The Black Ink Clan’s method of classification was different from that of the Human Race. The Human Race had distinct names for each cultivation Realm, and although the Black Ink Clan’s classification was also based on strength, the divisions below the Feudal Lords were quite rough and broad.
For instance, the Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen included all the Black Ink Clansmen who were equivalent to Open Heaven Realm Humans at or below the Third-Order. High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen corresponded to Humans from the Fourth Order to the Sixth-Order. Only when they became Feudal Lords would they be differentiated separately, which corresponded to the Human’s Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Territory Lords were equivalent to the Eighth-Order, and Royal Lords to the Ninth Order.
As Black Ink Clansmen below the Low-Rank, they were all just lumped together as Black Ink Serfs! Generally speaking, such Black Ink Clansmen were just born recently from Black Ink Nests and had not had much time for growth. In every battle between the Human Race and Black Ink Clan, these Serfs were basically just sent out to die. They were the Black Ink Clan’s cannon fodder, and their deaths would consume the strength of the Human Race while spreading Black Ink Strength to create an advantageous environment for the main Black Ink Clan Army.
Li Wu Yi had no idea how strong the Black Ink Clan Army of 10 million that had rushed over from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was; after all, he couldn’t get too close to investigate, but from the information he had gathered, the overall strength of this Black Ink Clan Army was probably the strongest that the Human Race had ever seen, because he could clearly feel terrifying auras coming from within this Army, even from such a huge distance.
This was undoubtedly the auras of the Pseudo-Royal Lords!
“Is there a Royal Lord?” Yang Kai asked via Divine Sense.
Li Wu Yi shook his head, “I’m not sure.”
Because the Pseudo-Royal Lords couldn’t control their own strength, they couldn’t restrain their auras. Royal Lords, on the other hand, could do precisely that. So, even if there were Royal Lords in the midst of this Army, Li Wu Yi wouldn’t be able to detect them.
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai suggested, “You stay here, I’ll go take a look.”
Li Wu Yi immediately nodded, “Be careful.”
He was well aware of Yang Kai’s capabilities, so there was nothing to worry about. In addition, with the help of Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, it could be said that no one was more suited for scouting than Yang Kai.
The next moment, Yang Kai activated Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, concealing his figure and aura as he flew towards the rapidly advancing Black Ink Army.
Even from afar, this surging Black Ink Army was extremely vast, and after approaching it, one could further feel its oppressiveness.
A moment later, Yang Kai arrived near the Black Ink Clan Army, closing to a distance of just 1 million kilometres away. This was quite close, but also had a decent safety margin.
Before confirming whether there was a Royal Lord present in this Black Ink Clan Army or not, this was already the limit. If Yang Kai moved any closer, even with the support of Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, he might arouse the Black Ink Clan’s suspicion.
The billowing Black Ink Tide rapidly flowed across Yang Kai’s field of vision, and upon closely investigating, Yang Kai was secretly shocked.
From a distance, Yang Kai only knew that there were many Pseudo-Royal Lords in this Army, but it was difficult to estimate exactly how many there were. However, Yang Kai could clearly feel them at such a close distance.
There were almost 300 Pseudo-Royal Lords!
An Army of 10 million with 300 Pseudo-Royal Lords, such a lineup was comparable to the entire Black Ink Clan in the 3,000 Worlds when it was at its peak!
Not only were there Pseudo-Royal Lords, but there were also quite a lot of Innate Territory Lords and even ordinary Territory Lords, as well as an astonishing number of Feudal Lords.
Yang Kai didn’t find a single Low-Rank Black Ink Clansman. Even the weakest soldiers here were High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen!
This discovery made his heart a little heavy.
The Black Ink Clan Army in front of them could only be described as an elite force, the most powerful Army the Human Race had ever encountered.
Even the Black Ink Clan Army currently defending the No-Return Pass was inferior to this Army.
[Are there any true Royal Lords?] Yang Kai continued to observe. The reason he had personally come here to investigate was to find out about this matter as it was of utmost importance to the future of the Human Race!
Although the auras radiating from the Pseudo-Royal Lords were almost the same as those of the real Royal Lords, if one observed carefully enough, they would still be able to distinguish the two.
The auras of the Pseudo-Royal Lords and the Royal Lords were almost the same in terms of the strength, but the Pseudo-Royal Lord’s auras fluctuated quite a lot, unlike true Royal Lords.
Someone like Yang Kai, who often dealt with Royal Lords and Pseudo-Royal Lords, could tell the difference at a glance.
Maintaining a distance of 1 million kilometres, Yang Kai kept pace with the huge Black Ink Clan Army while constantly observing.
It took about half a day for Yang Kai to finally conclude his observation.
He did not find any trace of a true Royal Lord.
Still not at ease, Yang Kai closed the distance between himself and the Black Ink Clan Army and deliberately released a trace of his aura, ensuring that even if a Royal Lord noticed it, he could immediately conceal himself again.
After a while, Yang Kai finally relaxed.
He could conclude that there were no Royal Lords in this Black Ink Clan Army, allowing him to breathe a long sigh of relief.
From the looks of it, the situation was not as bad as he had thought. The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had not completely collapsed.
If the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been completely broken, the Black Ink Clan would not be sending Pseudo-Royal Lords, but true Royal Lords!
The fact that there wasn’t a single true Royal Lord amongst the Black Ink Clan Army of 10 million here was incontrovertible proof of this
Be that as it may, it was an undeniable fact that there must be something wrong with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, something similar to when the Innate Territory Lords had escaped last time but on a much bigger scale…
Looking at the massive Black Ink Cloud passing by, Yang Kai suppressed the murderous intent in his heart and quietly withdrew.
Although he could launch an attack right now and catch this Black Ink Clan Army off guard, he was still just one man. Even if the nearby Li Wu Yi and the others of the Void Guard came to support him, they would not be able to do much damage to this force.
Furthermore, once Yang Kai made a move here, word would definitely spread to the No-Return Pass. At that time, the Human Race would lose the intelligence advantage of having discovered the Black Ink Clan reinforcements.
The Black Ink Clan reinforcements would take at least 10 years to reach the No-Return Pass, so there was no need to disturb them yet.
Returning to Li Wu Yi’s side, Yang Kai ordered, “Setting up the Space Array is temporarily postponed. The Void Guard’s new mission is to monitor the movements of these Black Ink Clan reinforcements.”
“Yes!” Li Wu Yi replied solemnly.
“Also, leave a few people here to continue monitoring this place.”
Li Wu Yi quickly understood Yang Kai’s worries, “Are you worried that there are other Black Ink Clan reinforcements on their way?”
Right now, the Human Race had only discovered one batch of Black Ink Clan reinforcements, but no one could guarantee that there wouldn’t be more. Leaving behind some people here to monitor was a necessity to not be caught off-guard.
Yang Kai agreed with a nod, “That’s right, other than that… I need you to go to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and investigate the situation there.”
If possible, Yang Kai wanted to personally investigate the situation, but even though the Void Guard had already travelled about 75% of the way there, they were still quite far from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Even with Yang Kai’s top speed, a round trip would probably require several months.
The battle in the No-Return Pass was still ongoing. Mi Jing Lun could still cover his disappearance if it was limited to a few days, so he had some time to return yet, but a few months would be too long. It was hard to say if Mo Na Ye wouldn’t be able to guess some things if that much time elapsed with no sign of Yang Kai showing up.
If it was just a few days, even someone as smart and shrewd as Mo Na Ye might not be able to imagine that Yang Kai had run to this position and met the Black Ink Clan reinforcements.
After all, the existence of the Void Guard was a secret to the Black Ink Clan.
“Understood,” Li Wu Yi nodded.
“Be extremely careful on the way there,” Yang Kai exhorted.
Li Wu Yi lightly chuckled, “Although your current cultivation is higher than mine, I’ve lived longer than you. Don’t underestimate me.”
Yang Kai was speechless, “I don’t mean that.”
“I know,” Li Wu Yi casually smiled, “Then I’ll take my leave first.”
Saying so, he activated his own Instantaneous Movement Technique and disappeared.
After Li Wu Yi left, Yang Kai gave a few more instructions to the remaining Void Guard before returning to the nearest Universe Temple.
The Void Guard there promptly came to greet him, after which Yang Kai informed them of their new mission which they all accepted in unison.
After everything was settled, Yang Kai used the Space Array to teleport back to the No-Return Pass.
The battle was still raging at the No-Return Pass as Mo Na Ye was paying close attention to every subtle change in the battlefield as lingering doubts built up in his heart.
The Human Race had launched an attack on the No-Return Pass just four months after their previous assault, which had broken their established pattern greatly. He was unable to figure out what the Human Race was up to, but judging by the current situation, everything was proceeding normally.
The Human Race was attacking the No-Return Pass as usual, and the Black Ink Clan was defending as usual, just like the previous several battles. However, Mo Na Ye always had a nagging feeling that a layer of fog was clouding his vision, and behind this fog was a truth he couldn’t figure out. Nonetheless, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t dispel this fog.
The reason behind this was the lack of information. The Human Race had already sighted the Black Ink Clan reinforcements and the Void Guard were now closely monitoring them. The Black Ink Clan, on the other hand, believed that they had hidden themselves well. Even if Mo Na Ye was incredibly shrewd, it would have never occurred to him that the Human Race would actually have a special organization like the Void Guard that was setting up Space Arrays leading to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction since 10 years ago.
It would also not have occurred to him that the Human Race had launched the seventh attack only because Mi Jing Lun wanted to get Yang Kai’s attention to warn him of the Void Guard’s discovery. There was simply no other hidden meaning behind it.
Mo Na Ye’s thoughts were clouded by first impressions. From beginning to end, he believed that the Human Race was up to something, so the more he thought about it, the more he spiralled in worry rather than simply assuming the simplest answer was the correct one.
The only thing he got right was that it must have something to do with Yang Kai.
Because after this battle had begun, Yang Kai disappeared without a trace after killing his way out of the No-Return Pass. At first, many of the Pseudo-Royal Lords were still on guard against Yang Kai’s sneak attacks, but since then the latter never appeared even when many good opportunities had appeared.
The Black Ink Clan had no idea where he had gone!
Mo Na Ye had also been paying close attention to the situation at Pure Yang Pass. In the past, whenever there was a big battle, Yang Kai would run over to Mi Jing Lun’s side and communicate with him, but this time, even that did not happen…
Of course, if Yang Kai was intentionally hiding, Mo Na Ye would not be able to find his trace from such a distance.
But Yang Kai was still nowhere to be seen even after several days of fighting.
[What is he doing?] From Mo Na Ye’s point of view, the more he could not spot Yang Kai, the more suspicious things became.
At this time, Yang Kai had already returned to Pure Yang Pass after a series of Space Array teleportations.
Hiding near Mi Jing Lun, Yang Kai began to give him a summary of what he had discovered on this trip and his own conjectures.
Mi Jing Lun’s expression became extremely solemn after hearing Yang Kai’s account of the situation.
According to the information Yang Kai had gathered, once the elite Black Ink Clan reinforcements reached the battlefield and coordinated with the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass, the Human Race Army would not be able to resist. If the Black Ink Clan attacked the Human Race from two sides at that time, the Human Race would neither be able to advance or retreat.
Fortunately, the reinforcements were still far off and would take a decade or so to reach this place at their current pace.
What made Mi Jing Lun even happier was the absence of true Royal Lords in the Black Ink Clan reinforcements. In light of this, Yang Kai’s speculation that the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction hadn’t completely collapsed must be correct.
But that begged the question, how much longer could the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction remain standing…
Originally, the assault on the No-Return Pass was going quite well, but at this moment, Mi Jing Lun could feel a dark storm brewing on the horizon.
Rubbing his forehead, Mi Jing Lun asked, “Junior Brother, what are your thoughts?”
Yang Kai looked towards the frontline that kept being pushed by both sides before slowly speaking his thoughts, “We have to end this battle as soon as possible!”
Mi Jing Lun’s brow couldn’t help but furrow as he muttered, “But… many people will die.”
Yang Kai looked down, “The longer this battle drags on, the greater the hidden dangers of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction will become. Moreover, the number of deaths over these years… has already reached an astonishing number, hasn’t it?”
Mi Jing Lun remained silent. He was well aware of the current circumstances, and what the most sensible decision was; nonetheless, he still felt reluctant to give the order because he knew that once he did, many soldiers would have to pay for it with their lives.
As the saying goes, there is no place for kindness in leading an Army. Mi Jing Lun knew he was not a benevolent person. Over the years, there had been many instances where he had no choice but to issue cruel and merciless orders, but if not for those orders, the Human Race would not be able to create the greatest results with the least cost. Every soldier who had died on the battlefield had died a worthy death.
As the Supreme Commander of the Army who was ultimately responsible for issuing orders, Mi Jing Lun always felt guilty towards these dead soldiers, but he never felt guilt towards the Human Race as a whole.
But the current situation was different.
If he issued this order, millions of brave Human soldiers would surely die!
That was an enormous number! The weight of this was so heavy that even someone like Mi Jing Lun found it difficult to bear.
However, the Source of the Black Ink Clan disaster was not the No-Return Pass, but the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!
Although the Human Race could maintain this kind of offence and take down the No-Return Pass in a decade or so with only minimal sacrifices, who could say that nothing would happen to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction within those 10 years?
If something irreversible happened at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction over the next decade, even if the Human Race managed to capture the No-Return Pass, it would prove meaningless. At that time, the losses would be even greater.
Mi Jing Lun clearly understood all of this, but… he could not get over the fact that all they needed was another 10 years.
The war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had raged for millions of years. Compared to that, 10 years was a blink of an eye; however, at this critical juncture, 10 years became an unbearable delay.
Even Mi Jing Lun, who had always appeared as a cultured and scholarly gentleman in front of the world, couldn’t help but curse in his heart to alleviate his frustration.
Right now, the only silver lining for the Human Race Army was that the Black Ink Clan had been greatly weakened after having fought six battles over the past decade. Not to mention anything else, just the number of Pseudo-Royal Lords who had fallen in this decade had already crossed the 100 mark, while the number of Feudal Lords and Territory Lords who had perished was many times that number.
The main reason for this was because the Black Ink Clan had suffered massive casualties in the first two battles. In the later battles, the Black Ink Clan had always been on defence, so their losses weren’t as significant, but they still suffered some.
As such, if the Human Race really decided to launch an all-out attack, throwing all caution to the wind, it shouldn’t be a problem to take down the No-Return Pass.
“How do we deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods?” Mi Jing Lun asked, suppressing his chaotic thoughts.
If they wanted to occupy the No-Return Pass, they would ultimately have to confront the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods; they could not avoid this hurdle. During these past 10 years, whether it was the Human Race or the Black Ink Clan, both sides had never fully committed their forces to the battle, always holding back their trump cards.
The Black Ink Clan needed to stall for time for their reinforcements to arrive. The Human Race, on the other hand, wanted to minimize their casualties as much as possible, but at the same time, they didn’t want to expand the scale of the battle to the point where the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods would be dragged in. With their mutual interest aligned, the strongest Masters acted with restraint.
Because of their geographical advantage, the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods would occasionally provide timely but limited assistance to the Black Ink Clan. Ah Da and Ah Er, on the other hand, simply watched from across the Territory Gate.
“I’ll cooperate with Ah Da and Ah Er. I can’t say that I can kill them, but it’s possible to pin them down,” Yang Kai replied.
Mi Jing Lun nodded his acknowledgement upon hearing this. If Yang Kai really managed to accomplish this feat, the Human Race’s casualties would be significantly reduced. After the Humans had routed the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass, they could easily take care of the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods.
“Senior Brother… have you made your decision?” Yang Kai asked.
Mi Jing Lun stared at the battlefield for a long time before aguishly lamenting, “How did things develop to this point?”
Yang Kai remained silent.
A moment later, Mi Jing Lun stated in a grim and heavy voice, “Now that it has come to this, we can only go all out!”
Fortunately, he had not remained idle and unprepared these years. In a battle, a qualified commander could anticipate all scenarios and make preparations for every contingency.
Of course, Mi Jing Lun had never expected reinforcements to be on their way from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so he had devised what to do if the Human Race was forced to take down the No-Return Pass in a short time.
Having been forced to this step, all he needed to do was to put the appropriate strategy into action. Of course, just because Mi Jing Lun had planned for this, didn’t mean things would go as he anticipated.
No one had expected that the curtains to the final battle of the Human Race’s attack on the No-Return Pass would open this way!
Yang Kai stated, “Since that’s the case, I will go and try to eliminate as many Pseudo-Royal Lords as possible. Senior Brother, please give the order!”
Mi Jing Lun imperceptibly nodded his affirmation.
The next moment, Yang Kai’s aura vanished, whereupon Mi Jing Lun raised his hand slightly. The messenger standing behind him instantly stepped forward and respectfully greeted, “Supreme Commander Mi!”
Mi Jing Lun’s low voice rang out, “Relay my Orders to all Armies…”
The messenger’s expression became serious as perked up his ears, attentively listening; however, Mi Jing Lun remained silent for a long time before the messenger finally heard Mi Jing Lun’s firm and determined voice, “Prepare to storm the No-Return Pass!”
As one of Mi Jing Lun’s trusted aides who had been following him all this time, the messenger naturally understood what this order meant. His expression immediately became stern, and although he was filled with shock, he didn’t hesitate to relay this order to every Commander on the battlefield.
As a qualified messenger, he didn’t need to question the decisions of the Supreme Commander, he just needed to convey the orders he was given without error…
Having finished relaying Mi Jing Lun’s order, the Seventh-Order messenger raised his head and looked towards the battlefield. The next thing reflected in his eyes was the Human Race Warships nimbly shuttling back and forth on the battlefield, as well as a sky alight with the brilliance of various Secret Techniques and artifacts.
He cupped his fists and requested in an earnest voice, “Supreme Commander Mi, I want to participate in the battle!”
All this time, he had been responsible for relaying Mi Jing Lun’s orders. He witnessed with his eyes the Human Race’s soldiers desperately fighting on the battlefield because of the orders he had passed down. He had witnessed the death of so many; too many to keep count of, but was powerless to do anything about it.
He also knew that their deaths had nothing to do with him. He was just a messenger. He was only relaying Supreme Commander Mi’s orders. As for the ensuing casualties and consequences of the orders, it was totally unrelated to him.
Be that as it may, not everything in this world could be convinced with logic, such as… the Human heart.
On the eve of the worst battle to have been fought in history, the messenger decided to follow his heart and make his request to the Supreme Commander.
Mi Jing Lun didn’t even turn his head, and only spewed a single word, “Granted!”
The messenger bowed in gratitude.
Within the walls of the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye was observing the battlefield with a furrow on his brow. His powerful cultivation and vast Divine Sense allowed him to clearly perceive the situation of the entire battlefield with a single flash of thought. He had seldom left the No-Return Pass to join the fighting over the years, but it was thanks to his leadership that the Black Ink Clan Army had managed to repel the Human Race at the smallest cost on every occasion.
This battle was no different from the previous ones. The Human Race’s attacks were tepid, which clearly indicated that they wanted to gradually wear down the Black Ink Clan’s strength. So, although it had been several days since the battle began, the losses suffered by the Black Ink Clan were still within acceptable limits. As for the Human Race… ever since the third battle, the price paid by the Humans in each battle could only be considered insignificant.
This was because the Black Ink Clan had never thought of making any move on the Human Race. Under Mo Na Ye’s command, all the Black Ink Clan’s forces were focused on defence; as such, it was very difficult for them to deal much damage to the Humans.
There were only two unusual points about this battle. Firstly, the Humans had launched this battle far ahead of their usual schedule, breaking the pattern which had been maintained for the past 10 years.
And secondly, Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
After Yang Kai had killed his way out of the Barren Territory, there had been no sightings of him. This was a very strange and unprecedented event.
In the previous battles, Yang Kai would always run out to attack the Pseudo-Royal Lords, forcing Di Ya Luo and his team of 12 Pseudo-Royal Lords to rush to rescue, which was quite annoying.
But this time, Yang Kai had not made a move even after so many days.
Mo Na Ye couldn’t even figure out what Yang Kai was doing at this moment. This kind of unknown variable had caused Mo Na Ye’s heart to be filled with anxiety; after all, this was Yang Kai, who had always used extraordinary means to do unbelievable things.
Just as he was thinking so, a powerful aura suddenly erupted at a certain spot on the battlefield. This instantly caused Mo Na Ye’s heart to clench as he turned his head to look in that direction, only to see a massive river flowing across the void, sweeping towards the battlefield like a whip.
Sensing this powerful yet familiar aura, Mo Na Ye was first overjoyed, but was immediately taken aback.
What made him happy was that Yang Kai had finally appeared. He had been hiding in the shadows all this time and hadn’t done anything at all, so contrary to what might seem reasonable, his absence put a great deal of pressure on the Black Ink Clan. If he made a move, the Black Ink Clan could respond appropriately; so, when he noticed Yang Kai’s aura, Mo Na Ye was finally relieved.
What surprised him was that the target Yang Kai had chosen this time was actually Mo Yu, a veteran Royal Lord!
Yang Kai had made several moves throughout several battles, but each time he did so, his target had always been the Pseudo-Royal Lords. Due to his unpredictable means and the eerie Grand Dao River, the Pseudo-Royal Lords he targeted rarely escaped, unless Di Ya Luo managed to come to their rescue in time.
It could be said that half the Pseudo-Royal Lords who had fallen on the battlefield over the past 10 years had died directly or indirectly because of Yang Kai! He had almost single-handedly killed so many Pseudo-Royal Lords to the point they were unable to lift their heads.
Yet in all that time, Yang Kai had never taken the initiative to attack a true Royal Lord before, least of all Mo Yu as the most experienced Royal Lord in the Black Ink Clan.
The corners of Mo Na Ye’s brow immediately twitched as he felt that Yang Kai had gone crazy to make such a crazy move. He thus immediately shouted, “Di Ya Luo!”
There was no verbal response, but the moment Yang Kai appeared, Di Ya Luo led a dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords towards him at astonishing speed.
Di Ya Luo had already become quite familiar with rushing to the rescue. In every battle, he would lead a dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords to pin down Yang Kai, so there was no need for Mo Na Ye to give him any detailed instructions.
On the other side, Mo Yu was obviously taken aback by the sudden ambush. Just now, he had been fighting Luo Ting He alone. This was the third Ninth-Order Master he had fought in the past 10 years.
Unlike Xiang Shan’s relentless onslaught or Wei Jun Yang’s boldness, Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Luo Ting He’s attacking style was more calculated and meticulous. She would execute exquisite Secret Techniques in a seemingly endlessly chain, making her like a never-ending storm, leaving Mo Yu extremely frustrated. Even though his foundation was better than Luo Ting He’s, it was difficult for him to gain the upper hand. From the beginning of their fight until now, they were evenly matched.
A Royal Lord’s senses were extremely sharp, so even if Yang Kai had used Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, it was difficult for the latter to completely hide his traces. Pseudo-Royal Lords might not be able to guard against Yang Kai’s sneak attack, but Mo Yu could.
In fact, Mo Yu already had a vague premonition before Yang Kai even launched his attack; therefore, he was only shocked for a moment when Yang Kai appeared and instantly reacted appropriately. He promptly collected the copious amount of Black Ink Strength around him and created a shield to defend himself. Right then, Luo Ting He’s attack struck the barrier, but it only caused his body to violently sway and was unable to cause any damage.
Yang Kai’s Space-Time River swept in just at that moment, gushing straight from above and engulfing him.
Mo Yu used the tried and tested strategy of fighting back with everything he had, bombarding Yang Kai’s Dao Strength River with everything he had in an attempt to force him back.
The raging waves crashed against Mo Yu’s barrage again and again, while the Dao Strengths fluctuated non-stop. At the same time, Luo Ting He unleashed her strength. The combined assault of two Ninth-Order Masters proved too much, however, and quickly caused Mo Yu to sink into the Space-Time River.
The undercurrents inside the river instantly started surging. Surprisingly, it was Mo Yu who was using his own strength to stir up trouble and bombard Yang Kai’s Dao Strengths.
The best way to deal with this situation was naturally for Yang Kai to enter the Space-Time River and use the environment to his advantage to engage in a fierce battle with Mo Yu. With his current strength, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to kill the trapped Mo Yu.
But he didn’t do this.
If he wanted to kill a Royal Lord, he would have already done so 10 years ago, but killing a Royal Lord would not have done any good to the overall situation.
The key Masters in the Black Ink Clan right now were still the Pseudo-Royal Lords!
“They’re here!” Yang Kai completely ignored the turmoil of his Dao Strengths and lightly shouted.
“Leave them to me!” Luo Ting He replied as she gently pointed her finger towards the void. The next moment, Yin-Yang Dao Strength rapidly filled the surroundings before an enormous Yin-Yang Fish manifested, enveloping Di Ya Luo and the dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords who were rushing over to help Mo Yu.
The Yin-Yang Fish slowly started rotating, like it had a life of its own. Immediately, an inexplicable pull appeared in the void, causing the group of Black Ink Clan powerhouses to lose their footing.
Di Ya Luo and the other Black Ink Clan powerhouses immediately launched numerous Secret Techniques together, trying to break free from this inexplicable force. But before they could escape, Yang Kai was already upon them. No one saw how he moved, but when he appeared behind a Pseudo-Royal Lord with his Azure Dragon Spear, the latter didn’t even notice.
Thrusting the spear with one hand, and executing a palm strike with the other, Yang Kai mercilessly attacked the Pseudo-Royal Lord. Immediately, an inexplicable burst of energy appeared in the void, as if something had been cut off.
This Pseudo-Royal Lord’s expression immediately changed, because the moment Yang Kai threw out his palm, his aura connection with the other two Pseudo-Royal Lords in his Battle Formation was severed.
With the aura connection severed, the Three Fortunes Formation instantly collapsed.
“Be careful!” When Di Ya Luo roared at him, the Pseudo-Royal Lord finally realized that a great disaster had befallen him. He promptly turned around and threw a punch, but all that filled his vision was a rapidly enlarging spear tip.
Regardless of his dire situation, he was still a Pseudo-Royal Lord. Facing such a crisis, he didn’t panic and instead changed his punch to a palm, smacking it towards the oncoming Azure Dragon Spear. At the same time, he tilted his head to avoid this fatal blow.
However… that was where things ended for him.
Caught inside the Yin-Yang Fish, his movements were significantly restricted, and to top it off, he was being targeted by Yang Kai; how could things possibly end well for him? The last thing this Pseudo-Royal Lord saw was the long spear he dodged transform into multiple spear shadows that rained down on him!
By the time the blood splashed out, the Pseudo-Royal Lord’s aura had vanished.
Then a second, then a third…
The other two Pseudo-Royal Lords who had formed the Battle Formation with the first followed in his footsteps almost immediately after.
Only then did the Secret Techniques from all directions rain down on the spot where Yang Kai was standing. Unfortunately, all that was left there was his afterimage, and by the time it faded away, Yang Kai had already arrived on the opposite side.
He had teleported to another three Pseudo-Royal Lords in Battle Formation and was about to launch a similar attack!
“In your dreams!” Di Ya Luo furiously roared again as he used all his strength to try and rescue the three Pseudo-Royal Lords; however, another figure suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path. A jade white palm flew out at him, carrying an Earth-Shattering power with it. Di Ya Luo’s expression became grave and without hesitation, he immediately met this palm with an attack of his own.
Luo Ting He’s foundation was lacking compared to a veteran Royal Lord like Mo Yu, but she was still stronger than Di Ya Luo who had only become a Royal Lord a few years ago. As such, it was relatively easier to fight him.
With her restraining Di Ya Luo, Yang Kai was able to act unhindered. Immediately, Space Principles surged as the surrounding space froze and a large number of Small Stone Race Soldiers appeared out of nowhere, surrounding this area.
In a flash, a look of horror appeared on the faces of all the Black Ink Clansmen, including Di Ya Luo.
The next instant, the Great Sun and Moon Marks on the back of Yang Kai’s hand glowed brightly before yellow and blue lights began flowing out of the Small Stone Race Soldiers, rapidly fusing into a dazzling Sun which exploded soon after!
When the dazzling white light faded a few breaths later, a few Pseudo-Royal Lords had disappeared from the battlefield, leaving clouds of blood mist in their place. As for the surviving Pseudo-Royal Lords, they had clearly become much weaker after suffering this blow.
Yang Kai promptly charged at them with his spear in hand. Immediately, an aura of death enveloped these Pseudo-Royal Lords.
On the other side, Luo Ting He looked surprised, staring at a fleeing figure with a frown. “He is quite fast!”
The moment Di Ya Luo saw Yang Kai summon the Small Stone Race Army, he decisively used his Secret Technique to escape. Luo Ting He didn’t even have time to stop him. However, executing this Secret Technique obviously cost Di Ya Luo a great deal of strength, so his figure looked quite miserable afterwards.
Luo Ting He no longer paid any attention to the fleeing Di Ya Luo, promptly turning around and joined forces with Yang Kai to kill the remaining Pseudo-Royal Lords who had been injured by the burst of Purifying Light.
How could the Pseudo-Royal Lords be their opponents under these circumstances? Their auras vanished one after another, though the counterattacks of these Pseudo-Royal Lords before their deaths could not be scoffed at. Knowing that they were doomed to die, each Pseudo-Royal Lord displayed suicidal determination in their final moments, causing both Yang Kai and Luo Ting He to suffer some injuries.
In particular, Yang Kai’s Daos Strengths were fluctuating in a wild manner, not because he was using his own Dao Strengths to kill his enemies, but because the Space-Time River was under attack.
After dealing with all the Pseudo-Royal Lords, Yang Kai shouted, “I’ll leave him to you!”
A moment after he shouted, a figure rushed out from the Space-Time River. It was none other than Mo Yu, who had been swallowed by the Space-Time River earlier. Although he had been trapped inside, Mo Yu had not suffered any physical injuries. His aura, on the other hand, was a little weaker than before, though this did not affect his combat strength much.
When Mo Yu saw the tragic sight before him, a cold and frigid look took over his face, but before he could do anything, Luo Ting He rushed him and the two resumed their original battle.
Yang Kai, on the other hand, didn’t even spare Mo Ya a glance. He raised his hand towards the Space-Time River, grabbing it like it was a whip, then used Instantaneous Movement, disappearing into the Void. He didn’t attack Mo Yu with Luo Ting He. Unless Yang Kai exposed his true strength, it wouldn’t be easy to kill a veteran Royal Lord; furthermore, it was more convenient to sneak attack the Pseudo-Royal Lords than to kill a tough nut like Mo Yu.
At the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye’s face turned ashen. He had never expected that his strategy against Yang Kai would be broken so easily.
Yang Kai sneak attacked Mo Yu, but clearly he never had any intention of fighting him. His true goal was the Pseudo-Royal Lords led by Di Ya Luo!
These were the stumbling blocks that had been pestering Yang Kai all this time, making it difficult for him to display his full strength.
With a simple move of besieging the enemy’s stronghold in order to attack their reinforcements, everyone in Di Ya Luo’s team, apart from Di Ya Luo himself who had managed to escape, had been slaughtered by Yang Kai and Luo Ting He!
[The situation has changed!] Mo Na Ye could keenly sense this.
Yang Kai had never done something like this before.
The team of Pseudo-Royal Lords led by Di Ya Luo had successfully managed to restrain Yang Kai in the previous battles, hindering him from displaying his full strength, but by the looks of it, Yang Kai had always had the ability to break free of Di Ya Luo and the Pseudo-Royal Lords’ restraint. It was just that he did not want to, that was all.
[What the Hell made him reveal his fangs today?]
“Sir!” Di Ya Luo, who had fled back to the No-Return Pass, arrived in front of Mo Na Ye, his face filled with shame. He didn’t dare to face Yang Kai alone, so he didn’t know what to do now.
Even now, Mo Na Ye had not associated the turn of events in the situation to the fact that Yang Kai’s strength had experienced a Heaven-shaking, Earth-shattering increase to another level.
That was because he knew just how difficult it was for a Human Race Master to cultivate. The stronger the cultivator, the more time they had to spend accumulating heritage to grow their power.
Since ancient times, there had never existed anyone like Yang Kai who was able to grow to such an extent in less than 1,000 years after advancing to the Ninth Order.
Ever since the Humans attacked the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai had been concealing his ability by feigning weakness. In each battle, he only ever revealed strength as should be expected from a newly advanced Ninth-Order Master like himself while trying to avoid head-to-head battles with any of the Royal Lords.
From Mo Na Ye’s perspective, Yang Kai may be stronger than when he just advanced back then in the Universe Furnace World, but such growth was still acceptable. Moreover, it was well known that Yang Kai’s abilities were greater than other cultivators in the same Realm to begin with, so it was difficult to understand Yang Kai’s bottom line without a proper fight with him.
Even if someone told Mo Na Ye about Yang Kai’s true strength now, he probably wouldn’t believe it. Such a thing was simply nonsensical.
The situation had changed subtly since Yang Kai showed up on the battlefield.
Though the attack of the Humans was still as tepid as before, the various Armies had already completed their secret deployments, getting all their forces into position.
Yang Kai soon reappeared, this time next to Xiang Shan.
Xiang Shan’s opponents were three Pseudo-Royal Lords who had formed a Battle Formation, which should make them strong enough to take on this newly promoted Ninth-Order Master.
In the first two battles, Xiang Shan fought two bloody battles with Mo Yu, which resulted in losses on both sides. Mo Yu had a unique method of healing, so he could recover quickly through the sacrifice of a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but Xiang Shan could not recover as easily. Even with the use of healing pills, it would still take him some time, so his injuries have not been restored completely even until now, causing him to fall into a disadvantage against the three Pseudo-Royal Lords from time to time as they fought.
This was especially noticeable during the days when Yang Kai had disappeared as Xiang Shan was almost one-sidedly suppressed by these three Pseudo-Royal Lords without having any ability to fight back.
But since Yang Kai’s emergence, the situation had turned around. These three Pseudo-Royal Lords now had to hold back 30% of their strength in preparation to deal with the event of a surprise attack launched by Yang Kai, which gave Xiang Shan some room to breathe.
When Yang Kai’s figure entered their circle of battle, Xiang Shan, who had received a heads-up prior, burst out with the power he had been accumulating and wielded a fierce blade towards the three Pseudo-Royal Lords.
His murderous intent spread almost palpably, and even the space around the three Pseudo-Royal Lords seemed to freeze, horrifying them all.
They had constantly been on guard against Yang Kai, but they never thought that this killing star would target them on such a vast battlefield! Their luck was simply the worst!
When the killing star attacked, Xiang Shan suddenly burst out once more, instantly disrupting the rhythm of the three Black Ink Clan Masters. In merely a moment of their panic and loss, life or death had been decided!
The long spear was like a Dragon, whereas the blade light was biting cold. Yang Kai and Xiang Shan’s figures passed by each other like the blades of a pair of shears, instantly cutting through the aura of the three Pseudo-Royal Lords.
When the powerful auras extinguished, Xiang Shan spat out a mouthful of blood and looked much weaker than before, Yang Kai’s body also incurred a few wounds, obviously from the Pseudo-Royal Lords’ final struggle before death!
At around the same time on the other side of the battlefield, an amazing aura burst out, accompanied by the annihilation of several powerful auras.
It was not the fall of Black Ink Clan Masters, but Eighth-Order Humans!
Yang Kai’s head snapped over, only to see a turbulent Black Ink Cloud moving about. More than a dozen figures had gathered in a large black tide that slaughtered everything in its way. Even in their Battle Formations, the Eighth-Order Masters could hardly put up a fight.
The reason for that was that there were traces of Mo Na Ye and Di Ya Luo’s involvement in this tide, whereas the rest were all Pseudo-Royals.
Almost at the same time as when Yang Kai looked over, Mo Na Ye turned his head over as well. Their gazes suddenly met, and they could both see the coldness in each other’s eyes.
Yang Kai instantly understood Mo Na Ye’s intention and praised him inwardly, [What a cruel and determined heart this guy has!]
Moments ago, when Di Ya Luo fled back to the No-Return Pass and returned crestfallen to Mo Na Ye’s side, Mo Na Ye made a snap decision at that moment. An extremely radical one at that.
On his command, a dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords, who were standing by to defend the Black Ink Nests, flew out in a group under Di Ya Luo’s lead, heading straight towards the battlefield.
Mo Na Ye gave up the idea of tracking Yang Kai since he knew that he would only end up being pulled around by the nose by him that way. This fellow was a Master in the Dao of Space who could appear and disappear like a ghost. Trying to pin down his tracks would only waste time. The only way to change their passive position to an active one was to give up on defending and attacking instead!
[If you want to kill our Pseudo-Royal Lords, then I’ll go and kill your Eighth-Order Masters! Let’s see who will give in first and go to stop the other!]
This was Mo Na Ye’s decision.
Nobody could stop Yang Kai if he wanted to sneak up on them and stir trouble; Mo Na Ye deeply recognized that he lacked that ability now. Di Ya Luo had already failed, so in that case, he would just ignore Yang Kai for now and eliminate opponents he could kill.
He would slaughter until the Humans ached and despaired, then even if they were to lose some Pseudo-Royal Lords in battle, their deaths would have been worth it. At the very least, it was better than losing them to Yang Kai’s sneak attacks while gaining nothing in return.
The result was remarkable. With two Royal Lords personally leading the charge and a team of a dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords behind them, they could easily break up the battle which had reached a stalemate, and within just a few breaths, at least 20 Eighth-Order Masters on the Human Race’s side fell.
This was not enough to make up for the loss of three Pseudo-Royal Lords, but it was enough to make the Humans reel.
[What will you choose?]
Mo Na Ye looked at Yang Kai from a distance, waiting quietly to see his response, but his hands did not stay idle. He continued leading his men towards the next battlefield, moving with momentum like splitting bamboo wherever they went.
Very soon, Yang Kai’s answer was revealed to them. That was because Yang Kai’s figure suddenly disappeared from his vision, and Xiang Shan, who had been standing together with Yang Kai before, also came flying in their direction.
All of them were alerted at this change, and their powerful Divine Senses were swiftly extended in all directions to guard against a possible sneak attack that could come at any moment.
However, rather than Yang Kai, whom they had expected to come, they were met with another person instead.
“As the Supreme Commander of the Army, it’s not a prideful thing to attend a battle personally.” Following the emergence of that voice, a figure stopped in the middle of the void. With a light raise of his feather fan, a fierce wind suddenly rose up, turning into a sharp blade that could even cut through space.
Mi Jing Lun!
Almost at the same time that Mo Na Ye moved, Mi Jing Lun moved as well, but he had arrived late since Pure Yang Pass was outside of the battlefield.
Even after so many years of war, Mi Jing Lun had barely stepped onto the battlefield. Compared to his abilities as a Ninth-Order Master, he was needed more by the Human Race to coordinate the overall situation.
However, after seeing through Mo Na Ye’s intentions to exchange lives with lives, Mi Jing Lun had no choice but to join the fray. That was because every single Ninth-Order Master had their own opponents to deal with on the battlefield and could not easily extricate themselves, so he was the only one who could subdue these Masters for now.
However, in the face of Mi Jing Lun’s provocations and attack, Mo Na Ye chose to ignore them and simply deflected the attack with the other Masters from the Black Ink Clan without getting caught up with him at all, immediately flying towards the next battlefield after that.
Mi Jing Lun paled slightly. Mo Na Ye’s single-mindedness was something he had not anticipated. Just as it was difficult for the Black Ink Clan to restrain Yang Kai, Mi Jing Lun alone could not stop such a group of Masters either.
Fortunately, Xiang Shan had also rushed over to join him, so they could at least harass their opponents.
The slaughter continued. Everywhere these Masters went, large numbers of Eighth-Order Masters would fall. Most of these Masters were already in Battle Formations formed alongside people that they were familiar with and were in the midst of fighting other enemies. When a large number of powerful enemy reinforcements rushed over, the original balance was broken, resulting in a disaster.
While this endless killing was taking place, Mo Na Ye was keeping a close eye on Yang Kai’s movements. Xiang Shan had already rushed over, but Yang Kai was still nowhere to be seen. This caused his heart to sink. Despite culling so many Eighth-Order Masters, he found it difficult to feel happy about this situation; instead, he was starting to feel worse and worse.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Kai should have come out to stop them, but now he seemed happy to continue showing off his strength even if it meant continuing this exchange of lives, which was undoubtedly a worrying issue.
As expected, Yang Kai’s aura appeared on another side of the battlefield, followed by three Pseudo-Royal Lords’ auras extinguishing.
“Has it come to this?” Mo Na Ye’s heart ran cold. He was even beginning to wonder whether the Humans had sensed something. [But, if not, how could Yang Kai have made this choice? How could they have possibly noticed? This makes no sense at all!]
In the void, Yang Kai pursed his lips, his body constantly flickering, cutting through one battlefield after another. When his Space-Time River came out, one by one the Pseudo-Royal Lords fell, freeing up one Ninth-Order Master after another, without daring to delay for even a heartbeat. In such a situation, various Eighth-Order Masters would fall for every breath that passed.
The only way to stop Mo Na Ye was to free up more Ninth-Order Masters so that they could go forth and contain the group of enemy Masters led by Mo Na Ye.
Of course, Yang Kai could have taken on the task himself, but without revealing his true strength, using Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability to launch sneak attacks from the shadows was simply more efficient.
Yang Kai could clearly feel the fall of the Eighth-Order Masters. Each one of them was a rare talent of the Human Race, and each of them had gone through at least thousands of years of cultivation to reach such heights, but on this cruel battlefield, their fall would become nothing more than a cold statistic in the records of history.
[Has Mo Na Ye noticed something? Otherwise, why would he have joined the battlefield himself?]
Before the battle, Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun had expected great losses on their side, but seeing it happen with their own eyes still left their hearts bleeding.
Yang Kai tried his best to suppress the urge to stop Mo Na Ye and turned all his resentment and pent-up displeasure into powerful attacks, unleashing them from the spear in his hand.
[Kill! I need to kill more! Kill them all!]
The originally uneventful battle suddenly heated up into a tragic scene following the sudden appearance of Yang Kai and the movements of Mo Na Ye, Di Ya Luo, and the Pseudo-Royal Lords.
At this point, even lower level officers on both sides had noticed that the situation had changed. The top Masters on both sides seemed to be competing on who could kill faster and who could kill more. All over the battlefield, the fall of Pseudo-Royal Lords and Eighth-Order Masters could be felt.
In terms of killing efficacy, the Black Ink Clan was undoubtedly better.
A Killing Squad led by 2 Royal Lords with a dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords in tow was extremely powerful. The Battle Formations that the Eighth-Order Masters had were simply incapable of defending against such a lineup. As soon as their Battle Formations were broken, the Eighth-Order Masters would quickly be killed.
And, no matter how fast Yang Kai was, the most he could deal with was three Pseudo-Royal Lords at a time…
In a short cup of tea’s time, as many as 20 Pseudo-Royal Lords had been eliminated. Yang Kai’s body was covered in black blood from his killing spree, and the fierce murderous intent surrounding him made him seem like a God of Death returning from purgatory, leaving all the Pseudo-Royal Lords in the entire battlefield in fear.
However, the Humans had also paid an extremely heavy price on their side. As many as 100 Eighth-Order Masters had been reduced to nothing more than cold dead bodies.
It wasn’t until the Ninth-Order Masters had their hands freed one by one to join the encirclement against the Black Ink Clan’s group of Masters that the situation finally eased up.
Yang Kai wasn’t just cutting down Pseudo-Royal Lords aimlessly, he was specifically targeting the opponents of the Ninth-Order Masters. His Space Techniques brought him to each side of the battlefield, where he worked together with the Ninth-Order Masters to deal with their enemies.
Once the last Ninth-Order Master swept over, the top Masters on the Human Race’s side formed an encirclement around the mighty Black Ink Clan Killing Squad!
It was only now that Mi Jing Lun could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
In the void, Mi Jing Lun, Xiang Shan, Ou Yang Lie, Wei Jun Yang, Xiao Xiao, Wu Qing, Shi Da Zhuang, and Tang Tao all stood. Eight Ninth-Order Masters were sealing the Black Ink Clan team from all directions.
It could be said that all Ninth-Order Masters, excluding Yang Kai, who was roaming around and picking off enemies, Luo Ting He, who was facing off against Mo Yu alone, as well as Yang Xue and Wu Kuang, who were all the way over at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, had all come together.
This was the heritage accumulated by the Human Race over thousands of years. It was not very strong and very much lacking when compared to them at their peak, but this was a sign of hope for the rise of the Human Race.
The fierce battle stopped at some point. The eight Ninth-Order Masters circulated their auras to suppress and seal this zone to ensure that regardless of where their opponents tried to escape from, they would be met with a fierce flurry of attacks. However, they were in no hurry to attack. The Humans may occupy the absolute upper hand on the surface, but the slightest mistake in a fight of this level could bring about dire consequences.
Both sides were constantly probing each other, looking for a breakthrough point.
“You’re not running away?” Mi Jing Lun gave Mo Na Ye a strange look.
Before the Ninth-Order Masters gathered in turn to surround them, this group had taken every opportunity to escape, but clearly, Mo Na Ye showed no such initiative and allowed the Humans to encircle them, which puzzled Mi Jing Lun.
“Run away? Where?” Mo Na Ye answered his question with another question as he looked askance at him. Even though he knew that he was on the weaker side right now, his attitude remained firm.
Mi Jing Lun did not answer.
Mo Na Ye went on, “There’s something that I can’t understand, so I will appreciate it if Supreme Commander Mi can explain it to me.”
On the battlefield, Yang Kai’s aura was constantly appearing and disappearing, and every time that happened, a number of Pseudo-Royal Lords would face unfortunate ends.
Mo Na Ye’s team was restrained, yet Yang Kai could freely go on a slaughter spree. From the Human’s perspective, stalling for some time seemed to be a good idea. That way, Yang Kai could better weaken the Black Ink Clan’s side; thus, Mi Jing Lun obliged, “So there exists something that puzzles you in this world?”
These words were not just meant to ridicule. As the Supreme Commanders of their respective sides, the fight between Mi Jing Lun and Mo Na Ye was not just something that played out over the past year or two. Both of them had a thorough understanding of each other. Putting aside where they stand and seeing him merely as an opponent, Mi Jing Lun thought highly of Mo Na Ye in that regard.
Mo Na Ye did not answer his question; instead, he asked what he had on his mind, “How did you find out?”
“Find what out?” Mi Jing Lun answered casually while putting on a confused look at the right moment.
Mo Na Ye kept a firm gaze on him, “Even though you are able to conceal it well, Supreme Commander Mi, Brother Ou Yang here is not as good at pretending, so why ask me that question when you already know the answer?”
Next to them, Ou Yang Lie bristled, “What did I do?”
[If you want to talk, just talk, why drag me into it?] Ou Yang Lie was displeased.
Mo Na Ye turned to look at him, “Your expression changed when I was asking my question earlier. That proves you know what I’m talking about.”
“Am I not allowed to be nervous during such a critical moment!?” Ou Yang Lie roared.
Mo Na Ye could not be bothered to answer, so he turned back to Mi Jing Lun, “Over the years, the Human Race’s attacks on the No-Return Pass have maintained the same frequency, but this time, your attack happened far before the expected time. Moreover, Brother Yang has ignored us so openly. He could have saved those Eighth-Order Masters, yet he continued culling our Pseudo-Royal Lords instead. Even though you can clearly achieve the same goal with minimal cost if you had spent a dozen years more, you chose the risky method instead. It’s… as if you’re all in a hurry to reclaim the No-Return Pass.”
Meanwhile, everything that was said was just flying over the heads of Di Ya Luo and the many Pseudo-Royal Lords. None of them had any idea what Mo Na Ye was talking about. All they knew was that things were likely to be disastrous this time. The Black Ink Clan had two Royal Lords and a dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords in this group, but the Humans had eight Ninth-Order Masters. In terms of true strength, the Black Ink Clan was at a complete disadvantage.
They were curious to know the answer to Mi Jing Lun’s earlier question. Why didn’t they run away when they could’ve? As a result, they were now surrounded in this place. Each one of them was feeling uneasy about this situation, and it was inevitable that a sense of dissatisfaction arose against Mo Na Ye.
“Why is that?” Mo Na Ye spoke, but he did not mean it as a question. He answered, “There’s only one possibility, and it is that you Humans have found out about it. That’s why, you’re in a hurry to end the battle at the No-Return Pass, and you’d rather pay a heavy price now to make that happen! Am I right, Supreme Commander Mi?”
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mo Na Ye sighed, “So be it. If Supreme Commander Mi does not wish to answer, then I will refrain from asking. This should be the deciding battle, right? I admit this came as quite a surprise, and our side is not prepared yet, but it seems you are not either. Heh, who would have thought that this battle would end up this way? But Supreme Commander Mi, even though my Black Ink Clan is in decline right now, claiming the No-Return Pass won’t be that easy. I hope that the losses incurred on your side are within your comfort zone at the end of this battle!”
Ou Yang Lie was impatient, “What are you blabbering on for? Your funeral is already here, Mo Na Ye!”
Mo Na Ye turned to him with an icy look in his eyes. The casual look from before was gone, and he spoke in a stern voice, “Are you really so sure that you’ve defeated me?”
Almost at the same time as those words were spoken, dozens of powerful auras that shook the void rose up within the No-Return Pass and swept out.
It was the Pseudo-Royal Lords who had remained in the No-Return Pass all this while, guarding the High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
These Pseudo-Royal Lords had been stationed in the No-Return Pass since the Humans began attacking it, but there was no helping it. It was mainly because they had to guard against the annoying Yang Kai.
This fiend was constantly appearing out of nowhere, always coming out of the Barren Territory every battle. Without these Pseudo-Royal Lords to protect the Black Ink Nests, Yang Kai would long have destroyed them all, and without them, the Black Ink Clan will have no way to replenish their forces or heal from their injuries.
And, during Yang Kai’s repeated fights with the Pseudo-Royal Lord team led by Di Ya Luo, it was they who fended against the fallout from their battle to keep the High-Rank Black Ink Nests safe.
These Pseudo-Royal Lords had never left the No-Return Pass since the Humans began their attack!
However, all of them had left at this moment without a single one remaining behind.
Without their protection, the No-Return Pass was practically defenceless at this moment!
Even though there were still two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods standing on either side of the No-Return Pass, if Yang Kai had wanted to, he could easily take advantage of this opportunity to charge in and destroy all the Black Ink Nests. If the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were to attack him at that point, it would only speed up the destruction of the Black Ink Nests.
Noticing the unusual movement from the No-Return Pass, the Ninth-Order Masters all looked astonished.
Mo Na Ye grinned at Mi Jing Lun, “Since it’s the final battle, I won’t be standing on ceremony!”
The Humans were willing to pay a huge price if it meant taking the No-Return Pass, so how could the Black Ink Clan hold back? If this battle was lost, would there still be any Black Ink Nests left? In such a situation, there was no longer any need to guard the No-Return Pass. In a fight with their lives on the line, the winner would be the King, and the loser would be the villain.
“Kill!” Mo Na Ye suddenly shouted as he led his team towards Wei Jun Yang, which caught the latter off guard. Even with the other Ninth-Order Masters responding promptly, he was still immediately forced back.
Like Xiang Shan, Wei Jun Yang was also wounded and was obviously seen as a breakthrough point by Mo Na Ye, which made him very angry.
But fortunately, the Ninth-Order Masters were all top Masters and soon stabilized the situation.
As Mi Jing Lun’s Divine Sense surged, three of the eight Ninth-Order Masters left to confront the Pseudo-Royal Lords who had come charging out of the No-Return Pass while the remaining five teamed up to fight Mo Na Ye and his team in an evenly matched situation.
However, how could three Ninth-Order Masters stop the charge of several dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords? The Pseudo-Royal Lords have formed their own Battle Formations, and a single Three Fortunes Formation was enough to hold back a single Ninth-Order Master.
In an instant, the advantage gained from Yang Kai killing off a large number of Pseudo-Royal Lords was levelled, and the damage which the Humans were able to stem began to snowball.
At that moment, a huge Great Pass entered the battlefield. Pure Yang Pass, which had always remained outside of the conflict zone, finally joined the fight!
The huge Great Pass slowly rotated, and the many large artifacts set up on it were constantly releasing rays of light that were as dazzling as a thunder Dragon, striking the enemy lines and clearing out large areas of the void with each attack.
The Black Ink Clan’s defence line, which was targeted by Pure Yang Pass, instantly fell into a shaky situation!
Pure Yang Pass was the only Great Pass of the Human Race left. It was currently the command centre of their Grand Army. Its symbolic and strategic significance was greater than its role as a weapon.
Other than the first battle for the No-Return Pass, where the majestic, impregnable Great Pass battled the Black Ink Clan Army, it had always stayed outside of the battlefield during the fights happening over the years.
It wasn’t until now that the Great Pass rushed over and the lights coming from its various artifacts were released, bombarding indiscriminately into the Black Ink Clan’s defence line. Its fierce and unceasing attack quickly tore a gap into the defence line and the Azure Sun Army nearby immediately took advantage of the situation to charge in.
The Masters from the Black Ink Clan quickly noticed the situation and immediately, more than a dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords rushed over. At the same time, over 100 figures flew out from Pure Yang Pass to meet them. These were the Eighth-Order Masters who were responsible for standing by on Pure Yang Pass and maintaining it all this while.
100 Eighth-Order Masters definitely would not be able to stop this number of Pseudo-Royal Lords alone, but they had Pure Yang Pass behind them to act as reliable support. Holding back and delaying their enemies was still something they could manage.
The exchange between both sides soon began and the light of both the Secret Techniques and artifacts blossomed incessantly.
On one side of the huge battlefield, the front the Burning Moon Army was in charge of, both sides were constantly exchanging blows. However, the Burning Moon Army were unable to break through the tight defence line of their opponent from beginning to end, so it did not matter how intense the fight became. Only by ripping a gap in that tight line of defence could the Humans gain some ground and charge in and slaughter more of their enemy.
In the fierce exchange, the Black Ink Clan managed to repel the attacking Humans time and time again, and both sides were suffering great casualties.
At a certain point, the Black Ink Clan on this front suddenly noticed that the Human Race’s attack had inexplicably become much weaker, and while they were confused, they saw the dense forces of the Human Race Army suddenly split up, moving to the left and right while a dozen Warships that were clearly different from the usual ones came forward. Moreover, there was a giant Warship following right behind them.
A Purifying Black Ink Battleship!
The Masters from the Black Ink Clan on this front instantly recognized the Warship as one of the Purifying Black Ink Battleships created by the Humans.
Their eyes showed puzzlement at this move as they had never seen a Purifying Black Ink Battleship on the frontlines of a battlefield in all the times they battled each other. After all, this Warship itself was not meant for charging into battles, it was a support craft used as a fallback point.
What was the purpose of the Humans bringing in this Purifying Black Ink Battleship?
The next moment, those from the Black Ink Clan seemed to have thought of something and a look of great horror emerged on their faces. Divine Sense surging, as someone roared, “Don’t let them get close! Sink them!”
A heavy barrage of attacks that covered the sky rained down on the Warships, and even though the defensive arrays of the dozen Warships in front of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship were activated to their limits, they were still destroyed in a very short time with the Warships being blasted to pieces as well, alongside the members of their Squads.
Even more attacks came towards the Purifying Black Ink Battleship. The defensive arrays glowed brightly, but it quickly dimmed down and was shattered.
In the next moment, the massive Purifying Black Ink Battleship was also completely destroyed.
However, there was no hint of joy in the face of those from the Black Ink Clan, especially from the one who was commanding the battle. Instead, he appeared greatly shocked and hurried to pull back almost as soon as the Purifying Black Ink Battleship exploded.
Like a great sun shining in all directions, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship exploded, its dazzling light illuminating the void like daylight.
The light gradually dissipated, and a large circular area in the battlefield, which was originally filled with Black Ink Strength, was now presented clearly in everyone’s vision. All of the Black Ink Strength there had been purified, and the Black Ink Clansmen struck by the light were all howling in pain. Some of the weaker ones had even died on the spot.
Even those who quickly retreated earlier still failed to escape being struck by the Purifying Light in the end, and now the rich Black Ink Strength their bodies was leaking out uncontrollably as if they had been tossed into a wok of hot oil. The pain was so intense that their expressions became distorted. Even more to their horror was the fact that their strength was dropping sharply as their Black Ink Strength leaked out.
When the Black Ink Clan Commander turned his head and looked back, he saw the Human Race’s Army charging in and his heart went cold. He knew that this defence line was as good as gone…
The same scene of a Great Sun exploding was playing out in every corner of the battlefield. The continuous bursts of light were the greatest nightmare of all Black Ink Clansmen.
This was the final battle to conquer the No-Return Pass. Even Mo Na Ye dared to go all in on this fight, so as the attackers, how could the Humans not rise to meet the occasion?
As soon as Mi Jing Lun gave the order to attack the No-Return Pass, a secret directive was sent out to every Army.
Use the Purifying Light sealed in the Purifying Black Ink Battleships to force open the Black Ink Clan’s defence line!
The Humans had many Purifying Black Ink Battleships in their arsenal, with each Division having at least one of its own. The total number of such Warships they had with Purifying Light sealed in them had already exceeded 1,000.
The Black Ink Clan’s defence was indeed solid. Even if the Humans could break through it with a forceful attack, they would still have to pay a heavy price. But with the Purifying Black Ink Battleships leading the way, the casualties incurred by the Humans could be greatly reduced.
The soldiers were gone if they died, but they could produce more Purifying Black Ink Battleships if they were destroyed. There was no way Mi Jing Lun couldn’t recognize such a simple thing.
This was a tactic that he had thought of long ago, but he would not use it simply before his hand was forced. Building 1,000 Purifying Black Ink Battleships was not exactly an easy task.
However, if they wanted to launch an attack on the No-Return Pass when they had not made full preparations, this was the only method they could employ.
Over 1,000 Purifying Black Ink Battleships exploded in less than a half cup of tea’s time, each one purifying a vast area. No matter how strong the Black Ink Clan’s defences were, they were helpless against this power that perfectly restrained them.
The once tight defence line was now filled with wide gaps, and the various Armies of the Humans, who had long been preparing for this moment, rushed forward at the opportune moment. They fortified their positions, increased their troops, expanded their advantage, and slaughtered their enemies!
In less than half an hour, the Black Ink Clan was in clear decline!
It was practically a miracle that they were able to achieve such immense results in such a vast battlefield, and within only a short time, but time was running out for the Humans now.
The explosion of such a large number of Purifying Black Ink Battleships meant that the Humans can no longer rely on the Purifying Light sealed within those battleships to disperse Black Ink Strength that invaded their bodies. Now, the soldiers could only rely on the Purifying Black Ink Pills they brought in advance to protect their Small Universes.
But the Purifying Black Ink Pills had limited medicinal efficacies, so this battle had to be fought and won quickly.
Many factors could affect the outcome in war, including the determination of the soldiers on both sides and the strength of their forces. However, the most significant determining factor was still the top Masters of both sides, the Giant Spirit Gods and Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods!
Even if the Humans could wipe out the Black Ink Clan Army entirely, it would be useless if they could not take down the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. A creation of Mo was a threat to the Humans that the Pseudo-Royal Lords could not compare with.
Yang Kai continued his endless slaughter on the battlefield, his figure swift and elusive. Everywhere he passed, the auras of Pseudo-Royal Lords vanished. Since the start of the battle, as many as 30 Pseudo-Royal Lords had already died at his hands.
This was the battle where he killed the most Pseudo-Royal Lords!
The high-intensity battle left his body covered in blood and his aura unstable. The final struggle made by the Pseudo-Royal Lords before their deaths was not something that could be ignored.
However, his efforts were able to reduce the casualties for his people by a great margin.
Mo Na Ye burned all bridges when he realized that this was going to be the final, decisive fight, commanding all the Pseudo-Royal Lords standing by at the No-Return Pass to come out as well, completely giving up on defending the No-Return Pass. Despite how many Eighth-Order Masters the Humans had, they were still somewhat powerless when faced with these groups of Pseudo-Royal Lords in Battle Formations. Many Eighth-Order Masters suffered miserable fates under their hands.
However, as Yang Kai continued to slaughter the Pseudo-Royal Lords, the situation finally took a turn for the better. At this moment, the Eighth-Order Masters also gradually stabilized their positions, got into their own Battle Formations, divided their opponents, and clashed with the Pseudo-Royal Lords.
And with Yang Kai continuing his hunt, the Humans could slowly gain an advantage when it came to top combat power.
However, Yang Kai was not satisfied because the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods had not made a single move from beginning to end. They were still just guarding the No-Return Pass.
If the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods did not make a move, Yang Kai did not dare to reveal his true strength either. If they continued fighting like this, their casualties would continue to increase, and even if they captured the No-Return Pass in the end, it would be difficult to make the cost of the fallen Masters worth it.
Fortunately, after the total collapse of the Black Ink Clan’s defence line and further expansion of casualties, the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods who had been standing by finally could not sit still any longer.
A deep sigh seemed to come from the void, causing every living being on the battlefield to tremble.
Immediately afterwards, the two enormous creatures guarding the left and right sides of the No-Return Pass moved. They each arrived at the forefront of the battlefield with just a single step, and with a casual wave of their hands, both Humans and Black Ink Clansmen were silently reduced to paste.
It was not that they didn’t want to avoid Black Ink Clan members, but their bodies were simply too large. Once they launched their attacks, the area it passed through was too wide to achieve precise control.
In an instant, both the Human Race and Black Ink Clan Armies scattered wherever the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods went.
At the same time, in the Barren Territory, Ah Da and Ah Er, who had been paying attention to the situation here, became excited.
Ah Da pointed to the Territory Gate, “Do we go now?”
Ah Er stood up and quickly nodded, “En!”
Before leaving, their little friend had told them that if those two big guys dared to move, they should rush in.
Previously, those two big guys had been remaining motionless, so Ah Da and Ah Er could only stare at them. Now, it was undoubtedly time for them to descend the mountain.
“Beat them up!” Ah Da’s face was full of killing intent. After his declaration, he took a deep breath and suddenly shrunk his towering and massive body, transforming into a small giant.
Next to him, Ah Er did the same.
Within 10 breaths of the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods taking action, the two Giant Spirit Gods stepped out of the Territory Gate connecting the Barren Territory and the Black Ink Battlefield.
After the Giant Spirit Gods, shrunken to the size of small giants, stepped out of the Territory Gate, their body expanded rapidly back to their original size. Then, they charged and crashed thunderously into the No-Return Pass.
The massive remnant Great Passes shook and the aftershocks swept out in all directions. The Black Ink Nests, which the Black Ink Clan had been carefully tending to all these years, instantly shattered into dust.
If this scene had occurred a few days ago, it would have undoubtedly been a great heartache to the Black Ink Clan, but at this moment, none of them had the heart to care about such things anymore.
The Black Ink Clan had brought out all their strength and the entire No-Return Pass had become an empty shell. This battle was the one to decide the life or death of the Black Ink Clan in the No-Return Pass. If they won, they could continue to survive, but if they lost, everything would end for them, so who would still care about the Black Ink Nests?
The two Giant Spirit Gods raised their feet and started running through the No-Return Pass; however, it only took two or three steps before they reached the battlefield where they flew straight towards the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods.
The Black Ink Clan Army that tried to stop them suffered catastrophic losses, and the defence line that they were able to maintain through gruelling effort was smashed apart by Ah Da and Ah Er, creating two unimpeded passageways right to the heart of their lines. Countless casualties occurred in an instant.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, who were in the midst of mercilessly slaughtering the Humans, naturally noticed the situation. They immediately assumed defensive positions, but in the next moment, they were each hit squarely by Ah Da and Ah Er and tumbled over with them.
Ah Da tackled his opponent’s waist and swung his fist fiercely. His opponent was also unwilling to appear weak and smashed down with his elbow, fiercely hammering Ah Da’s back. He even grabbed Ah Da’s neck with his other arm and squeezed tight as if he were trying to twist Ah Da’s head off.
The battle between the two Giant Spirit Gods was extremely simple and crude, making it look almost like two children fighting, but every one of their strikes caused space to shake and become unstable. Terrifying shockwaves that were visible to the naked eye rippled out in all directions.
All living beings nearby, regardless of whether they were Human or Black Ink Clan, ran and cleared a space large enough for these behemoths to fight.
Even though Ah Er’s side was not as explosive, it was still extremely rough. He and his opponent exchanged punches, each first reaching the other’s body, causing both sides to stumble.
These two were old rivals who had fought for thousands of years in the Barren Territory, but neither had ever defeated the other. This battle was simply a continuation of their previous struggle.
If nothing out of the ordinary happened, it was unlikely that there would be a clear winner in the fights between the Giant Spirit Gods.
The Masters from either side could not interfere with a fight of this level. More than that, simply being caught in between these four would have dire consequences.
Only Yang Kai waited in the shadows as he watched on from the sidelines, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were finally moving, something which he had been eagerly anticipating. Ah Da and Ah Er also arrived promptly to restrain them, so there was no need to worry about them posing a threat to the Human Race Army. Now, all Yang Kai had to do was look for a suitable opportunity to strike.
However, when this opportunity would rear its head, or if it would even arise to begin with, was uncertain.
Even though Yang Kai had carefully instructed Ah Da and Ah Er beforehand, Giant Spirit Gods were simple-minded, so there was no guarantee they would do as they were asked.
Rather than getting between the Giant Spirit Gods’ fight, Yang Kai continued to roam the battlefield while keeping an eye on them. With Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, the Pseudo-Royal Lords could hardly even sense his presence before he launched an attack on them. By the time they did notice, danger was already upon their heads.
After reaching this point in the battle, Yang Kai was not content to just kill Pseudo-Royal Lords. If the opportunity presented itself, Territory Lords were not spared either. Several dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords had died at his hand, and there were likely more than 1,000 Territory Lords dead even as a conservative estimate, and that was because they were killed merely out of convenience. Yang Kai hadn’t deliberately targeted them.
Thanks to the gap in the defences created by Ah Da and Ah Er’s charge, the Wolf Fang Army and Twin Instrument Army had already breached the Black Ink Clan’s main forces. The two Human Armies cooperated smoothly as they constantly expanded the gap in the defence line. Although the Black Ink Clan tried their best to retreat and regroup, they were unable to do so.
Victory seemed to be within grasping range for the Human Race. In this chaotic and brutal battlefield, despite the constant reaping of lives, the soldiers did not stop throwing themselves in.
To Yang Kai’s surprise, the opportunity he was waiting for came quickly.
From the battlefield, a roar suddenly erupted. It was Ah Da’s shout mixed with a hint of excitement, “Little friend, come quick, I’ve got him!”
Almost at the same time he shouted these words, Yang Kai, who had been keeping an eye on their movements, had already arrived at Ah Da’s side.
At this moment, Ah Da had managed to pin his opponent in the void. Ah Da’s arms had constricted one of his opponent’s arms, stopping it from moving. His legs were also like ropes, wrapped around one of his opponent’s thighs. In this posture, two of the opponent’s limbs were completely immobilized and unable to break free.
However, this situation was extremely unfavourable for Ah Da because in order to tightly restrain his opponent, all four of his limbs were tied up, whereas his opponent still had one arm and one leg free for his use. When Yang Kai arrived, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was punching and kicking Ah Da viciously. The force of each attack sent shockwaves through Ah Da’s body, and rubble-like pieces were constantly smashed from his body, each piece the size of an ordinary city.
Since he had been keeping a close eye on the four Giant Spirit Gods, Yang Kai witnessed everything clearly.
After Ah Da rushed out of the Barren Territory, he directly grappled his opponent and went all out to restrain him. After some wrestling, they finally reached the current situation.
This was something he had repeatedly instructed Ah Da and Ah Er on before the battle. No matter what, they had to find a way to restrain the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods!
Yang Kai originally thought that Ah Er would do a better job at this since Ah Er had clearly shown more intelligence than Ah Da throughout the many years of Yang Kai knowing them. Therefore, when Yang Kai instructed them on this matter, he focused more on Ah Er and also placed his hopes on him.
But in fact, it was Ah Da who achieved it first.
This was something Yang Kai did not expect, but it still made some sense when he thought about it.
Due to his lower intelligence, his thoughts were simpler, so he just did everything within his power to do what he was told.
It was not the first time that a Giant Spirit God and Black Ink Giant Spirit God had wrestled like this before. Previously, when Ah Er was fighting his opponent in the Barren Territory, a similar scene had appeared. Yang Kai had seen them entangled like this many times when he passed by the Barren Territory.
In the end, this struggle had developed into a stalemate, so the Black Ink Giant Spirit God did not feel the need to act defensive against Ah Da’s actions. After being restrained, it instead rained attacks down on Ah Da as it pleased.
Unlike the Giant Spirit God, which lacked sentience, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was Mo’s Soul Clone with a clear cleverness to it. Ah Da’s actions were seen as foolish in its heart. Even though it was caught off guard for a moment, the one at a loss here was not itself.
That was why it had no fear.
That was until Yang Kai suddenly showed up!
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was punching and kicking Ah Da instantly realized something and stared fiercely at the ant-like figure in front of it.
“Well done!” Yang Kai shouted and instantly opened the portal of his Small Universe while surging his Space Principles to the fullest at the same time.
Countless residual images appeared at once as if countless Yang Kais had appeared in that instant.
In just a short three breaths, the residual images dissipated and Yang Kai returned to his original position; however, where the residual images were located, stone giants with powerful auras appeared.
They were the Small Stone Race, and from the powerful aura that was flowing out of them, each one was comparable to an Eighth-Order Master.
The Black Ink Giant God who was being firmly restrained by Ah Da finally paled at this sight. It had previously eaten a similar loss before when it was restrained by Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing in the Barren Territory.
So, when these Small Stone Races Masters appeared, it knew that something terrible was about to happen.
But what puzzled it was where Yang Kai had amassed so many powerful Small Stone Race Masters from.
Not only had Yang Kai taken in a massive Army of hundreds of millions of them from the Chaotic Dead Territory, a large number of them were even in the Eighth-Order.
Even though he gave some Eight-Order Small Stone Race Masters to the other Humans, their numbers were not many. He had kept most of them for himself.
In all these years of war, Yang Kai had never used these Eighth-Order ones, and that was because they were the trump card he was saving to use against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God; he could not easily reveal them.
Now, at this moment, that trump card was finally going to be played.
As many as 2,000 Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters suddenly appeared on the battlefield, which shocked all those who were fighting here.
All eyes were instantly fixed on this side, and when they realized that the source of the surging aura was from this Small Stone Race Army, the Human Race Masters breathed a sigh of relief while those from the Black Ink Clan began panicking.
Especially Mo Na Ye, who instantly understood Yang Kai’s intentions. His pupils shrank in shock.
A sharp aura suddenly struck him and left a bone-deep injury on his body. Mi Jing Lun lightly waved the feather fan in his hand as Dao Strength surged, instantly engulfing his opponent in his attack, “You still have the heart to be distracted at such a critical moment? That’s not a good habit to have.”
Mo Na Ye gritted his teeth while defending against Mi Jing Lun’s attack, “Has he been hiding his trump card just for this very moment?”
“Who knows?” Mi Jing Lun gave a casual reply, but his attacks grew more and more aggressive.
Normally, Mo Na Ye wouldn’t suffer much against such attacks, but his mind was distracted at the moment, so his body became covered in wounds in just a short while.
Mo Na Ye thought at first that even if they lost this fight and subsequently the No-Return Pass, they would still be able to deal a heavy blow to the Humans; after all, the Supreme One’s Soul Clones were so powerful that no one could oppose them. Worst comes to worst, they would disappear into the depths of the void and meet up with the reinforcements that were rushing this way, then they would still be able to stop the Human Race Army.
However, when a large number of Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters appeared, Mo Na Ye was shaken. He had no idea whether or not the Supreme One’s Soul Clone would still be able to protect itself in the face of such a tactic.
Unfortunately, he could not afford to think more about the situation at this moment as he had already fallen completely into a disadvantage in his fight against Mi Jing Lun. It would be disastrous if he were to allow himself to get distracted any further, so he had no choice but to push down his worries and focus on the battle at hand.
On the other side, more than 2,000 Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters pounced on the Black Ink Giant Spirit God on Yang Kai’s command. Though they had large, stalwart bodies, all of them were still as tiny as ants compared to the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
This scene was just like a colony of ants attacking an elephant. Each scrambled up onto every part of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body and clung on tight with their hands and legs.
Yang Kai stretched out both hands and the Great Sun and Moon Marks glowed with an unprecedentedly dazzling light. As he clenched his fists, he roared, “Explode!”
Under the influence of the Great Sun and Moon Marks, all of them Small Stone Race Masters exploded into yellow and blue lights, which seemed to gush out from within their bodies, leaving behind an extraordinarily rich and pure Yin and Yang Element Power.
Each point of light was like a droplet of water collecting into a giant pool, turning into a halo that melted into and connected with each other to envelope a vast space.
In just three short breaths, the yellow and blue lights melted away, replaced by a pure white light.
The white light was not too dazzling at first, but after contracting for an instant, it spread out violently.
The entire battlefield was covered by the light in an instant. Both Armies on the battlefield, regardless of their cultivation realm, even the Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Masters, had their vision filled with white. Everything disappeared and nothing could be seen.
The noisy and horrific battlefield went eerily silent for a moment, as if time had stopped flowing.
The light that was of utmost purity exploded, penetrating the barriers of the void and shining far into the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield.
Even the detonation of the Purifying Black Ink Battleships was like a firefly next to the bright moon when compared to this scene.
Never once had an explosion of Purifying Light of this magnitude been seen since the Humans began using it to restrain Black Ink Strength.
Even Yang Kai had not predicted the terrifying power that was brought about by the sacrifice of 2,000 Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters.
Around the origin of the explosion of Purifying Light, there had been a large number of Black Ink Clansmen holding the defence line, but after the eruption, the vast majority of those auras evaporated. Those who were lucky enough to survive still suffered a large drop in their strength.
The explosion of Purifying Light brought about by the sacrifice of 2,000 Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters had completely collapsed an entire segment of the Black Ink Clan’s defences with just its after-effects.
Almost every Black Ink Clansman in and around the No-Return Pass was affected by the Purifying Light to some degree, compromising their strength to a certain extent.
After more than a dozen breaths, the dazzling light finally dissipated, and the eerie tranquillity was disturbed by the noise of death and slaughter. As countless numbers of Black Ink Clansmen howled in pain, Black Ink strength was constantly escaping uncontrollably from their bodies, as if they had accidentally fallen into a wok of hot oil…
Seeing this situation, the Human Race Army attacked with all their might. They would never miss such a good opportunity. The Purifying Light was a great danger to the Black Ink Clan, but it had no effect on the Humans. Originally, the Black Ink Clan Army were fighting hard to resist the Humans so it was difficult to break through their defences, but every front was given a good opportunity now to strike. In a matter of breaths, they easily broke through each defence line and routed the Black Ink Clan’s forces.
Yang Kai himself did not expect that his trump card against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God would fundamentally alter the tide of war and save countless numbers of Human Race Soldiers.
At this moment, he did not pay attention to the battlefield of the Armies and instead turned his head towards a certain place in the void. Standing there was a huge creature, one of the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods.
This Black Ink Giant Spirit God had originally come out from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, the same one who was restrained by the combined efforts of Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing for thousands of years. Yang Kai had dealt with it several times in the past.
It had never properly looked at Yang Kai since from its standpoint, Yang Kai was nothing more than an ant, no matter how powerful he was. Whether it was a strong ant or a weak ant, there was no difference to it.
But now, it finally had to face this ant that it had been ignoring, and it was because this ant actually had the power to wound it, even if it was through borrowing an external force.
Yang Kai’s gaze swept over the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s figure, especially the two stumps where its arm and leg had been torn off from. Thick, viscous black blood spurted out of the huge wounds like two black fountains. It was a spectacular sight to behold.
The arm that he lost was in Ah Da’s arms while the missing leg was wrapped between Ah Da’s two legs.
The moment when the Purifying Light erupted, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had decided to act like a lizard and sacrifice its tail to save its body!
Yang Kai’s brows knitted into a frown. From the wounds on the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s arm and leg, it was evident that they were severed voluntarily. Unable to break free from Ah Da’s grip, it had no other choice but to regain its freedom through such a decisive method.
Yang Kai was glad that he made the Small Stone Race Masters cling to the Giant Spirit God’s body when he summoned them; otherwise, it might have actually been able to evade a direct hit from the Purifying Light.
Even though Yang Kai wasn’t able to fully unleash the Purifying Light’s might against his foe, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God still lost an arm and a leg. Moreover, Yang Kai could clearly sense that its aura had weakened significantly.
It managed to break free from Ah Da’s grip by sacrificing an arm and leg, but the Purifying Light still played a significant role, which could be seen from the Black Ink Strength leaking endlessly from its body.
This Black Ink Giant Spirit God was no longer the same Master that inspired fear and despair in people’s hearts from before.
Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned his Azure Dragon Spear. Dao Strengths shook and the Space-Time River manifested. The long river coiled around the spear, giving the Azure Dragon Spear an indescribable sense of spirituality.
“Ah Da, let’s go!” Yang Kai shouted. Lifting his spear, his aura rose steadily. After feigning weakness for so many years, he could finally unleash his full power without any restraint. Yang Kai was cheering in joy inwardly. It felt like he had finally broken free of the shackles that bound him and regained his freedom.
“Yeah!” Ah Da responded with a resounding voice.
Immediately, Ah Da grabbed the arm and leg that his opponent discarded and began using them as weapons, swinging and smashing them fiercely, creating violent shockwaves and displaying his imposing power!
Yang Kai turned his head with difficulty and saw Ah Da getting further and further away, causing his battle aura, which had risen to a peak, to nearly collapse.
“Where is it? I can’t see it!” Ah Da’s thunderous voice shook the void, his vision still completely white.
Though being enveloped by the Purifying Light at such a close range did not cause any real damage to Ah Da, it temporarily blinded him, so how could he still see where his opponent was?
Before Yang Kai could call out to him, he was already engulfed in a sense of great crisis. When Yang Kai turned around, he saw that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had already raised its remaining hand and swung it down in the direction where he was located.
The hand that covered the void appeared slow, but it was actually extremely fast. The moment when this giant hand was about to smash him, Yang Kai could even feel space solidifying around him.
The power of this attack was absolutely terrifying and Yang Kai could clearly see the void shattering wherever it passed.
With no way to escape, Yang Kai let out a roar and thrust his spear out. Around his spear, the Space-Time River shook and myriad Dao Strengths burst forth, breaking through the confines of space. Yang Kai became one with his spear, transforming into a stream of light and rushing straight towards the approaching hand.
Before he even truly collided with the palm, Yang Kai was met with an overwhelming force. Yang Kai felt like he had run into an invisible blockade that was as sturdy as any metal. His body shook violently as he blocked the thunderous attack, coughing up Golden Blood in the process.
In the next instant, the large hand that covered his whole vision suddenly closed, seemingly trying to squash him to death.
The palm closed into a fist, but a stream of light emerged from between the cracks of its fingers. It was Yang Kai who was able to escape in time before disaster struck.
World Force surged and Dao Strengths shook. Yang Kai turned into a thunderbolt, sweeping upwards along his opponent’s extended arm like a Thunder Dragon.
Yang Kai had not exerted his full power since cultivating with the help of the Star Boundary and Myriad Monster World. He had been hiding his true power all this while so as to keep Mo Na Ye from catching any clues about him. Thus, even he himself had no idea just what would happen if he were to use his full power.
Today, the world would bear witness!
Facing off against a Black Ink Giant Spirit God alone, Yang Kai no longer held any reservations.
From his Small Universe, a majestic power began pouring out endlessly. The rise in cultivation seemed to make it even easier for him to manipulate his Dao Strengths, and he had never felt such a powerful force before. This power even gave him the illusion that if Mo was standing in front of him, he would still be able to punch its body full of holes…
Yang Kai was fast, so fast that it was hard to say just how fast it was.
In an instant, Yang Kai had already reached the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s neck by flying up its arm. After a moment of hesitation between deciding on transforming into his Dragon Form or remaining in his current state, Yang Kai chose the latter. Thrusting out the spear in his hand, a towering spear shadow came down on the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s neck.
An angry howl erupted and the pain in the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s eyes grew even more intense.
It was already in great agony from being wounded by the Purifying Light and sacrificing its arm and leg. To receive Yang Kai’s frenzied attack now made it even more unbearable.
When the spear shadow dispersed, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s neck was covered in countless wounds. Black blood was flowing out of each wound and its flesh was completely flayed. Dao Strengths even lingered in its wounds, making it a miserable sight to watch.
However, Yang Kai could not help but click his tongue. His attack was in no way weak. Any Royal Lord would likely have been killed on the spot if they were to receive such a blow, but for a behemoth like the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, it was simply not enough.
There were pros and cons to having a large body. First of all, there was the difficulty in moving around in a fight and the lack of dexterity, but a large size also allowed one to take much more damage without being critically wounded. Fatal attacks could often become just mere scratches from the size difference alone.
Yang Kai had a deep understanding of that fact as he had experienced it himself many times in the past through fighting using his Dragon Transformation Secret Art.
In terms of size, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God surpassed even his Divine Dragon Form, and thus the advantages that came with his massive size would also be amplified to the extreme.
The flayed wounds on its neck that were spouting black blood may look horrific, but in truth, it was nothing much for a Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Despite its strength being greatly weakened by the Purifying Light, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was still undoubtedly worthy of being the so-called Supreme One’s Soul Clone. The flesh at the wound writhed and rich Black Ink Strength poured out, then the injury was quickly stabilized. Only Yang Kai’s Dao Strengths were not that easy to disperse and remained stuck to its wound, constantly changing and evolving, continuing to cause damage.
Seeing this, Yang Kai made an instant decision to retrieve his spear and escape. Before the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could swing its palm over again, Yang Kai stuck to its shoulder and rushed in the opposite direction.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Kai reached the stump of its severed arm, which was still oozing thick black blood, but in just a short moment, the terrifying wound was greatly relieved. It would likely take no more than a couple dozen more breaths for the severed arm to scab over just like its neck, leaving only a closed wound behind without black blood oozing out anymore.
Its regenerative abilities were truly shocking.
Yang Kai raised his spear, and as World Force surged, his body moved with his weapon, turning into a spiral that drilled into the wound at his arm.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was instantly overtaken by an immense pain that caused it to hiss in shock and anger, “What are you doing?!”
Yang Kai did not answer. He had brought out his full strength and merged with his spear, turning into an unstoppable blade that broke through the thick blockade of Black Ink Strength, trying to penetrate into the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body from its wound.
“Don’t even dream of it!” The Black Ink Giant Spirit God knew what was coming. No matter how strong it was, it still could not anticipate what would happen to it if it allowed Yang Kai to succeed. Its huge eyes were filled with fear and panic. It never thought that it would fall into such a situation in such a short amount of time since the fight began.
As soon as it finished speaking, it raised its hand and slapped it down at Yang Kai, as if swatting at a mosquito that was biting it. If that palm connected, then Yang Kai would die even if he were to transform into his Divine Dragon Form.
At the same time, it also exerted all of its power to form a viscous yet sturdy defence around the wound to stop Yang Kai’s invasion. As long as it could swat its opponent to death before he had a chance to invade its body, then the crisis would be easily resolved.
Yang Kai felt an unprecedented crisis fall upon him and as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s palm descended. He could keenly feel death enveloping his body and mind, causing him to feel suffocated. Not a single part of him, both inside and outside, was not trembling in fear. Even though he had encountered many life-or-death crises throughout his cultivation journey, he had never encountered one as strong as this one. Death was so certain that it almost gave him the illusion that he had already died.
The defence that was formed out of Black Ink Strength at the wound was extremely sturdy. Even though Yang Kai attacked with full force, he was not able to break through it instantly. Moreover, his opponent did not just lay out a single defence; instead, it was constantly repairing and strengthening it.
Naturally, the best option here would be to just give up and escape in order to ensure his safety then search for another opening to exploit; however, after such an experience, it would not be so easy to get another opportunity like this as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God would definitely be on its guard.
In this life-or-death moment, Yang Kai’s lips curved into a fierce smirk, and his already terrifying aura climbed to even greater heights, causing the surrounding space to tremble in unrest.
“You court death!” The Black Ink Giant Spirit God roared furiously and swung its palm down even more fiercely. Everywhere its palm passed, space crumbled like a shattered mirror.
The huge palm suddenly stopped when it was only a dozen or so kilometres away from Yang Kai, as if it had encountered a huge resistance.
It was a severed arm extended across the void that suddenly blocked its fierce attack, an arm no different from its intact arm in terms of length and shape.
Ah Da had finally returned!
He had blocked the fatal blow for Yang Kai at this most critical moment.
Yang Kai had also seen Ah Da rushing over from the corner of his eye, which was what made him put his all into this decisive move.
Holding a severed arm in one hand and a severed leg in the other, Ah Da was furious, almost face to face with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, and shouted fiercely, “What do you think you’re doing to my little friend!”
In this era of endless Black Ink Strength, as members of the Giant Spirit God Clan, it was difficult to even find food to eat. Their little friend was now his and Ah Er’s only source of food. If their little friend were killed, wouldn’t they have to starve in the future?
The simple-minded Ah Da had long realized that only his little friend could provide them with delicious food, so no matter what happened, he would not allow his little friend to be harmed in any way! Anyone who dared to hurt his little friend must die!
Faced with Ah Da’s fury, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could only respond with a pained howl.
Because the moment when its attack was blocked by Ah Da, a violent shockwave hit Yang Kai’s back like an invisible wall. In that instant, the bones in Yang Kai’s body could be heard cracking, but it was also that force that allowed him to break through the blockade of Black Ink Strength. Body and spear united as one as he plunged into the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s severed arm.
All light disappeared and boundless darkness engulfed him. Yang Kai felt like he had fallen into a pitch-black ocean, but he moved forward without hesitation, breaking through layers of physical barriers and diving straight into the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body.
As his spear travelled through the body of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, it encountered significant resistance at first, but in a few breaths, the resistance suddenly weakened.
Ah Da who had launched a fierce flurry of attacks on the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, forcibly diverted its attention to protecting itself, which naturally meant that it could not fully focus on Yang Kai, who had invaded its body.
In the vast void, the battle between the two Giant Spirit Gods was extremely brutal, but Ah Da clearly had the upper hand. Wielding the severed limbs of his opponent as weapons, every blow caused the injured Black Ink Giant Spirit God to stagger and stumble in a pitiful state.
When the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God saw what was happening, it tried to come over and support its ally, but how could Ah Er allow him to do so? With everything he had, he kept it firmly tied down.
On a different battlefield, Mo Na Ye’s eyes trembled violently, his face filled with disbelief.
In fact, when Yang Kai unleashed his full strength, Mo Na Ye had already sensed that something was amiss and an unlikely scenario sprang in his heart.
His intelligence made him doubt this thought, but now it seemed that his unbelievable suspicions were confirmed.
“He has been hiding his strength all this time?” Mo Na Ye asked while defending against Mi Jing Lun’s furious attacks.
“What do you think?” Mi Jing Lun replied casually while searching for his opponent’s weakness. Naturally, he would not be kind enough to answer his enemy’s question.
However, this response only made Mo Na Ye more certain of his own judgment,
“Why?” He muttered in disbelief.
Yang Kai had been concealing a massive army of Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters. He must have possessed them for many years, yet hid them all so he could use them against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, which was understandable since they could not be exposed easily as it would alert the Black Ink Clan, then it would be difficult for them to play their part as a hidden weapon.
But why would Yang Kai also conceal his true strength? Judging from the aura erupting from Yang Kai earlier, his true strength was absolutely terrifying. If he had such strength, then why had he been hiding it for so long? If he revealed his true strength during the previous 10-year war, how many Pseudo-Royal Lords would have suffered? Even he, a Royal Lord, might not have survived.
“Why do you think?” Mi Jing Lun gave an equally generic answer, his fan sweeping out fiercely, sending a violent wind blade that cut a deep wound into Mo Na Ye’s abdomen. He had finally found an opening. Perhaps it was because Yang Kai’s performance distracted Mo Na Ye, but the Royal Lord had truly lost his bearings at this moment.
Mo Na Ye reeled back as black blood spurted out, but Mi Jing Lun’s unending attacks followed him closely. Suddenly, Mo Na Ye gave a weary scoff, “I understand now!”
It was the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. Yang Kai concealed his strength and hid his Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Army all so he could use it against the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. Because whether it be the two Giant Spirit Gods of the Human Race or the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods of the Black Ink Clan, they were the key to determining the outcome of the war. Only by finding a way to deal with the opponent’s strongest Masters could they truly bring this war to an end.
Mo Na Ye had seen through that fact even before this war even began, so how could Yang Kai not be aware of it?
Moreover, his attempt to conceal his ability by feigning weakness was indeed effective. The Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods had not paid any attention to Yang Kai, only considering the true Giant Spirit Gods as opponents. As old rivals who had fought each other for thousands of years, they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, but they never would have expected to suffer such a big loss at Yang Kai’s hands.
Defeat was now inevitable, and Mo Na Ye’s heart was filled with sadness. He could not figure out just how Yang Kai gained such power in such a short amount of time!
Only about 700 years had passed since he ascended to the Ninth-Order in the Universe Furnace World, a paltry number that hardly amounted to anything in the eyes of Ninth-Order Masters. 700 years was barely enough time for a new Ninth-Order Master to consolidate their cultivation and make a little bit of progress.
But the momentum that Yang Kai displayed at this moment was basically no different from the strongest Ninth-Order Masters that Mo Na Ye had witnessed all those years ago.
If he considered that the abilities that Yang Kai showed had always been far superior to his peers to begin with, perhaps even the most senior and experienced veteran Ninth-Order Masters from back then would be inferior to him in terms of combat effectiveness.
When the Human Race was at its peak, the Ninth-Order Masters struggled to deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods even though there were 100 of them. There was only a single time where they managed to kill a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, but that was only with Ah Er’s help and at great cost.
But now, with only Yang Kai and a single Giant Spirit God, the Humans were able to force a Soul Clone of the Supreme One into a desperate situation.
Fierce battles were taking place everywhere on the vast battlefield, but the most intense and shocking one was undoubtedly the fight between the Giant Spirit Gods and the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods.
Ah Er and his opponent were fully entangled, their powerful clashes causing space itself to shatter. Void Cracks appeared one after another and clung onto their large bodies like spider webs, and from those cracks, an extremely strong aura of chaos and nihility was spilling out.
Only two fates awaited ordinary creatures in such an environment. One was to fall in and become lost in the Void. If they were very lucky, they might find a way out, but if not, they would be forever trapped.
The second outcome was to simply be sliced to pieces and die.
Each Void Crack was a tear in space, so it naturally possessed immense power. Nothing good could come to those who came into contact with these torn and displaced cracks.
However, the two massive beings confronting each other in this dangerous environment at this very moment were not ordinary by any definition. The Void Cracks, which would normally be a death sentence, merely left slight scratches on their skin, barely able to cut them at all.
Looking from afar, these two Supreme Masters were surrounded by endless cracks, making it look as if they were fighting in another space-time.
On the other hand, Ah Da’s battle with the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God was a completely different situation.
Thanks to Yang Kai’s sudden attack and the sacrifice of 2,000 Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God had only battled Ah Da for a short time before losing an arm and a leg, which could be said to have greatly damaged its foundation. Now, with Yang Kai wreaking havoc inside its body, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had to divert some of his attention to defend against him, so it had completely fallen into a disadvantage in the face of Ah Da’s furious beating.
With each strike that landed, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God staggered and was sent flying back, whereas Ah Da only became stronger as the fight went on. Though the severed limbs of the opponent didn’t possess any kind of divine power, they were incredibly tough and displayed tremendous power in Ah Da’s hands.
In no more than a few dozen breaths, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was in a miserable state covered in black blood; the panic in its eyes gradually deepened.
At this moment, it was facing not only Ah Da’s flurry of attacks, but also what Yang Kai was doing inside its body, which was the true source of its fear. It could keenly feel that as Yang Kai moved within its enormous body, the auras of countless life forms were being left behind…
Even though it had no time to examine what was happening, it knew very clearly just what those living creatures were.
Realizing that its death was inevitable if it did not act, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God roared and forcibly blocked Ah Da’s ferocious attacks before suddenly, its body shook and it snarled, “The Universe shall be covered in Black Ink!”
As soon as those words were spoken, the Black Ink Strength lingering outside its body, which was like a dense fog, solidified for a moment before being drawn into its body by an invisible force.
The price it paid for this was being struck fiercely on the forehead by Ah Da’s attack, causing a part of its skull to cave in.
At that moment, Yang Kai, wielding the Azure Dragon Spear, was still drilling his way through the thick Black Ink Strength blockade as he shuttled around inside of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body. The portal to his Small Universe had been opened, and as he swam about, a massive number of Small Stone Race Soldiers poured out of his Small Universe and took up positions inside of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Yang Kai had brought some 400 million Small Stone Race Soldiers from the Chaotic Dead Territory and handed quite a large percentage of them to the Ninth-Order Masters to distribute to the Human Army in order to enhance its forces; however, he still left some behind as reserves. Besides the numerous Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters that were sacrificed earlier, Yang Kai still had a large Army of at least 30 million below the Eighth-Order.
These Small Stone Race Soldiers were constantly charging out of his Small Universe and invading the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body.
When the Black Ink Giant Spirit God finished speaking though, Yang Kai clearly felt the boundless darkness in this place become even darker.
It was a very strange feeling as there was supposedly no way a darkness where an ordinary person could not even see their fingers in front of them could get even darker, but that kind of feeling did arise in Yang Kai.
In the next instant, he realized that his Small Universe was shaking violently, and the open portal also closed involuntarily.
Shocked, Yang Kai quickly examined himself and was aghast to find the World Tree clone swaying violently while propping up the invisible boundary wall around his Small Universe. Outside of the boundary wall was Black Ink Strength of a purity he had never seen before, and it was trying to break into his Small Universe.
With the World Tree clone to isolate and protect his Small Universe, it remained flawless and undamaged for thousands of years, invulnerable to external forces. It had a similar effect to the Four Universe Pillars, but even stronger.
Since obtaining the World Tree clone, Yang Kai had never been worried that his Small Universe would be stained by Black Ink Strength. That was because Black Ink Strength could not break his Small Universe’s boundary wall nor corrupt his Small Universe with the World Tree clone shielding it.
Currently, the Black Ink Strength’s attack and the World Tree Clone’s protection were like a spear and a shield. If the protective shield was strong enough, it could ignore the attack of the sharp spear.
In the past, the protective shield of the World Tree clone could easily block the corruption of Black Ink Strength regardless of its source. Yang Kai had never felt affected by it before, and he could even recklessly enter environments full of Black Ink Strength. It was an act other Open Heaven Realm Masters were fearful of, yet he could do so without worrying about being corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
But this time, Yang Kai clearly felt that the protective shield of the World Tree clone was under pressure!
This was undoubtedly an indication that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was using a powerful technique against him.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think of the Royal Lord Secret Technique.
The Humans had never been able to figure out how the Royal Lords cast their Secret Technique. Yang Kai had also endured this Secret Technique head-on more than once, but with the World Tree Clone and the Soul Warming Lotus’ protection, it had never affected him.
The Humans had very limited information on the Royal Lord Secret Technique, but what they did know was that this technique could only be performed by a true Royal Lord, and that it can be activated silently. Those targeted by the Royal Lord Secret Technique could not resist unless they were in the Ninth Order. Even the most experienced veteran Eighth-Order Masters would be corrupted instantly by Black Ink Strength when this move was unleashed.
Back when the Human Race Army first clashed with the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory, it was through a use of the Royal Lord Secret Technique that three Eighth-Order Masters were corrupted, allowing them to infiltrate the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land in the depths of Shattered Heaven and awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God there. As a result, the Human Race was routed and had no choice but to give up the Barren Territory.
But despite how powerful the Royal Lord Secret Technique was, it was rarely used as once it was activated, the user’s foundation would be greatly damaged, causing a significant decline in strength. Therefore, Royal Lords generally did not use this technique unless they were in absolute control of the situation.
The first Royal Lord that Yang Kai killed was the one he fought just after advancing to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. That Royal Lord had wanted to get rid of Yang Kai for good by using the Secret Technique. This was due to him being angry out of shame from being unable to catch him after chasing him for several dozen years. It severely damaged his foundation as a result, providing an opportunity that Yang Kai took advantage of.
If Royal Lords could use such a bizarre Secret Technique, how could the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, who were Soul Clones of Mo, not be capable of something similar?
Therefore, when Yang Kai sensed that something was amiss, he knew that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had to have used a technique similar to the Royal Lord Secret Technique, and that was why even the World Tree clone’s protective shield was feeling pressured.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but think back to Cang’s words. Despite knowing he had a World Tree clone to isolate and protect his Small Universe, Cang had specifically warned him to be wary of Mo. In other words, even with the World Tree clone, he could still fail to resist Mo’s Black Ink Strength.
Inside his Small Universe, the swaying of the World Tree clone became more and more violent. Yang Kai could clearly feel the pressure on his last line of defence, which finally made him realize that what Cang warned him about back then was not an exaggeration!
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was already pressuring the World Tree clone, so what if he were to face Mo itself? The World Tree clone really might not be able to protect him then.
Moreover, trouble never arrived alone. As his Small Universe was bearing enormous pressure, Yang Kai can clearly feel his Knowledge Sea being invaded as well.
Boundless Black Ink Strength gushed over, staining his originally colourful Knowledge Sea completely black.
The corruption of Black Ink Strength on cultivators had always been both a physical and spiritual affair.
Inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, on the small seven-coloured island formed by the Soul Warming Lotus, two figures sat idly across each other, playing chess. One of them had a humanoid form while the other had a beast form.
These two figures were naturally Yang Kai’s two other Selves. Since his three Selves united, Yang Kai advanced into the Ninth Order, but Thunder Shadow’s and Fang Tian Ci’s consciousnesses were preserved and had been staying in the Soul Warming Lotus all these years. This was the best place for them to remain as without the Soul Warming Lotus’ nurturing, they might have perished with the loss of their physical bodies over time.
When the boundless Black Ink Strength surged in, Fang Tian Ci immediately noticed that something was amiss. When he looked over, there was a look of surprise in his eyes.
Thunder Shadow also stood up in a panic, knocking over the chessboard in the process and exclaiming, “Black Ink Strength? What is Big Brother doing? How could Black Ink Strength reach this place? Big Brother isn’t going to be corrupted, is he? Oh, no! What do we do?!”
He made a scene, looking extremely worried.
Fang Tian Ci, however, looked at him speechlessly. Reaching out, he restored the knocked-over chess pieces back to their original positions, “Don’t try to shift focus. You’re about to lose!”
Thunder Shadow turned its head to look at him, shouting, “Who has the heart to play chess with you at such a critical moment!? If Big Brother is stained by Black Ink, we’re done for! When that happens, Big Brother will definitely pull us out and eat us one by one.”
Fang Tian Ci’s brow couldn’t help but twitch, “Firstly, if the true body is corrupted by Black Ink Strength, we will also be corrupted by it! Secondly, this is the Soul Warming Lotus, a Supreme Treasure of the Universe that can shield and nurture the Soul better than any other item in existence. With the Soul Warming Lotus, even if Black Ink Strength were to invade the true body, Big Brother would still be able to hold on to a trace of clarity and will not be completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength!”
“Is that so?” Thunder Shadow sat down with a clueless expression on its face.
Fang Tian Ci couldn’t endure it any longer, “Drop the pretentious act! You’re not a sore loser, are you?”
Thunder Shadow scoffed, “Chess isn’t fun. Let’s play something else.”
“So, you finally admit that you’re not my opponent,” Fang Tian Ci looked at it scornfully with his nose in the air.
Thunder Shadow bellowed, “Who’s not your opponent?! Don’t think that I have to endure your provocations just because you’re the Second Brother! You better watch your mouth!”
“Then, let’s continue. It’s your turn!” Fang Tian Ci gestured to the board.
Thunder Shadow hesitated for a moment before gritting its teeth, “Just watch as I destroy you until you don’t even have a single piece of armour left!”
As Black Ink Strength surged in, the only pure land in Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea was a chess game where one man and one leopard unceasingly exchanged moves…
Inside the body of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, an Army of millions of Small Stone Race Soldiers were scattered about. If they had been ordinary Small Stone Race members, they might not be able to withstand the corruption of the thick Black Ink Strength, but these Small Stone Race Masters had grown by consuming the extremely pure Yin or Yang Energy of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, so they had a natural resistance to it.
Moreover, they were extremely sensitive towards Black Ink Strength and viewed it as their absolute enemy. As soon as they were released, they began attacking the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from inside its body, causing it to experience what the pain of being devoured by countless ants was like.
No matter how indestructible the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was outside, its internal defences were naturally much weaker.
Yang Kai’s original plan was to summon all of the Small Stone Race Soldiers from his Small Universe, which amounted to around 30 million, but he had no choice but to stop because of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s Secret Technique.
The longer such an intense battle dragged on, the greater the variables became.
As soon as he sensed the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s unusual move, Yang Kai decisively activated the Great Sun and Moon Marks. The next moment, the tens of millions of Small Stone Race each shone brightly. Yellow and blue lights began to flow and blend in the extremely dark environment, turning it pure white, creating a mystical scene.
In the void, Ah Da once again swung down his opponent’s severed arm, smashing it fiercely towards the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and hitting it squarely in the neck until its head was slightly bent out of shape.
At the same time, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s face distorted in extreme pain, as if it was being subjected to unbearable torture. Then, a bright white light overflowed from its mouth and nose.
It howled in pain, and its roar echoed throughout the Universe, frightening all Black Ink Clansmen who heard it.
The bright white light was not only overflowing from its mouth and nose now, but also from the stumps of its severed limbs and even from the wounds all over its body, creating columns of light like ten thousand swords piercing through its flesh!
As the columns of light emerged, so did a figure covered in black blood, rushing out with his spear. It was none other than Yang Kai. He turned his head to look at the pitiful appearance of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and could clearly sense that its aura had weakened greatly.
This eruption of Purifying Light had an even more profound effect than the sacrifice of 2,000 Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters from before!
It made sense; after all, the previous blast of Purifying Light only enveloped the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the outside, making it a purely external attack; but now, the Purifying Light was created by the fusion of an Army of tens of millions exploding inside its body, meaning almost all of the impact was absorbed by it without any escaping. So, despite the fact that the quality was somewhat lacking, the quantity made up for it, and the damage to the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was even greater than before.
Ah Da charged forward once again. Even though his intelligence was lacking, he was still a member of the Giant Spirit God Clan whose battle instincts were incredibly strong. Seeing his enemy in such a miserable state, there was no way he would miss this perfect opportunity. In just a few steps, he reached the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and, wielding its severed arm and leg, unleashed a flurry of attacks that left a bloody spectacle wherever they struck.
Following the weakening of its aura and the damage to its foundation, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s defence also became weaker.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God roared and struggled to resist, but it was simply no match for Ah Da at this moment. Faced with this barrage of attacks, it could only defend while being forced back step by step.
A Dragon Roar sounded abruptly and a golden light burst forth as a 100,000 metres Divine Dragon appeared. The Dragon shot forward, taking advantage of when the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was already overwhelmed, and wrapped around its neck, looping itself around it. Then, the Divine Dragon lifted his large head and looked the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the eye right in front of him.
Despite his large form, the Dragon still appeared small compared to the massive Black Ink Giant Spirit God. From a distance, it was like a small snake wrapped around a person’s neck.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God loathed Yang Kai deeply. Knowing that this situation was likely to be disastrous, it directly abandoned its defence against Ah Da and reached out its one remaining hand to grab the Divine Dragon.
Yang Kai had taken on his Dragon Form, which allowed him to control his Time Dao Strength much better than when he was in his Human Form; after all, the Dao of Time was the Innate Grand Dao of the Dragon Clan. As such, the hand that was trying to grasp him was instantly surrounded by a profound field which made it become extremely sluggish.
Opening his Dragon Maw, a Dragon Breath spewed forth and smashed into one of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s eyes. In the next instant, the giant eye burst apart.
Repeating the same thing on the other side, Yang Kai quickly destroyed the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s other eye as well.
With both eyes gone, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God let out another miserable cry before unleashing all its power, breaking through the Time Principle blockade, allowing its stalled hand to regain its freedom.
However, its attack was interrupted by a fierce blow from Ah Da before it could reach Yang Kai.
Yang Kai took advantage of this opportunity to unleash one Dragon Clan Secret Technique after another, bombarding the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s face at close range.
Every Secret Technique was as powerful as an all-out attack of a peak Ninth-Order Master, and in just a short amount of time, the face of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had been turned into a bloody mess.
Despite that, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God still refused to die, displaying a tenacious vitality that Yang Kai couldn’t help but marvel at.
Since the war between Humans and Black Ink Clan began, the Humans had only managed to kill a single Black Ink Giant Spirit God, which happened during the battle in the Barren Territory several thousand years ago. However, they also paid a huge price for that success with more than a dozen Ninth-Order Masters dying in battle. Furthermore, Ah Er was there to provide assistance and that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was already injured and had been prepared to be sacrificed.
It could be said that the reason why the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was killed in that battle was partly because the Black Ink Clan was willing to pay any price to breach the Barren Territory and invade the 3,000 Worlds. Nevertheless, the Humans had also paid a high price to slowly wear down their opponent and kill it.
As to what they were supposed to do in order to quickly kill a Black Ink Giant Spirit God now, the Humans still lacked experience and ideas.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God in front of them had almost no ability to resist as it was attacked by Yang Kai in his Divine Dragon Form and Ah Da, but its extraordinary vitality still basically made it immortal and indestructible.
Seeing this, Yang Kai had no choice but to act ruthlessly. When his Dragon Jaws opened, a golden round bead emerged; it was his Dragon Bead.
The moment the Dragon Bead appeared, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was able to sense that something was amiss despite losing both its eyes. It opened its mouth and roared, trying to wriggle its neck free from Yang Kai’s hold; however, the force applied to it rendered it completely immobile.
The Golden Dragon Bead shook faintly before turning into a golden light and blasting into the hole where the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s left eye used to be, then bursting out through the back of his head!
As the residual energy swept into the depths of the void, a golden beam of light spanning 100 million kilometres was created.
Such a fierce blow caused the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s neck and head to be flung back as it lost all strength in the hand it was waving around.
Thus, the aura of a powerful being, powerful enough to shake the Universe, crumbled and dissipated.
However, Yang Kai still could not be rest assured. A loud Dragon Roar echoed across the battlefield, and the Dragon coiled around the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s neck tightened its grip once again before soaring up into the void.
The immense pulling force ripped into the neck of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, directly separating its huge head from its body. At the wound, black blood erupted like a volcano, instantly dyeing a vast expanse of the void completely black.
Another endless flurry of attacks from Ah Da landed immediately after, smashing the Black Ink Giant Spirit God until its body broke into pieces.
It wasn’t until this moment that the aura belonging to the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was completely extinguished.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God had fallen!
From the moment Ah Da restrained this Black Ink Giant Spirit God, to when Yang Kai ripped its head off, only a short dozen breaths had passed.
In such a short period of time, a powerful Black Ink Giant Spirit God was killed by the joint efforts of Yang Kai and Ah Da.
Regardless of how tenacious its vitality was, regardless of how profound Mo’s creations were, there was no way it could have any vitality left after its body was literally smashed into paste.
Thousands of years ago, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God emerged from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and laid the foundation for the Black Ink Clan’s victory in the war in the Barren Territory. Its strength had been looming over the hearts of all the Humans all that time, almost like a towering mountain pressing down on their heads. After all it was an indomitable and powerful existence.
Today, when its aura finally dissipated, and its body shattered into pieces, that shadow was at last dispelled.
The Human Race Army, which already had the momentum advantage against the Black Ink Clan, erupted into cheers at this moment and their attacks became even fiercer.
The Black Ink Clan Army, which was already at a disadvantage, deflated even further at this sight.
This was especially so for the Masters from the Black Ink Clan. No matter what, they couldn’t believe that a Soul Clone of the Supreme One would be killed in such a short time. When the aura of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God dissipated, their minds all fell into disarray.
The Human Race Masters fighting against them took advantage of this opportunity to expand their advantages even further, while those who were in disadvantageous positions quickly stabilized their situations.
It could be said that the death of one of the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods was not just a loss of one of the Black Ink Clan’s top Masters, but it also had a clear and direct effect on the situation of the entire battlefield.
All the Black Ink Clansmen realised that all hope had just died and there was no way they would survive the battle for the No-Return Pass no matter what they did. All of them would be slaughtered ruthlessly here!
This was a matter concerning the life or death of both Races, a blood feud spanning so many years that no one could even say how long it was. It was impossible for them to show any mercy.
This decisive battle that had broken out hastily would eventually end in victory for the Human Race.
On the battlefield, Ah Da threw back his head and roared to the Heavens, his voice filled with joy and victory. After he was done, he looked around the battlefield with sharp eyes like an eagle or wolf filled with bloodlust.
Yang Kai saw this and shouted, “Go and help Ah Er!”
After receiving the message, Ah Da rushed over to the other side of the battlefield with the severed arm and leg still in hand. Ah Er was fighting on equal grounds with his opponent there, but when his enemy naturally saw its peer being killed and immediately tried to escape.
There was not much Ah Er could do against a Black Ink Giant Spirit God intent on escaping; nevertheless, he did his best to keep it pinned as long as possible. Fortunately, Ah Da arrived quickly, and with the united strength of two Giant Spirit Gods, they instantly trapped their opponent, making it all but impossible for it to flee.
To have killed a Black Ink Giant Spirit God while hardly sustaining any injuries was a feat that nobody could achieve, not just for the people of today, but even their Ancestors of the past eras.
It had to be known that when a single Black Ink Giant Spirit God invaded the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land in the Early Ancient Era, countless powerful Divine Spirits had inhabited those lands, but even then, the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress of the time still had to use the 16 Sacred Treasures of the strongest Clans and sacrifice themselves to lay a Grand Array just to suppress and seal it. It was only after hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years of erosion from the Ancestral Land’s Ancestral Strength that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s vitality was finally ground down.
Such a huge price was paid, yet they were only able to trap their foe, not directly kill them.
In comparison to that, today’s fight was an astonishing feat unequalled before in history.
Of course, it was mainly thanks to the two explosions of Purifying Light that greatly damaged the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s foundation. Even though the Ancestral Strength in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land provided some suppressive power against Black Ink Strength, it was far less potent than Purifying Light.
Even though he did not sustain much damage, Yang Kai expended a lot of his strength, especially when he summoned his Dragon Bead at the end, so he was basically a dry oil lamp right now!
The Dragon Bead was the culmination of a Dragon’s cultivation. Just like a Monster Beast’s Monster Core, one would never summon it unless it was absolutely necessary, for once it was brought out, either one’s enemy died or the owner perished. It was a desperate final move.
Since he became a Grand Dragon and obtained his own Dragon Bead, Yang Kai had summoned this final weapon a few times in the past, and it was exhausting each time he did; this time was no different. It was hard for Yang Kai to even maintain his Dragon Form after using his Dragon Bead to attack, so he quickly transformed back into his Human Form. Not only was his face extremely pale, he looked completely deflated.
That was especially true for his Dragon Vein. Usually, he could circulate the might in his Dragon Vein without issue even in his Human Form; but now, the power in his Dragon Vein was almost still. Looking inside himself, Yang Kai could see that even his Dragon Bead was dim and grey, not bright and golden as before.
It seemed like he would need to recuperate for a long time before his Dragon Vein and Bead could be restored. Before then, it would be difficult to even use any techniques related to the Dragon Clan.
After directing Ah Da to help Ah Er, Yang Kai stuffed some recovery pills into his mouth and swallowed them before turning back and rushing over to the No-Return Pass.
The defence line of the Black Ink Clan had long been riddled with holes, and Humans had the advantage in most of the positions across the battlefield. As they were enveloped by the dazzling lights of both Secret Techniques and artifacts, the Black Ink Clansmen were being wiped out in great numbers every breath.
The Human Race’s victory here was set, all that was lacking to resolve this war now was time.
In an instant, Yang Kai had passed over the defence line where the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan Armies were fighting and went straight into the No-Return Pass. As Space Principles surged, his figure swiftly passed through each area of the No-Return Pass.
Everywhere he went, large numbers of Black Ink Nests were destroyed.
When Ah Da and Ah Er were first rushing over from the Barren Territory, they had already caused significant damage to the Black Ink Nests in the No-Return Pass, but due to how many Black Ink Nests there were to begin with, many still remained.
With Yang Kai to clean up the rest, all the surviving Black Ink Nests would soon be destroyed.
If the Pseudo-Royal Lords were still guarding this place, they might have been able to hinder him somewhat, but all of them had left of the inner region of the No-Return Pass to fight under Mo Na Ye’s order, so how could there be any Masters left to stop Yang Kai?
Within an incense stick of time, the No-Return Pass became a chaotic mess. All of the Black Ink Nests, whether they were High-Rank, Mid-Rank, or Low-Rank, were all destroyed without exception. Even the Black Ink Clansmen that had escaped back to the pass for shelter, suffered heavy casualties.
Without pause, Yang Kai disappeared in a flash.
Somewhere in the battlefield, Mo Na Ye and Mi Jing Lun’s fight was still going on with the situation being extremely disadvantageous for the former. It was reasonable to say that since Mo Na Ye had become a Royal Lord a few hundred years earlier than Mi Jing Lun had advanced to the Ninth Order, he should have a stronger heritage, yet in reality, he was completely suppressed by Mi Jing Lun.
Naturally, such a situation arose because of the various changes that happened on the battlefield, causing Mo Na Ye’s thoughts to be disrupted. This was especially so with Yang Kai’s sudden surge in strength and the death of a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, which had an immense impact on him. The shrewd and cunning Mi Jing Lun naturally seized this opportunity to expand his advantage bit by bit until they reached the current state of affairs.
Of course, with Mi Jing Lun’s current cultivation, killing Mo Na Ye would be difficult even with such an advantage as he had to be extremely cautious against a final counterattack. In a fight between Masters like them, the slightest carelessness could drastically change the outcome.
That was why Mi Jing Lun did not dare to be careless in the slightest and kept a steady hand from the beginning, never taking risks in a rush for success!
But at a certain point, his attacks grew more violent. At the same time, Mo Na Ye keenly caught onto an opening in his defence and, after a moment of hesitation, his originally retreating figure suddenly rushed forward, taking advantage of the gap in Mi Jing Lun’s Secret Techniques to throw a punch-out.
Mi Jing Lun’s face immediately showed an expression of panic, and he instinctively tried to block it, but it was too late.
As Mo Na Ye’s fist was about to hit Mi Jing Lun’s head though, Mo Na Ye’s body suddenly shook as if he had been hit by a binding technique, freezing in place.
His fist was less than a forearm’s length away from Mi Jing Lun, and the violent force from it caused the opponent’s clothes to flutter.
In the face of imminent death, the panic in Mi Jing Lun’s eyes disappeared and was instead replaced by an indifferent gaze.
“As expected!” Mo Na Ye laughed bitterly at Mi Jing Lun, but those words weren’t meant for him.
Behind Mo Na Ye, Yang Kai’s figure had appeared at some point, and the Azure Dragon Spear pierced through Mo Na Ye’s chest. Dao Strengths lingered on Yang Kai’s spear as Space Principles surged, solidifying the surrounding space. Even someone as strong as Mo Na Ye was unable to break free for a time.
The three Masters were arranged in a straight line in the void with Yang Kai at the back, Mo Na Ye in the centre, and Mi Jing Lun in the front. For a while, nobody spoke.
The silence went on for a time before Mi Jing Lun finally said, “You realized that I was baiting you.”
It was not a question, he was just stating a fact.
When Yang Kai rushed over from the No-Return Pass, he sent a message to Mi Jing Lun, which was why he suddenly revealed an opening. It was to lure Mo Na Ye into attacking him and creating a favourable opportunity for Yang Kai’s ambush.
Everything went smoothly and Yang Kai’s ambush was extremely successful.
“So what if I saw through it?” A bitter smile appeared at the corners of Mo Na Ye’s lips.
Mi Jing Lun’s eyes flickered, and he nodded lightly, “En, you had no choice but to take it.”
Even if he did see through the plan to lure the enemy out, Mo Na Ye could only make his move, hoping to severely injure or even kill Mi Jing Lun before being hit by Yang Kai. That way, it wouldn’t be a loss even if he died.
Of course, he could also choose to evade Yang Kai’s ambush, but all that would follow would be a joint attack from both Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun together, which would still be difficult for him to resist.
So, he didn’t have a choice at all from the start.
Yang Kai tilted his head, his gaze passing Mo Na Ye by to look at Mi Jing Lun as he commented, “Senior Brother, that was too dangerous.”
He had communicated with Mi Jing Lun to coordinate their actions, but he never expected the latter to use such a dangerous method. Even Yang Kai’s heart was racing with fear for a moment. If he had moved just a bit slower, Mi Jing Lun would have undoubtedly suffered serious injuries.
Mi Jing Lun responded indifferently, “Fortune favours the bold.”
Yang Kai sighed, not knowing what to say in reply. He had no doubt that Mi Jing Lun trusted him, but he had no idea that Yang Kai had already exhausted too much of his strength in the previous battle. Even though he recovered some of it while destroying the Black Ink Nests, the time was too short and he couldn’t recover much of his strength. For example, Yang Kai could only use the same set of Secret Techniques he just used twice more before all his energy ran out again.
If Mo Na Ye really managed to avoid his surprise attack, things would have become difficult.
“Brother Yang, I have a question to ask before I die!” Mo Na Ye spoke to Yang Kai behind him as he stood still, showing no intention to resist.
Yang Kai raised a brow, “You may ask, but I may not necessarily answer.”
Mo Na Ye laughed bitterly, “You Humans… How did you discover reinforcements were coming?”
Mo Na Ye had speculated the reason the Humans were so eager to take down the No-Return Pass, even at the cost of greater sacrifices, was because they must have discovered reinforcements were rushing over from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t figure out how they managed to learn about them.
It had to be known that the reinforcements were still more than 10 years away at best, a distance so great that it would have been difficult for the Black Ink Clan to even contact them without the help of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s Divine Ability and the Black Ink Nests.
Mo Na Ye had thought that the reinforcements would be the No-Return Pass’ Black Ink Clan’s ticket to survival, allowing them to pincer the Humans from the front and back, catching them off guard.
Who would have thought that it would become a death decree in the end?
“Reinforcements? What do you mean reinforcements?” Yang Kai asked in a surprised tone.
Mo Na Ye turned his head with difficulty so he could see his expression, but as he moved, the Azure Dragon Spear shook slightly, forcing him to keep still.
Yang Kai continued, “Where can your Black Ink Clan get reinforce… the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, is it? What happened over there!?” Mo Na Ye’s brow furrowed. Unable to see Yang Kai’s face, he could only stare at Mi Jing Lun, who had a look of sudden realization.
“The thing you mentioned earlier was about the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements?”
There was a moment of confusion for Mo Na Ye…
Before the war started, he tried to probe Mi Jing Lun for clues but failed to get any answers. He had been confident that the Humans must have known about their reinforcements, which was why they launched such a decisive attack, but now, judging from Mi Jing Lun and Yang Kai’s reactions, it seemed that they actually knew nothing about it.
[Do the Humans really have no idea?]
“Speak! Are Black Ink Clan reinforcements from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction on the way here now? How is that possible!?” Yang Kai’s shout sounded from behind while at the same time, the spear that penetrated his chest pulsed with Dao Strengths, causing Mo Na Ye to groan in pain.
Even in such a critical situation, he was still closely observing Mi Jing Lun’s expression, and he could see that those eyes were full of worry and anxiety.
“Ha… haha… hahahaha!” Mo Na Ye could not help but break out in fervent laughter.
“What are you laughing at!?” Yang Kai shouted and shook his spear, interrupting Mo Na Ye’s laughter.
The immense pain distorted Mo Na Ye’s features, but he gritted his teeth, “I laugh at you Humans for being so ignorant in the face of the Supreme One’s power. No matter how hard you struggle, it is all meaningless, all your efforts will ultimately be in vain!”
He spoke as if he were stating a fact, or laying a malicious curse, but it also seemed like a prediction of the future.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “You have a big mouth for someone with little skill.”
Mo Na Ye frowned, “Brother Yang…”
Yang Kai shook the spear in his hand, interrupting his words as a strongly disgusted look emerged on his face, “Who is your Brother Yang? Do you even have the qualifications to call me your Brother?”
Mo Na Ye looked surprised and stammered, “I thought…”
Yang Kai interrupted him again, “We have been fighting each other for many years, and we each have our own victories. So, you think that as opponents, we should be sympathetic to each other?”
“Shouldn’t we?” Mo Na Ye tossed the question back.
The disgust on Yang Kai’s face deepened, “It’s you who knows nothing! I, Yang Kai, have been cultivating for thousands of years and encountered many powerful opponents. Indeed, there are some worth sympathizing with, because it was the pressure they gave me that enabled me to forge ahead step by step until this day, but that does not include you or any other Black Ink Clansmen! We are mortal enemies! Only by killing you can we Humans find peace!”
Mo Na Ye was silent for a moment before suddenly realising, “Only opponents are sympathetic to each other, not enemies.”
