Before the third match began, the Black Ink Clansmen began to quarrel among themselves. They had watched the previous two consecutive battles. Most notably, Yang Kai had been injured during the second match so his strength would surely have been greatly reduced.
In the eyes of the Black Ink Clan, it was impossible for him to win the third match. This match was going to be a huge opportunity, so nobody was willing to back down.
Although Nu Yan appeared to be watching cheerfully, he was actually feeling nervous inside. It was true that Yang Kai had given him the signal that he could continue fighting and it was also true that Yang Kai had demonstrated incredible combat prowess. Even so, he was not confident as to whether Yang Kai could win the third battle. If Yang Kai were to lose, then he would have shot himself in the foot with his actions.
At any rate, now that things had reached this point, his only option was to persevere. This was a matter concerning 1,000 Black Ink Coins after all. If this method was feasible, then he would never need to worry about Black Ink Coins again in the future.
The Black Ink Clansmen quarrelled endlessly among themselves. In the end, they decided to follow the original rules and allowed Yang Kai to pick his own opponent. The opponent would be fighting whomever he chose, and nobody could object to his decision.
When the third battle began, everybody paid close attention to the fight, with Nu Yan looking the most nervous out of them all.
The situation on the battlefield changed rapidly. The two Black Ink Disciples exchanged countless blows with each other, and the battle was astoundingly intense. Yang Kai once again transformed into his Half-Dragon Form. His performance made it seem as though he had played all his cards, but the fight left him drenched in blood nevertheless. He looked like he was at risk of dying at any moment.
Nu Yan felt his heart sinking in his chest. He was starting to think that he was going to lose the battle. On the other hand, the opponent’s side was in high spirits because he could almost see the scene where he obtained a new and powerful Black Ink Disciple.
However, accidents always occurred when they were least expected. The opponent had clearly been holding the upper hand in the battle, but he experienced a sudden turn of events. In spite of the fact that Yang Kai had been fighting for three consecutive battles and looked like a wretched mess as a result, his attacks only became increasingly aggressive the further he was pushed into a corner.
When the opponent fell out of the sky and crashed into the ground unconscious, the entire gambling arena fell silent. Yang Kai also fell out of the sky at the same time, but he managed to stay on his feet at the last moment. His complexion was as white as a sheet.
“We won!” D-4 shouted from beside Nu Yan. Nu Yan also burst into cheerful laughter, his tense mood finally relaxing.
The other party handed over a Space Ring. Nu Yan took the Space Ring and checked the amount. After confirming that there were indeed 1,000 Black Ink Coins, he smiled and said, “My respects!”
The Black Ink Clansman’s expression was indifferent. The loss of 1,000 Black Ink Coins might hurt slightly, but the damage was not significant. He nodded lightly in response, “Are you interested in another match?”
Nu Yan immediately shook his head. While he regarded Yang Kai as a cash cow, he was not a fool. Yang Kai was no longer in a state to continue fighting. If he fought another battle, he would definitely lose. How could Nu Yan agree to such a proposal?
The Black Ink Clansman added, “2,000 Black Ink Coins.”
Nu Yan continued to shake his head, “Even if you offer me 5,000 Black Ink Coins, I won’t accept the challenge!” Nevertheless, he did not cut off the possibility of future negotiations and reassured the other party with a smile, “Until next time. There will certainly be chances to have a rematch in the future.” Having said that, he turned around and instructed D-4, “Bring him back.”
D-4 accepted the command and flew towards the crater to bring Yang Kai back.
Nu Yan did not stop there. Leading his Black Ink Disciples, he returned to the place where they rested previously and handed some resources to Yang Kai for cultivation and recovery so that his wounds could heal.
Yang Kai had earned Nu Yan a total of 1,600 Black Ink Coins from the three battles earlier. The amount might not be much, but this was not a one-time gig. What was there to fear about the lack of Black Ink Coins if he repeated this cycle a few more times? Looking at Yang Kai, who was meditating in a cross-legged position nearby, Nu Yan felt as though he could see a method to earn a fortune.
