grief and rage, but there was nothing more he could do. He barely managed to condense a Black Ink Cloud before being run through.
He had already absorbed a killing strike from Yang Kai, and now was forced to take a second. No Territory Lord was unluckier than him today and he finally understood why it was said that Innate Territory Lords could be killed by Yang Kai in just three moves!
He might have lasted longer if he was in a direct fight with Yang Kai and there were no distractions, but the result would not have been much better.
With such an injury, it would take him at least a few hundred years of hibernation and recuperation to recover.
“Stop him!” Mo Na Ye suddenly roared in a certain direction.
Though Yang Kai disappeared using Instantaneous Movement, he did not move too far away; instead, he appeared on the opposite side of the No-Return Pass where another High-Rank Black Ink Nest lay and launched an attack.
There were also Territory Lords guarding these Nests, so when they heard Mo Na Ye’s order and felt Yang Kai’s aura, they did not hesitate, rushing out from their hiding place as their auras quickly linked together.
Yang Kai did not even look at them and just as he had previously done, he summoned a spear, raised the Great Sun as the Golden Crow shrieked, and blasted it towards the High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
This time, no Territory Lord was rushing out of the Black Ink Nest to block it. The Great Sun flew towards the Black Ink Nest while Mo Na Ye, who was rushing over, instantly roared furiously, “Courting death!”
He ordered the four Territory Lords nearby, “Protect the Nest!”
The four Territory Lords hastily activated their Secret Techniques to intercept the Great Sun and managed to land some impacts on the Great Sun, causing its light to dim and its course to be thrown off.
It was just in time as the Great Sun broke apart and, though the Black Ink Nest shook a few times, it remained safe and sound.
All from the Black Ink Clansmen heaved a sigh of relief as Mo Na Ye dashed towards Yang Kai as fast as he could. The four Territory Lords in Formation had not reached Yang Kai and were trying to pin him down.
They did not need to hold him for too long, just a few breaths would be enough for Mo Na Ye to arrive.
Yang Kai would naturally not give them this opportunity and used Space Principles to disappear again, only to appear at a different location.
A Great Sun rose into the sky as the Golden Crow reappeared…
All the Territory Lords suddenly felt exhausted while Mo Na Ye felt overwhelmed. Facing such an unpredictable opponent, they found they could not restrict his movements and trap him regardless of how many experts they had.
All the Territory Lords were basically like puppets that Yang Kai could manipulate at will. When Yang Kai went east, all of them headed east. When Yang Kai went west, all of them went west.
Furthermore, Yang Kai was so strong that the Territory Lords had to form a Four Symbols Formation before they even dared to take him on.
Time and time again, Yang Kai flickered around the No-Return Pass, summoning one Great Sun after another and causing huge explosions wherever he went.
Each time he tried to destroy a Black Ink Nest though, his attack would be intercepted or disrupted by the nearby Territory Lords. This could not be helped as there were just too many Territory Lords in the No-Return Pass. No matter which direction he went, there were always Territory Lords to block him.
Mo Na Ye also played a big role by coordinating them.
However, Yang Kai’s purpose had already been achieved.
These multiple attempts to destroy High-Rank Black Ink Nests were not just about trying to cause damage but were also to check if there were other Royal Lords hidden here.
The answer was no!
If there really was a third Royal Lord, he would not be able to resist coming out to fight Yang Kai after he repeatedly attacked so many Black Ink Nests.
If there was another Royal Lord, when supplemented by the many Territory Lords, they would have a far better chance to take him down.
Thus, Yang Kai’s previous assumptions about the Black Ink Clan’s creation of Royal Lords were not too far off.
The Black Ink Clan indeed had some means to create Royal Lords, but the price to pay was far too great; so, under normal circumstances, they would refrain from doing this unless absolutely necessary.
Over the years, the Black Ink Clan did not use such means and only created Di Wu as Yang Kai had been in a kind of trance as he cultivated in the Ancestral Land.
Now, the Black Ink Clan had created another one for some reason, perhaps to guard against Yang Kai causing trouble at the No-Return Pass.
The Royal Lord he lured out should be returning soon, so there was no time for Yang Kai to dwell on the issue.
This time, Yang Kai did not disappear immediately after launching his initial attack. Instead, he rushed towards a High-Rank Black Ink Nest with his spear.
Mo Na Ye’s pupils suddenly constricted and he yelled from afar, “Yang Kai, you dare?!”
Yang Kai laughed and roared, “Open your eyes and see if I dare!”
The four nearby Territory Lords were so dumbfounded that Yang Kai easily slipped around their Battle Formation and reached the top of Black Ink Nest.
“Kill him!” Mo Na Ye yelled again.
The four Territory Lords reacted almost on instinct and each blasted Yang Kai with their Secret Techniques.
The void was violently shaken by the intense power and the majestic Black Ink Nest disintegrated from the subsequent explosion. The faces of the Black Ink Clansmen turned pale as they looked at the crumbling Black Ink Nest in disbelief. Mo Na Ye raged furiously until his eyes were bloodshot and he used a special technique to boost his speed.
Yang Kai stood amid the collapsing Black Ink Nest as blood trickled from the corner of his lips. He was injured by the four Territory Lord’s attacks. Before he could steady himself though, a beam of Black Ink Strength furiously shot at him from afar.
Yang Kai’s body was now covered with fine Dragon Scales, so he did not panic in the face of this terrifying attack. Drawing World Force from his Small Universe to protect himself, he thrust out his spear.
The explosion and shock waves spread out. Yang Kai rode the shockwaves out as his fine Dragon Scales bristled in a golden light, though they quickly dimmed and he spat out a mouthful of Golden Blood.
His defence was barely able to absorb the Royal Lord’s angry blow. Yang Kai was lucky that his Dragon Form had become far more powerful than before and was just a step away from becoming a Divine Dragon. His physique was far more resistant to such attacks than previously.
The aura of the Royal Lord who had been lured away by Yang Kai appeared in the distance at that moment and was approaching rapidly.
Just in time!
While risking serious injury, Yang Kai wanted to send a message to the Black Ink Clan that one Royal Lord alone was insufficient to stop him from destroying the Black Ink Nests here.
Yang Kai surged his Space Principles and used Instantaneous Movement but did not go too far, he moved just 1 million kilometres out before he turned around to look towards the No-Return Pass.
The Territory Lords were about to chase, but Mo Na Ye raised his hand and warned, “Don’t pursue him!”
The Territory Lords actually heaved a sigh of relief and settled down.
When the Royal Lord returned, he sensed Yang Kai’s aura from afar, but did not move towards him as he knew doing so was futile.
He looked around to assess the situation at the No-Return Pass and his mood instantly became very gloomy.
Two High-Rank Black Ink Nests were destroyed! A Black Ink Nest was destroyed even though Mo Na Ye was here at the No-Return Pass. He was very upset about this.
He expected to see Mo Na Ye and the Territory Lords besieging Yang Kai when he returned, but it turned out to only be wishful thinking.
Sensing the Royal Lord’s displeasure, Mo Na Ye could only bow and apologize for what had happened.
The Royal Lord did not say a word, as although he was very angry, he still understood Mo Na Ye had done his best. Facing an enemy like Yang Kai, even he was not certain he could have done better under the circumstances.
Mo Na Ye and the Royal Lord communicated with each other for a while at the No-Return Pass. Yang Kai only saw the Royal Lord looking troubled and occasionally looking at him and nodding slightly. No one knew what they were discussing.
With the Royal Lord’s permission, Mo Na Ye turned around and headed outside the No-Return Pass.
It seemed he wanted to have a good talk with Yang Kai…
Although the Black Ink Clan had two Royal Lords here, they had still suffered a loss. Though their losses were significant, their overall combat strength had not weakened considerably.
In such an environment, it was unfortunate for them that the No-Return Pass was targeted by a Human Master like Yang Kai.
Yang Kai did not leave the No-Return Pass immediately; instead, he gave the Black Ink Clan a chance to talk to him.
Yang Kai stood in the void calmly. Even though he had been injured from the battle, he had no intention of running away.
He had the confidence to stand there.
He would have fled long ago if he was facing a Royal Lord 3,000 years ago.
Mo Na Ye did not go too far, coming to a stop at the periphery of the No-Return Pass. He meant to show his goodwill that he was not going to attack Yang Kai. Nonetheless, he was on guard against any surprise attack the other party might launch on the No-Return Pass, however unlikely the possibility.
Looking at each other, Mo Na Ye cupped his fist and said politely, “Sir Yang Kai, we meet again.”
“Mo Na Ye,” Yang Kai greeted him and narrowed his eyes slightly. Yang Kai felt that familiar aura and then recognized who he was.
Yang Kai had dealt with this Black Ink Clansman several times previously.
Among all the information that the Human Race had on the Black Ink Clan, Mo Na Ye was one of the individuals that they most focused on. Not only because he was among the strongest of the Innate Territory Lords, but also because he seemed far more intelligent than the others.
Every time he was sent to a Great Territory Battlefield to act as Commander, he showed incredible aptitude in positioning troops and launching attacks. He was responsible for severe Human losses.
He was also the Black Ink Clan’s primary negotiator during the peace talks between the two Races.
Yang Kai did not expect to see him at the No-Return Pass, and certainly not as a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
Based on the encounter they just had, Yang Kai knew that Mo Na Ye was difficult to handle. Not only due to his strength, but also due to his tactical and strategic acumen. It was clearly Mo Na Ye who organized the Territory Lords in advance at the No-Return Pass, a major factor in disrupting his efforts to destroy Black Ink Nests.
Yang Kai judged that he was dealing with an intelligent and dangerous opponent.
Mo Na Ye smiled and respectfully, “It’s an honour that Sir Yang remembers my name!”
It was as if the previous battle had never happened and they were old friends catching up.
[He’s even adept at politics and diplomacy!] Yang Kai thought and frowned.
In response, Yang Kai scoffed and said, “I hope you will feel honoured when I kill you one day!”
Mo Na Ye laughed and said, “Sir Yang really has a great sense of humour. It is well known that you have no hope of becoming a Ninth Order while I, Mo Na Ye… have already become a Royal Lord. Sir Yang Kai, how do you intend to kill me?”
This was true. Although he could not do anything to Yang Kai, the opposite was also true. He used to be afraid of Yang Kai when he was an Innate Territory Lord, but now he no longer was, and that feeling was only reinforced after he witnessed Yang Kai scurry around and avoid him during their battle instead of engaging him directly.
This was also the reason why Mo Na Ye went to great lengths to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord. If he was still just an Innate Territory Lord, he would not have the courage or capital to stand and talk to Yang Kai as there would always be a risk of being killed when he spoke directly to this killing star.
“Wasn’t Di Wu a Royal Lord?” Yang Kai said with a sneer.
Mo Na Ye was instantly dumbfounded when he realized that he had forgotten all about this point and cursed Di Wu in his heart for being such a fool and bringing shame to the Black Ink Clan.
Mo Na Ye became impatient with their exchange and fumed that he had to continue talking with Yang Kai. This was not something that the Black Ink Clan was good at. The Human Race had always been better at verbal sparring and outwitting the Black Ink Clan. Finally, Mo Na Ye lost his patience and shouted, “Sir Yang, you came to the No-Return Pass to kill our Territory Lords and destroy our Black Ink Nests even when we still have an agreement between our Races. You have violated the terms of the agreement and yet Your Excellency is so blatant about it. Don’t you think that you have gone too far?”
Yang Kai almost laughed.
He did not expect Mo Na Ye to lose his cool from just a little prodding.
“So what?” Yang Kai raised his chin and said arrogantly, “You cannot stop this King from sweeping through the Great Territory Battlefields and killing all of your Territory Lords!”
“You dare?!” The real Royal Lord of the Black Ink Clan roared furiously from the No-Return Pass.
“Just wait and see!” As Yang Kai said that, he turned around and the void started to ripple around him as he surged his Space Principles.
“Don’t leave, Sir Yang! Listen to what I have to say first!” Mo Na Ye shouted at the top of his lungs.
Yang Kai turned his head to look at him and said coldly, “What?”
Mo Na Ye cupped his fist respectfully, signalling him to wait a moment. He then turned to bow towards the No-Return Pass and communicated with the Royal Lord to calm him down.
This caused Yang Kai’s eyes to narrow slightly, and he found the situation rather interesting.
The Black Ink Clan did not care about seniority or etiquette. While the Royal Lord of the No-Return Pass had done a great service to the Black Ink Clan for many years, Mo Na Ye was now also a Royal Lord who was almost on par with him; thus, there was no need for Mo Na Ye to be that respectful of him.
Looking at Mo Na Ye’s actions though, he still seemed to be a subordinate to the Royal Lord.
Thus, it must be related to their strength. Although Mo Na Ye was now a Royal Lord, he didn’t seem to be a true Royal Lord. Just like Di Wu, he could only use some 70% to 80% of the strength a Royal Lord should be able to produce.
Yang Kai had now decided to address a being like Mo Na Ye as Pseudo-Royal Lord to differentiate them from the real Royal Lords.
Moments later, Mo Na Ye ended his conversation with the Royal Lord, who was clearly extremely disgruntled. He wanted so much to join forces with Mo Na Ye to capture Yang Kai right now, but Mo Na Ye was right. Without the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array set up, the chances of them capturing Yang Kai were basically zero, even if they combined forces.
Worse, as soon as they completely fell out with Yang Kai here, he would no longer have to restrain his actions, which was not what the Black Ink Clan wanted. The reason they had to negotiate peace with the Human Race on a large scale was because the Territory Lords were all at serious risk of being killed by Yang Kai, otherwise, Black Ink Clan would not have restricted themselves when they had the advantage.
It was difficult to describe just how frustrating it was that one person managed to influence the Black Ink Clan’s plan to unify everything under the Heavens.
Moreover, he was even more powerful than before and could now kill Territory Lords essentially effortlessly.
So, no matter how unwilling he was, he could not let Yang Kai leave, even though Mo Na Ye knew that Yang Kai was just pretending to leave.
If he left, all the Territory Lords across the Great Territory Battlefields could only retreat to their camps and not reveal themselves.
The peace agreement still benefited both sides, the evidence was how many Masters both Races had accumulated over the past 3,000 years.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Sir Yang,” Mo Na Ye turned and said apologetically to Yang Kai.
“Say whatever you want, but if you upset this King again, I’ll go kill 100 Territory Lords to relieve my anger!”
Mo Na Ye frowned as he knew that the Black Ink Clan’s previous actions had truly annoyed Yang Kai and he could not do anything about it.
Instead of blowing up though, he just smiled and said, “Sir Yang, although the Human Race and Black Ink Clan have fought for many years, there is currently an understanding between us. My generation has admired Sir Yang for a long time and do not wish to fall out with you here.”
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes slightly when he noticed that Mo Na Ye seemed humble, even apprehensive towards him.
This sly and smooth-talking Pseudo-Royal Lord would become a difficult character to deal with in the future if he was not killed soon.
While bravery and strength were essential to winning a battle, knowing when to advance and retreat was essential to winning a war.
“So, the Black Ink Clan intends to get rid of this King as soon as they can?” Yang Kai questioned in a deep voice.
Mo Na Ye immediately appeared solemn and sighed, “So, Sir Yang Kai is really here because of this.”
He looked as if he had expected this and also appeared sad, “I, Mo Na Ye, wish to provide an explanation to Your Excellency regarding the recent unpleasantness.”
“Go ahead. I’m all ears,” Yang Kai grinned, interested to see where the conversation would lead and how Mo Na Ye intended to resolve this situation.
Mo Na Ye continued, “Earlier at the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, a faction of my Black Ink Clan saw an opportunity and acted impulsively, completely without authorization. Please believe me when I say that they were acting on their own and not on orders of Sir Royal Lord. During that time, Sir Royal Lord was in retreat and entrusted all outside affairs to Di Wu… who was killed by you in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.”
It was always convenient to blame the dead.
Yang Kai was naturally not a fool to be manipulated by Mo Na Ye with such words. Unfortunately, since Di Wu was dead, the truth of the matter died with him.
Mo Na Ye continued, “Di Wu had always been aggressive and prone to using force to solve problems, but in this case, he has caused trouble and undermined the peace agreement between our two Races, sullying the Black Ink Clan’s honour in the process. Thus, his death is not worth pitying. Sir Yang has done us all a great favour by killing him. If he hadn’t died in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, Sir Royal Lord would have taken his life as punishment for provoking the Humans and Your Excellency!
Yang Kai barely contained his urge to laugh out loud.
If someone uninformed heard this speech, they might have thought that the Black Ink Clan was some kind of benevolent Race who treated others with honesty and respect.
Mo Na Ye swallowed both his dignity and pride to speak with Yang Kai like this. It would be impossible to find another Pseudo-Royal Lord who was willing to act so humbly to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
All this only made Yang Kai more determined to kill Mo Na Ye. He had to seize any opportunity to eradicate this Pseudo-Royal Lord as soon as possible. Mo Na Ye was undoubtedly a Black Ink Clansman on the inside, but on the outside he was as shameless and cunning as any Human.
In short, this guy was very difficult to deal with.
“Di Wu is now dead, and the Territory Lords who went to the Ancestral Land were also killed by you. So, it is the Black Ink Clan who suffered a heavy loss!” Mo Na Ye sighed.
Yang Kai snarled in return, “Why shouldn’t I have killed Di Wu and those eight Territory Lords? Should I have stuck out my neck to let them chop my head off instead?”
“That’s not what I meant,” Mo Na Ye waved his hand, “I just want to say that their death isn’t worth us fighting over. I just hope that their death can also calm your anger and allow this matter to rest. What do you say?”
“What do I say?” Yang Kai turned furious and then snapped, “If this is what you want to tell me, then save it! I will go back to the 3,000 Worlds and kill 100 Territory Lords to vent my fury!”
“Ha… very well,” Mo Na Ye smiled bitterly and said, “If it were me, I would not let this issue rest either. We both know that the peace treaty cannot be torn up right now, so let us see if we can come to some kind of arrangement. Sir Yang is undoubtedly unrivaled on the external battlefields as my Black Ink Clan does not have enough Royal Lords. Many Territory Lords would indeed die at your hands; however, once an all-out war breaks out, the future of your Eighth-Order Masters will be equally perilous. I believe that this is not the outcome the Human Race wants to see.”
“Threatening me is meaningless!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “If a war is what you want, then that is what you will get. We’ll see whether your Territory Lords or our Eighth-Order Masters are wiped out first! Regardless of the outcome, I know I won’t be the one to die!”
Mo Na Ye was dumbfounded. Indeed, with Yang Kai’s methods, no matter what kind of war broke out, the chance of being killed was minute, unless the Black Ink Clan created a few more Pseudo-Royal Lords to corner him.
However, right now, the number of Black Ink Clan Innate Territory Lords could hardly support the creation of more Pseudo-Royal Lords. The Acquired Territory Lords could certainly perform the Source Fusion Techniques, but these seedlings were the future hope of the Black Ink Clan to produce true Royal Lords, so how could they be willing to sacrifice them?
“Sir Yang, why don’t you state your request openly,” Mo Na Ye gave up trying to negotiate with Yang Kai as it was clearly not working. The Black Ink Clan could not emerge unscathed from this it seemed.
Yang Kai had already prepared for this and said indifferently, “Those who are responsible should be punished. Di Wu and eight Territory Lords who attacked me that day may be dead, but there were 12 other Territory Lords who escaped. Where are they now?”
Mo Na Ye was shocked that Yang Kai had such a big appetite. He clearly wanted to kill those 12 Territory Lords to appease his anger, but even if the Black Ink Clan agreed to his demand, it was now impossible to find those 12 Territory Lords.
“Sir Yang Kai, if you want those 12 Territory Lords’ heads, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.” Mo Na Ye sighed, “After they escaped, Sir Royal Lord ordered them to be executed as a sign of his determination to uphold the agreement between the two Races!”
“Executed?” Yang Kai was a bit stunned, but when he thought back on the earlier battle, he realized that he had not detected any of those 12 Territory Lords’ auras.
He was not familiar with the 12 Territory Lords who fled; however, he encountered all of them when he probed the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array in the Ancestral Land. For a Master like him, once he met a Territory Lord, it was impossible to forget their aura after a mere 100 years.
In their recent battle, all the Territory Lords at the No-Return Pass had to have been deployed to fight. The 12 Territory Lords couldn’t be hiding from him.
As for the claim that the Royal Lord executed those 12 Territory Lords just to maintain the peace between the two Races, Yang Kai would be a fool to believe Mo Na Ye.
The Royal Lord couldn’t do such a thing to weaken his forces and their morale. At most he would send them to the six Great Territory Battlefields as a punishment to redeem themselves.
Yang Kai’s brow twitched and swept his eyes over to look at Mo Na Ye.
According to the information he got from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, 13 Innate Territory Lords were sacrificed so that Di Wu could attain the rank of Pseudo-Royal Lord. At that time, there should not have been a second Pseudo-Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass.
Now, Mo Na Ye had become a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and the 12 Territory Lords who had escaped from the Ancestral Land were missing.
Yang Kai suddenly realized how Mo Na Ye became a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and was now curious about how the Black Ink Clan turned an Innate Territory Lord into a Pseudo-Royal Lord. Although he had a lot of information now and it was assumed that it was done by some means of sacrifice, the in depth details were still unknown.
He also doubted the Black Ink Clan would just tell him the truth.
[Perhaps… I can try? What if I get something out of it?] Yang Kai thought.
While Yang Kai was thinking, Mo Na Ye nodded his head and replied, “It’s true that they were executed. I know that you don’t believe me, but there is no need for me to lie to you about this.”
Yang Kai said, “It does not matter. If they are dead, then let other Territory Lords take their place. 12 Territory Lords, I don’t care who they are. I’ll behead 12 and be on my way. If you can’t bear to lose 12 Territory Lords, then let me destroy 12 High-Rank Black Ink Nests… That’s right, I’ve already destroyed two. Just give me ten!”
“After all, you were the one who asked me to state my demands,” Yang Kai sneered.
Mo Na Ye was barely able to maintain his smile as he replied, “Your Excellency, your demands are rather unrealistic. I’m afraid they could not be met.”
Whether it was Territory Lords or High-Rank Black Ink Nests, they were not assets the Black Ink Clan could afford to sacrifice. If Yang Kai insisted on these, then there was no point in continuing the conversation.
“It was you, the Black Ink Clan, who attacked me first!” Yang Kai said frostily.
Mo Na Ye could not help but sigh as that was an indisputable fact. If this was a negotiation between two equal parties, logic and reason would allow them to reach a compromise. However, Yang Kai was currently a nightmare to all Territory Lords and had no reason to be reasonable.
Mo Na Ye silently cursed the dead Di Wu. If he had gone to the Ancestral Land to preside over that incident, things would not have deteriorated to this extent.
“Di Wu and the others were indeed at fault, but they were either killed by you or executed by Sir Royal Lord, isn’t that enough to quell your anger?”
“10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests or 12 Territory Lords, no bargaining,” Yang Kai’s was relentless.
Mo Na Ye frowned and said, “You know that this is impossible. If you insist, then I can only assume that you have no intention of maintaining the peace agreement between our two sides. It will not be beneficial to either of our Races for things to collapse here. I would like to suggest resolving this matter, are you willing to consider it?”
“Go ahead!”
“It is true that you were attacked and have suffered losses…” Mo Na Ye said but then paused. When he thought about it, it was the Black Ink Clan who had suffered losses. Yang Kai killed a Pseudo-Royal Lord, eight Territory Lords and his rampage at the No-Return Pass had destroyed two High-Rank Black Ink Nests. These losses were extreme and yet Yang Kai refused to let the matter rest. Still, Mo Na Ye could not quibble about things here and simply said grudgingly, “Perhaps the Black Ink Clan can compensate you with a large amount of resources to calm your anger.”
“How much is a large amount…?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Mo Na Ye said with a silent sigh, “It will definitely satisfy Your Excellency.”
Yang Kai stroked his chin and pondered. Although he came to the No-Return Pass looking for some revenge, his main goal was to find out the internal situation of the Black Ink Clan. Now that his primary objective had been achieved, and he knew there were two Royal Lords here, it would truly be difficult for him to do anything more. His demands for 10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests or 12 Territory Lords were just him asking for the lion’s share to see what he could squeeze out of the Black Ink Clan. He also knew that the Black Ink Clan couldn’t agree to this demand, so the best-case scenario would really be getting some free supplies from them.
The Human Race now has a large number of rising stars and a huge demand for resources; however, the number of Great Territories controlled by the Human Race was too low. Although the Cave Heavens and Paradises had accumulated a massive quantity of materials throughout their existence, they would one day be depleted.
The Black Ink Clan was different. They now controlled some 99% of the 3,000 Worlds as well as the entire Black Ink Battlefield, so they were never short of supplies. This was also the reason why there were many Human Race Hunters who plundered the Black Ink Clan in the Great Territories outside the main battlefields.
So, Mo Na Ye’s proposal to use resources to solve this situation was acceptable.
However, Yang Kai couldn’t dismiss this incident so easily. From the battle at the Ancestral Land, it was clear that the Black Ink Clan wanted to kill him. He was lucky that he had a geographical advantage and coincidentally had a massive Small Stone Race Army from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan on hand. Otherwise, he would have faced a deadly situation.
Since the Black Ink Clan wanted him dead, they could not blame him for shaving off several kilos of flesh.
Yang Kai said, “I have two conditions. If Black Ink Clan can agree, then the Ancestral Land matter will be settled.”
Mo Na Ye frowned and said, “Please tell me.”
Although he was relieved to hear this, Mo Na Ye showed nothing on his face. As long as Yang Kai was willing to state conditions, that meant there was room for negotiation. Mo Na Ye was only afraid that Yang Kai would insist on killing 12 Territory Lords or destroying 10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests. Those conditions were simply unmanageable.
“First condition, Black Ink Disciples!” Yang Kai held up a finger, “I want 100 Black Ink Disciples in exchange for each Territory Lord’s life. 1,200 for 12 in total, of whom no fewer than 100 must be Seventh-Order. I know that the Black Ink Clan has corrupted many Black Ink Disciples over the years, so 1,200 should be nothing to you.”
Mo Na Ye smiled bitterly and replied, “1,200 is not a small number.”
Yang Kai said, “100 Black Ink Disciples for the life of a Territory Lord. I think I am being very generous to the Black Ink Clan. I won’t force you if you don’t want to accept.”
Mo Na Ye reached up and rubbed his forehead as if he was having a headache; however, Yang Kai noticed that he was actually using his Divine Sense to communicate with the Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass.
Yang Kai decided to wait patiently since Mo Na Ye was consulting with the true Royal Lord.
However, he kept his guard up for any possible sudden turn of affairs.
From this incident, he could see that the Black Ink Clan would seize on any chance to kill him. He just had an encounter with them at the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, and now, the Black Ink Clan gathered Territory Lords to set up a Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array to trap and exterminate him.
Although there were currently many Human Race Masters, the Black Ink Clan was only really wary of Yang Kai at the moment. The Black Ink Clan would no longer be constrained if he was to die.
However, Yang Kai emerged unscathed from the battle in the Ancestral Land. The Black Ink Clan was humiliated and had to negotiate for peace again, just like all those years ago when Yang Kai was terrorizing them.
At that time, the Black Ink Clan was forced into a peace agreement with the Humans in certain Great Territories because Yang Kai had been killing Innate Territory Lords time and time again. The losses were too heavy for the Black Ink Clan to bear.
Even now, the Black Ink Clan was clear that Yang Kai was raising a huge fuss and making unreasonable demands, but there was still nothing they could do about it.
A few moments later, Mo Na Ye nodded at Yang Kai and said, “We agree to your demands for 1,200 Black Ink Disciples.”
Yang Kai reiterated, “No less than 100 in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Mo Na Ye said with a straight face, “Of course.”
Since the Black Ink Clan had already agreed to this request, how could he haggle over the details? There were many Black Ink Disciples who were corrupted by the Black Ink Clan over the years. These Black Ink Disciples would eventually grow into Seventh-Order or even Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, of which Black Ink Clan had a few.
Originally, the Black Ink Clan wanted to use these Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to infiltrate the Human Great Territories as spies to obtain critical information or perform sabotage; however, there was now an abundance of Purifying Light within the Human Race’s side, and in order to enter any rear facility or territory, one had to enter a Purifying Black Ink Battleship. Under the Purifying Light, the Black Ink Disciples would not be able to hide. Thus, those Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were useless unless they were used to fight the Human Race Masters on the battlefield.
As Yang Kai said, 100 Black Ink Disciples in exchange for the life of a Territory Lord was actually very reasonable. As long as the Humans had Hunters, the Black Ink Clan would not lack in Black Ink Disciples.
“Sir Yang can state your second condition,” Mo Na Ye said.
Yang Kai looked at him with a smile and nodded, “I want to know how you became a Royal Lord. As far as I know, an Innate Territory Lord can’t become a Royal Lord. So, how did you do it and how did Di Wu do it?”
Mo Na Ye calmly replied, “Who told you that Innate Territory Lords cannot become Royal Lords? Di Wu and I had been cultivating for many years, so there is nothing strange about us achieving a breakthrough, right?”
“Don’t take me for a fool!” Yang Kai snorted, “Before Di Wu became a Royal Lord, 13 Innate Territory Lords entered a High-Rank Black Ink Nest in the No-Return Pass and disappeared one after another. When you became a Royal Lord, 12 Territory Lords were ‘conveniently’ executed. Are you trying to tell me there is no relationship between these events?”
“Of course not!” Mo Na Ye tried to deny it, but after a moment, he realized that Yang Kai should have gotten this information from those Seventh-Order Spirit Array Masters.
After the battle of the Ancestral Land, the 12 surviving Territory Lords escaped while the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples went missing. They apparently had fallen into Yang Kai’s hands and were rescued by him. During the time they had been in the No-Return Pass, although they did not know anything about the Source Fusion Technique, those Seventh-Order Masters weren’t blind and surely took note of certain events.
“Were they sacrificed?” Yang Kai looked straight into Mo Na Ye’s eyes and continued, “There must be some method the Black Ink Clan possesses that allows a large number of Innate Territory Lords to sacrifice themselves and integrate their power into a Black Ink Nest. After enough power is accumulated, an Innate Territory Lord can absorb all of it for themselves, allowing them to break through their shackles and become a Royal Lord!”
Mo Na Ye maintained a straight face the whole time, so Yang Kai could not tell anything from his reaction. In the end, Mo Na Ye just flatly stated, “Whatever Your Excellency chooses to believe, let that be the truth.”
Yang Kai stared at him deeply for a long time before he waved his hand and said, “Good.”
He also knew that he could not get an admission from the Black Ink Clan. Even if the Black Ink Clan did tell him some story, would he believe it? Whatever the Black Ink Clan said still had to be verified, so there was no point in pushing the issue.
Without dwelling on the matter, Yang Kai said, “Let’s talk about the resources…”
Mo Na Ye was exhausted from having to deal with Yang Kai all day, so he quickly cupped his fist and said, “We need time to prepare the resources and gather the Black Ink Disciples. Please wait for a while. Once they are ready, we will deliver them to you.”
[Humans… are truly disgusting and difficult to deal with,] fumed Mo Na Ye internally.
Mo Na Ye deeply appreciated how difficult it was to communicate with Yang Kai. He was glad that he did not argue with Yang Kai about the specifics of the supplies or he might want him to list out all the materials in detail. He was just relieved that the negotiations were finally over.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and tossed a communication bead to him and said, “Take your time to prepare. Send me a message when they are ready and I will come.”
Mo Na Ye took the communication bead, but when he looked up, Yang Kai had already disappeared. He did not seem to worry that the Black Ink Clan would renege on the agreement and did not even give a time limit.
Yang Kai figured he did not need to give a deadline, for if the Black Ink Clan dared to renege, the Territory Lords in the Great Territory Battlefields would be in imminent danger. Yang Kai would surely kill 100 Territory Lords just as he promised.
As for now, the Black Ink Clan wanted him to be as far away as possible. They had nothing to gain by having him lingering around. Although the two Royal Lords were indifferent to having such a Human Master nearby, the Territory Lords couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Mo Na Ye turned around and flew towards the No-Return Pass. When he reached the Royal Lord, he bowed low and said, “Sir, we subordinates failed in our responsibilities and caused a huge loss to our Black Ink Clan. Please punish us, Sir.”
To this declaration, the Royal Lord just waved his hand and said, “It’s not your fault. I was the one who underestimated him.”
He originally thought that everything would be safe with Mo Na Ye guarding the No-Return Pass, but the growth of this Human had vastly exceeded his expectations and caught him off guard. Clearly, Yang Kai’s strength had increased several times since 3,000 years ago, to the point where even facing Mo Na Ye and many Territory Lords, he could still destroy two Black Ink Nests and make his escape.
Back then, Yang Kai did not have such strength.
After calming down, the Royal Lord concluded that even if he was also here at the No-Return Pass, he might not be able to protect the High-Rank Black Ink Nests unless he could find a way to kill Yang Kai in one blow.
“I’ll leave the preparation of the supplies and gathering of the Black Ink Disciples to you. Just get rid of him as soon as possible,” The Royal Lord glanced at the depths of the void with obvious disgust, as if Yang Kai was a dirty beggar who kept clinging on to him, refusing to let go.
“Yes!” Mo Na Ye replied respectfully.
As orders were passed down through the Black Ink Nests, teams with supplies and Black Ink Disciples from the various Great Territories began to converge at the No-Return Pass.
Some 50 million kilometres away from the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai retracted his aura while hiding inside a small Universe Fragment while he began adjusting his breathing and healing his wounds.
Fortunately, he did not sustain any serious injuries this time, so it did not take much time to recover.
Yang Kai had not received any contact from Mo Na Ye, but he was not in a hurry. He just silently studied the Grand Daos of Time and Space. With the recent refinement of his Dragon Vein, his attainments in the Dao of Time had grown to the same level of mastery as his Dao of Space. Yang Kai’s understanding of the Space-Time Strength was also much clearer and more intuitive than before.
Even so, he still had a long way to go.
At least, in his own assessment of the Grand Dao Mastery, whether it was the Dao of Time or the Dao of Space, he had yet to reach the highest level, Shocking History and Dazzling the Present.
Yang Kai had a feeling that if his two Grand Daos reached the highest level one day, his Space-Time Strength would experience a dramatic change.
Additionally, it was just about time for him to make a trip to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Wu Kuang agreed to guard the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, while Yang Kai promised to check in on him after 3,000 years. It was about time.
Wu Kuang made a bold statement that 3,000 years would be enough for him to become a Ninth-Order Master. Yang Kai did not know if he succeeded, but still, Wu Kuang was the reincarnation of Shi, the original creator of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, and the possessor of the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus. As long as there was enough power for him to devour, Wu Kuang would grow at a speed that no one could match.
Inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was the true body of Mo, whose Black Ink Strength was immense. To cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law, Wu Kuang was practically devouring Black Ink Strength without any limit.
Guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction might have been a chore for others, even for the original Cang and his compatriots, but it was actually a joy for Wu Kuang.
It had been more than 3,000 years since the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction war and the collapse of the Human Race Grand Army. Mo was struck by Mu’s Secret Technique at the last moment and fell into a deep sleep, with no one knowing when it would wake up.
Once it woke up, it would be disastrous if the Human Race still did not have the means to deal with it.
Yang Kai felt a sense of powerlessness. The cultivation of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm was still too weak in front of the rising tide of the Universe.
He hoped that he would not be disappointed with the Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art that Wu Kuang had given him.
Three months later, Yang Kai, who was meditating, suddenly felt something and took out the communication bead. When he infused his Divine Sense to look into it, it was Mo Na Ye who had sent a message that informed him that the supplies and 1,200 Black Ink Disciples were ready for him. They were now waiting for Yang Kai to return to the No-Return Pass to settle the grudge over the Ancestral Land ambush.
It seemed that the Black Ink Clan had not been dragging their feet since he left that day.
Yang Kai would not go to the No-Return Pass so easily though. That was the Black Ink Clan’s stronghold, with countless Black Ink Clansmen gathered there. If he fell into the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking’s Array again, then Yang Kai would be in great trouble.
Thus, he pondered a little and then sent a message.
At the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye gripped the Communication Bead and was dumbfounded when he looked at it.
“What?” The Royal Lord stood up and asked in a deep voice.
Mo Na Ye shook his head and said, “This Human is very cautious. He doesn’t want to come to the No-Return Pass to receive the supplies, so he specified another location.”
“Just as expected.” The Royal Lord coldly snorted, “Go on then. Do not miss this opportunity!”
Mo Na Ye was surprised by the Royal Lord’s persistence to kill Yang Kai. Although he did not think it was appropriate to provoke Yang Kai anymore, he had no choice but to agree.
A full six months later, somewhere in the void, Mo Na Ye stood, looking extremely angry and upset. Anyone who had been made to dance like a puppet on strings would feel equally moody.
Behind him, several Innate Territory Lords sensed his anger spilling over and threatening to engulf them. In order not to incur his wrath, they kept silent and stayed as far from him as possible.
Behind them were 1,200 Black Ink Disciples gathered in various scattered groups and areas, looking confused and disorganized.
It had been half a year since Mo Na Ye set off from the No-Return Pass with the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples and the supplies he had prepared. In this half a year, Yang Kai repeatedly changed the location for the transaction eight times. Furthermore, there were times that he made Mo Na Ye wait for dozens of days without any updates. Mo Na Ye was furious, but could not do anything about it.
He could understand Yang Kai being cautious and suspicious as the Royal Lord had already instructed Mo Na Ye to seize any opportunity to kill this pest.
However, with Yang Kai being so cautious, how could Black Ink Clan have any chance to do anything?
If Mo Na Ye wanted to take action against Yang Kai, he had to first set up the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array so that he could trap him in place.
The Black Ink Clan had no way to arrange anything in advance though as Yang Kai repeatedly changed the meeting location.
Thus, Mo Na Ye no longer held any hope of taking Yang Kai down…
The Black Ink Clan was being sincere to Yang Kai, but he still treated them like vicious bandits, which frustrated Mo Na Ye.
He decided that if Yang Kai changed the meeting location again, he would return to the No-Return Pass with the Black Ink Disciples and supplies.
Suddenly, ripples appeared in the void and Yang Kai appeared like a ghost. Before he appeared, neither the Innate Territory Lords nor Mo Na Ye felt Yang Kai’s aura.
This Space Secret Technique alone rendered the Black Ink Clan somewhat powerless to deal with him.
“It’s been a long time,” Yang Kai said as soon as he appeared. He had randomly and hastily decided to meet here, so the Black Ink Clan couldn’t set up the traps in advance. Additionally, he had secretly surveyed the vicinity with his Demon Eye of Annihilation to ensure there were no hidden dangers before showing up.
“Sir Yang is quite cautious,” Mo Na Ye replied grouchily. He could be considered mild-tempered among the Black Ink Clan, but now he was thoroughly incensed by Yang Kai’s behaviour.
Yang Kai said frostily, “What’s wrong with being cautious? Enough nonsense, where are the supplies?”
Mo Na Ye kept a straight face and threw out a few Space Rings. Before Yang Kai caught them, he used his Divine Sense to check them for hidden traps and ensure that there were no problems.
Each Space Ring was filled with resources and materials of various qualities and Elements. The amount in each Space Ring was enough to allow a top Second Class Sect to sustain itself for 1,000 years.
The amount and quality of the supplies was undeniably large.
Yang Kai clicked his tongue and snickered, “The Black Ink Clan’s assets are truly remarkable.”
This wasn’t a surprise though as the Human Race were stuck in just over a dozen Great Territories while everywhere else was fully controlled by the Black Ink Clan. What’s more, the Black Ink Clan did not care how they mined for resources as even destroying Universe Worlds meant nothing to them.
The 3,000 Worlds of today was being fully exploited for its resources. After mining whatever they could, the Black Ink Clan simply allowed the various Universe Worlds to crumble into Universe Fragments.
“Here are the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples. Sir Yang, please inspect them. If these are acceptable, we will leave now.” Mo Na Ye urged him to accept the compensation so that he could leave and not have to deal with Yang Kai any further.
“They will do,” Yang Kai did not bother to check, not because he trusted the Black Ink Clan, but rather because he had already inspected these 1,200 Black Ink Disciples before showing up. There were exactly 100 Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciples as agreed upon, while the rest were of various Orders and strengths.
“In that case, goodbye!” Mo Na Ye cupped his fist and led the Territory Lords, who had constantly been on guard, to leave.
Yang Kai saw them off warmly, “This has been a happy cooperation. I hope there will be more such cooperation in the future!”
Mo Na Ye paused momentarily and could not help but curse to himself, [There will never be another time! If there is a next time, it will be you delivering your head to me!]
After Yang Kai watched the Black Ink Clan Masters fade into the distance, he turned to look at the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples, but as soon as he did, someone shouted, “Disperse!”
1,200 people turned into 1,200 streams of light in an instant, scattering in all directions.
Yang Kai entirely failed to stifle his laughter as he knew that the Black Ink Clan would not be so honest. It turned out that this was what they were up to.
If he were a regular Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, there would be nothing he could do in the face of such a situation. At best, some of these Black Ink Disciples would be captured, but probably 90% of them would be able to escape.
However, with Yang Kai being here, what the Black Ink Clan did was pointless and doomed to fail.
The moment the 1,200 streams of light shot in all directions, the void suddenly thrummed and solidified. The streams of light all faded to reveal the Black Ink Disciples who were now frozen in place, none of them able to move, each with a different expression on their face.
Yang Kai stepped forward, and as soon as he walked past each of the Black Ink Disciples, they would disappear.
Each of the Black Ink Disciples reappeared in Yang Kai’s Small Universe and was immediately enveloped by a mass of Purifying Light which began to dispel the Black Ink Strength in their bodies and returned them to their original selves.
In a short time, all 1,200 Black Ink Disciples were taken in.
Yang Kai took a long look in the direction of the No-Return Pass before turning around and disappearing into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
A short while later, he arrived at a secret place and established a connection to the World Tree.
With the power of the World Tree, Yang Kai shuttled through the void and soon arrived at the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary where he stood below the World Tree.
The Old Tree still had the same old look, with almost all the World Fruits still on the tree being the ones corresponding to the Universe Worlds that Yang Kai had refined and saved at the beginning of the invasion. There were also World Fruits corresponding to several Universe Worlds in High Heaven Territory and the New Great Territory.
As for the other World Fruits, they had all fallen off.
On some of the branches of the Old Tree, there was a trace of Black Qi.
“Thank you, Old Tree.” Yang Kai bowed and saluted.
The Old Tree did not show its face, choosing to just shake slightly.
Yang Kai identified the World Fruit that corresponded to the Star Boundary and shot towards it. The World Fruit rapidly enlarged in his eyes as a familiar aura came towards him. Before he knew it, Yang Kai was already standing above the Star Boundary.
He stepped forward and appeared in High Heaven Palace next, where a familiar Divine Sense immediately swept over, though it was withdrawn as soon as it scanned him. One of the Great Emperors stationed at the Star Boundary noticed that someone had entered it; however, once they identified that it was Yang Kai, they knew that he was not here to cause trouble.
This time, it appeared to be Ice Feather Great Emperor who was stationed at the Star Boundary. Yang Kai did not have many interactions with this Great Emperor and thus was not too familiar with him.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense swept over the Spirit Peak where his parents lived, and found that the old couple were happily teaching some young disciples.
With the Black Ink Clan invading the 3,000 Worlds, no one could avoid joining the war effort. In fact, Yang Kai’s parents had applied to join the Army several times; however, High Heaven Palace always refused to allow them to go, claiming that they could contribute most by teaching the next generation of disciples.
Naturally, no one, save for Yang Kai’s parents themselves, raised any complaints about this.
Yang Kai had made many invaluable contributions to the war over the years. In fact, if not for Yang Kai, the Human Race might have lost long ago. His Wives, Adopted Son, and Little Sister were all fighting on the frontlines as well.
Since his parents were not that strong, and there was a high probability of something happening to them if they went to the battlefield, the higher-ups all tacitly agreed to keep them out of the fighting; after all, how could they explain to Yang Kai if something happened to them? Also, who would dare to say anything if his parents remained in the Star Boundary?
Without bothering his parents, Yang Kai called Hua Qing Si and asked about the situation in the Star Boundary. He also asked about the New Great Territory, the Myriad Monsters World.
He learned that everything was fine here at the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World was also doing well. The World Tree clone was showing its power and after thousands of years of nurturing, many rising stars from the Myriad Monsters World had directly broken through to the Fifth, Sixth, and even Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
A Monster King had been recognized by the Myriad Monsters World’s Will and been named the first Great Emperor with the title Thunder Shadow. He left the Myriad Monsters World with some Human companions and had now made a name for himself on the various battlefields.
Nowadays, there were several Great Emperors of the Myriad Monsters World. In addition to the original Monster Race Great Emperor with the title of Thunder Shadow, there was one more from the Monster Race and two Humans who had been certified as Great Emperors.
The Myriad Monsters World Bottle still had positions open, so both Monsters and Humans were eager to attain the World’s acknowledgement and seize this position for themselves.
This was not only a matter of honour and prestige of course, as anyone who obtained the Great Emperor position would see a dramatic increase in their speed of cultivation while in Myriad Monsters World, allowing them to grow stronger more rapidly than their peers.
As for the Human Race as a whole, everyone, from the Supreme Commander to the ordinary soldiers could feel the stress of the approaching storm. Everyone knew that in the near future the peace between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan would break down completely and a battle to the death would begin.
Once that happened, only the strong would be able to protect themselves.
On the whole, the expectations of the Human Race were high but filled with potential.
“Have Xiao’er and Xue’er sent any messages back?” Yang Kai asked casually.
Hua Qing Si pursed her lips and said, “Yang Xiao did send back a message. He said that the Palace Master had caused them a lot of trouble. Now, they are constantly being hunted by the Black Ink Clan. Whenever their whereabouts are exposed, they are bound to be pursued. It has taken them a lot of effort to repel the enemy.”
Yang Kai chuckled heartily and said, “It looks like they’re having a good time, I can rest assured then.”
This was probably due to the ‘final lesson’ that Yang Kai gave his three Disciples in Azure Sun Territory. Although Yang Xiao, Yang Xue and the others were not present at the time, the Black Ink Clan had sources of information. They would be able to find out about Yang Xiao and Yang Xue’s relationship with Yang Kai and naturally wanted to handle them.
Yang Kai was not too worried about their safety of course. These little ones had all become Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so as long as they worked together and joined forces to defend themselves, the Black Ink Clan, though strong, should not be able to harm them.
Yang Kai did not stop for long at the Star Boundary. He exchanged a few words with Hua Qing Si and released a group of disciples who were ready to reach the Open Heaven Realm from the Void Dao Temple, leaving them under her care. He instructed her on some matters and then left.
After passing through the Territory Gate, he arrived at the neighbouring Great Territory, which was numbered but remained unnamed.
Any Great Territory that was only represented as a number on the Universe Chart was ranked as an extremely low-grade Great Territory. It meant that it did not have any notable Great Force overseeing it. A Great Territory such as this usually had few Universe Worlds and sparse resources. Generally speaking, such a Great Territory was isolated from the rest of the world.
High Heaven Territory was like this in the past. In the whole High Heaven Territory, there were only two habitable Universe Worlds. One was the Star Boundary and the other was the Demon Realm. The strongest Masters were the Great Emperors and Demon Saints. There were no Open Heaven Realm Masters here.
However, since the rise of the Star Boundary as an Open Heaven Realm Cradle, High Heaven Territory made a name for itself.
The neighbouring Great Territory was not so fortunate, but it was the place where the Supreme Headquarters of the Human Race was located. Although the Great Territory was previously unknown and even deserted, it was now vital to the Human Race.
Not only because it was the Great Territory that led directly to the Star Boundary, but also because it connected to more than 10 Great Territory Battlefields.
Just as the Barren Territory was the last barrier to the 3,000 Worlds, this unnamed Great Territory was also the last bulwark for the Human Race today! If the Black Ink Clan breached this place, they would be able to push straight into the heart of Human Territory. When that happened, the Human Race would have no choice but to completely fall back to High Heaven Territory and the New Great Territory.
With the Supreme Headquarters located here, this Great Territory was extremely bustling. No matter which battlefield the soldiers headed to or retreated from, they would transit through this place to rest and repair their equipment. Armies would be assembled here and be dispatched by the Supreme Headquarters as reinforcements to the Great Territory Battlefields on a regular basis.
Looking from afar, there were many Human Race soldiers coming and going in the void and the glimmer of light from their bodies was as bright as stars.
Yang Kai suppressed his aura and rushed to the Universe Fragment where the Supreme Headquarters was located. Without informing anyone, he flew straight to the Main Hall.
Inside the Main Hall, Mi Jing Lun was busy pointing at a Territory Map and a few Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were in charge of transmitting orders nodded as they took careful notes. Yang Kai took a look and found the Territory Map was of Twin Poles Territory.
Noticing Yang Kai’s arrival, Mi Jing Lun looked up and gave him a light nod, signalling him to wait for a moment. Yang Kai made himself at home, found a seat, poured himself a cup of tea, and leisurely sipped it.
After a little more than half an hour, the Seventh-Order Masters were sent away. Mi Jing Lun stood in place in contemplation for several moments before rubbing his forehead. He then walked over to Yang Kai, sat down, and pushed an empty teacup towards him.
Yang Kai picked up the teapot and poured him a cup. Mi Jing Lun heaved a long sigh and downed the tea like he was draining a bottle of wine.
Yang Kai asked, “Things aren’t going well in Twin Poles Territory?”
Mi Jing Lun replied, “The Black Ink Clan has intensified their attack on Twin Poles Territory. They’ve recently gained more Territory Lords and deployed them there, so we are facing some difficulties.”
Turning his head to look at Yang Kai, he asked with a smile, “Why don’t you take a trip there?”
“Impossible!” Yang Kai waved his hand, “I just got back from harassing the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass. If I go to Twin Poles Territory at this time, wouldn’t I be reneging on the agreement?”
“What happened?” Mi Jing Lun raised a brow and asked curiously.
Yang Kai briefly told them about his experience at the No-Return Pass before handing Mi Jing Lun the supplies he had extorted from the Black Ink Clan.
Mi Jing Lun accepted them politely, and after a quick inspection, he exclaimed, “Wow, the Black Ink Clan was really generous to you!”
In his heart, he knew that this was due to Yang Kai’s notorious reputation. If the Black Ink Clan had to choose between losing Territory Lords or resources, they would definitely choose the latter. They could easily recoup the material losses even if they were given away; however, Territory Lords were all valuable assets, and it would not be beneficial to give Yang Kai an excuse to go on a killing spree.
If Mi Jing Lun tried to take advantage of the Black Ink Clan like this, he would have been torn apart by the Royal Lord. Although he became an Eighth-Order Master much earlier than Yang Kai, he had to admit that he was no match for the latter’s strength.
This was a positive development though. The future of the Human Race would only be bright if the future generation could surpass the abilities of the current one.
“A few days ago, there was a report of many Black Ink Nests scattered all over the Great Territories withering for no apparent reason. I figured it was you who went to the No-Return Pass to stir up trouble. From what you had just said, it seems my assumptions were correct.”
There was a precedent for this. Previously, Yang Kai went on a rampage at the No-Return Pass and destroyed seven High-Rank Black Ink Nests. This naturally disrupted the flow of reinforcements to the Black Ink Clan as all the Mid-Rank and Low-Rank Black Ink Nests spawned from those High-Rank Nests were destroyed.
The Human Race was not sure what had happened at the time, but later found out that it was Yang Kai’s doing.
So, when a similar event happened, it was easy for Mi Jing Lun to make a guess.
“The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who returned from the Ancestral Land explained in detail what happened there, and the Small Stone Race Army you provided has also been integrated into our forces.” Mi Jing Lun said solemnly, “Junior Brother, does the Black Ink Clan really have the means to help an Innate Territory Lords become a Royal Lord?”
When they heard this news, many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at the Supreme Headquarters were shocked and decided to block the news immediately to avoid damaging the morale of the Army. It was a pity that Yang Kai was like a Dragon who shows his tail but never his face. Yang Kai came over whenever he wanted to see Mi Jing Lun, but the reverse essentially never happened. It was as difficult as ascending to the Heavens if Mi Jing Lun wanted to find Yang Kai.
Yang Kai drank another cup of tea and nodded, “Indeed, the Pseudo-Royal Lord I encountered at the Ancestral Land named Di Wu was created in such a manner. Unfortunately for him, he was too careless and was killed by me!”
“Pseudo-Royal Lord?” Mi Jing Lun exclaimed with his eyebrows raised.
“It seems Senior Brother isn’t aware of this point. Although the Black Ink Clan has the ability to forcibly raise an Innate Territory Lord into a Royal Lord, there are clear flaws with the process. Such a created Royal Lord may have the raw power of a Royal Lord, but they are unable to utilise it properly. I clearly felt this when I fought Di Wu; he could only exert about 70% to 80% of what a Royal Lord should be able to do. Thus, I regard them as Pseudo-Royal Lords.”
Mi Jing Lun heaved a sigh of relief and said, “If that’s the case, then there’s no need to be too concerned.”
A Pseudo-Royal Lord who could only exert an average of 75% of his power was not nearly as threatening to Eighth-Order Masters as a true Royal Lord. It might only take a few Eighth-Order Masters in a Battle Formation to resist such an enemy, though killing one was probably impossible.
“But there is another Pseudo-Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass right now.”
Mi Jing Lun’s eyes narrowed and asked, “Who?”
“Senior Brother, do you remember that Innate Territory Lord named Mo Na Ye?”
“Him?” How could Mi Jing Lun not know who Mo Na Ye was? Mo Na Ye was one of the Innate Territory Lords that the Human Race was highly focused on. This guy was far more intelligent and cunning than other Territory Lords. It was definitely not a good development for the Human Race for this Black Ink Clansman to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
Mi Jing Lun thought about it momentarily but decided not to dwell on it any further. Now that Mo Na Ye had become a Pseudo-Royal Lord, it was useless to brood over it. If they really encountered him, they could only directly take him on, “Junior Brother, have you found out how the Black Ink Clan creates these Pseudo-Royal Lords?”
Yang Kai shook his head and replied, “Mo Na Ye was already a Pseudo-Royal Lord when I arrived at the No-Return Pass. I tried to probe them about it, and it seemed like the information those Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered at the No-Return Pass was accurate. Even if the Black Ink Clan has a method to create Pseudo-Royal Lords, they have to pay a huge price. At the very least, they should have to sacrifice a large number of Innate Territory Lords. When Di Wu transformed into a Pseudo-Royal Lord, 13 Innate Territory Lords were sacrificed. In Mo Na Ye’s case, there were at least 12!”
Hearing this, Mi Jing Lun seemed to have suddenly thought of something before snapping his feather fan closed. He gently tapped the fan against his palm and said, “Perhaps… it also involves the sacrifice of a High-Rank Black Ink Nest.”
Yang Kai wondered and asked, “Why do you think so?”
“Perhaps Junior Brother isn’t aware of this. About 400 years ago, some Low-Rank and Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests suddenly withered. When the numbers were tabulated, the Headquarters estimated that a single High-Rank Black Ink Nest had been destroyed somehow. About 100 years ago, a similar situation occurred. Initially, I thought that it was Junior Brother who went on a rampage at the No-Return Pass and destroyed these High-Rank Black Ink Nests, but from your story just now, that seems to not be the case.”
“400 years ago…” After a little calculating, Yang Kai realized that was the time that he had just arrived at the Ancestral Land to cultivate.
He also killed Di Wu just over 100 years ago.
For the Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Nests were their foundation, so they would not be given up easily. There could only be one reason for those Low-Rank and Mid-Rank Black Ink Nests to die all of a sudden. The High-Rank Black Ink Nest that produced them was destroyed!
The timing was too coincidental, and the anomaly was equally obvious. The Black Ink Clan was smart enough to hide the truth from him, but there were enough clues for the Human Race to make the necessary deduction.
Yang Kai kept nodding his head.
More than 400 years ago, when the Black Ink Clan knew that he was cultivating in the Ancestral Land, they created Di Wu, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, and ordered him to go to the Ancestral Land to kill him.
Unfortunately, Di Wu ended up losing everything and died in the Ancestral Land. When they realized that Di Wu had died, the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass created Mo Na Ye.
They did it twice, and each time they not only sacrificed more than 10 Territory Lords, they also lost a High-Rank Black Ink Nest in the process.
“It makes sense now,” Mi Jing Lun’s eyes flashed and continued, “The Black Ink Clan does have the means to transform an Innate Territory Lord into a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but it requires the sacrifice of a dozen or so Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. No wonder the Black Ink Clan has never used this technique before. The cost is indeed very high compared to the benefits.” He looked at Yang Kai and said with a smile, “Looks like that original Royal Lord is willing to pay any price as long as they can kill you.”
Yang Kai said, “Man proposes, the Heavens dispose.”
If he did not have an Army of Small Stone Race with him when he went to the Ancestral Land, there was a good chance that Di Wu would have succeeded.
The good thing was that this matter was considered resolved in his favour. The Black Ink Clan tried to kill Yang Kai, but he managed to overcome that calamity and gained significant compensation for it. All of this was because the two Races still needed to maintain the status quo.
What happened at the Ancestral Land was considered resolved and there was no point in thinking about it further, so Yang Kai changed the topic and asked, “How are Senior Brother Xiang and the others?”
Xiang Shan had stopped appearing in public and focused on cultivating to break through to the Ninth Order. The Black Ink Clan suspected that Xiang Shan and the other Eighth-Order Masters who were expected to break through and reach the Ninth-Order had already done so secretly; however, that was not the case in reality.
The Ninth Order was the peak of the Human Race’s Martial Dao and was extremely difficult to reach. Now, there were not many Humans who were qualified to make this breakthrough.
There was indeed one person who had succeeded, but it was not Xiang Shan.
When Yang Kai asked, Mi Jing Lun sighed and replied, “It has been 1,000 years since they entered retreat, and still there is no news from them. In fact, with Brother Xiang’s talent, he should have already reached the Ninth Order if nothing went wrong.”
The issue was that Xiang Shan’s cultivation had once regressed. Long ago, in Blue Sky Pass, in the era when Yang Kai had not yet set foot onto the Black Ink Battlefield, Xiang Shan was a famous existence and many Territory Lords died at his hand. However, he was so feared that he became a priority target for the Black Ink Clan. They specifically targeted him and trapped him in a bitter battle where he became corrupted heavily by Black Ink Strength, forcing him to sacrifice a large portion of his Small Universe to preserve himself.
Afterwards, he took a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to repair his damaged Small Universe; however, the drop in one’s cultivation was not something that was automatically made up for.
For the many years that Yang Kai was stationed at Blue Sky Pass, he had never seen Xiang Shan because the latter was in secluded retreat.
It was not until the leaders of the Human Race decided to form the Great Evolution Army to recover Great Evolution Pass that Xiang Shan returned to the limelight.
What Mi Jing Lun meant was that if that incident had not occurred all those years ago, Xiang Shan would already be a Ninth-Order Master. The Cave Heavens and Paradises were filled with talented people, but throughout history, few could match the reputation of Xiang Shan.
It was a pity that his future accomplishments were greatly delayed, and now it seemed that dark injuries from that incident were preventing Xiang Shan from reaching the Ninth Order.
The current situation between the two Races was rather stable. Although the fighting never ceased, it was all in a managed situation rather than an all-out war. Thus, Xiang Shan took this opportunity to enter retreat and cultivate.
“Brother Xiang did mention that if necessary, he would come out to face the enemy, regardless of whether he had achieved a breakthrough.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and asked, “What about the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress? What’s the progress?”
The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was a massive Mobile Palace Artifact that Yang Kai had convinced the Supreme Headquarters to refine in order to deal with the Black Ink Clan. It was quite similar to the Great Passes of old, but far smaller.
The current generation of Artifact Refiners, even compared to those from Late Ancient Era, were not inferior; however, the Human Race sorely lacked resources at the moment.
Great Passes were enormous Mobile Palace Artifacts built up and refined over hundreds of thousands of years, consuming an unfathomable amount of resources. The Human Race could not afford to spend so lavishly in their current situation. If they tried to build such an artifact now, it would likely cripple the cultivation progress of the entire Race, which was a situation that absolutely could not be allowed.
Thus, they could only build the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, for which Yang Kai campaigned hard some 1,000 years ago, just before he left for the Myriad Monsters World.
This Mobile Palace Artifact was not destined for the Great Territory Battlefields, however.
When Yang Kai asked about the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Mi Jing Lun replied, “300 years ago, the superstructure of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was completed, and over the subsequent years, various Grand Arrays and artifacts have been installed. It should be almost finished now.”
After a pause, he asked, “Do you want to see it?”
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded.
The two of them left the Supreme Headquarters together and shot off into the depths of the Void.
The construction of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was kept highly confidential, with only those participating in the project and the heads of the Supreme Headquarters being in the know. This giant weapon of war was located at an extremely remote place in the Great Territory and covered with multiple Arrays to conceal it. Patrolling Human Race Masters also ensured that no one without authorization approached this region.
Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun travelled for about an hour before reaching a Universe World that seemed to be covered in shadows.
Although this Universe World was ancient, its Grand Dao and Will were imperfect; thus, there was no vitality here. This was a rather common sight throughout the 3,000 Worlds. Although such a Universe World generally had a lot of precious cultivation resources, it was not suitable for the survival of living beings, thus it was essentially dead.
A Divine Sense swept over from afar, but after confirming Mi Jing Lun’s identity, it allowed them through.
Yang Kai, led by Mi Jing Lun, flew for a while around the Universe World before arriving at a certain spot and heading down. They passed through a layer of thick, dark clouds before being hit in the face with an imposing aura.
A huge and lofty object immediately filled their view, one that looked like a massive steel beast.
This was the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was undoubtedly much smaller compared to a Great Pass from the Black Ink Battlefield, being just 10% of the size; however, it was still a massive object.