“It seems you understand now. So answer me, where did the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements come from? Did something happen at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction? You only have one chance to tell me the truth!” Yang Kai’s icy words were biting like the cold chills of winter.
Smirking, Mo Na Ye looked at Mi Jing Lun across from him, “Black Ink Eternal!”
A violent force suddenly erupted from Mo Na Ye’s chest. Yang Kai’s 10,000 Dao Strengths surged. This Royal Lord, who had been commanding the situation in the Black Ink Clan for thousands of years, was blasted into pieces with blood and severed limbs flying everywhere.
Mo Na Ye had fallen!
Yang Kai gave him only one chance to speak, but he had no intention of revealing any valuable information. Yang Kai naturally would not show mercy, and regardless of what answer Mo Na Ye gave, he still would not escape death today.
Yang Kai would never give him another chance to escape. 700 years ago, he failed to kill Mo Na Ye when the Universe Furnace appeared, which had been a source of regret for him. Later, when the Universe Furnace closed, he thought he would have another chance to kill Mo Na Ye, but unexpectedly, he was brought to the edge of the Universe by the Universe Furnace, allowing this guy to escape by some stroke of luck.
Mo Na Ye knew it well, and Yang Kai had also expected this.
All along, Mo Na Ye’s biggest threat to the Human Race was not his strength, but his superior intellect that far surpassed all his other clansmen. If he hadn’t been the Commander of the Black Ink Clan’s war effort, this battle at the No-Return Pass would not have been as hard-fought. Almost 30% of the Human Race’s casualties in the war could be attributed to Mo Na Ye alone.
Now, this Royal Lord had finally reached the end of his fate!
Mi Jing Lun reached out and grabbed a severed arm, the limb left behind by Mo Na Ye after his death. He pried open the large, tightly-clenched fist and took out an unhatched Black Ink Nest from his palm.
Glancing over at Yang Kai, he asked, “So this is the reason you tricked him?”
With the help of the Void Guard’s investigation, the Humans learned of the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements, which was why they launched this battle so decisively.
Mo Na Ye had suspected this, but he couldn’t be completely sure, that was why he wanted to get confirmation before his death.
Logically, it wouldn’t matter even if Mo Na Ye knew the answer since he was going to die regardless. There was nothing a dying man could do about it, but when he asked the question and Yang Kai acted like he didn’t know, Mi Jing Lun quickly played along, pretending to know nothing.
In the end, even when Mo Na Ye was killed, he couldn’t figure out whether the Humans knew about the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements in advance or not.
Yang Kai nodded, “It was just in case!”
Though admitting it wouldn’t make much of a difference, nobody could know what kind of changes it would bring to the situation if they did; therefore, Yang Kai always upheld a principle of not telling the enemy anything if at all possible.
However, judging from the fact that Mo Na Ye was still holding onto the miniature Black Ink Nest before he died, what happened here must have spread to the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements. The reinforcements must have found out that their presence had been exposed and that a Black Ink Giant Spirit God had died in battle.
Yang Kai was somewhat helpless about this. After he and Ah Da had teamed up to kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, he immediately rushed into the No-Return Pass and destroyed all the Black Ink Nests to prevent the news from leaking, but the fact of the matter was, he couldn’t completely prevent it.
Black Ink Nests were just too convenient in terms of transmitting information.
The only fortunate thing now was that the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements did not know about the existence of the Void Guard or the Space Arrays, nor would they have any idea what was going to happen next on the battlefield.
The reinforcements travelling through the void had two options now. One was to speed up their march and rush to the No-Return Pass, hoping that the battle would not be over before their arrival. Then, they could assist their fellow clansmen on this side and maybe turn the tide.
The second option was naturally to hold their position, get into formation and lay in ambush. They could then slowly start to build up their strength and prepare for the Human Race Army to approach. Under the assumption that the Humans knew nothing, it would only be natural for them to lay some sort of gigantic trap.
But no matter which option they chose, they could not stop the fate of the Black Ink Clan’s destruction at the No-Return Pass!
With the fall of a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the outcome of the battle at the No-Return Pass has already been determined.
Clenching his fist, Mi Jing Lun crushed the Black Ink Nest before gently waving his feather fan, “Junior Brother, you should rest for now. I’m afraid we may need your help to deal with the remaining Black Ink Giant Spirit God as well. As for the rest, you don’t have to worry about them. You’ve already done enough.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and nodded lightly, “En!”
After slaying the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and Mo Na Ye one after another, Yang Kai had exhausted too much energy and needed time to properly recover. Even though the outcome of the battle had already been determined, it was necessary to deal with the remaining Black Ink Giant Spirit God to end things completely. That thing was not easy to deal with. If the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God had not been too careless, it would not have fallen in such a short time.
After Mi Jing Lun left, Yang Kai focused on his recovery. Without setting up any defences, he sat cross-legged in the void without any fear of being attacked by the Black Ink Clan…
When Mo Na Ye, a Royal Lord, was killed, the already fragmented Black Ink Clan defence line worsened even further.
Especially for those Masters from the Black Ink Clan who were fighting against Human Race Masters. Witnessing the fall of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had already shaken their minds. Now, with Mo Na Ye’s death, the hearts of every Territory Lord, and even the Pseudo-Royal Lords were filled with great fear and loss.
Before the start of this war, everything had been under control, but once the fighting broke out, everything began to develop in a direction that the Black Ink Clan did not hope to see, pushing them step by step towards the abyss.
The fall of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and Mo Na Ye has also caused a series of unpredictable chain reactions. On every battlefield, the auras of Black Ink Clan Masters constantly disappeared.
And, with the fall of so many Black Ink Clansmen, more Humans were now free and were able to head over and support the tougher battlefields, quickly outnumbering and overpowering their enemies.
The advantages of the Humans on the battlefield quickly accumulated like a snowball.
Seeing that the situation was going from bad to worse, many from the Black Ink Clan couldn’t help but think of escaping, but how could they possibly run away under these circumstances?
Half a day later, as Di Ya Luo’s aura swelled up before dissipating, the Black Ink Clan collapsed completely. An aura of despair enveloped every last Black Ink Clansman, and in such a hopeless situation, many were forced into adopting the determination to make one last stand before their deaths. However, as things had fallen to this point, even if they had this determination, it was impossible to reverse the situation.
Somewhere on the battlefield, Mo Yu fought alone against Luo Ting He, Wei Jun Yang, and Xiang Shan. Even though he was individually stronger than any one of these three, he was still struggling to take them all on at once.
Originally, Luo Ting He was his only opponent, but as the battle progressed, Wei Jun Yang and Xiang Shan gradually dealt with their own opponents and came to support her.
Not only that, but Mo Yu clearly felt that other Ninth-Order Masters had also directed a wisp of Divine Sense over to keep an eye on their battle.
Under this situation, even if Mo Yu could defeat the three Ninth-Order Masters, he was likely to be surrounded by even more Ninth-Order Masters soon after.
What was more, he didn’t have such ability!
Knowing that death was inevitable, Mo Yu let go of all his restraints and fought with the mindset that if even one was killed, it would make his death worth it. Thus, he ignored his own injuries and bombarding Xiang Shan with attacks, giving him a hard time.
Fortunately, neither Luo Ting He nor Wei Jun Yang were inexperienced weaklings. Together, the three of them prevented Mo Yu from trying to take Xiang Shan down with him.
This fierce battle lasted for almost half a day, and in the end, Xiang Shan endured a hit from his opponent but managed to counterattack and decapitate Mo Yu. Endless Sword Qi then tore Mo Yu’s corpse into pieces.
With that, all three of the Royal Lords had perished.
From a couple hundred at their peak, now only a few dozen Pseudo-Royal Lords remained, all of them struggling to survive and at risk of dying at any moment.
As for the massive Black Ink Clan Army whose troops used to number in the hundreds of millions, most of them had been cut down, and their corpses could be seen littering the vast battlefield. Even at the heart of the No-Return Pass, Humans were shuttling back and forth, killing off the remaining Black Ink Clan Soldiers.
Xiang Shan was seriously injured, so he withdrew to heal while Luo Ting He and Wei Jun Yang rushed to other battlefields without stopping. With the Royal Lords all wiped out, how could the remaining Pseudo-Royal Lords withstand the slaughter of the Human Race’s top Masters?
One by one, the auras of the Pseudo-Royal Lords began to disappear…
When the last one had his body burst apart with black blood splattering everywhere, the fiery-haired Ou Yang Lie took a deep breath and clenched his fist.
A peaceful silence washed over the vast battlefield. The chaotic war had long since stopped and the soldiers were looking around at each other, smiling.
In the next moment, thunderous cheers erupted, the sound shaking the vast void itself.
The Humans had won!
I actually kinda like him as a character. Not sure about you guys. He was like a roach. But, not horrendously written. Wish to we got to know him more than just fights and schemes.
Around 4,000 years ago, the Black Ink Clan Army swept through and captured the No-Return Pass, then the fight moved to the Barren Territory, which they used as a springboard to invade the 3,000 Worlds.
This was the prelude to the fall.
Since then, the original inhabitants of the 3,000 Worlds, the Human Race, had been trapped in a corner. Enveloped in despair and darkness, the only Human Race’s dogged determination allowed them to survive and develop over the past several thousand years. Countless had fallen in the unceasing battles until today when they finally reclaimed the No-Return Pass.
In this battle, practically all the Black Ink Clansmen in the No-Return Pass were ruthlessly killed!
This battle also signified that the Human Race had regained the ability to fight back against the Black Ink Clan.
It was a battle worthy of being recorded in history to be admired by all future generations!
The humiliation and oppression of many years had been fermenting in the hearts of every member of the Human Race, so when the final Black Ink Clansman fell, the warriors could no longer suppress the joy in their hearts, tearing the void apart with the sounds of their cheers.
However, the fight was not completely over yet.
One last Black Ink Giant Spirit God was still stubbornly resisting.
But anyone could see that it was on its last legs.
With Ah Da and Ah Er of the Giant Spirit God Clan to restrain it, this Black Ink Giant Spirit God couldn’t escape. After this, the Humans need only cooperate with the Giant Spirit Gods to take down the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
The Human Race Army, despite having just achieved a great victory, did not delay for long. They did not even have time to tally their losses before their soldiers marched on with their weary bodies under orders from the Supreme Headquarters.
The 12 Armies of the Human Race were like 12 unstoppable torrents, blockading the void in all directions around the battlefield of the two Giant Spirit Gods and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
The remaining Warships of each Army were woven into one large fleet, and the power of the various arrays and artifacts on them began silently accumulating power. Their target was the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Under this situation, even a being as strong as the Black Ink Giant Spirit God would not be able to help itself from feeling depressed as if it had come to the end of its life.
It knew that nothing it could do would help it survive today.
In fact, it had already felt the urge to run away immediately after Yang Kai and Ah Da killed the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God together. However, Ah Er kept on getting in its way and it couldn’t get away in time. In the short window Ah Er bought, Ah Da rushed over to provide support, sealing its fate.
Currently, the Human Race Army has formed a siege with tens of millions of soldiers. This was the entire military strength that they could mobilize at present. If this was still not enough to deal with a single, cornered Black Ink Giant Spirit God, then what was the point of even talking about a grander crusade?
On Pure Yang Pass, Mi Jing Lun and the other Ninth-Order Masters were waiting silently. Ripples suddenly emerged in the Void, and Yang Kai’s figure appeared.
Everyone turned over and nodded lightly at him, and not one person was looking at him without eyes filled with admiration.
When it came to both age and experience, Yang Kai may not be able to compare with many of his peers here. Other than Shi Da Zhuang and Tang Tao who had only recently broken through to the Ninth Order, all the others had lived thousands, if not tens of thousands of years longer than he had.
However, in terms of ability, he undoubtedly stood as the strongest among them all!
If Mi Jing Lun was to be called the wisest strategist of the Human Race Army, then Yang Kai was undoubtedly its sharpest blade. Yang Kai’s merits accounted for at least 70% of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s death, while the remaining 30% was made up by Ah Da.
“Are we ready?” Yang Kai asked.
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “We were just waiting for you.”
Yang Kai gazed deeply at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, “Then, let’s begin.”
Mi Jing Lun immediately made a gesture, and when the messenger behind him, covered in blood, saw the sign, he immediately conveyed the order in all directions.
At the same time, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense surged and he transmitted a few words over.
On the battlefield sealed by the Human Race Army, three giant beings were fighting unceasingly, world shattering shockwaves spreading out with each of their clashes. Ah Da and Ah Er held the advantage fighting two against one, leaving the Black Ink Giant Spirit God into a sorry state, covered in wounds all over its body. One of its legs even looked twisted, most likely from a broken bone.
The Giant Spirit Gods and Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods hardly differed in strength, so in a one-on-one fight, it was basically impossible for either side to gain an advantage over the other. This was evident from all the clashes these Supreme Masters had fought in the past. Ah Er and his opponent had literally fought non-stop for thousands of years in the Barren Territory, but let alone deciding a victor, even who had the upper hand was never determined.
However, in such an even conflict, if another Master of the same level was to join in, it would form an absolute advantage for the side with greater numbers.
Even so, wanting to kill their opponent wouldn’t be easy. Even Ah Da and Ah Er had to be cautious when facing the final struggle of such a powerful opponent.
Fortunately, they had reinforcements from the Human Race to help them.
Ah Da was slightly taken aback for a moment when Yang Kai’s voice was transmitted over, but Ah Er reacted immediately and shouted at his Brother, “Go!”
Saying so, he kicked the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the chest.
That kick sent the Black Ink Giant Spirit God tumbling, and Ah Er used the momentum of the kick to back away. Even though Ah Da was a bit slower to react, he had two good things going for him.
Firstly, he listened to his Brother.
Secondly, he listened to Yang Kai.
At this moment, he naturally followed suit and quickly retreated while the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was staggering.
After the two Giant Spirit Gods had created enough distance between them, the void suddenly trembled and countless powerful auras rose up.
In the next instant, tens of millions of streams of light swept over from all directions, covering the massive body of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God like a storm, their multi-coloured lights interweaving to form a blinding tapestry.
At this moment, the power of the Arrays and artifacts on the Warships was activated, and the Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities of the Masters were also being fully unleashed. They continuously bombard the Black Ink Giant Spirit God without end.
At the centre where their attacks were focused, the angry roar of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God rang out.
For a powerful being like a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, ordinary attacks had little to no effect on it. Even the Divine Abilities of the Ninth-Order Masters wouldn’t deal much damage to it.
However, when the number of these attacks reached a certain threshold and all struck at the same time, the accumulated power was something that no living being could ignore.
With numbers, even ants could kill an elephant, let alone the elite soldiers of the Human Race who have survived countless life-and-death battles.
The burst of light lasted for a long time, and before it even faded, a second volley arrived.
The roars of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God stopped abruptly, and at the same time, everyone felt a strong aura suddenly flare up in the centre of the interwoven lights before it faded away.
On Pure Yang Pass, all the Ninth-Order Masters had looks of astonishment on their faces. Even Yang Kai was surprised.
After being taken aback for a moment, Mi Jing Lun raised his hand.
With the signal given, the attacks of the Human Race Army quickly subsided.
Even though the attacks stopped, the dazzling lights persisted for several dozen breaths before gradually dissipating.
All eyes were locked on the space in front of them, and what they saw was not the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s figure, but only large and dense Black Ink Clouds and remnants of a broken corpse.
Yang Kai couldn’t help but raise his brow.
[This second one died just like that? Just two rounds of concentrated attacks from the Army were enough to kill it?]
After a moment of silence, Mi Jing Lun said, “It seems we overestimated its strength.”
The plan was originally to weaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s power first before slowly grinding it down; after all, the 12 Armies had already tightly sealed the entire region of the void while the two Giant Spirit Gods and the Ninth-Order Masters were also standing by. There was no escaping for the Black Ink Giant Spirit God here.
Death was the only fate awaiting it!
Who would have thought that before all their follow-up arrangements could come into play, the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God would be smashed to pieces? It made it seem as if they had made a big fuss over nothing.
The pale-faced Xiang Shan commented from the side, “There’s nothing wrong with being careful.”
It was not that the Human Race had overestimated the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s strength, just that such a good opportunity to set up and concentrate their attacks on it had never existed before.
This was an attack powered by every Master below the Ninth Order in the entire Human Race; the fact that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could withstand the first volley without dying alone was enough to show its astonishing strength.
The battlefield fell into an eerie silence once again…
This sudden change left everyone feeling incredulous.
Until Mi Jing Lun’s voice rang through the entire battlefield
“Today, we have won a great victory for the Human Race!”
After a few breaths of silence, cheers that were even louder than before spread out like waves.
Slaughtering the Black Ink Clan and taking back the No-Return Pass essentially secured their victory, but there was still the last Black Ink Giant Spirit God to be dealt with, so the battle hadn’t ended at that point.
It wasn’t until this moment when the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God was defeated that victory truly belonged to the Human Race.
From this moment on, the Humans had fully regained control of the No-Return Pass and once again secured the 3,000 Worlds. No longer would they have to worry about the Black Ink Clan invading.
Feelings of joy and exhilaration were transmitted among all the soldiers. Many of the survivors wept, not because they were happy to survive, but because they had to mourn those who died in battle and could not see the glory of the Human Race’s victory.
The soldiers expressed their emotions freely…
“Hm?” Yang Kai suddenly turned in a certain direction with joy in his eyes.
In that direction, among the soldiers cheering in excitement, one person’s aura was fluctuating violently. As his aura shook, his momentum soared rapidly.
That person clearly realized what was about to happen and looked up towards Pure Yang Pass.
Beside him, all the soldiers noticed the situation, and many showed envy in their eyes.
Ou Yang Lie laughed heartily, “That’s Zheng Wu You of my Profound Nether Army. I’ll go and give him some pointers.”
Saying so, he flew over to that side with a big smile on his face without any care for his tired and battered body.
This couldn’t be helped. The person named Zheng Wu You was showing signs of breaking through his peak Eighth-Order bottleneck, which meant that he was about to advance to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
It was exciting news for everyone.
Since about 30 years ago, when Shi Da Zhuang and Tang Tao successively broke through into the Ninth Order, there had been no new Ninth-Order Masters among their people.
But, everyone knew that Shi Da Zhuang and Tang Tao’s breakthroughs were just the beginning. After them, more Ninth-Order Masters were sure to be born, and it was bound to be an endless process because the World Tree clone’s feedback in the Open Heaven Realm Cradles was just about to demonstrate its greatest effect.
There had been a continuous stream of promising seedlings that had advanced directly to the Seventh Order over the past few thousand years; thus, it was only a matter of time before these seedlings reached their final destination, the Ninth Order!
As the first rising star to advance to the Ninth Order, Shi Da Zhuang’s advancement could be seen as a sign that the Humans had finally passed through the difficult times of stagnation where new Masters were lacking to replace the old. Now, more Ninth-Order Masters would undoubtedly be born in the future.
However, after Shi Da Zhuang and Tang Tao broke through into the Ninth Order, no new breakthroughs existed.
Until this moment, when the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God fell and the Humans recaptured the No-Return Pass, becoming the final victors of this war, Zheng Wu You, an Eighth-Order Master, finally showed signs of a breakthrough!
“They can finally vent the feelings of oppression that have long been brewing within them. As their moods surged for the better, and their aura stirred, coupled with sufficient accumulation of heritage, breaking through their bottlenecks is a matter of course as the conditions are ripe,” Mi Jing Lun spoke softly as he looked in that direction.
Yang Kai was thoughtful, “If that’s the case, more than one person may break through this time!”
In terms of time, many rising stars were qualified to break through to the Ninth Order and had already reached their current limits in the Eighth Order. However, breaking through was not that easy. Oftentimes, it depended on opportunities, which could be an epiphany or a sudden event, or maybe even a journey that comes by chance…
Among these opportunities, any one of them would trigger one’s heart to be moved and then stir up their aura into a state of making a breakthrough.
It was thanks to the great victory they gained in this battle that Zheng Wu You could touch upon this opportunity.
If he could do it, then the other good seedlings with sufficient heritage accumulated could do it as well.
That was what Yang Kai thought.
As if to confirm his guess, similar aura fluctuations came from another direction just as soon as he finished speaking.
A second Eighth-Order Master who sensed an opportunity for a breakthrough appeared!
Luo Ting He looked over in that direction and said happily, “It’s from the Red Flame Army. Please excuse me!”
Breaking through from the Eighth Order to the Ninth Order was a hurdle that once crossed, would give one the qualification to stand at the peak of their Martial Dao and overlook all others. However, crossing that hurdle wasn’t easy. At this time, the guidance of Elders was very important; therefore, when Zheng Wu You’s aura surged, Ou Yang Lie rushed over in a hurry.
As the Profound Nether Army’s Commander, this was his responsibility.
Meanwhile, the Red Flame Army never had a Ninth-Order Master among their members, so Luo Ting He took the initiative to take on this responsibility.
But that was not the end yet. During the next incense stick of time, various movements continued to appear among the 12 Armies, all of them indicating that Eighth-Order Masters were about to break through.
This final battle with the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass was like a miraculous medicine for them, bringing opportunities for breakthroughs to those rising stars with the victory that they had won.
Yang Kai and nine other Ninth-Order Masters shuttled back and forth, each of them taking responsibility for several Eighth-Order Masters, imparting their experiences of breaking through and pointing out the things they had to pay attention to.
All of their charges naturally took note of what they said. This moment could be said to be the most important moment in their lives, and nobody dared to be careless.
Even though all of them had expended a lot of energy in the previous battle, it was fortunate that all of them had made sufficient preparations for this moment, so as long as they recovered slightly, they could give their all in breaking through.
After a while, on Pure Yang Pass, the Ninth-Order Masters gathered once again, looking towards various directions in the void with solemn expressions. In every direction was an Eighth-Order Master who was about to make a breakthrough at their own designated position to ensure they wouldn’t disturb others or be disturbed themselves.
Everything was ready, so whether they could successfully advance to Ninth Order or not was up to them now.
Breaking through to the Ninth Order was no easy task and many of their Ancestors had stopped at this juncture throughout history. The fact that there were only over 100 Ninth-Order Masters at the peak of the Human Race was proof of that. In these past 100,000 years or so, there couldn’t have only been that many Humans who had the qualifications to break through.
However, not everyone qualified to advance to the Ninth Order could break through successfully.
But compared to their Ancestors, these rising stars had advantages that their predecessors never had, such as the feedback from the World Tree clones, the profound powers of which greatly improved their aptitude and strengthened their Small Universes. Thus, the risks of breaking through also became smaller for them.
In recent years, there had been no instance of an Eighth-Order Master failing to break through to the Ninth Order. Without mentioning Xiang Shan and Ou Yang Lie, who had broken through with the help of Supreme Grade Open Heaven Pills, Wei Jun Yang and Luo Ting He had both broken through by themselves while Shi Da Zhuang and Tang Tao’s breakthroughs also happened smoothly.
“23!” Mi Jing Lun’s face was glowing despite his exhaustion, and his eyes were filled with excitement, “The Heavens have truly blessed the Human Race!”
Originally, recapturing the No-Return Pass, slaughtering the Black Ink Clan, and killing two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods was already the best consolation for all the soldiers who died in battle over the past few thousand years, but no one could have expected that as many as 23 Eighth-Order Masters would sense an opportunity to break through to the Ninth-Order at the end of this battle.
This would in turn raise the overall strength of the Human Race significantly, which would be of great help to them in the upcoming crusade.
Overall, the Human Race was not weak by any definition, but the number of Ninth-Order Masters they had was relatively small. However, now it seemed that this disadvantage could also be compensated for.
Four of the 12 Armies of the Human Race had always been without a Ninth-Order Masters to lead them, so even though they had more Divine Spirits to make up for this, the absence of a Ninth-Order Master had always been a disadvantage for them.
Now, once these Eighth-Order Masters broke through to the Ninth-Order, each Army would have at least three Ninth-Order Masters assuming command.
The strength of each Army would then usher in a burst of explosive growth.
Mi Jing Lun was even considering whether to split the 12 Armies up; after all, the number of soldiers in each Army was indeed quite large and a little bloated. If they were split, then they could better utilize the strength of the soldiers.
Of course, that was just an idea that sprang up. It would require the Ninth-Order Masters to discuss and decide if they wanted to put such a plan into action before changes could be made.
During the war, Mi Jing Lun was able to command the entire Army with a single word, but he would not act alone on important matters that might affect the future of the Human Race when they were not actively in combat.
“I hope everything goes smoothly,” Ou Yang Lie, who was standing nearby, muttered. For so many Ninth-Order Masters to break through at once was something that had never happened even in the Late Ancient Era, when the Humans first grasped the essence of the Open Heaven Realm Method. There would inevitably be failures today, and the only possible outcome of failure here was death; therefore, while everyone is celebrating, Ou Yang Lie was somewhat worried
Every one of these 23 people was an elite among elites, so it would be heartbreaking to lose any of them.
While the 23 Masters were accumulating strength and attempting a breakthrough, the rest of the Army was either resting, cleaning up the battlefield, or counting the spoils of war.
Over the years of fighting, the Humans had basically used up every resource they gathered, spending every material as soon as it was collected. Yang Kai’s huge demand for his cultivation was especially astonishing, almost equalling the amount invested in an entire Army.
So, even with 3 million cultivators scattered throughout the Black Ink Battlefield, mining resources, they did not have much surplus on hand.
It was fortunate that they captured the No-Return Pass where the Black Ink Clan must have some reserves. For thousands of years, the Black Ink Clan had occupied most of the 3,000 Worlds and the entire Black Ink Battlefield where they had been constantly mining resources and breeding more clansmen. Despite the immense expenditures, they should still have a large amount of resources in reserve.
Soon, news was coming in from each direction.
Mi Jing Lun investigated the extent of the damages first. Even though he had a rough idea about it already, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw the results.
The Army’s losses were much lower than he expected!
Originally, when Yang Kai returned from the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield and they decided to launch the final battle, they had mentally prepared themselves to face severe damage to the Human Race Army’s foundation.
This was unavoidable though. The Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements were on their way, and if the Humans did not capture the No-Return Pass quickly, they would have to face the fate of being caught in a pincer attack, which could very well destroy their entire Army.
But when the fight was actually done and over with, the extent of the damage was still within an acceptable range, and their losses were not as severe as had been expected.
The greatest reason for that was because the battle had not dragged on too long!
The critical moment was the fall of the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God. Together, Yang Kai and Ah Da were able to kill him in just a few dozen breaths, which greatly shook the morale of the Black Ink Clan.
Following that, Mo Na Ye’s fall dropped the morale of the Black Ink Clan even further while also greatly disrupting their ability to coordinate and organize themselves.
As they acted decisively and were able to settle the fight quickly, the losses to the Human Race Army were naturally kept to a minimum.
Of course, the Purifying Light that erupted from the sacrifice of the 2,000 Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters was also indispensable. At that time, the Purifying Light not only severely damaged the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, but almost instantly wiped out a large swath of Black Ink Clansmen while all the Black Ink Clansmen over the entire battlefield were affected by it somewhat, lowering their strength to a certain extent.
All these unexpected events laid the foundations for their grand victory.
After looking through the battle report, Mi Jing Lun handed it over to Yang Kai, who couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as he swept his Divine Sense over it.
The losses were not small, but weren’t too large either. They still had the strength necessary to continue their crusade! If the casualties of this battle had exceeded 30%, they may have lost that ability.
It should be noted that there were still the Black Ink Clan reinforcements waiting for them, which was another difficult hurdle they had to jump through.
All they had to do now was wait for the 23 Eighth-Order Masters to break through and stabilize their cultivation. After the Armies were reorganized, they could finally embark on the final crusade!
Yang Kai looked out into the depths of the void with deep worry creasing his brows.
Even now, he had no idea what had happened at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction nor what the situation was with the Suppressing Black Ink Army.
His Family and Disciples were all over there, and it would be a lie to say that he wasn’t worried about them. If he could, he would have rushed to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction as soon as he found out about the movements of the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements.
But he couldn’t go earlier or even now.
As the strongest Ninth-Order Master, the battle at the No-Return Pass would not have ended so easily if he wasn’t here.
Between Family and the survival of the entire Human Race, a choice had to be made.
The only thing Yang Kai could be sure of now was that even if something did happen at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it was still in progress; otherwise, it would be impossible for there to not be a single true Royal Lord in the reinforcements.
Though it was partly wishful thinking, this conclusion was the only comfort Yang Kai had in his heart.
As time passed, the auras of the 23 people in the void continued to fluctuate, and each of them had an illusory phantom of their own Small Universe appear behind them. As their auras continued to fluctuate and their momentums rose continuously, their bottlenecks were gradually broken, and the boundary walls of their Small Universes that had reached their limit began expanding again!
In the midst of the gruelling wait, an aura belonging uniquely to Masters in the Ninth Order rippled out, and as their Small Universe burst out in expansion, everyone knew that the first successful Ninth-Order Master had appeared.
It was not Zheng Wu You, but instead another rising star from the Burning Moon Army.
Everyone who was watching the situation closely couldn’t help but reveal joyful expressions.
The birth of the first Ninth-Order Master seemed to trigger a chain reaction. Within the coming half day, a second and a third success appeared. After the day was over, the number had grown to as many as seven.
By the next day, there were 11.
By the third day, 14.
The fourth day, 17!
The success rates of the rising stars who have received feedback from the World Tree clones and possessed unparalleled talent were incredibly high. Until now, none of them had shown too many problems with advancing.
However, there were still six who were struggling to break through, which Yang Kai and the others couldn’t help but worry about.
Breaking through as a result of sudden enlightenment had to be done in one fell swoop. The longer it dragged on, the worse the situation would become.
Four days have already passed. Those who were able to break through successfully had already broken through. The remaining six would likely experience some setbacks, which made the others worry and also feel helpless at the same time.
Nobody could help another person break through, everything depended on their own hard work and accumulations. If their accumulation was enough and their luck was not bad, then they would naturally be able to succeed, just like the 17 before them, but fate was a tricky thing that nobody could perfectly predict…
Yang Kai suddenly turned his gaze towards a certain direction. There, a person was pushing their aura hard. The illusory phantom of their Small Universe was constantly expanding and contracting behind them as if it were a living being that was breathing. If everything went smoothly, then once the illusory phantom of the Small Universe expanded to its limit, it would break through and expand greatly.
However, Yang Kai clearly sensed that this cultivator was somewhat lacking in strength, and he couldn’t help but sigh, knowing that it would be difficult for them to succeed with their current heritage.
This was inevitable. Throughout history, the path from the Eighth Order to the Ninth Order had always been full of obstacles. If there existed those who succeeded, then it was only natural for some to fail as well.
At a certain moment, when the illusory phantom of the Small Universe expanded again, there was an obvious sound of something breaking.
This caused the expressions of all the Ninth-Order Masters who were paying attention to this person to change, and the cultivator who was trying to break through also had a panicked look on his face. He then opened his eyes with a bitter expression.
The cracking sounds grew more and more intense, and the illusory phantom of his Small Universe was becoming difficult to maintain. His Small Universe seemed to be on the brink of rupturing. The person turned their head to Yang Kai, and after a moment of anxiety, his expression calmed down. He smiled, ready to accept his final fate.
The next moment, his vision suddenly blurred, and Yang Kai, who had been observing from a distance, appeared in front of him and raised his hand to touch the top of his head.
A river flowed and waves roared. The Space-Time River enveloped everything, and Space-Time Strength suppressed and sealed the local space. Everything seemed to turn still, including the rupturing of the Small Universe.
The man looked up at Yang Kai in surprise and asked, “Dao Lord?”
Yang Kai lowered his head to look at him and smiled, “Are you in such a hurry to die?”
The man felt a little ashamed and lowered his head, unable to meet Yang Kai’s gaze directly, “I did my best, but I still failed to live up to Dao Lord’s expectations.”
Yang Kai was silent for a moment before he spoke in a commanding voice, “Look at me, Wang Chang!”
The man raised his head abruptly, feeling extremely surprised, “Dao Lord remembers me?”
Even though he was born in the Void Dao Temple, he never interacted much with Yang Kai after being brought out of the Void Dao Temple and meeting him for the first time. He was proficient in neither the Dao of Time nor the Dao of Space, but cultivated the Spear Dao instead. He was also not qualified to be selected to be a Void Guard, and over the years, he had never received any more attention or care from Yang Kai.
He thought that someone as great as the Dao Lord, the one who shouldered the fate of his people, would only be concerned about the survival of the Human Race. Even though he came from the Void Dao Temple, the only connection they had was in name. The Dao Lord had also never given special treatment to any of the disciples who came from the Void Dao Temple.
He never thought that he would be called out by the Dao Lord by name today.
“I remember every one of you,” Yang Kai began, “The survival of the 3,000 Worlds was not really your concern to begin with, yet I brought you out of the Void Dao Temple and threw you into this cruel and bloody battlefield to sacrifice yourselves for the survival of a group of Humans you have never met before. If anyone should feel guilty, it should be me.”
Wang Chang was anxious to respond, “It is the honour of us disciples to serve you, Dao Lord.”
“Even so,” Yang Kai nodded gently, “You are all excellent, and have never let me down.”
Wang Chang’s expression turned grim, “This disciple cannot break through to the Ninth Order, and my Small Universe is about to rupture…”
“So what if you reach the Ninth Order? So what if you’re in the Eighth Order? You slaughtered many of our enemies from the Black Ink Clan. It is the same when you were in the Eighth-Order. You still killed our enemies and pushed them back. You also protected your allies behind you. Your Eldest Senior Brother Miao’s aptitude is limited. Unless he can obtain a Supreme Grade Open Heaven Pill, he will never be able to reach the Ninth Order, but isn’t he still living a fulfilling life? You didn’t fail to break through because you have not worked hard enough. Destiny simply didn’t favour you today, that is all,” Yang Kai reassured him.
Turning the conversation around, Yang Kai raised his voice, “I only ask you one thing. Even if you cannot reach the Ninth Order in this lifetime, can you still hold on to your original convictions and sacrifice yourself for the Human Race? Will you fight and slay our enemies to eradicate this evil?”
Wang Chang answered meekly, “Naturally, I am willing, but Dao Lord… my Small Universe is about to rupture, can I still survive?”
The Small Universe was the foundation of every Open Heaven Realm Master. If the Small Universe ruptures, the cultivator would perish.
Yang Kai grinned, “Are you dead now?”
“Not yet.” Wang Chang shook his head. Even he himself thought his answer was ridiculous after saying it.
“If you are willing to live, then you can live. If you are not willing, no one can save you!”
Wang Chang seemed to understand something and his dark eyes lit up again, “Dao Lord, please save me!”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. Looking up at the Small Universe behind Wang Chang, he contemplated for a moment before extending a finger. At the same time, the Space-Time River that suppressed and sealed this space began to surge wildly.
In the far-off void, Mi Jing Lun and others were watching the situation attentively. Everyone was heartbroken. After 17 out of the 23 cultivators eligible to break through to the Ninth Order successfully advanced, a failure still appeared in the end.
At such a critical moment, failure was equivalent to death!
However, just as everyone was silently waiting for fate to carry out its judgement, the Space-Time River suddenly appeared, surrounded by the fluctuation of the Space Principles.
It wasn’t until this moment that everyone realised that Yang Kai had rushed over.
No one knew why Yang Kai had gone over at this time, but before anyone could see what was happening, the Space-Time River suddenly disappeared. Following that, Yang Kai returned to his original position.
It was as if he had never left.
Only his face was slightly paler than before.
“Junior Brother, you…” Mi Jing Lun was shocked.
“Huh? What just happened?!” Ou Yang Lie suddenly exclaimed, scaring Mi Jing Lun so much that he choked on his words.
Following his gaze, all the Ninth-Order Masters were shocked by what they saw. The rupturing of Wang Chang’s Small Universe had mysteriously been reversed, leaving the illusory phantom behind him completely intact. The only differences were there was no longer any sign of a breakthrough going on and Wang Chang’s aura had become weaker, as if his foundation had been damaged.
Many thoughts flashed through Mi Jing Lun’s mind as he turned to Yang Kai in astonishment, “Junior Brother, what did you do?”
Regardless of what Yang Kai did, they could tell from the results in front of them that Wang Chang, who was doomed to die, had been saved while his breakthrough had failed.
Compared to dying and fading away, this was undoubtedly a good result. At the very least, Wang Chang had survived and could still contribute to the war.
Yang Kai said, “I crippled hundreds of years of his foundation.”
“Is that also possible?” Ou Yang Lie couldn’t stop his eyes from widening in surprise. This was an incredible event that was simply unheard of, but bizarre things seemed to happen around Yang Kai often.
Xiang Shan furrowed his brow, “Even if you have crippled hundreds of years of his foundation, how did you save his life when his Small Universe was about to rupture?”
“Many things can be done in a frozen space-time. I just gave it a try and it somehow worked,” Yang Kai gave a casual explanation.
Everyone finally understood.
Just now, they only saw Yang Kai rushing to Wang Chang’s side for an instant before returning. In reality, the time Yang Kai spent in that frozen space-time was not just a moment. He must have made a lot of preparations and used many means to suppress Wang Chang’s breakthrough to save his life.
What he did was nothing short of a miracle.
But manipulating Space-Time on any level was not an easy task. Whether it be the Dao of Space or the Dao of Time, both were extremely profound and esoteric. Yang Kai was perhaps the only person capable of such means in this universe.
“What are the drawbacks?” Mi Jing Lun asked excitedly. He was originally worried that they would have to see their people fading away among those who were breaking through to a higher realm, but seeing that Yang Kai had such a technique, he could save their lives. These warriors have served the Human Race for thousands of years, so even if they had to die, it should be on the battlefield. It was the honour they deserved. They should not be dying on the path of breaking through!
The only thing to worry about now was whether there were any drawbacks to this method of saving people.
“He will never be able to break through this bottleneck again in his lifetime. If he’s lucky, he may return to the peak of the Eighth Order, but if he’s unlucky, he will only be able to maintain his current cultivation,” Yang Kai explained.
Crippling several hundred years of Wang Chang’s cultivation had brought him down directly from the peak of the Eighth Order, and this kind of destruction caused by external forces had undoubtedly damaged Wang Chang’s foundation.
That was also the reason why Yang Kai had spoken so much with Wang Chang earlier. For a favoured son of Heaven who had the potential to stand at the pinnacle of Martial Dao, lingering on and barely surviving might not be considered a blessing. The greatest pain and torment for a cultivator was to have one’s Martial Dao being cut off.
If Wang Chang was unable to accept such a fate, he would still perish. Only by letting go of his obsession could Yang Kai’s rescue become meaningful.
The cost was undoubtedly high, but for those who wished to remain among the living, it was nothing.
After Wang Chang, two more people failed to advance, and Yang Kai stepped in to save their lives one after another.
Fortunately, while the other three encountered some obstacles in their breakthrough, they all safely advanced in the end.
At this point, a total of 20 out of the initial 23 had successfully broken through to the Ninth Order, which meant that the Human Race had seen the birth of 20 new Ninth-Order Masters in one go. Including Yang Kai and the others, there were now 30 Ninth-Order Masters among their ranks!
This number was still not comparable to the Human Race at their peak, but it was a good start.
The Grand Army was now resting as almost everyone had injuries to recover from.
Conquering the No-Return Pass was only the beginning. In their original plans, the next step would be a crusade against the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
The Human Race had suffered a crushing defeat outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction before, resulting in countless deaths and the eventual invasion of the 3,000 Worlds. Nobody wanted to experience that failure again.
Even after that defeat, the Humans had the strength to fight on.
But now, the Human Race had gathered all their strength. If they were to lose this time, they were likely to be doomed to extinction.
However, even the best-laid plans could never keep up with reality.
The appearance of the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements disrupted the original strategy.
Before they could embark on their crusade to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, an elite Black Ink Clan Army of 10 million had to be disposed of. Without breaking through this obstacle, there was no point in thinking about a crusade to the Grand Restriction.
The only good news was that the reinforcements had emerged from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and a lifetime of isolation left them with very limited knowledge of the current situation of the Human Race. They did not know about the existence of the Void Guard, nor were they aware that their movements were being monitored by the Humans, something which could be exploited.
Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun held several discussions and finally came up with a feasible plan.
While the Grand Army was recuperating, some confidential items were rapidly being developed, consuming a massive amount of resources.
Half a year after the Humans conquered the No-Return Pass, Pure Yang Pass, inside the Main Conference Hall, the Ninth-Order Masters were gathered.
In front of the 20 Ninth-Order Masters who had only just broken through after the last war, people like Yang Kai were already considered veterans. Everyone couldn’t help but lament how the newcomers were replacing the old members, and the back waves of the river were pushing the front waves on.
A total of 30 people were gathered here. It had been thousands of years since the Humans had seen such a luxurious lineup.
After half a year, the new Ninth-Order Masters had just barely stabilised their cultivation. Though they have yet to fully consolidate their newfound strength, there was simply no time to let them slowly adjust their conditions. After the last battle, they had taken a full half year to recover, which was a luxury for the current Human Race.
Mi Jing Lun raised his hand, and jade slips flew out to everyone one by one. As they examined these slips, Mi Jing Lun spoke, “After that major battle half a year ago, the Void Guard scouting ahead reported that the reinforcements from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction have stopped and are now waiting to ambush us when we set out. They are currently located around the junction of the Black Ink Battlefield and the Late Ancient Era battlefield, though much closer to the latter.”
Listening to his briefing, the Ninth-Order Masters checked the jade slips and found this basic information was listed inside.
Mi Jing Lun continued, “From the intelligence we have now, the Black Ink Clan reinforcements have found out about the war here at the No-Return Pass as well as the outcome of the battle. That’s why they are lying in wait for our Army to fall into their trap ourselves.”
“This is good news! Since they have no idea that their actions have already been exposed, we can use their plan against them. Since they have chosen to ambush us, we can take advantage of their inaction to surround them and wipe them out in one fell swoop! If we are to go against the Black Ink Clan at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, these reinforcements must be eliminated first.”
“While you were all recovering from your injuries, Junior Brother Yang and I have formulated a plan. Please look it over. If there are any issues, please speak up as soon as possible so that we can discuss and solve them together.”
The group silently looked through the jade slips. The newly advanced Ninth-Order Masters remained silent, not because they felt that they lacked the qualifications to express their opinions, but because they felt that the plan was indeed feasible and there was nothing that had to be changed. They knew that while they were recovering and stabilizing their cultivation in retreat, Yang Kai and Mi Jing Lun were still working hard.
Xiang Shan on the other hand asked, “Other than the fact that they have no true Royal Lords among their ranks, the number of Masters they have is not inferior to the No-Return Pass when it was at its peak. Can we confirm there are no true Royal Lords among them?”
Mi Jing Lun looked at Yang Kai, “Junior Brother Yang personally went to investigate and can confirm this. Of course, we will survey the area again to ensure that our intelligence is correct before we begin our operation.”
Xiang Shan nodded lightly, “Then there’s no problem.”
Even though the forces of this reinforcement Army were not much different in terms of strength from the forces the Black Ink Clan had during their peak at the No-Return Pass, the situation they were facing now was quite different.
At the very least, these reinforcements did not have any true Royal Lords or Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods among them. Meanwhile, the Humans had not only gained 20 more Ninth-Order Masters, but they also had the support of Ah Da and Ah Er.
The advantages brought by the two Giant Spirit Gods alone were immeasurable. Furthermore, there was a big difference between trying to siege a fortified position and conducting a field battle.
Even if they had to face an Army of millions of elites, the Humans were confident that they could defeat the Black Ink Clan with minimal losses as long as careful preparations were made.
“Since there are no issues, let’s proceed according to plan! We have been preparing for this battle for the past six months, so all Armies should be ready to depart in three days!”
All the Ninth-Order Masters stood up to answer before dispersing.
After capturing the No-Return Pass half a year ago, the new Ninth-Order Masters were divided among the various Armies. Ultimately, it was decided to keep the configuration of the 12 Armies, so each Army now had two or three Ninth-Order Masters assuming command, avoiding the awkward situation of anyone lacking a Ninth-Order Master.
Once everyone left, Mi Jing Lun turned to Yang Kai and asked, “Junior Brother, how are your injuries?”
Yang Kai replied, “Nothing to be concerned about, but I won’t be able to use my Dragon Vein powers for a short period.” The drawbacks of using his Dragon Bead could not be restored quickly. It would have to take at least a decade of uninterrupted rest for him to properly recover, something the Humans could not afford right now.
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “We still need Junior Brother to work hard in the coming battles.”
“I know, it is my duty,” Yang Kai nodded and stood up, “If Senior Brother has no other orders, I will go and cultivate now.”
Mi Jing Lun laughed, “Go ahead.”
As soon as Yang Kai left the Main Hall, a face appeared in the void that blocked out the sky, revealing an ingratiating smile.
Yang Kai was speechless and threw a World Bead to Ah Da as he told him, “Eat less and don’t fall asleep. We’re going into battle soon!”
While chewing loudly on the World Bead, Ah Da answered him casually.
Not long after, the Space-Time River appeared outside of the No-Return Pass. Plunging inside, Yang Kai began refining resources and cultivating.
Time waited for no one, and Yang Kai was now using every moment he could to improve his heritage, trying to reach the peak of the Ninth Order as soon as possible.
After teaming up with Ah Da to slay a Black Ink Giant Spirit God last time, Yang Kai realised that he was still too weak. The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was only one of Mo’s creations, a mere Soul Clone. If he had to face Mo someday, what would he do?
Open Heaven Realm Masters were undoubtedly no match for Mo. According to Cang, Mo had already reached the legendary Creation Realm.
However, with Yang Kai’s increasing progress and enlightenment in his Grand Daos, in recent years, he faintly felt that something was off about the belief that Mo was in the Creation Realm.
Of course, he had no idea what exactly the Creation Realm was, but he knew that he needed to cultivate hard to bring his own cultivation to its peak before he could gain the qualifications to explore the mysteries of the next Realm.
He was still lacking in many ways.
Every moment of free time was extremely precious for Yang Kai in the current situation.
Three days passed in a flash.
Outside Pure Yang Pass, the Grand Army were fully armed and ready to go. The mood was solemn, and killing intent filled the air.
After preparing for half a year, the soldiers had still not lost their momentum or fighting spirit. All of them knew that taking the No-Return Pass was only the beginning, and winning a single battle did not mean the end of the war. Only when the Human Race conquered the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and vanquished Mo could they truly call themselves victorious.
In this situation, letting their guard down in any way would mean death.
12 Universe Fragments had already been prepared and lay across the outside of the No-Return Pass. These Universe Fragments were recently moved back from the depths of the void by the Humans, and each one corresponded to an Army.
At a certain moment, following the commands of the Army Commanders, the soldiers gathered on these Universe Fragments.
“Junior Brother, it’s up to you now.” Inside the No-Return Pass, Mi Jing Lun turned his head and said to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded and took a step forward, arriving at the closest Universe Fragment. Summoning his Space-Time River, Yang Kai quickly turned it into a torrent which wrapped around the Universe Fragment in front of him.
Looking from afar, the surging river was just like a giant snake, coiling and enveloping the Universe Fragment.
Dao Strengths surged, and with the shaking of the Space-Time River, a section of the void was stripped away and compressed while the Universe Fragment within shrank rapidly.
In less than an hour, Yang Kai retrieved the river and reached out, grabbing a newly formed World Bead. After a quick investigation, he tossed it to Xiang Shan, who was standing next to him.
Even Xiang Shan, who was used to seeing the strong winds and waves, caught it in a panic as he cradled the World Bead in his palms.
There was no helping this as the entire Blood Flame Army was currently inside this World Bead. Heavens know what damage it would cause to the Army if the bead was to shatter.
At this moment, Xiang Shan could only sigh and marvel at the profundity of Space Secret Techniques!
He had never imagined that Yang Kai could do such a thing, refining an entire Universe Fragment where an Army of millions of Human Masters were located into a single bead…
“If you had such a technique, why didn’t you use it during the previous crusade?” Xiang Shan couldn’t help but ask.
When the Humans set out from Black Territory, they had to trek through a long and arduous journey. At that time, they used the method of taking Low and Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters into the Small Universes of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to reduce the cost and risk of transmission. Even though it was still considered convenient, it was far inferior to the current method Yang Kai was displaying.
In response to Xiang Shan’s question, Yang Kai explained, “This technique requires a suitable vessel, so it wasn’t possible for me to do so at the time.”
A Universe Fragment or Universe World that had been refined into a World Bead was one such suitable vessel. The Black Ink Clan had destroyed essentially all suitable bodies in the 3,000 Worlds during their many millennia of occupation, so they were unsuitable for him to use in such a situation.
He did have a few World Beads from the Myriad Monsters Territory, but those were meant as rations for Ah Da and Ah Er.
Xiang Shan nodded in understanding as he carefully put away the World Bead that contained the entire Blood Flame Army.
Yang Kai was already refining the second one and soon turned the various Universe Fragments, each with one of the 12 Armies on it, into World Beads and gave them to the appropriate Ninth-Order Masters for safekeeping.
Finally, Pure Yang Pass was the only object remaining outside the No-Return Pass. The Supreme Headquarters staff gathered in the central square with the two Giant Spirit Gods who shrank themselves down.
Once Yang Kai used his Space-Time River to envelope and refine Pure Yang Pass into a type of World Bead, all that was left of the Grand Army was a group of Ninth-Order Masters.
Mi Jing Lun turned around and gazed in the direction of the No-Return Pass as he called out, “Those of you who remain in the No-Return Pass must do your best to safeguard the entrance to the 3,000 Worlds. If the Army returns one day, it will be in glorious triumph. If… however…” He paused, “If you receive unfavourable news from the frontlines, seal the Territory Gate, return to the 3,000 Worlds, and make the necessary preparations.”
Though the majority of the Army was setting out, there were still some who remained at the No-Return Pass to stand guard; after all, this was the primary Territory Gate that led to the 3,000 Worlds! They could not leave it undefended.
Nevertheless, the ones who stayed back were the ones who had been severely injured during the previous battle. Every single one of them sported grave injuries, from severed limbs to damaged Small Universes. There were only a few tens of thousands of them.
When Mi Jing Lun gave the order for them to remain at the No-Return Pass, their protests made it all the way to the Supreme Headquarters. Despite their injuries, they were still fueled by their desire to slaughter the enemy, and even though they were not as strong as they once were, they were willing to fight to the bitter end.
Mi Jing Lun had to spend a lot of time persuading them with both reason and emotion until they finally agreed to watch over the Territory Gate.
It was always wise to plan for all possibilities. Although they were able to kill off seemingly all of the Black Ink Clan Army when they besieged the No-Return Pass, there were bound to be some who managed to slip past them due to the vastness of the battlefield. While these remnants of the Black Ink Clan Army might not be all that powerful, they could still wreak havoc on the Humans who remained behind in the 3,000 Worlds if they were given free reign.
Furthermore, the ones who stayed behind were not all powerful Masters.
It was for this very reason that Yang Kai left behind a Sealing Secret Technique. If the Humans fell in the coming battle, the ones who remained at the No-Return Pass were to retreat and use the Sealing Secret Technique he left to permanently close the Territory Gate! Once that was done, the 3,000 Worlds would no longer be connected to the Black Ink Battlefield.
Only a very large number of Pseudo-Royal Lords or Royal Lords would be able to break the Sealing Secret Technique Yang Kai left behind.
If that many powerful Masters from the Black Ink Clan did return to the No-Return Pass, it meant that the Human Army had lost, which would also mean the end of the Human Race.
Once Mi Jing Lun finished giving his instructions, those who were to remain behind cupped their fists and chorused, “Yes, Sir!”
The Ninth-Order Masters took one last look at the No-Return Pass. Their eyes flitted over the Territory Gate that led back to the 3,000 Worlds before they hardened their hearts and abandoned all wistfulness as they headed deeper into the void.
No one knew how many of them would make it back alive.
Behind them, a loud voice bellowed out from the No-Return Pass, “May your valiant efforts be rewarded and your return victorious!”
The other voices rang out in unison, “May your valiant efforts be rewarded and your return victorious!”
…
With the help of the Universe Temples and Space Arrays that the Void Guard had set up beforehand, the 30 Ninth-Order Masters took only a few days to traverse across the vast void and arrive at the boundary between the Black Ink Battlefield and the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
They had made their calculations beforehand and gathered at the last of the Universe Temples where they convened with the Void Guard who were standing guard here. They wanted to hear the reports regarding the situation further ahead.
Soon, the Void Guard finished reporting everything they knew.
After taking it all in, Yang Kai said, “That means the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements plan on ambushing us on the Late Ancient Era battlefield.”
The Void Guard who spoke nodded and added, “That seems to be their plan. During the final battle at the No-Return Pass half a year ago, the reinforcement Army that had been rushing over suddenly stopped. We didn’t know what happened at the time, but later on, we figured that they must’ve received word from the No-Return Pass.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “Before Mo Na Ye died, he was still busy sending out dispatches. He must’ve been the one who arranged this.”
After Yang Kai killed Mo Na Ye with his spear, Mi Jing Lun retrieved a small Black Ink Nest from Mo Na Ye’s hand. It was clear that the latter had been using the power of the Black Ink Nest to send messages to the reinforcements.
“It’s all clear now. The Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements realised that their existence had been exposed and that the No-Return Pass had been seized, so in compliance with Mo Na Ye’s arrangements, they found a suitable battlefield to lay in wait to attack us, but they would not have expected us to arrive this quickly.”
Considering the pace of a regular Army, it would take the Humans about a decade to cross such a distance, even if they left as soon as they emerged victorious at the No-Return Pass.
By then, no matter how strong the Human Race Grand Army was, they would still be exhausted from travelling and caught off-guard by the Black Ink Clan’s well-prepared ambush.
However, the Human Race only spent half a year recuperating after taking back the No-Return Pass before reaching this place a couple of days later.
It had indeed been a wise decision to form the Void Guard as they managed to help the Humans avoid a catastrophic situation.
This was their chance to make use of the intel they had while their opponents remained in the dark.
After mulling it over in silence, Yang Kai raised his head and said, “Senior Brother, all of you can rest here for now. I’ll go on ahead and scout the situation.”
Mi Jing Lun nodded, “We will have to trouble you with that, Junior Brother.”
A Void Guard swiftly stepped forward with a Space Beacon which Yang Kai took and channelled his power into.
Once the Space Beacon flashed, Yang Kai disappeared.
The next instant, he appeared somewhere in the void. There was a figure beside him. It was Li Wu Yi, who was in charge of tracking the movements of the Black Ink Clan reinforcements.
This was the same way Yang Kai dropped in on Li Wu Yi the last time.
Li Wu Yi let out a small exhale of relief when he spotted Yang Kai. He did feel rather pressured by his task of keeping an eye on things alone, but thanks to Yang Kai’s presence, he now felt as if some weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
“Did we retake the No-Return Pass?” Li Wu Yi asked.
Even though Li Wu Yi received the news about the results of the battle at the No-Return Pass, he could not resist checking anyway.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai nodded.
“That’s good to hear,” Li Wu Yi smiled at the confirmation; but soon, his expression turned grim as he asked quietly, “The casualties?”
“Not as bad as it could’ve been. It is still bearable for us.”
Li Wu Yi nodded without asking any further. All he would get was a cold, emotionless number, but every single number represented the sacrifice of a person. The price of war was far too heavy.
“How are things over there?” Yang Kai looked out in front of him, but to his puzzlement, he did not see any sign of the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements.
“I knew you were coming so I retreated a little to avoid letting them sense anything. You can’t see them from here.” Li Wu Yi explained. “They stopped moving half a year ago; since then, they’ve been preparing themselves and building defensive structures.”
“Defensive structures?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Li Wu Yi nodded, “They dragged over many of the lifeless Universe Worlds and Fragments to act as barriers. It seems to me that they intend to build up a base.”
“It sounds as if they plan on having a full-on confrontation with us instead of ambushing us,” Yang Kai thoughtfully mused.
“That’s very much within their means!” Li Wu Yi’s expression was grim. There were several hundred Pseudo-Royal Lords and over 10 million High-Rank or higher Black Ink Clansmen. Even though they don’t have any true Royal Lords or Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods with them, they are still a force to be reckoned with.
“It’s undoubtedly Mo Na Ye’s doing,” Yang Kai remarked in realisation, “Their goal was never to stop our crusade, they simply hope to weaken us. As long as we’ve been weakened enough, continuing with the crusade will become meaningless. Thus, instead of trying to set up an ambush, they are better off fighting an all-out battle. They probably want us to discover their tracks.”
Li Wu Yi gave it some thought before nodding in agreement, “That seems to be the case.”
“How vigilant are they?” Yang Kai checked.
“Only somewhat, I’d say,” Li Wu Yi replied, “They don’t seem to expect us to arrive anytime soon, so they haven’t sent out scouts or set up any strict patrols. Furthermore, the scouts they have deployed are only monitoring a small area. Still, it’s enough to stop me from getting too close.”
Six months ago, Li Wu Yi had been able to observe the Black Ink Clan Army from up close, but ever since they began setting up their base, he had to stay further back to avoid detection.
“I’ll go and take a look,” Yang Kai said. After confirming the direction, he shot off into the void.
Though he did not discover any true Royal Lords the last time he checked, there was no harm in being cautious. It was best to do a thorough check once more as inaccurate information could very well lead to unnecessary casualties in battle.
After travelling for a while, Yang Kai caught sight of the Black Ink Clan Army.
He used Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability to mask his figure and aura as he continued making his approach.
It was just as Li Wu Yi had said. The Black Ink Clan Army was building a base here. They dragged many Universe Worlds and Fragments from all over the void to create barriers and barricades in an otherwise empty territory.
This area was still a part of the Late Ancient Era battlefield. During the Late Ancient Era, the Humans and the Black Ink Clan fought fiercely on this vast expanse. Countless Great Experts died in battle, leaving behind numerous traps in the form of barriers, seals, and restrictions. There were even Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques that had yet to be used up.
These were all things that the Black Ink Clan could use to their advantage.
Yang Kai scrutinised the surroundings as he made his way closer to the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcement Army.
Soon, he arrived at the nearest spot he could reach and began studying the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcement Army closely. Once he was certain that they did not have any true Royal Lords amongst them, his worries eased. Though they were a sizable force, and powerful as well, their lack of military intelligence when compared to what the Humans knew made them little more than turtles hiding in their shells.
Around half a day later, Yang Kai returned to the Universe Temple and the Ninth-Order Masters gathered around him to get an update.
Once Yang Kai filled them in on everything he witnessed, Mi Jing Lun nodded, “It’s fairly similar to what we expected.”
“In that case, should we proceed according to plan?” Xiang Shan asked.
Mi Jing Lun turned to Yang Kai, “What do you think, Junior Brother?”
“It won’t be a problem,” Yang Kai answered.
Mi Jing Lun’s expression was serious as he declared, “Let’s stick to the plan then.”
Soon, everyone left the Universe Temple, save for two Void Guards who remained behind to stand guard there.
After a day’s worth of travelling, they arrived in a part of the void that was neither too far nor too near the base of the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements. Yang Kai held his hand out to Xiang Shan who brought out the World Bead he had been keeping with him the whole time.
Space Principles surged as Yang Kai’s hands moved swiftly. He gently patted the World Bead before tossing it into the void.
Once the tiny World Bead left Yang Kai’s grasp, it started expanding at great speed. It looked as if a stone had been tossed into a calm lake, causing ripples to spread out in all directions.
In just a few moments, the World Bead had been restored to its original form, and on the lifeless Universe Fragment, the Blood Flame Army was busy preparing themselves.
“Senior Brother Xiang, I’ll leave things here to you and Junior Brother Sun,” Yang Kai said.
Xiang Shan nodded in response, as did Sun Ke, one of the new Ninth-Order Masters.
“You all will remain here as well and cooperate with me later when we strike,” Yang Kai spoke to a few members of the Void Guard accompanying them.
“Yes, Sir!” They quickly replied.
“Let’s go to the next spot,” Yang Kai called out as he led the rest of the Ninth-Order Masters and Void Guard onwards.
Yang Kai kept releasing World Beads at specific spots and leaving each of the Human Race Armies there.
This carried on for a couple of days until everything was in place.
They were done with all their preparations!
The last Army to be released was the Profound Nether Army, which presently had three Ninth-Order Masters among their ranks. One was Ou Yang Lie, a more seasoned Ninth-Order Master, while the other two were newly promoted with a lot of room for growth.
The atmosphere was tense as the Army stood ready for battle.
Ou Yang Lie was in the lead, his eyes closed.
Approximately a quarter hour later, the time that had been agreed upon earlier arrived. Ou Yang Lie whipped his eyes open, raised his hand, and shot off. The Profound Nether Army that had been waiting eagerly for this moment heard him roar, “Charge!”
This scene played out in 12 different areas of the void as the 12 Armies marched on the enemy from 12 different directions at the same time, heading straight towards the Black Ink Clan reinforcements’ base.
No sound was made, but their steely resolve and murderous intent permeated the void, causing space itself to shudder in their presence.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was hovering above the base with his eyes closed as he quietly counted down…
The base was made up of over 100 Universe Fragments and Worlds that had been gathered together. The Black Ink Clan had gone through painstaking efforts to drag all of these over from the neighbouring areas of the void to use as a defence line.
Some of the Pseudo-Royal Lords were gathered in a corner of the base, communicating via Divine Sense, their expressions grim as they were worried about the future.
This could not be helped. Six months ago, they suddenly received word from the No-Return Pass that the Humans had launched a frenzied, all-out attack. Not only did they lose one of the Supreme One’s Soul Clones in the battle, but the entire Black Ink Clan Army there had been routed and was at risk of being annihilated.
They had no way of knowing the outcome of the battle as they stopped receiving updates from the No-Return Pass after the Royal Lord named Mo Na Ye transmitted some final information to them.
Nevertheless, they could hazard a guess that the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass must have met their doom and all the Black Ink Nests were destroyed. If that was not the case, it was impossible for them to not get any further news.
Initially, they stormed out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to help the Black Ink Clan Army at the No-Return Pass, but now that the Humans had captured it, was there any point in heading over as reinforcements?
In the end, they chose to follow Mo Na Ye’s directions. They remained in place to await the arrival of the Human Race Army with the intent to block their path.
The Human Race Army was so powerful that they could even slaughter a Soul Clone of the Supreme One; thus, the reinforcements knew they would surely lose any war they fought against them, but they had no choice.
Fortunately, they were quite a distance away from the No-Return Pass and thus had sufficient time to prepare for the confrontation.
Just as the Pseudo-Royal Lords were in the middle of their discussion though, a Feudal Lord flew over and stood by the side as he greeted them.
“What is it?” A Pseudo-Royal Lord that looked like a giant spider turned to him and asked. It was an extremely peculiar sight as the spider-like Pseudo-Royal Lord had a Human face.
However, the Black Ink Clan came in all manner of strange and peculiar forms, so he was not unique by any means.
“I have something to report, Sirs,” the Feudal Lord respectfully said.
“Go on.” It was a Pseudo-Royal Lord who looked like a small giant with four arms who spoke this time.
The Feudal Lord swiftly reported his findings. It did not count as anything serious. A few of the teams who had been sent out to collect resources should have returned as early as two weeks ago, but had failed to show up, and now even the scouts sent out to check on them could not be contacted anymore.
After hearing the reports, the spider-like Pseudo-Royal Lord frowned and snapped, “You don’t need to interrupt us with such inconsequential matters. Just send out a few more scouts to investigate.”
They were on the Late Ancient Era battlefield where there were a myriad of powerful traps in the form of barriers, seals, and restrictions left in the void. Many of their mining teams and scouts had already gone missing as well prior to this news, so the Pseudo-Royal Lords did not pay much attention to these things.
Therefore, they ignored the Feudal Lord’s concerns.
The Feudal Lord had more to say, but in the end, he feared the Pseudo-Royal Lords too much to continue, so he respectfully took his leave.
He could only do as the Pseudo-Royal Lord had commanded, so once he got back, he sent out a few more scouts and instructed them to investigate the places where the previous teams had gone missing, though he still felt uneasy.
Even though there had been instances where their scouts or teams in charge of collecting resources went missing in the past, it happened far less frequently than it did recently.
At the same time, Yang Kai, who was hidden above the base, slowly opened his eyes.
[It’s time!]
Yang Kai looked down at the base and the Universe Fragments filled with the resting Black Ink Clan Army; then, he opened his palm.
The Space-Time River was circling atop his palm like a snake biting its tail, and in the middle of it was a piece of the Void that had been cut out.
A tiny Great Pass was sealed up inside that piece of the Void, and two figures sat cross-legged inside of it. They looked quite adorable in their miniature state.
As Yang Kai looked at them, the two figures noticed his gaze and looked up at him before rising to their feet.
Yang Kai nodded lightly at them before flicking his hand, causing the Space-Time River to fly out.
In a similar fashion to what had happened when Yang Kai released the World Beads, the Space-Time River began rapidly expanding the moment it left Yang Kai’s grip.
The sudden commotion instantly drew the attention of all from the Black Ink Clansmen.
The Pseudo-Royal Lords, Territory Lords, and Feudal Lords, all sensed that something was happening and quickly looked up.
The sight they saw shocked them to no end.
A large river appeared out of nowhere and rapidly expanded until a massive Great Pass appeared before their eyes. A Pseudo-Royal Lord saw the characters etched into the Great Pass and had to rub his eyes before taking another look to ensure he was not hallucinating.
[Pure Yang Pass!]
They had never seen Pure Yang Pass before, but the intelligence Mo Na Ye sent them before he died mentioned the existence of such a Great Pass.
It was the only Great Pass the Humans had right now and had greatly contributed to their invasion of the No-Return Pass.
[Why would Pure Yang Pass be here? And, why does that strange river that cuts across the void look so familiar?]
After giving it some thought, [Isn’t that great river the exclusive Divine Ability of Yang Kai, the killing star from the Human Race!?]
They were gobsmacked by the sudden turn of events and had not figured out what was happening, but there were always going to be smarter ones in their midst. As such, a voice soon roared so loudly that it echoed in the void.
“The Humans have come! We’re under attack!”
That was enough to shock all from the Black Ink Clan into action.
Although they did not know how the Humans managed to arrive so soon, now was not the time for them to dwell on this conundrum; however, before they could do anything, the massive Pure Yang Pass came crashing down on the Universe Fragments in the centre of their base.
Technically, Pure Yang Pass was many times smaller than even a single Universe Fragment, but when the two met, it was the Universe Fragments that exploded into pieces.
It looked as if someone used a hammer on a watermelon.
The sudden, forceful attack turned the first Universe Fragment into shattered pieces, and the Black Ink Clansmen atop it were thrown into chaos. The unlucky ones were killed upon impact, but most of them were stumbling around and coughing up blood as they had been heavily injured in the collision.
Only those who were at least a Feudal Lord could survive the fallout of such a collision.
At least 100,000 High-Rank Black Ink Clan soldiers died from just this attack alone, and it was only the beginning.
Without the Humans to wield the strength of Pure Yang Pass to its maximum, it was simply an inanimate object that could not do much; however, just as Pure Yang Pass smashed that Universe Fragment to pieces, two figures shot up and swiftly expanded. They instantly turned into giant silhouettes that flanked the Great Pass on either side.
The immense pressure that emanated from the enormous figures made the Black Ink Clan feel as if their souls were shaking and chills ran down their spines.
“Giant Spirit Gods!”
Terror-stricken screams rang out from all directions.
None of them expected to see a Giant Spirit God suddenly appear amidst their ranks, let alone two!
Pure Yang Pass, which was supposed to be back at the No-Return Pass, had shown up here, and two Giant Spirit Gods came with it. The Pseudo-Royal Lords could not fathom how the Humans managed to cross such a vast distance in such a short amount of time, or how they managed to ensure that the Black Ink Clan was completely blindsided by this sudden, fearsome attack.
Secret Techniques shot out at the two Giant Spirit Gods from all directions as the Black Ink Clan reacted instinctively while in panic.
Thus, Ah Da and Ah Er had only just resumed their original forms, but they were already under fierce attack.
Ah Da roared as fury coloured his simple, honest face.
[Ah Da didn’t do anything. Ah Da just showed up here, but everyone is attacking Ah Da! Ah Da knew the Black Ink Clan was bad!]
His roar seemed to form an invisible wall that blocked all the Secret Techniques from the Black Ink Clan, and in the very next moment, he stepped towards them.
Though his massive size made his movement seem rather clumsy, one step was all it took for him to reach the nearest Universe Fragment where he threw out his fist.
Ah Da was much bigger than Pure Yang Pass, almost the same size as the Universe Fragment in front of him, so when his fist struck, the Black Ink Clansmen who were hit directly instantly vaporized, regardless of how powerful they were. There had even been a Pseudo-Royal Lord present, yet he did not manage to escape this fate.
Pseudo-Royal Lords were undeniably strong, but they were still ants compared to a Giant Spirit God’s fist!
Countless others died as well.
Ah Da’s blow created a huge crater initially, and as the force of his punch reverberated out, the entire Universe Fragment soon exploded into dust.
The Black Ink Clansmen cried out as they tried to escape, but they were still affected by the shockwave of Ah Da’s punch and were now either heavily injured or at least dazed, making their struggles almost futile.
An Eighth-Order Master could destroy a Universe Fragment with a single punch, but there was still an enormous difference in destructive force when compared to a Giant Spirit God.
This was the strength of a Giant Spirit God! Right now, apart from Mo, whose power remained enigmatic to all, the Giant Spirit God Clan were the most powerful beings fighting in this war.
Although they were not proficient in the use of Secret Techniques or Divine Abilities, and seemed to be of lower sentience in some ways, they had immense strength.
While Ah Da was busy destroying that Universe Fragment, Ah Er did not stand around idle either. He charged at the defensive barrier the Black Ink Clan had worked so hard to create, and with each kick or punch he landed, lands were destroyed and countless Black Ink Clan soldiers died.
In just a few breaths of time, the void was littered with broken Universe Fragments and Black Ink Strength that had leaked out of the dead Black Ink Clan soldiers.
It was only then that the Pseudo-Royal Lords managed to recover themselves and take action, ordering their Armies to try and stop the two Giant Spirit Gods.
Soon, their attacks started taking effect. Although Giant Spirit Gods were terrifyingly powerful, there were only two of them and their enormous size made them easy targets. The Black Ink Clan reinforcements numbered over 10 million, and as long as they properly coordinated, their combined strength could not be underestimated.
The attacks poured in from all directions. Ah Da and Ah Er’s silhouettes began to look a little unsteady and they could not move as freely either, but that only served to infuriate them even more.
When the Human Race Army attacked the No-Return Pass, they were able to kill the second Black Ink Giant Spirit God by gathering all their strength together. The Black Ink Clan would probably be able to accomplish the same feat if they could group up and arrange themselves the way the Humans had.
Though it had to be said that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God the Humans killed had already been through an intense battle with Ah Da and Ah Er, and thus was already seriously injured. Furthermore, its movement had been restricted as well and it could not dodge the combined assault from the Human Race Army. Even a Black Ink Giant Spirit God could not withstand that level of bombardment.
Ah Da and Ah Er’s situation was a lot better than that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s. Though the Black Ink Clan kept attacking from all directions, the two Giant Spirit Gods would not be in any mortal danger if the Black Ink Clan failed to unleash a combined assault that was strong enough to overpower them in one blow.
However, considering the heritage of the Black Ink Clan reinforcements, it was within their means to force Ah Da and Ah Er to retreat if they were willing to make some sacrifices.
That would only be possible if nothing unexpected happened, however, and alas, it soon did.
All of a sudden, those on the battlefield detected the fall of a Pseudo-Royal Lord!
An intense fight had broken out on the battlefield and the death of a Pseudo-Royal Lord was not something surprising. The unluckiest of them all had died from the Giant Spirit God’s first strike.
However, what caught the Black Ink Clan’s attention was the fact that the Pseudo-Royal Lord who just died did so a great distance away from the Giant Spirit Gods at a place that did not seem to be under attack.
Furthermore, even if the fallout from the Giant Spirit Gods’ blows had managed to travel that far, how was it possible for a Pseudo-Royal Lord to not be able to block that level of attack?
Before the Black Ink Clan managed to figure out what had just happened, the aura of yet another Pseudo-Royal Lord vanished.
A third and a fourth soon followed…
At last, the Pseudo-Royal Lords realized the situation they had on their hands.
Apart from the two Giant Spirit Gods, there was also a third Master they did not know about who was lurking on the battlefield and assassinating the Pseudo-Royal Lords.
The Pseudo-Royal Lords were alarmed.
“It’s Yang Kai! He’s here!” One of the smarter Pseudo-Royal Lords roared.
A strange river had cut through the void when Pure Yang Pass and the two Giant Spirit Gods abruptly appeared, and several of the Pseudo-Royal Lords recognised what it was. According to the information Mo Na Ye provided before his death, the river was made out of Dao Strengths and belonged to Yang Kai, the killing star.
He was the most powerful Ninth-Order Master and the one that Mo Na Ye warned them to guard against, for he was an even bigger threat to the Black Ink Clan than the Giant Spirit Gods!
When the Pseudo-Royal Lords in the reinforcement army heard this report, they found it hard to believe that a lone Human, no matter how strong, would pose an even bigger threat to the Black Ink Clan than the Giant Spirit Gods.
Nevertheless, Mo Na Ye was a true Royal Lord and they had to pay serious attention to the last warning he gave them just before he died.
It was only now that the Pseudo-Royal Lords realised Mo Na Ye could have been right.
Though the Giant Spirit Gods were powerful, they were extremely overt in the way they did things. It was much easier to guard against a spear in the light than an arrow in the dark.
As soon as that Pseudo-Royal Lord’s roar rang out, it was followed by an agonising shriek.
The Black Ink Clan were drawn by his cries and quickly looked over, only to find a silhouette fading away behind the Pseudo-Royal Lord who was now sporting a large hole in his chest. Dao Strengths surged from his wound and ate away at his vitality.
“Don’t let him escape!” A Pseudo-Royal Lord yelled as he unleashed his aura and smashed it towards that part of the void.
Many Pseudo-Royal Lords jumped into action and followed suit.
Space rippled and a silhouette which was about to completely fade away reappeared once more. It was a Human who had a long spear in his hand. He looked perfectly at ease despite being surrounded by his enemies.
“You’ve got pretty quick reflexes,” the Human coolly remarked, but the Pseudo-Royal Lords did not hear any semblance of a complimentary tone in his voice.
“Quick! Keep him occupied!” The Pseudo-Royal Lord who shouted earlier was smarter than the others and knew that this was a rare opportunity for them. If they allowed Yang Kai to hide once more, even more of their Masters would meet their doom. Their best option now was to pin him down and stop him from finding a chance to sneak up on any other Pseudo-Royal Lords.
The Pseudo-Royal Lords nearest to Yang Kai swiftly lunged at him from their respective directions, trying to gang up on him.
They attacked as speedily as they could in an impressive display of cooperation for the frantic state they were in.
If it had been any other Ninth-Order Master, they would have been caught in a difficult battle.
However, Yang Kai’s expression remained indifferent as he made a grabbing motion and Dao Strengths rippled in the air as the sound of water echoed.
He summoned his Space-Time River, and it snaked around him like a whip.
The Pseudo-Royal Lords who were charging at him were taken by surprise and ended up plunging into the river, just like children who drowned by a sudden surge of water. They struggled on the surface of the river for a few moments before sinking in and disappearing.
The river grew fierce as Dao Strengths surged. A few figures could vaguely be seen inside the river, clearly fighting for their lives.
Soon, the commotion died down.
Yang Kai flicked his wrist and a few figures flew out of the river.
When the Black Ink Clan saw this, their hearts sank and their expressions hardened.
The figures that fell out were the Pseudo-Royal Lords who had been swept up just now, but they were all now covered in mortal wounds and their auras had vanished.
All it took was a few moments and all those Pseudo-Royal Lords had been killed!
It was an unbelievable display of power!
The Pseudo-Royal Lords who were still charging towards Yang Kai immediately halted, thanking the Supreme One for being further away as they had not been dragged into the strange river. Otherwise, they would have numbered among the dead Pseudo-Royal Lords as well.
All of the Pseudo-Royal Lords began to hesitate.
Although all the information from Mo Na Ye about Yang Kai had warned them not to underestimate him, none of them had imagined he would be this terrifying.
“Good, good!” The Pseudo-Royal Lords were terrified and uncertain, but Yang Kai felt spirited.
He had been hiding his true strength all these years, which meant he could not unleash his full power whenever he joined the attacks on the No-Return Pass, and he hated every moment of it.
Even though he no longer tried to conceal his ability during the last battle, he had been facing off against a Black Ink Giant Spirit God and he did not manage to have a true face-off with it, so he did not get to experience the rush of displaying his full strength.
He killed Mo Na Ye by concealing himself with the help of Thunder Shadow’s Divine Ability, and ever since then, he had been patiently waiting…
Until today…
The death of these Pseudo-Royal Lords enabled him to see just how much stronger he had become.
In the past, whenever he used the Space-Time River, Yang Kai was able to capture multiple Pseudo-Royal Lords at once but he could not kill them off so easily. He had to enter the river personally to finish off his prey.
But he no longer had to do so. He now had complete control over the life and death of Pseudo-Royal Lords who entered the Space-Time River!
This was the change that happened when one’s heritage grew stronger. It was an intoxicating feeling.
“Kill him!” The Pseudo-Royal Lord who gave the command was retreating as he roared.
An endless stream of Secret Techniques shot out at Yang Kai, but they all hit nothing as his figure simply faded away.
The Pseudo-Royal Lords pushed their Divine Senses wildly, but they could not detect any trace of Yang Kai. The chaotic battlefield was filled with all kinds of fluctuating forces and energies, so the Pseudo-Royal Lords completely lost track of predator among them.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai soon reappeared behind the Pseudo-Royal Lord who had given the command, his long spear casually piercing through the latter’s head.
When the two Giant Spirits Gods appeared, an intense battle broke out at the Black Ink Clan base.
Though initially flustered and caught off-guard, the Black Ink Clan reinforcement Army slowly regained composure and began working together to suppress the Giant Spirit Gods.
It was immensely difficult, but at least they did not become victims of an outright massacre.
The Giant Spirit Gods were beginning to show signs of injury as well. Large boulder-like objects fell from their bodies as the Black Ink Clan Army kept up a continuous bombardment of attacks.
The fact that the reinforcement Army was able to come up with a response in such a short amount of time made it clear they were indeed elites of the Black Ink Clan.
Alas, the two Giant Spirit Gods were not what the Black Ink Clan felt most challenged by. No matter how powerful the Giant Spirits Gods were, they were out in the open and they could deal with them accordingly.
The biggest threat, however, was the Human killing star, who was hiding in the dark and could strike out with extreme lethality at any given moment!
Yang Kai, the killing star, was able to move around essentially undetectable. Even the Pseudo-Royal Lords could not track him down, and each time he appeared, at least one Pseudo-Royal Lord would die!
It was their first time clashing against an opponent like Yang Kai, but despite only a short time passing, he was already akin to a looming shadow of death that hung over all their heads!
He did not attack anyone other than the Pseudo-Royal Lords, but in just a short span, 20 such Masters had died, with the surviving ones helpless to deal with him.
Had it been possible, the Pseudo-Royal Lords’ best option would have been to hide among the rest of the Army, but due to the drawbacks of the Source Fusion Technique, they couldn’t restrain their auras. They were like bright lights in a dark tunnel, their presence glaringly obvious to anyone despite being in a sea of over 10 million other Black Ink Clansmen.
They could neither defeat Yang Kai nor find him. It felt as if they had no way of overcoming this crisis.
“I want to know what the situation is at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. I will spare the life of the one who tells me what I wish to know!”
All of a sudden, the Human’s voice rang out on the battlefield for all the Black Ink Clan Army to hear.
One of the Pseudo-Royal Lords had an abrupt change of expression as his eyes glinted and he threw his fist towards a certain part of the void, “He’s here!”
He punched with all his strength and the void shattered like a mirror, but there was nothing there.
Then, the Pseudo-Royal Lord heard Yang Kai’s voice sounding tauntingly next to his ear.
“Wrong answer!”
There was a flash of light as the local space solidified. The Pseudo-Royal Lord was still in the same pose, his clenched fist extended out, but his head had been separated from his body and black blood was now gushing out of his neck, dyeing the void black.
“Does anyone else wish to speak?” Yang Kai’s voice rang out again. Two Pseudo-Royal Lords confidently unleashed attacks towards the spot where the voice came from, but as soon as they did so, Yang Kai appeared behind them and thrust his spear through their backs.
Before the rest of the Pseudo-Royal Lords could rush over, Yang Kai’s silhouette disappeared once more.
“Maybe my previous question was a little too broad, so I’ll be more specific. Has Mo woken up yet? What’s the situation like with the Human Race Army based outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
A hot-tempered Pseudo-Royal Lord immediately hollered, “You want to know what happened to the Army over there? They’re all dead, and you’re next!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Kai appeared in front of him.
The Pseudo-Royal Lord had been secretly searching for Yang Kai’s location all along, but he did not expect the Human to be arrogant enough to show up in this manner, so he was caught off-guard.
By the time he was able to react, Yang Kai’s hand had flashed out and tightly gripped his forehead.
The Pseudo-Royal Lord was entirely shocked by what happened next. All at once, he felt as if his entire body was mysteriously suppressed and sealed by a strange force. Despite merely being held by the forehead, he could not fight back at all and Yang Kai ended up whisking him off just like that.
All the Masters from the Black Ink Clan nearby gasped in shock and fury as they sent forth a torrent of Secret Techniques aimed at Yang Kai.
Nevertheless, their attacks hit nothing as Yang Kai’s silhouette flickered across the battlefield without ever truly solidifying in one spot.
Yang Kai flitted around to avoid the Black Ink Clan’s attacks, all the while holding onto the Pseudo-Royal Lord by the latter’s forehead. He eyed the Pseudo-Royal Lord and stated matter-of-factly, “The Humans have a saying, ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all’. You’ll have to pay the price for not watching your tongue!”
Alas, the Pseudo-Royal Lord was a rebellious fellow, so despite being subjugated, he had no intention of compromising. He sneered and screeched, “What price would you make me pay, huh? It’s just death! So what if you kill me? You’ll never be able to stand against the Supreme One! Black Ink is Eternal!”
“Who said I’m going to kill you?” Yang Kai eyed him coolly.
The Pseudo-Royal Lord abruptly felt a thick malice engulf him, one so intense that even though he was fully prepared to die, he could not help shuddering in response.
“You just came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so I’m assuming you’ve never experienced Purifying Light before. Well, I’m in a generous mood today, so I’ll help you broaden your horizons!” Having said that, the two marks on Yang Kai’s hand became visible, and in the very next moment, yellow and blue light flowed out and wrapped around the Pseudo-Royal Lord.
The Pseudo-Royal Lord immediately had a look of horror on his face.
It was true that the reinforcement Army had only just recently left the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and had never encountered Purifying Light before, but they had heard of it and how it could be used to counter Black Ink Strength.
Black Ink Strength was able to corrupt anything and everything it touched, but the Heavens were fair in all things, so no matter how strong a particular energy was, there was always something that countered it.
Primordial Light and Darkness were both born at the dawn of the Universe. Neither could exist without the other, but both also perfectly suppressed one another!
The yellow and blue lights swirled together and quickly condensed into a pure white light.
A sizzling sound was heard and all at once, the Pseudo-Royal Lord felt as if he had been tossed into a boiling pot of oil as Black Ink Strength gushed out of his body and evaporated as it came into contact with the Purifying Light.
Throughout this process, the Pseudo-Royal Lord underwent such overwhelming pain that he could not stop screaming in agony.
His tormented cries echoed across the battlefield and struck fear into the hearts of all the Black Ink Clansmen.
The attacks on Yang Kai did not cease as the Black Ink Clan continued their attempts to track him down, unleashing all their most powerful attacks wherever they suspected he might be.
However, it made no difference. While Yang Kai could not hide himself while torturing the Pseudo-Royal Lord, his masterful use of Space Principles allowed him to freely weave around the Black Ink Clan’s attacks.
In fact, thanks to Yang Kai’s sneak manoeuvring, a sizable number of Masters from the Black Ink Clan ended up getting caught in friendly fire instead.
As for the Pseudo-Royal Lord that Yang Kai captured, he had nearly screamed himself hoarse as his aura continuously weakened.
In the end, he could not take it anymore and growled hoarsely, “Kill me! Kill me!”
He finally realised that there were fates worse than death.
Yang Kai carefully adjusted the strength of Purifying Light and brought the Pseudo-Royal Lord before him, “Killing you is no problem at all,” he quietly said, “Just tell me what’s happening at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and you won’t have to suffer this torment any longer.”
The Pseudo-Royal Lord’s lips quivered as he howled through his pain, “The Human Race Army has been wiped out and the Supreme One has woken up!”
Yang Kai’s gaze turned cold.
“Kill me! I told you what you wanted to know,” the Pseudo-Royal Lord roared hoarsely.
“But, what you told me differs from what I know.”
“I’m telling you the truth! It’s all true!”
Yang Kai did not answer. Regardless of whether or not the Suppressing Black Ink Army was still alive, there was no doubt that Mo had not awakened yet. If Mo was fully awake, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction would have been shattered and the reinforcements sent out would have been many times larger and had true Royal Lords leading them.
[Even at a time like this, this Pseudo-Royal Lord still wants to try and trick me, huh? Either he doesn’t know what’s happening over there, or he doesn’t wish to tell me.]
Yang Kai sighed. He knew there was no hope of him extracting any useful information about the situation over there out of the Black Ink Clan now.
The reinforcements had chosen to remain in this place to put up a fight against the Human Race Army after hearing about the situation at the No-Return Pass. Thus, it was most likely that they were already prepared to die, so it was unrealistic to think he could dig out any information from them.
That Pseudo-Royal Lord was still bathing in Purifying Light and his aura had now dropped precipitously. Even the aura of a High-Rank Black Ink Clan was stronger than his now, so Yang Kai tossed him at the group of Pseudo-Royal Lords who were swarming over as a barrage of attacks shot out at him.
As the attacks exploded, the Pseudo-Royal Lord turned into dust.
Once Yang Kai’s hand was free, he immediately turned around and summoned the Space-Time River which came crashing down on those who were chasing after him.
The long river was like a beast that devoured everything in its path as it swallowed up a group of Pseudo-Royal Lords. Dao Strengths then surged and wiped out their vitality.
Meanwhile, a group of Pseudo-Royal Lords were standing on a certain Universe Fragment. They did not join the hunt against Yang Kai and instead gathered in the distance to observe the situation.
After seeing the way a single Human and two Giant Spirit Gods sent their entire Army into upheaval, the Pseudo-Royal Lord in command let out a long sigh before saying, “We can’t lose all our forces here. Our mission is to cripple the Human Race Army. There’s no point trying to put up a fight against these three.”
Based on the current strength of the Black Ink Clan Army, it was impossible for them to kill the two Giant Spirit Gods. Certainly they could injure these two Giant Spirit Gods, but once the latter felt threatened, they would simply run away and the Black Ink Clan had absolutely no way to stop them.
The same applied to Yang Kai, the killing star.
Since the Black Ink Clan had no way of stopping their three opponents from escaping, and no way of killing them, this was an entirely futile fight that would only result in casualties on their side.
The other Pseudo-Royal Lords nodded in agreement.
“Give the order for some to stay behind and keep these three occupied, as for the others… evacuate at once!” The Pseudo-Royal Lord quickly came to a decision.
“Where should we go?” A Pseudo-Royal Lord asked.
The one who first spoke stayed silent for a moment before looking in the direction of the No-Return Pass, “We’ll go out and meet the Human Race Army ourselves!”
At first, the rest were confused, but they soon came to a realization.
This was probably their only option now. They had to clash with the Human Race Army as soon as possible; that way, even if they all died, they would still manage to fulfil their mission!
The order to withdraw went out at once, and despite the chaos of the situation, the Black Ink Clan Army was able to maintain some semblance of order as they prepared to retreat.
According to their estimates, they had to leave at least 30% of their forces behind to keep the two Giant Spirit Gods and the killing star occupied. That was the only way they could carve out enough room for the rest of the Army to leave safely and carry out their mission.
This decision pained the majority of them, but they had no choice.
The Pseudo-Royal Lord who served as the Commander was standing atop a Universe Fragment and surveying the bloody battlefield with an icy glare. Though he knew he would never get to seek vengeance himself, he still wanted to sear the killing star’s image into the recesses of his mind.
“Sir!” Suddenly, a Feudal Lord flew over and landed in front of the Pseudo-Royal Lords to frantically report, “Sirs, we have found signs of a Human Race Army!”
The Pseudo-Royal Lords were startled.
“Which direction?” The commanding Pseudo-Royal Lord quickly asked.
“That direction,” The Feudal Lord pointed it out.
The Pseudo-Royal Lords all turned to look, and sure enough, they spotted hazy figures far off in the depths of the void.
It was a great distance away, so they could not see clearly, but it was undoubtedly a Human Race Army, a very large one.
“Excellent!” The Pseudo-Royal Lord cheered thunderously. He did not seem panicked by the sudden report; instead, he looked pleased.
Regardless of how the Human Race Army managed to arrive in such a short amount of time when it should have taken them over a decade to reach this place, it was precisely what the Black Ink Clan hoped to see.
When they left the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, their initial mission was to aid the Black Ink Clan Army at the No-Return Pass by attacking the Humans from the rear. They wanted to sneak up on the enemy, catch the Humans off-guard, and slaughter them all.
However, when the No-Return Pass was lost, their mission changed. All they needed to do now was to fight the Humans who were heading for Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and to stop at nothing whilst doing so. Neither the outcome nor their survival mattered.
The sudden appearance of Yang Kai and the two Giant Spirit Gods threw their initial plans into disarray, and they were forced to split their troops in two. They had to leave some behind to keep the three menaces occupied while the others headed for the No-Return Pass to confront the Human Race Army as soon as possible.
No one expected the Human Race Army would be here already!
The enemy was delivering themselves up, so after being startled for a moment, the Black Ink Clansmen were filled up with a thirst for battle.
The Humans used the strength of their killing star and the two Giant Spirit Gods to disrupt their position and deployments before sending in their Army to launch a surprise attack. It looked as if the Humans had planned all this from the start. It was perilous to face such an enemy on their terms.
Still, what was there for them to fear?
The Black Ink Clan existed solely to sacrifice everything for the sake of the Supreme One.
“Sir!” Yet another voice called out from the distance, and a second Feudal Lord joined them as he quickly reported, “Sirs, we have sighted a Human Race Army!”
The Pseudo-Royal Lord Commander nodded, “I know.”
The Feudal Lord who just came was completely taken aback. He rushed over as soon as he received the news, so how did the Pseudo-Royal Lords find out about it beforehand?
Nevertheless, he dared not make any comments. He stood aside and glanced at the first Feudal Lord, but when their gazes met, they seemed to realize something.
“Sir!” Once again, a Feudal Lord rushed over from a different direction.
At last, the Pseudo-Royal Lords also realised that the situation was not as simple as they thought it was.
The Human Race Army was not coming from just one direction.
Armies were rushing towards their base from all directions!
They were completely surrounded.
It was hard to imagine how the Humans managed to achieve this. The Black Ink Clan Army numbered over 10 million elites so it should have been impossible to box them in without someone noticing something earlier on.
Finally, some of the Pseudo-Royal Lords recalled the reports they had dismissed the past few days, ones about scouts and resource-gathering teams failing to return on time.
From the looks of it now, the missing Black Ink Clansmen must have been discovered by the Humans and eliminated.
They never thought that the Humans could arrive here so soon, so they had been preparing for a battle to break out a decade later, that was why they were not more vigilant and failed to realize the Humans were closing in on them.
“Those deplorable Humans!” The Pseudo-Royal Lord Commander exploded in rage. Even though he wanted to take on the Human Race Armies as soon as possible, he did not welcome being plotted against this way. After thinking in silence for a moment though, he shouted, “Pass down the order, we launch a full-scale attack in that direction!”
He pointed in the direction of the No-Return Pass, which was also the direction the first Feudal Lord pointed out in his report.
Although the Black Ink Clan was being besieged from all directions, the one silver lining of the situation was that the Human Race’s strength was scattered as they had split themselves up into over 10 different forces. Even though this allowed them to surround the Black Ink Clan, it also meant that the Black Ink Clan could target these smaller Armies individually!
As long as they moved quickly enough, they had enough heritage to wipe out a few of the Human Race’s Armies. That would be enough to deal a crushing blow to the Humans and force them to cut their crusade short!
The Black Ink Clan were already making preparations to withdraw, so after receiving the latest order from the commanding Pseudo-Royal Lord, they instantly split into two. 30% stayed behind to keep Yang Kai and the Giant Spirit Orders occupied while the rest charged at the Human Race Army that was approaching from the direction of the No-Return Pass.
The Human Race Army coming from that direction was the Purple Feather Army.
Wu Qing was originally the only Ninth-Order Master in the Purple Feather Army, but ever since the battle at the No-Return Pass, the Humans had 20 new Ninth-Order Masters, two of whom were added to the Purple Feather Army. They were a man and a woman, an actual Senior Brother and Junior Sister pair. Even if one searched the entirety of the Human Race’s history, it was exceedingly rare to find a precedent of two such people growing so powerful together.
It was hard enough to become a Ninth-Order Master as few ever had the possibility of doing so. If it had not been for the benefits gained from the World Tree clone, it would usually take several thousand, if not tens of thousands of years for someone with the aptitude to become a Ninth-Order Master to appear in a Great Force. Thus, the years and generations that separated the Ninth-Order Masters made it near impossible for two to have a Senior Brother and Junior Sister relationship. That all changed with the appearance of the Star Boundary.
After several millennia of fighting together, this pair could basically read each other’s thoughts. Even when they were still Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Masters, they had already carved out a name for themselves on the battlefield as numerous Feudal and Territory Lords had died at their hands. They had even caught Mo Na Ye’s attention as he had set up traps that were targeted specifically at them.
The many years of war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan gave birth to a plethora of both celebratory and sorrowful stories, but it also led to the birth of many remarkable people, and these two were ranked among them.
Right now, they were standing atop a Purifying Black Ink Battleship together with Wu Qing, their Senior, as all three were observing the battlefield.
When Wu Qing saw that the Black Ink Clan Army had chosen to charge in their direction, his eyes flashed with displeasure.
Whether it was on purpose or not, the Purple Feather Army had been singled out by the enemy as the weak point that they could easily run over.
“Prepare for battle!” Wu Qing loudly commanded.
The Purple Feather Army that had been travelling at great speed instantly repositioned themselves.
They did not take up a defensive formation, but rather an offensive one!
Despite facing off against their opponents whose numbers were several times greater than their own, the Purple Feather Army showed no fear. Every single one of them was able to stay composed as they waited for the moment to strike.
After going through numerous battles, both large and small, throughout the past few millennia, they had built up their spirits through their continued victories and could move as one body.
The Black Ink Clan Army was not about to face the weak Army they believed it to be, but a giant beast who could swallow everything in its path.
Murderous intent flared as the distance between the two Armies rapidly shrank!
All at once, multi-coloured flashes of light shot out from the Purple Feather Army and rained down on the approaching Black Ink Clan.
At the same time, streaks of black Secret Techniques shot out from the Black Ink Clan Army towards the Purple Feather Army.
The fight had officially begun.
Scores of auras from the Black Ink Clan were extinguished by the bursts of light, and even the Pseudo-Royal Lords could not let their guard down. They were completely focused on dodging the Secret Techniques. In a situation like this, even a minor slip-up could spell their doom.
As for the Purple Feather Army, though they suffered some losses as well, it was nothing compared to what the Black Ink Clan suffered.
It was not surprising as the Human Race had the protection of Warships and Spirit Arrays, while the Black Ink Clan did not.
In a head-on battle between two Armies where Secret Techniques and artifacts were exchanged at long range, the side with stronger defences had far more of an advantage.
It was akin to a mortal battle where both Armies had archers but only one had shields. Naturally, the one with shields suffered far fewer casualties.
In this case, the Humans were the ones with the shields!
Evidently, the Black Ink Clan picked up on this as well. They had to withstand the constant decrease in their numbers as they tried to hasten their attacks. Since they lost out in terms of defence, they were forced to expend some of their energy to defend themselves in order to counter the Humans’ advantage.
After a few rounds of Secret Techniques were exchanged, the fearsome armies finally clashed in the void.
By numbers alone, the Humans were certainly at a disadvantage, but they were still able to halt the Black Ink Clan Army’s charge by force.
The Purple Feather Army seemed to turn into a massive boulder which could not be moved.
No one knew how they did it, but they did.
“Black Ink Clan bastards, suffer death!” Wu Qing’s bellow rang out. He was still standing atop the Purifying Black Ink Battleship when he first started speaking, but by the time he finished, he had already charged into the Black Ink Clan Army. His weapon flashed as he cut down a Pseudo-Royal Lord before the latter could even register what was happening.
Black blood splattered everywhere as a powerful aura flared up before disappearing.
Countless Masters from the Black Ink Clan shuddered in fear.
Though the Pseudo-Royal Lords were resolute in their determination to sacrifice everything for the Supreme One, they still felt chills down their spine when they saw how terrifying Wu Qing was.
At last, they realised that the Human Race did not only have Yang Kai as their solitary killing star. The Ninth-Order Master in front of them now was also immensely powerful!
Wu Qing was a veteran Ninth-Order Master, and out of all the current Ninth-Order Masters, Xiao Xiao was the only one who had more experience than him.
However, Xiao Xiao was proficient in the Yin-Yang Grand Dao and specialised in crowd control rather than single-combat. The same could not be said for Wu Qing.
Thus, among all the Ninth-Order Masters, Wu Qing was second only to Yang Kai in terms of individual combat strength.
Wu Qing made a show of strength by channelling everything he had into the attack. A Pseudo-Royal Lord who was caught off-guard would never have been able to defend himself against it.
[Off to a good start!]
However, in the very next breath, Wu Qing was surrounded by numerous Masters from the Black Ink Clan. After being momentarily stunned, they swiftly rushed over to gang up on him. Wu Qing showed no fear as he slashed out around him. As Dao Strength rippled through the void, his formidable power burst out and turned his enemies into rivers of blood.
The other Human Race Masters followed in Wu Qing’s footsteps as they rushed into the enemy lines, including the two new Ninth-Order Masters.
Their figures lunged forth as two flashes of light as they headed straight for the Pseudo-Royal Lords.
The Junior Sister’s expression was grim as her hands swiftly moved to unleash a mysterious strength that filled the void, causing the Pseudo-Royal Lords to instantly feel as though their Souls were becoming unstable. They saw stars circling their heads as if they had been hit by an invisible hammer.
The Senior Brother seized this chance to close in with his sword. Sword light shrouded his body as he cut through the Pseudo-Royal Lords.
Black blood splattered as one of the Pseudo-Royal Lords was relieved of his head, while the others were heavily injured. This was all accomplished with a single strike.
By the time the Pseudo-Royal Lords who were lucky enough to survive could finally react, the Senior Brother’s sword light was slashing down on them.
Agonising screams echoed across the battlefield.
Of this Senior Brother and Junior Sister pair, one excelled in the Soul Dao while the other excelled in the Sword Dao. Furthermore, they were able to act as one as they fought on the battlefield, which meant they could kill their enemies even more efficiently than Wu Qing, the veteran Ninth-Order Master.
Meanwhile, the Eighth-Order Masters quickly got into their Battle Formations and challenged the remaining Pseudo-Royal Lords, causing intense fights to break out in all directions.
The battle was joined in an instant as the two Armies fought with dogged fervour.
In this battle, the Human Race were both advantaged and disadvantaged at the same time.
One of the things working in their favour was that these Pseudo-Royal Lords had a critical difference from the Pseudo-Royal Lords from the No-Return Pass. While they were all similarly powerful, they differed when it came to experience.
The Pseudo-Royal Lords from the No-Return Pass had fought against the Human Race for hundreds of years at least, and with the help of the information they gleaned from Black Ink Disciples, they were able to mimic the Humans and even learn to form Battle Formations.
Although they could only form a simple Three Fortunes Formation, it would still require 20 to 30 Eighth-Order Masters in Five Elements or Six Paths Formations to contain them.
That was the reason why the Humans had such a hard time during the battles at the No-Return Pass. Even a simple Three Fortunes Formation had given the Pseudo-Royal Lords a huge boost in combat efficiency and allowed them to occupy many more Human Masters.
However, that was not the case for the Pseudo-Royal Lords who just came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
They did not know how to form Battle Formations and their combat experience was quite lacking, so even though they worked together in certain situations, each of them basically acted independently, oftentimes getting in each other’s way rather than providing support to one another.
As soon as the clashing started, the Eighth-Order Masters keenly picked up on this and were thrilled.
If the Eighth-Order Masters formed a Five Elements Formation, they were just barely able to put up a fight against a Pseudo-Royal Lord. A Six Paths Formation would mean that they would stand on equal footing, while a Seven Stars Formation made them even more powerful than their opponent.
As of now, the Humans had quite several Eighth-Order Masters. This was thanks to their steady accumulation all these years, as well as the Ordinary Grade Innate Open Heaven Pills from the Universe Furnace. Each Army had at least 2,000 Eighth-Order Masters, some even had 3,000.
With so many Eighth-Order Masters, it was easy enough to form Battle Formations and contain the Pseudo-Royal Lords.
Nevertheless, when it came to sheer numbers, the Purple Feather Army paled in comparison to the Black Ink Clan Army as the latter had nearly ten times as many Masters.
Therefore, even though the Purple Feather Army was able to put up a fight for now, they could not keep it up for long.
Fortunately, they did not need to. The other Human Armies were closing in from all directions, so all they had to do was hold out for a little longer, and their reinforcements would be able to surround the Black Ink Clan completely. When the time came, the Black Ink Clan would be trapped.
The difference in numbers meant that the Purple Feather Army suffered increasing injuries and casualties, but in comparison to them, the Black Ink Clan suffered the same in far greater numbers.
The three Ninth-Order Masters weaved through the enemy as they killed Pseudo-Royal Lords again and again. Wu Qing was covered in wounds and the Senior Brother and Junior Sister duo had also turned pale from overexertion.
The wreckage of the broken Warships floated everywhere as blood and torn limbs scattered all over.
Nevertheless, the Purple Feather Army did not retreat. They maintained their lines and held fast to keep the enemy rooted in place.
The other Human Armies were rushing over to provide aid from all directions with the Ninth-Order Masters in the lead and would soon arrive.
The Black Ink Clan Army was slowly weakening. Initially, the Pseudo-Royal Lords figured that their numerical advantage would be enough for them to triumph over the Purple Feather Army, with a high chance of them being able to wipe this Human Army out entirely.
As long as they did so, they would be able to create a gap in the encirclement and gain a better position to battle against the other Human Race Armies.
Alas, they did not expect the Purple Feather Army to be able to keep the battlefield fixed in this area despite being outnumbered nearly 10 times.
[Are Humans really so resilient?]
The Pseudo-Royal Lords were somewhat dazed, [No wonder the ones who first left the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction couldn’t exterminate the Humans and were soundly defeated after years of battle.]
As the stalemate continued, the Black Ink Clan Army soon began to despair.
The other Human Race Armies had arrived, swarming over from all directions and surrounding the Black Ink Clan Army.
An even more intense battle broke out then as both parties numbered over 10 million now as they fought viciously.
The Black Ink Clan Army was already weakened by the previous battle but the Humans remained spirited, so the outcome was clear.
Furthermore, the Humans had 29 Ninth-Order Masters while the Black Ink Clan did not even have a single true Royal Lord. Their Pseudo-Royal Lords did not know how to form Battle Formations either.
Thus, the clash soon became a one-sided massacre for the Black Ink Clan.
Meanwhile, back at the Black Ink Clan’s base where the fight first broke out, Ah Da and Ah Er were stomping about, slaughtering the Black Ink Clan Army in droves.
Though a large number of Masters from the Black Ink Clan remained here to keep them occupied, they were only 30% of the whole reinforcement Army and it was hard for them to put up a fight against two Giant Spirit Gods.
Moreover, Yang Kai was still weaving about undetected among them as he snuck up on their Masters and assassinated them.
Soon, Yang Kai killed off the last of the Pseudo-Royal Lords who had stayed behind, and without them, the Black Ink Clan’s attacks became little more than tickles and scratches to Ah Da and Ah Er.
Since the battle had been decided, Yang Kai returned to Pure Yang Pass.
The Great Pass had been floating along on the battlefield without anyone paying any attention to it after Yang Kai first let it out and sent it crashing into a Universe Fragment.
Until now.
Instantly, somewhere on the Pure Yang Pass, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense surged like gushing water, and soon, he took in the situation across the void.
[It’s the perfect time.]
A torrent of World Force was unleashed and a huge Array lit up on the spot where Yang Kai stood. A mysterious energy burst forth in all directions.
12 Universe Fragments were scattered across the void outside the battlefield.
These 12 Universe Fragments were the ones that Yang Kai brought from the No-Return Pass after turning them into World Beads. He restored them to their original size once they arrived in this area.
The 12 Universe Fragments were not simply tools to transport the Armies, they were also a crucial part of the plan to surround the enemy.
The Human Race Army had planned all of this before they left the No-Return Pass.
Just as Yang Kai activated the Grand Array on Pure Yang Pass, the Void Guard that remained on the 12 Universe Fragments did the same to the arrays that had been set up there too.
All at once, the 12 Universe Fragments lit up brightly as they connected with Pure Yang Pass.
It was incredibly difficult to harness the strength of such a huge Array. Just creating it had cost an enormous amount of resources, while powering it was also not cheap, but it was all worth it for the sake of eliminating the enemy once and for all.
The connection between the Universe Fragments and Pure Yang Pass kept growing stronger, and once Yang Kai felt it reach a certain critical limit, he surged his Space Principles.
The Void Guard picked up on this signal and instantly followed suit.
All at once, there was a visible ripple that started from Pure Yang Pass and rapidly spread out over several millions of kilometres, sweeping past the two clashing Armies as it filled every corner of the void.
This ripple was not deadly in any way, nor did it disrupt the two Armies either; however, after it spread out, something seemed to change on the battlefield.
The 12 Universe Fragments scattered across the void had been linked together with Pure Yang Pass to seal the entire battlefield. A massive section of the void had become a cage, and as long as the Array held strong, nothing could escape.
This was a massive battle involving millions of soldiers on each side. No matter who had the upper hand, it was still going to be hard to completely annihilate the other side. There were bound to be those who managed to escape.
To prevent that from happening, the Humans came up with a plan beforehand.
If some of the Black Ink Clansmen did manage to flee, they would surely be a threat to the ones left behind at the No-Return Pass as only a few tens of thousands of Masters had stayed back. What’s more, those Masters were all heavily wounded and not as powerful as they once were.
The Humans were determined to slaughter every single Black Ink Clansman here in one battle!
Thus, Yang Kai was personally standing guard at the Array Core, and as long as he did not die, there was no way of lifting the sealing Array.
Furthermore, even as he stood guard in the middle of Pure Yang Pass, he was still able to take part in the battle.
Thanks to the power of the Array, Yang Kai could monitor the entire situation out on the battlefield. It was a mysterious feeling for him as it felt as though he was observing the battle from a different dimension.
Since he could see what was happening, it meant that he could partake in the battle as well.
Thus, out on the battlefield, there were frequent attacks that seemed to come from out of nowhere. These attacks would smash the Masters from the Black Ink Clan into pieces and many of the Humans who had been caught in a perilous situation were saved, to the confusion of everyone.
There was no suspense in this battle. The Human Race spent over a decade retaking the No-Return Pass, but the outcome of this fight against the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcement Army had been determined right from the start.
The portion of the Black Ink Clan Army that stayed back to keep the two Giant Spirit Gods occupied was the first to crumble. After all of the Pseudo-Royal Lords had been killed, there was no point in continuing a hopeless fight.
Many of the surviving Masters wanted to flee.
Alas, the surrounding space had been sealed up and they could not escape. They were doomed to meet their end here.
On the main battlefield, the 12 Armies successfully surrounded the Black Ink Clan and were now slowly but steadily eliminating them.
It was ironic that the Black Ink Clan Army’s plan was being carried out by the Humans instead.
Once the equilibrium between the two sides was broken, death was the only fate awaiting the Black Ink Clan.
One by one, the Pseudo-Royal Lords died, and once they were all gone, the Territory Lords were next. Then, the Feudal Lords…
The battle lasted for a dozen days before it finally came to a close.
Now that it was over, the Humans began focusing on their recuperation as they counted the casualties.
The Purple Feather Army had suffered catastrophic losses!
This was the biggest loss for the Human Race in this battle.
Most of the casualties occurred when the Purple Feather Army was holding down the Black Ink Clan Army before the other Armies arrived.
A heavy price had to be paid for an Army to hold out against an enemy 10 times its size.
Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile price to pay.
Due to the various setups and arrangements made prior to the battle, the Humans were able to kill every single one of the reinforcement Army that came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. They had completely wiped out the threat that this reinforcement Army could have posed.
Once the battle ended, Yang Kai released the Grand Array that suppressed and sealed the local space, and at the same time, the 12 Universe Fragments that had been turned into Array Nodes shattered into dust as well. It was the backlash from the strength of the Spirit Array, and even Yang Kai could not stop that from happening.
The Ninth-Order Masters gathered back at Pure Yang Pass. Many of them were injured, especially the three from Purple Feather Army.
Mi Jing Lun, who was seated at the helm, had a worried expression, “You wish to go on ahead first, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai had just announced to the group that he intended to leave first and head for the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
He nodded and said, “Something must’ve happened at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so I want to go and take a look. Furthermore, we don’t know what’s happening with the Suppressing Black Ink Army either.”
The Humans had too little intel on their hands. The only thing Yang Kai could be sure of was that the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had not been broken yet as true Royal Lords would have appeared as well if it did.
However, he was worried about the Suppressing Black Ink Army’s predicament. They were a team of elite Masters who were in charge of dealing with the Black Ink Clan who escaped from the Grand Restriction to ease the pressure on Wu Kuang.
The Army of over 10 million that had escaped was too much for the Suppressing Black Ink Army alone to have stopped, so it was inevitable that some terrible fate had befallen them.
Mi Jing Lun and the others knew that many of Yang Kai’s family and Disciples were part of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, so they understood what he was feeling right now.
As it was, Yang Kai had already shown a great deal of righteousness when he chose to remain here and fight with the rest of the Human Race Army despite knowing that the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcement Army had escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Mi Jing Lun thus spoke up, “Since their reinforcement Army escaped from the Grand Restriction, things would not be peaceful there. I’m sure there would be enemy forces outside the Grand Restriction as well. How can you go up against them alone, Junior Brother? Why don’t you wait a few days and head out with the rest of the Army? It won’t be long… Just 10 days will do!”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Everyone has just been through an arduous battle, and though it was not the most intense we’ve experienced, everyone is exhausted. 10 days won’t be enough to recover; they’ll need to rest and recuperate for longer than that. Also, if I head over alone, I can hide my tracks and act according to the situation.”
Seeing as how Mi Jing Lun wanted to continue talking him out of it, Yang Kai added, “I’ll take some of the Void Guard with me and finish setting up the Space Arrays along the way. We’re only a few years distance away from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so once the Space Arrays have finished being arranged, everyone should more or less have recovered as well and it would be just in time for them to proceed. This is the best arrangement, Senior Brother.”
Mi Jing Lun had more to say, but in the end, he nodded in agreement, “You’re right, but it will be hard on you, Junior Brother.”
“I’m just doing what I must!” Yang Kai got to his feet, “I’ll go and make the preparations.”
In reality, there was not much he needed to prepare. He simply got Li Wu Yi to select a group of Void Guards who would be leaving with him before sealing up Pure Yang Pass and the two Giant Spirit Gods.
Both Pure Yang Pass and the Giant Spirit Gods were massive and could not be sent through the Space Arrays in their original forms. Yang Kai had to seal them inside a World Bead to accomplish that.
The 12 Universe Fragments he used earlier had turned to dust, but thankfully, there was no lack of Universe Fragments in the void. As such, Yang Kai randomly moved one over and placed Pure Yang Pass as well as the two Giant Spirit Gods on it.
Then, with the use of Space Principles, he refined it into a World Bead and passed it to Mi Jing Lun for safekeeping.
Once everything was settled, Yang Kai took 20 Void Guard into his Small Universe before stepping out into the void.
He kept moving onward without stopping at all…
The emotions that Yang Kai had been suppressing for the past six months finally welled up again. He desperately wanted to hurry on over to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction as soon as possible and see what was happening for himself.
Several days later, he stopped and opened the portal to his Small Universe, bringing two Void Guards out.
“I’ll leave things here to you,” Yang Kai said before carrying on with his journey.
The two Void Guard sent him off with a bow, and once he was gone, they began setting up the Space Array.
A few days later, Yang Kai let out two more Void Guards.
This scene repeated itself all along the way as the Void Guard arranged the Space Arrays that would lead to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
In just over a month, Yang Kai traversed across the Late Ancient Era battlefield and arrived at the Spiritless Land.
It was an empty void with no trace of life. Even the strength of the Void which could literally be found anywhere in the Universe was incredibly weak here.
Yang Kai was extremely close to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction now; all he had to do was travel a little further and he would arrive at the Grand Restriction, which had been in existence for millions of years.
His Small Universe opened up and Li Wu Yi and another Void Guard stepped out. They were the last two.
“Set up the Space Array here but don’t travel any further ahead. Remember to stay hidden and not let the Black Ink Clan discover you,” Yang Kai instructed.
Li Wu Yi and the other Void Guard nodded.
“I’m heading off,” Yang Kai said before disappearing into the distance.
Pushing his Space Principles to their maximum potential, Yang Kai arrived outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction in just three days, and the sight he saw made his expression grim.
It was just as Mi Jing Lun had predicted. A large number of Masters from the Black Ink Clan were gathered outside the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, with many Pseudo-Royal Lords among them.
There seemed to be even more of them here than there had been with the reinforcement Army that had just been wiped out.
Right now, they were ceaselessly attacking the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction from the outside.
There was no telling how long they had been doing this.
The endless waves of attacks caused ripples in the Grand Restriction, and though it was not in any danger of breaking yet, it would clearly not hold out for long.
What’s more, there was no sign of the Suppressing Black Ink Army!
Yang Kai’s heart sank.
As he moved forward, he kept searching for signs of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, but he had yet to discover anything.
It was an extremely worrying situation.
The Suppressing Black Ink Army was made up of thousands of the most elite Masters of the Human Race. Not only did it include Yang Xue, a new Ninth-Order Master, but also Fu Guang who was a Divine Dragon. Furthermore, they had the help of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, so even if they could not defeat the Black Ink Clan, they should have been able to escape.
However, Yang Kai saw no trace of them as he made his way over, and when he arrived, he did not see any sign of them either.
He did not find any Human bodies or the wreckage of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress in the void. It was as if the Suppressing Black Ink Army and the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress had simply up and vanished.
Yang Kai did not know what happened to the Suppressing Black Ink Army, and the only source of information available to him was Wu Kuang, who was standing guard at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
[I hope he’s still alive!]
Yang Kai silently prayed as he used Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability before approaching the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
He avoided the Black Ink Clan Army and arrived at a different part outside the Grand Restriction before using his Divine Sense.
Time seemed to stretch on as he nervously waited, but at last, the familiar voice rang out in his mind.
“You finally came!” Wu Kuang sounded weak and exhausted, “Didn’t you say you’d come over now and then to check up on things? It’s been so long since your last visit that I thought you’d died.”
“Something unexpected happened and I couldn’t use my special method to reach this place,” Yang Kai helplessly explained.
The Old Tree had fallen into a coma after bringing Yang Kai back to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary from an extraordinary distance away, so Yang Kai could not use the power of the Old Tree to shuttle through the Void.
Otherwise, he would not have waited until this day to come over.
“What happened? Where’s the Suppressing Black Ink Army?” Yang Kai frantically asked.
“It’s a bit complicated…” Wu Kuang did not know how to explain, “Take a look for yourself.”
He then transmitted a bunch of information over and after looking through everything, Yang Kai’s expression grew strange too.
[No wonder Wu Kuang said it’s complicated. It’s not at all what I expected.]
The only thing he was glad about was that the Suppressing Black Ink Army was safe, for now…
This was unexpected good news. Yang Kai figured that at best, the Suppressing Black Ink Army had been defeated by the Black Ink Clan and had to flee, but the worst-case scenario was that they had all been killed, and that was not an outcome he could accept.
However, based on what Wu Kuang shared with him now, the Suppressing Black Ink Army’s situation was far better than he had initially thought.
Furthermore, the information Yang Kai just received was something that neither he nor any of the other Humans would have thought of.
“I only discovered these things when the Black Ink Strength exploded this time. I didn’t detect any of them before. Mu was indeed the strongest of the 10 from the Late Ancient Era,” Wu Kuang declared with a tone of admiration.
The fact that someone like Wu Kuang expressed such thoughts proved just how remarkable Mu’s plans and methods had been.
Yang Kai was just as stunned by the information he received from Wu Kuang.
Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors from the Late Ancient Era chose to set up the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction in this place because it was where the Primordial Light and Darkness were born. It could be considered the place where Mo came from.
All the Humans knew that Mo was suppressed and sealed inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; however, no one knew what it was like inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Even Cang and the others knew very little.
Out of the 10 Martial Ancestors from the Late Ancient Era, Mu was the only one who personally entered the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to see what it was like inside.
Nevertheless, when she returned, she chose to sacrifice herself by merging with the Grand Restriction to strengthen it. She did not speak of what she saw or encountered inside.
The Human Race Masters came up with their own theories about what was inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and Yang Kai had done the same as well.
All along, he assumed that the Grand Restriction was simply Mo’s cage. It suppressed and sealed Mo, as well as its creations; after all, Mo was an existence that embodied chaos and evil, the source of all misfortunes that befell all of existence. Even if Mo had no wish to be so, its existence was sadly the antithesis of other living beings.
However, from the looks of it now, the situation was a lot more complex than Yang Kai had thought.
Despite everything else Yang Kai had gone through before, he could not help but be dazed by this new information.
“Still, there’s no point in getting to know these things now,” Wu Kuang’s feeble voice rang out in Yang Kai’s head once more, “The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction has been in place for too long. For the past six months, the Black Ink Clan has consistently attacked it, so I’m afraid it won’t hold out much longer.”
After a pause, he said, “Yang Kai, if you wish to save the Suppressing Black Ink Army, I can send you in. You can find a chance to bring them out again, though if I’m being honest, I don’t think there’s much hope of that. If you don’t… then leave now. Once the Grand Restriction breaks open, Mo will fully awaken and there will no longer be a place free from it anymore.”
“It hasn’t come to that yet,” Yang Kai quietly replied, “Plus, it’s just as you said, if Mo does wake up, it will be impossible to find an uncorrupted place, so where would I run to?”
As he spoke, he recalled his previous plan.
If the Humans could not defeat the Black Ink Clan, their only option was to gather their strength and flee deep into the void to find a new home.
The Universe Furnace was constantly splitting Heaven and Earth apart, so there had to be more than one liveable environment in the vast Universe.
No matter how strong Black Ink Strength was, it would not be able to cover the entirety of existence.
However, if it did come to that, not only would it mean that only a few could escape, but even those who did would have to wander aimlessly for the rest of their lives. This was not what Yang Kai wanted to see.
“Don’t despair. The Human Race Army will be arriving soon enough, and when the time comes, they’ll be able to get rid of the Black Ink Clan forces outside the Grand Restriction,” Yang Kai consoled.
Wu Kuang was startled, “The Humans are on their second crusade already?”
Yang Kai nodded, “More than 20 years ago, we reclaimed the 3,000 Worlds, and half a year ago, we took back the No-Return Pass. A month ago, we dealt with the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements that emerged from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Our Army is currently reorganising itself and will be here soon.”
Wu Kuang was a little dazed, “Has the Human Race’s heritage grown that strong?”
When he saw Yang Kai appear here alone, he assumed that it was only Yang Kai who would be coming, so he did not expect to resolve the crisis he had on his hands right now.
After all, the Black Ink Clan Army attacking him numbered over 10 million. Though they did not have a single Royal Lord among them, Yang Kai could not take them on all by himself.
“Our heritage is stronger now than it has ever been!” Yang Kai seriously declared. Even though they only had around 30 Ninth-Order Masters now, in the future, they would have at least 10 times what they had at their peak, if not 100 times.
“What fortuitous news,” Wu Kuang remarked with a joyful voice. There was more he wanted to say, but all of a sudden, he exclaimed, “Damn it! The Suppressing Black Ink Army is in trouble. Let me deal with it first.”
As soon as Wu Kuang finished speaking, Yang Kai could no longer sense the former’s aura as he had gone to deal with the situation the Suppressing Black Ink Army was in.
Yang Kai stood in place with his aura and figure hidden as he watched the Black Ink Clan Army. They were standing at the gap and persistently attacking the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Yang Kai had a hard time stopping himself from jumping into action.
He was all alone, so even if he attacked the Black Ink Clan Army, he could not deal with so many of them and he would also end up putting the Black Ink Clan on high alert because he exposed his presence.