A few days later, Nu Yan led Yang Kai and others to the gambling arena again. Armed with the previous experience, he showed significantly more confidence in Yang Kai this time.
Yang Kai had shown off his great strength after winning three consecutive battles a few days ago, so the Black Ink Clan and the Black Ink Disciples knew that he was not an easy opponent to mess with. Be that as it may, most people believed that they might get lucky and had thoughts such as “What if I strike gold?”
In any case, the losses were not too high even if they didn’t win the match. That was why, as soon as Yang Kai entered the battlefield, several Black Ink Disciples immediately flew into the crater under the command of their Masters.
Nu Yan’s rules did not change. All three matches were life bouts, and the bet increased with every round. The first match was 100 Black Ink Coins, the second match was 500 Black Ink Coins, and the third match was 1,000 Black Ink Coins. The number of Black Ink Disciples in the battlefield increased with every round, and Yang Kai would randomly choose an opponent each time.
The three battles eventually ended with three consecutive wins! Just like before, Nu Yan earned 1,600 Black Ink Coins. He was overjoyed!
For the next month, Nu Yan would lead Yang Kai to the gambling arena every few days. It was the same experience every time. Yang Kai never disappointed him. This Black Ink Disciple was definitely his greatest treasure that would bring him enormous wealth in the future. Nu Yan secretly rejoiced that he had accidentally picked up this servant while resting inside the Black Ink Cloud back then.
In just one month, Yang Kai became famous throughout the Fierce Wind Estate! Be it the High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen or the Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords, all of them were paying close attention to him now. They had never seen anyone who could defeat so many Black Ink Disciples before.
Most of the Black Ink Clansmen here had participated on the real battlefield in the past. To survive and return from the battlefield meant that they had battled and slaughtered Human cultivators. It had to be said that the situation would be very terrifying if all the Human cultivators were like Yang Kai.
Even Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords took the initiative to meet Nu Yan and made their intentions to purchase Yang Kai clear. The price they offered was very reasonable. Generally speaking, a Black Ink Disciple in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm would be worth 10,000 or so Black Ink Coins. Nonetheless, many of the Black Ink Feudal Lords offered a price of 20,000 or even 30,000 Black Ink Coins.
Although Nu Yan was tempted, he refused all their offers in the end. A one-time sale could never be as beneficial as long-term financial stability. He had far more plans to implement, so how could he sell Yang Kai off?
However, on a certain day one month later, nobody stepped up to accept the challenge when Nu Yan brought Yang Kai to the gambling arena. After so many battles, Yang Kai had not lost a single one. He would fight three consecutive battles each time, and he would look as though he was on the verge of losing every time. Be that as it may, he would always win in the end.
The Black Ink Clan had also noticed this issue and began to suspect that Nu Yan was digging a pit for them to jump into; therefore, they all cursed Nu Yan for being insidious and cunning. Since it was a battle they could not win, who would willingly give money away for nothing?
There was nothing Nu Yan could do if nobody accepted the challenge. After waiting for some time, he summoned Yang Kai back and left the gambling arena with his subordinates.
His efforts during this period had indeed allowed him to gain enormous benefits. In the beginning, Nu Yan did not have many assets, but now, he had enough for him to carry out something important.
Silently following behind Nu Yan, Yang Kai vaguely noticed that they seemed to be heading towards the Black Ink Nest. He had secretly observed the Black Ink Nest on many occasions during the time he lived in Fierce Wind Estate.
D-4 had mentioned that it was the place where all Black Ink Clansmen were born. The Black Ink Nest was not only an important foundation of the Black Ink Clan, but the advancement of a Black Ink Clansman’s cultivation must also be done inside a Black Ink Nest.
Entering a Black Ink Nest cost Black Ink Coins. Even purchasing World Spheres required Black Ink Coins. That was why the Black Ink Coins were considered so valuable.
Yang Kai was very concerned about this Black Ink Nest. Unfortunately, he had not had the opportunity to approach it previously and could only watch from afar. It could be said that he finally obtained what he wished for.