The entire Suppressing Black Ink Fortress looked like a small city with many structures, high walls and towers.
Yang Kai could see people scurrying about inside the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, carrying materials and working on construction projects. There were huge artifacts mounted atop of the city walls, and at a glance one could tell how extraordinary they were.
There were also traces of numerous Grand Arrays, but none of them were currently active so it was impossible to assess their might.
The Human Race seemed to be in decline as it only held a dozen or so Great Territories because of the Black Ink Clan; however, no matter how bad things were, they still had a profound heritage.
When the Grand Army was defeated in the war outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the Humans were forced to retreat to the No-Return Pass, and then to the Barren Territory.
The death of countless soldiers was certainly heartbreaking, but the loss of a Great Pass inherited since the end of the Late Ancient Era, was also a massive strategic setback for the Human race.
While many Great Passes were destroyed, others remained mostly intact at the No-Return Pass.
Many wanted to take the Great Passes away with them, but they were too massive even for a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor to fit into their Small Universe; thus, they had no choice but to abandon them.
Presently, those Great Passes outside the No-Return Pass had become platforms for Black Ink Nests.
If the Human Race could defeat the Black Ink Clan and retake the No-Return Pass, there was still hope to regain those Great Passes.
The two landed on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and were immediately greeted by someone.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded and exclaimed, “Grandmaster Dong Guo!”
It was Dong Guo An Ping, who Yang Kai had met at Blue Sky Pass. He was an Artifact Refining Great Grandmaster from Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven and also the one who built the first Purifying Black Ink Battleship together with Yang Kai and a number of Array Masters.
However, since Yang Kai left Blue Sky Pass, they had not seen each other again, mainly because Dong Guo An Ping was in charge of Artifact Refining while Yang Kai’s job was to kill the enemy. They fought on different battlefields, so it was natural for them not to meet each other.
“Yang Kai!” Dong Guo An Ping also recognized Yang Kai immediately and reached out his hand to slap his shoulder as he happily declared, “I should call you Junior Brother Yang now.”
Yang Kai returned the greeting, “Senior Brother Dong Guo!”
He was happy to see him. Although Yang Kai had met many people on the Black Ink Battlefield, few survived until today.
Dong Guo An Ping was also a bit emotional. When he first met Yang Kai, the latter was just an unknown Sixth-Order brat. He was only valued by Blue Sky Pass’ leaders at the time because he brought Purifying Light to the Human Race. Now, when Dong Guo An Ping saw him again, Yang Kai was already the powerful Profound Nether Army Commander and a perpetual thorn in the Black Ink Clan’s side.
Such growth was truly immense as only 3,000 years had passed since then!
Mi Jing Lun said with a smile, “Senior Brother Dong Guo is one of the Chief Artifact Refiners on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress project. Junior Brother Yang, if you want to know more about the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, please feel free to ask Senior Brother Dong Guo.”
“Many thanks, Senior Brother.”
Dong Guo An Ping simply waved his hand, “Artifact Refining is the job of this Old Master, it’s not a big deal. However, can Junior Brother Yang tell me what this Suppressing Black Ink Fortress is going to be used for? This artifact is massive and took no less than 1,000 Artifact Refiners almost 1,000 years to construct. Although it is powerful, it is not suitable for the current war. Even if it is for a counter-offensive, one Suppressing Black Ink Fortress won’t make much of a difference. If it weren’t for Supreme Headquarters’ special orders, this Old Master would not have agreed to squander so many resources and so much manpower on this. The amount of resources poured into the thing could have benefited the Great Army in many other ways.”
It was clear that Dong Guo An Ping had strong opinions about the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. As he said, this thing was not very useful for the situation the Human Race was currently in. Unless more Suppressing Black Ink Fortresses were built, they could not be used to attack the enemy.
This was certainly a very sharp weapon of war; however, its disadvantages were also very obvious. It took far too many resources and too much time to build just one, so if it did not achieve its intended purpose, then it was all just a huge waste of time and money.
“Didn’t Senior Brother Mi explain the situation?” Yang Kai was stunned.
Mi Jing Lun said in return, “It’s better that fewer people know about this matter.”
Dong Guo An Ping glared at Mi Jing Lun and snorted, “What nonsense is this guy sprouting? He just said that it was a secret. What can this Old Master do to him if he refuses to say anything?”
Yang Kai smiled before quietly whispering something to Dong Guo An Ping.
Dong Guo An Ping immediately turned solemn and remarked, “I see.”
He had his suspicions considering the situation; however, Yang Kai just confirmed his guesses. He was a veteran from Blue Sky Pass who had experienced thousands of years of war on the Black Ink Battlefield.
If the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was used in ‘that’ place, it was indeed the perfect tool for the job.
“What are the chances of that happening?” Dong Guo An Ping asked.
Yang Kai replied, “It’s bound to happen, it’s just a matter of time.”
Dong Guo An Ping replied, “Fortunately, this Old Master did not cut corners when I built the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress; otherwise, it would have been a big mistake.”
Yang Kai laughed and said, “Senior Brother, please take us to look around.”
Dong Guo An Ping was immediately reinvigorated. Although he had some reservations about building the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, it was also the greatest masterpiece of his life. Now that he had succeeded in building it, he naturally wanted to show it off to others. It was pointless for him to brag about it to the builders; thus, when Mi Jing Lun and Yang Kai came, he finally had an audience to lead around and introduce all the wondrous features of his creation.
When the Supreme Headquarters gave the order 1,000 years ago, Dong Guo An Ping led several Artifact Refining Great Grandmasters and brought over 1,000 Artifact Refiners to this place to work.
Those Artifact Refiners had put their all into the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and it represented their proudest achievement.
Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven contributed a huge amount of resources to create this artifact. Although each Cave Heaven and Paradise contributed a lot to this project, Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven were the experts at Artifact Refining and thus contributed the most.
Presently, the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress had various Grand Arrays, artifacts, and even some architectural uniqueness, making it essentially a mobile city. All of this was influenced by Dong Guo An Ping, so he was intimately familiar with all aspects of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, making his introductions detailed and descriptive. Yang Kai soon began to appreciate the might of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
He was very satisfied with what he was hearing. Although the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was only 10% the size of a Great Pass, its armaments and capabilities were basically on par with one.
They paused for explanations and then resumed along the route. When the three of them arrived near a section of the city wall, Dong Guo An Ping pointed to a huge artifact mounted up ahead. The shape of the artifact looked like a crouching tiger with an elongated neck gazing forward. There were several Artifact Refiners nearby who were busy working on it.
Dong Guo An Ping pointed at the artifact and said proudly, “This is a Tiger Roar Cannon, the main offensive artifact of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. Over all four walls, there are a total of 1,200 of these. They were specially designed for the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.”
Mi Jing Lun looked at it for a while and asked, “How powerful is it?”
Dong Guo An Ping stroked his beard and smiled, “When tested, three Sixth-Order Masters working together were able to unleash a strike equivalent to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s full strength. If three Seventh-Order Masters work together, the power unleashed would be similar to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s attack.”
Mi Jing Lun raised an eyebrow and remarked, “Impressive, but creating such an artifact must have been expensive, right?”
Dong Guo An Ping replied with a solemn nod, “Didn’t Supreme Headquarters say not to skimp on the cost? Creating a single Tiger Roar Cannon consumes resources equivalent to building a standard Warship.”
Mi Jing Lun winced at the thought of the cost. With 1,200 Tiger Roar Cannons, it was like having 1,200 standard Warships, and that was just for the main armaments of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. There were other various supplementary artifacts, as well as the Grand Arrays within the fortress, which also required a lot of resources.
The entire Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was practically a weapon of war built from several generations of stockpiled wealth.
It was fortunate that Yang Kai went to the No-Return Pass to pick a fight with the Black Ink Clan and managed to get them to compensate him with so many materials. At least, that could help to replenish a good portion of the stock used in the production of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. Otherwise, the Human Race would have to tighten their belts for a few years just to get by.
However, this was something Yang Kai had specially requested. Although the cost was immense, it was worth the expenditure as long as it could produce the desired effect.
As the two spoke, Yang Kai had already walked toward the Tiger Roar Cannon which had several Artifact Refiners busy working on it. One of them became upset when he noticed someone approaching without permission and stood up abruptly with the intention to reprimand him, but was immediately stunned.
Yang Kai smiled at him and said, “Senior Brother Xu!”
The other person smiled and exclaimed, “Junior Brother Yang?”
“Haven’t seen you in years, Senior Brother Xu. You still have the same noble bearing as before.” Yang Kai glanced at the chubby figure in front of him while comparing it to the one in his memories. In fact, there were no significant changes to Fatty Xu Zhen except for the traces of aging after all these years.
Furthermore, Xu Zhen was already an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Dong Guo An Ping walked forward and asked curiously, “Junior Brother Yang, you know my Martial Nephew?”
Although they were both in the Eighth Order, since they were born and raised in Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven, Dong Guo An Ping was still Xu Zhen’s Senior and thus of a higher rank compared to a rising star like Xu Zhen. Furthermore, while they were cultivators in the same realm and from the same Sect, there was still some difference in their strength and achievements.
In contrast, although Yang Kai was much younger than the rest, as long as his cultivation was on par with theirs, he was considered equal in terms of seniority to Mi Jing Lun and Dong Guo An Ping.
“Of course, I know him. I was drawn into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary with Senior Brother Xu. We went through a lot of hardships together,” Yang Kai explained.
Dong Guo An Ping suddenly understood. Over the past 10,000 years, the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary only appeared once. Xu Zhen coincidentally got dragged into it, and apparently so did Yang Kai. Therefore, it was normal that they knew each other from the incident.
Sometime later, Yang Kai and Xu Zhen also met in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven; however, after Yang Kai went to the Black Ink Battlefield, there was no longer any news of him.
Xu Zhen naturally heard about Yang Kai’s exploits when the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds. It was a pity that they could not meet until today.
To construct the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven had deployed 30% of their Sect’s Artifact Refiners, which was why Fatty Xu Zhen was here.
After some pleasantries, Xu Zhen cupped his fist and said, “Martial Uncle is here just in time. This Tiger Roar Cannon has some problems linking together with the Grand Array. No matter how we tried, we just can’t get it to work smoothly. Perhaps Martial Uncle can figure out the problem.”
Dong Guo An Ping, who never backed down from a challenge, stepped forward and said, “Let me take a look.”
He approached the Tiger Roar Cannon, carefully investigated and quickly found the crux of the problem. He did not personally resolve it though and instead carefully instructed Xu Zhen and the others and let them do it.
This was also a kind of on-the-spot education.
The few Artifact Refiners soon became busy working on the cannon and forgot all about Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun who were standing beside them. Yang Kai also knew something about the Dao of Artifact Refining, and although it was not as good as his mastery over the Daos of Time, Space, and Spear, he was still an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, so he could more or less understand what they were discussing and was also interested in it.
On the contrary, Mi Jing Lun, who knew nothing about the subject, stood by the side, bored to tears.
Upon realizing this, Yang Kai said, “Senior Brother Mi, we have basically finished with the tour of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, but I would like to remain here and see the rest of the artifacts and Spirit Arrays. You should go on ahead first.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded and said, “Good. I will make the rest of the arrangements at the Supreme Headquarters.”
Yang Kai made his requests without holding back, “I estimate it will take a minimum of 5,000 and up to 8,000 soldiers to fully mobilize the power of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. I will have to trouble Senior Brother Mi to prepare them as soon as possible. Additionally, please send the Divine Spirits that I brought back from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary over here. Although they have been obedient over the years, the agreement I made with them was only for 3,000 years and will soon be up. It will be difficult for me to extend the pact, but there just so happens to be someone over on that side who can handle them.”
Mi Jing Lun immediately understood and replied with a smile, “That’s right, under that person’s watchful eye, these Divine Spirits have no choice but to behave obediently.”
“Naturally, the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress needs a Divine Spirit with Great Sun and Moon Marks to be able to create Purifying Light to protect against the encroachment of Black Ink Strength, “
“I’ll make sure everything is prepared appropriately.”
Mi Jing Lun quickly left and went back to the Supreme Headquarters to organize the troops while Yang Kai stayed.
Once the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was ready for action, Yang Kai would be responsible for sending it to that place.
Dong Guo An Ping was still instructing Xu Zhen and the others to solve the problem of the Tiger Roar Cannon, when Yang Kai heard a soft voice in his ear.
He was surprised and decided to follow the voice, leaving the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and heading towards a mountain valley some 3,000 kilometres to the west. He approached it, and was stunned by what he saw within it.
The entire surrounding land was barren and silent, but this mountain valley was full of vitality, with an abundance of fragrant flowers and vegetation.
However, under careful observation and inspection, he realized that all the greenery was nothing but an illusion.
This was obviously an extremely profound manifestation of power.
He then noticed a delicate figure sitting quietly in the middle of the sea of flowers.
As Yang Kai waded through the sea of flowers, the flowers were disturbed, detached from their stems, and flew away from the branches. The flowers turned into yellow, red, and green butterflies dancing among other flowers…
At that moment, the world was colourful and beautiful.
Yang Kai was captivated by this beauty, even stretching out his hand and allowing a butterfly to land gently on his fingertips while flapping its wings.
A few moments later, he approached the figure, bowed, and greeted, “Old Ancestor!”
This was the only Human who had advanced to become a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor since the invasion of the 3,000 Worlds. Only a select few of the upper ranks knew about this.
Yang Kai was curious about where she was after she had reached the Ninth Order, and it was only when he heard her voice that he realized that she had been here the whole time, guarding the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
The Supreme Headquarters must have arranged for this newly promoted Ninth-Order Master to secretly guard the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress to ensure that absolutely nothing happened to it.
Luo Ting He smiled slightly, reached out her hand, and spoke gently, “No need for formalities. In fact, I owe everything that I have to you.”
This Ninth-Order Master of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was trapped in the Samsara Pavilion for 2,000 years. Many years later, Qu Hua Shang had entered the Samsara Pavilion vowing to live and die together with Yang Kai for nine lifetimes or perish inside. Yang Kai managed to overcome this challenge and leave with Qu Hua Shang.
It was through that opportunity that Luo Ting He was also able to leave the Samsara Pavilion.
If Yang Kai had not gone through the ninth reincarnation and succeeded in awakening Qu Hua Shang, Luo Ting He would still be trapped in the Samsara Pavilion. She would not be where she is today.
“Old Ancestor is too kind. What happened that day was pure coincidence,” Yang Kai said respectfully.
Back then, he had no idea Luo Ting He was trapped in the Samsara Pavilion; all he did was break Qu Hua Shang’s Heart Seal and awaken her memories. It was pure coincidence that he managed to get Luo Ting He out as well.
“Coincidence or not, I still owe you a favour,” Luo Ting He insisted.
Yang Kai could not say anything else.
Luo Ting He tilted her head and smiled as she said, “I’ve been thinking about how to repay you for that. I originally thought of giving you some benefits after I reached the Ninth Order; however, your cultivation speed is so fast that the benefits I can give you now related to that are far too limited.”
Luo Ting He would not be in such a tight spot if Yang Kai was only in the Sixth or Seventh Order. All she needed to do was to give him some gifts and give him some pointers for his cultivation, which would not be difficult.
However, Yang Kai’s cultivation had been increasing rapidly over the years, leading to him reach the peak of the Eighth Order.
In terms of strength as an Eighth-Order Master, Yang Kai was definitely the strongest. Even Xiang Shan was incomparable to him.
This made it difficult for Luo Ting He to figure out what she could give him in return. Since she successfully advanced to the Ninth Order and was stationed here to guard the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, she had been thinking long and hard about this.
“I pondered a lot on this. Since you are always out and about, you should be constantly in danger; so, why don’t I give you something to protect yourself? It might come in handy one day.”
Upon saying so, she did not allow Yang Kai to refuse. Her slender jade finger gently lifted and the sea of flowers that blanketed the mountain valley started to detach and turned into balls of light that converged at her fingertip.
The flowing lights lingered and gathered, slowly converging into one and reconstituted into a colourful butterfly which gently flapped its wings.
When the glow waned, the butterfly completely materialized.
She was not finished yet though as Yang Kai clearly felt Luo Ting He’s World Force surging madly and pour into the butterfly. The little butterfly, which was the size of a baby’s palm, was like a bottomless pit, constantly swallowing World Force from the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Yang Kai was immediately dumbfounded.
Although he did not know what mysterious Secret Technique Luo Ting He had performed, he could tell that this Senior, who came from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, was injecting the heritage from her own Small Universe into this butterfly.
This was undoubtedly a huge loss to her. When this butterfly was activated, it would be as if Luo Ting He was present to take action!
It was truly a treasure! Just as Luo Ting He said, Yang Kai travelled around regularly as he no longer needed to cultivate in retreat. Previously in the Ancestral Land, he was surrounded by powerful Black Ink Clan Masters, and when he went to the No-Return Pass, he faced two Royal Lords and countless Territory Lords.
He really did encounter a lot of danger, so such a defensive treasure could be a life-saving token in certain critical moments.
Setting other incidents aside, if he had this butterfly when he was at the Ancestral Land, would Di Wu have even been a threat to him?
With the infusion of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe heritage, the Secret Technique butterfly became increasingly dynamic, as if it really came alive and was ready to fly.
Luo Ting He soon began to look fatigued.
It was only after half an hour that Luo Ting He exhaled a long breath and severed the connection between her Small Universe and the Secret Technique butterfly. With a flick of her fingertip, the butterfly flew towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai opened his palm and the butterfly landed on it. The gorgeous light then dissipated and turned into a butterfly-shaped crystal.
“If you encounter a dangerous situation that you can’t get out of, activating this will certainly help. It contains my full power, but remember that it can only last for 30 breaths.” Luo Ting He warned.
Although the butterfly felt light, Yang Kai’s heart was heavy. He estimated that to create this Secret Technique butterfly, Luo Ting He had sacrificed at least 500 years of hard cultivation. In other words, several centuries of effort had been used up to create this butterfly, which only lasted 30 breaths of time.
In some sense, while such a Secret Technique was extremely damaging to Luo Ting He, it was a potentially life-saving treasure to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai put the Secret Technique butterfly away, bowed, and solemnly said, “Many thanks for Old Ancestor’s generosity!”
Luo Ting He smiled lightly and said, “You are now a pillar of the Human Race. We cannot afford any mistakes with your life.” After a pause, she continued, “You have been out and about a lot, and understand far more than others about the situation between the two Races today. Tell me, if the two sides were to go to war today, what are the chances of the Human Race winning?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and said, “The odds of our victory are actually quite high, but we cannot just focus on the immediate crisis…”
It was not that the Human Race did not dare to fight back against Black Ink Clan in an all-out war today, but rather that they needed to not be short-sighted.
Yang Kai gave up an absolute advantage in Profound Nether Territory and made peace with the Black Ink Clan to create a relatively safe environment for the next generation to grow up in. He did this because he realized that this was not a war that one person alone could control, and that the Human Race needed more Masters if it truly wanted to win in the end.
Later on, the scope of the peace talks extended to more Great Territory Battlefield, and now that some 2,000 years had passed, the Human Race truly had nurtured many rising stars into powerful Masters. The Star Boundary, the Myriad Monsters World, and even his Small Universe continued to witness the birth of such talents.
Now, the Human Race had one more Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it could be said that their situation was much better than 3,000 years ago.
If a full-blown war started today, the Human Race would likely win. Yang Kai alone would have a huge impact as he would be unshackled, able to slaughter Acquired and Innate Territory Lords freely.
Although the Black Ink Clan could create Pseudo-Royal Lords, they would have to sacrifice a lot of Territory Lords to do so, which would not be worth it as a dozen Territory Lords were actually more useful than one Pseudo-Royal Lord.
So, if a full-scale war broke out, the Human Race’s chances of winning were more than 70%, though they would have to pay a terrible price to achieve victory. Such a war would likely result in 50% losses on the Human side.
The problem was what came after. The root cause of the Black Ink Clan was slumbering inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Even if the Black Ink Clan that invaded the 3,000 Worlds was ruthlessly wiped out tomorrow, the problem would not be resolved until Mo was completely eliminated.
The Human Race needed to be much stronger to deal with what was to come.
The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was one such preparation for that future.
For the time being, delaying was the Human Race’s best option. The longer they could delay, the greater their advantage would become. However, there was a limit to this. If Mo’s true body completely awakened, the Human Race would have to deal with it, regardless of whether they were prepared or not.
Thus, Yang Kai was willing to accept 1,200 Black Ink Disciples and a multitude of resources to resolve his confrontation with the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass. It was not because he turned soft to them, but that now was not the time to confront the enemy directly.
Speaking of the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples, Yang Kai suddenly remembered that they were still suppressed in his Small Universe. He had forgotten to release them back at Supreme Headquarters when he was there.
There was no hurry though. Furthermore, they posed no danger as they remained in his Small Universe for the moment.
Yang Kai had a long chat with Luo Ting He, describing the situation of the two Races while she listened intently.
Although she was a Ninth-Order Master, after leaving Azure Sun Territory some 1,000 years ago, she had been stationed here the whole time. Thus, she really did not know much about the situation in the outside world.
Yang Kai only knew so much because he was able to move around freely while the others could not.
“I understand now,” Luo Ting He nodded lightly, then smiled and said, “You are so certain of victory? Have you found a way to deal with that Black Ink Giant Spirit God?”
If the two sides were go to war, the Black Ink Clan’s biggest advantage was not the huge number of troops they had, or that the number of Territory Lords exceeded the numbers of Eighth-Order Masters, it was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was pinned down by the two veteran Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Barren Territory!
That was the true existence that could single-handedly tip the balance of power between the two sides.
The Black Ink Clan now had two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. One was held in check by Ah Er, so they did not need to worry too much about it. Those two had been fighting each other for several thousands of years and neither side had gained any kind of advantage. It was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that had once been subdued by the Divine Spirits in the Ancestral Land that they had to worry about. Once it freed itself from the Old Ancestor’s restraint, it would be an absolute disaster for the Human Race.
Before, while it was seriously injured, it was locked in place by the two Ninth-Order Masters using their Secret Techniques; however, after so many years had passed, most of its injuries should have been healed by now. Nevertheless, that alone would not be enough of a reason for Yang Kai to personally go to the Barren Territory to torment it.
If the Black Ink Clan was in a life-or-death struggle, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God would not stand idly by. In that situation, it would likely sacrifice its arm to fight back.
If it broke free, then it would be difficult for the Human Race to counter it.
However, from what Luo Ting He had heard so far, Yang Kai did not seem concerned about it, so he obviously had a way to deal with it.
Yang Kai failed to stifle his laughter and said, “Old Ancestor is truly sharp!”
While Luo Ting He mentioned this, she did not ask any more questions about it.
Yang Kai left after some more small talk, and Luo Ting He continued to meditate to make up for the heritage that she had just used up.
Instead of returning to the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Yang Kai flew directly up into the void, where he opened up his Small Universe and released the 1,200 Black Ink Disciples he had received from the No-Return Pass.
The Black Ink Strength in their bodies had already been purged by Purifying Light and they were now ashamed to face Yang Kai.
If Yang Kai had not got them back from the Black Ink Clan, they would still be working for the enemy.
Yang Kai was not surprised by this and did not say much to them. He only gave them instructions and then provided them in the direction of the Supreme Headquarters.
The 1,200 saluted in unison, turned into a stream of light, and disappeared.
…
The Supreme Headquarters spent months mobilizing the necessary troops. It was not an easy task to gather so many Open Heaven Realm Masters. They could not draw too many from any single battlefield; otherwise, it may affect the situation on the front lines.
They also needed to balance the personnel appropriately, which was no easy task.
Before the arrival of the soldiers, a group of Divine Spirits came to Yang Kai to report.
They were the Divine Spirits that he brought out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Since Yang Kai killed Tao Wu in Profound Nether Territory, these Divine Spirits had been performing much better on the battlefield because they were afraid of Yang Kai’s ferocious methods.
Tao Wu, who was comparable to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at the time, was beheaded by Yang Kai without being able to resist. None of the Divine Spirits wanted to be the next Tao Wu, so over the years, whatever the Humans requested, they would do their best to complete.
The Divine Spirits all stood in a field near to the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, but when Yang Kai looked out at them, he suddenly felt rather saddened.
Yang Kai brought just over 100 Divine Spirits from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary; however, there were only about 60 of them standing in front of him today.
A 40% casualty rate over 3,000 years of fierce battles was by no means small. Each of the Divine Spirits was more powerful than the average Human Race Master in the same equivalent Order, so one could imagine how perilous the war had been.
Although there were not many of them, these Divine Spirits had already constituted an extremely powerful force as many were comparable to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Their Ancestors were imprisoned for various reasons in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary by the Old Tree. In the special environment of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, it was difficult for their Bloodline to grow as powerful as it could be, even if their bloodline was pure.
For example, Zhu Jiu Yin, who Yang Kai brought out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary all those years ago, was as strong, if not stronger, than any Eighth-Order Human Master, but due to the suppression in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, she had only been able to exert the strength of a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master while trapped there. It was not until she left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary that she began to restore her true strength in the Void Land.
These dozens of Divine Spirits had left the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary for almost 3,000 years and had already adapted naturally to the World Principles of the outside world.
Almost 80% of them were Eighth-Order, while the remaining 20% were Seventh-Order. Among the Eighth-Order Divine Spirits, there were several whose aura was particularly strong, indicating that if there was enough opportunity for them, they could reach the Ninth-Order in the future, which was the peak of the Universe.
After so many years of constant battling, these Divine Spirits were very intimidating, with their cold murderous intent lingering about their bodies, mixed with the innate might of Divine Spirits.
As they stood here, the Artifact Refiners and Array Masters who were busy working on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress tried their best to keep their distances.
Unfortunately for these Divine Spirits, the refinement of their Bloodline became increasingly difficult the higher they climbed. It was no longer like during the Primordial Era when the Heavenly Way favoured the Divine Spirits, resulting in fewer of them being able to ever advance to the Ninth Order.
Dragon Clan’s Fu Guang had been cultivating in the Dragon Pool for so many years, but in the end, it was only with Yang Kai’s help that he could become a Divine Dragon.
As for the Phoenix Clan, none of them had risen to the Divine Rank since the fall of the previous Phoenix Clan Leader during the Barren Territory War. The refinement of one’s Bloodline was not just a matter of dedication and effort, but also highly dependent on personal inheritance. No matter how long one lived, if their inheritance was insufficient, it would be useless.
Yang Kai glanced at all the Divine Spirits and suddenly cupped his fist and bowed appreciatively, “Many thanks for all your hard work and sacrifice.”
The solemn atmosphere suddenly eased, and a Divine Spirit smiled and said, “This is our duty, Sir.”
Yang Kai glanced at the Divine Spirit who spoke, nodded lightly, and said with a smile, “When I brought you all out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, I made a Bloodline Oath with you for 3,000 years, and now that time has basically passed…”
Upon saying so, Yang Kai reached up his fingers and began to count.
A voice from below softly said, “There are 79 years to go before the full 3,000 is up.”
A chorus of voices said, “Yes, yes, yes!”
Yang Kai looked up and chuckled, “All of you remember so clearly.”
The Divine Spirits smiled. How could they not remember this as it was related to their freedom.
Yang Kai put his hands behind his back and said, “When I asked you to make that Great Oath, I said that I would set you free after the expiration of the agreement 3,000 years later. I have no intention of breaking my word; however, all of you must know the situation that we are in, so I would like to ask all of you now. After the expiration of the 3,000-year Great Oath, where do you intend to go?
The Divine Spirits exchanged looks with each other and every one of them could see the indecision in each other’s eyes.
When they came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, they did not know the situation in the outside world was like this, but they were no longer ignorant like back then.
Now, when the 3,000-year agreement was ending, where could they go even when they were free?
A Divine Spirit with an Ox head said, “Sir, now that all life is under threat by the Black Ink Clan, we have nowhere else to go. I’m afraid we can only fight alongside the Human Race to drive out the enemy.”
Yang Kai looked at the Divine Spirit and was surprised that it was Zhu Jian. He thought that these Divine Spirits could not wait to get far away from the battlefields after they regained their freedom. He did not expect them to be so righteous.
He was relieved and asked, “Do all of you feel the same way?”
A Divine Spirit yelled, “We’re already riding this pirate ship, how can we get off now?”
This caused many Divine Spirits to roar in laughter.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “It is a blessing for my people, and all people, that you think this way. I, Yang Kai, hereby swear by my Source and Bloodline that in my lifetime, I will ruthlessly kill the Black Ink Clan and eliminate them from this Universe. When peace is finally restored, I will drink and celebrate with all of you. When that happens, you will be favoured by the Heavens, and perhaps restore the glory of your Ancestors!”
At the end of his sentence, a golden illusory phantom flickered behind Yang Kai, which was a manifestation of his Source Great Oath.
All the Divine Spirits were moved. Zhu Jian immediately cupped his fist and said, “We are willing to serve, Sir!”
The Divine Spirit also shouted in unison, “We are willing to serve!”
“Excellent!” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction, “I have asked all of you to come here because I have a task for you. This matter is of utmost importance and victory or defeat in this war will depend on it, so you must think carefully before accepting it.”
Zhu Jian immediately asked curiously, “Sir, what task is it?”
Yang Kai smiled profoundly and said, “There is no hurry. We still have to wait for the Human side to finish its arrangements. When the time comes, I will send you to a place. I will explain in detail when the Humans are ready.”
The Divine Spirits did not ask any more questions and Yang Kai allowed them to disperse and find a place to rest, away from the still-busy Artifact Refiners and Array Masters.
The Divine Spirits did not respect ordinary Humans as they were more intimidating and powerful; however, Yang Kai was no ordinary Human. Technically speaking, he was now a powerful Ancient Dragon, who was just one step away from becoming a Divine Dragon.
Days later, 6,000 soldiers finally arrived at the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. These 6,000 soldiers included all sorts of talents and were enough to operate the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress like a real Great Pass.
Mi Jing Lun personally drafted these soldiers from across all the various battlefields. The 6,000 battle-harden veterans gathered in a large courtyard and their combined aura was truly awe-inspiring.
The cultivation of each of these soldiers was no less than the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, with many Seventh and Eighth-Order Masters among them. Each one of them was battle-tested and had killed many Black Ink Clansmen on the battlefield.
They suddenly received the transfer order from the Supreme Headquarters and were brought here, so none of them knew what was happening and did not know what they should do.
At the very least, they could see the enormous Suppressing Black Ink Fortress; thus, it was clear that something big was going to happen and all of them looked forward to it.
Yang Kai stood in front of the 6,000 men and women and began to look at them in detail, soon noticing many familiar faces in the crowd.
Yu Ru Meng, Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, Xue Yue, Ji Yao… His Wives were all here except for Xia Ning Chang who had been stationed at the rear because of her mastery over the Dao of Alchemy.
Yang Xiao Yang Xue, Zhao Ye Bai, Zhao Ya, Xu Yi… all of whom were close to him, were also there.
Yang Kai even saw Gu Pan, whom he had not seen for many years, and Zhang Ruo Xi beside her, staring back at him with glittering eyes.
The moment he saw Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai’s heart suddenly began to race. He felt a strange impulse but was not sure what it was about.
Yang Kai did not think much about it though and just quietly said to Mi Jing Lun, “Many thanks, Senior Brother Mi.”
It was obviously Mi Jing Lun’s idea to transfer his Wives, Yang Xiao and his Sister here. It was not so much as to take care of the people close to Yang Kai, but rather because the Black Ink Clan was now targeting them. Once they appeared on the battlefield, they were always swarmed by the Black Ink Clan. If it was not for the fact that some of them were proficient in the Dao of Space, they would have been in deep trouble.
“There is no need to thank me,” Mi Jing Lun, whose insight was exceptionally keen, knew what Yang Kai meant, “They are all heroes and this is the right time for them to contribute. Besides, the situation there might be even more dangerous than on the battlefield here.”
While the two of them were talking, somewhere below within the crowd, Yang Xiao said to Yang Xue, “Little Aunt, what’s wrong with that Big Head Mi? Our whole Squad has been transferred over, so why did he leave Old Fang out? Although Old Fang is a bit laidback, he is very powerful. Hey, why don’t you ask Adoptive Father to transfer Old Fang over?”
Over the years, Yang Xiao and the others had made a big name for themselves. Since the Black Ink Clan knew about his relationship with Yang Xue and Yang Kai, they had targeted them repeatedly. It was Fang Tian Ci who used his mastery over the Dao of Space to lead them out of danger many times.
The years of working together resulted in them bonding strongly with each other. Yang Xiao had high regards for Fang Tian Ci, but unfortunately, for reasons unknown, Mi Jing Lun had transferred all of them here except for Fang Tian Ci!
They did not know why Big Head Mi had seemingly singled out Old Fang, but Yang Xiao was not happy about it. Now, he was encouraging Yang Xue to go to Yang Kai to file an official complaint.
Yang Xue would naturally not want Fang Tian Ci to be excluded as he had helped them a lot of times before. This time, there was no telling what kind of missions they were being sent on, but from the lineup gathered here and the massive fortress in front of them, it was obviously going to be a task fraught with dangers. They would also be much safer with Fang Tian Ci by their side.
Yang Xue faintly nodded and replied, “En, I’ll talk to Big Brother when I find a chance.”
In front of the square, Mi Jing Lun said “Junior Brother Yang, I found an interesting person when I was making the transfers. This person was originally in the same Squad as Yang Xiao and Yang Xue. He is also an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with great strength and is also highly proficient in the Dao of Space. Apparently, he came from your Small Universe, but he came to me and said that he could not accept this transfer. I asked him for the reason, but he was unable to explain clearly. He only told me to come and tell you about this.”
Yang Kai seemed to know what happened and asked, “Was his name Fang Tian Ci?”
Mi Jing Lun nodded and replied, “That’s him.”
Yang Kai said, “I have a critical task for him, so I can’t afford to send him to that place.”
Mi Jing Lun was relieved and said, “Since it’s Junior Brother’s arrangement, then I see no problems with it.”
Fang Tian Ci had worked together with Yang Xiao and Yang Xue all these years. He was proficient in the Dao of Space and originated from Yang Kai’s Small Universe, which was why the Supreme Headquarters paid attention to him.
Mi Jing Lun had also heard of this person. When Yang Xiao’s Squad was sent to the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, he did not expect Fang Tian Ci to take the initiative to ask him to send a message to Yang Kai.
With Yang Kai’s confirmation, he was relieved that Fang Tian Ci’s deployment was something arranged by Yang Kai himself. Mi Jing Lun secretly sighed as he looked at the 6,000 soldiers and 60 or so Divine Spirits below. There were great uncertainties ahead. It was fine if everything went well but if the situation went south, then there was no telling how many of them would survive.
Yang Kai was also deep in thought.
[Fang Tian Ci took the initiative to speak to Mi Jing Lun about not being able to be transferred. Was this the result of my memories sealed in his body slowly awakening? Or was it just an instinctive feeling that he could not leave the 3,000 Worlds?]
In the future, Yang Kai would have to perform the Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art to try to advance to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If Fang Tian Ci was to be appointed there, he would be unable to perform the Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art. Thus, both Fang Tian Ci and Thunder Shadow Great Emperor would have to stay in the 3,000 Worlds in case of an emergency.
When Yang Kai looked up, he was glad to see that Thunder Shadow had not been transferred over.
Gathering all eyes on himself, Yang Kai began to speak, “Thousands of years ago, the Great Passes joined forces on a crusade to the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. 3 million troops rallied under the banner of over 100 Ninth-Order Old Ancestors. They marched towards the Black Ink Clan’s Mother Nest to eliminate the evil we now know as Mo. It was an ambitious and gallant effort by a mighty army with the finest of arms.”
“However, in the war outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God launched a surprise attack from our Human Army’s rear, causing the collapse of our forces and resulting in heavy losses. The Army was defeated and forced to flee from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Great Passes were destroyed and Ninth-Order Old Ancestors died in that battle, with we Humans suffering massive casualties along the way.”
“The remnants retreated to the No-Return Pass to establish a new defensive position with the assistance of the Divine Spirits; however, the sheer disparity in strength allowed the Black Ink Clan to drive straight in and capture the No-Return Pass. The reconstituted forces were hit hard again with the No-Return Pass being abandoned and many Divine Spirits being killed or injured.”
“Fortunately, with the help of the Giant Spirit God, Ah Er, the Human Race finally managed to stabilize its position in the Barren Territory. However, Mo’s desire to wipe out our kind never waned. After much scheming and plotting, the Black Ink Clan finally opened a passageway from the Barren Territory to Wind Mist Territory. That day, the Human Race lost many powerful elites. All but two of the surviving Ninth-Order Old Ancestors, and both the Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders sacrificed themselves in the final moments of that battle, taking with them all but one Royal Lord and severely injuring the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. Their sacrifice allowed the rest of the Army to retreat to safety.”
“Afterwards, the Black Ink Clan invaded our 3,000 Worlds and the Human Race retreated to the current Great Territory Battlefields. So far, we have been guarding High Heaven Territory as the last pure land for more than 3,000 years. Since the Late Ancient Era, our people have always been the Heavenly Way’s favoured, but now, we have been forced by Black Ink Clan into such a desperate state. We have failed to live up to the favour shown us by the Heavenly Way!”
Most of the 6,000 soldiers present had never experienced these great battles, but as they listened to Yang Kai’s words, the tragic scenes from the past seemed to flash in their minds, and their hearts swelled with rage.
“It is undeniable that the Black Ink Clan is strong and our Human Race is weak. In those battles, the Black Ink Clan managed to break our hands and feet, but they could not break our backbone! The Human Race will never compromise with the Black Ink Clan and will never surrender!”
Yang Xiao fumed as his Dragon Blood boiled. He could not help but yell with a high-pitched Dragon Roar, “THE HUMAN RACE WILL NEVER SURRENDER!”
Several dozen Divine Spirits who stood beside him looked at him strangely. They all felt a bit strange that a pure-blood Dragon Clansman would shout such words…
Although they were willing to fight alongside the Human Race to drive away the Black Ink Clan, so that they could find a place to live in the future, they never shouted such words as it was inconsistent with their identity.
However, the eager fighting spirit of the 6,000 soldiers was completely ignited by Yang Xiao’s roar. A loud thunderous roar shook the entire world.
“THE HUMAN RACE WILL NEVER SURRENDER!”
The battle spirit was raging and every soldier thirsted for revenge. Their ferocious auras shot to the sky and seemed to penetrate the Heavens, shaking the world itself.
Thousands of years ago, when the Old Ancestors died in the last battle on the Barren Territory, the same earth-shattering cries could be heard.
Yang Kai nodded lightly, waited for the chants to die down before continuing, “All of you must be curious why you were transferred here. You are all heroes with great merits who have killed countless enemies in the past. All of you can be regarded as the elites of the Army. Since you are all elites though, the duties entrusted to you will also be beyond normal.”
“What you are standing on is the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, which is an artifact that has taken 1,000 years and countless resources to construct. It is designed specifically to defend against the Black Ink Clan, and you have all been transferred here to operate it and resist the coming crisis.”
“Thousands of years ago, the Human Race Army was defeated outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The true body of Mo fell into a deep sleep and there is no telling when it will awaken. Although some arrangements have already been prepared and are in place, nothing is certain. We need you all to head to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to guard the place!”
The Humans roared while even the Divine Spirits were moved.
Although they all knew that Yang Kai might want them to do something big, they never expected that the reason why they were deployed to the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was for them to guard the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!
That was where the Mother Nest was located. In other words, that was where the true body of Mo was. It was the source of all the current chaos. Those survivors of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction War looked grave as they could not help but recall the tragedy that occurred there.
It could be said that the battlefield over there marked the first defeat of the Human Race which precipitated all the tragedies that followed. It was a traumatic experience for all those who lived through it.
Thousands of years ago, they carried this great humiliation when they escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Now, after thousands of years, they finally got a chance to go back and seek revenge! The fighting spirits in their hearts had never been higher!
They would never retreat again!
Yang Kai continued, “That place is cut off from the world, so you will not be able to receive any assistance from this side. You can only rely on yourselves and the compatriots standing beside you. You may encounter far more dangers than anywhere else in the Great Territories. This mission may very well be your last, so if any here are unwilling to go, leave now and no one will blame you!”
Yang Kai raised his eyes and glanced around, but no one moved. After waiting for more than 10 breaths, all 6,000 soldiers still stood straight, none of them wavering in the slightest.
Yang Kai was greatly relieved and nodded, “Good! With such determination, there is no longer any need to worry about Mo! Today, I, Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun are here to form the Suppressing Black Ink Army on behalf of the Supreme Headquarters of the Human Race. I wish you all a speedy and triumphant return!”
When the Great Evolution Army was first established, Yang Kai was just a Seventh-Order Squad Leader, like these 6,000 soldiers in front of him. Now, he stood there looking at them with the majesty of an Eighth-Order Army Commander. He could not help but feel proud. Now, times had changed, and the younger generation had also begun to carry the banner of the Human Race, shouldering their share of responsibilities.
Mi Jing Lun stepped forward, took out a jade book, and shouted, “Where is Su Yan?”
In the crowd, Su Yan, who looked solemn and graceful, cupped her fist and shouted, “Su Yan, reporting for orders!”
Mi Jing Lun looked at her and punched out the jade book, “Today you are appointed as the Division Commander of Suppressing Black Ink Army’s First Division. You will be the Commander of 600 soldiers! In this jade book, you will find the names of the soldiers appointed as your subordinates. As for the Squads and their Squad Leaders, you will be the one who decides later!”
Su Yan was immediately baffled. Although she had killed many enemies on various battlefields over the years, and her merits were numerous, she had not done much to be deserving of becoming a Commander.
When their group of women gathered together, it was always Yu Ru Meng who led them. It was not that Yu Ru Meng was stronger than her; in fact, the strongest of all Yang Kai’s Wives was currently Su Yan; after all, she possessed a Phoenix Clan Bloodline and was now in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. She was naturally more powerful than the average Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, Yu Ru Meng was a former Demon Saint from the Demon Realm, a leader of billions who held a high status and loft position for 10,000 years. In short, she was used to ordering people around and was naturally better at it. So, Su Yan and the others became accustomed to following her directions.
Su Yan was at a loss when she was suddenly given the heavy responsibility of having 600 soldiers under her.
She glanced towards Yang Kai and saw him looking back at her with confidence. Steeling herself, she nodded lightly and firmly declared, “Su Yan has received the order!”
After receiving the jade book, she used her Divine Sense and was relieved to find out that her personnel included Yu Ru Meng. Mi Jing Lun also knew about the inner workings of their group and had naturally made some arrangements. With Yu Ru Meng with her, she would not have any problems being a Division Commander.
Mi Jing Lun shouted again, “Where is Yang Xiao?”
Yang Xiao instantly shouted with great vigor, cupped his fist with enthusiasm, and shouted, “Yang Xiao, reporting for orders!”
With what just happened to Su Yan, he naturally expected that he was going to be named a Division Commander. He was so happy that he smiled from ear to ear, even winking at Yang Kai, as if to say that he had not disgraced him.
Of course, Yang Kai knew what he was thinking and couldn’t help rolling his eyes to himself, [This Brat, he still hasn’t grown up after all these years.]
Yang Kai did not expect that Mi Jing Lun would appoint Su Yan and Yang Xiao to be Division Commanders. The appointment of a Division Commander of the Suppressing Black Ink Army was a decision made by the Supreme Headquarters itself, so Yang Kai was not involved in the slightest.
However, it wasn’t a big deal. Both Su Yan and Yang Xiao were qualified to be Division Commanders by virtue of having Dragon and Phoenix backgrounds and strengths. No one would accuse Yang Kai of nepotism because of this.
Besides, it was not easy to be a Division Commander. Things were so unpredictable and dangerous at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction that perhaps the Division Commanders would become the first to lead soldiers into battle, meaning they had to shoulder the greatest amount of risk.
Since 600 men formed one Division, 6,000 soldiers would have to be divided into 10 Divisions. Mi Jing Lun quickly called out the names of the 10 and each of them received their orders!
Among these 10 Divisions, only 5,000 were combatants with the remaining 1,000 taking care of logistics such as maintaining the Suppressing Black Ink Army’s Spirit Arrays, artifacts, and even medical treatment.
These soldiers were no less important and those who fought on the frontlines, but were also at least in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even though these support personnel were not good at fighting, in a critical moment, they were also able to contribute to the battle. It was just that they were less powerful than those who spent their time on the battlefield.
After appointing the 10 Division Commanders, Mi Jing Lun took a step backwards, turned to Yang Kai, and left the rest to him.
Yang Kai nodded, looked down, and asked, “Does anyone have any questions? If not, we will proceed.”
Everyone fell silent, except Yang Xiao, who raised his hand high.
“Go ahead!” Yang Kai glanced at this brat.
Yang Xiao cupped his fist and asked, “Sir, may I ask which Senior is the Army Commander of the Suppressing Black Ink Army? Surely there would be an Army Commander, right?”
His question immediately piqued everyone’s curiosity. They were equally curious as commanding such a big and powerful Army was a heavy responsibility; however, Mi Jing Lun only appointed 10 Division Commanders, but did not even mention anything about an Army Commander.
The Suppressing Black Ink Army must also have an Army Commander who was very strong and highly respected, otherwise the soldiers would not be able to fight effectively in the coming brutal war.
The makeup of the Suppressing Black Ink Army was exceptionally strong, with many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, not to mention the dozens of Divine Spirits who appeared like they were going along with the Army. Thus, the Army Commander could not be a regular person.
Among the current Humans, there were only two or three people who were qualified to serve as the Army Commander of the Suppressing Black Ink Army. Xiang Shan was one, Yang Kai was the other… while other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were nowhere near their capabilities.
Yang Kai grinned and said to the curious soldiers, “There is naturally an Army Commander, but that Senior is already standing by at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Be patient, you will soon know who he is.”
His reply immediately sparked speculations. With Yang Kai’s status, there were very few who deserved to be addressed as ‘Senior’ by him. Thus, although it was just a simple reply, many quickly guessed the identity of the Army Commander of the Suppressing Black Ink Army.
If it was who they thought it was… his suitability was truly indisputable.
“Any more questions?” Yang Kai asked one more time.
No one asked.
Yang Kai nodded his head and ordered, “Division Commanders, perform roll-call and then assemble your Squads. You have one stick of incense to deal with this!”
“Yes, Sir!” The 10 Division Commanders shouted in unison.
Soon, the area became rowdy and chaotic as Commanders called out to their troops and organized them into Squads. Everyone knew what was happening and started to move to their respective Divisions as their names were called.
Moments later, the 6,000 soldiers were orderly divided into 10 Divisions. Each Division Commander started to assign members to Squads according to the information provided to them in their jade books.
The Suppressing Black Ink Army did not have Battalions, instead choosing to form the Division of Squads from the start. Each Division had 600 troops, and each Squad had a standard 15 members, that meant that there were 40 squads in each Division. The Squad Leaders were all Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
In other words, although the Suppressing Black Ink Army only had 6,000 men, there were 400 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them!
When the Great Evolution Army was formed, it had a grand total of 120 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters; however, how many ordinary soldiers did the Great Evolution Army have back then? A full 60,000, 10 times more than the Suppressing Black Ink Army!”
Although the Human Race was now facing an existential crisis, its heritage was actually several times stronger than back then, especially in terms of the number of Mid and High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
All this was naturally due to the Star Boundary, the Myriad Monsters World, and Yang Kai Small Universe. Setting the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World aside, just Yang Kai’s Small Universe alone had brought out almost 10,000 people over the years, all of them directly advanced to the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Orders.
And this was with Yang Kai being extremely selective of who was brought out of his Small Universe. The situation was entirely different for the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World which had population bases hundreds of times larger. Together with the influence of the World Tree Clones which could nurture one’s talent and guide them in the Martial Dao, as long as one wasn’t completely hopeless in cultivation, anyone from the Star Boundary could break through to the Fourth Order. There was now no one who directly advanced to the Third Order at all.
Anyone who directly advanced to the Fourth Order had a chance to reach the Sixth Order in the future as long as they had sufficient resources. It could be said that, in time, there would no longer be any Low-Rank Open Heaven Masters in the 3,000 Worlds.
The Suppressing Black Ink Army was the elite of the elites, brought together from every battlefield by the Supreme Headquarters with great care and effort.
The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, manned by the Suppressing Black Ink Army of 6,000, was much more powerful than the original Great Evolution Army from back then.
Under Su Yan’s command, Yu Ru Meng and the others were assigned as Squad Leaders, while Yang Xiao assigned Zhao Ye Bai and the others as Squad Leaders.
While the Suppressing Black Ink Army was organizing itself, Yang Kai had already connected with the World Tree and communicated with it.
He planned to use the power of the World Tree to travel through the Void and directly reach the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, which would not only be incredibly convenient but also save a massive amount of time.
3,000 years ago, when he sent Wu Kuang to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai deliberately left a sealed Universe World nearby so that he could go to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction at any time and from anywhere.
However, after communicating with the Old Tree, Yang Kai realized that its current state was not optimistic…
The World Tree was greatly affected by the destruction of the Universe Worlds of the 3,000 Worlds, so the vast majority of its World Fruits had withered and fallen, making the entire tree look old and sickly.
To move outsiders from the 3,000 Worlds to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary required the Old Tree to expend its energy. It was not a big problem for just Yang Kai and maybe one or two others to do this as the expenditure was minor; however, trying to move 400 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was simply not feasible for the current World Tree and would quite likely be harmful.
Upon realizing this, Yang Kai felt disappointed with himself for not thinking about this before.
The Old Tree had once helped Yang Kai move 10,000 refugees from Acacia Territory and in the process suffered some damage. It was only now that Yang Kai recalled that event and realized how naïve he had just been.
There was no way for Yang Kai to borrow the Old Tree’s strength for this endeavour, so Yang Kai could only adjust his plan. It was a good thing that there were other means of getting to the Black Ink Battlefield.
There were two other ways to get to the Black Ink Battlefield.
First, head to the Shattered Heaven, enter the Barren Territory, and then step into the Black Ink Battlefield.
This path unfortunately led to needing to pass through the No-Return Pass, which would attract retaliation from the Royal Lord.
If they did not go via this main route, then they would have to take the secret passageway in Black Territory.
However, there were also problems with this second plan as the secret passage was a highly dangerous Void Corridor. It was harmless for Yang Kai to go through this Void Corridor alone, and even taking several people with him should be alright; however, 400 Eighth-Order Masters all at once…
Yang Kai would have to monitor and control all 400 at once; after all, in order for him to avoid the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters getting lost in the Void, he would also need to use Space Principles to keep them together. Even for Zhao Ye Bai and the others who practised the Dao of Space, their safety was not guaranteed.
Thinking it over, it seemed they could only travel via the No-Return Pass…
The Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass had just suffered quite a big loss at Yang Kai’s hands recently and would not dare to make things difficult for him again; furthermore, they were just passing through.
Yang Kai thus made up his mind.
The Suppressing Black Ink Army had already finished their organization and had lined up quietly to await his next orders.
Yang Kai scanned the troops and was satisfied. They were worthy of being the elites drawn from the major battlefields.
He then shouted, “All Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, open your Small Universes and take in the soldiers of your respective Squads.”
All the Eighth Orders received the order, and the aura of World Force instantly surged as portals to their Small Universes were opened. Those in the Seventh Order and below soon poured inside.
An Eighth-Order Master’s Small Universe was large enough to accommodate a Squad of 15 people; however, it would undoubtedly affect the utilization of their strength.
In an instant, there were only around 400 Eighth-Order Masters left out of the original 6,000 soldiers.
If possible, Yang Kai would rather take these Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters into his Small Universe; however, he was only an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and although his Small Universe was different from normal, it was difficult to break the shackles and take in other Eighth-Order Masters.
Regardless, he needed to reach the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm as soon as possible; otherwise, travelling around would be extremely troublesome.
He could ask Luo Ting He, who was not too far away, for help. However, she had just reached the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm and could not accommodate so many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Furthermore, she was one of the hidden trump cards of the Human Race and it was not the time to reveal her existence.
Next, Mi Jing Lun presided over the dispersion of the unrelated people. There were a number of those who were involved in building the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. The Artifact Refiners and Array Masters numbered quite a lot. Only a small number of them went with the Army while the rest returned to the major Armies on the various battlefields.
After they left, the 400 Eighth-Orders, as well as the various Divine Spirits, all rose into the air, and Yang Kai was the only one left on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
Even Mi Jing Lun was nervous as numerous pairs of eyes watched curiously.
The Suppressing Black Ink Army was a mighty army with the finest of arms and a lot of elite soldiers, so naturally the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, which took 1,000 years and countless materials to build, must also be taken with them. This was the foundation of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, and the weapon they would rely on to fight the Black Ink Clan.
Without the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, these 6,000 soldiers alone would not be able to do much at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
However, the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was not that easy to take away. To take it away, it had to be put into someone’s Small Universe.
Normally, an Open Heaven Realm Master could open up their Small Universe to accommodate many things. This was not a big deal, as long as the portal opened was not too big.
However, if the portal opened was too large, their heritage could easily leak out from the portal, or worse, crack under the strain, which would result in a disaster.
Mi Jing Lun knew his own limits. With his abilities, there was no way he could open such a large portal and take the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress into his Small Universe.
The reason why the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors gave up on those Great Passes outside of the No-Return Pass was not because their Small Universes couldn’t bear the volume of a Great Pass; rather, they could not open a large enough and stable enough portal to receive something so massive. Trying to force such a heavy object into their Small Universe would be very damaging even to an Old Ancestor. At that time, the Human Race was in a critical situation, and every bit of an Old Ancestor’s strength was precious; thus, although the Great Passes were precious, they had to abandon them at the No-Return Pass, benefiting the Black Ink Clan.
Although the Great Passes were abandoned, each of their Cores was removed. The Core used to build the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was one of the Cores brought back from the No-Return Pass.
Mi Jing Lun was now curious as to what Yang Kai would do to bring the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress away.
Not only was he curious, but all the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Suppressing Black Ink Army were exchanging puzzled looks. They knew that Yang Kai was powerful and the heritage of his Small Universe was much deeper than the average Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; however, no one knew how much more powerful he was exactly. This time may be an opportunity for them to gain some new insight.
Of course, Yang Kai had no intention of opening his Small Universe portal as he had other ideas about how to bring the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress away, rather than shoving it into his Small Universe.
Even for Yang Kai, there would be great risk trying to force such a heavy object into his Small Universe. Even if he could open a portal big enough to fit the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress through, the strain produced when actually trying to do so might crack his Small Universe, significantly damaging his heritage.
As such, the next moment, Yang Kai surged his Space Principles. The world thrummed as space rippled.
The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was at the centre of these ripples and soon began to blur and distort, like a disturbed reflection in the surface of the water.
It became increasingly blurred with time until even the Eighth-Order Masters could not make out the original appearance of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. It felt as though the layers of the Void were warping around it, obscuring their vision.
Among those present, cultivators such as Zhao Ye Bai, who also cultivated the Dao of Space, showed looks of both surprise and admiration. It was obvious that they could tell what was happening.
This was clearly a clever method of using Space Principles. It was difficult for those who had not cultivated the Dao of Space to clearly tell what was happening.
“Rise!” Yang Kai suddenly shouted and pointed his hand at the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
In an instant, the Void where the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was located, including the land, floated up, as if there was a giant, invisible spade that had dug it out.
Mi Jing Lun was dumbfounded and could not believe his eyes.
Only cultivators who had cultivated the Dao of Space could do this and it was difficult for anyone else to emulate it.
It seemed Yang Kai had no intention to put the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress into his Small Universe; instead, he planned on cutting this whole space away and…
By now, Mi Jing Lun had an idea of what Yang Kai was going to do.
As expected, Space Principles continued to undulate. The large piece of Space that had been cut away continued to tremble, and with each tremor, the Space seemed to shrink down.
After a full hour of constantly trembling and shrinking, the entire isolated space was now about the size of a table. It looked like a pure and flawless glass sphere which had the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress sitting inside of it.
Such a glass could be called a Universe Fragment, but it was not formed naturally. It was refined by Yang Kai directly.
Yang Kai had successfully refined entire Universe Worlds into World Beads, so cutting off a piece of Space and refining it into such an orb was not a big deal to him.
If he continued, he could shrink it even further, but this was enough for now.
The round table-sized glass was casually thrown into his Small Universe; thereafter, he took out a Purifying Black Ink Battleship, and shouted, “Board!”
Everyone embarked on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and went about operating it without Yang Kai having to give any instructions.
Yang Kai stood on the deck, cupped his fist to Mi Jing Lun, and called out, “Senior Brother Mi, I’ll give them a ride. I’ll trouble Senior Brothers to handle the rest over here.”
Mi Jing Lun returned the salute and said, “May you all have a safe journey ahead and a swift return!”
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai waved forward and the Purifying Black Ink Battleship buzzed and immediately turned into a stream of light, heading straight for the Territory Gate.
Mi Jing Lun stared in the direction of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s departure until the huge Warship disappeared from view, a certain sense of solemnity covering his face.
There was no telling how many, if any of these 6,000 soldiers could come back alive.
Turning back, the space that had been cut was filled with Void Turbulence and would likely take many years to fully heal itself.
Mi Jing Lun again turned his head to look in a certain direction, bowed and saluted respectfully as he said, “It’s done. While there is no need to remain here, the time is still not ripe yet. Old Ancestor, please continue to wait.”
“Sure!” A response sounded in his ear, though he could not tell how the Old Ancestor did this.
Nonetheless, Mi Jing Lun did not stay long and soon departed. For the first time in 1,000 years, this whole place fell silent.
After passing through the Territory Gate, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship crossed the battlefield and attracted the attention of the Black Ink Clan Armies, all of them wondering what the Humans were up to with this single Warship sailing forward.
Naturally, Black Ink Clansmen were shocked when they took a look inside the ship.
There were hundreds of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered openly on this ship…
Even in the current situation, hundreds of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered in one place was enough to cause a lot of damage to the Black Ink Clan. Soon, news of this discovery would be transmitted in all directions via the Black Ink Nests and the constant fighting on the original battlefield calmed down for a while.
Naturally, the Black Ink Clansmen quickly went into hiding until the Purifying Black Ink Battleship left the current Great Territory Battlefield.
Yang Kai had already informed everyone of the goal of their trip; thus, the Eighth-Order Masters were excited that they would be crossing the No-Return Pass this time.
Among the 400 Eighth-Order Masters, only a few had seen the majesty of the No-Return Pass, while rising stars like Su Yan and Yang Xiao had never been to the No-Return Pass, let alone the Black Ink Battlefield.
They had long heard about the final line of defence of the Human Race, the Black Ink Battlefield, and how the Grand Army was defeated there.
Yang Xiao, who was eager for a fight, was thinking about whether the Black Ink Clan would try to stop them at the No-Return Pass. If they did, the 400 Eighth-Order Masters and his Adoptive Father could defeat them and retake the Great Pass from the Black Ink Clan, which would be a great achievement!
It was a pity that Old Fang was not with them; otherwise, he could experience the excitement of this journey!
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship crossed one Great Territory after another, with the Black Ink Clan keeping a watchful eye on it from afar as Yang Kai and the others could not hide their movements from the Black Ink Clan.
Meanwhile, the No-Return Pass went on high alert, because the route of this Purifying Black Ink Battleship seemed to be heading straight for them.
It was not the hundreds of Eighth-Order Masters who they were worried about though. They were most concerned with the presence of the killing star on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, Yang Kai. Both the Royal Lord and Mo Na Ye were particularly concerned by his presence.
The Royal Lord was still fuming about what happened when Yang Kai was here previously. Although the loss of a large amount of supplies and 1,200 Black Ink Disciples were nothing to the Black Ink Clan, the loss of face was difficult for him to stomach.
Now, Yang Kai was leading so many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the direction of the No-Return Pass. [Does that bastard have no regard for me at all!?]
In the Main Conference Hall, Mo Na Ye remained silent as he listened to the Royal Lord’s rantings.
After finally calming down a bit, the Royal Lord asked, “Mo Na Ye, what do you think Yang Kai is up to?”
Mo Na Ye deliberated for a moment before saying, “Judging from the route of that Purifying Black Ink Battleship, it is indeed heading towards the No-Return Pass. From the reports of our scouts, they have already reached the Shattered Heaven and will soon enter the Barren Territory.”
The Royal Lord snarled furiously, “Yang Kai is really asking for it now! If he dares to come, he will not leave this place alive!”
Previously, the Royal Lord ordered his men to set up the Heaven Sealing Earth Locking Array at the Territory Gate. However, Yang Kai did not come through the Territory Gate and instead showed up from the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. Hence, the arrangements proved useless.
Now, since Yang Kai was coming through the Territory Gate, the previous setup would work!
Mo Na Ye quickly said, “Sir, please calm your anger. Although Yang Kai is despicable, we just settled the incident of the Ancestral Land. We should not provoke him and give him an excuse to act out against us. If he was alone, there might be a chance to trap him in the Grand Array at the No-Return Pass; however, with hundreds of Eighth-Order Masters accompanying him. Even if we can trap him with the Grand Arrays, he would immediately be able to break out with so many strong helpers.”
The Royal Lord was filled with anger, but he had to admit that Mo Na Ye had a point. Even he could not take lightly the presence of hundreds of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and there was certainly no way the Grand Array could not trap so many powerhouses.
“Then, what should we do?” The Royal Lord asked.
Mo Na Ye asked, “Sir, do you think that Yang Kai is trying to renege on our deal after extracting so much compensation from us? Do you believe he is coming to go on another rampage at the No-Return Pass?”
“Isn’t he?”
“I can’t deny such a possibility, but I believe that Yang Kai’s objective is not the No-Return Pass this time.”
“Why do you think so?”
Mo Na Ye said, “From what I know about him, although he puts on the face of a reckless madman, he is an extremely cautious person. He is a master of the Dao of Space and can come and go as he pleases, so bringing so many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with him is more a burden than a benefit.”