All that could be done now was to have Wu Kuang hold out a little while longer. The Human Race Army would soon be here, and once they were, they would be able to deal with this Army.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai took out a jade slip and engraved all of the information he had into it. Then, he took out a Space Beacon and used it to deliver the jade slip over to Li Wu Yi.
Thus, by having Li Wu Yi pass the message along, the others would soon receive the reports about the situation over here, and Mi Jing Lun would be able to make appropriate arrangements.
Around a quarter hour later, Yang Kai felt Wu Kuang’s aura again and he quickly asked, “How are things?”
“They’re safe for now, but it won’t stay that way for long,” Wu Kuang replied, “It’s all thanks to the fact that a large number of the Black Ink Clansmen left the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and the rest are focused on the opening right now; otherwise, the Suppressing Black Ink Army would surely be facing an even bigger crisis.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ll have to leave the Suppressing Black Ink Army in your care then.”
“When can the Human Race Army arrive?” Wu Kuang asked.
“They would’ve set off by now, so it should take less than a month for them to arrive.”
“That’s good to hear!” Wu Kuang exhaled at last.
Before Yang Kai came over, Wu Kuang had to fight a dire battle all on his own here. Not only did he have to protect the entire Suppressing Black Ink Army, but he also had to focus on maintaining the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. He was beginning to despair at the situation.
At last, Yang Kai had come and the Human Race Army would be here in a month as well. They would be able to deal with the Black Ink Clan Army outside the Grand Restriction and he would have a much easier time once they did.
“What do you plan on doing now?” Wu Kuang asked.
After thinking in silence for a moment, Yang Kai replied, “Send me to the Suppressing Black Ink Army. It’s been so many years, so they must’ve used up all of their resources by now.”
Although Yang Kai did leave a lot of resources with the Suppressing Black Ink Army when he first sent them to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it had been thousands of years since then and they had no way of replenishing their supplies. They had to have used it all up by now after all these years of clashing with the Black Ink Clan!
“Good,” Wu Kuang said, “Follow my lead.”
Yang Kai nodded and followed the signals that Wu Kuang gave which led him deeper into the void.
Soon, once he arrived at a different location outside the Grand Restriction, Wu Kuang’s voice rang out again, “This is where the Grand Restriction is at its weakest. The Innate Territory Lords escaped from here back then.”
Yang Kai recalled this point clearly.
Before the Universe Furnace emerged, a large number of Innate Territory Lords had snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Yang Kai inadvertently found out about this and rushed over to kill them off. Rivers of blood marked his path, and in the end, he came over and informed Wu Kuang about this, which was how the latter managed to repair the breach.
Since this breach could be repaired, it could also be opened up again.
“You’ll only have one breath of time to enter the Grand Restriction. Don’t miss it,” Wu Kuang instructed.
Despite being in control of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he did not want to let any breach stay open for too long. It was safest to do so for only a breath as something unforeseen could happen if it were open any longer.
“Got it,” Yang Kai answered.
The very next instant, he saw a crack in the Grand Restriction. Black Ink Strength poured out of the crack that was filled with an evil and chaotic aura.
The crack opened up for just a brief moment before it sealed back up again.
Yang Kai, who was initially outside the Grand Restriction, was nowhere to be seen now.
Neverending Black Ink Strength surrounded Yang Kai as everything was plunged into utter darkness.
Yang Kai stood amidst it all with his aura and figure hidden as he looked around.
He could not see anything with his eyes, so he had to rely on his Divine Sense to scout his surroundings.
All cultivators, including Ninth-Order Masters, would lose their sight and sense of hearing in a place like this, and if they used their Divine Sense, they were opening themselves to the possibility of being corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
Thankfully, Yang Kai had the Soul Warming Lotus to protect him, so he did not have to worry about anything when using his Divine Sense.
He instantly detected a mysterious energy protecting him, one that was like a thin layer of mist that enveloped him completely.
Although it was his first time coming into contact with this energy, he was able to instantly deduce what it was.
This was the power of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Wu Kuang was in control over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and his cultivation had steadily grown over the years. Even though he was not as strong as Cang who used to stand guard here yet, he was not that much weaker.
Thus, he could use the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to protect Yang Kai and ensure that the latter would not be detected by the Black Ink Clan inside the Grand Restriction.
Otherwise, even if Yang Kai used Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, he would still run the risk of exposing himself as he was inside an environment filled with Black Ink Strength.
If something that was in the middle of a sea of Black Ink Strength moved, the movement would cause ripples in it the same way it would in water.
Based on what Wu Kuang told Yang Kai, the former had relied on the power of the Grand Restriction to keep the Suppressing Black Ink Army safe all this while!
If it had not been for that, the Suppressing Black Ink Army would not have survived till this day after being swallowed up into the Grand Restriction. They would have been ripped into pieces the moment they ended up inside.
Wu Kuang’s voice rang out in Yang Kai’s mind, “Don’t move. The Black Ink Clan is approaching!”
At the same time, Yang Kai sensed a group of powerful auras coming over. He quickly withdrew his Divine Sense and stayed hidden in silence.
Moments later, the group of powerful auras arrived. It was a group of Innate Territory Lords led by a Royal Lord.
They came over after sensing that something unusual occurred earlier.
The Royal Lord immediately went over to the spot where Yang Kai snuck into the Grand Restriction and studied it with his Divine Sense before looking around. A Territory Lord also came over to inspect the spot, and soon, he reported, “Sir, there are signs that the breach had weakened earlier.”
“Oh?” The Royal Lord’s expression was stern as he made a more thorough check. Once he confirmed that it was true, his expression turned to one of glee, “This breach once opened up nearly 1,000 years ago. Since it has weakened, it won’t be long before it opens up again.” After a pause, he sneered, “That scoundrel must be stretched thin right now!”
He immediately barked out an order, “Get the word out. We must find that Human Army as soon as possible and occupy that bastard’s attention!”
“Yes, Sir!” The Innate Territory Lords responded at once.
Then, the Royal Lord selected two Innate Territory Lords, “You two will stay here and keep an eye on the breach. If anything strange happens, report back to me right away!”
“Yes, Sir!”
Two Innate Territory Lords stayed back to keep an eye on things while the other Masters from the Black Ink Clan left as quickly as they came.
Yang Kai, who was still in hiding, cocked his brow and transmitted to Wu Kuang, “What a… unique nickname you have there.”
“I interacted with the Royal Lords here a couple of times when I was bored,” Wu Kuang quipped, “I made a strong impression on them!”
Yang Kai had nothing to say to that.
Standing guard over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for thousands of years was indeed a lonely, monotonous task. Making contact with the Royal Lords would not only relieve some stress but would also be a chance to glean useful information.
“I’ll take you over to the Suppressing Black Ink Army. Don’t resist,” Wu Kuang’s voice rang out.
Yang Kai hummed in acknowledgement.
At the very next breath, he felt a strange energy enveloping him and whisking him through the endless Black Ink Strength.
Yang Kai was moved silently and unnoticeably. Occasionally, he could sense strong auras flitting past him. These belonged to the Royal Lords, but somehow, with the help of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction’s power, he could move past them without being detected.
At last, Yang Kai felt as if he had broken through a layer of some sort and entered a different space.
The darkness disappeared at once.
This space was not filled with Black Ink Strength. It was a fairly small area where speckles of light could be seen.
Yang Kai followed the light and saw the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. Glowing pearls hung atop the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and gave off the soft light that Yang Kai saw.
A group of people was waiting expectantly on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. They had heard the news from Wu Kuang in advance and knew Yang Kai was coming.
Yang Kai moved over to the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and soon, he landed in front of the group. He let out a small exhale of relief as his eyes took in the crowd; then, he bowed in greeting to the silver-haired man in front, “Senior.”
Wu Kuang borrowed the strength of the Grand Restriction to create this space. It was largely protected from the Black Ink Clan’s eyes, and that was why the Suppressing Black Ink Army was able to remain inside for so long without being annihilated.
As it was a small space, Fu Guang did not use his Dragon Form but remained in his Human Form instead.
Fu Guang raised his hand and said, “We can skip the formalities. It is unfortunate that you had to see us in this awkward predicament.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It is I who failed to plan properly. All of you have suffered greatly for the past few years, Senior.”
“We all share the responsibility of vanquishing the Black Ink Clan,” Fu Guang waved his hand before asking, “How are things out there?”
Wu Kuang had informed them that Yang Kai was coming, but he did not give them an update about the situation beyond the Grand Restriction, so Fu Guang could not help but feel a bit concerned.
The Suppressing Black Ink Army was in charge of standing guard over the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. They had been sucked into the Grand Restriction during an earlier commotion, and without them, a large number of Masters from the Black Ink Clan had escaped from the breach. That would surely be a blow to the Humans in the 3,000 Worlds.
“We have reclaimed the 3,000 Worlds,” Yang Kai declared, “All of the Black Ink Clansmen there have been wiped out. The Human Race Army is currently making its way over and will arrive at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction in about a month.”
“Oh?” Fu Guang’s spirits soared at once, “We have reclaimed the 3,000 Worlds?”
Everyone else was thrilled by the news.
They had been positioned outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for years now and never got a chance to make contact with the others back home, so they were completely unaware of what was happening. The lack of information was torturous for the Suppressing Black Ink Army.
They did not know how much longer they had to stand watch here…
Now that they heard the 3,000 Worlds had been reclaimed, they felt a heavy burden lifted off their shoulders.
“A large number of Masters escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, so we realised that something must’ve happened at the Grand Restriction, which is why I came over first to see what the situation was,” Yang Kai added.
Fu Guang nodded, “A few years ago, the Grand Restriction had a sudden burst of instability. The Suppressing Black Ink Army failed to withdraw in time so we were sucked inside. We’re only able to survive this long thanks to Wu Kuang’s protection.”
Nevertheless, even though Wu Kuang used the power of the Grand Restriction to hide the Suppressing Black Ink Army’s tracks to keep them out of sight from the Black Ink Clan, they were still doomed if they could not think of a way to escape this predicament.
Wu Kuang could keep them safe for now, but he could not do so forever.
This was Mo’s domain, and it was filled with its energy and creations. Now and then, the Suppressing Black Ink Army would inadvertently let out a trace of their existence and the Black Ink Clan would mount a siege.
In fact, it had happened just a while ago and Wu Kuang had to rush over to rescue them.
All of a sudden, Wu Kuang’s voice rang out, “Once the Human Race Army comes along to keep the Black Ink Clan occupied, I’ll find a chance to deliver all of you out of here.”
He could not make an attempt now. For one, there were over 10 million Black Ink Clansmen outside the Grand Restriction so the Suppressing Black Ink Army would be slaughtered the moment they showed up.
Furthermore, within the Grand Restriction, a large number of Masters from the Black Ink Clan were lying in wait near the opening as well.
The Black Ink Clan knew that there was a Human Race Army inside the Grand Restriction, and there was also only one opening that allowed passage out of the Grand Restriction. By guarding that spot, they made it impossible for the Humans to escape.
If the Suppressing Black Ink Army wanted to leave safely, they had to wait until the Human Race Army arrived. Once the battle broke out, they would get their chance to leave.
Before that, they would have to remain under Wu Kuang’s watchful protection.
After getting more information about the outside world from Yang Kai, Fu Guang began to feel more assured.
“Oh, right. I brought some resources, Senior.” Yang Kai took out a small pile of Space Rings from his Small Universe.
After seizing the No-Return Pass, the Humans managed to restock their supplies. The Black Ink Clan had gathered a great number of resources during their occupation and failed to destroy them in the hasty battle, so the resources naturally fell into the Humans’ hands.
Yang Kai had stored a lot of resources in his Small Universe for his own ease of use, so he could now pass them over to the Suppressing Black Ink Army.
Fu Guang accepted the Space Rings and nodded lightly, “Resources are indeed in short supply, so I’ll take these.”
Yang Kai felt ashamed, “I should’ve dealt with this issue sooner, but something unexpected happened a while back and I could no longer come over anytime I wanted.”
Fu Guang nodded once more. He then glanced at Yu Ru Meng at the others who were standing to the side and thoughtfully announced, “I’ll go and hand out the resources to the others first.”
“Many thanks, Senior.”
Soon, the only ones remaining were Yang Kai and his Family.
He looked at the women and saw Yu Ru Meng, Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, Zhu Qing, Xue Yue, Ji Yao, Qu Hua Shang, and Tao Ling Wan.
Everyone was here apart from Xia Ning Chang, who had to remain in the Star Boundary as a Great Grandmaster Alchemist.
“You all must have had a hard time,” Yang Kai said, ashamed.
When the Suppressing Black Ink Army had been formed, Mi Jing Lun wanted these women to join it. At the time, intense fights were happening across the Great Territory Battlefields and the situation out there was incredibly dangerous. On the other hand, the Suppressing Black Ink Army was only in charge of standing guard over the Grand Restriction, so the risks were much lower.
Mi Jing Lun had done so as a favour to Yang Kai.
Alas, even Mi Jing Lun could not predict the changes that would happen many years later. He did not expect the Suppressing Black Ink Army would end up in such a crisis. He never would have thought that they would be sucked into the Grand Restriction and run the risk of being exterminated if they did not have Wu Kuang’s protection.
Mi Jing Lun had been under a lot of pressure when he heard that the situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had changed and the Suppressing Black Ink Army could be in a disastrous situation.
He did not know how he was going to face Yang Kai if the Suppressing Black Ink Army had been annihilated.
“Everyone is having a hard time right now, not just us,” Yu Ru Meng took Yang Kai’s hand and gently held it. Her voice was soft as she soothed, “You don’t need to worry about us. We’re all together and we can look out for one another. You just need to focus on what you have to do.”
Su Yan spoke up next, “That’s right. We are a part of the Army and doing our part to eradicate the Black Ink Clan. We’re not weak flowers that need constant protection. You don’t need to worry too much about us.”
Shan Qing Luo smiled, “As long as you don’t think that we’re a burden, Husband!”
Yang Kai chuckled, “Why would I think you’re a burden? You’re all my most precious treasures!”
Ji Yao and the more reserved women immediately blushed at how frank Yang Kai was, but their gazes softened with affection.
Yang Kai’s three Legacy Disciples were gathered nearby as well. Xu Yi was looking at Yang Kai with a look of admiration as he exclaimed, “That’s our Honoured Master, alright! He’s indeed amazing. Looks like I’ll have to work hard to follow in his footsteps.”
A sharp hiss suddenly rang out.
Xu Yi hastily turned around, “What’s the matter, Eldest Senior Brother?”
Zhao Ye Bai had been the one who gasped.
Zhao Ye Bai was rubbing his waist as he stared innocently at Zhao Ya, “Why did you pinch me, Xiao Ya?”
“No reason. I just felt like pinching you!” Zhao Ya huffed.
“Oh…”
Xu Yi eyed Zhao Ye Bai pitifully, but in the end, he could not resist giving a reminder, “Eldest Senior Brother, as Honoured Master’s First Disciple, you should learn from him and live up to his expectations!”
Zhao Ye Bai gave it some serious thought and nodded, “You’re right. I’ve reached a bottleneck in my cultivation of the Dao of Space. This is a rare opportunity. I must ask Honoured Master for some guidance later.”
Xu Yi gaped and realised his Eldest Senior Brother was a hopeless case as he muttered, “The Grand Dao isn’t the only thing you can learn from Honoured Master, Eldest Senior Brother…”
“Why did you pinch me again, Xiao Ya?”
“It makes me happy!”
“En…”
There were endless thoughts and feelings of longing to express now that the long-awaited reunion had finally occurred.
Still, it was not the time or place to dwell on such things. The women were wise and sensible enough, so once they all had a brief chat with Yang Kai, Yu Ru Meng led them away.
Yang Kai fell into a reverie as he watched them leave.
“Big Brother,” Yang Xue’s voice called out next. She and others like Zhao Ye Bai had been waiting to the side the whole time and only came over once Yu Ru Meng and the other Wives left.
“A-Adoptive Father!” Yang Xiao called out as well.
Yang Kai turned around and smiled at Yang Xue. He stroked her head as he said, “Your Big Brother has spent all this time running around everywhere and rarely had a moment to stop to take a break. I’ve always considered it a pity that I couldn’t spend time with you when you were young. Please don’t hold it against me.”
Yang Xue grinned and said, “I wouldn’t, of course. Ever since I was a child, I knew that you were destined for great things, Big Brother. Mother and Father praised you all the time, and when I was young, I dreamed about becoming someone like you. Based on cultivation alone, I think I’ve done well enough,” then, she lifted her chin slightly and added, “You need to work harder, Big Brother. Don’t let your Little Sister surpass you.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “I do need to work harder from now on.”
After the light-hearted chat, both Yang Kai and Yang Xue felt warm with familial love.
Yang Kai finally turned to Yang Xiao, who had been standing on the side all along.
“Adoptive Father!” Yang Xiao stood rigidly with sweat beading across his forehead.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, “Are you feeling extremely nervous?”
“Of course not! Never!” Yang Xiao denied it at once, “My heart is leaping with joy at the fact that I get to see you when we’re in such a challenging situation, Adoptive Father!”
Yang Kai scoffed.
Yang Xiao jumped a little.
“Spend more time on your cultivation so that you become a Divine Dragon as soon as possible,” Yang Kai instructed after eyeing Yang Xiao for a while.
“Yes! I won’t let you down!” Yang Xiao firmly declared.
“Go on,” Yang Kai waved his hand.
Yang Xue began leading away a stiff Yang Xiao, but all of a sudden, she turned back around and reminded, “Make sure you be careful, Big Brother!”
Perhaps the connection they shared due to their Bloodline allowed her to sense that Yang Kai was about to do something dangerous, so she had a look of worry on her face.
Yang Kai nodded, “You both take good care of yourselves too.”
After watching Yang Xue and Yang Xiao leave, Yang Kai turned back to his three Disciples.
“Greetings, Honoured Master!” All three of them kneeled and bowed in greeting.
Yang Kai accepted the bow before lifting his hand, “You may rise.”
Zhao Ye Bai and the other two stood up.
Yang Kai had a faint smile as his eyes flitted over the three.
All of the disciples from the Void Dao Temple could be said to have inherited his mantle and were proficient in the cultivation of various Grand Daos. Thus, all of the cultivators from Void Dao Temple could be considered his Disciples.
However, only these three in front of him truly inherited his Legacy.
It was not that Yang Kai held back when he taught others his Daos, but Zhao Ye Bai and the other two were the only ones who formally underwent the ritual to become his Disciples.
They each inherited one of the Grand Daos that Yang Kai was most focused on, and all along, he had high hopes for them. Based on their achievement over the years, they did not let him down, nor did they waste their talents.
“Are you about to break through to the next Order?” Yang Kai suddenly realised there was something amiss about their aura. All three of them seemed to be suppressed by some kind of energy, and they were also doing their best to rein themselves in.
Zhao Ye Bai replied, “Reporting to Honoured Master, we will be breaking through soon, but Senior Wu Kuang said that as the Suppressing Black Ink Army is currently in hiding, we shouldn’t make too much of a commotion, so he had Senior Fu Guang put some seals on us to delay our breakthrough.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “That was wise.”
The Suppressing Black Ink Army was in a difficult spot right now and just covering their tracks alone took up a sizable amount of Wu Kuang’s attention. If Zhao Ye Bai and the others had their breakthroughs now, there was a high chance that the Humans would be exposed and they would be caught.
However, from the looks of it, their breakthrough was happening just as Yang Kai had predicted. They would have undoubtedly become Ninth-Order Masters by now if they had not been sucked into the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Both they and the Suppressing Black Ink Army would have received a great boost in power.
“Come. I do have some knowledge to share regarding the breakthrough to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Now’s my chance to share it with you,” Yang Kai took out a few futons from his Small Universe and tossed them onto the ground for him and his Disciples to sit on.
Zhao Ye Bai and the others quickly sat down to listen carefully to Yang Kai’s advice.
Although Yang Xue had shared some of her knowledge with them, every Master who ascended to the Ninth Order would encounter slightly different situations, so it was still beneficial for them to listen to their Honoured Master’s teachings.
After sharing some pointers and things to look out for when becoming a Ninth-Order Master, Yang Kai used his Divine Sense to confer with Wu Kuang. He was in a good mood as he asked, “It’s rare for us to have some spare time on our hands. Do any of you have any difficulties in your cultivation that you need assistance with?”
All three of them became spirited at once, but Zhao Ye Bai was the first to speak, “Honoured Master, this Disciple seems to have hit a bottleneck in the Dao of Space and wants to seek guidance from you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Use some of your Space Principles. Let me take a look.”
Zhao Ye Bai immediately did as he was told. When Yang Kai sensed the movement of Space Principles, he raised his brow in pleasant surprise.
When it came to cultivation aptitude, Zhao Ye Bai was the weakest of Yang Kai’s three Disciples. In fact, he was weaker than most of the disciples from the Void Dao Temple.
There was only one reason why he was able to get this far in his Martial Dao, and that was because he had overwhelming compatibility with Space Principles, as if he had been born to cultivate the Dao of Space.
Yang Kai had taken Zhao Ye Bai as his Disciple because when the former had been wandering around in his Small Universe, he sensed that Zhao Ye Bai, who was still in his Mother’s womb at the time, had formed a connection with Yang Kai’s Space Dao Essence.
At the time, Zhao Ye Bai had not even been born yet!
A cultivator who had an innate connection with a Grand Dao would surely be able to cultivate that Grand Dao a lot more easily than others. The compatibility between this cultivator and the Grand Dao would be far above everyone else’s.
Zhao Ye Bai’s compatibility with the Dao of Space was able to make up for what he lacked in general cultivation aptitude.
Based on Yang Kai’s categorisation of Grand Dao Mastery, Zhao Ye Bai was currently at the peak of the Seventh Level, just one step away from the Eighth Level.
This was incredibly rare. Usually, only fully grown Phoenixes would be at this level, but those of the Phoenix Clan were born with a natural advantage as the Dao of Space was their Bloodline Talent, making it far easier for them to cultivate it.
Li Wu Yi was probably the only other Human to reach this level as well, but Li Wu Yi had been cultivating for much longer than Zhao Ye Bai.
Yang Kai even felt that if he cultivated normally, he would not be as proficient as Zhao Ye Bai was. His own elevated mastery of the Grand Daos was mainly due to the benefits he received from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and the Infinite River. He had refined a lot of pure Dao Strengths from these two mysterious places and that had enabled his proficiency over the various Grand Daos to soar greatly.
When it came to higher levels of individual Grand Daos, words conveyed very little, so after a moment of silent thought, Yang Kai manipulated Space Principles to elucidate some mysteries to Zhao Ye Bai.
Zhao Ye Bai watched attentively.
After a long silence, he declared, “You’re incredible, Honoured Master. This Disciple is in awe!”
Yang Kai’s display was akin to breaking the Dao of Space down into minute details and showing Zhao Ye Bai the deepest, innermost mysteries. Due to Zhao Ye Bai’s compatibility with the Dao of Space, he was able to learn a lot from this alone.
The new knowledge and understanding flooded Zhao Ye Bai’s mind and he was confident that a brief retreat of focused cultivation would be enough for him to break through his bottleneck and allow his mastery of this Grand Dao to ascend to a new level.
Though he was eager to do so immediately, he could not under these circumstances, so he had to quell his desire.
Now that Yang Kai was done with his Eldest Disciple, he turned to his Second Disciple, Zhao Ya.
She got to her feet at once and waved her hand in the air to produce a long spear, “Please instruct me, Honoured Master!”
The Spear Dao could not be taught the same way the Dao of Space had been. It could only be transmitted through battle.
Yang Kai smiled, “Attack me!”
Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi’s expressions changed as they quickly scrambled out of their seats in front of Yang Kai and hurried to the side.
Yang Kai was startled by their reaction, but soon, his gaze hardened. All at once, an alarming murderous intent loomed over him, and in the very next instant, the tip of a spear drew near.
He raised his hand and lightly flicked away Zhao Ya’s spear.
Nevertheless, Zhao Ya did not stop there. She kept attacking with her spear, time and time again with quick, relentless strikes.
Zhao Ya seemed like an entirely different person when she had her spear in hand. Her presence became incredibly dominating.
Her spear technique showed traces of the Supreme Limitless Spear, but most of it was a product of her many years of accumulation and practice. In fact, Yang Kai could sense that she could very well surpass him when it came to the Spear Dao, which left him feeling rather helpless.
Only an impossibly dangerous environment could produce such an alarming Spear Technique, which was not something to be pleased about.
Zhao Ya was afraid to cause too much of a commotion, so she did not use her World Force or her Dao Strength, she simply relied on pure technique.
Her murderous intent did not decrease though. It was as if she were going up against a hated enemy she could never be reconciled with instead of Yang Kai, her Honoured Master.
Yang Kai finally realised why Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi had reacted the way they did earlier. They must have experienced the imposing aura of Zhao Ya’s spear themselves and knew to stay clear.
“Xiao Ya, you do indeed have great mastery over the spear and its techniques, but your murderous intent is too strong.”
Zhao Ya continued to lunge and withdraw her spear as she flitted around Yang Kai. Her spear loomed over the small area as she asked, “The Spear Dao is focused on domination and slaughter, how am I supposed to kill the enemy if my murderous intent isn’t strong?”
“You do need strong murderous intent, but too much of it isn’t a good thing.”
“It’s good to strike fear in the enemy even before the battle. It makes it even easier to kill them off.”
“If you run into an enemy who’s either weaker or of similar strength to you, you can indeed use your murderous intent to intimidate them, but what will you do if you run into an enemy stronger than you?”
“I won’t give up until I kill them!”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Xiao Ya, it’s true that Spear Dao is used offensively, but you need to get one thing clear. Are you using your spear to kill or to protect?!”
Zhao Ya did not understand, “Please enlighten me, Honoured Master.”
“One’s spear can be used to kill the enemy, but it can also be used to protect lives!” Yang Kai blocked Zhao Ya’s attack with his hand before reaching into the air. His voice continued, “The persistent focus on killing will only lead one’s heart astray. Everyone has something they wish to protect and that gives them strength to persist.”
Zhao Ya was confused, “How can I protect anyone if I don’t kill the enemy? Killing off all my enemies is the only way to protect what I am determined to protect!”
“And what do you want to protect?” Yang Kai asked as he brought out his Azure Dragon Spear.
“I want to protect…” Zhao Ya’s dazed eyes grew bright again as her gaze swept over the spot where Zhao Ye Bai was standing intently, she then shot a quick glance at Xu Yi as well.
Xu Yi keenly sensed this and grumbled, “Hey, Eldest Senior Brother, why do I feel like I’m just included as an afterthought?”
“Huh? What?” Zhao Ye Bai turned to ask. As he spoke though, he felt a sudden chill grip his heart as the aura of death swept over him.
Before he could react, he heard Zhao Ya’s heart-wrenching shriek, “No!”
Zhao Ye Bai turned around and saw his Honoured Master, enveloped by Black Ink Strength, a genuine Black Ink Disciple, flying over at him with his spear ready to strike.
Zhao Ye Bai was frozen stiff in a corner of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, his sweat-drenched clothes clinging to his skin.
For a brief moment, he felt the aura of death deep within his bones and thought he had already tread upon the gates of Hell.
He was even more horrified by the fact that he could not move. He could not do anything to stop or block his Honoured Master’s sudden attack.
In other words, if his Honoured Master wanted to kill him, a single attack from his spear would suffice!
It was an awe-inspiring strength.
Zhao Ye Bai was at the peak of the Eighth Order, and once Yang Xue became a Ninth Order Master, Zhao Ye Bai sought her out for a friendly exchange. Even though neither one of them used their full strength in the battle, and Zhao Ye Bai had not been Yang Xue’s equal by any means, he had still been able to put up a fight for a few dozen blows.
He was also proficient in the Dao of Space, so if he wanted to escape, Yang Xue would not be able to stop him.
Out of all the current Eighth-Order Masters, he was one of the strongest.
Even so, his strength seemed inconsequential when he was up against his Honoured Master.
At the last moment, someone blocked the spear from striking Zhao Ye Bai. Zhao Ya stood in front of Zhao Ye Bai with her spear held horizontally in front of her to block the Azure Dragon Spear. The Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering dominance disappeared once the spears made contact.
Zhao Ya was still in the throes of lingering fear and shock, though she felt a little dazed as well. She did not know how she managed to unleash such formidable strength to protect her Eldest Senior Brother from her Honoured Master’s attack.
The Black Ink Strength surrounding Yang Kai vanished as he returned to normal. He eyed Zhao Ya, who looked terrified, and asked, “Do you understand now?”
Zhao Ya pursed her lips and hoarsely replied, “Disciple understands.”
Yang Kai nodded. Out of his three Disciples, Zhao Ye Bai’s aptitude was the poorest while Zhao Ya’s was the highest. In fact, her aptitude was stronger than anyone else Yang Kai had ever met.
Throughout the last few millennia, there were many fine young talents from the Star Boundary, Void World, and Myriad Monsters World. Many were able to ascend directly to Seventh Order, but when it came to their natural aptitude for cultivating, no one surpassed Zhao Ya.
She had strong comprehension, and though she had taken a few wrong turns in her cultivation of the Spear Dao, Yang Kai was certain this experience would be enough for her to have a decisive breakthrough in her mastery of this Grand Dao.
As Yang Kai withdrew the Azure Dragon Spear, Zhao Ya felt as if she had used up every bit of strength she had in her and crumpled weakly into Zhao Ye Bai’s arms.
Yang Kai turned to Xu Yi.
Xu Yi gulped and stepped forward, “Please teach me, Honoured Master.”
After seeing what his Second Senior Sister went through, he did not know what kind of guidance he would be receiving from his Honoured Master.
Thankfully, Yang Kai simply raised his hand and condensed Time Principles above it. The Time Principles solidified as Yang Kai demonstrated the mysteries of the Dao of Time the same way he did when he taught Zhao Ye Bai earlier.
Xu Yi was fully attentive and was able to learn a lot.
A half cup of tea’s time later, Xu Yi respectfully bowed and said, “Honoured Master, this Disciple has been enlightened.”
Yang Kai nodded.
He looked at his three Disciples and a thought occurred to him, “I once comprehended a Divine Ability that requires a combination of both the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time to work, and it is incredibly strong. Ye Bai, Xu Yi, when you’re free, you can try to comprehend it as well. Perhaps you will gain something from it.”
Yang Kai lifted his hand once more.
As Space Principles burst forth, a Great Sun rose and the Full Moon hung in the air. The Sun and Moon shone together.
He then made another flick with his hand and Time Principles began flowing.
The two Principles swirled and combined. Mysterious changes began occurring as the two vastly different Principles intertwined, causing the Sun and Moon to begin spinning about, forming a kind of spiral that severely warped both Space and Time.
Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi were engrossed in what they saw.
“This is the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel. If you wish to produce it, you two will need to join forces and work together to have even a shred of possibility of creating this effect.”
The Sun and Moon Divine Seal was the enhanced version of this Divine Ability, but Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi could not produce it at their current strength. In fact, Yang Kai was not even certain whether they could produce the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel.
Yang Kai was proficient in both Grand Daos, so it was easy enough for him to wield this Divine Ability. He did not know whether it was possible to achieve it if two Masters were to work together instead.
Nevertheless, there was no harm in trying. If Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi were able to produce the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel together, they would have an additional trump card whenever they joined forces.
After all, they were stuck in this place and could not cultivate or work towards their breakthroughs, so it was better for them to spend their time cultivating their Grand Daos. At least, they could still make some progress.
Zhao Ye Bai and Xu Yi both nodded, “We have taken your teachings to heart, Honoured Master. We won’t let you down.”
“En, I still have other matters to attend to,” Yang Kai declared, “Once the Human Race Army arrives, Wu Kuang will find the chance to send all of you out of here.”
As he spoke, his Divine Sense flashed.
Fu Guang appeared the next moment.
“I must go, Senior, so I’ll leave the Suppressing Black Ink Army in your care.”
“You’re heading over there?” Evidently, Fu Guang had picked up on something.
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “It could be an opportunity for us. Either way, I must take a look and see for myself.”
Fu Guang was concerned, “You have to be careful. I’m not sure what the exact situation is like, but Wu Kuang told me some things and I know it’s probably not safe there. Don’t bite off more than you can chew and have the situation end up backfiring on you instead.”
“I’ll play it by ear and act accordingly,” Yang Kai assured.
He then turned towards the Void and called out, “Let’s start, Wu Kuang.”
“Are you sure you want to go there?” Wu Kuang asked to confirm.
“At a time like this, I can’t back away.”
“I can take you there, but I don’t have the power to do anything more. You’ll have to rely on yourself.”
“Of course!”
“Good.” Although Wu Kuang knew that Yang Kai had already made up his mind, he still felt the need to check once more; alas, it was as Yang Kai said, they could not back down now.
A cloud of fog began enveloping Yang Kai’s figure. It was Wu Kuang who was harnessing the power of the Grand Restriction.
All at once, Yang Kai felt the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress swiftly moving away from him. The earlier scene of Wu Kuang transporting him around repeated itself as he weaved through the sea of Black Ink Strength and headed towards a mysterious unknown land.
Wu Kuang told Yang Kai a few things about the unknown land, but he did not give many details as it was hard for him to unearth the mysteries of that place too.
As it was, if it had not been for the sudden explosion of Black Ink Strength a few years ago, Wu Kuang would not have known that such an unusual place existed inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
It was a hidden hand that Mu left behind!
Millennia ago, during the Humans’ first crusade, they suffered a devastating defeat and the Crusade Force endured catastrophic losses. Mo acted out and Cang was unable to stop it. When it looked as if the Grand Restriction was about to break open and Mo was about to escape, Mu’s silhouette appeared out of the blue.
She used some strange method to make Mo fall into a deep slumber and saved the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, which had been on the verge of collapse. In doing so, she saved the Human Race Army from the danger of being wiped out and the Humans were able to spend thousands of years building themselves back up.
Everyone thought that Mu’s hidden hand had been completely used up. Even Cang thought so as well before he died, which was why he did not hesitate to sacrifice himself and integrate with the Grand Restriction to strengthen it.
Before Cang passed on, he told Yang Kai about Shi and had him look for Shi’s reincarnation to let the latter stand guard over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
That led to Yang Kai bringing Wu Kuang over to this place. Although he was not the same as Shi himself, he could still wield some of the strength of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Sure enough, Wu Kuang had done a pretty good job over the past few thousand years.
However, it now seemed that during the Late Ancient Era, Mu had left another hidden hand behind.
Forcing Mo into a deep sleep was not the end of it.
There was more which was hidden inside that unknown land.
Wu Kuang could not figure out what it was precisely, but he had a vague feeling that a crucial piece to the puzzle was hidden there.
He thought about getting Fu Guang to make the trip, but the Suppressing Black Ink Army was deep within enemy territory and Fu Guang could not leave them.
Thankfully, Yang Kai came along and he was undoubtedly the best candidate to make this exploration.
When Wu Kuang filled Yang Kai in on the information regarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, they both knew that this trip had to be made.
No matter what Mu’s hidden hand was, someone needed to investigate; otherwise, once Mo truly woke up, the Human Race’s present heritage would not be enough to defeat it, and the entire Human Race would be exterminated.
Yang Kai kept traversing through the sea of Black Ink Strength. He had the protection of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction’s power; thus, Masters from the Black Ink Clan scattered along the way could not detect him.
“Nearly there,” At some point, Wu Kuang’s voice rang out in Yang Kai’s ear.
Yang Kai tensed up in alertness at once.
Soon, he felt his body hitting an invisible layer and sticking to it.
It happened too quickly, so Yang Kai felt sore all over.
“Wu Kuang, what’s going on?” Yang Kai took a step back and asked.
Wu Kuang innocently replied, “I don’t know. It seems to be preventing all living beings from entering.”
“How am I supposed to go in then?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Hang on. Let me take a look.”
While waiting, Yang Kai stretched his hand out and touched the barrier that was holding him back. It felt like a seal or restriction of some sort, but not quite either. Yang Kai got a very strange feeling from it.
He was about to take a closer look when he felt his palm warming up slightly. A strange kind of energy seemed to come off that invisible layer and washed over him.
Following that, Yang Kai’s palm went through the barrier.
Yang Kai was shocked and puzzled. He took a step forward and half his body went through.
“Huh? How did you do that?” Wu Kuang exclaimed.
“Some sort of power seemed to check my identity before allowing me to enter,” Yang Kai explained as he recalled what he experienced earlier.
“It checked your identity…” Wu Kuang repeated thoughtfully, “It’s probably Mu’s doing. This place is hidden inside the Grand Restriction, so she must’ve guarded it against the Black Ink Clan and made sure that only Humans can enter.”
Though they had no way of ascertaining whether this was indeed the case, it was the only plausible explanation they could think of right now.
“I’m going in,” Yang Kai announced.
“Take this.” As Wu Kuang’s voice rang out, an object suddenly appeared in Yang Kai’s hand, but before he could see what it was, he fell into the unknown land.
All at once, Yang Kai froze in place.
He saw a great river cutting through the void, with neither its beginning nor end in sight.
The great river was longer and deeper than fathomable and waves full of Dao Strengths which kept ebbing and flowing; however, the auras of the Time Dao Strength and Space Dao Strength were the strongest.
[A Space-Time River!]
A Space-Time River was hidden deep inside that mysterious unknown land within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!
Yang Kai could not believe his eyes and was on the verge of thinking he was hallucinating; however, after studying it carefully, he concluded it was indeed a Space-Time River.
Amid his shock, a question popped into his mind.
[Whose Space-Time River is this?]
In a flash, he got his answer.
[Since this place is part of the hidden hand Mu left behind, the Space-Time River has to be hers.]
Was Mu able to create a Space-Time River too? Does that mean she mastered the use of all 10,000 Grand Daos?
Judging by the size of this Space-Time River, Mu’s mastery of the 10,000 Grand Daos far exceeded his own.
After a brief moment of shock, Yang Kai’s heart filled with awe.
Mu was indeed the strongest out of the 10 Martial Ancestors!
Yang Kai did not think much of it when he saw the respect Cang and Wu Kuang had for Mu, but after witnessing this Space-Time River, he finally realised just how incredible she was.
Initially, he thought that his Space-Time River was the only one of its kind, but now, he knew that he was not the first in history to achieve this feat.
Soon, Yang Kai grew puzzled again though.
He was able to form his Space-Time River from 10,000 Dao Strengths because he had been inspired by the Infinite River inside the Universe Furnace.
If Mu did likewise, did it mean she had once entered the Universe Furnace and saw the Infinite River as well?
Either way, Yang Kai felt a kind of joy at knowing that he walked the same path a Martial Ancestor once had despite being separated by millions of years.
Ever since Yang Kai heard about the mysteries of the Creation Realm from Cang, he had been pondering about it.
There were nine Orders to the Open Heaven Realm, but even if one became a Ninth-Order Master, what were they to do next? Mo came into existence alongside the Universe, so it was powerful beyond imagination. Being a Ninth-Order Master was not enough to kill Mo and remove its threat for good. To do that, one had to break past the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
But, how? How was one supposed to break through the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm? No one could provide any insight into this task.
It could be said that the Humans were reaching the end of the Martial Dao which the Martial Ancestors had left for them.
If they wanted to go even further, they had to clear the obstacles themselves to carve a new path starting from the end of what their Ancestors had paved before them.
Yang Kai did not have any ideas on how to do that until he created his Space-Time River inside the Universe Furnace. He had a vague feeling that the mysterious river created from 10,000 Dao Strengths was the key to the way forward.
However, there was no other Human he could discuss this with right now.
The discovery of another Space-Time River inside this mysterious unknown land changed everything!
This was the Space-Time River that Mu left behind. She was the strongest of the Martial Ancestors, and despite having died millions of years ago, the mere hidden hand she left behind was able to make Mo fall into a deep slumber. Her presence thus lingered on in this manner.
When she lived, Mu would have been trying to discover the mysteries of the realm above the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
If Yang Kai was only 10% certain that the Space-Time River was the key to breaking past the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, then he was about 30% certain now!
He had inadvertently trod down the same path Mu had.
That being said, before arriving at his intended destination, Yang Kai did not know whether this path would take him to an even higher pinnacle of Martial Dao or turn out to be a dead end instead.
Many thoughts raced through Yang Kai’s mind, but he soon had his attention focused as he sensed that this Space-Time River differed from his not just in size, but in other ways too.
Strange images flickered each time the waves crashed. The images flew by at rapid speeds in such a bizarre fashion that even Yang Kai had a hard time picking them out.
He was about to use his Divine Sense to take a closer look when a huge wave burst out of the Space-Time River and came crashing down on him.
Yang Kai’s instinctive reaction was to back off, but a thought suddenly occurred to him and he stood his ground.
The wave swallowed Yang Kai up, and once it calmed down again, Yang Kai was nowhere to be seen.
…
Yang Kai felt everything turning upside down. He felt both weightless and as if he was falling off a cliff.
He quickly used his power to steady himself.
Immediately, his expression changed.
In a flash, he had suddenly become impossibly weak. Although his Small Universe was still there, he seemed to have lost contact with it and could not use his World Force.
There was also only a bit of Qi left in him.
Yang Kai had to scramble around before he could somewhat slow down the rate of his fall, but he could not steady himself at all.
He looked down and saw a lush, verdant forest below him, one that was quickly getting closer.
A melancholic thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind, [Am I going to be the first Ninth-Order Master to die by falling to his death?]
He had been too careless; initially, he thought that Mu’s Space-Time River had to possess some kind of secret, so he did not try to dodge the wave that came at him. He wanted to enter the river and scout it out from the inside; however, he never thought he would end up in such a strange place after being swallowed up by the wave.
Soon, he fell into the forest. Numerous branches cushioned his fall and slowed him down a little, but they could not break his fall entirely.
Moments later, there was a loud thud as Yang Kai dropped to the ground, creating a small crater in the process.
The commotion scared off the birds and the critters, and soon, everything fell silent.
A little while later, Yang Kai was finally able to straighten himself up. He sat on the ground and shook his head.
There was nothing much wrong with him. He did feel a little dizzy, but it was most likely because he had been plunged into this unknown space rather than because of the fall.
He belatedly realised that he was still a Divine Dragon. Even though he could not use his Dragon Vein’s power right now, his thick skin and strong flesh meant that he would not die from such a fall, even if it had been from an even greater height.
Still, he was under a lot of pressure from the sudden turn of events and was a little dazed.
[What is this place?] Yang Kai’s brow furrowed as he looked around, narrowing his eyes a moment later.
He was only certain that he was inside Mu’s Space-Time River right now, and he was astonished to find that such a World existed inside the Space-Time River.
His Space-Time River did not contain anything as profound as this.
[From the looks of it now, the images I saw in Mu’s Space-Time River when I was standing outside it earlier weren’t images at all, but reflections of this World…]
[The Infinite River… a Universe World…]
Yang Kai was beginning to get some ideas. He sorely wished he could enter retreat to digest the new information; however, now was not the time for that. The place he was in did not seem to be all that peaceful. His cultivation was being suppressed and his Divine Sense was suppressed to remain inside his Knowledge Sea, so it meant that he only possessed the barest hint of his powers right now. What’s more, after all his years of travels and experiences, Yang Kai could keenly sense that he was not alone in the forest right now!
A strange murderous intent hung thick in the air as unseen pairs of eyes were fixed on him.
Yang Kai lowered his gaze as he silently checked what strength he still had.
“One day, a crack will appear in the sky and a man will fall from it. He will spark the light and rip apart the shackles of darkness. He will defeat the ultimate enemy!”
Somewhere in the forest, a man was staring dazedly at Yang Kai. He muttered those words under his breath, and as he did so, an indescribable look of feverish passion filled his expression.
Two others beside him looked just as ecstatic when they heard what he said and saw the dishevelled Yang Kai.
“You two, get him out of here. I’ll bring up the rear!” The person who spoke first quickly came to a decision, and after giving this order, he gripped his sword and charged out of his hiding spot.
The other two people quickly followed close behind.
As the three of them started moving, the murderous intent that circled the forest grew even stronger as silhouettes fluttered in the shadows.
Yang Kai looked up and his brow rose slightly when he saw the man rushing over to him with a sword in hand.
After a quick check, Yang Kai confirmed what cultivation he had right now. He, a Ninth-Order Master, was only able to use True Element Boundary strength!
[What outrageous suppression!]
The journey of cultivation began with the Tempered Body Stage before continuing to the Initial Element, Qi Transformation, Separation and Reunion, True Element, Immortal Ascension…
Even back in the Great Han Dynasty, Yang Kai’s cultivation had surpassed the True Element Boundary; however, he was being suppressed to that exact Realm by an independent World now.
[That explains why I couldn’t use my Divine Sense. I’m not even in the Immortal Ascension Realm right now!]
Only cultivators who reached the Immortal Ascension Realm could use Divine Sense.
The young man who came charging over at Yang Kai with a sword in hand appeared to be less than 30 years old. He had a determined look on his scarred face and seemed like someone who had wrestled with death before.
His cultivation was also somewhere in the True Element Boundary, but his murderous aura was strong and he had a mysterious Movement Skill that allowed him to rush over to Yang Kai in just a few steps.
Yang Kai eyed him without moving.
He could sense that the young man’s murderous intent was not directed at him. Although he looked fierce when he came storming over, there was also a look of worry as well.
[Why’s this guy worried about me when we don’t know each other?]
Two younger men followed close behind the first one, seemingly part of the same group.
All at once, the scar-faced young man thrust his sword towards Yang Kai. The sword cry was followed by a clang as it flicked away an arrow that was aimed at Yang Kai’s back.
The scar-faced man leapt past Yang Kai and protected him from behind, his sword dancing through the air.
A series of clangs rang out as the young man blocked more arrows that were all directed at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had no idea what was going on!
[I’ve only just arrived in this damned place. How did I get caught up in a fight? One party is trying to protect me while the other one is trying to kill me.]
[Just how did I provoke them?]
[What is going on inside Mu’s Space-Time River?]
Yang Kai was bewildered in every way possible.
“Hurry up and leave! I can’t hold them back for long!” The growl from the scar-faced man interrupted Yang Kai’s thoughts.
Just then, the two men who rushed over with the first one hoisted Yang Kai up from the ground, and the one on his left quickly said, “Please come with us, Holy Son!”
Saying so, they lifted Yang Kai and ran away, without caring about whether he was willing or not.
“Holy Son?” Yang Kai’s confusion grew.
Although the cultivation of these two people was not as good as the scar-faced man, their strength and movement skills were still impressive for their Realm. As arrows rained down from behind, the two of them cooperated seamlessly, blocking attacks while carrying Yang Kai as they fled into the distance.
Soon, a furious roar came from behind them, “Zuo Wu You, you court death!”
“You all came for me, didn’t you? Well then, let’s fight to the death here!”
“I’ll hold him off, you guys run!”
“No one is leaving!” The scar-faced youth, Zuo Wu You, roared.
Immediately, a fierce battle broke out behind them.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow, looking at the situation with confusion. He wanted to inquire about it, but this was clearly not a good time.
The title of ‘Holy Son’ also caught his attention.
He had only come to this mysterious and unknowable place to investigate the hidden hand left by Mu, but he never expected to be swept into Mu’s Space-Time River and end up in this independent World, where his strength was greatly suppressed.
As a Ninth-Order Master, he was not easily suppressed by the laws of any unfamiliar World; however, in this place, he could only exert the strength of a cultivator in the True Element Boundary.
This meant that a stronger force was acting in this place, surpassing his Ninth-Order power.
[This must be Mu’s doing!]
Swift as the wind, Yang Kai was dragged along by the two young men as they moved forward quickly. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he checked the item in his palm that Wu Kuang had given him before entering this mysterious place.
He hadn’t had a chance to look at it before, but now he noticed that it was a jade pendant, carved in the shape of a person that vaguely resembled Wu Kuang and carried a wisp of his aura.
[This is…] Yang Kai had a rough idea of what this item was for.
Then, he suddenly spoke up, “You two can put me down. I can walk on my own.”
Although he didn’t know where they were or what had happened, being chased was definitely not a pleasant experience. The two young men should be on his side as they were carrying him and running as fast as they could from the pursuers. Though their speed was somewhat affected, running faster would certainly help them shake off their pursuers.
As he spoke, Yang Kai shook lightly and broke free from their grasp.
The two youths were clearly surprised and pleased to see that Yang Kai had such strength.
Then, the youth on the left apologised, “We acted hastily and didn’t handle things appropriately. Please forgive us, Holy Son.”
“Uh…” Yang Kai waved his hand nonchalantly, “It’s fine.”
Later, the young man on the right said, “I didn’t expect Holy Son to be so powerful. It seems we can get away from them now.”
As they spoke, they continued to rush forward.
“What about the guy, Zuo… Wu You, should we not worry about him?” Yang Kai remembered the scar-faced young man who remained behind.
“Big Brother Zuo is very strong, and he has a divine sword bestowed by the Saintess. Without an Immortal Ascension Realm Master, those wastes can’t do anything to him.”
[Saintess?]
Yang Kai wondered what her role in all of this was.
But with just a few words, he confirmed that the Martial Dao of this World was not much different from what he knew, even the names were the same. Moreover, this World had Immortal Ascension Realm Masters! The only difference was that there were three Stages instead of nine.
As they fled for their lives, it was not convenient to say much. The two young men were initially worried that Yang Kai could not keep up with their speed, so they did not use their full strength at first. However, as time passed and they tested him, they found that no matter how profound their Movement Skills were, this Holy Son, who had descended from the sky, could keep up with them effortlessly.
So, they let loose and ran at full speed. After about an hour, they reached a mountain wall, where one of them took out a jade ornament and pressed it against the wall, which opened a kind of portal.
It seemed that this was their hiding place.
The three of them entered one after another, and the portal closed again.
There was a space that was just the right size inside the mountain, and the space had clearly been lived in before.
After everything was settled, the two young men who led Yang Kai here breathed a sigh of relief.
There was no need to worry about anything now that they were here.
Yang Kai stood with his hands behind his back, surveying his surroundings. Suddenly, the two young men fell to one knee and bowed, “Greetings, Holy Son!”
“En…” Yang Kai hesitated for a moment before reaching out to help the two young men up, “I still haven’t figured out what’s going on here, and I have no idea who this ‘Holy Son’ is that you speak of. Are you sure you haven’t mistaken me for someone else?”
The thin youth replied, “We have not made a mistake. You are indeed the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion; of course, the final determination will be made by the Saintess herself.”
Yang Kai was confused, “But we’ve never met before today. How can you be so sure?”
The two exchanged a glance before the thin one explained, “It is said that one day, a crack will appear in the sky and a man will fall from it. He will spark the light and rip apart the shackles of darkness to defeat the ultimate enemy.”
“And that person will be the one who leads the Spirit Religion into the light.”
“That person is the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion.”
[Descend from the sky…]
Yang Kai realised that they were probably talking about him; after all, he had indeed fallen from a crack in the sky in a rather undignified manner. It was surprising to find that their prophecy matched up with his own experience.
[To not only descend from the sky but also do so while the sky is split open.]
“Who made this prophecy?” He asked.
The other young man replied solemnly, “It is the guidance of the Saintess herself, passed down since the founding of the Spirit Religion.”
Yang Kai raised his eyebrows, intrigued, “Oh? Can I meet this Saintess of yours?”
“Of course,” the thin youth said, “We’ll wait here for a while until Big Brother Zuo returns, and then we’ll take you to see the Saintess.”
“Good.”
Then, they rested in silence for a while.
The two youths had been running non-stop, which had taken a toll on them, but Yang Kai, on the other hand, was still full of energy. Despite being suppressed to the True Element Boundary, he still had the heritage of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so running didn’t tire him out.
Taking advantage of the moment, he gripped the jade pendant in his hand, intending to activate his Divine Sense, but he quickly remembered that he couldn’t do that right now.
As a last resort, he could only call out softly, “Wu Kuang…”
The jade pendant had been given to him by Wu Kuang before he entered this place, and it was even carved in Wu Kuang’s image and carried his aura. Obviously, it was meant for communication.
Yang Kai also sensed that Wu Kuang had left a thread of his consciousness in this jade pendant.
Wu Kuang seemed extremely curious about this mysterious and unknowable land, but because he was guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and had no energy to spare, he could only send a thread of consciousness to see what was going on.
The jade pendant shook slightly in response…
Yang Kai became speechless. Even Wu Kuang’s thread of consciousness seemed to be heavily suppressed here.
He had originally wanted to communicate with him and see if he could find any useful clues, but now he had to give up. Moreover, just this shake caused the spirituality of the jade pendant to dim a bit.
[Hmm… I’ll have to nourish Wu Kuang’s thread of consciousness; otherwise, it will soon dissipate.]
Yang Kai reached out, only to remember another unfortunate truth. His Small Universe was currently sealed, causing him to not be able to take anything out. Now, he was practically empty-handed except for the clothes he was wearing.
It was quite an awkward situation.
“Do either of you have some thread?” Yang Kai asked, looking at them.
“Yes,” one of them responded quickly and handed him a carefully braided thread.
Then, Yang Kai tied Wu Kuang’s jade pendant into a kind of necklace, so he could nurture it with his own Spiritual Energy and communicate with Wu Kuang at any time.
After that, he began to familiarise himself with his current powers.
[True Element Boundary… how weak.] His great power had been stripped away, making him somewhat uncomfortable. But in the end, he had experienced this realm before, so he just needed to familiarise himself with it a little bit.
About an hour later, there was a sudden commotion.
The three of them were alerted, and when Yang Kai looked, he saw one of the two youths using a jade to investigate and then exclaimed with joy, “Big Brother Zuo is back!”
Saying so, he activated his power of the jade, and a light flashed by, opening the sealed portal.
In the next moment, Zuo Wu You, covered in blood, hurried in. He had clearly experienced a fierce battle, with many wounds on his body and a somewhat weakened aura, but his murderous intent remained extremely strong.
The figure that entered this place was like an ancient ominous beast entering a cave, chilling the atmosphere to the bone.
“Big Brother Zuo!” The two youths exclaimed and greeted him.
As Zuo Wu You glanced over and fixed his gaze on Yang Kai, he breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he wave his hand to his two companions, and went straight to Yang Kai, kneeling on one knee, “Zuo Wu You pays his respects to the Holy Son!”
[Here we go again…]
Yang Kai, a majestic Ninth-Order Master with the body of a Divine Dragon, didn’t mind being bowed to by a mere True Element Boundary cultivator; however, this Holy Son identity was somewhat strange to him.
He had only come to investigate what Mu’s hidden hand was, never expecting to get involved in the petty disputes of this inexplicable World.
Reaching out to help him up, Yang Kai spoke, “Let me greet your Saintess before we discuss this matter of the Holy Son.”
Upon hearing this, Zuo Wu You knew that the person before him had already heard of the Saintess’ prophecy, so he immediately spoke up, “The Saintess has never made a mistake. When the Holy Son appears, it is no doubt per her guidance; therefore, you must be the Holy Son of Spirit Religion!”
Yang Kai didn’t bother to argue and simply said, “You’re injured. You should focus on healing first. This time, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
Even without Zuo Wu You and his companions, nothing would have happened to Yang Kai in the face of that group of attackers that hadn’t even reached the Immortal Ascension Boundary; however, they had still protected him and provided cover, so he should show his gratitude.
Zuo Wu You shook his head with a bitter smile, “This matter was aimed at me, but I have dragged the Holy Son into it. I am ashamed.”
In the midst of the jungle ambush that was aimed at Zuo Wu You himself, Yang Kai just so happened to be at the right place at the right time.
No one could have predicted that at that critical moment, the arrival of the Spirit Religion Holy Son, guided by fate, would cause all the undercurrents to erupt in an instant.
Upon reflection, Yang Kai realised that Zuo Wu You had indeed shouted to the attackers, “Aren’t you here for me?”
“Regardless, I still have to thank you,” Yang Kai said.
Zuo Wu You shook his head, “Holy Son, it’s nothing; however, we shouldn’t stay here for long. We need to leave as soon as possible.”
Although he had killed quite a number of enemies, he was ultimately alone and unable to completely wipe them out. Before the news of the appearance of the ‘Holy Son’ was spread, they had already taken Zuo Wu You seriously, but it was not to the point where they had to eliminate him at all costs. However, if news of the Holy Son’s appearance got out, it would surely lead to an all-out attack.
“But Brother Zuo, your injury…” The thin young man looked at Zuo Wu You with concern.
“It’s nothing serious. Escort the Holy Son…” Before Zuo Wu You could even finish his sentence, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his aura wilting to the extreme, and his face turning an ashen white.
“Big Brother Zuo!” The two young men exclaimed, rushing to support Zuo Wu You, who was now swaying on his feet.
Yang Kai looked at him and said, “It looks like we’ll have to hide here for a while.”
Zuo Wu You’s face was filled with bitterness as he nodded, “Please wait half a day for me, Holy Son.”
Yang Kai did not respond.
Zuo Wu You needed urgent treatment. The battle just now had taken a huge toll on him, but he forcibly suppressed his injuries out of concern for the Holy Son’s safety and the future of the Spirit Religion. Now that the backlash had acted up though, he was unable to move for a while.
Zuo Wu You quickly settled down and closed his eyes to meditate and heal.
The two young men who had brought Yang Kai here stood guard by his side, while Yang Kai himself seemed to have nothing to do.
Currently, he still had very little information at his disposal, but one thing was certain, this independent World was still inside Mu’s Space-Time River. When the waves of the Space-Time River crashed down on him, Yang Kai did not dodge, resulting in him being dragged into this place and fulfilling an unknown prophecy of some Spirit Religion Saintess who lived in this place.
The current situation required Yang Kai to see the Saintess if he wanted to know more.
Although he had some guesses in mind, he couldn’t confirm them until he met her; however, there were still some minor troubles to solve before that.
The hideout fell silent after that.
About four hours later, a commotion suddenly broke out. Zuo Wu You, who was meditating to heal, suddenly opened his eyes with a look of disbelief and exclaimed, “Impossible!”
As soon as the words fell, a tremor shook the ground, as if someone outside was using powerful means to attack the mountain wall where the secret chamber was located.
“Big Brother Zuo!” Cried the thin young man, “Our location has been exposed, and those guys have come after us!”
Upon hearing that, Zuo Wu You’s expression darkened.
This secret chamber was one of the Spirit Religion’s footholds outside, and when he returned earlier, he had carefully investigated the surroundings to ensure that he wasn’t being followed, so how did the enemy find them?
If he hadn’t been certain that this foothold was safe enough, he wouldn’t have stayed here to heal his injuries.
But in fact, the enemy had already found them.
“Hurry, activate the Array!” Zuo Wu You shouted.
Another young man immediately took out a control jade, infused it with power, and shielded the hideout.
The attacks became more ferocious, and the commotion grew much louder.
“Zuo Wu You, this King knows you’re in there! Hand over your Holy Son, and this King will spare your life!”
Zuo Wu You paled upon hearing the voice, “Yan Peng! That old dog really came here in person!”
He, who remained calm when he was being besieged in the jungle previously, panicked now, clearly facing a formidable foe at the moment. It was obvious that this ‘Yan Peng’ was not someone to be trifled with.
After waiting for half a moment without a response, Yan Peng outside coldly snorted, “Since you refuse a toast, you must drink a forfeit! Don’t blame this King for being ruthless!”
As he finished speaking, the violent attacks resumed, causing the entire secret chamber to shake violently.
The young man holding the control jade and stimulating the protective Array stumbled as well, nervously saying, “Big Brother Zuo, the Array can’t hold on for much longer.”
With that, Zuo Wu You immediately stood up and drew his sword before taking a deep breath and declaring, “Zheng Hai, Liu Ji, I’ll clear a path for you. Bring the Holy Son and run.”
“Big Brother Zuo, we can’t escape,” said the thin youth, Zheng Hai, full of sorrow and indignation, “We should fight together!”
Zuo Wu You’s eyes flickered with a hint of sadness. He knew very well that they couldn’t escape, but after so many years of persistence, how could he give up now that he had finally seen a glimmer of hope? He gritted his teeth and said, “Listen up, you two. No matter what happens, you must protect the Holy Son and bring him back safely. Don’t give up until the very end!”
*Hong Hong Hong…*
As rocks crumbled and fell, it was clear that this secret chamber couldn’t hold much longer.
Zuo Wu You held his sword up, his expression was resolute and determined.
Liu Ji continued to wield the power of the jade while Zheng Hai stood ready with all his strength, preparing to unleash his strongest move. Suddenly, Zheng Hai punched Liu Ji in the back and, at the same time, the hidden dagger in his other hand struck at Yang Kai’s vital point.
“What?”
“What?”
Two exclamations sounded almost simultaneously.
The situation in the secret chamber became confusing and chaotic.
Liu Ji, who was hit by the punch, spat out fresh blood and fell to the side. Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but turn his head in disbelief. He never expected to have a traitor on his side, especially one who would turn on them at such a critical moment.
Finally, he understood why their position had been exposed. The enemy had hidden Zheng Hai, a traitor, deep within the Spirit Religion for years without ever using him. Now that it involved the existence of the Holy Son though, it was time to activate this agent.
What surprised Zuo Wu You even more was what happened when Zheng Hai attacked Yang Kai.
He timed his attack perfectly, just as the Spirit Array was about to collapse and when everyone was highly focused due to the tension. Liu Ji was already injured by him and Yang Kai, standing not far from him without any defences, should have been directly killed by him.
However, when his dagger was about to reach Yang Kai, it was caught between two fingers that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Throughout the entire process, the Holy Son didn’t even turn his head, yet he seemed to have eyes on the back of his head.
*Hong…*
With no one to maintain the Array, it collapsed, and the secret chamber hidden in the mountain was completely exposed. Figures outside could be seen, and one of them, a white-haired old man with a ruddy complexion, stood with his hands behind his back while raising a gust of wind to clear away the dust to make the confusing situation clearer.
After scanning the scene, the white-haired old man snorted coldly.
Zuo Wu You’s roar resounded, “Zheng Hai!”
With a flick of the sword in his hand, he turned and thrust towards Zheng Hai, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins and anger and his face twisted in a grimace of disappointment for his former comrade.
“Silence!” Yan Peng, the white-haired old man, waved his sleeves and sent Zuo Wu You flying through the air, smashing into the ground several paces away.
Already heavily injured and weakened, the impact of the throw left him nearly unconscious, with no strength left even to move a finger.
Desperately looking towards Yang Kai, he expected to see the Holy Son’s tragic state, but what he saw left him stunned instead…
Zheng Hai held a dagger close to the Holy Son’s waist, with a posture of attempting a sneak attack, but the Holy Son quickly countered by catching the dagger with two fingers and holding it in place.
Right now, Zheng Hai was struggling to pull the dagger out, but those two fingers were as steady as a rock, making his efforts futile.
[What is happening?] Zuo Wu You couldn’t make sense of it. From the looks of it, the Holy Son seemed to have anticipated this sneak attack.
While he was wondering how the Holy Son could have been prepared for this, the latter spoke up, “There really was an issue with you.”
Saying so, he turned to look at Zheng Hai behind him.
Perhaps feeling guilty, or perhaps intimidated by Yang Kai’s strength, Zheng Hai tried to put on a tough act and asked, “How did you figure it out?”
“During our ‘escape’, you were clearly leaving some things behind in secret. I thought they were meant to guide Zuo Wu You, but then I thought, if Zuo Wu You already knew about these places, who else could you be guiding?” The Holy Son replied.
“How is that possible? You noticed what I did on the way here?” Zheng Hai couldn’t believe it. He had been very careful, and even Liu Ji hadn’t noticed anything.
Yang Kai chuckled lightly without answering, instead, he looked down at Zheng Hai’s hand and said, “You’re still a bit weak compared to me.”
This whole time, Zheng Hai had been trying to retrieve his dagger, but he couldn’t overpower Holy Son’s grip. Upon hearing this, he immediately released the dagger and stepped back.
However, as soon as he regained his footing, his face became filled with horror as the Holy Son appeared to use some mysterious movement skill, clinging to him like maggots on rotting bones.
Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, and all his strength rapidly drained from his body.
Yang Kai turned his head towards Zuo Wu You, who lay helpless on the ground and asked, “It doesn’t matter if we kill this traitor, does it?”
Zuo Wu You was dumbfounded by the series of events, but upon hearing this, he laughed heartily, “He’s just a beast. His death isn’t worth pitying!”
Amidst the hearty laughter, he was suddenly seized with a coughing fit that aggravated his injury.
Yang Kai nodded slightly and reached out to lightly tap Zheng Hai’s forehead, who then stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, gazing down at his chest.
A dagger was somehow thrust into his heart, the very same one he had used to ambush the Holy Son from before.
“Impossible…” Zheng Hai’s pupils contracted as he murmured to himself, “How is that possible that I’m… dying… here….”
His head tilted and he lost his aura.
Only then did Yang Kai turn to look at Yan Peng, who was observing him with a scrutinising gaze, looking somewhat surprised.
Yang Kai said, “Old man, aren’t you angry?”
“Angry about what?” He asked in confusion.
“I just killed one of your subordinates,” Yang Kai pointed to Zheng Hai, who lay dead next to them.
Yan Peng burst into laughter, “I have thousands of subordinates. If I were to get mad every time one dies, I’d have died from anger by now.”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment before nodding, “That makes sense!”
Yan Peng scrutinised Yang Kai and asked, “Are you the legendary Holy Son?”
“I’m not sure,” Yang Kai replied as he agilely manoeuvred through the rubble, quickly arriving before Zuo Wu You and looking down at him.
Zuo Wu You’s lips moved, and he appeared to be mouthing the word ‘run.’
Flashing a smile, Yang Kai reached out to grab the long sword in his hand, “Let me borrow this.”
Yan Peng didn’t stop him, but curiously asked, “What are you going to do?”
Yang Kai paid him no attention as he examined the sword in his hand. On their escape route, Zheng Hai mentioned that this sword was a Divine Weapon bestowed upon the Saintess, but in Yang Kai’s eyes, it was an ordinary weapon that didn’t even qualify to be called a proper artifact. This wasn’t surprising though as this was a World with a relatively low Martial Dao, so there were no truly powerful artifacts.
“I just asked what you were doing!” Yan Peng was starting to get annoyed by Yang Kai’s dismissive attitude.
Yang Kai flicked the sword with his finger to hear its clear and melodious cry. Only then did he turn his head to look at Yan Peng and smiled, “I’m getting ready to fight. With so many of you, I obviously need to find a suitable weapon.”
They were already surrounded by enemies in all directions. It was evident that Yan Peng took this matter seriously since he had brought over 30 people with him.
Yan Peng narrowed his eyes, “We don’t necessarily have to fight.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrow, “Are you willing to let us go?”
“You can’t go, but they can.”
“Because I’m the Holy Son?”
“Yes. The prophecy of the Light Spirit Religion has been circulating for many years. Everyone thinks it’s an unrealistic fantasy. Whether you are the real Holy Son or not, you still have to come with me. Rest assured, our Master may not necessarily take your life. Who knows, you might even benefit from this misfortune.”
Yang Kai looked at him curiously and asked, “If I’m not mistaken, you should be in the Immortal Ascension Boundary, right? An elite like you actually has a Master?”
Upon hearing that, Yan Peng’s eyes were suddenly filled with fanaticism, “Of course, the divine might of our Master is not something that you ordinary mortals can imagine. I am not even one-tenth of his greatness!”
Watching the fervent expression on Yan Peng’s face, Yang Kai suddenly felt a sense of familiarity…
Yang Kai still wanted to say more, but Yan Peng had already lost his patience. The fanaticism in his eyes subsided, replaced by coldness and cruelty, “Boy, you better come with me obediently to avoid suffering!”
“That’s not going to happen,” Yang Kai shook his head like a rattle drum, “I’m curious about that prophecy, so I intend to meet their Saintess and ask about it.”
Yan Peng coldly snorted, “Foolish obstinance!”
With a wave of his hand, he shouted, “Take him down!”
Yang Kai lifted the sword up as he muttered, “It’s a pity it’s not a spear, but oh well, it’s all the same!”
With those words, he flicked his wrist, and blood spurted forth as one of the Masters who charged towards him was inexplicably pierced, clutching his throat while he stumbled backwards.
Yang Kai thrust his sword again, and another person was killed with one swift blow.
Masters came from all directions, but Yang Kai moved like a graceful butterfly amid their dense attacks.
Within just a few breaths, the ground was covered with corpses, and more than half of Yan Peng’s men were dead.
The remaining people were filled with horror and no longer dared to approach.
Zuo Wu You, who had collapsed on a pile of rubble, stared straight ahead, momentarily forgetting to breathe. On the other side, Liu Ji also widened his eyes and almost thought that he was dreaming.
Yan Peng was equally astonished and asked, “What kind of Sword Secret Technique is this?”
Under his observation, this Holy Son of the Light Spirit Religion did not even use any kind of great force. The sword in his hand seemed to have a mind of its own, piercing with precision every time and always hitting its target.
After just a dozen or so strikes, half of his men were already dead.
However, the sword remained unsullied by blood!
“Sword Secret Technique?” Yang Kai shook his sword and said, “No, no, no, this is not a Secret Technique.”
“Not a Secret Technique? Then what is it?”
“It’s just an application of the Sword Dao.”
Although Yang Kai mainly cultivated the Dao of Space, Time, and Spear, he had delved into the Sword Dao before. In his earlier years, when he wasn’t powerful enough, he roamed around with only a sword; however, since the war in the Star Boundary, after receiving the Azure Dragon Spear from Ah Da, he had switched to Spear Dao.
Now, with the gains he had obtained from the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and Infinite River, compared to ordinary Masters, Yang Kai was still much stronger, despite his Mastery over the Sword Dao being lower than the three Grand Daos he primarily cultivated.
In Yang Kai’s Small Universe, many people benefited from his unusual accumulation and embarked on the Sword Dao, making it among the most popular Grand Daos in the entire Void World. Although his power was severely suppressed in this independent World, which made it difficult to use his Dao Strengths, his Mastery of the Sword Dao remained. With just a flick of his wrist, he could perform an extremely exquisite move with any kind of sword.
Yan Peng and Zuo Wu You found this all hard to comprehend.
“Now, who wants to die next?” Yang Kai looked around at the Masters who were now at a loss.
No one dared to step forward!
“A mere True Element Boundary Junior dares to act insolent in front of this Old Master? Even if your Sword Secret Techniques are exquisite, you are not my match!” Yan Peng bellowed with rage as his Divine Sense surged, sending his Spiritual Energy charging towards Yang Kai.
Zuo Wu You’s expression changed drastically as he shouted, “Holy Son, be careful!”
While the Holy Son’s Sword Secret Techniques were truly transcendent, his cultivation realm was still a fatal weakness! There was an insurmountable gap between the True Element Boundary and the Immortal Ascension Boundary – one’s Divine Sense and Knowledge Sea. The latter had given birth to a Divine Sense and opened their Knowledge Sea, but the former had not.
Therefore, an Immortal Ascension Masters who wanted to make a move against a True Element cultivator were basically unstoppable, unless they wore some artifact that protected their Soul!
After Yan Peng witnessed Yang Kai’s skills and realized he could not understand his Sword Secret Techniques, he understood that if he wanted to take him down, he could only use Soul Secret Techniques.
In an instant, Yan Peng’s Spiritual Energy rushed into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and manifested as a Soul Avatar.
He stood proudly above the ocean, his arrogance and disdain quickly turning to shock and doubt.
[This is a Knowledge Sea!]
How could a True Element Boundary cultivator have a Knowledge Sea? Moreover, the vast power hidden within this Knowledge Sea was beyond his ability to comprehend. The Soul of the Immortal Ascension Master was like a firefly under the bright moonlight in front of such power!
[What was going on?]
The prophecy predicting the Holy Son’s existence did not seem to be unfounded. Putting aside his bizarre Sword Secret Techniques, this vast and boundless Knowledge Sea was even more astonishing.
Yan Peng quickly discovered a seven-colour island, which stood out among the vast and misty multicoloured lights of the Knowledge Sea.
Yan Peng could feel his Soul Avatar trembling just from looking at it!
He instinctively knew that the seven-coloured island was an incredible treasure. Just being bathed by the seven-coloured glow gave his Soul Avatar an extremely pleasant feeling.
[I must obtain this seven-coloured island!]
With greed in his heart, Yan Peng flew towards the island and landed on it easily as there was no hindrance on the way. In an instant, Yan Peng felt an indescribable surge of power nourishing his Soul, giving him a feeling of returning to the womb. He wished he could stay here forever.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone so weak.”
Yan Peng was startled.
[Someone’s here?]
He spun around to see a young man standing beside a leopard that had lightning dancing around it.
[Was it the leopard who spoke earlier?]
The young man commented, “We all start weak and work our way up through cultivation.”
The leopard just sneered, “This old man’s aptitude is so poor that even if he were placed in the wider World, he would only be able to reach the First Order at best.”
“Fair enough. In any case, let’s get this over with.”
“What do you think, Second Brother?”
“Hm, instead of just killing him, we should probably try to gather some more information.”
“Good, then you do it. I’m not good at delicate work so I’m afraid I might kill him by accident.”
“En,” the young man nodded and turned to Yan Peng, smiling, “Old man, if you don’t want to suffer, you’d better tell us everything you know. The Heavens reward those who are kind, so I might spare you if you cooperate.”
Yan Peng’s expression turned grave.
…
Meanwhile, amidst the rubble, Zuo Wu You yelled out in worry, but in the next instant, the Holy Son’s sword flickered again as he began killing all the enemies who surrounded them.
Blood splattered, and screams filled the air.
No one expected that after Yan Peng attacked, Yang Kai could still fight. Normally, at this point, Yang Kai’s Soul should have been crushed by Yan Peng, leaving him either dead or severely limited. But in reality, Yang Kai remained unfazed.
A moment of carelessness resulted in even greater casualties.
It wasn’t until only a few people were left alive that they realised what was happening.
“Kill him!”
“Kill him now!”
The few people exclaimed in shock as a layer of faint mist suddenly filled their bodies. As the mist spread, their strength noticeably improved.
Yang Kai, who was in the midst of wielding his sword and killing, suddenly raised his brow, revealing a look of astonishment.
The sword in his hand continued to deliver death, and within moments, only the last Master remained gasping for breath while the rest lay dead on the ground.
By the time Yang Kai cut the tendons in the last Master’s shoulders with his sword and captured him with one hand, the several dozen people brought by Yan Peng were already all dead.
“Be careful, Holy Son, don’t touch that mist!” Zuo Wu You’s worried voice rang out once again.
Yang Kai, however, seemed not to have heard him. He continued to pressure the Master he had captured, forcing him to activate the power of the mist.
After a while, Yang Kai finally stopped, and the captive Master’s aura extinguished at the same time.
Standing in place, Yang Kai showed a pensive expression.
[That mist… was Black Ink Strength. Though incredibly faint and weak, unlike those outside, it was still undoubtedly Black Ink Strength.]
Recalling Yan Peng’s previously fanatical expression, Yang Kai suddenly realised why it seemed familiar.
“Do all of these people possess this power?” Yang Kai turned to Zuo Wu You and asked.
Zuo Wu You replied, “Those in the Black Ink Cult all possess it. It’s called Black Ink Strength.”
Yang Kai nodded, finally obtaining a few answers after experiencing this series of inexplicable events.
In this world, Black Ink Strength existed, as did the Black Ink Cult, an opposing force to the Light Spirit Religion.
“Holy Son, Black Ink Strength is highly corruptive and can warp a Human’s nature. Please check whether you have been affected!” Zuo Wu You anxiously warned.
Yang Kai merely shrugged. Even Black Ink Strength wielded by a Royal Lord couldn’t harm him, let alone the extremely diluted power possessed by someone from the Black Ink Cult.
Although his Small Universe was currently suppressed and sealed, making it impossible for him to use his World Force, the World Tree clone was still there. Moreover, with the protection of the Soul Warming Lotus, he was essentially immune to the effects of Black Ink Strength.
Still, it was a thoughtful warning, so Yang Kai went through the motions of checking himself before saying, “It’s fine. This Black Ink Strength seems to have no effect on me.”
Upon hearing that, Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji breathe a sigh of relief.
Their attention then turned to Yan Peng, who stood motionless to the side. Ever since this Immortal Ascension Boundary Master had used his Soul Avatar earlier, he became frozen in place, and even the death of a large number of his subordinates aroused no reaction from him, as if he had lost his Soul.
It made Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji puzzled.
“Holy Son, what’s happening to Yan Peng?” Zuo Wu You asked, uncertain but with a suspicion forming in his mind.
“His Soul has been shattered. He’s basically a living corpse now,” Yang Kai explained.
Zuo Wu You was shocked, “Holy Son, do you possess one of those Special Constitutions that are immune to all evil?”
The fact that Yan Peng’s Soul shattered as a result of his using his Soul Avatar against Yang Kai, coupled with his resistance to Black Ink Strength, left Zuo Wu You at a loss for words with no explanation of what just happened.
“Something like that,” as Yang Kai was thinking about how to explain it, Zuo Wu You was thoughtful enough to come up with an explanation for him.
Seeing him admit to it, Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji exchanged a glance, both thrilled beyond measure.
The Holy Son was impervious to all evil, born to counteract the means of the Black Ink Cult. He was truly the future hope of the Spirit Religion; the Saintess’ prophecy was right on the mark!
Furthermore, his strength was unfathomable. He didn’t even need to use much power in his previous killing spree, only employing the most basic Sword Secret Techniques. Yet, the Black Ink Cult Masters were unable to block even a single strike.
At this moment, the gloom in their hearts was illuminated by the dawn’s light.
“We shouldn’t stay here for long,” Zuo Wu You said, struggling to stand up before falling back down. His injuries were still severe.
It was the same for Liu Ji. He was caught off guard by Zheng Hai and took a direct punch to the back. If Zheng Hai hadn’t reserved some strength to attack Yang Kai, that punch would have ended Liu Ji’s life.
“You should both rest and recover for a while,” said Yang Kai.
Zuo Wu You looked bitter. Although he wanted to leave this dangerous place as soon as possible, he was strong in will but weak in strength. After exchanging a glance with Liu Ji, he decided to heal his injuries on the spot and try to restore some strength for now.
Inside Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea, on the seven-coloured island, Yan Peng’s Soul Avatar became respectful and forthcoming before the young man and the thunder leopard; he would answer any questions they had without holding anything back.
This couldn’t be helped. Yan Peng initially thought this seven-coloured island was his great opportunity, never expecting to find two Masters here whose strengths were both beyond his imagination.
Yan Peng did not doubt that either of these two could extinguish his Soul with a single thought.
How could people under the eaves not lower their heads?
Fortunately, the young man was kind enough not to harm him, only asking for some basic information.
So, Yan Peng cooperated obediently.
After a brief exchange, Feng Tian Ci uncovered some secrets of this World, which he naturally shared with the others.
In the Primordial World, two Great Forces, the Light Spirit Religion and the Black Ink Cult, had vied for dominance since ancient times, each claiming half of this independent World.
Even after years of unending conflict, neither side could gain the upper hand.
Within the Black Ink Cult, there was a Black Ink Master who could bestow Black Ink Strength upon all living beings, corrupting their hearts and minds, making them obedient servants of the cult.
Meanwhile, the Light Spirit Religion was the only force that could stand against the Black Ink Cult. They had been battling them for countless years. Without them, the entire World would have fallen into the hands of the cult long ago.
The first-generation Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion left behind a prophecy, which was the same one that Yang Kai heard from Liu Ji. Over the years, the followers of the Light Spirit Religion had been searching for the whereabouts of the Holy Son while fighting against the Black Ink Cult, because according to the guidance of the first-generation Saintess, the only way to completely defeat the Black Ink Cult was for the Holy Son to appear.
Likewise, the Black Ink Cult was also searching for the whereabouts of the Holy Son of the Light Spirit Religion.
Unfortunately, neither side had made any progress.
Until today, during the Black Ink Cult’s hunt for Zuo Wu You, Yang Kai suddenly descended from the sky…
When the news reached Yan Peng, he personally led his men to capture Yang Kai, but things took an unexpected turn as they were all slaughtered and Yan Peng found himself trapped.
On the small island, Fang Tian Ci continued to question Yan Peng for more information.
Meanwhile, in front of the ruins, Yang Kai fell into deep thought.
The information he had was not extensive, but he now had a general understanding of the situation; however, there were two things that were different from what he had initially thought.
The first was the impact of Black Ink Strength on living creatures.
In the outside world, Black Ink Strength was extremely potent. Any Master who was contaminated by it and failed to deal with it in time would inevitably become a Black Ink Disciple. These beings had long since abandoned their humanity and identities and became loyal only to Mo. It could be said that any Black Ink Disciple would willingly sacrifice everything they had for Mo.
However, Yan Peng was different.
Though his Soul Avatar was trapped on the Seven Colour Island, he had a strong will to survive; otherwise, he wouldn’t have cooperated with Fang Tian Ci and provided so much information about the Black Ink Cult.
In other words, he wasn’t a true Black Ink Disciple!
[Is it because of how weak the Black Ink Strength is here?]
When Yang Kai killed those Black Ink Cult members before, the last few activated their Black Ink Strength to enhance their abilities; however, their Black Ink Strength was extremely thin and clearly abnormal.
It seemed that Black Ink Strength in the Primordial World could distort someone’s nature to a certain extent, but it wasn’t potent enough to transform them into true Black Ink Disciples.
The second point of curiosity was the Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion.
Yang Kai had a suspicion about the Saintess before, but after learning some information about her from Yan Peng, he began thinking he might have been wrong.
The prophecy was left behind by the first generation Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion; since then, the Light Spirit Religion had gone through many generations of Saintesses.
Among the past Saintesses, some were assassinated by the Black Ink Cult, some experienced cultivation dissonance, and some naturally died when their predestined time arrived.
If that was the case, then this Light Spirit Religion’s current Saintess was not the person he wanted to meet…
Another thing that caught Yang Kai’s attention was the name of this World – Primordial World.
The name of this World seemed to imply something.
Yang Kai felt helpless. Although Mu had left a hidden hand in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it was still elusive; he had to clear the fog in front of him before he could glimpse the truth.
“It’s time to go,” he said after half a day.
Since Yan Peng personally took action, the Black Ink Cult would certainly send more Masters to investigate the situation once there was no news from him for long enough.
In fact, according to the information revealed by Yan Peng, he was able to arrive so quickly only because he happened to be nearby.
The other Black Ink Cult Masters should also have set out and were on their way.
The appearance of the Holy Son of the Light Spirit Religion, even if it was only a possibility, was a matter that the Black Ink Cult would not take lightly.
Together, Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji opened their eyes. Half a day of rest was not enough to completely heal, but they had gained enough strength to move at the very least.
Yang Kai raised his hand and threw the long sword back to Zuo Wu You.
Zuo Wu You caught the sword and spoke, “Only in the hands of the Holy Son can this sword unleash its true power.”
Yang Kai’s swift and efficient movements were all observed by him, which left him in awe and realised that if he could enter retreat and comprehend these Secret Techniques, he would surely bring his Sword Techniques to the next level.
Yang Kai shook his head casually, “No need, I’ll use this.”
With a flick of his foot, a long spear lying on the ground flew into his hand. He wasn’t sure which dead Black Ink Cultist it belonged to, but after giving it a quick shake, he was satisfied with how it felt in his hand, despite it being not the best of quality.
Without saying anything more, Zuo Wu You approached Yan Peng and swiftly beheaded him with his sword.
Then, the three of them set off in a certain direction under Zuo Wu You’s guidance.
When they left, all that remained were dead bodies and destruction.
An hour later, a group of beasts attracted by the scent of blood arrived, but soon became alert and fled after a brief hesitation. Suddenly, a blood-red line shot through the air and pierced one of the beasts, causing it to cry out in agony and turn into a lifeless husk.
The blood-red line transformed into a blood-red light, from which a figure strolled out.
The figure was a woman in tight red robes, her stunning physique accentuated by the vivid colour of her clothes. Her nails were long and sharp as blades, and she licked her lips with satisfaction after the recent kill, her eyes curved with pleasure.
Dozens of people had already gathered around, examining the remnants of the battle.
After a while, the woman spoke up casually, still filing her nails as if sharpening a blade for herself, “Anything noteworthy?”
Someone quickly knelt down and respectfully replied, “Chapter Master, all of them died from sword injuries, killed by a single strike. Even Yan Peng seemed to have put up no resistance before he died.”
“Oh?” The woman showed a hint of surprise, “So Yan Peng didn’t even try to fight back? Looks like there were some extremely powerful swordsmen among them. Was it Zuo Wu You?”
“It couldn’t have been Zuo Wu You. He’s only in the True Element Boundary, while Yan Peng is in the Immortal Ascension Boundary. With a difference of a Major Realm, Zuo Wu You couldn’t have been responsible,” the Black Ink Cult disciple explained.
“So it must have been their newfound Holy Son,” the woman raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t know, Chapter Master.”
“Which way did they go?”
“It should be that way,” the man pointed in a direction.
Immediately, the woman’s body flickered, turning into a blood beam, which shot towards that direction. Her voice echoed in the distance, “I’ll go on ahead. You guys catch up as soon as possible.”
As the three of them passed through a small town, Zuo Wu You and Yang Kai waited outside in concealment while Liu Ji entered and drove out in a carriage moments later.
All three of them were in the True Element Boundary and were technically capable of flying; however, doing so would consume too much energy and be unsustainable for long periods. Besides, with Zuo Wu You and Liu Ji still recovering from their injuries, the natural choice was to use a carriage as transportation.
Once they regrouped, Liu Ji nodded lightly to Zuo Wu You, “It’s arranged, Big Brother Zuo.”
Zuo Wu You nodded in response before turning to Yang Kai, “Please get on, Holy Son.”
Yang Kai went along with them and got on the carriage with Zuo Wu You while Liu Ji continued to drive, the carriage rattling away from the small town.
Inside the carriage, Yang Kai asked, “Where are we going now?”
“Dawn City!” Zuo Wu You replied.
Yang Kai understood why they were going there. According to Yan Peng’s information, Dawn City was the foundation of the Light Spirit Religion, with countless Masters and high-ranking officials of the Light Spirit Religion gathered there.
Now that the Holy Son had appeared, it was imperative to send him to Dawn City as soon as possible.
However, the name of the city brought a sense of familiarity to Yang Kai, reminding him of the days when he fought side by side with his Squad members on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Today, many of those familiar names and figures had vanished into the river of history…
They were still quite far away from Dawn City, and judging by their current pace, it would take them five or six days to arrive even if they travelled day and night without rest.
What’s more, this long journey was highly unlikely to be peaceful.
Zuo Wu You clearly knew this, so he quickly focused on healing his injuries.
Shortly after the three of them left the small town, a blood light arrived. Moments later, the blood light rushed out and turned into the figure of the red-robed woman. She stood in the void, gazing in the direction of the departing carriage as she coldly snorted, “I wonder what the legendary Holy Son tastes like?”
With those murmured words, she turned into a bloody beam of light again and chased after Yang Kai and the others.
Behind them, the small town lay eerily silent…
Half a day later, Yang Kai in the carriage suddenly heard a commotion. Zuo Wu You, who was meditating, was also alarmed and quickly opened his eyes, lifting the carriage curtain to ask, “What’s going on?”
When he looked out, he clearly saw that someone was being assaulted by a strong man on the side of the road ahead; a burly man was pressing a woman underneath him, emitting a lewd laugh as he tore the woman’s clothes.
A large expanse of snow-white skin was exposed, causing the woman to scream and shout in distress, which only further fuelled the man’s savagery.
“Big Brother Zuo…” Liu Ji, who was driving the carriage, couldn’t bear to watch. Due to his naturally kind personality, coupled with the Light Spirit Religion’s teachings to help the weak, he couldn’t just ignore such a wicked act.
However, Zuo Wu You’s face flashed a look of vigilance as he said in a low tone, “Carry on!”
Upon hearing the command, Liu Ji gritted his teeth and quickly drove the carriage past them.
Under normal circumstances, the two of them would not sit idly by in the face of such an incident, but now there was only one priority, which was to escort the Holy Son to Dawn City. Everything else was unimportant.
When the carriage approached, the burly man had already stopped his actions and looked warily at Liu Ji. It was only after the carriage passed that he breathed a sigh of relief.
The woman who was pinned down by him screamed, “Help! Help me!”
Aggravated, the burly man slapped her and sneered, “No one will come to save you. Give up!”
But just as he finished speaking, his body suddenly shook, and he looked down to see a spear piercing through his chest.
The burly man’s eyes widened as his strength quickly ebbed away.
Yang Kai flicked his spear and tossed the burly man to the side. He then smiled and reached out to the beautiful but pale-faced woman, “Miss, you’re safe now.”
The woman clearly hadn’t fully realised what had happened until she saw the corpse of the burly man next to her, which caused her to completely break down and throw herself into Yang Kai’s arms, crying bitterly.
A little while later, Yang Kai sat in the carriage, holding a warm and soft woman in his arms. She seemed to be so frightened that she held onto his neck with all her might, like an octopus clinging to him.
On the other hand, Zuo Wu You didn’t know where to look, mainly because the woman’s clothes were torn and her snow-white skin was a little too dazzling.
“Sir, you…” Zuo Wu You didn’t know what to say. He never expected that the Holy Son would suddenly jump off the carriage and play the hero to save the damsel in distress.
But he had to admit that the woman was quite attractive. Even with her hair dishevelled and her face covered in dirt, it couldn’t conceal her charm. On the contrary, it accentuated her pitiful appearance, causing people to sympathise with her at a glance.
Such looks easily attracted unwanted attention in these troubled times.
With outsiders present, Zuo Wu You couldn’t address Yang Kai as ‘Holy Son’, so he simply referred to him as ‘Sir’.
Yang Kai chuckled, “It’s our duty to lend a helping hand when we see injustice. If we ignore something that we can easily help with just because it is inconvenient, then why bother cultivating at all? Besides, this carriage has plenty of space. Having one more person won’t make a difference.”
Zuo Wu You could only nod and say, “As Sir says.”
Yang Kai ignored Zuo Wu You and instead lowered his head to look at the woman in his arms, speaking in a gentle and soothing voice, “Little Beauty, what’s your name? Where are you from? Are you married?”
Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but feel speechless at what he was witnessing. He never imagined that the Holy Son had such an interest in beauties. Of course, it was natural for men to appreciate beautiful women, but there was a time and place for everything.
Originally, Zuo Wu You admired the Holy Son’s ability to dispatch Yan Peng and his dozens of followers with a single sword, and he believed that the Spirit Religion had a bright future. But now, those expectations had taken a hit.
Could such a Holy Son really achieve great things? Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but worry about the future of the Spirit Religion.
As the woman in Yang Kai’s arms slowly calmed down and seemed to realise that their position was not appropriate, she blushed, burying her head in Yang Kai’s chest instead of answering his questions.
Yang Kai laughed heartily at her response, feeling quite pleased with himself; however, the woman suddenly raised her head and looked at him with a bewildered expression.
Yang Kai hugged her tightly and looked down at her, “What’s wrong?”
“Why did you try and kill me?” The woman’s coquettishness and shyness disappeared out of nowhere, replaced by an expression of disbelief.
“Hmmm, you’re not dead?”
The woman cursed loudly, “Are you even Human?”
Their conversation made no sense, leaving not only the driver Liu Ji puzzled but also Zuo Wu You, who was in the same carriage.
However, the odd atmosphere made him feel a great sense of danger, and he quickly tightened his grip on his long sword… only to find that it was gone!
Zuo Wu You was shocked. He didn’t even know when he had lost his sword.
Next, the carriage became filled with a strong, metallic smell. The woman in Yang Kai’s arms started bleeding fresh blood, whereas Zuo Wu You’s lost sword was pierced through her, the hilt gripped in Yang Kai’s hand.
With a loud bang, violent waves of energy swept through the carriage, lifting the roof off. The woman, who had been in Yang Kai’s embrace, suddenly turned into a blood mist, breaking free from his grasp.
The sudden turn of events frightened the horses pulling the carriage, resulting in them neighing in panic. Liu Ji had to quickly calm them down or they would have bolted.
Zuo Wu You was also thrown off balance by the shockwave, almost being blown away, but luckily was grabbed by Yang Kai just in time.
The carriage continued forward, and in the shabby compartment, Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You looked behind together. In the half-empty air, a twisting, writhing mass of blood gradually transformed into the alluring figure of a red-robed woman. She clutched her chest, her face twisted with hatred and resentment, her beautiful eyes fixated on Yang Kai, overflowing with intense malice, as if she wished to devour his flesh and drink his blood right then.
“Night Chapter Master, Xue Ji!” Zuo Wu You was shocked and terrified.
Though they knew that the Black Ink Cult would soon have pursuers on their heels, he never expected it to be her. They were in trouble now.
Yang Kai’s brow raised slightly as he thought to himself, [As I suspected!]
Thanks to the information he had gleaned from Yan Peng, Yang Kai was no longer completely ignorant about the Primordial World.
The Black Ink Cult, under the command of Mo, was divided into the Eight Chapters, each with their own structure and hierarchy. The Night Chapter, though the smallest in number, was made up entirely of elite assassins.
Everyone in the Night Chapter of the Black Ink Cult was a Master of their craft, especially Night Chapter Master, Xue Ji, who was said to possess the ability to transform into thousands of different forms, making her an almost invincible opponent.
Throughout the history of the Light Spirit Religion, countless high-ranking members had died under the Night Chapter’s assassinations, including several Saintesses.
Among the Black Ink Cult’s Eight Chapters, the Light Spirit Religion was most wary of the Night Chapter, as nobody knew where they hid or when they would strike a deadly blow. Zuo Wu You shivered at the thought of facing the Night Chapter Master himself, realising that he and his companions were in grave danger.
But this only made him admire the Holy Son even more. Though he had been cautious before, Zuo Wu You had failed to notice any flaws. Little did he know, the seemingly lustful and carefree Holy Son was already aware and prepared to strike, displaying a level of cunning and decisiveness that left others in awe.
“You shouldn’t be alive,” Yang Kai looked at Xue Ji in confusion.
He could sense that Xue Ji was an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master, but even so, there was no way she should have survived being stabbed through the heart with his sword. However, she only seemed to have suffered some damage to her foundation, with no threat to her life.
All his actions really accomplished was making her angry. Her mastery over blood was unlike any he had seen before.
“How dare you wound me! I’ll devour—” Xue Ji’s face twisted with rage, but before she could finish her sentence, another figure appeared before her.
It was none other than Yang Kai, who should have been standing in the carriage. He wielded a long spear without hesitation and used his formidable Supreme Limitless Secret Art on Xue Ji.
His spear strikes rained down on her without mercy, creating countless holes in her body. Zuo Wu You wasted no time too and joined the attack, brandishing his sword with skill and unleashing a flurry of strikes upon Xue Ji.
With their combined efforts, Xue Ji was quickly reduced to a mist of blood, vanishing from sight in an instant.
As the bloody mist condensed and converged, it surged towards the two of them.
Yang Kai’s face changed slightly as he grabbed Zuo Wu You and jumped back onto the carriage.
In the sky, the blood mist seemed to possess a sense of spirituality, quickly fleeing into the distance as Xue Ji’s voice echoed, “I will rip your corpse into 10,000 sooner or later!”
The infamous Night Chapter Master escaped in such a pathetic state just like that.
Watching her depart, Yang Kai wore a troubled expression as he muttered, “So difficult to deal with!”
Ordinary people would have died from such a surprise attack, or from the follow-up assault, but Xue Ji was able to keep her life intact. Her skills were truly remarkable, making Yang Kai feel a sense of admiration for her talent.
Through their brief exchange just now, Yang Kai noticed something. Xue Ji’s Mastery over the Blood Dao was indeed extremely high, leaving her with no fatal weakness. Even if her heart was pierced through, she would still be alive, only suffering some damage to her foundation.
But since she was severely injured just now, it would surely cause serious damage to her foundation and she probably would not dare to come again in a short time.
“No wonder so many experts from the Spirit Religion can’t deal with her. It turns out that her methods are so insidious!” Zuo Wu You’s face was filled with fear as he recalled what happened earlier. If the Holy Son hadn’t noticed anything, they might have already died without even realising how.
Turning to look at Yang Kai, Zuo Wu You became even more respectful of this Holy Son.
On the other hand, Liu Ji was still driving the carriage without its roof while desperately fleeing forward, leaving a trail of dust in their wake.
“I’m afraid this journey won’t be peaceful,” Yang Kai muttered casually.
Zuo Wu You replied, “Rest assured, Holy Son, I have already sent out a coded message. The Spirit Religion will soon send experts to assist us.”
“That’s good,” Yang Kai nodded. Zuo Wu You was also a thorough person, and it seemed that he had made arrangements when they picked up the carriage at that small town earlier.
Suddenly, a piercing scream sounded, and the horses pulling the carriage fell down. The carriage, hurtling forward at full speed, crashed into the horses and flew into the air.
As soon as they sensed that something was wrong, Yang Kai, Zuo Wu You, and Liu Ji jumped off the carriage.
The three of them stood in mid-air and looked closely. The horses were surrounded by a red light, and in a mournful fit, they turned into a pool of blood, leaving only white skeletons behind.
“Ah–” Zuo Wu You paled slightly as he had no idea at all when Xue Ji attacked the horse.
Even Yang Kai had not noticed it this time. Looking back now, it was likely that it happened when Xue Ji was stabbed by himself and turned into a blood mist while breaking free from him.
“Big Brother Zuo!” Liu Ji suddenly panicked.
Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You turned their heads to look, and the both of them paled in shock upon the sight.
Liu Ji was now emitting a bloody red light, and within that light, his power became chaotic to the extreme, his physique melting away like a candle in high heat.
“Liu Ji!” Zuo Wu You cried out.
Liu Ji clearly knew what was about to happen too, so after a brief moment of panic, his expression suddenly became resolute as he shouted, “Brother Zuo, you must send Holy Son back!”
As soon as he finished the sentence, he flew away, with pieces of his body dissolving into blood, leaving behind only scattered bones that fell from the sky in a matter of moments.
Staring blankly at the scene, Zuo Wu You went silent for a long time, his anger and grief beyond words.
Yang Kai’s expression turned grave too. Xue Ji’s methods were truly insidious and unpredictable. When he noticed something wrong with Liu Ji earlier, he had wanted to help, but it was already too late. In just a few breaths, Liu Ji had been killed.
He turned his head to look at Zuo Wu You, confirming that he was unharmed and that he himself had not fallen prey to Xue Ji’s attack without him realising. If he had, it would have been impossible to remain oblivious.
It seemed that Xue Ji did not intend to kill him; otherwise, she would have used such means from the start.
Finally, Zuo Wu You regained his composure, despite his red eyes and throbbing veins on his forehead. He longed to fight Xue Ji, but his priority was to escort the Holy Son back to Dawn City.
“Holy Son, let’s go,” Zuo Wu You called out, leading the way.
Since the carriage was gone, the two of them could only fly; however, not having a means of transportation was inconvenient, especially since Zuo Wu You was still injured and had to push himself to keep going.
When night fell, they found a place to rest in the wilderness. Zuo Wu You meditated and adjusted his breathing while Yang Kai stood guard beside him.
The cold moonlight poured down, and Yang Kai looked up at the full moon with many thoughts flooding his mind.
From the information he had gathered, he determined that the Primitive World was a real World, where all living beings, including the three members of the Light Spirit Religion and the Black Ink Cult members they encountered, were truly alive!
This was quite different from what Yang Kai had originally thought. He initially believed that everything here was an illusion in Mu’s Space-Time River, but it seemed that he had greatly underestimated her.
The Black Ink Cult and Light Spirit Religion were opposed to each other. The Black Ink Cult members could use Black Ink Strength, while the first Saintess of Light Spirit Religion left a prophecy.
Everything was still vague and unclear, so Yang Kai could not fathom what the hidden hand Mu left in this World was. It would only be after he greeted the Saintess that he would be able to know everything.
The journey ahead was slow, difficult, and obstructed.
Under the moonlight, Yang Kai saw a shadow twist and writhe slightly.
Flicking his wrist, Yang Kai sent out a crescent-shaped black strike, hitting the shadow. Then, blood started flowing from the shadow, filling the air with a metallic tinge.
Despite being suppressed by this independent World, his foundation was still intact, and he could still invoke some of his Space Secret Techniques. Moreover, Yang Kai could sense that the suppression of his strength in this World was not absolute. His strength could still be improved, and given time, he could at least restore his cultivation to the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
However, this was probably the limit that this World could accommodate.
Although Yang Kai could only increase his cultivation by a Major Realm, the power he could exert by then would increase by a lot.
As dawn broke over the horizon, Zuo Wu You finally awoke from his meditative state, having spent the night adjusting his breathing and restoring his energy. But what he saw upon opening his eyes left him startled – a field of corpses strewn haphazardly across the ground, their blood painting the earth a deep shade of red. These bodies showed no signs of resistance, having been cleanly sliced in two by some incredibly sharp weapon.
Zuo Wu You couldn’t even begin to guess when these people had come or how they died, but one thing was clear;they were all assassins from the Black Ink Cult’s Night Chapter. Feeling ashamed, he rose to his feet and addressed his companion, “Holy Son…”
Yang Kai merely glanced at him and nodded in response, “Prepare for a breakout.”
“Oh?” Zuo Wu You was taken aback by this sudden directive, but he soon understood what Yang Kai meant. Though he was only in the True Element Boundary and lacked a Divine Sense, his regular senses were sharp enough to detect the danger around them.
This realization left him pale, but Yang Kai remained unperturbed, dusting himself off and pointing in the direction they had been travelling, “Yesterday, we were heading towards Dawn City in that direction, right?”
“Yes!” Zuo Wu You nodded.
“Then, let’s go,” Yang Kai declared, lifting his long spear.
“We’re just going off like this…?” Zuo Wu You was taken aback once again. The Black Ink Cult surely knew that they were heading towards Dawn City, and the interception in this direction would definitely be the strongest. The safest course of action would be to test the enemy’s strength and choose a weaker defensive position to break through.
But, Yang Kai replied confidently, “We’re going to Dawn City, and it’s closest in this direction. We’ll go this way.” Saying so, he strode forward.
Zuo Wu You had no choice but to follow.
*Chi–*
Suddenly, a loud clanging sound echoed in all directions as a barrage of arrows flew towards them.
Zuo Wu You quickly raised his sword to deflect them, all the while shouting a warning to Yang Kai, “Holy Son, be careful!” But when he turned his head, he only saw Yang Kai strolling leisurely through the rain of arrows, with no effort to dodge or resist them, yet the dense barrage of arrows couldn’t even touch his clothes.
[How is that possible!?] Zuo Wu You couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Before he could fully comprehend what was happening, he witnessed Yang Kai flicking his fingers and launching a barrage of black Moon Blades in all directions. These blades seemed to cut through space itself, effortlessly breaking through the blockade.
In the next instant, screams echoed throughout the area.
Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but remember the gruesome scene of the corpses from before, realising how Yang Kai had managed to defeat the enemies last night.
The two figures continued to fly forward, killing their opponents without mercy.
It was only a moment later when the rain of arrows from the shadows became sparse, eventually stopping completely. Perhaps the enemy had realised that this tactic was futile against Yang Kai, though the temporary pause didn’t mean they had given up their siege, but rather prepared for an even stronger attack.
After flying forward for a while longer, several figures suddenly flew towards them from the front. Each of these people was a peak True Element Boundary Master, radiating a strong aura. They also seemed to maintain a unique Battle Formation as they moved forward.
They all carried longswords, exuding a chilling Sword Intent.
Zuo Wu You’s expression turned grave, “They’re from the Earth Chapter of the Black Ink Cult. They usually handle small-scale battles. I didn’t expect them to show up this time.”
What worried Zuo Wu You more was the possibility that the Earth Chapter Master might also be among them. If that were the case, it would be a bigger problem.
That person wasn’t as sneaky as Xue Ji, and although he had an impulsive character, his strength was second to none among the Eight Chapter Masters of the Black Ink Cult.
“Be careful, Holy Son. They have the North Star Sword Formation, which can combine the strength of seven people to unleash a power far beyond their individual cultivation realm,” Zuo Wu You warned.
As soon as he finished speaking, the enemy had already made their move. Their Battle Formation was impressive, converging the strength of seven people into one. The leader of the group waved their longsword and a massive sword wave came crashing down on Yang Kai, instantly splitting him in half.
Zuo Wu You’s previous boiling blood ran cold all of a sudden.
The seven swordsmen in the Formation had no idea their target would be so weak, easily slain with just one sword strike; however, the severed body that lay before them didn’t spill fresh blood and instead quickly faded into nothingness.
It was merely an afterimage!
The seven of them were shocked and were about to launch another sword attack when they heard a voice in their ears, “A good sword, but it still lacks a certain substance.”
In the next instant, a single spear shadow filled their vision before blood burst forth. The Sword Formation was instantly broken, and the seven swordsmen who comprised it either died or became seriously wounded.
Zuo Wu You flew over, using his Secret Techniques to kill any survivors. He then turned to Yang Kai, “Holy Son!”
He was filled with disbelief. For a moment, he thought the Holy Son had been killed, but it turned out to be just an afterimage. He hadn’t even seen how the Holy Son moved, which meant his Movement Skill was beyond his comprehension.
“Quick, let’s go,” Zuo Wu You said in a low voice. He had a sense of unease in his heart as if a great danger was approaching.
Before he could do anything though, a strange voice sounded, “Do you think you can kill so many of us and just walk away?”
“He’s here!” Zuo Wu You’s face changed drastically, apparently realising what was happening.
Yang Kai’s expression also became serious as he sensed a powerful aura rapidly approaching them. He looked in that direction and saw a figure quickly running towards them like lightning.
He immediately pushed Zuo Wu You aside and lifted his spear and thrust it out.
The figure quickly approached, revealing a towering man with a fierce and evil expression, giving off a genuine Immortal Ascension Boundary aura.
Not only was this man a Master from the Black Ink Cult’s Earth Chapter, but he was also one of the strongest among the Eight Chapter Masters.
Facing Yang Kai’s spear strike, he didn’t dodge or evade; instead, he smirked and met the strike with a punch.
The long spear shattered as the punch’s force swept forward, causing Yang Kai to grunt and retreat a dozen steps before stabilising his footing. Suddenly, his clothes burst apart at the back, pierced by the force of the punch.
The long spear was now turned to dust because it was only a common item that couldn’t withstand a full-force attack from an Immortal Ascension Realm Master.
“Oh?” The Earth Chapter Master threw only one punch and didn’t pursue further, looking surprised when he saw Yang Kai’s state, “You’re not dead yet?”
He could sense that the young man before him was only in the True Element Boundary, yet he could withstand his punch without dying, which was quite strange.
“Forget it, it’s your misfortune that I didn’t kill you with one punch. The next one will do the job.” Saying so, the Earth Chapter Master strode towards Yang Kai till he was close enough, and then, he struck again.
With a loud boom, a violent shockwave swept out as the ground cracked open.
The Earth Chapter Master’s eyes narrowed with amazement, for his surefire punch had been blocked by the other party’s fist.
To the side, Zuo Wu You had just regained his footing and witnessed a scene he would never forget.
He saw the Holy Son slightly hunched over, raising his fist to meet the Earth Chapter Master’s punch. Under the intense collision, the scene froze.
Looking up at the Earth Chapter Master, Yang Kai snickered, “With such a soft punch, who are you trying to kill?”
Both Zuo Wu You and Earth Chapter Master were taken aback!
Of the Eight Chapter Masters of the Black Ink Cult, each of them had their own unique skills, except for the Earth Chapter Master who wasn’t specialised in Secret Techniques or used any kind of weapon. Despite having no defining trait, the Earth Chapter Master was still ranked among the top three strongest Chapter Masters for his physical strength alone, having refined his body to the point of being as strong as an artifact, with fists that could destroy anything in the World.
In terms of physical strength and power alone, the Earth Chapter Master was undoubtedly the best in the entire Primordial World.
Even Masters in the same realm as him couldn’t withstand his punches. Once, a Master of the Spirit Religion who was also in the Immortal Ascension Boundary fought him in close combat relying on a protective artifact, but he was killed with a single punch, and even the protective artifact was shattered by that punch.
Zuo Wu You could not conceive of anyone who could directly withstand such a terrifying Master and his fists alone, not until he witnessed this scene with his own eyes!
Despite the Holy Son’s physique not being as robust as the Earth Chapter Master’s, with his build being at best half as bulky, the difference between them only highlighted the incredible nature of this frozen moment.
The Earth Chapter Master was clearly angered by Yang Kai’s words and let out a low growl, “I haven’t seen such a bold person in a long time. I hope your fists will be as strong as your mouth!”
He swung his fist and attacked again.
Yang Kai faced the incoming fist with casual indifference and replied, “I was just about to say the same thing!”
*Hong Hong Hong…*
The violent impact of their fists created deafening noise, and the visible shockwaves rippled outwards from where their fists met.
The disdain on Earth Chapter Master’s face gradually dissipated, replaced by a look of seriousness and confusion. He couldn’t fathom how such a frail body could contain such immense power. He even had a vague suspicion that Yang Kai wasn’t even using his full strength yet!
This thought frightened him, which he dared not dwell on any further.
As for Yang Kai, he was also equally frustrated. The suppression from this independent World was too great; not only had his strength fallen from the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm to the True Element Boundary, but even his Dragon Vein couldn’t be fully accessed. To paint a clearer picture, if the power from his Dragon Vein were to be described as a lake, the amount of power he could currently access would only be equivalent to a mere drop of water.
If not for this, he could easily crush an Immortal Ascension Master with just one finger.
At present, his strength was slightly greater than Earth Chapter Master’s, but not by much.
Their fists collided again and again, gradually covering them in bloody wounds with fresh blood splattering every time they clashed.
Suddenly, Yang Kai taunted the Earth Chapter Master by tilting his chin up, “You and your Black Ink Cult’s endless pursuit. I wonder, if I kill you, will the rest of our path become peaceful?”
The Earth Chapter Master felt insulted and roared, “If you can kill me, then you’ll get what you want!” His expression then turned ferocious, “But are you capable?”
As he spoke, a pitch-black mist enveloped him, and his body swelled up, his muscles bulging as an even greater power erupted from within. Following this, he unleashed a punch that was far more powerful than his previous ones.
This punch was almost equal to Yang Kai’s current limit.
However, facing this attack, Yang Kai remained calm as he used his fist to meet the punch head-on!
A loud explosion resounded.
Yang Kai’s body shook slightly while the Earth Chapter Master stumbled. His previously determined expression became uncertain.
Without giving him a chance to catch his breath, Yang Kai’s attacks suddenly became even more intense.
The Earth Chapter Master also roared continuously, shifting from offence to defence as he tried to fend off Yang Kai’s relentless assault.
After a moment, his eyes trembled violently as he shouted, “What kind of monster are you?!”
He had always been the one to overwhelm others with his physique and strength, dominating the entire Primordial World without anyone in this domain surpassing him. Yet today, even with the help of his Black Ink Strength, he found himself falling behind.
It was simply unbearable.
What made it worse was the strange power of his opponent’s punches, each strike penetrating through his physical defence and hammering his body from the inside out, causing damage to his five viscera and six organs.
Amidst his roar of anger, a sharp Divine Sense suddenly erupted towards Yang Kai’s mind, followed by the voice of a woman saying, “I told you this guy was not easy to deal with, but you had to be careless. Now you’re in trouble.”
Xue Ji!
She had also arrived, and she had been concealing herself nearby. A crimson blood mist suddenly manifested and rushed straight at Yang Kai, wrapping him up completely.
Xue Ji’s insidious voice rang out from within the blood mist, “Bastard, it’s your honour to die under the combined efforts of us two mighty Chapter Masters! Now, offer up your physical essence. With a vigorous man like you, the taste would certainly be heavenly!”
As she spoke, fresh blood gushed out of the wounds on Yang Kai’s fists, seemingly drawn out by some unknown force, and merged into the blood mist.
When Yang Kai saw this, he just smirked mockingly and said, “You want to eat me? Be careful not to burst your stomach!”
A faint Dragon Roar was then heard.
The blood mist surrounding Yang Kai writhed and twisted as if struck by lightning.
“What is this!?” Xue Ji’s voice became frantic as she seemed to encounter something she couldn’t understand. During her speech, Xue Ji screamed again and hurriedly withdrew from Yang Kai’s body, transforming back into her own body in mid-air.
However, it was difficult for her to maintain her body’s stability, like a storm was rampaging inside her, causing her flesh to suddenly expand like a ball and then twist like a rope.
Xue Ji let out a mournful cry, her entire body bursting into a ball of blood mist.
Even though Yang Kai’s Dragon Vein had been suppressed, it was still fundamentally powered by a Divine Dragon. Xue Ji, unaware of the truth, had swallowed and tried to refine the blood of the Divine Dragon. Even if it was just a tiny drop, it was not something that a cultivator of her calibre could endure.
The burst blood mist once again gathered into Xue Ji’s figure, only to burst again in her agonising screams.
This endless cycle of torment seemed as if it would carry on forever.
On the other hand, the Earth Chapter Master, who was fighting Yang Kai, couldn’t help but shudder with fear.
Yang Kai was already beyond him in terms of physicality and strength, a fact that he struggled to accept. But now, Xue Ji’s mere act of devouring a bit of his blood had left her in such agony that he couldn’t fathom what trick Yang Kai had played on her.
At that moment, he finally understood the fear and unease that his enemies must have felt before they died at his hand.
And to make matters worse… the Holy Son of the Light Spirit Religion before him seemed to be immune to Spiritual Energy attacks.
Moments ago, Xue Ji had used her Divine Sense to strike him, yet her opponent seemed completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened.
He wasn’t even wearing any Soul-type artifacts, so how could he withstand Soul Attacks?
*Kacha…* With a loud cracking sound, the Earth Chapter Master was horrified to discover that his arm had been broken.
After exchanging so many punches, it seemed his physical body had exceeded its limits.
Yang Kai landed another blow and mocked, “So much for your strength!”
The Earth Chapter Master desperately blocked the incoming punch and retreated backwards, but quickly changed direction and fled as fast as he could. Along the way, he took several more punches from Yang Kai, spewing fresh blood from his mouth and looking pathetic.
Yang Kai dashed forward relentlessly, determined to capture the Earth Chapter Master; however, he was intercepted by a group of Black Ink Cult members mid-way, forcing him to deal with them first. And by the time he was done, the Earth Chapter Master had already vanished into thin air, leaving him with no choice but to backtrack.
Zuo Wu You was still there, having fought against some Earth Chapter members during Yang Kai’s battle with the Earth Chapter Master. He now appeared worn out, his body slumped against a pile of rubble, his breath ragged, and his body covered in blood.
“Where’s Xue Ji?” Yang Kai glanced around but saw no trace of the seductive woman.
“She escaped when you went after the Earth Chapter Master,” Zuo Wu You replied.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment and said, “Never mind, she won’t live much longer anyway.”
To think that the Night Chapter Master dared to covet a Divine Dragon’s blood, she was bound to die by her own hand, so Yang Kai had no interest in tracking her down either.
“Can you still move?” Yang Kai asked Zuo Wu You.
Zuo Wu You replied, “Please, Holy Son, go ahead first.” Then, he pointed in a certain direction and continued, “When you see a large city with tall walls, that would be Dawn City.”
Although Yang Kai had demonstrated formidable Sword Secret Techniques and great physical strength, he was still True Element Boundary. Zuo Wu You had not expected him to turn the tables against the joint attack of two of the Black Ink Cult’s top combatants.
It was a victory across realms, a miracle that had never been achieved before.
With a Holy Son of such strength, it was best for him to travel to Dawn City alone as Zuo Wu You didn’t want to be a burden to him.
Yang Kai understood his intention with just a moment’s thought. He walked over to help Zuo Wu You up and said, “My sense of direction has always been poor. I will need your guidance along the way.”
Zuo Wu You was about to say something more when Yang Kai interrupted, “The Night Chapter and Earth Chapter have failed consecutively. The Black Ink Cult won’t be able to spare any more forces to pursue us in the short term; therefore, the road ahead should not be too dangerous.”
Zuo Wu You thought for a moment before feeling it was reasonable. Although the Black Ink Cult was a mighty army with the finest weapons and the Eight Chapters’ heritage was magnificent, the sudden emergence of a Holy Son who was not previously known made it difficult for Black Ink Cult to prepare appropriately. The fact that they could mobilise so many Night Chapter and Earth Chapter cultists, even having the personal presence of the two Chapter Masters, was already the limit of what Black Ink Cult could do in the short term.
Now that the two Chapter Masters had been defeated, and many of their troops were either killed or injured, they were unlikely to have the strength to cause any more trouble.
Finally gaining a sense of relief, Zuo Wu You said, “Then I will travel with you, Holy Son.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded and enveloped him with his power before flying off.
…..
In the depths of a damp and dark underground cavern, within a natural cave, the sound of agonising screams echoed through a cluster of crimson mist, as if someone was enduring unbearable torture.
The mist contorted and expanded randomly, desperately trying to take on a humanoid shape, but each time it did, it would explode uncontrollably, the screams growing louder with each cycle.
This scene repeated itself again and again, the mist becoming thinner and the screams gradually becoming less audible. Finally, at a certain moment, the thinning mist condensed once more into a graceful figure who curled up on the damp ground like a wounded rabbit. Her fair body was covered in dried-up blood, motionless, like she was devoid of vitality.
However, after a while, the owner of that body suddenly took in a deep breath as if her Soul had returned. When she opened her eyes, they were filled with a look of horror.
“Such power…” she whispered softly, almost inaudible.
Madness then overtook her as she murmured it several times, her voice gradually becoming more resounding, “…brings me such joy!”
Trembling with excitement, her eyes became filled with anticipation and glee.
She forced herself to stand up despite her weakened body and retrieved a blood-red robe from her Space Ring. After putting it on and restoring herself for a moment, she turned into a bloody mist and vanished into the dark underground.
Moments later, she reappeared on the previous battlefield, searching earnestly among the pieces of broken limbs and flesh. Finally, she made a discovery which caused her to turn ecstatic. Then, she activated her Blood Secret Technique, sending a burst of scarlet mist deep into the ground. Later when she retrieved it again, the mist glimmered with a golden light.
She merged it into her body and immediately felt the terrifying power expanding within her body, causing her expression to contort and a mournful cry to erupt, frightening countless beasts and birds in the nearby wilderness.
…..
“Zuo Wu You, is this the Holy Son you spoke of?” Outside a small town, a group of people blocked the way of Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You.
The leader, an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master, looked at Yang Kai from top to bottom and asked.
Zuo Wu You cupped his fists, replying, “Senior Chu, when the Holy Son descended, he fulfilled the prophecy passed down by the Spirit Religion, there is no mistake!”
The cultivator surnamed Chu nodded, “The Spirit Religion’s prophecy has been circulating for countless years. In the past, there have been several instances of suspected Holy Sons, but they were all proven to be misunderstandings or the schemes of people with ulterior motives.”
Zuo Wu You was suddenly confused by his words as he asked, “Sir, there have been several Holy Sons in the past?” Though he possessed quite a high status in the Spirit Religion, he was only in the True Element Boundary, so he wasn’t qualified enough to know about some top secrets.
The Master surnamed Chu nodded, “As I said, the prophecy of the Spirit Religion has been passed down for countless years, and the Black Ink Cult is also aware of it. They had previously attempted to use this method to infiltrate us.”
Upon hearing that, Zuo Wu You became anxious, “Sir, this Holy Son is definitely not a member of the Black Ink Cult.” He had seen how the Holy Son had fought with the Black Ink Cult’s two Chapter Masters and how he had killed those Black Ink Cultists along the way. How could such a person be a spy sent by the Black Ink Cult?
The Master surnamed Chu raised his hand to stop him, “Your loyalty to the Spirit Religion is clear to me, but the matter of the Holy Son still needs to be decided by the many Order Lords. We only need to do our part, understand?”
Zuo Wu You pursed his lips, “I understand.”
The Immortal Ascension Boundary cultivator finally looked at Yang Kai and introduced himself, “Old Master Chu An He, how should we address this young friend?”
Yang Kai smiled and bowed respectfully, “Yang Kai.”
He couldn’t help but find the old man interesting. By saying all of those to Zuo Wu You in front of him, Chu An He was clearly warning Yang Kai, but he understood that it was a necessary action, so he held no grudges.
Besides, Yang Kai was never really concerned about his status as the Holy Son, it was only Zuo Wu You and his comrades who persistently addressed him as so throughout their journey. All he wanted was to go to Dawn City and meet the Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion to verify his suspicions.
Only one thing puzzled him.
After his identity as the Holy Son was exposed, the Black Ink Cult swiftly organised three high-level attacks, but there had been no response from the Light Spirit Religion. Zuo Wu You had sent a message ahead when they were getting the carriage at a small town a while back, so logically, whether or not his identity as the Holy Son was real, the Light Spirit Religion should have given him enough attention and quickly arranged for people to assist them. But in fact, it had already been four days since Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You began their trek.
After another one or two days, the two would have arrived at Dawn City on their own.
It wasn’t until now that the Light Spirit Religion finally dispatched a group of people to meet them.
In terms of efficiency, the Light Spirit Religion was far worse than the Black Ink Cult. Their attitude towards Yang Kai, as the Holy Son, were also completely different.
“I shall address you as such, then,” Chu An He showed a warm smile, “After Zuo Wu You’s message was received, the Spirit Religion made the corresponding arrangements and deployment. There are enough people ahead to receive you. Follow me. The Saintess and the Order Lords are already waiting in the Holy City.”