The group soon arrived in front of the Black Ink Nest under Nu Yan’s guidance.
From a distance, the Black Ink Nest resembled a huge flower bud. Rich Black Ink Strength tumbled about and dissipated into the surroundings with every breath it took.
Standing in front of the Black Ink Nest, Yang Kai finally realised how large it was.
The thick roots were closely connected to the entire Fierce Wind Estate, and its existence was like a plant, but not a plant. The external surface looked like dried meat, which gave off an extremely malevolent aura. Meanwhile, the thick roots themselves were natural pathways leading upward to a portal at the bottom of the flower bud. A Black Ink Feudal Lord was standing guard beside the portal.
Nu Yan stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the Black Ink Feudal Lord. Then, he handed over a Space Ring filled with a certain amount of Black Ink Coins.
The Black Ink Feudal Lord checked the contents carefully before he nodded lightly.
Nu Yan turned around, looked at his Black Ink Disciples for a moment, and reached out to point at C-3 and D-4, “You two, follow me inside.”
C-3 and D-4 responded in unison and followed Nu Yan inside. Before leaving, D-4 cupped his fist at Yang Kai, “Take care!”
Yang Kai furrowed his brow slightly. Although he looked confused, he returned the courtesy.
It didn’t take long for Nu Yan to lead C-3 and D-4 out of Yang Kai’s sight. Yang Kai, B-2, and E-5 moved to the side and waited quietly.
A Black Ink Clansman would lead their Black Ink Disciples over from time to time. What’s more, each Black Ink Clansman would take one or two Black Ink Disciples inside the Black Ink Nest with them, just like Nu Yan.
Looking at this scene gave Yang Kai a vague guess about what was happening, but he could not be certain. After enduring for some time, he finally blurted out, “Is Master planning to break through?”
Nu Yan had spent a lot of Black Ink Coins to enter the Black Ink Nest, so it was obvious that he was here for an advancement.
It was obvious that Yang Kai was highly valued by Nu Yan, so the other Black Ink Disciples had been quite friendly with him recently. Upon hearing the question, B-2 nodded in response, “That’s right. This is the second time.”
Yang Kai was stunned, “Can a Black Ink Clansman fail in his advancement?”
B-2 replied, “Of course there’s a possibility of failure. If success was guaranteed for every attempt, then Master would already be a Black Ink Feudal Lord by now. It’s just that the consequences they face if they fail in their breakthrough are not particularly serious. They are very different from us. For us, the higher our Order, the more severe the consequences we suffer if we fail a breakthrough attempt. We might even end up dead. In contrast, they will only weaken for some time at most. It’s only a matter of time before they make a full recovery.”
Yang Kai gnashed his teeth. Nu Yan was a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman who was equal to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of strength. If he succeeded in his advancement, then he would become a Black Ink Feudal Lord.
Yang Kai was not afraid of a mere Black Ink Feudal Lord, but the stronger Nu Yan became, the more disadvantageous it was for him. Naturally, he hoped that Nu Yan failed in the advancement.
“Why did Master take C-3 and D-4 inside with him?” Yang Kai asked in confusion.
Logically speaking, the advancement was an extremely important process to both Human cultivators and the Black Ink Clan. They would need to concentrate fully, so why would Nu Yan take two Black Ink Disciples inside with him? Was it for standing guard? But, there should not be dangers inside the Black Ink Nest.
B-2 fell silent for a moment before he explained, “Just as how we need to accumulate our strength to advance, the same goes for Master. He brought them along in case of emergency.”
Yang Kai’s facial muscles tightened instantly.
B-2’s explanation might not have been explicit, but how could Yang Kai fail to understand the meaning behind those words? It was obvious that C-3 and D-4 were being regarded as emergency resources. In a pinch, Nu Yan could devour their World Force to aid in his advancement.
It was not just Nu Yan. From what Yang Kai observed just now, most of the Black Ink Clansmen who entered the Black Ink Nest would bring one or two Black Ink Disciples with them. Through the ages, who knew how many Black Ink Disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had perished inside this massive, evil Black Ink Nest?