The Royal Lord pondered about the previous times Yang Kai came to the No-Return Pass, and just as Mo Na Ye said, Yang Kai always came alone whenever possible and never acted in conjunction with anyone.
Thus, it seemed that he might not be coming to the No-Return Pass to cause trouble this time.
“Then, where is he heading?” The Royal Lord frowned.
“Sir, do you remember the White Divine Dragon from 1,000 years ago?” Mo Na Ye mentioned.
The Royal Lord pondered for a while and then it suddenly dawned on him, “You mean…”
Mo Na Ye said, “If I’m not mistaken, their destination should be the Source Domain!”
“How dare he!” The Royal Lord was furious and slapped the armrest of the bone throne, his Black Ink Strength radiating through the hall like a tsunami.
1,000 years ago, a White Divine Dragon passed through the Territory Gate, through the No-Return Pass, then flew into the Black Ink Battlefield, and had not been heard from since. At that time, the Royal Lord felt the intense Dragon Pressure and was reluctant to start any conflict with the Divine Dragon; thus, he helplessly watched as it soared through the No-Return Pass and strutted away.
It was a good thing that the Divine Dragon was not interested in the Black Ink Clan and was just passing by.
At that time, he didn’t know what the White Divine Dragon was going to do, but later, he realized that the only thing in Black Ink Battlefield that a Divine Dragon would care about was the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
The Divine Dragon was probably rushing to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to monitor the situation there.
In this regard, the Black Ink Clan could not do anything.
Now, after more than 1,000 years, Yang Kai led hundreds of Eighth-Order Masters aboard a Purifying Black Ink Battleship towards the No-Return Pass. The Royal Lord thought that Yang Kai was going to create trouble at the No-Return Pass, but Mo Na Ye saw his real objective with a glance.
Thus Human force was most likely heading to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
The Mother Nest was the root of the Black Ink Clan, and it was also the place that the Human Race feared the most. How could they not pay more attention to it?
If a Divine Dragon wanted to go to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, no one in the current Black Ink Clan could stop it, but if Yang Kai and these Eighth-Order Masters wanted to follow, how could the Royal Lord allow them to do so? If they had any ill intentions towards the Mother Nest, it would have a great impact on the entire Black Ink Clan.
Thinking this, he shouted immediately, “Mo Na Ye, quickly recall the Territory Lords who can fight! Those Humans must not leave here alive!”
Mo Na Ye, however, shook his head, “Sir, it’s too late to recall the Territory Lords.”
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship should have reached the Barren Territory by now, and would soon arrive at the No-Return Pass. There was no time to recall the other Territory Lords.
The Royal Lord got up and paced back and forth several steps, before declaring with determination, “If that’s the case, then let’s gather all our strength and fight.”
Mo Na Ye exclaimed, “No!”
The Royal Lord turned and glared at Mo Na Ye angrily, as he was displeased that he had opposed his order. He suppressed Mo Na Ye so forcefully with his pressure that the latter quickly bowed and explained, “Sir, if a war breaks out at the No-Return Pass, countless Black Ink Nests will be destroyed regardless of who wins.”
There were hundreds of Territory Lords stationed here, many of them healing in the Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass. Together with a true Royal Lord, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, advantageous terrain, and a huge Black Ink Clan Army, they could certainly put up a good fight with the incoming Humans; however, as Mo Na Ye said, once the fighting started, the Black Ink Clan would incur enormous losses. Furthermore, many Black Ink Nests would be lost.
The Black Ink Nests were critical to the Black Ink Clan as without them, they could sustain themselves.
What Mo Na Ye said immediately dampened the Royal Lord’s anger. He took a deep breath, sighed and frowned for several moments, before sitting back down on the bone throne. He then said with some resignation, “Yes, there is a need to guard the Black Ink Nests. Mo Na Ye, you are right!
Mo Na Ye understood the Royal Lord’s near depression well. In some sense, it was torture for a powerful being like the Royal Lord to be sitting here at the No-Return Pass for thousands of years, unable to do anything.
The Black Ink Nests were the foundation of the Black Ink Clan, but they were also an invisible shackle that bound the only Royal Lord here.
In the battle at the Barren Territory, almost all of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were killed, including the Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders. That final battle was a huge victory for the Humans as they killed almost all the Royal Lords and even managed to seriously hurt the Black Ink Giant Spirit God…
The battle that took place over 3,000 years ago and had a profound impact on both sides to this day. In fact, the impact of that battle would continue on for many years into the future.
Perhaps only when the number of Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords recovered would a new era begin.
After a moment of deliberation, Mo Na Ye asked, “Sir, is there any news from the Mother Nest?”
The Royal Lord slowly shook his head and replied, “There has been no news since the Supreme One fell into deep sleep. Obviously, it is not time for the Supreme One to awaken.”
Mo Na Ye nodded and said, “Sir, there is no need to worry too much about the Mother Nest and the Supreme One’s situation. Since it has been the same for so many years, obviously there would be no changes in the short term regardless of what the Humans attempt. What can a mere Divine Dragon do to the Supreme One other than monitor it?”
The Royal Lord suddenly snorted coldly, “A lone Divine Dragon? If it dares to penetrate the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, then I have to thank it for contributing to the war effort!”
Though they could not do anything to a Divine Dragon, the Supreme One was different. If the Supreme One was awakened, even a Divine Dragon could be corrupted by Black Ink Strength. If that Dragon dared to go deeper into the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he would definitely make a fool of himself.
“That’s right!” Mo Na Ye agreed, “If that is the case for the Divine Dragon, then it would be the same for Yang Kai and the others!”
The Royal Lord suddenly understood what Mo Na Ye meant, looked at him, and asked, “You suggest we just let them go?”
Mo Na Ye calmed down and was secretly relieved that the Royal Lord was convinced by him. At least his efforts were not in vain. As such, he nodded and said, “If they are just passing through the No-Return Pass, then we should let them go. This can also take some pressure off the battlefield.”
The intel mentioned that the number of Eighth-Order Masters with Yang Kai numbered in the hundreds. If so many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters went to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, that would mean that the Great Territory Battlefields would have less of them and the pressure on the Black Ink Clan would be reduced significantly.
“But we can’t let our guard down!” Mo Na Ye added, “We should still make some preparations in case Yang Kai decides to attack the No-Return Pass. If that happens, we will need Sir to deal with him personally!”
The Royal Lord nodded and said, “If that is the case, he will not be spared.”
“Sir is the only Royal Lord left and represents the face of the Black Ink Clan…”
Before Mo Na Ye could finish his sentence, the Royal Lord responded, “I know, I will enter a Black Ink Nest later to heal my old wounds.”
Mo Na Ye shouted, “Sir is wise!”
…..
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship swiftly flew across the Barren Territory. Powerful Divine Senses spread out from inside the ship. They could see two Giant Spirit Gods from afar, continuing their 3,000-year-long battle. In another direction of the void, another Black Ink Giant Spirit God was sitting cross-legged with one of his arms stuck through the boundary wall…
The rising stars who saw the Giant Spirit Gods for the first time were awed by their sheer size.
Even those who had encountered the Giant Spirit Gods before were just as unsettled as when they first saw them.
No one could help but wonder how there could be such huge beings in this Universe. If such a huge being was to sneeze in their direction, the ship full of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would be smashed and many would undoubtedly die.
Their forefathers and the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors who died in the Barren Territory thousands of years ago had faced such frightening figures. To think that they had launched such a brave attack on such a powerful foe and managed to seriously wound it!
If the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was so powerful, then what about Mo, the being who created them? Was this an enemy that could be defeated?
There was an ominous feeling all around. Yang Kai remained silent and had no intention of encouraging the ship full of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. After so many years of cultivating, if they gave up their will to fight just after a glance at the enemy, then the Human Race was doomed no matter what he said.
Naturally, those who had reached the Eighth Order had strong wills.
In fact, if Yang Kai wanted to, he could have activated the Purifying Black Ink Battleship’s Defensive Arrays to prevent them from looking outside so that they would not be intimidated by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God; however, he did not do so.
He wanted them to realize how powerful the enemy really was and to let them know that the road ahead was long and arduous! Their Eighth-Order cultivation was far from enough. If the Human Race wanted to defeat the Black Ink Clan and eliminate Mo, the only way was to get stronger! Much, much stronger!
They silently travelled through the vast Barren Territory, and soon arrived at the Territory Gate.
Yang Kai had planned to go to the No-Return Pass first to check if the Black Ink Clan had set up an ambush on the other side. He thought that if the Black Ink Clan had any intelligence, they would not do something so stupid; after all, it would not do the Black Ink Clan any good to fight at the No-Return Pass. However, he had to take some precautions.
Before the Purifying Black Ink Battleship could reach the Territory Gate though, a voice shouted from afar, “Is that Sir Yang Kai?”
Yang Kai looked up and saw a sturdy figure waiting in the distance and felt the aura of an Innate Territory Lord…
[Interesting, did the Black Ink Clan arrange for someone to welcome us?]
Aboard the Warship, the group of Eighth-Order Master had a change in expression. Most of them had already fought against Territory Lords on the battlefields, but they hardly spoke with one another and instead just fought to the death.
It was also the first time they heard a Human addressed as ‘Sir’ by a Territory Lord.
Yang Xiao whispered to Yang Xue, “Little Aunt, Adoptive Father is so powerful! Even before we arrived, a Territory Lord came from afar to welcome him. His fame from all his killing rampages must be truly remarkable!”
Yang Xue lightly pursed her lips and smiled, “There is no need to envy him. The Dragon Clan is not bad, either.”
Yang Xiao sighed and said, “It’s not the same. I’m afraid I can only look up to my Adoptive Father in my entire life. However, Old Fang… still has some hope.”
Old Fang had also made a name for himself amongst the Black Ink Clan over the years and was widely known as Little Yang Kai. Not only was he proficient in the Dao of Space, but he was also extremely powerful and had a deep heritage. He was much stronger than average Eighth-Order Masters, but although that was the case, he remained calm and honest.
Yang Xiao felt sorry for Old Fang as he knew that the latter had always regarded his Adoptive Father as his role model. If Old Fang was here and saw this scene, he would surely have been proud of Yang Kai.
He had complained about Mi Jing Lun’s decision that the entire Squad was transferred to the Suppressing Black Ink Army, but Old Fang was left behind.
While Yang Xiao was sulking, Yang Kai shouted a response from the front of the deck, “It is this Yang!”
In fact, there was no need to respond. The Territory Lord had already seen his figure from afar. To all the Black Ink Clansmen, they need not remember any Human except for Yang Kai. His image and features had been sent across the entire Black Ink Clan, for all of them to study him closely.
Everyone in the Black Ink Clan was very familiar with this face…
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship stopped not far from the front of the Territory Gate. The Territory Lord who shouted the greeting was clearly tense, his Black Ink Strength involuntarily undulating. He never expected to be placed in such a position before, staring down a Warship with Yang Kai at the front. He suddenly felt that the world was dark and there was no hope or future for him…
This Territory Lord could barely resist the anxiety in his heart, which compelled him to charge towards Yang Kai in a desperate bid to attack!
However, he managed to calm down, because he knew that if he tried to strike Yang Kai, he would die! Yang Kai had already proven his ability and skill with countless of his dead comrades.
He cursed Mo Na Ye in his heart. Just because he had some verbal disputes with Mo Na Ye when they were both Innate Territory Lords, he was sent here by the latter in a kind of personal vendetta. If he was killed by Yang Kai, Mo Na Ye would not be bothered by it. There need not be any mention of avenging his death or even a report to the Royal Lord.
With fear and trepidation, the Territory Lord mustered a smile on his face and cupped his fist towards the Human and said, “By order of Sir Mo Na Ye, I am here to receive Sir Yang. Sir Mo Na Ye has instructed me to ask Your Excellency one question. What is the purpose of Sir Yang Kai’s visit today?”
Although he was smiling, he seemed to be whimpering as his voice trembled.
Aboard the Warship, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters watched on coldly while they marvelled at how much guts it took for this lone Territory Lord to face Yang Kai and hundreds of Eighth-Order Masters.
This ship did not just contain ordinary Eighth-Order Masters, but the elite amongst the elite of the Human Race. Of course, the Black Ink Clan only feared and respected Yang Kai while they scorned the rest and did not even bother to remember their names.
“Mo Na Ye…” Yang Kai murmured. [This guy is as perceptive as ever. Though I did not hide our movements, stationing a Territory Lord here means that he must have figured out what we are up to.]
“What if I say that I’m just passing through?” Yang Kai responded indifferently.
The Territory Lord’s tense heart immediately relaxed and his smile became much more sincere as he side-stepped and made a welcoming gesture, “Sir Mo Na Ye said that if the Humans are only passing through, then go ahead. Please! “
[Interesting…] Yang Kai grinned and did not want to waste any time on this Territory Lord, so he ordered, “Defensive positions!”
Although Yang Kai believed the Black Ink Clan would not risk starting a fight here, they still had to be on guard. Once he gave the order, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters immediately took up a defensive stance.
Yang Kai waved his hand forward and the Purifying Black Ink Battleship sailed into the Territory Gate and disappeared.
After the Purifying Black Ink Battleship entered the Territory Gate, the Territory Lord heaved a long sigh of relief, feeling as if he had returned from the gates of death.
At the No-Return Pass, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship emerged from the Territory Gate. Yang Kai stood alone at the front of the deck, straight as a post, and saw a gathering of powerful foes ahead.
Territory Lords gathered in large numbers, led by Mo Na Ye.
Fortunately, all the Territory Lords had revealed their whereabouts and there was no sign of any Grand Array being activated; otherwise, Yang Kai would have suspected that the Black Ink Clan were here to ambush them.
On the Warship, the Eighth-Order Masters surged their World Force as they met the Territory Lords in front of them with a tinge of anxiety. Both sides exchanged solemn looks as the atmosphere grew extremely tense.
The two Races had long fought ruthlessly for innumerable years, and a vicious blood feud now existed between the two sides. Peace was impossible between them.
The only reason why they did not fight immediately was because they had other priorities right now.
Just after the Purifying Black Ink Battleship crossed the Territory Gate, Mo Na Ye cupped his fist and said with a smile, “Sir Yang, we meet again!
Though he was outwardly smiling, he was actually cursing Yang Kai in his heart. It had only been a year or two since Yang Kai’s last rampage at the No-Return Pass…
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” Yang Kai also returned the salute with a smile, “Sorry to impose on you again!”
Many of the Eighth-Order Masters looked dumbfounded. If for a moment they pretended that there was not a blood feud between the two Races, just seeing how Yang Kai and Mo Na Ye greeted one another, they would think that it was a reunion of old friends.
However, this seemingly warm reunion was accompanied by many secret Divine Sense probes between the two sides, which would be extremely strange.
“No worries, you’re always welcome!” Mo Na Ye smiled eagerly and continued, “This was once a place for the Humans, there’s no imposition at all.”
Yang Kai’s eyes slightly narrowed as he heard the double speak in his words… But Yang Kai was no pushover and simply laughed as he said, “Indeed, one day, we will have to play hosts to you here.”
Mo Na Ye smiled and replied, “I hope that I’ll be around to see that day.”
Yang Kai nodded and said firmly, “You will be!”
Mo Na Ye’s smile froze as he was slightly off-put by this subtle threat; still, he quickly composed himself and asked, “Sir Yang Kai’s purpose for coming here is…”
“Rest assured, I’m not here to stir up trouble with the Black Ink Clan. I just want to take a trip to the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.”
“So that’s how it is!” Mo Na Ye appeared as if his suppositions were correct, “The two sides seemed to be constantly fighting recently. Since Sir Yang Kai is leading so many Human Masters, obviously it must be something important. In that case, I won’t delay you any longer!”
Extending his hand, he gestured, “Please!”
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai replied courteously and took a step out of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. The next moment, Mo Na Ye realized that Yang Kai was standing side by side with him.
Mo Na Ye was surprised by this move, and could not resist as he turned to look at Yang Kai for a moment.
He would not have thought of anything if Yang Kai had stayed aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, but now that he suddenly came so close to him, things were different. Was Yang Kai not afraid of being attacked?
With his strength as a Pseudo-Royal Lord, if Mo Na Ye struck, Yang Kai might not be able to retreat even with his Space Secret Techniques. If the Royal Lord came out from the Black Ink Nests, they might very well have the chance to trap Yang Kai!
[No, it is impossible for him to be that foolish. If he was, then he would have died many times over. But what does he want to do? What the hell is he up to?] Mo Na Ye nervously thought.
Yang Kai grinned at him and casually asked, “Where is Sir Royal Lord? Why haven’t I seen him?”
If it was before, he really would have kept his distance from Mo Na Ye. A Pseudo-Royal Lord was also a Royal Lord and not someone he should take lightly, but now that he had a life-saving trump card, he was not afraid of Mo Na Ye.
Acting in a way that seemingly disadvantaged oneself was a good way to confuse one’s opponents. When dealing with a smart guy like Mo Na Ye, Yang Kai could not just force his way through things. He should act with a certain degree of eccentricity to keep the other side off-balance.
The fact that Yang Kai asked him about the Royal Lord made Mo Na Ye even more wary. It was one thing standing so close to him, but Yang Kai was now even casually inquiring about the Royal Lord…
[What the Hell is this bastard up to?]
Many thoughts flashed through Mo Na Ye’s mind, before in the end he still casually answered, “Sir Royal Lord has minor injuries to deal with and is now resting in the Black Ink Nest.”
“Sir Royal Lord’s injuries… were caused by me years ago, weren’t they?”
Mo Na Ye was dumbfounded by this question.
A rather odd scene was now playing out at the No-Return Pass. Yang Kai and Mo Na Ye were chatting casually as they walked side by side, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship following closely behind, and a mass of Territory Lords lining up on either side. The atmosphere was tense but peaceful.
The two sides continued to walk further and further away.
Only after sending them a million kilometres away from the No-Return Pass, did Mo Na Ye stop and say, “I believe this is far enough, Sir Yang!”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “Good, I will return to the No-Return Pass to enjoy a drink with you soon, when I have time. The fine wine of the Human Race cannot be missed.”
Mo Na Ye immediately declared, “I never drink wine!”
“All the more reason to try it!” Yang Kai laughed and said, “It has been decided.”
After saying that, he did not care how Mo Na Ye reacted and just dashed back to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship before giving the order. The Purifying Black Ink Battleship immediately turned into a stream of light and shot off into the Black Ink Battlefield.
Looking at the direction where the light disappeared, Mo Na Ye felt a headache setting in…
Yang Kai was leading so many Eighth-Order Masters to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and certainly would not be back soon; nonetheless, he would soon return to the frontlines of the battlefield. As for how long ‘soon’ was, that could not be determined.
In other words, Yang Kai had hit the final nail with that one statement. The No-Return Pass currently had Mo Na Ye and the Royal Lord jointly stationed here so that they could keep the Black Ink Nests safe. If Mo Na Ye left and the Royal Lord was alone, he might not be able to stop Yang Kai from causing trouble. While Mo Na Ye could freely roam the battlefields, Yang Kai could then freely destroy the Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass.
[He sure is a tough nut to crack!]
After leading the Territory Lords back to the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye thought about it, but eventually decided not to leave unless another Pseudo-Royal Lord was created by the Black Ink Clan.
Unfortunately, the cost of creating a Pseudo-Royal Lord was immense and the Black Ink Clan could not afford it.
Aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, the group of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fell silent. It was not because they had transited the No-Return Pass peacefully, but rather because they felt a strong sense of shame.
This could not be helped. When passing through the No-Return Pass, they saw the Great Passes that had been abandoned by the Human Race. Within the Great Passes, were a large number of Black Ink Nests which were buzzing with activity.
Those were the Human Race’s greatest weapons of war against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield, inherited from their Ancestors dating back to the Late Ancient Era. Countless soldiers had shed blood to defend those Great Passes, and recorded on the Monument of Heroes within each one were the names of all those heroes who sacrificed their lives to defend the 3,000 Worlds.
But now, they had become trophies of the Black Ink Clan!
After leaving the No-Return Pass, a tense silence fell on everyone on the Warship. Even Yang Xiao, who was normally the most boisterous, had become solemn and filled with trepidation.
However, there seemed to be a fire burning in the eyes of every Eighth-Order Master, the flame of hatred and humiliation. One day, this fire would burn so intensely that it would sweep across the Universe and burn away all their enemies.
It was not until several days later that the oppressive atmosphere gradually dissipated.
Aboard the Warship, the Eighth-Order Masters were chatting among themselves in various groups.
Among the 400 Eighth-Order Masters, most of them were rising stars like Yang Xiao, but some veterans of the Human Race Army had successfully retreated from the Black Ink Battlefield.
These veterans had spent a lot of time on the Black Ink Battlefield, with many of them having made the breakthrough to the Eighth Order in the various Great Passes. Unfortunately, the Human Race Crusade was defeated, lost the Black Ink Battlefield, and had to retreat with its remnants to the 3,000 Worlds.
After thousands of years, they finally returned to this place.
Those rising stars who had never set foot onto the Black Ink Battlefield were naturally eager to ask these veterans for some advice about this place. All of them wanted to hear stories about the Human Race Army of the past and the majestic Great Passes.
The Great Passes were all either broken or abandoned now. Many were around the No-Return Pass while the rest were scattered about. It was hard to imagine what it was like in the past.
Yang Kai was standing at the front of the deck, keeping watch, and at the same time guiding the Purifying Black Ink Battleship forward. The journey to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction would take at least 10 years at the Warship’s cruising speed, so if there was even a slight deviation from the proper course, they would be thrown off by millions of kilometres and delayed for a significant amount of time. Yang Kai did not dare to be careless.
Zhu Jian, encouraged by a group of Divine Spirits, came to Yang Kai at one point and said with a smile, “Sir.”
Yang Kai asked, “What is it?”
On the Warship, the Divine Spirits and the Eighth-Order Masters rarely interacted. It was not that the Eighth-Order Masters did not want to socialize with them, but rather that these Divine Spirits from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary still held onto their aloof arrogance that made it hard to interact with them. If not for their abrasive personalities, Yang Kai would not have thought of bringing them to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
These Divine Spirits could only be subdued by two people, so until Yang Kai could pass that responsibility onto the other individual, keeping an eye on them personally was really the only choice he had.
Zhu Jian scratched his head and said, “Sir, that chap, Fei Yi, asked me to ask you about the situation in the Ancestral Land.”
On hearing this, Fei Yi could not help but roll his eyes and cursed this bastard for tossing the responsibility onto his head.
The Divine Spirits were naturally concerned about the Ancestral Land, which was their birthplace. When a Divine Spirit reached adulthood, they would feel a Bloodline Calling and be able to sense the existence of the Ancestral Land.
They also knew that living in the Ancestral Land would be extremely beneficial to their cultivation. Nowadays, most of these Divine Spirits had reached the equivalent of the Eighth Order. If they wanted to improve and refine their Bloodline further, the Ancestral Land was their only hope.
It was a pity that although they came out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary 3,000 years ago, they had not been to the Ancestral Land as they had been busy fighting this whole time.
The Black Ink Clan had spread everywhere, and the Ancestral Land had been abandoned by the Divine Spirits who originally lived there, so no one knew how things were over there now.
Perhaps only Yang Kai knew! He was the only one who had been running around over these years, so he had the most comprehensive understanding of the outside world.
On hearing Zhu Jian’s question, Yang Kai more or less knew what was on their minds. He knew that he had to assure them if he wanted their continued support for this venture, so he casually explained, “Don’t worry, the Ancestral Land is fine. I just returned from there a year ago; however, I’m afraid it will take some time for it to restore its Ancestral Strength.”
Zhu Jian ignored the second half of the sentence and said excitedly, “Just as I thought! The Ancestral Land is a Holy Land. How could it possibly suffer anything untoward? That fool Fei Yi even said that the Black Ink Clan had irreparably ravaged the Ancestral Land.”
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “Rest assured that the Ancestral Land is very special. Even if the whole Universe falls apart and crumbles, the Ancestral Land will not be broken!”
Yang Kai witnessed the birth of the Ancestral Land when he watched its history in reverse; thus, he was more qualified than anyone else to come to this conclusion. The battle between him and Di Wu in the Ancestral Land was fierce enough to destroy countless Universe Worlds, but the Ancestral Land remained unscathed.
A long time ago, the battle between the Dragon Emperor, Phoenix Empress, and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God raged across the entire Ancestral Land, but even that was not enough to break it…
The Ancestral Land would have been destroyed long ago if it had been as fragile as an ordinary Universe World.
“If the Black Ink Clan problem is eliminated, you and the others can return to Ancestral Land to cultivate,” Yang Kai said, reassuring them.
Zhu Jian’s eyes lit up and nodded firmly, “I’m certain that day will come.”
In the past, these Divine Spirits who came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary were bound by their Bloodline Oath and participated in the war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan. Now, the time of the Great Oath was coming to an end, so it was important to provide them with some hope so that they would still give their best efforts.
The Ancestral Land was where their hope lay.
Yang Kai asked them about the Divine Spirit’s dealings with other Divine Spirits.
The Divine Spirits who were on the side of the Human Race were not only the ones who came out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. There were three groups of Divine Spirits in fact.
One of the other groups was the Dragon and Phoenix Clans, originally from the No-Return Pass, while the other was from the Ancestral Land.
These two groups of Divine Spirits were fundamentally from the same source and got along fairly well.
However, they did not like Zhu Jian and the others.
This could not be helped as the Divine Spirits from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary were all basically imprisoned there for their Ancestors’ crimes. Their initial performance on the battlefield was unreliable as well; thus, the different groups of Divine Spirits did not interact much with each other.
Zhu Jian was also rather helpless when it came to this matter.
If he ever returned to the Ancestral Land in the future, he would have some problems trying to get along with those Divine Spirits.
At that moment, another person walked over, drawing Yang Kai’s attention, “Junior Sister Gu!”
“Senior Brother Yang,” Gu Pan replied with a smile. She was a Core Disciple of Lang Ya Paradise from Yang Kai’s generation that he had met in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. After thousands of years of cultivation, she had also reached the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and became one of the pillars of the Human Race.
Zhu Jian also knew Gu Pan and nodded to her.
It was not surprising that they knew each other, as Gu Pan was chosen as a Bearer by Kui Niu in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and had gained some benefits from the latter. Gu Pan had naturally met Zhu Jian back then.
Seeing how his business was finished, Zhu Jian said, “Sir, please excuse me, I’ll take my leave now.”
On saying so, he turned around and left.
When he passed by Gu Pan, she opened the portal of her Small Universe and a figure came out.
Zhu Jian instantly froze as he seemed to sense something. He turned his head and looked towards the figure that had just appeared. Before him was a Human woman whose cultivation was only at the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
This made him frown slightly. After a brief look at her, he did not notice anything worthy of his attention, so he just shook his head and left.
When he returned to the Divine Spirits, they saw his serious expression and a Divine Spirit asked, “What happened?”
Zhu Jian scratched his head, looked back, and said, “Nothing, perhaps I was mistaken.”
The moment he brushed past that female Seventh-Order Human who appeared from Gu Pan’s Small Universe, he suddenly had an ominous feeling, as if he had met some kind of nemesis…
He would naturally not mention this to Fei Yi and the rest, lest they laugh at his cowardice; however, that feeling did not seem to be an illusion…
Something was odd about that Seventh-Order woman.
The woman who appeared from Gu Pan’s Small Universe was none other than Zhang Ruo Xi. Over these years, she and Gu Pan were essentially inseparable. With a Core Disciple like Gu Pan and Yang Kai having close relationships with her, Zhang Ruo Xi’s life in the Lang Ya Paradise was quite comfortable.
It was a pity that she only advanced directly to the Fifth-Order; otherwise, she would have been more valued by Lang Ya Paradise.
Earlier, Yang Kai asked the Eighth-Order Masters to take in the other Suppressing Black Ink Army Soldiers; thus, Zhang Ruo Xi was taken into Gu Pan’s Small Universe.
“Sir!” Zhang Ruo Xi bowed elegantly.
Yang Kai reached out and helped her up, smiling happily as he said, “Ruo Xi is now in the Seventh Order too!”
Back at the Star Boundary, many Great Emperors joined hands to fight Great Demon God Mo Sheng. He and Zhang Ruo Xi also participated in that great battle, after which they left the Star Boundary together. Unfortunately, halfway through their trip, they were separated. Yang Kai was stranded in the Seven Wonders Land while Zhang Ruo Xi went through some difficulties, but eventually managed to reach Lang Ya Paradise. She then became a disciple of Lang Ya Paradise through the relationship it shared with her Ancestor.
Over the years, although they had met each other, their interactions had been quite limited.
The last time Yang Kai saw her, Ruo Xi had just broken through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, yet now, she was already in the Seventh-Order.
There was nothing better in life than to see a familiar face in the crowd after thousands of years of war.
Lang Ya Paradise had also contributed some manpower to the Suppressing Black Ink Army, among which, Gu Pan, a rising star, was their leader. Since Gu Pan came, Zhang Ruo Xi naturally came along with her.
Thinking of Zhu Jian’s look of uncertainty, Yang Kai laughed again and said, “It looks like your Bloodline has also become much purer.”
Zhang Ruo Xi possessed the Heaven’s Order Bloodline. Yang Kai did not know what exactly was the name of this Bloodline, he only knew that in the Star Boundary, Heavens Order was the nemesis of all Divine Spirits.
There was a place in the Star Boundary known as the Ancient Wild Lands, which was a paradise for the Monster Race. Over there stood the Blood Gate, behind which were many Divine Spirit Sources. If a Monster Beast could obtain the appropriate Source, they would have a chance to inherit the power of a Divine Spirit.
The Blood Gate was created by Zhang Ruo Xi’s Ancestor, the original owner of the Heavens Order Bloodline. Legend has it that when the Star Boundary was overrun by Divine Spirits, Heaven’s Order took pity on the World and killed many Divine Spirits who were causing trouble, extracting their Sources and sealing them behind the Blood Gate as punishment!
The Blood Gate was forged by Heaven’s Order with her Blood Essence. It was the Restricted Area of the Ancient Wild Lands that even the most powerful of Monster Race dared not approach carelessly.
Only the successor of the Heavens Order Bloodline was qualified to open the Blood Gate!
Unfortunately, after the death of Heaven’s Order, her Bloodline fell into obscurity. Her descendants were unable to revive their ancestral glory and gradually fell into decline and risked disappearing entirely.
Later, Zhang Ruo Xi’s Bloodline was awakened and she entered the Blood Gate, taking Xiao Xiao with her. Xiao Xiao’s current strength was inherited from the Source of the Divine Spirit, Tai Yue.
Many Monster Race Masters from the Star Boundary had benefited from the Divine Spirit Sources inheritance from the Blood Gate, and some were still active in the Great Territory Battlefields today. This included Luan Feng and Fan Wu. While they only had a trace of Divine Spirit Bloodline in them originally, which was far from pure, when they obtained the appropriate Source, they could be called true Divine Spirits. Afterwards, many of them even journeyed to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land to cultivate, further purifying their Bloodlines.
Yang Kai suddenly looked a bit confused when he thought about this.
If the Divine Spirits had their Bloodline, then what was the Heaven’s Order Bloodline Zhang Ruo Xi had? This kind of Bloodline had a natural restraint on all Divine Spirits, which could be seen only from Zhu Jian’s reaction just now.
Just by walking by each other, a Master on Zhu Jian’s level felt uneasy around Zhang Ruo Xi, a mere Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
In fact, when Zhang Ruo Xi stood in front of Yang Kai, even he could not help but feel an innate sense of unease coming from his Dragon Vein!
However, due to their familiarity with each other, and knowing that Zhang Ruo Xi couldn’t harm him, this uneasiness was easily ignored.
If it had been someone else, that feeling would be enough to trigger Yang Kai to be more cautious.
Oddly, he had never felt this way in the past. Either Zhang Ruo Xi’s Heavens Order Bloodline had grown tremendously, or Yang Kai’s Dragon Vein had grown so pure that it was now able to sense Ruo Xi’s Bloodline more strongly.
“Sir, you are very knowledgeable, so Ruo Xi has a question for you.” Zhang Ruo Xi spoke softly.
Gu Pan had already waved her hand and created a barrier that surrounded the three of them, separating them from the outside.
Yang Kai immediately understood that what Ruo Xi wanted to say must be extremely personal to her; otherwise, Gu Pan would not have been so cautious. He immediately nodded and said, “Go ahead.”
Zhang Ruo Xi said, “Sir, you know that after Ruo Xi condensed her Dao Seal, refined appropriate materials, and became a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the final realm I could reach was the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, right?”
Yang Kai nodded. He naturally knew about this matter, because he had once asked Zhang Ruo Xi if she wanted to start over and refine Sixth-Order materials. After all, there was still a gap between the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order. Back then, he still had some Tai Yi Soul Cleansing Water on hand. As long as Ruo Xi was willing to try, then she could wash away the Powers accumulated in her Dao Seal and begin from scratch.
However, doing so involved a great deal of risk, as the Dao Seal was at stake and any slight carelessness could be fatal. Ruo Xi also felt that refining Sixth-Order materials was a bit too much for her aptitude, which was why Yang Kai did not insist on it.
“Now that Ruo Xi is a Seventh-Order Master and has reached the peak of her cultivation…” Zhang Ruo Xi then continued to explain.
She followed Gu Pan around the battlefield over the years to kill countless enemies and had accumulated countless Military Merits, so she was never short of cultivation resources. The current environment for the Human Race soldiers had a multitude of dangers as well as opportunities. As long as they dared to dedicate themselves to the war, they could use their Military Merits to exchange for anything they wanted. It was unlike before when all the good stuff was hoarded by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, out of reach of ordinary cultivators.
Zhang Ruo Xi was very hardworking and exchanged her Military Merits for lots of resources; thus, she was always cultivating, which was why it was not surprising that she could reach the peak of the Seventh Order.
“But Sir…” Ruo Xi appeared bewildered as she looked up at Yang Kai, “Ruo Xi still feels that her cultivation has not reached its limits, like there are no shackles on my Small Universe.”
Yang Kai was listening attentively, and now his expression was even more intense as he asked, “Is that true?”
What Zhang Ruo Xi said was not that alarming initially, but her final words sent shockwaves through Yang Kai’s heart.
[Why can she not feel the shackles on her Small Universe? It’s too strange]
The moment Yang Kai broke through the Eighth Order, he could already feel the shackles on his Small Universe, and they only became more noticeable the more he cultivated.
The Human Open Heaven Realm Method had a major flaw which limited one’s ultimate potential, a fact that Yang Kai only recognized recently.
Cang and his nine compatriots went to the World Tree to gain enlightenment regarding the Open Heaven Realm method, so that the originally weak Human Race could rise up. It could be said that these Martial Ancestors had contributed immensely to the Human Race.
Without the Open Heaven Realm method, the Human Race would not be what it is today.
It was because of these 10 Martial Ancestors that the future generations of the Human Race were able to achieve their current success and Yang Kai was full of respect for them.
However, it was undeniable that the Open Heaven Realm method was imperfect. If it was perfect, then it would not put unbreakable limits on one’s future achievements. A truly perfect method would allow one to continue treading their Martial Dao as long as they were willing to put in the necessary effort.
In a sense, the Open Heaven Realm method was a dead end.
Anyone who initially broke through to the Fifth Order would have a hard limit of the Seventh Order in the future. The Sixth-Order would end at the Eighth-Order.
A World Fruit from the World Tree could extend that limit by a single Order, allowing a person to climb a little higher on their Martial Dao, but it was still limited.
Yang Kai achieved the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, then took a Mid-Rank World Fruit. He was now at the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and although he was not quite at the peak, he was nearly there.
When he was still cultivating in the Star Boundary’s World Tree Clone, he felt the invisible shackle on his Small Universe growing tighter with time. The shackle was like a lock that pinned down his Martial Dao to prevent any possibility of it moving forward. It also locked his Small Universe from further expansion. This became more obvious as Yang Kai’s own heritage increased.
Every Master who had reached the end of their own Martial Dao could clearly feel this invisible shackle on their Small Universe.
The shackle existed with the birth of one’s Small Universe when advancing to the Open Heaven Realm; however, Zhang Ruo Xi said that she could not feel this shackle, which was rather unbelievable.
If Ruo Xi’s cultivation was at the peak of Seventh Order, she should have clearly felt this restriction long ago.
It was no wonder Gu Pan blocked this area. This was a big deal and would spread like wildfire if it got out.
“Who else knows about this?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
Ruo Xi turned her head, looked at Gu Pan, and said, “Besides you, only Senior Sister Gu knows about this.”
She wanted to ask Yang Kai for advice as soon as she realized her situation; unfortunately, Yang Kai was now in a high position and his whereabouts were highly unpredictable. Strong in will but weak in strength, Zhang Ruo Xi could only keep this secret to herself for the time being. Luckily, she was able to see Yang Kai during the formation of the Suppressing Black Ink Army; otherwise, she really did not know what she should do.
In Lang Ya Paradise, although some Elders cared for her, she could not totally trust them. Furthermore, she believed only Yang Kai could handle this.
Yang Kai was the only person in the world who could make her feel totally unreserved.
Yang Kai nodded slightly as Ruo Xi’s caution was appropriate.
The limits of one’s Small Universe was the eternal bane of all Human Masters. If they could find a way to break this shackle, the Human Race would certainly have many more Masters.
Most old Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had reached the end of their Martial Dao long ago, so even if it was only a faint hint of a chance to break through to the Ninth-Order, they would not hesitate to risk everything to seize it.
If Zhang Ruo Xi’s situation was leaked, the Supreme Headquarters would undoubtedly try to investigate, regardless of the possible drawbacks or consequences.
When that happened, Zhang Ruo Xi would lose all freedom and become a test subject.
“Can I see your Small Universe?” Yang Kai asked.
Ruo Xi agreed immediately and opened her Small Universe.
Yang Kai’s Divine Sense entered it and immediately felt the aura of her World Force, which was extremely pure and strong.
This Small Universe itself was nothing special, other than its territory being larger than a normal Seventh-Order Master’s. Indeed, as Ruo Xi said, she was already at the peak of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
However, Yang Kai soon chuckled and asked, “Why are you hoarding so many Small Stone Race members?”
Ruo Xi’s Small Universe had fully materialized as she was in the Seventh Order, and it seemed she had purposely transplanted many flowers and plants into it, making it both beautiful and vibrant.
However, in a corner of her Small Universe, there were some 200 Small Stone Race members of both the Yang and Yin variety. They were both equally distributed, and most were very strong. There were even some 1,000-metre-tall Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters among them.
Yang Kai naturally knew the origin of these Small Stone Race members. Previously, in the Ancestral Land, he handed the Small Stone Race Soldiers he ‘borrowed’ from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan and passed them to those Seventh-Order Array Masters, tasking them with bringing them back to the Supreme Headquarters.
The Supreme Headquarters naturally distributed these Small Stone Race members to strengthen the Human Race soldiers.
Naturally, the cost for a Small Stone Race Soldier would correspond to its Order, so the powerful ones were not cheap. Human Soldiers would obtain these Small Stone Race members from the various bases in the Great Territory Battlefields and then refine them to use against the enemy.
Generally speaking, a single person could only refine a handful of Small Stone Race Soldiers as their sentience was too low. They were very rebellious and even when refined, it was very difficult to command them when there were too many.
Yang Kai was well aware of this; thus, nowadays, when the Human Race soldiers were fighting with the Black Ink Clan on the various battlefields, most of them had a few Small Stone Race members with them. Quite often the Human Race soldiers relied on the bravery of these Small Stone Race soldiers to get out of tricky situations or to kill strong enemies.
In this way, they were of great help to the Humans.
Yang Kai was a bit puzzled about why Ruo Xi hoarded so many though; after all, these things were exchanged for Military Merits and their cost was not cheap, especially for those in the Eighth Order. After all, having something equivalent to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would give her a significant boost in fighting strength.
These 200 Small Stone Race members alone represented a massive amount of Military Merits.
What made Yang Kai feel even stranger was that he did not feel any traces of refinement from these Small Stone Race members.
It was as if Zhang Ruo Xi was just hoarding them and had no intention of using them.
Ruo Xi’s voice echoed within the Small Universe, “Ruo Xi can tell you more about this later. Actually, this is also something Ruo Xi wants to consult Sir about.”
Yang Kai was slightly surprised. Could there be any special purpose for Ruo Xi to hoard these Small Stone Race members? However, since Ruo Xi already mentioned this, he could only set aside his concerns and continue to investigate her Small Universe.
His Divine Sense soon reached the edge of her Small Universe.
The Small Universe of an Open Heaven Realm Master was not fundamentally different from a real Universe World. The edge of it could be called the World Boundary, which was both a natural protection to ensure that the World Force of the Small Universe would not leak out, and also a shackle to limit the cultivator’s growth and strength.
When an Open Heaven Realm Master cultivated using materials and pills, their heritage would grow, which would result in the expansion of their Small Universe.
For example, although a new Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and a veteran Fifth-Order Open Heaven Master were technically in the same Order, there was a huge difference in the density of their World Force and even the size of their Small Universe.
The size of their Small Universe, and the richness of their World Force directly affected the strength of an Open Heaven Realm Master.
Therefore, on the Black Ink Battlefield, cultivators who were invaded by Black Ink Strength and had to give up a portion of their Small Universe to save themselves would see a drastic drop in their strength. If one sacrificed too much of their Small Universe, they might even see their Order regress. In the worst-case scenario, an Open Heaven Realm Master’s Small Universe would completely destabilize after large portions of it were sacrificed, resulting in death.
Moreover, once a Master gave a large part of their Small Universe, it would become incomplete and have a great impact on any attempts at a breakthrough in the future.
In this Universe, only a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit could repair one’s Small Universe.
Xiang Shan once gave up too much of his Small Universe and regressed to the Seventh Order. Now, he had repaired his Small Universe and cultivated back to his peak; however, because of his actions back then, there were still some flaws in his foundation, making it extremely difficult for him to advance to the Ninth Order despite having the capital and aptitude to do so.
The Four Universe Pillars and the World Tree clones could stabilize and insulate one’s Small Universe from outside influence, making it both impervious and flawless. It was precisely because the mysterious power of these treasures affected the World Boundary of a person’s Small Universe, making it resistant to external invasion. On top of that, even if Black Ink Strength somehow made its way into the Small Universe of a person with one of these treasures, it could be easily suppressed and sealed.
A cultivator would reach a bottleneck when the expansion of their Small Universe reached its limit. If they broke through this limit, the Master would advance to the next Order and their Small Universe would expand greatly. Naturally, the strength of that cultivation would dramatically change as well.
Ruo Xi was now at the peak of the Seventh Order, and her Small Universe should have hit its limit, one that should be insurmountable in her life. It was reasonable to say that her World Boundary couldn’t expand any further.
Knowing this, Yang Kai conducted a small test to push the limit.
In an instant, a mountain shook in the Ruo Xi’s Small Universe and the World Boundary rippled.
Yang Kai was surprised and immediately withdrew his energy.
After all, a cultivator would feel uncomfortable when their Small Universe was disturbed from the inside. Luckily, Yang Kai was able to quickly retract his energy and did not cause any harm to Ruo Xi.
Gu Pan asked from the side, “How is it?”
“It’s really strange…” Yang Kai frowned and continued, “Ruo Xi does have the potential to continue improving her cultivation.”
Through this test, Yang Kai was able to determine that Zhang Ruo Xi’s cultivation had reached a bottleneck, but not the end of her Martial Dao.
With a little more effort, she could break through this bottleneck and advance to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
This was shocking!
Yang Kai had travelled all over the Universe for many years and had come into contact with all kinds of cultivators, including many High-Ranking Open Heaven Masters, but none of them could overcome their innate shackles like Ruo Xi could.
Even he himself was now restricted by the invisible shackle of his Small Universe.
Gu Pan was both happy and relieved to hear Yang Kai’s assessment. She had looked into Zhang Ruo Xi’s situation before and came to the same conclusion; however, she was not confident in her own judgment.
Now that Yang Kai had come to the same conclusion, it was basically a certainty.
This was good for Zhang Ruo Xi. Previously, her peak was the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, now she might be able to become an Eighth-Order or even a Ninth-Order Master!
Yang Kai thought for a moment and asked, “Has Ruo Xi ever eaten a World Fruit?”
Zhang Ruo Xi shook her head and said, “No, I haven’t.”
Yang Kai nodded at the expected answer. World Fruits were so precious that ordinary people could not get a hold of one. If Ruo Xi had eaten a World Fruit, then she would not be as doubtful of her situation.
“Sir, can you figure out what’s going on with Ruo Xi?” Zhang Ruo Xi asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I’ve never heard of a situation like this before, but I can see that the foundation of your Small Universe is solid and your heritage is strong. So, there’s nothing wrong with it, and it should be beneficial to you, rather than harmful. As for why this is the case… I have a speculation.”
“Please enlighten me, Sir!” Zhang Ruo Xi looked at him eagerly.
Yang Kai said, “It concerns your Bloodline! The Heavens Order Bloodline you awakened should have some peculiarities. It should be this peculiarity that allows you to overcome the innate shackles of the Open Heaven Realm.”
“What Sir means is…”
“Let’s put it this way,” Yang Kai explained, “Your Bloodline is different from that of the Human Race. If you look at the vast Universe, only the Divine Spirits have true Bloodline Inheritances. The Divine Spirits do not have limits on their cultivation; they just need to constantly refine their own Bloodline and awaken their ancient inheritance to advance. In other words, they can continue to get stronger as long as they put in enough effort and have enough resources. Humans on the other hand, who cultivate using the Open Heaven Realm method, have innate limits. Divine Spirits clearly have incomparable advantages. Your Heaven’s Order Bloodline may also be related to a Divine Spirit Bloodline, so the growth of your strength is somewhat similar to that of a Divine Spirit…”
At this point, Yang Kai suddenly realized a problem with his theory.
If the Heavens Order Bloodline was really a Divine Spirit Bloodline, then Zhang Ruo Xi should also have innate shackles because she relied on the Open Heaven Realm method of the Human Race to cultivate.
Take Yang Kai himself, he could be considered a pure-blood Dragon Clan member now, but because he used the Open Heaven Realm to cultivate, no matter how pure his Dragon Vein was, he was still limited by his innate shackles to the peak of the Eighth-Order. Even his powerful Dragon Vein was restricted. It seemed he could not take that last one-metre step to become a Divine Dragon even when he cultivated in the Ancestral Land.
Only when he reached the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm would his Dragon Vein naturally be able to advance to the next stage.
Although Su Yan had a Phoenix Clan Bloodline, as long as she relied on the Open Heaven Realm method, she would suffer from this shortcoming as well.
The Open Heaven Realm method was inherited from the 10 Martial Ancestors, which was in line with the Heavenly Way. It was certainly not perfect, but it had helped with the cultivation of the Human Race for countless aeons.
If the Masters wanted to be free from the restrictions, then they should not cultivate using the Open Heaven Realm method; however, as soon as they used it to cultivate, they would definitely be limited by it in the future.
Divine Spirits did not need to cultivate using the Open Heaven Realm method. They were the first to be blessed by the Heavenly Way and ruled all under the Heavens long before the 10 Martial Ancestors gained enlightenment about the Open Heaven Realm method. They have been using their Bloodline as their main way to cultivate since ancient times. The purer their Bloodline, the more powerful they were.
Zhang Ruo Xi also used the Open Heaven Realm method to advance to the Open Heaven Realm though, so even if the Heavens Order Bloodline was really a kind of Divine Spirit Bloodline, it should be limited by the restrictions of the Open Heaven Realm method, but she was not.
Unless…
The Heaven’s Order Bloodline was more powerful than any Divine Spirit Bloodline! Such power would be sufficient to overcome the innate shackles of the Open Heaven Realm method.
Considering all these, Yang Kai could not help but feel bothered.
[Was the Heavens Order Bloodline much more powerful than the Divine Spirit Bloodlines?] He really had not thought about it before.
However, after careful consideration, it seemed that… it was possible!
Back in the Star Boundary, Heaven’s Order was the nemesis of all Divine Spirits. All the Divine Spirits that plagued the world were captured by Heaven’s Order and stripped of their Sources, which she then sealed in the Blood Gate for countless years.
Even when Zhang Ruo Xi was only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, an Eighth-Order Divine Spirit like Zhu Jian could feel a sense of suppression just being near her. Even Yang Kai felt so when she was close to him!
All signs indicated that Zhang Ruo Xi’s Heavens Order Bloodline was much more powerful than any Divine Spirit Bloodline!
[What exactly is the Heavens Order Bloodline?] Yang Kai was now considered to be very knowledgeable and had seen many things; however, he had never heard of the Heavens Order Bloodline anywhere else except in Zhang Ruo Xi!
Yang Kai had a hunch about the truth, but he was unsure about it…
“Sir?” Zhang Ruo Xi whispered when she saw that he was lost in his thoughts.
“Hmm?” Yang Kai came back to his senses.
“As Sir said, my current situation is similar to the Divine Spirits, so can I become an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?” She asked excitedly.
The Human Race was now at war for its very survival, and although a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master wasn’t weak, any random Territory Lord could easily kill them, especially the Innate Territory Lords who were far more powerful than the Acquired ones.
Zhang Ruo Xi had been able to stay safe and sound all these years mainly because she had been following Gu Pan around. Due to her relationship with Yang Kai, Lang Ya Paradise had taken great care of her. If she was just an ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it would be much riskier for her on the battlefield.
However, if she could become an Eighth-Order Master, then she would be much safer in the future and more lethal to the enemies on the battlefield.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “Advancing to the Eighth Order is not a problem. I saw your Small Universe and you are at the limit of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Once things have settled down, you should enter retreat and cultivate hard. I will personally stand guard for you until you break through to the Eighth Order!”
“Many thanks, Sir!” Zhang Ruo Xi said with a beautiful smile.
There was no doubt that Zhang Ruo Xi would advance to the Eighth Order; nevertheless, Yang Kai could not be absolutely sure if what he thought was correct.
If it was as he thought, it would still be astonishing that the Heavens Order Bloodline could circumvent the drawbacks of the Open Heaven Realm method, which was something that even a Divine Spirit Bloodline could not achieve.
Yang Kai was still thinking about the Heaven’s Order Bloodline when Ruo Xi said, “Sir, I have one more thing to ask advice about, and it concerns my Bloodline.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai was intrigued and said, “Go ahead.”
Zhang Ruo Xi glanced around and then said, “It’s not convenient to talk about it here; however, I can show it to you, Sir. Can you please come to the void with me?”
“En!” Yang Kai nodded and sent a message to let the Purifying Black Ink Battleship continue to follow its current course before leaving a Space Beacon on the deck to facilitate his return. He then manipulated Space Principles, wrapped Zhang Ruo Xi in them, and darted away.
After a few Instantaneous Movements, Yang Kai and Ruo Xi were out of sight range of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
They came to a stop and Yang Kai said, “This should be good enough.”
The void was so vast and endless that Zhang Ruo Xi would not be limited in whatever she wanted to demonstrate.
Zhang Ruo Xi nodded, opened her Small Universe portal, and a member of the Small Stone Race stepped out.
Those of the Small Stone Race usually look simple and unassuming. However, those who were familiar with their racial characteristics would know that their peaceful look was just an illusion as they were truly war-like.
After the Small Stone Race member appeared, it immediately made a move that made Yang Kai’s jaw drop. It came to Yang Kai, cupped its fist and bowed to him!
Yang Kai swore that this was the most polite Small Stone Race member he had ever met in his life!
Under normal circumstances, when Humans summoned one, a Small Stone Race Soldier would definitely immediately rush towards the nearest source of Black Ink Strength in a fit of rage. Human soldiers would have to refine them in advance to command them; otherwise, they would definitely run off and soon become lost.
When Yang Kai handed out the first batch of the Small Stone Race Soldiers, the Humans had not figured out an appropriate method to control them and ended up wasting a lot of them.
However, he could also see that this Small Stone Race member was so courteous and mindful of etiquette because Zhang Ruo Xi had exquisite control over it.
Yet, this Small Stone Race member had no trace of being refined at all.
The Small Stone Race member was not finished after saluting Yang Kai. He started to display his fighting skills to Yang Kai and demonstrated with vigour and power. Finally, it finished its show by cupping its fist once more.
Yang Kai was more than a little dumbfounded and alternated his gaze between the Small Stone Race member and Zhang Ruo Xi’s smiling face.
“How did you do this?” Yang Kai asked in amazement.
In fact, Yang Kai could have done this too if he had been the one controlling this Small Stone Race Soldier, but that was because he had the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks given to him by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
This Small Stone Race member was brought out from the Chaotic Dead Territory, where the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had spent the last millennium nurturing it. These Small Stone Race members could be regarded as pieces of living Yellow and Blue Crystals; thus, the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks condensed from the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s Source held absolute authority over them.
Yang Kai could even use the power contained within them to generate Purifying Light!
On the other hand, Zhang Ruo Xi did not have the Marks, which Yang Kai had brought out of the Chaotic Dead Territory and distributed to the Divine Spirits.
Zhang Ruo Xi said, “Sir, please continue to watch.”
She did not answer Yang Kai’s question immediately because there was more to show him.
As she spoke, two more Soldiers came out of her Small Universe, joined together with the previous one, linking their auras. Their bodies vibrated and then in the blink of an eye, they formed… a Three Fortunes Formation!
This Three Fortunes Formation was far more solid than a Battle Formation formed by ordinary Human Soldiers. Their auras were completely connected, without any form of roughness or instability.
Next, a continuous stream of Small Stone Race members emerged from Zhang Ruo Xi’s Small Universe and joined the Battle Formation.
The Three Fortunes became a Four Symbols, then a Five Elements, a Six Paths, and finally a Nine Palaces Formation…
But that was not the end as more and more Small Stone Race Soldiers rushed out and formed more Nine Palaces Formations.
With the Nine Palaces Formation as the base, the formation grew again. 27 Small Stone Race members, forming what could only be called a Great Three Fortunes Formation, 36 Small Stone Race members formed the Great Four Symbols Formation, and finally, the 81 Small Stone Race members formed a massive Great Nine Palaces Formation…
Yang Kai was in absolute awe as he watched this scene in utter bewilderment.
He finally understood why Zhang Ruo Xi had accumulated so many Small Stone Race members in her Small Universe.
He thought that she was keeping them as backup for some kind of emergency; after all, they were easily killed on the battlefield, so it was prudent of her to keep more in reserve if she planned to take on powerful Masters like a Territory Lord.
However, now it seemed that this was not the case. Zhang Ruo Xi was really capable of commanding and controlling this many Small Stone Race members!
Yang Kai could as well. Not to mention 81 Small Stone Race members, he could even control an Army of millions of Small Stone Race Soldiers; however, he needed to use the Marks to command them in a general manner, while the scene before him was completely different.
He could only give simple orders to such a Small Stone Race Army; however, it was essentially up to the individual Soldiers to figure out how to carry out his commands.
The 81 Small Stone Race members controlled by Zhang Ruo Xi on the other hand were like extensions of herself, akin to her hands and feet, completely within her ability to control.
The massive Nine Palaces Formation before Yang Kai should only have existed in theory and was supposedly impossible for cultivators to actually achieve.
This was because each base point of this Great Nine Palaces Formation was a First-Order Nine Palaces Formation. Nine cultivators were needed to form the initial Battle Formation, and these nine people had to adjust their auras to link with each other without clashing. Essentially, they needed to become one in both heart and mind.
On a real battlefield, forming a Nine Palaces Formation was already the absolute limit, so trying to form this kind of Great Nine Palaces Formation was nothing but a fantasy.
Considering the Small Stone Race members’ low sentience, it was unbelievable that Zhang Ruo Xi was able to control them to such a fine degree.
Yang Kai had already sensed the crux of how this happened though and remarked, “Bloodline Power?”
When the number of Small Stone Race members was small, Yang Kai did not sense anything; however, with Zhang Ruo Xi using 81 Small Stone Race Soldiers, he did notice that there was a faint fluctuation of Bloodline Power from her body. So, it was obvious she was controlling the Small Stone Race members with her Bloodline.
“En,” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded. This was exactly the Bloodline mystery that she wanted to seek Yang Kai’s advice on.
It was only recently that she had discovered this ability.
There were only two times that Yang Kai had provided the Human Race with Small Stone Race Soldiers. Once was 3,000 years ago when he was travelling around the Great Territories to refine Universe Worlds. When he met many Great Forces of the Human Race who were evacuating, he gave them large numbers of Small Stone Race Soldiers as escorts.
However, almost all of those Small Stone Race Soldiers he sent out at that time had their own owners, and Zhang Ruo Xi was not able to attain any.
Recently though, Yang Kai tasked some Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land to bring back several million members of the Small Stone Race. Thereafter, the Supreme Headquarters distributed them to the Armies in the Great Territory Battlefields. They were placed in the individual Army’s War Materials departments for the soldiers to exchange for Military Merits.
Out of curiosity, Ruo Xi acquired a few of them and found that she could very easily control them. Thus, she began to exchange her Military Merits for more.
If the Army’s resource department did not stop her, her Small Universe would have many more Small Stone Race members inside, at least far more than a mere 200.
Yang Kai did not know about any of this, but looking at the Nine Palaces Formation in front of him, he was amazed that such a Battle Formation formed by 81 Small Stone Race Soldiers could be this powerful. The strength of the Small Stone Race that made up this Formation was not high, generally only equivalent to Second or Third-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. However, after they assumed this Formation, the aura they radiated reached the intensity of the Seventh Order!
If these Small Stone Race Soldiers were stronger to begin with, then the power of the Formation would grow even further.
“Can you control more?” Yang Kai asked.
Ruo Xi nodded and replied, “En, but I don’t have enough to form another complete Battle Formation layer.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s face twitched. He just asked Zhang Ruo Xi if she could control more, but this little girl was even more ambitious. She actually wanted to use this Great Nine Palaces Formation as the base to form an even higher Order Formation!
Having 81 Small Stone Race members as a base to form the simplest Three Fortunes Formation would require 243 Small Stone Race Soldiers, so Zhang Ruo Xi really did not have enough.
But Yang Kai had them…
Although he gave the Human Race several million Small Stone Race Soldiers, he kept a few million for his own use.
With the wave of a hand, an army of Small Stone Race Soldiers flew out of his Small Universe, appearing both grand and majestic.
“Go all out. Let me see what your limit is.”
Zhang Ruo Xi agreed readily as she also wanted to know her limits. She immediately surged her Bloodline Power to draw many from the Army released by Yang Kai.
Soon, a new Nine Palaces Formation was formed using Great Nine Palaces Formations as nodes. The number of Small Stone Race Soldiers involved had now reached 729! Their combined power had surpassed the Seventh Order and almost reached the Eighth Order!
Yang Kai was dumbfounded by the Formation in front of him.
The Great Nine Palaces Formation existed in theory and was basically impossible to be formed by Humans, but what about this Nine Palaces Formation formed from Great Nine Palaces Formation as its base be called?
A Third-Order Nine Palaces Formation?
If a normal Nine Palaces Formation was the First-Order and a Great Nine Palaces Formation was the Second-Order, then there should not be any problem calling this one Third-Order.
The Bloodline Power coming from Zhang Ruo Xi’s body became more and more intense, and Yang Kai began to feel a slight pressure that caused his Dragon Vein to roil and riot.
This kind of pressure was somewhat similar to a Dragon Clan bloodline suppression…
So, it seemed like his suspicions were true. This Heaven’s Order Bloodline was more powerful than any Divine Spirit Bloodline. All of a sudden, his thoughts became clear and he understood what was happening with Zhang Ruo Xi and her Bloodline!
After a few moments, the Third-Order Nine Palaces Formation had turned into the Fourth-Order Nine Palaces Formation.
The number of Small Stone Race Soldiers who made up the Formation now reached an astonishing 6,561!
It was unbelievable that one person could perfectly control more than 6,000 Small Stone Race.
Although the individual strength of the Small Stone Race participating in the Formation was generally not high, the aura of the Battle Formation at this moment made even Yang Kai feel a lot of pressure.
In other words, if he were to fight against them and did not find a way to break the Battle Formation, he might lose!
It was an astonishing feat!
With this ability alone, Zhang Ruo Xi was as valuable as any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
Yang Kai also saw the manifestation of the Heaven’s Order Bloodline Power once again.
Perhaps the Bloodline Power became too intense so Zhang Ruo Xi was now surrounded by a blood-coloured haze. Suddenly, at some critical point, a huge figure of a woman emerged behind her. The figure looked extremely imposing as she looked down on the world, a greatsword at the ready. As she stood quietly behind Zhang Ruo Xi, the Void trembled and an awe-inspiring pressure pervaded the surrounding space.
Yang Kai was stunned!
This figure and the memory of another extremely vague figure quickly overlapped. Although there was a difference in size, the image was too similar to ignore.
Yang Kai was so happy that he had stumbled upon this great fortune. He never expected that he would stumble across such a grand discovery during this meeting with Ruo Xi.
He was suddenly enlightened and many uncertainties in his mind became clear.
[So, that’s how it is! If that is really the case, then everything makes sense!]
The Heaven’s Order Bloodline was basically a Divine Spirit Bloodline, but it was not a Divine Spirit Bloodline in the ordinary sense.
In terms of ranking, the Heaven’s Order Bloodline was higher than all other Divine Spirit Bloodlines; thus, it was not accurate to call it the Divine Spirit’s nemesis. The Heaven’s Order Bloodline was not born to restrain Divine Spirits, it was actually from the same vein as the Divine Spirit Bloodlines, only higher up the hierarchy, which was why it could suppress all other Divine Spirit Bloodlines!
The Dragon Clan itself also had the concept of bloodline suppression, but the Dragon Clan’s bloodline suppression only affected those within the Clan or those from Monster Race too weak to resist. A Dragon Clansman with a purer Bloodline had a natural restraint on any other Dragon Clansman with a less pure Bloodline! In a fight, the strength of a Dragon Clansman with the purer Bloodline could suppress the strength of the other.