The Black Ink Cult had Eight Chapters: the Heaven, Earth, Profound, Dawn, Night, Space, Flood and Barren Chapters.
Likewise, the Light Spirit Religion also had Eight Orders: Heaven, Earth, Thunder, Wind, Fire, Water, Mountain, and Lake Valley Orders.
The Eight Chapter Masters and Eight Order Lords were the most powerful Masters in the World.
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Follow me this way,” Chu An He beckoned, walking with Yang Kai towards the small town ahead.
“You must have encountered many hardships on your way here, little friend,” Chu An He said with a smile, “Seeing how dusty and tired you look, you must have been attacked by the Black Ink Cult?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “En, but it was just a bunch of small fry that Brother Zuo and I easily took care of.”
Behind them, Zuo Wu You couldn’t help but glance at Yang Kai with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
“So that’s how it is!” Chu An He also smiled, “The Black Ink Cult has always been vile and treacherous. If you encounter them again in the future, don’t underestimate them.”
“Of course,” Yang Kai replied casually.
As they walked and chatted, the group soon entered the small town and Yang Kai looked around and asked in curiosity, “Why is this place so desolate? I don’t see anyone around.”
“It’s a matter about the Holy Son… well, though it hasn’t been confirmed, it’s better to be cautious. So, before your arrival, this Old Master cleared out all the people in the town, lest they give Black Ink Cultists an opportunity.”
Yang Kai praised, “Sir Chu’s actions are quite thorough.”
Saying so, he suddenly stopped and turned around, reaching out to grab Zuo Wu You’s shoulder while smiling, “Brother Zuo, you must learn from Sir Chu.”
Zuo Wu You was in a daze at the sudden instruction. Though he felt something was off during their journey, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. When Yang Kai pulled him over, he instinctively nodded and said, “As the Holy Son instructs.”
Chu An He, on the other hand, stroked his beard and smiled without saying a word.
The group passed a corner of the small town.
Suddenly, Zuo Wu You froze in place and looked around, “Senior Chu?”
Yang Kai stood beside him with a smile.
“Be careful, Holy Son!” Zuo Wu You was suddenly as nervous as a startled rabbit, pulling out his sword to guard Yang Kai in front of him.
Because at the moment they turned the corner, Chu An He and the others who had been travelling with them disappeared without a trace, leaving only the two of them.
There were obvious traces of a Spirit Array being activated all around them!
In other words, they had fallen into a trap. No one knew when it was set up or what kind of mystery it held.
But entering such an Array recklessly would surely bring about great danger.
Yang Kai suddenly spoke up, “Brother Zuo, does your Spirit Religion often root out lurking members of the Black Ink Cult?”
“What?” Zuo Wu You instinctively responded, but quickly realised, “Holy Son, you mean…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Chu An He’s voice sounded in their ears, hidden by the Spirit Array. No one knew where he was, but his previous gentle and warm demeanour was now replaced by brutality and ferocity, “Zuo Wu You, after all these years of nurture and trust from Spirit Religion, you dare to collude with the Black Ink Cult and bring disaster to the foundation of our Spirit Religion? Do you know your crime!?”
Zuo Wu You shouted in response, “Senior Chu, I was born and raised in the Spirit Religion. The Spirit Religion has given me everything I have, and without its protection over the years, how could I have achieved my current glory? I am loyal to the Spirit Religion with all my heart and Soul. Sir, how can you accuse me of colluding with the Black Ink Cult?”
Chu An He coldly snorted, “You still dare to argue? That person by your side, isn’t he a member of the Black Ink Cult?”
Zuo Wu You frowned and quickly retorted, “Senior Chu, are you referring to the Holy Son…?”
“Tsk!” Chu An He burst out, “He is a spy of the Black Ink Cult! How dare you call him Holy Son!”
Zuo Wu You immediately changed the way he addressed Yang Kai, “Brother Yang and I have been travelling together, killing many members of the Black Ink Cult. We even defeated the Night Chapter Master and injured the Earth Chapter Master. Without Brother Yang’s protection, I would have been a dead man long ago. Brother Yang cannot possibly be a member of the Black Ink Cult.”
Chu An He became silent for a moment before he slowly spoke, “You said he defeated the Night Chapter Master and injured the Earth Chapter Master?”
“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes,” replied Zuo Wu You.
“Hahaha!” Chu An He burst into laughter.
“Why are you laughing, Senior Chu?” Zuo Wu You asked in a deep voice.
Chu An He roared, “You fools! This person by your side is only a trivial True Element cultivator while the Night Chapter Master and Earth Chapter Master are both Masters renowned throughout the World. Even this King at the Immortal Ascension Boundary can only admit defeat before them, so how could he possibly defeat them? Zuo Wu You, how can you not see through such a simple trick?”
Zuo Wu You suddenly became suspicious and couldn’t help but turn his head to glance at Yang Kai.
Zuo Wu You was in a daze, reminiscing on the events that had transpired. He was once amazed by Yang Kai’s impressive strength, being able to fight beyond his realm and even take down two Chapter Masters of the Black Ink Cult, but what if all of this was just a part of the enemy’s plan to gain his trust?
As he thought back on it now, the timing and location of the appearance of the supposed Holy Son seemed questionable…
He was now momentarily lost in thought.
Yang Kai simply smiled faintly in response to his gaze and said, “Old Sir, to be honest, I’m not very interested in being your Holy Son. Brother Zuo seems to have misunderstood something all this time, hence calling me by that title. Whether or not you call me that doesn’t really matter. The reason why I have come this far is simply to meet your Saintess. Could you facilitate that for me, Old Sir?”
Chu An He coldly snorted, “Even at death’s door, you dare to speak such honeyed words? The Saintess is a noble figure, not someone a Black Ink Cult spy can simply meet!”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai became displeased, “You keep calling me a Black Ink Cult spy, but how can you be so sure that I am one?”
After a moment of silence, Chu An He finally spoke, “It doesn’t matter now that things have come to this. I’ll tell you the truth. Spirit Religion’s true Holy Son was found 10 years ago. If you’re not part of the Black Ink Cult, why pretend to be the Holy Son?”
“What?” Zuo Wu You was shocked at the news.
“This was originally top secret, only known by the Saintess, the Eight Order Lords, and a few select others. But the Spirit Religion has already decided to have the Holy Son appear to stabilize the people’s hearts, so it’s no longer a secret!”
Zuo Wu You stood rooted to the spot, the impact of this news weighing heavily on him.
So, the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion was already found 10 years ago!
If that were the case, who was this person standing beside him? When he appeared, he did fit the prophecy left behind by the first-generation Saintess.
It was no wonder why the Spirit Religion had not sent anyone to assist him on his journey. While the Black Ink Cult had already dispatched two Chapter Masters, the Spirit Religion had been slow to react, sending only a single Elder in the end. At that moment, Zuo Wu You understood many things.
It wasn’t that the Spirit Religion didn’t value their Holy Son, but it was because the true Holy Son had been found 10 years ago already.
“Zuo Wu You!” Chu An He’s voice softened, “No one doubts your loyalty to the Spirit Religion, but you’re the one who has caused all this trouble, so it’s up to you to solve it.”
Zuo Wu You cupped his fist and said, “Please give me your orders, Sir.”
“It’s simple! Kill this imposter who dares to impersonate the Holy Son. Cut off his head, and show it to everyone!”
Zuo Wu You was taken aback and turned to look at Yang Kai again, struggling with conflicting emotions in his eyes.
Yang Kai paid no attention to Chu An He’s words, not even glancing over at Zuo Wu You; instead, a golden vertical cross appeared in his left eye, displaying a strange expression as he kept gazing into the air.
Beside him, Zuo Wu You struggled for a while before pointing his long sword at Yang Kai, slowly gathering murderous intent.
Only then did Yang Kai give him a glance and asked, “Brother Zuo, are you going to make a move?”
Zuo Wu You nodded and then slowly shook his head as he asked, “Brother Yang, I only have one question for you. Are you a spy for the Black Ink Cult?”
“I’ve said I’m not, do you believe me?” Yang Kai smiled at him.
“Although I may not be the strongest, I have a keen eye for judging people,” Zuo Wu You replied, “If Brother Yang says he’s not a spy, then I believe it. However…”
“What?”
“There’s another thing I would like Brother Yang to explain.”
“Say it.”
“During the siege of the cave, you were contaminated with Black Ink Strength, so why were you unscathed?”
[Do you know anything about the World Tree clone? Or the Four Universe Pillars?] Yang Kai thought to himself. He couldn’t explain it to Zuo Wu You, so he could only say, “If I tell you I have a natural resistance to Black Ink Strength due to my innate talent, would you believe me? That thing can’t affect me at all.”
Zuo Wu You slowly lowered his sword and gave a bitter smile, “I’ve encountered too many unbelievable things on this journey. Brother Yang, what you said will be verified by me in the future.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow, “At this point, shouldn’t you trust the people of the Spirit Religion, rather than someone you only met a few days ago?”
Zuo Wu You shook his head bitterly.
“Are you not going to make a move? Have you been contaminated with Black Ink Strength that twisted your nature and become a member of the Black Ink Cult?” Chu An He couldn’t help but shout when he saw Zuo Wu You still hadn’t attacked.
Zuo Wu You suddenly raised his head, “Sir, whether or not I have been contaminated with Black Ink Strength, I only need to meet with the Saintess and have her use the Purifying Heart Secret Technique on me to know for sure. However, there is one thing that I don’t understand at the moment. Please enlighten me!”
“What is it?” Chu An He asked impatiently.
“Sir thinks that Brother Yang is a spy of the Black Ink Cult, and this operation is aimed at him. I can understand that; however, why was I also included in this Array then? Sir, this Array is very dangerous. Although I only have some faint knowledge of Spirit Arrays, I can still see some of this one’s mysteries. Are you trying to kill both me and Brother Yang with this Array?”
Yang Kai raised his brow and couldn’t help but pat Zuo Wu You’s shoulder, “You have a sharp eye, indeed!”
He had used the Demon Eye of Annihilation to penetrate the illusion and could see all the mysteries of this Array. It was a Killing Array, and once fully activated, anyone inside would undoubtedly die without burial unless they had the ability to break out on their own.
Zuo Wu You had keenly perceived this, which was why he couldn’t fully trust Chu An He. Of course, since the matter involved the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion, it was impossible for him to easily believe in Yang Kai either.
“Ignorant fool!” Chu An He didn’t explain anything, “It seems you have been twisted by Black Ink Strength. It’s a pity that my Spirit Religion will now lose another good man! Kill them!”
As soon as the words fell, both Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You sensed a change in the atmosphere. A fierce murderous intent emerged out of nowhere, surging in all directions!
Zuo Wu You shouted, “Chu An He, I want to see the Saintess!”
“You will never see her!”
Zuo Wu You suddenly realised, “So you guys are the spies of the Black Ink Cult!”
“The Black Ink Cult is nothing. Are they worthy enough for this Old Master to serve them? Zuo Wu You, nothing in this world is as simple as black and white. Unfortunately, you won’t have a chance to see it anymore!” Chu An He coldly snorted.
“You old fart!” Zuo Wu You muttered under his breath and then reminded Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, be careful. This Array is powerful and not easy to deal with. We may both die here.”
The Dao of Spirit Arrays was not something any ordinary person could study. Although Zuo Wu You had seen Yang Kai’s strength, he feared that it would be difficult to display that strength once he fell into this trap.
However, Yang Kai simply smiled lightly and sat down on a nearby stone pillar, as calm as ever, “Rest assured, we will not die here today.”
Zuo Wu You was stunned and could not understand how this man could be so calm at a time like this.
While he was still puzzled, a sharp and miserable scream came from outside, one that was abruptly cut off.
Zuo Wu You was no stranger to such screams. That was the cry of a person just before their death.
The screams continued one after another until finally Chu An He’s voice rang out in utter panic, “It’s you! No, please spare me! I am willing to serve the Black Ink Cult! Please spare my life!”
Zuo Wu You was horrified when he heard those words; after all, Chu An He was also an elite in the Immortal Ascension Boundary. He did not know what he had encountered at this moment to be begging for mercy so desperately.
But obviously, it was in vain. The next moment, his screams echoed once again.
After a while, everything fell silent.
The people from the Spirit Religion outside were probably all dead. With the absence of their control over the Spirit Array, the illusion that had enveloped Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You disappeared along with the breaking of the Array. A graceful figure, carrying a shrivelled-up body, then lightly floated down in front of Yang Kai. Her beautiful eyes were filled with an unusual light as she stared at him without moving, her crimson tongue licking her lips, as if the man before her was some kind of delicious delicacy.
Zuo Wu You was horrified as he lifted his sword, “Xue Ji!”
The intruder was none other than the Night Chapter Master of the Black Ink Cult, Xue Ji, who had crossed paths with them twice before.
Zuo Wu You’s eyes scanned back and forth between Xue Ji and Yang Kai. His mind was in disarray, feeling as though the situation had taken a sudden turn and the truth was shrouded in a fog that made it impossible to see clearly.
He couldn’t decide whether Yang Kai, the person sitting beside him, was a member of the Black Ink Cult or not. If he wasn’t, then why did Xue Ji suddenly appear in the middle of a life-or-death crisis and break the Array to save them?
But if he was, then many things couldn’t be explained.
At this point, Zuo Wu You had completely lost his ability to think and felt that there was no one trustworthy in this world.
While he was on high alert, Yang Kai and Xue Ji ignored him completely. The two of them locked eyes, one full of interest and the other filled with longing.
“You dare to show up in front of me?” Yang Kai sat casually on the stone pillar, arms folded, not at all flustered by the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Master standing in front of him. He didn’t even show any signs of guarding himself as he spoke, leaning forward with an oppressive aura, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll kill you?”
Xue Ji giggled, “Are you willing to?”
Yang Kai snorted coldly, “I’ve already done it before, I just didn’t finish the job.”
Xue Ji’s expression froze for a moment before she huffed, “What a boring man.”
She then tossed the shrivelled body in her hand to the ground and continued, “This person wanted to kill you, but I left him with a thread of vitality. It’s up to you how to deal with him.”
Laying on the ground was Chu An He who was gasping for air, his Blood Essence having already disappeared. He looked like a dried-up corpse, not dead but not much different from being dead. When he heard Xue Ji’s words, his dry eyes turned to Yang Kai, filled with pleading.
However, Yang Kai ignored him and chuckled lightly, “You suddenly show up to save me and flatter me so much. What do you want?”
“I want you!” Xue Ji’s seductive eyes gleamed as a burst of blood mist suddenly enveloped Zuo Wu You. Despite Zuo Wu You’s constant vigilance since Xue Ji’s appearance, he was unable to dodge the mist. The huge gap in their strength made his vigilance seem like a joke.
At the same time, Xue Ji’s eyes turned icy, and a powerful surge of Spiritual Energy burst forth, transforming into a sharp attack that surged into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea.
Yang Kai’s expression turned extremely strange in an instant…
He suddenly realised how wonderful a trap appearing to be in the True Element Boundary was. These Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters would come to suppress him with their Divine Sense at the slightest provocation, even using their Soul Avatars to determine victory or defeat.
He then turned to Zuo Wu You, only to see him stiff as a board and covered in a thin layer of blood mist that flowed around him like water.
“Don’t move,” Yang Kai told him. Xue Ji’s Secret Technique clearly did not intend to take Zuo Wu You’s life, but if he made any unusual movements, he would surely be devoured by that blood mist.
Zuo Wu You’s forehead began dripping with sweat as he spoke hoarsely, “Brother Yang, what’s going on?”
When Xue Ji appeared to rescue them, he almost believed that Yang Kai was a spy for the Black Ink Cult, but then Xue Ji clearly used her Soul Secret Technique on Yang Kai, sending her Soul Avatar to enter his Knowledge Sea. This meant that Yang Kai could not possibly be on the same side as Xue Ji!
Zuo Wu You was now completely confused.
“It’s probably because she has taken a liking to me and wants to capture me. As you know, her Blood Secret Technique requires her to devour Blood Essence from others, so my body is a great supplement for her.”
“But, what about her now?”
“What happened to Yan Peng, will happen to her.”
Zuo Wu You suddenly felt relieved…
Before this, Yan Peng had also used his Soul Avatar on Yang Kai, but he died without a word. He never thought that Xue Ji would be so foolish to do the same.
No, to be exact, it was not foolish; rather. it was because there had never been such a being like Yang Kai in this World.
In the battle with the Earth Chapter Master, Xue Ji had hidden nearby and used Soul attacks on Yang Kai, but they had no effect.
Xue Ji probably thought that Yang Kai had some special method of resisting those Soul attacks, so this time she decided to use her Soul Avatar to go all out!
She achieved her goal of rushing into Yang Kai’s Knowledge Sea and swiftly landed on the seven-coloured island. Immediately afterwards, she witnessed a scene that she would never forget.
“Greetings, Chapter Master Xue Ji!” A figure stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
Xue Ji looked at the figure in surprise, confirming that it was also a Soul Avatar and one that she knew. She couldn’t help but ask, “Yan Peng? What are you doing here? Aren’t you dead?”
“Am I already dead?” Yan Peng asked with a heavy heart.
“You were beheaded by a sword…” Xue Ji responded with a dazed look.
“So, I am already dead…” Yan Peng’s face was now filled with sorrow and grief. Although he had anticipated that he wouldn’t end up well, it was still hard to accept the truth. He had been a brilliant leader, cultivating hard to reach the Immortal Ascension Boundary, and subsequently held a high status in the Black Ink Cult. Yet, he died in such an unclear and meaningless way.
“What is this place? Who are these… Divine Beings?” Xue Ji looked at the young man and the panther next to him.
Yan Peng sighed, “It’s a long story.”
“Enough nonsense!” The panther suddenly spoke, “Big Brother said you aren’t being obedient and asked me to educate you on how to show proper respect.”
Saying so, the leopard’s body flickered with lightning as it pounced towards Xue Ji.
“Wait!” Xue Ji hurriedly stepped back, but the lightning came so fast that it immediately wrapped her up. On the small, seven-coloured island, her screams echoed.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai still sat on the stone pillar, while Zuo Wu You remained motionless in a stiff posture, with beads of sweat dripping down his face.
Opposite Yang Kai, Xue Ji also stood like a statue.
After about a cup of tea’s worth of time, Yang Kai’s brow rose slightly. At the same time, Zuo Wu You also sensed a burst of Spiritual Energy emerge.
The next moment, Xue Ji gasped for breath and fell to the ground, her body drenched in sweat.
Yang Kai propped up his cheeks and looked down at her.
As if sensing Yang Kai’s gaze, Xue Ji struggled and crawled on the ground, her tender body trembling while she begged, “This Servant was overconfident and offended Master’s dignity! I beg Master to spare my life!”
She, who was once one of the greatest Masters in this World, now looked like a whipped dog, begging for mercy.
Zuo Wu You glanced at this scene from the corner of his eye, feeling like the World had gone crazy.
Yang Kai replied calmly, “First, retract your Secret Technique to avoid accidentally injuring Brother Zuo.”
“Yes!” Xue Ji quickly responded and gestured at the direction of Zuo Wu You. Then, the blood mist surrounding him immediately flew back into her body like it had a life of its own.
Once she was done, she prostrated herself on the ground again.
Zuo Wu You was finally free, but the bizarre events of the day had left him dazed, so he didn’t know what to do next.
Yang Kai spoke in a calm tone, “It seems that you understand your situation now.”
Xue Ji hurriedly responded, “Master, your words are the Heavens’ command which this Servant will never disobey!”
“Good!” Yang Kai jumped off the stone stool and walked leisurely towards Xue Ji as he commanded, “Stand up.”
Xue Ji slowly rose to her feet, with her head down and hands clasped at her side. She looked like a noble lady, not at all like the arrogant and wanton woman he had met twice before.
“You’re quite lucky to be alive. I thought you were doomed to die,” Yang Kai suddenly said something that Zuo Wu You couldn’t understand.
Xue Ji responded with her head still down, “This Servant indeed had a close brush with death. It was pure coincidence that I survived.”
“And afterwards, you came to me to try and control me?” Yang Kai joked.
Xue Ji’s expression froze, and she almost fell to her knees again, “This Servant wouldn’t dare to dream of such a thing! This Servant understands your greatness and will not dare to overstep her bounds!”
Yang Kai snorted lightly in response.
Having been dealt with by Thunder Shadow naturally caused a huge change in Xue Ji’s mentality; after all, the power possessed by him and Fang Tian Ci was far beyond that of this World.
“Well, relax for now,” Yang Kai patted Xue Ji’s shoulder lightly, “I am not a vicious person, nor do I like to kill the innocent, but when you came looking for trouble, I couldn’t just sit and wait for death. Just think of it as having bad luck today.”
“Yes, Master,” Xue Ji replied, “I now understand that the World is so much bigger than I thought.”
Yang Kai felt a connection to Chu An He’s last words and said, “This World isn’t as simple as you think.”
Xue Ji didn’t understand.
“You are the Chapter Master of the Black Ink Cult’s Night Chapter, aren’t you?” Yang Kai suddenly asked.
“Yes, Master. Do you need me to do something?” Xue Ji looked up at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai waved his hand, “No need to do anything special. Just do what you need to do.” He had never intended to subdue this woman, but when she suddenly used her Soul Secret Technique on him, he casually accepted it as a move in his game.
As they travelled along the way here, he had a sense that their journey to the Spirit Religion would not be smooth sailing. No matter what the future held, the Black Ink Cult’s Chapter Masters could still play a role.
Xue Ji was taken aback but quickly responded, “Understood, this Servant will comply.”
“Then go ahead.” Yang Kai waved his hand to dismiss her.
However, Xue Ji remained motionless, looking hesitant.
“Is there anything else?” Yang Kai asked.
Xue Ji suddenly knelt down again, pleading, “This Servant asks for a little bit of Blood from Master.” Worried that Yang Kai might refuse, she added, “Just a little bit, please.”
“Are you not afraid of being overwhelmed?” Yang Kai asked.
Xue Ji lifted her head, a charming smile on her face, “As a woman who has made it this far in life, I don’t know how many times I have passed through the gates of Hell.”
Yang Kai looked at her momentarily, until her expression became anxious before he snorted lightly, “As you wish, but don’t blame me if you die!”
With a flick of his finger, he drew a small wound on his own hand, “You can’t handle too much of my blood, so this should be enough for you… Hey, what are you doing?”
Yang Kai was shocked as the woman in front of him suddenly pounced on him and sucked hard on his finger.
Zuo Wu You, who was standing nearby, couldn’t help but frown at the sight, not sure where to look.
Xue Ji left in the form of a twisting blood mist that quickly vanished into the distance, accompanied by heart-wrenching screams.
Zuo Wu You watched the scene unfold and, while he didn’t know the exact details, he had a hunch about it; Yang Kai’s blood seemed to harbour a terrifying power that even an elite like Xue Ji, incredibly proficient in the Blood Dao, couldn’t withstand.
That was why Xue Ji had such a peculiar reaction after devouring Yang Kai’s fresh blood.
“Is it alright to let her go like that?” Zuo Wu You looked at Yang Kai, “All the members of the Black Ink Cult are cunning and deceitful. Brother Yang, don’t let her fool you.”
“It doesn’t matter. She can’t deceive me even if she wanted to.”
Even if Xue Ji could break the Soul Imprint planted on her by Fang Tian Ci, which was frankly impossible, she was now obsessed and addicted to Yang Kai’s blood, so she would never betray him no matter what.
Seeing Yang Kai’s confident expression, Zuo Wu You stopped talking and looked down at the withered corpse on the ground.
After being attacked by Xue Ji, Chu An He had only been barely breathing. With so much time passing without anyone attending to him, it was only natural that he died.
Zuo Wu You’s expression was somewhat desolate, and his tone conveyed a sense of confusion, “What exactly is going on?”
Chu An He had set up an Array in this small town ahead of time, and after drawing him and Yang Kai into it, his murderous intent was revealed. Despite constantly accusing Yang Kai of being a spy for the Black Ink Cult, Zuo Wu You was not stupid and could naturally sense something wrong with the situation.
Whether or not Yang Kai was a spy for the Black Ink Cult, Chu An He clearly intended to kill him and Yang Kai together.
But… why?
If Chu An He was a member of the Black Ink Cult, that didn’t make sense, especially since he was killed by Xue Ji.
“Brother Yang, I suspect that the message I sent earlier was intercepted by someone with ulterior motives,” Zuo Wu You suddenly spoke up.
“Why do you say that?” Yang Kai asked with interest.
“In the message I sent back, I explicitly stated that the Holy Son had emerged, and I was heading to Dawn City with him while being pursued by Black Ink Cult elites. I requested that the reinforcements from our side come to meet us. If this message had truly been delivered, the Spirit Religion would have taken it seriously and sent people to help us. In addition to that, they wouldn’t have just sent someone at Chu An He’s level; there would undoubtedly be Order Lords as well.”
Yang Kai spoke, “But according to Chu An He, your Holy Son emerged 10 years ago and was kept secret for some reason. Perhaps, due to this, the message you brought back was not taken seriously?”
“Even so, we should not have been targeted here. We should have been brought back to Spirit Religion for investigation!” Zuo Wu You said with his head lowered, his thoughts gradually becoming clear, “But in reality, Chu An He had already set up a Killing Array here, waiting for us to enter. If it weren’t for Xue Ji’s sudden appearance and the subsequent destruction of the Array, we would have been doomed here today.”
Yang Kai smiled and nodded, “En.”
The Array was indeed enough to deal with ordinary Masters, but not him. When Yang Kai opened the Demon Eye of Annihilation, he had already seen through the flaws in the Array. The reason he didn’t just break it then and there was because he saw Xue Ji’s figure and wanted to see how things played out.
He never expected that Xue Ji would kill Chu An He and others so decisively, saving him the trouble.
Zuo Wu You spoke again, “Although Chu An He is a high-ranking member of the Religion, with his identity, he is not qualified to act so boldly. There must be someone else instructing him.”
“Chu An He was an Immortal Ascension Master and already highly regarded within your Spirit Religion. There are probably not many people who can command him,” Yang Kai said.
Zuo Wu You’s forehead was sweating at this point as he said, “He belongs to the Earth Order and is under the direct command of the Order Lord of the Earth Order.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, indicating that he understood.
“Chu An He said that the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion was already found 10 years ago and kept hidden ever since. If that’s true, then Brother Yang, you can’t be the Holy Son,” Zuo Wu You said.
“I never said I was your Holy Son…” Yang Kai was not interested in the identity of the Holy Son; all he wanted was to meet the Light Spirit Religion’s Saintess.
“If Brother Yang is not the Holy Son, then why do they have to kill so ruthlessly?”
“What are you trying to say?”
Zuo Wu You clenched his fists, “Although Chu An He had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t lie about the Holy Son. So, the Holy Son of the Spirit Religion should have really been found 10 years ago and kept secret. But… I only believe what I’ve seen with my own eyes. I witnessed Brother Yang descend from the sky out of nowhere, fulfilling the prophecy that has been circulating in the Spirit Religion for many years. I also witnessed Brother Yang defeating many members of the Black Ink Cult, even Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters were no match for you. I don’t know what the ‘true’ Holy Son of the Spirit Religion looks like, but I think that the Holy Son who can lead Spirit Religion to defeat the Black Ink Cult must be someone like Brother Yang!”
With that, he solemnly bowed to Yang Kai, “So Brother Yang, please forgive my boldness. I want to invite you to come with me to Dawn City!”
Yang Kai smiled, “I intended to go there in the first place.”
Zuo Wu You suddenly realised, “Of course, you want to see the Saintess. But Brother Yang, let me remind you that the road ahead will not be peaceful.”
Yang Kai replied, “Since when has our journey been peaceful?”
Zuo Wu You took a deep breath, “I also have to ask Brother Yang to confront the Holy Son who has secretly emerged.”
“That is not a simple matter. If someone is truly obstructing us in secret, we cannot simply stand by and watch. Do you have a plan?” Yang Kai asked.
Zuo Wu You froze for a moment before slowly shaking his head. In the end, he was just filled with hot blood and wanted to get to the bottom of things, but he had no actual strategy to accomplish that.
Yang Kai turned his head and looked in the direction of Dawn City, “It’s more than a day’s journey from here to Dawn City. News of what happened here won’t reach there for a while. If we hurry, we might be able to enter the city before the person behind the scenes reacts.”
Zuo Wu You replied, “After we enter the city, we’ll act in secret. Brother Yang, I am under the Thunder Order. When the time comes, I will seek an opportunity to meet the Order Lords!”
Yang Kai looked at him and shook his head, “No, I have a better idea.”
Zuo Wu You immediately became interested, “Brother Yang, please say it.”
Yang Kai immediately explained his idea in detail, and Zuo Wu You nodded repeatedly after listening to it, “Brother Yang, you really have thought it through. Let’s do it that way.”
“Then, let’s go.”
The two set off right after.
There were no more twists and turns along the way, probably because the person behind Chu An He didn’t expect their thorough arrangements to fail to have any effect at all.
One day later, the two arrived at a mansion 30 kilometres outside of Dawn City.
The mansion should be the residence of a wealthy family, with a vast expanse of land and a small bridge over running water, nestled amidst lush greenery.
In a hidden chamber, people began to secretly arrive in small groups, until nearly 100 had gathered there.
Although not particularly strong, every single one was a member of the Light Spirit Religion and were also all subordinates of Zuo Wu You.
Despite Zuo Wu You reaching only the Peak True Element Boundary, he held some degree of status within the Spirit Religion and thus had access to a pool of useful subordinates.
He and Yang Kai appeared together, briefly explaining the situation and assigning various tasks to the gathered members.
As Zuo Wu You spoke, the others couldn’t help but stare in surprise at Yang Kai, their eyes filled with wonder.
The prophecy of the Holy Son had circulated throughout the Spirit Religion for many years, and they had been searching for the legendary Holy Son without any results all that time. Now, Zuo Wu You suddenly told them that the Holy Son was before their very eyes, and would be entering the city the next day, leaving everyone curious and eager for more information.
Fortunately, these people were well-trained, so they refrained from asking too many questions even though Zuo Wu You didn’t provide any specific details.
In the end, the others dispersed, leaving only Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You alone.
In the secret chamber, Yang Kai appeared calm and composed, while Zuo Wu You struggled with his emotions.
“Let’s go,” Yang Kai said, beckoning him.
Zuo Wu You asked, “Brother Yang, are you sure that one of the people I brought here is that person’s hidden pawn? I know every one of them, and they are all loyal to the Spirit Religion. There shouldn’t be any problems.”
“I don’t know if there are any hidden pawns among them, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Even if there aren’t any, we will be waiting for death if we stay here. Besides… loyalty to the Spirit Religion doesn’t mean they don’t have their own motives. You knew Chu An He well, correct? Was he loyal to the Spirit Religion?”
Zuo Wu You thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding.
“Then that settles it,” Yang Kai said, patting his shoulder, “You can never be too cautious. Let’s go.”
With that, he activated Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, and in an instant, the two of them vanished without a trace.
Although the suppression in this independent world was significant for both his physical body and Soul, Thunder Shadow’s Concealment Technique was Innate, and it could still be activated despite being affected to a certain extent.
Even the senses of the strongest Immortal Ascension Boundary Master in this independent world had no way to uncover his whereabouts.
Under the dim night sky, Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You hid on a small hill near the mansion, concealing their auras as they quietly observed from above.
They stopped using Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability for the moment, primarily because activating it consumed a lot of energy. At present, Yang Kai was only in the True Element Boundary, making it difficult to maintain his power for an extended period.
This was something he hadn’t foreseen.
Under the moonlight, Yang Kai sat cross-legged and cultivated. Since this World had Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters, it didn’t make sense for his cultivation to be suppressed to the True Element Boundary. So, he wanted to test whether he could elevate his strength to the next realm.
Although he wasn’t afraid of any Immortal Ascension Masters with his current power, more strength was always beneficial.
Yang Kai initially thought that breaking through wouldn’t be a difficult task, but once he started cultivating, he discovered an invisible shackle in his body that restricted his cultivation and made it difficult to progress.
[There’s no way to break through this…] Yang Kai felt disheartened upon reaching this conclusion.
“Brother Yang!” Suddenly, Zuo Wu You’s anxious cry echoed in his ear, “Someone’s coming!”
Yang Kai immediately opened his eyes and looked towards the estate at the foot of the mountain, where he saw a dark figure silently hovering in mid-air.
Almost at the moment when Zuo Wu You shouted out those words, the dark figure hovering above the mansion seemed to sense something as he abruptly turned his head towards their direction.
In an instant, the figure darted towards them, his figure flickering soundlessly like a ghost until he landed directly in front of Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You, a mere 30 metres away.
The newcomer stared fixedly at the spot where Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You stood, his dark eyes scrutinising them with a hint of suspicion in the shadows.
Under the blessing of Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability, Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You too stared at the newcomer.
Unfortunately, his face was obscured by a black robe and hood, shrouding him in mystery.
After a moment of gazing, the man found nothing and vanished again, returning to the skies above the mansion.
Without hesitation, he threw a punch towards the ground, unleashing a barrage of fist shadows that, along with his Immortal Ascension Boundary power, turned the entire mansion into dust instantly.
However, he soon noticed something was amiss because, according to his perception, the entire manor was completely lifeless, devoid of any vitality.
He withdrew his fist and landed to investigate, but found nothing.
Moments later, he disappeared once again with a cold snort.
An hour later, Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You appeared in a forest 50 kilometres away from the mansion, feeling that this location was safe enough.
Maintaining Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability for a long time had taken a toll on Yang Kai, whose face had turned slightly pale. Zuo Wu You, on the other hand, seemed to have lost his Soul, his eyes going blank.
The situation was unfolding exactly as Yang Kai had feared, heading towards the worst possible outcome.
After restoring himself for a moment, Yang Kai asked, “Did you recognise who it was?”
Zuo Wu You turned to look at him, shaking his head slowly, “I couldn’t see his face clearly, but with that kind of power, he must be an Order Lord.”
“He was cautious, though, never activating his Divine Sense.” Divine Sense was an extremely unique power, and each person’s Divine Sense fluctuations were unique. If that person had activated his Divine Sense just now, Zuo Wu You would have been able to recognise him.
Unfortunately, their attacker had not done so throughout the entire process.
“One’s facial features can be concealed by Divine Sense, but not their physique. Among the Eight Orders, which Order Lord do you think resembles our target the most?” Yang Kai asked again.
Zuo Wu You thought for a moment and said, “The Order Lords of the Fire and Lake Valley Orders are the only women among the eight. The Mountain Order Lord is obese, and Wind Order Lord is old and hunched. It shouldn’t be any of them. As for the remaining four Order Lords, they are similar in build. If the person we are looking for intends to conceal their tracks, their physique will also be disguised.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Very good. Our target is now reduced by half.”
Zuo Wu You said hesitantly, “But it is still difficult to determine which one of them it is.”
“Everything happens for a reason. When you sent the message that the Holy Son had been found, we were then plotted against. From a different perspective, what was the purpose of their actions? What benefits do they gain?” Yang Kai questioned.
“Purpose? Benefits?” Zuo Wu You followed Yang Kai’s train of thought and fell into deep contemplation.
Yang Kai asked, “Chu An He did not appear to have already joined the Black Ink Cult. Before Xue Ji killed him, he shouted that he was willing to join. If he was already a member of the Black Ink Cult, he would not have reacted that way. Could it be that one of the Order Lords has already been tainted by Black Ink Strength and secretly joined the Black Ink Cult?”
“That’s impossible!” Zuo Wu You firmly rejected the idea, “Brother Yang, you are not aware that the first-generation Saintess of the Spirit Religion not only passed down the prophecy of the Holy Son, but also left behind a Secret Technique. This Secret Technique has no other purpose but to identify whether someone has been contaminated by Black Ink Strength and to dispel it from them. Every time an upper-echelon member of the religion at the Immortal Ascension Boundary returns from outside, the current Saintess will use that Secret Technique to check them. Over the years, there have indeed been some spies from the Black Ink Cult trying to infiltrate Dawn City, but no problems have ever arisen among the upper echelons, who are in the Immortal Ascension Boundary.”
Yang Kai suddenly realised, “You mean the Purifying Heart Secret Technique you mentioned before?”
When Chu An He was slandering them as spies from the Black Ink Cult, Zuo Wu You claimed that he could face their Saintess directly and prove his innocence by having her perform the Purifying Heart Secret Technique on him.
At that time, Yang Kai didn’t take it seriously, but now it seemed that the Purifying Heart Secret Technique passed down by the first-generation Saintess of Spirit Religion was indeed profound and mysterious. If this Secret Technique could only identify whether someone had been contaminated by Black Ink Strength, it wouldn’t be that surprising; however, the fact that it could also dispel Black Ink Strength was truly astonishing.
After all, the Human Race of this era only had one way to dispel Black Ink Strength, which was with Purifying Light. Purifying Black Ink Pills could only prevent corruption when still effective, but they could not dispel Black Ink Strength once it had taken hold.
“Indeed,” Zuo Wu You nodded, “It is the highest secret of our Religion, and only the Saintesses of past generations have the ability to perform it.”
“If they did not join the Black Ink Cult, then there must be some other reason,” Yang Kai pondered, “Although I don’t know the specific reason, my appearance must have affected the interests of some people. But how could I, an unknown nobody, affect the interests of those people… Only being the Holy Son could explain it.”
Zuo Wu You understood and asked, “But Brother Yang, the Holy Son of our Spirit Religion emerged in secret 10 years ago, which is apparently a known fact among the high-ranking members. Even if I informed them about you, they would only think that someone is impersonating the Holy Son and at most send someone to bring you back to investigate. Why would they intercept the message and try to kill you in secret?”
Yang Kai looked at him with deep meaning, “What do you think?”
Zuo Wu You met his gaze, and suddenly a horrifying thought surged in his heart, causing sweat to break out on his forehead, “Brother Yang, are you saying… that the Holy Son is fake?”
“I didn’t say that,” Yang Kai replied sarcastically.
Zuo Wu You seemed to not have heard him, his face suddenly showing a look of enlightenment, “So that’s how it is. If that’s really the case, then everything makes sense. Someone arranged a fake Holy Son 10 years ago, keeping it secret and hidden from all the higher-ups of the Spirit Religion, obtaining their approval and making everyone believe that he was the real Holy Son. But only the Mastermind knew he was a fake. So, when I reported your news back to Spirit Religion, it aroused their murderous intent, and they even went so far as to personally take action to kill you!”
At this point, Zuo Wu You was quite excited, “Brother Yang, does that mean you are the real Holy Son?”
Yang Kai sighed, “I just want to meet your Saintess. As for anything else, I have no other thoughts.”
“No, you are the Holy Son, the one prophesied by the first-generation Saintess. There’s no doubt about it!” Zuo Wu You insisted, and then added eagerly, “But someone has planted a fake Holy Son in the Spirit Religion, even deceiving all the higher-ups. This matter concerns the foundation of Spirit Religion and must be exposed!”
“Do you have any evidence?” Yang Kai asked him.
Zuo Wu You shook his head.
“If there’s no evidence, no one would believe you even if you had the opportunity to meet the Saintess and those Order Lords to inform them about this,” he said.
“But someone has to make them aware of this, whether they believe it or not! The Order Lords are all shrewd strategists; once they become suspicious, the truth will eventually come to light. I’m just worried about our current situation. We’ve already caught the attention of the person behind the scenes. It’s probably wishful thinking to try to enter the city.”
“Entering the city won’t be a problem,” Yang Kai said calmly, “Have you forgotten what you arranged before?”
Zuo Wu You was stunned, only then remembering the orders he had given to his subordinates earlier. He suddenly realised, “So Brother Yang planned this all along.”
At this moment, he understood why Yang Kai instructed him to give those orders. It seemed that he had anticipated the current situation from the start.
“We’ll enter the city at dawn. Let’s rest for a while first,” Yang Kai said.
“En.”
Dawn City was still bustling under the cover of the night; it was the headquarters of the Light Spirit Religion and the most prosperous city in this independent World. Even at midnight, pedestrians were still streaming through the streets.
Beneath the glamour and bustle though, a message spread like a wildfire throughout the city.
The Holy Son had appeared and would enter the city tomorrow!
The prophecy left by the first-generation Saintess had been circulating for countless years. All the members of the Light Spirit Religion were looking forward to the arrival of the Holy Son who could save the World and end the war.
But, for countless years, the Holy Son had not appeared, and no one knew when or if he would ever reveal himself.
Until tonight, when the news began to spread from tea houses and taverns, quickly spreading in all directions at an uncontrollable speed.
Within half a night, everyone in Dawn City had heard the news.
Countless followers were filled with joy and excitement.
At the centre of the city, the bright Holy Temple, the foundation of the Spirit Religion, was the largest and tallest building.
After midnight, countless Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters were summoned, and many high-ranking members of the Light Spirit Religion gathered together!
In the centre of the Main Hall, a veiled woman with a stunning figure sat upon a throne, holding a white jade sceptre.
This woman was none other than the Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion!
Below the Saintess, the Eight Order Lords were arranged on both sides, while beneath them were the various Protectors and Elders.
More than 100 people had been gathered, all of them Immortal Ascension Masters. Despite the large number of people, the hall was silent.
After a long while, the Saintess finally spoke, “You have all heard about the news, haven’t you?”
Everyone responded in agreement, “We have heard.”
“We have gathered here tonight to discuss how to handle this situation!” The Saintess continued.
A Protector stepped forward immediately and exclaimed in excitement, “The Holy Son has appeared, fulfilling the prophecy passed down by the first-generation Saintess! This is a blessing for our Spirit Religion! I believe that we should immediately arrange for people to receive him and prevent the Black Ink Cult from taking advantage of the situation!”
A large group of people immediately echoed their agreement, saying that this was the correct course of action.
The Saintess raised her hand, and the noisy hall immediately became quiet. She then gently spoke, “Unfortunately, some things have been kept secret for many years that must now come to light. Only the Eight Order Lords present here know about this secret, which is related to the Holy Son. Listen first before making any plans.”
She then turned to the oldest of the eight Order Lords, saying, “Lord Si Kong, please inform everyone.”
The Saintess called upon someone, and from among the Eight Order Lords, an old man with a hunched back stepped forward. He turned and looked down, coughed into his fist, and spoke, “Let it be known to all that Spirit Religion’s Holy Son has secretly emerged 10 years ago. He has been cultivating and honing himself in the Holy Temple ever since!”
The entire hall fell into silence, followed by a huge uproar.
Everyone gazed at the Wind Order Lord in disbelief. Many were trying to digest this sudden revelation, while others raised their voices in inquiry.
“Order Lord Si Kong, how could we not have known that the Holy Son had already been born?”
“Holy Saintess, is it true that the Holy Son appeared 10 years ago?”
“Who is the Holy Son? What is his cultivation now?”
…..
Among those present in the Grand Hall at this moment were the high-ranking members of the Spirit Religion, all of whom were elites in the Immortal Ascension Boundary with qualifications to know many of the Religion’s secrets. Yet, it was only now that they were learning there were things within the Spirit Religion that they were completely unaware of.
Si Kong Nan raised his hand slightly to quiet down the clamour, and then continued, “10 years ago, this Old Master went out on a mission and was besieged by the Masters of the Black Ink Cult. I had no choice but to hide under a cliff to heal my injuries. During that time, a young man fell from the sky and landed in front of me. The young man’s cultivation was still shallow at that time, but he survived the fall from the cliff. So, after I healed, I brought him back to the Spirit Religion.”
Then, Si Kong Nan paused briefly, allowing the crowd to digest what he had just said.
Someone murmured softly, “There will come a day when the sky cracks open, and a person descends from above, igniting the brilliance of light and tearing through the darkness to defeat the ultimate enemy!” He looked around and raised his voice, filled with excitement, “Isn’t this fulfilling the prophecy left by the first Saintess?”
“Indeed, indeed. Surviving a fall from a towering cliff must mean this child has great blessings!”
“He must be the Holy Son!”
“No, wait. The falling of the young man from the sky does align with the prophecy, but the prophecy also mentions the sky cracking open. How do we interpret that?”
Si Kong Nan seemed to have anticipated this question and explained slowly, “You all may not know this, but I was hiding in a location known as Heaven’s Border at that time!”
The person who asked the question suddenly realised, “So that’s how it is.”
If one were to look up while standing in the depths of Heaven’s Border, the gap formed by the cliffs on both sides did indeed resemble a crack in the sky.
All had fallen into place!
The scene of the young man descending from the sky matched the prophecy left behind by the first-generation Saintess. It was truly the sign of the Holy Son’s birth!
Si Kong Nan continued, “As you all suspected, when I saved that young man and brought him back to Spirit Religion, Saintess gathered a few Order Lords and opened the sealed land.”
“What happened next?” Someone asked, though they already knew the outcome would surely be good, they couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.
Si Kong Nan replied, “He passed the test left by the first-generation Saintess!”
“He is undoubtedly the Holy Son!”
“Hahaha, so the Holy Son has already emerged 10 years ago! After waiting for so many years, we finally have him!”
“Now those bastards from the Black Ink Cult shall suffer!”
…..
Allowing the crowd to express their excitement for a moment, Si Kong Nan continued, “After 10 years of cultivation, the Holy Son has shown unparalleled talent and potential. When I saved him, he had just begun his cultivation not long ago; however, now his strength surpasses any of the Order Lords.”
Upon hearing this, the people in the Grand Hall were all shocked.
The Eight Order Lords of Spirit Religion, as well as the Eight Chapter Masters of the Black Ink Cult, were all the most outstanding elites in this World; however, they had been cultivating for many years, ranging from dozens to over 100 years to reach their current height.
Yet, the Holy Son achieved this in just 10 years. He truly was the legendary saviour!
Such a person might be able to break the limits of the Martial Dao in this independent World and sweep away the demons of the Black Ink Cult with his great strength.
“The Holy Son’s cultivation has reached a bottleneck, though. Originally, we planned to announce the matter of the Holy Son and officially introduce him to the World after some time, but we didn’t expect such an incident to happen at this critical moment,” Si Kong Nan furrowed his brow.
Immediately, someone indignantly shouted, “Since the Holy Son has already emerged and passed the test left by the first-generation Saintess, his identity is undoubtedly confirmed. Therefore, the one who claims to be the Holy Son and has not yet entered the city must be a fake!”
“The Black Ink Cult’s methods are as despicable as ever! Over the years, they have repeatedly tried to infiltrate our Spirit Religion using signs of the prophecy, but they have never succeeded! It seems like they haven’t learned their lesson!”
Someone stepped forward and cupped his fist, “Holy Saintess, Order Lords, please allow me to lead my men out of the city to slay the imposter who dares to insult our Spirit Religion. Let his death serve as a warning!”
Not only did multiple people speak in that manner, but several others also stepped forward, demanding to lead troops out of the city and intercept the impostor pretending to be the Holy Son.
The Fire Order Lord, however, snorted disdainfully, “If the news hadn’t leaked, we could have just killed him, but now that it has spread throughout the entire city, all the followers are eagerly anticipating his arrival. How do we explain it to the followers if you murder him now?”
A Protector immediately objected, “But that Holy Son is a fake!”
The Fire Order Lord replied, “Those present may know that he is a fake, but what about the ordinary followers? They know nothing. All they know is the legendary saviour is supposed to arrive in the city tomorrow!”
The Mountain Order Lord patted his plump belly and chuckled, “Indeed, we can’t kill him just like that, or it will have a huge negative impact.” He paused for a moment and squinted his eyes slightly, “Have any of you ever thought about how this news was leaked?”
He turned his head to look at a woman among the Eight Order Lords, “Lake Order’s Sister Guan, you are in charge of intelligence inside and outside the Spirit Religion. Have you investigated this matter?”
The Lake Order Lord, Guan Miao Zhu, nodded, “As soon as the news spread, I sent people to investigate. The source of this news came from Zuo Wu You, a Deacon from the Thunder Order. It seems that he discovered the Holy Son while performing a mission outside and brought him back. He then gathered a group of people outside the city and had them spread the news, which caused the whole city to know about it.”
“Thunder Order’s Zuo Wu You!” The Mountain Order Lord pondered for a moment, “I vaguely recall hearing that name before.” He turned to the Thunder Order Lord and continued, “If I’m not mistaken, Zuo Wu You has a good aptitude and was likely to ascend to the Immortal Ascension Boundary sooner or later.”
The Thunder Order Lord replied indifferently, “Why do you care so much about the people under my command, fatty?”
The Mountain Order Lord chuckled, “We are all adherents of the Spirit Religion. As the Order Lord of one of the Orders, shouldn’t I show some concern about budding talents?”
“Enough, haven’t you poached enough elite disciples from my Order in recent years? I warn you, don’t even think about laying a hand on my disciples.”
The Mountain Order Lord wore a distressed expression, “I have no choice. Mountain Order is responsible for charging into the fray, and we always suffer losses whenever we clash with the Black Ink Cult. We need to find a way to constantly replenish our manpower.”
Thunder Order Lord snorted, “Zuo Wu You is indeed under my Thunder Order. He is an orphan who grew up in the Spirit Religion and has always been loyal to it. Plus, he is a straightforward and bold person. I was planning to promote him to the rank of Protector after he broke through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary. He shouldn’t have any problems unless he’s been tainted by Black Ink Strength and had his nature twisted.”
The Fire Order Lord added, “I also have some impression of Zuo Wu You. He doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would engage in schemes and tricks.”
“So, it must be the fake Holy Son who had Zuo Wu You gather those people and spread the news.”
“Why would he do that?”
Everyone looked puzzled. If he was a fake, why would he have the audacity to make this matter widely known? Wasn’t he afraid of being confronted?
Suddenly, a man rushed in from outside, greeting the Saintess and the various Order Lords before approaching the Fire Order Lord’s side and whispering a few words in her ear.
The Fire Order Lord’s face turned cold as she asked, “Are you sure?”
The man cupped his fists and replied, “I saw it with my own eyes!”
The Fire Order Lord then nodded lightly in response and waved her hand, dismissing the man.
“What’s going on?” Asked the Mountain Order Lord.
The Fire Order Lord turned around to bow to the Saintess who was seated above and said, “Saintess, upon receiving the news, I sent someone to the mansion outside the city where Zuo Wu You was rumoured to be staying to capture him and the fake Holy Son before they could escape; however, it seems that someone has beaten us to it, and the mansion has already been destroyed.”
The Mountain Order Lord raised his brow, greatly surprised, “Someone attacked them in secret?”
Above, the Saintess asked, “What about Zuo Wu You and the fake Holy Son?”
“That estate is now a ruin, but there was no blood or signs of a struggle. It seems that Zuo Wu You and the fake Holy Son moved to a different location in advance,” the Fire Order Lord replied.
“Oh?” The Earth Order Lord, who had been silent all this time, slowly opened his eyes and a playful smile appeared on his face, “This is interesting. A fake Holy Son not only spread the news of his arrival in the city tomorrow but also anticipated danger and moved to a new hiding place. This fellow is not simple.”
“But who tried to kill him?” Someone asked.
“Regardless of who it was, it seems that the fake Holy Son’s understood his current circumstances are not safe. That’s why he spread the news and made his situation known to everyone, so that those who wanted to act against him had to do so cautiously to avoid harming the innocent! Since that’s the case, he will definitely enter the city tomorrow! No matter who he is or why he is impersonating the Holy Son, as long as he enters the city, we can capture him and interrogate him!”
The Order Lords discussed back and forth and quickly came to a conclusion.
However, it was puzzling why Zuo Wu You and the fake Holy Son had aroused the inexplicable murderous intent of an unknown Master outside the city. It was unclear who they had offended.
“How much time is left until dawn?” The Saintess asked from her throne.
“Less than an hour, Lady Saintess,” someone replied.
The Saintess nodded and said, “In that case, Order Lord Li, Order Lord Ma.”
Fire Order Lord Li Fei Yu and Mountain Order Lord Ma Cheng Ze immediately stepped forward and said in unison, “Reporting.”
The Saintess then commanded, “You two go to the city gate and wait for Zuo Wu You and the fake Holy Son to show up. Then bring them to me.”
“Yes!” The two of them responded simultaneously and quickly left the Grand Hall.
In the vast Dawn City, there were 16 city gates. Although there were rumours that the Holy Son would enter the city tomorrow, nobody knew which gate he would come through.
Before dawn, countless disciples gathered outside the 16 city gates, eagerly waiting for the arrival of the Holy Son.
The Fire and Mountain Orders dispatched their top Masters and laid out an inescapable net within a radius of 50 kilometres centred on Dawn City, so any slight disturbance would be detected immediately.
Inside a teahouse, Ma Cheng Ze and Li Fei Yu sat across from each other, sipping fragrant tea.
Ma Cheng Ze was a plump man with a rotund belly, always smiling and appearing amiable. Even strangers found it difficult to harbour any ill feelings towards him, but those who knew him well were aware that his friendly exterior was just a front.
Among the Eight Orders of the Light Spirit Religion, the Mountain Order was responsible for leading the charge in battle, always at the forefront when attacking the Black Ink Cult’s strongholds. It could be said that the Mountain Order was made up of a group of fearless warriors, willing to give their lives for the cause.
So how would it be possible that their Order Lord was a simple and amiable person?
Ma Cheng Ze held a teacup in his hand, squinting his eyes as he watched the pretty women strolling down the street. Sometimes, he even whistled at them, drawing angry glares from the women.
Li Fei Yu sat calmly across from him, her icy expression resembling a statue and her eyes closed in meditation.
“Junior Sister Yu,” Ma Cheng Ze suddenly said, “Where do you think this fake Holy Son will enter the city from?”
Li Fei Yu kept her eyes closed as she replied calmly, “It doesn’t matter which direction he enters from. As long as he shows himself, he won’t be able to leave.”
Ma Cheng Ze questioned, “With such thorough arrangements, he certainly won’t be able to do so, but why would a fake Holy Son dare to act so boldly? Who has he offended to attract an assassination attempt from an Order Lord?”
Suddenly, Li Fei Yu snapped her eyes open, sharply staring at him.
Ma Cheng Ze shrugged, “Did I say something wrong?”
“Where did you get this information?” Li Fei Yu asked coldly.
She had never mentioned anything about an Order Lord making a move in the Grand Hall.
Ma Cheng Ze replied with a chuckle, “I can’t tell you that. Haha, I have my own ways.”
Upon hearing that, Li Fei Yu coldly snorted, “Damn fatty, all you need to do is charge ahead. How dare you plant your people in my Fire Order?”
The information about the mansion outside the city was obtained by the Fire Order, all of which had been blocked off. Everyone now only knew what Li Fei Yu said in the Grand Hall, but Ma Cheng Ze knew some of the hidden details. Obviously, these were leaked to him by someone else.
Ma Cheng Ze immediately clarified, “I didn’t do that. Don’t make unfounded claims. I, Old Ma, always recruit people openly from various Orders, I never act in the shadows.”
Li Fei Yu only stared at him for a while before saying, “I hope so.”
Ma Cheng Ze continued to ask, “There are only eight Order Lords. Who do you think it could be?”
Li Fei Yu turned her head and looked out the window, casually changing the subject, “I think he will enter the city from one of the three gates in the east.”
“Oh?” Ma Cheng Ze raised an eyebrow, “Just because the mansion is in the east? If that fake Holy Son chose to spread the news throughout the city to avoid potential risks, it means that he is wary of the high-ranking members of the Religion. How is it possible for such a cautious person like him to enter the city from the gates in the east? He must have already moved in another direction.”
Li Fei Yu couldn’t be bothered to explain her thinking.
Ma Cheng Ze talked to himself for a while, then continued to whistle at the pretty girls passing by outside the window.
Li Fei Yu’s expression abruptly changed and she took out a communication bead.
At the same time, Ma Cheng Ze also took out his own communication bead.
The two of them checked the message that was transmitted, followed by Ma Cheng Ze’s expression darkening, “He really came from the east! How bold is this person?”
Li Fei Yu stood up and said calmly, “If he wasn’t bold, he wouldn’t have chosen to enter the city at all.”
Ma Cheng Ze was slightly startled, but nodded after he gave it some thought, “You’re right.”
“Let’s go.”
The two of them flew out of the teahouse, heading towards the east of the city.
The Holy Son had already appeared in the direction of the second gate in the east, escorted by Immortal Ascension Realm Masters from the Mountain and Fire Orders.
He was about to enter the city!
This news quickly spread. The disciples gathered at the east gate were extremely excited, and after receiving the news, those gathered at the other gates began rushing over as fast as they could, wanting to catch a glimpse of the Holy Son’s glory. For a while, all of Dawn City was like a giant beast awakening from its slumber, causing great commotion.
The number of disciples gathering at the eastern gates continued to grow, and even with the help of the two Orders, it was difficult to control the situation.
It wasn’t until the arrival of the two Order Lords, Ma Cheng Ze and Li Fei Yu, that the commotion barely calmed down.
Fatty Ma wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Li Fei Yu, “Junior Sister Yu, this situation is getting out of control.”
He had led his people into battle countless times without so much as a frown, even when faced with mountains of swords and seas of fire. Killing or being killed was all there was to it.
However, they were not facing an enemy now, but the disciples of their own Spirit Religion, which made things much trickier.
The prophecy left by the first-generation Saintess had been passed down for countless years and was deeply ingrained in the hearts of every disciple; everyone knew that the day the Holy Son was born would signal the end of all suffering.
The lower disciples and common folk all wanted to catch a glimpse of this saviour, and now with the current situation, everyone was rushing over. The eastern gate was already overcrowded and was only becoming more congested.
The Spirit Religion could certainly take some tough measures to disperse the crowds, but with so many onlookers, doing so might just cause more chaos.
This would not be good for the foundation of the Spirit Religion.
Ma Cheng Ze had a headache and felt that he had been given a difficult task. He said through clenched teeth, “If only we could spread the news that the real Holy Son had already emerged and let the people know this one is a fake.”
Li Fei Yu also looked serious as she murmured, “No one thought the situation would develop like this.”
There were two reasons why the news of the true Holy Son’s appearance was not revealed. Firstly, by entering the city, the fake Holy Son had effectively handed over the initiative to the Spirit Religion. Once he was in the city, they could decide whether to kill him or keep him with a single thought, so there was no need to leak such important information in advance.
Secondly, keeping the true Holy Son a secret for so many years made it difficult to persuade the disciples at this critical moment.
In addition, the authorities were also deeply concerned about the events that had befallen the imposter.
Who would show murderous intent towards a fake and secretly take action against him?
They had originally intended to let nature take its course, but they never expected the disciples to be this enthusiastic about it.
“Do you think he planned this all along?” Ma Cheng Ze suddenly asked.
Li Fei Yu seemed to not hear him as she remained silent for a long time before finally saying, “We can only find a way to resolve the situation now; otherwise, if all of the disciples gathered here and someone took advantage of them, there will surely be chaos!”
“Just look at these people. Each and every one of them is devout to the extreme. If you drive them away now, not allowing them to see the Holy Son’s appearance, they will probably fight you to the death!”
“Who said we won’t let them see him?” Li Fei Yu scoffed, “Since they want to see him so badly, let them. He’s just a fake anyway. Letting the disciples gather to observe him won’t damage the reputation of our Spirit Religion.”
“Do you have a plan?” Ma Cheng Ze’s eyes lit up.
Li Fei Yu didn’t respond but instead waved to a cultivator from the Lake Order who came over immediately. She gave him some instructions, and he nodded repeatedly before leaving quickly.
Ma Cheng Ze listened to the instructions and gave Li Fei Yu a big thumbs up, “What a great plan! I admire you, Junior Sister Li. The ones in charge of gathering information sure are quick-witted.”
…
30 kilometres outside the Eastern Second Gate, Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You flew straight towards Dawn City’s direction. Surrounding them were numerous elites from the Light Spirit Religion that were ‘protecting’ them from all sides, not leaving their side at all.
These people were part of the search team sent out to look for these two, so after finding them, they stuck with them all the way.
More and more people joined the group as they went.
When he saw this, Zuo Wu You became completely relieved and had nothing but admiration for Yang Kai.
With the protection of so many Spirit Religion elites, the person behind the scenes could no longer act recklessly, and all it took was the release of some information, which could almost be said to have been effortless.
They quickly arrived at the city. From afar, Zuo Wu You and Yang Kai could see the crowded people outside the city.
“Why are there so many people?” Yang Kai couldn’t help but be surprised.
Zuo Wu You pondered for a moment before sighing, “The people of the world have suffered for a long time under the threat of Black Ink Strength. With the emergence of the Holy Son, hope has arrived. They probably all came to witness the glory of the Holy Son.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly.
After a moment, under the gaze of many eyes, Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You landed outside the city gate.
A cold-looking woman and a friendly-faced fatty walked towards them. Zuo Wu You’s expression changed slightly when he saw them and quickly transmitted their identities to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai nodded imperceptibly in response.
As they approached, the fatty smiled and said, “Little Friend, you’ve been through a lot on the way.”
Yang Kai smiled and responded, “Thanks to Brother Zuo’s care, it has been a smooth journey.”
Ma Cheng Ze raised an eyebrow slightly and praised, “Zuo Wu You is indeed remarkable.”
Meanwhile, Zuo Wu You stepped forward to pay his respects, “Greetings, Order Lord Ma, Order Lord Li!”
Ma Cheng Ze patted him on the shoulder, “You’ve done a great job this time. The appearance of the Holy Son is a great joy for my Spirit Religion. After the matter is settled, it will ultimately be your credit.”
Zuo Wu You bowed his head low, “It is my duty, and I dare not take credit.”
“Good,” Ma Cheng Ze nodded, “Go with Order Lord Li, she has something to ask you.”
Zuo Wu You looked up at Yang Kai and replied after seeing him nod, “Yes!”
Then, Li Fei Yu led Zuo Wu You to one side.
Ma Cheng Ze waved his hand and immediately someone brought two spirited horses forward. He gestured, “Little Friend, please. There is still a journey to the Holy Temple.”
Although Yang Kai was a little puzzled, he went along with it and mounted the horse.
Ma Cheng Ze rode on the other horse, leading him towards the city. On the way, the bustling crowd automatically parted to make way for them.
Dawn City was the holy city of the Light Spirit Religion, and every street was wide and spacious; however, these thoroughfares, which could normally allow four to five carriages to pass by simultaneously, were filled with people today.
Two horses entered the city through one of the eastern gates, followed by many Masters from the Spirit Religion, but all eyes were on a particular young man on horseback.
Their gazes were filled with sincerity and admiration.
Meanwhile, Ma Cheng Ze and Yang Kai chatted while riding side-by-side.
“Whose idea was it?” Asked Yang Kai all of a sudden.
“What do you mean?” Ma Cheng Ze didn’t understand the other man.
Yang Kai pointed at the people on both sides.
Only then did Ma Cheng Ze realise what Yang Kai meant. He looked around and leaned close to him before whispering, “They’re the Order Lord’s disciples from the Fire Order. Please be patient, Little Friend. They just want to know what you look like. Everything will be fine after this.”
“Alright,” Yang Kai nodded.
He could feel that these people were looking expectantly at him.
Although it had been several days since he arrived in this World, he had only been wandering around the wilderness with Zuo Wu You. He had heard about the current affairs, but he hadn’t had a chance to see much for himself.
It wasn’t until he looked at these gazes that he realised what Zuo Wu You meant by the people in this World having suffered a long time because of the Black Ink Cult.
After the news of the Holy Son entering the city spread, all the disciples in Dawn City came over to take a look at him. To prevent any turmoil, Li Fei Yu had planned a route so that Ma Cheng Ze could lead Yang Kai to head straight to the Holy Temple.
The disciples who wanted to have a look at the Holy Son could wait patiently on both sides of the road; that way, not only could they prevent any potential danger, but they could also fulfil the disciples’ wishes. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
Ma Cheng Ze stayed by Yang Kai’s side so that he could escort the man to the Holy Temple and find out more about his background; however, he didn’t want to ask any questions at that moment. Regardless of whether the Holy Son beside him was fake, the fervent gazes around him were real.
“Please save us, Holy Son…” someone all of a sudden said.
It was nothing more than a murmur at first, but the words spread like wildfire among the crowd.
In just several breaths of time, all of them started shouting, “Please save us, Holy Son!”
Wherever Yang Kai went, all the disciples fell to their knees and pressed their heads against the ground.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling sorrowful, for the sight before his eyes reminded him of the situation the Human Race was facing.
The first-generation Saintess had left behind a prophecy that a Holy Son would save all of them one day, but who knows how long they would have to wait? After all, none of the Humans from the 3,000 Worlds was able to save them.
Ma Cheng Ze turned to look at Yang Kai. For some reason, he seemed to detect a form of invisible power descending upon this young man.
As he recalled some ancient rumours, his expression changed.
Li Fei Yu let the Holy Son enter the city on horseback so that the disciples could take a look at him, but it seemed to have caused some unexpected consequences.
At the thought of this, Ma Cheng Ze quickly fished out a communication bead and sent a message to the Holy Temple.
Meanwhile, the Order Lords of the Spirit Religion were waiting in the Holy Temple. The Order Lord of the Heaven Order fished out his communication bead and had a look, his expression soon turning solemn.
“What happened?” Asked the Saintess upon noticing his anomaly.
The Heaven Order Lord stepped forward and narrated to her about Li Fei Yu’s arrangements and the disciples gathering around the eastern ward.
Upon hearing this, the Saintess nodded, “Order Lord Li has done a good job. Is there anything wrong?”
The Heaven Order Lord then explained, “We seem to have underestimated the influence of the first Saintess’ prophecy on the disciples. Now, the fake Holy Son has gathered popular support among the people, and he seems to have acquired the blessing of the World’s Will.”
Upon hearing that, everyone in the room was shocked.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Where did you get the news from?”
“Does it even need explaining? Since Fatty Ma is by his side, he’s certainly the one who sent me the message.”
“What should we do, then?”
All of them descended into chaos, not knowing how to proceed.
The Order Lords were naturally not sincere about welcoming the fake Holy Son to the city. They planned to find out the purpose of his visit and look into his background after they secured him in the Grand Hall.
They didn’t need to make a fuss just because someone pretended to be the Holy Son.
However, none of them had expected that they were lifting a rock only to drop it on their foot. If the fake Holy Son gained popular support and the blessing of the World’s Will, that would be problematic, for that honour belonged to the real Holy Son.
Some of them didn’t believe the Heaven Order Lord, so they released their Divine Senses and looked into the matter. Upon closer inspection though, they realised it was indeed the case. For some reason, the fake Holy Son was shrouded in a layer of invisible and mysterious power, which seemed to be a manifestation of the World itself.
Many of them started sweating, thinking that the incident was preposterous.
“Our plan isn’t working,” announced the Heaven Order Lord with a solemn expression. Since this person had obtained the blessing of the World’s Will, regardless of whether he was a fake Holy Son, those from the Spirit Religion could no longer handle him as they pleased.
“We can only play it by ear and find out his background first,” suggested an Order Lord.
“The real Holy Son has already appeared. Other than the authority figures, the rest are not aware of it. In that case, we’d better not expose him first.”
“That’s the only thing we can do.”
After a quick discussion, the Order Lords soon came up with a solution and turned to look at the Saintess, who nodded, “It’s agreed on, then.”
Meanwhile, Yang Kai and Ma Cheng Ze were moving forward on horseback through the holy city.
All of a sudden, a petite figure dashed out from the crowd. An agile Ma Cheng Ze tightened the reins and stopped the person with his other hand.
Upon closer look, he realised the person was a young kid, perhaps five or six years old.
Although the person was a young kid, he was quite bold. He ignored Ma Cheng Ze and stared fixedly at Yang Kai as he asked in a clear voice, “Are you the Holy Son?”
Seeing that the young kid was adorable, Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I don’t know if I’m the Holy Son. We will only find out after the Order Lords and the Saintess examine me.”
Ma Cheng Ze was initially worried that Yang Kai would claim to be the Holy Son, so upon hearing these words, he was relieved.
“You must not be the Holy Son, then,” said the young kid.
“Oh? Why?” Yang Kai was puzzled.
The young kid pulled a face and said, “Because I hated you the moment I saw you.”
Upon finishing his words, he dashed back into the crowd. In that direction, a woman snapped, “Smelly brat, stop causing trouble! What nonsense did you just say?”
The young kid snorted and replied, “I just hate him!”
Yang Kai traced the voice and saw a woman running after the naughty child.
Beside him, Ma Cheng Ze guffawed, “Young kids like him can be mischievous. Please don’t mind it.”
Yang Kai nodded and looked in that direction again, but the woman and the young kid were nowhere to be seen.
As they moved along the 30-kilometre street, the disciples on both sides knelt and offered their prayers. All of them in the holy city were hoping for the Holy Son to save them from their suffering.
The loud voices were the will of many thousands of people. Although the Holy Temple was protected by a Spirit Array, the Order Lords of the Spirit Religion could still hear the people clearly.
The procession soon arrived at the Holy Temple, and after they were given permission to enter, Ma Cheng Ze led Yang Kai to head to the Grand Hall that represented the Light Spirit Religion’s foundation.
Many people had gathered on both sides of the hall as they studied Yang Kai.
Without sparing them a glance, Yang Kai stepped forward and stared fixedly at the woman in front of him.
He had come to this place to meet this woman; after all.
Since the woman was veiled, he was unable to see her face, so he secretly activated the Demon Eye of Annihilation to see through all the pretence, but his attempt was actually futile.
The veil was just an ordinary accessory without any mysterious power, so the Demon Eye of Annihilation proved useless in this situation.
“I’ve brought him here, Holy Saintess.”
Ma Cheng Ze saluted the woman before proceeding to his spot.
The Saintess nodded, then frowned at Yang Kai.
She could feel that since the young man entered the hall, he had been staring fixedly at her, as though he was examining her, which made her displeased.
Since she became the Saintess, no one had ever dared to look at her like this.
Just as she parted her lips to say something, the young man spoke all of a sudden, “I have a request to ask of you, Holy Saintess. Please agree to it.”
Yang Kai stood there confidently and said those words nonchalantly, as though he had come all the way to this place for that request.
Many people in the hall furrowed their brows, thinking that even though the fake Holy Son was weak, he was quite arrogant. Not only did he not salute the Saintess, but he even had the guts to come up with a demand.
Fortunately, the Saintess was a mild-tempered person. Although she was displeased with Yang Kai’s attitude and actions, she still nodded and asked gently, “What’s the matter?”
Yang Kai replied, “Please take off your veil.”
Upon hearing that, the hall broke into a commotion.
Someone roared, “How dare you be so rude to the Saintess!”
Not just anyone could see the Saintess’ face. Only a small number of the Spirit Religion’s Order Lords had seen the Saintess’ face before, so it was inconceivable that a nobody like Yang Kai even had the audacity to make such a request.
“Are you here to humiliate us, you Brat?”
All of them started criticizing Yang Kai as they activated their Divine Senses and mounted pressure on him.
No True Element Boundary Master could ever bear such pressure; however, they were soon shocked by what was going on. The young man, who was supposed to be taught a lesson by them, just stood there in silence. The pressure of the Divine Senses didn’t seem to affect him one bit, as though it was merely a breeze that had been whisked by him.
He only stared fixedly at the Saintess.
On the other hand, the Saintess felt slightly at ease, for she didn’t see any malicious intent or promiscuity behind the young man’s gaze. She raised her hand to appease the angry crowd and asked puzzledly, “Why do you want me to take off my veil?”
Yang Kai replied seriously, “I’d like to verify a speculation I have.”
“Is the speculation very important?”
“It will affect the happiness of the people and the safety of the World.”
While the Saintess was speechless, everyone in the hall broke into laughter.
“Although you’re young, you’re pretty arrogant.”
“We’ve been trying to save the World, but there hasn’t been much progress over the years. How dare a True Element Boundary brat like you boast shamelessly?”
“Let him speak. I haven’t heard a joke that is funnier than this for a long time.”
Yang Kai ignored the commotion in the Grand Hall and looked at the Saintess, awaiting her reply in silence.
After a long time, the veiled woman said, “I don’t mind taking off my veil, but…”
The commotion stopped abruptly as all of their necks seemed to have been grabbed by invisible hands as they looked dazedly at the woman.
None of them expected the Saintess to agree to this kind of ridiculous request.
Yang Kai said with a smile, “It seems that there’s a condition.”
“Indeed,” the Saintess nodded matter-of-factly, “Since you’ve brought forward a demand, I naturally have to come up with one as well.”
Yang Kai replied solemnly, “Please tell me.”
The Saintess went on to say softly, “Zuo Wu You has reported that you are the Holy Son, and the timing and circumstances of your appearance matches the prophecy; however, it is hard to tell whether you are indeed the Holy Son. When the first Saintess made her prophecy, she also left behind a test for the Holy Son.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he realised the woman’s intentions, “Do you want me to go through the test?”
“Yes.”
His expression turned awkward at that instant.
According to Chu An He, the true Holy Son had actually appeared 10 years ago. All the Spirit Religion’s higher-ups had acknowledged the incident. In other words, the Holy Son must’ve passed the test, and his identity had been verified.
Therefore, from the Spirit Religion’s perspective, Yang Kai must be a fake for claiming to be the Holy Son.
Despite that, the Saintess still wanted him to go through the test, which was a perplexing idea.
Yang Kai swept a glance over the Order Lords in the front row and realised that they appeared shocked. Apparently, they didn’t expect the Saintess to come up with such a demand.
[How interesting. They obviously didn’t discuss it before. The Saintess must’ve improvised.]
In that case, Yang Kai could only think of one possibility.
The Saintess must be certain that he couldn’t pass the test, and when that happened, she naturally wouldn’t have to fulfil his request as well.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai said, “No problem. Do we start now?”
The Saintess shook her head, “The test is in a sealed land, and it takes some time to open it. You can go and get some rest. When we are ready, we will inform you about it.”
Following that, she said to Ma Cheng Ze, “Order Lord Ma, please help settle him down.”
Ma Cheng Ze stepped forward and replied, “Yes.”
Then, he beckoned to Yang Kai, “Please come with me, Little Friend.”
Yang Kai took another look at the Saintess and cupped his fist before leaving the place.
After he was gone, an Order Lord asked, “Holy Saintess, why did you ask him to head to the sealed land and go through the test?”
The Saintess explained, “Since he has the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will, we can’t handle him as we please, nor can we expose him. In that case, I’ve decided to let him go to the sealed land where the first Saintess had left behind the test. Only the real Holy Son can pass the test.”
Someone finally realised the Saintess’ intentions as he said, “Since he’s a sham, there’s no way he can pass the test. By then, we’ll have a reason for dealing with him.”
The Saintess nodded, “That’s indeed my plan.”
“Holy Saintess is wise!”
…..
While moving forward alongside Ma Cheng Ze in the Holy Temple, Yang Kai suddenly asked, “Old Ma, since I’m a person who appeared out of nowhere, shouldn’t you all be looking into my background first? Why did the Saintess ask me to head to the sealed land?”
“What did you just call me!?” Ma Cheng Ze stopped in his tracks and looked at him in shock.
“Old Ma. What’s wrong with that?”
Ma Cheng Ze was so exasperated that he laughed, “What’s wrong with that!? This King is an Order Lord as well as a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Master. Even if you don’t want to call me Senior, you’re supposed to call me Order Lord Ma at the very least.”
“I’ll call you Order Lord Ma, then,” Yang Kai decided to oblige. Since he was significantly more powerful, he couldn’t bring himself to call the other man ‘Senior’, but calling him by his title wasn’t an issue.
Ma Cheng Ze shot him a glare and continued walking forward, “I’m not supposed to tell you anything, but for some reason, this King is fond of you, so I’ll let you know a few things. We don’t have to look into your background. If you can pass the test, you’ll be the Holy Son; however, if you fail the test, you’ll die. In that case, your background no longer matters.”
After pondering for a moment, Yang Kai said, “You have a point.” Then, he changed the topic all of a sudden, “Have you seen the Saintess’ face before?”
Ma Cheng Ze shook his head, “Brat, you don’t look like a licentious man, so why are you curious about the Saintess’ appearance?”
Yang Kai replied seriously, “I already explained back in the Grand Hall earlier.”
“Your speculation that has something to do with the people’s happiness and the world’s safety?” Asked Ma Cheng Ze while turning to look at him.
In response, Yang Kai nodded slightly.
Ma Cheng Ze decided to ignore him as he stopped in his tracks and pointed at the building in front of him, “You’ll stay here. When we’re ready, we’ll summon you to the sealed land. Call out to the servants if you need anything; otherwise, just stay in your room.”
Upon finishing his words, he turned around and left.
After the man was gone, Yang Kai stepped into the courtyard and saw that some servants were already waiting. After making a few arrangements, he entered his room and got some rest.
Although those from the Spirit Religion believed that he was a fake, they didn’t mistreat him. The place he stayed had a terrific environment, and there were more than 10 servants to serve him.
However, Yang Kai wasn’t in the mood to enjoy anything. In his room, he sat down with his legs crossed and started cultivating.
After he acquired the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will while moving along the 30-kilometre street, he felt that he had a vague connection with this independent World.
His suppressed power began to stir as well.
There were Immortal Ascension Masters in this World, but for some reason, after his arrival, he was reduced to the True Element Boundary.
He wanted to try whether he could break through the suppression. Even if he couldn’t fully restore his power, it would be wonderful if he could make it to the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
After some hard work though, his attempt still failed.
He felt that there was a layer of invisible shackles that stopped him from fully activating his power.
“Where is this place?” Asked a voice all of a sudden.
“You finally connected?” An elated Yang Kai grabbed the jade pendant around his neck.
This thing was given to him by Wu Kuang when he entered the Space-Time River. The jade pendant contained a wisp of Wu Kuang’s Soul; however, it fell silent after entering this place. Over the past few days, Yang Kai had been nurturing the jade pendant with his Spiritual Energy and finally, he was able to connect with Wu Kuang.
“This place is strange,” Wu Kuang said.
“Yeah,” Yang Kai replied, “I still haven’t figured out the mystery behind this world. Why is there such a place in Mu’s Space-Time River? Do you know anything?”
“Nope. Mu left behind something in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but I never managed to figure out what that is. I doubt even Cang and the others have any idea.”
Just like what Wu Kuang said, if not for the fact that Black Ink Strength in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction surged all of a sudden, he wouldn’t have noticed the trump card that Mu had left behind.
Despite that, he had no idea what it was; therefore, he left a thread of his consciousness by Yang Kai’s side to explore the mystery.
“That will be troublesome, then,” Yang Kai knitted his brows together.
“Wait a bit,” Wu Kuang sounded surprised, as though he had discovered something, “Something’s happening!”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai appeared excited.
“I have no idea, but whatever it is, it’s like a faint guidance,” Wu Kuang replied.
Yang Kai realised something at that moment. Wu Kuang was in charge of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Supposedly, he was able to detect everything inside the restriction. It was thanks to this advantage that he was able to protect the Suppressing Black Ink Army.
Presently, he had detected something; however, with the Space-Time River getting in the way, it was difficult to interpret it clearly.
“Where’s the direction pointing at?” Yang Kai asked.
“Somewhere in the city, but not this place.”
“Let’s go and have a look.” Saying so, Yang Kai activated Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability to conceal his figure and aura.
…..
In the deepest part of the Holy Temple, a beautiful woman was waiting in a Grand Hall.
Just then, someone was heard saying from outside, “Order Lord Li would like to see you, Holy Saintess.”
The woman lifted her head and said, “Let her in.”
“Yes.”
A while later, the Order Lord of the Fire Order entered the place and saluted the woman, “Greetings, Holy Saintess.”
The Saintess raised her hand with a smile, “Please drop the formalities, Order Lord Li. Have you found anything?”
“Yes, Holy Saintess.”
Just as Li Fei Yu was ready to report, the Saintess stopped her by saying, “Wait a moment.”
She fished out a piece of jade and infused her energy into it. In an instant, the Grand Hall was covered in a Spirit Array, ensuring that no one could eavesdrop on their conversation.
After the Grand Array was activated, the Saintess stopped pretending to be serious as she took Li Fei Yu’s hands and sat down. Then, she said with a smile, “You’ve worked hard, Big Sister Li. What have you found?”
Li Fei Yu put on a helpless smile. Although the Saintess was a mild-tempered person, she had to appear authoritative in front of others. Only she knew what the Saintess was like in private.
“I’ve discovered many things,” as Li Fei Yu recalled the information she had gathered, she fell into a dazed state.
After they entered the city, Ma Cheng Ze stayed by Yang Kai’s side while she left with Zuo Wu You. As the Fire Order Lord, she was responsible for gathering information; therefore, she had many things to ask Zuo Wu You.
That was the reason she didn’t show up in the Grand Hall earlier.
“I’m all ears,” the Saintess seemed interested.
Li Fei Yu replied, “According to Zuo Wu You, he came across Yang Kai by chance. At that time, their whereabouts had been exposed as they were hunted down by the Black Ink Cult…”
She related to the Saintess the information she had learned from Zuo Wu You. When the Saintess heard that despite being a True Element Boundary Master, Yang Kai was able to kill Yan Peng, injure Xue Ji, and even repel the Earth Chapter Master, a myriad of expressions came over her.
“Are you sure about that, Big Sister Li? How is he so powerful when he’s only a True Element Boundary cultivator?” Asked the Saintess.
“There’s no problem with Zuo Wu You, so everything he has said must be true. All of those things happened,” Li Fei Yu let out a sigh. When she heard about those incidents at that time, she couldn’t believe her ears either.
“There’s another thing that’s worth our attention,” Li Fei Yu said.
“What is it?”
“Several days ago, Zuo Wu You sent a message back to the Spirit Religion to ask for some Masters to assist him, but someone managed to intercept it. As such, we were not aware of the incident until recently. When they reached a town where it would take a person one day to reach the Holy City, they were besieged by Chu An He and some others.”
“Chu An He?” The Saintess squinted her eyes, “If my memory serves me right, he’s under the Earth Order.”
“Yes.”
“No ordinary person could intercept Zuo Wu You’s message that was meant to ask for emergency assistance.”
“I can do that, as can the other Order Lords.”
“Has ‘that’ person finally revealed their true colours?” The Saintess snorted, “That would explain why Yang Kai and Zuo Wu You were forced to announce that the Holy Son would be entering the city the next day. They wanted to protect themselves by making everything public.”
“Indeed.”
“If we look at the outcome, they succeeded. Zuo Wu You isn’t that clever, so it must be Yang Kai’s idea,” the Saintess speculated.
“I heard that he acquired the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will while heading to the Holy Temple,” said Li Fei Yu suddenly. As the Fire Order Lord, she had a natural advantage when it came to gathering information. Although she wasn’t there to witness Yang Kai entering the city, her subordinates constantly updated her about what was going on.
“En,” the Saintess nodded, “That’s what I find most inconceivable.”
“Holy Saintess, is he…”
Without answering her question, the Saintess rose from her chair and said, “Big Sister Li, I have to leave the temple.”
Hearing that, Li Fei Yu put on a helpless expression.
The Saintess took her hands, “I’m not going out to have fun. There’s a serious matter I have to attend to.”
“That’s the excuse you use every time,” Li Fei Yu shot her a glare, but she still agreed to it, “You have to come back before the break of dawn.”
“Don’t worry,” the Saintess nodded. Saying so, she fished out something from her Space Ring. It was a mask that was as thin as a cicada’s wings.
Li Fei Yu took the mask and carefully placed it over the Saintess’ face. Her movements were skilful, so it was obviously not her first time doing this.
A moment later, two identical faces exchanged glances. Even the moles on the corners of their mouths were in the exact same spot. It was as though one of them was the other’s reflection in the mirror.
Following that, they traded their clothes.
Li Fei Yu took the Saintess’ white jade sceptre and let out a sigh before having a seat.
Across from her, the Saintess sported the same face as hers and smiled cheekily.
Li Fei Yu then activated the sceptre and dispelled the Grand Array.
After that, the Saintess said, “Holy Saintess, I’ll take my leave.” Her voice sounded just like Li Fei Yu’s too.
Then, she went on to say in her own voice, “Good work, Order Lord Li. Since it’s late now, you’d best get some rest.”
Following that, she turned around and stepped out of the Grand Hall before leaving the Holy Temple.
…..
Dawn City was even lovelier tonight than it was during the daytime. All the people in the restaurants were talking about the Holy Son entering the city that day and the prophecy that the first Saintess had left behind. They all looked joyful, as though they were in the midst of a huge festival.
Yang Kai moved around the city following Wu Kuang’s directions.
As he walked along the crowded streets, he soon arrived somewhere quieter.
Even in a Holy City like Dawn City, there was inequality. The rich lived in luxurious houses in the city centre with servants at their beck-and-call and bottles of wine to drink all day while the poor were forced to live in the periphery of the city.
With that said, it was still the Spirit Religion’s Holy City. Even though there was inequality, the poor wouldn’t be starving or have no clothes to wear. With the Spirit Religion’s help, they were able to put food on the table despite their hardship.
Presently, Yang Kai sported a different face.
He had many artifacts in his Space Ring that he could use to disguise himself. He had collected such items when he was weak in the past. Many people had seen his face in the morning, so if he showed up with his real face, everyone in the city would be aware of his presence.
At that moment, he looked like an innocent young man. It was the kind of face commonly seen in the city.
As he looked around, he realised many low-rise houses were neatly built in the Holy City’s periphery where many people lived.
Some kids were seen having fun.
Someone was praying to a statue in front of his house. The statue was made from wood, and it was roughly 25 centimetres tall; however, the face wasn’t carved.
Yang Kai listened to the person and heard him praying for the Holy Son to save them.
The Holy Son’s statues were in front of many houses, with incense sticks’ traces showing that they were frequently prayed to.
“Are you sure it’s here?” Yang Kai frowned as he whispered to Wu Kuang.
“I think so,” Wu Kuang replied.
“You think so?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
Wu Kuang explained, “My connection with my main body is fuzzy thanks to the Space-Time River, so the guidance I’m feeling isn’t clear. Let’s look around.”
A helpless Yang Kai could only walk around the place.
He had no idea what Wu Kuang had detected, but since it was from his main body, it must be very important.
However, his actions soon alerted others.
This wasn’t a prosperous place, so there were rarely new faces. The neighbours were familiar with each other, so a stranger’s arrival would naturally catch many people’s attention, especially when this person kept looking around.
As such, Yang Kai had to stay away from the crowd.
Under a banyan tree in a certain corner, many people gathered together to unwind.
When Yang Kai walked past them, he suddenly detected something and looked at them. A figure emerged from the crowd and beckoned to him, “You’re finally here.”
When Yang Kai made out the person’s face, he was rooted to the spot.
Wu Kuang also called out in surprise as he said, “I didn’t expect to see her here!”
“Do you know this guy, Lady Sixth?” Asked an old man curiously.
The woman called Lady Sixth nodded with a smile, “He’s an old acquaintance.”
Saying so, she moved away from the crowd and walked up to Yang Kai before dipping her head, “Please come with me. It must’ve been tiring for you.”
Although she looked like an ordinary person, her clear gaze seemed able to see through all illusions and make out Yang Kai’s real face.
Yang Kai bowed his head, “Good.”
Lady Sixth then led him to head in a particular direction.
After they were gone, the people under the banyan tree started talking among themselves.
A person sighed, “It must’ve been difficult for Lady Sixth. Although she’s pretty mature, she still isn’t married.”
Another person said, “It can’t be helped. There’s someone she has to take care of, so it’s hard for her to get married.”
“She just can’t leave Little Eleventh behind,” said someone who knew a thing or two, “Two years ago, a matchmaker introduced her to a man. That guy was rich and handsome; moreover, he was from the Spirit Religion. He said that as long as she was willing to give Little Eleventh to another family, he would marry her. However, Lady Sixth refused.”
“Little Eleventh is truly pitiful. His parents perished after he was born. After Lady Sixth discovered him, she brought him back and raised him. Although they call each other Sister and Brother, they’re more like Mother and Son. No Mother in the world would have the heart to dump her child.”
They sighed at the same time, feeling sorry for what Lady Sixth had gone through.
“It’s all the Black Ink Cult’s fault. They’re the reason that many families are destroyed. If not for them, Little Eleventh wouldn’t have been an orphan, and Lady Sixth would’ve gotten married.”
“Since we’ve found the Holy Son, he’ll bring an end to our suffering sooner or later!”
All of them then started praying with sincere expressions.
Yang Kai followed ‘Lady Sixth’ to somewhere remote while feeling astonished deep within.
He didn’t expect that the guidance Wu Kuang felt from his body would lead to this.
“Lady Sixth…” Wu Kuang’s voice sounded in Yang Kai’s mind, “Oh, she’s the sixth oldest among the 10. No wonder she calls herself Lady Sixth.”
“What about you?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
Wu Kuang explained, “Shi and I are different. In Shi’s case, he’s ranked eighth.”
“Then, what’s going on with this ‘Little Eleventh’?”
“I have no idea,” Wu Kuang replied, “The Soul Shi left behind wasn’t complete when it reached the 3,000 Worlds, so I didn’t inherit everything.”
Yang Kai nodded and fell silent.
Soon, they arrived at a simple-looking house. Despite that, there was still a yard surrounded by fences. In the yard, clothes that belonged to a woman and a child were hung there to dry.
Lady Sixth pushed the door open and entered the house, followed by Yang Kai as he looked around.
The decorations inside the house were simple. The place looked just like any house that a poor family would live in.
Lady Sixth lit up the oil lamp and told Yang Kai to have a seat. As the lamplight swayed, she poured a cup of tea for him, “I only have some tea in the house. Please don’t mind it.”
Yang Kai rose from the chair and took the cup before saluting the woman, “Junior Yang Kai greets Senior Mu!”
The Lady Sixth before his eyes was none other than Mu.
Yang Kai had seen Mu before. It was when the Human Army first crusaded to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. They were in a perilous situation, and Mo was about to break free, but at the last moment, the hidden hand that Mu had left behind was activated. At that time, a burst of energy was released and transformed into a sacred figure that embraced the Black Ink Ocean and eventually made Mo fall asleep.
At that time, all the Humans on the battlefield bore witness to the legendary woman.
She was so stunning that no one would forget about her after setting their eyes on her once; therefore, when the woman called out to Yang Kai after he arrived at this place, he instantly recognised her.
She was Mu, one of the 10 Martial Ancestors, the strongest among them.
It was thanks to her that the Humans were still safe for now.
The hidden hand she had activated back then hadn’t been used up yet. It was a gargantuan Space-Time River hovering in the void that was hidden in the deepest part of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Anyone would be awestruck when they saw that Space-Time River.
The guidance that Wu Kuang’s body was indicating must’ve come from Mu. Due to the Space-Time River, the message wasn’t clear; therefore, the thread of consciousness by Yang Kai’s side had no idea what was going on as well. Wu Kuang could only lead Yang Kai to this place, and he finally realised everything upon seeing Mu.
“No need for formalities,” Mu raised her hand as she looked at Yang Kai’s chest and smiled, “We haven’t met for ages, Little Eighth.”
It seemed that not only could she see through Yang Kai’s disguise, but she could also detect Wu Kuang’s thread of consciousness in the jade pendant.
Wu Kuang’s voice sounded in Yang Kai’s mind just then, “Tell her I’m not Shi.”
Before Yang Kai could even say anything, Mu nodded, “I know. I already expected this kind of outcome the moment you made that decision back then. If I was present, I would have dissuaded you from doing that; but now, it seems that the outcome isn’t too terrible.”
In the past, to break through the Open Heaven Realm and explore a higher Martial Dao, Shi was willing to sacrifice himself to strengthen the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. He only left behind a trace of his Soul so that he could escape from the restriction and be reborn. After so many years, Yang Kai brought him back to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to protect the place.
Fortunately, his reincarnation was successful. He was now Wu Kuang, but sadly, he still hadn’t achieved the goal that he had set in his previous life.
“Can you hear my voice?” Wu Kuang was astounded. Now, he was just a thread of consciousness that stayed in the jade pendant. Apart from talking to Yang Kai, he couldn’t do much of anything else; therefore, it surprised him that Mu could hear his voice.
“Yes,” Mu replied with a smile, “By the way, I’m Mu, but I’m also not Mu.”
A puzzled Yang Kai said, “I don’t understand, Senior.”
Mu took a seat and motioned for Yang Kai to sit down as well.
After giving it some thought, she said, “I know you have many questions. Let me think where I should begin.”
Yang Kai suggested, “Senior, why don’t you start with this World and yourself?”
Mu glanced at him and said with a smile, “It seems like you’ve noticed something.”
“Hey, what have you found?” Wu Kuang asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s just some unfounded speculation.”
Hearing that, Wu Kuang fell silent.
After a moment of silence, Mu said, “Since you’re able to enter this place, it shows that you’ve condensed your Space-Time River. I call it the Space-Time River, but I’m not sure about you.”
Yang Kai replied, “Just like you, I call it the Space-Time River too. It seems that you’ve also been inspired by the Infinite River in the Universe Furnace, Senior.”
“En,” Mu nodded, “The Infinite River in the Universe Furnace has many secrets. I had the chance to explore it back then. Fortunately, I managed to condense all the necessary Dao Strengths and nurture my own Space-Time River.”
“Before arriving at this place, I was stopped by an invisible barrier, but I was allowed to pass very soon. Was it a test you had left behind?”
“Yes. Only when a person who has condensed their Space-Time River appears will they have the right to enter this place. Otherwise, it’ll be pointless.”
Only now did Yang Kai realise what happened. Previously, he was stopped by the invisible barrier, but he was soon allowed to pass. He initially thought that the barrier had acknowledged his identity as a Human; but now, it seemed that it had nothing to do with his Race. Instead, it was because of his Space-Time River.
After all, even though he was born to be a Human, he was now a Pureblood Dragon.
“When Heaven and Earth split apart, Chaos was divided into Yin and Yang, which transformed into Five Elements, which then gave rise to 10,000 Grand Daos. Eventually, everything returns to Chaos. That is the Grand Daos’ greatest truth, but also its biggest secret. It is where everything belongs. Chaos is eternal,” Mu explained gently.
Several kids ran past the house just then, and someone was heard bawling his eyes out. It seemed that he had been bullied.
“I used all my cultivation and left behind my Space-Time River in the deepest part of the Grand Restriction to protect the Universe Worlds here, so that they could live their lives peacefully. Many years have passed since then.”
Yang Kai’s expression changed, “Senior, do you mean that the Primordial World and all the living creatures in here are real?”
“Of course,” Mu nodded. “This world was born when Heaven and Earth split apart. It took many years for this World to become what it is today; however, due to the weak World Principles, the cultivators here are not very powerful.”
“Why is this World inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction? Moreover, there seems to be a deeper meaning behind this World’s name,” Yang Kai asked, perplexedly.
Mu looked at him and smiled, “It’s called the Primordial World because it was the first Universe World to appear when Heaven and Earth split apart. This is also where Mo was born.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai was astonished.
Just then, Wu Kuang said, “Oh, I finally recall it now. The reason they set up the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction in this place back then was because the Primordial World was here. The core of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction is the Primordial World!”
“Because a powerful existence like Mo was born here, all the resources were used up. As a result, the Martial Dao in this World became very weak,” Mu explained, “In fact, when Heaven and Earth split apart, Mo wasn’t the only one who was born here.”
Yang Kai said, “Both the Primordial Darkness and Light appeared together.”
“Did Little Eighth tell you this?” Mu glanced at him.
Yang Kai replied, “I met Senior Cang before. When your trump card was activated back then, you must’ve seen him as well.”
Mu shook her head, “Like I said, Mu and I are different.”
She repeated what she had said before, but Yang Kai still didn’t understand her.
“The Primordial World gave birth to the Primordial Light as well as the Primordial Darkness. The Primordial Light was the very first light as well as the congregation of all things wonderful, but it left this Universe World as soon as it was born, and no one knows where it went. Nevertheless, the Darkness remained in this place and bore the loneliness and coldness over the years. Eventually, Mo was born; therefore, we had thought about looking for the Primordial Light to destroy its dark power. Unfortunately, by all accounts, it is simply a light, so how are we supposed to find it? Left with no choice, we decided to build the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction here to suppress Mo.”
In truth, the original Primordial Light no longer existed.
After it left the Primordial World, it split off the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer; then, it crashed into a primitive Universe World and turned into countless Divine Spirits. That was how the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was born.
As for the essence of the Primordial Light’s true body, it transformed into a Human woman, and her Bloodline was then passed down over the generations.
Regardless of how powerful these descendants became though, they could never truly restore the Primordial Light.
Mu went on to say, “However, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction can’t resolve the problem. Mo’s Black Ink Strength is growing stronger by the breath. There will come a day when the restriction will no longer be able to suppress it; therefore, Mu left behind some trump cards in the restriction, and I am one of them.”
After a pause, she continued, “The fact that I’ve awakened shows that Mu’s hidden hand has been activated, and things have reached the most critical point. As such, I founded Light Spirit Religion in this Universe World and left behind a prophecy.”
Yang Kai realised something, “I see, you’re the first-generation Saintess of the Light Spirit Religion.”
Previously, he speculated that Light Spirit Religion must have something to do with Mu’s trump card; therefore, he followed Zuo Wu You to Dawn City, and when he saw the Saintess, he requested to see her face. Although he knew that it was unlikely to be the case, he had to verify it. Much to his surprise, instead of agreeing to his request, the Saintess asked him to go through a test.
As such, the whole thing had been put off.
In the end, Yang Kai came across Mu in the outskirts of the city.
Since the Martial Dao in this World was weak, the cultivators didn’t enjoy a long life; therefore, it was impossible for Mu to remain the Saintess forever. She had to step down from her position and ‘disappear’.
Countless years had passed, and there were many Saintesses before the current one.
Yang Kai said, “Senior, you keep saying that you’re not Mu. Who are you, then? There’s nothing wrong with your aura, vitality, or sentience, nor do you look like a Soul Avatar or a Soul Clone. You appear to be a real Human.”
Mu replied with a smile, “I’m certainly a Human, but I’m just a shadow of a part of Mu’s life.”
“A shadow?” Yang Kai asked puzzledly.
Mu looked seriously at him and nodded, “It seems that even though you’ve condensed your Space-Time River, you haven’t discovered the river’s true secrets.”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai said, “Please enlighten me, Senior.”
The person before his eyes had condensed her Space-Time River much earlier than Yang Kai did, and her mastery over the Grand Daos was also significantly better. Moreover, her Space-Time River was colossal. If their Space-Time Rivers were put together, it was like the difference between a strand of grass and a tree.
Mu continued, “Although the Space-Time River is condensed from Dao Strengths, it’s mainly composed of the Time and Space Dao Strengths. Time and Space are the biggest secrets of the Universe and govern over everything. Everyone has their own Space-Time River, but rarely can anyone condense it.”
Following a pause, she continued, “The moment a person is born, their Space-Time River begins to flow and continues to do so until the end of their life. In the end, the river returns to Chaos. Their strength and duration of their life is determined by their Space-Time River, and therefore, everyone’s Space-Time River is different. This is Mu’s Space-Time River!”
Saying so, she gently waved her hand. Even though she didn’t have any cultivation, a mini version of Mu’s Space-Time River appeared following her movements, swirling around in the air like a water snake.
Then, she lifted her hand and grabbed something from the river, after which she spread her palm and said, “This is a particular part of her life.”
There was a vague figure that resembled Mu standing on her palm.
A flabbergasted Yang Kai looked at Mu in disbelief, “Is this what you meant when you said you are a shadow of Mu?”
Mu nodded, “It seems that you understand now.” She waved her hand as the figure and the Space-Time River disappeared at the same time.
“Therefore, I am not Mu. I am just the shadow of a part of her life.”
At that moment, Yang Kai was too stunned to speak. What he had just witnessed was beyond his imagination, and he wasn’t able to come to his senses for a long time.
If Mu had not demonstrated it before his eyes, Yang Kai would never have expected this to be the Space-Time River’s real secret.
Although he was astounded, his gaze was filled with excitement as he asked, “Senior, are Space and Time the river’s biggest secrets?”
Mu nodded with a smile, “Given your aptitude, you’d have figured it out sooner or later; however, since Mu’s hidden hand has been activated, there’s no time for you to sit and contemplate it.”
The person before Yang Kai’s eyes was just the shadow of a part of Mu’s long life, hence why she repeatedly said that she was Mu, but also not her.
Yang Kai had never expected that someone in the Universe could pull off such an amazing feat. He was still trying to make sense of everything.
He felt that Mu indeed lived up to her name as the strongest Martial Ancestor. Her cultivation and mastery over the Grand Daos were probably significantly better than the rest.
At this point, Mu’s identity was clear, and the Primordial World’s secret was right before Yang Kai’s eyes. This was where Mo was born as well as the Core of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; therefore, it was critically important.
Yang Kai suppressed the undulating emotions in his heart and asked, “Given your power, were you not able to destroy Mo in the past?”
Although Mu was powerful, she could only suppress and seal Mo in this place using the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. That was why Yang Kai was astounded.
In other words, Mo was tremendously powerful.
Without answering his question, Mu said, “In truth, Mo isn’t fundamentally evil.”
Yang Kai responded, “Yes, I know.”
Mu seemed to be walking down memory lane as she continued, “Since you’ve met Cang before, you must’ve heard him talking about Mo.”
“Senior Cang did tell me some things back then. I know that the 10 of you and Mo were friends, but you fell out at a later time.”
Mu replied with a smile, “That’s not entirely true. It’s just that we’re on opposing sides. When the Primordial Light was born, Darkness was as well, which gradually nurtured some sentience and gave birth to Mo. Although it had gone through years of loneliness, it wasn’t bitter after it was born. Its understanding was blank, just like a newborn baby. At that time, the other nine and I had long comprehended the Open Heaven Realm Method under the World Tree’s enlightenment. Following the rise of the Human Race, we defeated the Monster Race and earned our glory in that era. However, Mo’s appearance made that glory short-lived.”
She then explained, “Living beings are inherently curious. After Mo gained sentience, it had the desire to explore the unknown. When it arrived at any Universe World, the originally peaceful World would fall under its rule; after all, Black Ink Strength was irresistibly corruptive for weaker living beings, and Mo was unable to restrain its power. It didn’t even realise that it was supposed to restrain itself. When all the living creatures in any Universe World submitted to it, it no longer felt lonely and helpless. That was already a horrendous start for a child. It started spreading its power to more Universe Worlds, just like a naughty kid trying to show off its talent to gain attention and acknowledgement.”
Following a long pause, seemingly a little hesitant, she continued, “Then… it came across us one day. With the 10 of us being so powerful, we were naturally immune to Black Ink Strength. That made Mo even more curious about us, and we started coming into contact with each other. Although we knew it wasn’t fundamentally malicious, its power was a disaster to the Universe. Eventually, we decided to make a move; however, at that time, Mo was already significantly more powerful than when it had just been born. Even if the 10 of us had joined forces, we would still be unable to destroy it; as such, we could only build the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to suppress and seal it. Mo realised our intentions, so it summoned all of its followers to counterattack at the end. That is the origin of the war that has lasted for millions of years, continuing to this day.”
Upon hearing Mu’s narration, Yang Kai was left sighing; after all, the feud between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan that had been ongoing since the Late Ancient Era was nothing more than a farce caused by a naughty child.
Unfortunately, that ‘farce’ had lasted for millions of years when everything was accounted for, and countless Humans had lost their lives fighting it.
A long time later, Yang Kai sighed again, “Its very existence is a sin.”
“Although it’s cruel to say that, it’s true,” Mu agreed with him.
“You said that Mo’s Black Ink Strength increases as time passes. Does it know how to cultivate?” Yang Kai asked.
Mu shook her head, “It was born when Heaven and Earth split apart, so it doesn’t need to cultivate. The darkness of all living beings is its source of energy; therefore, after it acquired sentience and left the Primordial World, it was able to occupy many Universe Worlds and increase its power.”
Yang Kai was shocked, “The darkness of living beings?”
“Craftiness, betrayal, bloodthirstiness, cruelty, malevolence, resentment, slaughter… All forms of negativity strengthen its power.”
“How does that work?” Yang Kai asked perplexedly.
“No one can explain it,” Mu replied grimly, “The Primordial Light left immediately after it was born, leaving the darkness to bear the loneliness and coldness on its own. People love the light and loathe the dark; however, darkness is born because there is light. Therefore, the darkness can derive energy from the people’s dark side and grow.”
All this was giving Yang Kai a headache. Just as he was ready to say something, he suddenly realised a problem, “Since the Primordial World is the Core of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the people’s dark side in this independent world…”
Mu nodded, “Just like what you think, even though Mo has been suppressed and sealed, it is still growing by the breath. As such, there will come a day when the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction will shatter. In truth, if not for the fact that Mu’s trump card has been activated, the restriction would’ve been destroyed by now.”
Yang Kai took a deep breath, “So, we mustn’t delay any further. If we want to settle Mo, we have to deal with it quickly.”
Wu Kuang’s voice sounded just then, “But it’s an extremely difficult thing to do.”
Even when the 10 Martial Ancestors were still alive, they were unable to destroy Mo. Could the Humans in present times achieve that goal? The Humans had been fighting against the Black Ink Clan for countless years and had finally regained control of the 3,000 Worlds before mounting a second crusade to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If they failed again this time though, they would be doomed.
Yang Kai glanced at Mu and asked seriously, “What’s the hidden hand you’ve left behind? Please make it clear to me, Senior!”
The trump card wasn’t just about making Mo fall asleep; otherwise, Mu wouldn’t have left behind her Space-Time River and the shadow of herself to lead Wu Kuang and him to this place.
Perhaps Mu still had other arrangements, which were the hope for the Human Race.
She had just said that by the time she awakened in this World, Mu’s trump card must’ve been activated, and things had reached the most critical moment.
As expected, Mu went on to explain, “Back then, the 10 built the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and suppressed and sealed Mo in this place. Only Mu then entered the deepest part of the restriction to look at what was going on before leaving behind some arrangements. This is one of them. There’s no doubt it’s hard to destroy Mo, but the existence of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction shows that it can be sealed; therefore, when the hidden hand was activated, putting Mo to sleep, Mu cut apart its Source into 3,000 pieces and sealed them up inside her Space-Time River.”
After a moment of silence, she continued, “This World is where the suppression started. You must head to the Profound Source Gate which is where Mo’s Source piece is sealed. It is also the place where Mo was born. You just have to refine the gate and suppress the Source piece sealed there. That way, the crisis in this World will be solved, and Mo will be weakened.”
“This World?” Yang Kai sensitively detected something.
“Just like what I said, when Mo was put to sleep, Mu cut up its Source into 3,000 pieces and sealed them up in her Space-Time River. She did so by separating them among 3,000 Universe Worlds in her Space-Time River. As long as you can suppress and seal all the pieces, Mo will fall into a state of deep sleep for all eternity.”
“Such an amazing method!” Yang Kai exclaimed, “But there are too many Universe Worlds!”
Mu let out a sigh, “It can’t be helped, for no single Universe World is powerful enough to suppress Mo. Additionally, Mo has hidden the Profound Source Gates in secret locations. When the ten of us were still alive, we were not aware of it. It wasn’t until Mu looked into the Grand Restriction at the most critical moment that she realised it. With that as the foundation, she left behind some arrangements in a hurry.”
She then instructed, “Once you begin, you must act quickly. That’s because every time you suppress and seal a piece of its Source, you’ll be alerting Mo. The more times you do it, the greater the chances are of Mo waking up. Once it awakens, it will immediately retrieve all the available pieces, and Mu’s arrangements won’t be able to stop it. When that happens, you’ll have to directly deal with Mo.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai said, “In other words, as long as I’m swift enough to seal as many pieces as possible, it will have less power to retrieve.”
“That’s right.”
“But it will awaken eventually, so it’s impossible for me to make use of the Profound Source Gates to suppress and seal Mo completely.”
“You can do that by defeating it!” Mu gave him some encouragement.
Yang Kai responded with a helpless smile. Even if he was able to seal many Source pieces and significantly weaken Mo, the latter was still a powerful being, not to mention that Mo had countless Black Ink Clan soldiers.
As such, how was he supposed to defeat Mo?
All the same, he now had a clear direction at the very least.
It was a good start; after all, even when the Humans went on their second crusade, they had no idea how to defeat Mo.
“If I’m not mistaken, the Profound Source Gate in this World must be in the Black Ink Cult’s control,” Yang Kai said.
Mu nodded, “There are countless people in this World, and their darkness has led Black Ink Strength to stream out from the Profound Source Gate. That’s how the Black Ink Cult was born. The Black Ink Cult is indeed in control of the Profound Source Gate, and it is their most important Restricted Area.”
Yang Kai said meditatively, “In other words, if I want to refine the gate, I have to deal with the Black Ink Cult first…” He looked at Mu with a frustrated expression, “Senior, since you made such impeccable arrangements, why didn’t you take control of the Profound Source Gate instead of letting other people have it?”
Mu shook her head, “Due to some reasons, I’m unable to go near the gate.”
“You could’ve asked those from Light Spirit Religion to protect the gate.”
Mu explained, “Whoever is sent to protect the gate will be corrupted by Black Ink Strength; therefore, the birth of the Black Ink Cult was inevitable. Apart from the Primordial World, all the Universe Worlds you’re going to visit will have Mo’s lackeys. If you want to suppress and seal the Source pieces, you have to deal with those lackeys first.”
“Every Universe World has different Principles, so the obstacles you face will be different too. With acquiring the World’s Will as the prerequisite, you have to defeat the enemies present and suppress Mo’s Source pieces. Mu has left behind her shadows in all the Universe Worlds where Mo’s Source pieces have been sealed, so you won’t be completely on your own.”
“That’s indeed some good news,” Yang Kai said joyfully, “All the same, I have to settle the Source piece in the Primordial World first; however, since I’m only a True Element Boundary Master now, I don’t have sufficient power to deal with this.”
Mu nodded, “Yes, you need an increase in your power. Also, you need a helper. Oh, she’s here.”
Saying so, Mu turned to look at the door.
Yang Kai noticed someone approaching them under the moonlight.
A moment later, a slender figure stepped into the house. As they exchanged glances, the person was shocked, clearly not expecting a stranger to be there. What was more, the stranger was a man. She was rooted to the spot.
Yang Kai was surprised as well, for the person was the Fire Order Lord from Light Spirit Religion, Li Fei Yu.
Although he had some speculations, he turned to look inquisitively at Mu.
“Come on in,” Mu beckoned to the woman.
Li Fei Yu stepped forward and saluted Mu, “Greetings, Madam.”
Then, she glanced at Yang Kai, “Who is this?”
Mu said with a smile, “No disguises are needed here. Let’s show each other your real faces.”
Yang Kai and Li Fei Yu were astounded, clearly not expecting that both of them had put on some disguise.
Since Mu had said so though, they had to oblige.
Yang Kai ran his hand across his face and revealed himself. Across from him, Li Fei Yu also took off the mask that was as thin as a cicada’s wings.
As they exchanged glances, Yang Kai appeared doubtful, for he had never met this woman before. Although he had no idea who she was, he found her image somewhat familiar.
“It’s you!” On the other hand, the woman appeared excited, “I didn’t expect this!”
Realising something, she turned to look at Mu with a pleasantly surprised expression, “Madam, is he the real Holy Son?” She spoke in her real voice this time.
Mu nodded, “Yes, he’s the real Holy Son.”
At that instant, Yang Kai put on a helpless smile. Although he had never seen the woman’s face before, he had heard her voice some time ago; therefore, he could immediately recognise her.
He cupped his fist and said, “Greetings, Holy Saintess!”
It surprised him that the person pretending to be Li Fei Yu was the Light Spirit Religion’s Saintess whom he had met in the morning.
He didn’t expect the woman to disguise herself as Li Fei Yu and come to this place in secret, which was interesting in and of itself.
The Saintess explained, “I formed some speculations when I heard that he had the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will; therefore, I wanted to verify it with you, Madam. Now, there’s no need for that.”
If anyone else had said Yang Kai was the Holy Son, she would’ve looked into the matter; however, since the woman before her eyes had said so, she wouldn’t doubt her.
That was because this woman had founded the Light Spirit Religion and left behind the prophecy. She was the first-generation Saintess.
“Does the Saintess work for you, Senior?” Yang Kai asked while looking at Mu.
Hearing that, Mu nodded, “I’ve been secretly nurturing and supporting every Saintess over the generations; after all, this position is very important, so I can’t let outsiders take over it.”
Since the Martial Dao in this World was weak, the cultivators generally didn’t enjoy a long life; therefore, Mu had to feign her death and step down from her position as the first Saintess. Otherwise, she could’ve been the Saintess until now.
“What about the Eight Order Lords?” Yang Kai asked.
The Saintess explained, “Big Sister Li is one of us. Both of us were candidates to be the next Saintess back then. In the end, Madam let me become the Saintess while Big Sister Li took over the Fire Order. No one interferes in the process of selecting the other Order Lords.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai said, “In that case, are you aware that the Holy Son you are currently nurturing is a sham?”
With Mu behind the Saintess, the existence of the Holy Son shouldn’t be a mystery; however, before Yang Kai’s arrival, there was already a Holy Son that the Spirit Religion had been hiding from the public. Although the so-called Holy Son had passed the ‘test’, his identity was still up in the air.
As expected, the Saintess nodded, “Yes, but the matter is slightly complicated. Moreover, that person might not be aware that he’s a fake Holy Son. He’s most likely being used.”
“What do you mean?”
The Saintess explained, “Madam left behind a prophecy and a test back then. When the chosen one was discovered, the circumstances really did match the prophecy, and he also passed the test; therefore, the others believed that he was the true Holy Son. Although I knew he wasn’t, I couldn’t expose it at that time.”
“Is someone behind all of this?” Yang Kai realised the crux of the matter.
In response, the Saintess nodded.
“Do you know who the person is?” Yang Kai asked.
The Saintess shook her head, “Big Sister Li and I have been looking into the matter for years; although we have some clues, we’re not certain who the mastermind is.”
Yang Kai said, “This person is quite good at concealing himself. It’s no wonder that when Zuo Wu You and I were on our way to the Holy City, we were besieged by those from the Spirit Religion. An Order Lord even tried killing us back at the manor.”
“The person who plotted against the two of you is undoubtedly the hidden mastermind,” remarked the Saintess.
“Has that person sided with Black Ink Cult?”
“I don’t think so,” replied the Saintess, “Every time an Order Lord comes back from the outside, I inspect them with the Purifying Heart Secret Technique to ensure that they haven’t been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Therefore, the person is probably not part of the Black Ink Cult.”
“Why has this person done such a thing, then?” Yang Kai was perplexed.
“It’s because the person craves greater power,” the Saintess smiled helplessly, “He must be an important figure, but ultimately, I am the leader. As such, he probably wants more influence; after all, in the Spirit Religion’s doctrine, the Holy Son is the true saviour. As long as he can control the Holy Son, he’ll effectively be in charge of the Spirit Religion.”
After hearing her explanation, Yang Kai recalled what Mu had said earlier and muttered under his breath, “Crafitness, malevolence, greed… The dark side of Human nature.”
The darkness in living beings could help increase Black Ink Strength and strengthen Mo’s power.
As long as Humans were Humans, things wouldn’t always be positive. Where light existed, so did darkness.
The Saintess continued, “In the past, I didn’t expose the lie to prevent the Spirit Religion from splintering; however, since the real Holy Son is here, the phoney no longer has to exist.”
“What do you plan on doing?”
The Saintess replied, “That person is still cultivating, and such a matter cannot be rushed. It’s common for an impatient person to suffer from cultivation dissonance and pass away.”
Despite her soft voice, her words were merciless. Yang Kai couldn’t help but take a second look at her. Certainly, a person who could be the Saintess wouldn’t be a naïve pushover.
After giving it some thought though, Yang Kai shook his head, “You just said that the person might not be aware that he’s a fake Holy Son and has probably been fooled. Since he’s innocent, there’s no reason for us to kill him. The mastermind is at fault.”
The Saintess nodded, “In that case, we should get to the mastermind. Big Sister Li and I have some suspects on our list. The fake Holy Son was brought back by Si Kong Nan from the Wind Order in the past, but the person who tried to kill you, Chu An He, worked for Luo Yun Gong of the Earth Order. On the other hand, the Lake Order Lord, Guan Miao Zhu, is also a suspect. These are just our suspicions, and we don’t have any evidence.”
Yang Kai raised his hand and said, “To me, the mastermind behind all this isn’t important either. It is inevitable for Humans to harbour a dark side. As long as the mastermind hasn’t been corrupted by Black Ink Strength or sided with the Black Ink Cult, everything he’s been doing is simply to gain more power and influence, not to assist the enemy. Even if he is in control of the Holy Son and the Spirit Religion, he’ll still oppose the Black Ink Cult.”
“You have a point,” the Saintess nodded in agreement, “No Order Lord would ever be willing to side with Black Ink Cult and become their slave.”
“That’s right; therefore, we don’t have to find out who the mastermind is. Just let them be. We also don’t have to expose the fake Holy Son.”
The Saintess appeared surprised, “You mean…”
Yang Kai explained with a smile, “A while back, the reason I claimed to be the Holy Son and tried to enter the city was to verify some suspicions I had. Now that I’ve seen the person I need to see and found out everything I need to know, the Holy Son’s identity no longer matters to me. It can even be said that it will be easier for me to take action by hiding in the dark.”
The Saintess realised his intentions, “Do you want to remain in the shadows to monitor both the Spirit Religion and the Black Ink Cult?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Indeed.”
Suddenly, his expression turned solemn, “Time is running out, Holy Saintess. The fight against Black Ink isn’t just about the survival of this World, it will affect the wider Universe as well. As such, we have to destroy the Black Ink Cult as soon as we can.”
Hearing that, the Saintess put on a helpless smile, “The Spirit Religion and Black Ink Cult have been fighting each other for countless years; however, we’re equally matched. Although I’m the current Saintess, I can’t initiate a full-scale war against the Black Ink Cult on my own. I have to discuss it with the Eight Order Lords, and I need a reason to persuade them.”
“A reason…” Yang Kai muttered. As an idea sprang to mind, he clapped his hands, “Maybe we can make use of this incident.”
The Saintess’ interest was piqued, “What is it?”
Yang Kai said, “Didn’t you tell me to go through the test when we were in the Grand Hall?”
“Yes,” the Saintess nodded. At that time, she was doubtful, so she asked Yang Kai to take part in the test; after all, he had gained the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will, so they couldn’t deal with him as they pleased. However, if he couldn’t pass the test, he naturally wasn’t the real Holy Son. By then, they could do whatever they wanted.
To those who were not aware of the truth, since the real Holy Son had been discovered, there was no doubt Yang Kai was a phoney. As such, he couldn’t possibly pass the test.
In truth, the Saintess wanted to know if Yang Kai could pass the test as well; after all, she knew that the Holy Son that the Spirit Religion had been hiding from the public was fake.
Nevertheless, she was puzzled as to why Yang Kai brought up the test all of a sudden.
“Regardless of what the test is, I’ll fail eventually,” Yang Kai said solemnly, “In that case, I’ll be a phoney, and you’ll have to kill me; however, when I was entering the city, countless disciples came to welcome me, and I gained the people’s support. When everyone finds out that I’m not the Holy Son, the city will descend into chaos. By then, the Spirit Religion can introduce the Holy Son they’ve been hiding from the public to appease everyone. The disciples need a Holy Son, who that person is doesn’t matter.”
The Saintess nodded, “The Order Lords have been wanting to make that person known to the public, but I haven’t agreed to it since I was always doubtful.”
Yang Kai continued, “The Holy Son’s appearance is a big event, so the Spirit Religion can make use of this incident to launch a war against the Black Ink Cult. It also matches the prophecy.”
The Saintess soon realised his intentions, “That’s a good idea. It’s decided, then.”
The two of them then discussed some details, after which the Saintess put on her mask and left in a hurry.
Mu had only been listening to them in silence the entire time.
After the Saintess was gone, she finally spoke up, “As a True Element Boundary Master, you’re indeed not powerful enough to play a decisive role in the fight against the Black Ink Cult.”
Yang Kai said helplessly, “I’ve tried to break through, but there seems to be an invisible shackle stopping me from doing that. It must have something to do with the Principles here. Is this also a part of your trump card?”
Mu replied with a smile, “You’re the saviour, after all. Your existence in this independent World will easily arouse the hostility of Mo’s Source pieces; therefore, you’re not supposed to be too powerful when entering this world. However, it will be easier for you to take action at this point by having increased power.”
Saying so, she raised her hand and pointed at Yang Kai’s forehead.
Following that, Yang Kai’s figure shook all of a sudden. He felt that the shackle that had been restraining his cultivation shattered in an instant. His cultivation rapidly rose from the True Element Boundary to the Immortal Ascension Boundary. Soon, it reached the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary before stabilising.
Since he was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Master before, being at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary still felt quite weak to Yang Kai; nevertheless, it was the limit in this World. If his power continued to increase, it would cause an unwanted response from the World Principles.
Yang Kai felt the increased power and soon adapted to it. He then looked at Mu and asked, “Senior, can you lend me a helping hand as I deal with the Black Ink Cult?”
He initially thought that Mu would agree to it, but she shook her head, “There’s only so much I can do. You only have yourself to rely on from here.”
A perplexed Yang Kai asked, “Why is that?”