Yang Kai clenched his fist tightly. The urge to charge straight in and destroy the Black Ink Nest flooded him, but he firmly suppressed the impulse. This was not the only Black Ink Nest in the Black Ink Clan. Even if he were to destroy the Black Ink Nest in front of him, it would not change the fate of many Black Ink Disciples. On the contrary, it would only expose his identity. The existence of the Black Ink Clan was the root cause of the problem. Only by completely eradicating the Black Ink Clan from the world would the crisis faced by the 3,000 Worlds since time immemorial be resolved.
Yang Kai and the others waited silently, and Nu Yan’s figure finally emerged from the entrance of the Black Ink Nest a few days later. However, Yang Kai immediately noticed that Nu Yan seemed rather weak at the moment. Not only was Nu Yan’s aura fluctuating unevenly, but his expression was also dark and gloomy. It was obvious that he was not in a good mood.
Yang Kai’s heart stirred at the sight. Combined with what B-2 said earlier, how could he not realise that Nu Yan had failed his breakthrough?
Every time a Black Ink Clansman failed during their advancement, they would be weakened for some time. In addition, it was already the second time Nu Yan failed. It would be strange for him to be in a good mood.
Yang Kai glanced behind Nu Yan. There was a person following behind the tall figure. It was D-4. Meanwhile, C-3, who went inside with them, was nowhere to be seen.
Yang Kai’s eyes dimmed slightly. He understood that C-3 had probably met a tragic end. Nu Yan might have failed to break through, but he must have devoured the World Force of C-3’s Small Universe during the process. How could C-3 survive when his World Force had been devoured and his Small Universe had collapsed? Although Yang Kai had neither interacted much with C-3 nor built up a friendship between them during this period, the death of C-3 still weighed heavily on his heart.
Nu Yan walked out of the Black Ink Nest without saying a word. Yang Kai and D-4 glanced at each other and nodded lightly in greeting. Then, Yang Kai quickly followed after Nu Yan with B-2 and E-5 in tow.
Returning to the place where they rested again, Nu Yan sat down cross-legged. His chest and abdomen swelled as he inhaled the Black Ink Strength that could be found everywhere in the Fierce Wind Estate. As he absorbed the Black Ink Strength, his weakened aura gradually recovered.
D-4 seemed to be feeling a lingering sense of fear after narrowly escaping death. Even though he had known what kind of fate awaited him when he followed Nu Yan into the Black Ink Nest, it was impossible for a Black Ink Disciple like him to refuse his Master’s command.
Nevertheless, anybody would instinctively feel fear when faced with the threat of death. Even a talkative person like D-4 fell into a heavy, brooding silence for quite some time. It was fortunate that Nu Yan had failed in his breakthrough though. If Nu Yan had succeeded, then he too would have shared C-3’s fate.
An entire month later, Nu Yan finally made a full recovery. He slowly stood up and glanced in the direction of the gambling arena. Hesitating for a moment, he eventually shook his head slowly and beckoned to the others, “Let’s go!”
The Black Ink Coins that Yang Kai earned for him in the gambling arena had mostly been spent on the Black Ink Nest. If he wanted to enter the Black Ink Nest again for cultivation, then he would need to earn more Black Ink Coins.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai’s fame had spread throughout the Fierce Wind Estate. Nobody was willing to fight him again, so this method of making money had lost its effect. If he wanted to earn more Black Ink Coins, then he could only switch to another place and begin anew. That was one of the reasons why Nu Yang had rejected the offers from the Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords when they wanted to purchase Yang Kai at high prices. His subordinate known as A-1 was practically a money tree after all. How could he sell off his source of income for a mere 20 or 30 thousand Black Ink Coins?
The four Black Ink Disciples left the Fierce Wind Estate under Nu Yan’s leadership and rushed towards a certain direction in the void.
More than ten days later, they arrived at another territory.
Yang Kai stealthily checked the Universe Chart that Meng Qi had given to him and discovered that this territory was known as the False Decree Estate. The False Decree Estate did not look very different from the Fierce Wind Estate. It might be slightly bigger in size, but the difference was not very significant.