A Dragon Clan’s Bloodline may have some deterrent effect on other Divine Spirits, but it was far less obvious.
A Dragon Clan Bloodline’s ranking may be higher than that of other Divine Spirit Bloodlines, but not by much.
In this World, there were two other Divine Spirit Bloodlines that stood above the Dragon Clan.
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer!
Technically speaking, these two were also Divine Spirits! The ancient legends stated that they were the ancestors of the Divine Spirits; however, Yang Kai knew that that was a misrepresentation after he found out the truth about the Primordial Light.
If all the Divine Spirits were considered to be in one big family, then the higher the ranking, the higher their position would be within the Divine Spirit family.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan could also be considered the Big Brother and Big Sister of all Divine Spirits!
This was also the reason why when Yang Kai first went to the Dragon Pool, his Great Sun and Great Moon Marks allowed him to draw in the power of the Dragon Pool and help Fu Guang break through his shackles and become a Divine Dragon.
The powers of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer and the Dragon Clan were fundamentally related. The Primordial Light first stripped its Yin and Yang Elements in the Chaotic Dead Territory, then moved to the Ancestral Land. It then transformed into thousands of lights and evolved into the first Divine Spirits.
The first time Yang Kai went to the No-Return Pass, he used the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks to completely suppress Ji Lao San, who was a Grand Dragon. He did this while he was still only in the Seventh-Order and a Grand Dragon himself. In fact, the difference in strength between them at the time was not big; however, when he used the two marks, Ji Lao San was captured by Yang Kai almost effortlessly.
Yang Kai also used the power of the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks to suppress Tao Wu when he killed the latter in Profound Nether Territory. Otherwise, Tao Wu’s Eighth-Order Divine Spirit’s strength could easily handle a Soul Rending Thorn head-on and he would not have been so easily killed!
This was basically akin to the Big Brother and Big Sister exerting their power over the Little Brother of the Divine Spirit Family!
When they learned about this, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan would surely be overjoyed. They had been bickering for countless aeons about who was the Elder Sibling between them, so if they knew they had so many Younger Brothers and Sisters, they might not quarrel anymore and instead ‘play’ with their little siblings instead.
In such a sense, it was completely appropriate for Yang Kai as a Dragon Clan member to address them as Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
The Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were the Big Brother and Big Sister of the Divine Spirits Family; however, in this family, there seemed to be another high-ranking existence!
The Heaven’s Order Bloodline!
The Small Stone Race could be seen as an extension of the power of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan so even Yang Kai had to use the two Marks to control them. This was natural because the ranking of the Dragon Clan was lower than that of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
On the other hand, Zhang Ruo Xi only relied on her Bloodline to precisely control thousands of Small Stone Race Soldiers to form a massively complicated Nine Palaces Formation.
When Yang Kai understood this, he immediately recalled the strange scene that he had witnessed in the rewinding time.
When the Primordial Light was stripped of its Yin and Yang in the Chaotic Dead Territory, the latter evolved into the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. After a long journey, what was left of the Primordial Light collided with an ancient Universe World, showering it with thousands of multi-coloured lights. From those lights, all Divine Spirits were born. The Divine Spirits thus rose and the Universe World came to be known as the Ancestral Land. With this evolution, the Ancestral Land became the home of all Divine Spirits and was virtually indestructible.
At that time, Yang Kai saw a vague image of a human figure through the blinding light…
He did not have time to look closely that day as he was distracted by Di Wu’s relentless attacks and was shaken out of his state of enlightenment.
However, he remained haunted by the figure in the haze, which left him puzzled. It had become the last piece of the mystery behind the Primordial Light.
Today, all the mysteries seemed to be solved.
The hazy figure, although its face could not be seen, had an outline incredibly similar to the Heaven’s Order figure that stood behind Zhang Ruo Xi.
That figure must be the original source of the Heaven’s Order Bloodline!
When Yang Kai first saw Zhang Ruo Xi at the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, he had a strange hunch, but he could not figure out what it was about.
When Zhang Ruo Xi asked about her cultivation limits, or rather lack thereof, and Yang Kai looked into her Small Universe, he felt that hunch again but he still could not understand it.
Yang Kai finally understood after seeing Zhang Ruo Xi control the Small Stone Race Army.
The Bloodline of an ordinary Divine Spirit was insufficient to break through the shackles created by the Open Heaven Realm method. Even a pure Dragon Clan Bloodline was insufficient; otherwise, Yang Kai could continue to refine his Bloodline and advance to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm by first becoming a Divine Dragon. At that time, he would even be stronger than an ordinary Ninth-Order Master.
However, there were always exceptions to everything. Though a Divine Spirit Bloodline could not accomplish this, that did not mean that the Heaven’s Order Bloodline could not break through these innate shackles.
In the Divine Spirit Family, the Heaven’s Order Bloodline was most likely the highest in ranking. In fact, the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer might be inferior to it.
Instead of saying that the Heaven’s Order Bloodline was the Big Sister of all Divine Spirits, it might be more appropriate to call it the Matriarch of this entire Family!
Yang Kai wore a look of composure as he observed the massive Fourth-Order Nine Palaces Formations that was formed by over 6,000 Small Stone Race Soldiers, but inside he was in a state of complete and utter shock.
A few moments later, Zhang Ruo Xi exhaled a long breath and all the Small Stone Race Soldiers within the Formation orderly dispersed, gathering quietly behind her, waiting for further orders.
In the end, the number of Small Stone Race she could control precisely was less than 10,000, so she could not form a Fifth-Order Nine Palaces Formation.
This was not because her Bloodline was not strong enough, but rather because of her low cultivation. With her concentration being spread out over so many Small Stone Race Soldiers, she eventually hit a limit. In other words, her Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation was the bottleneck.
However, this was already an eye-popping feat.
“Sir, this is the most I can do,” Although she was exhausted, Zhang Ruo Xi’s eyes were gleaming. She always wanted to know what her limits were; however, she could not test them with a mere 200 Small Stone Race Soldiers.
With Yang Kai’s help, she was able to get an answer today!
This way, she would be able to play a much bigger role on the battlefield than using her own Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm strength.
Moreover, as long as she could advance to the Eighth Order, she had the confidence to form a Fifth-Order Nine Palaces Formations.
Who knows, maybe she might even be able to break through and become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master one day!
“Well done.” Yang Kai nodded his head in admiration and began to collect his Small Stone Race Army before saying, “After this, I will bring you to a certain place.”
Zhang Ruo Xi did not ask anything and just nodded obediently, “Yes, Sir.”
“Let’s go back. You must be exhausted. When we return, get a good rest. The journey ahead is long and there is no need for you to rush to advance to the Eighth Order.”
Zhang Ruo Xi nodded with a smile.
He manipulated Space Principles and the two figures instantly disappeared.
With the help of the Space Beacon, Yang Kai easily returned to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship with Zhang Ruo Xi. She then went back to her cabin to rest while Yang Kai continued to stand at the helm. He could not help but wonder what interesting things would happen if he took Ruo Xi to that place.
The journey continued through the Black Ink Clan’s territory, and then past the breached Royal Cities before heading into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
Several years later, many strange Celestial Phenomena appeared, bewildering and dazzling the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The 3,000 Worlds had once been filled with these huge Celestial Phenomena, but almost all of them had been exhausted after millions of years of Human activities. However, in the rear of the Black Ink Battlefield, far away from any activity at all, these Celestial Phenomena had been preserved.
These Celestial Phenomena were all left behind from the beginning of time, when Heaven and Earth first split apart. The large ones were the size of whole Great Territories, while the small ones were even smaller than Universe Worlds, but each Celestial Phenomenon contained its own mysterious power and was extremely dangerous.
At one point, Yang Xiao could not stand the boredom, so when they passed by a certain Celestial Phenomenon, he rushed out in curiosity and was almost caught in it. If not for Yang Kai’s quick actions, he might have been lost within the Celestial Phenomenon, never to return. When Yang Xue found out, she punished him severely until he promised never to do that again. The dramatic event was a rare comic relief to their otherwise mundane journey and became the butt of everyone’s joke throughout the Warship.
A few years later, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship entered the Late Ancient Era Battlefield, and the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who saw this place for the first time were all shaken to their core. The veteran Eighth-Order Masters who told them all the events of the past were also totally captivated.
Only at this time did they know that at the end of the Late Ancient Era, there were Humans who fought and were victorious over the Black Ink Clan on this magnificent battlefield. Although they failed to kill Mo, at least they managed to contain the Black Ink Clan within the Black Ink Battlefield.
Now, the Black Ink Clan had invaded the 3,000 Worlds, the world had withered, Universe Worlds had collapsed, and the Human Race was trapped in a mere handful of Great Territory Battlefields.
The situation had never been worse, and everyone’s heart was heavy and eager for revenge.
After the Late Ancient Era Battlefield, there was the Spiritless Land. They were getting close to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!
Nearly 13 years after the departure of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship from the Supreme Headquarters Territory, Yang Kai finally led a group of Eighth-Order Masters to the place where the last Human Race Crusade Force was defeated. This was also where the Mother Nest was located and where the true body of Mo was sealed!
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship flew past a lot of wreckage and debris. There were even damaged Warships quietly floating across the void as well as skeletons and corpses of Humans and Black Ink Clansmen alike.
These were the remnants of the last great war, the final battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Yang Kai was not present during that battle as he was targeted by a Royal Lord because of Cang and had no choice but to flee. He fled for years before entering the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and started his cultivation to break through to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. After he emerged from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon, Yang Kai managed to kill the Royal Lord who was chasing him.
It was only after that that he learned of the fierceness of this final battle.
The Human Race should not have been defeated here. They had more than 100 Great Passes and a grand Army numbering in the millions, all of whom were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above, with over 100 Ninth-Order Old Ancestors assuming command. With such a lineup they were definitely the strongest Army the Human Race had mustered since the Late Ancient Era millions of years ago.
However, from within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, a Black Ink Giant Spirit God emerged to challenge the Army. From the opposite side, another fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God, who roamed the Late Ancient Era Battlefield, was revived by the Black Ink Clan.
The two powerful Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods pincered the Human Army and together with countless Royal Lords and Territory Lords, the Human Race Grand Army was defeated and forced to retreat.
The sight in front of everyone was tragic, and even if they were not personally involved in that battle, they could easily imagine its fierceness. The atmosphere aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was heavy as people were scurrying about, trying to collect the corpses of the Human Race soldiers.
When the Great Army retreated back then, they did not even have the time to collect the bodies of the fallen, so the battlefield was still littered with corpses.
Su Yan activated her Great Sun and Moon Marks to create Purifying Light to disperse the Black Ink Cloud in the void; however, she soon gave up as there were far more dead Black Ink Clansmen than Human Race soldiers, causing the residual Black Ink Cloud to be too large to disperse. Although they did not lack Yellow Crystal and Blue Crystal, they should not waste them unnecessarily.
A potent Divine Sense suddenly spread over from afar, and all the Eighth-Order Masters were astonished when they felt its might!
This was not the Divine Sense of an Eighth-Order Master, but that of a Ninth-Order Master!
The Eighth-Order Masters became excited by the possibility that there was a Ninth-Order Master stationed here!
A moment later, the Divine Sense was withdrawn after having found out the identity of Yang Kai and the others.
Following the battlefield’s numerous ruins, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship soon came to a huge piece of debris.
It was debris that belonged to a Great Pass that had been destroyed. Looking at its appearance, it should be the Great Pass’ Main Square.
On top of the debris stood a figure with flowing white hair and white robes, his arms folded behind his back, looking in the direction of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship.
Upon seeing this person, many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters immediately realised that it was not just any Ninth-Order Master here, it was ‘him’.
[No wonder we’ve not heard about this Senior for so many years, he must have been stationed here by the Supreme Headquarters a long time ago.]
Yang Kai jumped down from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, came to the white-haired man, and cupped his fists, “Greetings, Senior Fu Guang!”
This man in all white was the current Dragon Clan Leader and the only Divine Dragon.
Yang Kai had sent Wu Kuang here a long time ago, but although the latter claimed that he would advance to the Ninth Order within 3,000 years, and that he could guard the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction effectively at that point, Yang Kai had to prepare for the unexpected.
Therefore, over 1,000 years ago, Yang Kai had already suggested that the Supreme Headquarters prepare someone to assist Wu Kuang outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, just in case.
However, the Humans had limited manpower and very few were capable of carrying out such a mission. There were two Old Ancestors who met the requirements, but they had to stay in Wind Mist Territory to restrain the Black Ink Giant Spirit God. Part of restraining the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was that they too could not move.
After much consideration, only Fu Guang could be deployed.
However, during the battle of the Barren Territory, Fu Guang was severely injured and almost died on the spot. If the Dragon Clan Leader at that time did not go all out to rescue him, Fu Guang would have been among those who fell that day.
After the retreat from the Barren Territory, Fu Guang spent many, many years in the depths of the Dragon Pool, drawing upon its power to heal himself. It was not until some 1,000 years ago that he finally recovered from his injuries.
He immediately set off for this place after his recovery.
On the way, Fu Guang passed by the No-Return Pass, which caused the Black Ink Clan to panic as they thought that he was there to pick a fight. Fortunately for them, Fu Guang had no such intentions and just passed by. The Black Ink Clan had since been wondering what a Divine Dragon from the Dragon Clan was doing in the Black Ink Battlefield.
By all accounts, Fu Guang had been here, alone, for at least 1,000 years.
“Many thanks for your hard work, Senior,” Yang Kai said. 1,000 years of solitude was not easy to endure, even for a powerful Divine Spirit.
Fu Guang smiled and shook his head. His eyes then looked up and down Yang Kai and said with a little surprise, “Your Dragon Vein…”
Yang Kai secretly praised this Divine Dragon for his strong perception. It should also be because they were both part of the Dragon Clan; so, even if Yang Kai did not use the powers of his Dragon Vein, Fu Guang would sense something about it.
Yang Kai explained, “I obtained some gifts from the Ancestral Land.”
Fu Guang understood what he meant and replied, “That is indeed a great opportunity.”
He was wondering how Yang Kai’s Dragon Vein had grown so quickly. The Last time Fu Guang saw Yang Kai, the latter was just a 70,000-metre Ancient Dragon. Now, Yang Kai gave off a similar feeling to his own from back in the Dragon Pool.
In other words, it was very likely that Yang Kai was in the same situation as he was back then, stuck at the last step before becoming a Divine Dragon.
The power in the Dragon Pool had been greatly consumed after more than 2,000 years of healing, so Yang Kai could not have benefited much from it, certainly not enough to improve his Dragon Vein to such a degree.
It turned out that it was a gift from the Ancestral Land.
While they were talking, a group of Eighth-Order Masters and 60 Divine Spirits all came forward and saluted. No one dared to disrespect a Divine Dragon.
The Eighth-Order Masters finally confirmed who the Army Commander of their Suppressing Black Ink Army was. Although there had been some speculation beforehand, it was only today that they became certain.
A Master like Fu Guang was naturally qualified to be the Army Commander of the Suppressing Black Ink Army.
Zhu Jian and the rest of the Divine Spirits felt increasingly ready to be part of this fight. Given the circumstances, they knew that they would still be fighting alongside the Human Race after the 3,000-year agreement had expired; however, now they were working under the current Dragon Clan Leader and there was no room for sloppiness.
After exchanging some pleasantries, Yang Kai said, “Sir, how is the situation here?”
Fu Guang replied, “Nothing unusual, except that… he talks a lot!”
“Talks a lot?” Yang Kai was slightly stunned and then realized that Fu Guang should be referring to Wu Kuang.
Yang Kai could not help but chuckle and his tense mood also relaxed a lot. It also meant that there were no problems with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If there really was any problem, Wu Kuang would not be able to waste his energy on chatting.
At that moment, Wu Kuang’s voice came from the depths of the void, “There is quite literally no one here besides the two of us, and it’s been that way for over 1,000 years. Does it matter if we talk more? And… don’t you know that it’s not a good habit to badmouth someone behind their back?”
Fu Guang laughed helplessly and cupped his fist. After so many years of chatting, he also knew Wu Kuang’s background. He had much respect for this Late Ancient Era Martial Ancestor.
Furthermore, anyone who single-handedly guarded the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction deserved the utmost respect.
The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and even the Divine Spirits were all astonished. They were all previously focused on Fu Guang and never expected there to be a second person here; after all, there was only endless darkness as far as they could see!
The deep darkness seemed to be able to devour everything, and even their souls seemed to be sucked into it when they stared for too long.
Fortunately, everyone was strong and when they perceived the anomaly, they immediately collected the mind which eased the discomfort.
Someone said with palpitations, “Is this where the Mother Nest resides?”
They had heard that the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had sealed the Mother Nest along with Mo’s true body. Now, they were able to see it with their own eyes.
This was the source of all the chaos and the birthplace of the Black Ink Clan.
Even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could not help but feel a sense of powerlessness and defeat in their hearts at this moment.
“Don’t be so glum. For countless aeons, your heroic ancestors spilled their blood on this battlefield to resist the Black Ink Clan, all to give future generations a chance to live and grow. Now, this burden has fallen on your shoulders. If you and the others fail here, then the Human Race and all the Divine Spirits will cease to exist. When that happens, everything will come to an end. The Martial Ancestors were able to seal this evil here. Don’t you, their descendants, have the courage to fight it?”
Fu Guang was not reprimanding and neither was his tone intense. Though it seemed like a simple question, it caused everyone’s heart to feel heavy. How could they face the true enemy if just gazing upon its shield of darkness was enough to frighten them?
Yang Kai immediately cupped his fist and said respectfully, “Junior understands!”
Yang Kai took a step forward and said, “I’ll check out the situation.”
He disappeared in a flash as Fu Guang looked on with his brow raised. The way Yang Kai utilised Space Principles was at a level no different from the late Phoenix Clan Leader.
The Dragon Clan’s Bloodline Talent was the Dao of Time while the Phoenix Clan’s was the Dao of Space.
Fu Guang was surprised that Yang Kai, a Dragon Clan member, was so proficient in both the Dao of Time, and the Dao of Space.
Amidst the great struggle between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clans over the dominion of everything under the Heavens, there was always a need for special existences to rise up.
Looking at the direction Yang Kai went, Fu Guang became lost in his thoughts as he realised that he was not one of those special beings.
Outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, a portal seemed to open up in the darkness when Yang Kai arrived. Yang Kai followed the portal, took a step inside, and saw Wu Kuang sitting cross-legged.
Yang Kai swiftly activated the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks. Yellow and blue rays burst out and merged into a huge beam of Purifying Light that rained down on Wu Kuang’s head.
Wu Kuang, whose body was so black that his face could barely be seen, was instantly enveloped by the Purifying Light, and with a piercing sound, the huge mass of Black Ink Strength was purified.
The light dissipated and Wu Kuang returned to his original appearance. He appeared grim as he asked, “What the hell are you doing?”
Yang Kai replied casually, “I need to make sure that I see a Human Wu Kuang, not a Black Ink Disciple Wu Kuang!”
Anyone else who saw Wu Kuang’s appearance would have thought he had been completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength, mainly because this guy was covered in it and looked very abnormal.
“What about now?” Wu Kuang asked rhetorically.
Yang Kai said, “It should be fine, but I’d like to check your Small Universe if you don’t mind.”
Wu Kuang snorted and replied, “If I were a Black Ink Disciple, I would have awakened the old thing inside and unlocked the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction long ago.”
“Who knows? The Heaven Devouring Great Emperor is quite the schemer, who can tell what you’re up to?”
Wu Kuang rolled his eyes. The rich Black Ink Strength continued to be pulled in, and under Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he seemed to have turned it into a bottomless pit. Still, he warned Yang Kai, “Refrain from acting out. Do you know how tricky it is to steal something from someone’s home without disturbing the sleeping owner? Besides, didn’t you give me a World Tree clone which can stabilize and isolate my Small Universe? How could Black Ink Strength corrupt me so easily?”
When he saw that Yang Kai was unconvinced, Wu Kuang immediately sneered and snarled, “You’re going to get your ass kicked!”
As he said that, he revealed his aura threateningly.
Yang Kai immediately sat cross-legged in front of him and said, “Your fist is bigger. Fine, you win.”
Wu Kuang had already become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. He was clearly not exaggerating when he said that he would achieve this within 3,000 years.
Yang Kai was more and more amazed at the power of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. Unfortunately, only Wu Kuang could truly bring out the full power of this Heaven-defying cultivation technique.
Wu Kuang was able to advance from the Seventh Order to the Ninth Order in just 3,000 years with this Secret Art and special environment.
In the end, Black Ink Strength was also a kind of power. While sitting here, the Black Ink Strength was endless and inexhaustible. With the help of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law and the protection of Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus and a World Tree clone, Wu Kuang was able to achieve the unimaginable in just 3,000 years.
Without even one of these conditions, Wu Kuang would not have been able to advance to the Ninth Order in such a short time.
“Senior, I would like to ask you something,” Yang Kai said solemnly.
Wu Kuang chuckled softly.
“Hmph! So, you call me ‘Wu Kuang’ when you want and then address me as ‘Senior’ when you want something. Brat, you’re as disrespectful as ever.” Wu Kuang sneered and thought to himself scornfully.
“Speak!” Wu Kuang snarled.
“The 10 Martial Ancestors all must have understood the Open Heaven Realm method is flawed. How did Senior overcome the limitations of the Open Heaven Realm method to cultivate the Ninth Order?”
Wu Kuang’s current body originally belonged to Mo Sheng, the Great Demon God, who was killed back in the Star Boundary. Wu Kuang’s Soul took over that fallen Master.
Yang Kai still remembered that when he saw Wu Kuang again after leaving the Star Boundary, Wu Kuang was just a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at that time.
In other words, Wu Kuang should have been an ordinary Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master back then; so theoretically, his limit was the Seventh-Order. How did he become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?
“You want to know?” Wu Kuang grinned, “You won’t be able to do it. The Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art is enough to keep you busy.”
Yang Kai probed and asked, “Is it related to the Secret Art practised by Senior?”
Back in the days when Wu Kuang was still Shi, he already perceived the drawbacks of the Open Heaven Realm method and knew that the 10 Martial Ancestors alone could only confine Mo but could not completely destroy it. He needed more power and to reach a higher Realm to destroy Mo!
The Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art was one of the methods Shi deduced that could potentially solve the limitations of the Open Heaven Realm method; however, this method had extreme limitations. If Wu Kuang did not know that Yang Kai had the Soul Warming Lotus, he would not have taught it to him; after all, the mere process of cutting one’s Soul in half was essentially like committing suicide if not for the Supreme Treasure.
Since Shi had formulated the Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art, but did not practice it, there must be another way to overcome the drawbacks of the Open Heaven Realm method.
Yang Kai guessed that this should be the Heaven Devouring Battle Law!
Wu Kuang nodded, “En, it is related to the Secret Art that I practice. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was not only the fastest method to improve one’s strength, there are other subtleties involved with it that you cannot understand right now. To avoid the limitations of the Open Heaven Realm method, the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus is also indispensable, so only I can do this in this world. As for the others…” Wu Kuang slowly shook his head and his message was self-evident.
Yang Kai was silent for a moment and then he suddenly said, “Senior, I saw the Primordial Light.”
Cang told the Ninth-Order Masters that finding the Primordial Light was the best and most secure way to resolve the issue of Mo and the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai overheard this when he was serving tea to them; otherwise, he would not have known about such a secret, as he was just a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master back then.
However, of those Ninth-Order Old Ancestors who were present, only two of them were still alive today.
Wu Kuang was the reincarnation of Shi and naturally knew more about the Primordial Light than anyone else.
Wu Kuang was stunned for a moment before he became incomparably excited, his eyes widening as he asked, “Where is it?”
He was so agitated that he even grabbed Yang Kai’s shoulders and shook him.
Yang Kai felt his shoulders were about to be crushed and his body shaken apart, and hastily said, “S-Senior, don’t get so excited! I only witnessed the Primordial Light by chance when travelling back through millions of years of time.”
“You travelled back in time!?” Wu Kuang gawked as this was an impossible feat as far as he knew.
After his eyes stopped spinning, Yang Kai explained exactly what happened in the Ancestral Land, causing Wu Kuang’s expression to change as he listened.
After Yang Kai finished explaining, Wu Kuang’s expression became extremely odd and he could not tell whether he felt relief or not, “So, that’s what happened! The Primordial Light has long since ceased to exist…”
Back then, the 10 Martial Ancestors theorized that the only way to deal with Mo once and for all was to find the Primordial Light. That was naturally a source of hope for them.
However, today, Yang Kai had confirmed that the Primordial Light had disappeared from the Universe, and its remnants had evolved into the Divine Spirit Family. Thus, this hope no longer existed.
Wu Kuang couldn’t help feeling some disappointment in his heart.
However, he had also long expected this situation. Even if he was disappointed, he did not despair.
The Primordial Light was certainly the safest and simplest solution to resolve the issue of Mo, but it was not necessarily the only solution!
Mo was in the Creation Realm, so if he could break through the Ninth Order and reach the Creation Realm, he would be able to compete with Mo directly!
Collecting himself, Wu Kuang quickly said, “Brat, since the Primordial Light has long since dissipated, the only hope for the Human Race now is to further strengthen themselves and rise above the Ninth Order as soon as possible.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai answered, but after thinking about it, he did not say anything about Zhang Ruo Xi; after all, her story was still just his own speculation. Thus, he would have to take her to that place before he could say for certain his hypothesis was the truth.
After a moment of silence, Yang Kai said, “I brought some men and a powerful weapon with me this time to ease the burden on Senior. If Senior needs any help from them, just order them as needed.”
“There is always a need for more help,” Wu Kuang said seriously, “Previously, Mo was hit by whatever Mu left behind and has been in deep sleep ever since. Over these years, although there have been some faint mental activities, it has not awakened yet. Fortunately, I have made it to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and my control over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is much stronger now; otherwise, all Hell would have broken loose already.”
Yang Kai was astonished and asked, “Then, can Senior estimate when Mo will awaken?”
Wu Kuang spread his hands helplessly and replied, “It’s impossible to say, maybe it will wake up in the next moment, or perhaps it will continue to sleep for a few thousand more years.”
Yang Kai’s anxiety increased greatly as he asked, “If it really wakes up, can Senior suppress him?”
“Perhaps for a short while, but certainly not for long; after all, I have not yet reached Cang’s level of strength. Although Cang was still technically in the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he was much, much further along that path that I am right now. It was for that reason that he could single-handedly stay here and maintain the Grand Restriction. Still… I am also growing stronger all the time. In short, the longer it takes Mo to wake up, the better it is for the Human Race.”
After a pause, Wu Kuang said, “There are many Black Ink Clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, including many Royal Lords. If the Grand Restriction were to be broken now, it would be difficult to stop them. However, if you have brought enough capable people, we might be able to reduce the power of Black Ink Clan in advance. When the day comes, and make no mistake, it will come, the burden on the Human Race would lessen if we act now.”
Yang Kai listened and asked eagerly, “How should we go about eliminating them?”
Wu Kuang replied, “Simple, I’ll create a small opening in the Grand Restriction and release some of them out in batches. You guys just need to kill them as they emerge!”
Yang Kai winced and whispered, “Senior may not know, but more than 3,000 years ago when the Human Crusade Force came here, Cang did what you suggested and it ended in disaster!”
Of course, when Cang chose to open a gap, it was based on the same reasoning.
Before the Human Crusade Force arrived, Cang had guarded this place alone for over 100,000 years and was approaching his limit. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction not only sealed Mo’s true body, it also held back all of Mo’s creations. Cang could not bear the burden by himself and eventually he would not be able to contain them.
If the seal broke and Mo and its true body escaped, the Human Race would not be able to handle the subsequent catastrophe.
So, after the Human Crusade Force arrived, Cang proposed, as Wu Kuang did now, to open a gap in the Grand Restriction, to relieve some of the pressure.
Initially, everything had gone according to Cang’s expectations, until the appearance of a Black Ink Giant Spirit God!
Unexpectedly, a Black Ink Giant Spirit God emerged from the Grand Restriction and forcefully held the gap open. The Black Ink Clan Army swarmed out and overwhelmed the Human Race Army.
All the Black Ink Clansmen who died in that battle left behind massive amounts of Black Ink Strength, which was then absorbed by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, increasing its power.
In the end, Cang was forced to use the last card Mu left behind and sacrificed his body to reseal and reinforce the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction while Mo fell into a deep slumber.
However, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who had been roaming in the Late Ancient Era battlefield had been awakened and struck from the rear to rout the Crusade Force.
Although Yang Kai was not present for many of those events, he was at least involved up until the emergence of the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Thus, when Wu Kuang proposed this same strategy 3,000 years later, Yang Kai was naturally a little worried.
Wu Kuang had obviously heard about what happened back then and chuckled, “Accidents are inevitable.”
Yang Kai said solemnly, “Is Senior certain that you can reseal the Grand Restriction at any moment?”
Wu Kuang said bluntly, “There is no guarantee.”
Yang Kai’s face twitched. If Wu Kuang did not dare to make this guarantee, then how could he propose such a risky plan? The hidden ace that Mu had left behind had been used up. The Human Race could not afford another mistake of that magnitude.
However, Yang Kai soon realized what the problem was and asked, “Is Senior’s burden so great that you are unable to bear it?”
Yang Kai hit the nail on its head, so Wu Kuang could not help but sigh and reply, “I just became a Ninth-Order Master and my strength is incomparable to Cang. It’s only a matter of time before the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction breaks apart.”
“Why didn’t Senior just say so then?” Yang Kai said with some displeasure. Listening to Wu Kuang’s tone earlier, he thought this guy was having an easy time staying here at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Who would have thought that his life was hanging by a thread all this while?
Wu Kuang simply replied, “Don’t I need some face?”
Yang Kai was immediately incensed and did not know how to respond. He fumed for a moment before asking, “If we do as Senior said, will there be any effect on Mo’s true body?”
“Would you believe me if I said that there will be no effect? Mu left a strong gambit behind. Now, we can only trust her.”
“Then what about Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods?” Yang Kai asked again.
“There is no way a newly promoted Ninth-Order Master like me could sense what’s going on inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction when even Cang, Shi, and the others could not back at their peak. Only Mu ever dove deep into the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. We have never done so. Unfortunately, she died after we resealed the Restriction and did not leave any clues as to what she saw inside. That is why no one knew a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was lurking inside. The only thing I can do now is to try to re-seal the gap when I notice any anomalies and try to avoid things getting out of hand.”
What Wu Kuang meant was that if there was a Black Ink Giant Spirit God that wanted to break out of the Grand Restriction, he would immediately close the opening. It was pointless for Yang Kai to ask if he was able to do it at this point.
Wu Kuang followed up, “You do not have to worry too much though. Even if Mo is already at the Creation Realm, there will not be many Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods.”
“How do you know?” Yang Kai asked.
“Mo must have paid a huge price to create such a powerful being. Every Black Ink Giant Spirit God must require a part of its true essence. Although Mo is very powerful, its Soul and essence cannot be divided too many times; otherwise, it will be in great danger itself.”
“Is Senior certain of that, or is it just a guess?” Yang Kai frowned.
“I have evidence this time,” Wu Kuang smiled, “Thousands of years ago, the Black Ink Clan laid out an elaborate scheme and made many sacrifices to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, just like they did with the one from the Late Ancient Era battlefield. If Mo could freely create Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, why would it bother going through all that trouble? Sending even one more out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction would have ended everything right from the start, right?”
Yang Kai pondered over it a little and had to admit that Wu Kuang’s analysis had some truth to it. Of course, he could not rule out the possibility that he just wanted to believe a comforting lie rather than face an unwelcome truth.
Wu Kuang continued, “So, even if there are still Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods in this Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, there won’t be many of them. Perhaps just one or two!”
Yang Kai pondered silently before exhaling a long sigh, “In that case, we can only act and see what happens.”
It was necessary to open up a gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction as Wu Kuang needed to ease his burden. They could only hope that he could control the situation after.
Yang Kai was glad that he had convinced the Supreme Headquarters to build the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress 1,000 years ago; otherwise, he would not have known how to handle the current situation.
The original purpose of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was to prevent problems that might emerge from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, including when the Grand Restriction would be broken.
“Senior, please wait a moment, I will go make some arrangements!” Yang Kai said and got up to leave.
Wu Kuang suddenly said, “Wait. There’s one more thing I need to explain to you.”
“What is it?”
Wu Kuang said solemnly, “The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction has existed for a very long time, which means that it has fallen into disrepair. Every time the Grand Restriction opens and closes, it will impact its stability to a certain degree. Do you know why Cang did not dare to open the gap to relieve its pressure even when he had reached his limits?”
Yang Kai frowned and said, “Fear of collapse of the Grand Restriction?”
Wu Kuang nodded gravely, “Indeed! Even if there was only a one-in-a-million chance, Cang did not dare to take that risk. Thus, he kept holding on until the arrival of the Human Crusade Force. It was only then that he took the risk as others were around to help him contain the situation. After that, the Source Grand Restriction should have become extremely unstable.”
“Should?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow.
Wu Kuang smiled lightly and replied, “This happened many times during the long existence of the Grand Restriction. Otherwise, why do you think my old friends chose to strengthen the restriction by sacrificing themselves? Do you think they didn’t cherish their lives?”
Yang Kai finally realized something when he heard this.
“The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was created by us under Mu’s instructions. Mo struggled violently when it was in the Grand Restriction. For countless years, it has struggled and attempted to break out a few times, which put a great strain on the Grand Restriction. As a result, whenever there are signs of collapse, someone would make the sacrifice and merge with the Grand Restriction!” As he spoke, Wu Kuang’s eyes glowed in remembrance, clearly lost in his memories of a time long past.
“When one of us merged with the Grand Restriction, it was equivalent to reinforcing it. Therefore, it has been maintained until today without collapsing. 3,000 years have passed since Cang did just that, and today’s Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is no longer the same as when it was first built. When I open the Grand Restriction, you will have to deal with all the Black Ink Clansmen that leak out by yourselves. I won’t close it unless a Black Ink Giant Spirit God is trying to break out.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and replied, “I understand. I will explain this to the Army.”
He knew the reason why Wu Kuang had told him this. It was because he did not want the Suppressing Black Ink Army to expect any help from him. Wu Kuang could only take care of the opening and be ready to close it at any moment. He could not provide any direct assistance to the Suppressing Black Ink Army. He also wanted the Suppressing Black Ink Army to be prepared for anything horrendous that may occur.
After leaving the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai returned to the debris of the Great Pass and explained what he had discussed with Wu Kuang.
Fu Guang nodded his head and said, “We can only deal with it as it is.”
Yang Kai continued, “I can’t stay for long, so I must ask Senior to take care of things here.”
Fu Guang smiled and said, “Not a problem. I’ll take care of it!”
Yang Kai looked at the numerous Human Eighth-Order Masters and shouted, “Prepare for battle!”
Small Universe portals opened up and numerous figures emerged from each of them, the soldiers soon assembling according to their Divisions and Squads.
Yang Kai moved away from the debris and his World Force surged to clear a space in the void. Afterwards, he took out the orb that contained the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and threw it forward with force.
Manipulating Space Principles, the orb shattered and Space inside expanded rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, a large area of space was added to the Void, causing ripples in space. Yang Kai rapidly formed a set of hand seals and surged both World Force and Space Principles to smooth the disorder.
After everything calmed down, the huge Suppressing Black Ink Fortress came into view, in all its intimidating majesty. This was a true weapon of war. It sat in the void like a fierce beast, facing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction like a tiger that was watching its prey.
In the square, Fu Guang raised his brow slightly when he saw this.
With such a powerful platform in hand and the 6,000 elites of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, they should not have any problems dealing with a few Black Ink Clansmen from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
“Suppressing Black Ink Army!” Fu Guang pointed his hand to the front and shouted, “Assume your positions!”
“Yes Sir!”
Under Fu Guang’s command, the 10 Divisions rapidly entered the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress from all sides. Division after Division was assigned to each of the artifacts and everything was ready after just two hours.
Fu Guang stood proudly in the middle of the void as this huge Suppressing Black Ink Fortress came to life and prepared for war.
At the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress core, 10 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters sat cross-legged in a circle, ready to activate its power to provide all possible assistance to the soldiers outside.
Yang Kai looked on from afar. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was the battlefield of the Suppressing Black Ink Army. As he told Fu Guang earlier, he could not stay here for long; thus, he could only observe and did not intend to intervene in this battle.
Everything would be fine if the Suppressing Black Ink Army and the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress could deal with the Black Ink Clan Army that rushed out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If they could not, then there would be problems.
There was another figure standing beside him at this moment.
It was Zhang Ruo Xi, who asked, “Sir, don’t I have to go and help?”
She thought that she could provide a lot of assistance with her Small Stone Race Army, which could form a Fourth-Order Nine Palaces Formations. Even if she was facing an Innate Territory Lord, she could put up a hard fight.
Yang Kai slowly shook his head and said, “Your battlefield isn’t here!”
If his guess was right, then Zhang Ruo Xi could play a much bigger role in the future than merely controlling a Fourth-Order Nine Palaces Formation!
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ruo Xi felt a bit confused, but she listened to Yang Kai’s instructions and watched quietly beside him.
For the last few thousand years, she and Yang Kai had barely met, but ever since she was young, she had built an unconditional trust in Yang Kai. Even after growing up and becoming a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she would still obey any request Yang Kai made of her.
Now, both the Suppressing Black Ink Army and the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress were ready.
Yang Kai looked over at Wu Kuang and said, “Senior! Please do your best to control the gap and not put too much burden on the Suppressing Black Ink Army.”
Wu Kuang said, “Rest assured, I have been considering this ever since I first began guarding this place. I will only open the gap wide enough for those weaker than Royal Lords to smoothly pass through. Perhaps one or two Royal Lords might occasionally rush out, but with that Dragon here, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. This was also the reason why he arranged for Fu Guang to come here in advance. As a Divine Dragon, Fu Guang was significantly more powerful than the average Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so dealing with one or two Royal Lords should not be an issue for him.
The battle would soon begin!
In the endless darkness, a spinning vortex suddenly emerged in front of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. The initial speed of the vortex was not fast, and its scale was not large; however, as time passed, the vortex gradually began to expand, and the speed of its rotation became increasingly faster!
This was obviously Wu Kuang manipulating the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to open a hole.
Looking at this, Yang Kai felt much more assured.
He remembered when Cang opened the gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction back then. A huge opening had appeared at that time and countless Black Ink Clan Soldiers poured out of it.
It was not that Cang was not as good as Wu Kuang at controlling the Grand Restriction, but rather that the situation was vastly different.
At that time, the Human Race had more than 100 Great Passes and an Army which numbered in the millions. Cang did not need to be so careful with his control of the gap.
However, things were different now. The Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was less than 10% the size of a Great Pass, and the Suppressing Black Ink Army was composed of only 6,000 Soldiers. Although there were 400 Eighth-Order Masters, that was still far fewer than the initial Crusade Force.
If Wu Kuang did the same as Cang had, then the Suppressing Black Ink Army would be overwhelmed and wiped out in no time.
Wu Kuang was undoubtedly far more cautious in his approach than Cang was back then.
Rich Black Ink Strength escaped from the vortex, but there was no sign of the Black Ink Clan, which puzzled the Suppressing Black Ink Army soldiers.
Soon, the Human Race Masters sensed an anomaly. From within the vortex, a powerful Divine Sense extended outward, spying on the situation outside.
Apparently, after that event 3,000 years ago, the Black Ink Clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction became more cautious.
However, even if they were more cautious, they could not resist the rare opportunity to rush out to the outside world.
Thus, it did not take too long before a large number of Black Ink Clansmen charged out of the vortex. These Black Ink Clansmen were on average stronger than those fighting on the Great Territory Battlefields. The Black Ink Clan Soldiers on the Great Territory Battlefields were mostly cannon fodder that any Open Heaven Realm Master could kill a swath of in a single blow.
However, these Black Ink Clansmen that rushed out from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction were all Low-Rank Clansmen at least. In other words, they were equivalent to Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters.
This was not surprising as the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction has been sealed for so many years. Since these Black Ink Clansmen were spawned inside and had nothing else to do, there was plenty of time for them to grow in strength.
The last time the Crusade Force was here, they were faced with such a situation as well.
The first wave of Black Ink Clansmen that emerged numbered less than 300, but everyone knew this was only the beginning. This batch of Soldiers immediately rushed in the direction of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. After this first wave, more batches rushed from the vortex, each one containing a few hundred to 1,000 mixed Soldiers.
In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of Black Ink Clansmen had emerged from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, with more still pouring out.
On top of the walls of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress facing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction sat the Tiger Roar Cannons. These artifacts were all armed and ready. Several tens of Tiger Roar Cannons hummed as energy built up within them before a dozen thick pillars of light flashed out from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress like arrows released from their string.
Wherever the pillars of light struck, the Black Ink Clansmen would be wounded or killed!
By the time the first volley of Tiger Roar Cannons faded, thousands of Black Ink Clansmen had been killed or injured.
Immediately after, a dozen more Tiger Roar Cannons spewed out dazzling columns of light!
Then a dozen more!
Beams of light from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress shot out continuously.
By the time all the Tiger Roar Cannons on this side of the wall had fired, the Black Ink Clan had already suffered tens of thousands of casualties, with not one of them even able to approach the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
The vortex in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction expanded again as Wu Kuang was very relieved to see the immense power of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
As time passed, more Black Ink Clansmen continued to emerge from the vortex, including Feudal Lords and Territory Lords. Outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, a battle that might last for many years had begun. In this battle, the Black Ink Clan would constantly be attacking while the Suppressing Black Ink Army would be constantly defending. Each side would persist in such an environment for who knows how long.
The key to this war lay in the hands of Wu Kuang. If he controlled the situation properly, the Suppressing Black Ink Army would be able to keep this effort up indefinitely; however, if Wu Kuang did not control the situation well, it would lead to an irreversible collapse.
The Territory Lords from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction were all Innate Territory Lords, but although all of them were quite powerful, the moment they emerged they were greeted by Tiger Roar Cannons from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.
Even Territory Lords would inevitably be wounded by the Tiger Roar Cannons when they appeared, and if they could not respond in time, they would quickly be overwhelmed by the continuous bolts of light.
Yang Kai saw some Innate Territory Lords coming out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but as they emerged, they would all go from being lightly wounded, to seriously wounded, to dying…
There were some Innate Territory Lords who barely survived the bombardment of the Tiger Roar Cannons and wisely did not charge straight at the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and instead chose to flank it.
However, while the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was seemingly fixed in place, the Suppressing Black Ink Army was very mobile. Those Innate Territory Lords who barely survived the Tiger Roar Cannons’ attack were all swiftly intercepted by Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters before they could get too close. The Eighth-Order Masters worked in teams to take down these flanking Territory Lords swiftly and decisively.
The entire Suppressing Black Ink Fortress soon began spinning at a low speed, thanks to the 10 Eighth-Order Masters powering the Core.
With this rotation, the fixed Tiger Roar Cannons on the four walls of Suppressing Black Ink Fortress could take turns to fire, allowing the soldiers time to rest and recuperate so that the power of the Suppressing Black Ink Army could be maximized.
Days went by and soon an entire month had passed with the situation still under the Human’s control. The Black Ink Clan had suffered countless casualties with more than 100 Innate Territory Lords having been killed while not one soul from the Suppressing Black Ink Army had died. The rate of consumption of the soldiers was also under control, and as long as they received enough supplies, the Suppressing Black Ink Army could continue fighting like this indefinitely.
However, accidents and unexpected situations finally began to appear.
From the vortex, the aura of a Royal Lord revealed itself, followed by the figure of a Royal Lord struggling to emerge from within the Grand Restriction.
Wu Kuang had carefully controlled the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction so that the gap he opened was only large enough to allow those weaker than Royal Lords to pass through smoothly. Any Royal Lord trying to emerge would have difficulty exiting through the current opening.
The Royal Lord was only delayed for a few breaths of time while passing through the vortex, but during that brief moment, he was naturally struck by multiple attacks from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, causing numerous injuries. Naturally, this caused the Royal Lord to roar in anger.
With great difficulty, he struggled out of the vortex and nimbly dodged the attacks from Suppressing Black Ink Fortress before charging out towards it.
However, he was immediately met with the intense Dragon Aura of a Divine Dragon!
Fu Guang, who had been waiting on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, personally intercepted the Royal Lord, forcing him into the nearby void to fight.
The Royal Lord was ripped apart by Fu Guang’s claws after only half an hour of fighting, his Black Ink Strength exploding out like a final desperate gasp before he perished.
Even in his prime, this Royal Lord was no match for a Divine Dragon, let alone after he was seriously wounded by the Suppressing Black Ink Army’s focused barrage.
The combination of the Suppressing Black Ink Army with the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and a Divine Dragon proved to be a solid defence.
Of course, the prerequisite was that Wu Kuang maintained proper control of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and that nothing changed within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!
Yang Kai was relieved to see this.
There was no need for him to intervene in this matter. In fact, he could hardly resist the temptation to join; however, there was truly no need for him to be here since there was a Divine Dragon present.
Looking at all the familiar faces aboard the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Yang Kai felt guilty for not participating in the fight, but he could do nothing about it.
After taking Zhang Ruo Xi into his Small Universe and transmitting a few words to Fu Guang, Yang Kai connected with the Old Tree and soon followed its traces to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
Three months later, in the desolate and vast void of the Chaotic Dead Territory, the two forces of Yin and Yang entwined, sparking violent explosions and shaking the Universe each time they collided.
Even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would not be able to withstand the fallout of such an explosion. This was a sight that had not been seen in the Chaotic Dead Territory for many thousands of years. Such a chaotic and dangerous place certainly had a lot of opportunities, yet the dangers far, far outweighed those lucky chances.
If it wasn’t for the protection of Giant Spirit God Ah Er when Yang Kai arrived here the first time, he would have already died many times over with his Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation.
After the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, they had also set their sights on this place, but when they realised how dangerous it was, they gave up on it entirely.
They couldn’t hold their ground in a place this dangerous. The Royal Lord was previously worried that these two Supreme Beings would direct animosity towards the Black Ink Clan and attack, but after so many years of observation, these two showed no signs of leaving. Subsequently, he discovered from some Black Ink Disciples that, though these two had a fierce reputation, they had never left the Chaotic Dead Territory since ancient times, allowing the Royal Lord to breathe a sigh of relief.
Yang Kai arrived in this place without difficulty and soon found Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, who were nurturing another Small Stone Race Army.
Both Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were speechless when they saw Yang Kai again.
Ever since Yang Kai gave them these unique creatures, the two of them had been fixated on this type of game-like combat to establish their seniority.
However, the last two times Yang Kai visited, nothing good happened. In addition to taking away a massive amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals, he also took away their entire Army which they had worked so hard to nurture.
It was as if every time Yang Kai appeared, they would be robbed clean of all that they owned.
So, seeing Yang Kai appear so soon after his last visit, Big Brother Huang’s headache and he couldn’t help grumbling, “Why are you here again?”
Big Sister Lan later added, “You can take some Yellow and Blue Crystals, but there are no more forces for you to take. It has only been a short time, and they haven’t grown much yet.”
It had only been a few hundred years since the last time Yang Kai visited, so, naturally, they had yet to recover from the damage he caused last time.
Yang Kai cupped his fist with a smile and bowed to the two in front of him, “Little Brother greets Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. You two seem to have some misunderstanding about this Little Brother!”
Big Brother Huang snorted sarcastically.
Seeing this, Yang Kai hurriedly explained, “The reason this Little Brother came this time is not to ask for anything. Instead, I am purely here to visit you both. Of course, if you have anything to give… No, if you were to give me anything, I would not dare to refuse!”
“No!” Big Brother Huang shook his head like a rattling drum, “There’s nothing for you here! Now that you’ve visited us, you can go.”
Yang Kai suddenly felt a little heartbroken, “Big Brother Huang, why are you treating me like an outsider?”
If the names Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan felt like a joke before, after seeing records of the Primordial Light and uncovering the truth of what happened in the past, Yang Kai no longer felt any reservations about addressing them as such.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan really were the Big Brother and Big Sister of the Divine Spirit Family.
Big Brother Huang sighed, looking a little exasperated and helpless, “If I don’t treat you like an outsider, I’m afraid you’d really take away everything we own.”
Despite having a thick skin, Yang Kai couldn’t help but flush. He certainly did go overboard the last two times he visited.
“Alright. Why did you come this time?” Big Sister Lan empathetically questioned. Now that the Black Ink Clan had invaded their land and the Human Race was in a dire situation, how would Yang Kai come here to chit-chat with them for no particular reason?
Yang Kai’s expression turned serious, “Indeed, I have something to discuss. Do Big Brother and Big Sister remember the Primordial Light I mentioned the last time I came to visit you?”
Big Brother Huang couldn’t help but look up at him, “Did you discover something?”
The Primordial Light was also related to Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s origins, thus they were naturally concerned about it. It was simply that despite having lived for so long, they had no clue about it and didn’t even know where to go for information, leaving them with no choice except to place their hopes in Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded and said, “By coincidence, I happened to see the Primordial Light when I experienced the events of the past!”
Following, he narrated all the things he experienced in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, including the blurry Human figure that emerged when the Primordial Light first arrived there.
“Everything I saw should be the events that occurred in the Ancestral Land during the Primordial Era, and these memories were borne by the Ancestral Land itself. When this Little Brother was cultivating, I resonated with the Ancestral Land itself and got a glimpse of the mysteries of the Primordial Era. But from what I saw, before the Primordial Light hit the Ancestral Land, it was not as stable and powerful as it should have been. It undoubtedly separated its Yin and Yang components from it. This Little Brother believes that before the Primordial Light arrived at the Ancestral Land, it had already separated from Big Brother and Big Sister in the Chaotic Dead Territory!”
After Yin and Yang were separated from the Primordial Light, they did not immediately become Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan; rather, it took many years of evolution for the pure Yin and Yang to become the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer of today.
Big Brother Huang previously mentioned this too. In the beginning, they were muddled and only felt as though they had been abandoned somehow. It was only a long time after they gained full sentience that they realised that they were in the Chaotic Dead Territory and had never left this place since ancient times.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable.
Sometime later, Big Brother Huang finally murmured, “So, we were really born from the Primordial Light?”
He had this conjecture the last time Yang Kai discussed the Primordial Light with them, but he had no way to prove it. Now, Yang Kai’s words had eliminated all his doubts.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “This is no surprise. The Primordial Darkness of this World also awakened its sentience and became Mo, so it is not strange that both of you were born from the Primordial Light. Besides, the Primordial Light not only created both of you, but all the Divine Spirits as well!”
After giving it some thought, Big Sister Lan said in a daze, “In that case, we are a Family with the Divine Spirits. Xiao Huang and I were born first, followed by those Divine Spirits…”
Xiao Huang remained silent.
The corner of Yang Kai’s brow twitched as he acted like he didn’t hear this name.
Big Sister Lan cheered, “Xiao Huang, this means all the Divine Spirits are our Little Brothers and Sisters!”
She was delighted beyond belief to realise such a relationship. She had been fighting with Big Brother Huang since time immemorial about who was the Elder Sibling, but now, all of a sudden, they both had so many Younger Brothers and Sisters. Big Sister Lan was filled with satisfaction.
When he heard this, Big Brother Huang’s eyes glistened too. He would usually be irritated if Big Sister Lan called him ‘Xiao Huang’, but at this moment, he couldn’t be bothered about it. Compared to all the Little Brothers and Sisters he now had, what did it matter if he had to be called Xiao Huang for a time?
He couldn’t help but stand up, spread his arms akimbo, and laugh proudly!
He then turned his head to look at Yang Kai again and said proudly, “Come come, call me Big Brother.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist with a smile, “Little Brother greets Big Brother Huang.”
Not forgetting Big Sister Lan who was looking at him eagerly from the side, Yang Kai paid his respect to her as well.
Previously, when they were addressed in this manner, the two of them were secretly on guard, wondering whether Yang Kai had any other intentions; however, at present, the same way of addressing and greeting sounded much more comfortable.
Yang Kai felt a little sentimental at this moment. Although these two were Supreme Beings with great seniority and profound strength, something as simple as having Little Brothers and Sisters actually brought them such joy, showing their innocence and cuteness, the polar opposite of how ferocious they were reputed to be outside.
The only thing of concern now was how these two would react if they discovered that they still had another Divine Spirit who might have higher seniority above them.
Considering all this, Yang Kai quickly remarked, “Big Brother and Sister, Little Brother brought a guest for you this time.”
With his brows lifted, Big Brother Huang asked, “Oh? Is it a Divine Spirit?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes.”
Strictly speaking, Heaven’s Order could be considered a Divine Spirit too; however, her Divine Spirit Bloodline wasn’t exactly the same as the others…
“That being the case, let me see which Little Brother it is!” He was already thinking about the greeting gift he should give to this new younger sibling. Since they all originated from the Primordial Light and he and Big Sister Lan were the firstborn, he shouldn’t be too stingy with the gift as the Big Brother of the Family.
In response, Yang Kai opened up his Small Universe right away, and a figure emerged.
When he decided to bring Zhang Ruo Xi to the Chaotic Dead Territory to meet Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, Yang Kai imagined many different ways this first contact would go, but nothing could have prepared him for what happened next.
Just as Zhang Ruo Xi stepped out of his Small Universe, she sensed a peculiar aura and looked over at Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan.
A different kind of smile appeared on Big Brother Huang’s face all of a sudden as he stared straight at Zhang Ruo Xi. Though it was their first time meeting each other, he felt incredibly warm and close to this person in front of him, like a long-lost child finally meeting a family member…
Big Sister Lan tilted her head as she gazed at Zhang Ruo Xi, her eyes somewhat lost. Like Big Brother Huang, she felt at home with this person. This overwhelming feeling filled her with a sense of anticipation, even though she had no idea what she was anticipating.
This feeling was seemingly reciprocal. Yang Kai had not told Zhang Ruo Xi where they were heading or who she was about to meet; she only stayed in Yang Kai’s Small Universe and waited for his instructions.
The moment Zhang Ruo Xi stepped out of the Yang Kai’s Small Universe, she was attracted to the two tiny children in front of her. Maternal love flooded her heart as she reached out and stroked Big Brother Huang’s hair and patted Big Sister Lan’s head.
Yang Kai felt chills all over his body and secretly thought that women were definitely bolder than men. No one other than Zhang Ruo Xi in this Universe would dare act so intimately with the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
Immediately after, something much more terrifying happened though. Ruo Xi seemed to have misunderstood something as she asked, “Are these your children, Sir? They’re so adorable.”
[I don’t dare! I don’t have one!] Yang Kai screamed in his heart. [They are the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. Never mind about you patting their heads, you even dare to say such things in front of them. If this angers them both, how can the Chaotic Dead Territory contain their rage?]
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan didn’t show any signs of irritation however; in fact, the two appeared incredibly at ease when Zhang Ruo Xi stroked their heads. Big Brother Huang even squinted his eyes slightly while Big Sister Lan made soft sounds like a cat purring.
Then, there was a sudden change. Incredibly pure and rich Yin and Yang Power emerged from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s bodies, pouring freely into Zhang Ruo Xi and flowing into her Small Universe.
This was the most primitive and pure Yin and Yang Power in the Universe.
Theoretically, Yellow and Blue Crystals were condensed from their powers as they originated from the same source; however, in reality, no matter if it was the Yellow Crystals or the Blue Crystals, both were just remnants of the clash between Yin and Yang. In terms of quality, they were simply incomparable to the true Power of the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer.
If they were solely distinguished according to the Open Heaven Order, then this kind of power definitely surpassed the Ninth Order.
In addition to that, Big Sister Lan and Big Brother Huang Yin’s and Yang Powers were extremely abundant. Though only a small part was poured into Zhang Ruo Xi, her aura instantly soared, causing her Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation to reach its limit and even show signs of breaking through.
Ruo Xi had already reached the peak of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, or else she wouldn’t be able to realise the anomaly of the lock of shackles on her Small Universe. If she continued to cultivate normally, she would have had a chance to ascend to the Eighth Order within 300 years. Taking her potent Bloodline into account, the time she needed might even have been shorter.
However, this unexpected incident hastened her cultivation breakthrough enormously.
She wasn’t totally unprepared for this eventuality. Since realising that her Small Universe might not be restricted by the innate shackles of the Open Heaven method, she had already made preparations for her ascension to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Even so, this incident was still exceedingly risky because the sudden surge of power had instantly disrupted the balance of her Small Universe.
Strictly speaking, a Small Universe was no different from a real Universe World. The balance between Yin, Yang, and the Five Elements was essential to maintaining the foundation of any Universe. Once this balance was disrupted, there would be a risk of the Universe rupturing.
The most common method for Human Masters to enhance their cultivation was to consume Open Heaven Pills which contained the Power of the Seven Elements in perfect balance. There was no risk in consuming such pills as they could not lead to an imbalance in one’s Small Universe.
A faster method was to refine cultivation materials directly. Compared to consuming Open Heaven Pills, the benefits of refining a set of cultivation materials were far greater. Of course, this method was much more expensive as acquiring materials of high enough Order was by no means easy.
Additionally, in order to maintain the balance of their Small Universe, a cultivator had to refine a complete set of cultivation materials, with each of the Seven Elements of the same Order.
Because only in this way could they maintain balance in their Small Universe. During Yang Kai’s years of cultivating, this was his most common method of cultivation.
If the Master realised that their Small Universe was out of balance for some reason, they could make up for it by refining materials of the appropriate Element.
Due to their strict requirements for materials, it directly led to the rarity of the Yin and Yang Element materials. Yin and Yang Element materials were far less common than the Five Elements materials. While there were sufficient materials of the lower Orders, as the Order increased, less and less Yin and Yang Element materials were available.
Before Yang Kai obtained a large amount of Yellow and Blue Crystals from the Chaotic Dead Territory, even the Cave Heavens and Paradises lacked such materials above the Fifth Order.
It wasn’t until the appearance of Yellow and Blue Crystals that this issue was solved.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan did not intend to pour their strength into Zhang Ruo Xi’s body. Rather, it was drawn out by her mysterious Bloodline Power, causing Zhang Ruo Xi to unintentionally devour their power. This surprised both of them greatly.
Zhang Ruo Xi did not anticipate such a thing to occur either, nor did she intend to devour these two’s Powers, but everything happened so seamlessly after just a moment of contact.
Immediately, Zhang Ruo Xi’s World Force soared and her aura rampaged as the imbalance of her Small Universe shook and violently impacted her. Her gorgeous face turned pale in an instant and she frantically cried out, “Sir!”
Yang Kai was shocked as well. He was just admiring the strange act of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan a breath ago, and the next instant, Ruo Xi’s Small Universe was in peril.
Behind Ruo Xi, the illusory phantom of her Small Universe emerged all on its own, its original tranquillity with majestic mountains and pristine waters now enveloped in a storm of yellow and blue light. As these two hues clashed, a scene of violence and destruction played out.
It was similar to what the Chaotic Dead Territory looked like before Yang Kai first came here!
Right away, Yang Kai snapped back to his senses and immediately took out a set of Five Elements materials, all in the Seventh Order, and passed them to Zhang Ruo Xi, urging her, “Focus. Concentrate on holding together your Small Universe and quickly refine these!”
Since she had received a massive infusion of Yin and Yang Element Power, the only way to restore the balance of her Small Universe was to quickly refine more Five Elements Power.
Zhang Ruo Xi obviously also understood that her life was at stake, so she did not hesitate to accept the Five Elements materials, sat cross-legged, and followed Yang Kai’s instructions to stabilize her mind as she went all out to suppress the chaos of her own Small Universe while preparing to refine the materials.
However, a Human Master was always greatly impacted by any disturbance in their Small Universe.
If there was a fight between Masters of the same Order and strength, the one whose Small Universe was shaken first would quickly be defeated and perish.
Because of this, every Cave Heaven and Paradise had developed Divine Abilities or Secret Techniques designed exclusively for protecting their Small Universe. These methods were mainly used to defend their Small Universes from external shocks.
During the Great Evolution Army’s battle at the Royal City of the Great Evolution Theatre, Yang Kai used his Cow Punch Secret Technique to kill a Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple. In terms of raw strength, Yang Kai wasn’t a match for a Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple. In fact, a Ninth-Order Black Ink Disciple might only be slightly weaker than a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Mo Na Ye.
However, Yang Kai’s Cow Punch was the most profound Secret Technique capable of directly impacting an enemy’s Small Universe. Even if there was a great disparity in strength between Yang Kai and his opponent, Cow Punch could bypass all conventional defenses to cause massive damage.
The current situation of Zhang Ruo Xi was equivalent to her Small Universe being attacked by rampaging energy. Worse yet, this power was the purest essence of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, two Supreme Beings whose strength exceeded the Ninth Order!
As someone only at the peak of the Seventh Order, how was Zhang Ruo Xi supposed to be able to endure it?
The only reason her Small Universe did not rupture on the spot was because only a small amount of Yin and Yang Element Power flowed into her before it was cut off. However, this disturbance in her Small Universe made it incredibly difficult for her to focus her mind. In such an unsteady state, let alone refining materials to balance her Small Universe, even suppressing the chaos in her Small Universe was proving all but impossible.
If Zhang Ruo Xi was unable to suppress the turbulence in her Small Universe quickly, it would only further destabilize, worsening her condition and creating a deadly feedback cycle.
In a matter of breaths, Ruo Xi’s aura became more and more chaotic, and the illusory phantom of the Small Universe behind her also began to expand and contract, showing extreme signs of instability. The yellow and blue lights also became more violent as they thrashed about wildly.
Yang Kai felt chills all over. He thought that having Zhang Ruo Xi visit Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan might bring about some unexpected gains, but he never imagined that things would go so awry!
Wracking his brain desperately, Yang Kai suddenly thought of something that might help Ruo Xi, so he quickly shouted, “Open your mind!”