Although Mu’s shadow looked like an ordinary person, Yang Kai knew that she was pretty powerful as she was able to use such amazing methods. If he could get her help, it would be easy to destroy the Black Ink Cult and settle the problems in this independent World.
Much to his surprise, Mu rejected his request.
She simply explained, “I’m only a shadow, after all. There isn’t much power I can use, and after waiting and planning for so many years, the power in this shadow is about to run out.”
“I see,” Yang Kai didn’t doubt her, “I’m sorry for making such a request.”
He rose from the chair and cupped his fist, “I’ll take my leave now, Senior.”
Mu got up and saw him off.
Yang Kai suddenly recalled something when he reached the door, so he asked, “Senior, what’s the Spirit Religion’s test about?”
Mu replied with a smile, “Well, it’s just a simple thing. I had collected some Black Ink Strength and sealed it in that place back then. Anyone who isn’t the Holy Son will be corrupted by Black Ink Strength and turned into a Black Ink Disciple after entering that place, so whoever is acting as the current Holy Son naturally couldn’t have passed. Only the person I’ve acknowledged will get a Secret Technique before entering, so he’ll be immune to Black Ink Strength and be able to leave safely.”
Only then did Yang Kai understand what the test was about.
Mu was fully aware of who the real Holy Son was. As soon as the Holy Son appeared, she would contact him and let the current Saintess teach him the Secret Technique. By then, they could put on an act in front of the Spirit Religion’s Order Lords and get their acknowledgement.
“What about the fake, then? How did he pass the test?” Yang Kai frowned. Since one would need the Saintess to teach the Secret Technique to pass the test, how did that person manage to resist the invasion of Black Ink Strength?
Mu knew what was on his mind, so she shook her head, “It’s not like what you think.”
Yang Kai asked meditatively, “Have you been hiding something, Senior?”
After hesitating for a bit, Mu said, “The previous Saintess got together with the Thunder Order Lord and gave birth to a daughter in secret. Before her death, she passed down the Secret Technique to the Thunder Order Lord!”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was astounded, “Have you always been aware that the Thunder Order Lord is the mastermind?”
Mu nodded gently, “Although I stay here most of the time, I’ve been paying close attention to the Spirit Religion’s affairs since I founded it. Just as you suspected, the Thunder Order Lord didn’t side with the Black Ink Cult, he did everything to gain greater power. Even if he manages to take control of the Spirit Religion, he’ll still oppose the Black Ink Cult. Of course, there’s also another reason that makes me reluctant to expose him.”
“What puts you in a tight spot, Senior?”
Mu glanced at him and replied, “The child that the previous Saintess gave birth to is the current Saintess!”
Yang Kai was startled for a moment before shaking his head, “Does her father want to take the power from her? That’s truly cruel.”
“No, he has no idea,” Mu said gently, “He doesn’t even know that he has a daughter. Of course, the current Saintess has no idea that the Thunder Order Lord is her father either.”
Yang Kai smiled helplessly, “Why is that? Didn’t the previous Saintess tell him about it?”
Mu explained, “I founded the Spirit Religion as the first Saintess. Although there isn’t any doctrine to speak of, they’ve developed many rules over the years. One of them is that the Saintess has to abstain from all forms of intimacy with men. The fact that the previous Saintess fell in love with the Thunder Order Lord was against the rules, and therefore, she was supposed to be executed. Even her child shouldn’t have been allowed to live. As such, she didn’t dare to let anyone find out about it, including that man.”
“I see,” Yang Kai put on a helpless expression, “Many people really have nothing better to do with themselves, so they like to set up a bunch of rules to show how important they are.”
Since the Thunder Order Lord was the current Saintess’ father as well as the mastermind behind the scenes, Mu wasn’t willing to expose him. Once he was exposed, the current Saintess would be put in a tight spot, and she might even have to step down from her position.
“So, after the previous Saintess passed down the Secret Technique to the Thunder Order Lord, he found a young man to pretend to be the Holy Son and let him appear in front of the Wind Order Lord, Si Kong Nan, at the right place and time. Then, Si Kong Nan brought the young man back to the Spirit Religion, and the Thunder Order Lord taught him the Secret Technique so that he could pass the test and become the Holy Son.”
“That’s not what happened,” Mu shook her head, “As far as I know, Si Kong Nan came across that young man by chance, it wasn’t the Thunder Order Lord’s doing. However, after the young man arrived at the Spirit Religion, they realised that he had excellent aptitude; therefore, Yu Dao Chi decided to teach him the Secret Technique. The young man was weak at that time, so he wasn’t aware of anything.”
After a pause, she continued, “Yu Dao Chi didn’t act solely for his own vested interests of course. Even though the prophecy has been around for many years, the Holy Son still hadn’t appeared. The people were starting to lose hope; therefore, he did such a thing to create a false sense of hope for the people.”
Yang Kai rubbed his forehead, “That’s ridiculous.”
He initially thought that it was a plot, but it turned out to be a series of coincidences mixed with some calculations and greed.
“Human nature has always been complicated, which is why Mo can grow so rapidly. If we had allowed it to derive power from the darkness in all Humans’ hearts instead of suppressing it with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction over the years, Black Ink Strength would’ve filled the entire void by now.”
Mu then warned, “Now that you’re aware of this secret, you mustn’t tell anyone else about it.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I understand.”
He wasn’t interested in the petty conflicts and plots in this independent World. Now, he just wanted to find the Profound Source Gate and refine it so that he could suppress and seal Mo’s Source piece permanently.
“Good, I will take my leave,” Yang Kai cupped his fist and turned around to leave.
Just then, a young boy around the age of five or six years old ran towards him.
Yang Kai didn’t pay any attention to him; after all, when he was talking with Mu inside the house earlier, there were already many kids playing around outside.
Just as he was ready to step aside, the kid charged towards him with a furious expression.
Yang Kai raised a hand to stop the kid from crashing into him with his head. He then said with a smile, “Watch where you’re going, kid.”
The kid clenched his teeth and exerted more force, but he was unable to move forward. He then glared up at Yang Kai and yelled, “Let go of me!”
Yang Kai took a look at him and exclaimed, “It’s you!”
The kid was the one who blocked his way when he entered the city earlier today. He said that Yang Kai must not be the Holy Son because he loathed him.
Yang Kai was already aware of the kid’s audacity in the morning, and he experienced it again tonight.
“Let go of me!” Growled the kid. Due to his short arms though, he was unable to even reach Yang Kai, so he snapped, “Why are you in my house instead of sleeping in the middle of the night!?”
Hearing that, Yang Kai was shocked, “Do you live here?”
He turned to look at Mu, who smiled helplessly, “He’s an orphan, so I brought him back and took care of him.”
Yang Kai coughed and released him.
The kid immediately crashed into Yang Kai’s abdomen with his head before fleeing to hide behind Mu. Finding a reliable protector, he stuck out his head confidently and pulled a face at the evil intruder.
Yang Kai rubbed his abdomen and recalled what happened when he saw the kid in the morning.
At that time, the kid said something to him and ran away, after which a woman was heard chiding him.
In truth, Mu had seen Yang Kai from afar in the morning, but he didn’t pay attention to her.
It was at that moment that Mu became certain about Yang Kai’s identity, so she sent a faint guidance to Wu Kuang, who was in charge of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, leading Yang Kai here.
Yang Kai then recalled the conversation between the people under the banyan tree. It seemed that the kid was Little Eleventh, whom Mu had brought back from somewhere.
He took a look at the young boy behind Mu and shook his head with a smile before turning to leave.
Suddenly, Mu said from behind, “Junior, you have to succeed no matter what. The Human Race’s future hinges on you.”
Without turning his head, Yang Kai waved his hand and replied, “I’ll bring back some good news, Senior.”
The darkness gradually engulfed his figure like an invisible beast.
“Who is he, Sixth Sister?” Asked the young boy.
Mu ruffled his hair and replied gently, “He’s a friend from a faraway place.”
“For some reason, I hate him,” the young boy frowned, “Whenever I see him, I have the urge to beat him up.”
Mu chided him by saying, “It’s wrong to attack others!”
The young boy pouted, “I know… When he drops by next time, I’ll go out and play so that I won’t see him.”
Mu put on a faint smile.
After playing with the other kids for a long time, the young boy was already sleepy, so he yawned and said, “I’d like to go to bed, Sixth Sister.”
Mu lowered her figure and pulled him into her embrace before saying softly, “En, just sleep.”
After rounding a corner, Yang Kai suddenly turned around and looked at the darkness.
Wu Kuang’s voice sounded in his mind, “What’s wrong?”
Without responding to him, Yang Kai fell into his thoughts. A moment later, he said, “Nothing. Perhaps I’m mistaken.”
Hearing that, Wu Kuang couldn’t help but mutter, “You’ve been acting strangely today.”
…..
The Spirit Religion’s Restricted Area, Ancient Grounds, was where the first Saintess left behind the test. Only the Holy Son that matched the prophecy could pass the test safely.
The prophecy had been around for many years, and some wicked people had naturally tried pretending to be the Holy Son to gain power; however, none of those people could pass the test in the Ancient Grounds. Around 10 years ago though, the young man brought back by the Wind Order Lord managed to leave this place safely after entering.
Therefore, the authoritative figures of the Spirit Religion believed that he was the Holy Son, and they had been secretly nurturing him ever since.
Presently, the Saintess and the Order Lords were waiting with solemn expressions because someone had entered the Ancient Grounds that day.
While waiting, the Order Lords exchanged glances and secretly got ready for a fight.
There came a moment when the Ancient Grounds’ heavy door opened and a figure appeared and stepped into a Grand Array.
As a buzz was heard as the Grand Array was activated. With a stiff face, Yang Kai looked around and questioned grimly, “What are you trying to do?”
The Grand Array was more powerful than the one he and Zuo Wu You had to deal with back in the village, and the people in charge of it were all Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters.
It could be said that if anyone in this independent World fell into this trap, there was no way they could escape by relying on their own power.
The Saintess said softly, “Don’t worry. Since you’ve stepped out of the Ancient Grounds, you’re now faced with the final test. If you can pass this test, you’ll be acknowledged as the Spirit Religion’s Holy Son.”
Yang Kai’s gaze turned gloomy as he stared coldly at the woman, “You didn’t tell me about this before.”
With a hunched back, the Wind Order Lord, Si Kong Nan, chuckled, “Well, it’s not too late to tell you about it now.”
“Are you messing with me!?” Yang Kai growled.
Si Kong Nan persuaded him by saying, “Don’t be so impetuous, Little Friend.”
Ma Cheng Ze placed his hands on his bulging belly and put on a grin, questioning casually, “Why would you be afraid if you’re not guilty of anything?”
Yang Kai swept a gaze over the Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters. As though having no choice but to give in, he asked in a milder tone, “What’s the last test about?”
Thunder Order Lord Yu Dao Chi replied, “You don’t have to do anything. Just stand right there.”
Saying so, he turned to look at the Saintess, “Let us begin, Holy Saintess.”
The Saintess nodded and performed a hand seal. As she muttered under her breath, she pointed at Yang Kai all of a sudden.
In an instant, the entire World hummed. An invisible power seemed to be drawn from the deepest part of Heaven and Earth as it struck Yang Kai, who grunted upon the impact.
At that moment, he realised that it was the Purifying Heart Secret Technique, which drew energy from the World itself to dispel Black Ink Strength. Only the Saintesses nurtured by Mu were able to do such a thing.
Engulfed in the Purifying Heart Technique, Yang Kai clenched his teeth and held on. The veins on his forehead suggested that he was going through immense pain.
Soon enough though, he was no longer able to persevere as he growled in pain.
Although the authoritative figures of the Spirit Religion had already expected the outcome, they were still shocked by the sight before their eyes.
As Yang Kai howled, a dark fog billowed from his figure.
The Heaven Order Lord snorted and looked at Yang Kai with contempt, “How dare a thug like you try to seize control of the Spirit Religion!”
Si Kong Nan shook his head and sighed, “There are always some overly confident people who are blinded by greed.”
The Purifying Heart Secret Technique continued drawing the dark fog out of Yang Kai’s figure until there was none left. At that moment, all his clothes were soaked in sweat as he was kneeling on one knee, panting heavily.
The Saintess stopped using the technique and looked at Yang Kai, who was in the centre of the Grand Array. She sighed and questioned, “Why are you pretending to be the Holy Son?”
Yang Kai lifted his head, “I’m the Holy Son, so why do I need to pretend to be one?”
The Saintess said, “The real Holy Son will never be corrupted by Black Ink Strength when passing through the Ancient Grounds. Since you’ve been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, it shows that you’re not the Holy Son. By the way, the real Holy Son was found 10 years ago!”
Yang Kai’s pupils dilated when he heard that and after a long pause, he muttered bitterly, “So, you’ve been aware that I’m not the Holy Son since the beginning.”
“Yes.”
An enraged Yang Kai roared, “Why did you make me pass through the Ancient Grounds, then!?”
Si Kong Nan said, “You made a big fuss when entering the city, so we need to give the public an explanation. This test is the best explanation.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai sneered, “I see!”
The Saintess demanded, “Please surrender.”
“In your dreams!” Yang Kai bellowed as he leapt up into the sky in an attempt to escape; however, the Grand Array’s power relentlessly held him down.
The Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters exerted more force at the same time, causing the Grand Array’s power to increase. An unsuspecting Yang Kai fell to the ground, as though he was being pressured by a mountain.
After getting up with difficulty, Yang Kai charged towards one of the Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters who was controlling the Spirit Array.
“You court death!” Bellowed the Thunder Order Lord Yu Dao Chi as he dashed towards the Grand Array.
At the same time, Li Fei Yu unsheathed her sword and charged towards Yang Kai while warning, “This man can use some strange methods and he seems to have a powerful Soul artifact, so don’t use your Soul Avatars to deal with him!”
Yu Dao Chi snorted, “Do I even need to use Soul Avatar to fight him?”
Saying so, he reached Yang Kai and threw out a fist.
He didn’t hold back any of his power as a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Master. Obviously, he wanted to kill Yang Kai with one move.
Upon seeing that, the Saintess, who was outside the Grand Array, secretly sighed.
Over the years, she had speculated as to who the mastermind was, but she never had any evidence.
Given the current situation, even if Yang Kai had some malicious intentions, Yu Dao Chi should’ve captured the culprit and interrogated him instead of trying to kill him right away.
His aggressiveness had exposed him.
Although the Saintess had found out many of Yang Kai’s capabilities when having a discussion with him the night before, she still couldn’t help feeling worried; however, all of them were shocked the next moment. Faced with Yu Dao Chi’s attack, Yang Kai threw out a fist instead of dodging. Following a boom, both of them were sent flying away.
Li Fei Yu’s weapon turned into a sword rain that engulfed Yang Kai, making sure that he was unable to flee. Only then did she have some time to speak, “By the way, I forgot to tell you that this guy is extremely strong. He defeated the Black Ink Cult’s Earth Chapter Master in a one-on-one fight, forcing the latter to escape.”
Si Kong Nan exclaimed, “What!? He’s only a True Element Boundary brat, so how was he able to defeat that monster?”
Li Fei Yu obtained the information from Zuo Wu You, who had been held by the Fire Order since entering the city. The others didn’t have a chance to approach him; therefore, other than Li Fei Yu and the Saintess, the other Order Lords had no idea what happened on Yang Kai’s journey to the Holy City.
On the other hand, they were all familiar with the Black Ink Cult’s Earth Chapter Master; after all, the two sides had been enemies for years, so they knew that the Earth Chapter Master had immense physical strength.
In truth, no one in the World had a stronger physique than the Earth Chapter Master; as such, it was inconceivable that the young man before their eyes was able to defeat such a powerful opponent in a one-on-one fight.
If Li Fei Yu were not the one who said it, the others wouldn’t have believed it, for the very notion was ridiculous.
On the other hand, Yu Dao Chi was evidently furious after exchanging moves with Yang Kai. He pushed his power and charged forward in an attempt to deal with Yang Kai alongside Li Fei Yu.
“This guy is dangerous. I don’t want to oppress a young man like him, but since he has some malicious intentions towards the Spirit Religion, we don’t have to be righteous,” Si Kong Nan sighed and stepped forward. The next moment, he appeared in the Grand Array and pushed out a palm towards Yang Kai’s head.
At that instant, Yang Kai was besieged by three Order Lords. Although the fight didn’t last long, it was more intense and perilous than anyone’s expectations.
Since three Order Lords had joined forces, and coupled with the Grand Array they had set up, no one in the World was able to escape unscathed. The fight ended less than an incense stick later.
However, none of the Order Lords was elated as they sported conflicted expressions.
“Why did you kill him?” Si Kong Nan turned to look at Li Fei Yu, his hunched back seeming to have been worsened by the situation. In that direction, Li Fei Yu had run Yang Kai through with her sword. Presently, the man no longer had any aura left.
With a pale face, Li Fei Yu shook her head, “I had no choice, holding back wasn’t possible.”
Those from the Spirit Religion initially intended to capture Yang Kai so that they could find out his reasons for pretending to be the Holy Son, along with his identity and any other conspirators who were working with him. However, in the fight earlier, none of the Order Lords dared to hold back in the face of their enemy’s strange methods.
Furthermore, this phoney seemed to be a ruthless man. Faced with Li Fei Yu’s fatal attack, he didn’t seem to have the intention of dodging and instead tried to drag down his opponent with him. If Yu Dao Chi hadn’t disrupted Yang Kai’s final attack at the critical moment, the latter wouldn’t have been the only one lying on the floor. Li Fei Yu would’ve died as well.
All three Order Lords were drenched in sweat, and the onlookers were astonished.
Guan Miao Zhu couldn’t help but ask, “Was this guy really only a True Element Boundary cultivator?”
“You saw him fight. There’s no doubt he was only a True Element Boundary Master.” The Earth Order Lord Luo Yun Gong appeared dejected, “Such a shame. It would’ve been fantastic if such a talented young man were part of the Spirit Religion.”
Yang Kai was already so powerful even though he was only in the True Element Boundary. If he broke through to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, no one in the World would be a match for him. They initially thought that the Holy Son they had been hiding from the public already had the most outstanding skill and aptitude, but now, it seemed that he paled compared to this fake Holy Son.
This guy would most likely be able to shatter the shackles of this World and explore the Realm above the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Initially, the Order Lords felt it was the right thing to have killed Yang Kai, but upon hearing Luo Yun Gong’s words, they realised it was indeed such a shame.
“What’s the point of saying this when he’s already dead?” Si Kong Nan, who was the oldest among them, said sensibly, “Since he pretended to be the Holy Son and snuck into the Spirit Religion, he was our enemy. However, he acquired the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will. If he managed to make it to the Immortal Ascension Boundary, the Spirit Religion would cease to exist. We’ve nipped a catastrophe in the bud by killing him today.”
Hearing this, all of them nodded in agreement and no longer felt it was a shame.
Yu Dao Chi said, “The disciples in the city have been riled up since he entered the city yesterday. They thought that the saviour had finally appeared, just like what was described in the prophecy. Everyone is anticipating the start of a final war against the Black Ink Cult, but this person is dead now. How are we supposed to explain this?”
This was giving Li Fei Yu a headache as she rubbed her forehead, “Forget the common believers, even members of the Spirit Religion share the same sentiment. Many people have been asking when we will start taking action against the Black Ink Cult.”
Si Kong Nan nodded, “I’ve heard about it as well. If we can’t settle this issue properly, we will surely suffer serious backlash.”
All of them sported solemn expressions and fell silent.
Suddenly, the Saintess said, “Let’s introduce the Holy Son to the public.”
She swept a glance over them and continued, “Even without today’s incident, the Holy Son was supposed to appear very soon. He’s been cultivating in secret for 10 years and has reached the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary. Since he’s just as powerful as any of the Order Lords, he’s able to represent the Spirit Religion.”
“What about the fake Holy Son?” Li Fei Yu asked.
“We just have to tell the disciples the truth,” said the Saintess softly, “The disciples and the entire World have been waiting for the Holy Son’s advent, not this fake named Yang Kai. Therefore, we don’t have to hide anything from them.”
Si Kong Nan nodded repeatedly, “We just have to let the real Holy Son appear to ease the impact of the fake Holy Son’s death. As long as we allow the disciples to see hope, we can resolve the crisis.”
The Saintess continued, “The Holy Son’s appearance is big news. The World and the Spirit Religion have been waiting for countless years as it signals the beginning of the end of the Black Ink Cult.”
All of the Order Lords appeared thrilled upon hearing that as they turned to look at the Saintess with fervent gazes.
They had been waiting and fighting for years, but finally, it was time to deal with the enemies head-on.
“We’ll introduce the Holy Son to the public in three days. In the meantime, all the Order Lords are to begin readying their subordinates, we shall set off to the Black Ink Abyss to end this scourge once and for all!” The Saintess’ voice was as soft as ever, but she sounded determined.
“Yes, Holy Saintess!”
…..
Li Fei Yu entered a secret room while holding a blood-soaked corpse. After putting the corpse down gently, she looked worriedly at him.
All of a sudden, the person, who was supposed to be dead, opened his eyes and an unprepared Li Fei Yu was thoroughly shocked.
“You’re really not dead?” An astonished Li Fei Yu looked at Yang Kai, who was now seated with his legs crossed. She could feel his vitality being restored in his originally cold body.
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn’t have believed such a strange story; after all, she was the one who killed Yang Kai, so she was certain that her sword had penetrated the man’s heart.
The other Order Lords were present, and they were all Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters; therefore, they could easily see through any form of pretence.
That was the reason she had made a fatal move.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Are you a Human?”
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai shook his head, “I can no longer be considered a Human.”
Following his experience in the Dragon Pool, Yang Kai became a Pureblood Dragon; however, since he was originally a Human, he never abandoned that identity.
He took off his blood-soaked shirt and said, “I’m sure the Saintess has told you everything. The Spirit Religion will launch a war against the Black Ink Cult in three days while I’ll assist all of you from the shadows. The Fire Order will be responsible for gathering information, so I’ll need you to work with me… Hey! What are you doing?”
An astounded Yang Kai glanced at Li Fei Yu, who squatted and touched his firm chest.
Li Fei Yu stared fixedly at the chest that she had stuck her sword into. As she felt the man’s strong heartbeat, she muttered, “What kind of a monster are you?”
Although the wound was still visible, it had mostly healed. It had only been a short time since Yang Kai was injured. As such, it was reasonable to assume it wouldn’t be long before the wound disappeared completely.
What bothered Li Fei Yu was that Yang Kai’s blood was golden. His blood also seemed to contain a horrifying power.
That was probably the reason he was able to deal with three Order Lords despite being a True Element Boundary Master.
“You should be more respectful of people’s boundaries,” Yang Kai slapped her hand away and put on a new shirt.
Li Fei Yu continued, “No wonder Xue Ji is so attracted to you. She even came back to you and submitted herself to you.”
She learned that from Zuo Wu You, who was there to witness the incident. He was loyal to the Spirit Religion, so he wouldn’t hide anything from Li Fei Yu.
“Did you even listen to what I said?” Yang Kai shot her a helpless look.
With a solemn expression, Li Fei Yu replied, “Yes, there will be no flaws in our cooperation.”
Only then did Yang Kai dip his head with satisfaction, “Good.” He then sat down cross-legged again and glanced at her, “Tell me more about the Black Ink Cult.”
Li Fei Yu asked seriously, “What do you want to know?”
Yang Kai said, “Everything about the Apostles!”
Li Fei Yu was shocked upon hearing that, “Are you aware of the Apostles’ existence?”
“I’ve heard about them,” Yang Kai nodded. Naturally, he learned this from Yan Peng. Unfortunately, even though Yan Peng was an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master and held an important position in the Black Ink Cult, he knew little about the Apostles.
When he repeatedly came across Xue Ji back then, he wasn’t aware of this piece of information yet, so he didn’t have a chance to ask her about it.
Therefore, Yang Kai decided to seize the chance and find out more from Li Fei Yu now.
Faced with the question, Li Fei Yu considered her words for a moment before replying, “In truth, we know little about the Apostles; after all, they always remain in the deepest part of the Black Ink Abyss to protect that place. Although we’ve launched some wars against the Black Ink Cult over the years, we’ve never managed to pose a threat to Black Ink Abyss; as such, the Apostles have never made a move.”
After a pause, she continued, “The Apostles’ existence is both a taboo, and a mystery. It’s said that they’re engrossed in learning more about Black Ink Strength and spend all of their time in the Black Ink Abyss to unlock its secrets. Rumours have it that they might’ve broken through the Immortal Ascension Boundary and reached a higher Realm. We have no idea what that Realm is, nor do we know how many Apostles there are. The only thing we know is that the Apostles will never leave the Black Ink Abyss; and indeed, they’ve never been spotted outside. Even those from the Black Ink Cult know little about the Apostles. If not for the fact that they never leave the Black Ink Abyss, we would’ve been defeated a long time ago.”
Hearing that, Yang Kai furrowed his brow.
With Mu’s help, he was now an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master. When he was at the Ancient Grounds earlier, he hid his cultivation and only showcased power in the True Element Boundary; as such, the Order Lords believed that he was only a True Element Boundary Master.
Given his true strength, it could be said that no one in the Primordial World was a match for him.
Nevertheless, his strength wasn’t infinite, after all. He couldn’t possibly defeat the entire Black Ink Cult on his own despite being powerful; therefore, if he wanted to destroy the Black Ink Cult, he had to make use of the Light Spirit Religion’s power.
The Profound Source Gate that had suppressed and sealed Mo’s Source Strength was located in Black Ink Abyss, where the Black Ink Cult originated from.
The Apostles were also hiding in the Black Ink Abyss. They were engrossed in Black Ink Strength, so they had been staying there to figure out its secrets. They could even be described as fanatics.
All the same, no one could deny that the Apostles were extremely powerful.
Only by destroying the Black Ink Cult and the Apostles would Yang Kai have time to refine the Profound Source Gate and suppress Mo’s Source piece.
It was destined to be a tough fight; however, this war would affect the survival of the 3,000 Worlds and the entire Human Race, so Yang Kai had to do his best.
Even the Fire Order Lord Li Fei Yu was only aware of some rumours about the Apostles, so the others obviously knew little about them.
Yang Kai thought that if he wanted to find out the Apostles’ secrets, he had to head to the Black Ink Abyss and look into the matter personally.
It wasn’t until Yang Kai acquired more information from Li Fei Yu that he let her leave.
Before exiting, Li Fei Yu turned around all of a sudden and remarked, “Your acting was impeccable.”
“Huh?” Yang Kai subconsciously replied, but he soon realised that she was talking about the fight outside the Ancient Grounds.
He couldn’t help but think that since he was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, putting on an act in front of a group of Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters was like entertaining newborn children.
In a restaurant, a dazed Zuo Wu You drank heavily to ease his sorrow.
Yang Kai, who had gone through a lot of hardship to arrive at the Holy City with him, was now dead.
The day before, the Holy Temple announced that Yang Kai failed the test left behind by the first Saintess, which proved that he wasn’t the real Holy Son; instead, he was an impersonator with malicious intentions. Therefore, the Order Lords joined forces and killed him.
After the news was spread, everyone in Dawn City was shocked, and many of the disciples couldn’t accept the truth.
They had been waiting and suffering for years before the Holy Son appeared. He was like the silver light in the darkness, but barely one day later, he was killed, plunging the world into darkness again.
However, the Holy Temple soon announced a piece of exciting news.
In truth, the real Holy Son was found 10 years ago. He was the person described in the prophecy. More importantly, he had passed the test left behind by the first Saintess, so the current Saintess and the Order Lords had long acknowledged him.
Over the past 10 years, he had been cultivating in seclusion, and he had now reached the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Now, the Holy Son was about to be introduced to the public, and the Spirit Religion was getting ready to set off to the Black Ink Abyss.
All the disciples in Dawn City were exhilarated.
The second piece of news was invigorating, so the impact of the fake Holy Son’s death had been significantly weakened. Everyone was drowned in the joy of a better future, and they quickly forgot about the fake Holy Son, who had everyone’s support while entering the city.
Nevertheless, Zuo Wu You would never forget about him.
On their way to the Holy City, he saw how Yang Kai defeated so many powerful opponents despite supposedly being weaker than them. Although he was only a True Element Boundary Master, he was able to kill Immortal Ascension Realm Masters, injured Xue Ji, and repel the Earth Chapter Master. After that, he even made Xue Ji submit herself to him.
He had always believed that the Holy Son was supposed to be powerful and achieve the impossible. Only a Holy Son like Yang Kai could save the World.
Nevertheless, someone like him still failed the test and was killed by the Order Lords.
The Order Lords assured that he was an impersonator.
Zuo Wu You was puzzled, not knowing what the truth was anymore.
If Yang Kai was a phoney, why did he come to the Holy City just to get himself killed?
Why did Chu An He do such a thing?
Also, why did an unknown Order Lord try to kill them in secret?
Zuo Wu You found it hard to know what was true and what was false, realizing for the first time just how complicated the world was. Unable to figure anything out, he picked up a wine bottle and chugged it down to numb his thoughts.
After putting down the bottle, he strode out of the restaurant. He was a straightforward person, so he knew nothing about evil plots. He considered himself part of the Spirit Religion as he had gotten everything from there. Since they were about to set off to the Black Ink Abyss, he didn’t hesitate to contribute.
The Light Spirit Religion was highly efficient. After the Holy Son was introduced to the public, they started gathering soldiers. It only took them three days before the Order Lords led their Armies to depart from the Holy City and head to the Black Ink Abyss via four different routes.
They had been preparing for this moment for many years, and the soldiers were strong and powerful. With the Holy Son leading them, they were all high-spirited.
Soon, conflicts of different scales broke out in various places.
Although the Black Ink Cult and the Spirit Religion had been fighting each other for as long anyone could remember, they were restrained most of the time. Surprisingly, those from the Spirit Religion were going all-out this time.
Those from the Black Ink Cult were unprepared for the sudden aggressive assault, so they had no choice but to fall back repeatedly. The Spirit Religion soon conquered and occupied many of their territories.
Four major Armies marched forward at the same time, coordinating with each other as they liberated city after city.
Several days later, those from the Black Ink Cult, who were initially caught off guard, finally organized themselves and rallied together to defend themselves.
The Primordial World wasn’t large, with limited landmass.
If the World was divided into two, the East belonged to the Light Spirit Religion while the West was occupied by the Black Ink Cult.
In the middle of the two Great Forces, there was a long grey area. Neither party controlled this region so both could move about it freely.
This area was where both parties frequently broke into conflicts, but it was also a buffer zone for them.
Since both parties were equally matched, the existence of such a buffer zone was necessary.
Blessings City was located in the west of the buffer zone where the Black Ink Cult was essentially in charge. It was a tiny city with a small population.
The City Lord was only a First Stage Immortal Ascension Master with a bulging belly.
Given his low strength, he wasn’t really qualified to be a City Lord; however, since this area was located in the buffer zone, he was able to obtain the position. Although the city didn’t belong to any Great Force on paper, he had secretly sided with the Black Ink Cult and had been collecting information for them for many years.
Blessings City was near the territory the Black Ink Cult controlled, so he had made a wise decision.
As the City Lord, he had been carefree for the past 10 years, but he couldn’t be at ease today.
That was because the Light Spirit Religion’s Armies were heading straight for his city. The Spirit Religion had taken control of most of the cities in the buffer zone already, and they would reach Blessings City soon.
At such a critical moment, he had to make a choice quickly. He could either stay loyal to the Black Ink Cult, or side with the Light Spirit Religion.
With a frown, he clenched a jade slip that contained critical intelligence from the past few days.
“It’s troublesome. The fake Holy Son was killed, and the real one appeared. Those from the Light Spirit Religion have gathered all their forces to attack the Black Ink Abyss. They’ll pass through Blessings City soon, so I have to contact those from the Light Spirit Religion as soon as possible.” He knew that given the fact that he was only a First Stage Immortal Ascension Master, he was unable to resist the Light Spirit Religion’s Armies.
Presently, those from Light Spirit Religion had all the momentum in the conflict, so he couldn’t possibly save Blessings City from them. As such, he had to side with the Light Spirit Religion immediately if he wished to survive.
Nevertheless, he didn’t notice that when he was speaking, the soft and alluring woman in his embrace wore a shocked expression.
The woman got up from the bed and looked at him before asking in a gentle voice, “Sir, who did you say was killed?”
The City Lord replied with a smile, “A guy who pretended to be the Holy Son. He went all the way to Dawn City, but he failed the Light Spirit Religion’s test; therefore, several Order Lords joined forces and killed him.”
The woman kept a smile on her face, “What’s his name?”
The City Lord tried recalling it and said, “If my memory serves me right, his name was Yang Kai.”
The woman lowered her gaze and glanced at the jade slip in his hand, “Can I take a look?”
The City Lord pinched her face and said with a smile, “Only cultivators can use this. Since you’ve never cultivated before, you can’t see…”
Before he could finish his words, his expression changed. That was because the jade slip disappeared from his hand and fell into the woman’s possession.
He didn’t even realise when it had happened.
With his figure stiffening, he stared fixedly at the woman before his eyes, his expression turning from surprised to horrified.
All of a sudden, he recalled a certain rumour.
Across from him, the woman appeared oblivious to his reaction as she looked into the jade slip in silence. A moment later, she said through clenched teeth, “No! It’s impossible that he was killed just like that! I don’t believe he’s dead!”
As soon as the woman finished speaking, the City Lord dashed away from her at the speed of lightning, which was surprising given his weight. Obviously, he had pushed his strength to its limit in an attempt to flee from this place.
If the rumours were true, he wouldn’t be a match for the gentle-looking woman with whom he had spent the last three years.
Nonetheless, he soon descended into a state of despair. When he was about to reach the window, an immense power restricted him and pulled him back towards the woman. The next moment, he fell on his bottom in front of her.
In an instant, he started shuddering with a pale expression.
The woman slowly rose from the bed, but unlike how she had been behaving for the past three years, she appeared more like a horrifying monster at that moment. She looked condescendingly at the fatty and questioned emotionlessly, “Do you think that guy is dead?”
Certainly, the City Lord didn’t have the answer to her question. He speculated that the fake Holy Son must have something to do with this woman, so he repeatedly pressed his head against the floor and said, “I have no idea, Madam! I just received the information and haven’t managed to verify it yet!”
The woman squinted her eyes, “Do you know who I am?”
The City Lord replied honestly, “I have some speculations.”
The woman nodded, “Good. It seems that you’re clever enough to know what you should do.”
As an idea sprang into his mind, the City Lord said, “Don’t worry, Madam. I’ll tell someone to verify the news right away so that you’ll get an accurate answer.”
“Good. Go now,” the woman waved her hand imperiously.
A relieved City Lord got to his feet, but when he lifted his head, he realised that the woman was looking mockingly at him. Although they had spent a long time together, her alluring face felt strange to him.
At the same time, a layer of blood mist engulfed him.
“Mercy, Madam!” Shrieked the City Lord. The moment the blood mist appeared, he knew that his speculations were right.
She was indeed ‘that’ woman, and the rumours were all true.
As though having spirituality of its own, the blood mist streamed into the City Lord’s body through his pores. He screamed in horror, but he soon lost his voice.
A moment later, a hideous and withered corpse was left lying on the floor. A thick blood mist gushed out of the corpse and was absorbed by the woman.
The woman, who would normally have been elated, only appeared sorrowful, as though she had lost something important as she muttered under her breath, “That’s impossible. He is so incredible, how could you be killed just like that? I won’t believe it!”
With a hideous expression, she soon made up her mind, “I have to look into this!”
Saying so, she whirled around and turned into a bloody beam before shooting into the sky.
Half a day after the woman was gone, those from the City Lord’s Mansion finally discovered that the City Lord was dead, and they broke into a commotion.
On the other hand, right after the woman left Blessings City, she detected something and turned to look in a particular direction.
Something seemed to be guiding her.
She frowned in puzzlement, but after a moment of hesitation, she charged forward in that direction.
Soon enough, she saw a familiar figure in a gazebo. Although the man sported a face she had never seen before, she could feel it through her blood. The man before her eyes was the one she was looking for.
Looking at the figure in the gazebo, the woman became at ease. She took a deep breath and stepped forward.
When she reached the person, she saluted him and said, “Servant greets Master.”
The person seemed oblivious to everything as he looked dazedly in a particular direction.
The woman looked in the same direction, but all she saw were endless clouds.
She stood there and waited patiently like a maid. At that moment, she no longer appeared aggressive or arrogant.
A while later, Yang Kai suddenly said, “If one day, you realised that everything around you is an illusion, and the World you lived in is not what you think it is, what would you do?”
After giving it some thought, Xue Ji measured her words and asked cautiously, “What are you trying to say, Master?”
Yang Kai shook his head and took back his gaze before turning to look at her, “You’re an intelligent woman, so you’ll figure it out one day. Before that, I need you to help me with something.”
Xue Ji immediately fell to her knees, “I’ll never disobey your orders, Master.”
“Bring me to the Black Ink Abyss!”
The Black Ink Abyss was where the Black Ink Cult originated from. The Profound Source Gate, where a part of Mo’s Source had been suppressed and sealed, was also located there; however, since Yang Kai had only been in this World for a short time, he didn’t know where the Black Ink Abyss was. After pondering for a moment, he decided to just ask Xue Ji to lead the way for him; therefore, he looked for the woman through the Soul Mark and waited outside this city.
Xue Ji shuddered with a shocked expression as she asked hesitantly, “Why do you want to go there, Master?”
Yang Kai replied impassively, “That is none of your business. Just lead the way for me.”
Xue Ji hung her head low, “Yes.”
Then, she lifted her head and looked expectantly at the man. She parted her lips, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.
A helpless Yang Kai formed a small wound on his finger and flicked some Dragon Blood at her.
Xue Ji devoured the blood like it was a precious treasure. Soon, she turned into a blood mist and flew off. From afar, she said, “Please wait for me, Master. I’ll be right back!”
Half a day later, Xue Ji returned, soaked in sweat. However, her aura had increased significantly, and it was to the point where she was unable to suppress it.
She had repeatedly gained benefits from Yang Kai, which had helped strengthen her tremendously. She was already at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Realm to begin with, and if not for the shackles of this World’s Principles, she would’ve achieved a breakthrough.
This woman was talented in the Blood Dao, and she had some kind of Special Constitution that perfectly matched her use of Blood Principles. Unfortunately for her, she was born in the Primordial World. Restricted by the Space-Time River, she was unable to escape from the Universe World’s suppression.
If she lived in a stronger Universe World, her strength would not be so low.
“I’ll teach you a technique that can help suppress your aura. Listen carefully,” Yang Kai said.
An elated Xue Ji replied, “Many thanks for your teachings, Master!”
After she acquired the technique, she circulated it and realised she was finally able to suppress the wild aura. Yang Kai was already mysterious in her eyes, and now, he looked even more inscrutable to her.
The two of them then headed straight to the Black Ink Abyss.
While on their way, Yang Kai asked the woman about the Apostles; however, even though Xue Ji was a Chapter Master of the Black Ink Cult, she knew little about them.
“Master, you might not be aware of it yet, but the Black Ink Abyss is where our cult originated from. That place is sacred in our eyes; therefore, no ordinary person is allowed to go near it. Only those who have made great contributions to the cult can cultivate beside the Black Ink Abyss. On the other hand, Chapter Masters like me are given quotas every year and are allowed to enter the Black Ink Abyss at certain times.”
Following a pause, she continued, “Black Ink Strength is strange as it can change a person’s nature; therefore, comprehending Black Ink Strength’s secrets in the abyss is both an opportunity and a risk. If one is lucky, their cultivation will increase significantly. If they are unlucky, they’ll lose themself forever. Many in the Black Ink Cult are just like that, including the Chapter Masters.”
Yang Kai nodded as he had discovered this when he came into contact with those from the Black Ink Cult back then. Although their disciples had some Black Ink Strength in their bodies, it was basically negligible. Moreover, their nature was never fully changed. For example, Xue Ji still retained her independence and individuality.
It was different from the Black Ink Disciples that Yang Kai had come across before; those Black Ink Disciples had been fully corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so they only held Mo supreme.
As Xue Ji spoke, she appeared slightly fearful, “Those who have lost themselves look just like their usual selves, but their minds have changed completely. I too almost fell into that situation once; fortunately, I retreated in the nick of time and saved myself.”
Yang Kai said, “Since that is the case, when you cultivate in the Black Ink Abyss, you have to strike a balance between comprehending Black Ink Strength and keeping your sanity. Is that right?”
Xue Ji replied, “You can think of it as so. If we can retain the balance, we’ll be able to increase our powers; however, once the balance is broken, we’ll lose ourselves forever. I believe the Apostles are such beings.”
“What do you mean?” Yang Kai arched his brow.
“From what I’ve observed over the years, many disciples lose themselves while cultivating in the Black Ink Abyss. Most of them leave the Black Ink Abyss and live their lives as though nothing has changed; nevertheless, a small number of people continue further into the Black Ink Abyss and disappear. Those people are the Apostles!”
“Since they’ve disappeared, how did all of you find out about the Apostles?” Yang Kai frowned.
“Although we can’t see them, we can hear growls like those of beasts from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss; therefore, we know that there are living beings in the depths, ones who must have dove deeper than others can. However, we don’t know what happened to them.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai nodded.
In that case, the Apostles were the real Black Ink Disciples. Their temperaments had been contorted by Black Ink Strength, and no one knew what happened to them after they went further into the abyss. Although they were still alive, they never appeared again.
“I heard that the Apostles will never leave the Black Ink Abyss,” Yang Kai said.
Xue Ji replied, “That is indeed the case. The Black Ink Cult has been around for many centuries, but as far as I know, no Apostles have ever left the Black Ink Abyss before.”
“Have you guys tried finding out the reason?” Yang Kai asked.
Xue Ji shook her head, “No one has ever met the Apostles before, so how are we supposed to find out anything?”
Yang Kai stopped asking further. It seemed that Xue Ji knew little about the matter as well. If he wanted to find out more about the Apostles, he had to go down and have a look for himself.
“The Light Spirit Religion has launched a war against the Black Ink Cult, so the final conflict between the two parties is inevitable. As the Night Chapter Master, aren’t you supposed to be at the frontline?”
Xue Ji replied with a smile, “Well, the Night Chapter is mainly responsible for assassinating enemies, so we don’t have many members. As such, we’re usually not involved in large-scale warfare like this. The other Masters will have a discussion and settle it.”
After pondering for a moment, she said cautiously, “I suppose you’re on the Light Spirit Religion’s side, Master.”
“Let’s say I’m indeed on their side, what will you do?” Yang Kai questioned.
Xue Ji replied frankly, “I will always follow you as your servant.”
“Good,” Yang Kai nodded with satisfaction.
With Xue Ji, the Night Chapter Master, leading the way, they could easily move around even if they ran into some Black Ink Cultists who questioned Yang Kai’s identity.
10 days later, the pair finally arrived at the Black Ink Abyss, where the Black Ink Cult originated from.
The Black Ink Abyss was located in the Black Ink Flatland. It was an extensive plain which was the most important area for the Black Ink Cult.
This place was guarded by Black Ink Cult members all year round; however, since they currently had to deal with those from the Light Spirit Religion, many of the guards were gone, leaving just a few guards behind.
The periphery of the flatland was lush and verdant, but as they went deeper, the place became increasingly desolate, as though a mysterious power was affecting this vast land.
When they arrived at the centre of the flatland, there was a huge abyss. The abyss was like a chasm in the land that led to the depths of the Universe World. There was no end in sight, and it was pitch black to the eye.
It was the Black Ink Abyss!
Standing right above the abyss, they could hear the wind howl and some muffled growls, as though some beasts had been trapped inside.
Beside the abyss was a majestic palace, which was built by those from the Black Ink Cult.
All the disciples who wanted to cultivate in the Black Ink Abyss had to go to the palace and register their names before they were allowed to enter; however, with Xue Ji around, Yang Kai didn’t have to care about such procedures. Other people would handle everything for him.
Standing above the abyss, he activated the Demon Eye of Annihilation and looked down with a solemn expression.
He could faintly feel a mysterious power spreading in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. It was the power of Mo’s Source piece!
A Black Ink Cult member came up to them and stood in front of Xue Ji before respectfully presenting an Identity Token to her, “Here you go, Chapter Master Xue.”
Xue Ji took the Identity Token and looked into it. After confirming that there was no problem with it, she nodded.
The Black Ink Cult member went on to say, “By the way, the other Masters sent us a message and said that if we saw you, we had to inform you to head to the frontline right away.”
Xue Ji replied impatiently, “En.”
After passing on the other Chapter Masters’ word, the Black Ink Cult member turned around and left.
Xue Ji passed the Identity Token to Yang Kai and spoke to him in secret, “There are many Black Ink Cult enforcers in the abyss. Sir, you just have to wear the token around your waist, and they won’t bother you.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Good.” After taking the Identity Token, he hung it on his belt.
“Please be careful, Sir. Don’t go to the depths of the Black Ink Abyss if it’s not necessary to do so,” Xue Ji reminded worriedly. Although she had seen Yang Kai’s amazing methods and was awed by his Dragon Blood, no one knew what was inside the depths of the abyss. If Yang Kai was killed in the abyss or couldn’t come back, she would lose her source of Dragon Blood!
Certainly, she was worried about Yang Kai’s safety, but she was more concerned about her future.
Xue Ji watched as Yang Kai leapt into the Black Ink Abyss.
Initially, everything looked perfectly normal, but as he went deeper, he felt some faint Black Ink Strength permeating the air. The Black Ink Strength came from the piece of Mo’s Source which had been suppressed and sealed in the deepest part of the Black Ink Abyss.
The entire place was dim. There were stone rooms on both sides of the abyss that were apparently built by the Black Ink Cult members. They stayed in the stone rooms and cultivated in an attempt to comprehend the Black Ink Strength’s secrets and increase their powers. Most stone rooms were empty, with only some of them exuding Human auras.
Yang Kai was curious about this. According to Xue Ji, the Black Ink Cult members were trying to strike a balance between figuring out the secrets and resisting the Black Ink Strength’s corruption. If they were able to retain the balance, their powers would increase significantly; however, if they failed to do so, they would be taken over by Black Ink Strength and turned into Black Ink Disciples.
He had no idea how Black Ink Strength was able to increase a cultivator’s strength as it was unlike anything he knew. Out of curiosity, he moved towards a stone room with someone inside and observed them in secret. In the end, he came to a conclusion that he wasn’t entirely certain about.
Mo’s Source had been cut into many pieces by Mu, so the one in this place was only a small part of it. Furthermore, the Profound Source Gate’s seal made the Black Ink Strength less corruptive.
When the Black Ink Cult members arrived at this place, they were able to break through their bottlenecks while trying to resist the Black Ink Strength’s influence. They could even refine some Black Ink Strength so that they could use it at the most critical moment to receive an explosive increase in power.
When Yang Kai was with Zuo Wu You back then, he killed many Black Ink Cult members. Before their deaths, many activated their Black Ink Strength. However, they were unable to change their fate due to the huge difference between their true strengths.
This was an interesting discovery. Mu said that the birth of the Black Ink Cult was inevitable because Mo’s Source piece existed. No matter who was tasked with guarding this place, even if they were from the Light Spirit Religion, they would be eroded by Black Ink Strength eventually. Their temperaments would be contorted, and they would give up their faith to worship Mo.
Yang Kai also had some speculation as to why Mu said she couldn’t go near the Profound Source Gate and control it herself.
After leaving the stone room, he dove deeper into the abyss. Sometimes, he would bump into enforcers from the Black Ink Cult, but when they saw the Identity Token at his waist, they didn’t make things difficult for him. Some of them even reminded him to weigh his abilities and not push himself too hard. He thanked them and moved on.
As Yang Kai dove deeper, he realised that the Black Ink Strength became increasingly dense. There were fewer stone rooms on the sides of the abyss, and the number of cultivators decreased sharply.
About an hour later, he could no longer feel the aura of any living creature, and there were no more stone rooms.
Yang Kai realised that he had come to depths that the Black Ink Cult members had never reached before. At this point, Black Ink Strength was extremely thick, and the entire place was pitch black. He could only activate the Demon Eye of Annihilation and his Divine Sense to scan his surroundings.
It was dead silent in the abyss, and the entire place felt eerie and horrifying. Yang Kai dove deeper towards the source of the Black Ink Strength. There came a moment when his feet contacted the ground. It seemed that he had reached the deepest part of the Black Ink Abyss. Cracks sounded beneath his feet, drawing his eyes.
The deepest part of the Black Ink Abyss was covered with bones, and there was no end to them in sight. Countless Black Ink Cultists must have passed away in this place over the years, and their bones now littered the floor.
Yang Kai picked up a bone and examined it before frowning. That was because the bone in his hand was strange as it was much larger than an ordinary human’s. He looked at the other bones and realised they were the same.
[What’s going on?]
The ground started shaking all of a sudden. It was as though a gigantic creature was charging forward in his direction.
Yang Kai looked in the direction of the noise but couldn’t see anything. As he recalled Xue Ji’s words and his purpose for the visit though, he formed some speculations.
The next moment, he tossed the bone away and released his Divine Sense. Soon, he discovered the source of the noise. The noise was caused by a living creature whose aura was unusually vital.
After giving it some thought, Yang Kai decided to avoid contact and backed away. Much to his surprise, the unknown creature chased after him.
It seemed that this creature could detect Yang Kai’s whereabouts, but he didn’t feel any Divine Sense probing him. It was a strange scenario.
He decided to stop moving and wait in the same spot, for he wanted to figure out what was going on with the Apostles that lived in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss.
Soon enough, a gigantic figure emerged from the darkness and appeared before Yang Kai’s eyes.
What Yang Kai saw made him furrow his brow. Although the creature still resembled a Human, it was heavily mutated.
The ‘Apostle’ was three times taller than Yang Kai with a hunched back and unusually long arms. When it ran, it did so with all four limbs. The creature looked like a huge ape, its figure unusually bulky, as though some air had been blown into its muscles.
What bothered Yang Kai the most was that the Apostle was full of sarcomas. It reminded him of scenes he had seen in the past.
Many millennia ago, there were numerous Open Heaven Realm Masters who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength and turned into Black Ink Disciples. The Black Ink Strength helped them break through their innate limits and reach higher Orders, but there was a price to pay as their figures were transformed and their minds warped.
The Open Heaven Realm Masters who had broken through their limits with Black Ink Strength developed sarcomas, which continuously released pus that stank terribly. They also had hard to predict bodily distortions.
Yang Kai put up his guard in an instant.
Meanwhile, the Apostle had dexterously leapt into the air. It descended upon Yang Kai like a mountain and pushed out its palm as it flew.
Yang Kai wanted to figure out the creature’s true power, so he threw a fist of his own instead of running away.
Following a loud boom, the entire ground shook. Yang Kai was forced to lower his figure as he slid backwards upon impact. His feet formed two long traces on the ground as his clothes flapped in the wind.
On the other hand, the Apostle was sent flying away after exchanging moves with Yang Kai. After it landed on the ground, it got to its feet quickly. A dark fog surrounded it as it growled and charged towards Yang Kai again. It knew no pain, nor did it have any sanity left.
Seeing that, Yang Kai quickly got ready for a fight.
With Mu’s help, he was now at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary, which was the limit in this World. If his power continued to increase, he would be suppressed and rejected by this Universe World.
However, given his foundation as a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it was not an exaggeration to say that no one in the Primordial World could exchange more than three moves with him.
However, the strange-looking Apostle fought Yang Kai for half an incense stick before he found a chance to kill it.
In other words, if such an Apostle left the Black Ink Abyss, it would be peerless in the World. The Chapter Masters from the Black Ink Cult and the Order Lords from the Spirit Religion were simply no match for it.
Putrid blood gushed out of the Apostle as thick Black Ink Strength escaped from the carcass. Yang Kai watched everything with a heavy heart.
He finally realised why there were so many oversized bones in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. The Apostles were much bigger than Humans, after all. Over the years, countless Apostles lost their lives in this place, so it was only natural that so many massive bones were littered here.
Nonetheless, that wasn’t the crux of the problem. The problem was that the Apostle that Yang Kai had just fought had a power that was beyond the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Above the Immortal Ascension Boundary was the Transcendent Realm. The Apostle that Yang Kai had killed was obviously in the Transcendent Realm.
However, since it had lost its sanity and could only act on instinct, it was unable to fully utilize the power of a Transcendent Realm Master; otherwise, it would’ve been harder for Yang Kai to kill it.
Why was there a Transcendent Realm Apostle here? The Martial Dao in this World was low, so it supposedly could accommodate Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters at most. If not for this innate limit, some talented people would’ve broken through the limits of the Immortal Ascension Boundary over the years.
Nonetheless, no Transcendent Realm Masters had ever existed in this World before.
As Yang Kai was at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he could clearly feel the suppression of the World’s Will. The merciless World wouldn’t allow Transcendent Realm Masters to exist; otherwise, it would cause the Universe World to descend into chaos and its Principles to destabilise.
So why were the Apostles able to reach such a realm?
Yang Kai turned to look in a different direction and faintly saw a door, which he supposed was the Profound Source Gate.
A part of Mo’s Source was suppressed behind the door. It was this Source piece that formed the unique environment in the Black Ink Abyss and gave birth to the Apostles and the Black Ink Cult.
However, Yang Kai didn’t have time to look into the Profound Source Gate’s secrets. That was because tremors could be felt coming from all directions. Sweeping his gaze around, he saw many gigantic figures charging towards him as they roared eerily.
There was more than one Apostle in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss!
Yang Kai’s expression sank. Although he had the foundation of a Ninth-Order Master, his power was significantly suppressed in this independent World. It took him a lot of strength to kill the Apostle earlier, so if he was besieged by so many Apostles, he would end up in a horrible state.
Just as he was preparing to use Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability to conceal himself, he suddenly thought of something and changed his mind. The next moment, he shot upwards from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. The Apostles growled and chased after him. Although these Apostles looked bulky, they were quite speedy and dexterous.
With so many Apostles racing after Yang Kai, he took on the appearance of a meteor that shot through the darkness.
The noise soon alerted the Black Ink Cult members in the upper part of the abyss. The snarls sent chills running down their spines as they left their stone rooms and looked down, not knowing what was going on.
Soon, a Black Ink Cultist at the lowest depths accessible saw a sight he would never forget.
In the darkness, a figure dashed out from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. At the same time, many enormous creatures chased after him while growling.
“Are they the Apostles?” The Black Ink Cult member’s pupils dilated as he couldn’t believe he would see such legendary beings in his lifetime.
Although this Black Ink Cult member wasn’t a Chapter Master, he was in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary; therefore, he was just as powerful as one.
With such power, he was confident to cultivate in a spot that was hard for others to reach.
If he was successful this time, he would challenge a Chapter Master and defeat them so that he could take their place.
Much to his surprise, someone had gone further down into the Black Ink Abyss, and had somehow provoked many Apostles.
When the Immortal Ascension Boundary Master saw the Apostles’ bulky and hideous figures and felt their terrifying auras, he was initially horrified, but he soon became excited.
He was horrified because so many Apostles had emerged at the same time and it was a mystery as to what had happened in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss. On the other hand, he was excited because there was a higher Realm above the Immortal Ascension Boundary. The Apostles had apparently reached that Realm!
It was a goal he couldn’t achieve despite all his hard work, and it was also a secret that all the Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters in the Primordial World had been pursuing.
While he was lost in his thoughts, a shocking scene came into his sight.
At that moment, an immense power seemed to have descended upon this place. Faced with this power, even a Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master felt as insignificant as an ant.
It was the power of the World!
Everyone present felt the anomaly immediately.
Invisible World Principles started gathering and becoming a mess before they turned into a storm that could destroy everything.
The storm surrounded the Apostles as a destructive aura permeated the air.
The Apostles looked up and growled. Although they were in a Realm above the Immortal Ascension Boundary, they were still unable to resist such destructive force.
Popping sounds were heard as the sarcomas on the Apostles’ figures exploded. As thick Black Ink Strength and blood spread, the entire place stank horribly.
Unable to withstand the destructive storm any longer, an Apostle exploded into a blood mist with a loud boom.
As if a spark setting off a firestorm, more Apostles began experiencing the same fate.
The Apostles that came from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss seemed to have passed an invisible boundary. On one side of the boundary, it was life, and on the other side, it was death.
The remaining Apostles finally detected the danger ahead. Although they had lost their sanity, they still had their instincts. Like a group of wild beasts, they made the wisest decision when their lives were at stake, they stopped in their tracks. Instead of chasing after Yang Kai, they slowly returned to the darkness as their growls gradually faded.
Yang Kai hovered in mid-air and looked down in contemplation.
It seemed that things were just as he had expected.
He didn’t conceal his figure using Thunder Shadow’s Innate Divine Ability earlier because he wanted to verify his speculation. In order to do so, he lured the Apostles to leave the Black Ink Abyss.
[This is going to be troublesome…]
He secretly clicked his tongue. Initially, Yang Kai thought that if he wanted to refine the Profound Source Gate, he just had to deal with the Black Ink Cult. Now, it seemed that he had to clear out these Apostles as well.
However, the Apostles were all in the Transcendent Realm. Since he was only at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he wasn’t a match for a swarm of them.
Therefore, he had to come up with a solution.
All of a sudden, a series of growls and pops were heard coming from somewhere.
Yang Kai turned around and saw a figure in front of a stone room. A man in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary had come out to find out what was going on.
Just now, Yang Kai already detected his presence, but he didn’t pay attention to him.
Upon closer inspection, he realised that the person was no longer able to resist the Black Ink Strength exuded from the Apostles earlier.
This person was trying to break through his limits by cultivating in such a spot, and if there had been no external harassment, he could’ve kept his sanity; however, many Apostles were killed just now, and the Black Ink Strength billowing from their corpses was too intense. Therefore, it immediately exceeded the limit that this person could bear.
Yang Kai watched as the man was engulfed in thick Black Ink Strength, and the aura exuded from him turned wicked. Nonetheless, his aura was rising sharply, as though he was about to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary. Of course, it was difficult for him to achieve his goal due to the suppression of the World’s Will.
All of a sudden, the man looked down at the Black Ink Abyss’ depths with a fervent gaze and muttered, “I see. This is the power that transcends the Immortal Ascension Boundary!”
Saying so, he moved downwards without hesitation, sporting an elated expression as though something was calling out to him.
However, the moment he moved, Yang Kai blocked his way and landed a palm on his forehead. The person’s head shattered upon impact before he could even grunt in pain.
Knowing that this man would turn into another Apostle after falling into the Black Ink Abyss, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t stand by and do nothing. By destroying him now, he would have one less opponent in the future.
Then, Yang Kai took another look at the depths of the Black Ink Abyss before shooting upwards.
To save himself some trouble, he concealed his figure and aura this time so that no one would notice him.
The anomaly in the Black Ink Abyss’ depths had alerted many Black Ink Cultists, but they could only hear some growls and howling, so they didn’t know what happened.
As the news spread, many Black Ink Cultists soon gathered together; nevertheless, given the fact that they were unable to reach the deepest part of the abyss, they couldn’t gather any useful information.
What surprised Yang Kai was that Xue Ji was still waiting for him.
He secretly spoke to Xue Ji and told her to go somewhere quiet before giving her some orders.
Xue Ji nodded repeatedly, “I understand, Master. However, please give me a Faith Token. Otherwise, given my identity, I won’t be able to gain that person’s trust.”
“Sure,” Yang Kai fished out a jade slip and left his Imprint inside. After writing a short message as well, he passed it to Xue Ji, “Go on.”
She then turned around and left.
After she was gone, Yang Kai shot into the sky and turned into a ray of light before moving in a particular direction.
The Light Spirit Religion had gone all out in their march towards the Black Ink Abyss, taking four different routes to ensure they succeeded. Initially, they could easily defeat their enemies, but as the Black Ink Cult recovered from their initial shock, it became harder and harder for them to move forward.
On balance, those from the Light Spirit Religion were still at an advantage.
The Holy Son’s performance was especially stunning. Although he was only in his early twenties, he was already at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary. When the Light Spirit Religion’s forces were trying to conquer a city the other day, the Holy Son dealt with five Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters from the Black Ink Cult on his own without being at a disadvantage. He even managed to kill one of his opponents, which significantly boosted the Spirit Religion’s morale.
Due to the Light Spirit Religion launching a war all of a sudden, the entire Primordial World descended into chaos; however, they had the people’s support. The commoners had been oppressed by the Black Ink Cult for years, so they hoped the Spirit Religion would save them.
In an abandoned village outside North River City, a figure suddenly appeared under the night sky.
The figure was a woman, and as she looked around, she demanded coldly, “Reveal yourself!”
“I’m not even hiding. Why are you so furious, Big Sister?” A woman was heard laughing as she emerged from the darkness. She was none other than Xue Ji.
The person who called out to her was the Fire Order Lord from the Light Spirit Religion, Li Fei Yu.
An Order Lord from Light Spirit Religion and a Chapter Master from the Black Ink Cult had met up in an abandoned village under the night sky. Anyone would’ve assumed that something fishy was going on between them.
Hearing the woman’s mockery, Li Fei Yu lifted her blemish-free chin, “Are you sure you’re supposed to call me Big Sister? How old are you?”
Xue Ji covered her mouth and chuckled, “I’ve asked around. You’re three months older than me, Big Sister Li.”
Li Fei Yu snorted, “Stop acting like we’re friends. Why did you want to see me?”
They briefly exchanged moves in the morning, and it was at that moment that Xue Ji secretly asked Li Fei Yu to meet her tonight.
Getting down to business, Xue Ji sported a serious expression and replied, “I was instructed to come here.”
Li Fei Yu squinted her eyes, “Instructed by who?”
Xue Ji said, “Why are you asking this question when you’re well aware of who I serve, Big Sister Li? That person told me to get into contact with you.”
After a moment of silence, Li Fei Yu shook her head, “I don’t believe your words. You have to show me some proof.”
“That’s why I’ve brought a Faith Token with me,” Xue Ji smiled and flicked a jade slip at the woman.
Li Fei Yu took it and read it with her Divine Sense. After that, she looked at Xue Ji with a conflicted gaze.
Although she already knew some important information and formed some speculations, she still found it hard to believe when she saw everything for herself.
Was the Night Chapter Master from the Black Ink Cult so easily subdued?
“I told you I serve that person,” Xue Ji said.
Li Fei Yu kept the jade slip, “There’s nothing wrong with the jade slip. Although that guy trusts you, it doesn’t mean I’ll do the same; after all, men can be easily deceived sometimes.”
Xue Ji pouted aggrievedly, “You’re misunderstanding everything, Big Sister. I’m truly loyal to him.”
Li Fei Yu scoffed, “Show me something useful, then. Talk is cheap.”
Xue Ji let out a sigh, “I knew it wouldn’t be easy to gain your trust. Fortunately, I’ve also brought a gift with me.”
Saying so, she clapped her hands, after which a figure emerged from the darkness behind her. Li Fei Yu secretly put up her guard.
However, the person only walked up to Xue Ji and passed a package to her respectfully before leaving the place.
A metallic tang permeated the air immediately after.
Li Fei Yu looked at the blood-soaked package and narrowed her eyes.
Xue Ji tossed the package to the woman and said with a smile, “Let’s see if you’ll like this gift, Big Sister Li.”
Li Fei Yu let the ‘gift’ fall to the ground instead of catching it; then, she summoned a sword and opened the package.
Soon, a hideous-looking head came into her sight.
At that instant, she said in shock, “This…”
Xue Ji licked her lip and replied, “I just killed him, so the head is still warm. You can touch it if you like, Big Sister Li.”
[What is wrong with her?!]
Li Fei Yu felt her stomach churning. She didn’t expect the Night Chapter Master to be willing to do such a thing for that person.
The head belonged to the City Lord of North River City who was in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary.
It was rumoured that he had tried competing to become one of the Eight Chapter Masters in the past, but he was defeated in the end. However, since he had the right to compete for such a position, there was no doubt he was one of the most powerful cultivators in this World.
Therefore, it was a surprise that his head now lay before her.
The City Lord of North River City was dead.
Earlier that morning, an Army from the Light Spirit Religion launched an attack on North River City; however, this city was one of the most important for the Black Ink Cult, so there were countless powerful Masters inside. As such, it wasn’t easy to conquer it. The City Lord was especially difficult to deal with.
Those from the Spirit Religion had been trying to come up with a solution to take North River City; nevertheless, on this silent night, Xue Ji brought the City Lord’s head and presented it to Li Fei Yu.
While Li Fei Yu was still in a dazed state, Xue Ji disappeared into the darkness and said from a distance, “Those from North River City won’t discover it before the break of dawn. I don’t think you need me to tell you what to do.”
“Wait!” Li Fei Yu called out. At this point, she no longer doubted Xue Ji.
Xue Ji was a famous woman who was a nightmare for countless men, but she had submitted herself to that person.
The next moment, Xue Ji revealed herself again and asked, “What else?”
Li Fei Yu said, “I don’t think killing this guy was the only thing that person told you to do.”
The smile on Xue Ji’s face faded as she looked away and clicked her tongue, “I hate clever women like you!”
Li Fei Yu arched her brow, thinking that her speculation was right; therefore, she questioned frankly, “So, what orders did he give you?”
A displeased Xue Ji hesitated for a while before replying, “Master told me to work closely with you. You just have to tell me your targets, and I’ll remove the obstacles for you.”
“Master…” Li Fei Yu felt her face twitching. That certain someone was so powerful that not only did he conquer this woman, but he had also managed to make her call him ‘Master’.
One had to know that this woman was one of the most formidable cultivators in the World.
Li Fei Yu suppressed her shock and nodded, “That’s great. How should I contact you, then? You have to give me something.”
“Here you go!” Like an aggrieved child, Xue Ji angrily tossed a communication bead at her.
Li Fei Yu took it with a pleased expression. As she looked at her long-time opponent, she said, “I didn’t expect a woman like you to submit yourself to a man. Is he so charming? Or is he able to please you in some other way?”
It was meant to be mockery, but after she finished her words, her entire figure stiffened all of a sudden. She could see Xue Ji’s figure fading, and the next moment, a chill ran down her spine.
Xue Ji’s voice sounded from behind. She was as light-weighted as a ghost, and her breath made the woman’s hair sway, “Master is more powerful than you can ever imagine, so stop saying nonsense like this. If he finds out what you’ve said, he’ll be furious, and I’ll end up in a horrible state. When that happens, I won’t let you off!”
Despite her stiff figure, Li Fei Yu placed her hand on the hilt of her sword as her forehead was beaded with sweat. She wanted to move, but she was unable to do so as though something had locked her in place.
A long time later, she whirled around and realised that Xue Ji was nowhere in sight. She didn’t even know when the woman disappeared.
As a cold breeze whisked past her, she realised that her clothes were already soaked.
She let out a long breath, looking like a drowning person who had just been saved. As her legs turned to jelly, she almost fell to the ground. The incident earlier frightened her that much.
Much to her surprise, Xue Ji had become so formidable.
One had to know that the two of them had fought many times over the years, so they could be considered long-time rivals. There was no doubt that Xue Ji’s Blood Principles were hard to deal with, but Li Fei Yu wasn’t less powerful in any way. They had always been equally matched.
Since they were at the peak of their cultivation, there was no room for improvement, so they could only keep cultivating to solidify their powers.
The last time they fought was a year ago, and Li Fei Yu had actually gained the upper hand; however, the power Xue Ji showcased just now made Li Fei Yu realise she was no longer a match for her.
If Xue Ji wanted to kill her, Li Fei Yu wouldn’t even be able to flee.
Xue Ji couldn’t increase her power significantly on her own in just one year.
It was no wonder Xue Ji was so loyal to that person and even willing to call him Master. It seemed that his Blood Essence could bring her woman unimaginable benefits.
Li Fei Yu suppressed her shock and secretly felt glad.
Xue Ji was extremely powerful now, but thanks to that person, she was on the Spirit Religion’s side.
By working with this woman in secret, they could secretly get rid of many opponents that would otherwise get in the Spirit Religion’s way. Perhaps it would be easier for them to win the war than they had imagined.
After pulling herself together, Li Fei Yu left the place in a hurry.
They had to launch an attack on North River City before the break of dawn. It was the best chance for them to conquer the city.
While the two women met up at night, Yang Kai secretly returned to Dawn City.
In the periphery of the city, he easily found Mu, who lived there.
“Why are you here again?” With a furious expression, Little Eleventh blocked the doorway to stop Yang Kai from entering, “Do you have your eye on Sixth Sister? You’d better give up now, otherwise… Ouch!”
He covered his head and turned around to look at Mu with an aggrieved expression, for the woman had landed a fist on his head earlier.
“Stop spouting nonsense. Go out and play now,” Mu glared at him.
Little Eleventh shrank his neck and didn’t dare to refute her. He pouted and ran away sorrowfully. When he brushed past Yang Kai, he made sure to bump into him.
A while later, he turned around and snapped, “Hey! If you dare to do anything to Sixth Sister, I’ll… I’ll…”
He was a young boy, so he couldn’t think of any vicious words. After racking his brain, he still couldn’t finish his sentence.
An amused Yang Kai asked, “What will you do?”
Finally, Little Eleventh threatened, “I’ll smash your head!”
Hearing that, Yang Kai broke into laughter.
Little Eleventh pulled a face at him and wiped the tears from his eyes before running away.
Yang Kai watched the young boy leave and shook his head; then, he turned around and saluted Mu, “Senior.”
Mu continued looking in Little Eleventh’s direction for a moment before saying, “You’ve noticed, haven’t you?”
Yang Kai didn’t expect her to admit to it, so he simply said, “You must have your reason for doing so.”
“Indeed,” Mu didn’t deny it, but she was curious, “How did you figure it out? He looks just like any young boy.”
“It’s the way you call him,” Yang Kai smiled, “Wu Kuang said you were ranked sixth, and there were only 10 Martial Ancestors; therefore, the name Little Eleventh is worth taking note of.”
Mu refuted, “That doesn’t mean anything.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You have a point, but there’s something you might not have realised. The last time I came, I asked you why you didn’t take control of the Profound Source Gate since it was so important. You told me you couldn’t go near the Profound Source Gate due to some reasons; however, you were the one who suppressed and sealed the Source pieces in the Profound Source Gate to begin with, so it was impossible that you couldn’t approach it. Therefore, I speculated you were not the one who couldn’t go near the Profound Source Gate; instead, it was someone else.”
Wu Kuang’s voice sounded in his mind at that moment, “Hey, you mean that Little Eleventh is…”
Yang Kai replied, “It was merely speculation before, but Mu’s reaction shows that it’s the truth.”
Instantly, Wu Kuang demanded, “Kill it!”
“If we could solve the problem by killing it, I don’t think Mu would have hesitated to do so. It’s not the crux of the problem; instead, it’s the Source that has been suppressed and sealed.”
“If you don’t give it a try, how will you know?”
“What if that only makes things worse?”
Wu Kuang fell silent, for that was indeed a possibility. In that case, they couldn’t act rashly.
As they spoke, Mu led Yang Kai to the backyard. She then took out two chairs so that they could have a seat.
“You’re a sharp one indeed,” Mu praised him, “Regardless, I didn’t intentionally hide it from you. It’s just that it wouldn’t be useful even if I told you about it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “It’s fine, Senior.”
Mu decided not to dwell on the topic and instead asked, “Why did you come back again? What happened?”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai replied, “I went to the Black Ink Abyss and discovered something.”
A curious Mu said, “Go on.”
Since she wasn’t able to go near the Profound Source Gate, she didn’t know what the depths of the Black Ink Abyss looked like. All she knew was some common information.
Yang Kai proceeded to tell her what he had experienced in the Black Ink Abyss.
As Mu listened to him, her expression turned serious.
After Yang Kai finished speaking, she put on a helpless smile, “It seems that I wasn’t the only one who had left behind a hidden hand. Mo must have done the same.”
She turned to look at Yang Kai, “As you can see, the Apostles possess powers that transcend the Immortal Ascension Boundary in the Black Ink Abyss, and they’re able to live there peacefully; however, once they leave the depths of the abyss, they’ll be killed by the World’s Will. That’s because this Universe World doesn’t allow anyone above the Immortal Ascension Boundary to exist, for that would cause too large a burden to the World.”
“As I thought.” Yang Kai nodded, “From what I’ve observed, there must be some kind of power in the Black Ink Abyss’ depths that shields it from the World’s Will. In other words, the bottom of the abyss has become a World of its own because of that power. Therefore, even though the Apostles possess strength above the Immortal Ascension Boundary, they’re still fine. However, once they leave the protective range of that power, the World’s Will notices their presence and turns hostile. Since their powers don’t come from their own cultivation, they’re highly unstable; as such, the Apostles are unable to bear even the mere hostility of the World’s Will and end up exploding.”
Upon hearing that, Mu nodded, “I agree.”
Yang Kai went on, “You’ve said that you were not the only one who had left behind a hidden hand as Mo had done the same. So, the problem is probably with its Source. Its Source allows the bottom of the abyss to accommodate power that is above the Immortal Ascension Boundary. I suppose it wants to use this method to protect its Source. It might even be its way of cracking the seal and helping its Source break free.”
“Do you need any help?” Mu asked.
Yang Kai came looking for her in the middle of the night, so it was obvious that he needed something from her.
“I need to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary; otherwise, I can’t go near the Profound Source Gate,” Yang Kai explained his purpose for the visit.
There were a lot of Apostles at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss. Given Yang Kai’s current cultivation, he was unable to kill them. Although he had managed to eliminate some of them by luring them away from the bottom of the abyss, they probably wouldn’t fall for this trick again after that incident.
As such, he had to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary so that he could kill all the Apostles and refine the Profound Source Gate.
His cultivation was suppressed by the World’s Will because Mu made the Immortal Ascension Boundary the limit; since she was able to help Yang Kai reach the Immortal Ascension Boundary, she naturally could help him reach a higher Realm.
“En,” Mu nodded upon hearing that, “Give me two days, and I’ll give you what you need.”
Yang Kai instantly realised this matter wasn’t easy for Mu either; otherwise, she wouldn’t have told him to wait for two days.
A while ago, she just had to point a finger at Yang Kai to help him reach the Immortal Ascension Boundary, but this time, she might have to pay a price.
She then turned around and entered the house while Yang Kai waited in the yard.
In the latter half of the night, Little Eleventh finally returned from playing outside. Since he hated Yang Kai, he pulled a face at him and dashed into the house.
Mu was heard singing to Little Eleventh, and soon, the young boy started snoring.
Little Eleventh stayed in the house for the next two days as he remained asleep the whole time. Obviously, Mu had done something to him.
Two days later, Mu stepped out of the house. When Yang Kai turned to look at her, he was shocked.
Although the woman was only a shadow of the real Mu, she always appeared to be a young woman in this World; however, barely two days had passed, yet all her hair had turned white. Although her face appeared the same, Yang Kai could feel that she had lost a lot of her vitality.
After taking a few steps forward, she already started panting.
Yang Kai quickly went over and supported her.
Mu gently leaned against the man and pointed at his chest, after which a dot of light entered his body.
Then, she said, “At the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss, this power can help you break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary’s shackles. Mo has done something there, so the World’s Will won’t detect your power; however, you can’t leave the Black Ink Abyss with this power.”
Her voice and aura were extremely weak, just like a dying old person. She even coughed as she spoke.
“I understand.” Yang Kai nodded firmly; then, he helped her take a seat and poured a cup of water for her.
Mu took a sip of water and rested for a bit before continuing, “You don’t have to make a move in a hurry. Just wait until the Black Ink Cult is destroyed. If you take action before that, there might be some unexpected complications.”
“Have you felt something, Senior?” Yang Kai asked.
Mu shook her head, “Mo is intelligent. Since it left behind such a hidden hand, it won’t be a simple one. It’s better to act carefully when possible.”
“Very well.”
“After you refine the Profound Source Gate and completely suppress the Source piece inside, you will leave this World and head to the next in the Space-Time River. Another Mu shadow will be waiting for you. Find her as soon as you can and she will continue helping you. Also, the Profound Source Gate is the key to suppressing Mo’s Source, so you mustn’t let anyone snatch it from you; otherwise, its Black Ink Strength will be restored, and no one will be a match for it.”
She kept giving him reminders, as though she was saying her last words. She was worried she wouldn’t have the chance to say such things if she didn’t do it now.
Yang Kai felt a lump in his throat as his eyes reddened.
Mu was one of the 10 Martial Ancestors. Although she passed away a long time ago, she had left behind hidden hands that would help protect her Juniors. Her shadows were waiting in different Universe Worlds; however, those shadows didn’t know if the person they were waiting for would even come. When she was planning all of this millions of years ago, Mu had no way of knowing whether it would all turn out to be pointless.
Nevertheless, the woman held on.
With a Senior like her, the Juniors naturally couldn’t just live in ignorance under her protection.
As though seeing through Yang Kai’s thoughts, Mu patted his hand and said with a smile, “I’m just a shadow. Since I’m not real, there’s no need for you to be sad; moreover, as long as the Space-Time River is still around, I won’t die.”
Yang Kai pulled himself together and said seriously, “You’ve done enough for us, Senior. Please get some rest and leave the rest to me.”
Hearing that, Mu nodded gently.
After bidding the woman farewell, Yang Kai set off on his journey again.
Not long after he was gone, Little Eleventh rubbed his eyes and stepped out of the room. Since he had been asleep for two days, his stomach started growling, and he was listless.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw Mu sitting there with all her hair turned white. At that moment, he was dumbfounded.
Mu flashed a smile and beckoned to him.
In an instant, Little Eleventh burst out crying as tears slid down his face. He dashed towards Mu and looked up at her, “What happened, Sixth Sister? Why has your hair turned white?”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Mu placated him and wiped the tears from his eyes; however, they just wouldn’t stop streaming down his face.
Little Eleventh yelled, “Who did this to you?” Suddenly thinking of something, he widened his eyes, “It was that bad guy, right? It must be him!”
“Stop speaking nonsense. It wasn’t him,” Mu denied it.
“It must be him. I knew he was a bad guy!” While still crying, Little Eleventh appeared furious and his gaze was filled with resentment and wrath.
The next moment, a dark fog billowed from his figure and engulfed him.
In a cold voice, he declared, “I’ll kill him for hurting you!”
Saying so, he left the place in a hurry and picked up a wooden stick from beside the door. It was funny that a young boy like him was holding a wooden stick, but the aura exuded from his body was intimidating.
“Come back!” Mu didn’t manage to stop him. Just as she rose from the chair and was ready to chase after him though, she lost her footing and fell to the ground. She bellowed, “Why are you always so naughty? Do you want me to die from anger so badly?!”
Hearing the commotion behind, Little Eleventh turned around. When he saw Mu lying on the ground, the dark fog around him disappeared in an instant. He dropped the wooden stick and ran towards Mu before helping her up with difficulty. With his face covered in tears, he said, “I’ll be obedient, Sixth Sister. Please don’t get mad at me!”
Mu pulled him into her embrace with a sorrowful expression. A long time later, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Little Eleventh shook his head, “It’s all my fault. You don’t have to apologise to me.”
Hearing that, Mu fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.
When Little Eleventh wanted to kill Yang Kai with a wooden stick, an anomaly took place in the Black Ink Abyss.
A while ago, Yang Kai lured many Apostles from the bottom of the abyss and caused a commotion. Those from the Black Ink Cult were concerned, so they sent some Masters in to look into the matter in an attempt to find out what happened.
Those from the Black Ink Cult had always wanted to contact the Apostles to figure out how to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary; however, the Apostles never left their place, so there was never a chance to do so.
Now, they had gone to war with the Light Spirit Religion; therefore, when they heard about the news in the Black Ink Abyss, they quickly came over and looked into the matter.
Nevertheless, they had asked the members who cultivated inside the abyss, but none of them could provide any useful information.
They only knew that a Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master had disappeared.
Presently, these Masters were scattered around the abyss. As they were wondering just what they were supposed to do, they suddenly heard a series of growls and howls from the depths. Following that, horrifying auras were felt rising rapidly.
Instantly, these Masters became both shocked and doubtful as they looked intently towards the bottom.
Soon, many gigantic figures emerged from the darkness and came into their sight.
“It’s the Apostles!” Exclaimed an Immortal Ascension Boundary Master.
They had been trying to contact the Apostles this whole time, but to no avail. Much to their surprise, the legendary beings appeared before their eyes in such a way.
However, their pleasant surprise was momentary, for they soon realised something was off. These Apostles were filled with murderous intent, as though someone or something had deeply offended them. They appeared eager to leave the Black Ink Abyss and devour the entire world.
Seeing that, the Black Ink Cult Masters were terrified.
Before they could react, the Apostles suddenly stopped in their tracks and fell back into the abyss.
Only their growls were faintly heard.
At the same time, a voice seemed to be resonating in the hearts of these Black Ink Cult Masters.
They fell into a dazed state in an instant and looked longingly towards the darkness below, as though there was something fatally attractive to them down there.
Without hesitation, a figure fell into the darkness boldly.
Then, more and more people did the same until half of the Masters disappeared into the abyss. Only a small number of them managed to retain their sanity. Realising that something was amiss, they quickly moved upwards to get rid of the voice in their hearts.
Their investigation turned out to be a disaster and they had paid a huge price as a result. Dozens of Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters dove deeper into the abyss and disappeared.
..…
Back on the battlefield, the stalemate between the two sides lasted for a few days before the Light Spirit Religion gained the upper hand over the Black Ink Cult.
That was because whenever the Spirit Religion was faced with a formidable opponent, the latter would be assassinated.
The City Lord of North River City was the first to fall.
He was a Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master, so those from the Light Spirit Religion should have paid a huge price if they wanted to conquer North River City.
Nevertheless, the City Lord was suddenly killed one night.
No one knew who the culprit was, nor did anyone hear the noise of a fight. A Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master died mysteriously.
It wasn’t until the soldiers from the Light Spirit Religion launched an attack on the city that those from the Black Ink Cult discovered the City Lord’s headless corpse.
Since the City Lord was killed, the Black Ink Cult’s morale plunged as many Masters ran away. It didn’t take the Light Spirit Religion much effort to occupy North River City.
Similar things happened in many subsequent battles. More and more Black Ink Cult Masters were killed, causing those who were still alive to shiver in fear.
It wasn’t until a certain Master was killed that they realised who the culprit was.
The Black Ink Cult was divided into Eight Chapters, which were Heaven, Earth, Profound, Dawn, Night, Space, Flood, and Barren.
Each of the Chapter Masters was among the most powerful cultivators in the World. Their strength was unrivalled, but due to the limits in this World, they were unable to break through the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Although all of them were at the peak Immortal Ascension Boundary, it didn’t mean they were equally powerful. Some were stronger than others.
Among the Eight Chapter Masters, Yu Bu Zhou, the Heaven Chapter Master, was acknowledged to be the most powerful.
It was said that he was born with a Special Constitution, and he had cultivated an amazing Secret Art; therefore, even though he had been stuck at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary for years, his power still increased steadily.
Since the Eight Chapter Masters had engaged in life-and-death battles with the Masters from the Light Spirit Religion, they were replaced frequently. There would be all new Chapter Masters every 20 to 30 years on average.
However, over the last 100 years, Yu Bu Zhou had managed to hold on to his position as the Heaven Chapter Master, with no one capable of challenging him. Whenever he fought the Masters from the Light Spirit Religion, he would always end up being the winner.
The Earth Chapter Master had contended with him before, and he was defeated in three moves, which went to show how formidable Yu Bu Zhou was.
Nevertheless, such a Master was attacked.
When the fight took place, the Black Ink Cult members thought the Light Spirit Religion had launched a sneak attack on them, but when they arrived at the scene, they were dumbfounded.
That was because on the battlefield, Yu Bu Zhou, who was fully pushing his aura, was locked in an intense fight with an alluring figure.
The woman was surrounded by a blood mist, but despite the distance, all could smell the metallic tinge wafting from her.
The person battling Yu Bu Zhou was none other than the Night Chapter Master, Xue Ji!
At that moment, no one knew why the two Chapter Masters were engaged in such an intense battle; nonetheless, when Yu Bu Zhou claimed that Xue Ji was a traitor, their expressions changed drastically.
As of late, many Black Ink Cult Masters had been assassinated, but they couldn’t find any traces at the scenes; therefore, they had no idea who the culprit was. With that said, the Black Ink Cult Masters were not fools, so they realised that there was a traitor on their side.
The traitor had to be the one who secretly killed the other Black Ink Cult Masters; however, none of them had expected the traitor to be the Night Chapter Master.
As such, when Yu Bu Zhou made such a claim, many still couldn’t believe it.
Nevertheless, they soon saw something even more unbelievable, for Yu Bu Zhou, who was believed to be the most powerful cultivator in the Black Ink Cult, was at a clear disadvantage in his fight against Xue Ji.
Faced with the woman’s overbearing methods, Yu Bu Zhou was powerless to counterattack.
No one ever imagined that Xue Ji was so powerful.
The Black Ink Cult Masters at the scene wanted to stop them. Regardless of the truth, the two Chapter Masters shouldn’t try to kill each other. They could find out if Xue Ji was the traitor later; however, the moment they made a move, four figures emerged from the darkness and stopped them.
They instantly recognised that these people were Xue Ji’s Blood Slaves, whose names were Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang.
They were orphans who had been following Xue Ji since they were children. Xue Ji taught them the Blood Dao and planted a Secret Technique in their bodies, ensuring that their powers would increase in tandem with her. Therefore, the bond between Xue Ji and her slaves was unbreakable.
The four Blood Slaves were supposed to be in the Second-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary because their Master, Xue Ji, was in the Third-Order. Their cultivation couldn’t surpass her own.
Nonetheless, at this moment, all were awestruck by the powers that the Blood Slaves showcased.
That was because the Blood Slaves were already in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Furthermore, they had been living together since young, and they had mastered many Combined Attack Techniques. As they joined forces, they were able to stop more than 20 Black Ink Cult Masters from moving forward.
With no one getting in her way, Xue Ji became increasingly ruthless. Yu Bu Zhou was covered in blood, and it seemed that he would lose his life at any moment.
At the most critical moment, he roared as thick Black Ink Strength billowed from his body and engulfed him in an instant.
Following that, his body started swelling as sarcomas appeared on his figure. He stank terribly, and his aura soon broke through the Immortal Ascension Boundary’s shackles and reached an entirely new Realm.
An unsuspecting Xue Ji was struck by his fist, and she almost exploded.
However, Yu Bu Zhou was only able to make one move because after his aura broke through the Immortal Ascension Boundary’s shackles, the World’s Will started targeting him.
He howled in pain as his body continued swelling until he exploded into a blood mist, not even leaving scraps of his corpse behind.
In an instant, thick Black Ink Strength swept out.
The fight sent a shockwave across the entire World. The powerful Heaven Chapter Master was attacked by the Night Chapter Master. The Heaven Chapter Master only managed to defeat the other party by transforming into an Apostle.
Nevertheless, he paid a terrible price, for not long after he transformed into an Apostle, he was destroyed by the World’s Will.
Meanwhile, Xue Ji went missing, and her Blood Slaves fled amidst the chaos.
The mess they left behind made the Black Ink Cult Masters feel heartbroken.
Apart from Yu Bu Zhou’s amazing power, they were more concerned about Xue Ji’s cultivation.
According to the witnesses at the scene, Yu Bu Zhou was totally suppressed by Xue Ji. If not for the fact that he was at a complete disadvantage and that his life was already at stake, he wouldn’t have been forced to transform into an Apostle.
In other words, Xue Ji was significantly more powerful than Yu Bu Zhou.
It was inconceivable.
Although Xue Ji could be considered one of the most powerful cultivators in the World, she wasn’t comparable to Yu Bu Zhou, especially in a frontal clash. How did she manage to gain the upper hand, then?
Also, the Blood Slaves’ cultivation indirectly proved how powerful Xue Ji was.
The Blood Slaves were closely tied to Xue Ji as their strength would always grow in tandem with hers. Furthermore, their cultivation would never surpass that of Xue Ji.
When Xue Ji was in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary back then, the four Blood Slaves were only in the Second-Order.
Nevertheless, the powers they showcased during the battle proved that they were already in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary.
The truth was revealed before everyone’s eyes.
Xue Ji wanted to kill Yu Bu Zhou in secret, but due to the latter’s incredible heritage, she wasn’t able to achieve her goal. A battle then broke out, after which the Black Ink Cult Masters arrived and witnessed the fight.
After looking into the matter, they realised that when the Black Ink Cult members were killed back then, there were traces of Xue Ji or her Blood Slaves appearing nearby.
When the City Lord of North River City was killed, Xue Ji was in the city.
However, no one doubted her at that time.
There was no denying that Xue Ji had betrayed the Black Ink Cult, but no one knew why the Night Chapter Master decided to do so.
When those from the Light Spirit Religion got wind of it, they were equally puzzled. They initially thought that it was some fake news spread by the Black Ink Cult.
Only Li Fei Yu, who had been working closely with Xue Ji in secret, knew that it wasn’t misinformation. All of those things had indeed happened.
All the same, she was shocked that Xue Ji was even more powerful than she had imagined. On that night, she already realised that she was no longer a match for Xue Ji, but she didn’t expect the woman to be able to kill Yu Bu Zhou.
The piece of news was eventually verified to be true, and the Light Spirit Religion’s Managers celebrated.
Initially, Yu Bu Zhou was the biggest obstacle to the Spirit Religion’s crusade. Even the Eight Order Lords didn’t have the confidence to defeat him. Although the Holy Son was powerful, he was still young and inexperienced; therefore, he couldn’t possibly defeat Yu Bu Zhou.
Much to their surprise, Xue Ji had removed this obstacle for them.
At that moment, those from the Spirit Religion saw Xue Ji in a different light, thinking that she must have come to her senses and decided to side with them to save the World.
They started looking for Xue Ji, and those from the Black Ink Cult were doing the same; however, after the fight that night, Xue Ji and her Blood Slaves went missing, as though they had vanished into thin air.
They were adept at killing people in secret as they were the best assassins in the World; therefore, they were able to disguise and hide themselves impeccably.
If they wanted to disappear, no one could find them.
There was no doubt that Xue Ji was recuperating. Yu Bu Zhou’s attack was immensely powerful after he turned into an Apostle, so although Xue Ji had survived, she must be badly injured.
As such, she couldn’t kick up a storm in a short time.
Or so those from the Black Ink Cult thought.
In truth, the assassinations continued happening in an even more efficient manner.
In just several days, more than 20 Black Ink Cult Masters were killed, each of them in charge of different battlefields.
After their deaths, the Black Ink Cult soldiers became virtually leaderless. Those from the Spirit Religion seized the chance and marched forward. They initially had to pay a price to win the fights, but now, they could achieve their goals with ease.
Six days after Yu Bu Zhou was killed, another shocking incident occurred that unnerved the Black Ink Cult Masters.
That was because another Chapter Master was killed inside the Black Ink Cult’s main camp.
No one saw who made the move, they only felt an immense power erupt inside the largest tent before disappearing. When nearby Black Ink Cult members came over to investigate, all they saw was the Chapter Master had been decapitated.
The murderer entered and left the camp without anyone noticing, as though they were a ghost.
The Black Ink Cult Masters at the scene were horrified as they felt cold sweat gather all over their bodies. They felt as though an invisible blade was resting on their necks, ready to reap their heads at any moment.
Following the incident, the Black Ink Cult’s morale collapsed.
Since those in leadership roles were being targeted, no one dared to step up to take charge, for that would only make them the targets for the assassin.
As more and more Chapter Masters were killed, the Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters from the Black Ink Cult started running away.
The soldiers, who had been contending with the Light Spirit Religion, became leaderless in an instant. Without any Masters in charge, they couldn’t put up a decent fight.
In contrast, those from the Light Spirit Religion were more united than ever. As they continued to win more battles, they became increasingly assertive and high-spirited.
At this point, there was no mystery as to who the winner would be.
Now, those from the Light Spirit Religion just had to kill as many Black Ink Cultists as possible.
They initially expected the war to last for several years, but the dust settled in barely a month.
One month after those from the Light Spirit Religion set off from Dawn City, they managed to surround the Black Ink Abyss. It could be said that the Spirit Religion was in control of 99% of the World now. Only a few of the Black Ink Cult Masters remained around the Black Ink Abyss, still obstinately resisting.
The war was intense as the remaining Masters of the Black Ink Cult stubbornly persevered; however, there was a huge gap between the two sides now. A lot of Black Ink Cult Masters had lost their lives in just the last month, so how were the rest supposed to be a match for the Light Spirit Religion?
As the Light Spirit Religion’s soldiers marched forward, those from the Black Ink Cult were left with limited space to live.
Eventually, some of them could no longer bear the pressure, so they turned to look at the Black Ink Abyss.
Rather than waiting for death, they decided to dive into the Black Ink Abyss and seek a chance to survive.
However, when the Black Ink Cult Masters with this plan in mind reached the Black Ink Abyss, they realised several figures were already waiting there.
The person in front was an alluring woman with a curvy figure.
The woman was painting her nails with some liquid made from flowers, making them look as red as blood. She appeared at ease and was even humming some unknown tune.
As the wind whistled, this sight beside the bottomless Black Ink Abyss was quite eerie.
“Xue Ji!” Someone exclaimed.
The person blocking their way was none other than the Night Chapter Master, Xue Ji, who had been missing for quite a while. She disappeared after the fight with Yu Bu Zhou, and no one knew where she had gone.
Nevertheless, Yu Bu Zhou’s last attack before his death was powerful, so everyone assumed that Xu Ji was badly injured and had to recuperate somewhere in secret.
They didn’t expect the woman to be waiting just next to the Black Ink Abyss.
Of course, she was not alone. Standing behind her were Chi, Mei, Wang, and Liang, her Blood Slaves. They remained silent and stood there with dispassionate expressions, but no one would underestimate them.
That was because the four of them were in the Third-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Back then, the four of them had stopped more than 20 Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters in their tracks.
Just then, a Black Ink Cult Master emerged from the crowd and looked at Xue Ji, “Have you betrayed us, Senior Xue Ji?”
Xue Ji continued tending to her nails as she replied impassively without lifting her head, “Nonsense. Where did you hear it from?”
The person didn’t expect Xue Ji to deny the charge, but he still said furiously, “Since you didn’t betray us, why did you kill so many of our people? You even murdered Senior Yu Bu Zhou. If not… If not…” He was so agitated that he couldn’t finish his sentence.
If not for the fact that Xue Ji had been killing their people in secret, the Black Ink Cult wouldn’t have been defeated so swiftly. Over the past month, too many Black Ink Cult Masters had been assassinated while the death of Yu Bu Zhou had an especially big impact on their strength and morale.
“Well…” When Xue Ji was done with her manicure, she spread her fingers and had a look. Nevertheless, she didn’t seem satisfied as she said with a frown, “I’m just following orders.”
“What do you mean?” All of them were shocked.
Xue Ji could be said to be the most powerful cultivator in the World now, so who could even give her orders?
The woman swept a glance over them and instantly realised their intention, “I suggest that you don’t try entering the Black Ink Abyss.”
The person who spoke earlier furrowed his brow, “Are you here to stop all of us from entering the Black Ink Abyss?”
In response, Xue Ji nodded.
“Why?” Asked the person angrily.
Those from the Light Spirit Religion had surrounded the Black Ink Abyss, so diving into the abyss was their only chance to survive. Much to their surprise, Xue Ji got in the way.
“As I said, I’m just following orders,” Xue Ji replied.
Seeing that the woman repeated her words, the person asked grimly, “May I know who has been giving you orders, Senior?”
Xue Ji shook her head, “There’s no need for you to know.” After interacting with that certain someone for a while, she came to realise that his existence was probably taboo in this World; therefore, she felt it best to keep his existence a secret.
“What if we insist on entering the Black Ink Abyss?” Someone stepped forward just then. He was afraid of Xue Ji as well, but he believed they could still achieve their goal since they had many people on their side.
Xue Ji took a look at him, and her figure seemed to blur the next moment. When her body solidified again, she raised her hands and glanced at her red nails. With a smile, she nodded and said, “This colour really is the best!”
The smell of blood permeated the air.
The crowd instantly realised that something was off, and when they turned to look at the person who spoke earlier, they saw him covering his chest with his hands. His face had turned pale as he staggered before collapsing to the ground.
Blood spurted from his wound and dyed the ground red.
A Second-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master was killed just like that, with no one even seeing how Xue Ji made a move.
“Go back, now,” Xue Ji muttered.
Despite her calm and casual tone, all of them stepped back in horror. Even the two Chapter Masters present didn’t dare to deal with her directly.
After hesitating for a moment, the two Chapter Masters waved their hands and declared, “Let’s go.”
They led the Black Ink Cult Masters back the way they came.
Initially, they believed that diving into the Black Ink Abyss would be a way out for them, but now, it seemed that they had no choice but to try breaking through the Light Spirit Religion’s siege.
As Xue Ji watched the Black Ink Cult Masters leave, she stretched her back and looked down at the Black Ink Abyss.
Her Master told her to stay there and stop anyone from entering the Black Ink Abyss; therefore, she had to execute his command no matter what. As for killing those people, she was too lazy to make a move, so she would just let the Light Spirit Religion deal with them.
She thought that she had done a good job so far, so she decided to ask her Master for a reward when she saw him again.
At that moment, she couldn’t help licking her lip.
The auras of the four Blood Slaves swayed slightly behind Xue Ji as she said dispassionately, “Go on.”
The four of them instantly charged forward and surrounded the dead Black Ink Cult Master before casting their Secret Techniques. Soon, a blood mist billowed from his corpse as the Blood Slaves devoured everything.
In the past, Xue Ji wouldn’t miss the Blood Essence of a Second-Order Immortal Ascension Boundary Master; after all, the more Blood Essence she refined, the more powerful she became.
However, after getting several rewards from her Master, she was no longer interested in the Blood Essence of ordinary cultivators.
Now, her only wish was that her Master would give her one drop of his true Blood Essence one day.
The war intensified while the battle inside the Black Ink Abyss commenced.
After leaving Dawn City, Yang Kai didn’t head straight to the Black Ink Abyss; instead, he secretly killed many Black Ink Cult Masters to clear the obstacles for the Light Spirit Religion’s campaign. He also found Xue Ji, who was recuperating, and he lent her a helping hand.
If not for Yang Kai’s assistance, Xue Ji wouldn’t have recovered in just a few days after she was struck by Yu Bu Zhou, who had turned into an Apostle.
This made the woman feel even more grateful towards Yang Kai.
Presently, Yang Kai was running for his life at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss as the Apostles came at him in all directions.
He was still at the peak of the Immortal Ascension Boundary; however, a warm stream was moving around in his entire figure as it melted away the shackles restricting him.
This was the power given to him by Mu, and it could also be considered the essence of the World’s Will that could help shatter the Immortal Ascension Boundary’s shackles and help the cultivator reach the next Realm.
Nevertheless, Yang Kai couldn’t use this power as he pleased as it was only allowed in this place.
That was because Mo had left behind a hidden hand here. The Source piece sealed in the Profound Source Gate allowed the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss to form a Self-Contained World. In this place, even though the Apostles acquired powers that transcended the Immortal Ascension Boundary, they wouldn’t attract the hostility of the World’s Will.
That was the reason the Apostles had never left the Black Ink Abyss.
Although they had lost their sentience, they still had their instincts and knew that they would only be safe by staying in the Black Ink Abyss.
Previously, they were infuriated by Yang Kai, so they chased after him as the latter left the Black Ink Abyss. Nevertheless, as soon as they crossed the boundary of life and death, they were instantly killed.
With so many Apostles chasing after one, any ordinary Immortal Ascension Boundary Master would’ve been doomed; however, Yang Kai had a powerful heritage and incredible methods. His figure was elusive as he managed to survive in the hostile environment.
The speed of the warm stream quickened as Yang Kai’s aura rose rapidly. The shackles that restrained his power started loosening.
There came a moment when he felt light all of a sudden, as though he had broken through his limits.
His aura became violent as an air blast swept across the place.
From the Immortal Ascension Boundary, he made it to the Transcendent Realm!
To the cultivators in this independent World, it was a dream they had been longing to grasp for as long as anyone could remember; however, to Yang Kai, it was just experiencing a Realm he had reached before for the second time.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around as his spear radiated a cold light. The power of the Transcendent Realm swirled around the weapon. Just then, an Apostle leapt into the air and pounced on Yang Kai, who raised his spear and thrust it into the opponent’s eye.
The head exploded with a boom as Yang Kai retracted his spear and pushed it out again. At that instant, his spear shadows swept across the abyss like a torrent.
The Apostles exploded in mid-air as their powerful auras dissipated one after another.
With the foundation of a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai could easily kill these Apostles, who had lost their sentience, as long as they were in the same Realm.
Blood spread across the ground as Black Ink Strength surged. Yang Kai remained in the same spot as he repeatedly thrust and retracted his spear. Soon, he was surrounded by many carcasses.
Over the years, countless Apostles were created in the Black Ink Abyss. If no one killed them, their number would continue to increase as time passed. Nevertheless, they were now being killed off by Yang Kai using his spear.
The spear soon broke in half. It was a weapon Yang Kai took from a Black Ink Cult Master, so it naturally couldn’t bear such an intense fight for long.
Despite having no weapon, Yang Kai still had his fists. Although his Dragon Vein had been suppressed, the power he could access increased after he ascended to the Transcendent Realm.
More and more Apostles collapsed to the ground.
There came a moment when Yang Kai stood above a mountain of carcasses with no more living creatures around him.
He shook the blood off his hands and stepped down from the mountain of corpses.
It was dead silent in the depths of the Black Ink Abyss, with no more Apostles around to growl and howl.
Yang Kai identified the appropriate direction and headed straight towards the Profound Source Gate.
In the meantime, the war above had come to an end. Those from the Light Spirit Religion had surrounded the entire area, and given the difference between their powers, those from the Black Ink Cult were helpless to counterattack as they were quickly killed off.
Everyone cheered for the Holy Son and chanted his name.
At that moment, his reputation reached an unprecedented level.
The citizens of the Primordial World had been oppressed and tortured by the Black Ink Cult for a long time, and while the Spirit Religion had been fighting them for many years, they hadn’t been able to destroy them.
Nevertheless, one month after the Holy Son was made known to the public, he led the Spirit Religion to destroy the greatest evil in the World; just as what was described in the prophecy. The Holy Son was indeed incredible.
The young Holy Son didn’t know what to do. After Si Kong Nan brought him back to the Spirit Religion, he started cultivating in secret and didn’t come into contact with the outside world for 10 years. The moment he was made known to the public, he had to lead the Light Spirit Religion’s soldiers to launch the final battle against the Black Ink Cult, just like the saviour described in the prophecy.
It could be said that he was still puzzled as to what was going on, but it didn’t stop him from enjoying the victory after an intense battle.
As everyone looked at him, he raised his hand and balled up a fist.
In an instant, all of them stopped cheering and stared fixedly at him.
He then shouted, “May the light prevail!”
After a moment of silence, the crowd cheered even louder.
Standing in front of them, the Saintess and Li Fei Yu exchanged glances and smiled.
Initially, they decided to make the fake Holy Son known to the public so that the Light Spirit Religion would have a reason to launch a war. After coming into contact with him though, they realised he was a pure-hearted and kind person.
Such a person, coupled with his military achievements, was good enough to be the Holy Son. Certainly, the real Holy Son, who had been taking action in secret, wouldn’t mind it.
“Holy Son,” the Thunder Order Lord, Yu Dao Chi, stepped forward, “Although we’ve killed most of the Black Ink Cult members, some remaining ones are in front of the Black Ink Abyss. Please go over and have a look to determine their life or death.”
The Holy Son asked curiously, “Are some of the Black Ink Cult members still alive?”
Yu Dao Chi replied, “They’re the Night Chapter Master Xue Ji and her four Blood Slaves.”
“It’s her,” the Holy Son nodded gently, “Certainly, I have to meet her. I heard that she had assassinated many Black Ink Cult Masters, including Yu Bu Zhou. If not for her help, we wouldn’t have been able to win the war so easily.”
Regardless of what Xue Ji was like in the past, she had made a huge contribution to the fight against the Black Ink Cult; therefore, the young Holy Son was fond of her and thought that he should thank her in person.
With the Holy Son and the Saintess leading the way, the Spirit Religion Masters set off towards the Black Ink Abyss.
When they arrived, they realised the atmosphere was both gloomy and tense.
Xue Ji and her Blood Slaves stood there in silence while some Spirit Religion Masters confronted them.
When the Masters from the Spirit Religion saw the Holy Son and the others, they finally felt relieved. After Xue Ji killed Yu Bu Zhou, there was no doubt she was the most powerful cultivator in the World. When the Spirit Religion’s Immortal Ascension Boundary Masters faced her, they felt immensely pressured, even though Xue Ji merely stood there without doing anything.
The crowd parted to the sides while the Holy Son walked up to Xue Ji.
Yu Dao Chi secretly warned, “Be careful, Holy Son.”
The Holy Son nodded and stood in front of Xue Ji before saluting her, “Light Spirit Religion’s Wu Ding greets Senior Xue Ji.”
Xue Ji lifted her gaze and swept a glance over him before asking with a smile, “Are you the Holy Son?”
Wu Ding scratched his head, “I think so. That’s what everyone calls me.”
Xue Ji was surprised by his somewhat childish behaviour, but a moment later, she shook her head with a smile, “You’re still too green.”
Wu Ding replied respectfully, “You have a point, Senior. I’m still a young and inexperienced cultivator, so I might make mistakes from time to time. Please forgive me if I’ve offended you in any way.”
A helpless Xue Ji looked at him and sighed, “That’s not what I meant.” She knew that the young Holy Son must have misunderstood something.
What she meant was that compared to her inscrutable Master, the young Holy Son was still just a child.
Although Yang Kai had never told her anything, she realized long ago that the true Holy Son described in the prophecy must be her Master. The young man before her eyes was only a fake that the Spirit Religion had used to launch a war against the Black Ink Cult.
Initially, she was hostile towards this man, thinking that he had snatched the glory that belonged to his Master, a truth which displeased her.
However, when she saw the Holy Son’s behaviour for herself, she couldn’t bring herself to loathe him.
The Holy Son scratched his head again. Just as he was ready to speak, Yu Dao Chi bellowed all of a sudden, “Surrender without a fight, demon woman!”
Xue Ji turned to look at him, but she didn’t have the intention of responding to him, so she glanced over at Li Fei Yu and said, “Big Sister Li, are you guys planning to kill me after everything I’ve done for you? If that’s the case, couldn’t you have warned me earlier so that I could get prepared?”
Li Fei Yu shook her head, “That’s not our intention. Don’t read too much into it.”
The Order Lords were puzzled, feeling that there was something they were not aware of.
Yu Dao Chi questioned with a frown, “What do you mean?”
Li Fei Yu explained, “Xue Ji has sided with us. Previously, the Saintess told me to contact Xue Ji in secret. We have been coordinating with her so she could assassinate those Black Ink Cult Masters. It’s because of her assistance that we’ve been able to march forward and destroy the enemy with ease over the past month.”
Hearing that, all of them were shocked.
Si Kong Nan muttered, “Why have we never heard of it before?”
The Saintess said with a smile, “We’ve decided to keep it a secret since the matter was both sensitive and of critical importance. Forgive me.”
Since the Saintess had admitted to it, that must be the truth; moreover, given the outcome, Xue Ji had indeed made a huge contribution.
At that moment, many of them looked at her with milder expressions.
They were certainly pleased to have an ally like her.
With a dark expression, Yu Dao Chi said, “You’ve acted rashly this time, Holy Saintess. Even if you refused to tell us about it, you shouldn’t have kept it a secret from the Holy Son; after all, he is the saviour.”
The Holy Son waved his hand, “It’s fine. It is true that I am inexperienced and know nothing about the current situation or how to handle it. Big Sister Saintess can continue to take charge of the Spirit Religion’s affairs.”
Yu Dao Chi was rendered speechless, thinking that the Holy Son was no different from a wastrel trying to avoid responsibility at this moment.
After a moment of silence, he followed up, “In that case, you’d better leave now. You’re the Night Chapter Master from the Black Ink Cult. Although you’ve helped us a lot, we can’t accept you.”
Xue Ji replied with a smile, “I’ve never intended to join your Religion.”
Yu Dao Chi appeared perplexed, “Since you don’t want to join us, why did you betray the Black Ink Cult?”
A sense of longing appeared on Xue Ji’s face as she replied, “Because I’ve found a higher goal to pursue.”
All of them were astounded, thinking that the woman might have misspoken.
It was inconceivable that a powerful woman like her had found a higher goal to pursue; thus, she betrayed the Black Ink Cult.
An irritated Yu Dao Chi waved his hand, “Regardless, we have nothing to do with each other from now on, and you mustn’t commit any more crimes just because you’re powerful. You can leave now.”
Xue Ji shook her head, “I can’t go.” After a pause, she asked, “Are you planning to explore the Black Ink Abyss’ secrets?”
Yu Dao Chi nodded, “The Black Ink Cult has been destroyed, but since the Black Ink Abyss is the source of the Black Ink Cult, we certainly have to look into it. We have to suppress and seal this place so that the Black Ink Cult will never return.”
The Order Lords nodded as it was indeed their plan.
Xue Ji said, “You should wait here, then. Someone told me to stay here and make sure no one enters the Black Ink Abyss.”
Yu Dao Chi snapped, “Xue Ji, we are magnanimous enough to let you go since you’ve helped us a lot, but don’t reach for a yard after we’ve given you an inch!”
Xue Ji smiled charmingly, “I have my orders; if you want to enter the Black Ink Abyss, you must kill me first.”
At that moment, the Saintess appeared agitated and asked, “Is he inside the Black Ink Abyss?”
Obviously, she knew who Xue Ji was referring to, [It’s no wonder I’ve never heard any news from him since the war started. He entered the Black Ink Abyss!]
In response, Xue Ji nodded gently.
With a solemn expression, the Saintess asked, “Did he say anything else?”
Xue Ji replied, “He said the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss is extremely dangerous. I initially wanted to accompany and assist him, but he said I would only die meaninglessly if I followed him; therefore, he ordered me to stay here and make sure no one else could get near the Black Ink Abyss.”
Upon hearing that, the Saintess nodded.
The Masters from the Spirit Religion were puzzled while Si Kong Nan felt even greater pressure on his hunched back as he asked, “Holy Saintess, is there something else we’re not aware of?”
After they defeated the Black Ink Cult and took charge of the entire World, they were ecstatic; however, it wasn’t until this moment that they realised many things had happened in the background without them noticing.
The Saintess had no idea how to explain it to them, so she could only say, “I’m not at liberty to discuss this further. Since it’s ‘that’ person’s order, we’d better wait here. What do you say, Holy Son?”
The Holy Son nodded repeatedly, “You have a point, Big Sister Saintess.”
A furious Yu Dao Chi glared at the young Holy Son. He wanted to tell the young man not to be easily fooled by a woman’s beauty, for that would be dangerous.
…..
All the Apostles had been killed at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss as Yang Kai walked towards the Profound Source Gate.
Soon, he arrived at his destination.
It was a mysterious-looking gate that stood in an empty space. The door was carved with intricate patterns, and every one of them seemed to be the essence of numerous Grand Daos.
As Yang Kai looked at the door, he suddenly realised something.
The door wasn’t something the Humans could create, it was a precious treasure born alongside the Universe.
The Primordial Light and Primordial Darkness were born from this gate.
The door wasn’t tightly closed, but behind it, there seemed to be a dark power that was ready to burst out through the gaps at any moment.
It was Mo’s Source!
Since its Source had been suppressed and sealed behind the Profound Source Gate, it couldn’t break free; however, the energy it released affected the entire Black Ink Abyss and gave birth to the Black Ink Cult.
Mu said that the darkness of Human nature, which included slaughter, conspiracy, plots, and greed, could help strengthen Black Ink Strength.
Therefore, after Mo developed sentience, its power increased rapidly. That was because there has never been a lack of a dark side in Human nature.
As Yang Kai looked at the Profound Source Gate, he extended his hand and touched it.
The next moment, his entire figure shook.
A cold aura engulfed him in an instant and elicited the negative feelings he had suppressed at the bottom of his heart.
He was oppressed and hunted down when he was weak, and when he was strong enough, he killed all of his opponents. All sorts of terrible memories swept through him like a tsunami.
When the cold aura engulfed Yang Kai, all of his horrible memories emerged from the bottom of his mind and impacted his Soul.
Darkness started spreading in his Knowledge Sea. It wasn’t conspicuous at first, but it soon covered a large area and continued to expand.
In just a short moment, the entire Knowledge Sea seemed to be covered in a layer of dark fog.
On a seven-coloured island, Fang Tian Ci and Thunder Shadow saw some blurred images rolling in the dark fog.
The images were all grey and gloomy, which were the unhappy memories of Yang Kai’s life.
The memories kept getting shattered as though they were devoured by the dark fog. As the dark fog’s power increased, it became increasingly thick.
Yan Peng, who had been confined to this place for a long time, exclaimed, “What’s going on? Has Sir fallen into danger?”
No one responded to him.
Impacted by the external stimulant, the seven-coloured island started shaking as the multi-coloured light around it became even brighter; however, before the Soul Warming Lotus could do anything, even more images emerged from the dark fog.
Compared to the gloomy images earlier, the new ones were undoubtedly much brighter. Not long after these images appeared, they soon covered the entire Knowledge Sea.
The light from these countless images penetrated the shackles of the darkness. After that, these images shattered and dissolved into the darkness.
Following the integration of these bright images, the black fog quickly became thinner.
In just a moment, it abruptly disappeared just like how it appeared all of a sudden earlier.
Compared to the setbacks in Yang Kai’s life, he had gone through far more happy experiences.
When he was a young child, his parents would always take care of him. When he ventured into the outside world, he made many friends, and they gave him warmth. Moreover, his Wives were still waiting for his return.
No one was perfect, everyone carried darkness in their heart, but there was also light. If they couldn’t look straight at the darkness, how were they supposed to embrace the bright side?
Only irresolute people would be devoured by their dark side.
Yang Kai’s gaze was clear as he stood in front of the Profound Source Gate and circulated his power, infusing it into the gate to refine it.
At the same time, he was secretly shocked. Mu had divided Mo’s Source into 3,000 pieces and sealed them in 3,000 different Universe Worlds. In other words, the one before his eyes was only one of the 3,000 pieces.
Moreover, it had been suppressed and sealed behind the Profound Source Gate, so the energy it could release was insignificant.
Nevertheless, this weak energy was enough to stimulate the dark side in his heart.
Given his heritage as a Ninth-Order Master, Yang Kai could quickly shake off such influence; however, the strongest cultivators in this World were only in the Immortal Ascension Boundary. Once they were affected, none of them could regain their senses.
Mu was right to say that unless she could take charge of the Profound Source Gate, the birth of the Black Ink Cult was inevitable.
Nonetheless, Little Eleventh was by her side, so she couldn’t go near the Profound Source Gate; otherwise, even the faint bit of Source Strength leaking out would have a huge impact on Little Eleventh. It would very likely integrate into his body, possibly even awakening him.
Yang Kai slowly activated his power and patterns started lighting up around his palm and spread across the entire gate.
It seemed that it wasn’t difficult to refine this treasure.
As he looked at the gate’s transformation, Yang Kai realised that when all the patterns and symbols on the gate lit up, he would successfully refine it.
The Source behind the gate seemed to have detected something as it became violent all of a sudden.
It started activating its power from the mysterious space behind the gate and kept crashing against it. Booming sounds were continuously heard.
At the same time, a mysterious power started spreading through the gap in the gate.
As expected, Mo had indeed left behind a hidden hand. Yang Kai was glad that he accepted Mu’s advice and waited until the Light Spirit Religion destroyed the Black Ink Cult before he took action; otherwise, an accident might have occurred.
After a month of war, the Black Ink Cult had been destroyed, but there were still some survivors.
When some Black Ink Cult Masters realised that defeat was inevitable, they hurriedly hid somewhere to keep themselves safe; however, the moment the Source Strength behind the gate activated, the Black Ink Cult Masters, who had been hiding in different parts of the Primordial World, seemed to have received some irresistible calling as they stepped out of their hiding places and dashed towards the Black Ink Abyss as quickly as they could, Black Ink Strength billowing from their figures.
While on their way, the Black Ink Strength around them thickened and allowed them to break through their limits, thus reaching higher Realms.
Nevertheless, there was a huge price to pay for such an unusual increase in power.
Many Black Ink Cult Masters exploded while on their way, while those who survived saw their figures going through an irreversible transformation.
In the meantime, the Light Spirit Religion’s soldiers broke into a commotion as well.
When the disturbance was heard, the Spirit Religion’s leaders were still confronting Xue Ji beside the Black Ink Abyss.
“What happened?” Asked an Order Lord in shock.
Li Fei Yu immediately went over to have a look. As the Fire Order Lord, she was responsible for collecting information.
Soon, she figured out what was going on. She returned and explained, “Some of the Spirit Religion members, who have been affected by Black Ink Strength, have gone mad for some reason. Black Ink Strength has changed their nature, and they’re now determined to enter the Black Ink Abyss.”
It was a well-known fact that the Black Ink Cult had planted some moles in the Spirit Religion. This was inevitable; after all, Black Ink Strength was too strange, so it was difficult for anyone to put up their guard against it at all times.
Moreover, in the past month, many Spirit Religion members had been contaminated by Black Ink Strength. Since the weak Black Ink Strength didn’t have any noticeable impact, those from the Spirit Religion decided to put the matter aside for now. They would only examine every member after the dust settled.
Much to their surprise, those disciples who had been affected by Black Ink Strength were now transforming into entirely different people now.
The cultivators, who were engulfed in Black Ink Strength, madly charged towards the Black Ink Abyss, causing a great upheaval.
Li Fei Yu could not help but turn to look at the Black Ink Abyss. Just now, Xue Ji said that a certain someone was inside the Black Ink Abyss, which was where the Black Ink Cult originated from.
Could the turn of events have something to do with that person?
Had he done something at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss that caused all this disturbance?
As Li Fei Yu looked in the abyss’ direction, she was startled for a moment before she asked, “Where’s Xue Ji?”
Xue Ji, who stood in front of the Black Ink Abyss earlier, was nowhere to be seen.
With a solemn expression, the Saintess replied, “Her four Blood Slaves have been badly affected by the Black Ink Strength as well, so they plunged into the Black Ink Abyss. Xue Ji chased after them.”
Hearing that, Li Fei Yu was astounded.
Yu Dao Chi said grimly, “It seems that all those who have been affected by Black Ink Strength, regardless of whether their temperaments have been changed before, are doomed this time.”
Xue Ji and her Blood Slaves were from the Black Ink Cult, so they naturally had come into contact with Black Ink Strength before. They had also cultivated in the Black Ink Abyss in the past.
The turn of events affected all those who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength; therefore, Xue Ji and her Blood Slaves were not spared.
Si Kong Nan turned to look at the Black Ink Abyss and said meditatively, “Something must have happened at the bottom.” Then, he shifted his attention to the Saintess, “Holy Saintess, you just said someone is in the Black Ink Abyss. Who is that person?”
That was something the Spirit Religion Masters were curious about. The bottom of the Black Ink Abyss had always been a Restricted Area. Even those from the Black Ink Cult had no idea what the bottom looked like, which went to show it was a dangerous place.
Could anyone actually reach the bottom while maintaining their original nature?
If they could find out who the person down there was, they would probably have an idea of what happened.
“Stop asking any further, Order Lord Si Kong. I can’t explain it to you at this point.” The Saintess shook her head.
Yu Dao Chi couldn’t help but bellow, “Why are you still hiding it from us now, Holy Saintess? Given the current situation, regardless of who the person is, he can’t possibly save himself!”
The Saintess still shook her head and remained silent. Although she wasn’t familiar with Yang Kai, she trusted the first-generation Saintess unconditionally. Even if the turn of events was caused by Yang Kai, he must be able to survive.
Just as Yu Dao Chi was about to say something, his expression changed all of a sudden as he turned to look at the depths of the Black Ink Abyss where a powerful aura was rising rapidly.
The next moment, a red figure shot up and landed on the spot where she stood earlier. She was none other than Xue Ji, who dove into the Black Ink Abyss to pursue her Blood Slaves.
Presently, she looked battered with wounds all over her body. It was apparent that she had gotten into an intense fight earlier, but her aura remained quite intimidating.
After she landed on the ground, she shot Yu Dao Chi a look and said impassively, “My Master is more powerful than you think. If you dare spout nonsense again, I’ll kill you first.”
In an instant, Yu Dao Chi’s expression turned gloomy.
He was a Peak Immortal Ascension Boundary Master and an Order Lord. Before today, even though there were countless Masters in the World, no one could speak so casually about killing him. He had even exchanged moves with Yu Bu Zhou before, and although he was defeated, he still managed to escape with his life.
However, since it was Xue Ji who threatened him now, he didn’t have the guts to refute her. If he offended this crazy woman, he didn’t have the confidence to flee from her and survive.
Xue Ji had returned to this place with an even more intimidating aura than before. They were so astonished that they were oblivious to the shocking information she revealed in her words.
Li Fei Yu asked in shock, “Why are you alright?”
Xue Ji couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “What could happen to me?”
“Everyone corrupted by Black Ink Strength has lost their sanity. Why are you still safe?”