Standing in the void, Yang Kai saw the towering Black Ink Nest in the False Decree Estate from a distance. The Black Ink Nest was releasing Black Ink Strength that covered the entire Spirit Province.
Upon arriving at the False Decree Estate, Nu Yan headed directly for the gambling arena without pause. There was a gambling arena in almost every territory because the Black Ink Clan seemed to like sending their Black Ink Disciples into battle.
When the battle in the gambling arena ended, Nu Yan shot a look at Yang Kai. Yang Kai understood and immediately flew downward.
Then, Nu Yan repeated his previous trick and recited the gambling rules that he used back at the Fierce Wind Estate. It was just that he had increased the compensation for the first match from 100 to 500 Black Ink Coins!
His statement caused a huge uproar in the gambling arena. If they won, they could walk away with a Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple. If they lost, they would only need to pay 500 Black Ink Coins. Who could miss out on such a fantastic deal?
Nearly 100 Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciples immediately flew into the battlefield under their Master’s command and surrounded Yang Kai so tightly that not a drop of water could leak out. If somebody did not know better, they would have thought that these Black Ink Disciples were about to gang up on Yang Kai.
Nu Yan had long expected this situation as something similar had happened back at the Fierce Wind Estate. Therefore, he applied the same rule and allowed Yang Kai to choose his own opponent. The Black Ink Clan naturally had no objections to this.
Yang Kai did not hesitate and randomly chose an opponent. When the others left the battlefield, the match immediately began. Needless to say, the results went as expected. Nu Yan cheerfully received the 500 Black Ink Coins, then he recklessly announced that he wanted to continue with a second match. The bet for the second match was 1,000 Black Ink Coins!
The Black Ink Clansmen who failed to seize the opportunity earlier were both surprised and delighted, so they dispatched their Black Ink Disciples into the battlefield again.
It was soon time for the third match. Moreover, the wager for the third match had been increased to 2,000 Black Ink Coins.
After three consecutive battles, a blood-drenched Yang Kai finally withdrew from battle. Nu Yan happily earned 3,500 Black Ink Coins, which was more than double the income he received at the Fierce Wind Estate. One battle here was equivalent to two battles back at the Fierce Wind Estate. The efficiency had increased significantly.
Thanks to the bloody battle on the first day, Yang Kai caught the attention of many Black Ink Clansmen. Many people became interested in him. In fact, a Black Ink Feudal Lord immediately approached Nu Yan and expressed his intention to buy Yang Kai.
Nu Yan had already rejected such offers countless times in the Fierce Wind Estate, so naturally he would not agree here either. The Black Ink Feudal Lords might hold higher positions than him, but the Black Ink Clan had their own rules. No matter how much one liked another person’s Black Ink Disciple, they could not forcefully snatch them away; otherwise, Nu Yan would not have been able to hold onto Yang Kai.
He allowed Yang Kai to rest and recover for a few days before he brought him back to the arena.
A month later, all the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciples in the False Decree Estate had been soundly defeated and nobody accepted the challenge again. Nu Yan turned out to be surprisingly decisive. Once the challengers dried up, he immediately led Yang Kai and the others out of the False Decree Estate and travelled to the next place.
At times, Yang Kai had no choice but to admire Nu Yan’s business acumen. Nu Yan was obviously taking advantage of the lack of information circulation at the moment. Every time they arrived at a new place, the Black Ink Clan would be unaware of Yang Kai’s strength and as a result, all of them were tempted into taking their chances against him. Who could have known that they would fall into Nu Yan’s trap and contribute Black Ink Coins to him for nothing?
In any case, this continuous stream of battles was not without benefit to Yang Kai.
Unlike others in the Sixth Order, his Small Universe had fully materialized. Combined with the fact that his Small Universe had been integrated with the Sealed World Bead, his heritage had always been far greater than others in the same Order from the start; therefore, he always obtained crushing victories when fighting other cultivators in the same Order.