The next moment, a seemingly illusory lotus flower covered in multi-coloured light flew out from Yang Kai’s head and into Zhang Ruo Xi’s.
Soul Warming Lotus!
Although this was a Supreme Treasure of the Universe that had accompanied Yang Kai for millennia, other individuals could immediately use it without any kind of refinement as long as he passed it to them. Since he previously lent it to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao to use in her battle inside the Black Ink Nest Space, it meant that he could lend it to Zhang Ruo Xi as well.
The Soul Warming Lotus was the best solution to stabilize a person’s shaken mind.
As the Seven-Coloured Soul Warming Lotus entered Zhang Ruo Xi’s forehead, her expression quickly calmed down; obviously, the Soul Warming Lotus was helping.
After her mind was calmed down, she worked hard to suppress the turbulence in her Small Universe before starting to refine the Seventh-Order materials.
Only when the situation was stabilised temporarily did Yang Kai heave a sigh of relief. It had only been a short moment, yet he was already drenched in sweat.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan stood to the side, completely dumbfounded by what they just experienced. Only after a long silence did Big Brother Huang murmur, “How… How did this happen?”
Although the two of them have lived for countless years and were far more powerful than any other Divine Spirit, due to their lack of interaction with others, they were quite innocent and naive.
All they knew was the woman in front of them, who they felt quite close to, almost died because of their power.
Big Sister Lan gave it a little bit more thought than Big Brother Huang before turning to Yang Kai to ask, “Who is she?”
Even when she first met Yang Kai, a member of the Dragon Clan, she had never experienced the same level of closeness as she did with this mysterious woman.
She was even more puzzled by the fact that this young woman had freely drawn in her and Xiao Huang’s Power.
That was their pure Yin and Yang Power, their innate strength; it wasn’t something just anyone could devour. However, recalling when her power was being devoured, Big Sister Lan felt no sense of rejection of disharmony at all.
“I’ll let you both know later. Can Big Brother and Sister restrain and take back your power?” Yang Kai asked seriously.
Allowing Ruo Xi to refine Five Elements materials to balance her Small Universe was the best solution to the current problem, Yang Kai quickly discovered a problem at this moment.
It was taking too long!
Refining materials was not something that could be done overnight. One would require a lot of time to refine a set of Seventh-Order materials, let alone Zhang Ruo Xi who was only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Furthermore, even if this set of Five Elements materials were truly refined, it still wouldn’t be sufficient. In order to balance the Yin and Yang Element Power that she took in, many sets of Five Elements materials would be required.
Yang Kai estimated it would take Zhang Ruo Xi at least 10 years to reach a state of balance. 10 years was quite a long time, and in this kind of unstable situation, many, many things could go wrong, any one of which could put her in grave danger. The power from these two was akin to a pair of giant blades hanging above her head, at risk of falling at any moment.
However, if Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan could take back their Powers, then all these issues could be resolved.
Big Brother Huang, though somewhat uneasy, still had his sight intact. After just a glance at the situation inside Zhang Ruo Xi’s Small Universe, he shook his head and said, “No, our powers have already completely merged into her Small Universe. If we were to extract them, it would be akin to tearing out her heritage, causing her great harm!”
[But, having too much pure power is not a good thing either…] Yang Kai thought in his heart.
The powers of Yin and Yang from the Moon’s Serene Glimmer and the Sun’s Burning Light were the most primitive and purest in the Universe. Because of their purity, they did not need much refining, so the moment they flowed into Zhang Ruo Xi’s Small Universe, they immediately merged with it, breaking the balance and leaving Big Brother Huang helpless.
While they were conversing, Yang Kai watched intently. The imbalance in Ruo Xi’s Small Universe had reached a critical point, and the Powers of the Yin and Yang were still continually surging in all directions. At this moment she could still barely suppress it, but as time passed, Ruo Xi would not be able to keep it under control. Even with the Soul Warming Lotus protecting her mind, it would be of no use.
The root of her crisis lay in her Small Universe, and her mind was only affected as a result.
The best way to suppress and seal a Small Universe was with a World Tree clone. With it, Ruo Xi’s current crisis could be instantly resolved.
Yang Kai had a clone on him, but it was integrated into his own Small Universe. Even if he was willing to give it to her, it would be impossible for Zhang Ruo Xi to refine it in time as the process would involve purging the pieces of Yang Kai’s Small Universe before planting it into her own. This was not a simple or quick process and would also require a lot of concentration which she could not spare at the moment.
[Is there really nothing we can do? If we don’t find a way to completely suppress the Powers of Yin and Yang inside of her, Ruo Xi’s life will be in danger.]
In his anxious state, Yang Kai suddenly had an idea and immediately advised her, “Activate your Bloodline Power and see if you can suppress it!”
If there was any other power in the world that could suppress the Burning Light and the Serene Glimmer’s Powers, it would only be the Bloodline Power of Heaven’s Order!
As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Ruo Xi’s cultivation allowed her to control thousands of Small Stone Race Soldiers to form a Fourth-Order Nine Palaces Formation. She did this by relying only on her own Bloodline Power. Furthermore, these Small Stone Race Soldiers could almost be considered as extensions of the powers from Burning Light and Serene Glimmer!
In Yang Kai’s theory, Heaven’s Order was akin to the Matriarch of the Divine Spirit Family. The strange incident between Ruo Xi and Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan during their first encounter suggested that this was true; Ruo Xi taking in their two Powers was likely due to her Bloodline unconsciously guiding her.
Given this, the Heavens Order Bloodline should be able to handle the current situation. Even if it couldn’t completely suppress the two Powers, it could at least calm things down.
Just as the words left Yang Kai’s mouth, Ruo Xi immediately activated her Bloodline Power. In the illusory phantom of her Small Universe, a blurry female figure appeared.
When this figure emerged, the Powers of Yin and Yang, which had been rampaging and causing damage to her Small Universe, seemed to be drawn inexplicably towards the figure from all directions.
As Yang Kai watched, the yellow and blue lights that had filled the entire Small Universe receded like a tide, flowing into the illusory woman’s body.
This woman, who symbolised Heaven’s Order’s Bloodline, was just as Yang Kai remembered her from their last encounter. She hung her head low, her hair flowing freely as she held a giant greatsword in her hands. Although she was a woman, she exuded an awe-inspiring aura, as though she could stand firm even if the Heavens and Earth were to collapse around her.
When the most primitive Powers of Yin and Yang surged into her, her body immediately emitted a light where the two colours intersected. The colours grew brighter and brighter until they reached a dazzling peak that resonated deeply with Yang Kai.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him absent-mindedly. He had travelled far and wide, and witnessed the beauty and wonder of countless people and Worlds, but the sight before him was beyond words.
The woman who manifested the Heaven’s Order Bloodline behind her opened a pair of brightly shining wings. One side was blue and the other yellow, with the colours flowing freely like water, sometimes turning yellow into blue, and other times the opposite. The edge of the wings was blurred with light, and at this moment, the Powers of Yin and Yang blended and fused, no longer violent, but exuding a vital aura of unparalleled harmony and beauty!
Yang Kai was struck by many insights and epiphanies at this moment and would benefit greatly if he were to enter retreat to cultivate at this moment.
But, he knew this was not the time for that; he had to suppress those feelings and continue to focus on Ruo Xi’s condition.
Beside him, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were completely stunned and could hardly believe their eyes. The problem of their Powers being unable to blend and constantly colliding with each other was suddenly resolved at this moment! The shock they felt was no less than being punched hard in the face, and they were left in a state of stunned amazement.
“Who is she?” Big Sister Lan couldn’t help but turn her head and ask Yang Kai. Her curiosity was piqued by this existence who had the power to reconcile the Powers of Xiao Huang and herself, so she knew she was certainly not any ordinary being.
For countless years, they remained in the Chaotic Dead Territory, unable to leave. This was not because they didn’t want to, but because they couldn’t. According to ancient legend, they were the Progenitors of all Divine Spirits, a myth that had been distorted and exaggerated over time.
However, there was another legend that held true – they were the embodiments of destruction.
Since their birth, they were incomplete and unable to control their powers with precision. Leaving the Chaotic Dead Territory would result in a catastrophic explosion of Yin and Yang, laying waste to all things, living or dead.
Back in the early days, the Chaotic Dead Territory was not as vast as it was now. Many Great Territories were destroyed over the years, the boundary walls between them torn down, leading to the creation of the current, extremely large Chaotic Dead Territory.
These two ancient beings scattered their power throughout the territory, retaining only a fraction of it to transform into their present forms – two small children – and allowing Yang Kai to stand before them and communicate with them.
If they were in their true, complete forms, Yang Kai would not have the privilege of standing here as he would have been vaporized by the violent Yin and Yang powers they innately gave off long ago.
But suddenly, they witnessed their Powers being balanced and stabilised by some outside force!
This was simply an occurrence that they had never dared imagine.
Yang Kai stood mesmerised, staring at the figure before him that was adorned with wings of two different hues. However, after Zhang Ruo Xi activated her own Heavens Order Bloodline Power, the Yin and Yang Element Powers no longer rampaged. The Small Universe that was in constant flux and at risk of rupture had also stabilised.
Then, her expression slowly eased…
Now, all that was left was to refine a large quantity of the Five Elements materials to rebalance her Small Universe.
This crisis was finally over.
Yang Kai let out a long sigh as he pondered how to answer Big Sister Lan’s question. After some hesitation, he spoke up, “Do you still remember the last time we discussed the concept of a medicinal catalyst?”
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan glanced at each other and nodded in agreement.
Over the years, they had tried to merge, but Yin and Yang were inherently opposed and simply could not mix. They always felt like something was missing, so they had no choice but to give up.
However, when Yang Kai came over last time, the idea of a medicinal catalyst came up.
In alchemy, herbs of opposing nature could be combined in a furnace and refined into a Spirit Pill by using an appropriate catalyst that could reconcile the incompatible properties.
If Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were compared to two types of herbs with opposing natures, then the missing ingredient they lacked was undoubtedly the medicinal catalyst.
Zhang Ruo Xi’s Heavens Order Bloodline was the catalyst that could harmonise their opposing forces.
This was not surprising, as the Heavens Order Bloodline was descended from the Matriarch of the Divine Spirit Family. Even though Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had extremely high status in that family, they still couldn’t resist the guidance of the Matriarch.
Big Brother Huang immediately caught on and his eyes lit up, “She’s the catalyst?”
Yang Kai nodded.
Big Sister Lan, on the other hand, was extremely puzzled, “What kind of Bloodline does she possess? Why have I never heard of her before, and how is she able to do this?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai explained, “I mentioned the Primordial Light earlier. After stripping you two away, the Primordial Light crashed into a barren land, and its radiance dispersed, evolving into countless Divine Spirits. That piece of land became the Ancestral Land of the Divine Spirits. However, after the Primordial Light dissipated, there was still a blurry figure left behind… This Little Brother was unable to tell what that figure was at the time, and could not judge what it represented, but that blurry figure resembled a Human. Somehow, that figure must have merged with the Human Race; thus, the Human Race inherited its bloodline from generation to generation.”
“This Bloodline has experienced countless years of inheritance, gradually becoming thin and weak. The later generations have long forgotten the glory of their Ancestor, until Ruo Xi’s generation when this Bloodline began to gradually awaken! This Bloodline is called the Heaven’s Order Bloodline, and in the Primordial Light, it undoubtedly holds a special position.”
The Divine Spirits were the scattered light that evolved from the collision of the Primordial Light with the Ancestral Land, even the Burning Light and the Serene Glimmer were just the powers stripped from the Primordial Light at an earlier time.
In comparison, the appearance of that figure after the collision with the Ancestral Land was no small matter.
The Primordial Darkness of the Universe gave birth to Mo, and the Primordial Light evolved into the Divine Spirits, including the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, and even Heaven’s Order. If the Primordial Light were to be divided into ten parts, the Divine Spirits would account for three parts, the Burning Light and the Serene Glimmer three parts, and Heaven’s Order four parts!
In terms of status, that figure was second only to the true body of Mo according to this hypothesis.
When Yang Kai brought Zhang Ruo Xi to the Chaotic Dead Territory to meet Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, he did not expect such a significant discovery. He just thought that since the Heavens Order Bloodline was like the Matriarch of the Divine Spirit Family, there might be some unexpected gains after she met these two.
And now, their harvest was indeed huge! Though there were some minor accidents, everything turned out alright in the end.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s emotions were stirred for a long time. They had never heard about the Heaven’s Order Bloodline before, which was passed down through generations, and had the remarkable ability to harmonize the opposing Yin and Yang Element Powers. It was no wonder when they laid eyes on this woman, an involuntary sense of awe and warmth washed over them, stronger than when facing Yang Kai, a member of the Dragon Clan.
It appeared that Yang Kai was right, although they were all born from the Primordial Light, the Heaven’s Order Bloodline must hold a unique position. This was what caused the two Supreme Beings of the Primordial Era to feel differently about Zhang Ruo Xi.
If that was the case, there might be a chance to resolve the issue that had plagued them for countless aeons. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan exchanged glances, understanding each other’s thoughts.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai observed Zhang Ruo Xi’s condition in silence. She had already reached the peak of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, and now she unintentionally absorbed a massive amount of Yin and Yang Element Power. This could be her chance for a breakthrough.
Though it was a perilous accident, it was also an opportunity for Zhang Ruo Xi after it was resolved.
Thanks to her Bloodline Power, her refining speed became incredibly swift, rivalling even Yang Kai’s.
Yang Kai’s speed was partly due to his solid foundation, but also due to his Small Universe having a World Tree clone, which greatly assisted Open Heaven Realm Masters like him when they cultivated.
However, each World Tree Clone had to come from the World Tree itself and each one required a portion of the World Tree’s Source. Likewise, they were supported by the fortune of numerous Universe Worlds. Thus, they were not something that could be obtained in large quantities from the Old Tree.
If every Master had access to one, it would substantially reduce their cultivation time and hasten their advancement to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
In a mere month, Ruo Xi completely refined a set of Seventh-Order Five Elements materials.
Before the Black Ink Clan’s invasion, such a set of materials would have cost at least 750 million Open Heaven Pills, if one could even buy them at all. In the present era, they would be even pricier, likely exceeding a billion.
To put it plainly, Ruo Xi’s one month of cultivation consumed a billion Open Heaven Pills…
If she had simply been swallowing and refining Open Heaven Pills, she would never have been able to eat such an immense quantity in such a short time. What’s more, even if she had refined a billion Open Heaven Pills, the gains wouldn’t have matched what she had now.
Therefore, relatively speaking, if they had the resources, Masters preferred to refine materials to enhance their Small Universe rather than use Open Heaven Pills. Unfortunately, most did not have the resources, so they could only choose to refine Open Heaven Pills to improve themselves.
Yang Kai had a large reserve of cultivation resources. Mo Na Ye compensated him a lot of materials on behalf of the Black Ink Clan last time, most of which he had handed over to the Supreme Headquarters for the Human Armies to use, but he had still reserved some for himself.
With his cultivation reaching the peak of the Eighth-Order Realm, Yang Kai no longer needed to deliberately cultivate. Technically, these resources were useless in his hands right now, so he was more than willing to use them to resolve Ruo Xi’s current crisis.
After Ruo Xi finished refining a set of Seventh-Order materials, Yang Kai took out another set and handed it to her, allowing her to continue.
With the increase in Five Elements Powers, the imbalance of Ruo Xi’s Small Universe was gradually fixed. The most obvious indication was the two-coloured wings behind the Heaven’s Order figure gradually dimming. It was a sign that the Powers of Yin and Yang had been completely absorbed and merged into Ruo Xi’s Small Universe.
As her Small Universe’s heritage increased, its boundary walls also showed signs of reaching their limit. Once this limit was broken through, it would be time for Ruo Xi to advance to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. At that time, her entire Small Universe would greatly expand, and Ruo Xi’s heritage would also increase significantly.
12 years passed by in a flash.
The Heaven’s Order figure in Ruo Xi’s Small Universe had all but faded away, and the two-coloured wings behind it had almost disappeared. By refining a large amount of Five Elements materials, her Small Universe was once again balanced.
In it, wind and clouds stirred. Ruo Xi was surrounded by an extremely strong World Force, and her own aura had already heightened to its peak, a sign of an impending breakthrough.
“Sir!” Ruo Xi suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Yang Kai for help.
“You will advance to the Eighth Order today. Just calm your mind and break through. I will stand guard for you!” Yang Kai comforted her.
“En!” Zhang Ruo Xi nodded gently, and her uneasy mood immediately calmed down, allowing her to focus on dealing with the changes in her Small Universe.
A few days later, with a final infusion of Five Elements Power, the Powers of Yin and Yang were devoured completely and the Heaven’s Order figure disappeared. Zhang Ruo Xi had increased her Small Universe’s heritage greatly and finally crossed the threshold.
From the depths of her soul, there seemed to be a cracking sound. Ruo Xi’s body trembled slightly, and her peak Seventh-Order aura suddenly soared. At the same time, the original boundaries of her Small Universe broke, and the already maximised territory quickly expanded like a blown-up balloon.
Within the Small Universe, the sky trembled and the wind and clouds swirled in constant transformation.
Large swaths of new territory begin to appear, at first chaotic, but gradually evolving and harmonising with the Powers of the Seven Elements, becoming part of her Small Universe.
Yang Kai remained vigilant, but he wasn’t worried.
Zhang Ruo Xi’s breakthrough was a seamless and stable process, devoid of any signs of instability. As long as she remained focused, her breakthrough posed no real risks.
Advancement in the Open Heaven Realm carried a certain degree of danger. Without a sturdy foundation, rushing a breakthrough could lead to unforeseen complications during the expansion of one’s Small Universe. For example, some of the newly formed territory might not have fully evolved and instead retain their initially chaotic state. Such an occurrence would undoubtedly have a profound impact on a person. It could cause anything from minor damage to total collapse of their Small Universe, which would end in their demise.
Ruo Xi did not face such risks as she had a solid foundation, coupled with her unique Bloodline. As a result, the new territories swiftly evolved into thriving lands.
Yang Kai had undergone numerous breakthroughs in the past, but he had only sought to enhance his strength without paying much attention to the process itself. However, this time, as Ruo Xi’s protector and witnessing the various transformations of her Small Universe, he experienced a unique sense of enlightenment.
It was commonly believed that Mo had reached the Creation Realm that stood above the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. However, no one could adequately explain what the Creation Realm was, not even Cang nor Wu Kuang.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to, it was rather that they did not know how for they had never reached that realm.
Yang Kai used to believe that the Creation Realm referred to the ability to create life from nothing.
The Black Ink Clan was a creation of Mo, who was capable of producing such terrifying existences such as the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. The title of Creator was certainly well-deserved.
For all Black Ink Clansmen, Mo was their Creator.
Throughout the Universe, the only existence of a similar level of power as Mo was the Primordial Light.
The Primordial Light had stripped itself of its Yin and Yang Elements to create the Serene Glimmer and Burning Light. Its innumerable points of light produced countless Divine Spirits. In other words, it possessed the power of Creation.
But was that really the power of the Creation Realm?
At a fundamental level, the Black Ink Clan was merely a peculiar extension of Mo’s power, which meant Mo did not truly ‘create’ life from nothingness. Whether it was the Black Ink Clan’s soldiers or the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, without Mo’s power, they had no basis for existence.
[Are the Divine Spirits not technically an extension of the power of the Primordial Light? Is that all there is to the Creation Realm? Or am I misunderstanding something?]
According to this logic, when a cultivator reached the peak of the Emperor Realm, they would begin to condense their own Grand Dao into a Dao Seal, refine the Power of the Seven Elements, and use that as a foundation to split Heaven and Earth apart within their bodies, creating their own Small Universe.
So, in a way, didn’t every Open Heaven Realm Master have Creation Force?
However, those Small Universes were truly born out of nothingness rather than the extension of the Masters’ power. It was created by the harmonious balance of Yin, Yang, and Five Elements.
Didn’t this mean that all Open Heaven Realm Masters possessed the means of using Creation Force? Where did this power come from, and what distinguished reaching the Open Heaven Realm from the Creation Realm?
Yang Kai suddenly found himself deeply lost in thought, questioning his own Grand Dao and exploring an unknown domain…
When one’s strength was meagre, it was difficult to ponder over these things, as their sole focus was to advance to a higher realm and get stronger.
But when one had reached their pinnacle and stood at a lofty height, many doubts involuntarily arose.
Yang Kai had a vague feeling that if he could understand the answers to these questions, he might discover something incredible.
However, his deep contemplation bordered on questioning his very existence. Though he remained standing in the same spot, it was as if he had entered another Universe. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan immediately noticed something was amiss and turned their heads towards him.
Big Brother Huang even called out to him a few times, finally allowing Yang Kai to be jolted back to reality where he promptly broke out into a cold sweat…
The momentary doubt that had risen in him had caused him to doubt his own Grand Dao, and it even resulted in his Small Universe shaking, triggering what felt like an earthquake in Void World.
This was highly abnormal; after all, his Small Universe had a World Tree clone to stabilize and protect it. Additionally, his Small Universe was firm and flawless, impervious to external forces. Even during his battle with a Royal Lord, his Small Universe had never trembled.
However, though his World Tree clone could resist external forces, it could not prevent internal turmoil.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but feel a chill shoot up his spine. If he had continued to linger in that kind of state, it would have inevitably caused immense damage to himself. Though the Open Heaven Realm method of the Human Race was not flawless, it was the fundamental basis for their rise to power and had been inherited for countless millennia. Before his strength and realm had reached a certain level, it was necessary to be more cautious about such ponderings.
Yang Kai was forced to reflect on this matter in silence.
After several more days, Zhang Ruo Xi’s Small Universe finally settled, and she succeeded in her breakthrough.
Her Small Universe had grown significantly in both volume and territory, and her aura had reached the esteemed level of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It was a sight that left Yang Kai in awe, marvelling at the unique wonder of her Heaven’s Order Bloodline that allowed her to overcome the innate limitations of the Open Heaven Realm method. Without this exceptional gift, Ruo Xi’s Martial Dao would have hit a ceiling at the peak of the Seventh Order.
This realization stirred up a twinge of envy in Yang Kai, who was still struggling to ascend to the Ninth-Order Realm.
However, he needn’t worry about what came next for Ruo Xi. With her successful ascension to the Eighth Order, all she needed to do was to enter retreat for a period to consolidate her newfound strength. As she continued to cultivate, her Small Universe’s heritage would grow stronger, and its territory would expand endlessly until it reached another limit. By then, she should be able to break through once again.
Only then would she be able to enter the Ninth-Order Realm!
Yang Kai turned to the two others and said, “I too must enter retreat for a while. Please look after Ruo Xi while I’m gone.”
Big Brother Huang nodded and replied, “There’s no need for you to worry.”
After bowing to them in gratitude, Yang Kai left a vast amount of Five Elements materials for Ruo Xi to use. She no longer needed Yin and Yang Element materials, after all, with Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan here, how could she possibly lack them?
After settling everything with Ruo Xi, Yang Kai manipulated Space Principles and left to find a broken Universe Fragment in the void far away, where he sat cross-legged and began to meditate.
Ruo Xi’s breakthrough had given him much to ponder over, and he needed to enter retreat to reflect on what he witnessed. But, with the lesson from before, he had to pay more attention and care to himself.
This retreat wasn’t just about improving his cultivation, but also a moment for him to explore his own Grand Dao and ponder over the mysteries of the Creation Realm.
Time flew by quickly in the desolate void.
After a few years, Zhang Ruo Xi awakened to find her new Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation had barely stabilized. Upon discovering that Yang Kai had also gone into retreat, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of disappointment.
But soon, she was swept up in a grand and wondrous plan by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. After witnessing Zhang Ruo Xi’s ability to harmonize their Yin and Yang Powers, the two of them secretly concocted this plan, knowing that its success would have profound significance for themselves and the Human Race.
Although they had only just met, there was no sense of estrangement among these three, as if they were all part of the same family. Even Ruo Xi was caught off guard, realising only later that these two were the legendary Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. But, looking at their youthful appearances and demeanour, she found it hard to see them as Supreme Beings from the Primordial Era, so she decided to treat them like children.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were quite pleased with her decision.
They performed a small experiment, and it proved to be completely feasible. Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan were so happy that they almost shed tears of joy.
But, although the plan was workable, it was difficult to implement at the moment because Ruo Xi’s strength was still lacking. She needed to become much stronger before they could perfectly execute their idea.
So, the two Primordial Era Supremes urged her to cultivate.
Fortunately, before Yang Kai went into retreat, he left behind a lot of Five Elements materials. Ruo Xi had some reserves of her own as well, which prevented her from being in the embarrassing situation of not having enough resources.
Ordinary Masters usually cultivated by building up the heritage of their Small Universe, and even if they chose to refine materials, they needed to consume complete sets of Seven Elements.
But in the Chaotic Dead Territory, with the assistance of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, Ruo Xi did not need to go through this trouble. She only needed to refine materials of the Five Elements.
As for the Yin and Yang Element Powers, it was easy to draw them from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. It was the utmost primal and pure power that was difficult for anyone in this world to resolve and harmonize, but that issue was completely resolved thanks to her Heaven’s Order Bloodline.
This meant that Zhang Ruo Xi had to refine two fewer materials than other Masters, saving her nearly 30% of her cultivation time.
That was a terrifying improvement in efficiency.
To advance from the Eighth Order to the Ninth Order required on average 10,000 years of accumulation, so a 30% reduction could easily save some 3,000 years of arduous effort.
In the Chaotic Dead Territory, while Yang Kai was in retreat to reflect on his various epiphanies, Ruo Xi also entered retreat to cultivate. Meanwhile, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan took turns infusing her Small Universe with their Power. They were careful not to overdo it so that Zhang Ruo Xi would not be overwhelmed again.
In their spare time, they also trained a large army of Small Stone Race Soldiers for Yang Kai.
Previously, they had only trained them to pass the time. From the Primordial Era to the present, this was the only game that relieved their boredom. But now that they had Zhang Ruo Xi, they had something to look forward to, a hope for the future.
Time passed by quickly, and soon an entire century had gone by.
In the void, Yang Kai opened his eyes with a look of confusion. The more he pondered, the more he found himself unable to grasp the essence of the Grand Dao. He couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for the days when he was not as powerful, when all he had to do was focus on increasing his strength. But now, he had to embark on a quest to uncover the true nature of the Grand Dao and Heavenly Way, and on this slow and arduous path of the Martial Dao, the higher he stood and the more he saw, the more lost he felt.
Letting out a light sigh, Yang Kai ceased his ruminations. He knew that his confusion stemmed from not standing high enough. Perhaps after ascending to the Ninth Order, things would change for him.
After spending 100 years in retreat, he had some gains. He had contemplated much about his own Grand Daos and the Creation Realm, but for now, those insights were of no use.
“Yang Kai, come over here!” Big Brother Huang’s voice suddenly sounded in his ear. Clearly, he had sensed that Yang Kai had ended his retreat.
Feeling his urgency, Yang Kai’s heart skipped a beat, fearing that something might have happened to Zhang Ruo Xi. So, he urged Space Principles and stepped forward, arriving at Big Brother Huang’s side as he asked, “What happened?”
Before his eyes, Ruo Xi sat cross-legged, refining materials to enhance her Small Universe heritage. Her aura was calm and there was no trace of abnormality. Compared to 100 years ago, her aura was noticeably denser, a sign of her growing strength.
Big Brother Huang asked, “Do you have any more Five Elements materials? Bring them all out.”
Glancing at the illusory Heaven’s Order phantom behind Ruo Xi’s Small Universe, Yang Kai realized what was happening, “Are you two helping Ruo Xi cultivate?”
He had a considerable amount of Five Elements materials in his possession, originally prepared for his own future Ninth-Order advancement, but now that Ruo Xi needed them, he would not be stingy.
He secretly felt that bringing Ruo Xi to the Chaotic Dead Territory was the right decision; at least with Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan’s help, her growth would surely accelerate.
If only he had another World Tree clone for her, that would be even better.
Unfortunately, the Old Tree was not in good shape at the moment. Last time he had asked for three World Tree Clone seedlings, which was already the limit. If he were to ask again, it would be asking for too much.
Given all the Five Elements materials he had, it would be enough for Ruo Xi to cultivate for thousands of years, so Yang Kai handed them all to Big Brother Huang, saying, “I’ll figure out a way to get some more and send them over later.”
Big Brother Huang nodded in acceptance.
Yang Kai glanced at Ruo Xi once more and said, “I’ll leave Ruo Xi to Big Brother and Big Sister. I still need to look after the Human Race and cannot stay here for long. Farewell.”
Big Sister Lan reassured him, “Rest assured, she will be safe here.”
At present, the greatest danger was the Black Ink Clan; however, since suffering a catastrophic defeat in the Chaotic Dead Territory, they dared not set foot in here again. Under normal circumstances, they would not even approach the Chaotic Dead Territory for fear of provoking the two Supreme Beings inside.
Yang Kai responded with a nod. When he was ready to leave, Ruo Xi suddenly opened her eyes and shouted, “Sir, wait!”
Yang Kai paused to look at her as Ruo Xi said, “I still have to return this item to you, Sir.”
Saying so, she activated her power, and a seven-coloured lotus flower flew out from her forehead. It was the Soul Warming Lotus that Yang Kai had lent her before.
“Sir, you are constantly travelling outside, facing many dangers. You must be careful,” she reminded him.
In response, Yang Kai nodded, took the Soul Warming Lotus, and smiled, “You should continue to cultivate here. When you reach the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm one day, we shall fight the enemy together!”
Ruo Xi obediently nodded.
After a moment of watching Yang Kai leave, Ruo Xi sat down cross-legged again and continued to refine Five Elements materials to enhance herself.
In the world of Masters, there were always many farewells. Perhaps a seemingly ordinary separation would be a permanent one, especially in the current environment. To avoid such a situation, one could only become stronger, because only through sufficient strength could one protect those they cared for!
After leaving the Chaotic Dead Territory, Yang Kai did not linger and returned directly to the Supreme Headquarters.
As soon as he exchanged a few words with Mi Jing Lun, who was overseeing the situation, Yang Kai learned that the various battlefields had remained much the same over the years, allowing him to relax slightly.
In fact, whether it was the Human Race or the Black Ink Clan, they were both in the process of accumulating strength. On the Humans’ side, due to the output of talents from the Star Boundary, Myriad Monsters World, and even Yang Kai’s Small Universe, High-Rank Open Heavens Realm Masters were emerging one after another.
This was especially so for rising stars who directly ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm during these past years. Many of them had already entered the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and had been in this realm for a few years!
As for the battles on the various battlefields, that had not slowed down their cultivation speed. On the contrary, the repeated life and death stimulation tempered their willpower and endurance, allowing them to constantly make breakthroughs and improve.
It was estimated that it would not take long before the first of the rising stars of the Human Race saw the hope of advancing to the Ninth Order.
The Black Ink Clan was the same. There were many new Territory Lords, more than the Eighth-Order Masters. This was also inevitable; after all, Black Ink Clansmen could be created from Black Ink Nests, leading their numbers to surpass those of the Human Race. Among the billions of Black Ink Clansmen, there would always be some lucky ones whose strength improved rapidly.
A tacit understanding between the two Races had been achieved!
Now, it only remained to be seen which side could outpace the other, allowing them to seize the initiative.
According to the statistics of the Supreme Headquarters, the Human Race did not have much of an advantage. Overall, it was easier for the Black Ink Clan to cultivate than the Humans. In the future, the Black Ink Clan might be able to create Royal Lords earlier than the Human Race!
The only advantage of the Human Race lay in their greater individual strength, their intelligence, and their will to resist!
In the grand hall of the Supreme Headquarters, Mi Jing Lun let out a deep sigh as he spoke, “Our most pressing concern, Junior Brother, is the scarcity of resources. Despite the accumulation of the Cave Heavens and Paradises over the years, our people are trapped in just a handful of Great Territories now. Our access to essential resources has been severely limited, especially now with the explosive increase of Open Heaven Realm Masters. Their cultivation demands an abundance of resources that our stockpiles simply cannot sustain. Even with all the things you brought back last time, it barely made a dent in the shortfall needed to construct the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress.”
“The problem of resource scarcity can only be solved by either increasing our resources or reducing our consumption. But we are cultivators. Our cultivation and healing require resources, so how can we reduce our consumption? If we were to do so, how could we expect our soldiers to fight fiercely on the battlefield? We must devise alternative strategies. Over the years, the military merits required by the army’s supply department to exchange for resources have been increasing every year. Take the simplest Fourth-Order materials, for example; the military merits required to exchange for one have increased by 20% compared to a millennium ago! To make matters worse, some ignorant fools, the managers and commanders, are unaware of the high cost of goods and come to me, their Senior Brother, at the Supreme Headquarters to clamour for a reduction in price for them!?”
Ou Yang Lie was the one he was referring to, and Yang Kai knew about this matter as well. Ou Yang Lie even sent someone to relay a message to him, saying that the prices for resources in the army’s supply department were abnormal, and requested that he talk to Mi Jing Lun about it.
“Haaa!” Mi Jing Lun sighed again, “Do you think I don’t want to reduce the prices? I just can’t simply do so! The military merits that our soldiers earn are priceless, paid for with their own lives. If there was a possibility, how could we, the Supreme Headquarters, do such a thing? We just can’t achieve two opposing goals at the same time.”
“As for increasing our resource sources, there are only two ways for our Human Race to do so. One is to mine them from the New Great Territory, and the other is to loot the Black Ink Clan. But the resources in the New Great Territory are also limited. After so many years of mining, they may not last much longer. Although looting the Black Ink Clan’s convoys is a profitable enterprise, it also entails enormous risks, and the amount we can get each time is not stable.”
In the past, although there were many Open Heaven Realm Masters in the 3,000 Worlds, there were not many in the High-Rank. They were always exclusive to the Cave Heavens and Paradises, and those who had successfully cultivated to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm were sent generation after generation to the Black Ink Battlefield to fight against the Black Ink Clan, resulting in countless casualties.
Overall, the resources flowing through the market in the 3,000 Worlds were more than sufficient for Humans to use. But now, the situation had changed. The Human Race was confined to just a dozen or so Great Territories, and the channels for obtaining resources had decreased greatly, while the number of High-Rank Open Heaven Real Masters had increased exponentially. This increase in demand and decrease in supply resulted in a substantial deficit in resources. Although the various Cave Heavens and Paradises had offered up their reserves, they would not be able to sustain themselves for much longer.
After hearing Mi Jing Lun’s complaint, Yang Kai realised the gravity of the situation. Though the issue of materials had long plagued the Human Race, he had never given it much thought until now that it had become a pressing matter that demanded immediate attention.
If one day the Humans were to run out of supplies, the consequences would be dire.
“Senior Brother, if I may ask, do you have a solution?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
Mi Jing Lun replied “I’ve given it some thought. The only way to resolve this is to seek resources outside. You have a direct route to the Black Ink Battlefield, right? I’d like to request that you send some people there to gather resources.”
The resources on the Black Ink Battlefield were abundant. Within the countless dead Universe Worlds lay many precious resources waiting to be extracted. If they could successfully harvest them, it would greatly ease the pressure on the Humans’ demand for supplies.
“I can do that.” Yang Kai nodded in agreement, “It’s settled then. I’ll send people over when the time comes. But Senior Brother, we’ll need some Masters to support us if we’re going to the Black Ink Battlefield. That is still the Black Ink Clan’s territory, so if the mining teams encounter them, they will be at serious risk without enough Masters to protect them.”
“I’ll take that into consideration,” Mi Jing Lun nodded lightly.
“Then, Senior Brother, I’ll wait for your message,” Yang Kai said as he rose from his seat.
Leaving the Supreme Headquarters, Yang Kai did not venture far, choosing instead to head to Profound Nether Territory.
However, since the agreement he made with Six Arms, the battle in Profound Nether Territory had not been as intense as before; after all, the Territory Lords and Eighth-Order Masters were banned from fighting.
Without the clash of such Masters from both sides, the battles in Profound Nether Territory were relatively tame. At most, skirmishes between the Feudal Lords and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters took place.
Rising stars from both sides continued to make a name for themselves and hone their skills on this battlefield, but for someone like Ou Yang Lie, an Eighth-Order Master, life had become unbearably dull.
Forbidden from interfering in battles, but required to remain stationed in Profound Nether Territory as a precaution, Ou Yang Lie had grown bored to the point of desperation over the past few millennia. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken an interest in the army’s logistic affairs at all.
He had even requested to be transferred to other Great Territories like Azure Sun Territory, where Eighth-Order Masters could participate in battles, only to be rejected by Mi Jing Lun time and time again.
Ou Yang Lie was so infuriated that he considered cutting ties with Mi Jing Lun and even vented his frustration by insulting him in front of others at the Supreme Headquarters.
When he saw Yang Kai coming, Ou Yang Lie’s eyes filled with tears as he clamoured for Yang Kai to leave his seal on the transfer order.
The main reason Ou Yang Lie hadn’t been transferred from Profound Nether Territory for all these years was that Yang Kai was like an elusive Dragon, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.
Yang Kai, as the Army Commander of the Profound Nether Army, had Ou Yang Lie as his subordinate General. Even if the Supreme Headquarters wanted to mobilise manpower from the Profound Nether Army, they would need to go through Yang Kai; otherwise, what would be the point of having an Army Commander?
Mi Jing Lun had previously told Ou Yang Lie that as long as he could receive Yang Kai’s seal on the transfer order document, the Supreme Headquarters would have no objections.
But where and how could Ou Yang Lie find Yang Kai?
Previously, Yang Kai had been in retreat at the World Tree, so it was not convenient to disturb him. That retreat lasted for some 2,000 years. It was not until Ou Yang Lie heard the news that Yang Kai had finally ended his retreat that he rushed back to the Star Boundary, only to find that Yang Kai had already left.
Unexpectedly, Yang Kai appeared in front of him right now.
Ou Yang Lie was so grateful that he took out the transfer order document that was long prepared and stared at Yang Kai with an attitude that indicated ‘if you don’t agree, I’ll die in front of you’.
Yang Kai looked at the contents of the transfer order document and frowned slightly, his expression inexplicable. After a long time, he sighed, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, are you sure you want to leave Profound Nether Territory?”
“Absolutely! I can’t stand this damned place anymore!” He exclaimed.
Just looking at what he had been doing for the past 3,000 years. All he did was patrol various forward outposts each day, give speeches to newly arrived soldiers, and then drink until he was thoroughly drunk…
He was even bored enough to go to the Black Ink Clan and argue with the Six Arms and the other Territory Lords…
These boring and miserable days were nothing compared to charging into battles and killing enemies. Before Yang Kai made an agreement with the Black Ink Clan, though the situation in the Profound Nether Army was dire, at least they were living boldly and valiantly.
For a hot-blooded man like him, even if his life ended in battle, it would still be preferable to a life of obscurity and insignificance.
With that said, Ou Yang Lie added, “Junior Brother, please do not misunderstand me. I am not dissatisfied with you, nor am I dissatisfied with the Profound Nether Army. It’s just that this environment isn’t quite suitable for me. Ever since I joined the Black Ink Battlefield all those years ago, I haven’t experienced such idle days. Time just crawls by here!”
Yang Kai nodded in understanding, “I understand. In that case, Senior Brother Ou Yang, please go.”
Saying so, he stamped his seal onto the transfer order.
Ou Yang Lie immediately smiled and snatched the document, scanning it before cheering, “I’m finally free!”
It was as if a prisoner, who had been trapped for years, had regained his freedom!
Ou Yang Lie pocketed the document and cupped his fist to Yang Kai, “Junior Brother, I’ll be reporting to the Supreme Headquarters now. Take care of yourself. I’m sure we’ll fight together again someday!”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
Ou Yang Lie couldn’t wait to turn and leave. He didn’t want to spend another moment in Profound Nether Territory. He cried out joyously in his heart, [Azure Sun Territory, here I come!] And his laughter echoed into the distance.
Watching Ou Yang Lie’s departing figure, Yang Kai sighed. In life, there would always be unexpected disappointments. Senior Brother Ou Yang’s departure would likely not bring him the satisfaction he hoped for.
After bidding farewell to Ou Yang Lie, Yang Kai concealed his aura and figure before wandering around Profound Nether Territory to investigate its situation.
With his current cultivation, as well as his proficiency in the Dao of Space, he could easily avoid detection even from the Innate Territory Lords if he was careful enough.
Profound Nether Territory was unremarkable, everything was just as it was when he left so many years ago, except that the number of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had significantly increased.
Without staying long in Profound Nether Territory, Yang Kai returned to the Supreme Headquarters a few days later to await further orders.
Mi Jing Lun was quick to prepare, and within a month, everything was ready.
When Yang Kai arrived at the main square, he saw that tens of thousands of soldiers had already gathered. However, these soldiers were quite different from the norm.
Many of them had either grey or white hair, and although they didn’t look particularly old, they certainly weren’t young. Their cultivation levels were also generally low, with most of them at the Fourth or Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, some even at the Third-Order.
Yang Kai understood immediately that these were the Open Heaven Realm Masters who were born in the early days and their current cultivation had already reached their innate limit.
Such a cultivation would be ineffective on the various battlefields, as they would be very vulnerable to corruption from the Black Ink Strength. Thus, they were typically assigned to logistics roles.
This group of people would have limited usefulness in combat; however, if they were brought to the Black Ink Battlefield to mine resources, that wouldn’t pose any hindrance.
It was clear that Mi Jing Lun had considered this issue thoroughly, which was why he had summoned this group of people, wanting Yang Kai to escort them to the Black Ink Battlefield.
Apart from the thousands who were responsible for mining or sourcing resources, nine Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were standing among them. These were the veterans from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, all of whom had participated in the battles on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Yang Kai respectfully greeted these Elders, acknowledging their vital role in protecting the ones tasked with mining the dangerous Black Ink Battlefield. While nine Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters might not seem like enough, the nature of this mission required a discrete approach.
Their presence was only a precaution for any unforeseen circumstances, not to start a conflict with the Black Ink Clan. Too large and powerful a force would draw unwanted attention, and it would also affect the deployment of the Human Race Army on the various other battlefields.
“Junior Brother Yang, we’re counting on you,” Mi Jing Lun nonchalantly instructed.
“Senior Brother may rest assured.”
With a nod, Mi Jing Lun turned to address the thousands of Low-Rank cultivators. They knew their mission and even though they had never set foot on the Black Ink Battlefield before, they had heard of it and understood that it was a place where the blood of their ancestors had been shed in defence of their people. While this was not a crusade, how successful they were in amassing resources would play a big role in determining the fate of the Human Race. Thus, there was no killing intent, but there was still a heavy solemnity in the air.
In a sense, going to the Black Ink Battlefield to gather resources was another kind of battle, and the stakes were just as high.
Soon enough, Yang Kai and the nine Eighth-Order veterans opened their Small Universes, allowing the thousands of cultivators to enter in an orderly fashion.
As the preparations were finalised, Mi Jing Lun quietly informed Yang Kai of a separate mission, “Junior Brother, Brother Ou Yang has already gone ahead to the Black Prison. When you meet him there, you don’t have to say too much, just take him to Black Ink Battlefield and the others will explain the situation to him.”
Yang Kai was taken aback as he commented, “I thought Senior Brother Ou Yang had already gone to Azure Sun Territory…”
He hadn’t seen Ou Yang Lie in the square just now, but it seemed his guess from before was wrong. Mi Jing Lun had obviously arranged for Ou Yang Lie to be part of this operation without giving the latter any prior information. Of course, if Ou Yang Lie knew about the mission beforehand, he probably would have refused. He had left the Profound Nether Army because he was tired of the dull and boring days and he craved excitement and battle.
Guarding Profound Nether Territory was not fundamentally different from watching over the teams extracting resources on the Black Ink Battlefield. The former was influenced by the agreement between the two Races, which forbade the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Masters from interfering in battles except in six Great Territory Battlefields. As for the latter, success depended highly on stealth and evading detection from the Black Ink Clan. Comparing the two, life would possibly be even harder for Ou Yang Lie on the Black Ink Battlefield than in Profound Nether Territory…
Mi Jing Lun let out a sigh, “I know what his thoughts are, but… after thousands of life and death battles, he has accumulated too many dark injuries that can’t be healed. If he could advance to the Ninth Order, it would be alright, but he has no hope of doing so in this lifetime. Those hidden wounds are constantly sapping away his vitality, so he shouldn’t participate in fights against the Masters of the Black Ink Clan anymore.”
Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before saying, “Senior Brother Ou Yang will definitely blame you later.”
In response, Mi Jing Lun smiled wryly, “Let him blame me all he wants. It’s just my own selfishness. So many of our old friends are gone forever, with more leaving us every day. Someone needs to stay alive to witness the day when the Human Race triumphs.”
Yang Kai said, “Rest assured, Senior Brother Mi. The younger generation has risen to the challenge and can take over the banner from the Seniors to resist the Black Ink Clan. As for that day… it will come sooner or later.” He turned around and bowed, continuing, “Take care, Senior Brother Mi. I hope you and Senior Brother Ou Yang can witness that glorious moment together.”
“Good!” Mi Jing Lun smiled.
“Farewell!” Yang Kai cupped his fist, turned around, and flew away, followed closely by the nine Eighth-Order Masters.
Under Yang Kai’s guidance, they passed through various Great Territories, each using their own Secret Techniques to conceal their auras.
This time, they were going to the Black Ink Battlefield to mine resources, unlike the last time when they went to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. There were too many Eighth-Order Masters on that occasion, nearly 400, so Yang Kai couldn’t protect them all when travelling through the hidden Void Corridor. As a result, they had to transit through the No-Return Pass and could not conceal their movements.
However, this time they had to be as stealthy as possible; otherwise, if the Black Ink Clan discovered their movements, it was highly likely that something unexpected might occur.
On the way, they encountered some Black Ink Clansmen, but there were no elite combatants around guarding them, making it impossible for the enemy to detect Yang Kai and the others’ movements.
They hurried all the way to Black Territory!
Currently, apart from High Heaven Territory controlled by the Human Race, the New Great Territory, and the Great Territory where the Supreme Headquarters was located, there were Black Ink Clansmen in essentially every other Great Territory in the 3,000 Worlds.
However, there were two exceptions, one of which was the Chaotic Dead Territory. After the Black Ink Clan suffered a huge loss at the hands of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, they declared the Chaotic Dead Territory as a Forbidden Zone, where even the Royal Lord dared not venture.
The second exception was Black Territory, which was once abundant with Ore Stars, each containing rich cultivation materials. However, to break the Early Ancient Era’s Super Array and kill the Royal Lord that was suppressed and sealed there, the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, along with their countless disciples, joined forces and mine out the entire Black Territory, harvesting all the resources there and simultaneously breaking the Grand Array.
Now, Black Territory was empty, with nothing left but broken rubble. Although the Black Ink Clan had explored the area before, they found nothing but a barren land, thus they did not bother deploying any forces here.
But this worked out well for Yang Kai and his companions. Once they entered Black Territory, they no longer needed to hide. Under Yang Kai’s lead, they rushed towards the entrance of the secret passage.
Finally, after a couple of days, they arrived at their destination.
Yang Kai scanned his surroundings with his Divine Sense and spotted an asteroid floating nearby before calling out, “Senior Brother Ou Yang!”
Ou Yang Lie leaped out from behind the asteroid and approached Yang Kai with a grin, “You’ve got sharp eyes, Brat. I thought I had hidden well, but you still found me.”
He was clearly in a good mood. Ever since he left Profound Nether Territory with his transfer order in hand, he had been feeling quite content.
When he noticed the nine Eighth-Order Masters behind Yang Kai, Ou Yang Lie’s eyes lit up as he greeted them warmly. They were all old acquaintances who had fought alongside each other on the Black Ink Battlefield against the Black Ink Clan. Their friendship stretched back to the days when they were cultivating in their respective Sects.
After some heartfelt conversation, Ou Yang Lie eagerly asked Yang Kai, “Junior Brother, why are we going to the Black Ink Battlefield this time? Are we going to attack the No-Return Pass?”
Having arrived here at Mi Jing Lun’s instruction and seeing Yang Kai lead nine veteran Eighth-Order Masters over, Ou Yang Lie guessed they were up to something big. This stirred up his battle instincts that had been dormant for over 2,000 years.
“I have no issue if we were to attack the No-Return Pass, but it seems like we are short on manpower.” Ou Yang Lie began to worry. A Royal Lord was guarding at the No-Return Pass, along with a Pseudo-Royal Lord and many Territory Lords. It was going to be difficult for them to make any headway with just these few people.
However, considering Yang Kai’s many achievements in the past, the situation suddenly became clear to him, “I know! We’re going to launch a quick raid to destroy those Black Ink Nests!”
He was obviously excited and had a lot to say.
Yang Kai did not know how to explain the situation to Ou Yang Lie, but luckily, an old veteran who had a close relationship with Ou Yang Lie pulled him aside and said, “Ou Yang, don’t ask too much. You’ll know when we get there.”
Ou Yang Lie nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking rice, “Good, good. Let’s go!”
Yang Kai nodded and looked around, “Please connect your auras to mine for this journey. I will do my best to protect all of you; however, this Void Corridor is highly turbulent. If we get separated, please don’t panic, Senior Brothers. Just hold your ground and wait for me to find you while ensuring your own safety.”
All the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters nodded.
“Good!” Yang Kai shouted and Space Principles surged out, causing ripples to spread in front of them like a calm lake that had been disturbed by a stone.
Everyone was amazed as they watched. All of them were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Masters and were capable of breaking the Void when they exerted all their might, but none of them could manipulate it skillfully like Yang Kai did. This was the ability of someone who was proficient in the Dao of Space.
As the ripples spread, a noticeable difference in the Void appeared ahead. With Yang Kai’s continuous manipulation of Space Principles, a certain spot ahead of them slowly revealed the illusory phantom of a portal.
Looking up, the portal looked like an abyss, chaotic and terrifying.
“Stay close to me!” Yang Kai urged while taking the lead to step into the portal. Following him were the 10 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, steadily connecting their auras with Yang Kai’s.
In the passageway ahead, Yang Kai broke through the barrier he had set during his previous transit while also forming a new one behind the last person of their group.
If he was alone, or even with two or three people, it wouldn’t have been very difficult for Yang Kai to accomplish this; however, with 10 people at once, it was a bit taxing. Fortunately, everything was still within his limits, though it was much more time-consuming than previous trips through this Void Corridor.
Ou Yang Lie and the others all had high cultivation and extensive experience, but walking through this kind of Void Corridor was a first for them. Still, they didn’t dare to look around carelessly for fear of triggering any unnecessary accidents. By sensing their surroundings, they only perceived the chaotic Void Turbulence and the surging power of chaos filling the surroundings of this mysterious and unpredictable place. Even for Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like themselves, getting lost in such a place would likely not have a good outcome.
If they were lucky, they might one day find a way out, but if luck wasn’t on their side, they could be trapped here for the rest of their lives. That was why they became increasingly cautious as they proceeded forward. In this peculiar environment, both time and space seemed to blur, and they lost track of how long they had been wandering until a sudden flash of light appeared in front of them. It was only now that they realized they arrived at their destination.
The void rippled, and with each expanding wave, a portal gradually revealed itself. Soon after, figures emerged from the portal, one after the other.
Yang Kai quickly sealed it up again, making it appear as though nothing had happened.
Ou Yang Lie took out a Universe Chart of the Black Ink Battlefield and, after a few comparisons, he determined that they were standing somewhere in the area of the Blue Sky Theatre that was once occupied by the Black Ink Clan. It was quite far from where Blue Sky Pass was originally positioned, much closer to the Royal City.
It was at Blue Sky Pass where Yang Kai had risen to prominence, bringing Purifying Light to the Human Race and designing the Purifying Black Ink Battleships, turning what had once been an ordinary Great Pass among many into a shining beacon of hope.
Besides that, Yang Kai’s presence allowed Blue Sky Pass to establish the first forward outpost outside of a Royal City. Using the numerous Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens nearby, Blue Sky Pass set up numerous traps that inflicted heavy losses upon the Black Ink Clan, severely damaging the latter’s foundation in the Blue Sky Theatre.
This victory set the stage for a Crusade, with the Blue Sky Army becoming the first to conquer part of the Black Ink Clan’s territory, earning it a reputation that echoed through the ages.
Yang Kai also took out his Universe Chart and identified the direction they needed to go in, then led his 10 companions towards the depths of the void.
Ou Yang Lie followed behind him, completely puzzled, so he asked, “Junior Brother, aren’t we going in the wrong direction? The No-Return Pass is that way.”
The direction they were taking was completely different from where the No-Return Pass was located, leaving Ou Yang Lie confused.
Although Yang Kai was tempted to explain everything to him, he chose to hold his tongue, fearing the consequences, “Senior Brother, please be patient. I’ll explain everything once we arrive.”
Upon hearing that, Ou Yang Lie suppressed his doubts and followed silently.
Along the way, Yang Kai left several Space Beacons behind to be used as waypoints, knowing he would have to come back once he had escorted Ou Yang Lie and the others to their destination.
They passed by the Royal City that was once magnificent, but was now ravaged by the previous wars. The entire Universe World was in shambles and broken into numerous fragments, faintly showing the devastation from the battle millennia ago.
When the Blue Sky Army had set forth on their crusade, the Black Ink Clan’s forces in the Blue Sky Theatre had not fully recovered, so they were left defenceless against the formidable might of Blue Sky Pass. In the end, the Royal City was reduced to rubble and their Army was decimated. The Old Ancestor of Blue Sky Pass, aided by some of the strongest Eighth-Order Masters, had beheaded the Royal Lord in that battle.
The Royal Lord’s demise marked the complete defeat of the Black Ink Clan in the Blue Sky Theatre.
But that was all in the past now, and Yang Kai had long since left Blue Sky Pass. When Blue Sky Pass went on its crusade, Yang Kai was leading his comrades into battle as part of the Great Evolution Army.
To avoid running into teams from the Black Ink Clan who were harvesting resources, the Humans had to venture deeper into the Black Ink Battlefield. Only by putting enough distance between themselves and the enemy could they avoid any disastrous encounters.
Only after a month’s journey beyond where the Royal City was located did Yang Kai stop and sweep the area with his Divine Sense. Here, there were many dead Universe Worlds with little evidence of mining, making it an obvious place for a fruitful harvest.
“This is the spot,” Yang Kai declared.
The Eighth-Order Masters didn’t object, except for Ou Yang Lie, who wore a dark expression and remained silent. He might be impulsive at times and not skilled in cunning schemes, but that didn’t mean he was stupid. The many signs on the way here made him understand that this mission might not be as straightforward as he had imagined.
There was a high chance that he got tricked by Big Head Mi!
While he was lost in thought, Yang Kai had already dispersed with the other nine Eighth-Orders Masters. He then opened the portal of his Small Universe, releasing all the cultivators stored inside. Besides them, there were many Warships, including two Purifying Black Ink Battleships.
Ou Yang Lie’s suspicion grew as he took in the sight before him. The cultivators who had been released were mostly of the Fourth and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, some were even in the Third-Order, and almost all of them were elderly, not the type of lineup one would expect for a significant combat mission. It was more like they were on a retirement trip.
Yang Kai turned to the Eighth-Order Masters and said, “I entrust this matter to you. Here is a Space Beacon for each of you. Please keep it close. Every 100 years or so, I will come to find you and collect the resources you’ve gathered.”
It would be troublesome to send everything back that tens of thousands of people had mined. Only Yang Kai could handle it personally. By handing over the Space Beacons, it would also be convenient for him to locate them in the future. As long as they weren’t too far away, Yang Kai could easily locate them and arrive instantly.
The Eighth-Order Masters accepted the Space Beacons and stored them carefully, except for Ou Yang Lie who was now glaring at Yang Kai with eyes spewing flames of anger.
With a wry smile, Yang Kai grabbed his arm and slapped a Space Beacon into his hand, apologising, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, if you have any questions, please ask the other Senior Brothers later. Junior Brother has other important matters to attend to and can’t stay long.”
The truth was, he couldn’t face Ou Yang Lie’s disappointment.
Turning his head, he reminded other Eighth-Order Masters, “If you encounter any danger that cannot be resolved, please lead everyone to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, where the Suppressing Black Ink Army is stationed and Dragon Clan Senior Fu Guang is assuming command.”
This statement caught everyone off guard. They had never heard of the Suppressing Black Ink Army and had no idea that Supreme Headquarters had made such arrangements. Moreover, they were surprised to learn that the Dragon Clan’s Fu Guang, who had disappeared for so many years, was actually guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction this whole time.
One of the Eighth-Order Master immediately nodded and said, “Junior Brother may rest assured. Leave them to us and we shall protect them. But what’s this about the Suppressing Black Ink Army? Can you enlighten us about it?”
Everything regarding the Suppressing Black Ink Army had been done in secrecy previously to prevent news from spreading and affecting the morale of the Human Race, but there was no harm in sharing this information with these veteran Eighth-Order Masters.
Yang Kai thus briefly explained the situation with the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and Army.
An Eighth-Order veteran suddenly realised, “No wonder so many elites were reassigned from the various battlefields by the Supreme Headquarters 130 years ago. It was all to form the Suppressing Black Ink Army!”
Another Master asked with concern, “Is the situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction serious?”
“It’s still within a controllable range, and Senior Fu Guang is personally guarding that place, so there’s no need to worry,” Yang Kai replied.
With these words, everyone was relieved. Apart from Giant Spirit God Ah Er, who was still fighting the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Barren Territory, Divine Dragon Fu Guang was currently the strongest Master on the Human Race’s side. Having such a Master guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was indeed reassuring.
A moment later, under the gaze of the Eighth-Order Masters, Yang Kai took a step forward, and his figure gradually faded away.
Ou Yang Lie didn’t stop him, but turned to the other Eighth-Order Masters and asked through gritted teeth, “Shouldn’t you all give me an explanation now?”
One of the Eighth-Order Masters who had a good relationship with Ou Yang Lie sighed and stepped forward to explain the mission they were tasked with.
Learning that this trip was not for any major battle, but just to oversee the gathering of resources, Ou Yang Lie furiously exclaimed, “Big Head Mi, I curse you and your Ancestors!”
The Master quickly advised, “Junior Brother Ou Yang, calm down. Although there is no war here, this place is still of great significance to the Human Race. Our soldiers need resources for cultivation and healing, and with the current shortage, we can only resort to such measures. Even compared to killing enemies on the battlefield, our mission is no less important. We are all working for the future of the Human Race!”
“Right, right…” Another Master went along.
“Right my foot!” Ou Yang Lie exploded, his red hair blazing like fire and his whole body seeming to be burning up. He had left Profound Nether Territory for one reason, to kill the enemy on the battlefield, not to come here and babysit these Third, Fourth, and Fifth-Order cultivators tasked with mining resources.
In a fit of rage, he strode towards the depths of Black Ink Battlefield.
“Where are you going, Brother Ou Yang?” The Eighth-Order Master who tried to calm him down called out in alarm.
“I’m going to Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction! I’m joining the Suppressing Black Ink Army to kill the enemy!” His voice echoed as he flew off into the distance.
The other nine Masters looked at each other, unsure of whether to stop him or not. In the end, Ou Yang Lie disappeared without a trace.
After a while, one of them finally said, “Thank goodness he didn’t go to the No-Return Pass impulsively…”
Going to the No-Return Pass alone was a death sentence, but going to Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and joining the Suppressing Black Ink Army was still acceptable.
“Don’t worry, he’ll come back,” another Eighth-Order Master said.
“How do you know?”
“Brother Ou Yang may not be from Great Battle Heaven, but ever since he ascended to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he has fought on the Black Ink Battlefield. He has long become accustomed to military life, and he’s a true soldier. Although he has a foul temper, he won’t act recklessly in defiance of orders; otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed in Profound Nether Territory for so many years just to get his transfer order stamped,” the Master explained.
Everyone felt that what he said made sense. Ou Yang Lie’s behaviour was indeed like this. If he was someone who truly acted on impulse, he wouldn’t have stayed in Profound Nether Territory for so long.
As expected, half a day later, Ou Yang Lie appeared from the depths of the void, still a little mad, but his fury somewhat subsided.
An Eighth-Order Master welcomed him back personally, patted his shoulder, and laughed, “Ou Yang Lie, just accept it. Isn’t this Mi Jing Lun’s favour to us old friends?”
Everyone understood why they were sent here to look after the mining team.
Each of them had experienced countless life-and-death crises, and each had accumulated many hidden injuries. As they got older, their conditions deteriorated, and some of them had already fallen from their peak state.
They all had great passion for protecting and serving the Human Race, but if the day came when the Human Race defeated the Black Ink Clan, cleared the ashes of war, and rebuilt order, the experience of the older generation would be an indispensable guide for the new generation.
Sending them here to look after this resource-gathering team was not only Mi Jing Lun’s favour, but also for the future of the Human Race!
Ou Yang Lie immediately snorted, “Do I need him to take care of me? I’m still strong, and age has only made me tougher! If we’re going to fight the Black Ink Clan, what are we old guys good for if we don’t lead the way and instead shove all the heavy burdens onto those young brats?”
“Indeed, we old fogeys are still as sharp as ever, but those little brats still have much room to grow. We need to give them a chance to shine.” The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master knew well that Ou Yang Lie was a stubborn mule and wouldn’t challenge him.
Ou Yang Lie remained silent for a long time, then finally spoke with a harsh tone, “When I return home someday, I’ll twist Big Head Mi’s head off and use it as a chamber pot!” He then thought of Yang Kai and added, “And that Yang Boy, he’s not a good thing either! He dared to trick me like this. I’ll give him a beating when I see him!”
“Good. Us fellow brothers will help you!” The Eighth-Order Master responded with a big smile, “With our combined strength, that brat won’t stand a chance.”
Ou Yang Lie looked at him and sighed heavily, his face full of sadness. It had come to this, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Soon, tens of thousands were dispersed by the Eighth-Order Masters to explore the area nearby for resources.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had already used the Space Beacons to return to the Blue Sky Theatre, still feeling guilty. He could understand Ou Yang Lie’s mood, but this was Mi Jing Lun’s arrangement, so he could not intervene. Moreover, he hoped from the bottom of his heart that veterans like Ou Yang Lie could retire from the battlefield.