Upon hearing that, Xue Ji finally came to her senses. She looked at her hands and felt the power within her. When she realised what happened, she said with a smile, “That’s why I said my Master is more powerful than you think.”
When the sudden change occurred, her Blood Slaves were instantly affected as they turned around and charged towards the Black Ink Abyss. Realising that something was off, Xue Ji hurriedly pursued them.
Upon confirming that her Blood Slaves were going to hurt Yang Kai, she quickly decided to kill them, despite having spent years nurturing them, before she returned.
Usually, even though she could kill four Third-Order Immortal Ascension Realm Masters, she would have to pay a huge price.
Nevertheless, she was the one who nurtured the Blood Slaves, after all. She had planted a restriction in every one of them; also, the Blood Slaves could no longer perform their strongest Combined Attack Techniques after losing their sanity. As such, even though it took Xue Ji some effort, she still managed to kill them all.
When Xue Ji killed the Blood Slaves, she didn’t read too much into it. It wasn’t until she heard Li Fei Yu’s words that she realised something bigger was going on.
Everyone who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, regardless of whether their temperament had been contorted before, was doomed this time. The bottom of the Black Ink Abyss seemed to be deathly attractive to them as they charged towards it, no matter the cost.
The Blood Slaves were the best examples; all four Blood Slaves had been completely loyal to Xue Ji, and she had even planted a restriction on each of them to ensure that. Still, they betrayed her without hesitation just now.
However, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with her.
She could feel that some Black Ink Strength remained in her body, probably what she had previously refined in the Black Ink Abyss.
Nevertheless, the Black Ink Strength seemed to have been suppressed by some different power, so it didn’t have any impact on her.
That power that suppressed the Black Ink Strength was coming from her Blood.
It could only be the power she derived from her Master’s blood.
While they spoke, the disturbance among the Spirit Religion’s soldiers intensified. More and more beast-like growls were heard. The cultivators, whose temperaments had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, lost their sanity and turned into Black Ink Disciples.
Despite his age, the young Holy Son showcased his resoluteness as he ordered, “Order Lords, please return and form a defence line. We can’t let those who have been affected by Black Ink Strength enter the Black Ink Abyss, no matter what!”
He had no idea who the person that the Saintess had mentioned was, nor did he know what that person had done at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss; however, he knew what he was supposed to do now.
Following his order, the Order Lords came to their senses while the Saintess looked approvingly at the Holy Son, who appeared pleased with this acknowledgement.
Yu Dao Chi looked coldly at him and thought that young men could be easily fooled by beautiful women. They had no idea that power was the best thing in the world.
Despite being exasperated, he dashed forward and gathered his subordinates together as per the Holy Son’s request.
The other Order Lords started taking action as well and soon, a war broke out.
Following a month of the war, many people from the Spirit Religion had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. They were initially comrades, but they had to kill each other now. Many people didn’t have the heart to do it, but the Black Ink Disciples held nothing back. Since they were determined to enter the Black Ink Abyss, they would do their best to remove any obstacles in their way.
Upon realising that these Black Ink Disciples couldn’t be saved, those from the Spirit Religion no longer held back. Everyone fell into a frenzy, and soon, the disturbance subsided.
Just as they thought the turmoil was coming to an end, Masters that were engulfed in Black Ink Strength charged towards them from all directions.
They were the Black Ink Cult Masters who had been hiding in different places. After they received the calling from the Source Strength in the Black Ink Abyss, they came forward and revealed themselves.
An even more intense war broke out. The Spirit Religion’s soldiers didn’t have the heart to hurt their comrades, but they wouldn’t go easy on those from the Black Ink Cult.
Xue Ji just stood silently beside the Black Ink Abyss and listened to the sounds of the slaughter. She had to execute Yang Kai’s command by killing anyone who tried to enter the Black Ink Abyss.
The upheaval lasted for several days. It wasn’t until the last batch of Black Ink Cultists were killed that peace was restored.
No one cheered or felt happy this time. The Spirit Religion’s soldiers were exhausted as they lay on the ground, and as they looked at the corpses of their slain comrades, they felt sorrowful.
The Spirit Religion Masters gathered in front of the Black Ink Abyss again. With Yu Dao Chi in front of everyone, the Order Lords mounted pressure on Xue Ji.
The sudden turn of events made them realise the importance of the Black Ink Abyss. They had to find out what was hidden at the bottom of the abyss; only by doing so could they prevent the same thing from happening again.
However, Xue Ji never gave in and her murderous intent permeated the air. The atmosphere beside the Black Ink Abyss grew more intense by the day.
The stalemate lasted for a while, but just as hostilities were about to break out, Xue Ji appeared joyful all of a sudden and looked down at the Black Ink Abyss.
At the same time, all of them could feel an aura rising rapidly from the depths of the Black Ink Abyss.
What surprised them was that the power of the aura even surpassed that of Xue Ji.
The next moment, a figure landed in front of Xue Ji, who went over and greeted the man, “Master!”
Yang Kai nodded and gave her an approving look, but he raised his hand to stop her from approaching him.
Presently, the space around him had been contorted as a repulsive force surrounded him. There seemed to be a mysterious power that was trying to destroy him.
“It’s you!?” All the Order Lords were flabbergasted.
All of them had seen Yang Kai before. When he entered the city, all the citizens went over to welcome him. He had the people’s support and the blessing of the World’s Will. At that time, they regarded him as a fake Holy Son.
Back then, in the Ancient Grounds, he couldn’t pass the test left behind by the first-generation Saintess and had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. As such, three Order Lords joined forces and killed him, after which Li Fei Yu dealt with his corpse.
No one had expected that not only was this guy alive, but he had also dived into the depths of the Black Ink Abyss.
As the Order Lords recalled what the Saintess and Xue Ji had said, they couldn’t help but take a look at the Saintess. They seemed to have realised something.
If anyone else had emerged from the depths of the abyss at this point, these Spirit Religion Masters wouldn’t have let him off; after all, they had no idea whether this guy had been affected by Black Ink Strength.
However, at that moment, Yang Kai’s aura was so terrifying that no one had the guts to say anything.
“What’s happening, Master?” Xue Ji’s face paled. As she looked at the contorted space around Yang Kai and felt its destructive aura, she realised something was off.
Yang Kai flashed a smile at her, “Every World has its limits. The limit of this World is the Immortal Ascension Boundary. If anyone’s power exceeds this limit, they will be repelled by this World itself.”
Xue Ji was surprised as she realised what the man meant, “Master, do you mean you’ve reached the Realm above the Immortal Ascension Boundary?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “There is no end to the Martial Dao. To true Masters, the Realm above the Immortal Ascension Boundary is just the starting point.”
Then, he turned to look at the Saintess, “I’ve settled all the problems at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss; however, some Black Ink Strength remains. It would be best if you arranged some arrays here to prevent anyone from coveting that Black Ink Strength.”
The Saintess nodded, “Don’t worry, Sir. I will handle everything.”
Following that, Yang Kai looked in Dawn City’s direction and put on a smile, “I have to leave.”
A flustered Xue Ji asked, “Where are you going, Master? Please bring me with you!”
Yang Kai’s words had a significant impact on her. She was originally from the Black Ink Cult, and only sided with Yang Kai after the latter subdued her. Now that the entire Black Ink Cult had been destroyed though, and all the Black Ink Cult Masters who had been hiding in different parts of the world had come out and been killed, it could be said that she was the only one in the World who still had some of the Black Ink Cult’s traces.
The Black Ink Cult had become history in this independent World, and there wouldn’t be any remnants of their presence just a few hundred years later.
Therefore, she didn’t want to stay here on her own. As long as she could follow Yang Kai, she was willing to serve him.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I have a mission to complete, so I can’t bring you with me.”
Xue Ji’s expression instantly dimmed as she pouted and fell silent. She looked like a young girl who had just been abandoned.
Yang Kai smiled helplessly, “Alright. I’ll give you a task.”
Xue Ji immediately appeared elated, “Anything, Master!”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai said, “Stand guard here and kill anyone who tries to enter the Black Ink Abyss.”
Xue Ji replied seriously, “Yes, Master!” The next moment, she put on a cheeky smile, “Since I’ve taken on this task, do I get a reward?”
Yang Kai shot her a glare before flicking his fingers, after which a drop of golden blood shot towards her.
Xue Ji’s eyes brightened in an instant as she quickly gulped it down. She could tell that this blood droplet was very different from the ones given by Yang Kai in the past. It was a drop of his Blood Essence!
Yang Kai then spoke to her in secret, “I’ve left behind a restriction, so you’d better not be impatient when you refine it; otherwise, you’ll explode.”
Hearing that, Xue Ji nodded repeatedly.
The repulsion of the World’s Will was increasingly conspicuous and the destructive storm around Yang Kai made everyone’s face turn pale. All the Masters at the scene didn’t have the confidence to survive in such a storm, but Yang Kai remained calm and collected, which showed how formidable he was.
Realising something, Xue Ji hurriedly asked, “Will I see you again, Master?”
Yang Kai looked at her and replied, “If we are destined to meet again, we will.”
The next moment, a clap of thunder was heard and Yang Kai turned into a ray of light that shot into the sky.
The Masters watched as a crack appeared in the sky. The ray of light shot into the crack and disappeared.
The destructive aura also disappeared at the same time, as though it had never been there.
As the crack closed, the area beside the Black Ink Abyss fell silent.
All of them were covered in cold sweat and as they recalled Yang Kai’s words, they were astonished.
It was the young Holy Son who broke the silence by asking, “So, was he the saviour described in the prophecy?”
Although he was young and inexperienced, he wasn’t a fool. When he saw Yang Kai earlier, he realised something.
“Am I the fake Holy Son?” He pointed at his nose.
The Order Lords exchanged glances, realising the problem as well.
The Saintess looked at the Holy Son and replied with a smile, “He’s indeed the saviour described in the prophecy, but you’re the Spirit Religion’s Holy Son.”
After a month of the war, the Holy Son had gained the recognition of the Spirit Religion members. Everyone who had taken part in the crusade would only acknowledge him to be the Holy Son.
The young Holy Son scratched his head, “Alright, I’ll be the Holy Son, then. However, it’s inappropriate that no one is aware of who the real saviour is.”
The Saintess suggested, “You can slowly spread his contributions in the future so that the members will understand that he had made a move in secret and saved this World.”
The Holy Son nodded, “That’ll work. However, we’d better deal with the most pressing issue now. Before that person left, he told us to suppress and seal the Black Ink Abyss.”
“How do you want to do it, Holy Son?” Asked the Saintess.
The Holy Son turned to look at Xue Ji, “Do you want to join the Spirit Religion?”
Xue Ji was still feeling the power of the Blood Essence when she heard that. Surprised, she asked in confirmation, “Do you want me to join the Spirit Religion?”
“Yes. We share the same goal now, and that person told you to stand guard at the Black Ink Abyss before he left. In that case, I think it’d be better if we could work together. What do you say?”
Xue Ji looked seriously at him and saw her alluring figure reflected in the Holy Son’s clear gaze. After a moment, she smiled and nodded, “Fine.”
Rather than being all on her own, she felt that this outcome wasn’t too bad.
Mu’s house was located on the periphery of Dawn City.
When the World started repelling Yang Kai and the World’s Will formed a destructive storm, Mu detected something and looked in the Black Ink Abyss’ direction.
[Has he succeeded?]
It was quicker than she had expected. It seemed that her several million years of waiting were worth it, for Yang Kai might be able to achieve the goal she had left behind.
Presently, Little Eleventh was asleep on her lap. As though having a nightmare, he had been trembling for a while as a myriad of expressions came over him. Sometimes, he was full of murderous intent, and sometimes, he appeared furious. His figure was already soaked in sweat.
Just then, a clap of thunder sounded.
Little Eleventh awakened in shock and looked dazedly at Mu; then, he pouted and started crying.
“Did you have a nightmare?” Mu asked softly.
Little Eleventh nodded repeatedly, “In the dream, I saw you abandoning me, and you were getting further away from me.”
Mu placated him with a smile, “It’s just a dream.”
Little Eleventh sniffled and snuggled up to Mu. He held the woman’s thighs tightly and said childishly, “You mustn’t abandon me, Sixth Sister. I’ll have no one I can call family anymore.”
Mu patted his back, “Don’t worry. I’ll never abandon you, and I’ll always keep you company. Of course, when you become an adult one day, perhaps you’ll find me annoying and run away.”
“That will never happen!” Little Eleventh frowned as he realised something was off. He then said, “I think I’ve fallen ill, Sixth Sister. I’m feeling unwell.”
“You’ll feel better after some sleep.”
“En,” Little Eleventh replied and found a comfortable position before dozing off.
…..
As Yang Kai traversed the Void, he could feel a drawing force pointing out the direction for him. The drawing force wasn’t the repulsive force from the Primordial World; instead, it was a force that came from the Space-Time River itself.
He instantly realised that it was something left behind by Mu.
After he refined the Profound Source Gate in the Primordial World and sealed one piece of Mo’s Source, he had to leave for the next world.
He was in a hurry. Undoubtedly, Mu’s Space-Time River was powerful, and the flow of time in these Universe Worlds was different from that of the outside world; however, the longer he stayed here, the more likely an accident would happen outside.
[It seems I have to hurry up.]
Then, he emptied his mind and soon found a closed door in his Knowledge Sea. It was the Profound Source Gate that he had refined at the bottom of the Black Ink Abyss.
He didn’t expect the gate to enter his Knowledge Sea after he refined it; however, after giving it some thought, he realised it wasn’t surprising that he could keep it in his Knowledge Sea. The Profound Source Gate was a treasure born alongside the Heavens and Earth, after all.
It would be awkward if he had to carry the gate and move around.
He already had the Soul Warming Lotus in his Knowledge Sea, and now there was the Profound Source Gate. The sight was somewhat awkward.
On the seven-coloured island, Fang Tian Ci and Thunder Shadow exchanged glances with helpless expressions.
This couldn’t be helped. The moment the Profound Source Gate abruptly appeared in the Knowledge Sea, Yan Peng became agitated. As his entire figure was engulfed in a cold aura, he soon went mad.
The eerie gate seemed able to elicit the darkness in Human nature.
Yan Peng originally came from the Black Ink Cult, so he couldn’t be considered a good and kind person. Since he had done so many terrible things in life, it was only natural that he had a vast dark side in his heart.
After his body was destroyed by Yang Kai, his Soul Avatar was trapped in the latter’s Knowledge Sea. He had been cooperative and provided a lot of useful information, and Yang Kai didn’t intend to kill him anyway, so letting him stay in the Knowledge Sea was just a minor matter.
Nevertheless, after his dark side was amplified by the Profound Source Gate, he lost his sanity.
Left with no choice, Fang Tian Ci and Thunder Shadow could only destroy his Soul Avatar.
Certainly, they weren’t feeling good about the whole affair. They finally had a new neighbour to talk to, but they hadn’t lived long. That was why they felt helpless.
At that moment, Fang Tian Ci and Thunder Shadow stood on the seven-coloured island in silence and refrained from looking at the Profound Source Gate. After they took a look at the gate earlier, they realised some horrible memories from the past sprang back into their minds, but the effect could be negated by ignoring the Gate.
Meanwhile, once Yang Kai left the Primordial World, he glanced back and realised it was nowhere to be seen. He only saw some grains of sand that moved with the flow of the river.
This reminded him of what he saw in the depths of the Infinite River inside the Universe Furnace back then.
There were similar grains of sand at the bottom of the Infinite River as well; however, that wasn’t sand. Each grain was a Universe World. After the grains of sand were spurted from the Universe Furnace, they would reveal their true form.
Every grain of sand was equivalent to a Universe World. That was the wonder of Chaos evolving into the 10,000 Grand Daos.
The drawing force intensified as Yang Kai traversed the Space-Time River and soon approached another grain of sand.
That was the second world he had to enter. Without hesitation, Yang Kai adjusted his direction and plunged straight into the world.
Soon, the aura of a Universe World came right at his face. Just like what happened when he entered the Primordial World previously, he abruptly appeared in a Universe World, after which his figure plummeted.
Since he had some experience now, he immediately examined his cultivation.
He was relieved that even though his cultivation had been suppressed greatly, he was still in the Immortal Ascension Boundary.
Hurriedly, he circulated his power and stabilised himself mid-air.
As he looked around, he realised it was a barren land with no one around; moreover, he found the world strange as it was filled with a primitive aura. He felt as if he had barged into the river of time and returned to an ancient era.
“Wu Kuang, can you detect Mu’s whereabouts?” Yang Kai asked.
Previously in the Primordial World, it was thanks to Wu Kuang that they managed to find Mu. Although he was only a thread of consciousness, Wu Kuang was still connected to his true body.
Furthermore, he was in charge of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction where the Space-Time River was hidden; therefore, if Mu wanted to give them any directives, she had to do it through Wu Kuang.
However, the moment Yang Kai finished his words, he arched his brow, for he had already detected something.
He turned to look in a particular direction and put on a helpless smile, “I guess I’ve been overly worried.”
Since Mu wanted Yang Kai to move around different Universe Worlds to suppress and seal Mo’s Source pieces, she was naturally well-prepared.
In the Primordial World, Mu must’ve left a mark on him; therefore, the moment he arrived in this World, he immediately detected something in a particular direction.
[It must be over there.] He then charged towards that place.
In the meantime, a figure was seated with her legs crossed in the wilderness. She had been waiting there for countless years, and she had no idea how much longer she would have to wait. She wasn’t even certain if all the waiting would matter.
All the same, even though innumerable years had passed, she had never forgotten about her goal.
She was located in a mountain valley that was surrounded by eight mountains. All these mountains were magnificent and connected.
In the mountain valley, there was an abstruse Grand Array. In the middle of the Grand Array, there was a dark rock that exuded an evil aura.
The Grand Array, and even the mountains themselves seemed to be suppressing the dark rock. With the help of the mountain range and the Grand Array, this place was where the entire Universe World’s power was gathered.
Unlike Mu in Dawn City, this woman was undoubtedly more haggard, as though she hadn’t gotten any rest for a very long time.
The moment Yang Kai barged into this independent World, she opened her eyes and lifted her sword from her lap. The weapon then turned into a ray of light and shot off into the distance.
Following that, a beastly growl was heard from behind her. A huge ancient beast collapsed to the ground, and its blood dyed the ground red.
The mountain valley was covered with huge skeletons, and every one of them belonged to an ancient beast. After so many years, she had lost count of how many ancient beasts she had killed.
The sword returned and quietly landed in front of her without a drop of blood on it; then, she slowly turned to look in a different direction. Her figure was stiff, as though she hadn’t moved like this for a long time.
This simple movement represented several hundred thousand years of waiting.
She put on a smile, for she could feel that all the waiting was finally worth it.
In the distance, a figure was rushing towards her. The figure had a bit of her aura on him. It was thanks to the resonance between the shadows which allowed the newcomer to identify the direction he should head towards.
He landed on the ground and exchanged glances with the woman.
As Yang Kai looked at how haggard the shadow appeared, he couldn’t help feeling heartbroken. Feeling a lump in his throat, he was unable to speak for a moment.
A while later, he saluted the woman and said, “Junior Yang Kai greets Senior.”
Mu replied with a smile, “No need for formalities. You must’ve met me before.”
In response, Yang Kai nodded.
Mu went on to say, “Then, you should know why you’re here.”
While Yang Kai looked at the dark rock, Mu continued, “There are no Humans in this world, only some ancient beasts that roam around. As such, you don’t have to deal with any schemes or plots. Just move the dark rock away and use the Profound Source Gate to suppress it.”
In the Primordial World, it took Yang Kai a lot of effort to refine the Profound Source Gate and suppress Mo’s Source piece, so much to his surprise, his task in this independent World was rather simple.
As though seeing through his thoughts, Mu explained with a smile, “Every Universe World is different. Perhaps you’ll come across similar situations again, but there will also be times when you have to work hard to achieve your goals. Go ahead, I’ve been waiting for far too long.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai replied respectfully. He knew that the task was simple because of Mu’s efforts.
He walked up to the dark rock and pushed it away. There was a dark pit on the ground, and the howls of wind could be heard coming from it.
Following that, a cold aura was approaching rapidly, as though it was coming from the depths beneath the ground.
Yang Kai raised his hands before pressing them down at the pit and shouting, “Open!”
A mysterious gate appeared above the pit, and with an injection of Yang Kai’s strength, a portal opened up.
A horrifying power was felt surging inside the pit. The howls of wind were like its growls as it kept crashing into the Profound Source Gate.
The Source piece, which had been suppressed and sealed here for a long time, must have realised that something was off, so it was trying to resist; nevertheless, its efforts were futile. If it was the complete Source, the gate wouldn’t have been a threat to it, but it was only a small piece.
The Profound Source Gate’s suppressive power spread. At the same time, a powerful drawing force was felt coming from behind the gate.
After the Source piece was lured out, it lost the power to resist and disappeared into the gap.
The gate closed once again, after which Yang Kai kept it inside his Knowledge Sea.
This time, it didn’t take him much effort to suppress and seal Mo’s Source piece, but he knew it was all thanks to Mu.
Just by looking at the skeletons in the valley, he knew that the woman must have waited here for countless years and killed all the ancient beasts that coveted Black Ink Strength.
If not for Mu’s efforts, Yang Kai would’ve been attacked by ancient beasts corrupted by Black Ink Strength the moment he arrived in this World, making his situation quite perilous.
As Mu watched the Source getting sealed, she finally appeared relieved.
She got to her feet slowly. As Yang Kai looked at her in puzzlement, she extended her hand and pressed it against the man’s chest.
After their eyes met, Mu said, “I’ve completed my task, so I’ll leave the rest to you, Junior. The Human Race’s future hinges on you, so you must do your best to not fail this mission.”
As she spoke, her figure faded rapidly. It was as though she was about to disappear from this World. As that happened, Yang Kai could feel a warm stream entering his body through the woman’s palm.
“Senior…” With a conflicted expression, Yang Kai had no idea what to say.
“This is the price I have to pay for sending you away,” Mu replied with a smile.
Gradually, her figure was gone. As her power engulfed Yang Kai, he shot into the sky and turned into a ray of light.
A crack appeared in the sky just then. The ray of light passed through it and disappeared.
The familiar drawing force appeared again and led Yang Kai to the next world.
He pressed his hand against his chest as his emotions undulated in his heart.
Unlike the Primordial World, the second World was one where only ancient beasts existed. He didn’t do much as he only summoned the Profound Source Gate and sealed Mo’s Source piece.
Mu had cleared all the danger and obstacles for him.
It was the result of countless years of perseverance.
The entire time, Yang Kai had only briefly talked to Mu.
There was no doubt she was a kind-hearted person. She devised this plan millions of years ago and let her shadows stay in different Universe Worlds to carry it out. She had been on her own all this time, waiting for a future that might not even come.
In the end, she didn’t even make any demands or requests, she simply told Yang Kai to do his best and try not to fail.
Even so, he didn’t give her a definitive reply.
He couldn’t help but blame himself. Mu had been doing all this selflessly, and she didn’t need anyone to thank her; nevertheless, Yang Kai could give her hope.
While he was lost in his thoughts, the aura of the third World came right at his face.
As usual, he followed the faint guidance and successfully found Mu, who had been waiting in a desolate place for countless years.
Before Mu could say anything, Yang Kai muttered, “Senior, all the darkness will be dispelled by the light one day. The Human Race will have a bright future. All your contributions and efforts over the aeons will be worth it!”
Mu stared fixedly at him with her mouth slightly open.
With a confident expression, Yang Kai flashed a smile at her.
Mu put on a smile as well. In just a short time, she understood everything and nodded, “Good.”
She turned around and pointed in a particular direction, “Mo’s Source piece is over there. Go ahead.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai cupped his fist and strode towards the place.
He soon sealed the Source piece and returned.
Mu walked up to him and pressed her hand against his chest before her figure faded.
Yang Kai kept all the sorrow to himself and put on a bright smile, “I’ll see you soon, Senior.”
At the last moment, Mu flashed a smile at him, “See you soon!”
The next instant, Yang Kai shot into the sky.
As he moved around different Universe Worlds, he made use of the Profound Source Gate’s power and sealed the pieces of Mo’s Source.
Every time Yang Kai arrived in a new World, he would immediately say the same thing to Mu, who would give him the same response.
As they met and parted ways repeatedly, it was like a never-ending cycle.
In general, things went smoothly. In most of the worlds, Mu had cleared all the obstacles for him, so he just had to find her shadow and summon the Profound Source Gate to seal Mo’s Source piece.
In truth, in the Primordial World, if not for the fact that Mu had to keep Little Eleventh by her side, she could’ve taken control of the Profound Source Gate as well.
However, due to Little Eleventh, Mu in the Primordial World couldn’t go near the Profound Source Gate; after all, Mo’s Source piece had been suppressed behind the gate. An accident might happen if Little Eleventh approached the gate.
Mo’s Source gave birth to the Black Ink Cult; as such, Mu had to establish the Light Spirit Religion to oppose it.
In that independent World, there wasn’t much help that Mu could provide in terms of aid. Moreover, the Black Ink Cult had developed rapidly; as such, it took Yang Kai quite some effort before he settled everything in the Primordial World.
Nevertheless, things wouldn’t always go smoothly.
When Yang Kai entered the 60th Universe World, he realised that something was off. The entire world was filled with Black Ink Strength. All the living creatures in this World had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength and turned into Black Ink Disciples.
When Yang Kai followed the guidance and found Mu, she was covered in blood while running for her life.
This couldn’t be helped, as everyone in that World was hunting her down.
Yang Kai had no idea how long the situation had persisted, but when he found her, she was in a terrible state.
After saving Mu from the Black Ink Disciples, Yang Kai found a quiet place and stopped in his tracks.
He asked, “What’s going on, Senior?”
Mu explained, “Something went wrong with the sealing location. Too much of Mo’s Source Strength leaked out and it has affected far too many beings. They shattered the seal and let Mo’s Source piece break free.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai finally realised why this World was filled with Black Ink Strength. Mo’s Source piece had broken free from its shackles.
The darkness in the Humans of this World could no longer be hidden in front of Black Ink Strength. Everyone in this World had been affected and turned into Black Ink Disciples.
“Do you know where the Source piece is, Senior?” Yang Kai asked.
Realising his intention, Mu shook her head, “There’s no point looking for it. Since you’ve started sealing Mo’s Source piece, speed is essential. Give up on this World and head to the next one!”
Saying so, she tried to get to her feet, but due to her injuries, she was unable to do so.
Yang Kai hurriedly squatted in front of her.
Mu pressed her hand against his chest. They could hear the sounds of footsteps as many living creatures were rapidly approaching them.
“Remember, if there’s a similar situation in any World, abandon it at once. There’s no point trying to achieve your goal every time because you won’t be able to seal all the pieces of its Source regardless.”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
Back in the Primordial World, Mu’s first shadow told him that she had divided Mo’s Source into 3,000 pieces. Every time Yang Kai sealed a piece of its Source, Mo would be alerted. When it reached a certain point, Mo would awaken and retrieve all the remaining Source pieces.
Therefore, Yang Kai couldn’t seal all 3,000 pieces. In that case, it would be wiser to give up on this World and head to the next one where it would be easier to seal the Source piece.
“I understand.” Yang Kai nodded.
“Also, my shadows might not be alive in all the Universe Worlds. You might enter a World where I’m not around, but you don’t have to worry. The previous shadows had left behind enough power for you, so you can leave for the next World anytime you want.”
Yang Kai nodded again.
The footsteps were getting closer as they felt flaring energy fluctuations. The Black Ink Disciples around them were running out of patience as they were ready to make a move.
Mu’s figure vanished into thin air, after which Yang Kai shot into the sky, leaving the Black Ink Disciples growling on the ground.
He set off on his journey and traversed the Space-Time River again. He repeatedly entered different Worlds and sealed the pieces of the Source.
[100, 200, 300…] Yang Kai kept count in his mind. As the number of the pieces he sealed increased, he could feel the situation worsening.
Every time he sealed a piece of Mo’s Source, Mo would be disturbed. When it finally realised the severity of the matter, it would awaken.
Yang Kai had no idea what the limit was, but he knew he was getting closer to it.
What made him feel helpless was that there were now more and more Worlds with difficult situations.
The first time he came across a problem was when he reached the 60th World. The second time was after he sealed the 100th piece, and the third time was around the 130th piece. The intervals were getting shorter.
The Universe Worlds within Mu’s Space-Time River all had different World Principles; therefore, the strengths of the living creatures in these Worlds varied greatly. However, her guidance seemed to be leading Yang Kai from the weakest to the strongest ones.
Initially, the limit of the Martial Dao in the Universe Worlds was only the Immortal Ascension Boundary, but gradually, it became the Transcendent Realm, then the Saint Realm, the Saint King Realm, the Dao Source Realm, and eventually the Emperor Realm.
As the living creatures in those Worlds became stronger, it became more difficult for Yang Kai to achieve his goal; after all, Mu’s shadow was on her own in most Worlds. The powerful creatures were naturally attracted to Mo’s Source Strength, and once too many of them gathered together, even Mu’s shadow couldn’t stop them.
Yang Kai followed Mu’s advice. Every time he came across a fallen World, he would give up on it at once.
Nevertheless, he would always look for Mu and integrate her last bit of power into his body.
He wasn’t after Mu’s power; he just wanted to bring as much of her away as possible.
As Yang Kai was swimming through Mu’s Space-Time River, a great battle had erupted outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
After dealing with the Black Ink Clan Reinforcement Army, Yang Kai rushed ahead to investigate the situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction while the Crusade Force was a step behind since they had to clean up the aftermath as well as rest and recover.
But it was only a few days before the Crusade Force set off as well.
Through the Space Arrays set up by the Void Guard, the Army was able to rapidly advance and soon reached the edge of the Spiritless Land.
This was where the last Universe Temple was located.
Something unexpected had happened at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction a few years back. The Suppressing Black Ink Army was swallowed up into the Grand Restriction and a large number of Black Ink Clansmen poured out from the opening. The Void Guard could not set up a Space Array directly outside the Grand Restriction as it would simply be courting death.
At the edge of the Spiritless Land, the Army regrouped and a few days later, it set sail towards the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
After a month, the Army arrived at the outer perimeter of the Grand Restriction, where a large battle immediately broke out.
This was a war launched with all the forces the Human Race possessed, with millions of Human soldiers fighting while being led over by 30 Ninth-Order Masters.
Originally, there were far fewer Ninth-Order Masters on the Human Race side. Including Yang Kai, there were 10 of them before the attack on the No-Return Pass; however, the successful battle at the No-Return Pass provided a breakthrough opportunity for many rising stars, many of whom succeeded in advancing.
23 people attempted to break through, and the outcome was that three failed while 20 succeeded.
As a result, the Ninth-Order Masters reached the 30 mark!
Afterwards, more Masters broke through to the Ninth Order as well. Now, there were more than 30 Ninth-Order Masters in the Crusade Force.
Thousands of years ago, through a series of devastating losses, culminating in the Barren Territory War, the veteran Ninth-Order Masters were decimated until only Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing remained. After several thousand bitter years passed though, the Human Race had finally restored some of its foundation.
More than 30 Ninth-Order Masters, millions of soldiers, and powerful Warships filled the battlefield. The power of the entire Human Race had gathered here today.
However, the Black Ink Clan was not to be underestimated either.
The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been around for millions of years. During these years, Black Ink Strength increased constantly, but it had reached a limit. Even if it kept increasing, it would be difficult to break through the Grand Restriction.
Thus, much of the Black Ink Strength accumulated had been used to create more Black Ink Clansmen.
One could say that within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the Black Ink Clan’s forces had already accumulated to a terrifying number. If Mu had not brought out her hidden hand to put Mo to sleep back then, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction would most likely have been destroyed and the Black Ink Clan could have swept over the entire Universe.
It was Mu who gave the Human Race a final chance, allowing them to create the current situation.
Currently, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was still under Wu Kuang’s control. Even though the opening in the Grand Restriction had expanded significantly, it still had a limit, which restricted the speed of the Black Ink Clansmen’s escape. Furthermore, Royal Lords still found it incredibly difficult to pass through. If they forced their way out, it would severely damage their foundation, which had been proven by past attempts.
When the Crusade Force arrived at the Grand Restriction, a large army of Black Ink Clansmen had already gathered outside, numbering over 100 million. Though there were no Royal Lords among them, there were still plenty of Pseudo-Royal Lords!
Compared with the immense Black Ink Clan Army, the Human Race Army appeared miniscule.
When the war broke out, the Human Race’s forces were far inferior in number to the Black Ink Clan; however, relying on the experienced Army which had survived through countless battles, they coordinated with each other and made use of all their advantages to fight. Even if they could not gain the upper hand, they still wouldn’t appear weak in front of their enemies.
From afar, the Human Race Army looked like a small snake slithering agilely around a giant python, constantly tearing at the latter’s body.
The entire void was filled with the corpses of the Black Ink Clansmen, and Black Ink Strength released from them had condensed together to form massive Black Ink Clouds.
Each Ninth-Order Master was going all out to slaughter the Pseudo-Royal Lords.
Even the Eighth-Order Masters were unwilling to appear weak. Together, they got into Battle Formations and charged fearlessly at their enemies.
At the Grand Restriction’s opening, the Black Ink Clansmen kept pouring out to reinforce their Army.
However, what shocked them all was how the speed of their reinforcements couldn’t keep up with the speed of the slaughter. The number of Black Ink Clansmen gathered outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was still steadily decreasing.
The morale of the Human Race Army grew higher and higher; however, Mi Jing Lun, who was standing by at the command centre of the Human Race Army, did not show any joy on his face.
He knew that this was only the beginning of the war. So far, he had not seen any Royal Lords make a move yet, and through his communication with Wu Kuang, he also knew of Yang Kai’s whereabouts and why the Royal Lords were unable to leave the Grand Restriction.
Currently, he was facing a dilemma.
Even though the Suppressing Black Ink Army was trapped in the Grand Restriction and they were safe for the time being with Wu Kuang’s help, countless Royal Lords were searching for the Suppressing Black Ink Army’s whereabouts within the Grand Restriction. Once the Suppressing Black Ink Army’s tracks got exposed, their survival chances inside the Grand Restriction would become null!
Wu Kuang had the ability to send the Suppressing Black Ink Army out of the Grand Restriction, but he had not done so before because of the gathered Black Ink Clan Army. Even if he were to send them out, it would be like sending a flock of lambs to a tiger’s den. Instead, it was better to let the Suppressing Black Ink Army to continue hiding inside the Grand Restriction where he could look after them.
However, now that the Crusade Force had arrived, the Suppressing Black Ink Army had an escape route. As long as they could coordinate with the Crusade Force, sending them out of the Grand Restriction shouldn’t be an issue.
But doing so would create another problem.
The opening in the Grand Restriction had been torn numerous times already, and each time, it caused irreparable damage to the Grand Restriction. In order to send the Suppressing Black Ink Army out, Wu Kuang would have to widen the gap in the Grand Restriction wider.
Currently, the opening in the Grand Restriction could only allow Black Ink Clansmen weaker than Royal Lords to pass through. If a Royal Lord were to force their way out, it would severely damage their strength, which was why they were all still hiding within the Grand Restriction.
If the opening was expanded, then the Royal Lords might be able to enter and leave the Grand Restriction freely.
There were a large number of Royal Lords within the Grand Restriction, and if they joined the battlefield, the pressure that the Crusade Force would have to bear would be far more than what they were facing now, which meant that the intensity of the battle would also shoot straight up.
This was the dilemma that Mi Jing Lun was currently facing.
The Suppressing Black Ink Army was in danger, but the cost of saving them was allowing Royal Lords to join the battlefield.
However, an answer had already appeared in his heart. It was imperative that they save the Suppressing Black Ink Army!
Without even mentioning that the Suppressing Black Ink Army was composed of elites from the Human Race who had guarded the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for over 2,000, there was also Divine Dragon Fu Guang among them. Many of Yang Kai’s Family members also belonged to the Suppressing Black Ink Army. For all these reasons, Mi Jing Lun could not simply abandon them.
If those who made great contributions were left to die, it would devastate the morale of the other soldiers.
Of course, this was not the main reason.
From another perspective, eliminating the Black Ink Clan here would not directly affect the outcome of the war. No matter how many Pseudo-Royal Lords they killed, or how many Black Ink Clansmen were slaughtered, it would only weaken the Black Ink Clan’s strength but not shake their foundation.
No one knew how many Black Ink Clansmen were still hiding within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, not even Wu Kuang.
The Royal Lords within the Grand Restriction were something that they would have to face sooner or later.
While Wu Kuang still had control over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it would be better to let out some Royal Lords and kill them, rather than allowing all of them to rush out all at once when the Grand Restriction inevitably collapsed.
Based on the current situation, tearing open another opening in the Grand Restriction and allowing the Royal Lords to pass through was beneficial for them as it could alleviate some of the pressure in advance.
Therefore, it was both morally and tactically sound to say that saving the Suppressing Black Ink Army was a necessary move.
What was more, the Human Race still had some cards up their sleeves. They hadn’t revealed all of their strength yet!
With an idea in mind, Mi Jing Lun and Wu Kuang discussed with each other and soon agreed on a plan.
The movement of the Human Race Army quickly changed. Originally, the Army of millions remained mobile, using superior mobility to harass the Black Ink Clan Army since they were outnumbered by them. If they wanted to kill more enemies, they had to preserve their strength as much as possible.
But now, the Human Race Army suddenly gathered all their mass and recklessly charged towards the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
The Human Masters took up position on the outer periphery, forming a defensive shield around the troops while the slightly weaker soldiers gathered at the centre, enhancing the Army’s strength.
The Black Ink Clan had not in any way expected that the Humans would suddenly change their strategy. Since the Black Ink Clan’s deployment was not as tight as their opponents, the Human Race Army easily rammed through their lines and breached their defences.
The Human Race Army advanced straight through the gaps, paving multiple paths towards the Grand Restriction’s opening using the blood and remains of the Black Ink Clansmen.
Just as the Crusade Force approached the opening, the Grand Restriction suddenly expanded like the mouth of a ferocious beast and spat out the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress!
The timing was perfect.
This success had to be credited to Wu Kuang’s guidance. Without him, the Suppressing Black Ink Army would never be able to break out of the Grand Restriction at such an apt time.
If they had done it too early, they would have been surrounded by the Black Ink Clan Army. Too late, and the Human Race Army would have suffered heavy losses.
The Human Race Army coalesced into a single force and did not pause for even a moment. When the Suppressing Black Ink Army in control of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress merged with the rest, they broke through the encirclement of the Black Ink Clan and flew out.
It was only once they reached a suitable distance that they reorganised their formations.
The first clash between the Human Race Army and Black Ink Clan Army ended with a resounding victory for the Humans, but everyone knew that this was just the beginning. There was no time to rest on this battlefield. Once the fighting began, one should only seek to rest in death!
Powerful auras emerged from the opening in the Grand Restriction soon after, and the vague silhouettes of many figures could be seen moving restlessly through the dark opening.
Royal Lords!
The faces of all the Masters of the Human Race became solemn since the number of figures visible was not by any means small.
During their first crusade, the Black Ink Clan had deployed some 300 Royal Lords in total, which was three times the number of Ninth-Order Masters at the time.
Though not so many Royal Lords were gathered at the opening at this moment, there were at least 40 of them.
Moreover, this was just the beginning. There would definitely be more Royal Lords who received the news and rushed out from the depths of the Grand Restriction soon.
Mi Jing Lun had already tried to overestimate the Black Ink Clan’s heritage as much as possible, but he realized that he had still underestimated them in the end.
The Royal Lords didn’t immediately rush out of the Grand Restriction as they weren’t sure if the current opening would allow them to pass through safely.
After a brief hesitation, one of the Royal Lords stepped forward.
As soon as he took a step forward, the Royal Lord appeared outside the Grand Restriction and stood frozen in place for a moment, clearly surprised at how smoothly he had passed through.
Even more Royal Lords stepped through the opening soon after, the convergence of their Heaven-shaking, Earth-moving auras distorting the void around them.
Each Royal Lord’s gaze was fixed in the direction of the Human Race Army, expressions of cruelty and bloodlust clear on their faces.
On Pure Yang Pass, Mi Jing Lun looked on coldly before tossing out an object and shouting, “Go!”
It was a round, bead-like object.
Under the blessing of a Ninth-Order Master’s strength, the small round bead quickly broke through the heavy blockade of the Black Ink Clan and reached the Royal Lords.
The gazes of the many Royal Lords were attracted to the round bead, but after examining it, they found that despite its peculiar appearance, it was not worth much attention.
One of the Royal Lords threw a casual punch out at the round bead, shattering it instantly.
Suddenly, a surprise occurred that caught all the Royal Lords off guard. When the round bead was shattered, countless Universe Fragments appeared out of nowhere, as if they were the remains of the round bead.
Strong Space Principle fluctuations followed suit before two massive figures that blocked the Heavens and covered the Earth appeared.
Each Royal Lord’s face was filled with shock.
On the other hand, Ah Da and Ah Er, who were prepared beforehand, did not give the Royal Lords any time to react, launching a violent attack at them as soon as they appeared.
Utterly terrifying giant palms slapped down, and the Royal Lords were swept up by the force. As blood burst forth, the sound of bones breaking rang out.
The Royal Lords all screamed, some in pain, others in panic. None of them had expected two Giant Spirit Gods to enter the battlefield in this manner, so they immediately took heavy losses from this sudden attack.
Several Royal Lords were instantly pulverized into mist, their auras simply vanishing from existence, while the survivors scattered in all directions.
This was the trump card of the Human Race.
During the battle at the No-Return Pass, Ah Da and Ah Er were pinned down by the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods and were unable to play a decisive role until Yang Kai teamed up with Ah Da to kill one of the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, which greatly improved the Human Race’s situation.
But here, without Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods to occupy them, the two Giant Spirit Gods could perfectly demonstrate their terrifying might.
The Black Ink Clan did not have the means to stop such existences! Even a casual wave of a Giant Spirit God’s hand was enough to smash anything it made contact with.
Before the World Bead they were hiding in was sent out, Ah Da and Ah Er must have received instructions from Mi Jing Lun beforehand; so, when they saw the fleeing Royal Lords, Ah Da immediately went to pursue them while Ah Er stayed behind, his massive figure acting as a barrier to block the opening in the Grand Restriction.
At the opening, the Royal Lords who had received the news gathered nearby but hesitated to step out, each of them looking fearfully towards the towering figure in front of them.
Though the Giant Spirit Gods were incredibly powerful, their immense size also made them less agile, so even after chasing the fleeing Royal Lords for a while, Ah Da was unable to capture any of them. Annoyed, he turned around and charged into the Black Ink Clan Army’s formation instead.
What followed was like a tiger descending upon a flock of sheep. No matter how many Black Ink Clan Soldiers fought back, giving their all, even their very lives, their attacks were no different to a calm breeze to Ah Da.
The massive Army was instantly disrupted and broken apart. Ah Da was like a rampaging bull, trampling and crushing everything in his path.
Giant gaps had now been opened in the Black Ink Clan Army, which was already somewhat scattered to begin with.
Mi Jing Lun was overjoyed when he saw this and immediately gave the order for the entire Army to attack.
The Human Race Army, which had already rearranged their formations, charged the Black Ink Clan, but unlike before, they only had to deal with the scattered sections that have been cut out from the main force.
This greatly reduced the pressure on them.
Just as the Human Race Army was launching their second attack, 10 figures flew out from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, but they did not head to the battlefield and instead flew in the opposite direction.
In the midst of a battle, actions like this would normally be enough to label them as deserters; however, everyone turned a blind eye to this and regarded it as a matter of course.
This couldn’t be helped as the auras of these Masters were fluctuating wildly, a sign that they were about to break through.
Zhao Ye Bai, Xu Yi, and Zhao Ya’s figures were included amongst the 10.
While members were being selected for the Suppressing Black Ink Army from the various Armies, Mi Jing Lun adhered to the principle of being lacking rather than excessive. That was because guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was not too dangerous a task then. They had Divine Dragon Fu Guang leading them and the cooperation of Wu Kuang, who had control over the Grand Restriction. All the Suppressing Black Ink Army had to do was intercept the Black Ink Clansmen escaping from the opening.
Taking the development of talent into consideration, Mi Jing Lun had placed many promising candidates qualified to advance to the Ninth Order in the Suppressing Black Ink Army, distancing them from the brutality of the various Great Territory Battlefields so they could focus on cultivating outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction in the hopes of advancing as soon as possible.
Only, various changes occurred with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction later on, leading to the increased danger outside of the Grand Restriction.
No matter how incredible a strategist he was, Mi Jing Lun could not predict all the changes that would happen over 2,000 years.
Regardless, no one could deny that the Suppressing Black Ink Army was a force of elite Masters.
From the present situation alone, 10 Masters out of the few thousand the Suppressing Black Ink Army was made up of were about to break through their limits and reach the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Such a proportion would be impossible to reproduce in any of the conventional Armies.
The 10 Masters were currently only in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so even if they did put their lives on the line on this battlefield, the role they could play would not be significant. Eighth-Order Masters were plentiful among the Human Race, so 10 more or 10 fewer would make no difference.
However, if they were able to break through successfully and return as Ninth-Order Masters, then even if only half of them succeed, the Human Race stood to gain five more Ninth-Order Masters.
Moreover, just from the recent situation alone, one could see that the success rate of the rising stars who have been nourished by the World Tree clones was surprisingly high when it came to ascending to the Ninth Order, far surpassing the generations of the past.
These 10 had actually reached their limits a long time ago, but they have been trapped in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and had not dared to break through so as to avoid exposing their whereabouts.
The Human Race Army charged, and even with the Black Ink Clan going all out to resist, it was difficult for them to blunt this assault.
The Human Race Army brought an aura of death with them as they swept across the void, extinguishing the souls of countless Black Ink Clansmen.
Coupled with Ah Da’s wanton rampage, unimaginable losses had been created for the Black Ink Clan in just a short period of time, and the situation was only growing worse for them.
The Black Ink Clan finally realized that things had taken a dire turn.
Two Giant Spirit Gods suddenly appeared and completely disrupted their formation, especially the Giant Spirit God who was guarding the opening. If they did not defeat him, the Black Ink Clan would not be able to receive reinforcements, and with the current strength of the Human Race, those outside the Grand Restriction would eventually be wiped out.
The Royal Lords who left the Grand Restriction quickly understood this and began to take action.
Fortunately for them, the Humans were unable to divide their forces at this moment, and even the Ninth-Order Masters dared not rashly move independently. If they were trapped in the vast sea of Black Ink Clansmen, no one can guarantee that they would be able to escape alive.
Under this situation, as long as the Royal Lords did not actively provoke the Human Race Army, they would not need to engage the Ninth-Order Masters.
On the other hand, the only one who could act recklessly in the midst of the Black Ink Clan Army, Ah Da, was not very bright. Once his blood began pumping, he simply moved towards wherever there were more foes to deal with, so it was difficult for the Human Race Army to coordinate with him even if they wanted to.
Seeing this, the Royal Lords regrouped and charged brazenly towards Ah Er.
Naturally, just one or two Royal Lords would not be a match for Ah Er; in fact, not even 10 of them would be able to deal with him. However, the number of Royal Lords that came out of the Grand Restriction was far greater than that.
More than 40 Royal Lords charged towards Ah Er from all directions, and powerful Secret Techniques were launched one after another. Even a being as powerful as a Giant Spirit God staggered under such a heavy bombardment.
Ah Er roared as he kicked and punched randomly, launching Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering attacks one after another. However, most of these were dodged by the Royal Lords, and the few attacks that connected could not kill the Royal Lords with a single blow, only injuring them at most.
This kind of swarming strategy was used by the Ninth-Order Masters to deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in years past, but now it was being utilized by the Black Ink Clan.
However, Ninth-Order Masters were generally stronger than these inexperienced Royal Lords, so the Humans needed just 20 or so Ninth-Order Masters to hold off one Black Ink Giant Spirit God back, whereas the Black Ink Clan required a far greater number of Royal Lords.
Startled by Ah Er’s roar, Ah Da finally regained some of his senses and turned to look towards the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, rushing over in the next moment.
When Ah Da arrived at the opening, more than 10 Royal Lords rushed out from it.
The scene of two Giant Spirit Gods teaming up to fight against more than 50 Royal Lords was extremely intense.
Even more Black Ink Clansmen gathered at the opening, among which were many Royal Lords as well…
No one knew how many Royal Lords were hidden within the Grand Restriction. Their numbers within the dark space seemed to be endless and they never stopped coming no matter how many were cut down.
Many Royal Lords were tangled up with the two Giant Spirit Gods, but neither side could defeat the other; meanwhile, the Black Ink Clans Soldiers behind the opening found opportunities to flood out and join the massive battlefield.
On Pure Yang Pass, Mi Jing Lun’s expression was solemn.
The Human Race’s only trump card had already been played, but apart from the initial success they gained against the Black Ink Clan, it hadn’t been able to play a decisive role.
Right now, Ah Da and Ah Er were blocking the opening together, but all they were really doing was delaying the speed of reinforcements coming out.
If this continued, the situation would become unfavourable for the Human Race as more time passed.
No matter what strategies he could come up with, the key to winning or losing a war was still the balance of power.
Compared to the Black Ink Clan, the Human Race Army was undoubtedly an elite force, but their numbers were just too limited. Casualties were inevitable in war, and once their Army reached a certain critical limit in their losses, their momentum would collapse. When that time came, the Human Race Army’s fate on this battlefield surrounded by enemies would be tragic.
And this was merely a war against the Black Ink Clan Army!
The Black Ink Clan Army were not the only ones the Humans had to fight against. The main enemy they were up against was the one who stood behind them, Mo!
It was an unbelievably terrifying foe.
Was there any hope for victory in this war?
Mi Jing Lun had no idea. All he knew was that as a Human, one had to give their all in battle in order to leave no regrets behind.
And, through the information coming in from Wu Kuang’s side, what Yang Kai was doing would also be a key for them. If Yang Kai could succeed, then the situation may not be as bad as he imagined it to be.
Just like the Giant Spirit Gods Ah Da and Ah Er, Yang Kai was also a trump card for the Human Race!
…..
In the vast and desolate void, a faint light suddenly blossomed, quickly growing into a dazzling brightness that persisted for a long time before gradually subsiding.
A graceful figure stood quietly in the void. She opened her eyes, revealing a pensive expression, as if she had vaguely understood something.
“It’s time to end this, once and for all!”
Saying so, a pair of glistening and beautiful wings suddenly spread out on her back. With a gentle flap of her wings, she shot off, breaking through the barriers of space in an instant.
For several months, the battlefield was a bloodbath.
The Human Race Soldiers continued to weave through the battlefield, harvesting the lives of Black Ink Clansmen. Their charge was unimpeded at first, but as more and more Royal Lords left the Grand Restriction, the pressure on the Humans grew stronger and stronger.
Ah Da and Ah Er were still blocking the opening of the Grand Restriction, but they could not stop all of the Black Ink Clansmen, and when they were surrounded and attacked by dozens of Royal Lords at once, there would eventually be leaks in their blockade, and every time that happened, a large number of Black Ink Clansman would swarm out of the Grand Restriction.
Many of the Black Ink Clansmen who were unable to escape the circle of battle were caught in it and were annihilated without even a single bone left behind, but many more escaped unharmed to support their brethren on the battlefield.
The entire void was flooded with rich Black Ink Strength and bodies, which may be fine for the Black Ink Clan, but for the Humans, such an environment was brutal.
Since the soldiers were constantly consuming Purifying Black Ink Pills, their medicinal efficacies were falling steadily. Ordinarily, the medicinal efficacies of a single Purifying Black Ink Pill would last for a few days, but after a months-long high-intensity fight, the medicinal efficacies of Purifying Black Ink Pill were only lasting less than six hours each now.
Despite how many Purifying Black Ink Pills the Humans had stockpiled beforehand, there was still a limit in the end.
The same went for Purifying Light.
Once the Purifying Black Ink Pills and Purifying Light ran out, regardless of how much of an advantage the Humans had at that point, it would be hard to maintain it going forward.
After fighting for so long, the Human Race Army could no longer maintain the same intensity in battle. Now, when they charged, only half of the soldiers fought while the other half took the opportunity to rest and recover.
This was the only method that Mi Jing Lun could employ to maintain the combat capabilities of the Human Race Army.
But this plan would not work in the long term. As the number of Royal Lords increased, the pressure was also increasing for the Humans, and the casualties were also rising at an alarming rate.
The only comforting thing was that eight of the 10 rising stars from the Suppressing Black Ink Army were able to advance to the Ninth Order.
Including the Ninth-Order Masters they had before, the total number of Ninth-Order Masters now broke through the 40 mark!
This was probably the final number of Ninth-Order Masters for the Human Race. Before this war ended, no one else would be able to safely break through again.
Among the eight newly advanced Ninth-Order Masters, Yang Kai’s three Legacy Disciples were the most conspicuous.
The three of them joined forces to perform Yang Kai’s unique Secret Technique, the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, killing more than 10 Royal Lords over the course of this battle!
One should know that all three of them were in the Ninth Order now, so together, the might of the Sun and Moon Divine Wheel that they executed was even more powerful than even Yang Kai’s. Moreover, Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel only contained Space-Time Strength, but their version also had the power of Zhao Ya’s Spear Principles mixed in, which made it even more domineering.
Even though the trio had just broken through, this Secret Technique was not something that the Royal Lords could resist.
Unfortunately, the consumption of this Secret Technique was too great for the three of them, and they could only use it once a day; however, every time they did, a Royal Lord had died.
The Royal Lords naturally took note of this, and whenever the trio appeared, multiple Royal Lords would move to engage them in a fight to the death.
The Human Race Army kept wandering the battlefield and fighting, slaughtering countless Black Ink Clansmen, but the losses they sustained were also shocking.
This seemed to be a war that would not end until both sides were wiped from existence.
Despite having achieved far more than they ever had in any battle in the past, Mi Jing Lun on Pure Yang Pass did not feel happy, and that was because he could not see any hope of winning this war even now.
The two Giant Spirit Gods were still guarding the opening at the Grand Restriction. These two had restrained dozens of Royal Lords and even killed some occasionally, but they were conveyed in wounds and nobody knew how much longer they could persist. Once their support fell, the opening of the Grand Restriction would be left completely open and the Black Ink Clan could come pouring out in far vaster numbers.
Every Ninth-Order Master was draining a great amount of power. Not one of the 40-plus Ninth-Order Masters was without injury. Some had even sustained such great damage from the Royal Lords that they almost lost their lives.
Eighth-Order Masters were also struggling to maintain their Battle Formations. While the Battle Formations allowed the Eighth-Order Masters to become more powerful, it was also a burden on them, especially for those acting as the Core of the Formation. The pressure they faced was much more compared to that of the other Eighth-Order Masters.
It was not a problem for a short period, but it was difficult for even the Eighth-Order Masters to maintain a Battle Formation for an extended time.
At the beginning of the war, the Eighth-Order Masters were still able to form Seven Stars and Six Paths Formations, but even the Six Paths Formation could no longer be seen now. The strongest Battle Formations they were using were now just Five Elements Formations, while most of the Eighth-Order Masters were only maintaining the lowest Three Fortunes Formation to fight against their enemies.
It was not that they did not want to form stronger Battle Formations, but they were truly strong in will but weak in strength.
As for the soldiers under the Eighth Order, many had died when their Warships were destroyed.
The Purifying Black Ink Pills and Purifying Light were constantly being consumed, and no matter how much they had been saving up, they would see the bottom of their stock sooner or later.
Even the Small Stone Race Army, which Yang Kai had distributed to the Human Race Army beforehand, had been decimated.
The geography of the battlefield was also a major hindrance for the Humans. The ever-growing Black Ink Clouds and Black Ink Strength that filled the entire void seemed to be turning the battlefield into a Black Ink Ocean.
The Black Ink Clan were like fish in water in this environment, while the Humans were being heavily restricted.
The Divine Spirits roared as they fought, but even they could not change the course of this war.
As the fighting progressed until this point, not only were the Humans unable to see any trace of hope, but they were gradually being submerged in despair.
However, no one retreated, because they all knew that this was a war that could not be lost. If this war was lost, then the Human Race was likely to be wiped from existence.
Everyone was holding on, waiting for a chance to turn things around.
That glimmer of hope was now inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Naturally, it was the person who could create all kinds of miracles, and the one who has led the Humans on the path of survival for the past few thousand years.
It could be said that the current heritage and capital that the Human Race possessed that allowed them to carry out a second crusade had to be credited to him.
Nevertheless, he had not appeared yet.
So, there was still hope for the Human Race!
…..
The 700th World was a scene of doom.
Black Ink Strength had already spread throughout the entire World. Yang Kai followed the faint trace and found the hiding Mu. After Mu infused all her remaining power into his body, she disappeared without a trace.
In the 800th World, Yang Kai did not sense Mu’s presence at all. Without hesitation, he activated the power that Mu’s other shadows had left in his body and left this Universe World.
In the 900th world, peace reigned and everyone lived in harmony. Yang Kai successfully reunited with Mu and, with the help of the Profound Source Gate, suppressed and sealed Mo’s Source piece before leaving quickly.
The 1,000th World…
1,100th…
1,200th…
The cycle continued in a seemingly endless journey which Yang Kai was treading alone.
Sometimes, Yang Kai needed only to follow the faint sensation to find Mu and then use the Profound Source Gate to suppress and seal Mo’s Source piece; however, there were often times when things didn’t go as smoothly as he hoped. There were Universe Worlds where Black Ink Strength had spread everywhere, and even Mo’s Source piece had escaped. In these Universe Worlds, there was not much that Mu could do. She hid and waited for Yang Kai to arrive so that she could infuse the power of her shadow into his body.
To make matters worse, there were some Universe Worlds where Mu had already been killed. Even though she was the most powerful of the Martial Ancestors, her shadows were only a state from a certain period of her life, and within those periods, her strength was limited.
For example, in the 800th World, Black Ink Strength dominated everything and Mu’s shadow was missing. There was no reason for Yang Kai to even stay in such a World.
There were also some Worlds where Black Ink Strength and Mu’s powers competed against each other, similar to the situation in the Primordial World.
If Yang Kai had enough time, he wouldn’t mind lending a hand to Mu, cutting off the wings of Mo and suppressing and sealing pieces of its Source; however, through the messages transmitted by Wu Kuang from the jade pendant that he wore on his chest, Yang Kai knew that the situation both inside and outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was dire. He didn’t have any time to waste, so he could only give up when he encountered Worlds like these.
Mu’s shadow in these Worlds did not object to any of his decisions, always imbuing their power into his body.
Passing through one World after another, Yang Kai soon lost track of how many Source pieces he had suppressed and sealed. He only knew that the further he went, the greater the likelihood that an unexpected encounter would happen. Often, he would pass through many Universe Worlds in a row and still find it difficult to suppress and seal even one of Mo’s Source pieces.
He knew that his journey would most likely come to an end soon. Once he had suppressed and sealed enough pieces, Mo would awaken completely, and then he would have to face the most powerful existence in the World!
Yang Kai didn’t dare to linger. Besides wanting to suppress and seal even more pieces, he also wanted to take away all of Mu’s shadows from each Universe World!
This predecessor had done enough for the Human Race. Even though she had fallen, her life had been divided into 3,000 pieces and continued to protect the Human Race in the form of shadows.
How lonely those shadows must have been over the years. Taking them away was also a kind of liberation for them.
The power that the shadows infused into Yang Kai’s body at their final moments seemed unremarkable. It couldn’t even enhance Yang Kai’s strength in the slightest, but this inconspicuous power was proof of Mu’s existence and sacrifice.
This was the greatest kindness his predecessor had given to the Human Race, so it was only right as a successor to show how grateful he was.
There was little he could do for Mu. He could only try his best to free more of her shadows from their endless loneliness and waiting.
It wasn’t that he was unaware of the urgent situation the Human Race was facing outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The information conveyed by Wu Kuang had already indicated that the Humans were not in a good state currently. The prolonged intensity of this war had made it difficult for them to hold on any longer.
Without external intervention, the Human Race would undoubtedly be defeated in this war, but Yang Kai was in no hurry to leave the Space-Time River despite knowing that. Because the enemies that the Human Race had to face were not only the Black Ink Clan Army, but also Mo.
Nobody had any idea just how powerful the legendary Creator Realm was, so Yang Kai could only suppress and seal as much of its Source as possible to weaken its power and increase the chances of the Human Race’s ultimate victory.
The towering bodies of the Giant Spirit Gods were covered in wounds. They roared and bellowed, driving back one Royal Lord after another, like two powerful lions encircled by a pack of hyenas. Despite their immense strength and overwhelming power, the huge disparity in numbers allowed their small foes to run rampant.
At this moment, there were almost 100 Royal Lords gathered around Ah Da and Ah Er!
The Giant Spirit Gods were powerful indeed, but they still had their limits in the end. Even together, Ah Da and Ah Er could barely handle the 100 or so Royal Lords attacking them all at once.
With the Giant Spirit Gods fully occupied, the Black Ink Clan were finally able to pour out of the Grand Restriction unrestrained. Powerful auras emerged from the opening one after another and joined the battlefield.
All the advantages that the Human Race Army had worked so hard to build up were melting away under the constant stream of enemy reinforcements.
The war had reached a most despairing point.
Yang Kai still had not shown up.
The Human Race Army had suffered huge losses in this battle. Whether it be their numbers or Warships they were relying on, it was hard to keep up.
The many defences deployed on Pure Yang Pass had also been blasted apart. At this moment, Pure Yang Pass was only covered by a few layers of the simplest defensive Arrays. If they were to take a few more attacks, then it was likely that even these last barriers would be broken.
Standing up on the wall, Mi Jing Lun sighed in his heart.
The limit of the Human Race had already been reached at this point of the battle. If they continued to engage, the last of their forces would be buried here.
[Have we failed? Have we not done enough?]
[No! That can’t be!] Since the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, thousands of years had gone by. The Human Race had not only recovered their homeland but also organized a strong force for a second crusade! They had crushed whatever stood in the way until they reached the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction! They had done well enough!
A few thousand years was a very short time for the development of an entire Race. That the Humans could recover from almost total annihilation to what they had today was a feat worth being proud of.
However, their enemy was simply too strong.
From Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements kept coming, and no matter how many Royal Lords were killed, more would appear to take their place.
Even with the two Giant Spirit God’s to support them, it was impossible to stop this.
“Wu Kuang!” Mi Jing Lun called out through his surging Divine Sense, “How much longer will Junior Brother Yang take?”
“Not much longer,” Wu Kuang responded, “but we can’t just rely on him in this war. Once he finishes his side of things, Mo will completely awaken, so he will have his own opponent! And if Mo awakens, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction will completely shatter. Once that happens, those hidden in the Grand Restriction will swarm out; when that happens, you will see the scale of the Black Ink Clan Army is much more than what you are currently seeing now.”
“Then, is he a match for Mo?” Mi Jing Lun asked another question.
Wu Kuang answered without hesitation, “Naturally not. If he were to face off against Mo with his current strength, a death without burial is sure to await him.”
Mi Jing Lun was silent for a moment, “So to say, what we, the Human Race, are up against, is an unscalable wall.”
Wu Kuang responded, “You could say that.”
“Then there’s no other way…”
“What are you planning to do?”
A bitter look appeared on Mi Jing Lun’s face, “Nothing. Junior Brother Yang told me about his encounters in the Universe Furnace previously, and he also mentioned something at the edge of the Universe. He anticipated the situation today before the war began, so he left a path for the Human Race to retreat to.”
Wu Kuang was surprised, “The edge of the Universe?”
“It’s a long story,” Mi Jing Lun did not have the time to explain in detail, “Junior Brother Yang told me that if the Human Race really was no match for the Black Ink Clan, there was no need for us to go down fighting. He told us to preserve our power as much as possible and he will bring our remaining kin to another World where we can find a suitable place to live.”
Wu Kuang wondered, “Such a place exists?”
Mi Jing Lun was honest, “I don’t know, but if Junior Brother Yang says it does, then it definitely exists.”
“If it does exist, it’s not a bad choice… I will try to buy you some more time. If you want to retreat, then go quickly. We can’t predict what will happen if things continue to drag on.”
“Many thanks,” Mi Jing Lun thanked him, knowing that Wu Kuang might put himself in danger by doing so; after all, the ones in charge of holding back the enemy while the Army retreated were always in the most dangerous position.
After coming to a decision, Mi Jing Lun did not hesitate any longer. In this current situation, every moment of delay would further increase the casualties to the soldiers.
However, to be forced from their homeland like this, to a new World in a place they did not know… It really was shameful.
But reality did not give the Humans much choice…
As he was about to pass down the order, Mi Jing Lun suddenly sensed something and turned to look into the distance.
He didn’t see anything at first, but in the next instant, a bright light swept over from that direction, and in the next instant, the distance grew much closer, and the light also became clearer.
[So fast!] Mi Jing Lun was astonished.
Right now, he was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and if he exerted all his strength, he could reach immense speeds, but even at his best, he would probably not be able to reach a tenth of that light’s speed.
Such speed was not inferior even when compared to Yang Kai’s Instantaneous Movement.
[Who is that?]
The direction the light came from was from beyond the Spiritless Land, where the Human Race Army had also come from. In other words, the one arriving was most likely a Human Race Master.
But, was there such a Master among the Human Race? When the Army set out, all Masters who could participate in the battle were conscripted. Those who were left behind were either the old, the infirmed, the children, or those with insufficient cultivation. How could there be such a Master hidden among them still?
Just as Mi Jing Lun was feeling taken aback, the other Ninth-Order Masters and Royal Lords in the battlefield also sensed the unfamiliar aura.
Nobody paid attention when they first sensed it, as who would dare to be distracted when fighting a life-and-death battle? But in just a few breaths, all the Masters wore astonished looks on their faces.
It was because the unfamiliar aura was approaching the battlefield at a speed beyond what they could fathom, and following the approach of that aura, a powerful force that made even the Ninth-Order Masters and Royal Lords tremble pressed down on them!
In just an instant, the light pierced into the battlefield.
Since Mi Jing Lun first detected the aura until now, less than 10 breaths had passed.
He had been staring fixedly at it, but even with his current abilities in the Ninth Order, he couldn’t see the face of the person who was coming. He only vaguely saw what seemed to be wings open behind the person’s back, and it was from those wings that the dazzling light was flowing out. As this figure swept through the air, a long ribbon of light was drawn across the void.
What’s more, this figure disintegrated everything that stood in its way!
When the light broke into the battlefield, the Black Ink Clan Army which was fighting with great momentum melted away in swathes like snowflakes under the scorching Sun.
Wherever the light passed, flames of life were constantly being extinguished.
Even powerful Royal Lords were no match for the new arrival. One Royal Lord wanted to intercept them, but he suddenly froze in place before he could even make a move.
When the light swept past, fresh blood suddenly spurted from the neck of the Royal Lord as his head flew into the air.
The cut a huge swath through the middle of the Black Ink Clan Army and instantly arrived at the opening in the Grand Restriction.
This was the battlefield of two Giant Spirit Gods and many Royal Lords. The ordinary Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t even dare to approach carelessly, and the Human Race Army were also incapable of fighting side by side with the Giant Spirit Gods here.
It could be said that Ah Da and Ah Er had been in an isolated and helpless position all this while.
It was only until now, when a powerful existence arrived to aid them.
Without any words, countless Sword Waves burst forth from the light, shooting towards various places in the void.
Black blood flew and cries of misery rang out as many Royal Lords’ auras were extinguished.
With support, Ah Da and Ah Er immediately turned from defence to offence, each one roaring and venting their pent-up rage.
In a short while, the intense battle suddenly calmed down, and Time and Space seemed to freeze at that moment.
Around 100 Royal Lords gathered in twos and threes, surrounding the two Giant Spirit Gods and the Master that suddenly appeared in the middle of them. Though their numbers were plentiful, each Royal Lord still had grave expressions on their faces.
This couldn’t be helped as numerous Royal Lords had already been killed in that short encounter just now. Moreover, all of them died under the hands of this unwelcome guest.
What infuriated them even more was the fact that they still couldn’t get a clear look at who it was that attacked them. They only knew that the strength of this Human was incredible.
But the Royal Lords were not the only ones who did not see the face of the new arrival. Even the Ninth-Order Masters did not see it either, and it was mainly because this person was too fast and everything happened within a very short amount of time.
Mi Jing Lun was already preparing to withdraw the Army, leaving the battlefield with the remnants of their forces and waiting for Yang Kai to lead them to a new World, but before the order could be given, a new, powerful helper appeared to aid them.
Only the Divine Spirits had a vague sense of who this was, especially Fu Guang. As the most powerful one among the Divine Spirits and a Divine Dragon of the Dragon Clan, he knew some secrets that the other Divine Spirits did not.
Feeling the aura of this person, he had some ideas.
The noisy and fierce battlefield also calmed down. The sudden silence that descended across the entire void during the midst of such a huge battle was truly unprecedented.
The dazzling light gradually faded, and under the attention of hundreds of millions of eyes, the face hidden until now was slowly revealed!
It was a young woman with a beautiful face. The pair of white feathered wings behind her gave off a warm aura that seemed to dispel all the darkness of the world.
Under the light of her feathered wings, the body of the person exuded inviolable power. Even Ninth-Order Masters would subconsciously glance away when they saw the face of that person.
“It’s her?” Mi Jing Lun had an astonished look on his face. He had imagined that the person coming would be a rare expert hidden among the Human Race, but he never thought it would actually be her of all people.
He remembered this woman; after all, he personally handled the selection for the Suppressing Black Ink Army back then. It could be said that he personally selected all 6,000 soldiers of the Suppressing Black Ink Army from each Army one by one.
The reason he remembered this woman in particular though was mainly because of her relationship with Yang Kai. She had also come from the Star Boundary and was a disciple of Langya Paradise. If not for these relations, he would not have chosen this woman to join the Suppressing Black Ink Army. Based on her potential, she should not have been qualified for it.
But what puzzled him was how this woman could actually become so powerful in the short 2,000 or so years he had not seen her.
He clearly remembered she had initially broken through to the Fifth Order. In other words, her limit in life should only be the Seventh Order.
But now, her power had not only surpassed the Seventh Order, it had reached a Realm that even he, a Ninth-Order Master, dared not look straight at.
Just from how she was cutting down Royal Lords like vegetables, she seemed to be even more powerful than the Giant Spirit Gods!
Mi Jing Lun was somewhat taken aback. It was simply difficult for him to comprehend what he was seeing in front of him.
“It’s her!” Fu Guang’s expression changed slightly. Just like Mi Jing Lun, he remembered this woman.
She was originally a member of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, but since Yang Kai sent the Suppressing Black Ink Army to this place back then, he took her away again for some unknown reason.
He may be the Army Commander of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, but he naturally would not interfere if Yang Kai wanted to take someone away. He did not even question why Yang Kai took her away in the first place.
Since then, they had not seen a trace of this young woman again.
Until today, when she appeared with awe-inspiring momentum!
In just a short 2,000 years, she had grown from a peak Seventh-Order Master to something even the Giant Spirit Gods would be wary of, so clearly some kind of transcendent events had been involved.
Perhaps it was all Yang Kai’s arrangement…
Moreover, Fu Guang was sensing some other aura from this woman, an aura that did not belong to a Human. It was such an extremely strong and pure aura that even he, a Divine Dragon, felt tense in its presence.
“Ruo Xi…” On the other side of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Gu Pan was staring at the familiar face and figure with her mind in a bundled mess.
She couldn’t help but recall the scene when this Junior Sister of hers first entered Langya Paradise. At that time, Ruo Xi was inexperienced and ignorant, and she had taken care of her in many because of their connection with Yang Kai. However, Gu Pan never expected that a day would come when this Junior Sister would grow to such a height that she could only look up to her.
Zhang Ruo Xi had always been unusual, which Gu Pan knew. For example, she had directly advanced to the Fifth Order, but somehow, she still had room for another breakthrough after reaching the peak of the Seventh Order. It was for this reason that Ruo Xi was taken away by Senior Brother Yang.
[Maybe Senior Brother Yang noticed something back then…]
After coming out of the Chaotic Dead Territory, Zhang Ruo Xi had rushed all the way here, but when she swept her eyes around, there was no trace of the person she was hoping to see, so a hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes.
She was not worried about whether her Sir was dead or not. [With Sir’s great strength and talent, he has ways of dealing with even the most dangerous of situations. If Sir is not here, then he has to be fighting against the Black Ink Clan in some unknown place.]
She couldn’t help but think back to the scene when Yang Kai entered the Chaotic Dead Territory the previous time.
In fact, she had left a thread of her consciousness out back then, but since she had to harmonize the powers of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer with her own body, she had no space to pay attention to anything else. So, she did not even get to exchange words with him.
Yang Kai’s arrival at that time made her realize the urgency of the situation, so after he left, she risked everything to accelerate the merging process. Fortunately, everything went smoothly.
After she left her retreat, she immediately rushed to the Star Boundary. From there, she moved to the No-Return Pass where she learned about the crusade plan from the Void Guard stationed at the Universe Temple.
She changed directions and used the Space Arrays set up by the Void Guard to teleport to the outskirts of the Spiritless Land, then she rushed to the battlefield from there.
If not for that, it would have taken half a year to rush all the way here from the Chaotic Dead Territory even with her current ability…
“Fortunately, I didn’t arrive too late!” Zhang Ruo Xi cheered inwardly to herself. Scanning the battlefield with her beautiful eyes, she observed the difficult situation the Human Race Army was in.
Lifting her broadsword up high, which was the source of the sword waves that cut down the Royal Lords earlier.
In the quiet centre of the battlefield, under the attention of hundreds of millions of pairs of eyes, Zhang Ruo Xi slowly brought her hands together, holding the hilt of her broadsword with its tip pointing down, before she thrust it into the void at her feet.
A soft murmur came from her mouth, and though her voice was not loud, every living creature on the battlefield could hear it clearly.
“In my name, dispel the darkness!”
The wings behind her suddenly flapped open, and the aura emanating from the woman with her head down became even more resolute and inviolable.
A point of light bloomed where the sword point touched before it exploded out like a Great Sun, spreading in all directions at an incredible speed.
It was Purifying Light!
Since Yang Kai brought the Purifying Light out of the Chaotic Dead Territory, the Humans had used it to reverse many declining situations for thousands of years, and even used it to refine weapons like the Evil Purging Divine Spears, but no one had ever witnessed such a large-scale eruption of Purifying Light!
Even when Yang Kai sacrificed millions of Small Stone Race Soldiers to condense a burst of Purifying Light, that was like comparing a firefly to the bright moon that was the eruption today.
The roughly 100 Royal Lords gathered nearby were the first unlucky ones to be hit. When the light spread out, they were all immediately engulfed by it.
The pure light brought endless warmth and brightness to the Human Race, but it was like the vilest poison to the Black Ink Clan.
Howling, the Royal Lords tried to retreat, but the light was everywhere, enveloping them fully.
Rich Black Ink Strength was continuously bursting forth from their bodies, fighting against the erosion of the Purifying Light.
The light continued to spread out in all directions and countless Black Ink Clansmen wailed in agony. The auras of every Black Ink Clansman, from Innate Territory Lords, Acquired Territory Lords, to Feudal Lords, all were visibly weakening at an alarming rate.
Meanwhile, the thick Black Ink Clouds that had been built up on the battlefield these past months were wiped away, quickly melting away like snowflakes under the scorching Sun.
The dazzling light soon enveloped the entire battlefield.
For every passing moment, the energies in large numbers of Black Ink Clan soldiers were purified, causing them to fall in droves.
The light gradually faded, and the situation on the battlefield had undergone a remarkable reversal.
30% of the Black Ink Clan Army that numbered in the hundreds of millions had been wiped out by the eruption of the Purifying Light, and their previously tight formations were now filled with holes.
Worse still, the Black Ink Clouds and Black Ink Strength that had been accumulating all this time were basically gone.
These Black Ink Clouds that filled the battlefield had been severely restricting the Human Race Army’s performance, creating a hostile environment that hindered their movements. But now, the Black Ink Clouds were swept clean, and the terrain advantage that the Black Ink Clan enjoyed no longer existed!
In terms of environmental advantage, both sides were back now to square one.
And all of this was achieved with just one Secret Technique from Zhang Ruo Xi.
It was an astonishing feat!
Even though the Royal Lords, who had been repelled by the Purifying Light, had suffered severe damage to their foundations, they were now even more determined to kill Zhang Ruo Xi after witnessing her terrifying power.
They had no idea where this woman had come from, but they knew she possessed a tremendous power that could completely restrain the Black Ink Clan!
If this woman was not dealt with, the Black Ink Clan would be in great trouble.
What was more, the radiance of the wings behind Zhang Ruo Xi dimmed significantly after she brought out that burst of Purifying Light, and her delicate face was tinged with an unusual scarlet from her exertion.
It was obvious that activating such a mighty Purifying Light explosion came at a cost to her.
Now was the time when she was at her weakest; if they didn’t kill her now, when would they?
So, despite being extremely wary of Zhang Ruo Xi, the Royal Lords still swarmed towards her. They were originally focused on restraining the Giant Spirit God’s, Ah Da and Ah Er, but now, all of them had changed targets.
Compared to the Giant Spirit Gods, Zhang Ruo Xi was their true nemesis!
Figures in all directions rushed towards Zhang Ruo Xi, aiming for her life. Ah Da and Ah Er roared in anger, and though they were able to hold down a group of Royal Lords with their powerful strength, they couldn’t stop all of them. Even the group of Royal Lords that were stopped had volunteered to stay behind to pin down the two Giant Spirit Gods.
The remaining Royal Lords only had Zhang Ruo Xi in their eyes, each one displaying intense murderous intent.
Amidst the Human Race Army, many Ninth-Order Masters grew anxious at this sight.
Zhang Ruo Xi was able to change the course of the battle with her power as soon as she appeared. Being able to control Purifying Light at will was the most vital weapon the Human Race needed at the moment.
If she were killed like this, then even the last hope of the Human Race would be gone.
Even if Zhang Ruo Xi had previously demonstrated strength that surpassed even the Giant Spirit Gods, it was obvious that bringing forth Purifying Light of such a scale consumed a lot of her strength. While she was now weakened, dozens of Royal Lords rushed towards her at once, and no one knew if she still had strength left to defend herself with.
So, just as the Royal Lords took action, Mi Jing Lun roared in anger, “All soldiers, follow me into battle!”
The massive Pure Yang Pass was the first to charge out, heading directly towards Zhang Ruo Xi while the various Armies followed closely behind.
Mi Jing Lun always had the appearance of a dignified scholar, and he was indeed a resourceful and shrewd man whose greatest strength was his strategic mind. Even in the most critical of situations, nobody had ever seen him lose his cool.
Especially now that Pure Yang Pass was considered the Human Race’s Command Centre, it should have been guarded by the Human Race Army while remaining in the rear. However, how could Mi Jing Lun care about such things in this critical situation?
One could even say that this was a gamble. Pure Yang Pass’s mobilization had disrupted the Human Race Grand Army’s tight formation. If they failed to save Zhang Ruo Xi now, then the first one to be annihilated when the Blank Ink Clan surrounded them would be Pure Yang Pass.
However, time waited for no one on the battlefield. Mi Jing Lun could not afford to wait and make preparations and plans. Urgently, he compelled Pure Yang Pass forward in hopes that he could arrive at Zhang Ruo Xi’s side in time.
Pure Yang Pass and the Royal Lords moved at the same time, and Zhang Ruo Xi was clearly able to sense this. Understanding what her allies were thinking, she couldn’t help but laugh as she called out, “No need to be anxious, Supreme Commander Mi. Since I’ve come, I have the ability to protect myself. Don’t forget, it was Sir who taught me everything I know.”
While she was speaking, the Royal Lords had already closed in on her, hoping to kill her off quickly. The Royal Lords who were wounded by the Purifying Light did not hold back in the slightest. Each one of the attacks they used was the strongest in their arsenal.
Instantly, terrifying powers broke out, and they were all converging on Zhang Ruo Xi’s position.
This was different from their fight with the Giant Spirit Gods earlier, where they were mainly focusing on restraining them. That was because the Royal Lords knew that trying to quickly kill the Giant Spirit Gods would cost them a lot. The lives of many Royal Lords would have to be sacrificed if they were to attempt such a thing.
What was more, once the Supreme One awakened, what would these trivial Giant Spirit Gods count for?
It was with those considerations that the Royal Lords maintained the intensity of their fight with the Giant Spirit Gods, but they did not reach a point where their lives were put at stake.
However, it was different when facing Zhang Ruo Xi. Purifying Light was something that even the Royal Lords feared greatly. Either they killed this woman, or they would be the ones to die!
That was why no Royal Lord dared to hold back and all of them charged at her with all the strength they had!
Dozens of Heaven Destroying, Earth Shattering attacks surged forward, causing even space to shatter, but at the centre of this onslaught, Zhang Ruo Xi remained calm and composed without any hint of panic.
She raised the broadsword in her hand and lightly tapped the Void in front of her.
As the Void warped, a Void Corridor was instantly formed. No one knew where the Void Corridor led, but a powerful aura was rapidly approaching from within the dark passage, surpassing even that of any Royal Lord or Ninth-Order Master.
All the Royal Lords paled at the sight and became even more fierce in their attacks; however, before their attacks could land, a figure appeared from the Void Corridor, then two, then three…
In the blink of an eye, eight figures had emerged from the passage, guarding the space surrounding Zhang Ruo Xi.
Only now did the Royal Lords who had come close realize the true faces of these unexpected guests.
Small Stone Race Masters!
Many Small Stone Race Soldiers had appeared on the battlefield previously. They seemed to be peculiar creatures controlled by the Human Race that could fight alongside the Humans; however, their strength was not generally too high, and after a series of intense battles, almost all from the Small Stone Race had been killed.
Even the Royal Lords never expected that this woman who appeared out of nowhere could also control the Small Stone Race, and for the Small Stone Race she summoned to be so… ridiculously powerful.
The aura emanating from each of these Small Stone Race Masters was comparable to that of a Ninth-Order Master, or possibly even more powerful. Moreover, there were eight of them!
These were Zhang Ruo Xi’s Personal Guard, a force that had never been seen before.
Yang Kai was the only one who knew about the existence of these Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters. When he went to the Chaotic Dead Territory last time, he had experienced their might, and he knew that they were created through the harmonization of Yin and Yang by Zhang Ruo Xi using her Heavens Order Bloodline.
However, even Yang Kai did not fully know how many Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters had been born in the Chaotic Dead Territory. He only had an estimate.
Back then, he had also attempted to bring them under him through the Great Sun and Moon Marks, but he had unfortunately failed. At that time, he speculated that the only person who could control them was Zhang Ruo Xi; so, even though he thought it was a pity, he ultimately gave up on them.
As it turned out, he was right.
There were a total of eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters, and their auras were linked as soon as they appeared, instantly forming a magnificent Battle Formation.
At the centre of this Battle Formation was Zhang Ruo Xi, who was being protected by them.
The eyes of the Ninth-Order Masters who rushed over were bulging when they saw this, with Ou Yang Lie exclaiming, “An Eight Trigrams Formation!”
The simplest Battle Formations was the Three Fortunes Formation, followed by the Four Symbols, Five Elements, Six Paths, Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams, and finally the Nine Palaces. The increase of each stage was based on the increase of cultivators involved.
The stronger the Battle Formation, and the higher the cultivations of those involved, the harder it was to form.
Perhaps there were some parties who could cooperate intimately under the High-Rank Open Heaven Realms that were able to form the Eight Trigrams or even Nine Palaces Formations, but once the cultivation level reached the High-Rank Open Heaven Realms, it was difficult for higher Battle Formations to be formed.
In the existing records, the highest Battle Formation that Seventh-Order Masters could form was the Nine Palaces Formation, which was a miracle achieved by the Dawn Squad under Yang Kai’s leadership. Besides him, nobody else in the Seventh Order had achieved such a feat. Even the Eight Trigrams Formation was difficult to maintain for Seventh-Order Masters because the pressure on the person acting as the Core was too much.
Meanwhile, the strongest Battle Formation that Eighth-Order Masters could form was the Eight Trigrams Formation, which was used to kill Pseudo-Royal Lords. However, every time Eighth-Order Masters formed such a Battle Formation, the backlash resulted in some, if not all of them perishing!
From this, it can be seen that it was extremely difficult for High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters to form higher-level Battle Formations.
As for the Ninth-Order Masters… Generally, no one would form a Battle Formation. Not because it was impossible; at the very least, the simplest Three Fortunes Formation could be maintained, but because there were only so many Ninth-Order Masters. Even if forming a Battle Formation could make one stronger, it also consumed manpower and reduced flexibility. The Ninth-Order Masters were already the strongest fighting force of the Human Race, so rather than concentrating all their power in one Formation, it was better to let them act independently, which could better bring out their abilities.
Theoretically, however, Ninth-Order Masters should be able to form Four Symbols Formations, but anything higher may not be possible unless they had someone like Yang Kai to act as the Formation Core. With his Divine Dragon body, he should be able to bear the burden of a Five Elements Formation.
As for a Six Paths Formation… The possibility most likely only existed in theory.
But what were the Ninth-Order Masters witnessing at this moment?
Eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters had instantly formed an Eight Trigrams Formation. Even though they were separate individuals, they could perfectly form into a single entity without any strain.
Such an incredible feat would be hard to believe if one did not witness it with their own eyes.
Eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters joining forces formed an impenetrable barrier around Zhang Ruo Xi.
Despite the attacks of the dozens of Royal Lords connecting as was expected, their Heaven destroying, Earth shattering techniques could not even budge the Small Stone Race in the slightest!
One should know that an attack of this level would injure even a Giant Spirit God.
The Royal Lords were shocked beyond measure, but before they could react, a bright sword beam began to flicker, and the figure of Zhang Ruo Xi, who was protected in the centre by her Personal Guards, suddenly blurred.
This just happened to be a moment when the Royal Lords were putting their all into delivering their most powerful attacks, so they did not have time to circulate energy into defending themselves.
As a sword light flickered, black blood and heads flew…
In an instant, the auras of nearly 10 Royal Lords swelled up before fading away.
The surviving Royal Lords all retreated in shock. They had been living in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for their entire lives, so they had little understanding of the Human Race. However, they had been fighting against the Giant Spirit Gods for months now, and they had the assumption that the Giant Spirit Gods were the last trump cards of the Humans.
It was not until this moment that they realized that there was a more terrifying existence in this world besides the Giant Spirit Gods.
An existence of this level was something that perhaps only the Supreme One could defeat.
The surviving Royal Lords wanted to escape, but soon enough, they realized that they were not only being pursued by the winged woman, but also by the Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters!
The moment Zhang Ruo Xi took action, so did the eight, who had formed the Eight Trigrams Formation. They spread out the Battle Formation and all charged towards the Royal Lords.
The Royal Lords were caught in an extremely unlucky situation, but even though they had been injured by the Purifying Light before, they still had the heritage of Royal Lords and were not afraid of a single Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Master.
However, they soon realized that something was not right as they clashed with these Small Stone Race Masters. There was something unusual about the strength displayed by them, and it seemed to far exceed what should be expected.
Upon closer inspection, they were shocked to discover that the aura of these Small Stone Race Masters were still closely connected to each other despite the fact that all of them were seemingly fighting alone. Most crucially, their auras were constantly changing and they could form different Battle Formations at any time or switch which one served as the Core of that Battle Formation at will.
The Masters who had rushed over to help also noticed this, and all of them had incredulous expressions on their faces because what they saw before them was impossible according to everything they understood.
When Human Race Masters formed Battle Formations, they had to take great care in maintaining the connection of their auras. The worst possibility was if a Battle Formation collapsed due to the link being broken. Each time Humans assumed Battle Formations, the Masters had to divert some of their attention to maintaining its operation.
However, when they looked at these Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters, it seemed that their control over their auras had reached an instinctual level. They could disperse or form any Battle Formation in an instant. One might think they were alone, but in fact, they had seven other ‘Brothers’ behind them who could help to crush their enemies at any time!
They were just like parts of a single entity…
As the group of Human Masters watched on, they felt both amazed and ashamed.
They had no idea how these Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters did it, but they knew that the Humans could never achieve such a thing. Even if they had full and complete trust in each other, each individual among their Race had their own way of thinking. Even more fundamentally, there were differences in strength and aura among Humans, so achieving a perfect balance was just now feasible.
The appearance of the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Personal Guard not only helped to relieve Zhang Ruo Xi’s crisis, but also opened up a counterattack opportunity against the Royal Lords under Zhang Ruo Xi’s leadership.
But that was not the end of it. The Void Corridor that Zhang Ruo Xi had created with her amazing skills did not disappear. Following closely behind the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters, more of the Small Stone Race Soldiers stepped out from it.
They continued emerging in an endless stream, too many to even be counted…
In just a short amount of time, an Army of millions had gathered outside the Void Corridor. Even though there weren’t many Masters among them, their numbers were still a sight to behold.
And all this was just the beginning.
As even more emerged, they soon began covering the void, filling one’s field of vision.
Previously, when they were facing the constant influx of Black Ink Clan reinforcements from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the Human Race were at a loss, and there were even those who wished that they had their own reinforcements, too.
At this moment, that seemingly impossible wish was being fulfilled; moreover, these Small Stone Race Soldiers were somewhat different from the ones that the Humans had encountered before.
Due to their low sentience, the Small Stone Race acted almost entirely on instinct. This meant that without being refined and controlled by the Humans, they were just like scattered sand and it was difficult for them to unleash their full potential in large-scale warfare.
However, those that walked out of the Void Corridor at this moment had formed one imposing and uniform Army!
The first Small Stone Race Army to come out did not blindly charge at the Black Ink Clan, but scattered apart to guard the Void Corridor so that even more of their companions could emerge.
It was as if someone was commanding and controlling them!
Many Human Race Masters who realised this turned their gaze to the figure who was slaughtering the Royal Lords and drawing an endless stream of wails from them.
She was perhaps the only person who could command and control so many of them!
“The Chaotic Dead Territory!” Mi Jing Lun realized where the Void Corridor led to. For so many Small Stone Race Masters to come out, the place the Void Corridor was connected with had to be the Chaotic Dead Territory, a paradise for the Small Stone Race. According to Yang Kai, the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had nurtured countless of them, and the ones he brought out and handed to the Human Race were simply scavenged from the Chaotic Dead Territory.
“Assist them in guarding the Void Corridor!” Mi Jing Lun made an immediate decision and changed his previous order.
Zhang Ruo Xi no longer needed help from the Humans to save her, but whether it be the Void Corridor that was connected to the Chaotic Dead Territory or the opening at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, those places needed to be guarded, and they were also the key locations that would help the Human Race Army turn defeat into victory!
Everyone was glad since the two entrances were not far away from each other, so they would not have to scatter their forces too much to guard both points.
At the same time as when Mi Jing Lun gave his order, some of the Masters from the Black Ink Clan realized that things were taking a bad turn for them. Large Armies of Small Stone Race were constantly pouring out of the Void Corridor that led who-knew-where. In just a short while, tens of millions of them have come out.
If they did not bring down that Void Corridor, then it would not take very long for the Small Stone Race to even the playing field with them in terms of numbers; and if that were to happen, then it would not simply be the Humans that they had to deal with.
While the Human Race Army were rushing to the Void Corridor, many Masters from the Black Ink Clan led their own subordinates in the same direction.
The Void Corridor to the Chaotic Dead Territory had instantly become a focal point of the battlefield, catching the attention of millions of pairs of eyes.
Even though the Human Race Army moved sooner than the Black Ink Clan, they were also further away; so, when they were only halfway there, the Black Ink Army had already surrounded the Void Corridor in all directions, but the emergence of the Small Stone Race had also diverted much of their attention, which resulted in the situation becoming much safer for the Human Race.
A war that was even more intense from the fight between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan broke out.
Although the Human Race Army was completely made up of elite soldiers, they were very limited in numbers. During the previous confrontation, the Human Race Army’s strategy was to use superior mobility to slaughter as many enemies caught in their path as possible. Rarely would they engage in large-scale head-to-head confrontations with the Black Ink Clan.
The current situation with the Small Stone Race was different. They were desperately defending the Void Corridor, so there was simply no way to retreat or escape. Once the Black Ink Clan Army were to come in from all directions, both sides would immediately break out into a stunning battle.
Both sides were like two colliding torrents with countless bodies caught in the rolling waves.
Those from the Small Stone Race were constantly incurring casualties, but their numbers were also being replenished continuously. Even though they were far inferior to the Black Ink Clan in terms of numbers, with Battle Formations and momentum, they managed to hold their ground.
It was as if there was an invisible hand that was controlling everything about the Small Stone Race, so that these creatures that were supposed to have little sentience and could only act on instinct could now be moulded into a single strict Army that knew when to advance or retreat.
There were not too many Masters among the Small Stone Race, and the drawbacks of that were soon apparent.
This was Yang Kai’s inadvertent mistake when he took so many Eighth-Order and Seventh-Order Small Stone Race Masters with him on his last trip to the Chaotic Dead Territory, resulting in the Small Stone Race Army lacking Masters among them.
The small number of Eighth-Order Small Stone Race Masters here were no match for the Pseudo-Royal Lords, so no matter how much they replenished their numbers, it took only a few moments of fighting before the Black Ink Army were able to find opportunities to rip several openings into their line of defence.
Fortunately, the Human Race Army arrived just in time. Under Mi Jing Lun’s command, the Humans immediately split into several groups and plugged into the different openings to fill them. With the help of the Ninth-Order Masters, they were able to hold their line, albeit only barely.
The situation was still not looking optimistic.
The Black Ink Clan Army’s attack was growing increasingly intense, and if the Small Stone Race Army couldn’t gather enough mass, then there was still a risk of their lines being broken through.
The Small Stone Race in the Void Corridor were already gathering their troops at the maximum speed possible, but they could only barely keep up with the rate of their casualties.
The defensive line kept on shrinking and the space for the joint forces of the Small Stone Race and the Human Race to move around in was constantly being constricted.
Black Ink Clan seemed to have found a ray of hope and was attacking more and more aggressively.
Originally, Zhang Ruo Xi’s emergence and ruthless slaughter were enough to deter the Royal Lords who were eager to attack, and now, no Royal Lord dared to come out from the Grand Restriction, fearing that they would be killed next.
However, one Royal Lord saw the situation from the opening of the Grand Restriction and rushed out without care to hold back the Ninth-Order Masters and put pressure on the opposing forces.
Now, the defence line being held up by the Human Race Army and the Small Stone Race Army was in danger of collapsing at any moment.
Once the defence line collapsed, not only would they not be able to defend the Void Corridor, but even the Human Race Army that came to help would also be caught in the Black Ink Clan’s encirclement. At that point, other than the Ninth-Order Masters who had the ability to escape, the others would all be at great risk.
Red-eyed, Ah Da was fighting a group of Royal Lords. He had always been silly and foolish, so he was surrounded by the Royal Lords previously until he was covered in injuries. Now, he only wanted to kill his enemies ruthlessly without a care for anything else.
On the other hand, Ah Er, who was smarter, noticed the situation on the Human Race Army’s side, but he was powerless to help even though he wanted to. Just like Ah Da, he was surrounded by Royal Lords and was simply unable to divert his attention unless he could get rid of them.
The only ones they could put their hopes on, Zhang Ruo Xi and her eight Personal Guard, were still chasing after the Royal Lords who had scattered and fled in all directions.
There were dozens of Royal Lords at first, but only a little over 10 of them remained, all of whom were agile with their movements and had good luck, but under her pursuit, they would also fall sooner or later.
She did not seem to have any intention of coming to their rescue.
Just as the battlefield on the joint Army’s side reached a limit and their defence was about to collapse, Zhang Ruo Xi, who was chasing after the Royal Lords, suddenly stopped in place and without even looking, lightly clenched a fist in the direction of the Void Corridor.
With this clenched fist, Heaven and Earth hummed and trembled.
All over the battlefield, yellow and blue lights suddenly started moving. These lights came from the remains of the Small Stone Race Soldiers that were scattered among the Black Ink Clan Army!
Since they did not possess flesh, if they were torn to pieces, not a drop of blood would flow out. They would only turn into pieces of stone like this.
The power that nurtured them still remained in the debris.
It was naturally the powers of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, the purest power of Yin and Yang.
As the light emerged, all of the Black Ink Clansmen who were enveloped by it had frightened looks on their faces. They had no idea what the yellow and blue colours represented, but they had witnessed the power of the Purifying Light that Zhang Ruo Xi had brought forth before.
That was why the Black Ink Clan had gained an instinctive fear of this strange light.
Most of the Black Ink Clan were still shocked by the changes around them. A few of the sharper Masters wanted to retreat when they noticed the situation turning against them, but how could they have the time to run?
The defence line of the Human Race and the Small Stone Race had been suppressed again and again. The Black Ink Clan Army surrounded them on all sides and were pressing hard, passing through the remnants of countless fallen Small Stone Race along the way.
It could be said that the Black Ink Clan’s frontline Army was now fighting amidst a sea of the Small Stone Race Soldiers’ broken remains.
The yellow and blue colours swirled together, quickly turning into a dazzling pure white light that was scattered at first, but in the blink of an eye, condensed together.
The white light was like an ocean, covering the vast battlefield!
From within that white light, the countless screams and wails from the Black Ink Clan rang out. Regardless of their cultivation, all of their bodies began to sizzle as if they had fallen into a wok of boiling oil, and following that phenomenon, the Black Ink Strength in their body began to dissipate and become purified.
Those caught in the centre of the white light were the most greatly affected, and soon, those with insufficient cultivation perished. Even if some managed to survive, their foundations were severely damaged.
The best time to cull them was now, when they were weakened, and the counterattack of the Human Race and Small Stone Race Armies commenced in an instant!
The Small Stone Race members were being controlled by Zhang Ruo Xi, who naturally would not miss such a good opportunity, and when the Humans saw the flowing yellow and blue lights, they realized what was about to happen.
After all, they had witnessed this kind of scene before from Yang Kai.
So, before Mi Jing Lun could even give the order, the Human Race Army had already blown the horn to begin their attack alongside the Small Stone Race Army.
On Pure Yang Pass, Mi Jing Lun sighed in his heart, [No wonder Zhang Ruo Xi said that she was taught everything she knew by Yang Kai. This manner of dealing with her enemies is carved from the same mould.]
The Black Ink Clan Army suffered grave losses due to being caught off guard in this unexpected situation, and the troops on the frontline were completely annihilated almost instantaneously. Even several of the Royal Lords, who had jumped into the battle from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, died in this trap.
The defensive line that had been suppressed to the limit began to expand in all directions, and with the collapse of their Army in the frontlines, the Black Ink Clan’s rear also quickly withdrew.
By the time the dazzling light subsided, the intense exchange of offence and defence had ended as well.
The joint Army’s defence line was restored to its previous state, but they did not continue pursuing the fleeing Black Ink Clan; not because they did not want to, but because they could not.
Right now, their main focus was protecting the Void Corridor that led to the Chaotic Dead Territory.
As they watched the Small Stone Race Army gather in the void from afar, the Black Ink Clan was overcome with grief and anger.
The Black Ink Clan possessed too many advantages over the Humans. They were created from Black Ink Nests, so they could be bred in numbers sufficient to crush the Humans. Moreover, their Black Ink Strength was also extremely disadvantageous for Humans. If the Humans wanted to fight with them, they had to make all sorts of preparations beforehand; for example, they had to take their Purifying Black Ink Pills just so they could defend against being corrupted.
This was their racial superiority, granted to them by their creator. Nobody could change that imbalance.
However, when compared to the Small Stone Race, the superiority of the Black Ink Clan crumbled.
The Small Stone Race may not be able to reproduce as quickly as the Black Ink Clan, but they had an advantage in comparison to the Human Race. They had no fear of Black Ink Strength, and they were even extremely sensitive to it. If nobody was controlling them, then they would simply rush to where Black Ink Strength was densest.
But what disgusted the Black Ink Clan the most was the fact that these Small Stone Race Soldiers treated them as mortal enemies when they were alive, and when they were dead, the powers remaining in their bodies could still be drawn out to condense Purifying Light that perfectly countered Black Ink Strength.
Having suffered a huge loss twice already, the surviving Black Ink Clan soldiers no longer dared to act rashly.
So what if they wiped out those from the Small Stone Race? Without the ability to dispose of their corpses, the rubble that was left behind was still a great weapon against the Black Ink Clan!
Looking from afar, the Black Ink Clan Army was hesitant to act.
The Small Stone Race was beginning to show some unusual movements. Everywhere the Human Race Army was located, a Small Stone Race Army would be there, opening up a passage to the rear.
Initially, the Humans did not understand what they were trying to do, but soon, the Humans realised and reacted.
The Small Stone Race Army had taken the initiative to open a passage to the Void Corridor so as to allow the Human Race Army to head inside to guard it. At the same time, the Small Stone Race Army surrounded the interior, the area around the Void Corridor, in layers so that the Human Race Army had the chance to recuperate peacefully for a while.
This was clearly Zhang Ruo Xi’s intention. It was simply impossible for those of the Small Stone Race to decide on such an action by themselves with their low sentience.
Many of the Human Race Masters were overjoyed.
After months of fighting such a fierce battle, they hardly had any time to rest and recuperate. Each Army was about to reach their limits, and even the Ninth-Order Masters were no longer at their peak; otherwise, Mi Jing Lun would not have had the idea of withdrawing the whole Army previously.
No one could have thought that a safe place for them to rest and readjust their conditions would still be able to exist in the middle of such an intense battlefield.
Even though this time to recuperate would not last for long, in these circumstances, any time they had for recuperation was precious.
So, after they understood what the Small Stone Race Army’s intentions were, the Human Race Army did not hesitate to retreat to the direction of the Void Corridor.
The openings were once again filled in by the densely packed troops of the Small Stone Race Army. Looking at the Small Stone Race figures that filled the void in all directions, the Humans could not help but feel a sense of security, and the tension that had been building up in their minds over months had also eased up completely.
A large number of pills were distributed, as well as various combat supplies.
This time, the Human Race no longer held any reservations. They used up all the supplies that they had been saving up since this was their last battle. This battle was about the survival of their Race, and if they were to win, they would remain the Masters of this world, but if they were to lose, then there would be no Humans left.
What was the point of rationing supplies at these times? Naturally, they should restore the strength of their Army as much as possible in preparation for the final battle.
Soldiers of the Small Stone Race were still constantly coming out of the Void Corridor, and their number was growing bigger and bigger. The surviving Black Ink Clansmen would not dare to act rashly anymore.
Masters from the Black Ink Clan were all looking at the Small Stone Race, all of them feeling a throbbing headache over the situation.
Moreover, what they had to deal with now was not only the joint forces of the Small Stone Race and Human Race Army…
When Ah Da and Ah Er were joined by the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters on the other side of the battlefield, the Royal Lords who were attacking the two Giant Spirit Gods were caught off guard. They were all so shocked that their souls nearly left their bodies.
The eight Small Stone Race Masters had appeared, so that woman must not be far behind!
It was only then that the Black Ink Clan discovered, to their horror, that all the Royal Lords who had participated in the attack against Zhang Ruo Xi had fallen.
This sent chills down the spines of all the Royal Lords.
One had to know that there had been dozens of Royal Lords working together, and yet such a powerful force had been decimated in such a short time!
The number of Royal Lords surrounding Ah Da and Ah Er was not far from the number of Royal Lords who went to attack Zhang Ruo Xi, but their allies had all been killed, so they were probably next on the chopping block.
When they noticed Zhang Ruo Xi’s aura approaching from afar, many Royal Lords left Ah Da and Ah Er and turned around, making for the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Together, they instantly broke through the defence line of the Small Stone Race Army and plunged into the Grand Restriction without even glancing back.
For some of them, it had only been days ago they were dreaming of escaping this cage called the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and conquering everything before their eyes. They had waited millions of years for this dream to come true.
However, the feelings of joy did not last long. They had now realised that there was no safer place in this Universe than the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Unless the Supreme One woke up, no one could stop that woman’s massacre!
With nearly half of the Royal Lords who were restricting them out of the way, and with eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters assisting them, the two Giant Spirit Gods turned the tide in an instant.
Ah Da reached out and grabbed a Royal Lord who was trying to escape and, with a roar of rage, stuffed the Royal Lord into his mouth.
No matter how hard the Royal Lord struggled, he could not shake off his huge hand.
Once he had been sent into the large abyss, Ah Da bit down on him.
As if he were biting into a worm, black blood spurted between his teeth and the Royal Lord’s aura was instantly obliterated.
Ah Da then roared, venting his anger…
He was a powerful Giant Spirit God, yet he was being put into such a miserable situation under the encirclement of the Royal Lords. This insult was simply unbearable.
Ah Er did not stay idle either; he punched and kicked, each blow appearing simple, but could in fact crush a large piece of the void, blocking the Royal Lords’ plans of escaping.
The wings on Zhang Ruo Xi’s back flapped, sending her across the battlefield as a long pure white band of light trailed behind her in an exceptionally beautiful sight.
She did not care about the battlefield where the Giant Spirit Gods were and instead charged straight past it and into the opening of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Many other Royal Lords were watching the battlefield from within the Grand Restriction, including those who had fled back inside.
They thought that they were safe inside the Grand Restriction…
But then disaster followed.
A commotion erupted at the opening, and Royal Lords were being slaughtered rapidly, their miserable screams ringing in the void.
At the centre of the Small Stone Race Army’s defences, among the Human Race Soldiers who were recuperating near the Void Corridor, countless Masters looked on in awe at this amazing scene. They had never felt as good and as happy as they were at this moment.
“Now that gets the blood going!” Ou Yang Lie quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead as he refined the medicinal efficacies of his Spirit Pills.
Even he did not expect Zhang Ruo Xi to enter the Grand Restriction. It was truly an attention-capturing event, especially since that was where the Black Ink Clan’s Mother Nest or Source was located. Who knew how many Royal Lords were gathering inside?
He had met Zhang Ruo Xi a few times before and knew that this woman was very close to Yang Kai, but he had never known that she was this powerful.
But what tickled his curiosity even more was how this woman’s shocking cultivation had come about. The power that she wielded had already surpassed that of the Giant Spirit Gods!
There were still an indistinct but large number of figures standing around at the opening, and many more of the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements were pouring out to provide support on the battlefield.
However, Zhang Ruo Xi rushed in and cut them all down like vegetables, sweeping the entrance clean until no more of their figures could be seen, and the Black Ink Clan’s reinforcements also came to an abrupt halt.
It was not until an hour later that a figure emerged from the opening, the wings behind her back still as glossy as jade, a sight that dazzled all that beheld it.
“Damn woman… Have some consideration for the elderly!” The voice of Wu Kuang rang out beside Ruo Xi’s ears, sounding slightly helpless.
He was tasked with controlling the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and was united as one with it in a sense, so every time the Grand Restriction was ripped open, he would suffer a certain amount of backlash.
The openings that happened previously were mostly done of his own accord, so he could control them to a certain extent.
However, when Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly rushed in…
The large opening in the Grand Restriction had been torn apart three times before, and though Royal Lords could pass through it, it was still not enough for someone like Zhang Ruo Xi to pass through.
Just now, Wu Kuang had almost shrieked when he saw Zhang Ruo Xi rushing over. From his standpoint, it was as if an unstoppable force was charging at him.
Even though he expanded the opening as fast as he could, he was still caught off guard by Zhang Ruo Xi’s sudden charge and he could not regain control for a while.
The feeling was just like having his entire being ripped apart.
And that was why he had to complain.
Zhang Ruo Xi smiled, more or less understanding Wu Kuang’s meaning. She then apologised, “Forgive me, Senior. It was Junior who was reckless.”
She was strong, beautiful, had a sweet voice and a pleasant demeanor, so what could Wu Kuang say? After holding it in for a while, he let out a sigh and muttered, “You did well.”
While others could not see what was going on inside the Grand Restriction, he could still feel a thing or two since he was in control of it.
Within an hour of Zhang Ruo Xi entering the Grand Restriction, no less than 30 Royal Lords had been executed! As for the weaker Black Ink Clansmen, countless had perished.
If not for the fact that the Grand Restriction was indeed unsuitable for long fights, Zhang Ruo Xi would not have come out so quickly. Instead, she would probably have continued fighting for as long as possible before reemerging.
“Senior is too generous. Junior has only done what was necessary.” She looked up into the void.
In the hour since she disappeared, something else had changed on the battlefield.
The most obvious one was the fact that Ah Da and Ah Er had finally been freed from their predicament.
The two Giant Spirit Gods had been besieged by dozens of Royal Lords and were having trouble getting out, but thanks to Zhang Ruo Xi’s deterrent, nearly half of the enemies had fled back into the Grand Restriction.
The remaining half were no match for the two Giant Spirit Gods and the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters and were soon smashed into pulp.
At the same time, the Small Stone Race Army, which had been guarding the Void Corridor all this while, began to move as well.
Up until then, they had been firmly guarding the space around the Void Corridor and even had the strength left to provide a sanctuary for the tired Human Race Soldiers to rest and recuperate.
But as time passed, more and more Small Stone Race Soldiers emerged from the passage.
There were now over 100 million of them, and even more continued to pour out.
No one had any guesses as to just now many Small Stone Race Soldiers there were gathered at the other end of the Void Corridor still.
The number of troops that the Small Stone Race had had already surpassed that of the surviving Black Ink Clan Army.
So, they attacked with determination. Divisions of the Small Stone Race Army launched themselves like rockets in the direction of the Black Ink Clan Army, holding them down in an endless spree of slaughter.
A battle broke out again, but this time, the attacking and defending parties were reversed.
In the short time that passed, the Small Stone Race had already amassed enough forces to confront the Black Ink Clan head-on.
The Black Ink Clan was still massive in number, but they were being purged at an astonishing rate, demonstrating that they were also exhausted and defenceless. The smartest option now would be to make a strategic retreat.
But where else could they retreat to other than the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction? The void within Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was their home, their foundation, but even if they could escape, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction could not move.
To retreat back to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, they had to first break through the Small Stone Race Army’s blockade.
As a result, the Black Ink Clan Army had no choice but to fight. As for the consequences that could arise from killing them, the Black Ink Clan lacked the energy to care right now.
By the time Zhang Ruo Xi showed up, the two Armies had already been fighting for a while, and while the Small Stone Race Army had suffered some losses, the Black Ink Clan had suffered much more than them.
This could not be helped as though the Small Stone Race Army did not have many Masters compared to the Black Ink Clan, they had the help of two Giant Spirit Gods and eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters!
The Black Ink Clan’s defence lines held for less than an incense stick of time before the two Giant Spirit Gods killed their way through and began wreaking havoc on them.
The same was true of the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters. Even the Royal Lords who were lucky enough to survive the initial culling could not hold out long against them.
On the other hand, the Humans, the ones who started this war, were resting at ease with the strong protection provided by the Small Stone Race Army.
This gave the Ninth-Order Masters that were led by Mi Jing Lun mixed feelings in their hearts.
Strictly speaking, this second crusade was taking place despite the Human Race not being fully prepared.
Readiness was not a matter of willpower, but rather an accumulation of strength.
It was easy to see just by the results alone. Without the help of Zhang Ruo Xi and the Small Stone Race Army, the Human Race would have been defeated already.
The original plan was for Mi Jing Lun to withdraw with the Army and wait for Yang Kai to return before leading the survivors to a new, distant World. Once they left, this whole region, covering the entire 3,000 Worlds, would surely fall under the Black Ink Clan’s total control.
Was it because the Human Race did not fight hard enough? Was it because the Heavens did not favour them enough?
It was neither.
Great potential could erupt from a race during the critical juncture between life and death. In just a short few thousand years, the Human Race has grown from near-total decimation to recovering the 3,000 Worlds and the No-Return Pass, but that was already their limit.
If they had not worked hard enough, they would not possess the heritage they have today, and if the Heavens did not favour them, they would not have the Open Heaven Realm Cradles.
However, when it came to facing powerful foes like the Black Ink Clan, what ultimately mattered was strength.
The time given to the Human Race was too short, so no matter whether or not they were ready for this crusade, they had to go on.
That was because Mo was about to awaken.
Under such circumstances, it was better to be proactive than reactive.
After all these years of fighting, the Human Race Army had already been tempered into one entity after going through the baptism of war, but it was still not enough.
As the battle raged on, Mi Jing Lun weighed his options before deciding to give up on supporting the Small Stone Race Army. The battle had not reached an end yet, and the Small Stone Race Army should have enough troops to hold their own. What’s more, after this battle came to an end, there would be an even more treacherous one waiting for the Human Race Army.
The current Human Race Army had to recover its strength for that impending moment!
On the battlefield, cloud after dazzling cloud of Purifying Light erupted and filled the vast void, dispersing not only the scattered Black Ink Strength, but also the Black Ink Clan soldiers that were enveloped in it, severely damaging their foundation.
The current situation on the battlefield was extremely bad for the Black Ink Clan.
The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was no longer providing reinforcements, and even the Royal Lords did not dare to go near the opening to check out the situation for fear of being seen by Zhang Ruo Xi and drawing her wrath upon themselves.
On the other hand, the Small Stone Race Soldiers still had a steady stream of reinforcements pouring endlessly out of the Void Corridor and entering the battlefield…
Even though the Black Ink Clan had tens of millions of troops left, it was still difficult to hold off their enemies effectively after losing the few Royal Lords and Pseudo-Royal Lords they had to the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters.
The two Giant Spirit Gods rampaged, and the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters were also advancing like they were chopping down bamboo.
Division after Division of uniform Small Stone Race troops swarmed in from all directions.
The circle was constantly shrinking, and lives from the Black Ink Clan dissipated alongside its progress.
It wouldn’t be long before the Small Stone Race Army was able to wipe out the Black Ink Clan forces scattered outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
…..
On the 2306th World, where Yang Kai was suppressing and sealing Mo’s Source, a large battle was similarly going on.
Mu’s shadow was holding back the many Black Ink Disciples of this World on her own so that Yang Kai could suppress and seal the Source piece in peace.
Summoning the Profound Source Gate, a slit cracked open from the gate. Within its suppressing and sealing territory, Mo’s Source piece poured out.
As with all the times before it, the Source piece seemed to be pulled by an inexplicable force towards the open gate.
Yang Kai had witnessed this scene many times before and was not the least bit surprised.
According to Mu, the Profound Source Gate was a Supreme Treasure born alongside the Universe, outside which the Primordial Light was born, and behind which the Primordial Darkness was nurtured.
The Primordial Light was symbolic of all the brightness and wonderfulness of this Universe. Not bound by the Profound Source Gate, it left after its inception, but the darkness born within the Profound Source Gate could not as easily escape.
That was until the Primordial Darkness gained sentience of its own after accumulating for endless years.
That was Mo!
For Mo, the Profound Source Gate had the natural power to suppress and seal it, which was why Mu hid the Profound Source Gate in the Primordial World.
Only the Profound Source Gate could suppress and seal Mo’s Source.
Each of the previous attempts was uneventful. Once the Profound Source Gate was summoned and opened up, the Source piece would be drawn into it and sealed.
But this time, things were not quite the same.
Yang Kai could clearly sense Mo’s Source piece struggling violently, as if it had a consciousness of its own, trying to escape the pull of the Profound Source Gate.
However, it was still only a small piece of a whole, and in the end, it could not resist the Profound Source Gate’s power.
As the Source piece was about to pour through the gate, a pair of eyes suddenly opened in the darkness.
The eyes were so indescribably black that they seemed to contain all the darkness in existence. Even Yang Kai could not help but feel a chill run through his body as they stared at him.
Fortunately, it was just for a moment before the Source piece disappeared into the gate, and the chilling sensation disappeared without a trace.
“We’re reaching the limit!” Yang Kai had a feeling.
He had travelled through more than 2,000 worlds on his journey, and had managed to suppress and seal almost 1,000 pieces of Mo’s Source.
Mu had divided Mo’s Source into 3,000 pieces and sealed them into 3,000 different Universe Worlds, and through his journey, Yang Kai managed to suppress and seal a lot of them despite all the twists and turns he encountered along his way.
This amount was almost 30% of Mo’s Source pieces, which was already a very fruitful number.
The more Source pieces that were suppressed and sealed, the greater of an impact there would be on Mo.
Even if Mo were to awaken completely at this moment, its strength would still drop drastically from its peak due to its compromised Source.
But it was still not enough; after all, Mo was said to be in the legendary Creation Realm. Without facing it directly, nobody could predict just how powerful it really was. Even without 30% of its Sources, its remaining strength was still great enough that it was not something the current Human Race could contend with.
Yang Kai was slightly relieved to have gotten some news about Zhang Ruo Xi from Wu Kuang.
Wu Kuang’s thread of consciousness only had a faint connection to his true self outside, so his perception of things was not very clear, so not only did Yang Kai find his information to be unbelievable, but even Wu Kuang himself could not be sure.
Regardless, he had to speed things up on his end! Before Mo awakened, he had to suppress and seal as many of the Source pieces as possible, even if it was just one more!
“Senior!” Yang Kai turned around and shouted as he withdrew the Profound Source Gate.
Hearing this, Mu, who was helping to ward off the countless Black Ink Disciples, rushed to his side and raised her palm, gracefully patting downwards.
Following that, amidst the furious roars of the many Black Ink Disciples, Yang Kai’s body turned into a stream of light and took off into the sky!
…..
In the Primordial World, Little Eleventh’s illness was getting worse. His small body was as cold as ice one moment, and as hot as magma the next.
At first, he was able to keep himself conscious, but by now, he was mostly asleep, and the time he could stay awake was getting shorter and shorter.
As he slept, he was haunted by unceasing nightmares that caused him to shake and shiver constantly.
Mu remained by his side, watching him carefully.
When Little Eleventh finally woke up and opened his eyes, he saw Mu sitting by his bedside, holding him gently.
Mu seemed to have sensed his movements as she looked down at him, her eyes bloodshot.
She had no idea how long it had been since she had properly rested.
“You’re awake?” Mu opened her mouth, but her throat sounded very dry.
Looking at the red blood vessels in Mu’s eyes, Little Eleventh’s heart ached. A sour taste filled his mouth and even the corners of his eyes grew wet.
He turned his head away and wiped the corners of his eyes with his hand, answering with a soft hum.
Mu placed her hand on Little Eleventh’s forehead and felt it carefully for a moment before saying joyfully, “Your fever has gone down. How are you feeling now?”
Little Eleventh was silent for a moment before saying, “Much better.”
Mu smiled and withdrew her hand, “Good. Get some more sleep and you should get better then.”
Little Eleventh opened his mouth, “Sixth Sister, I don’t want to sleep.” He had slept enough already.
“Then what do you want to do?”
“I want some congee.”
The Sister and Brother, unrelated by blood, had been living together and relying on each other for survival in this bustling city. Mu had cooked many delicious foods for Little Eleventh, but what he wanted most at this moment was the plain rice congee cooked by her.
This was the first food he had eaten since waking up in this World.
“Sure,” Mu raised her hand and gave him an affectionate tickle on the nose before getting up, “In that case, wait here for a while.”
Little Eleventh fell silent.
Very soon, the congee was ready. Mu brought in the pot of cooked congee and was just about to serve Little Eleventh a bowl when she saw him get out of bed, sit by the table, and pull the pot closer to himself.
Mu laughed, “You’re planning to eat that much? Be careful or you’ll spoil your tummy.”
Little Eleventh huffed, “I want to eat. It’s not like my tummy is weak.”
Mu was helpless, “Good, good, you can have it all. If you can’t finish it, then you better watch out or I’ll spank your bottom.”
Little Eleventh couldn’t help but clench his butt a little and blushed, “I’m not a child anymore, stop spanking me for no reason!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Mu pressed on his nose with a finger, immediately creating a pig’s nose on Little Eleventh’s face.
Little Eleventh shook his head in annoyance and sniffled, “You’re so childish! You’re always doing these childish things!”
Mu covered her lips and giggled, but she stopped teasing him, instead handing over the wooden spoon she brought.
Little Eleventh picked up the bowl and held the clay pot in his arms, digging into his meal.
Mu sat by quietly, watching him, saying from time to time, “Eat slowly and be careful so you don’t burn yourself. It’s not like anyone is going to steal it from you.”
From time to time, she would help him wipe the corners of his mouth.
The freshly cooked congee was so hot that Little Eleventh kept sucking in his breath. Even his face had grown red and his head was steaming from the heat.
It took about an hour, but he did manage to finish it eventually. Even the bottom of the pot was scraped clean without a drop left behind.
Mu peered into the pot and joked, “If you ate nicely like that every time, I could save the effort of washing the dishes.”
Little Eleventh rubbed his round tummy and made a face at her, “Then won’t you turn into a lazy woman? Be careful or you won’t be able to get married in the future.”
Mu raised her hand and smacked him upside the head, “It’s not up to you to say whether I can get married or not.”
Little Eleventh held his head with both hands and complained, “You’re hitting me again, I’m still a patient!”
Mu raised her hand as if to strike him again, but in the end, she just stroked his head gently.
Little Eleventh lowered his head.
The atmosphere turned silent.
In a humble house on the edge of Dawn City, a pair of Sister and Brother sat opposite each other.
Only after a long time did Little Eleventh speak, “Sixth Sister…”
“What’s the matter? Let’s talk after I’ve finished washing the dishes, all right?” Mu smiled, got up, and picked up the clay pot before walking out.