Be that as it may, he had to suppress his strength in every battle inside the gambling arenas. He did not dare to expose too much, lest he revealed his secrets to the others. Under the premise that he fought while suppressing his strength, repeatedly fighting battles that culminated with heavy injuries on both parties had the effect of polishing his combat techniques.
If that were not the case, Yang Kai would have considered losing some battles a long time ago. Being treated as a cash cow by Nu Yan was not a pleasant experience; however, things might not be different if he changed to a different ‘Master’.
They did not stay in any of the territories for more than two months. It was meaningless to stay any longer as once people learned about Yang Kai’s strength and stopped accepting the challenge, there would be no more Black Ink Coins to earn.
It could be said that Nu Yan swept from one territory to the next with Yang Kai and the others in tow. Furthermore, he earned a huge fortune everywhere he went. For every three battles, he would earn 3,500 Black Ink Coins. Even if he could only fight seven to eight times in each territory, that was an income of 20 to 30 thousand Black Ink Coins. It was an astronomical amount for a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman.
Yang Kai had been worried that Nu Yan would attempt a breakthrough again. If that happened, D-4 would be in danger, but on second thought, Yang Kai realized that the reason Nu Yan brought C-3 and D-4 into the Black Ink Nest with him last time was to prepare for any emergencies. Now that Nu Yan possessed such a large amount of Black Ink Coins, he could buy some World Spheres to use instead of sacrificing a Black Ink Disciple under his command.
In a chat with D-4, Yang Kai learned that once a Black Ink Clansman failed their advancement, they generally did not choose to try again for the next few decades. That was because the probability of success was much lower. Only once the backlash from their previous failure had been completely removed would they make another attempt.
This discovery was a huge relief to Yang Kai.
Nevertheless, passing the days in this manner was not in line with his goal. Meng Qi had sacrificed himself so that the existence of the Void Corridor would remain a secret and Yang Kai could escape alive.
Originally, Yang Kai was supposed to rush to one of the great passes guarded by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, then confront the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield. He was not supposed to impersonate a Black Ink Disciple and become the cash cow of a Black Ink Clansman. Unfortunately, Yang Kai did not dare to act recklessly and could only wait patiently.
Nu Yan was a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman, so it was impossible for him to avoid the battlefield forever. But, as long as he entered the battlefield, then Yang Kai would be able to find an opportunity to break free from him.
Two years passed by in the blink of an eye.
Inside the gambling arena, Yang Kai was in a closely matched battle with a Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple. This was already the third fight of the day. Having won two other matches earlier, he had already earned 1,500 Black Ink Coins for Nu Yan. The outcome of the third battle involved 2,000 Black Ink Coins and even his ownership, so many Black Ink Clansmen were naturally paying close attention.
Outside the battlefield, Nu Yan watched the battle calmly. Although Yang Kai was covered in blood, Nu Yan was not worried in the slightest. On the contrary, he was cheerfully chatting with his clansmen beside him. That was because Yang Kai always had such a miserable appearance during the third match of each round of battles. Even though he looked like he was in a dangerous situation where he could be defeated at any time, he always won in the end.
In the beginning, Nu Yan had been extremely on edge whenever this happened. However, he had gotten used to the sight after two years. No matter how terribly Yang Kai seemed to perform, he had great confidence in the latter’s victory.
In the end, Yang Kai lived up to Nu Yan’s expectations and won the third battle with some difficulty. Before Nu Yan could receive the bet of the third match though, a sudden change occurred.
An extremely violent force surged throughout the territory, and an oppressive force simultaneously descended upon everybody. For an instant, everyone felt as though an entire Universe World was pressing down on their heads. Even their bodies involuntarily stooped slightly from the pressure.
Countless Black Ink Clansmen turned pale; meanwhile, World Force surged and fluctuated turbulently around them.
Inside the gambling arena, the blood-drenched Yang Kai abruptly raised his head to look at the sky. What entered his vision made his expression tense. In the sky, World Force that gathered like clouds was so dense that it could be seen with the naked eye.
Yang Kai was shocked by the sight. Although he had met many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the past, he had never seen such rich and pure World Force before.