The number of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters was now significant, and many rising stars were active on various battlefields. It was no longer a time when veteran warriors with countless scars had to bear the brunt of the harsh conditions.
The younger generation was now capable of taking on the heavy responsibilities of the Seniors!
However, as Mi Jing Lun worried, the problem that plagued Human development was still the resources. The emergence of a large number of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters meant a massive demand for resources.
Sending some manpower to the Black Ink Battlefield to mine resources was one way to solve the problem, but exploration and extraction always took time, so Yang Kai planned to look for solutions elsewhere.
Resources were something that the Black Ink Clan did not lack. After his last experience at the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai was well aware of this fact as they didn’t even hesitate to hand over a massive amount of materials as compensation.
Since the Black Ink Clan didn’t lack resources, Yang Kai decided to just steal some.
Yang Kai decided to become a Hunter! Ever since he heard about the Hunters, he had been fascinated by their existence. If he was still a Sixth or Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would have immediately become one and lived a carefree life raiding enemy convoys.
However, he was no longer the insignificant person he once was. His strength and status had both elevated him to a position where each of his words and actions had a significant impact on the overall situation. While Yang Kai still yearned to become a Hunter, he couldn’t risk the unpredictable consequences of such a move.
But, on this Black Ink Battlefield, he did not need to worry at all. When the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race signed their peace agreement years ago, it only applied to the 3,000 Worlds. It did not include the Black Ink Battlefield.
Hunting was also a time-intensive activity that often required patience and careful planning, but since Yang Kai had nothing else to do and was free from the need to cultivate, he could use this time to accumulate resources for the Human Race.
Months later, inside the Main Hall of the No-Return Pass, the Royal Lord sat on the throne of bones, with Mo Na Ye seated to his left. Territory Lords lined both sides of the hall, with their eyes fixed on the Royal Lord.
They were all confused, and even Mo Na Ye was puzzled as well.
Due to Yang Kai’s existence, the Black Ink Clan could not afford to let their guard down, even with a new Pseudo-Royal Lord on their side. Mo Na Ye could not leave the No-Return Pass at will, lest Yang Kai found an opportunity to destroy more Black Ink Nests here.
Since the Royal Lord could not protect everything on his own, they could only ensure the safety of the Black Ink Nest by joining forces.
That was why the Royal Lord had been staying here all these years, rarely making an appearance. Even when he did come out, he looked gloomy, obviously still upset about Yang Kai’s last visit.
But with Mo Na Ye as a capable assistant, the Royal Lord completely became an arm-flinging shopkeeper, leaving all major and minor matters of the Black Ink Clan war effort to be handled by him, so he was able to relax.
However, at this moment, the Royal Lord’s expression looked… exceptionally joyful. It was unclear if something had happened on the Great Territory Battlefields, or if there had been some breakthrough development in the Black Ink Clan.
Then, as they recalled the tone in which the Royal Lord summoned them to this conference hall earlier, the Black Ink Clan elites secretly anticipated good news.
The Royal Lord remained silent, and the Territory Lords dared not speak without permission either. Instead, it was Mo Na Ye, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, who smiled and asked, “Sir Royal Lord, is there good news you have to share with us today?”
The Royal Lord chuckled and looked approvingly at Mo Na Ye. Although he had many loyal followers, only Mo Na Ye was quick-minded and able to read his intentions. This was also why he was willing to delegate power to Mo Na Ye. There was no possibility of a power struggle in the Black Ink Clan, as Mo Na Ye’s Pseudo-Royal Lord status meant that he could never surpass the real Royal Lord’s authority, so there was no concern over infighting even if so much power was given to Mo Na Ye.
After nodding in approval at him, the Royal Lord announced the great news, “There is news from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
With that announcement, the room erupted in surprise.
The Territory Lords widened their eyes in excitement, while Mo Na Ye jumped up from his seat, exclaiming, “Sir, has the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction been broken?”
Since the battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and its subsequent sealing and Mo’s slumber, the Black Ink Clan had been unable to contact them. However, now the Royal Lord claimed that there was news from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, indicating that the Supreme One had awakened and the Grand Restriction had been broken.
If this was true, the day when the Black Ink Clan would rule all under the Heavens would soon arrive! Even Mo Na Ye, who was usually calm and composed, was overcome with excitement and could not help but shed tears.
But the Royal Lord waved his hand and said, “It’s not what you think. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is still there, and the Supreme One is still asleep.”
The excited Territory Lords were suddenly silenced like a bucket of cold water had been thrown on them.
Then, Mo Na Ye asked, “If that’s the case, how did news come from the other side?”
“I’m also unsure, and due to the interference of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the message is not very clear. All I know is that the Humans still have some control over that place and that someone deliberately opened a gap, like before,” the Royal Lord replied.
“Someone is controlling the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
“But it can’t be Cang, can it? How can anyone control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
“Who is this person?”
The Territory Lords were clamouring and asking questions. They were all Innate Territory Lords who came from inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so they knew about the situation there very well. They knew that Cang was the last Human Race Master who could control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and after his death, no one should be able to do so.
But now, the Royal Lord was saying that someone was in control of that place. If this message did not come from the Black Ink Clan inside the Grand Restriction, they would never have believed it.
While the Territory Lords were concerned about who was controlling the restriction, Mo Na Ye picked up on a different piece of information and asked, “Sir, when was the gap opened?”
The Royal Lord answered, “It should have been some 100 years ago.”
Mo Na Ye murmured with a frown, “Around 100 years ago… Sir, back then, Yang Kai led several hundred Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Human Race through the No-Return Pass and into the Black Ink Battlefield. Considering the timeline… could it be that the person who controls the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction now is Yang Kai?”
This was not a wild guess, as Yang Kai often accomplished things that others couldn’t. If he was really the one controlling the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Mo Na Ye wouldn’t be surprised.
The Royal Lord, however, shook his head and said, “It’s not him. Although the information from the Grand Restriction is not complete, I’ve inquired carefully. The person who controls the Grand Restriction now does not resemble Yang Kai at all. It must be someone we don’t know about.”
Mo Na Ye didn’t doubt him and only sighed, “The Human Race still has such a heritage!”
After Cang’s death, it was assumed that there would be no one who could control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction again. This was good news for the Black Ink Clan, as they could easily break it once the Supreme One awakened.
However, it was different if someone was guarding it. Even the Supreme One couldn’t underestimate the power of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, or else it wouldn’t have been trapped for so many aeons already.
Mo Na Ye continued to ask, “But if the Human Race has someone who can control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, why did they take the initiative to open a gap?”
The Royal Lord replied, “Those inside the Grand Restriction can sense that the Human controlling it now is much weaker than Cang, so their control over the Grand Restriction is far inferior. This person must have opened the gap to alleviate the pressure he was facing. This is clearly something the Human Race had planned to do long ago. When Yang Kai passed through the No-Return Pass with those hundreds of Eighth-Order Masters, it was to go to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Now, there is an elite Human Race Army and a Divine Dragon, Fu Guang, fighting against those who are rushing out. This has been happening for over 100 years.”
Mo Na Ye suddenly realised, “Curse those Humans!”
When the Territory Lords below heard that their clansmen were being constantly killed at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, they immediately started clamouring again.
A Territory Lord even stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Sir Royal Lord, please let me lead a large army to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to coordinate with those inside and crush those Humans.”
Mo Na Ye immediately stopped him, “That would not be appropriate!”
Although the Territory Lord was intimidated by Mo Na Ye’s Pseudo-Royal Lord authority, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why is it not appropriate?”
Mo Na Ye explained, “When Yang Kai passed through the No-Return Pass, he had as many as 400 Eighth-Order Open Heaven with him, and that’s just what we could see on the surface. Although there were suspicions at the time, we couldn’t be sure. Now that we have first-hand information, we can confirm that those 400 we saw that day were not the entire Human force. Many more must have been staying in their Small Universes, which is why they were able to form a large army at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
“This Human Race Army must be filled with elites with exceptional strength; otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to ambush and kill the clansmen who broke through the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Furthermore, there is also a Divine Dragon on their side! If we want to go against such an Army, we can’t afford to send in too few Masters from our side, or we will just be sending them to their deaths. However, if we draw too many of our forces away from the front lines, how can we stabilize the situation on the various battlefields? The Humans will inevitably seize the opportunity to attack and break through our defences!”
Saying so, Mo Na Ye then looked at the Royal Lord and asked, “Do you know how many people are in that Army?”
“There shouldn’t be more than 10,000 in total, which isn’t a lot, but each individual is quite strong, especially those 400 Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Additionally, they seem to have a large-scale artifact similar to a Great Pass with them.”
“A Great Pass!” Mo Na Ye furrowed his brow, and the Territory Lords all became fearful.
Although all of the Great Passes that still survived were abandoned around the No-Return Pass and were now occupied by the Black Ink Clan, it had cost them a massive price to capture them. If it weren’t for the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods aiding them at the time, the Black Ink Clan would not have been able to conquer the No-Return Pass.
Now, with an elite Army stationed at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and a Great Pass-like artifact assisting them, it was no wonder they had the confidence to open a gap in the Grand Restriction to alleviate the pressure.
Mo Na Ye couldn’t help but sigh deeply, “The Human’s heritage remains as powerful as ever…”
Just from the fact that the Humans were able to withdraw so many elites to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction without any impact on the situation in the various battlefields was enough to prove that the Human Race of today was not the same as the one from 3,000 years ago.
After the war in the Barren Territory, the Human Race had sunk to its lowest point. The Great Territory Battlefields were all in a passive state of defence, and Profound Nether Territory was almost conquered by the Black Ink Clan. If it weren’t for Yang Kai’s sudden appearance at the critical moment, Profound Nether Territory would have fallen into the hands of the Black Ink Clan.
Yes, it was all because of Yang Kai…
Since Yang Kai appeared in Profound Nether Territory, the Human Race’s plight had gradually been reversed. How did he even manage to accomplish such things?
After careful observation, Mo Na Ye realised that Yang Kai didn’t do much. Although he had killed many Innate Territory Lords, it hadn’t significantly impacted the balance of power between the two Races. No matter how powerful he was, he was just a single individual and could not wipe out the entire Black Ink Clan.
The true root of the matter lay in the peace agreement between the two Races!
The constraints of the peace treaty had provided a relatively safe training space for the younger generation of the Human Race. While this alone might not seem significant, what was crucial was that the Human Race had the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World, two Open Heaven Realm Cradles.
The combination of such a relatively stable cultivation environment and a continuous influx of talented successors had shaped the Human Race’s formidable heritage over thousands of years.
It was a pity that when Yang Kai’s reputation was at its peak, and all the Innate Territory Lords trembled at the mere mention of his name, he proposed the peace agreement.
Who would dare to reject him at that time?
Looking at the current situation, this was all Yang Kai’s cunning plan. Even if the Black Ink Clan had seen through it at the time though, they could only accept it.
Mo Na Ye also caught on at this point. He thus grew more afraid of and suspicious of Yang Kai since he not only possessed incredible combat power but also had a far-seeing perspective. He was a great threat to the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Clan had naturally thought about how to deal with this issue and concluded that the best course of action would be to destroy the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World, the places that contributed to the continuous enhancement of the Human Race’s heritage. They were just two trivial Universe Worlds. If given the chance, any Territory Lord or Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple could easily deal with them.
However, the Black Ink Clan simply could not find the opportunity to do so as every soldier that had been recalled from the front lines had to pass through a Grand Array filled with Purifying Light. Even if a Black Ink Disciple had impure intentions, the Purifying Light would cleanse and dispel any Black Ink Strength within them.
Moreover, both the Star Boundary and the Myriad Monsters World had multiple powerful Masters stationed there all year round, standing guard…
The voice of the Royal Lord came through, bringing Mo Na Ye back to focus.
“This King has asked if they need support over there, but those within the Grand Restriction believe it would be unwise to cause a commotion. They are working on finding other ways through the Grand Restriction, and if they succeed, they will be able to break free.”
Mo Na Ye perked up and asked, “Can they do it?”
He knew firsthand just how formidable the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was. When he was inside it years ago, many Black Ink Clansmen had attempted to breach it from within, but all had failed.
The Royal Lord replied, “Since they’ve said as much, there should be some progress. Although we do not know who the person overseeing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is now, their strength is far inferior to Cang, so their control is obviously not as good either. Furthermore, opening a gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction has had some impact on its integrity, which may have provided some opportunities for those inside!”
Mo Na Ye nodded lightly. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was extremely ancient and had been operating constantly for millions of years. The new Human Race Master overseeing it was not like the legendary Cang, a powerful monster with unfathomable experience. They couldn’t be fully prepared, and as long as there was even the slightest flaw, those within the Grand Restriction would not miss that chance!
Today, the Royal Lord summoned many of his Territory Lords to share the good news. He wasn’t worried about any Territory Lord leaking the information because the Black Ink Clan was not the same as the Human Race. If a Human was corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they would tell everything they knew to the Black Ink Clan, but the Black Ink Clan would never leak critical information to the Humans.
After a while, the Royal Lord left, and the rest quickly dispersed as well while Mo Na Ye walked away, frowning deep in thought.
He was thinking about none other than Yang Kai!
Over 100 years ago, Yang Kai led a group of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters through the No-Return Pass and into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. There had been no news about him for all this time, and no one knew where he had gone or what he was up to.
If it were an ordinary Eighth-Order Master, Mo Na Ye wouldn’t have cared, but Yang Kai was different. Whatever the circumstances, Yang Kai had even killed a Pseudo-Royal Lord, which was enough to make Mo Na Ye take him seriously.
After thinking for a while, Mo Na Ye couldn’t come to a conclusion. Yang Kai’s whereabouts had always been elusive, and it seemed that even the Human side had difficulty keeping track of him.
He was once again relieved when he thought about how Yang Kai had no hope of reaching the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If this headache-inducing menace had a chance to ascend to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, how could they handle him?
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” A Territory Lord approached suddenly.
Mo Na Ye turned his head and saw one of his Territory Lords in charge of logistics. He nodded and asked, “What’s the matter?”
The Territory Lord replied, “Sir, several squads that were supposed to return with resources have not returned yet.”
This wasn’t a big deal, but since Mo Na Ye was in charge of everything related to the No-Return Pass by the Royal Lord’s orders, he still had to investigate all abnormal occurrences. The Territory Lords had also become accustomed to his meticulous style, so they would come to him with any matter, big or small.
“How long are they overdue?” Mo Na Ye frowned, feeling that something was off.
The Territory Lord replied, “The earliest squad was supposed to have returned a month ago, while the latest should have arrived at the No-Return Pass five days ago.”
“Have you sent anyone to investigate?”
“Yes, a team has been sent and we should receive a report in a few days.”
Mo Na Ye nodded, “Notify me the moment you have answers.”
“Yes!”
A few days later, the Feudal Lord in charge of gathering news sent a message to the No-Return Pass using his Black Ink Nest. The teams responsible for transporting materials had already set off for the No-Return Pass, but mysteriously disappeared halfway!
When the news reached Mo Na Ye, he immediately realised the problem.
The teams transporting resources disappeared without a trace, but the Human Race had no presence on the Black Ink Battlefield other than at the Grand Restriction. Over the years, the Black Ink Clan had been constantly mining resources from the Black Ink Battlefield and transporting them to the front lines without any issues; however, recently, several squads transporting resources disappeared for no reason!
[Someone must be causing trouble…] The first person that came to Mo Na Ye’s mind was Yang Kai.
Only Yang Kai could do such a thing. Considering that he had gone deep into the Black Ink Battlefield over 100 years ago and had not been seen since, it was almost certain that Yang Kai was now camping near the No-Return Pass, waiting for the Black Ink Clan’s resource teams to appear so he could rob them.
[Shameless!]
Mo Na Ye immediately took out a communication bead and transmitted a message using his Divine Sense.
This communication bead was left to him by Yang Kai the last time they met when he needed to hand over a batch of resources. Mo Na Ye hadn’t thrown it away, thinking that he might be able to use it to probe Yang Kai’s location in the future. He didn’t expect it to be useful so soon.
After a while, the communication bead in his hand trembled slightly, causing Mo Na Ye’s brow to twitch…
Yang Kai was really near the No-Return Pass. The movement of the communication bead was undoubtedly a sign that the message had been successfully transmitted!
10 million kilometres outside of the No-Return Pass, on a lone Universe Fragment, Yang Kai hid his figure and surveyed the surroundings with his Divine Sense. His current Divine Sense was incredibly powerful, and from this location, he could monitor the movements of all Black Ink Clan squads returning from the Black Ink Battlefield.
Over the last month or so, he had raided five Black Ink Clan teams, seized their resources, and made a great deal of profit.
He didn’t raid all the Black Ink Clan squads, but selectively chose a few; after all, he was doing business without investment so he couldn’t be too excessive. To continue this venture for a long time, he needed to take a steady approach; otherwise, the Black Ink Clan would probably act out in rage, damaging his future prospects.
As he was monitoring the movements of the void around him, Yang Kai suddenly felt something and took out a communication bead. With his Divine Sense, he probed it and couldn’t help but praise Mo Na Ye’s quick thinking.
He knew that he couldn’t hide his actions for long, so Yang Kai deliberately wore this communication bead on his body. He just didn’t expect Mo Na Ye to contact him so quickly.
The message in the communication bead was very simple, with only one sentence, “Sir Yang, can we meet?”
It was obvious that Mo Na Ye had already concluded that Yang Kai was involved in the disappearance of the teams transporting resources.
On the Universe Fragment, Yang Kai hesitated for a moment upon receiving Mo Na Ye’s message, originally intending to ignore it. But after giving it some thought, he realised that there was no point in being sneaky about things and decided to confront Mo Na Ye directly. So, he immediately surged his Divine Sense and sent a message through the communication bead.
At the same time, inside the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye’s communication bead trembled once again. He quickly immersed his mind in it to investigate, and in the next moment, boundless anger surged within him, almost causing his lungs to explode.
The message in the communication bead was straightforward, consisting of only two words, “Fifty percent!”
Although it seemed incomprehensible at first glance, Mo Na Ye instantly understood Yang Kai’s intention. This bastard was clearly demanding 50% of the resources excavated by the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield. His appetite was simply outrageous!
These resources were mined by the Black Ink Clan and were intended to be transported to the frontline battlefields to enhance the Black Ink Clan’s strength. It was all meant to be used against the Human Race, but now, without any effort on their part, the Humans wanted to take away 50% of them.
Moreover, if the Human Race were to use these resources to enhance their own strength, it would inevitably harm Black Ink Clan.
Mo Na Ye would never agree to such an act of aiding the enemy. If he did, he would forever become a criminal in the eyes of the Black Ink Clan!
The more Mo Na Ye interacted with Yang Kai, the more he found the latter to be difficult to deal with. At this moment, he had formed a new evaluation of him. Yang Kai was shameless beyond all imagination, able to make such outrageous demands without any scruples. It was simply unbelievable!
Suppressing the anger in his heart, Mo Na Ye sent a message to the Territory Lord in charge of the resource affairs, asking him to come over. At the same time, he feigned ignorance and replied, “Sir Yang, what do you mean? Please explain in detail!”
The communication bead quickly trembled, and Yang Kai replied with only two words, “Heh heh!”
Mo Na Ye’s brow twitched, and Yang Kai’s annoying face inexplicably appeared in his mind, causing the anger he had just suppressed to surge up again.
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” The summoned Territory Lord quickly arrived and bowed respectfully.
Mo Na Ye looked up and asked, “How many teams are overdue from the past month?”
“Five, Sir!” Replied the Territory Lord.
“And how many have returned?”
“Also five!”
Five teams had disappeared, and five had returned. This was precisely 50%. Mo Na Ye knew that this was no coincidence, but rather Yang Kai’s intentional doing. His meaning was evident. The Black Ink Clan could refuse his offer, but he would still be able to take 50%!
In fact, if Yang Kai wanted to, there was a good chance he could take the other 50% as well.
This was open bullying!
Facing such a tricky opponent, Mo Na Ye had always been patient and avoided confronting him head-on because he knew that Black Ink Clan had no way of dealing with Yang Kai at the moment.
In terms of strength, both he and the Royal Lord were stronger than Yang Kai, and if they were to fight it out in a one-on-one fashion, they could easily suppress him.
However, if they couldn’t kill Yang Kai, all hostility towards him would be meaningless. The Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was a great opportunity to kill him as the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array blocked the entire space, leaving Yang Kai with no place to use his greatest strength. It was the best opportunity the Black Ink Clan had to kill him.
It was a pity that Di Wu had messed things up. Not only did the Black Ink Clan lose many Innate Territory Lords, but even Di Wu was killed.
The Dao of Space… was undoubtedly the most troublesome Grand Dao for the Black Ink Clan!
Apart from Mo Na Ye and Royal Lord, none of the other Masters on the Black Ink Clan’s side were a match for Yang Kai. 3,000 years ago, Yang Kai was capable of slaughtering Territory Lords as easily as chickens, but at that time, he still needed to use his strange Soul Secret Technique to achieve such remarkable results. Now, 3,000 years later, Yang Kai’s strength had increased significantly, and Innate Territory Lords were no longer a challenge for him. Even if they formed a Battle Formation, Territory Lords might not be able to do much against this menace.
How could Mo Na Ye not be cautious in the face of such an opponent?
The whole reason why they had made peace with the Human Race back then was also because of this. In the current situation, Yang Kai’s had become a nightmare that the Black Ink Clan could not contain. Since that was the case, they could only place their hopes on the future.
If the Black Ink Clan managed to produce many Royal Lords one day, then the role that Yang Kai could play would naturally be greatly reduced.
Over the years, Yang Kai had been travelling around, his whereabouts elusive, and his reasons unknown.
Mo Na Ye never imagined that one day, this guy would block the No-Return Pass and personally loot resources from the Black Ink Clan.
Although angry and annoyed, he saw the underlying message through the situation’s appearance.
The Human side must be running out of resources; otherwise, there was no reason for a Master like Yang Kai to act like this. For this reason more than any other, Yang Kai’s impudent demand could not be agreed to. As long as the Black Ink Clan held on a little longer, the Human Race would only face more shortages, and even if they had countless rising prodigies, without enough supplies, their cultivation would not improve!
Mo Na Ye was anxiously trying to communicate with Yang Kai through the communication bead while summoning all the Territory Lords of the No-Return Pass.
Within moments, hundreds of Territory Lords gathered in the Main Hall, but this time, the Royal Lord did not appear and only Mo Na Ye stood below the throne of bones.
Although the Royal Lord was absent, Mo Na Ye did not dare to sit on the main throne, which was exclusively reserved for the Royal Lord. As a Pseudo-Royal Lord, he did not have the qualifications to sit there.
Looking at the group of puzzled Territory Lords below, Mo Na Ye stated bluntly, “Yang Kai is currently somewhere outside of the No-Return Pass!”
Some of the more belligerent Territory Lords began clamouring to lead their Armies to surround and kill Yang Kai. The more timid ones turned pale because they had suffered losses at Yang Kai’s hand.
Mo Na Ye took in the expressions of the Territory Lords and continued, “The Human Race doesn’t have enough resources, so now Yang Kai has come to plunder our supply transports! Although the losses are small for now, if this issue is not resolved soon, our resources will probably be cut in half compared to previous years. This will inevitably affect our plans for conquest.”
The noisy Territory Lords instantly quieted down, while a particularly sturdy-looking one cupped his fist and asked, “How should we solve this problem, Sir Mo Na Ye?”
Mo Na Ye declared, “The matter of resources is fundamental to both the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race. The plundering of ours is a secondary loss compared to helping the Human Race grow stronger. For now, I need you to investigate Yang Kai’s movements and escort the resource transports and their goods back!”
The sturdy Territory Lord then said, “If that’s the case, we have to move in teams capable of assuming Battle Formations. Against that killing star, not forming a Battle Formation would be equivalent to sticking out our necks and letting him chop our heads off.”
Fortunately, in recent years, the Territory Lords of the Black Ink Clan had not been idle and had been diligently practising various Battle Formations. It was ridiculous to say that these Innate Territory Lords were already powerful enough to not fear any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, but just because of Yang Kai’s presence, they had to practise these Battle Formations to protect themselves. This was humiliating, but they were left with no other choice.
Mo Na Ye nodded, “Yes, you will all need to form Battle Formations, with Four Symbols Formations being the minimum requirement to face Yang Kai. Only Territory Lords who can form a Four Symbols Formation can perform this task. Those who cannot should not go out for the time being.”
A Battle Formation was not something that could be just casually formed. The Human Race Squads could do this because they grew and developed in a totally different environment compared to the Black Ink Clan. The invasion and oppression of the Black Ink Clan had long made all Human Race Masters sincerely united. Each Squad also had time to become familiar with each other through daily interactions and battles, so no matter when or where, they could easily form Battle Formations as there was innate trust among each other.
It was different for the Black Ink Clan, especially the Innate Territory Lords, as each of them was born strong and naturally had their own arrogance and opinion. They were not willing to fully trust each other and entrust their lives to others, preferring to believe in their own selves above all else.
This wasn’t a surprise though as in the face of danger, the first reaction of most living beings was to protect themselves.
At the time of forming a Battle Formation, the auras of all in the Formation were linked, essentially turning them into a single entity. However, once an individual had the intention to protect themselves over the group, the Battle Formation would collapse.
That was why, when Di Wu led 20 Innate Territory Lords to surround and kill Yang Kai in the Ancestral Land, the Battle Formations they formed were only Four Symbols Formations. It was not because they lacked the numbers, but rather because forcing a more advanced Battle Formation was impossible.
Most of the Territory Lords of the Black Ink Clan could only form the Four Symbols Formation at most, with a select few capable of forming the Five Elements Formation. No Six Paths Formation had ever been formed among them.
In fact, this was not a problem unique to Territory Lords; it was also difficult for Eighth-Order Human Masters to form a Six Paths Formation, though not impossible. So far, the highest record for Eighth-Order Masters was a Seven Stars Formation, which happened during a life-or-death crisis against a Royal Lord.
The higher the individual strength, the more difficult it was to form a Battle Formation. This principle applied to both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan.
For example, back when Yang Kai was Squad Leader of Dawn, he led his Squad members to kill many enemies and once formed a Nine Palaces Formation. However, if he were to try to form such a Formation with other Eighth-Order Masters now, he would not be able to do so.
With the command from Mo Na Ye given, a few Territory Lords relaxed because they could not form a Battle Formation with other Territory Lords at all. Unexpectedly, this lack of competence had allowed them to avoid a potential crisis.
Mo Na Ye then deployed all the Territory Lords who could form Battle Formations into two groups. One group was responsible for searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts outside the No-Return Pass, with the other was responsible for protecting the squads returning from gathering resources in the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
He then said, “The objective this time is not to kill Yang Kai. If you encounter him, prioritise self-preservation!”
After speaking these words aloud, Mo Na Ye could not help but feel a sense of helplessness deep down in his heart. Faced with a Master like Yang Kai, he actually unconsciously gave up the idea of killing him.
Now, he only hoped that the Acquired Territory Lords would grow up soon. As long as more Royal Lords appeared in the Black Ink Clan, the threat that Yang Kai posed to the Black Ink Clan would be greatly weakened!
The Territory Lords then dispersed quickly, following Mo Na Ye’s previous assignments. They dared not be careless, forming Four Symbols and Five Elements Formations immediately after leaving the No-Return Pass and quickly dispersing as they headed towards the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
Back in the Main Hall, Mo Na Ye looked at the more than 10 Territory Lords who remained, furrowing his brow slightly before waving his hand, “Be vigilant against any potential attacks from Yang Kai!”
“Yes!” The Territory Lords then left with their orders.
After leaving the Main Hall, Mo Na Ye headed straight towards the High-Rank Black Ink Nest belonging to that Royal Lord. Ever since Mo Na Ye had been entrusted with the affairs of the No-Return Pass and the entire Black Ink Clan after his ascension to the rank of Pseudo-Royal Lord, the Royal Lord frequently stayed inside this Black Ink Nest and rarely ventured out.
It was only because he had received the news from the clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction a few days ago that the Royal Lord made an appearance to deliver good news to the many Territory Lords.
Standing before the Black Ink Nest, Mo Na Ye sighed inwardly. Despite having arranged for clansmen to track Yang Kai’s movements and protect the teams carrying resources, their enemy was Yang Kai. No matter how meticulous the arrangements were, they were simply not secure enough.
In front of the Territory Lords, Mo Na Ye pretended to be resolute and unwilling to give up anything, but he knew that if Yang Kai really had his sights set on Black Ink Clan’s resources, they would not be able to stop him.
At present, the Black Ink Clan seemed to be flourishing, but there was a simmering danger as the Human Race grew stronger bit by bit, gradually narrowing the gap in power between the two sides. Mo Na Ye had long felt a strong sense of crisis brewing in his heart.
He could only hope that there would be some pleasant surprises from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction soon.
Meanwhile, a female Feudal Lord, who was a personal attendant to the Royal Lord of relatively low cultivation, came out of the Black Ink Nest and greeted Mo Na Ye, “Sir Mo Na Ye, please come in!”
Mo Na Ye nodded and followed the Feudal Lord into the Black Ink Nest.
Soon, they saw the Royal Lord using the Black Ink Nest to communicate with the outside world. Mo Na Ye waited quietly without disturbing him, knowing that the Royal Lord was probably speaking with those inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
After a while, the Royal Lord withdrew his consciousness from the Black Ink Nest Space, and Mo Na Ye noticed a hint of joy in his expression. He understood instantly that there might be some pleasant surprises from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
He didn’t ask too much as the Royal Lord would say if he wanted to. Instead, he just respectfully bowed. The Royal Lord sat down and asked, “What’s the matter?”
He knew Mo Na Ye wouldn’t come to see him without a specific reason. Since Mo Na Ye was here, it must be a matter of importance. Mo Na Ye immediately summarized Yang Kai’s raid on the Black Ink Clan’s resources outside of the No-Return Pass and told the Royal Lord about Yang Kai’s demand for a 50% share. Hearing this, the Royal Lord was infuriated, and his good mood was instantly ruined.
“Impudence! How dare he make such a request! We already compensated him with a large amount due to the Ancestral Land incident, yet he is still not satisfied!?”
Mo Na Ye understood that the Human Race was lacking in resources while the Black Ink Clan had plenty, so naturally, Yang Kai came to Black Ink Clan to take advantage of them.
After allowing the Royal Lord to vent his anger for a while, Mo Na Ye continued, “Sir Royal Lord, I have ordered the Territory Lords to search for Yang Kai’s whereabouts and also ordered escorts for the transport teams. However, Yang Kai is proficient in the Dao of Space and his combat strength is extremely high. Even if the Territory Lords form Battle Formations, they may not be able to match him if they encounter him.”
The Royal Lord pondered for a moment before saying, “You must personally take action and find an opportunity to kill him!”
Mo Na Ye shook his head and replied, “I have considered this option, but if I leave the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai may find an opening to infiltrate. What if he comes to the No-Return Pass and targets the Black Ink Nests?”
These words made the Royal Lord’s face darken. 3,000 years ago, with him standing guard, the Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass would still be safe, but after Yang Kai emerged from his long retreat and revealed his strength, the Royal Lord knew that he alone could not protect all the Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass.
During these 3,000 years, Yang Kai’s strength had increased that much.
“Furthermore…” Mo Na Ye considered and said, “Due to the Ancestral Land incident, our Black Ink Clan suffered significant losses. If we anger him again this time, the situation may be difficult to contain.”
They wouldn’t know how many resources they would have to offer up if the situation reached that point.
Upon hearing this, the Royal Lord abruptly turned his head and glared at him, “Our Black Ink Clan has so many rising talents, yet we can’t even deal with one damn Human!?”
The wrath directed at him frightened Mo Na Ye who immediately lowered his head and replied, “It is all due to my incompetence!”
The atmosphere in the Black Ink Nest became tense as Mo Na Ye suppressed his aura while the attendants who lived in the Black Ink Nest also held their breaths.
After a while, the Royal Lord said, “Create another Pseudo-Royal Lord and let him secretly guard the No-Return Pass with me while you deal with Yang Kai!”
“Create another Pseudo-Royal Lord? But, Sir, the number of our Innate Territory Lords has decreased greatly. If we create another Pseudo-Royal Lord…” Mo Na Ye was startled by the suggestion.
In fact, he had discussed this matter with the Royal Lord before. Although the creation of a Pseudo-Royal Lord represented the loss of more than 10 Innate Territory Lord and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest, as long as it was for an appropriate purpose, it would still be useful for the Black Ink Clan.
However, as Mo Na Ye said, after thousands of years of battles, the number of Innate Territory Lords in the Black Ink Clan had decreased sharply and was now quite low. Not to mention that every High-Rank Black Ink Nest sacrificed was a heavy blow. In the grand scheme of things, it was not suitable to create too many Pseudo-Royal Lords.
Both Di Wu and Mo Na Ye were Pseudo-Royal Lords created because of Yang Kai’s existence.
Unexpectedly, because of this killing star, the Royal Lord actually had the idea to create another Pseudo-Royal Lord. If this continued, the number of Innate Territory Lords in the Black Ink Clan would continue to decrease sharply.
“Rest assured, it won’t cause any major problems if we only create one more,” said the Royal Lord calmly.
Mo Na Ye was initially stunned, as this was different from the Royal Lord’s previous attitude towards creating Pseudo-Royal Lords. However, thinking about the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction’s situation, Mo Na Ye suddenly realised something and immediately accepted the order, “I will arrange it immediately!”
The Royal Lord snorted, “When the new Pseudo-Royal Lord is created, you go and deal with Yang Kai directly. Try to provoke him as much as possible and make him come to the No-Return Pass. I will wait for him here with the new Pseudo-Royal Lord!”
“Yes!” Mo Na Ye couldn’t help feeling a little excited. If the Royal Lord’s strategy worked as planned, they might really have a chance to take down Yang Kai.
Shortly after, a dozen or so Territory Lords stationed at the No-Return Pass were once again summoned. Learning that the Royal Lord was asking them to perform Source Fusion, the Territory Lords had mixed feelings.
They had originally been left at the No-Return Pass to avoid the risk of facing Yang Kai because they couldn’t meet the requirements of the Battle Formations. However, they did not expect that they could avoid Yang Kai but not the orders of the Royal Lord!
The Source Fusion Technique was extremely dangerous, with fewer than 1 in 10 being able to survive it. Who could guarantee that they would be the one to live?
The birth of the first two Pseudo-Royal Lords had already sacrificed 25 Innate Territory Lords. Could they be so lucky to avoid sacrificing themselves?
It was as the saying went for the Human Race, “Fortune and misfortune walk hand in hand”.
However, the Royal Lord’s order had been given, and they were powerless to disobey it. Under Mo Na Ye’s supervision, 12 Innate Territory Lords entered a High-Rank Black Ink Nest and began to perform the Source Fusion Technique.
One by one, the auras of the Innate Territory Lords disappeared as the Black Ink Nest shook incessantly.
Several days later, when the last remaining Territory Lord’s aura had completely merged with the Black Ink Nest, a new Pseudo-Royal Lord was born.
Meng Que!
Mo Na Ye stayed at the No-Return Pass for another month, allowing Meng Que to familiarise himself with his new strength before he rushed out into the depths of the void.
During this month’s time, the Black Ink Clan lost eight teams that were transporting resources, a significant increase compared to the month before!
The response from the Black Ink Clan seemed to have completely removed Yang Kai’s apprehensions. Previously, half of the teams were allowed to return, but now they had almost all been wiped out!
A few days later, in the depths of the void, Mo Na Ye met with four Territory Lords who had been maintaining a Four Symbols Formation. They had clearly experienced a great battle recently, but it had ended almost as quickly as it began. There were many bodies of Black Ink Clan Soldiers left behind, but the four Territory Lords remained unharmed.
Seeing Mo Na Ye, the four exhausted Territory Lords finally had the opportunity to catch their breath as maintaining the Four Symbols Formation consumed a great deal of their focus and energy. Though it was manageable for a short time, these four Territory Lords had not dared to relax once since leaving the No-Return Pass. No one knew when the Human killing star, Yang Kai, would appear. If they did not maintain the Battle Formation at all times, they might die the moment he mysteriously showed up.
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” The four Territory Lords saluted apologetically.
Mo Na Ye looked around, frowning, “He didn’t fight you?”
The dead here were just some ordinary Black Ink Clan soldiers, and the four Territory Lords had no wounds on them, which was obviously suspicious.
The four Territory Lords glanced at each other, and the leader sighed, “He moves stealthily, and we find it difficult to predict when he will appear.”
Mo Na Ye nodded in understanding. If Yang Kai didn’t want to fight, they could do nothing about it, so he instead asked, “What about the resources?”
The Territory Lord who had spoken before looked even more ashamed, “It was originally with me…” After meeting with the team transporting the resources, he took the Space Ring which contained them.
“And then Yang Kai took it from me.”
Mo Na Ye frowned again, “How did he take it from you if he did not come face to face with you?” The Space Ring was so small and could easily be kept close to the body. Unless Yang Kai had completely incapacitated them, they should not have been easily robbed.
The Territory Lord hung his head, “I handed it over!”
Mo Na Ye’s eyes narrowed in response, staring fiercely at the Territory Lord, who explained in a frightened voice, “Yang Kai locked us with his Divine Sense and threatened to kill us even if it meant damaging his Soul if we didn’t hand it over. So…”
“So you just gave it to him!?” Mo Na Ye roared furiously.
“Please punish us, Sir!” The four Territory Lords looked terrified.
They had no choice. It wasn’t that they were cowardly, but when Yang Kai locked them down with his Divine Sense, the immense sense of danger forced them to make that choice. At that moment, they had no doubt that Yang Kai had the ability to kill them!
Mo Na Ye took a deep breath. Though he was angry, he knew that it wasn’t the Territory Lords’ fault. Anyone in such a situation would have had trouble putting their lives aside.
In the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, Yang Kai had killed Di Wu and eight Territory Lords who formed Battle Formations. If he could do that, then killing a mere four Territory Lords would not be an issue.
The Four Symbols Formation was powerless to stop Yang Kai’s killing spree, but it would force him to use his bizarre Soul Secret Technique that harmed both himself and others.
Mo Na Ye was not ignorant of this fact, but the Battle Formation that the Territory Lords of the Black Ink Clan could form was limited to this degree, and he couldn’t demand more from them.
However, judging from the current situation, Yang Kai did not want to use his Soul Secret Technique recklessly, probably because he did not want his Soul to be injured.
So, after coercing the Territory Lords to surrender their resources, he simply withdrew.
Mo Na Ye was correct in his assumption. In Profound Nether Territory, Yang Kai would strike every 2 years, and only with the assistance of many other Eighth-Order Masters and the bulk of the Profound Nether Army could he kill several Innate Territory Lords. At that time, he did it to build up his fearsome reputation and pave the way for subsequent negotiation plans. Therefore, Yang Kai was not reluctant to damage his Soul at that time, and each time he attacked, he showed no mercy!
But the current situation was different as Yang Kai was only plundering some resources. Furthermore, he had to rendezvous with Ou Yang Lie and others every 100 years, so if he used Soul Rending Thorns recklessly and severely injured his own Soul by accident, it would greatly affect his subsequent plans.
Otherwise, why would he easily spare the lives of those four Innate Territory Lords? Yang Kai also understood that the more Territory Lords he killed, the less pressure the Human Race would face in the future.
The simple reason for all of this was that resources were a more important matter right now.
Killing some Black Ink Clan soldiers didn’t matter much, as the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t care; however, if Yang Kai really killed a lot of Innate Territory Lords, the situation would quickly spiral out of control, forcing the Black Ink Clan’s hand. The issue of resources would also be impossible to resolve once that happened.
At present, everything was done for the sake of resources!
The Black Ink Clan’s response was within Yang Kai’s expectations. The blood feud between the two sides was absolutely irreconcilable, so even if he and Mo Na Ye appeared cordial on the surface, the Black Ink Clan would not simply agree to share half of their resources just because Yang Kai asked.
Therefore, he needed a way to make the Black Ink Clan realise that if they could not meet his demands, the consequences would be unbearable for them. Only then would the Black Ink Clan acquiesce.
Robbing the resource teams returning from the Black Ink Battlefield was the method Yang Kai chose!
If they refused to give him 50%, he would just take everything. Unless the Black Ink Clan did not send teams out to collect resources, they would inevitably face the risk of being robbed. However, if they stopped their mining activities, the Black Ink Clan’s supplies would be greatly affected, which would have a huge impact on their subsequent accumulation of strength as well.
The only thing that slightly surprised Yang Kai was that Mo Na Ye had personally taken action. Was Mo Na Ye not afraid that he would go to the No-Return Pass to destroy those Black Ink Nests now that the defences there were weakened?
In the void, Mo Na Ye sent the four Territory Lords away to continue escorting other supply teams, holding the communication bead in his hand and transmitting his thoughts to it.
However, every attempt was like a stone sinking into the sea, without any response. This made Mo Na Ye grit his teeth in frustration, thinking Yang Kai, that bastard, probably put the communication bead into his Small Universe, a sign he did not want Mo Na Ye to contact him again!
As time passed, messages from various directions deep within the void arrived one after another. Mo Na Ye rushed to each location, but he was always one step too late.
Even with the Territory Lords acting as guards, they couldn’t stop Yang Kai’s raids on their resource teams. One after another, the delivery squads were pilfered clean, with only a few lucky ones managing to escape unscathed.
With each secret battle they waged, Mo Na Ye experienced how difficult Yang Kai was to deal with. Yang Kai was proficient in the Dao of Space, and his movements were elusive, often raiding the Black Ink Clan in one area of the void before soon appearing millions of kilometres away…
For 10 whole years, Mo Na did not even catch a glimpse of Yang Kai in person, except for one instance when he felt the fluctuations of Space Principles nearby and rushed to the scene, only to find that Yang Kai had already left.
During these 10 years, less than 100 resource teams managed to return from the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield to the No-Return Pass.
To exploit resources, the Black Ink Clan dispatched a massive number of teams to the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield on mining missions. The demand for resources was not just a problem for the Human Race, but also for the Black Ink Clan. In some respects, the Black Ink Clan’s demand for resources was even greater than the Human Race’s.
At least 100 teams were expected to return each year, but now, after 10 years, less than 100 had done so, the rest had been looted by Yang Kai. This was not just a loss of 50%, but a staggering 90%.
While the casualties in each individual raid were not significant, that did not mean they weren’t adding up over time. Additionally, although no Territory Lords died, a number of Feudal Lords were slaughtered and the loss of critical resources was becoming serious.
For 10 years, Mo Na Ye had been searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts in the void, constantly trying to intercept or contact him, but he had never succeeded. What made him even more frustrated was that Yang Kai showed no intention of going to the No-Return Pass. Originally, in the Royal Lord’s plan, when Mo Na Ye joined the hunt, Yang Kai should be tempted to head to the No-Return Pass and threaten the safety of the Black Ink Nest, thus forcing the Black Ink Clan to agree to his unreasonable demands.
If Yang Kai had done so, the Royal Lord and Meng Que could have had a chance to ambush him. As long as they could entangle him, the Territory Lords could set up the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array to prevent this killing star from escaping.
But over the past 10 years, Yang Kai only wandered the void, never coming within 10 million kilometres of the No-Return Pass. This left Mo Na Ye feeling defeated, like he was punching with all his strength only to hit a wad of cotton.
If Yang Kai never went to the No-Return Pass, what was the point of sacrificing a dozen Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest to create Meng Que, the new Pseudo-Royal Lord?
Faced with such a cunning and cautious opponent, who also possessed extraordinary strength and means like Yang Kai, Mo Na Ye felt incredibly frustrated.
Deep within the void, Yang Kai concealed his aura and manipulated Space Principles, almost merging his body with the Void. The Demon Eye of Annihilation penetrated through space as he silently observed the scene a million kilometres away, where a squad transporting goods had just been plundered by him and four Territory Lords forming a Battle Formation were stationed.
Shortly after, Mo Na Ye arrived in a hurry and asked about the situation, his face dark and gloomy.
The same routine, the same result. Yang Kai intimidated the Territory Lord who had the Space Ring with his Soul Secret Technique, forcing him to hand over the goods or he would kill them all. This happened countless times over the past 10 years, and it always succeeded.
It was not that the Territory Lords were cowardly, but they had no choice when facing certain death.
Of course, Mo Na Ye had an idea about how to overcome this dastardly move; he simply had to order the Territory Lords to not comply. If Yang Kai really used his Soul Secret Technique and killed the Territory Lords, he would not be better off. He would have to find a place to heal for the next two or three years.
But this approach was only a temporary solution. Sacrificing Territory Lords would not solve the problem, and when Yang Kai recovered, he would surely come back again.
There were not many Innate Territory Lords in the Black Ink Clan to sacrifice, so it was better to let them use the Source Fusion Technique, at least they could contribute to creating a Pseudo-Royal Lord.
In other words, this ‘solution’ simply wasn’t feasible…
Mo Na Ye felt completely defeated. He was stronger than Yang Kai, and in terms of intelligence and cunning, he was not inferior by much; however, he was still forced to dance to the opponent’s tune as Yang Kai’s Space Secret Techniques were an insurmountable obstacle.
At this moment, Mo Na Ye suddenly brightened up and quickly took out a communication bead. As he felt a slight vibration from this little bead, he almost cried out.
For 10 years, he had been trying to contact Yang Kai but had never received a response. Unexpectedly, today, exactly 10 years later, Yang Kai contacted him.
Mo Na Ye’s Divine Sense surged as he checked the message transmitted through the communication bead. It was a simple message, “Fifty percent!”
Mo Na Ye’s anger rose rapidly, but he forcibly suppressed it and tried to reply calmly, “Sir, Yang, you are too greedy.”
Yang Kai’s response came quickly too, and it made Mo Na Ye feel uncomfortable, “Over the past 10 years, what percent of your mined resources made it back to the No-Return Pass?”
Mo Na Ye roared inside, [Aren’t you the one who knows that best!?]
Less than 100 out of roughly 1,000 teams have returned, so at best a paltry 10%. This had made it so that those currently sourcing for resources outside dared not easily send resources back and could only stay at the mining sites and wait for the No-Return Pass to resolve Yang Kai’s matter before making further arrangements.
“This King does not want to cut off all diplomatic ties. Over the years, I have never laid a hand on any of the Territory Lords, only taking a few meagre resources. I hope that the Black Ink Clan can also understand the greater good and the overall situation. Only through sincere cooperation between the two sides on this matter can there be mutual benefit and mutual gain!”
Looking at the words transmitted through the communication bead, Mo Na Ye’s face twitched uncontrollably. He had interacted with many Humans before, but he had never seen anyone so shameless before.
The resources were gathered by the Black Ink Clan, with the Humans contributing nothing at all. Yang Kai was just going around robbing them, and now he had the audacity to talk about righteousness and sincere cooperation for mutual benefit…
How could Mo Na Ye not understand his intentions? All these grandiose words were just a thinly veiled threat.
The implicit meaning in his words was that if the Black Ink Clan did not ‘understand the greater good and the overall situation’, he would continue to loot until they capitulated. By then, the losses for the Black Ink Clan would only be more devastating.
Mo Na Ye thought he had understood Humans well enough, but today he realised that his so-called understanding was only scratching the surface.
A Human Race Master with such a formidable reputation could be shameless to this degree, it was truly eye-opening!
Mo Na Ye was so angry that he actually threw his head back and laughed out loud. He wanted to say something cutting, but was afraid of provoking Yang Kai, so he did not know how to respond.
While he was hesitating, Yang Kai sent another message, “Sir Mo Na Ye, this King has already been benevolent towards the Black Ink Clan. Please don’t force my hand. These years, I have never gone to the No-Return Pass. Compared to the High-Rank Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass, a few resources are nothing in comparison. You should be able to discern the difference in weight, right?”
Faced with such an open and blatant threat, Mo Na Ye not only did not get angry, but instead felt a sense of relief that Yang Kai had finally taken this step.
The reason he left the No-Return Pass was to give a false impression to Yang Kai that there was only one Royal Lord on guard now, and he had a chance to destroy the Black Ink Nests!
Unfortunately, for the past 10 years, Yang Kai had never appeared outside of the No-Return Pass and had been constantly looting the resource squads, causing the Royal Lord’s initial plan to fail.
It wasn’t until today that Yang Kai finally revealed intentions of using the Black Ink Nests to threaten the Black Ink Clan.
Mo Na Ye was secretly delighted and quickly replied, “Yang Kai! Some things can be done once or twice, but not thrice! You have trespassed into the No-Return Pass twice and destroyed many Black Ink Nests, but if you dare try this again, I, Mo Na Ye, will never let you go!”
The message was sent out, but there was no response after a long time of waiting.
A million kilometres away, Yang Kai carefully observed each change in Mo Na Ye’s expression and began making plans in his heart…
He had thought about going to the No-Return Pass to threaten to destroy some Black Ink Nests and force the Black Ink Clan to meet his demands and had even taken action for this purpose.
Over the past 10 years, he had secretly investigated the No-Return Pass several times; however, with his increasing mastery of the Dao of Time, his sensitivity to future crises had become much higher.
This sense had helped him avoid some dangers during his last rampage in the No-Return Pass, and it was the same now.
Every time he approached the No-Return Pass, the idea of destroying Black Ink Nests would unconsciously bring a sense of peril, as if there was a great danger hidden within the No-Return Pass that could threaten him!
This puzzled Yang Kai greatly. Mo Na Ye had gone to the depths of void for all these years, and only one Royal Lord was guarding the No-Return Pass. According to his current strength, as long as he avoided that Royal Lord, the No-Return Pass would be his to enter and exit as he pleased. With the No-Return Pass being such a large area and the numerous High-Rank Black Ink Nests of the Black Ink Clan so scattered, one Royal Lord couldn’t look after all of them.
So, where did this sense of danger come from?
The sense of danger he felt during his last rampage in the No-Return Pass was due to Mo Na Ye hiding in the shadows. Based on his experience from last time, Yang Kai naturally guessed that… the Black Ink Clan had produced another Pseudo-Royal Lord!
Mo Na Ye believed that Yang Kai knew nothing about the situation at the No-Return Pass, but in reality, Yang Kai had been observing secretly to confirm his suspicions.
And Mo Na Ye’s response this time was undeniable evidence of this.
Regardless of whether it was Mo Na Ye when he was still an Innate Territory Lord in the past or the current Mo Na Ye as a Pseudo-Royal Lord, he would always address Yang Kai as ‘Sir Yang’, naturally showing respect to an elite fighter regardless of their hostile relationship.
But this time, Mo Na Ye addressed Yang Kai by his name directly, and his words carried a hidden threat, almost like he was daring Yang Kai to immediately cause trouble at the No-Return Pass. This was not Mo Na Ye’s usual behaviour.
Yang Kai, seeing this, knew that his suspicion was probably correct, there must be a new Pseudo-Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass, lying in ambush with the Royal Lord.
In the void, Yang Kai raised his brow and smiled, finding it quite interesting to engage in this battle of wits with Mo Na Ye. He thus quickly replied, “Just wait and see! This time, this King will not rest until he destroys 10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests!”
After transmitting the message, Yang Kai put away his communication bead and disappeared from sight.
In the distant void, Mo Na Ye also hurriedly put away his communication bead, raised his palm, and a surge of thick Black Ink Strength rushed out, quickly forming a vortex in his palm. Within the vortex, a very delicate and small Black Ink Nest appeared.
This was a Low-Rank Black Ink Nest, which was not yet mature.
Such a Black Ink Nest was not very useful to the Black Ink Clan, but it was perfect for transmitting messages.
Now, the Territory Lords who were searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts and escorting the supply teams almost all had such a miniature Black Ink Nest, just to facilitate rapid communication with each other.
By summoning this small Black Ink Nest, Mo Na Ye sent a message to the No-Return Pass, informing the Royal Lord about Yang Kai’s imminent arrival and telling them to prepare.
After doing so, Mo Na Ye also hurried towards the No-Return Pass, secretly praying for a swift victory.
If Yang Kai thought that there was only one Royal Lord guarding the No-Return Pass, he would surely make a mistake, and if the Royal Lord and Meng Que teamed up, they only needed to entangle him for 10 breaths so the Territory Lords could activate the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array. Once the Grand Array was formed, Yang Kai would be trapped like a cornered beast, without the ability to use Space Principle’s to flee, Yang Kai would only be a slightly stronger Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, incapable of facing all the elites of the Black Ink Clan.
[After years of entanglement, is it finally time to determine the winner and loser of our little game?] Mo Na Ye suddenly felt like he was dreaming.
However, he had only made it halfway back when he suddenly stopped and hastily summoned the miniature Black Ink Nest. As his Divine Sense poured it to investigate, his face turned pale in an instant.
The message from the Black Ink Nest was too bizarre to believe at first, but after verifying it a few times, he confirmed that he had indeed read it correctly.
Standing there, his expression fluctuated for a moment before he turned and flew in another direction.
Half a day later, he arrived in a spot in the void and appeared before four Territory Lords who had formed a Battle Formation.
“Sir Mo Na Ye!” The four Territory Lords were overjoyed to see him as if they had seen their saviour.
“What happened?” Mo Na Ye asked in a deep voice.
One of the four Territory Lords immediately recounted their encounter with Yang Kai, which was actually quite simple. They were escorting a supply team back to the No-Return Pass when Yang Kai suddenly appeared…
Over the years, they had encountered Yang Kai several times, but he had never attacked them directly; instead, he attacked the Black Ink Clansmen who were transporting materials, killing mostly low-rank soldiers. For the four Territory Lords, Yang Kai mainly used his Soul Secret Technique as a threat, forcing them to compromise and hand over the resources.
Under threat of imminent death, the Territory Lords had no choice but to comply. As a result, every time Yang Kai made a move, he was able to gain something.
But this time, Yang Kai not only slaughtered the Black Ink Clansmen transporting the materials, but also injured the four Territory Lords, one of whom was seriously wounded.
Mo Na Ye was not angry after listening to this, but rather pleasantly surprised, “He used his Soul Secret Technique?”
Yang Kai often used his Soul Secret Technique to intimidate Territory Lords, but he had never actually activated it before.
Mo Na Ye even suspected that Yang Kai was just bluffing this whole time.
Mo Na Ye had intended to prevent the Territory Lords from compromising at all costs, but he knew that even if he issued such an order, the Territory Lords would find it difficult to hold out in a life-or-death crisis.
Losing the materials was a small matter, but losing Territory Lords was a serious blow.
But if Yang Kai had used his Soul Secret Technique this time, it meant that he would enter a period of retreat and recuperation for the next 2 or 3 years. This would undoubtedly be his weakest time, and if they could find his whereabouts, the situation would be promising.
However, to Mo Na Ye’s surprise, the four Territory Lords looked embarrassed and shook their heads in unison. The speaking Territory Lord cried out, “He did not!”
Upon hearing that, Mo Na Ye’s joyous expression instantly disappeared, and he frowned, “If he didn’t use his Soul Secret Technique, how did he manage to injure all of you like this?”
The four Innate Territory Lords had formed the Four Symbols Formation, making it impossible for Yang Kai to pose a substantial threat to them without using his Soul Secret Technique. Although Yang Kai was strong, he was not yet strong enough to break this Formation forcibly. Even Mo Na Ye would have to work hard to injure the four Territory Lords who were united in this Formation.
The expressions of the four Territory Lords became even more embarrassed and they stammered, not knowing how to explain; however, Mo Na Ye had already figured it out at that point and asked with a stern face, “Did you break the Battle Formation yourselves?”
Only then could Yang Kai pick them off one by one.
The Territory Lord who spoke earlier shamefully admitted, “Yes! It’s just that maintaining the Four Symbols Formation consumes our mental strength, and although there was no problem in the short term, it’s been 10 years now… We find it difficult to maintain the Battle Formation at all times, so…”
In fact, it wasn’t just these four Territory Lords, other Territory Lords who had formed Four Symbols and Five Elements Formations also encountered similar problems. Maintaining the Battle Formation for a long time put a heavy burden on their minds, so sometimes they would break the Battle Formation to disconnect their auras and let themselves recover a little.
How could they have known that Yang Kai would take advantage of this opportunity to attack them? If they hadn’t been on alert and quickly formed the Battle Formation again after Yang Kai appeared, they might have suffered more than just injuries.
The Territory Lord cautiously peered at Mo Na Ye’s expression, thinking that he would be severely reprimanded for their failure; however, all Mo Na Ye did was sigh, “It was my carelessness.”
He thought that their operation against Yang Kai would not take too long, but he never expected that it would take 10 years and still not produce any results. If Yang Kai could injure four Territory Lords in just 10 years, what about another 10 or 100 years?
It was as the saying went, “One need not fear a thief who always steals, they should fear the thief who constantly thinks of stealing.”
When Mo Na Ye first heard this, he did not understand, but now he finally did.
[Yang Kai, that thief! You are truly my eternal nemesis!]
[That bastard even vowed to destroy 10 High-Rank Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass, but all he did was go against his words and injure four Territory Lords. I was a fool to have believed anything he said.]
It appeared that Yang Kai had seen through the arrangements at the No-Return Pass, which was why he had never gone there but instead wreaked havoc out here in the void.
“Send a message to the other Squads and tell all Territory Lords to be careful. Yang Kai could strike at any time,” Mo Na Ye ordered, remembering the lesson from these four Territory Lords as he believed that Yang Kai would strike again.
Then, the four Territory Lords followed Mo Na Ye’s order and took out their miniature Black Ink Nests to spread the word.
To prevent Yang Kai from wheeling around and finishing the job, Mo Na Ye personally escorted these four injured Territory Lords back to the No-Return Pass. One of them was severely injured and even though he could barely manage to maintain the Battle Formation with the other three, they were still at risk of being targeted and defeated. For safety reasons, it was best for them to not expose themselves outside anymore.
Mo Na Ye’s compassion moved the four Territory Lords to tears of gratitude.
Only when they arrived at the No-Return Pass did they feel safe. Mo Na Ye then went to see the Royal Lord to share his suspicions.
When the Royal Lord heard that Yang Kai might have already seen through the trap set up at the No-Return Pass, his face grew dark and his anger was almost palpable. They had sacrificed a dozen Innate Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest to create Meng Que, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, all to lure Yang Kai to the No-Return Pass and eliminate him.
But if Yang Kai did not show up, all their plans would be in vain and Meng Que would be useless.
“Sir, the more time passes, the more detrimental it will become to the Black Ink Clan. There are no longer many supply squads that can return to the No-Return Pass. Besides, the Territory Lords are already exhausted from maintaining the Battle Formation for such a long time, and they may not be able to hold on much longer.” Mo Na Ye reported carefully while observing the Royal Lord’s reaction.
“Why!? Why can’t we deal with one Eighth-Order Human!?” The Royal Lord exclaimed in anger.
Mo Na Ye was speechless upon hearing this. If they had a way to deal with Yang Kai, the Black Ink Clan wouldn’t be in such a difficult spot in the first place. This Human was not someone they could defeat with brute strength alone.
After some contemplation, Mo Na Ye said, “Sir Royal Lord, please be prepared. This time, our Black Ink Clan may really have to make sacrifices to quell the situation.”
The Royal Lord turned to him and glared, “Are you suggesting that we agree to his ridiculous demands?”
Mo Na Ye shook his head and replied, “It’s impossible to agree to his demands for 50%. Those resources were painstakingly extracted by our Black Ink Clan, while he did nothing but threaten us with despicable means. He is out of his mind if he thinks he can take half of all our hard-earned resources; however, if we give him too little, he may not agree either…”
The Royal Lord waved his hand impatiently, “It’s up to you to decide. Don’t bother me with this matter anymore.”
Just hearing Yang Kai’s name gave the Royal Lord a headache. How could a Human like him exist? He would rather fight Fu Guang, a real Divine Dragon, than hear Yang Kai’s name ringing in his ears again!
Then, Mo Na Ye nodded respectfully before withdrawing in embarrassment.
As a subordinate, he should not burden the Royal Lord, but instead, he felt the humiliation of being incapable of resolving the issue at hand.
However, there was no other solution to the current problem. Yang Kai had been causing trouble for the past 10 years, plundering 90% of their resources while holding the Territory Lords of the No-Return Pass in check. Even Mo Na Ye himself had been running around in circles all these years, with nothing to show for his efforts.
If this chaos continued, the Territory Lords would likely collapse from exhaustion, and once that happened, the losses that followed would far exceed a few measly resources.
After some contemplating, Mo Na Ye decided to contact Yang Kai using his communication bead to discuss the matter. However, before he could do so, he summoned his miniature Black Ink Nest and inspected a new message that was just sent to him. Letting out a sigh after seeing this message, he hurriedly rushed towards the depths of the void.
Another four Territory Lords who had formed a Battle Formation were ambushed and injured by Yang Kai, losing all their resources in the process.
When Mo Na Ye arrived at the scene, he realized that the situation was much worse than he had expected. The injuries to these four Territory Lords were not too serious as they had been on guard and immediately formed the Four Symbols Formation to protect themselves after the ambush.
However, after a more careful inspection, Mo Na Ye was startled to find that two of the Territory Lords had identical injuries, just a finger’s length left of their heart. This position was not a fatal wound for a Black Ink Clan Master, but it still made Mo Na Ye frown.
Was this intentional, or just a coincidence?
If it was unintentional, everything would be fine, but if Yang Kai had done this deliberately, it was a worrying issue.
If this was Yang Kai’s doing, it was undoubtedly a message that said he could kill one or both of these Territory Lords but chose to hold back to not escalate the situation further.
This was his way of showing both his sincerity and his determination.
Mo Na Ye couldn’t help a wry grin from appearing on his face. This guy came to the Black Ink Clan trying to take the lion’s share, plundering the Black Ink Clan’s resources, and yet he was still showing ‘sincerity’.