Looking at her back, Little Eleventh sighed, a sadness that did not match his age appearing on his small face.
The dust-covered memories from long ago began to stir…
In the boundless darkness, where not a trace of light could be seen, a consciousness began to emerge. At first, it was dull and incomplete, just fumbling through the infinite darkness by instinct.
After an unknown period of time had passed, that consciousness slowly became complete, and as it did so, it gradually became aware of its surroundings.
It was as if it was trapped in a strange place, a place of nihility and emptiness where time flowed endlessly, and that made it feel lonely.
It began to consciously search for a way out so that it could escape from this place that was keeping it trapped, but it did not even know why it wanted to leave; all its thoughts and actions were purely based on its instinct.
It took action, but to no avail, and after long years of suffering, it finally found the way out of that place; however, there was a tightly sealed gate blocking the way!
It tried with all its might to break it down, but it was as if the strange gate had a complete suppressive power against it. No matter how hard it tried, it could not budge it in the slightest.
Day after day, year after year, it gradually came to feel an emotion called despair. It understood that it was impossible for it to open the gate with its own power.
Despair never came without reason, it only appeared when one’s hopes were extinguished.
For countless years it lived in this dark, lonely world, never understanding what despair meant, until the seed of hope was planted in it. Ironically, from the same gate it found.
Countless years of hard work came to nothing in the end, and the ultimate decision to give up was overwhelmingly frustrating.
Perhaps it was destined to live in this dark world forever, it thought.
That was until one day, it suddenly heard some strange noises when it was sleeping peacefully behind the gate…
Until then, it had never even known that such a thing as sound existed in this world! Where it lived, not only was there no light, there was not even a hint of sound. Complete and utter silence!
It was awoken from its slumber and listened to the sweet sound of that voice.
At that time, it had no idea what that voice was saying.
It was not until later that it understood that the person was knocking softly at the gate, asking in a loud voice, “Is anyone there? Hello? Is anyone home?”
The flames of hope were rekindled in the ashes of despair that had been tormenting it for countless years.
It fought hard to make as much noise as possible from behind the gate, hoping that it could reach the outside.
The person at the gate must have noticed it and said gleefully, “Ah, someone’s home? Could you please open the gate?”
But how could it? It would have done so already if it could; moreover, it could not even understand what the person was saying at the time.
All it could do was keep on making noise in order to make its presence known, praying in its heart that the owner of that voice would not leave no matter what.
It had been alone for countless years and even if it could never leave this desolate world, it was happy as long as the voice outside that gate would not fade away and if it could listen to it in silence.
“Are you unable to get out?” The person at the gate began to ask again, seemingly having guessed its situation.
The response was always some dull thumping sounds.
“I understand now. You’re trapped.” It dawned on the person outside the gate. “How pitiful… In that case, let me give you a hand.”
The next thing it felt was that the gate which had always remained still began to shake.
It was taken aback, yet excited at the same time.
But in the end, the gate still did not open.
After a long time, that pleasant-sounding voice emerged from outside the gate again, “This gate seems to be an Innate Supreme Treasure. I am not able to open it with my current strength, but I feel that I should be able to open it once I get stronger. Can you wait in there for a while longer? I’ll go and cultivate then come back to you later.”
It had no idea what the voice was saying. All it knew was that the person left after speaking those words.
Its hopes were crushed yet again, and it continued to sink into this dead world, where the boundless despair that enveloped it also continued to make it stronger.
It was not until many years later that the voice appeared once more. Overjoyed, it made some noise at the gate as soon as possible.
Sure enough, the voice that had once appeared noticed its presence and spoke a few words to it, then fiddled with the gate for a while before leaving again for the second time.
But this time, it no longer despaired. It vaguely understood what the person beyond the gate was trying to do, so even in the midst of the boundless world of desolation, it was full of hope and expectation.
And so it waited… and waited…
In the endless years that followed, in the long river of time that was far too long to trace back, the two powerful existences, one inside and one outside, gradually became acquainted and formed a relationship of tacit understanding with each other.
And as the person outside was talking to themselves, it got to learn their language and could already begin to communicate with them in a simple way.
For it, this was an exceptionally wonderful experience, and the dark world in which it lived was no longer as dreary because in the midst of that darkness was a heart filled with hope.
It remembered vividly the conversation that took place between them, even when that person outside the gate arrived for the seventh time to try and let it out but failed.
“I’ve already cultivated into the peak of the Ninth Order, but how come this gate still won’t open? How annoying!”
“Annoying!” It repeated, not so much frustrated as happy. Its greatest wish was no longer to open the gate and leave this place, but to have someone to accompany it outside the gate and talk to it. That alone was enough to satisfy it.
Being able to hear her speak filled it with so much joy each time that it would roll around behind that gate for days on end.
“I have to figure out a way, but the Ninth Order should already be the upper limit of the Open Heaven Realm. What must I do to break through even further above that?” The person behind the gate sounded worried.
There was nothing it could do to help in these circumstances. It did not even know what the Ninth Order was, or what the Open Heaven Realm meant…
“This won’t do, I have to go. The Humans are currently in a bad situation since the Great Monsters are not easy to deal with; but rest assured, none of them are as powerful as I am. I’ll come back for you once the situation stabilizes, maybe then I’ll be able to open this gate and let you out.”
Hearing that person’s words, it knew that she would be leaving again. Even though it was reluctant to part with her, it couldn’t stop her. In the end, it could only give a stiff reminder, “Take care… be safe!”
“I will!” The person outside the gate answered gleefully.
The final wait felt unbearably long, seemingly lasting much longer than the times before.
So, it kept waiting at the gate, making some noise from time to time as if afraid that that person would not notice its presence when she arrived.
Eventually, that person came.
“Listen, the world is such an amazing place. There’s actually a thing called the Universe Furnace, and it appeared out of nowhere a few years ago, and I went inside. There was a really, really long river in there, and I have no idea where the source is or where it ends, so I call it the Infinite River.”
“What’s a river?” It asked.
“A river… It’s hard to explain, but once you come out, you’ll know if I bring you there. Besides the river, there were also big mountains!”
“Oh, what else?”
“Then, I emulated the Infinite River and refined a long river of my own, but it was still a far cry from that Infinite River. Still, I am now much stronger than before, and I have a very strong feeling that I will be able to open the gate this time!”
And so, it responded, “You say that every time you come here, but then you fail every time.”
The person outside sounded disgruntled, “Wow, you’ve actually learnt to insult me. That makes me mad!”
“No, I wasn’t trying to…” It felt guilty and apologized in a panic.
The person outside the gate giggled. The sound of her laughter sounded even better than before, “I was just kidding. You’re so gullible.”
After making sure that she wasn’t really angry, it finally felt at ease.
“All right, I’m going to open the gate now, so stand back, or I might accidentally hurt you!” Said the person outside the gate.
And so, it moved away from the gate as it was told, and the next thing it knew, the tightly closed gate began to rumble and shake even more violently than ever before. It was sure from this that the person on the other side had indeed increased their strength greatly and became much stronger than previously.
This also helped to give it more confidence in that person, thinking that there might actually be hope of the gate opening this time.
Hope came quickly, and with the violent movement outside, the gate that had been tightly shut all this time parted to either side, gradually revealing an opening.
When the light from the outside pierced through the darkness, it couldn’t help but lose itself for a moment, staring in awe at the light that it had never seen before with both mind and body trembling.
So this was the legendary light!
Even a being born in darkness like it had an innate yearning and thirst for such light…
Just this ray of light taught it that the world outside was countless times more exciting than the place where it was born.
“It won’t open any more than this…” the person outside the gate yelled in a strained voice. “This is the limit. Quickly, get into my Space-Time River, I’ll pull you out!”
As soon as she spoke, a great river came tumbling through the opening, pouring into the endless darkness.
It dared not hesitate and plunged headlong into the river.
Immediately afterwards, it felt a mysterious force drawing it towards the opening in the gate.
Almost at the very moment that it exited the opening, the gate that had been opened closed shut again.
The Space-Time River, which she had yet to fully withdraw, was even cut off and part of it was left in the darkness forever.
However, it was oblivious to such a thing happening. It was fighting its way up the river, and the moment that light-filled its vision, it finally saw the figure that had been accompanying it outside the gate for countless years.
There was a touch of crimson at the corner of that person’s mouth, she wiped it away as if it were nothing. Grinning, she looked at the black blob that had floated out from her Space-Time River and greeted it with familiarity, “Hello. We meet at last.”
Ok. So, I went back and changed it in a way that made Mu hesitate to say what had happened. Since we have Cang also telling the same story as Mu, let’s just pretend that the 10 agreed upon this story so that Mu won’t get blamed.
“Speaking of which, I haven’t asked for your name yet. My name is Mu, what’s yours?”
It would never forget their first meeting. There was a touch of red blood on the corners of her lips as this quiet and gentle woman stood in the void, looking at it with a smile on her face.
[What is my name?]
It had no idea what its name was. It did not even realize that such a thing as a ‘name’ existed in this world.
Before meeting her, its world was nothing more than endless darkness and desolation.
It was because it met her that its world now had sound, had expectations, and today, light had also become a part of it…
“I don’t know what my name is,” it mumbled in reply. Inexplicably, a lowly feeling of shame took root in it, as if it had blasphemed her just by looking at her like this.
“No name, huh…” Mu walked around it, then she suddenly clapped her hands and smiled, “I know! Seeing as how you’re so dark, your name should be Mo.”
“Mo…” It murmured, and then it slowly beamed, “My name is Mo!”
It had its own name now, and it was Mu who gave it to it. It was determined not to lose it in its life, and one day, it would let everyone know its name!
But soon, it realized that its appearance was not quite the same as Mu’s.
Mu had arms and legs, a head and a body, and she was even wearing pretty clothes. She was such a pretty person. It also wished that it…
As those thoughts ran through its mind, the round black blob, without a fixed shape, began to warp, gradually transforming until it looked just like Mu.
Mu looked at it in surprise, “You can even assume Human Form… but this won’t do, you can’t look like me.”
Mo was puzzled, “Why?”
Mu kindly explained, “Because everyone is unique in this world.”
Mo didn’t quite understand, but if Mu had said it, then it must be true.
It was a shame that it couldn’t look like her. She definitely had the most beautiful appearance in this world, it thought to itself.
“Then, what should I look like?” Mo asked.
“Just the way you were is good, too.” After a pause, she added, “But if you have to assume Human Form, then why don’t I give you a hand?”
“With what?”
“Changing your appearance,” Mu reached out her hands and pounced on it with a teasing grin on her face, then she began to rub and shape it.
Mo did not resist, allowing her to do as she pleased.
Mu worked for quite a while before taking a few steps back and studying Mo carefully, after which she nodded in satisfaction, “There, that’ll be your look.”
Mo held out its hands and spread them out in front of itself, feeling confused as it looked at its small hands.
Seeing its confusion, Mu took the initiative to explain, “This is what my Brother looked like, but he died when he was very young, so you can take his form from now on.”
“Okay…” Mo responded obediently.
Mu then looked up at the Profound Source Gate again and rushed over to it with excitement, “This gate is a treasure. It ate a part of my Space-Time River, so I’ll have to take it with me.” She then turned to Mo, “This is the door to your home, do you still want it?”
Mo waved his hand, “I don’t want it, you can have it.” Who would even want such a thing…
Mu nodded, “In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony.”
The Space-Time River was summoned again and wrapped itself around the strange gate. Perhaps because a piece of her Space-Time River was left inside the gate, this time, Mu was able to collect it with ease.
“Let’s go,” Mu beckoned Mo and led him away into the distance.
On the way, Mo asked the question that was on his mind, “Mu, what is death?”
“Death… If a person dies, then we will never be able to see each other again, and that person will only live on in the memories of others.”
“What is a Little Brother?”
“Well… it’s a sibling born from one’s parents.”
“Then, am I your Little Brother?”
“Yes, you’ll be my Little Brother from now on!”
“You’re my Little Brother, too!”
“That’s not right, I’m your Big Sister. Sixth Sister, to be exact!”
“What is a Big Sister?”
“Hm… A Big Sister is a sibling born from one’s own parents.”
“But isn’t that what a Little Brother is?”
“Hey listen, a Little Brother should speak less because if he talks too much, his mouth will glue shut and he’ll never be able to open it again!”
Shocked, Mo covered his mouth in a panic.
…
“Mu, where did this Little Friend come from?”
“This is the one I told you about, the one who was shut behind that strange gate.”
“You got him out of there?”
A crowd of people surrounded Mu and Mo, their eyes filled with scrutiny and curiosity. Mo clung to the corner of Mu’s clothes and hid behind her.
It had never known that so many people existed in this world, and that they all looked different. It was no wonder why Mu said that everyone was unique.
“Little Friend, what’s your name?” Someone asked.
Mo shook his head and did not answer, a timid look on his face.
The speaker asked with pity in his voice, “Is he mute?”
Mu laughed, “Of course not, the child is just a little shy.”
“There is something odd about this boy. I’ve never seen that power inside his body before. Mu, do you know what you’ve rescued?”
“I’m not sure, but it was too pitiful to see him trapped behind that gate all alone. I couldn’t just leave him after I discovered him.”
“I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Rest assured. With how weak he is, he can’t do much even if the power inside his body is a little strange. I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“That’s good. Right now, the Great Monsters are running amok and our people are in a tough spot. We can’t afford to deal with any more trouble.”
It was Mo’s first time meeting someone other than Mu, and after a brief conversation with them, he was led off to rest by Mu.
In the days that followed, they slowly came to know each other better and it became clear that Mo was no mute. Mo had also figured out the relationship between these people and Mu.
The 10 of them had such a close bond that they called each other Siblings.
Mu was ranked sixth out of the 10, which was why Mu asked him to call her Sixth Sister on the way here.
As he was the youngest, he was affectionately called Little Eleventh by everyone…
Mo also finally figured out what a Big Sister and Little Brother was…
It even witnessed death!
In those days, the Great Monsters of the Early Ancient Era were committing atrocities all across the land, and the Human Race chose to stand up to them, thus everything under the Heavens was put under a constant baptism of blood and war.
It was not known just how many Humans had thrown away their lives in those battles.
For a being who had been locked behind a gate all this while, it was a great shock for Mo to suddenly see such an unimaginable scene.
Because of Mu, it began to think of itself as a Human, and as it watched Mu and the nine others busying about, it too wanted to help. It wanted to kill those Early Ancient Era Great Monsters and give the Humans a peaceful place to live.
Mo began cultivating, but the Human Race’s Open Heaven Realm Method did not suit it at all, and no matter how hard it tried, it could not raise its cultivation.
That was until one day it unwittingly felt the power surging deep inside the bodies of some of the Humans, and almost instinctively, it drew that invisible and formless power into its body, refining and absorbing it.
It actually felt as if it had grown a little stronger.
Mo was both pleasantly surprised and horribly terrified by this discovery. It was pleasantly surprised to have found a way to cultivate, but also terrified because it had never heard of this kind of cultivation before.
It went to look for Mu at once to ask for clarification; however, Mu was out fighting at that time. By the time she returned, it was several dozen years later, and Mo had grown significantly stronger.
Mo could not forget the joy on Mu’s face, how happy she was that it became stronger.
The words that reached its mouth were stuck there, but Mo suddenly realised that this was not so bad. As long as Mu was happy, what else mattered?
Having found the right path to cultivate, Mo’s strength soared by leaps and bounds.
One day, it would finally become strong enough to step onto the battlefield!
Mu did not give it any preferential treatment just because of who it was, and Mo simply participated in its first battle against Monster Race as the most ordinary of Human soldiers.
After all, Mu was one of the 10 Commanders of the Human Race of that era and had more important things to do than babysit. It was impossible to keep Mo by her side and watch over it at all times.
During Mo’s first battle, the army that it was in was ambushed by the Early Ancient Era’s Great Monsters and torn to pieces. The casualties they suffered were severe!
Mu rushed to provide support when she received the news, but by the time she reached the battlefield, the fighting was over.
Originally, she thought that Mo was already no more, but what she saw instead stunned her.
The Human Race, which had been at an absolute disadvantage in terms of military strength, had won the battle at a huge cost, with just 30% of their forces surviving in the end.
Mo stood in the middle of the bloody sea of corpses, with many of the Early Ancient Era Great Monsters nearby bowing down in submission as the cheers of the surviving soldiers came like a tide.
It was only after this that Mu learnt that Mo had used its power at the most critical moment, causing Monster Race Masters to change sides, leading to their eventual victory.
It was only now that she realised the special nature of Black Ink Strength, which seemed to have the ability to twist the mind and spirit of living beings.
Mo had no choice but to confess to Mu about its years of cultivation, and that subduing Monster Race Masters with its power was just an idea that happened to crop up. It had never done it before.
For the first time, Mu reprimanded him.
Mo panicked, not knowing what it had done wrong, but seeing Mu’s reaction, it knew it had to have done something wrong.
After scolding Mo, Mu couldn’t help but sigh, saying that it wasn’t its fault before leaving with a grimace.
As it watched Mu’s somewhat sullen back, Mo vowed to itself that it would never use that method of cultivation again, nor would it ever use its power to subdue any living creature.
However, things rarely went as one wished in life.
As the battle between the Humans and Monster Race raged on, the fighting only became more and more fierce.
Even if the Human Race had the 10 Martial Ancestors, the Early Ancient Era Great Monsters had a considerable number of powerful Masters of their own.
Things were looking increasingly dire for the Human Race, and there were even many who had submitted to the Monster Race, willingly becoming their slaves in order to survive.
Battle after battle, Mo, who had witnessed countless deaths, could no longer resist the urge to use its power once more, twisting the hearts of the Humans who turned against them.
Not one person on the entire battlefield was spared during that event! Even those of the Monster Race were subjugated by it.
In that battle, the Human Race Army, which had not seen glory for a long time, received an overwhelming victory!
Once the darkness was unleashed, it was difficult to seal it up again.
While the 10 Martial Ancestors were fighting against the Early Ancient Era Great Monsters at the forefront of the battlefield, Mo subordinated batch after batch of helpers, leading the Human Race at the back and obtaining victory in every battle!
As time passed, it became stronger and stronger.
Mo had achieved what it vowed to do back then, to spread its name and make itself known to all of the Humans.
There was not much that it wanted from this, Mo just wished to end this war as soon as possible, then Mu would have more time to accompany it again
It was willing to use any means to achieve that goal, bestowing great power on the Humans who feared and avoided the war so that they could become fearless.
It even began to spread its power to the various Universe Worlds so that those people could become strong as quickly as possible.
All its hard work and dedication had been worthwhile.
Mu and the other 10 Martial Ancestors slayed many of the Early Ancient Era Great Monsters at the battlefront, achieving a full victory.
Meanwhile, the Human Race Army that Mo led was also very successful on each battlefield.
The living space for Monster Race was constantly being shrunk.
The Human Race was about to usher in their final victory.
Mo was overjoyed to see Mu again, whom it had not been able to see for many years. With great excitement, it told her about his efforts and achievements over the years, not noticing the troubled look in Mu’s eyes.
Mo made a wish in front of Mu, that they would never have to be separated again once the war was over.
Rubbing its head, Mu agreed. From then on, Mu would bring Mo along wherever she went.
Mo was no longer allowed to use the power it had used before, and it was no longer allowed to set foot on the battlefield, but it did not care.
Compared to being extolled by countless Humans and bending the disobedient ones to its will, Mo preferred simply staying quietly by Mu’s side.
The war finally came to an end and the Human Race emerged as the final victors, becoming the Masters of the Universe while the Early Ancient Era Great Monsters were almost slaughtered to extinction. Even though there were still Great Monsters left, it was no longer possible for them to stir up any waves.
Mu took Mo on a journey to witness the beauty and peace of the Universe, acting like true Brother and Sister. During that journey, Mu showered it with nothing but care.
Mo felt that even if it died at that time, it would have no regrets.
Many years later, Mo would ask itself many times why it really didn’t die in that beautiful memory, because its life would have been perfect if that was the case.
One day, Mu said she would bring it home, to visit the place where it was born.
Though it was reluctant to return to that place that had trapped it for so many years, Mo could not deny her since it was Mu who requested it.
The two of them travelled together, returning to that ancient land.
The other nine Big Brothers had already arrived and were waiting for them. After Mu led Mo there, it keenly sensed a massive Array being activated, sealing the void in all directions!
Mo did not understand what was going on.
Until Mu told him the truth.
Mo never would have thought that Mu would one day trick it like this!
Shock, anger, resentment… all sorts of complicated emotions overwhelmed it.
The reason Mu led it here was just so they could suppress and seal it here again, and that last journey would be its final fond experiences.
Mo’s heart felt as if it had been stabbed! The dependence and trust it once had turned into grief, causing Mo to lose its rationale for a moment.
The power that had been built up over the years was released, and Mo’s mind became completely twisted…
Under Mo’s influence, all the beings previously corrupted by his power were turned into slaves.
The Human Race, which had only been at peace for a few years, was once again thrust into an endless war…
…..
Inside the small house, Mo sighed faintly as its small figure grew rapidly, transforming into a handsome young man with delicate features in the blink of an eye.
He got up, walked out of the house, and looked up at the sky, his gaze absent as his mind drifted.
[Such an innocent memory from so long ago…]
Mu came out of the kitchen, wiped her hands on her apron, and looked at him with a faint smile, “Are you leaving?”
Mo turned his head and looked at Mu with a complicated gaze before nodding gently.
Mu said to him, “All these years, it was Sixth Sister who wronged you…”
Mo raised his hand to interrupt her, smiling back, “You did the right thing, Sixth Sister.”
“Huh?” Mu cocked her head at it in confusion.
Mo said, “I was too young then, mistakenly believing that I had full control of that power, but it proved to be too much for me to grasp. If you hadn’t suppressed and sealed me back then, I’m afraid the Human Race would be no more!”
Mu was stunned for a moment, then as if understanding something, her face paled slightly, “You mean…”
Mo sighed, “That power is the root, I am only its consciousness that has been born through many long years of accumulation. Even though you have taught me about all the wonderful things in the Universe, in the end, not everything is good in this world. No matter the kind of consciousness it birthed, its power will continue to grow, and one day even that consciousness will become its slave! When that happens, only one instinct will remain, to conquer and enslave everything! Just as the birth of the Black Ink Cult was inevitable in this world, so too was all this predestined.”
Hearing those words from it, Mu finally understood, “So, when the power was suppressed and sealed once more, it instead led you to rediscover yourself?”
“Exactly,” Mo grinned.
“Then now…”
Mo shook its head, “It will all return soon.”
“Sixth Sister, you have already fulfilled your promise. For that, I thank you!” Mo looked up at Mu, tears faintly welling in his eyes.
Mu promised back then that she would accompany him forever and keep him by her side wherever she went, and she had done exactly that and more. While she was alive, she was constantly watching over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and even in her death, the shadows she left behind continued to keep Mo company.
Mu tried to make one last effort, “If you like, we could go on like this.”
Mo shook his head sadly, “I can’t stop it, and besides, since I was born… I, too, should fight for my right to live!”
These words caused Mu’s heart to clench.
Every living being had the right to live since birth, to pursue the good things in life, but what if the existence of this being was in itself, a sin?
Mo looked at Mu with a deep gaze, as if he wanted to brand the figure before him into the deepest part of his mind, into his life, never to be forgotten. He then murmured softly, “Besides, a world without Sixth Sister… no longer needs to exist.”
Mo opened his arms as if to embrace the entire world.
Winds rose and clouds surged!
A black ray of light suddenly descended and entered Mo’s body, causing his aura to swell explosively.
This was followed by a second, then a third…
All the inhabitants of Dawn City looked up in shock, only to see an endless stream of black light coming from nowhere in the sky, falling incessantly towards a certain spot in the city where a terrifying aura was surging!
The inside of the Holy Temple of the Light Spirit Religion was a chaotic mess. The Order Lords wanted to go and find out what was going on, but they could barely even move their bodies when they felt that terrible power.
Everyone’s eyes were filled with horror.
The turbulent wind blew the small house down, but Mu stood still, completely untouched as Mo had enveloped her in a force that was protecting her.
…..
In the 2,639th World, Yang Kai managed to repel the attacking Black Ink Disciples together with Mu’s shadow, but not without difficulty. Just as he was about to use the Profound Source Gate to suppress and seal Mo’s Source piece, the seal opened by itself before he could even act and the piece inside turned into a black light that rushed into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
“This…” Yang Kai looked on in astonishment at what had just happened.
Mu’s shadow paled and she raised her hand, pressing her palm against Yang Kai’s chest before urging, “He has woken up. Quickly go to the Primordial World, that is the source of my power. Find the shadow I left there and she will tell you what to do.”
[Mo has awakened!]
Despite knowing that this would happen, Yang Kai could not help but feel his chest tightening when the time finally came.
Was it finally time to face the strongest existence in this Universe?
Yang Kai then silently comforted himself. Somewhere between 30% and 40% of Mo’s Source should be suppressed and sealed, so in other words, its Black Ink Strength had also been weakened by that much. Even so, was there anyone among them who could be a match for Mo?
If there was no way to defeat Mo, then all their previous efforts would be in vain.
It was too late to ask any more questions though, so under the pull of Mu’s power, he disappeared in a flash of light.
By this time, the battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had subsided.
Zhang Ruo Xi had arrived, bringing with her not only the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Personal Guard, but also a large army of hundreds of millions from the Small Stone Race Soldiers.
The Black Ink Clan at the opening of the Grand Restriction no longer dared to come out to fight, so how could the ones left outside be any match for the Humans?
The Small Stone Race regiments cut through the battlefield one by one, firstly dividing the Black Ink Clan Army before gradually pecking away at their forces. With the two Giant Spirit Gods rampaging through the battlefield, the Black Ink Clan Army was soon decimated.
If this were the past, then the Black Ink Clan Army might have fled if they were being so steeply suppressed.
But this place was the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, where the Source of the Black Ink Clan was, so where could they flee to? If they fought with their lives on the line, they could at least weaken the enemy and take some pressure off those still inside the Grand Restriction.
With this consideration in mind, the only end for those outside the Grand Restriction was death.
The Human Race soldiers who were still recuperating watched this scene from afar with mixed feelings.
What should have been a certain defeat had been turned around by the Small Stone Race Army, but this victory did not dictate the final outcome.
It may take an even more gruelling and brutal battle to actually win this war.
*Kacha…*
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the void. Before the Human Race Masters could figure out what was happening, they heard Wu Kuang’s grave voice call out, “Watch out! The Grand Restriction is about to break!”
*Kacha…*
The sound began to overlap more and more.
The Human Race Army stopped for a moment before immediately getting into formation.
As countless pairs of eyes watched on, cracks appeared in the endless darkness of the void, the lines becoming as dense as a spider web in the blink of an eye.
A figure had also emerged from somewhere in the Grand Restriction, hurriedly moving towards the Human Race Army.
It was Wu Kuang, who had been standing guard at the Grand Restriction for thousands of years.
As the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was about to break, it was pointless for Wu Kuang to stay connected to it any longer. In fact, he would even have to suffer the backlash if he remained.
So, the moment he realised that the situation was irreversible, he left the Grand Restriction as soon as possible.
With this, he could at least ensure that he would not be injured. As for Yang Kai, who still remained inside, he was no longer able to provide much help to him regardless.
What caught the attention of the many Ninth-Order Masters, however, was the aura that Wu Kuang was displaying at this moment.
Wu Kuang’s existence was known only to a few Human Race Masters. They knew that he was sent here by Yang Kai to guard the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but no one knows how strong he was, not even Yang Kai; after all, when he sent Wu Kuang here, he was only in the Seventh Order Open Heaven Realm. Even though he later broke through to the Eighth Order and then the Ninth Order, no one had any close contact with him, so they could only speculate on his strength.
At this moment, Wu Kuang’s strength was finally revealed to the world.
He was at the peak of the Ninth Order! He was even stronger when compared to Xiao Xiao and Wu Qing, the oldest veteran Masters of the Human Race.
In the situation they were facing, having another peak Ninth-Order Master would be of great help; however, something unexpected happened before the Humans could even rejoice.
Wu Kuang’s departure from the Grand Restriction sped up its destruction. Even more cracks appeared, and soon, the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, which had persisted for millions of years, shattered like a broken mirror.
Glowing dots of light filled the void, and as the light dissipated, boundless black filled one’s vision
The blackness seemed to possess a life of its own, writhing and rolling as the auras of an uncountable number of beings could be felt inside of it.
Before the Grand Restriction broke, the Black Ink Clan could only leave through that one opening, so even at the height of the Human Crusade Force’s crisis, not too many Black Ink Clan reinforcements could get out at once, this allowed them to maintain a degree of control over the situation.
But now, things have changed. With the complete destruction of the Grand Restriction, all of the Black Ink Clansmen hiding inside of it were instantly released.
No one had any idea just how many Black Ink Clansmen were still hidden in that abyss of darkness; the only thing that the Humans could feel glad about was the fact that they had killed many of the Black Ink Clan Masters before, which relieved some of the pressure they had to face at this moment.
The Human Race Army waited with bated breath, but to their surprise, not a single Black Ink Clansman emerged from the sea of Black Ink Strength even after some time had passed.
They seemed to be fearful of something.
Soon, the Human Race Masters realised what it was. It was Zhang Ruo Xi that the Black Ink Clan was afraid of.
The power she had shown earlier was beyond comprehension, surpassing even that of the Giant Spirit Gods, allowing her to kill Royal Lords like she was cutting melons or chopping vegetables.
At the moment, Zhang Ruo Xi stood at the very forefront of the Small Stone Race Army. Despite standing alone, her presence was still intimidating enough that the Black Ink Clan did not dare to move rashly.
Even though the white wings spread behind her back were small in the face of the darkness that covered everything the eye could see, the light emitting from her was far too bright for any darkness to truly cover.
The Ninth-Order Masters could not help but feel a little embarrassed at this. If Zhang Ruo Xi had not soared across the skies to their aid, their second crusade would have already failed. If that were to be the case, then they would have no choice but to retreat through the path that Yang Kai had prepared for them, to follow him to seek a new life in a new world.
But who would know what that new world would be like?
In front of the massive enemy Army, Zhang Ruo Xi remained calm and steady. On the other hand, in the void before her, the Black Ink Strength surged. The Black Ink Clan were too terrified to even move.
The power of a single person could actually be so terrifying.
All of a sudden, Zhang Ruo Xi’s expression changed. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared into the depths of the black abyss.
Seemingly noticing something, her wings flapped behind her and she turned into a stream of white light, instantly disappearing into the sea of darkness.
From afar, a voice reached Mi Jing Lun’s ears, “Sir is inside, I’ll go and check on him.”
In an instant, the Black Ink Ocean became even more agitated. It was clear that Zhang Ruo Xi was not merely going over to check out the situation. Inside the void that was filled with all the Black Ink Clansmen, she couldn’t reach Yang Kai without cutting a bloody path through them.
…
In the Primordial World, the aftermath of the chaos in Dawn City was still lingering. Just now, everyone saw a figure at the edge of the city soaring into the skies before disappearing without a trace, and after that person disappeared, the black lights that fell from the sky also disappeared.
Even though the unusual phenomenon was gone, the panic it caused would not ease for some time.
The Saintess and Li Fei Yu looked in that direction together, a pondering look in their eyes.
They knew that the first Saintess lived in seclusion at that location, and they had a sneaking suspicion that what they saw was related to her.
Shortly after Mo departed, Yang Kai returned to this place, drawn by the power of Mu’s shadow.
The first thing he saw was Mu, who was standing in front of the small house.
“Senior!” Yang Kai shouted.
Mu turned to look in his direction, seemingly expecting him, “You’re here.”
“Where’s Little Eleventh?” Yang Kai looked around; though, he had a vague guess when he did not see his small figure around.
Sure enough, Mu replied, “He has awakened, and the sealed Source pieces have all returned one after the other. This Universe World cannot withstand his power, but he was unwilling to destroy it, so he has left my Space-Time River already.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly, “I understand.”
The final battle was upon him, and he had done all that he could; whether they won or lost would depend on the final fight.
“Senior, since Mo has awakened, it is time for me to go. The power that the Human Race has at this time may not be enough to hold him back, but we will do our best. The last shadow of yours I met told me to come back and see you, and that you would show me the way forward, so I hope that Senior can enlighten me.”
“You have already found your way forward,” Mu looked at him with a smile in her gaze.
“Huh?” Yang Kai did not understand.
“You’ve chosen the same path that I have,” Mu added.
Yang Kai was thoughtful, “Condensing 10,000 Grand Daos in one’s own body and manifesting the Space-Time River?”
Mu nodded lightly, “As I told you before, everyone has their own Space-Time River, which starts flowing from the day they are born and ends at the day they die. However, since the start of time, few have been able to manifest their Space-Time River. I was the first, while you are the second!” Saying so, she suddenly asked Yang Kai a question, “The Open Heaven Realm Method cultivated by the Human Race is flawed. You must have noticed, yes?”
Yang Kai nodded, “The Ninth-Order is the limit of the Open Heaven Realm Method, but I had a vague feeling that the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm is not the end of Martial Dao. There should be a higher realm above the Ninth Order, above the Open Heaven Realm.”
“There is indeed a higher realm above the Ninth Order,” Mu gave him an affirmative answer.
Yang Kai was astonished, “Has Senior reached it?”
Embarrassedly, Mu shook her head, “If I had reached it, the Human Race would not be in this predicament today. Even though I have not reached it… I did touch upon it.”
Yang Kai could not help but praise her in his heart, [as expected of the strongest among the Martial Ancestors.]
Cang told him back then that the Martial Ancestors were still only in the Ninth Order, but they were stronger as they had gone further along the path. It was just that they had still yet to leave the bounds of the Open Heaven Realm.
However, Mu told him today that she had touched the profound realm above the Open Heaven Realm. Even if she had only touched it and not reached it, it was still an extraordinary achievement.
Mu recalled an old memory and slowly began, “The Open Heaven Realm Method was born out of necessity at a time when the Human Race was in a difficult situation. The Early Ancient Era Great Monsters were rampaging throughout the Universe, and without the Open Heaven Realm Method, the Human Race would have been nothing but food and slaves for them. During that time, the Heavens were quietly beginning to favour the Human Race, so it devised a way out for them, the Open Heaven Realm Method. Only with it can the Human Race give rise to a constant stream of Masters, which gave them the capital to contend with the Early Ancient Era Great Monsters.”
“However, even the Heavens have their selfishness. For example, the Primordial World. Once one’s cultivation surpasses the Immortal Ascension Realm, they would receive its repulsion and hostility; that is the selfishness of the Primordial World. One can also see it as its instinct for self-preservation. The Universe is not unchanging as its blessings were first concentrated on the Divine Spirits before moving to the Early Ancient Era Monster Race, then finally to us, the Human Race. Over time, the three Races became the favoured of the Heavens and were given the right to dominate all beneath it.” She turned to Yang Kai, “Why do you think this happened?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “If one Race becomes too powerful, then they are no longer fearful of the Heavens, and once the power they hold becomes strong enough to oppose it, it creates a sense of crisis in the Heavens. Hence, there will be a transfer of its blessing.”
He had considered such a thing before, so he was able to give a quick answer to Mu’s question.
Mu nodded, “Precisely. The Universe lives, and it has its own Will. Principles are a part of its Will, but it is not the same as us living beings. It is above us as all beings are under its Will. If any power that surpasses its control were to come to be, it would move to remedy the situation, but it does not take action itself, and it certainly does not have the power to do so. So, it uses the power of other beings to restore order from chaos and ensure that everything remains on the predetermined path. This is reflected in history from long ago, when the Early Ancient Era Monster Race overthrew the Divine Spirits, and when the Human Race freed itself from the slavery of the Early Ancient Era Monster Race.”
“But Senior, what does this have to do with my path?” Yang Kai looked perplexed.
Mu continued, “Naturally it is all related. Because the Open Heaven Realm Method was a gift Willed by the Heavens, it is also a kind of shackle. It is impossible to break free from these shackles of the Open Heaven Realm Method by using the Open Heaven Realm Method. In fact, there is only one place in existence that the Heavens’ Will cannot cover, and everything that happens and is obtained there is not under the control of the Heavens!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up and he blurted out, “The Universe Furnace!” He could just about understand what Mu was getting at now.
“I’ve never understood what the Universe Furnace is, but it is definitely a place beyond the Heavens’ influence,” Mu asserted.
Yang Kai thought to himself, [of course the Heavens can’t interfere with it, because the Universe itself was created inside the Universe Furnace. It could even be considered the origin of the Heavens.]
He had coincidentally seen the true face of the Universe Furnace and witnessed the process of it taking in Chaos and splitting Heaven and Earth apart.
He wanted to discuss all this with Mu, but time was running out and he could not figure out a way to explain everything in a timely manner, so he had no choice but to endure the urge for now.
“You and I have ventured into the Universe Furnace, and we have seen the Infinite River that flows through it, which led to us condensing our own Space-Time Rivers.” Mu turned to Yang Kai, “The Space-Time River is your path forward!”
[The Space-Time River is my path forward!]
Yang Kai pondered, “Senior means to say…”
“The reason why I have placed a barrier outside of my Space-Time River is because I knew no one other than those who have also condensed their own Space-Time River have the power to save the Universe. For those who do not have that ability, it would not benefit them in any way even if they found my Space-Time River. Since that is so, it would be better to cut off the hope for those who approach sooner to avoid them having to go through even greater despair later.”
Mu had hidden her Space-Time River in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and when Yang Kai was brought to it under Wu Kuang’s lead, he felt something blocking him when he tried to enter; however, he was able to pass through easily. He thought at first that it was because of his identity as a Human, but it was only later that he discovered this was because he had also condensed his Space-Time River.
If not for that, no other Human would have been able to enter this place, not even if they were in the Ninth Order.
To the Humans of the Primordial World, the so-called Holy Son was the saviour of this World, but the saviour that Mu spoke of was someone who could save the 3,000 Worlds.
“To defeat Mo, the strength of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm alone is not enough. Mo can only be defeated when someone who can break through the shackles of the Ninth Order and reach the next realm, a realm which I was only a step away from reaching!”
Yang Kai hurriedly asked, “So what is the next Realm? Why was Senior unable to make that breakthrough?”
Mu laughed bitterly before looking at him, “As for what exactly the next realm is, even I am not sure. But as for why I did not manage to reach it… It is because my Space-Time River is incomplete.”
Yang Kai could not help but become lost in thought, recalling the wide and beautiful river that he saw before.
[Even that massive river is incomplete? Then what should a complete Space-Time River look like? In the first place, what makes hers incomplete? And what sort of problem did she encounter for her Space-Time River to remain incomplete?]
“Is there no way to fix it?” Yang Kai asked.
Logically speaking, the Space-Time River was a condensation and manifestation of one’s comprehension of 10,000 Dao Strengths. Even if it were to be damaged in the midst of an intense battle, there should be a chance for it to recover as long as the foundations of one’s Grand Daos remained.
The only possibility that would lead to the complete inability for the Space-Time River to be recovered was if the foundation of one’s Grand Daos got destroyed…
Mu shook her head, “It is not possible to fix.”
Long past memories tumbled around in her mind, leading her to recall the events of that day, and the corners of her mouth could not help but lift up into a smile.
When the Profound Source Gate cut off a section of her Space-Time River, she did not think much of it then. She was immersed in her joy of finally rescuing Mo from behind that closed gate.
She originally thought that she only needed to open the door again to retrieve that part of her Space-Time River…
Who could have expected that when she did open the Profound Source Gate, that there would be nothing behind it, only an endless pool of desolation and darkness.
But even then, she had not realised the severity of the problem.
Not until her Space-Time River continued to grow and her cultivation became more robust. When she tried to break through to the next Realm, it was then that she helplessly realised that the damage to her Space-Time River had cut off all her hopes of taking that final step.
If that incident had not happened back then, she should have already broken through the confines of the Open Heaven Realm and reached that mysterious realm.
Did she regret it?
Not once!
She only blamed herself for not teaching Mo properly when she saved him from the Profound Source Gate. By the time she found out about what happened later, the situation was already too far gone to be salvaged.
And compared to that, it was not as if she was completely without any harvests. If the Profound Source Gate had not devoured a part of her Space-Time River, she would not have been able to refine it so easily. It was one of the most profound Innate Supreme Treasures, after all.
As she dispelled the memories from her mind, Mu withdrew her smile and looked seriously at Yang Kai, “You have already set foot on the path, and you will reach the end point sooner or later where you will have to open up the new way forward, but not much time is left for you now. I hope that you can achieve what I failed to back then.”
At once, the pressure that Yang Kai felt weighing on him was like a mountain, but he still gave a firm answer, “Junior will try his best!”
Mu smiled and walked up to him. Just like the other shadows that Yang Kai encountered in the many Universe Worlds, she gently pressed her hand to his chest, “Go, put an end to it all. The Human Race has suffered since the Late Ancient Era until now. As the favoured children of Heaven, it is time for us to have our own peaceful world to live in.”
The reason why Yang Kai came back here was because the previous shadow had sent him here, but after talking for so long, Yang Kai still did not get a clear answer from Mu.
What did he have to do in order to defeat the current Mo?
Mu did tell him that he had to make a breakthrough to the next realm, but he had not even reached the door to the next realm yet. How could he make a quick breakthrough at such an urgent time?
Mu continued to smile at him as her figure gradually started to fade, “I left you something. You will find out what to do soon enough.”
As she disappeared, Yang Kai’s body rose involuntarily into the sky and soon plunged into the vast and beautiful Space-Time River.
This time, however, he did not feel anything pulling him. He had travelled across about 90% of the 3,000 Universe Worlds in order to suppress and seal the pieces of Mo’s Source, and he had succeeded in sealing more than 1,000 of them.
Right now, Mo had already awoken. The Source pieces that Yang Kai was not able to suppress and seal had returned to Mo, so there was no longer any point in visiting those Universe Worlds.
Yang Kai’s body bobbed up and down in the river as the currents inside of it stirred.
Then, a strange feeling suddenly arose in him. That was, he felt an indescribable sense of affinity and recognition by the Space-Time River that should belong to Mu. What’s more, it seemed as if he was able to mobilise its power!
Yang Kai was astonished by this discovery. This was, after all, Mu’s Space-Time River, the culmination of her lifelong cultivation. Even if Mu had departed from the world of the living long ago, even if he himself had his own Space-Time River, it did not make sense for him to feel this affinity and recognition from it.
Scenes flashed before his eyes, scenes of him in each Universe World at the moment when he parted with Mu.
Whether Yang Kai managed to seal the Source pieces or not in each Universe World, as long as Mu’s shadow still existed, he had not failed to find her and bring her away with him because he was unwilling to see this Senior who had fought alone for countless years continue to wait and suffer endlessly.
The way he brought her away was through taking the last shreds of energy from her shadows into his own body.
Each one was a moment in Mu’s lifetime.
Mu had divided Mo’s Source into 3,000 pieces, suppressing and sealing them in different Universe Worlds, and she had also separated herself into the same number of shadows in order to remain by the Source pieces’ side.
Every person had their own Space-Time River from the moment that they were born, and it ended at their last breath…
Each shadow injected the last of their strength into Yang Kai’s body, which was equivalent to granting Mu’s existence, during the time used to conceive the shadow, to Yang Kai.
During this long journey, the number of shadows that Yang Kai had encountered was over 2,000…
In other words, out of Mu’s many shadows, he had gained the recognition of at least 70% of them.
Yang Kai finally understood what it was that Mu had left him.
She had left him her own Space-Time River!
With the approval and acknowledgement of most of its owner, Yang Kai could now refine her Space-Time River and use it for himself!
This was Mu’s last resort, as well as her final gift.
A tidal wave of grief crashed over Yang Kai, overwhelming his entire being.
However, he had no time for sorrow. Mo had awakened and escaped, so the Human Race was in danger of being annihilated at any moment. He had to receive Mu’s gift as soon as possible and strengthen himself.
However, Yang Kai was acutely aware that despite all of the hidden hands that Mu left behind, it was still not inexhaustible. She must not have thought about the problems with her own cultivation.
Mu had gained enlightenment about her own Space-Time River at a point when she was no longer improving in her cultivation back then.
But Yang Kai was different. He was merely at the peak of the Eighth Order when he trained inside of the Universe Furnace, before he even took the risk to use the Three Selves Source Reconstitution Art to break through to the Ninth Order.
It was there where Yang Kai had condensed his own Space-Time River, long before reaching the peak of the Ninth Order.
When the final war between the Human Race and Black Ink Clan broke out at the No-Return Pass, the time left for Yang Kai to cultivate was cut short, and even if he did borrow the power of the two Open Heaven Realm Cradles and diligently cultivated with the help of his Space-Time River at every opportunity, there was still a considerable distance left between his current cultivation and the peak of the Ninth-Order.
The reason Mu gifted Yang Kai with her Space-Time River was most likely in hopes that Yang Kai could borrow its power in order to break through the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm Method and reach the mysterious next realm in one step.
As long as he could reach that realm, defeating Mo would not be an issue.
But right now, the situation was that Yang Kai’s cultivation was still a great distance from the peak of the Ninth Order, and even if he did receive Mu’s gift, it was impossible for him to make a breakthrough in such a short amount of time.
Mu’s gift would undoubtedly help boost the power of his Dao Strengths greatly, but it could not help to grow his cultivation.
Mu might have considered that, or she might not have; regardless, she had already done all that she could. As one of the 10 Martial Ancestors, she had left absolutely everything she had behind for her Juniors of the Human Race.
After working out Mu’s plans, Yang Kai calmed his mind and summoned his own Space-Time River directly inside of Mu’s.
If Mu’s Space-Time River was like a coiling Grand Dragon, then Yang Kai’s Space-Time River was like a little snake… At the very best, it would be a big python. There was simply no contest.
However, when Yang Kai’s Space-Time River appeared, the waters stirring fiercely around him began to gather around it and merged into it, increasing the size and volume of Yang Kai’s Space-Time River.
Yang Kai could not help but grunt as his mind felt dizzy from the phenomenon. He was almost overwhelmed by all of the mysterious sensations that were crashing down on him, as if to drown out his very being.
The Space-Time River was a condensation of many Dao Strengths with Space-Time Dao Strength as its foundation, and the river’s water was all a manifestation of those Dao Strengths.
With the recognition of Mu’s many shadows, Yang Kai did not feel any resistance when he was refining her Space-Time River, but its mass was simply too great, a manifestation of Mu’s great attainments and insights into all the Grand Daos, and all of it was being stuffed into Yang Kai.
A sense of crisis came over him at that instant. Yang Kai realized that if he failed to withstand the impact of these Dao Strengths, something terrible would happen to him.
Mu and Mo met beforehand. A piece of Mu’s Space-Time River got caught behind the gate.
Mo met the other 9 through Mu and they became close enough to be called Little Eleventh or Xiao Shi Yi.
While fighting the war, Mo tried to help out and corrupted his allies and enemies.
The 10 found out that they fucked up and planned to seal it.
Mu made a plan on how to do it.
After the war, she would take Mo around and sightsee. Meanwhile, the other 9 would build the Grand Restriction. Once it was time, she led Mo inside and they trapped it.
Mo, unhappy, started the great war of that era in an attempt to free itself.
I guess, during that time, the 10 agreed on this lie to say that they met Mo instead of Mu freeing Mo. Else, the other Humans would target Mu in anger.
Sometime later, war got pushed back to create the Spiritless Land. Mu went into the Grand Restriction. I believe she was trying to find the missing part of her Space-Time River. There, she found out that a part of Mo was still inside the gate. Doubt she was able to open the gate fully. But she found a better way to seal away its strength in hopes of defeating Mo.
Anyways, she found out that she can’t go above the Open Heaven Realm. Since the Space-Time River is connected to one’s life and death, she made the preparations to help the next guy get stronger. She had to kill herself. Else, the Space-Time River would not be able to split from her and be left behind.
Well, that’s how I made sense of the story so far.
Yang Kai had a nagging feeling that if he failed to withstand the onslaught of Dao Strengths washing over him right now, he would become part of the Dao Strengths, and both Space-Time Rivers would collapse.
[To be one with the Dao…]
A strange thought occurred to Yang Kai. [This is an obstacle in the path of cultivation. All is well if I make it through, but if we don’t, all is lost. So, this is the hurdle that must be faced when one reaches the pinnacle of the Martial Dao!]
He quickly used the power of the Soul Warming Lotus to protect his consciousness.
The situation improved ever so slightly, but the Soul Warming Lotus, which had been infallible in the past, could not be of any decisive help this time around…
If one were to describe Mu’s final gift as a feast, then the Soul Warming Lotus was stomach medicine.
In the past, whenever Yang Kai’s Soul was threatened by outside forces, the Soul Warming Lotus would keep it well-protected. It ensured that Yang Kai’s Soul did not get destroyed and his consciousness remained intact; however, that was not the case with Mu’s gift. The Dao Strengths within her Space-Time River were not poison; on the contrary, they were the greatest of supplements. The situation came down to whether Yang Kai could digest everything he had been given or not.
The Soul Warming Lotus could not do much in this situation as it was Yang Kai who took the initiative to refine and absorb everything inside Mu’s Space-Time River. It was up to him to take the many Dao Strengths in for himself.
Yang Kai’s Space-Time River, which had been like a snake earlier, was rapidly expanding. As it grew bigger, its speed of devouring and refining increased as well.
A sudden surge of pressure made Yang Kai’s skin split apart and blood poured out at once.
It was hard for him to withstand everything with his current strength.
Not daring to hesitate for even a breath, a sonorous Dragon Roar rang out and a massive Dragon manifested. Now that Yang Kai had assumed his Dragon Form, the burden on his body eased a lot.
However, the shining golden light of the Divine Dragon looked different now. The concentrated Dao Strengths circled Yang Kai’s Dragon Form in an attempt to transform him into Dao Strengths, but his Dragon Scales tensed up to block the encroachment.
Dragon Roars kept ringing out inside the meandering Space-Time River.
Meanwhile, outside the Space-Time River, Mo growled softly as his Source pieces which had been suppressed and sealed in the past were returning to him. His power was increasing at an alarming rate.
While Yang Kai was struggling with himself, Mo calmly observed the situation occurring inside the Space-Time River.
The Source pieces he regained were the ones that had been taken away from him in the past, so he was simply reabsorbing them now. Still, he had not fully regained everything yet.
Instead of hatred or resentment though, Mo merely had a complicated look on his face.
Just as he had said in his final conversation with Mu, although his mere existence brought harm, since he had gained sentience, he had the right to fight to survive. It was not fair for him to be locked behind a door forever.
Black Ink Strength was the root of his existence, and his consciousness had simply emerged from it. Even without Mo, something else that was similar would have come out of the darkness eventually…
“I should thank you!” Mo murmured as he cupped his fist lightly, reabsorbing all of the remaining Source pieces.
In the past, he could barely control his own strength as it had grown beyond his ability to manipulate; however, Yang Kai’s earlier efforts had sealed over 30% of his Source Strength behind the Profound Source Gate.
Although this weakened Mo’s maximum strength, it came with the silver lining of granting him far better control of what strength remained.
Thus, in Mo’s current state, he was even more threatening than when he was at the peak of his power!
He raised his hand and made a grabbing motion directed at the river as he snarled, “Come out!”
He did not want anyone to touch what Mu left behind. Previously, to protect the Primordial World from destruction, Mo even voluntarily left the Primordial World and jumped out of the Space-Time River as he feared that his overwhelming strength would destroy it.
The Space-Time River was the final piece of Mu that remained!
A Dragon Roar escaped from the Space-Time River. Yang Kai, who was busy refining the Dao Strengths, suddenly felt something grabbing onto him to drag him out of the river.
He did not sense Mo’s presence, but he was certain it was the latter’s doing.
All along, Yang Kai had been curious to know the extent of Mo’s power, about what the legendary Creation Realm was like.
At last, Yang Kai personally experienced just how terrifying Mo’s might was.
Mo’s strength remained this immense despite the two of them being separated by two Space-Time Rivers. Without the Space-Time Rivers, Yang Kai estimated that he, a Ninth-Order Master and a Divine Dragon, would not be able to withstand more than three of Mo’s attacks before he perished!
[I can’t let him drag me out!]
There was a chance for him to put up a fight if he remained hidden inside Mu’s Space-Time River, but if he did get pulled out, he was doomed to die!
Yang Kai knew what he had to do, and with a roar, he began harnessing the strength of the Space-Time Rivers in a frenzied manner to attempt to cut off the force that was constraining him.
Even though the force came from outside the rivers, it could not be cut off so easily. Furthermore, Yang Kai could not wield his full strength in his present condition.
His Space-Time River was busy refining the Dao Strengths from Mu’s river, and as the complex and mysterious mix of Dao Strengths surged, much of his focus was diverted to protecting his Soul to avoid being refined into Dao Strengths himself.
Both parties had their reasons for holding back, so for the moment, it was a stalemate.
Outside the river, Mo’s eyes flashed with surprise. He did not think that Yang Kai would be able to put up a fight, but he doubled down and called out impatiently, “Come out on your own, or else, I don’t mind heading in myself!”
Mo did not want to destroy the final memory he had of Mu. He knew that some shadows of Mu remained inside the Space-Time River, so he wanted to preserve them. If he entered the Space-Time River, he was undoubtedly going to inflict irreparable harm and the shadows could very well be destroyed. This was not an outcome he could accept.
However, all Mo received in response was even more ferocious Dragon Roars that came from within the river.
Mo’s eyes flashed with displeasure, “How stubborn! I’m giving you one last chance! I can promise you that once this battle is over, I’ll give the Humans a Great Territory where they can carry on living free of the corruption from Black Ink Strength, which will never enter that Great Territory!”
This was the most it was willing to compromise.
Mu was gone and the remaining Humans no longer mattered to him. He was only willing to give the Humans the space of a single Great Territory for their race to survive for the sake of protecting Mu’s Space Time River!
“In your dreams!” The Dragon Roar exploded out of the Space-Time River. Through the restriction of the Dao Strengths, Mo could vaguely see a pair of large golden eyes staring in its direction.
“Foolish impudence!” Mo coldly snorted in response. He then took a step forward to enter the Space-Time River.
However, as soon as he stepped into the river, the water surged and the power of all the Dao Strengths rushed about to block his path. He had to pause outside the river instead.
It looked as if Mo was stuck outside the river as endless waves crashed down upon him, but he was still slowly making his way forward.
Mo could not be stopped!
Yang Kai’s expression hardened. He had refined quite a lot of the Dao Strengths from Mu’s Space-Time River in a short span of time and strengthened his own Space-Time River greatly. He was even able to use a bit of the strength from Mu’s river itself; but even so, it was not his strength so he could not wield it freely.
He had no way of keeping Mo out if the latter chose to force his way in.
Soon, Yang Kai made up his mind. Since he could not keep Mo out, he was not going to even try. The Space-Time River was a mysterious place made up of the solidified Grand Daos with Space-Time Dao Strength as its foundation.
Even if Mo entered the river, it would not be easy for him to locate Yang Kai.
The only thing Yang Kai could do now was to avoid Mo’s attacks while doing his best to refine the river and strengthen himself.
As long as he could grow powerful enough, he could put up a fight against Mo.
Just as Yang Kai prepared himself for this final gambit, Mo, who was busy pushing his way into the river, abruptly turned his head around and looked over his shoulder.
He had sensed something strange…
A brief moment later, a spark of white light appeared in the distance where countless Masters from the Black Ink Clan were stationed. The white light shrouded a figure which was travelling at astonishing speed.
Everywhere this figure passed, all of the Black Ink Clansmen turned into a sea of black blood, be they simple soldiers or Royal Lords.
In just a flash, the white light arrived at the Space-Time River and Zhang Ruo Xi’s figure appeared.
She looked around and immediately established the situation, her eyes flashing darkly as they fixed on Mo.
When their eyes met, Mo froze in place.
He did not expect a Master like her to exist! Based on the information he had, the strongest Humans were only the Ninth-Order Masters, and even among their other allies, the strongest were merely Giant Spirit Gods.
Yet, the woman who just arrived… had an aura that seemed even stronger than that of a Giant Spirit God.
When Mo sensed the clean and pure strength of the new arrival, his expression suddenly contorted as he roared, “It’s you!”
He recognised the source of that strength!
Zhang Ruo Xi understood what Mo meant. When the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s strength finally harmonized in the Chaotic Dead Territory, the memories of her Heavens Order Bloodline began awakening, so she was not completely clueless about the events of the ancient past.
Thus, when she heard what Mo said, she cooly replied, “Yes… and no!”
“It is! It’s you!” Mo’s expression had changed rather drastically. Even when Yang Kai suppressed and sealed over 30% of his Source, he took everything in stride and could even thank the latter; however, when Mo saw Zhang Ruo Xi, the darkness hidden deep within him overtook everything else. He leapt out of the Space-Time River and murderously flew over to Zhang Ruo Xi, but all of a sudden, he stopped and shook his head as he muttered, “No. That can’t be!”
Black Ink Strength continued to surge through him before he suddenly lifted his head and levelled a vicious glare at Zhang Ruo Xi and bellowed, “No, it is you!”
Mo behaved as if he had lost his mind and he began to mumble and contradict himself, seemingly completely out of sorts.
All of a sudden, he flashed forwards and reappeared in front of Zhang Ruo Xi, sending his fist flying as he roared, “Why!?”
When the gate formed, Primordial Light and Primordial Darkness came into existence.
From then on, their paths differed entirely. The Primordial Light signified all that was good and wonderful in the Universe, and as soon as it was born, it left and became the colours of everything in existence.
On the other hand, the Primordial Darkness remained suppressed and sealed behind the gate. Time went on, and even when it developed its own consciousness, it could not escape. It was stuck in an endless sea of darkness and loneliness.
Even the Primordial Darkness craved the light!
If it had not been for Mu’s pity and its own persistent efforts, it would still be suppressed and sealed inside the gate right now, with no hope of ever getting out.
[Why!? We both came into existence together, so why did the Primordial Light get to leave while I, the darkness, had to remain in isolation?]
Mo sent his fist crashing down at Zhang Ruo Xi, but his interrogative cry for an answer was not directed at her, it was directed at the Heavenly Way which had been so unfair.
Zhang Ruo Xi’s Heaven’s Order Sword rose to block Mo’s furious strike which sent her flying away in a flash of white light.
A mere breath later, she flew back and stood in front of Mo, her brow furrowed as she studied him.
She could sense that there was something amiss about Mo’s present state.
Just as Mo had previously said to Mu, Mu and the Humans had made the right choice when they suppressed and sealed him inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
As his power grew, his consciousness was barely able to control his own power. If Mu and the other Humans had not suppressed and sealed him, everything would have already been wiped from existence.
Yang Kai traversed across over 2,000 Universe Worlds and suppressed and sealed about a third of Mo’s Source Strength. Although this weakened Mo’s maximum power, it proved to be of great help to Mo as well, for he was now able to have full control over his strength.
However, when Mo saw Zhang Ruo Xi and sensed her power which entirely opposed its own, Black Ink Strength consumed his mind.
Light and darkness had always been opposing forms of existence.
The separation of the gate was the only reason why both came into existence at the same time.
Now that both of these opposing powers stood before each other, it turned into a battle that would not end until one was vanquished!
Black Ink Strength surged and gathered into an endless sea that seemed to drown out the entire void before charging straight at Zhang Ruo Xi and completely shrouding her.
Zhang Ruo Xi’s wings flickered behind her as her Heaven’s Order Sword lightly tapped the spot at her feet. All at once, light burst forth and vanquished the spreading darkness.
However, Mo seized this chance to draw nearer, swinging both his fists down at Zhang Ruo Xi.
She blocked with her sword but was once again sent tumbling.
After her many years of hard cultivation back in the Chaotic Dead Territory, her power had grown by leaps and bounds thanks to her Heaven’s Order Bloodline as well as the power of the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer.
In terms of pure prowess alone, she was stronger than a Giant Spirit God and no Royal Lord could withstand more than three attacks from her.
That being said, now that she was up against Mo’s frenzied attacks, she was at a complete disadvantage and could not even hold her ground against him.
The Primordial Light had left as soon as it came into existence, it then split the power of Yin and Yang from itself. Afterwards, it crashed into what would become the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and brought forth the many Divine Spirits and a Human woman who possessed the Heaven’s Order Bloodline.
If Zhang Ruo Xi could have gathered the pure power of Yin and Yang, and all of the Divine Spirits, then with the help of the Heaven’s Order Bloodline, she could have brought forth the full power of the Primordial Light once more.
Alas, too many Divine Spirits had perished, and the surviving ones numbered far too few in comparison to their peak.
Even if Zhang Ruo Xi wanted to try and bring forth the true power of the Primordial Light, there was no way for her to accomplish that.
In other words, the strength she possessed now was incomplete.
However, Black Ink Strength was incomplete as well. Zhang Ruo Xi could sense the many gaps in Mo’s Source.
Nevertheless, even in this state, Mo was still the one with the upper hand as he had continued to grow stronger over millions of years.
After just a brief exchange, Zhang Ruo Xi knew full well that she was not Mo’s equal. She could only hold out for another half-hour or so before she would be defeated.
And, from the ruthless, murderous look on Mo’s face right now, if she were to be defeated, death was the only outcome that awaited her.
She had no choice!
Zhang Ruo Xi let out a soft sigh, and after blocking yet another one of Mo’s attacks, she raised her hand and made a grabbing motion as she cried out, “Come!”
A devastating battle had broken out outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
When Zhang Ruo Xi was around, her strength alone had been enough to deter the Black Ink Clan, making them fearfully hide in the darkness.
However, once she left, the Black Ink Clan sensed that their Supreme One had regained its power so they jumped into action.
They emerged from the darkness and challenged the Small Stone Race Army.
All at once, brutal fights exploded across the void.
The Small Stone Race Army numbered in the hundreds of millions, but the Black Ink Clan Army that emerged from the endless darkness far surpassed even that. This was the result of Mo’s accumulation over millions of years, so it was impossible to imagine just how many Masters from the Black Ink Clan there were right now.
There was no lack of Royal Lords either.
Faced with such a massive Army, the Human Race Army which only numbered a couple tens of millions was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
It was only now that the Humans realised just how ridiculous their crusade was. If the Human Race had to face off against that many Masters from the Black Ink Clan alone, they had no chance of winning.
Thankfully, Zhang Ruo Xi brought the Small Stone Race Army with her!
Hundreds of millions of Small Stone Race Soldiers bore the brunt of the battle, so the Humans had a fighting chance.
Though the Human Race Army was far smaller in number, it consisted entirely of elite Masters whose strength could not be underestimated.
Under Mi Jing Lun’s command, the Human Army moved in an organized fashion to attack the Black Ink Clan and grind down their power. If someone from the Black Ink Clan was targeted by the Humans, their fate was sealed as they had no means of escaping. The Humans had grown stronger too and had dozens of Ninth-Order Masters among their ranks.
Furthermore, Wu Kuang no longer needed to control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and thus, the terror of the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was unleashed for all to see.
Relying on the heritage of a Peak Ninth-Order Master, Wu Kuang weaved through the Black Ink Clan Army alone and killed all in his path. Even the Royal Lords could not stop him.
The situation with the two Giant Spirit Gods had changed as well. At the start of the battle, they had to guard the opening at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and had been besieged by swarms of Royal Lords as a result.
Now that the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was no more, they were no longer pinned down. Nothing held Ah Da and Ah Er back anymore, so they worked together to rampage through the Black Ink Clan Army.
Everywhere they went, they crushed the enemy in their path.
Furthermore, there were also the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters!
These eight were scattered across the Black Ink Clan Army as they slaughtered their opponents. Though it looked as if they were fighting separately, their auras remained connected in a Battle Formation that could bolster the strength of any one of them at any moment.
Some of the more arrogant Royal Lords had suffered due to ignorance and died from a single blow from them as a result.
Even though the Royal Lords might be as powerful as the Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters, their opponent could borrow the strength of their fellow Masters at any time, completely blindsiding the Royal Lords.
In this, the fiercest battle to have ever taken place in Human history, huge swaths of soldiers from the Small Stone Race and Black Ink Clan died every second.
The Divine Spirits who received the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks from Yang Kai weaved through the battlefield to wield the power of the two Marks.
Each time they did so, yellow and blue light would shoot out from the rocks left behind by the fallen Small Stone Race members. The two lights merged and turned into dazzling Purifying Light that killed scores of the Black Ink Clan Army. At the same time, it cleared the Black Ink Strength left behind by the deaths of the Black Ink Clansmen, thus changing the environment of the battlefield.
The Human Race Army kept snaking their way around the battlefield without ever coming to a stop as they would be surrounded by the Black Ink Clan if they did.
The situation was dire and fraught with tension.
Even an old veteran like Mi Jing Lun could not predict how this battle would ultimately go.
The Armies on both sides were too great in numbers; the battle had to proceed for some time before the chances of victory grew clearer.
The Human Race and the Small Stone Race Armies simply had to work together to persistently slaughter their enemy and fight to emerge victorious!
Everyone knew that this was the final battle. If they won, peace would return to all the lands, but if they lost… The Humans had come to terms with the outcome of a defeat. All they could do now was give their all for one last time.
Even though the Humans focused on the outskirts of the battlefield, they were still under a lot of pressure. Now and then, the Black Ink Clan Army would try to cut them off and they would have to carve out a path for themselves through blood and slaughter.
One after another, numerous Warships exploded and the Human Race Masters died alongside them. Amidst this battlefield, even the Divine Spirits were at risk of peril.
A clear Phoenix cry echoed through the void as the 30 or so different-coloured Phoenixes transformed into their True Forms and spread their wings.
They were the only remaining clansmen of the Phoenix Clan!
The Phoenix Clansmen were carefully guarding the giant Parasol Tree in their centre, their Sacred Treasure.
They had not used their Sacred Treasure in any of their precious battles as it was the foundation of their existence. All of the Phoenix Clan came from the Immortal Parasol Tree.
However, this was the final battle, so the Phoenix Clan no longer held back.
A white Phoenix, together with its clansmen, sat on the Parasol Tree and wielded the power of the Sacred Treasure, causing space to twist and contort.
The contortions circled the Human Race Army, and as the Space rippled, the Humans vanished.
At the very next breath, the Human Race Army emerged in a completely different part of the battlefield where the situation was dire.
The Small Stone Race Army’s defence lines were on the verge of breaking; however, the Black Ink Clan had been caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of the Human Race Army and soon, the situation stabilised as the Black Ink Clan suffered heavy casualties.
Once again, Space rippled…
With the help of the power of the Phoenix Clan and the Immortal Parasol Tree, the Human Race Army shuttled the Void to different parts of the battlefield to stop the Black Ink Clan’s frenzied attempts to break through the front lines.
Nevertheless, the Phoenix Clan’s aid could not be sustained forever. After numerous uses of their strength, they could no longer maintain their True Forms and reverted back to their Human Forms, the Immortal Parasol Tree then weakened and dimmed.
Without the blessing of the Immortal Parasol Tree, the Humans lost their ability to freely traverse the battlefield. Worse, what they had done earlier drew the attention of countless Masters from the Black Ink Clan, and now, the Black Ink Clan charged at the Humans in a bid to seek vengeance by wiping them out for good.
Dragon Roars then rang out as the Dragon Clan combined their strength and summoned the Crystal Palace.
Similarly, numerous Sacred Treasures were summoned across the battlefield. These were the foundation of the various Divine Spirit Clans, and every single one of them had gone through countless years of accumulation and refinement. The Divine Spirits would not summon them unless their very existence was threatened.
The Divine Spirits harnessed the power of their Sacred Treasures to aid the Human Race Army in the fight to slaughter their common enemy. There were also two Giant Spirit Gods and eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters thundering across the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Small Stone Race Army which numbered hundreds of millions staunchly held the front lines. As a result, compared to the Small Stone Race and the Humans, the Black Ink Clan suffered far greater casualties on the battlefield.
At some point, the Human Race Masters began to see glimmers of hope for a victorious outcome.
Alas, their hopes were soon dashed.
The eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters who had been busy exterminating the enemy seemed to have been summoned by someone. With their aura connected, they charged through the Black Ink Clan Army and headed deep within the darkness. Soon, they disappeared from sight.
No one knew where they went exactly; however, Zhang Ruo Xi had gone off in that direction earlier, and terrifying shockwaves were now rippling out from that area.
Atop the tattered Pure Yang Pass, Mi Jing Lun’s heart sank as he realised that Zhang Ruo Xi must have encountered some kind of trouble.
Based on the strength Zhang Ruo Xi exhibited earlier, the only threat against her had to be Mo!
The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been destroyed and Mo had awakened; thus, the battle reached its final, most critical climax.
The departure of the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Races greatly eased the pressure on the Black Ink Clan.
The eight of them had focused on killing off Territory Lords and Royal Lords, with many of the latter suffering or even dying to the targeted attacks.
Now that the Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters left the battlefield, there were only the two Giant Spirit Gods remaining, and Ah Da and Ah Er could not kill off the Royal Lords as swiftly as the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters.
In the end, size was the deciding factor.
Naturally, the Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters were weaker than the Giant Spirit Gods, but they were the same size as Humans and could move around deftly. Any Royal Lord they had their eyes on could not escape from them.
The same could not be said for the Giant Spirit Gods; they were too massive, and though their strength was unparalleled, they were not nearly as nimble or flexible.
Each time they attacked, large swaths of the Black Ink Clansmen would die, but those who reacted in time could still escape.
Thus, now that the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters left the battlefield, the Royal Lords were a lot less hindered and could do much more, such as grouping up to besiege the Human Race Army!
The Black Ink Clan realised that even though the Small Stone Race Army made up the majority on the battlefield, the Humans were the true driving force behind the battle. Furthermore, compared to the hundreds of millions of Small Stone Race Soldiers, it was easier to wipe out the Humans, who only numbered in the tens of millions.
As long as they killed off all the Humans, they would emerge victorious, regardless of the casualties they suffered.
All at once, the Human Race Army was under great pressure as they became the primary targets of the Black Ink Clan.
…..
Deep inside the void, the intense battle between Zhang Ruo Xi and Mo continued. It was the first time that the Primordial Light and Darkness were together again since the dawn of creation, and as they clashed, the Universe seemed to shatter and break.
Mo seemed to have lost all reason as the fury that built up throughout all the aeons poured out at once, leaving Zhang Ruo Xi with barely any room to fight back.
From a distance, the light and darkness could be seen clashing, with the ocean of darkness keeping the light completely surrounded. Only a feeble flicker of light could be seen coming from the centre of the conflict.
Darkness was constantly clawing at the light, and it looked as if the latter would be extinguished at any moment.
Despite having over 30% of his Source suppressed and sealed, Mo’s might was still immeasurable and impossible to imagine. At the very least, he was more than what Zhang Ruo Xi could handle.
Earlier on, she estimated that she could hold out for half an hour, but now that they were well and truly engaged, she realised she had underestimated her opponent.
The power of the Primordial Light had been dispersed, much of it disappearing with the death of the Divine Spirits. All that was left were the Heaven’s Order Bloodline and the power of the Yin and Yang. Therefore, the Primordial Light had lost even more of its strength than Mo.
As the fight went on, Mo grew fiercer. Black Ink Strength surged and it looked as if he was on the verge of completely devouring Zhang Ruo Xi.
Zhang Ruo Xi was at a great disadvantage, and her situation only eased once she summoned the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters over.
They left the main battlefield and swiftly headed straight over to Zhang Ruo Xi. From a distance, their connected auras linked up with Zhang Ruo Xi’s, and a Battle Formation was instantly formed!
Previously, the Eight Trigrams Formation formed by the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters had stunned the Human Race Masters, but if they saw what was happening now, they would have no words to describe their shock and awe.
Zhang Ruo Xi and the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters formed a Nine Palaces Formation, the most powerful of all Battle Formations!
Zhang Ruo Xi acted as the Core while the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters formed the base.
All at once, Ruo Xi’s power soared and she was no longer cornered without any means of fighting back.
The flash of light expanded amid the darkness and broke free of its restraints. It now had the power to fight back and cover a greater area in brightness.
Mo sensed this change and grew even more furious, unleashing even more concentrated Black Ink Strength from his body.
The two continued to clash, and each time light and darkness collided, darkness would spread out behind Mo, while light and the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters followed closely behind Zhang Ruo Xi.
Time and time again, the two smashed against each other, neither side showing any signs of backing down!
With each clash, the Void crumbled and shattered. A battle of such immense power had never occurred before, and it would never occur again. This was a battle between the primordial forces of existence.
The intense fight went on for hours, with no side able to overwhelm the other.
With the help of the Battle Formation with her Small Stone Race Personal Guard, Zhang Ruo Xi could finally oppose Mo on even footing.
Nevertheless, this was merely a Battle Formation and not her own strength.
The prolonged fight not only continued to add to the pressure that Zhang Ruo Xi faced, but even the Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters were struggling.
The Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters had tough bodies, weaker than Yang Kai’s Divine Dragon physique, but not by much. Under normal circumstances, they would not be facing any issues.
However, the long and intense fight proved to be a burden that was slowly exceeding their ability to bear.
Cracks began to appear on the bodies of the Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters, and as Zhang Ruo Xi and Mo continued to clash, these cracks grew. Soon, the cracks weaved across their bodies like spider-webs.
It could be seen that once the cracks reached a certain point, even the Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters would crumble into a pile of rocks.
These Small Stone Races were Ruo Xi’s Personal Guard. They had been groomed with great difficulty and were intrinsically connected to her, so she could sense the state of every single one of them. Therefore, when she picked up on their injuries, she realised that things were looking bad for them.
She was only able to fight Mo because she had formed a Battle Formation with her Small Stone Race Personal Guard, but if something happened to the latter, the Battle Formation would collapse, even if only one of them died. Once that happened, it would be impossible for her to hold her own against Mo.
Once this thought occurred to her, Zhang Ruo Xi changed her strategy. Instead of confronting Mo head-on, she took a defensive stance to drag the fight out.
She did not know what her Sir was doing now, but all along, she knew that he was capable of doing things no one else could and she held strongly to this belief. [Sir can always make a miracle happen even in a hopeless situation!]
Therefore, regardless of what he was doing now, she had to try and buy him enough time.
Her new strategy worked. When two opponents were evenly matched, one could not accomplish much if the other was determined to prolong the fight.
The intense fight turned into a chase instead. Ruo Xi and her eight Small Stone Race Personal Guard kept flitting about, and even though Mo wielded his immense power wildly, he could not pin down and suppress her.
Mo, who had already lost his senses, became even more incensed, releasing bestial snarls and roars in an unending cacophony.
When Mo first emerged from the Space-Time River, he looked no different from a regular Human, apart from his Black Ink Strength. However, when Zhang Ruo Xi showed up, the Black Ink Strength surged and overtook his mind.
At this point, Mo no longer looked Human. Ruo Xi’s appearance and subsequent actions seemed to have driven him mad.
All of a sudden, Mo stopped chasing Zhang Ruo Xi.
As Zhang Ruo Xi puzzled over this, Mo abruptly turned around and charged towards the Space-Time River.
Ruo Xi’s expression stiffened!
Although Mo had been so agitated that he lost his senses, his battle instincts remained. Since Zhang Ruo Xi was equal in strength to him, he could not get rid of her, so he changed his target to Yang Kai who was still within the Space-Time River.
Even in his blurry state, he was still determined to protect the Space-Time River. He was not going to let anyone touch the final trace of Mu!
Upon seeing that Mo was turning back, Zhang Ruo Xi swiftly chased after him. Light flashed as she stopped him and engaged in a frontal battle again.
After a brief skirmish, Ruo Xi repeated her old tactic and quickly retreated. This led to a furious Mo pursuing her in the opposite direction of the Space-Time River.
Mo kept up the chase for a while, but when his efforts proved fruitless, he turned around again.
Once again, Ruo Xi caught up to him…
By doing this over and over again, she managed to occupy Mo’s attention.
Nonetheless, Zhang Ruo Xi knew this was only a temporary measure. She could tell that Mo was not in the right state of mind at the moment, which was why he did not notice what she was doing with her fairly crude strategy.
However, with each clash, the power of the light would wipe out some of the darkness, and similarly, the darkness would devour the light. In other words, both light and darkness were weakening each other each time they collided.
Zhang Ruo Xi could clearly sense that she was greatly weakened by the many hours of fighting, and the same was true of Mo.
Once the Black Ink Strength was weakened to a certain extent, Mo would most likely regain his senses, and when that time came, she would no longer be able to use this strategy to keep him occupied.
Furthermore, Ruo Xi was even more worried by the fact that the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters would not be able to hold out much longer. Their bodies were covered in cracks now and it looked as if they would crumble at the slightest touch.
She was doing her best to keep the head-on confrontations with Mo to a minimum, but if she wanted to stop Mo from heading to the Space-Time River, she had to resort to things that she knew she should not!
Now that things had come to this, Zhang Ruo Xi had no other choice. She could only do her best to keep Mo occupied as she fervently hoped that Yang Kai sped up whatever he was doing; otherwise, once her Personal Guards could no longer hold out anymore, she would not be able to stop Mo alone.
Within Mu’s Space-Time River, Yang Kai was shrouded in his own Space-Time River as he used it to greedily devour everything around him.
The river was made out of Dao Strengths. Every single undercurrent and wave surged with Dao Strength, and as time passed, Yang Kai’s Space-Time River grew bigger while Mu’s river shrank.
It was entirely by chance, but it could not be denied that Yang Kai and Mu had walked the same path. This gave meaning to Mu’s countless years of patience and perseverance.
Due to trying to open the Profound Source Gate in the past, Mu’s Space-Time River was no longer complete, which cut off her future path. She could not explore the deeper mysteries of the Martial Dao; therefore, she passed down her hopes to those who came after her.
Among all the hidden hands she left behind, her Space-Time River was the final gift she had to offer; however, if a person wanted to harness this gift to make themselves more powerful, it would take time.
Perhaps even Mu would not have expected Yang Kai to be approved by so many of her remnant shadows.
Under normal circumstances, if Black Ink Strength had the irrefutable advantage in any of the 3,000 Universe Worlds and there was no hope of suppressing and sealing that particular Source piece, there would be no reason for Yang Kai to waste any time on that Universe World.
Nevertheless, during Yang Kai’s previous travels, he did his best to find every single remaining shadow of Mu. He wanted to save them all from their suffering and take them away from the Universe Worlds.
Each one that disappeared signified that the Mu of that time approved of Yang Kai.
After moving through some 2,700 Universe Worlds, Yang Kai received approval from over 2,000 of them, which was a massive number.
This allowed him to devour and refine Mu’s Space-Time River with greater efficiency.
As Yang Kai’s river kept expanding, his command over the many Dao Strengths increased as well. The enlightenment from the many mysteries exploded in his mind.
Yang Kai was deeply engrossed and could not extricate himself from what was happening inside his mind.
The joy of glimpsing into the mysteries of every Grand Dao was impossibly tantalising for any Master.
Grand Daos were the basis behind all existence and the ultimate goal of all cultivators. If someone were to be entirely immersed in this, there was a chance that they would forget all else and transform into Dao Strengths themselves.
This meant that Yang Kai’s situation was tricky as well; on the one hand, he had to resist the lure of the Dao Strengths, while on the other, he had to do his best to take them in to strengthen his own mastery of the Grand Daos.
He tried his best to maintain the balance of refining as quickly as possible while still remaining in control over his senses, making sure to not let himself be lost in the process.
All of a sudden, his mind felt as if it had received an awakening. It was as if he had broken through a barrier that had been preventing him from growing stronger.
Yang Kai realised that his mastery of the Dao of Time had reached the Ninth Level!
A Master’s strength was essentially divided based on their cultivation. Of the nine Orders of the Open Heaven Realm, each higher Order was much stronger than the previous. It was a clear and easy way of distinguishing between Masters.
However, this kind of division was not comprehensive and there could be great disparity in power even among Masters in the same Order of Open Heaven Realm.
The disparity came from the difference in accumulation of each Master, the power differential in the heritage of the Master’s Small Universe, as well as… the Master’s understanding of their Grand Daos.
The Open Heaven Realm involved the discovery and mastery of Grand Dao. In a sense, the higher the mastery of one’s Grand Dao, the stronger the Master.
Since the dawn of existence, no one had a clear way of defining the levels of mastery of the Grand Dao.
Thus, Yang Kai had split the mastery of Grand Daos into nine levels based on his own growth.
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 finally Shocking History and Dazzling the Present!
This was merely his own method of division, one he shared with others, and some had adopted it. Until now, none tried to correct it.
Yang Kai felt that he had differentiated them correctly.
His primary Grand Daos were the Dao of Time and the Dao of Space. These were the Dao Strengths that formed the basis of the Space-Time River; however, despite his many opportunities and his mastery over the Grand Daos, after all this time, he had only managed to cultivate the Dao of Time and the Dao of Space to the Eighth Level.
All this while, Yang Kai did not know how to break through to the Ninth Level; however, he had a vague feeling that if his mastery of the Dao of Time reached the Ninth Level, an indescribable change was bound to happen.
Finally, as Yang Kai refined Mu’s Space-Time River, he was able to make a breakthrough on one of his primary Grand Daos, allowing it to reach the Ninth Level!
[To think it’s the Dao of Time first! Not the Dao of Space!] Yang Kai had always thought it would have been the latter that would be the first to reach the Ninth Level of mastery.
Yang Kai was a little taken aback as the Dao of Space was the first one that he truly cultivated. He had his Dragon Source to thank for his ability to cultivate the Dao of Time to its current level.
The Dao of Time was the Bloodline Talent of the Dragon Clan.
All at once, Yang Kai gained a mysterious sense of understanding. As he lifted his hand ever so slightly within the Space-Time River, he seemed to be able to grab onto the flow of Time!
In the past, he was able to make Time flow quicker within his Space-Time River to cultivate 10 times faster, but he could not truly control the passage of Time.
But, he could do so now!
With the increase in Yang Kai’s command over the Dao of Time, his Dragon Vein surged and he could not stop himself from raising his head and letting out a Dragon Roar. His Dragon Scales rustled as his Dragon Form enlarged!
His Dragon Vein had advanced even further.
This was a great surprise.
However, before Yang Kai could dwell on his joy, his mastery over his other primary Grand Dao broke into the Ninth Level as well.
This time, it was the Dao of Space!
Once again, the mysterious sense of enlightenment flooded Yang Kai’s mind. He felt his mind grow hazy. It was as if it had been stuffed full with the truth of the Grand Daos, which he did not understand in the past. The truth of existence was unfolding in front of him.
He quickly harnessed the strength of his Soul Warming Lotus, even though he was uncertain whether it would help.
The clarity that poured back into his mind made him feel a little better.
Now that Yang Kai’s mastery of both the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time had reached the Ninth Level, his Space-Time River became even more massive.
Previously, his Space-Time River looked like a blade of grass in comparison to Mu’s river, which was like a tall tree; however, after all the refining he had done thus far, his river grew bigger and could now be likened to a shrub instead.
While the tree was still a tree, it had grown a lot smaller.
That was not the only difference. At first, Yang Kai had a hard time keeping up with his frenzied attempt to refine Mu’s river to strengthen his own.
The Dao Strengths of Space and Time formed the foundation of the river, and without a strong enough command over both, it was hard for Yang Kai to control the colossal river.
It was akin to a building. If a building’s foundation had only been built for five storeys, the building ran the risk of collapsing if 10 storeys were built instead.
Yang Kai’s command over the Daos of Time and Dao of Space was the foundation in this scenario, and by having a greater mastery over these two Grand Daos, his foundation became stronger. This transformation was evident in the river’s physical state. While it looked a little scattered earlier, it was now a lot more concentrated.
With the Grand Daos of Space and Time breaking through to the Ninth Level of mastery, Yang Kai’s Space-Time River now had a stronger foundation; thus, it began devouring and refining Mu’s Space-Time River at a far quicker rate.
As the frenzy of devouring and refining continued, Yang Kai’s mastery over the Grand Daos increased as well.
Next was a breakthrough in the Spear Dao…
Then, a breakthrough in the Sword Dao…
Breakthroughs in the Alchemic Dao, Array Dao, and Yin-Yang Dao soon followed…
Yang Kai’s understanding of each Grand Dao rose in rapid succession. The barriers were broken through and he achieved a new height of mastery.
With each breakthrough, Yang Kai’s mind was filled with strange and wondrous enlightenment, granting him further clarity in each Grand Dao.
Outside the Space-Time River, light and darkness continued to clash.
Both the Primordial Light and Primordial Darkness did not possess their full power anymore, but as the darkness remained whole and continued to grow over the years, Mo had become a lot more powerful than Zhang Ruo Xi.
This held true even when Yang Kai had used the Profound Source Gate to suppress and seal a third of his Source.
Mo would have regained all of his strength and be even more powerful right now if it had not been for the many hidden hands Mu left behind.
Zhang Ruo Xi could only just barely challenge Mo to a fight with the help of the Nine Palaces Formation she formed with her eight Small Stone Race Personal Guard.
In just a few hours though, the eight Small Stone Race Masters were littered with cracks. It looked as if they could crumble into a pile of rubble at any moment now.
Zhang Ruo Xi tried her best to buy time, but she did not know how much longer she could continue to hold out. All she could do was fervently hope that Yang Kai could hurry up.
Each time light and darkness collided, their respective powers wore down the other. Light dispelled darkness while darkness devoured light.
Time and time again, Zhang Ruo Xi and Mo continued to weaken each other. This was most evident in the way Ruo Xi’s white wings had dimmed and Mo seemed to have lost some of his prior madness.
[This is not a good sign,] Zhang Ruo Xi could tell that Mo, as the consciousness that sprung from Primordial Darkness, did not have full control over Black Ink Strength. The years of growth and accumulation had made the power increase beyond Mo’s ability to freely wield.
That was the reason why her arrival bearing the strength of the Primordial Light had drawn out the frenzied resentment of the Primordial Darkness and caused Mo to lose his rationality.
At the same time, Mo had an instinctive, obsessive yearning and protectiveness of Mu’s Space-Time River. Even his subconscious would not allow anyone to touch what Mu had left behind.
As Black Ink Strength clashed with Mo’s consciousness, his actions began displaying contradicting desires. At times, he fiercely chased down Zhang Ruo Xi, but at times, he turned back around to head for the Space-Time River.
Zhang Ruo Xi relied on this dichotomy to provoke Mo and keep him occupied; however, once Mo regained his senses, it would not be so easy for her to do so.
Although Mo currently possessed strength that surpassed all others, he was currently behaving like a wild beast without a sense of rationality, so Zhang Ruo Xi could still deal with him by employing the right strategy.
Even though Mo regaining his rationality meant that his raw power would be weaker, Zhang Ruo Xi was not confident that she could stop him then.
What one feared the most was often the very thing to occur. As the clashes continued, Zhang Ruo Xi could sense that Mo’s gaze was getting clearer.
To make things worse, her Personal Guard could barely hold out anymore.
That was not the only bad news though. Even her strength, which relied on her Heaven’s Order Bloodline to harmonize the powers of Yin and Yang, was beginning to show signs of instability.
Her Heaven’s Order Bloodline was indeed powerful. It was the only thing that could bridge the powers granted by the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer. Thanks to Zhang Ruo Xi’s many years of diligent cultivation, she was finally able to reconcile the two opposing powers and draw them into her. As a result, she possessed superior strength.
However, her Ninth-Order cultivation was still quite weak in comparison to the powers of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer. She could not withstand a prolonged fight that involved such overwhelming power.
On the other hand, Zhang Ruo Xi dared not hold back in a fight against Mo. She went all out with every strike, and as the number of clashes increased, her power became more and more unstable.
Her Personal Guards were in bad shape and her strength was becoming unstable, so she knew she did not have much time left.
Even so, she never once considered retreating; instead, her eyes filled with determination as she made a decision.
After yet another ferocious clash, the two figures separated.
Zhang Ruo Xi could clearly sense that even more cracks emerged on the bodies of the eight Personal Guard behind her.
Her grip on the Heaven’s Order Sword tightened and she exhaled softly as her wings began to flap and her presence grew even more imposing.
In the void opposite her, Mo stood unmoving with his head lowered.
Just as Zhang Ruo Xi prepared to strike once more, Mo raised his hand to block her, “You should stop now.”
Zhang Ruo Xi did not listen. Her presence continued to intensify with no signs of stopping; nevertheless, she could not ignore Mo’s present state and could not help asking, “Have you regained your rationality?”
Mo raised his head and looked at her. Although his eyes showed signs of a struggle, it was no longer in a state of madness.
“I have to thank you for that,” he replied.
Zhang Ruo Xi knew what Mo meant.
Initially, the power of Primordial Darkness was still too strong for Mo to bear, causing his consciousness to devolve into a frenzied state; however, as he and Zhang Ruo Xi continued to clash, the powers of light and darkness ate away at each other. Both their powers were weakened in the battle.
Now that Mo’s consciousness could overpower his strength, he regained some rationality.
“That won’t be necessary,” Zhang Ruo Xi coolly replied.
Mo’s brows furrowed ever so slightly, “You will die if you use that attack!”
Mo could tell that Zhang Ruo Xi wanted to harness all of her remaining power to engage him in a final clash that would determine life or death.
“You probably won’t die, but you will suffer,” Zhang Ruo Xi said.
“That’s why you should stop. I don’t wish to kill you,” Mo urged.
Zhang Ruo Xi showed no signs of stopping. She did not respond to Mo at all. Instead, she continued to harness her power and strength to prove her determination with her actions. Cracking sounds could be heard from the eight behind her.
With this strike, the eight of them would turn into dust.
Mo’s gaze turned cold as he snarled, “If you insist on dying, I am willing to fulfil your desire for death, but have you thought about what would happen to Yang Kai if you died?”
Zhang Ruo Xi was a little startled.
[Sir would be deeply saddened by my death, right? That’s enough for me…]
Zhang Ruo Xi still showed no signs of backing down; instead, she let out a faint smile. This made Mo exasperated as he could not resist saying, “Why are Human women so stubborn? You think it’s worth it to die at my hands to protect him, but have you ever thought about the guilt and torture the living would have to endure? If you truly want to act in his best interests, I advise you to calm down and look at things from his perspective. You staying alive should come before everything else.”
Zhang Ruo Xi stared at Mo in shock this time, brimming with confusion.
[What’s going on? The one who wields the darkest of all powers that exist is attempting to reason with me during a life-and-death moment…]
She could not help but find it unbelievable, especially since Mo made a good point.
Instinctively, she suddenly felt that Mo was scheming something.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Mo curtly snorted, “I lived among you Humans for more years than you have lived. We once worked together and protected each other.” [There was even someone very important to me once. All I wanted to do was to help her, but in the end, I was destined to ruin everything…]
When Mo saw what Zhang Ruo Xi was about to do, he could not help but recall his own past. [Mu must’ve felt great anguish when she decided to lock me up. In the end, I let her down.]
Mo turned towards the Space-Time River and said, “Why don’t we just wait here? When he comes out, I will fight him.”
Zhang Ruo Xi frowned as she looked at Mo, too afraid to let her guard down.
Mo turned back to her once more, “There’s nothing for you to worry about. You are free to strike me at any given moment and engage me in a fight to the death. As you said, even if I kill you, I will suffer in the process, and when he comes out, perhaps I won’t be able to hold my own against him.”
Zhang Ruo Xi simply could not figure out what Mo was thinking.
It would indeed be great for her if she did as Mo suggested.
She had enough strength to unleash a powerful final strike, and she could do so at any time, so the only one who had anything to gain by agreeing to Mo’s suggestion was her.
Besides, even if Mo was plotting something sinister, would she be able to stop him?
[If Mo is truly willing to simply stop and wait now, once Sir comes out, he and I can attack Mo together.]
“You better not do anything rash,” after hesitating for a brief moment, Zhang Ruo Xi withdrew her imposing aura.
“Naturally,” Mo smirked as it remained standing in place.
Zhang Ruo Xi nodded.
The two Masters who had been dueling in a brutal, all-out fight to the death now stood together in the void, waiting in silence. Sure enough, life was unpredictable.
Zhang Ruo Xi was still on guard, so she led her eight Personal Guards over to a spot between Mo and the Space-Time River to block Mo.
Mo saw what she was doing and showed no inclination of stopping her, puzzling her even further.
That being said, she had never encountered Mo before. She imagined Mo to be a brutal, sinister, and vicious existence, but after interacting with him herself, she realised that was not the case.
Though confused, as Zhang Ruo Xi stared into Mo’s eyes, she had a vague inkling and could not help but ask, “What do you want to do?”
Mo’s gaze went past her and stared at the massive Space-Time River as he asked, “It’s very grand and beautiful, isn’t it?”
Zhang Ruo Xi did not answer Mo’s question, instead frowning in doubt, “So what if it is?”
“It saved me from endless darkness,” Mo replied, “So, to me, it is the light. This is what she left behind, and since she has chosen a Successor, I want to see what happens. If her Successor can kill me, it won’t be a bad way for me to die.”
After a pause, Mo continued with a heavy heart, “When it comes down to it, I did something I shouldn’t have. It only stands to reason that I pay the price for it.”
“If you wish to die, I can fulfil your wish for you!” Zhang Ruo Xi shot back.
Mo eyed her coolly, “Only the person who gave me my new life can kill me. No one else has the right to do so.”
Alas, the one who had the right to kill Mo was no longer around and nothing mattered to him anymore. Everything and everyone in existence was meaningless and he could kill them off as he desired without feeling any hesitance.
Zhang Ruo Xi and Mo stood opposite each other outside the Space-Time River. She remained vigilant at all times, but Mo did not do anything, he simply stared at the Space-Time River that cut through the void and watched as it churned.
Meanwhile, the Human Race Army was snaking its way through the large battlefield as it constantly attacked the Black Ink Clan Army’s frontlines to weaken them.
The Humans were actually able to make good progress.
Furthermore, the Small Stone Race Army was fearlessly confronting the Black Ink Clan. Many lives came to an end with every breath.
A battle of this scale had never been seen before. The three parties out on the battlefield numbered into the billions when combined.
The Small Stone Race Army consisted of hundreds of millions while the Black Ink Clan Army was twice as large. On the other hand, there were less than 20 million Human Race Masters left, which was not even a tenth of either of the other two.
Despite being much lower in numbers, the Humans came out on top when it came to the average power. Only Fourth-Order Masters and above could directly join in the crusade, and after many millennia of cultivation, the Human Race now had a large number of Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Masters.
In this respect, neither the Small Stone Race nor the Black Ink Clan could compare to the Humans. Even though they had massive numbers, weak soldiers who could not contribute much made up most of their ranks. This was especially true of the Black Ink Clan. Whenever the Human Race Army crossed paths with large groups of the Black Ink Clan’s cannon fodder, all of the latter would be exterminated in great sweeping waves of death.
Nevertheless, being so few was still an undeniable disadvantage. Although the Human Race Army was able to attack the Black Ink Clan and wipe them out in large groups, they could not persist for long.
The Humans started this battle, but it was the Small Stone Race Army that enabled them to keep going. If Zhang Ruo Xi had not brought the Small Stone Race reinforcements over, the Humans would have been defeated the moment the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction broke. These were sorrowful times.
Many of the Small Stone Race Soldiers died and turned into rocks and pebbles that littered the battlefield. The Divine Spirits who had the Great Sun and Great Moon Marks kept using the power of the marks to draw out the power of Yin and Yang inside the remains of the Small Stone Race who had been ‘sacrificed’. These powers were then transformed into Purifying Light which not only killed many Black Ink Clansmen, but also purified the environment of the battlefield.
It was thanks to this that the Humans and the Small Stone Race could still put up a fight against the Black Ink Clan.
Initially, Ah Da and Ah Er, the two Giant Spirit Gods, were able to move about with impunity. Without enough Royal Lords to keep them pinned down, they were completely invincible and seas of blood formed wherever they went.
However, as more and more of the Royal Lords joined forces to besiege Ah Da and Ah Er, the latter pair slowly lost their ability to act freely.
The fierce battle continued.
Every few days, the Human Race Army would retreat behind the Small Stone Race’s lines to rest and regroup before charging out again.
Pure Yang Pass, which led the Human Race Army into battle, was now a wreck. It did not look like it could hold out much longer, and the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress was in a similar state. The extreme intensity of the battle was a taxing trial for all the Humans, with even the Ninth-Order Masters having a hard time, let alone those of lower Orders.
Nevertheless, the Humans could not stop. This was the final confrontation, and if they backed down, total extermination was the only fate that awaited them; therefore, all of them grit their teeth and persevered.
A month after the start of the battle, the situation on the battlefield grew clearer.
Mi Jing Lun was fatigued and ashen-faced as he stood atop the worn Pure Yang Pass, his forehead covered in a layer of sweat.
He had overexerted himself. As the Supreme Commander of the Human Race Army, he faced the most pressure. Not only did he have to keep an eye on the situation on the battlefield to promptly make the right strategic decisions, but as a Ninth-Order Master, he was also in charge of controlling Pure Yang Pass to attack the enemy.
At this point, he had expended so much energy that his foundation had suffered heavy damage.
However, his sense of helplessness stemmed not from his exhaustion, but from the fact that the situation was not in the Human Race’s favour.
There were far too many of the Black Ink Clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, twice as many as there were Small Stone Race Soldiers, and after a month-long battle, the Black Ink Clan was beginning to show signs of suppressing the former.
If this continued, in less than two weeks, the Small Stone Race Army would be defeated.
Once the Small Stone Race Army was vanquished, the Humans would not be able to survive. They were bound to follow the Small Stone Race Army to their deaths.
Mi Jing Lun could not be resigned to this. The fight between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan began towards the end of the Late Ancient Era and had carried on for millions of years since then. Was it going to end in tragedy for the Human Race?
Still, there was not much he could do to change things now. In a massive battle like this, there was not a single strategy that could lead to a decisive outcome. Victory hinged on the strength of both parties.
Mi Jing Lun could not stop himself from casting a glance into the depths of the void.
Over a month ago, Zhang Ruo Xi had abruptly left the battlefield and the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters followed soon after. Nothing had been heard from them ever since.
Initially, great aftershocks of an intense battle reverberated out from that part of the void, but soon, everything went silent.
Even now, Mi Jing Lun did not know what was happening over there.
All he knew was that Zhang Ruo Xi and her eight Personal Guards were there. Yang Kai was there too, along with… Mo!
If anything could turn the tides of this battle, it had to come from that part of the void!
[Stay strong! We must persist!]
As long as the worst did not happen, they still had a shred of hope of survival.
…..
The churning of the Space-Time River became even more ferocious. After a month of devouring and refining Mu’s Space-Time River, Yang Kai’s Space-Time River had grown unimaginably large, while Mu’s river, which was outside his, was turning into an empty shell.
Thanks to this final gift, Yang Kai’s Space-Time River had enlarged to the point where it could rival that of Mu’s.
Outside the river, Zhang Ruo Xi and her eight Personal Guards were still in a Battle Formation. They were intrinsically connected and kept their guards up the whole time.
Thankfully, throughout this whole time, Mo did not move, he merely stood quietly and waited.
At last, a resounding splash sounded and the Space-Time River which had meandered across the void for countless eons was completely destroyed.
It was replaced by another river that was comparable to it, but the new one was churning even more ferociously and its water seemed even more forceful.
This was not a sign that Yang Kai had surpassed Mu in strength; instead, it was a result of his inability to fully control this sudden growth in strength.
If Yang Kai had full control over the power of his river, it would be completely still and silent, not causing such a huge commotion like now.
Zhang Ruo Xi had to fight the urge to turn around and look, her expression grim.
Just a moment ago, she clearly sensed a flash of murderous intent coming from Mo.
Mo did not bother to hide it at all. Apart from the clear murderous intent, Zhang Ruo Xi also picked up a sense of hatred and regret.
As she sensed the churning of the Dao Strengths behind her, she knew that Yang Kai had succeeded.
Though, she had no idea what he did…
Amidst the churning waves, Yang Kai’s figure appeared as the Dao Strengths surged around him.
Based on strength alone, he was stronger than both Mo and Zhang Ruo Xi after their earlier fight. This was a result of his heightened mastery of Grand Daos.
The clearest evidence of this was the size of his Space-Time River.
Yang Kai’s Space-Time River was comparable to the one Mu left behind and it had grown colossal beyond imagination.
A baby Dragon was bound to become a Divine Dragon someday. Although Yang Kai’s cultivation did not increase by much, his strength was leaps and bounds above what it once was.
A piercing gaze shot over at him.
Yang Kai immediately spotted Mo, who was standing in the distance. The abhorrence and murderous intent in its eyes were plainly visible.
Mo looked a lot like Little Eleventh whom Yang Kai met inside the Primordial World. If Little Eleventh grew up as a normal Human, he would resemble Mo’s current appearance.
Ruo Xi stood between Yang Kai and Mo with a grim and vigilant expression.
Yang Kai had been busy refining Mu’s final gift and knew nothing of what was happening outside the river all this while. Upon sensing Mo and Ruo Xi’s present states though, he realised that they had engaged in a fight earlier. Both seemed to have walked away injured as neither one of them felt as powerful as he expected them to be.
His Divine Sense tingled as it spread out like a gush of water. Soon, he picked up on the situation out on the battlefield in the distance.
Yang Kai’s brow furrowed slightly.
Compared to the situation over here, the Human Race Army and the Small Stone Race Army were in a bleak situation. If things continued as they were, they would certainly be defeated.
“Ruo Xi!” Yang Kai called out at once.
“I’m here, Sir,” Zhang Ruo Xi swiftly replied.
“Head to the battlefield and help them.”
Zhang Ruo Xi was startled.
She figured that since Yang Kai had emerged, they could work together to take on Mo now.
While she could not face off against Mo alone, if she and Yang Kai worked together, they had a good chance of winning this fight.
Mo was a lot weaker now thanks to both Yang Kai’s deed of suppressing and sealing his Source as well as the earlier fight with Zhang Ruo Xi. Light and darkness had clashed and worn each other down.
If they got rid of Mo, they would completely eradicate the threat against the 3,000 Worlds.
Yang Kai seemed to have deduced Zhang Ruo Xi’s thoughts as he said, “The Human Race Army is the only remaining strength we have now. A victory against Mo is meaningless if they get wiped out. Go and help them at once, Ruo Xi. Leave things here to me.”
Zhang Ruo Xi knew that Yang Kai was right. If the Human Race Army was entirely vanquished, then even if she and Yang Kai managed to defeat Mo, it was a pointless victory.
The goal of this battle was to ensure the survival of the Human Race, and victory hinged on bringing the entire Army to victory.
She clenched her jaw and said, “Be careful, Sir! I’ll come back as soon as possible!”
After glaring viciously at Mo one last time, her wings fluttered and she turned into a streak of light before shooting off towards the battlefield.
Once she left, Mo and Yang Kai were left alone in the void.
“A wise decision!” Mo remarked.
Yang Kai quirked his eyebrows, “How so?”
“She’s in a poor state right now,” Mo commented with a faint smile, “You asked her to leave to save her life, right?”
Yang Kai’s brow was tightly knitted, “I thought I was going up against an evil being who has lost all its rationality. I didn’t expect to be facing off against an intelligent opponent. This makes things a lot more challenging.”
With just one look, Yang Kai noticed Zhang Ruo Xi’s condition. Although he did not know what would happen when the Heaven’s Order Bloodline harmonized the powers of Yin and Yang, he could tell that the eight Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Masters behind Ruo Xi were on the verge of crumbling apart.
As the Core of the Nine Palaces Formation, she was undoubtedly shouldering the heaviest burden.
If she stayed here and partook in the fight against Mo, once the eight fell apart, Ruo Xi would be doomed once Mo found the chance to strike her down.
Naturally, protecting Ruo Xi was not the only reason why Yang Kai told her to leave. The Human Race and the Small Stone Race were in dire need of help too. They were bound to lose if they did not receive any outside intervention on the battlefield.
Now that Zhang Ruo Xi had gone back to the battlefield, it was unlikely for her to be involved in any fight as taxing as the one against Mo earlier. As long as she was careful and ensured that her eight Personal Guards did not die, she would not be in any grave danger.
That being said, Yang Kai was taken aback by the current Mo.
As Yang Kai said, he thought he would be facing an evil being without any sense of rationality; however, Mo was evidently able to think and act calmly…
Yang Kai would much rather go up against a senseless killing machine as it was easier to deal with an opponent like that.
“I’m surprised you didn’t stop me from devouring and refining Mu’s Space-Time River,” Yang Kai spoke up.
While refining the gift from Mu, he was vigilant against the possibility of Mo interfering, but the latter did not do anything else after his initial attempt was interrupted.
Although Zhang Ruo Xi had come over in time to occupy Mo, what Yang Kai saw when he came out was simply a silent standoff between Mo and Ruo Xi.
It was entirely unexpected.
He knew that Mo could have chosen to forcefully break away from Ruo Xi, though he would have to pay a price; however, from Mo’s standpoint, stopping Yang Kai from refining Mu’s river had to be the primary goal, and it would have been worth paying a price to accomplish that.
After hearing Yang Kai’s comment, Mo lowered his eyes and let out a soft sigh, “Did Mu leave something in the river to be used against me?”
Yang Kai nodded, “You noticed that, as expected.”
Mu had left her Space-Time River for someone who would succeed her, but it was impossible to refine the entire river in the blink of an eye. During that time, Mo was bound to interfere.
It was not surprising that someone with as much intelligence and foresight as Mu had considered this and left something behind inside the river to target Mo. If Mo entered her river, he would end up stumbling around the endlessness of Space-Time in a hazy daze and would not be able to find Yang Kai.
What Mo said to Zhang Ruo Xi earlier was simply for the sake of convincing her. Even if she did not try to stop him, he would not enter the river unless absolutely necessary.
But without entering the river, he would not be able to locate Yang Kai, and thus, he would not be able to stop the latter from devouring and refining it.
With all that Mu had set in place, Yang Kai had guaranteed success at refining the river.
Mu had been wise and insightful, and naturally, Mo knew her incredibly well. After spending all those years together, both she and Mo had a thorough understanding of each other. Just as Mu predicted the possibility of Mo entering the river, Mo also figured that Mu would have left behind countermeasures to deal with him as well.
It was yet another confrontation after all these years that resulted in a stalemate.
Yang Kai was the only one who benefited from the situation. He had a major leap in his mastery over the 10,000 Grand Daos and his Space-Time River had grown to an indescribable size.
“Even if you obtained the power Mu left behind, so what?” Mo’s eyes were filled with disdain, “Do you think that’s enough for you to defeat me?”
Yang Kai smirked, “Let me see what someone in the Creator Realm can do!”
As he spoke, he raised both his hands and the Space-Time River beneath him began churning violently. It was as if the river turned into a rampaging Dragon as the waves crashed in thunderous splashes while Dao Strengths surged.
All at once, scores of rope-like Water Dragons formed from Dao Strength shot out of the river and flew straight at Mo.
Mo raised his fist and punched forcefully at the void. The space in front of him shattered and the myriad of Void Cracks that formed as a result turned into a barrier that blocked the onslaught of the Water Dragons.
Then, Mo took a step forward and moved past the shattered space, arriving right in front of Yang Kai as he stared down at him with an indifferent expression, “Your ability to wield Dao Strength is less than a thousandth of what Mu was capable of!”
Black Ink Strength rippled forth and its destructive power wrapped around Mo’s fist which came crashing down.
Yang Kai’s eyes hardened. He could instinctively sense the might of this punch and knew he could not allow it to make contact with him; otherwise, death would be his only fate.
The river churned and formed a layer of Dao Strength that acted as a barrier.
However, the Dao Strength barrier only lasted for a blink of an eye before the fist shattered it apart.
Thankfully, that had given Yang Kai enough time to summon his Azure Dragon Spear. Now that he had his weapon in hand, he harnessed the Dao Strengths and sent his spear flying out at the fist.
A gust of unstoppable power came at Yang Kai from the front and he felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His body froze up for a brief moment before he went flying backwards. He stumbled into his river and nearly lost his grip on the spear.
“Weak!” Mo looked down at his fist. There was a tiny white mark left behind from the Azure Dragon Spear, but it soon vanished.
The invincible Azure Dragon Spear could not even scratch Mo despite Yang Kai landing a strike with all his strength. This was a clear sign of the power disparity between the two.
A powerful and imposing manner did not necessarily translate into true might. A real Master could easily keep his power hidden and undetectable from the outside. Yang Kai’s outward display of dominance and imposingness was in fact a sign that he could not fully control the power he had.
A figure stepped out of the river. It was Yang Kai who had been pushed back inside it earlier. His expression was grim. Even though he deduced that he was not strong enough to be Mo’s equal right now, he did not expect their disparity to be this big.
[Is this the might of someone in the Creator Realm?]
Yang Kai had suppressed and sealed over 30% of Mo’s Source, so what would Mo be able to do if that had not been the case?
[His earlier punch would’ve probably been enough to kill me.]
While Yang Kai was caught up in these thoughts, Mo was already storming over. Even though Yang Kai used the Dao Strengths of the river to form barriers and restraints, it was not enough to stop Mo.
Apart from Black Ink Strength, yet another mysterious power was swirling around Mo. It was most likely Creation Force. All of the Dao Strengths that came near Mo would instantly shatter without accomplishing anything.
As soon as Yang Kai managed to steady himself, Mo arrived in front of him, his fist flying out again, aiming to pulverize his opponent.
Yang Kai was not about to let that happen. Waves rippled out of the Azure Dragon Spear with Dao Strengths circling it as it moved forward once more.
Mo did not change his attack, but the simple blow was hiding an unfathomable strength that allowed it to easily deflect Yang Kai’s attack before closing in on its target.
In that moment of crisis, Yang Kai’s Azure Dragon Spear suddenly vanished from his hand as he stowed it away.
Following that, he grabbed Mo’s shoulder with both hands and flung himself backwards in an attempt to drag Mo into the Space-Time River.
The short exchange just now made it clear to Yang Kai that he was unable to hold his own against Mo right now.
Since that was the case, he needed to bring the fight to an advantageous environment for him, and the Space-Time River was an excellent choice.
Yang Kai was confident that as long as he was able to drag Mo into his Space-Time River, he would be able to unleash even more powerful attacks that could perhaps be enough to deal with this enemy.
However, before Yang Kai could do anything else, Mo kicked him.
Yang Kai felt his chest caving in as he fell into the river.
“Waste!” Mo stood above the river. The torrential waves fiercely charged at Mo, but they would die out once they were within 10 steps of him, filling his eyes with disappointment.
[Mu’s successor is weaker than I thought. He’s not even stronger than that woman earlier who wielded a portion of the Primordial Light’s power. At the very least, she’d been able to cause a bit of trouble for me, but Mu’s successor is nothing more than a child.]
As Mo quietly eyed the Space-Time River beneath him, he lightly raised his hand…
[In that case, I shall destroy it all!]
A gust of pure and concentrated Black Ink Strength unlike any that had been seen before poured out towards the Space-Time River as the might of a Creator began to emerge. Any part of the river that was touched by Black Ink Strength immediately showed signs of being corrupted by it.
The river was made out of Dao Strengths. Ordinarily, Black Ink Strength from the Black Ink Clan was only capable of corrupting living beings; however, as the source of Black Ink Strength, Mo was even capable of corrupting Dao Strengths.
As Yang Kai’s body sank downwards into the river, his heart sank along with it. With just two strikes, he had a clear understanding of just how powerful Mo was.
[I definitely won’t be able to defeat him.]
Yang Kai coughed lightly and the stench of blood filled his mouth.
He was now a Divine Dragon with thick skin and hard flesh, impervious to most ordinary strength, but a simple kick from Mo was enough to break a few of his ribs.
It had been a long time since he last suffered such injuries.
The pain of his broken bones sticking into his organs cleared his mind, and in the very next breath, he sensed the changes happening to his Space-Time River.
He realised the severity of the situation. If Mo was allowed to continue what he was doing, sooner or later, his Space-Time River would be completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength. He would lose all his Dao Strengths, and even if he did not die, he would become crippled and useless.
The urgent sense of danger consumed Yang Kai and he knew that if he did not do something soon, it would be too late.
After stabilising himself, Yang Kai gathered his thoughts and wielded all the strength he could muster.
The next instant, his body turned into an invisible black hole that devoured large amounts of the river’s water!
He was refining the Dao Strengths and absorbing them into his body!
Yang Kai had been able to put away his original Space-Time River and summon it out when he wanted to deal with his opponent because he had gained the river through hard work and diligent cultivation. It was the manifestation of his own Dao Strengths.
However, the gift from Mu had been too overwhelming. Even though he used his Space-Time River to devour and refine Mu’s Space-Time River, which led to a great increase in his mastery over the 10,000 Grand Daos, he now had a problem on his hands too.
He did not have full control over his new Space-Time River!
Currently, he was like a three-year-old who was trying to wield a massive sledgehammer. Though the sledgehammer was powerful, he could not even lift it.
That was the reason why he could not fight back against Mo. It was to the point where he seemed even weaker than Zhang Ruo Xi; after all, Ruo Xi had diligently cultivated for some 2,000 years in the Chaotic Dead Territory. By using her Heavens Order Bloodline to harmonize the powers of Yin and Yang to a level where she could control it, she was able to unleash all of that power freely.
There was only one way for Yang Kai to deal with his current situation, and that was to refine the Dao Strengths and absorb them into his body! That was the only method for him to gain control over his new Space-Time River and be strong enough to oppose Mo.
It was an extremely dangerous move. If he were careless for even a moment, he would explode from the overwhelming power of the massive Space-Time River and would undoubtedly die.
That was the reason why Yang Kai did not choose to do so earlier, but under the present circumstances, he had to throw caution to the wind and take the risk.
As he did this, a huge vortex emerged on top of the river. It looked like a large mouth that was swallowing the water.
Meanwhile, Mo was still channelling his Black Ink Strength and corrupting the river. By doing so, Mo could even absorb the river and strengthen itself.
After seeing the appearance of the vortex though, Mo’s eyes flashed with an unreadable glimmer as he scoffed, “You finally realised it?”
Mo had spent many years with Mu and understood the Space-Time River far better than Yang Kai did, so he could immediately tell what Yang Kai was doing when he saw the movement of the river.
Both of them continued to refine the power of the Space-Time River which rapidly shrank before them.
When it came down to it though, this was still Yang Kai’s Space-Time River. Thus, Mo could not refine it as quickly as Yang Kai could. It could be said that Yang Kai and Mo were devouring the river at a ratio of seven to three.
Beneath the river, Yang Kai’s face had turned red as his Dragon Vein throbbed with ferocity within him. The Dao Strengths he devoured and absorbed into his body made him feel as if he were going to explode. He even had the urge to transform into a Divine Dragon.
Nevertheless, he squashed down this thought. Although turning into a Divine Dragon could ease the pressure on his body, there was still a limit. It would not make a difference if he could not find a way to surpass that limit.
Therefore, he chose to grit his teeth and bear it.
Thankfully, he had endured a similar kind of pressure when he first started taking in the gift Mu left behind and was now able to have a marginally easier time with it.
As time passed, the massive Space-Time River had shrunk by about 30%.
Beneath the river, Yang Kai was surrounded by Dao Strengths, while above the river, Mo’s aura had grown a lot stronger too.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai’s eyes hardened. As he continued to devour the power of the river, he raised his hands and snarled, “Rise!”
The Space-Time River that cut across the void seemed to abruptly come to life as the water churned and the waves came crashing down at Mo.
Mo’s gaze darkened as he swiftly backed off.
He knew that even with his present strength, he would have a hard time if he was struck by the full force of the Space-Time River.
His eyes briefly flickered with surprise as he did not think that Yang Kai would be able to gain control over the Space-Time River so quickly.
If Yang Kai was previously likened to a three-year-old attempting to wield a sledgehammer and failing due to his lack of strength, then he was now a young child able to raise the sledgehammer, though luck and fate would determine whether or not he could strike his opponent with it.
As the river surged, Yang Kai’s figure appeared out of it. It was clear that something was not right with his present state. It was as if an indescribable power gathered within his body. He looked like he was about to explode at any given moment.
That was indeed the case. He was at his limit from the Dao Strengths that had built up inside him. He felt a pressing need to let it all out of him, so with that thought in mind, he shot up and charged at Mo.
As he moved, the colossal Space-Time River followed behind him like a shadow.
In a flash, the two silhouettes collided and a fight broke out.
Yang Kai took the offensive and pushed out Dao Strengths with each strike. He had to release the Dao Strengths which had accumulated inside his body; otherwise, he ran the risk of exploding.
As a result of his ferocious attacks, Mo had to focus and fight back as well, using Black Ink Strength to clash with and wipe out the rampaging Dao Strengths.
Even in the midst of the fight, Yang Kai did not stop devouring the Space-Time River. There was a large vortex behind him that was sucking the river water into his body.
As Yang Kai continued absorbing Dao Strength into his body, the power he could wield grew stronger and his attacks became more intense.
After exchanging a dozen blows, Yang Kai suffered a hit from Mo and flew backwards into the river; however, he soon emerged and charged at Mo once again.
Although he faced setbacks, Yang Kai showed no sign of despair. Instead, his thirst for battle grew even stronger.
During the first clash between the two, Mo could send Yang Kai flying back into the river as soon as he emerged. Despite being a Ninth-Order Master, Yang Kai could not fight back at all.
Yet, he could now hold out against Mo for a brief moment.
This was the result of his absorbing the Dao Strengths into his body. It was also the reason why he could control even more of the river’s power.
[I can do better than this!] Yang Kai firmly believed, [As long as I can control the entire river, I’ll be powerful enough to challenge Mo!]
Time and time again, he shot out at Mo and was knocked back.
The Space-Time River continued to shrink as Yang Kai’s aura grew even more powerful.
As time passed, Yang Kai was able to hold out against Mo for increasing amounts of time. From withstanding an exchange of 10 or so blows, he was able to slowly increase that number to 20, 30, eventually reaching 100 without showing any sign of falling behind.
This seemed to set Mo off and his attacks grew even more vicious as murderous intent surged.
Yang Kai used the Profound Source Gate to suppress and seal over 30% of Mo’s Source, which weakened the latter by a fair amount. Mo’s power had also been further weakened after the fight with Zhang Ruo Xi. That being said, he had corrupted a sizable chunk of the river’s power with Black Ink Strength, which allowed him to make up for what he lost in the fight with Zhang Ruo Xi.
Mo was even more powerful now than when he first woke up.
In a short amount of time, Yang Kai was able to go from being completely powerless against Mo to just barely holding out against him, but that was already his limit. He couldn’t defeat Mo in his current state.
[Not enough! Not nearly enough!]
[Even if I gain control over the remaining river, it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to kill him.]
If Mo, the one behind everything, did not die, then the threat against all of existence would endure.
Using the Profound Source Grate to suppress and seal Mo’s Source had been the right thing to do. Yang Kai’s previous journey had proved that the Profound Source Gate could indeed accomplish that feat; however, when one went up against an entity this powerful, how was one supposed to suppress and seal them without defeating them first?
The only way to end this once and for all was to break out of the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm and ascend to a higher realm.
However, this was something impossible for the current Yang Kai.
It had not been long since he became a Ninth-Order Master, and although he used the two Open Heaven Realm Cradles and the power of his Space-Time River to speed up his cultivation dramatically, it was only effective for him to grow within the Ninth-Order Realm. It was not enough for him to reach the realm beyond.
Throughout history, the best and most talented Humans had been limited by the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm Method. They could not break through them at all. Only Mu had been able to vaguely peek into the mysteries of an even higher Martial Dao.
Nevertheless, her Space-Time River was incomplete and she could not step over the barriers to enter the mysterious realm she touched upon.
Even though Yang Kai had received Mu’s gift, it was unlikely that he could accomplish what Mu and all the Human Race Ancestors could not in such a short time.
He did not have the barest inkling of enlightenment regarding the next realm.
If he wanted to break out of the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm, at the very least, he had to familiarise himself with his present strength and continue to gain knowledge and understanding through many years of accumulation and cultivation.
Since he could not overcome the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm, he had to find another way.
Yang Kai dared not allow himself to be distracted for even a moment in his battle against Mo. He was up against an opponent who could kill him off at any moment.
Over and over again, Yang Kai was sent flying backwards into the river. Although he looked completely battered, his situation was slowly taking a turn for the better.
Only about 30% of the Space-Time River behind him was left now. The moment he absorbed all of the river, he would be able to wield strength far beyond what he could before.
…..
As the intense fight had broken out between Yang Kai and Mo, the fight on the battlefield in the distant void was just as ferocious.
The Black Ink Clan Army was too numerous and the allied Armies of the Human Race and the Small Stone Race were beginning to show signs of defeat. If nothing changed, sooner or later, both Armies would be completely wiped out. Once that happened, even the Ninth-Order Masters could not be certain whether they could escape with their lives. Only the two Giant Spirit Gods could most likely leave safely.
This was not an outcome they could accept.
Just as the battle reached its most pressing climax, a dazzling light shot out from the depths of the void.
It was a familiar scene that renewed the Human Race Masters’ spirits as they knew who had come.
As per Yang Kai’s instructions, Zhang Ruo Xi rushed back to the battlefield. The moment she arrived, she turned into a bolt of light that weaved across the battlefield multiple times.
The flowing light acted like a sharp blade that slaughtered countless Black Ink Clan Soldiers and wrecked the seemingly impenetrable formations they had set up.
All at once, the Humans and the Small Stone Race were relieved of much of the pressure they had been under.
Soon after that, Ruo Xi headed over to Ah Da and Ah Er.
The two Giant Spirit Gods had proved to be invaluable allies to the Humans, be it during the reoccupation of the No-Return Pass or the battle that broke out against the Black Ink Black reinforcement army. In both situations, the Giant Spirit Gods had played pivotal roles.
Ah Da and Ah Er were currently in a tough situation once again. They were surrounded and besieged by many Royal Lords and could not provide any help to the rest of the battlefield.
Therefore, after relieving the pressure against the allied Armies of the Human Race and the Small Stone Race, Zhang Ruo Xi chose to aid the two Giant Spirit Gods.
As long as the two Giant Spirit Gods were unencumbered, they would be able to draw the attention of a large number of Masters from the Black Ink Clan. The Black Ink Clan would have to send even more Royal Lords over to keep these two occupied, thus, relieving the pressure on the rest.
Ruo Xi alone was enough to rampage through enemy lines and leave the Royal Lords scared witless, let alone when she had formed a Nine Palaces Formation with her eight Personal Guard.
In the blink of an eye, the flash of light appeared beside Ah Er. The eight Small Stone Race Masters scattered around to seal the surroundings, their Battle Formation encapsulating a large portion of the void.
The Royal Lords who had been attacking Ah Er paled in response.
They had learned the hard way just how terrifying this winged woman could be. Before the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had even broken, she had charged inside alone and exterminated all the Masters who lingered at the opening, which included dozens of Royal Lords.
Her actions back then terrified the Masters inside the Grand Restriction, so much so that they were too afraid to make any rash moves.
Many Royal Lords had remained hidden in the darkness. They had personally witnessed how powerful Zhang Ruo Xi was and were afraid of her strength. This was the reason why the Black Ink Clan Army did not rush out the moment the Grand Restriction broke.
They only gained the courage to leave the shelter of darkness when she rushed into the depths of the void to deal with the Supreme One.
No one expected this woman to come charging back out on the battlefield at such a critical moment.
Naturally, if Mi Jing Lun could tell which way the battle was going, the Royal Lords could as well. The Black Ink Clan Army had the upper hand right now, and as long as no unexpected variables were introduced, the Black Ink Clan would eventually be able to vanquish the Humans and Small Stone Race. When the time came, all of existence would belong to the Black Ink Clan as the Human Race would be wiped out in totality.
They were only a step away from their grand success, so how could the Royal Lords back down now?
Thus, even though Zhang Ruo Xi and her Personal Guard were wielding the might of their Nine Palaces Formation, a large number of Masters from the Black Ink Clan still fearlessly charged forward to stop them.
Once again, the allied Armies of the Humans Race and the Small Stone Race were relieved of even more pressure.
As the sword light of the Heavens Order Sword flashed, the part of the battlefield where Zhang Ruo Xi was seemingly turned into an abyss of death. Be it Territory Lords or Royal Lords, none could escape from her or even put up a fight. Each time sword light flashed, numerous Masters from the Black Ink Clan perished.
Their glory and dignity as Masters was completely trampled on. Once someone reached a certain level of power, it became child’s play for them to slaughter those in their path.
In just a few moments, over 20 Royal Lords were killed. Ah Er, who had been harassed by the Royal Lords all this time, was finally freed from those who had been keeping him pinned down. With a loud roar, he began attacking the nearby Royal Lords.
However, before he could truly unleash his strength, a new group of Royal Lords rushed over.
The Black Ink Clan could tell that the allied Armies no longer posed a threat to them, and they could use their advantage in numbers to keep them occupied.
At this moment, the only ones who posed a threat to the Black Ink Clan were Zhang Ruo Xi and the two Giant Spirit Gods.
Thus, they had to stop these three no matter what.
Even if it cost them the lives of their Royal Lords!
On this part of the battlefield, Royal Lords and Territory Lords fell like leaves from a tree in a howling storm.
The black blood and Black Ink Strength that escaped their corpses turned the void into a patch of darkness, which seemed to want to devour everything in its wake.
Amidst it all, the sword light of the Heavens Order Sword shone brilliantly.
Despite the show of force she was putting on, Zhang Ruo Xi’s original plan had actually been foiled.
Initially, she wanted to save Ah Er before working together with him to extricate Ah Da. Then, the three of them could charge out onto the main battlefield and rampage. Even though the Black Ink Clan was massive in numbers, they would not be able to stop the three of them from slaughtering those in their path if they remained mobile.
Given enough time and room to take action, these three powerful existences could massacre the entire Black Ink Clan Army on their own; however, the Black Ink Clan promptly reacted to the situation and Zhang Ruo Xi ended up being tied down to this part of the battlefield. Even Ah Er, whom she had only just rescued, was once again completely surrounded by Royal Lords and could no longer do much.
Now that it had come to this, Zhang Ruo Xi acted per the hand she was dealt.
Since they wanted to impede her, they would have to pay an exorbitant price.
Compared to her original plan, the present situation was actually even more beneficial for the Human Race Army. The more the Masters from the Black Ink Clan focused on her, the less pressure the Humans faced.
In fact, if she managed to kill off enough Royal Lords, she would undoubtedly be helping the allied Armies secure the final victory.
Thus, Zhang Ruo Xi was not upset by the Black Ink Clan’s actions. On the contrary, it suited her just fine.
The Royal Lords came at her one after the other. They all turned into corpses under the Heavens Order Sword, but even so, none of those from the Black Ink Clan showed any inclination to retreat.
For both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan, this was the final battle that would decide their fate. They could not back down no matter what.
This was a make-or-break battle that would determine who would go down in history as the ultimate victor!
Zhang Ruo Xi persistently swung her sword, and every swing of her sword brought about significant results. Ever since her return, no fewer than 300 Royal Lords had died at her hands in just two days! That was an extremely terrifying number.
It had to be said that there were only a few dozen Ninth-Order Masters among the Human Race at present. The number of Royal Lords was many times more than the number of Ninth-Order Masters.
Furthermore, the inheritance accumulated in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction over millions of years could not be underestimated. Even though Zhang Ruo Xi had slaughtered so many Royal Lords, many more Royal Lords were surrounding Zhang Ruo Xi and the two Giant Spirit Gods still.
Zhang Ruo Xi relentlessly slaughtered her enemies, and the movement of drawing her sword had almost become an instinctive reaction by now.
The Black Ink Clan had shifted the focus of the battle around her, which certainly resolved the crisis that had been looming over the Human Race Army. At this moment, the allied Armies of the Human Race and the Small Stone Race finally regained their ability to hold their own against the Black Ink Clan even though they continued to face some pressure on the main battlefield. The situation was no longer as hopeless as before, where their defeat had been imminent and there was no hope for victory.
The Black Ink Clouds condensed from the dissipated Black Ink Strength had reached extreme concentration. Even the Ninth-Order Masters felt apprehensive when they saw the dense Black Ink Clouds that encompassed the huge void. Aside from Zhang Ruo Xi and the two Giant Spirit Gods, nobody could easily venture into the depths of the Black Ink Clouds to fight against the Black Ink Clan.
Meanwhile, the immaculate white wings behind Zhang Ruo Xi’s back began to glow with a faint yellow and blue hue. The subtle change resembled an omen of something to come.
At a certain moment, one of the Royal Lords fearlessly charged towards a Ninth-Order Small Stone Race Master. He gathered all his strength in his fist and punched the Personal Guard with all his might.
The Personal Guard staggered from the blow, then it immediately followed up with a violent counterattack that immediately killed the Royal Lord.
Although the Small Stone Race Personal Guard was equivalent to Ninth-Order Masters, these were currently joined in a Nine Palaces Formation with Zhang Ruo Xi as its Core. Any one of them could borrow the power of the Battle Formation at any time, so their current strength could no longer be judged by their mere cultivation alone.
It could be said that Zhang Ruo Xi and her eight Personal Guards were one. The attacks unleashed by any party in the Battle Formation carried the culmination of their combined powers. Even if the Royal Lords were strong, they could not withstand such attacks; therefore, many Royal Lords had died at the hands of the Personal Guard over the last two days.
The Personal Guard who slaughtered the Royal Lord earlier prepared to make its next move, but just as it raised its fist to attack, its hand shattered to dust. It was immediately followed by its arm, which then spread to its body… In the blink of an eye, the powerful Personal Guard was reduced to a pile of rubble.
The surrounding Royal Lords and Territory Lords besieging it froze in surprise.
When Zhang Ruo Xi returned, her Personal Guard had all been covered in deep cracks. It was only natural for the surrounding Royal Lords and Territory Lords to notice such an obvious thing. They initially thought that the Personal Guards wouldn’t last for long which is why they targeted them while simultaneously attacking Zhang Ruo Xi.
It was not until they paid a horrendous price that they realised one thing. These Personal Guards might look like they were about to fall apart at any moment, but they remained capable of unleashing a despairing amount of power with every blow.
That was until this moment!
In the end, the Personal Guard could not withstand the pressure of the drawn-out battle and shattered to pieces. At the same time, the yellow and blue hue of the wings behind Zhang Ruo Xi’s back increased significantly when the Personal Guard crumbled to dust.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruo Xi seemed to have anticipated the situation and immediately switched the Battle Formation to the Eight Trigrams Formation!
An increasingly violent barrage of attacks ensued. After the first Personal Guard shattered to pieces, the Black Ink Clan suddenly saw hope in regard to their struggle to defeat Zhang Ruo Xi. Their assault only became more and more aggressive as a result.
Half a day later, the second Personal Guard shattered to pieces and the Eight Trigrams Formation subsequently changed to the Seven Stars Formation. Another half day passed, and the third one broke apart…
When Zhang Ruo Xi led her Personal Guard against Mo, they sustained indelible damage during the battle. If there had been enough time, she would have allowed them to rest and recover. Unfortunately, they were in the middle of a large-scale battle. There was no time for them to even catch their breaths, much less recuperate from their wounds.
They only managed to persist until now because the intensity of the current battle paled in comparison to her solo battle against Mo. Even so, her Personal Guard had finally reached their limits.
One after another, they crumbled to pieces. Their destruction also signified that the Battle Formation was steadily weakening. As the Battle Formation weakened, the power they could exert was also considerably reduced.
At the same time, the yellow and blue hue of the wings behind her back became extremely obvious.
When the sixth Personal Guard shattered, Zhang Ruo Xi forcefully changed the Battle Formation to the most basic Three Fortunes Formation. At that moment, the Black Ink Clan finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. It would not take much longer to defeat her.
A voice abruptly sounded in Zhang Ruo Xi’s mind, “Silly girl, you can’t carry on in such a reckless manner! At this rate, you will soon struggle to maintain the balance between Yin and Yang. You will die if that happens!”
In the Chaotic Dead Territory, Zhang Ruo Xi spent 2,000 years harmonizing the power of Yin and Yang using her Heavens Order Bloodline. By doing so, her strength surged to unprecedented heights. She rapidly grew from an Eighth-Order Master to a mighty existence who could fight against Mo alone.
Nevertheless, she was still just a Master at the peak of the Ninth Order without the power she was granted by the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
Previously, she had maintained a balance between the powers of Yin and Yang with her Bloodline and both Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had remained sleeping deep within her body. However, they were beginning to regain consciousness as a result of her continuous fights and the deaths of her Personal Guard.
That was not a good thing for her. The situation indicated that her Bloodline was starting to have trouble maintaining a balance between the power of Yin and Yang. Just as Big Brother Huang said, if she were to lose control now, a Master at the peak of the Ninth Order like her would not be able to withstand the pressure of their rampaging power and would instantly perish!
Zhang Ruo Xi remained silent. Forming the Three Fortunes Formation with her two remaining Personal Guards, she persisted in her slaughter.
At this moment, the number of Black Ink Clansmen gathered around her had reduced significantly. Their numbers were far less than their initial numbers due to her desperate slaughter of her enemies. No matter how many there were, there was bound to be a time when they were completely obliterated.
At this juncture, the Masters from the Black Ink Clan were no longer as desperate as they were before though; instead, they constantly wandered around her and forced her to expend her energy while keeping themselves safe from harm. They were evidently waiting for the destruction of her two remaining Personal Guards. Once she lost the support of the Battle Formation, the threat she posed towards the Black Ink Clan would be greatly reduced.
Realising that, Big Brother Huang sighed and said no more. He knew that Zhang Ruo Xi couldn’t stop fighting at this time; after all, this battle was related to the survival of the entire Human Race. The slightest wavering would lead to their eternal doom.
There was only one thing he could do for her at this moment. He attempted to cooperate with Big Sister Lan, trying to coordinate the power of the Yin and Yang in her body and prevent the balance between their respective strengths from being broken. Unfortunately, what they could do was extremely limited…
The situation gradually developed in the direction that the Black Ink Clan were hoping for. When the seventh Personal Guard shattered to pieces, it became impossible for Zhang Ruo Xi to form a Battle Formation with just her last Personal Guard!
The Black Ink Clan had been waiting a long time for this very moment and they immediately swarmed forward and tore the last Personal Guard apart.
In an instant, Zhang Ruo Xi sunk into the dire situation of fighting a solo battle. Meanwhile, Ah Da and Ah Er were also being restrained by many Masters from the Black Ink Clan. They could not break free to help her.
Death slowly approached her… Just as she was at her most vulnerable, something resembling a violent torrent suddenly tore through the dense layers of the Black Ink Clan Army and swiftly approached the battlefield where she was located. It was none other than the Human Race Army that had been fighting fiercely this whole time!
When the Human Race Army first departed from the No-Return Pass on their second crusade, there were over 20 million Masters! Unfortunately, their numbers had dwindled by more than half at this moment.
What’s more, their current numbers were only possible because the Small Stone Race Army had withstood the brunt of the pressure from their enemies. If not for the Small Stone Race Army, the Human Race Army would have been defeated in battle long ago.
Countless heroes fell on this vast battlefield. The severed limbs and dismembered corpses of the Black Ink Clan littering the void were basically a manifestation of their Military Merits.
The period when Zhang Ruo Xi had penetrated the depths of the void and fought with Mo had been the most difficult for the Human Race Army. Countless Black Ink Clansmen had besieged and intercepted the Humans, leading to the deaths of many brave soldiers. Even the Ninth-Order Masters had suffered several casualties, with their deaths hitting morale particularly harshly.
However, the pressure faced by the Human Race Army decreased substantially when Zhang Ruo Xi returned with her Battle Formation of Personal Guard. She was the reason why so many Masters from the Black Ink Clan were killed!
In such a fierce and chaotic battlefield, the slightest negligence could be fatal. Most of the Human Race Masters on the battlefield were unaware of Zhang Ruo Xi’s dire state. Be that as it may, how could Mi Jing Lun, who had been keeping an eye on the overall situation on the battlefield, be oblivious to her circumstances?
The Black Ink Clan had shifted the focus of the battle to Zhang Ruo Xi. During this period, Mi Jing Lun could only watch anxiously as the Personal Guard around her were destroyed one by one until she fell into a critical condition.
Zhang Ruo Xi was undoubtedly one of the keys to winning this war. If she were defeated and killed, then the Human Race Army would lose their only hope at victory; therefore, she had to be protected no matter the cost!
Even though that was the case… what strength did the Human Race Army have to help her right now? Mi Jing Lung racked his brains for an answer but could not think up a good plan. Recklessly charging forward with what remained of the Human Race Army without a suitable plan would not help her. In fact, his actions would only place the Humans in greater danger instead.
At this moment, the Human Race Army could borrow the strength of the Small Stone Race Army to offset the pressure from their enemies; however, that was only possible thanks to the cooperation between the Human Race Army and the Small Stone Race Army. If they charged out, they would be separated from the Small Stone Race Army. Under such circumstances, the pressure that the Humans would have to withstand on their own was unfathomable.
At the critical moment, a blood-drenched Yang Xiao suddenly rushed towards Mi Jing Lun, and after a brief conversation, the latter made up his mind. Under his command, the Human Race Army instantly condensed their forces into an attack formation, broke through the Black Ink Clan’s heavy encirclement, and charged towards Zhang Ruo Xi like a violent storm.
At this moment, many top Masters from the Black Ink Clan had been slaughtered by Zhang Ruo Xi, and out of those that remained, more than 100 Royal Lords were working together to restrain Ah Da and Ah Er while nearly 200 surrounded Zhang Ruo Xi.
Therefore, the Human Race Army was not facing much pressure at the moment. It could even be said that the Black Ink Clan no longer considered the Human Army a worthy opponent. As long as the Royal Lords defeated Zhang Ruo Xi, the Humans would be helpless to resist when they finally turned around to deal with them. The Black Ink Clan’s underestimation was the reason the Human Race Army successfully broke out of the encirclement.
The strange movements of the Human Race Army naturally caught the attention of many Masters from the Black Ink Clan. They might not know what the Human Race Army was planning, but they had finally pushed Zhang Ruo Xi to the brink of desperation after sacrificing so many of their Masters. How could they allow for any external interference at this time?
Dozens of Royal Lords immediately turned around and charged towards the Human Race Army while a massive number of Black Ink Clan Soldiers pursued the Humans from the rear.
Under these circumstances, the Human Race Army would be facing enemies from the front and back if they did not quickly escape the besiegement of the Royal Lords. Only an extremely disastrous ending awaited them if they were engulfed by the enemy in their current state.
When the Royal Lords took action, Zhang Ruo Xi also made her move. She attempted to slash her way through the heavy blockade and join the Human Race Army; however, numerous Masters from the Black Ink Clan fearlessly threw themselves at her to obstruct her path. They did not seem to hesitate even though their lives were on the line. Hence, she was successfully prevented from escaping for some time.
By this time, Zhang Ruo Xi was exhausted beyond her limits. After she departed from the Chaotic Dead Territory, she rushed to the battlefield without delay. Once she arrived, she not only fought countless Royal Lords, but she also expended her strength to open the Void Corridor that connected to the Chaotic Dead Territory. Afterwards, she delved into the depths of the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and wreaked havoc there for some time before she engaged Mo in an intense battle…
It could be said that she had not rested at all since she stepped foot on the battlefield. She had simply been moving from battle to battle without any breaks in between; therefore, she could only bring out 70% of her full strength. The most obvious change was her combat effectiveness. She used to be able to kill a Royal Lord in one blow, but now it took her multiple strikes to kill one. It would not be easy for her to join up with the Human Race Army when she was being besieged by so many Masters from all directions.
At this moment, a figure abruptly soared into the sky. Raising both hands high, he clenched his fists and roared furiously, “Burn!”
The two Marks on his clenched fists flashed with a blinding light!
Seven figures rushed into the sky behind him. Every one of them also had mysterious Marks shining brightly on the backs of their hands. These Marks indicated that these people were blessed by the Sun’s Burning Light and Moon’s Serene Glimmer. Yang Kai had brought these Marks from the Chaotic Dead Territory and bestowed them to 10 Divine Spirits many years ago.
These Divine Spirits had been scattered throughout the various battlefields. Thanks to the Great Sun and Moon Marks in their possession, they could mobilise and transform the power of the Yellow and Blue Crystals into Purifying Light. Consequently, they were essential to the logistical support of the Human Race Army. It was precisely thanks to this method that the threat of the Black Ink Strength to the Human Race was greatly reduced. The Purifying Black Ink Pills alone would not have been enough otherwise.
Even before this incident, these Divine Spirits had been mobilising the power of the Great Sun and Moon Marks constantly during the war. So many Small Stone Race Soldiers had died on the battlefield that they could easily summon a large burst of the Purifying Light without much effort. In this way, they could not only purify the battlefield, but they could also cause great damage to the Black Ink Clan, killing two birds with one stone.
When the Human Race Army charged in Zhang Ruo Xi’s direction, the Divine Spirits with the Great Sun and Moon Marks quickly activated the marks on the backs of their hands under Yang Xiao’s leadership.
Zhang Ruo Xi, who was besieged by countless Royal Lords, saw the scene from a distance and immediately understood their plan. A smile appeared on her exhausted face. Feeling the strength of the people around her, she knew she was not fighting alone! It was just that she had never even contemplated what they were about to attempt, much less tested it, so she did not know if she would succeed!
“Seniors, please assist me!” Closing her eyes, she gripped the Heaven’s Order Sword tightly with both hands and pleaded.
The sighs of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan sounded in unison, but they did not refuse her.
In the next moment, the wings behind Zhang Ruo Xi’s back glowed in two-coloured light. When she opened her eyes, the colour of her eyes had also changed. One eye was yellow and the other eye was blue. It was a strange sight to behold!
At the same time, with Yang Xiao in the lead, the two Marks on the backs of the hands of the Divine Spirits abruptly burst forth and transformed into a two-coloured light that enveloped their bodies as a powerful Divine Sense simultaneously penetrated their Knowledge Seas.
It was the Divine Senses of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
Under normal circumstances, they would never allow any external Divine Sense to encroach on their minds; however, they abandoned all defences at this moment and allowed the Divine Sense to link with their own.
One by one, the eyes of the Divine Spirits went blank as though they had lost themselves…
“Link!” Zhang Ruo Xi cried out.
With herself as the source point, various rays of aura instantly connected with each other across the distance and became closely intertwined. Her aura, which had initially begun to dwindle, suddenly surged and shook the surrounding void.
The Royal Lords paled at the sight!
“Success!” Relief washed over Mi Jing Lun at the sight.
This was Yang Xiao’s suggestion…
When the eight Personal Guards shattered to pieces, it became impossible for Zhang Ruo Xi to form a Battle Formation. She would never escape from the besiegement of so many Masters from the Black Ink Clan in her current condition, so it was only a matter of time before she suffered a tragic death. The Black Ink Clan would be free to attack the Human Race Army once Zhang Ruo Xi died, which would undoubtedly result in the Human Race’s defeat.
Be that as it may, the Human Race Army had no extra resources to spare in their current condition. The very idea of helping Zhang Ruo Xi was nothing more than a fool’s dream unless somebody could form a new Nine Palaces Formation with her!
Although they had enough Ninth-Order Masters to fulfil the requirements to form a Nine Palaces Formation, it was not easy for them to actually pull off such a feat. Even if eight Ninth-Order Masters were sent to help Zhang Ruo Xi, even if they trusted her wholeheartedly, it would be impossible for them to join forces and form a Nine Palaces Formation in such a short time; after all, this was not solely a matter of trust but also of compatibility.
That was why Yang Xiao had suggested attempting to form the Nine Palaces Formation with the Divine Spirits who owned the Great Sun and Moon Marks instead. He believed that they might achieve a pleasantly surprising result.
The Great Sun and Moon Marks were derived from the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s Sources. Since Zhang Ruo Xi had united the power of Yin and Yang with her Bloodline, her body was brimming with the Source Strength of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
In other words, to her, Yang Xiao and the other Divine Spirits should not be that much different from her destroyed Small Stone Race Personal Guard.
At this point, their only option was to attempt this unprecedented feat. If they succeeded, then it would be a joyous success. If they failed, then there was nothing that could be done regardless. In any case, they would only know the result after they made the attempt.
For that reason, Mi Jing Lun ordered the entire Human Army to charge out and separate from the ranks of the Small Stone Race Army.
It was their final desperate attempt to overturn their current predicament. If this plan failed, they would not only fail to rescue Zhang Ruo Xi, but also face the imminent destruction of the Human Race Army.
Fortunately, the plan had worked.
When the power of the Nine Palaces Formation enveloped the enormous void, Mi Jing Lun smiled from the bottom of his heart.
Dozens of Royal Lords were currently on the way to intercept the Human Race Army and bombarded them with a storm of powerful Secret Techniques before they even arrived.
The defences of the Human Race Army could be said to have fallen apart at this moment, with only the Ninth-Order Masters being capable of blocking such an onslaught.
Just as the Ninth-Order Masters were confronting the Royal Lords though, the hollow-eyed Divine Spirits charged forward with Yang Xiao in the lead. Every one of these Divine Spirits was enveloped in a blue and yellow light, and the aura surrounding them was so strong that the void shuddered in their presence.
Yang Xiao headed straight towards one of the Royal Lords, and under that Royal Lord’s astonished gaze, Yang Xiao slammed his fist forward. Half of the Royal Lord’s body instantly exploded into mist when the punch landed. Meanwhile, Yang Xiao did not stop his movements and charged towards the second Royal Lord with a blank expression on his face.
Yang Xiao was an Ancient Dragon, equivalent to a peak Eighth-Order Master; naturally, killing a Royal Lord in one blow was the result of the Battle Formation and not his own strength. It was a pity that the attack cost him a heavy price. The arm he used to punch the Royal Lord became twisted and broke, with blood pouring out of it from multiple wounds…
Most of the Divine Spirits displayed similar performances.
With no leader coordinating their movements, the Royal Lords blocking the Divine Spirits were swiftly cut down without much resistance. The remaining Royal Lords were frightened and quickly moved aside to open up a path.
Such a feat was only possible because Yang Xiao and the others were Divine Spirits.
The physical body of each Divine Spirit was extremely powerful in comparison to any other existence. If they were ordinary Eighth-Order Human Masters who had supported Zhang Ruo Xi in this Battle Formation instead, their bodies would not have been able to withstand the backlash from launching such powerful attacks.
The eight Divine Spirits broke through the heavy blockade of the Royal Lords and headed straight towards Zhang Ruo Xi, who did not remain idle either. At this moment, she released a powerful burst of energy and tore through the besiegement of the Royal Lords to join the Divine Spirits as soon as possible. With the power of the new Nine Palaces Formation, the original crisis that loomed over her was resolved in an instant.
When Zhang Ruo Xi united with the eight Divine Spirits, a huge change took place in the overall situation.
The Human Race Army escorting the Divine Spirits did not stop forging ahead and instead acted like a raging current that swept across the void in a wide arc before returning to their original battlefield via a huge detour. With tremendous help from the Small Stone Race Army, the two Armies reunited once more and resumed their endless battle against the Black Ink Clan Army.
At this point, Pure Yang Pass was completely destroyed and the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress had been shattered. Most of the Warships were also gone with just a few barely surviving. The Human Race no longer had many external aids to rely upon at this last juncture of the war. The only thing they had left was the barrier of flesh and blood!
In the void, Zhang Ruo Xi had united with the eight Divine Spirits. She gripped the Heavens Order Sword tightly with both hands, surrounded by many Royal Lords in all directions, she murmured softly under her breath, “We won’t have much time…”
The strength of the eight Divine Spirits could not compare with her Personal Guard, so not only would forcefully forming a Battle Formation cause immense damage to the bodies of the Divine Spirits, but even the powerful Divine Sense of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer which directed their auras caused hidden dangers.
If Zhang Ruo Xi could not end the battle as soon as possible, the Divine Spirits who joined up with her would eventually explode. Even if their physical bodies somehow managed to endure, their Souls might be extinguished. What’s more, Yang Xiao and Su Yan were among the eight Divine Spirits… These two were Yang Kai’s important family members. She could not lose this fight!
Even setting aside the weakness of the Divine Spirits, Zhang Ruo Xi could hardly last for much longer. At this very moment, she was burning the Heavens Order Bloodline in her body just to forcefully maintain a balance between the power of Yin and Yang, despite Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan doing everything they could to assist her. It would not be long before the balance would be broken and her Bloodline was burned out entirely.
Forcing down her worries, Zhang Ruo Xi lifted her sword and boldly charged towards her enemies, followed closely by the eight Divine Spirits!
The sudden burst of power left the Royal Lords scrambling in a panic. One after another, the Royal Lords fell prey to Zhang Ruo Xi’s sword, but when she finally broke through the encirclement, she did not escape. On the contrary, she turned around and led the Divine Spirits to attack once more!
Thanks to the Nine Palaces Formation which was formed with Zhang Ruo Xi as the Core and the eight Divine Spirits as the foundation, she had once more become an unstoppable blade that repeatedly swept across the battlefield. Every charge resulted in the deaths of many Royal Lords.
10, 20, 30, 50…
Zhang Ruo Xi’s vision went blurry, and she could not see the scenery in front of her clearly. Furthermore, the power of Yin and Yang in her body was faintly showing signs of imbalance. Even so, she did not stop. She had no choice but to charge forward and swing her sword.
Meanwhile, the eight Divine Spirits following behind her were covered in blood; after all, the Nine Palaces Formation placed an extremely heavy burden on their bodies. The only reason they could maintain the Formation at all was because the Divine Spirits had relinquished all control over their own bodies and fully surrendered themselves to become part of the Battle Formation. By doing so, even with their bodies on the verge of collapse, they managed to persist.
The bones in Yang Xiao’s arms had been shattered to pieces. Meanwhile, Su Yan’s internal organs were crushed. She was also bleeding from her seven orifices, which made her appearance extremely ghastly…
After fighting for some time, Zhang Ruo Xi suddenly felt a change in the Battle Formation. One pillar of the foundation had failed; thus, she hastily readjusted the Battle Formation!
The Nine Palaces Formation became the Eight Trigrams Formation. Unable to withstand the pressure of the Battle Formation any longer, one of the Divine Spirits fighting behind her had exploded and died.
The death distressed her greatly, causing a sharp stab of pain in her heart. Nevertheless, she did not dare to check the identity of the deceased Divine Spirit. She could only persist and swing her sword to cut down her enemies.
At a certain point, Zhang Ruo Xi could no longer detect any Royal Lords around her. She looked around with bleary eyes, but no matter where she looked, she could find none of the Masters who had previously besieged her. She had cut down all 200 Royal Lords!
When the realization struck her, she nearly burst into tears. Her entire body was covered in countless wounds, and the fresh blood that drenched her entire body had dyed what was left of her robes scarlet.
She had not been too concerned when she teamed up with her Personal Guard to form the Battle Formation; after all, her Personal Guard each had the strength of a Ninth-Order Master. Not to mention, their bodies were robust. They were capable of withstanding the pressure of the Battle Formation for an extended time.
However, there were too many things to worry about when she entered a Battle Formation with the Divine Spirits. There were times when she could not dodge the attacks from the Royal Lords, so she was forced to bear the brunt of these attacks or the Divine Spirits would be killed instead. In this way, she had taken more damage in this shot battle than in all her previous fights.
It was not until this moment that she had the time to check on the condition of the Divine Spirits. Eight Divine Spirits had forced their way through the enemy blockade to help her, but only three remained behind her! Even so, the aura of these three was weak and unstable, like they could be snuffed out at any moment.
Although she was heartbroken by the losses, Zhang Ruo Xi was relieved to see that Yang Xiao and Su Yan had survived… The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan were certainly worthy of being the strongest among the Divine Spirits. Besides, both Yang Xiao and Su Yan had been at the peak of their cultivation for a long time, which was another reason why they managed to persist until the end.
“Seniors, please release the Battle Formation!” Zhang Ruo Xi anxiously urged.
Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan immediately released control over their Source Strength at the same time. In the next moment, the three hollow-eyed Divine Spirits regained consciousness. Three muffled groans of pain sounded in unison. They had not been aware of their states when their consciousness had been taken over, but a wave of boundless agony washed over them when their consciousness was restored.
All the bones in Yang Xiao’s body made cracking sounds as he revealed his true Form without hesitation. Changing into his Dragon Form would give him greater endurance against his wounds. The injuries might be fatal to his Human Form, but the same degree of injuries would only be considered critical in his Dragon Form. Still, his 90,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon Form was tattered and covered in terrible wounds; moreover, the aura around him was weak and unstable.
Similarly, the other Divine Spirit revealed his true Form. He was a Pi Xiu who had survived for innumerable years and was thus an old veteran with an incredibly solid foundation.
Neither of these two suffered from major problems. Although they were very heavily wounded, their lives were not in danger.
Then, Zhang Ruo Xi turned to look at Su Yan, and her eyes immediately widened in horror at the sight.
Su Yan’s body was breaking apart and crumbling into dust. Like Yang Kai, she was originally part of the Human Race and only became part Divine Spirit after obtaining her Phoenix Source.
She had repeatedly entered the Phoenix Nest to cultivate over the years, and in the end, she completely integrated the Third Generation Phoenix Empress’ Source to become a pureblood member of the Phoenix Clan. Be that as it may, her foundation and physique were still inferior compared to someone born and raised in the Phoenix Clan.
Yang Xiao and Pi Xiu just barely survived the ordeal, but Su Yan failed to pull through until the end.
Yang Xiao evidently noticed Su Yan’s condition because he released a sorrowful wail at the sight.
Su Yan, who was covered in various wounds, looked down at her hands which were beginning to disintegrate into ash. A look of remembrance flashed through her eyes at the sight. Raising her head once more, she looked at the weeping Zhang Ruo Xi and smiled, “Please don’t blame yourself. The Phoenix Clan has our Phoenix Flame. There might be a chance for me to revive from death… But, if I fail… Please pass a message to him for me. Tell him that meeting him was the greatest blessing in my life!”
Zhang Ruo Xi nodded desperately, her tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
The Phoenix Clan’s Phoenix Flame was also known as the Flame of Rebirth. It was only natural for Su Yan and Zhang Ruo Xi to know about such things. Unfortunately, the Flame of Rebirth did not always succeed. It was simply a possibility of Rebirth; after all, the Phoenix Clan would be truly immortal if their Rebirth succeeded in every attempt.
If the Flame of Rebirth failed, their Phoenix Source would return to the Phoenix Nest and be reborn as a new member of the Phoenix Clan.
After the battle, Zhang Ruo Xi’s crisis was resolved. Unfortunately, the price of her rescue was not small. Five out of the eight Divine Spirits who came to help her had lost their lives in battle. Only three of them had survived to the end.
Be that as it may, Su Yan had already set one foot across the gates of death.
After Su Yan finished speaking to Zhang Ruo Xi, her entire body dissolved into tiny points of fluorescent light, which did not dissipate into the Void but condensed into a dim blue flame instead. It was her Phoenix Flame, as well as her Phoenix Source. It was the inheritance she received from the Third Generation Phoenix Empress, who lived back in the Late Ancient Era.
Zhang Ruo Xi anxiously stared at the small ball of fire.
The Phoenix Flame flickered, going from light to dark. In just a short moment, the dim blue Phoenix Flame became dim and dull, as though it would be extinguished in the next moment!
Despite facing hundreds of Royal Lords without the slightest change in her expression, Zhang Ruo Xi now was as pale as a sheet; moreover, her body was enveloped in a layer of boundless chill.
The extinguishment of the Phoenix Flame would mean that Su Yan was gone forever. Even if the Phoenix Flame returned to the Phoenix Nest and produced another member of the Phoenix Clan, that person would no longer be Su Yan.
“…e… ey… Hey!” Big Brother Huang’s voice abruptly sounded in Zhang Ruo Xi’s mind, causing her to snap back to her senses.
“Grab that ball of fire!” Big Brother Huang urgently urged.
Although Zhang Ruo Xi did not know what Big Brother Huang was planning, she quickly did as she was told. She stepped forward and wrapped her hands around the weakened flame. In the next moment, she clearly sensed Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan pouring power from their Sources into the Phoenix Flame. She immediately understood their plan and hurriedly activated her Heaven’s Order Bloodline to help balance the flow and harmonize their power.
The flame that was on the verge of being snuffed out slowly stabilised. In addition, faint hues of yellow and blue gradually seeped into the flame. The hues of yellow and blue were none other than the Source Strength of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
Shortly after the Primordial Light left its birthplace, the power of Yin and Yang were split from it. The Primordial Light later collided with the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, and the dissipated energy transformed into the various Divine Spirits. In the end, its remaining essence turned into a woman bearing the Heaven’s Order Bloodline.
Strictly speaking, the Burning Light and the Serene Glimmer originated from the same source as all Divine Spirits. Although they could be classified as Divine Spirits, they were different from ordinary Divine Spirits. That was because they were the first to split from the Primordial Light. Be it in terms of the purity or strength of their Source, ordinary Divine Spirits were simply incomparable to the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer. Even the Dragons and Phoenixes were no exception in this regard.
Therefore, the pure Source Strength of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer was a great supplement to the Divine Spirits. Their Source Strength could help in the refinement of a Divine Spirit’s Source and enhance the Bloodline of these Divine Spirits.
Yang Kai was the best example of this.
When Yang Kai first met Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, he had only just become a 10,000-metre-long Grand Dragon, but after receiving a gift of Source Strength from the two of them, his Dragon Vein improved at an astonishing pace, allowing him to grown to 20,000 metres in just half a month. What’s more, the gift of Source Strength from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan was nowhere near exhausted and had helped Yang Kai several more times over the years, eventually allowing him to become an Ancient Dragon less than 1,000 years later. This rate of growth for a member of the Dragon Clan was unheard of in history.
At this moment, the same effect took place when they injected their Source Strength into the Phoenix Flame. The Phoenix Flame reacted as though it suddenly received significant nourishment and began burning brighter and stronger until the small ball of flame gradually resembled a blue-coloured Great Sun.
Zhang Ruo Xi watched the flame intently. Then, she vaguely noticed the figure of a Phoenix Clan member flying about within the flames. When the burning brightness of the Phoenix Flame reached a certain point, the blue-coloured Great Sun abruptly expanded and exploded!
The sudden turn of events left her dumbfounded. She couldn’t help thinking that something extremely awful had happened; however, she immediately revealed an expression of joyous surprise. That was because a clear and striking Phoenix Cry resounded throughout the void when the blue Phoenix Flame erupted. It was followed by the unfurling of a giant pair of dazzling wings, then the gradual appearance of a beautiful and graceful figure.
Having received help from the Source Strength of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, Su Yan had succeeded in her Rebirth!
Zhang Ruo Xi wept tears of joy.
A Phoenix’s Rebirth generally came with great risks. If they failed, they would lose their life on the spot. On the other hand, they would receive immense benefits if they succeeded. That was because the strength of the Phoenix Clan members would improve significantly with each Rebirth. Not to mention, Su Yan received aid from the Source Strength of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer during her Rebirth.
At this moment, her Ice Phoenix aura radiating from the Flame of Rebirth was at a height that Su Yan had never been able to achieve in the past. She would not lose even if compared to Divine Dragon Fu Guang! She was now a Divine Spirit that was on par with a veteran Ninth-Order Master!
While the Divine Spirits’ population was far from their peak back in the Primordial Era, there was no small number of them nowadays; nevertheless, Fu Guang was the only living Divine Spirit who had achieved such a level of power. Naturally, Yang Kai could also be included in this list.
The rest of the Divine Spirits were at most equivalent to peak Eighth-Order Masters. Although these Divine Spirits were generally stronger than average Human Race Masters at the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, that did not change the fact that they had yet to reach the highest peak of their strength.
Therefore, the Phoenix Clan no longer had a designated leader, much less a Phoenix Empress after the death of the former Dragon and Phoenix Clan Leaders during the battle in the Barren Territory. Only a Phoenix who had reached the realm of Ninth-Order Masters had the right to command the Phoenix Clan and vie for the position of Phoenix Empress.
Su Yan had reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm; in addition, her Phoenix Clan Source had reached a realm equivalent to the Eighth-Order. Having inherited the Source of the Third Generation Phoenix Empress, she was expected to become a Phoenix Empress in the future if she had enough time to develop and grow.
The entire Phoenix Clan had placed their hopes in her.
Nevertheless, the enhancement of a Divine Spirit’s Bloodline and Source was extremely difficult. Even though Su Yan repeatedly entered the Phoenix Nest to cultivate over the years, she had remained stuck at a bottleneck. She simply could not overcome the bottleneck and advance to the final step.
That was until this moment.
Su Yan, who was reborn thanks to the Flame of Rebirth, had finally shattered her bottleneck. Her Bloodline had improved significantly, allowing her to advance. She even overcame the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm, which was nothing short of a miracle.
Amidst the ringing notes of the Phoenix Cries, Su Yan who had transformed into an Ice Phoenix, gave Zhang Ruo Xi a slight nod of acknowledgement. Then, she turned around and charged towards the vast battlefield, leaving a long and flickering tail of blue light in her wake.
Another Phoenix Cry sounded a moment later, and a large part of the void froze as a result. Countless Black Ink Clansmen were turned into ice sculptures that maintained their final appearance before their deaths, drifting aimlessly in the void. Even the surviving Royal Lords were too intimidated by the icy aura to step forward and challenge this new enemy. They were certain that things would not end well for them if they were touched by that kind of power. At the same time, the enormous Black Ink Cloud that had condensed above the battlefield was also enveloped in huge ice crystals.
One after another, Phoenix Cries sounded from various directions across the battlefield. It was the Phoenix Clan welcoming their newly-crowned Empress. Their sonorous cries pierced through space itself, sounding a horn of counterattack.
“Hou!” A high-pitched Dragon Roar sounded next.
Zhang Ruo Xi, who finally managed to collect her emotions, looked up into the void and saw Yang Xiao writhing around in his Dragon Form. The power of the Dragon Vein in his body fluctuated wildly, showing faint signs that he was about to break through.
Moreover, he was not the only one! Pi Xiu, the final survivor, was also exhibiting similar signs!
The previous battle was an arduous struggle that they had never experienced before. Although their consciousnesses had been dormant at the time, their bodies did not forget the details of the battle. The enormous pressure had brought them closer to the limits of their Bloodline.
Nonetheless, what truly allowed them to break through their limits was the pure Source Strength of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer which had poured into them. Both Yang Xiao and Pi Xiu were bearers of the Great Sun and Moon Marks, which were the manifestation of a piece of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer’s Source.
In order to successfully form the Nine Palaces Formation with Zhang Ruo Xi, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan had integrated their Marks into the Divine Spirits and assumed control over their bodies; hence, all eight of the Divine Spirits received the blessing of the Burning Light and the Serene Glimmer’s Source Strength, which stimulated the growth of their Bloodline greatly. The benefits that they obtained after surviving their near-death experience were unimaginable.
The power of Yang Xiao’s Dragon Vein boiled. He roared endlessly, filled with the faint realisation that he had touched up the barrier that hindered his growth. As long as he could break through this barrier, he would be able to successfully become a Divine Dragon!
He had been under tremendous mental pressure ever since he returned from the Universe Furnace. Although Yang Xue had advanced to the Ninth Order, he remained stuck as an Ancient Dragon. Consequently, there were many occasions in which they could no longer fight side-by-side with each other. The main reason was the difference in their strengths, which caused him to become a burden for Yang Xue.
For this reason, Yang Xiao had been desperately trying to improve his Bloodline. He had asked Fu Guang for advice on countless occasions, but the path to becoming a Divine Dragon was not easy. Even with Fu Guang’s careful guidance, he simply could not find a way to overcome his bottleneck.
The number of people in each generation of the Dragon Clan who could successfully advance to become Divine Dragons could always be counted on one hand. Most of the time, the Dragon Clan had only one Divine Dragon, and even at the peak of the Dragon Clan, there had only been a total of three Divine Dragons.
At this moment, Yang Xiao could almost see his breakthrough on the horizon. He knew that this might be his opportunity to overcome his bottleneck; therefore, he could not afford to miss it. In order to break through the shackles of his Bloodline, he was willing to sacrifice everything!
The same was true for Pi Xiu!
While the Dragon and Phoenix Clans generally had the protection of a Dragon Emperor or a Phoenix Empress in each generation, no equivalent Divine Spirit had appeared among the rest of the Divine Spirits since the end of the Primordial Era.
The Primordial Era had been the turning point for the Divine Spirits, who lost the blessings of the Heavens and earned the malice of the Universe instead.
During the Primordial Era, the Divine Spirits had been the favoured of the Heavens. They were unrestrained in their actions, doing whatever they wanted without any fear or scruples. Their reign came to an end after countless years of warring against each other for dominance, and they were eventually supplanted by the Monster Race. By that point, countless Divine Spirits had perished. Afterwards, the blessing and favour of the Heavens gradually shifted to the Monster Race.
Innumerable Divine Spirits were again wiped out during the Early Ancient Era when the Monster Race ruled, and the number of Divine Spirits who survived was less than one percent of their numbers at their peak. If the Monster Race had continued to reign over the Universe, the Divine Spirits would have gone extinct completely. Even the Dragon and Phoenix Clans would not be an exception.
What happened next was amusing indeed. The Monster Race ultimately walked down the same path as the Divine Spirits after they overthrew the reign of the Divine Spirits. Once again, the blessing and favour of the Heavens shifted, now falling upon the Human Race!
It was for that reason that the Divine Spirits cooperated with the Human Race. By taking shelter under the wings of the Human Race, they managed to preserve the lives of the surviving Divine Spirits until today!
In short, the Divine Spirits lost the favour of the Heavens after the Primordial Era and could no longer reproduce the glory of their Ancestors. The greatest sign of their decline was the huge reduction in the number of Divine Spirits that could touch what was equivalent to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Only those born in the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan had produced such Masters after the Primordial Era. It had to be said that every single Divine Spirit Clan had the protection of their respective ‘Ninth-Order Divine Spirits’ during the Primordial Era. In fact, their numbers could range from a few to several dozen in each Divine Spirit Clan back then.
Countless aeons had passed since then, and at this moment, there was a Pi Xiu who finally experienced the opportunity to overcome the shackles of his Bloodline on this vast battlefield. He was ecstatic beyond imagination. Forcefully enduring the damage caused by his injuries, he pushed his Bloodline Power with reckless abandon. The vitality surrounding his body became more and more intense as time passed.
All over the battlefield, the Divines Spirits revealed their true bodies and roared in excitement. If Su Yan’s transformation was a joyous event for the Phoenix Clan, then Pi Xiu’s current state was a joyous event for all the Divine Spirits. Regardless of whether he succeeded in overcoming his bottleneck or not, he had already given the other Divine Spirits a glimpse of hope.
On the main battlefield, the difficult situation faced by the allied Army had been greatly eased, all thanks to Zhang Ruo Xi.
The Black Ink Clan had paid an exorbitant price to take down Zhang Ruo Xi, resulting in the loss of hundreds of Royal Lords and yielding less-than-desirable results.
If the Human Race Army had not desperately escorted the eight Divine Spirits to aid her at the last moment, the Black Ink Clan’s plans to kill Zhang Ruo Xi would most likely have succeeded, and once she was dead, there would no longer be anybody on the battlefield with sufficient strength to pose a threat to the Black Ink Clan.
At that moment, the two Giant Spirit Gods were trapped by over 100 Royal Lords. They were too busy fending for themselves to spare any energy to rescue the Human Race Army.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruo Xi eventually won the battle. The price of her victory was the lives of five Divine Spirits, but all the Royal Lords surrounding and besieging her had been eliminated in exchange. Furthermore, Su Yan had successfully been crowned as the Phoenix Empress. The enormous figure of the Ice Phoenix radiated with a bone-chilling cold that froze everything in its wake. Even space itself was no exception.
Be that as it may, the situation remained bleak.
The Black Ink Clan had twice as many troops as the allied Army, which gave them a numerical advantage that was difficult to overcome. Furthermore, not all of the Royal Lords had been eliminated in the skirmish with Zhang Ruo Xi. The enemy had preserved enough Royal Lords to maintain the situation on the main battlefield despite their attempt to kill Zhang Ruo Xi.
At this moment, the difference in strength between the two sides had not shrunk, but instead increased significantly. The main cause for this was that the Small Stone Race died at a much faster rate than the Black Ink Clan.
Su Yan’s Rebirth had only managed to help stabilize the situation by a small margin. The Human Race Army would need an even greater injection of strength to prevent things from deteriorating, much less win the battle.
A continuous wave of Dragon Roars reverberated throughout the void. When the power of Yang Xiao’s Dragon Vein reached a certain limit, the aura of the Divine Dragon erupted. Then, the body of a 100,000-metre-long White Dragon emerged, its enormous Dragon Head rising high above, overlooking all living creatures from a lofty height. Yang Xiao had succeeded in ascending to the realm of Divine Dragon!
At the same time, the aura of a ‘Ninth-Order Divine Spirit’ radiated from Pi Xiu.
Eight Divine Spirits had stepped forward to help Zhang Ruo Xi, and though five had died in battle, the remaining three had successfully overcome their respective shackles and risen to greater heights.
It was important to note that the difference in impact a Ninth-Order Divine Spirit like Pi Xiu could play on the battlefield compared to a newly advanced Ninth-Order Human Master was enormous. That was because the Divine Spirits were inherently stronger than Ninth-Order Humans by a large margin.
As soon as Yang Xiao and Pi Xiu joined forces and charged into the battlefield, a large swath was cut into the ranks of the Black Ink Clan Army. The overwhelming aura of the Divine Spirits flooded the void, causing countless Black Ink Clan Soldiers to perish.
In the distant void, another silver Divine Dragon was rampaging across the battlefield. His entire body was drenched in blood, and many of his tough Dragon Scales had been torn or blasted off. This silver Divine Dragon was none other than Fu Guang. Regardless of his immense strength, he was bound to sustain injuries in such a chaotic and intense battlefield.
When Fu Guang saw Yang Xiao charging into the battlefield after becoming a Divine Dragon, he immediately rushed over towards him. At the same time, a series of Dragon Roars were exchanged between them, as though they were communicating with each other. It did not take long before Yang Xiao seemed to understand the situation, and he quickly sliced a bloody path through his enemies to approach Fu Guang.
A short while later, the two Divine Dragons gathered at the same place. In terms of size alone, Fu Guang was undoubtedly larger than Yang Xiao. This was only natural as Fu Guang had been a Divine Dragon for a much longer time.
The two behemoths began to draw upon the power of their Dragon Veins, causing their vitality to surge and boil within them. That was not all. They also began to spin in circles at a high speed, with their bodies connected together from end to end. In the beginning, their figures could still be seen; however, they soon blurred into a rapidly rotating blur.
Something could vaguely be seen amidst the rapidly spinning circle of light, as though being summoned into existence.
Many of the Royal Lords in the Black Ink Clan Army couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable at the sight. Although they did not know what the two Divine Dragons were attempting, they knew that their actions would undoubtedly be detrimental to the Black Ink Clan. They had to stop the Divine Dragons at all costs; hence, more than a dozen Royal Lords immediately rushed towards the two Divine Dragons from various directions.
Despite their efforts though, another shocking scene entered their eyes before they could approach the Divine Dragons.
Under the joint efforts of the two Divine Dragons, a large amount of turbid liquid suddenly gushed out from the dazzling circle of light. The unknown liquid splattered across the void like a spray of mist from a mountain spring, covering everything around them. Then, a torrent of water emerged and swept out in all directions.
Many of the Divine Spirits who knew what was happening couldn’t help feeling moved by the scene before them. They knew that the Dragon Clan had brought out their strongest trump card in order to obtain victory in this war. The torrent gushing into the void without restraint was clearly the waters from the Dragon Pool!
The Phoenix Clan had the Phoenix Nest, while the Dragon Clan had the Dragon Pool. These were the foundations of their respective Clans.
When the Phoenix Clan mobilised the power of the Phoenix Nest against their enemies, the Dragon Clan had not unleashed the power of the Dragon Pool. It was not that the Dragon Clan did not want to bring out their trump card, but rather that they lacked the ability to perform such a feat.
Under normal circumstances, the act of summoning the Dragon Pool would have required various complicated rituals in addition to the concerted efforts of many Dragon Clan members. Unfortunately, the Dragon Clan simply could not afford the time and energy to perform such intricate rites on such a crisis-ridden battlefield.
That was the case until Yang Xiao became a Divine Dragon. With Fu Guang’s cooperation, the two Divine Dragons joined hands and forcibly summoned the Dragon Pool to the battlefield.
The Dragon Pool was the foundation of the Dragon Clan; after all, the existence of the Dragon Pool was the prerequisite for the Dragon Clan to produce endless descendants. Not to mention, the power of the Dragon Pool was diligently accumulated over countless generations of the Dragon Clan.
Regardless of whether the war would end in victory or defeat today, the Dragon Clan would inevitably suffer unimaginable losses by summoning the Dragon Pool on such a chaotic battlefield. It would be impossible to restore the lost energy without several hundreds of thousands of years of recuperation. Nevertheless, there was no denying that the effects of summoning the Dragon Pool were remarkable.
The waters of the Dragon Pool turned into a raging torrent that swept out in all directions, and the Black Ink Clan Soldiers caught within this flood instantly perished. The power of the Dragon Pool was an unstoppable force. If a Dragon bearing the Dragon Clan Bloodline came into contact with the Dragon Pool’s waters, they would be able to enhance their Bloodline and increase their strength. On the contrary, the waters of the Dragon Pool were a lethal poison to living creatures without the power of a Dragon Vein in their bodies.
Everywhere the mighty current flowed, death followed. Even one of the Royal Lords rushing towards the two Divine Dragons who accidentally got caught in the current only managed to struggle for a few breaths before he dissolved into the rampaging waters. It was a grand display of the terrifying power within the mighty current of the Dragon Pool.
Needless to say, the current did not pose any threat to beings like the Royal Lords and the Territory Lords as long as they remained on guard. The power emanating from the Dragon Pool might be impressive, but powerful Masters only needed to avoid the waters by a certain margin to remain unaffected.
However, it was never Fu Guang’s intention to target the enemy Masters when he joined forces with Yang Xiao to summon the Dragon Pool. His goal had always been the Black Ink Clan Army! The Royal Lords and the Territory Lords could easily dodge the raging currents, but the Black Ink Clan Soldiers weaker than the Territory Lords were not so capable; therefore, the troops of the Black Ink Clan Army were now perishing in droves.
Some Small Stone Race members fighting the Black Ink Clan Army were also caught in the raging torrent, but this couldn’t be helped. Although Fu Guang had done his best to summon the Dragon Pool in an area where only the Black Ink Clan was heavily concentrated, he could not exert fine control over the direction in which the mighty current of the Dragon Pool would flow; hence, accidental injuries among friendly troops was inevitable.
What shocked him though was that the Small Stone Race members caught in the raging torrent of the Dragon Pool did not lose their lives. On the contrary, they simply struggled in the current for some time before they quickly rushed out and resumed fighting.
After pondering on it for a moment though, Fu Guang realized what had happened. These Small Stone Race Soldiers might be simple-minded, but their bodies contained a significant amount of power from the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
Even if the power of the Dragon Pool was both ancient and pure, it was still incomparable to the original powers of Yin and Yang born alongside the Universe. The realization completely relieved Fu Guang of his worries. With hindsight, he had to admit that summoning the Dragon Pool at such a perilous juncture had been a stroke of genius.
Following the raging torrent that swept out in all directions, the Black Ink Clan Army suffered enormous losses, completely eliminating the numerical advantage they originally held.
On the other hand, the Human Race Army was small in number and extremely agile in their movements; hence, it was not difficult for them to avoid the mighty current under Mi Jing Lun’s command. As for the Small Stone Race… only their formations were scattered by the impact while they did not suffer any actual casualties.
After a while, the Dragon Pool vanished without a trace. The release of the waters that the Dragon Pool had accumulated over countless aeons instantly changed the entire situation on the battlefield. It was finally time for a counterattack of the allied Army of the Human and the Small Stone Races!
Among the remaining Black Ink Clan Army, all the Royal Lords wore solemn expressions on their faces. They simply could not understand this sudden turn of events. How did the Black Ink Clan, who should have had an absolute numerical advantage, end up in such dire condition all of a sudden?
Without sufficient numerical advantage, it was impossible for the Black Ink Clan to be a match for the allied Army of the Human Race and the Small Stone Race. To make matters worse, that terrifying woman was also beginning to take action again.
After the three Divine Spirits advanced to the Ninth Order in quick succession, they immediately charged into the battlefield to resolve the most critical crises. Zhang Ruo Xi finally had the chance to catch her breath as a result. She had watched the entire chain of events unfolding before her, beginning with the Dragon Pool’s summoning, the raging current sweeping out across the battlefield, and finally, the Black Ink Clan Soldiers being washed away and vanishing from existence.
Tightening her grip around the Heavens Order Sword, she murmured under her breath, “Seniors, I’m heading into battle!”
Big Brother Huang sighed softly, like he wanted to make a comment, but in the end, he said nothing and silently cooperated with Big Sister Lan to help Zhang Ruo Xi maintain the balance of power in her body.
The Heavens Order Bloodline burned once more, and the wings behind Zhang Ruo Xi’s back glowed with a blue and yellow hue. She charged into the battlefield without hesitation, aiming directly at the Royal Lords besieging Ah Da and Ah Er.
At this moment, the pressure faced by the allied Army on the main battlefield was not that serious; in fact, they were beginning to gain the upper hand. That was why Zhang Ruo Xi did not head for the main battlefield.
She would not last much longer in battle, so there was no point in slaughtering some miscellaneous Black Ink Clan troops with what little time she had left. It was undoubtedly more cost-efficient to spend her limited strength slaughtering some Royal Lords instead.
Besides, Ah Da and Ah Er would be freed as long as she killed enough Royal Lords. The allied Army of the Human Race and the Small Stone Race would also receive the support of the two Giant Spirit Gods if she succeeded, which might be more effective than providing support by herself.
In a flash of yellow and blue, Zhang Ruo Xi entered the range of the battle where Ah Da and Ah Er were located.
At this moment, the Royal Lords besieging the two Giant Spirit Gods were forced to suffer in silence.
The Royal Lords besieging Zhang Ruo Xi had been completely eradicated, and the numerical advantage of the Black Ink Clan Army on the main battlefield was quickly being overturned. At this point, the Human Race Army had gained the upper hand in this battle.
Even if the Royal Lords fighting the two Giant Spirit Gods wanted to help their comrades, they did not dare to leave their positions easily. They were only able to keep the two Giant Spirit Gods in check by relying on sufficient numbers to harass them. If any of them stepped away from their position, there was a risk that the delicate balance would be broken.
Once the two Giant Spirit Gods broke free of their restraints, it would be impossible to pin them down again. However, it was evident that Zhang Ruo Xi was coming to help the two Giant Spirit Gods.
The Royal Lords would only be waiting for their imminent deaths if they continued to confront the two Giant Spirit Gods, but showing their backs to these three terrifying enemies would likely just result in them dying faster… At this point, they were stuck in a situation with no hope of escape. Any choice they made would result in a tragic end; thus, every one of them felt aggrieved and hopeless.
The Black Ink Clan’s plans to use the Royal Lords to keep the two Giant Spirit Gods under control failed as soon as Zhang Ruo Xi came to the latter’s aid.
With a flash of her sword, several Royal Lords perished on the spot.
Upon receiving Zhang Ruo Xi’s assistance, Ah Er immediately struck out at the same time. He reached out his hand and smacked at a Royal Lord who was hovering around him. Thanks to Ah Er’s Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering strength, the Royal Lord struck by his blow was instantly smashed to pieces.
However, Ah Er paid a heavy price for his actions. The other Royal Lords immediately took the opportunity to leave numerous wounds on his body, causing blood and flesh to splatter everywhere. Nevertheless, Ah Er did not back down. Abandoning all defences, he switched to a violent offensive instead.
As time passed, the Royal Lords steadily perished. When the number of Royal Lords besieging Ah Er dropped to half their original number, the restraints and shackles holding him down could no longer be sustained.
Ah Er was freed!
Afterwards, his offensive became increasingly violent and vicious. He worked together with Zhang Ruo Xi to quickly slaughter a few more Royal Lords around him, and as a result, the remaining Royal Lords could no longer withstand the pressure of the assault and scattered in various directions. Zhang Ruo Xi and Ah Er did not give chase but instead took the opportunity to rush towards Ah Da.
A feeling of doom washed over the Royal Lords at this sight. Zhang Ruo Xi had resolved Ah Er’s predicament by killing off many of the Royal Lords in the encirclement with her strength alone. And now, she was joining forces with Ah Er to attack the remaining Royal Lords. How were they supposed to survive this onslaught?
Seeing that the situation was not looking good for them, the Royal Lords besieging Ah Da hastily abandoned their opponent and fled in all directions. Ah Da naturally flew into a rage and chased after the fleeing Royal Lords, but his movements were slow and clumsy due to his enormous size, so how could he catch up to them? In the end, he was stopped by Ah Er.
At this point, Ah Da had practically lost his ability to think rationally and was acting purely on his instincts. Thus, he immediately turned around and punched out. The punch caused Ah Er to stagger and lose his balance. Fortunately, Ah Da realised that he had attacked the wrong person after the first strike and his anger immediately vanished. He then stood there awkwardly scratching his head.
Among the two Giant Spirit Gods, Ah Da had always been the most simple-minded. In comparison, there was no doubt that Ah Er was the smarter one. That was also why Zhang Ruo Xi had decided to rescue Ah Er first when she had the opportunity to help them.
“Come with me, we’ll beat them up together!” Ah Er told Ah Da, then he turned around and charged towards the main battlefield.
Ah Da obediently followed after his brother, quickly forgetting about how he was bullied by the Royal Lords earlier.
On the main battlefield, the appearance of the three Ninth-Order Divine Spirits and the mighty current of the Dragon Pool had long since levelled the gap in military strength between the two sides. These changes allowed the allied Army to gain the upper hand in the battle over time. Moreover, their advantage swiftly widened when the two Giant Spirit Gods came forward to provide support.
Everything had gotten better, and the situation was bound to improve even more.
On the other side, Zhang Ruo Xi was relentlessly chasing down the fleeing Royal Lords. Her speed was extraordinary. With the slightest flap of her wings, she could ignore the barriers of space and appear before any one of the Royal Lords in an instant.
None survived the slash of the Heavens Order Sword.
One… Two… Five… Ten…
The Royal Lords who scattered and fled in all directions had no hope of surviving. On the contrary, their actions simply accelerated the arrival of their demise. When the Royal Lords finally realised their mistake, they hastily gathered together once more.
Unfortunately, there were only some 40 Royal Lords remaining at this point.
These Royal Lords were originally responsible for surrounding and besieging the Giant Spirit Gods. There had been more than 100 of them in the beginning, but more than half had perished in such a short span of time.
Having seen the situation on the main battlefield, they knew that the Black Ink Clan had already lost the battle, but so what? As long as they had the Supreme One, they would never be defeated. What they needed to do now was preserve their strength as much as possible. When the Supreme One finished dealing with whatever matters it had to, they would rule the Universe under the command of the Supreme One.
With these considerations in mind, the Royal Lords gathered together but did not attack Zhang Ruo Xi. They simply waited quietly and assumed a defensive posture.
Holding the Heavens Order Sword in both hands, Zhang Ruo Xi smiled slightly even though her complexion was as pale as a sheet.
Their response perfectly aligned with her desires. If they had scattered and fled in different directions, then she would not have been able to eliminate them all. On the contrary, the fact that they gathered together in one place had certainly saved her the trouble of hunting them down.
Needless to say, the situation was also a risk to her. If she failed to handle the situation properly, she would most likely suffer catastrophic consequences.
“Come!” Zhang Ruo Xi exhaled lightly and stabilised the power in her body. When she looked up, the vitality surrounding her began to boil and burn and she transformed into a stream of light that charged towards the Royal Lords.
This was her last burst of strength, so she had to act swiftly. She had to finish dealing with these Royal Lords before the situation fell out of control.
When the stream of light crashed into the Royal Lords, various howls of fury resounded. Blood splattered everywhere and dismembered limbs scattered across the void. Under the rain of sword slashes that ruthlessly came pouring down, the Royal Lords perished one after another.
The entire incident seemed to last for only a brief moment, but at the same time, there was also a feeling that hundreds of thousands of years had passed in that brief moment.
When Zhang Ruo Xi finally stopped swinging her sword, the void was littered with the dismembered remains of the Royal Lords. The few survivors opposite her looked petrified. Those short few moments had deeply instilled the true meaning of despair in their hearts. In the face of absolute might, even Royal Lords like themselves were as weak as ants!
Nevertheless, something unexpected occurred.
Under the horrified gazes of the Royal Lords, Zhang Ruo Xi’s hands suddenly fell limply to the sides. The vitality that enveloped her body also became extremely weak at this moment. On the other hand, the terrifying aura within her became increasingly intense and unstable.
“She’s at her limits!” One of the Royal Lords yelled in pleasant surprise.
The Royal Lords had extremely keen vision, so they immediately noticed the changes when Zhang Ruo Xi showed abnormal symptoms. At this moment, the few surviving Royal Lords finally glimpsed an opportunity to defeat this woman; hence, they charged forward without hesitation.
A sharp look flashed through Zhang Ruo Xi’s eyes, and she struggled to lift the Heavens Order Sword up again. Big Brother Huang’s anxious shout entered her ears at that moment, “You’ll die at this rate!”
A faint smile appeared on her face, but her hands did not loosen their grip on the sword, instead tightening even more as she answered calmly, “We all have a predestined time.”
Big Sister Lan called out anxiously, “If you die, Big Brother Huang’s and my power will surely go out of control! Are you willing to watch this place turn into another Chaotic Dead Territory?”
There was no denying that Big Sister Lan was much better at reading hearts when it came to persuading others.
Zhang Ruo Xi was not afraid of death. If her death could bring victory to the Human Race, she would sacrifice herself without a second thought. However, there would be catastrophic consequences if she lost her life here.
Without the coordination of the Heavens Order Bloodline, the power of the two ancient Supreme Beings would definitely spiral out of control. The enormous void would become another Chaotic Dead Territory in an instant. If that were to happen, the Black Ink Clan Army would surely be eradicated, but unfortunately, the Human Race Army scattered across the battlefield would also be dragged down with them.
The Human Race had been fighting for millions of years just to obtain peace… At this point, they were only one step away from the dream of so many generations. How could Zhang Ruo Xi destroy everything at such a critical moment?
After a brief hesitation, Zhang Ruo Xi abruptly retreated. She no longer dared to carelessly activate the power within her; therefore, she could only avoid the attacks of the Royal Lords who were charging forward desperately.
Seeing that, the Royal Lords pursued Zhang Ruo Xi even more fiercely than before.
Ripples suddenly spread out across the void, and in the next moment, a dark blue Ice Phoenix wrapped in a bone-chilling cold stepped out from the ripples and shot a blast of icy aura at the Royal Lords who were pursuing Zhang Ruo Xi.
The Royal Lords were startled by the unexpected arrival and quickly dodged. When they raised their heads once more, their hearts ran cold with fear.
Following the appearance of the Ice Phoenix, several other figures stepped out from the ripples. They were none other than the Ninth-Order Human Masters!
The allied Army had completely seized the initiative on the main battlefield. They marched forward in high spirits, with their overwhelming advantage in battle steadily growing larger. Under such circumstances, the outcome of the battle was no longer in question. Their victory was only a matter of time at this point.
It was for that reason that Mi Jing Lun immediately sent reinforcements when he noticed Zhang Ruo Xi’s predicament. For the sake of ensuring Zhang Ruo Xi’s safety, he did not even hesitate to mobilise Su Yan, who had only just become a ‘Ninth-Order Divine Spirit’.
After repelling the Royal Lords who were pursuing Zhang Ruo Xi, a flash of light appeared around the Ice Phoenix. The figure shrank rapidly to reveal Su Yan’s appearance. She took a step forward and came to Zhang Ruo Xi’s side. Grabbing Zhang Ruo Xi by the arm, she quickly made a few manoeuvres and withdrew from the battlefield. Her next task was to protect Zhang Ruo Xi until the battle ended.
Once Su Yan retreated from the battlefield with Zhang Ruo Xi, the Ninth-Order Masters promptly found an opponent for themselves and clashed with the surviving Royal Lords.
As time passed, powerful auras were eliminated one after another. The Masters from the Black Ink Clan suffered heavy casualties, and the Black Ink Clan Army was steadily being eradicated.
The Small Stone Race Army also suffered terrible casualties, but even their deaths played a huge role in the battle.
From time to time, flashes of dazzling light would burst out across the battlefield. Those flashes were none other than Purifying Light. Everywhere the light illuminated, Black Ink Strength dissipated and Black Ink Clansmen howled in agony.
The Royal Lords and Territory Lords were perishing all over, and this only accelerated with the destruction of the Black Ink Clan Army. At a certain moment, the last stubborn Royal Lord was finally eliminated. The remaining Human Race Army looked around and realised that there were no other enemies around…
The battle that lasted for several months with almost no time for respite finally ended with the victory of the allied Army.
The Small Stone Race Army had suffered a heavy price for the victory. At this moment, less than 30% of their original numbers remained.
As for the Human Race Army… About 10 million troops remained when the entire Human Race Army assembled together in one place. Even the number of Ninth-Order Masters had reduced by more than half. Among the Ninth-Order Masters who lost their lives in battle, most of them were those who advanced recently. Although they managed to break through to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they barely had any time to stabilize and strengthen the foundation. Compared to the veteran Ninth-Order Masters, their heritage and control over their own strength was undoubtedly weaker by a significant margin.
Furthermore, there were also many injured and crippled among the survivors.
The price of victory was extremely heavy, but the victory was ultimately worth the sacrifices.
A Heaven-shattering burst of cheers rang out soon after. The survivors screamed and rejoiced at the top of their voices, revelling in the ecstasy that overflowed from their hearts.
Meanwhile, unlike the ordinary soldiers, the higher-ups in the Human Race Army knew that this war was not over.
Although they had finally eradicated the entirety of the Black Ink Clan that escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, as long as Mo, the Source of the Black Ink Clan, was still alive, the Black Ink Clan could rise once more.
Despite fighting for months, Mo had never appeared on the battlefield. Yang Kai had not shown up either. It could be conceived that these two were battling each other somewhere in the depths of the void, and the outcome of their clash would determine the ultimate fate of the Universe.
Nobody knew the situation in the depths of the void. Zhang Ruo Xi had indeed exchanged blows with Mo for a period, but so much time had passed since then that she could no longer judge the situation on the other side. For that reason, the allied Army only took a brief moment to rest and reorganise their formation after their victory. Then, they began marching into the depths of the void in hopes of helping Yang Kai.
There was only one piece of good news that could be confirmed. Yang Kai was definitely alive. That was because they could sense a series of disturbances that were caused by a battle somewhere deep in the Void. Those disturbances could only mean that Yang Kai currently had the capital to exchange blows with Mo!
Passing through the site where the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was originally located, the Human Race Army was shocked by the sight that greeted their eyes.
There were countless Black Ink Nests scattered throughout the void; moreover, precious High-Rank Black Ink Nests could be found everywhere. It was just that there was no sign of activity from any Black Ink Clansmen even though there were so many Black Ink Nests. Having dispatched all their military strength to the battlefield for the earlier battle, the Black Ink Clan had been completely wiped out as a result. These Black Ink Nests were nothing more than decorations now.
However, what shocked the Human Race Army was not the countless Black Ink Nests scattered everywhere, but the gigantic figures dispersed throughout the void. Those figures were none other than Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods!
The outcome of the previous battle would have been even harder to determine if the Black Ink Clan had dispatched these Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods to the battlefield. In fact, there was a high possibility that the battle would have ended with the defeat of the allied Army.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were Soul Clones of Mo, so Mo had to inject a strand of his Soul into these behemoths to make them move. Without a strand of Mo’s Soul, these Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were nothing more than empty shells. There was nothing the Black Ink Clan could do about the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods even if they wanted to mobilize them.
After passing through the void where the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was previously located, the allied Army increased their pace; however, Mi Jing Lun’s expression grew increasingly solemn as they steadily marched forward.
He originally brought the allied Army with the intention of helping Yang Kai, but he also knew that Mo was extremely powerful. The rumours claimed that Mo had reached the legendary Creation Realm. Even if the allied Army boasted massive numbers, they might not be of much help to Yang Kai.
Be that as it may, he was currently faced with a dilemma. At present, it was no longer a question of whether the allied Army could provide any help to Yang Kai, but whether the allied Army could even continue their forward march under the current circumstances.
As they marched forward, the shockwaves from the battle up ahead became increasingly terrifying. Even now, the mere fallout was enough to shake the entire void. The countless ripples that constantly spread out from the depths of the void were powerful enough to warp space despite their origin being beyond the horizon…
Mi Jing Lun soon realised that the intensity of the battle between Yang Kai and Mo was unprecedented. At this rate, it was evident that the allied Army would not be of any help. That was because they did not even have the qualification to approach the battlefield. If they forced their way forward, they would be crushed by the fallout before they even arrived.
After considering the situation for a time, Mi Jing Lun made a decisive decision. He ordered the allied Army to remain on standby at their current position; then, he brought only the Masters in or stronger than the Ninth Order with him and resumed their trek to the depths of the void.
The small group travelled for some time before the situation on the battlefield finally came into view, but the sight that entered their eyes stopped them cold in their tracks and turned them pale with horror. It did not matter whether they were a Ninth-Order Master or a ‘Ninth-Order Divine Spirit’. Even Ah Da and Ah Er were no exception.
Yang Kai stood in the void with the Azure Dragon Spear in his hand. There seemed to be a small and slender Spirit Snake wrapped around the body of the spear. In addition, every thrust of his spear contained a Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering force. The Spirit Snake was the manifestation of his Space-Time River
He had completely refined and absorbed Mu’s Space-Time River into his body now, and although he was robbed of many benefits by Mo during the process, the benefits he gained had already pushed him to his limits. Hence, the fact that Mo had stolen some of the benefits did not affect the overall situation by much. The stolen benefits had only restored some of Mo’s strength at most.
The Spirit Snake wrapped around the Azure Dragon Spear was Yang Kai’s Space-Time River. It was the result he obtained after countless near-death encounters with Mo. The ability to condense the Space-Time River into this shape undoubtedly indicated that he had complete control over the power of the Space-Time River.
The intensity and ferocity of this battle were something Yang Kai had never experienced before either. The slightest negligence would lead to his death, and he had indeed suffered several near-death experiences because of Mo. It was fortunate that he had always managed to avoid the worst outcome at the last moment.
Mo’s vicious attacks had allowed Yang Kai to rapidly gain control over the power of his Space-Time River. He had been no match for Mo in the beginning, but it had only taken him a few days to reach his current mastery.
Originally, Yang Kai could only absorb the Dao Strengths into his body by force. When he devoured and refined Mu’s Space-Time River, he had swallowed Mu’s Space-Time River whole and did his best to grasp as much of Mu’s last gift as possible.
If the Yang Kai from then was compared to a piece of raw ore, then his battles with Mo had been various forms of tempering and refinement. Every application of Dao Strengths and every encounter with Mo had gradually increased his control over the power of the Space-Time River. The rough and ugly ore had been forged into a fine piece of metal now.
At this moment, Yang Kai’s understanding of the 10,000 Dao Strengths had truly reached the peak of enlightenment. The strength he could now exert was no weaker than what Zhang Ruo Xi had previously displayed at her peak. Unfortunately, it was still not enough.
If he wanted to slaughter Mo, then he had to overcome his limits in the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm and advance into a higher Realm. Only then would he have hope of victory; however, his heritage was insufficient. How could Yang Kai easily overcome his limitations under these circumstances? Not even Mu could achieve such a feat.
The more perfectly he could control his powers, the more aware Yang Kai became of his shortcomings. He couldn’t reach a higher level of the Martial Dao in such a short span of time. He would need to spend long years of precipitation and accumulation before he could ascend.
Therefore, he sank into a vicious loop. As long as he failed to overcome his limitations, he would not be able to slaughter Mo. If he wanted to break through to a higher Realm of the Martial Dao, he would require more time. But, how could Mo allow him to have enough time to grow and develop?
Ever since Yang Kai condensed his Space-Time River in the Universe Furnace, he had found his path to the future. It was just that he failed to realise his discovery until Mu pointed it out to him.
Although he could now oppose Mo to a certain extent, he knew in his heart that this situation would not last for long. There were times when one simply lacked the necessary strength, and he was bound to become exhausted at some point. Unfortunately, the same could not be said of Mo. Mo was a strange existence that was born when Heaven and Earth split apart. As long as his Source remained intact, his strength would never be depleted. Furthermore, he was supposedly in the Creation Realm already! Even if more than 30% of his Source had been suppressed and sealed, he was still a mighty being in a Realm above the Open Heaven Realm.
Yang Kai had finally seen the bizarre means of a being in that Realm. Black Ink Strength that permeated the void could be transformed into a Royal Lord with a single touch from Mo. The ability to create something out of thin air was simply unimaginable.
It was truly fortunate that Yang Kai’s current strength was extraordinary, so even a Royal Lord would only pose a minimal threat to him. That was why Mo stopped using such ineffective tactics after a few attempts and decided to fight Yang Kai with his own strength instead.
With each vicious exchange of blows, the violent aftermath that spread out in all directions caused the void to shudder and crack.
During one of their confrontations, Yang Kai suddenly heard a slight sound coming from deep within his heart. At the same time, a strange sensation was also transmitted from his arm. Looking down at his arm, he couldn’t help being shocked by the sight. A crack had appeared on the as-till-now indestructible Azure Dragon Spear!
The Azure Dragon Spear was given to Yang Kai by Ah Da when he was still living in the Star Boundary. In other words, the spear had accompanied him for thousands of years, during which they experienced numerous battles and slaughtered countless enemies together.
As the spear was an artifact refined from the body of a Divine, its Grade was so high that it was practically unmatched. Be that as it may, Mo had managed to cause a crack to appear in such an amazing spear. It was easy to imagine the intensity of this battle; after all, even the body of a Divine Dragon could not withstand the force of Mo’s attacks.
After the first crack appeared on the spear, a second and third crack quickly followed. It did not take long before the entire body of the spear was covered in fine cracks. The spear was on the verge of shattering to pieces.
When Mo noticed the cracks on the spear, a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes and his attacks became fiercer and fiercer.
Yang Kai suppressed the reluctance in his heart and summoned his Dao Strengths with all his might; then, he thrust out with his spear. As soon as the violent forces collided with each other, the impact caused his body to freeze for a moment. The spear that had accompanied him for thousands of years simultaneously shattered into a million pieces in his hand.
Mo had been waiting for this very opportunity. When the Azure Dragon Spear shattered to pieces, he jumped forward and punched Yang Kai. This punch was meant to become the deciding factor of this battle. He strongly believed that Yang Kai would be forced to avoid his blows after losing his weapon. If that was the case, then he could steadily press forward and gain complete control over the flow of the battle until Yang Kai became powerless to fight back.
Contrary to expectations though, Yang Kai did not retreat from the blow even after the Azure Dragon Spear shattered to pieces. The Space-Time River, which was originally wrapped around the body of the spear, seemed to have gained spirituality and clung tightly to his arms. Facing Mo’s attack directly, Yang Kai threw a punch in Mo’s direction.
The Dao Strengths fluctuated violently.
At the moment when both forces collided with each other, a powerful impact manifested as a visible halo of light centred around the two opponents flashed. The halo of light swiftly spread out in all directions. Everywhere the light passed, space shattered and collapsed. It was quickly followed by the appearance of numerous enormous Void Cracks…
The Ninth-Order Masters who had arrived at the periphery of the battlefield turned pale with fright. Faced with the approaching fallout of the battle, they quickly summoned their strength to defend themselves against the impact. Nevertheless, they were still sent flying.
They, who were no longer at their peak strength, were instantly thrown into disarray by the impact. Luckily, the two Giant Spirit Gods stood in front of them and bore the brunt of the shockwave. It was only thanks to the protection of Ah Da and Ah Er that there were no casualties.
Once the effects of the aftermath passed, they couldn’t help looking slightly flustered and bitter.
They originally came here intending to help Yang Kai. Halfway into the journey, the allied Army was forced to stop at a distance and discontinue their forward march because the troops could not withstand the overwhelming pressure of the battle.
At this moment, they were horrified to discover that even Ninth-Order Masters like themselves could not approach the battlefield. They would be torn apart by the aftermath of such powerful attacks. As things stood, the only ones who could be depended upon were the two Giant Spirit Gods, Ah Da and Ah Er…
Mi Jing Lun looked up at the two behemoths and instantly realised that the two Giant Spirit Gods could not be counted on either. The survivors were exhausted after the arduous battle. Even Ah Da and Ah Er were no exception. While the two Giant Spirit Gods managed to resist the shockwave just now, they were still pushed back significantly by the impact.
Under these circumstances, it was impossible for any of them to intervene in the battle. They would only be a burden for Yang Kai if they recklessly charged forward. Mi Jing Lun was abruptly struck by a saddening realization. The only thing they could do after coming here was to witness the unique battle with their own eyes. That was an unimaginably heartbreaking truth.
When the aftermath fully dissipated, everyone looked towards the battlefield from behind Ah Da and Ah Er. The scene that greeted them made their hearts tighten with fear. Yang Kai was steadily being pushed back, seemingly at a complete disadvantage. Compared to an ancient entity like Mo, Yang Kai’s heritage was simply too shallow. The slightest negligence or careless mistake could become fatal.
“Waste!” During the battle, Mo suddenly yelled in frustration.
Yang Kai flew backwards like an arrow released from the bowstring following a vicious strike. The Space-Time River wrapped around his arm suddenly emerged behind him and he fell into the river, diffusing some of the impacts from the blow. It did not take long before he stepped out of the river once more. His complexion was pale, and a trickle of blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.
Mo did not pursue Yang Kai. He simply stared coldly and calmly stated, “My offer from before still stands. Give up your futile resistance and hand over Mu’s inheritance. I guarantee that the Human Race will have a place to live in the future!”
Yang Kai turned his head to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood. Then, he grinned wickedly, “Kill me, then you can deal with the Human Race as you please!”
Mo closed his eyes gently. When he opened them once more, his murderous intent overflowed. He did not bother to speak again, and his figure abruptly vanished from where he was standing. By the time he reappeared again, he was already standing in front of Yang Kai. The sudden disappearance and reappearance were not a trick of Space Principles; rather, his speed had simply reached such an extreme.
Yang Kai did not seem surprised by these movements. With a backward grab, the Space-Time River that was originally flowing behind him transformed into a whip and appeared in his hand. The long whip then lashed out towards Mo.
Mo frowned slightly but did not dodge aside, he simply threw a punch instead.
The punch struck Yang Kai squarely in the head. The blow made his head arch backwards, and his skull seemed to crack from the impact. He was immediately drenched in blood; nevertheless, the long whip wrapped around Mo…
Standing so close to each other, the blood-drenched Yang Kai grinned at Mo, “I finally caught you!”
He seemed to have been waiting for this moment. After he finished speaking, he gave the long whip in his hand a sharp flick. The Space-Time River manifested once more, and the raging currents instantly engulfed the two figures.
Before their figures vanished from view, the Masters standing in the distance vaguely heard Mo’s mocking voice sounding in their ears, “Since you’re so eager to die, I will fulfil your wishes!”
Afterwards, the Space-Time River that stretched out into the void suddenly boiled and bubbled violently. Meanwhile, the Grand Dao Strengths trembled agitatedly. These were the results of the battle between Yang Kai and Mo in the Space-Time River.
The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters couldn’t help being extremely nervous at the sight.
The Space-Time River was the condensed crystallization of Yang Kai’s 10,000 Grand Daos. Even if fighting in the Space-Time River would give him a considerable advantage over his opponent, that was not enough to overcome the fact that Mo’s cultivation was in a higher Realm than his.
Besides, the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had seen the previous battle with their own eyes. Under Mo’s powerful offensive, Yang Kai could only parry and defend at most; he had no strength to fight back whatsoever. That was the result of the undeniable gap in their strengths. Rashly dragging his enemy into the Space-Time River was both an opportunity and a danger. If he failed to defeat Mo in the Space-Time River, then he would not be able to guarantee his own safety in the Space-Time River.
The churning of the river waters became increasingly turbulent. Waves rose and fell, splashing around fiercely. At the same time, countless Dao Strengths appeared and disappeared mysteriously. Although the Ninth-Order Masters could not see the ongoing battle, they could deduce that Yang Kai was at a disadvantage just by looking at the changes in the Space-Time River.
The situation lasted for several days. The Ninth-Order Masters were about to rush forward to help when the churning river suddenly turned calm. With their hearts in their throats, they watched the Space-Time River intently. They knew that the outcome of the battle had been decided.
Mi Jing Lun immediately sent a transmission to his companions, ordering them to be ready for action at any time.
A figure suddenly stepped out of the river… To their horror, the figure that stepped out turned out to be not one but two figures. Mo held Yang Kai by the head, dragging him with one hand. Yang Kai hung limply from Mo’s grasp as though every bone in his body had been broken.
Standing above the Space-Time River, Mo held Yang Kai’s head as though holding a chicken in his grasp and snorted, “Useless waste! You don’t have the right to continue living!”
Then, he abruptly exerted great strength in his hand.
How could Yang Kai, who had lost his ability to fight, withstand such an attack? His head instantly exploded from the impact; however, Mo did not stop there. It punched out and smashed the crippled body to pieces.
The scene was imprinted in the eyes of the Ninth-Order Masters who were watching the battle from afar. They stood frozen in shock and stared in disbelief.
Yang Kai died? The man who was the best at creating miracles and turning the tides of war countless times? The man who had saved the Human Race from various catastrophes? Did he die just like that?
They instinctively refused to believe the scene before them and subconsciously wondered whether they were looking at an illusion; however, the dissipation of his aura that followed the destruction of his body could not be faked. Everything indicated that he was really dead! Yang Kai had died at the hands of Mo!
Only a short moment had passed from the time Yang Kai was dragged out of the Space-Time River by Mo; moreover, Mo had not hesitated in the slightest when he killed Yang Kai. Everything happened so quickly that the Ninth-Order Masters had no time to even think about rescuing Yang Kai.
A shrill but mournful Phoenix Cry rang out, accompanied by a furious Dragon Roar. Su Yan and Yang Xiao transformed into their Divine Spirit Forms and charged towards Mo. The rest of the Ninth-Order Masters also followed suit and sprang into action. Despite knowing that they were no match for Mo, nobody hesitated in the slightest.
Now that Yang Kai was dead, there was nobody in this World who could compete with Mo. Black Ink Strength would soon gain complete control over the Universe. When that happened, the Human Race would no longer have a place to live. This was the final struggle!
Su Yan was the fastest; after all, the Dao of Space was the Bloodline Talent of the Phoenix Clan.
She had lost her mind after being consumed by her feelings of rage and sorrow. At this moment, there was only one thought left in her heart. She wanted revenge, and if she could not have it, she would accompany Yang Kai to the afterlife!
A gorgeous trail of light lingered behind the enormous blue figure. With a few flickers, she arrived on the battlefield. However, a bizarre phenomenon occurred before she could unleash her strength. Ripples suddenly emerged in the originally calm Space-Time River. Following the splashing waves, a figure leapt out.
Upon seeing the appearance of the figure, Su Yan froze in shock. Even the Ninth-Order Masters behind her were dumbfounded by the sight. The figure who stepped out from the Space-Time River was none other than Yang Kai, who should have been killed by Mo earlier!
[He’s alive!?] Everybody stared at the scene in front of them in disbelief. Their reactions were similar to when they watched Yang Kai being killed just now.
He had clearly died right before their very eyes, and his death had not been an illusion. Nevertheless, he just walked out of the Space-Time River alive! The bizarre phenomenon was beyond their comprehension. This kind of resurrection after death was simply impossible.
After stepping out from the surging waves, Yang Kai immediately noticed Su Yan and the others. He seemed to have anticipated the current situation and breathed out deeply, “I’m glad I made it back in time. Step back.”
Su Yan, who had transformed into an Ice Phoenix, only hesitated for a brief moment before she turned around and retreated backwards. She also manipulated Space Principles and quickly transported the people behind her away from the battlefield.
The Ninth-Order Masters were forcefully returned to their previous positions. This location could barely be considered safe from the aftermath of the battle.
Xiang Shan frowned deeply, “What just happened?”
Yang Kai had clearly been killed, so how did he come back alive from the Space-Time River? Although Xiang Shan had lived for many years, he had never encountered such a bizarre sight before.
A light flashed through Mi Jing Lun’s eyes, “Creation Realm… Could it be the mysteries of the Creation Realm?”
“What do you mean?” Ou Yang Lie raised an eyebrow at those words, “Are you saying that Yang Kai has stepped into the Creation Realm?”
Mi Jing Lun shook his head, “It doesn’t seem like it.”
The Yang Kai who stepped out of the Space-Time River only had the aura of a Ninth-Order Master. It did not seem as though he had ascended to a new Realm.
Be that as it may, Mi Jing Lun had no other explanation for the bizarre phenomenon that they just witnessed. What’s more, could reaching the Creation Realm really allow one to revive from the dead? It was simply outrageous and inconceivable.
On the battlefield, Mo watched Yang Kai reappear from the Space-Time River and turned to look at the scattered pieces of the dismembered body. After confirming that he had indeed slaughtered Yang Kai earlier, he immediately understood the situation, “A Shadow?”
Yang Kai smiled at Mo, “I can’t fool your eyes after all.”
Mu and Mo had lived together for such a long time. It was only natural for Mo to know about Mu’s methods. Besides, two identical individuals could not exist together unless they originated from different Space-Times.
Mu’s Shadow Technique had transcended the limits of the mundane. In order to suppress and seal Mo’s Source, she had divided her entire life into 3,000 shadows to protect the 3,000 Universe Worlds inside her Space-Time River. Each shadow represented a part of her past, an illusion of sorts that was also real and tangible.
Yang Kai had obtained Mu’s final gift. Devouring and refining her Space-Time River had allowed him to massively increase the volume of his own Space-Time River. At the same time, he also enhanced and improved his attainments and comprehension of the 10,000 Grand Daos. The benefits he received were enormous.
Nevertheless, those were not his greatest gains. The greatest benefit he obtained was Mu’s Shadow Technique. That Secret Technique was definitely the pinnacle of the mysteries of the Grand Daos.
After fighting Mo, Yang Kai had deeply understood that he was no match for his opponent. That was because he could not overcome his limits and advance to a higher Realm within a short time. As long as he could not advance to a higher Realm, then his battle with Mo would only end with his defeat and death. Be that as it may, he could not afford to die. The Human Race would be doomed if he fell here.
Since he had no means to advance to the next Realm within a short time, his only chance of victory was to master Mu’s Shadow Technique!
Just one or two of him could not compete with Mo, but what about three of him? Or, five? Or, 10?
Mastering the mysterious Shadow Technique was Yang Kai’s only chance at defeating Mo; therefore, he had mainly been buying time during his previous fight with Mo so that he could integrate the many Dao Strengths into his body completely.
Mu had not been able to teach Yang Kai about the mystery behind the Shadow Technique. It was not that she had no intention to teach him the Secret Technique; on the contrary, it was a Secret Technique that resulted from reaching the pinnacle of the Grand Daos, so it was not something he could learn even if she tried to teach him. The Secret Technique was something he had to comprehend with his own abilities. Fortunately, Yang Kai had embarked on the same path as Mu. It was for that reason she believed that he would eventually comprehend the mysterious Secret Technique and understand her intentions for giving him her Space-Time River.
Having come into contact with more than 2,000 of Mu’s shadows, Yang Kai already had some vague ideas about the Shadow Technique before he devoured and refined Mu’s Space-Time River. Furthermore, Mu’s final gift had laid down a solid foundation for him. It was thanks to the foundation that he finally understood the secrets of the Shadow Technique and was able to perform it through his Space-Time River.
There was no denying that Mo had killed him, but the one who died was a copy of himself who had existed at a certain time in the past. Nonetheless, the demise of a shadow was not without cost. Although it was Yang Kai’s first time performing the Shadow Technique, he quickly noticed that something was wrong. He raised a hand to his head in confusion, “It feels like I’ve forgotten something…”
He had completely lost his memories of the time during which the deceased shadow of him had existed.
“Never mind. It probably wasn’t anything important.” He gave a carefree laugh and looked up at Mo, “Shall we go for round two?”
Mo’s lips curled upwards. His expression had been sullen throughout the battle with Yang Kai, as though he owed him a massive debt. He also repeatedly made rude and disparaging remarks, but he broke into a smile at this moment, “Interesting!”
“The interesting part has yet to come!” As soon as the words left Yang Kai’s mouth, the Dao Strengths lingering around his body began to fluctuate. He arrived in front of Mo in the blink of an eye. The Space-Time River surged behind him. Raising his arm, Yang Kai summoned the Azure Dragon Spear and thrust it at Mo.
The Azure Dragon Spear should have been destroyed, but the Azure Dragon Spear in the Space-Time that Yang Kai’s shadow originated in remained intact. That was why the shattered spear could display its great strength once more!
As before, the violent fallout produced by their exchange of blows continuously spread to the surroundings. The spectating Ninth-Order Masters couldn’t help widening their eyes at the sight. They secretly rejoiced that Yang Kai had resurrected in time. With their strength, Mo would have effortlessly killed them if they had rushed forward at the time.
It was initially assumed that Yang Kai would be able to persist for a long time even though the battle was not evenly matched in strength; after all, he had displayed his immense strength previously. Unexpectedly, the battle only lasted for four hours before Mo found an opening and slammed his fist into Yang Kai’s chest.
A gaping hole appeared in Yang Kai’s chest, then his body exploded into pieces. His aura also swiftly dwindled away into nothing. Despite knowing that he would not experience a true death, the Ninth-Order Masters could not help being overwhelmed by sorrow at the sight.
After eradicating Yang Kai’s second shadow, Mo raised his eyes to look in the direction of the Space-Time River. He had lived with Mu for such a long time, so he was well aware of the Shadow Technique’s strength. The true strength of the Secret Technique was not power, but the prominent ability to survive that was granted to the users of the Secret Technique.
The Shadow Technique was created based on the Space-Time River, so the foundation of the Secret Technique was the Space-Time River itself. In order to completely eradicate a user of the Shadow Technique, the Space-Time River must first be destroyed; otherwise, the user of the Shadow Technique would never perish.
For that reason, Mo immediately aimed for the Space-Time River as soon as he slaughtered Yang Kai’s second shadow. Black Ink Strength around his body surged to cover the entire river. He planned to corrupt the entire Space-Time River with Black Ink Strength in order to destroy Yang Kai’s Shadow Technique.
But before Mo could make a move, another of Yang Kai’s shadow jumped out of the Space-Time River. Yang Kai instantly summoned the Azure Dragon Spear and launched himself at Mo, he even made a mocking remark, “Why are you in such a hurry?”
The two figures resumed their vicious battle once more. During that time, Yang Kai fought Mo while gathering various information on the Shadow Technique. It was his first time performing the Secret Technique, so his understanding of it was quite lacking. He had to perfectly master the Secret Technique as soon as possible because that was the only way he could turn the situation around and obtain victory!
If he only relied on a never-ending series of battles via his shadows, he would never be able to defeat Mo. However, Yang Kai would need to make countless attempts and gain experience from actual practice to perfectly master the Secret Technique as soon as possible.
“I’ve forgotten more things, but the memories I deliberately preserved have not been forgotten. That’s good news…” Yang Kai quietly muttered to himself and resumed battle against Mo. Although he was no match for Mo still, he no longer needed to worry about death. That was why he could afford to act more recklessly than before. Shortly afterwards, Yang Kai gained another important piece of information, “The shorter the span of Space-Time allocated, the weaker the shadow’s fighting ability. That is certainly worth noting!”
When that thought passed through his mind, the strength of his shadow faltered. Yang Kai showed weaknesses in his defences, so Mo instantly found an opening and slaughtered him!
Blood rained all over the void. Despite witnessing similar scenes on several occasions already, the Ninth-Order Masters watching the battle from afar still widened their eyes at the sight. What reassured them was that the next Yang Kai had already leapt out of the Space-Time River almost as soon as the previous Yang Kai died.
One after another, Yang Kai’s shadows stepped out from the Space-Time River only to perish at Mo’s hands. There were no exceptions. The first one had survived the battle for over four hours. The second one lasted for less than four hours. As for the third… the battle had ended even faster.
“This is bad!” Among those who were watching the battle from a distance, Mi Jing Lun’s expression turned solemn. He had noticed the issue at hand.
It was an extremely serious issue. Although Yang Kai’s Shadows were endless in supply, his strength seemed to be weakening over time. It was as though time was flowing backwards for him, causing his condition to return to an earlier period with each shadow.
At this moment, Yang Kai’s aura was only comparable to a newly advanced Ninth-Order Master; hence, he was effortlessly slaughtered by Mo as soon as he stepped out from the Space-Time River.
If the situation continued in this manner, he would not even be able to maintain his cultivation in the Ninth-Order. If that were to happen, Mo would be able to exterminate him without even breaking a sweat, no matter how many shadows were to appear.
Another one of Yang Kai’s shadows in the newly advanced Ninth Order stepped out from the Space-Time River. Raising a hand, Mo captured the shadow in its grasp and stared at Yang Kai faintly, “You’re a disgrace to Mu’s legacy!”
Yang Kai did not panic even though he was captured by Mo. After the repeated deaths of his shadows, he was now very familiar with the feeling of death. Raising an eyebrow at those words, he denied the statement, “That might not be true!”
Mo looked surprised, “Do you have another trick up your sleeve?”
Yang Kai grinned, “Indeed, a trick you’ve never seen before.”
“Very good!” Mo made a faint smile. While saying so, he exerted some strength into his grip and crushed the shadow in his grasp.
In the next moment, another Yang Kai leapt out from the Space-Time River; however, the aura lingering around him was different this time. Something had obviously changed as his aura was once again at the peak of his strength.
If the foundation of the Shadow Technique was said to be the Space-Time River, then the Core of the Secret Technique was the user of the selected Space-Time. In Yang Kai’s case, he was manipulating the 10,000 Dao Strengths with his Self from this Space-Time as the Core and his Space-Time River as the foundation. That was how he gained the ability to summon shadows from previous Space-Time periods.
All those who were slaughtered by Mo previously were his shadows; however, the one who walked out of the Space-Time River now was his main body. It was the him of the current Space-Time!
The foundation and core were extremely important to the Shadow Technique; therefore, it was necessary to destroy both aspects to overcome it.
Mo had initially wanted to refine the Space-Time River but was hindered by Yang Kai’s numerous shadows, which prevented it from taking action. However, he saw a ray of hope when Yang Kai’s main body emerged from the Space-Time River. The Shadow Technique would be destroyed as long as the Yang Kai standing before him was eliminated!
But, could it be that simple? For Yang Kai’s main body to emerge from the Space-Time River at this point… His actions certainly seemed like a desperate move; after all, the shadows that he summoned earlier had been cleanly eradicated. If he summoned any more shadows from earlier Space-Time periods, he would only have the cultivation of an Eighth-Order Master, which would not be able to cause any trouble for Mo at all.
Combining the situation with what Yang Kai mentioned just now, Mo had the vague feeling that Yang Kai was about to reveal his trump card. Oddly enough, he found himself looking forward to what was to come for some reason.
Yang Kai did not disappoint. When his main body stepped out of the Space-Time River, he lightly chanted, “I offer 1,000 years of my past in exchange for a contribution from the future! Come!”
As soon as those words left his mouth, the Space-Time River behind him began to rumble turbulently. The enormous river abruptly shrunk by a large margin, then another of Yang Kai’s shadow emerged from within the waters.
Seeing this, Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly. That was because the aura lingering around this shadow was slightly stronger than Yang Kai himself.
That should have been impossible. It had to be said that the Shadow Technique was performed with one’s self in the current Space-Time as the core. For that reason, the summoned shadow could only be formed from one’s self that existed in previous Space-Times. In other words, the summoned shadow should never be stronger than the main body, because the main body was ultimately the strongest. Be that as it may, an exception had appeared in Yang Kai’s case.
Mo instantly figured out the truth behind the situation and exclaimed in astonishment, “You summoned a shadow from the future!?”
Only Yang Kai from the future could be stronger than the main body of Yang Kai, who existed in the current Space-Time!
Mo did not remain idle when he raised this question. After realising that Yang Kai’s attainments in the Shadow Technique had surpassed Mu’s, he knew that Yang Kai could not be allowed to continue, so he charged forward even while asking this question.
In response, Yang Kai just stood calmly in place.
On the other hand, the summoned shadow stepped forward and immediately engaged in an intense battle with Mo. Although he came from 1,000 years in the future, his strength was still limited even though he was slightly stronger than the main body. He was no match for Mo either, but he would have no trouble buying some time for Yang Kai.
Furthermore, Yang Kai did not need much time!
He then shouted again, “Come!”
A second shadow stepped out from the Space-Time River. It was another Yang Kai who came from another 1,000 years into the future. When the second shadow appeared, the size of the Space-Time River shrunk again. On the other hand, the aura of Yang Kai and the two shadows instantly became closely interconnected. A Three Fortunes Formation was established!
The aura of the second shadow was again stronger than the first…
The first shadow had been steadily pushed back by Mo’s intense assault, but his situation improved as soon as the Three Fortunes Formation was established even though he remained at a disadvantage.
“Again!” Yang Kai shouted. The Dragon Blood in his body boiled and churned, while at the same time, his face began to flush red.
A third shadow stepped out from the Space-Time River. Glancing at the main body, he nodded lightly before he directly charged onto the battlefield. The Three Fortunes Formation also instantly transformed into the Four Symbols Formation!
“Again!” Golden Blood trickled out of Yang Kai’s nose as a fourth shadow emerged and the Four Symbols Formation evolved into a Five Elements Formation!
Shadow after shadow emerged from the Space-Time River without pause; only when the eighth shadow was summoned did Yang Kai finally stop. It was not that he no longer wanted to continue, but rather that the volume of his Space-Time River would shrink by a certain extent whenever he summoned a shadow from the future, and the Space-Time River had vanished completely after he summoned the eighth shadow.
He had reached the absolute limit of his Shadow Technique!
At this moment, Yang Kai’s main body was bleeding from all seven of his orifices. It was evident that he had endured tremendous pressure in order to pull this feat off.
The shadows that appeared towards the end possessed increasingly powerful auras. When the sixth shadow emerged, its aura had already reached the absolute peak of the Ninth Order. It was a stage that even Yang Kai’s main body had not achieved. The seventh and the eighth shadows also had auras at the peak of the Ninth Order, but their auras had become even more profound.
Looking at Mo who was being besieged and steadily repelled by the shadows on the battlefield, Yang Kai smiled even though he was covered in blood.
In truth, the shadows were already capable of fighting Mo on an equal footing when the Six Paths Formation was formed; therefore, Mo’s situation then became more and more critical when it later evolved to become the Seven Stars, Eight Trigrams, and ultimately Nine Palaces Formation!
The ones who established the Battle Formation were all ‘Yang Kais’. To be more precise, they were Yang Kais from future Space-Times! This was a feat that even Mu could not achieve. Her Shadow Technique could only summon shadows of her past because her Space-Time River was incomplete, but that was not the case for Yang Kai. His Space-Time River had been perfected, so the power of the Shadow Technique he wielded was even more terrifying!
Each shadow represented a Yang Kai from subsequent 1,000-year periods in the future. In other words, the eight shadows represented 8,000 years worth of future Space-Time.
These eight shadows combined with Yang Kai’s main body to establish the Nine Palaces Formation. For that reason, the power of the Battle Formation was even greater than the Nine Palaces Formation formed between Zhang Ruo Xi and her eight Personal Guard.
Zhang Ruo Xi, who had harmonized the power of Yin and Yang with her Heavens Order Bloodline, was certainly stronger than any of Yang Kai’s individual shadows. Be that as it may, the strength of the eight Personal Guards had held her back. Taking the overall situation into account, Yang Kai’s Nine Palaces Formation was undoubtedly the strongest Nine Palaces Formations that had appeared on the battlefield. Moreover, the difference in strength was significant!
After establishing the Nine Palaces Formation, Yang Kai’s main body took a step forward and charged towards Mo with the combined strength of the other eight shadows.
The Six Paths Formation was already sufficient for Yang Kai to fight Mo on even terms, so the Seven Stars Formation and Eight Trigrams Formations had left Mo at a complete disadvantage. At this moment, Yang Kai was practically invincible thanks to the Nine Palaces Formation. With the combined forces of the main body and eight shadows, Mo was powerless against their intense assault.
Black Blood and Black Ink Strength splattered everywhere.
The nine Yang Kais moved around swiftly, each one of them having mastered the 10,000 Grand Daos. As they were shadows of Yang Kai himself, there was no need for them to worry about their cooperation. The connection between the shadows was so close and firm that there were no flaws in their movements at all!
Mo naturally wanted to break free, but it was not easy to escape the besiegement of the Battle Formation.
The Ninth-Order Masters watching the battle from afar were stunned. Nobody could have imagined that such a strange scene would appear during the final battle. The mysteries of the Shadow Technique had exceeded their comprehension and imagination.
Looking at the current situation, they couldn’t help feeling hopeful and excited. That was because they finally saw a glimpse of hope in defeating Mo. In the past, the issue of defeating Mo had always been a plague to the Human Race. Although they never deliberately avoided the topic, the reality was that they simply did not have sufficient means or strength to oppose Mo.
Zhang Ruo Xi’s support had certainly been a pleasant surprise; unfortunately, even she was not strong enough to compete with Mo in battle.
The battle on the main battlefield was over, and the entire Black Ink Clan had been obliterated. If Yang Kai could defeat Mo, then the Black Ink crisis that had been plaguing the Human Race since the Late Ancient Era would be resolved in one fell swoop. A bright future was awaiting the Human Race! The light would eventually expunge all darkness!
However, the veteran Ninth-Order Masters soon began to look worried. The current situation might be favourable for them, but nobody knew what price Yang Kai had paid to wield the Shadow Technique like this. Seeing as the Secret Technique far exceeded his own abilities, the price he paid would correspond to the strength he obtained. In other words, the greater the strength Yang Kai obtained, the greater the price he had to pay! Furthermore, they did not know how long he could persevere in such an intense battle.
The truth was just as they feared. Yang Kai had indeed paid an unimaginable price to wield the Shadow Technique in such a fashion. His body was also forced to bear the incredible pressure that came from obtaining strength that exceeded his own abilities. In other words, he could not maintain this state for long! He had to finish this battle as soon as possible, and for that reason, he did not hesitate to join the battle himself just to defeat Mo a little faster!
Mo was steadily being pushed back under the suppression of the Nine Palaces Formation. At this point, he was backed into a corner with no ability to fight back.
The vexing situation infuriated Mo. As the ancient Supreme Being, he was a Master who not only originated from the same era as Mu, but also once held the opportunity to reign over the entire Universe. Even if more than 30% of his Source had been suppressed and sealed, he could still not tolerate a Junior acting so presumptuously in front of him; especially when this particular Junior had stolen Mu’s final legacy from him.
Amid the intense battle, Mo abruptly turned to look in a certain direction and fixed his gaze on one of Yang Kai’s figures. Naturally, it was Yang Kai’s main body.
The main body was easy to identify. Not only was the aura of the main body the weakest among the other shadows, but the appearance of the main body was also the most dishevelled and worse for wear due to the effects of performing the Shadow Technique.
To break the Shadow Technique, it was necessary to either destroy the Space-Time River that acted as the foundation or the main body that acted as the Core. At this moment, the Space-Time River was nowhere to be seen because it had been evenly divided between Yang Kai’s eight shadows. In that case, Mo only had one option left.
Mo turned to face the storm of attacks coming from so many shadows and disregarded the injuries he sustained, even when the strongest shadow chopped off his arm. In the end, the heavy price he paid was worthwhile indeed. He successfully broke out of the encirclement created by the shadows and arrived in front of Yang Kai’s main body.
Black Ink Strength surged. Raising his remaining hand, Mo blasted his fist at Yang Kai. The punch was quite a distance away from Yang Kai; nevertheless, the force of the punch was enough to cause space to shatter, time to stop, and the universe to collapse. The blow containing Mo’s full strength could not be dodged or avoided.
Mo could almost see Yang Kai’s main body being smashed into paste, and a hint of triumph flashed through the fury in his eyes, but unexpectedly, the imagined scene did not appear.
Despite the incoming blow, Yang Kai’s main body did not show the slightest trace of panic; on the contrary, he stepped forward and threw himself in the direction of the blow.
Mo was stunned by the strange turn of events.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai’s main body suddenly unleashed a burst of power that far exceeded his own strength. The force directly penetrated the shackles of Space and caused the stagnant Time to flow again. Then, he punched out at the same time.
[Damn it!] Mo abruptly realised that he had fallen into a trap.
For a long time now, the Core of the Nine Palaces Formation had always been sustained by the strongest shadow. Nevertheless, the fact that Yang Kai’s main body could exert such a powerful burst of strength indicated that the Core of the Nine Palaces Formation could be transferred to the main body.
The method to break the Shadow Technique was to defeat the body which existed in the current Space-Time. That was something both Mo and Yang Kai knew. Seeing as the former was bound to target the main body, how could the latter not take precautions? It could even be said that Yang Kai had been waiting for this very moment.
A violent force swept out, pushing Mo’s figure backwards. In the meantime, the eight shadows attacked from all directions. Dao Strengths fluctuated wildly, and the barrage of attacks left Mo staggering from the impact.
If that were all, Mo’s situation would have been bad enough; however, each of the eight shadows actually exerted strength that far exceeded their limits with every blow that they unleashed. The position as Core of the Formation was constantly being transferred around! To be precise, the position as Core was instantly transferred to whichever shadow was attacking Mo at the time.
Such a feat would have been impossible to achieve if it was any other configuration for the makeup of the Battle Formation, but Yang Kai could freely transfer the position as Core between his main body and his shadows without any obstruction.
This was the same strategy that Zhang Ruo Xi had carried out previously. She and her eight Personal Guard had both been the Cores and not the Cores at the same time. Such a perfect Nine Palaces Formation could be said to have no flaws whatsoever. More importantly, there was no need to fear the weak links being targeted; in fact, there was only one method to destroy this Battle Formation, which was to totally annihilate it by brute force!
The biggest reason why Zhang Ruo Xi had been defeated by Mo was that her Personal Guard could not withstand the intensity and ferocity of the battle. Transferring the Core position to her Personal Guard was a huge burden on their bodies. Each time they became the Core, they would also suffer heavy damage from the pressure; hence, there was a risk of their bodies collapsing after numerous transfers.
The same was also true for Yang Kai! In fact, the burden was greatest on his main body! The main body had already been greatly weakened after performing the Shadow Technique. With the addition of the pressure from being the Core of the Formation, he couldn’t help vigorously coughing up blood, his complexion turning as pale as a sheet.
Be that as it may, he did not hesitate in the slightest. Taking full advantage of the opening created by the eight shadows who were besieging Mo, Yang Kai stepped forward and approached Mo’s arm that had been severed earlier. Although the arm was bleeding profusely, it was not a fully physical body part.
“Open!” Yang Kai raised his arm and pointed at the arm. His Divine Sense surged turbulently. A moment later, a huge set of doors suddenly appeared in front of him. The door opened slightly to reveal a small gap, and then an indescribable pulling force seeped out from within and devoured the entire severed arm.
This arm contained part of Mo’s Source! Previously, some 30% of Mo’s Source had been suppressed and sealed by Yang Kai with the help of the Profound Source Gate.
If Yang Kai could not suppress and seal this piece of Mo’s Source quickly, the opportunity to retrieve his severed arm and reabsorb the piece of his Source he had lost would remain. Once Mo did so, he would return to full strength again.
Now that this piece of his Source had been sealed, Mo’s aura dropped significantly. Although Black Ink Strength surged at the spot where his arm had been severed and formed a new limb in the blink of an eye, the power that had been suppressed and sealed could no longer return.
With the success of this attack, Yang Kai’s confidence increased tremendously! This was the first crucial step towards victory. It was also the hardest and most dangerous step in the entire process! This step had paved the way for the rest of the path, making what came next easier.
Retrieving the Profound Source Gate, Yang Kai turned around and charged towards Mo. The furious battle resumed once more!
The secret that the position as Core of the Nine Palaces Formation could be freely transferred between the shadows had already been exposed; therefore, Yang Kai had no reason to hide his movements anymore. Dao Strengths fluctuated violently around him, and his offensive grew increasingly vicious.
Mo was already no match for Yang Kai when the Nine Palaces Formation was formed, so now that he had lost a part of his Source, his situation worsened even more.
After a brief but intense battle, one of Yang Kai’s shadows found an opening and chopped off one of Mo’s arms again.
Mo immediately attempted to retrieve his severed arm, but Yang Kai was already prepared for such an opportunity in advance. In the end, Mo was incapable of extricating himself from the battle due to the constant assault by the various shadows.
Yang Kai’s main body swiftly approached the severed arm, and for the second time, he summoned the Profound Source Gate and devoured the Source piece!
After completing his task, Yang Kai coughed up another mouthful of blood. He raised his head and glanced at the battlefield. Perceiving the condition of his shadows, he knew that he could not persist for much longer.
His main body was not the only one who was severely wounded by now, the rest of the shadows were also in a similar condition. However, only a small portion of these wounds were caused by Mo. Most of them had come from carrying the burden of being the Nine Palaces Formation Core.
Yang Kai’s immense strength and heritage had allowed him to bear an unimaginable amount of pressure from being the Core. That was only possible because it was him. If it were any other Ninth-Order Master instead, they would not have been able to withstand the pressure after being a Core three times in such a situation, regardless of their strength.
“I have to end this as quickly as possible!” Yang Kai muttered under his breath; then, he stepped forward and joined the battlefield.
In the next moment, his strongest shadow took on the boundless pressure from being the Core and unleashed a continuous storm of attacks without care whether his body could withstand the burden or not!
Mo clearly faltered under the violent bombardment of the strongest shadow.
While Mo was busy stewing in rage, the strongest shadow threw himself forward and disregarded Mo’s counterattack to restrain Mo firmly. At such a close distance, he grinned at Mo and revealed a sinister row of fangs!
Mo immediately understood Yang Kai’s intentions. Roaring furiously, he desperately struggled to escape; however, the attacks that came blasting from all directions rained down on Mo and the shadow the next moment!
Even the strongest shadow could not withstand this barrage of attacks; thus, he exploded and disintegrated completely! Likewise, Mo’s body was battered from the attack. The left part of his body was gone, revealing the internal organs within his abdomen cavity.
Mo staggered backwards weakly, a strange light flashing through his eyes for a moment. Before he could do anything though, another shadow charged towards him.
The strongest shadow had already been shattered, and with that, the Nine Palaces Formation had also been reduced to the Eight Trigrams Formation, which significantly reduced its might.
At the same time, Mo’s aura was not as strong as before. After two pieces of his Source were sealed by Yang Kai, his aura had been notably weakened.
As the remaining seven shadows attacked Mo, Yang Kai’s main body summoned the Profound Source Gate for a third time, suppressing and sealing another piece of Mo’s shattered body.
Mo’s aura weakened once again! The Eight Trigrams Formation was now sufficient to deal with the current Mo.
A series of fearsome attacks struck back the Battle Formation, destroying another of Yang Kai’s shadows; in exchange, Mo once again suffered heavy injuries.
The Eight Trigrams Formation had been reduced to the Seven Stars Formation.
Previously, Yang Kai’s shadows had emerged from the Space-Time River one after another, joining the Battle Formation and making it stronger, but the situation had reversed now.
As more of these shadows perished, the might of the Battle Formation also began to weaken.
The only benefit was that Mo also weakened.
Each time a shadow perished, Mo’s body would shatter and Yang Kai’s main body would seize the opportunity to suppress and seal another piece of the former’s Source.
In the end, all of the shadows disappeared, leaving Yang Kai bleeding all over, staring right across at a miserable and weakened Mo.
The current Mo had a large amount of his Source suppressed and sealed, which significantly decreased his strength. He was no longer as mighty as before, and even the rich and dense Black Ink Strength lingering around him was now extremely faint, almost invisible.
The current Mo had lost more than 90% of his Source. In other words, he only had 10% of his peak strength, which was far from prime condition.
Right then, several figures flew over and formed a circle, surrounding the battlefield.
They were the Human Race Masters who had been watching from afar, as well as the Giant Spiritual Gods Ah Da and Ah Er.
Previously, it was impossible for them to intervene in the battle. Even the two Giant Spiritual Gods were unable to approach, let alone the Ninth-Order Masters; however, as Mo’s strength suffered with the destruction of Yang Kai’s shadows again and again, the spectating Masters finally had a chance to be useful.
Mo… had lost!
It was simply impossible for him to deal with so many Masters with his current strength. Just the two Giant Spiritual Gods alone were enough to overpower him now.
Nonetheless, Mo was laughing, his voice sounding extremely cheerful.
Zhang Ruo Xi stood before Yang Kai with the Heavens Order Sword in her hand, vigilantly staring at Mo. Although Mo was in a miserable state right now, no one knew what kind of methods this ancient being still had hidden up his sleeve. As such, they still had to take necessary precautions.
“Yang Kai!” Mo’s smile faded as it shouted at Yang Kai, “Let’s settle this!”
Behind Zhang Ruo Xi, Yang Kai calmed his roiling vitality and replied, “Good!”
“Sir!” Zhang Ruo Xi shouted, “Allow me!”
She still had the strength to launch one last attack and was confident that she could take down Mo with it; so, she naturally wouldn’t let Yang Kai take the risk.
“No. There’s no need!” Yang Kai stepped forward and walked past Zhang Ruo Xi, staring at the nearby Mo. Even as victory was within his grasp, there was no trace of the pride or arrogance on Yang Kai’s face as a victor should have, rather there was only a complicated expression.
“None of you is to interfere!” Yang Kai gently ordered.
The gathered Masters furrowed their brows ever so slightly. In the current situation, the best course of action was undoubtedly to attack together and take down Mo in an instant, ending this disaster that had lasted for millions of years once and for all; however, Yang Kai actually told them not to interfere.
No one knew what Yang Kai was thinking or up to.
However, out of their trust in Yang Kai, everyone still acquiesced to his demand. Be that as it may, they still maintained their encirclement, and focused their auras. If anything happened to Yang Kai, Mo would immediately be attacked from all directions.
When dealing with Mo, there was no need to discuss honour or morals.
Despite being surrounded on all sides, Mo’s expression still remained calm. He simply stared at Yang Kai and shouted, “Come!”
As soon as he spoke, his figure rushed straight towards Yang Kai, leaving a streak of black light behind him.
Simultaneously, Yang Kai also charged towards Mo.
The moment the two figures collided, everyone’s hearts jumped to their throats.
However, the next thing that entered their sight left them relieved.
Yang Kai’s fist had smashed into Mo’s chest, while Mo’s fist had stopped right before Yang Kai’s head.
*Pu…*
Mo spurted a mouthful of black blood as his raised fist limply fell.
Standing at arm’s length from one another, when their eyes suddenly met, Mo smiled at Yang Kai.
“Many thanks!” Yang Kai nodded to him, and thought for a moment before adding, “I will let you see the world Mu wished for you to see.”
Despite the jet-black blood flowing from the corners of Mo’s mouth, a free and relieved expression appeared on his face after hearing this, “Then, that’s enough!”
Yang Kai didn’t say anything more and summoned the Profound Source Gate. As the gate cracked open, it swallowed Mo whole!
Right afterwards, the door slowly closed itself, sealing the endless darkness behind it.
Back then, it was Mu who had rescued Mo from behind this door, and after more than a million years, Yang Kai had sent him back through it.
This ancient being had lived his life. He did not dare say he didn’t have any regrets, but at the very least, his life had certainly been quite an exciting one.
*Pu…* Yang Kai spurted a mouthful of blood before sitting down cross-legged, taking out a handful of pills from his Space Ring and stuffing them into his mouth.
Everyone immediately rushed to him upon seeing this. Su Yan flew straight behind Yang Kai and sat down, allowing him to lean on her.
After a while, Yang Kai’s chaotic aura finally started to stabilize. As he opened his eyes, he saw many pairs of eyes gazing at him with worried looks.
“I won’t die,” Yang Kai comforted everyone, allowing them to relax.
Mi Jing Lun finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked, “Why did you thank Mo at the last moment?”
Although no one heard Yang Kai’s words of thanks, they could tell what he was saying by reading Yang Kai’s lips.
Yang Kai heaved a sigh, explaining, “From beginning to end, Mo never went all-out.”
“What?” Ouyang Lie was shocked, “He didn’t go all out? How is that possible?”
The others also had a look of incredulity on their faces. To their surprise, their battle almost ended in mutual destruction even when Yang Kai had given it everything he had. Did that mean Mo would have obtained the final victory if he had not held back?
Yang Kai continued, “It’s not that Mo didn’t use his full strength, but rather that he didn’t resort to any of his other tricks.”
Yang Kai had always been on guard against certain methods.
The Royal Lords had their Royal Lord Secret Technique, which could instantly corrupt Eighth-Order Masters. As the Black Ink Clan’s Creator, how could Mo not have similar methods? What’s more, such a method when used by Mo would surely be far more profound than what a Royal Lord could produce.
Of course, Yang Kai had the Soul Warming Lotus protecting his Soul, and the World Tree clone protecting his Small Universe, but even so, he could not say with absolute certainty that they would be able to defend against such a move.
Cang once mentioned that a mere clone could not completely negate Mo’s Black Ink Strength, only the World Tree itself would be capable of that!
So, when Yang Kai fought with Mo, he had always been on guard.
But from beginning to end, Mo had not used that mysterious method.
Was it that Mo couldn’t? Impossible!
He just didn’t want to!
Even after Yang Kai summoned his eight shadows, Mo still held a trump card that could have instantly turned the tables. Furthermore, he never needed to fight Yang Kai head-on, he could have just stalled for time, and the eight shadows from the future Space-Times would slowly have dissipated.
Not to mention, there was even a decent chance Mo could have broken away from the Nine Palaces Formation’s blockade and escaped. At the very least, it was clear Mo had no such intention. From beginning to end, he had fought with Yang Kai head-on!
At first glance, it seemed like Mo wanted to kill Yang Kai, no matter the cost, but was that really the case?
Therefore, although Mo had been fighting with all his strength against Yang Kai, he had not truly gone all out.