What was he trying to do, earn profit by being friendly? But the wealth he would be earning belonged to the Black Ink Clan.
“Sir Mo Na Ye,” a Territory Lord walked over and handed him an item with caution, “We found this after Yang Kai disappeared. It should be something he left behind on purpose.”
Mo Na Ye turned to look and recognized it as a Universe Chart from the Human Race, but why would Yang Kai leave such a thing here?
Mo Na Ye was puzzled, so he took the Universe Chart and immersed his Divine Sense to investigate it. After a moment, he let out a long sigh.
Yang Kai deliberately left this Universe Chart here for no other reason than to further threaten them.
When Mo Na Ye inspected the Universe Chart, he easily identified many locations that were highlighted. When he projected this onto the real Black Ink Battlefield, it was not difficult to see that all of the marked positions were staging points for the Black Ink Clan’s mining operations.
There were hundreds of these marked positions, which meant that Yang Kai had already found most of the locations where the Black Ink Clan was gathering resources. If he wanted to, he could just go to those places directly, wipe out the Black Ink Clan soldiers, and take all the resources for himself!
If that happened, the Black Ink Clan’s source of resources would be greatly reduced. It should be noted that there were no elites guarding those places. Faced with a killing star like Yang Kai, the low-rank clansmen could not resist at all.
[How did he manage to do all this and still raid so many of our convoys?]
Mo Na Ye couldn’t figure it out at all. Yang Kai had been plundering resource squads everywhere for the past 10 years, yet he somehow found the time to investigate these mining outposts where resources were being exploited as well. It had to be noted that each of these locations was no less than a few million kilometres away from each other, which would take a significant time to travel between.
Mo Na Ye could only sigh and think that Space Secret Techniques were truly unparalleled when it came to mobility. The distances that seemed far away to others were nothing to Yang Kai. This was what allowed him to gather so much information in a mere 10 years.
The markings on this Universe Chart were like the wounds on the two Territory Lords, both a threat and a sincere gesture…
Mo Na Ye understood everything and became crestfallen.
Even if he had achieved the status of Pseudo-Royal Lord, he was still defeated by Yang Kai in this confrontation. Both he and the Black Ink Clan were defeated. Yang Kai alone had disrupted the Black Ink Clan’s entire operation on the Black Ink Battlefield despite them going all out to stop him. In fact, for the past 10 years, they hadn’t so much as wounded Yang Kai, and now, after all that, they still had to compromise!
“Let all the Territory Lords return to the No-Return Pass,” Mo Na Ye said, feeling dejected.
The four Territory Lords were surprised as one of them asked, “Sir, what about Yang Kai?”
“I’ll talk it out with him.”
The Territory Lords exchanged glances upon hearing this and understood what Mo Na Ye meant. Although they were relieved that they no longer had to be on edge every day, each Territory Lord’s heart was still shrouded in thick humiliation.
Soon after, the Territory Lords departed.
Mo Na Ye stood in the void, took out the communication bead, and played with it in his hand as if he was pondering something.
A moment later, he suddenly turned his head and saw a figure standing nearby while looking at him with a smile and cupping his fist in greeting, “Sir Mo Na Ye!”
Mo Na Ye’s face twitched. [This bastard is truly daring! He’s actually been hiding nearby all this time and even dared to appear in front of me like this!]
He couldn’t help but have the immediate urge to attack, but this thought was like a wave in the storm that quickly dissipated.
There was no way Mo Na Ye could kill Yang Kai here, and if he tried, it would only worsen his position.
“Sir Yang, your skills are truly impressive!” Mo Na Ye saluted him, unsure whether he was being sarcastic or sincere.
Yang Kai shrugged it off while smiling, “From the looks of it, you have made a decision, yes?”
Mo Na Ye lowered his brow and muttered, “The matter of resources has been fully entrusted to me by Sir Royal Lord.”
“Very good,” Yang Kai smiled and declared, “My proposal from last time is still valid.”
Mo Na Ye immediately shook his head vigorously like a rattle-drum, “Sir Yang…” He paused, then continued, “We’ve known each other for many years now, and as you Humans say, you don’t truly know someone until you’ve fought them. Although we’re on different sides, I admire you greatly and calling you Sir seems a bit formal. How about I call you Brother Yang?”
“What should I call you then? Brother Mo? Those from the Black Ink Clan don’t have surnames, right?”
Mo Na Ye said solemnly, “Only the Royal Lord has the qualification to use Mo as a surname. For example, our current King is Mo Yu. Those beneath the Royal Lord may use their own names and surnames. Brother Yang can just call me by my name.”
(Note: The Mo in Mo Yu and the Mo in Mo Na Ye are different… I know, confusing. Just ignore it, it’s irrelevant.)
Yang Kai nodded lightly as he felt like he had heard a piece of news of some importance.
The Human Race had never figured out the name or surname of the Royal Lord and didn’t know how to address him. Fortunately, there was only one true Royal Lord in the Black Ink Clan right now, so they always addressed him as ‘the Royal Lord’. Unexpectedly, Yang Kai learned this bit of information from Mo Na Ye today, though it wasn’t of much use.
Mo Na Ye continued, “Brother Yang, 50% is impossible. All the resources are extracted by my Black Ink Clan and transported by us. You haven’t put in any effort yet you want to take away half? Aren’t you being a bit too greedy?”
Yang Kai grinned, the corners of his mouth almost reaching his ears, “There’s an old saying among us Humans, ‘A big mouth can swallow up the world!’”
Saying so, he even pointed at his face, as if to say ‘Look at how big my mouth is’!
Mo Na Ye rubbed his temple, looking a bit headache-ridden, “Brother Yang, I am sincerely discussing this matter with you today. Please don’t joke around.”
Yang Kai spat disdainfully and also adjusted his expression as he said, “In that case, I want to know how much the Black Ink Clan can offer.”
Mo Na Ye held up a finger, but then curved it and calmly said, “5%!”
Yang Kai couldn’t help but laugh, “Mo Na Ye, you would make an excellent salesman. If it’s only 5% why bother discussing the matter at all? I might as well rob your Black Ink Clan’s supply teams and take 90%. Wouldn’t that be simpler?”
Mo Na Ye shook his head and said, “Brother Yang, why play dumb? Although you have been able to take away 90% of our resources over the past decade, that’s only because we haven’t changed our resource exploitation strategy. But if this continues, we will likely completely give up on the Black Ink Battlefield resource extraction. What will you gain then?”
If this were to happen, it would be a disastrous outcome for both sides. The Black Ink Clan would stop extracting resources from the Black Ink Battlefield, and Yang Kai would naturally not be able to plunder anything.
However, such a situation was impossible…
The resources from the Black Ink Battlefield were indispensable to the Black Ink Clan. They needed these resources to maintain their military advantage and to provide for those within the clan, especially the Acquired Territory Lords. If the supply of resources from the Black Ink Battlefield was cut off, there might not be an immediate impact, but over time, the Black Ink Clan’s overall strength would inevitably decline significantly. This was not something that the Black Ink Clan would be willing to accept.
On the other hand, the Human Race would not be affected in the slightest. It was just that Yang Kai would be restricted from acting. However, now that he was unencumbered, being restricted was not a big deal.
Yang Kai was well aware of this, so he remained unmoved.
As Mo Na Ye realised he couldn’t convince Yang Kai, he sighed and put down his raised finger, “Good, Brother Yang, you can have 10% of our clan’s resources. That should be enough, right?”
“10% is not small indeed,” Yang Kai replied, “But it’s still not enough!”
Mo Na Ye frowned, “Brother Yang, how much do you want? Please be straightforward.”
“I’ll compromise. I won’t ask for 50%, and you won’t offer 10%. Let’s settle on 40%.”
“20%!” Mo Na Ye immediately counter offered.
After some thought, Yang Kai gestured with his hand, “30%! Mo Na Ye, there’s no need to haggle further. 30% is my bottom line. If the Black Ink Clan can’t agree, then there’s no need to continue this conversation.”
Mo Na Ye felt angry at Yang Kai’s domineering approach, wondering if he was there to rob them or just looking for trouble. There was no space for negotiation if he had to put it that way.
However, Yang Kai continued, “All resources gathered from outside should be handed over by the Black Ink Clan. Every 10 years… No, every 5 years, the Black Ink Clan will allocate 30% of everything that they’ve gathered from the Black Ink Battlefield and hand it over to me at the No-Return Pass. If you agree, I won’t obstruct the Black Ink Clan’s resource-gathering operations in the future.”
Mo Na Ye raised his brow at this proposal. If this was the deal, then there would still be room for manoeuvring.
Frankly speaking, the amount and quality of resources returned by each mining team was different, and if they were not carefully inspected, no one would know exactly what was in the shipment. Yang Kai said he wanted 30%, but he couldn’t check all the resources gathered by each squad. Besides, the Black Ink Clan would also not allow him to do so.
Even if they gave him 20% or less, he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Of course, if it was too little, Yang Kai would naturally raise objections.
So, when he said he wanted 30%, it was just a euphemism as he probably predicted such skimming would happen in the future.
After a brief pause, Mo Na Ye nodded and said, “If that’s the case, I can agree to Brother Yang’s request.”
“I have another condition!” Yang Kai said.
Mo Na Ye thought to himself that things were never that simple. After dealing with Yang Kai for such a long time, he knew he wasn’t a person to settle for less.
“Please speak, Brother Yang.” Mo Na Ye gestured.
Yang Kai looked past him in the direction of the No-Return Pass and stated firmly, “I don’t want to see any Pseudo-Royal Lords on any of the Great Territory Battlefields!”
[He really guessed it!]
Mo Na Ye was secretly shocked. Meng Que had become a Pseudo-Royal Lord some 10 years ago, but he remained hidden since then. The Royal Lord had originally planned to let Mo Na Ye appear outside to lure Yang Kai into attacking the No-Return Pass; however, Yang Kai had not once done so, as if he had been wary of the trap there.
Mo Na Ye suspected that Yang Kai had figured everything out, but he had no way to verify this. Now, after hearing Yang Kai’s words, he knew that his suspicions were correct.
In addition, Mo Na Ye had planned to let Meng Que continue to lurk after this matter was resolved, working with the Royal Lord to guard the No-Return Pass. This way, Mo Na Ye could leave for the front lines, and the addition of a Pseudo-Royal Lord would be enough to shift the tide on the battlefield.
However, before he could implement this plan, Yang Kai stopped it with just a few simple words.
This should not have been something that could be agreed to easily, but Mo Na Ye did not hesitate at all and said with a smile, “Rest assured, Brother Yang. I have been stationed at the No-Return Pass for many years. Sir Royal Lord has put me in charge of all battlefield affairs. I do not have the spare time or capacity to head to the frontlines.”
The implication here was that there was only one Pseudo-Royal Lord in the Black Ink Clan, which was not the case.
Yang Kai didn’t point this out, nor did he have any thoughts of verifying it. The sense of crisis he had felt during the few times he approached the No-Return Pass over the past 10 years was enough to convince him that the Black Ink Clan had another Pseudo-Royal Lord besides Mo Na Ye.
“In that case, is this matter settled?” Yang Kai asked while smiling.
After some thought, Mo Na Ye replied, “Yes, it is.”
In response, Yang Kai laughed and casually grabbed something from the void and threw it towards Mo Na Ye. Mo Na Ye looked wary, but Yang Kai responded, “I said last time that I would buy you a drink when I come to the No-Return Pass again. This bottle of wine will serve as an appreciation gift for our cooperation.”
Mo Na Ye reached out and caught the bottle, only to find that it was not an artifact or a Secret Technique, just a simple container.
At the same time, Space Principles fluctuated, and Yang Kai had already disappeared without a trace when Mo Na Ye looked up. Although he was constantly monitoring Yang Kai’s movements, he could only vaguely sense the direction in which he left. The exact location was impossible to determine unless he actively chased after him.
This secretly shocked Mo Na Ye. [This bastard’s mastery over the Dao of Space is becoming more and more mysterious. If this continues, who among the Black Ink Clan will ever be able to restrain him?]
Yang Kai’s voice then resounded in his ears, “Today marks the beginning. I will notify you of the location for the exchange of resources in five years. In addition, I have received a lot of resources from your side over the past 10 years and know exactly how much your clan can collect. When it’s time to make the delivery, you better not go too far, or I will find a way to make up the difference myself!”
Mo Na Ye narrowed his eyes and shattered the wine bottle in his hand, causing it to splash out across the void. With a cold snort, he turned and flew towards the No-Return Pass.
Although the Royal Lord had entrusted him with this matter, he still needed to report what had transpired.
The Royal Lord would definitely be furious, but at this point, if the Black Ink Clan wanted to continue to obtain resources from the Black Ink Battlefield, they could only let Yang Kai take advantage of them.
In addition, Mo Na Ye had to put his own plan to head to the battlefield on hold for now. As for Meng Que… he would just continue to stay hidden, and perhaps one day he could play a role.
After dealing with the Black Ink Clan’s affairs, Yang Kai fell silent. The Black Ink Clan knew he was hiding somewhere outside the No-Return Pass, but they had no way of knowing his precise location. Fortunately, he did not appear again to plunder the squads transporting resources, which gave the ordinary soldiers of the Black Ink Clan some peace of mind.
In the depths of the void, Yang Kai concealed his aura and hid his figure.
This battle of wits with Mo Na Ye had ended with his victory. His only regret was that he did not kill a few Territory Lords. In fact, he had the opportunity to kill some of them, but he refrained from doing so as that would only completely enrage the Black Ink Clan and be detrimental to his future plans.
Setting a five-year period was also because there would be too many variables if the timeframe was too long; however, if he contacted the Black Ink Clan too frequently, it would also pose a certain risk to him. If possible, Yang Kai wanted to take inventory of every shipment of resources from each Black Ink Clan mining team that returned to the No-Return Pass and take 30% directly from them, but if he really did that, it would only give the Black Ink Clan many chances to set up their Heaven Sealing Earth Locking’s Grand Array
The reason why he could act arrogantly in front of the many Territory Lords and treat Mo Na Ye, a Pseudo-Royal Lord, as an equal today was because of his mastery of the Dao of Space.
But if he lost this reliance, Yang Kai would only be a slightly stronger Eighth-Order Master.
The Grand Array that could isolate space was his ultimate nemesis, so how could he give the Black Ink Clan so many chances to set it up?
In the desolate and undisturbed void, Yang Kai restrained his mind and silently contemplated the Grand Dao of Space within his body as he allowed time to pass.
When it was time to receive the resources five years later, he sent a message to Mo Na Ye, giving him a random location and then waited silently.
Within half a day, an aura rapidly approached.
Yang Kai turned his head to look only to realise that it was not Mo Na Ye, but rather a Feudal Lord who arrived.
At a distance, the Feudal Lord stopped, shaking in fear as he gazed at Yang Kai.
It was as if the one standing in front of him was not a Human, but an ominous beast that could strike and devour him at any moment.
This couldn’t be helped, as Yang Kai’s name was too intimidating among the Black Ink Clan. Dozens of Innate Territory Lords had already died at his hands, so how could this Feudal Lord dare to face this killing star head-on?
The Feudal Lord cupped his fist and his voice trembled as he said, “I-I am here on behalf of S-Sir Mo Na Ye, t-to deliver the resources to S-S-Sir. P-Please accept them!”
Saying so, he threw out a Space Ring.
Yang Kai nodded lightly and grabbed the Space Ring, pouring his Divine Sense into it to inspect the contents.
There were quite a few supplies, but according to Yang Kai’s estimation, it should be less than the 30% which was agreed upon. It was certain that they had withheld some as the Black Ink Clan would not be so obedient to hand over the full 30% of resources as agreed upon.
However, the amount withheld was not excessive, there was still probably around 25%, so Yang Kai pretended not to notice as he had already anticipated this would happen.
After waiting for a moment and seeing that Yang Kai had no further reaction, the Feudal Lord hurriedly said, “I-If there are no p-problems, I shall report back now.”
After stumbling over his words, he immediately turned around to flee, not wanting to stay here a moment longer.
“Wait!” Yang Kai called out suddenly.
The Feudal Lord froze upon hearing that and turned to look at Yang Kai with a smile, “Is there s-something else, Sir?”
Yang Kai took out a bottle of wine and tossed it over, “Take this to Mo Na Ye.”
Having received benefits from the Black Ink Clan, it was only natural for him to return something in exchange. This was the principle of reciprocity, and besides, Yang Kai had plenty of fine wine in his Small Universe.
The Feudal Lord accepted the bottle and carefully stored it away, but when he looked up again, Yang Kai had already disappeared. The Feudal Lord couldn’t help but shiver as he quickly flew back to the No-Return Pass.
When he arrived, he reported the exchange of goods and presented the bottle of wine; however, Mo Na Ye’s brow just twitched upon seeing it, feeling absolutely disgusted.
Last time, Yang Kai gave him a bottle of wine which he refused to drink and just smashed directly. That time could be considered a private gift from Yang Kai to him which nobody saw, so it didn’t matter; however, it was different this time. The resources were handed over by the Feudal Lord, and it was the first time that they had exchanged goods with Yang Kai. Many in the No-Return Pass were watching this matter closely.
If this matter were to spread, what would the Royal Lord think? What would the other Territory Lords think? It would seem as if Mo Na Ye had a close relationship with Yang Kai, possibly even engaging in some shady deals. If he didn’t explain this matter clearly, how could the Royal Lord trust him in the future?
Mo Na Ye wished he could immediately go out and fight Yang Kai to prove his innocence.
After dismissing the Feudal Lord, he dared not delay. He took the bottle of wine and went to the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest to report word for word what the Feudal Lord said. Fortunately, the Royal Lord didn’t have much of a reaction, he simply acknowledged the matter calmly and dismissed Mo Na Ye.
Mo Na Ye re-affirmed that he could not let his guard down when dealing with such a despicable and shameless person like Yang Kai; otherwise, he would likely be taken advantage of by him.
However, the enmity between the Human Race and Black Ink Clans was deep and unresolvable, so Yang Kai’s little tricks had minimal effect. Though, this simple method of sowing discord could have unforeseen consequences if it was used on someone else not within the two camps, it had negligible consequences between blood enemies.
The soldiers of the Human Race and Black Ink Clans on the frontline battlefield continued to clash, while the No-Return Pass remained as calm as usual. In fact, since the Black Ink Clan captured the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai had either come alone or led a small group of Humans to cause trouble less than a handful of times. Without Yang Kai, the No-Return Pass would have been completely quiet and comfortable, with many Territory Lords who had been severely injured in battle willing to return here and rest in the High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Every five years, the Black Ink Clan sent out the counted goods from the No-Return Pass and handed them over to Yang Kai; however, since the first time they were deceived, no Black Ink Clansman dared to easily accept the fine wine that Yang Kai offered, leaving him helpless.
Each time Yang Kai exchanged goods with the Black Ink Clan, he would simply designate a random location. The void was vast anyway, so if he simply chose a spot at random, he would not have to fear that Black Ink Clan would set him up.
Overall, everything went smoothly, and over the past century, Yang Kai accumulated many valuable resources.
Considering the time, the day was soon approaching that he had agreed to meet Ou Yang Lie and the others.
After receiving a bit less than 30% of the Black Ink Clan’s gathered resources again, Yang Kai hurriedly rushed to the Humans’ resource-gathering site.
Before this, he had left Space Beacons along the way, so it was not difficult to cross this route and search for Ou Yang Lie and the others.
As expected, Ou Yang Lie vented his pent-up anger on Yang Kai as soon as he arrived. He roared about how Yang Kai and Big Head Mi were wasting his talents by sending him here. He also wanted Yang Kai to go back to the Supreme Headquarters and request Big Head Mi to transfer him back to the frontlines of the battlefield.
Only when Yang Kai agreed to make the request did Ou Yang Lie stop complaining.
Over the past 100 years, tens of thousands of Human Race cultivators had been mining and gathering resources in this region. This place was deep within the Black Ink Battlefield, far beyond the region where the Royal City used to be. So, even though a century had passed, this area remained peaceful and undisturbed.
This was good news, and it was also what Yang Kai hoped to see. If the Black Ink Clan found traces of the tens of thousands of Human Race Masters collecting resources here, they would have to relocate far away. It was not wise to fight the Black Ink Clan here because these Human Masters’ strength was generally not high, which was why they were sent here to gather resources in the first place. Fighting was not their concern.
After gathering the past 100 years’ harvest, Yang Kai bid farewell to Ou Yang Lie and the others. Then, he connected to the World Tree and used it to guide him into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, then returned to the Star Boundary.
Without delay, he went directly to the Supreme Headquarters and handed over all the harvests of the past 100 years to Mi Jing Lun.
After examining the items, Mi Jing Lun was greatly surprised and couldn’t help asking, “When did the resources from the Black Ink Battlefield become so rich?”
He had roughly estimated how much the tens of thousands of soldiers could mine in 100 years as he knew the situation in the Black Ink Battlefield very well, having spent over 10,000 years there. However, the amount that Yang Kai brought back was easily triple what he had estimated.
Originally, according to his estimation, the tens of thousands of soldiers could only delay the exhaustion of their supplies, even if they worked day and night to gather and mine in suitable areas. But with Yang Kai bringing back so much, the Human Race’s consumption of resources over the past century was immediately replenished, and there was even some surplus!
This was truly an unexpected delight.
However, he soon thought of something and looked at Yang Kai solemnly, “Did you plunder these from the Black Ink Clan?”
Only the Black Ink Clan could have so many resources; otherwise, there was no way to explain the sight in front of him.
Yang Kai smiled and said, “You could put it that way. I made some agreements with the Black Ink Clan, and from now on, I will receive 30% of what they mine from the Black Ink Battlefield. What I’ve passed to you includes those that were gathered by the Humans and those obtained from the No-Return Pass.”
Mi Jing Lun’s expression became complex. Although Yang Kai did not say how he achieved this, Mi Jing Lun could imagine the difficulties and dangers he faced.
If it weren’t for the fact that the Black Ink Clan had no choice but to agree due to certain circumstances, how was it possible for them to agree to Yang Kai’s outrageous demands?
Moreover, Yang Kai acted alone, so how did he manage to make the Black Ink Clan agree to his terms? Over the past 100 years, Yang Kai must have faced a lot of life-or-death crises…
Mi Jing Lun felt a complex mix of emotions as he thought about how the heavy burden of hope for the entire Race was placed on one person’s shoulders.
After taking a breath, he dropped to one knee to show his respect!
Yang Kai was taken aback and quickly helped Mi Jing Lun up, “Senior Brother, what are you doing?”
Mi Jing Lun, however, refused to stand up as he quickly replied, “This Senior Brother, on behalf of the trillions of Humans, thank you, Junior Brother!”
That made Yang Kai feel embarrassed, “Senior Brother, you’re taking this too seriously. I was born Human too, and many of my friends and family are fighting against the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield. This is just what I should do.”
After helping Mi Jing Lun up forcefully, he changed the subject, “Senior Brother, how is the situation between the two sides?”
“It’s still the same as before. No major changes.”
On the various Great Territory Battlefields, newcomers from both sides constantly emerged, while many elites also died on the battlefield. In this tense and hostile environment, having high qualifications didn’t necessarily guarantee one would reap the most benefits. High qualifications only represented great potential. To gain more strength, one must first survive on the battlefield, only then would they be capable of seizing their own future.
The Human Race was not lacking in talent, but time. The first batch of good seedlings who directly ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm had now reached the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but to ascend to the Ninth-Order, they still needed time to accumulate heritage and hone their skills.
As for the old Eighth-Order Masters like Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie, they had already reached their limits due to their initial potential and would never ascend to the Ninth Order.
On the other hand, Xiang Shan and Wei Jun Yang, who were a few of the eligible veterans to advance to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, were still in retreat, and no one knew how they were doing or if everything was going smoothly.
Breakthroughs were matters that outsiders could not help with; they could only rely on themselves.
Yang Kai silently prayed that someday when he returned, he would be able to receive good news.
Without staying long at the Supreme Headquarters, after his brief exchange with Mi Jing Lun, confirming that the situation between the two sides would not worsen in the short term, Yang Kai set out again, heading to Black Territory to use the secret passageway and rush back to the Black Ink Battlefield.
Every five years, the No-Return Pass sent out a batch of resources, while Ou Yang Lie and others worked for 100 years before delivering their harvest. Over the long years, Yang Kai shuttled back and forth through the void alone, bringing one batch of resources after another from the Black Ink Battlefield to the Human Race to use for their cultivation.
With Yang Kai’s efforts, the Supreme Headquarters no longer had to worry about resources as the amount he brought back every 100 years was enough to fulfil their needs.
During this period, Yang Kai also took the time to go to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to investigate the situation. The battle there was extremely intense, but thanks to Wu Kuang’s cooperation with the Suppressing Black Ink Army, the gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had never expanded. Those from Black Ink Clan that could rush through the gap were greatly suppressed in both quantity and quality.
As a result, the 6,000 soldiers of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, coupled with the various arrangements of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and Divine Dragon Fu Guang who was assuming command, were able to maintain the status quo.
However, even after so many years of slaughter, there was no sign of decline among the Black Ink Clan within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. It was truly frightening as no one knew how many of them were lurking in the area and how many Black Ink Clansmen would emerge in the end. It seemed as if they could never be eradicated.
Now, the entire outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was covered by the Black Ink Clouds formed by the Black Ink Clansmen after their deaths. If it weren’t for the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress having its own protection against the invasion of Black Ink Strength, even just dealing with that dense Black Ink Strength would be enough to give the Suppressing Black Ink Army a headache.
Yang Kai also learned from Fu Guang that a few Royal Lords inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had attempted to break out, but most had failed. The few Royal Lords who had successfully emerged all suffered serious injuries in the process, making them no match for a Divine Dragon that was lying in ambush for them.
Over the years, an impressive eight Royal Lords had died by Fu Guang’s claws.
When it came to who killed the most Royal Lords over the past thousands of years, it would undoubtedly be Fu Guang. There were precedents where Ninth-Order Old Ancestors had successfully killed Royal Lords on the Black Ink Battlefield, but no Ninth-Order Old Ancestor had ever killed as many Royal Lords cumulatively. It was just that Fu Guang’s impressive battle record was due to special circumstances, so his achievements could not be replicated.
Under Wu Kuang’s full control, the gap that was opened in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction could only allow Territory Lords to pass through safely. The same could not be said for the Royal Lords.
The only consequence of forcing their way through the gap was being injured by the Grand Restriction as well as suffering bombardment from the Suppressing Black Ink Army. Accordingly, none of the Royal Lords who charged out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction came out intact. Most of them only had 70% of their strength left, so how could they survive against a Master like Fu Guang?
Wu Kuang paid a heavy price for this feat though. Although he was now a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he needed to exert all his strength to control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. For that reason, even his cultivation had been set aside. When Yang Kai came to ask him about the situation, he only spared a few words before cutting off their contact, apparently worried that he might make a mistake that would lead to irreparable damage.
The situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was stable for the time being, so there was nothing for Yang Kai to worry about. In reality, there was nothing he could do either.
He even took the time to travel to the Chaotic Dead Territory and delivered a generous amount of Five Elements materials to Zhang Ruo Xi. Although he left some for her last time, that was only enough to last 1,000 years. Now that several hundred years had passed, she had probably exhausted most of them already.
Having not seen Ruo Xi for so many years, the increase in her strength was very obvious. Compared to when she first advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, her aura had undoubtedly become several times more substantial. The reason behind everything was the continuous refinement of her Heaven’s Order Bloodline and the increase in the heritage of her Small Universe. That was especially true for the latter reason.
Ordinary cultivators had to refine a full set of Seven Elements materials to maintain balance in their Small Universe, but Zhang Ruo Xi had the help of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, so she only needed to refine Five Elements Power while pure Yin and Yang were simply supplied directly to her. As a result, her cultivation period was reduced by some 30% compared to ordinary cultivators.
Both Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan attached great importance to Ruo Xi’s cultivation. Over the years, they had been encouraging her to cultivate the Five Elements materials without the slightest pause.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruo Xi herself had the kind of character that could endure great loneliness and hardship. Knowing that she would only shine brightly in the upcoming war if she became stronger, she had doubled her diligence over the past few years. In this way, it was only natural for her strength to grow in leaps and bounds.
In the blink of an eye, 1,000 years had passed since Yang Kai reached an agreement with Mo Na Ye to receive 30% of the cultivation resources from the Black Ink Clan.
Over the past 1,000 years, Yang Kai not only travelled to the Chaotic Dead Territory and the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but also the No-Return Pass. He had ferried the resources gained by the Human Race Masters from various places to the Supreme Headquarters, perfectly acting as a delivery man, providing the best guarantee for the cultivation of the Human Race Masters.
When Yang Kai was weak, months and years seemed like an extremely long time, but now that he was stronger, 1,000 years was nothing to be bothered about. Especially considering the war between both Races had lasted for hundreds of thousands of years
Yang Kai had not been actively cultivating over the recent years, but he would still take time to contemplate the Grand Daos of Space and Time during his downtime. Even so, he had reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
His Small Universe had been expanded to its limits and he could clearly perceive the invisible shackles surrounding it, restricting him from further improvements to his strength. These were the inherent shackles produced by the Open Heaven Realm method. Aside from the Heaven’s Order Bloodline that Zhang Ruo Xi carried, which allowed her to ignore these shackles, nobody had ever succeeded in breaking these bonds since ancient times.
Inside the Main Hall of the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye was reading various reports regarding the front lines. One of the battlefields had suffered a strong attack from the Human Race and experienced heavy losses recently, so the number of troops there needed to be replenished. The Territory Lords of another battlefield had been slaughtered, so more Masters needed to be transferred over…
Recently, he could clearly sense that the battle between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race had become more fierce. That was not just caused by the continuous development of the situation, but also the increasing number of Masters among the two Races.
After so many years, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and the Territory Lords were no longer comparable to when the invasion of the 3,000 Worlds began. The more Masters there were, the more fierce the battles became.
Mo Na Ye had a vague feeling in his heart that the current situation between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race would not last for much longer. When the Masters of both Races reached a critical number, or some external factor was triggered, the flames of war would fully erupt and engulf the entire Universe.
Mo Na Ye had been helping Royal Lord Mo Yu manage the affairs of the Black Ink Clan for many years now, so he naturally knew how to deal with the situation at hand. The only thing that troubled him was the other Pseudo-Royal Lord, Meng Que.
Ever since Meng Que advanced to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord, he had been restless and anxious, wanting nothing more than to slaughter the Human Race Masters to prove his strength. Fortunately, the Royal Lord did not allow him to act. Leaving aside their agreement with Yang Kai, it was problematic for a Pseudo-Royal Lord to appear on the battlefield. Even without the agreement, Meng Que was one of the Black Ink Clan’s hidden trump cards, so how could they reveal their hand so easily?
Slaying a small number of Human Race Masters would not affect the larger picture, so Meng Que should only reveal himself during a critical situation. It would be best if he could reverse the power balance between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race in one fell swoop, which would lay the foundation for the success of the Black Ink Clan.
Besides, Mo Na Ye suspected that there were new Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among the Human Race. Take Xiang Shan for example. It had been many years since he disappeared. Even if Meng Que made an appearance, the Humans might not be helpless against him.
Mo Na Ye had considered the best interests of the Black Ink Clan and Meng Que, but Meng Que refused to understand his kindness, becoming more and more presumptuous over the years. When the Royal Lord forbade him from leaving the No-Return Pass, Meng Que had the brilliant idea of splitting authority instead.
Therefore, Mo Na Ye couldn’t help feeling a headache. A dozen Innate Territory Lords had performed the Source Fusion Technique, so why did Meng Que have to succeed?
Mo Na Ye prided himself on being able to see the bigger picture while not being blinded by authority and power. Everything he did was for the sake of the Black Ink Clan to one day dominate the Universe; hence, he naturally refused to split his authority with Meng Que. Having handled the affairs of the Black Ink Clan for so long, Mo Na Ye knew better than anybody about the difference between one compared to two people issuing orders. Fortunately, the Royal Lord favoured Mo Na Ye. Faced with Meng Que’s many requests, Mo Yu only focused on soothing Meng Que and did not actually promise the latter anything.
It was just that Meng Que had hung around, and his nonsense was very grating on the ears. Mo Na Ye tried his best to ignore Meng Que’s rantings as he conveyed order after order, until one day, all of a sudden, wild laughter mixed with joy came from somewhere.
Inside the Main Hall, Mo Na Ye, who was processing various reports, and Meng Que, who was chattering away endlessly, couldn’t help glancing at each other. They both saw the doubts in each other’s eyes.
If their guess was correct… The laughter belonged to the Royal Lord. Moreover, the source of the laughter was the Black Ink Nest where the Royal Lord was currently inhabiting.
Mo Na Ye hurriedly stood up and rushed outside. Not to be outdone, Meng Que hurriedly followed.
The laughter was very hearty, lasting for quite a while. When the two Pseudo-Royal Lords arrived in front of the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, the Royal Lord Mo Yu’s laughter gradually subsided and a voice came from inside, “Come in!”
Mo Na Ye was about to step forward, but Meng Que deliberately took a step ahead and walked ahead of him. Used to this kind of behaviour, Mo Na Ye just quietly followed behind.
Very soon, the two Pseudo-Royal Lords stood before the Black Ink Clan’s true Royal Lord in the depths of the Black Ink Nest.
Meng Que was the first to speak, “Sir, did something joyous happen?”
Mo Yu nodded with a happy expression, “Indeed. Something joyous has occurred.”
He did not explain himself clearly. People generally became cheerful during joyous occasions, and the Black Ink Clan was no exception. Instead, he probed his two closest aides for their thoughts, “Tell me, where does this joy come from?”
Meng Que was stunned and did not know what to say in response. It was true that he was a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but he had always been known for his bad temper and straightforward temperament. Wit and intelligence were not his strong points. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then laughed in embarrassment, “Sir, this subordinate can’t think of an answer!”
“Keep thinking and speak whatever comes to mind!” Mo Yu said lightly.
Meng Que tentatively made a guess, “The Black Ink Clan enjoyed a huge victory on the front lines and slaughtered countless Human Race Masters?”
If that was the case, it made sense for the Royal Lord’s cheerful demeanour.
Mo Yu glanced at Meng Que quietly without confirming or denying the statement. Then, he glanced towards the silent Mo Na Ye, “What do you think, Mo Na Ye?”
Mo Na Ye considered the question and replied, “Has progress been made at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Mo Yu laughed, “Correct! You’re as smart as usual, Mo Na Ye. We have indeed made progress at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
Mo Na Ye smiled with pride but looked neither smug nor overly humble.
Meng Que instantly became upset and grumbled, “How did you know?”
Mo Na Ye ignored Meng Que and thought to himself scornfully, [It’s so obvious, only a fool like you would not realise the truth.]
Then, he heard the Royal Lord speaking, “Explain it to him.”
Since the Royal Lord had spoken, Mo Na Ye could only obey, “Over the years, the Royal Lord has remained quietly in the Black Ink Nest without taking a single step outside. I have been managing all the affairs of the Black Ink Clan’s war efforts. Under ordinary circumstances, I have refrained from disturbing Sir Royal Lord with matters regarding the front lines. Even if we attained a great victory on the battlefields and slaughtered countless Human Race Masters, the news would reach me first. Since I was not informed of such matters, then it must not be related to the front lines.”
“Moreover, Sir Royal Lord has always remained in contact with those in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. 1,000 years ago, Sir once mentioned that our clansmen were trying to find another gap in the Grand Restriction; hence, the reason for Sir’s joy must be thanks to good news from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.”
Meng Que frowned at the explanation. Although Mo Na Ye had explained the situation clearly, he remained unconvinced.
Mo Yu followed up, “Meng Que, you should learn more from Mo Na Ye. Strength alone is not enough against the Human Race. You need to use your wits. You know what happened to Di Wu back then. Nothing good will come from underestimating the Humans.”
Meng Que calmed down and bowed, “Meng Que will never forget your order, Sir.”
Mo Na Ye asked, “Sir, what was the news you received from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Mo Yu grinned, “A group has succeeded in sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
That was extremely sensitive and confidential information. If it were an ordinary Black Ink Clansman, then they naturally had no right to know such information; however, the ones standing here were two Pseudo-Royal Lords, which was why Mo Yu did not bother to hide anything from them.
[Our clansmen have snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?] Thousands of thoughts instantly flitted through Mo Na Ye’s mind, and he soon became overjoyed, “That is certainly something to be celebrated!”
He then paused for a moment before asking, “Sir, are there any Royal Lords among those that snuck out?
Mo Yu shook his head, “You also know the situation in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. With a Human Master overseeing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, those inside took 1,000 years just to open up a gap wide enough they could exploit. The commotion would be too large if a Royal Lord tried to sneak out and the Humans would definitely notice, so only the Innate Territory Lords managed to escape.”
Mo Na Ye instantly understood the situation. Sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had to be done stealthily so they did not expose their actions; otherwise, the Human Race Master guarding the Grand Restriction might take action and turn their clansmen’s 1,000-year effort into a waste of time.
There were many Territory Lords at present, but the number of surviving Innate Territory Lords was far from their initial numbers back then. After years of fighting, countless Innate Territory Lords had lost their lives on the battlefield. At the moment, less than 10% of the Innate Territory Lords remained compared to their peak!
On the other hand, there was no shortage of Innate Territory Lords inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If they could sneak out, then they would be a huge boost for the current Black Ink Clan.
“The number that came out is not great, but more and more will soon leave the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction,” Mo Yu added.
Mo Na Ye was a little curious and asked, “Sir, a Human Master is guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, how did our clansmen avoid detection and discovery of the gap?”
He did not doubt the ability of his clansmen in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; rather, he was worried that all of this might be part of a trap set up by the Human Race. If the Human Master knew that Black Ink Clansmen were sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he might have simply allowed it to happen after setting up some kind of ambush or counterplan.
After fighting the Human Race for so long, Mo Na Ye had gotten used to considering all possible situations.
Mo Yu glanced at Mo Na Ye approvingly, obviously aware of what the latter was worried about. He thus explained, “As I told you before, the strength of that Human Master is inferior to Cang’s. He is roughly at the level of an ordinary Ninth-Order Master at most. With his strength, he will never be as good as Cang when it comes to monitoring and controlling the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Back then, this Human was foolish enough to open a gap in the Grand Restriction to cooperate with the Human Race Army and that Divine Dragon to intercept and kill all those who rushed out of the opening. Over the past 1,000 years, that battle has never ceased, but that was intentional. Those in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction maintained this situation as, although it resulted in great casualties, it also allowed them to divert that Human Master’s focus. Several Royal Lords were even sacrificed to ensure that the enemy remained unaware of our actions.”
Mo Na Ye immediately understood. If the Human Race Master guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was completely focused on maintaining the gap he opened up, then his vigilance over the rest of the Grand Restriction would naturally weaken considerably. In this way, those inside would have the opportunity to sneak out unnoticed. After 1,000 years of hard work, they finally succeeded in their efforts.
That was definitely a great achievement; after all, they even sacrificed several Royal Lords just to keep that Human distracted… Judging by the situation, this Human’s control over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was indeed far inferior to Cang. The Humans should have no knowledge of those who had snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Mo Na Ye immediately felt relieved.
Meng Que listened by the side for some time, then he suddenly spoke up, “Sir, those that came out are unfamiliar with the world outside since they have never left the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Should I go and welcome them?”
He had remained in the No-Return Pass ever since he became a Pseudo-Royal Lord, so he was feeling extremely bored and constricted. The Royal Lord had not allowed him to fight on the front lines, but welcoming some fellow clansmen should not be a problem.
Before Mo Yu could answer, Mo Na Ye snapped decisively, “Absolutely not!”
Meng Que immediately glared at Mo Na Ye and questioned, “Why not?”
Mo Na Ye glanced at Meng Que coldly before muttering, “Yang Kai is currently loitering outside the No-Return Pass. He will definitely notice you if you leave. Once that happens, what would be the point of hiding your existence until now?”
Meng Que opened his mouth but found himself speechless to refute the statement, but that only vexed and annoyed him even more, making him wish he could punch Mo Na Ye at least once.
Mo Yu nodded, “That’s right. Meng Que, it’s not the right time for you to reveal yourself. Besides, those that escaped should not come to the No-Return Pass either…”
Mo Na Ye bowed, “You are wise, Sir. If Yang Kai notices this kind of movement, he will easily realise that something has gone wrong at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. At that time, the Human Army on that side will surely take action to intercept our clansmen or worse, fix the hidden gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The 1,000-year effort of our brethren would all be wasted at that point. Sir, I ask that you send a message to them to rest and recover at a suitable location for now. They need to stay hidden and wait until the timing is right!”
Mo Yu agreed, “Good! But, the No-Return Pass will need to send them some supplies. Most who snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction will be heavily injured, so they will need resources to heal. I will leave this matter to you.”
“Yes!” Mo Na Ye received the order and took the opportunity to obtain another miniature Black Ink Nest from the Royal Lord. Then, he used it to communicate with the clansmen living outside.
He generally acted with great caution, and considering that Yang Kai was hiding somewhere outside the No-Return Pass, monitoring the movements here, Mo Na Ye could only rely on the teams that were extracting materials outside to secretly divert some resources if he wanted to avoid arousing Yang Kai’s suspicions.
It did not take long for large amounts of resources to be sent out without notice. At the same time, several Black Ink Clansmen silently left the mining locations where the cultivation resources were being gathered and scattered in all directions across the Black Ink Battlefield.
Meanwhile, a steady stream of Territory Lords began sneaking out from inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Not only was Wu Kuang not strong enough, but he was also being distracted elsewhere; hence, it was difficult for him to detect these hidden movements of the Black Ink Clan.
The Territory Lords who snuck out had no intention of attacking the Suppressing Black Ink Army as that would be meaningless. Such actions would only alert the enemy to their presence. On the contrary, they immediately concealed their auras and took a long detour around the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to gather at designated locations under Mo Na Ye’s guidance.
To avoid the detection of the Human Race Master overseeing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, only a few Territory Lords would sneak out at a time to prevent making too large a disturbance. They basically maintained a frequency of two or three Territory Lords every month.
Additionally, the Territory Lords who snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had to pay a high price. Just as how the gap that Wu Kuang opened up could only allow Territory Lords to leave safely and any Royal Lords trying would be heavily wounded if they forcibly tried, all the Territory Lords who forcibly snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction from the hidden gap suffered injuries in varying degrees of severity.
It was precisely for this reason that Mo Yu had instructed Mo Na Ye to deliver a large amount of resources to these Territory Lords. The Innate Territory Lords from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction brought out many Black Ink Nests with them, but cultivation resources were needed to hatch these Black Ink Nests. Once the Black Ink Nests were hatched, they could enter them in order to treat their wounds while waiting for Mo Na Ye to summon them. In time, they would gather a huge force and deal a critical blow to the Human Race!
Everything took place in secret. The number of Territory Lords sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction gradually increased, but the Human Race remained unaware of the situation.
…..
Outside the No-Return Pass, a Feudal Lord was handing over 30% of the cultivation resources over the last five years to Yang Kai. Yang Kai examined the resources for a moment, then he frowned deeply, “Go back and tell Mo Na Ye… If he dares to deduct my share again, this King will take the resources myself!”
Over the past few years, Mo Na Ye had gotten bolder and bolder. The cultivation resources handed to him were reducing steadily, and the quality was not as good as before; hence, he couldn’t help becoming vigilant. What was the Black Ink Clan trying to do?
Mo Na Ye was a smart person; therefore, he should know the consequences of embezzling resources in such a bold manner. Although the Black Ink Clan had always given Yang Kai less than the agreed 30% of their gathered resources, the quantity and quality that were delivered to him at the beginning were quite generous, but both had been dropping steadily in recent years.
The Feudal Lord replied anxiously, “Yes, I will definitely deliver your message!”
“Scram!” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively. The Feudal Lord immediately transformed into a Black Ink Cloud and flew off without delay.
Looking in the direction of the No-Return Pass for a moment, Yang Kai frowned slightly. What was the meaning behind Mo Na Ye’s actions?
He did not believe that the total amount gathered by the Black Ink Clan would decrease over the years. The vast Black Ink Battlefield was an enormous treasure trove, so as long as the Black Ink Clan remained diligent, they would not lack cultivation resources.
[If the same thing happens again, I will personally take action to retrieve my rightful share!]
Turning around, Yang Kai travelled towards the depths of the void. It was already time for the 100-year meeting with Ou Yang Lie and the others.
Over the past 1,000 years, tens of thousands of Human Race cultivators had been gathering resources in the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. It was thanks to their diligent efforts that the troops on the front lines had sufficient supplies to cultivate, treat their wounds, and kill the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai repeatedly delivered the resources that were either obtained from the Black Ink Clan or gathered by the Human Race cultivators to the Supreme Headquarters. Although travelling back and forth was tiring, he was willing to make the effort; after all, he was the only person with the ability to perform this task.
Speeding towards the place where Ou Yang Lie and the others had been operating over the last 100 years, Yang Kai constantly checked for their location with his Space Beacons. After a few days, he realised that Ou Yang Lie and the others were no longer at the same location as 100 years ago.
Yang Kai was not surprised by his discovery though as it was common for them to mine out a region and then move on to the next. Over the past 1,000 years, the tens of thousands of cultivators had already relocated several times under Ou Yang Lie and the other veteran Eighth-Order Masters’ leadership.
For Yang Kai, he could easily figure out their location as long as Ou Yang Lie and the others carried Space Beacons on them. It was not as though he could not find them. Manipulating Space Principles, Yang Kai took a step forward. The world turned upside down, and he appeared next to Ou Yang Lie.
Before Yang Kai had time to greet Ou Yang Lie, he heard a voice in his ears, “Shh…”
He instinctively concealed his aura and turned to look around himself. Then, Yang Kai immediately became more confused. There was no sign of other people in the area, much less the lively scene he expected where tens of thousands of cultivators were scattered nearby to diligently mine or gather cultivation resources.
Ou Yang Lie seemed to be the only person here; nevertheless, he was acting extremely cautiously, as though he was guarding against some kind of danger.
Ou Yan Lie was currently located on a small Universe Fragment, one that was barely the size of a small mountain. Similar Universe Fragments could be found everywhere on the Black Ink Battlefield. Moreover, he was sticking close to a pit so that his body sank inside completely. Once his aura was concealed, he would not be found unless someone probed this Universe Fragment very carefully.
[What is he doing?]
“Look over there!” Standing next to Yang Kai, Ou Yang Lie sent a Divine Sense message while pointing in a certain direction.
Yang Kai turned to look where he was directed, and what entered his vision at a glance was a dead Universe World. He could not tell how long the Universe World had been dead, with its World Force long gone. Even the Universe World’s Grand Dao had collapsed and withered away for who knows how many years.
An abundance of Universe Worlds in similar conditions could be found scattered across the Black Ink Battlefield. In the distant past, these Universe Worlds might have either been prosperous or contained countless living creatures. Unfortunately, they were dead and lifeless now. For both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan, the only value left in these Universe Worlds was the opportunity to obtain various resources that remained in them.
Needless to say, what Ou Yang Lie wanted to point out to Yang Kai was not the Universe World itself but something that could be found in the Universe World instead. It turned out to be a special existence that resembled a small mountain surrounded by dense Black Ink Strength, towering several thousand metres high into the sky. The structure seemed deeply rooted in the World, almost as though integrated with the Universe World itself.
[A Black Ink Nest!?] Yang Kai’s eyes shrank at the sight.
What stood in the middle of the dead Universe World was none other than a Black Ink Nest here! Moreover, judging by the size of the Black Ink Nest and the density of the surrounding Black Ink Strength, it was at least a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, but more likely a High-Rank Black Ink Nest!
[Why is there a Black Ink Nest here!?] Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering as great confusion inadvertently flooded his heart.
Ou Yang Lie’s voice rang in his ears again, “After our most recent migration, several Eighth-Order Masters and I were investigating the surrounding vicinity when we accidentally came across this Black Ink Nest 10 years ago.”
Not knowing how many Black Ink Clansmen were hidden inside the Black Ink Nest, Ou Yang Lie and the others did not dare to expose themselves; hence, they simply decided to monitor the situation for the time being. Ou Yang Lie was tasked with waiting for Yang Kai’s arrival at this spot while the other veterans brought the resource-gathering team away from this region to continue sourcing materials from other sites.
The wait lasted 10 years; after all, it had always been Yang Kai who took the initiative to approach them while Ou Yang Lie and others had no means to communicate with Yang Kai. For that reason, Ou Yang Lie had been anxiously counting the passing days. It was truly fortunate that Yang Kai had shown up on time.
After observing the Black Ink Nest intently, Yang Kai discovered that it was most likely a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. In all likelihood, the Black Ink Nest lacked the magnificence of a true High-Rank Nest because it was not fully hatched. Furthermore, the Black Ink Strength produced by this Black Ink Nest did not radiate into the surroundings but remained condensed around it as much as possible to prevent any unnecessary waste.
Yang Kai then sent a Divine Sense message to inquire about the situation, “Senior Brother, has the Black Ink Nest been in this condition since you first discovered it?”
Ou Yang Lie gently nodded, “There have been no changes so far.”
“Did you see any Black Ink Clansmen entering or leaving?”
He shook his head, “No.”
This was very strange. Why was a suspected High-Rank Black Ink Nest located in such a remote area? Not to mention, there were no signs of Black Ink Clansmen entering or leaving the premises. Had the Black Ink Nest been abandoned by the Black Ink Clan in the past?
That did not make sense either. Black Ink Nests were special existences with extremely strong connections with each other. Even if this High-Rank Black Ink Nest had been abandoned in the past due to some unknown circumstances, the Black Ink Clan would have no trouble finding and retrieving it after so many years.
However, Ou Yang Lie had never seen a single Black Ink Clansman entering or leaving the Black Ink Nest over the past 10 years. In other words, the Black Ink Clan was aware of this Black Ink Nest’s existence but had chosen to ignore it.
It was generally impossible for Black Ink Nests to be empty. There were bound to be some Black Ink Clansmen nearby, either to guard the Black Ink Nest or to gather resources nearby. Contrary to expectations, the Black Ink Nest before them seemed to be completely empty. There was not a single soldier to be seen anywhere.
“Junior Brother, should I investigate the situation inside?” Ou Yang Lie inquired. He had long since wanted to take action, but he had not dared to act recklessly since he did not know what was lurking in this Black Ink Nest. Now that Yang Kai was here, he should have no difficulty investigating the situation inside with Yang Kai’s support.
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “I’ll go!”
Seeing as the current situation remained uncertain, they had to prepare themselves for the worst. If there was a Royal Lord inside this Black Ink Nest, Ou Yang Lie would only be courting death if he recklessly rushed forward. On the other hand, Yang Kai had enough confidence to escape even if he accidentally ran into a Royal Lord.
Ou Yang Lie nodded at those words, “In that case, I will stand by to provide support, Junior Brother!”
“Be careful, Senior Brother!” Yang Kai warned. Looking in the direction of the Black Ink Nest, he took a step forward and his figure disappeared into the Void.
Regardless of the circumstances, it was a given that they had to understand the situation inside the Black Ink Nest. Since the decision was made, then there was no need for further hesitation.
In the next moment, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly appeared above the Black Ink Nest under Ou Yang Lie’s watch. A huge and dazzling Great Sun suddenly leapt into the sky, illuminating the surrounding void in all directions. Despite standing a million kilometres away, Ou Yang Lie could clearly feel the power behind this attack.
Following the appearance of the Great Sun, the sound of a Golden Crow reverberated. The attack landed directly upon the Black Ink Nest, causing a burst of light to erupt throughout the void, illuminating it like the first rays of morning.
The several thousand-metres-tall Black Ink Nest instantly evaporated under the scorching Sun. At the same time, Ou Yang Lie sensed more than a dozen powerful auras flickering into existence from the ruins. He immediately calmed down after he determined the strength of those auras. Although the situation was bad, it was not completely helpless.
More than a dozen Territory Lords were hidden inside the Black Ink Nest, but there were no Royal Lords. With Yang Kai here, there would be no issues so long as there were no Royal Lords!
The thought had only just passed through Ou Yang Lie’s mind when the aura of a Territory Lord vanished from existence…
[How quick!]
In the blink of an eye, one of the Territory Lords died at Yang Kai’s hands. The speed left Ou Yang Lie absolutely flabbergasted. Such killing efficiency was completely beyond his means. Before he could compose himself though, he sensed the aura of another Territory Lord withering away and suddenly felt powerless in comparison. At this moment, he couldn’t tell whether Yang Kai was too strong or the Territory Lords were too weak.
Ou Yang Lie was too far away to perceive the situation clearly. In comparison, Yang Kai stood in the middle of the battlefield and understood everything at a glance.
When his Golden Crow Casts the Sun destroyed the Black Ink Nest, Yang Kai had been on guard against the possibility of a Royal Lord awakening. Fortunately, there was no Royal Lord inside this Black Ink Nest, only Territory Lords. More precisely, there were a dozen or so Innate Territory Lords.
The Golden Crow Casts the Sun was just a probe, so Yang Kai had not planned to achieve much from that attack alone, but not only was the High-Rank Black Ink Nest destroyed under the force of his Divine Manifestation, the dozen or so Territory Lords hidden inside were wounded as a result…
However, Yang Kai soon realised that something was wrong. Not all the wounds on the Territory Lords were caused by his Golden Crow Casts the Sun. Innate Territory Lords were inherently powerful, so even if they suffered injuries from this sudden attack, it did not make sense for their wounds to be so severe.
Realisation struck Yang Kai abruptly. These Innate Territory Lords… were wounded in the first place. They had been hiding inside the Black Ink Nest to recuperate from their wounds, which left them completely unguarded towards his attack earlier. Seeing as they were already injured, the impact of the Golden Crow Casts the Sun had only worsened their condition.
1,000 years ago, Yang Kai had travelled to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and encountered an Innate Territory Lord at his peak. Even then, Yang Kai had managed to kill that Territory Lord in just three moves. He had employed various tricks at the time, but from the results of that clash, Yang Kai estimated he could have slain the Innate Territory Lord within 10 moves without resorting to any deeper strategy.
Now, 1,000 years later, Yang Kai’s strength had improved significantly. At this moment, he was much stronger in terms of cultivation, physique, heritage, and his comprehension of the Grand Dao. Even if an Innate Territory Lord in his prime were to stand before him now, Yang Kai would no longer need 10 moves or special tricks to kill them. He was confident he could slaughter any Innate Territory Lord within three moves now.
Not only were these wounded Territory Lords weakened in the first place, but they were also caught off guard and thrown into confusion after the initial sneak attack. Combined with meeting a killing star like Yang Kai, they were bound to suffer a tragic fate.
Two of the Territory Lords lost their lives in the blink of an eye, and the disturbance caused by their withering auras frightened the other Territory Lords greatly. At that moment, they subconsciously assumed that the one who attacked them was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! Contrary to their expectations though, their senses told them that their assailant was only in the Eighth Order!
Was the outside world so dangerous!? Since when did Eighth-Order Human Masters become so powerful!? Wasn’t it said that Innate Territory Lords were stronger on average than Eighth-Order Masters?!
If the Territory Lords at the No-Return Pass had faced such a situation, they would have hurriedly gathered together to form Battle Formations to protect themselves. Unfortunately, these Innate Territory Lords had never learned about Battle Formations. They had also never truly fought an enemy before, so their mentality and reaction speed were abysmal. How could they come up with a suitable countermeasure in a state of panic and desperation? They simply followed their instincts and began besieging Yang Kai from all directions.
Black Ink Strength surged violently as World Force stirred turbulently. The silent void instantly became a bloody battlefield.
The spear in Yang Kai’s hand swept out as more Great Suns leapt into the sky and exploded with great force. Furthermore, various Dao Strengths wove together at the tip of his spear. Yang Kai spun an impenetrable net of death around him. The Innate Territory Lords caught in the invisible net struggled and howled like chained beasts, but ultimately, they could not escape the fate of being killed.
In the distance, Ou Yang Lie was stunned by the scene playing out before him. The rapid and consecutive withering of powerful auras left only one thought churning in his head. [How is this brat… so fierce?]
Ou Yang Lie himself was a veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but be that as it may, he felt as though he could barely compare to Yang Kai in terms of strength anymore.
[We are both at the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so why is there such a large gap between our strengths? It doesn’t make sense… It doesn’t make sense at all…]
Even if the Innate Territory Lords were wounded, they were not chickens and dogs that could be slain so easily. Faced with Yang Kai’s ruthless assault, the power behind their instinctive counterattacks was not to be underestimated.
If it was any other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, even if they managed to seize the initiative, they could not persist for so long under the fierce barrage of attacks that came from all directions if their defences were not strong enough. Unfortunately for the Territory Lords, Yang Kai was different.
Yang Kai’s Dragon Form was only one step away from breaking through to reaching the Divine Dragon Realm; hence, his physical toughness was almost unparalleled. He was perfectly capable of withstanding a few attacks from these Territory Lords that landed on him. As long as he was not subjected to this bombardment for too long, his life would not be endangered in the slightest.
Moreover, the corruption of the Black Ink Strength was completely ineffective against Yang Kai. With no fear of Black Ink Strength and equipped with impregnable defensive abilities, he only needed to bring out his strongest killing moves as quickly as possible to end the fight.
For the most part, Yang Kai traded equal blows with the Territory Lords. It was just that the outcomes for each party after receiving a blow from their opponent were distinctly different. Yang Kai suffered some shocks after being hit, suffering light injuries at most. In contrast, the Territory Lords basically died on the spot.
In less than an incense stick of time, 10 out of the dozen or so Territory Lords had been killed. It was at this moment that the remaining five Territory Lords finally realised that something was very wrong. Following a furious roar from one of the surviving Territory Lords, the five of them scattered in different directions.
This Eighth-Order Human who appeared out of nowhere was much too terrifying. He was not somebody they could defeat. Under these circumstances, they could only hope that at least one of them could escape to relay word about what happened here to the No-Return Pass!
The sudden outbreak of the battle not only destroyed the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, but also caused most of the Innate Territory Lords hiding within to be killed or injured.
The five surviving Territory Lords were shocked by the sudden turn of events and violently pushed the Black Ink Strength in their bodies, transforming into Black Ink Clouds that fled in different directions.
This Human Race Master was not somebody these wounded Territory Lords could defeat. If they continued fighting him, the only outcome waiting for them was complete annihilation.
“Solidify!” A shout reverberated through the void. The voice seemed to have a certain effect on the Space Principles of the region, causing the local space to become incredibly dense and heavy.
Like flies caught in sticky sap, the five Black Ink Clouds instantly froze in place. They fought and struggled against the restraints around them, moving forward at a snail’s pace as a sense of horror filled their eyes.
While urging his Space Principles, Yang Kai hurled the Azure Dragon Spear. Following an explosive Dragon Roar, the spear pierced through one of the Territory Lords who stood locked in place, causing him to explode into a cloud of blood mist. Then, the Azure Dragon Spear circled back and was caught firmly in the palm of Yang Kai’s hand.
A cracking sound filled the air as the local space shattered. Having realised how dire the situation was, the four remaining Territory Lords had desperately stimulated their power and broken free from Yang Kai’s Space Solidification Technique. Four Black Ink Clouds began escaping again, but most of them were coughing up blood as they tried to run; after all, they had to pay a high price to quickly break free from the restraints of space.
Only after escaping a hundred thousand kilometres in the blink of an eye did one of the Innate Territory Lords take the time to glance behind him. He could not see the Human Race Master anywhere, but before he could heave a sigh of relief, he abruptly noticed something strange ahead of himself and quickly glanced in that direction.
What entered his vision nearly frightened him to death as his mind went completely blank. A figure had mysteriously materialized right in front of him. This figure blocked his path and leisurely stabbed at him with a spear. The aura of death washed over him at that moment.
The Territory Lord let out a furious roar, and the Black Ink Strength in his body swept forward like the raging river. The immense strength of the spear stabbing forward stagnated for a moment; however, the stalemate lasted less than a breath before various mysterious Dao Strengths manifested along the length of the spear, causing the already dense murderous intent to explode violently. The defences formed from the Black Ink Strength that the Territory Lord desperately mobilized were as vulnerable as paper against this attack.
The spear thrust forward before swiftly being retracted as the burst of Black Ink Strength dissipated into nothingness. The Human Race Master was no longer standing in front of him, but the Territory Lord knew that the Human had simply gone to hunt down the rest of his clansmen.
The Territory Lord stood quietly in the void with a look of complete disbelief on his face. [How… How can a Human Master like that exist? I can’t believe he killed so many Innate Territory Lords like he was slaughtering chickens and butchering dogs! Just who is he!?]
His questions remained unanswered. In the last moments of his life, the Territory Lord detected violent energy fluctuations coming from somewhere not far from his current position. These fluctuations were obviously the final resistance of one of his companions. Immediately after that, his body exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
Faced with an undefeatable enemy like Yang Kai, dispersing and choosing to flee in different directions had been the best choice; unfortunately, against the strange and unpredictable Space Secret Technique, the Innate Territory Lords would not have had a happy ending even though there was nothing wrong with their tactics.
Yang Kai would have needed to pay a certain price to defeat all of them if they had chosen to rally together and fight to the death; however, he had no trouble killing them without receiving any damage if he was only hunting them down one by one.
A short while later, Yang Kai moved to his last target, only to see Ou Yang Lie fighting one of the Innate Territory Lords. Ou Yang Lie was bombarding the Innate Territory Lord indiscriminately as his World Force surging violently around him. Each attack landed squarely and drew blood, causing the Innate Territory Lord to retreat steadily with a despairing expression.
Out of the remaining five Territory Lords, Yang Kai had killed one on the spot and then hunted down another three. He had ignored the last remaining Territory Lord as the latter had fled in Ou Yang Lie’s direction. Yang Kai was certain that Ou Yang Lie would not ignore this Territory Lord and, sure enough, he was greeted with the scene of their battle as soon as he returned.
Ou Yang Lie had been holding back for too long. It had been over 1,000 years since Big Head Mi dispatched him to protect the resource-gathering team on the Black Ink Battlefield, before which he was essentially living an idle life for thousands of years on the Profound Nether Battlefield. Aside from relocating them from place to place, Ou Yang Lie had remained on guard duty all the time for the past 1,000 years. His days might have been leisurely, but such a boring life was nothing more than a different kind of torture for a combat veteran like himself who lived his entire life on the battlefield.
He had been yearning to return to the fight, and even if he died in battle in some remote corner of the void, it would still be better than living such a tedious and monotonous life. How could Ou Yang Lie possibly take his first battle after several thousand years casually? He was eager to vent all his frustrations that had accumulated over all these years of peace.
Not to mention, his opponent was an Innate Territory Lord. Ou Yang Lie had often suffered at the hands of Innate Territory Lords when the war was still raging in Profound Nether Territory. Every battle would leave him covered in wounds, some of which were even life-threatening. It was only thanks to his strong will and vitality that he survived for so long.
The boredom and depression that had accumulated for several thousand years could finally be released today!
Yang Kai did not step forward to provide support, but simply chose to watch quietly from the side. Under Yang Kai’s gaze, Ou Yang Lie pushed the Innate Territory Lord to the brink of despair until he turned to flee in panic, his black blood gushing out of his wounds.
At that moment, Ou Yang Lie summoned his Divine Manifestation. It was his way of paying tribute to his formidable opponent by unleashing the most ferocious move in his arsenal! The aura of the Innate Territory Lord weakened rapidly until it eventually faded into nothingness!
Ou Yang Lie stood in the void amidst the splattering black blood, enjoying the long-lost sensation of combat, burning murderous intent flooding from his body. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and roared, “Great!”
Sure enough, fighting against powerful enemies was what he desired the most!
Turning around, his gaze landed on Yang Kai’s figure. The fighting spirit that threatened to explode from within his body gradually subsided and he finally raised the question that had been bugging him for some time, “Junior Brother, were they already injured beforehand?”
If the Innate Territory Lord had been at his peak, Ou Yang Lie knew that he could not have killed his opponent with his own strength alone. During the battle, he noticed that the strength displayed by the Innate Territory Lord was seriously compromised, it was far weaker than the other Innate Territory Lords he had encountered in Profound Nether Territory. Thinking back to the battle record Yang Kai displayed earlier, it was only natural for him to come to this conclusion.
Yang Kai nodded solemnly, “They were all severely wounded.”
Ou Yang Lie had trouble understanding the situation, “How did they get hurt? Who hurt them? Besides… why were they hiding and recuperating in this random place?”
Yang Kai shook his head slowly. Although he had deliberated deeply over the matter, there were simply too many questions about this matter. Leaving aside who had harmed these Innate Territory Lords, the most important question was why they were hiding and recuperating here.
Innate Territory Lords generally preferred sleeping and recuperating from their injuries at the No-Return Pass. Not only were there many High-Rank Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass, but Royal Lord Mo Yu was also overseeing that place; hence, the security at the No-Return Pass was incomparable to this random stretch of the void.
This incident was a good example. Ou Yang Lie had accidentally discovered the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, and Yang Kai had happened to appear by his side thanks to their agreed 100-year meeting. As a consequence, 15 Innate Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest were destroyed.
Such a loss was not small even for the Black Ink Clan. The Black Ink Clan couldn’t be so careless, especially since the affairs of the Black Ink Clan were currently being managed by Mo Na Ye, who was by no means a fool.
Even ignoring all of these strange points, why would 15 injured Innate Territory Lords squeeze themselves into a single half-hatched High-Rank Black Ink Nest to recuperate from their wounds? This kind of arrangement was extremely detrimental to their recovery speed. The benefits they could obtain would be severely reduced when there were so many of them in one place after all.
“Has there been a schism in the Black Ink Clan? Is that Pseudo-Royal Lord called Mo Na Ye trying to establish his own force?” Ou Yang Lie suddenly wondered out loud. If that was the case, then it could just barely explain why these Innate Territory Lords had been hiding here.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Mo Na Ye… probably has no such intentions, or the ability, for that matter.”
Mo Na Ye was just a Pseudo-Royal Lord with a true Royal Lord like Mo Yu above him. Even if Mo Na Ye had the intention of establishing his own force, the other Innate Territory Lords would never obey him.
From Yang Kai’s long years of experience with the Black Ink Clan, it was undeniable that power struggles existed and some Black Ink Clansmen had their own agendas; however, the Black Ink Clan as a whole was extremely united against external forces. It was impossible for Mo Na Ye to do something stupid like setting up his own force.
What puzzled Yang Kai even more was the origin of these Innate Territory Lords. Where did they come from?
For the last 1,000 years, Yang Kai had more or less remained on guard outside the No-Return Pass because the Black Ink Clan was supposed to hand over part of their supplies to him at regular five-year intervals. Seeing as he generally had nothing more important to do, Yang Kai would generally use his spare time to monitor the movements of the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass.
The only times Yang Kai left his position was when he had to meet with Ou Yang Lie and the others, and he was never gone for long. Most of the time, Yang Kai left for half a month or so. The longest he was away did not exceed one month. Once the supplies were delivered to the Supreme Headquarters, he would return immediately.
During this period, Yang Kai had never detected any Innate Territory Lords leaving the No-Return Pass and venturing deep into the Black Ink Battlefield. It was too far-fetched to believe that these Territory Lords had left the No-Return Pass during his brief absences and came here to treat their wounds. The Black Ink Clan should not have the ability to monitor his movements in the first place, so they had no way of knowing when he wasn’t lurking about.
More importantly, the Black Ink Clan had no reason to do something like this. There were many High-Rank Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass, so why would these 15 Territory Lords need to hatch a new High-Rank Black Ink Nest in such a remote place? Why would they need to huddle together in such a cramped space?
[Could it be that… these Territory Lords did not come from the No-Return Pass?]
Yang Kai suddenly turned around and flew towards the dead Universe World. Ou Yang Lie did not understand the reason for Yang Kai’s actions, but he hurriedly followed along. It did not take long before the two of them came to the location where the Black Ink Nest originally stood. The area had been transformed into a large crater when Yang Kai previously unleashed the full strength of his Golden Crow Casts the Sun, disintegrating the several thousand-metre-tall Black Ink Nest and blasting away the land around it.
Floating above the crater, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense poured out like the surging tide and he soon made a discovery. With a flash of his figure, he landed at a certain spot and picked something up from the ground.
Standing beside Yang Kai, Ou Yang Lie took a look over his shoulder and made a soft exclamation, “A Seventh-Order Wood Element material… The quality is pretty good… There are more here…”
While speaking, he reached out and grabbed a stone that was the size of a head. The stone glittered with a golden light, and Metal Element Energy surged from within. It was evident that the stone was not an ordinary object.
“A Sixth-Order Metal Element material…” He frowned at the sight.
Yang Kai and Ou Yang Lie found numerous cultivation materials of different Elements in the vicinity; moreover, the quality of these materials was very high. It was clear that these cultivation materials had not come from this Universe World. On the contrary, they had been scattered from the destroyed Black Ink Nest.
These materials had probably been accumulated in the Black Ink Nest. It was just that Yang Kai had arrived before these Territory Lords had the opportunity to utilise these materials. When the Black Ink Nest was destroyed, these materials were naturally scattered in all directions.
Yang Kai and Ou Yang Lie searched the vicinity at random, but in less than half an hour, they found thousands of cultivation materials of good quality and different attributes. It had to be said that these were simply the ones that could be found in plain sight and there were bound to be more which had either been depleted or buried nearby.
Standing in the void, Yang Kai held an Earth Element material in his hand with a deep frown on his face. [How did these Territory Lords accumulate so many cultivation resources? The dozen or so Innate Territory Lords hiding here to treat their wounds did not have any Black Ink Clan troops under their command. In that case, who brought them these materials?]
He then suddenly recalled an incident that had caught his attention recently. The Black Ink Clan had been increasingly excessive in their embezzlement of cultivation resources during their delivery of supplies…
In all likelihood, the No-Return Pass knew about the existence of this High-Rank Black Ink Nest and the 15 Innate Territory Lords here and diverted resources to this place, cutting into his share…
What if the No-Return Pass was not embezzling the resources? What if the number of cultivation resources in their possession was simply that limited? If they were secretly transporting large amounts of cultivation resources away from the No-Return Pass and delivering them to the Innate Territory Lords hiding outside so that they could hatch a High-Rank Black Ink Nest and treat their wounds…
Combined with the dubious origins of these Innate Territory Lords, a certain thought caused a sudden jolt of horror in Yang Kai’s heart. He immediately turned and instructed, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, join up with the others as soon as possible. Be careful to remain in hiding until I return. More importantly, don’t act rashly even if you encounter something abnormal!”
“What did you discover?” Ou Yang Lie asked. Although he had not considered the matter as deeply as Yang Kai, he could instinctively sense that something was very wrong.
Yang Kai replied, “I’m not sure yet, but I have to investigate further.”
After saying so, he vanished from sight with a ripple of Space Principles.
On the other hand, Ou Yang Lie was left with his mouth hanging open. Swallowing the words he had not been in time to speak, he turned around and went to join the other Eighth-Order veterans on guard duty.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai flew forward at a rapid pace. There was no particular target destination in his mind, he was simply carrying out a careful and sweeping search of the general area. If his guess was correct, then the Innate Territory Lords he encountered were not the only ones hiding outside the No-Return Pass. There were likely more of them in other remote places.
The Black Ink Clan was essentially under Mo Na Ye’s command at the moment, and for that reason, Yang Kai and Mo Na Ye had interacted with each other on several occasions. While Yang Kai did not dare to claim that he had a thorough understanding of Mo Na Ye, he was not completely unfamiliar with his enemy either. Therefore, he placed himself in Mo Na Ye’s shoes and considered the matter from the latter’s perspective.
If the truth was as Yang Kai speculated, then the question was simple, what arrangements would he make for the Innate Territory Lords living outside? The answer came to him quickly. He would never allow them to return to the No-Return Pass. That was because Yang Kai was always standing guard outside the No-Return Pass. If these Territory Lords headed to the No-Return Pass, their whereabouts would definitely be exposed.
These Territory Lords with unknown origins were most likely Mo Na Ye’s hidden trump card. In that case, it was only natural to keep them as deeply hidden as possible until they could all be mobilised at a critical moment. Their sudden emergence was bound to catch the Human Race by surprise.
If that was the case, they could not be placed too near the No-Return Pass! Otherwise, their existence might be exposed. After all, Mo Na Ye could not confirm that Yang Kai would remain in the periphery of the No-Return Pass at all times. If Yang Kai was struck by an impulsive whim and arbitrarily decided to wander deeper into the Black Ink Battlefield, he might accidentally discover something.
Combining his speculations with the location of the High-Rank Black Ink Nest he destroyed earlier, Yang Kai quickly found the answer. The ruins of the Royal City of the major Theatres were located quite far from the No Return Pass, far enough that even if he wanted to take a random walk, Yang Kai would not venture this far.
In reality, there was nothing wrong with Mo Na Ye’s arrangement. What he never expected was that the Human Race had a team of tens of thousands of cultivators mining for resources in the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield, much less that Yang Kai’s considerations would coincide with his own. Yang Kai had also dispatched other Humans to search for resources beyond the ruins of the Royal Cities as he assumed it was absolutely safe from the Black Ink Clan’s patrols.
Both sides had assumed that the other would not venture so deep into the Black Ink Battlefield for no reason, so they had hidden their activities in the same place. That was how Ou Yang Lie had accidentally stumbled upon the High-Rank Black Ink Nest while investigating his surroundings! One could only sigh at the irony. It was truly an occasion befitting the saying ‘the calculations of man cannot compare to those of Heaven’.
Despite Yang Kai’s conjectures, trying to find something in the vast void was like trying to find a single shell in a vast sea. He was lucky that his Divine Sense was powerful and he could use Space Principles to rapidly move from one place to another. One month later, his efforts bore fruit.
In a dead Universe World located deep in the void, Yang Kai came across a scene similar to the one he had seen previously. A High-Rank Black Ink Nest was standing there quietly. Furthermore, the High-Rank Black Ink Nest was not fully hatched to avoid any wastage of resources or Black Ink Strength. All the Black Ink Strength was condensed around the Black Ink Nest with no sign of it spreading into the surroundings.
That was part of the countermeasures to conceal the existence of the Black Ink Nest. If the Black Ink Nest had been fully hatched, it would tower many thousands of metres into the sky and the Black Ink Strength surging from it would easily cover the entire Universe World and the surrounding space, making it very easy to spot.
On the contrary, restraining its growth and emission of Black Ink Strength could provide adequate concealment. If Yang Kai had not investigated the area carefully and simply passed by without much care, he might not have discovered the Black Ink Nest.
Thanks to his previous experience, Yang Kai did not show mercy in his actions this time around. He had not been certain whether there was a Royal Lord in the previous Black Ink Nest, so he had only used Golden Crow Casts the Sun to test the waters. This time, he did not hesitate to use his Sun and Moon Divine Seal!
The Space-Time Strength emerged as a giant seal comprised of a Crescent Moon and Great Sun slammed fiercely into the Black Ink Nest. Time and Space warped greatly at the moment of impact, seemingly shredding reality itself in the surrounding region.
Once the full power of the Sun and Moon Divine Seal dissipated, the local Time and Space began to repair itself. The enormous High-Rank Black Ink Nest disintegrated like a tower of sand, and most of the Innate Territory Lords hiding within the Black Ink Nest to recuperate from their wounds were instantly annihilated.
The Sun and Moon Divine Seal was Yang Kai’s strongest single trump card at the moment. Supplemented by his current cultivation at the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, even a Pseudo-Royal Lords like Mo Na Ye might not be able to defend against this attack, so what more need be said about a bunch of injured, defenceless Innate Territory Lords?
The Territory Lords who were lucky enough to survive this blow all suffered severe damage to their foundations. Awakening from their deep slumber, they looked absolutely terrified and barely had any time to understand the situation before they were massacred.
The slaughter this time around went much faster than before, with the main reason being that the power of Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Seal was much higher than his Golden Crow Casts the Sun. Many of the Territory Lords were slain before they even caught a glimpse of their attacker, while those who survived were left on the verge of death. The entire process took no more than several dozen breaths of time.
As Yang Kai retrieved the Azure Dragon Spear, there was not a single living being left in his surroundings; however, he did not show the slightest joy on his face. Instead, his expression was extremely solemn.
Compared to finding another High-Rank Black Ink Nest after just one month, he would rather have spent several years searching with no results. If that were the case, then it would have meant that his speculations were wrong and the situation faced by the Human Race would not worsen much further. Unfortunately, looking at the current situation… everything seemed to be heading in the worst direction!
To obtain results in just one month… could not be just because he had been lucky or his search efforts had been careful enough. Looking at the situation from the most obvious perspective, this meant that many Territory Lords were living outside the No-Return Pass. It was precisely because their numbers were so high that Yang Kai was easily able to find them. If he continued his search, Yang Kai was certain he would find even more Black Ink Nests filled with Territory Lords.
[We’re in big trouble!]
It turned out that Wu Kuang was unreliable after all; however, it was not entirely his fault either. Although Wu Kuang was the reincarnation of Shi, who had the qualifications to control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, his cultivation was limited. It was only natural that Wu Kuang could not control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction as well as Cang.
Yang Kai pondered for a while before activating Space Principles and returning along the same route he came with the help of the Space Beacons that he had hidden. It had taken him a month to arrive at this spot, but it only took him a few hours to return and successfully meet up with Ou Yang Lie and the others.
Faced with the inquiring gazes of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai did not know how to explain the situation; thus, he decided not to say anything. He simply opened his mouth and declared, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, please accompany me back to the Supreme Headquarters!”
Ou Yang Lie was startled, but he quickly responded, “Good!”
Yang Kai glanced at the other veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and spoke to them urgently, “Be sure to remain hidden as much as possible during this period. Many Territory Lords are wandering around, though most of them should be recuperating in deep slumber. As long as you remain cautious, you should be safe.”
The rest of the veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters nodded in response.
They could not deny that the safest solution at the moment was to send the mining teams back to safety; however, the Human Race needed supplies to maintain the war effort. If the cultivators here were sent back now, then there would be one less channel for the Human Race to obtain supplies in the future. It might not affect them in the short term, but it would be very unfavourable to them in the long term. After all, the resources mined by this team here on the Black Ink Battlefield made up a considerable fraction of the Human Race’s consumption over the past 1,000 years.
Therefore, Yang Kai could only leave them in place despite knowing that it was dangerous. He could only hope that they were careful enough to prevent being discovered by the Innate Territory Lords; otherwise, not many of the tens of thousands of cultivators here would survive the ordeal.
After issuing these instructions, Yang Kai immediately wrapped his power around Ou Yang Lie and connected his mind to the World Tree. The whole world turned upside down, and their field of vision shifted. Under the guidance of a mysterious power, the pair arrived at the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
It was Ou Yang Lie’s first time visiting the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but he was in no mood to be curious about his surroundings. He only spared a quick glance at the Old Tree before him in amazement before he questioned solemnly, “Junior Brother, what happened?”
Yang Kai explained, “Something has probably gone wrong at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Many Innate Territory Lords have somehow managed to escape.”
Ou Yang Lie’s expression changed drastically, “Are you referring to the ones we encountered previously?”
Yang Kai nodded.
Ou Yang Lie finally understood the situation, “No wonder they did not head to the No-Return Pass. They were afraid of being discovered by you.”
If Yang Kai had not been lurking around the No-Return Pass, then these wounded Innate Territory Lords would not have remained drifting outside. More than a dozen Territory Lords couldn’t remain crowded in a High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
“Do you have any idea how many more Territory Lords are out there?” Ou Yang Lie probed further.
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s hard to say for certain, but their numbers are definitely low.”
Ou Yang Lie had discovered the first High-Rank Black Ink Nest 10 years ago. Considering the effort required for the Territory Lords to sneak out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it was most likely that the problems at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction started many decades ago. Who knew how many Innate Territory Lords had escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction over a period of decades?
There was a reason why Yang Kai had associated the presence of the Territory Lords with a problem at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. When Yang Kai had previously sent the Suppressing Black Ink Army to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he had personally witnessed a Royal Lord breaking through the gap opened by Wu Kuang.
Fortunately, the gap opened by Wu Kuang only allowed Territory Lords to enter and exit freely while a Royal Lord would need to pay a high price to force their way through the gap.
Consequently, the Royal Lord had been covered in wounds even though he managed to emerge from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. That Royal Lord’s strength had been greatly reduced as a result, allowing Fu Guang to swiftly defeat and execute him.
The Innate Territory Lords whom they encountered previously had all been seriously injured, which was certainly thought-provoking. Their conditions were exactly the same as the Royal Lord whom Yang Kai had met in the past, allowing him to make the association.
According to Yang Kai’s speculation, the Black Ink Clan in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction were shielded from the outside world, the Innate Territory Lords were incapable of escaping from it unnoticed without paying a heavy cost. Every Territory Lord would suffer deep wounds when they escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and for that reason, the No-Return Pass had gone to special lengths to deliver cultivation resources to them, so that they could rest and recuperate until they were needed in the future!
If Ou Yang Lie had not discovered this issue by chance, the Black Ink Clan would have gathered a massive group of powerful Innate Territory Lords over hundreds or even thousands of years. These Innate Territory Lords would have been enough to alter the situation on the battlefield, and there was a high possibility that they would become a force that would eventually crush the Human Race.
“Senior Brother Ou Yang, I need you to return to the Supreme Headquarters. Contact Senior Brother Mi and inform him about the situation here so that the Human Race can come up with the appropriate countermeasures as soon as possible.”
“Understood.” Ou Yang Lie nodded solemnly, knowing the importance of the matter. The Black Ink Clan had secretly pulled this trick, so if the Human Race did not take the necessary countermeasures immediately, they would likely suffer terrible consequences.
“Also…” Yang Kai thought of something and added, “In the near future, there may be a large number of Pseudo-Royal Lords emerging from the Black Ink Clan. Tell Senior Brother Mi to take more precautions!”
Ou Yang Lie couldn’t help shivering at those words. It was only natural that he was aware of the existence of Pseudo-Royal Lords. Purely in terms of depth of cultivation, there was not much difference between a Pseudo-Royal Lord and a true Royal Lord, what was different was their control over their power. The power of a Pseudo-Royal Lord did not come from years of accumulation and cultivation, so even if they had the same power as a true Royal Lord, they could not exert it properly.
Be that as it may, a Pseudo-Royal Lord was not an opponent an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could confront. If it was just as Yang Kai had said, and a large batch of Pseudo-Royal Lords appeared among the Black Ink Clan… What would happen to the Human Race?
Yang Kai’s warning did not come from being an alarmist. On the contrary, his warning had come from the insight that he gained from his understanding of Mo Na Ye’s thought process.
There was no denying that Mo Na Ye was a ruthless and efficient character. He had hidden many Innate Territory Lords in the depths of Black Ink Battlefield and provided them with cultivation resources to heal their wounds. At the same time, he was also prepared to sacrifice them at any moment so that they could join forces to create new Pseudo-Royal Lords.
Yang Kai had successively destroyed two High-Rank Black Ink Nests, both of which contained more than a dozen Innate Territory Lords recuperating inside. Their numbers were essentially equal, so it was obvious that the entire arrangement was not a coincidence but an intentional arrangement on the part of the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai had yet to figure out how the Black Ink Clan precisely created a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but according to the limited information that he possessed, it required the sacrifice of at least 12 Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. The two High-Rank Black Ink Nests that he destroyed earlier met those conditions; therefore, the Black Ink Clan could implement their plans to create Pseudo-Royal Lords at a moment’s notice.
More than a dozen wounded Innate Territory Lords could easily be killed by a sneak attack from Yang Kai, but dealing with even a single Pseudo-Royal Lord would be extremely difficult. That was the difference between quantity and quality.
The Human Race needed to take precautions against such a possible future!
After sending Ou Yang Lie away, Yang Kai did not remain idle. He threw himself into the World Fruit corresponding to the Universe World that he deliberately left outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Borrowing the power of the World Tree, the space around him warped and the aura of the World washed over him before he emerged outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction in the blink of an eye.
When Yang Kai reappeared again, he immediately detected a powerful Divine Sense reaching towards him from afar. It was none other than Fu Guang, who was in charge of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. After confirming Yang Kai’s identity, he stopped paying attention to him and focused his vigilance on the movements of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Yang Kai nodded in that direction as a greeting before quickly concealing his aura and staring up at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Not much had changed since the last time he came to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The Black Ink Clan Army kept rushing out of the gap that Wu Kuang had opened in the past, while the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress maintained its efforts to wipe out this Black Ink Clan Army. Several Black Ink Clansmen would successfully emerge from the gap from time to time, only for the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Suppressing Black Ink Army to step forward to confront them.
The battle was extremely intense, but be that as it may, the Suppressing Black Ink Army was capable of handling it. They barely even suffered any casualties over the years, with the only real loss being the heavy consumption of cultivation resources.
Yang Kai was starting to understand the whole situation now.
Previously, this whole scenario had confused him; after all, the Black Ink Clan knew the consequences of forcing their way through the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The only consequence waiting for them was death, but if that was the case, why would they continue attacking without fear?
The Black Ink Clan might have held onto the hope of escaping the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for the first few months, or even years; however, 1,000 years had passed yet no progress had been made. How could the Black Ink Clan fail to see the situation clearly after so many years of failure? No matter how foolish the Black Ink Clan might be, they must have been able to understand how much the Human Race had ground down their strength. Even so, the Black Ink Clan had stubbornly chosen to continue their confrontation with the Suppressing Black Ink Army…
Now, it was apparent that they were not stupid, but instead had other plans! The battle at the gap was nothing more than a distraction!
Thanks to the intense battle at the opening, they not only drew the attention of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, but also Fu Guang. Even Wu Kuang, who controlled the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, was preoccupied with the battle. It was something that Yang Kai had noticed during one of his previous times here. All of Wu Kuang’s energy and focus had been devoted to maintaining control over the opening, so much so that he did not even have the time or mood to speak with Yang Kai.
In this way, the Black Ink Clan had secretly opened a passage for Innate Territory Lords to escape at a location where Fu Guang and Wu Kuang would not notice. Fortunately, even though this passage existed, the Territory Lords still had to pay a huge price to escape the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction by force!
[Where is it?] Yang Kai swept his gaze around, his thoughts spinning wildly in his head…
The person the Black Ink Clan was most concerned about here was probably Wu Kuang as he was the one who controlled the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Their efforts over the years would all be in vain once Wu Kuang noticed the slightest abnormality; therefore, the spot they chose to make a second opening had to be somewhere Wu Kuang would not investigate for no reason.
Yang Kai immediately turned and looked in the exact opposite direction of the gap. Under the urging of Space Principles, Yang Kai’s figure seemed to completely melt into the Void.
Inside the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Fu Guang frowned slightly. Yang Kai had not only arrived silently but also deliberately concealed both his aura and his whereabouts. Those were clear signs that something was not right. Although he did not know the specifics of Yang Kai’s actions, he instinctively sensed that something major must have happened.
The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction covered an extremely large area. It was the Grand Restriction that the 10 Martial Ancestors had joined forces to create and the land where Mo came into existence. Even its true body had been sealed within this place. Furthermore, Mo had produced countless Black Ink Clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. One could only imagine the vastness of the land.
With it being so vast, it was indeed difficult for Wu Kuang to conduct comprehensive monitoring when most of his attention had to be focused on a single spot. What’s more, he mentioned something 1,000 years ago. The Grand Restriction was too ancient, so flaws had naturally developed in it.
When Wu Kuang took the initiative to open the gap, it probably caused tremors throughout the entire Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, which the Black Ink Clan probably found a way to exploit.
Half a month later, Yang Kai had silently swept about half of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Unfortunately, he did not discover any abnormalities during his comprehensive search. He did not relax his guard though, for if the anomaly could be found so easily, Wu Kuang would not have been kept in the dark for so long.
Suppressing his impatience, Yang Kai wandered back and forth without aim. A few more days passed before he suddenly detected a strange energy fluctuation coming from a certain spot in the void.
Since he happened to be in the vicinity at the time, he hastily rushed over to investigate the situation. From what Yang Kai could see, there seemed to be a black lump that wriggled vigorously like a living creature in the deep and endless darkness.
The black lump was gradually squeezing its way out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. It did not take long before the black lump broke free. When the pitch-black darkness melted away, a figure was revealed, one of an Innate Territory Lord.
The Innate Territory Lord immediately concealed his aura as much as possible. As he had just escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, his wounds were severe and he did not dare to stay for long, quickly turning in a certain direction to flee.
Yang Kai worked hard to suppress his killing intent. After the Territory Lord gained some distance, he sent a Divine Sense message to Wu Kuang before silently stalking his prey.
Half a day later, the Territory Lord stopped somewhere in the void. His Divine Sense surged as though communicating with someone, then he swiftly travelled in a certain direction. He arrived at an asteroid after some time, where six other Territory Lords had gathered together, each one of them looking extremely weak and tired.
When the Territory Lord arrived at the meeting spot, he finally burst out into happy laughter, “I’m finally out!”
Anybody would be ecstatic to escape from the prison they had been confined to since the beginning of their life. Likewise, the other Territory Lords could not hide their joy either, smiling as they exchanged a few happy words.
Nevertheless, they soon focused their attention, with one of the Territory Lords saying, “We need to wait for a few more of us to come out. Once 15 have gathered here, we will set off for our destination.”
The Territory Lord who arrived last immediately became a little impatient, “Why do we have to wait until 15 of us have gathered here? Won’t we have to wait for a long time, then?”
The Territory Lord who spoke earlier answered, “That’s what the No-Return Pass has arranged for us. We simply need to follow our orders.”
The Territory Lord who came last couldn’t help feeling frustrated, but there was nothing he could do, so he just complained bitterly, “There is neither a Black Ink Nest nor Black Ink Strength here, so we are unable to treat our wounds. Don’t you think just waiting here without doing anything is a waste?”
“The No-Return Pass has already arranged everything for us, so we only need to arrive at the designated place on time. At that point, we will receive everything we could possibly need.”
“I guess that’s our only option!” He sighed heavily.
“I’m afraid you won’t be receiving anything ever again!” A deep voice suddenly sounded behind them. The Territory Lords were stunned for a moment before they all stood up and looked in the direction the voice came from. However, all that entered their vision was a torrential storm of spear shadows.
If it was said that Yang Kai had expended some effort to destroy the Innate Territory Lords hidden within the two High-Rank Black Ink Nests, then slaughtering the Territory Lords gathered here was practically effortless.
The Territory Lords inside the Black Ink Nests had been recuperating for some time, so they had recovered some of their strength. In comparison, these Territory Lords had just escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and each one of them had severely damaged their foundations, so the strength they could exert was less than 30% of their maximum.
Besides, there were only seven Territory Lords here.
After the storm of spear shadows subsided, four out of the seven Territory Lords died on the spot. Among the remaining three Territory Lords, one retaliated in fury while the others immediately chose to flee. Be that as it may, their efforts were futile and it was not long before the auras of all seven Territory Lords were completely annihilated.
Yang Kai frowned and picked up an object from the corpse of a dead Territory Lord. It was a Black Ink Nest the size of a palm, which seemed like it had just been conceived but not yet hatched. If his guess was correct, it was most likely a High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
If everything had gone smoothly, these Territory Lords would have brought this High-Rank Black Ink Nest to a hidden location where they would receive a batch of resources from the No-Return Pass to hatch the Black Ink Nest. After that, they would enter the Black Ink Nest to recuperate from their injuries in deep slumber.
Given the network formed between Black Ink Nests, Yang Kai had the vague suspicion that these Territory Lords could use the Black Ink Nest in their possession to communicate with the No-Return Pass directly.
Holding the miniature Black Ink Nest in the palm of his hand, Yang Kai debated for a long time, but in the end, he abandoned the idea of using it to spy on the Black Ink Clan’s communications.
Turning around, he headed towards the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction instead. He did not head towards the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress but the hole in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and then he concealed himself in the void.
After communicating with Wu Kuang via Divine Sense, he learned that there had been no abnormalities in this area during this period. Thus, Yang Kai settled in and quietly laid in ambush. The same scene as the one he witnessed before finally occurred again 10 days later.
A small dark mass wriggled cautiously in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, employing unknown means to forcibly squeeze its way out. As the darkness burst and dissipated, the figure of an Innate Territory Lord was revealed. The Innate Territory Lord did not linger for long and quickly travelled in the same direction as the Territory Lord from before.
Yang Kai silently followed. Under normal circumstances, he would not have been able to avoid the perception of an Innate Territory Lord from such a close range, especially when the Innate Territory Lord was being extremely vigilant of his surroundings. It was just that this Territory Lord was suffering from such severe wounds that even his senses had become blurry.
Yang Kai followed the Innate Territory Lord in secret until they were far enough from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for it to be impossible for someone to notice them. Only then did he make his move and slaughtered the Innate Territory Lord on the spot.
The Innate Territory Lord was most likely trying to meet up with the previous seven Innate Territory Lords; unfortunately for him, those seven Innate Territory Lords had already been annihilated by Yang Kai, so how could he find them?
In this way, Yang Kai consecutively slaughtered five Territory Lords before he finally stopped two months later.
The situation was dire indeed. There was a reason why Yang Kai did not ask Wu Kuang to repair the gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction immediately and instead chose to monitor the situation in secret. He had wanted to learn how frequently the Territory Lords were escaping from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
The results he obtained were both shocking and horrifying! On average, there were two to three Innate Territory Lords escaping per month. If five Innate Territory Lords escaped every two months, then that would mean as many as 30 of them escaped in a year!
According to Yang Kai’s previous estimate, the problem at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction probably started several dozen years ago. A conservative estimate would be 30 years ago. If 30 Innate Territory Lords escaped in a year, that would mean that nearly 1,000 Innate Territory Lords had escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction over the past 30 years. 1,000 Territory Lords was an astounding number, what more if they were all Innate Territory Lords.
Yang Kai felt his heart grow heavy at the realization that his previous speculations were correct. The reason he found the second hidden High-Rank Black Ink Nest so easily was not because he was lucky, but because the Black Ink Clan had many other secret Black Ink Nests scattered across the Black Ink Battlefield.
“It’s a minor issue, so repairing it won’t be difficult. I will also be more careful in the future.” Wu Kuang responded via Divine Sense, but his tone sounded slightly gloomy; after all, nobody would be happy to learn that the Black Ink Clan had been playing tricks right under their nose.
When Wu Kuang claimed that it was a minor issue, he was not referring to the Innate Territory Lords who escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, only the weak spot that the Black Ink Clan had been exploiting. It was his failure to monitor that particular location that allowed the Black Ink Clan to take advantage of his negligence. Now that he discovered the issue, he only needed to make some slight adjustments to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to repair the weakness.
“Please do, if something like this happens again, the Human Race will be doomed,” Yang Kai warned. Although the current situation was not optimistic, the Black Ink Clan did not hold an absolute advantage in the war yet. Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling relieved that Ou Yang Lie had accidentally stumbled upon that High-Rank Black Ink Nest; otherwise, the Human Race would be at risk of extinction if the Black Ink Clan had successfully continued their plans for a few hundred years.
Wu Kuang seemed embarrassed, but did not say anything. He was clearly devoting himself to repairing the flaw in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and it really did not take much effort for him to patch the weak spot.
A moment later, the Human Race Masters in charge of monitoring the movement of the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress exclaimed in astonishment as though discovering something strange.
The sounds of battle that had rung out incessantly for the past 1,000 years were showing gradual signs of subsiding. Even the Innate Territory Lords, who were fighting the Suppressing Black Ink Army Masters on the battlefield after escaping from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, were starting to retreat and return to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction via the gap.
Half a day later, the Suppressing Black Ink Army Masters stood on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and stared blankly at the empty void in front of them.
The battlefield that had been plagued with bloodshed for the past 1,000 years was finally ushering in a rare moment of peace. No other Black Ink Clansmen were charging out from the gap, only countless severed limbs and bits of hashed meat leftover from dead Black Ink Clansmen, along with dense Black Ink Clouds that seemed like they would never dissipate.
Cheers started from a certain location and soon spread throughout the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress like a tidal wave. The soldiers rejoiced, their shouts of ‘Victory!’ ringing out across the void. The volume of their cheers nearly threatened to turn the entire universe upside-down.
The soldiers at the lower ranks seemed to believe that they finally won the battle after 1,000 years. They were certain that the Black Ink Clan in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had realised the strength of the Human Race Army and no longer dared to rear their heads again so easily.
On the other hand, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters frowned deeply. They initially took the initiative to open a gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction so that they could lure the Black Ink Clan into attacking. Their actions were a measure to reduce the pressure on the next generation; therefore, the sudden withdrawal of the Black Ink Clan could not be considered a good thing.
Nevertheless, the Suppressing Black Ink Army was indeed in need of some rest after enduring 1,000 years of constant battle. The current situation was an acceptable outcome for them.
Only Yang Kai, who was hiding in the shadows, secretly heaved a sigh of relief. The weak spot in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction that the Black Ink Clan found had been repaired by Wu Kuang. The Black Ink Clan no longer had a reason to sacrifice themselves on the battlefield to draw Wu Kuang’s attention, so they naturally stopped dispatching their soldiers to the battlefield.
Taking into consideration that Wu Kuang had repaired the weak spot in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and Yang Kai had slaughtered so many Innate Territory Lords recently, there was a high possibility that their actions had already alerted the enemy. Mo Na Ye was not such an easy opponent after all.
[I have to move faster!]
After communicating with Fu Guang and Wu Kuang via Divine Sense transmission, Yang Kai connected his mind to the World Tree once more and returned to the Star Boundary via the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
From there, Yang Kai did not pause for a single moment. Exiting High Heaven Territory, he detoured through the Great Territory where the Supreme Headquarters was located and snuck past a battlefield in a certain Great Territory. Then, he travelled directly in the direction of Black Territory. When he arrived at Black Territory, he passed through a secret Void Corridor and finally arrived at the Blue Sky Theatre.
No matter how fast Yang Kai was though, this journey took a whole month despite him pushing his Space Principles to the extreme. As soon as he arrived on the Black Ink Battlefield, he made some arrangements before beginning a search for traces of the hidden High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
It was a fact that many Innate Territory Lords had escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. That was not a reality that could be changed. Furthermore, the Black Ink Clan had tried to hide these Territory Lords so that they could heal peacefully.
At this point, Yang Kai could only attempt to locate and annihilate these Territory Lords before the Black Ink Clan could take preventive measures! While he would not be able to annihilate many with his strength alone, he could only do his utmost best to kill as many of them as possible.
Thanks to his past two experiences, Yang Kai had gotten better at searching for the High-Rank Black Ink Nests that were hidden in the depths of the void. His search was no longer as aimless as before.
Another month later, Mo Na Ye stood inside the Main Hall at the No-Return Pass and studied the miniature Black Ink Nest in front of him with a deep scowl. The Black Ink Nest came from Mo Yu and was something the Royal Lord had personally given to him so that he could communicate with the clansmen in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
For some reason, he had been having trouble establishing contact with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction since about two months ago. He had not paid much attention to the issue at the beginning as it was not the first time such difficulties occurred.
There were many occasions when he had trouble transmitting or receiving information effectively. Most of the time, he couldn’t even connect to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. That was why he had not thought much about the issue and had just assumed that it was nothing more than a normal phenomenon.
However, two whole months had passed since he last received any message from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, which was beginning to arouse his suspicions.
Had something gone wrong on the other side?
That was not impossible.
Those in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been very careful up until now to ensure that the Human Masters guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction did not notice anything unusual. However, there was always a risk of exposure with their clansmen sneaking out at regular intervals. The hole in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was bound to be repaired once discovered, in which case, the Territory Lords would never succeed in sneaking out again.
Unable to be certain, Mo Na Ye did not try to contact the clansmen in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction again. On the contrary, he tried to contact the last batch of Territory Lords who escaped from the Grand Restriction.
According to his instructions, the Territory Lords who snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction would form groups of 14 or 15, with one among them being in charge of carrying a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. Once they had gathered enough people, they would set off together and head towards the location Mo Na Ye designated to receive the cultivation resources from the No-Return Pass. After that, they would search for a suitable hiding spot to hatch their Black Ink Nest so that they could enter it and begin healing.
Over the past several dozen years, everything had been going smoothly. As many as 60 batches of hidden Territory Lords had now scattered across the Black Ink Battlefield. An estimation of the time indicated that the last batch of Territory Lords who escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction should have completed their numbers and set off.
Mo Na Ye focused his mind on the Black Ink Nest before him, but the strange space inside of its consciousness was empty, with not a single figure in sight. Mo Na Ye was the only person here, and as his Divine Sense surged, the space vibrated slightly.
Although the connection between Black Ink Nests was extremely strong, they could not connect with a specific Black Ink Nest directly. If Mo Na Ye wanted to contact a specific group of Territory Lords, then he could only send out a general message and wait for them to respond.
At the same time, Yang Kai stood in the void as murderous intent surged around him. The spear in his hand contained many Dao Strengths interweaving with each other. Numerous Innate Territory Lords had died at his hands, and the High-Rank Black Ink Nest where the Territory Lords were hiding had been destroyed earlier.
There were 15 Territory Lords as usual, the number not any different from the two batches he annihilated previously. This only made him increasingly certain that Mo Na Ye intended to use these Territory Lords to create Pseudo-Royal Lords. Unfortunately for Mo Na Ye, Yang Kai had eliminated three of these Nests before the plan could be implemented.
It was not an intense battle. Under the premise that Yang Kai had launched a sneak attack, these wounded Innate Territory Lords had almost no power to resist, and when the dust settled, Black Ink Strength scattered wildly across the void. There was not a single living creature around him as he calmed the surging World Force in his body, then he reached into his pocket and took out the small Black Ink Nest that he obtained previously. The Black Ink Nest was trembling slightly as if conveying some sort of message!
This Black Ink Nest had been brought out from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction by the Black Ink Clan. Its first purpose was to contact the No-Return Pass, and the second was to hatch into a place where the Territory Lords could rest and treat their wounds after they received the necessary cultivation resources. Seeing as the Black Ink Nest was vibrating, the No-Return Pass must be trying to make contact.
Yang Kai was tempted to attempt communication in order to gain enemy intelligence; however, he decided to give up on the idea after he weighed the risks. What if the person trying to make contact from the No-Return Pass was Mo Na Ye himself? It would be very difficult for him to fool Mo Na Ye; after all, he had to immerse his consciousness into the Black Ink Nest to communicate through the Black Ink Nest. With Mo Na Ye’s caution, Yang Kai would not be able to hide the truth from him if they were to confront each other directly.
In the end, Yang Kai could only choose to ignore the Black Ink Nest. His choice might arouse Mo Na Ye’s suspicions, but the truth would not be exposed immediately; therefore, this was the best way to buy a little more time.
Yang Kai put the Black Ink Nest away and resumed his search for the Black Ink Nests hidden by the Black Ink Clan. Time was running out, and the days when he could effortlessly massacre Territory Lords were dwindling rapidly.
Back at the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye waited for four whole hours but did not receive a response, his expression darkening as time passed. He had the vague feeling that their movements at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been discovered.
If that was the case, then the last batch of Territory Lords who escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had probably suffered at the hands of the Human Race Masters. Likewise, the Black Ink Nest in their possession had probably fallen into the hands of the Humans, which would explain why there was no response from them.
He did not believe that those Territory Lords could survive as the price they had to pay to sneak out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was too high. If the Humans prepared themselves in advance, then killing heavily wounded Territory Lords would not take much effort.
Although Mo Na Ye had anticipated the current situation, he couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the day had arrived so quickly. He had hoped that many more Territory Lords would be able to sneak out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction before they were exposed.
At that moment, Yang Kai abruptly came to mind. If the matter at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been exposed, then the entire Human Race would probably soon be aware of everything, and it would not be long before Yang Kai learned about this.
[No… He might already know about this matter. He has always been capable of travelling back and forth without any trace thanks to his mastery over the Dao of Space. Who knows whether he has recently been to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?]
Yang Kai was cunning and highly intelligent. If he learned about the matter at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he would most likely realise that Mo Na Ye was the secret mastermind behind the scenes.
Mo Na Ye’s expression stiffened before he immediately took out the communication bead that could be used to contact Yang Kai and tentatively sent a message through it, “Brother Yang, are you there?”
Throughout his entire life, Mo Na Ye had never known how torturous waiting could be. He simply wanted to use this method to determine Yang Kai’s approximate distance. As for Yang Kai’s exact position, it was impossible to determine.
If his message could not be delivered, then it would mean that there was a vast distance between them and it would also indicate that Yang Kai was not outside the No-Return Pass. Seeing as Yang Kai had always remained nearby these past 1,000 years, it would be a sure sign that something was wrong if he was not here now.
On the other hand, if the message was successfully delivered, then everything was still alright. It meant that Yang Kai remained hidden outside the No-Return Pass, monitoring the movements here. That was the outcome that Mo Na Ye was hoping to see the most.
Therefore, Mo Na Ye was happy to see the communication bead in his palm vibrate slightly. That was an indicator that the message had been transmitted to the other party. In other words, it meant that Yang Kai was not too far from him.
However, there was no response from the other party. Mo Na Ye waited for a long time, but in the end, he could not stand the wait and sent out another message.
Approximately 12 million kilometres away from the No-Return Pass, a young man sat curled up inside a large Universe Fragment. He was trying his hardest to conceal his aura so that he did not expose himself in the slightest; furthermore, he held a small communication bead tightly in his hand. His attention was focused to the extreme.
In terms of cultivation, he was only at the peak of the Emperor Realm. He had condensed his Dao Seal and could advance to the Open Heaven Realm at any time. Not to mention, the cultivation resources used to condense his Dao Seal were of the Sixth Order. In other words, he was a candidate who could advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
At this moment, the communication bead in his hand was vibrating slightly. He was astonished for a moment, but he quickly realised that the situation described by the Dao Lord was happening. Somebody was trying to contact the Dao Lord!
The young man, known as Sun Zhao, couldn’t help recalling the incident that had taken place one month ago.
At the time, he had been cultivating in retreat inside the Void Dao Temple when he suddenly noticed something strange. By the time he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in this spot. More importantly, the appearance of the person standing before him made a wave of excitement flood his entire being.
It was none other than the Dao Lord himself! He only had time to express his admiration and respect for the Dao Lord before he received an important task! He was to conceal his aura, remain hidden at this spot, and watch over the communication bead!
The Dao Lord’s instructions were given in an incredibly grave manner. He claimed that this matter was not only very important, but also related to the survival of the Human Race. Then, he instructed Sun Zhao to remain hidden without exposing his whereabouts.
The pressure was overwhelming to Sun Zhao. He was just an Emperor Realm Master from the Void Dao Temple who had yet to advance to the Open Heaven Realm. How could he suddenly bear the heavy responsibility of performing a task related to the survival of the Human Race out of nowhere? Nevertheless, he was personally given this mission by the Dao Lord himself, so how could he dare to be careless? He immediately nodded and agreed to the task.
A month had passed since then. Now that the communication bead was vibrating lightly in his hand, he desperately thought back to the Dao Lord’s instructions.
“If nobody tries to contact me, then just do nothing. If somebody tries to contact me, ignore the message during the first and second attempts. Wait until the third time before you respond!”
“How should this disciple answer? Also, who is the person sending the messages?” he asked humbly.
“How you answer is up to your discretion. Just adapt to the circumstances. As for the person sending the messages, it’s just a nobody who is not worthy of notice.”
Sun Zhao was pensive but still nodded, “This disciple understands.”
Gathering his wandering thoughts, Sun Zhao checked the message in the communication bead. He glanced at the words ‘Brother Yang, are you there?’ and snorted lightly. [Just who does this unworthy person think he is!? How dare he call the Dao Lord ‘Brother’? He sure does not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth!]
By the Dao Lord’s instructions, he ignored the message!
A short while later, another message was delivered to the communication bead, “Brother Yang, I have something to discuss with you!”
[How dare he call the Dao Lord ‘Brother’ again!? What a shameless person!] Despite insulting the other party in his heart, Sun Zhao strictly followed Yang Kai’s instructions and ignored the message. He had a vague feeling in his heart that the person sending these messages was a shameless individual. [No wonder the Dao Lord is unwilling to speak to him.]
Soon, the third message came, “Brother Yang, it’s urgent! Please respond!”
Once was fine, twice was acceptable, but thrice was the limit. This person had been harassing the Dao Lord over and over again. It was simply unbearable.
Sun Zhao was tempted to scold and reprimand the other party, and the urge nearly overwhelmed him, but he hesitated to act. Although the Dao Lord had asked him to respond accordingly, he was worried that responding rashly would discredit the Dao Lord’s reputation instead. That was not what a disciple should do.
[I must put myself in the Dao Lord’s shoes. If an unworthy person that I don’t like keeps harassing me, how would I reply…]
The perfect idea soon came to him.
Inside the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye had no idea why Yang Kai was ignoring him. Although he could be certain that Yang Kai’s communication bead was near the No-Return Pass, he could not determine whether Yang Kai himself was there. There was no saying whether Yang Kai had randomly placed the communication bead somewhere nearby to create the illusion that he was constantly monitoring the situation from the outside.
That was why Mo Na Ye had persistently sent three messages in a row just to confirm that there was indeed somebody on the other end of the communication bead. Fortunately, his hard work paid off.
After three inquiries, the communication bead in his hand finally vibrated in response. He quickly checked the message with a slight frown. There were only two sentences in the communication bead; moreover, the message was simple and clear. It was truly in line with Yang Kai’s straightforward style, “In retreat. Do not disturb!”
[I can’t believe he is cultivating in retreat outside of the No-Return Pass! Does he have no respect for the Black Ink Clan at all!?]
Although the response annoyed Mo Na Ye, he was satisfied to confirm that Yang Kai remained outside the No-Return Pass and not too far away either. He had been worried that Yang Kai might have ventured deep into the Black Ink Battlefield to investigate his secret plans. If that were the case, then the heavily wounded Territory Lords would not be able to defend themselves from this killing star.
Now that most of his worries had been laid to rest, Mo Na Ye couldn’t help lamenting that the secret at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been exposed. Nevertheless, he had to develop countermeasures to protect the Territory Lords in advance; after all, there was an elite Human Race Army and the Divine Dragon, Fu Guan, stationed outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Not to mention, even if Yang Kai was ignorant about the situation now, it would only be a matter of time before he found out. Once Yang Kai learned about these plans the various arrangements that Mo Na Ye prepared outside would no longer be sufficient.
[I need to figure out a way to lure Yang Kai away so that the Territory Lords living outside can sneak over to the No-Return Pass.]
Mo Na Ye had not allowed the Territory Lords into the No-Return Pass for fear that Yang Kai would discover their presence, which would in turn affect the situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Now that the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction plot was exposed, he had to figure out a solution to protect the Territory Lords who had already snuck out. Mo Na Ye had to settle this matter as soon as possible. It could not be delayed any further.
Despite pondering deeply, he could not come up with a good solution. The greatest issue was that the Black Ink Clan could not grasp Yang Kai’s movements at all. It was impossible for Yang Kai to constantly remain outside the No-Return Pass throughout the past 1,000 years; however, the Black Ink Clan remained clueless concerning his movements. They did not know when he would leave or when he would return.
[There might be a chance after each delivery of resources…] After all, there was no doubt that Yang Kai demanded the cultivation resources from the Black Ink Clan for the sake of the Human Race.
While mulling over these matters, Mo Na Ye suddenly froze up. He vaguely sensed that he had overlooked an important point. Standing stiff in place, he urged the wheels in his head to spin faster. It did not take long before sweat beaded his forehead! He finally realised what he had overlooked previously! He had been considering matters from a positive perspective, but he had forgotten that not everything would go as he wished!
It was highly likely that what happened at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been exposed and the last batch of Territory Lords to escape were dead. That was why he lost communication with the clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and why he could not contact the last batch of Territory Lords either.
All his considerations earlier had been based on the assumption that Yang Kai remained ignorant about the matters at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, [But, what if Yang Kai knew all along…]
It was impossible to confirm that Yang Kai was in the vicinity with just the communication bead and the simple message. Yang Kai could have asked somebody else to disguise themselves as him and respond to the messages on his behalf; after all, the messages in the communication bead did not contain any trace of his aura. There were no means to prove a person’s identity through these messages.
The sweat beading on Mo Na Ye’s forehead increased significantly. At this rate, things could be heading in the worst possible direction. Therefore, he did not dare to hesitate. Taking out the small Black Ink Nest again, he immersed his consciousness into the Black Ink Nest Space and shook it far more violently than before! He had to contact the sleeping Territory Lords and confirm their safety!
The main reason Mo Na Ye had not taken action previously was so that he did not interfere with the healing process of the Territory Lords; however, interrupting their healing was nothing compared to the dangers of the current situation.
The Black Ink Nest Space continued to vibrate, sending urgent signals to the outside world. Consequently, the Territory Lords who were sleeping and healing inside the incompletely hatched High-Rank Black Ink Nests across the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield were startled awake.
It did not take long before figures began to appear in the Black Ink Nest Space, each one representing one of the High-Rank Black Ink Nests. Although these Territory Lords who had been disturbed from their healing process were not in a good mood, they did not dare to express their dissatisfaction in front of a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Mo Na Ye. Hence, they simply stood there respectfully and waited quietly.
Mo Na Ye kept counting the number of consciousnesses who arrived until no other figures appeared. In the end, though, there were four fewer presences than there should have been!
Mo Na Ye’s complexion went pale as he realized that no matter how cautious he had been, he was still one step behind the enemy. The four missing figures in the Black Ink Nest Space meant that four High-Rank Black Ink Nests had been destroyed! Needless to say, the Territory Lords treating their wounds inside those High-Rank Black Ink Nests were bound to have suffered tragic fates.
That was nearly 60 Innate Territory Lords! A massive loss!
Calculating the position and distance between the four High-Rank Black Ink Nests, Mo Na Ye immediately concluded that Yang Kai was the assailant as only he could cross the space between those four High-Rank Black Ink Nests in such a short time or destroy the Black Ink Nests and slaughter those Territory Lords with such efficiency!
[The message transmitted to the communication bead earlier was definitely not sent by Yang Kai himself! That bastard tricked me! He considered everything and even took countermeasures based on how I would react! Hateful!]
“Sir, did something happen?” One of the Innate Territory Lords raised the question after noticing the strange expression on Mo Na Ye’s face.
Mo Na Ye quickly composed himself and replied, “You don’t need to hide anymore. Head to the No-Return Pass as quickly as possible. We will make arrangements to receive you. If you meet a Human Master along the way… Do not fight him. He is very strong and possesses numerous dangerous methods. He is not somebody you can defeat.”
The expressions of the Territory Lords stiffened in shock at those words. Just what kind of Human Race Master could frighten a Pseudo-Royal Lord so badly?
Another Innate Territory Lord thus asked, “Sir, what should we do if we encounter this person?”
Mo Na Ye answered decisively, “Scatter and flee so that as many of you can escape as possible.”
“What about the Black Ink Nests?” Yet another Territory Lord inquired.
If they were going to escape, then it was only natural for them to abandon the Black Ink Nests. Unfortunately, High-Rank Black Ink Nests were extremely important and valuable to the Black Ink Clan. They were also the highest quality Black Ink Nests produced directly in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Every High-Rank Black Ink Nest contained a trace of the Supreme One’s Source Strength. Even Mo Na Ye could not bring himself to abandon them so easily.
After a moment of deep contemplation, Mo Na Ye made his decision, “Bring the Black Ink Nests with you, but if the situation turns disadvantageous, abandon them immediately! Now go!”
Mo Na Ye gave a wave of his hand, and the Territory Lords departed. It did not take long before numerous Territory Lords flew out from the High-Rank Black Ink Nests scattered across the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. With a surge of Black Ink Strength, they retrieved the Black Ink Nests before they began rushing towards the No-Return Pass from all directions.
Inside the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye personally took action and headed out to meet the Territory Lords. Many powerful Innate Territory Lords also formed Four Symbols and Five Elements Formations as they began spreading out.
Almost all of the Territory Lords in the No-Return Pass were dispatched, leaving only Royal Lord Mo Yu and Pseudo-Royal Lord Meng Que, with a dozen or so Territory Lords in charge of arranging and activating the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array at any moment just in case Yang Kai decided to attack.
Inside a certain Universe Fragment, the hidden Sun Zhao could not help trembling in fear as he detected many overwhelming auras approaching from afar and then speeding into the distance quickly. Instinctively, he knew that the movements of these Masters were related to the Dao Lord. Although he wanted to send a message to warn the Dao Lord, he had neither the power nor the means to take such action. The only thing he could do was pray for the Dao Lord’s safety in secret.
Deep in the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai stood in the middle of some ruins. He had just discovered yet another High-Rank Black Ink Nest and annihilated all the Territory Lords hidden within.
This was the second High-Rank Black Ink Nest that he destroyed since he returned from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Combined with the previous two Black Ink Nests, a total of four had been destroyed by him. He had slaughtered nearly 60 Innate Territory Lords by this point.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai did not show the slightest hint of joy. His achievements only revealed just how many of the Black Ink Clan’s hidden forces were scattered around the Black Ink Battlefield. He had to find as many hidden Territory Lords and Black Ink Nests as he could before the No-Return Pass realised what was happening and took countermeasures.
Taking out the small Black Ink Nest that he obtained outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai frowned slightly. The small Black Ink Nest had started to vibrate once more when he was killing the Territory Lords earlier; furthermore, the vibrations were much stronger than previously.
Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering what the Black Ink Clan was trying to accomplish. The Black Ink Nest had fallen silent by now, but he did not dare to pour his Divine Sense into it to investigate, lest he expose himself.
Turning to look in the direction of the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai wondered whether that brat called Sun Zhao was safe. The urgency of the situation and the lack of suitable helpers left Yang Kai with no other options at the time. He was forced to randomly choose a disciple from the Void Dao Temple to hide outside the No-Return Pass and hold the communication bead on his behalf. In this way, he could create the illusion that he was still there to confuse Mo Na Ye and buy himself some more time.
Putting the miniature Black Ink Nest away, Yang Kai embarked on his bloody journey to search for Black Ink Nests once more. Time was running out, so he continuously activated Space Principles, causing his figure to flicker across the void erratically. Thanks to his previous experiences, Yang Kai had gained some understanding regarding where Mo Na Ye had positioned these High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Several days later, Yang Kai was passing by a dead Universe World when he suddenly turned around and landed at a certain spot, looking around with a slight frown as soon as he touched the ground. There were strong traces of the Black Ink Strength remaining in this area, which was rather abnormal. Moreover, traces were indicating that something had once been attached to the ground. Judging by the size, the object was not small.
[A Black Ink Nest!] It would seem that there used to be a High-Rank Black Ink Nest here; however, the Black Ink Clan had used various means to remove it. That was why there were hints of the Black Ink Strength lingering in the area and traces of something being attached here.
Recalling how the small Black Ink Nest he obtained previously had vibrated strongly, Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing. [Mo Na Ye, that bastard! Does he have a dog’s nose? How does he have such a keen sense of smell!? I’ve only destroyed four Black Ink Nests so far! How did he notice so quickly?]
There was no way the Black Ink Nest positioned here would be removed for no reason, not unless there was an order from the higher-ups of the Black Ink Clan. Seeing as Mo Na Ye was currently in charge of all the Black Ink Clan’s affairs, the order could only have come from him.
It would seem that Yang Kai’s precautions were not enough to fool Mo Na Ye. There was no room for carelessness in a battle of wits against an enemy like Mo Na Ye. If even the slightest flaw existed, the other party would eventually deduce the truth from the various insignificant clues. Nevertheless, Yang Kai did not expect this moment to arrive so soon even though he had mentally prepared himself for this situation when Wu Kuang repaired the flaw in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
After a brief pause, Yang Kai soared into the sky and rushed in the direction of the No-Return Pass.
The Territory Lords who escaped out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction previously had hidden themselves outside the No-Return Pass under Mo Na Ye’s orders. The reason for this was simple; Mo Na Ye did not wish for their presence to be exposed because he planned on catching the Human Race by surprise at a critical moment in the war. Now that these Territory Lords’ presence had been exposed though, it was only natural for Mo Na Ye to prioritise their safety. From his point of view, the best solution to the current situation was for them to head towards the No-Return Pass immediately.
Yang Kai knew that he could not intercept all of the Territory Lords. That was an unrealistic notion. Be that as it may, he could put his best effort into hunting down as many of them as possible as they gathered towards the No-Return Pass. In doing so, he could relieve some of the pressure that the Human Race would face in the future.
[I still have a chance…]
Not only were the Territory Lords heavily wounded, but they were also carrying the half-hatched High-Rank Black Ink Nests with them. In terms of speed, it was impossible for them to compete with Yang Kai who was proficient in the Dao of Space.
Furthermore, Mo Na Ye had placed them far away from the No-Return Pass to prevent these Territory Lords and Black Ink Nests from being discovered by Yang Kai. These positions were generally located beyond the ruins of previous Royal Cities scattered throughout various Theatres; hence, the distance between these positions and the No-Return Pass was extremely vast.
When Yang Kai travelled from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass under Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s orders, it took him more than a year without using Space Secret Techniques. Comparatively, the ruins of previous Royal Cities were located far beyond each Great Pass, which would add several more months of travel to a journey.
Even if these Territory Lords could move faster than the Yang Kai of the past, they were destined to spend at least half a year to arrive at the No-Return Pass. That would allow Yang Kai to ambush them.
Half a day later, Yang Kai spotted a cloud of dense Black Ink Strength in the distance. With time being of the essence, Yang Kai did not bother to conceal his arrival. In any case, the murderous intent wrapped around him during the chase could not be hidden.
At the same time that Yang Kai sensed this group of Territory Lords, the Territory Lords also discovered his presence. Their Divine Senses surged as they quickly communicated among themselves.
“Is that an Eighth-Order Human?”
“Yes, it’s an Eighth-Order Human Master!”
“Split up and flee!”
“Why are we fleeing? It’s just an Eighth-Order Human!”
“But, Sir Mo Na Ye ordered us to split up and flee if we encountered a Human Race Master!”
“Sir Mo Na Ye was probably referring to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. This guy is just an Eighth-Order…”
“He’s already here! How is he so fast?!”
…..
The endlessly surging Divine Senses froze at that moment as a Full Moon rose alongside a Great Sun into the void. At the same time, Time and Space became chaotic in the local area. The Territory Lords felt their perceptions becoming completely disrupted as a result. In the next moment, the wounded Territory Lords were horrified to discover that they could neither speak nor move. Not only did the space around them become extremely warped, but they couldn’t even perceive the passage of time properly…
Naturally, they were terrified. It was only at this moment that they understood the warning Mo Na Ye gave them. If they encountered a Human Race Master, they absolutely should not try to fight. On the contrary, they should immediately split up and escape so that as many of them could flee as possible. This person’s methods were strange indeed, far beyond their ability to comprehend.
The Territory Lord who previously looked down on the approaching Human for only being in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm was filled with a deep sense of regret. He initially thought that killing an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master when there were so many Innate Territory Lords on their side would be effortless even if they were wounded; however, it only took a single breath for him to become the fish on the chopping block instead.
He was secretly resentful that Mo Na Ye had not given them a more detailed explanation. As a result, he had mistakenly assumed that Mo Na Ye was warning them that a Ninth-Order Master was prowling around and thus stupidly underestimated the Eighth-Order Human before him.
The power of the Sun and Moon Divine Seal exploded as both Time and Space in the vast void were stretched and distorted wildly. It felt like there was an invisible millstone of Space-Time Strength grinding everything to dust.