Back in Black Territory, Yang Kai had been present when countless Eighth-Order Ancestors joined hands to besiege the Black Ink Royal Lord and the attacks of those Eighth-Order Masters had been absolutely extraordinary. Even so, all those attacks seemed insignificant compared to what he was seeing right now.
He did not know what was happening, but the World Force visible to the naked eye was clearly the power unleashed by some sort of Secret Technique activated by a Master.
“Enemy attack!” A furious howl reverberated through the world. It came from the direction of the Black Ink Feudal Lord’s Palace.
Yang Kai was stunned for a moment, then he felt a mixture of astonishment and joy. The situation in front of him turned out to be an enemy invasion, and the Black Ink Clan’s enemy was undoubtedly the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. In other words, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had launched an attack on this place!
He was surprised that the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises were so bold. It had to be said that he had checked the Universe Chart when he first arrived here. Although this place was close to the front lines, it could still be considered part of the Black Ink Clan’s inner region. How could they do as they pleased after venturing so deep into enemy territory?
On the other hand, Yang Kai was happy because the Cave Heavens and Paradises had taken the initiative to attack before he had the chance to follow Nu Yan to the battlefield. Taking advantage of this chance, he might be able to break free of Nu Yan’s control and follow the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises back to the great pass.
The wind and clouds gathered in the sky above the territory at a rapid rate, and it only took a moment for an enormous and hazy green palm to form. Despite its slow and clumsy appearance, the palm that literally covered the entire sky actually descended at an incredibly fast pace.
Before the countless Black Ink Clansmen in the territory had the chance to react, the palm grabbed hold of the huge Black Ink Nest. Then, the green palm clenched tightly and hauled up the entire Black Ink Nest as though pulling up a mountain. Dense Black Ink Strength scattered and gushed out of the Black Ink Nest. Under the impact of the World Force palm, the Black Ink Nest turned into dust.
Inside the gambling arena, Yang Kai stared in amazement and secretly rejoiced. Everything that entered his vision was beyond his imagination. He had witnessed the power behind an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor’s attacks before, but that was definitely not as ferocious as this offensive. In other words, this attack had to be unleashed by a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestor!
No wonder they dared to venture so deep into enemy territory! It turned out that a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor, an existence on par with a Black Ink Royal Lord, was personally leading the charge!
The female Black Ink Royal Lord had caused heavy losses to the Cave Heavens and Paradises despite being greatly weakened after being trapped inside the Black Ink Territory for so many years. It was difficult to imagine how powerful she would have been in her prime. Needless to say, a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor who could rival a Black Ink Royal Lord in strength would not be weak either.
Unfortunately, Yang Kai’s delight only lasted for a moment as his expression soon turned bitter. That was because the hazy green palm immediately slammed downward after destroying the Black Ink Nest. The incomparably enormous palm was almost the size of half the Spirit Province. Moreover, the entire palm was formed from a pure and dense World Force. If such immense force even grazed him, Yang Kai was not certain that he could survive. It would be too unjust to die because of this palm strike.
Fortunately, the Black Ink Clan did not sit around waiting for death. After the warning came out from the Feudal Lord’s Palace, Black Ink Strength immediately surged and gathered to form an incomparably huge figure that towered into the sky. The figure then raised a hand into the sky to defend against the attack. It was not a real entity, but rather a presence formed completely from the surrounding Black Ink Strength. Moreover, it was clearly being guided by the Black Ink Feudal Lord of this territory.
Watching the destruction of the Black Ink Nest had enraged countless among the Black Ink Clan, so there was no need for any command or dispatch. Regardless of their rank, every member of the Black Ink Clan quickly took action, blasting violent attacks at the hazy green palm in the sky. Furthermore, the Black Ink Disciples also unleashed various Secret Techniques and artifact attacks. Colourful lights filled the entire sky in an instant.
Nevertheless, the enormous palm continued to press downward. The countless attacks slammed into the palm, causing layers of ripples to appear on its surface, but although these attacks constantly weakened its power, they were unable to stop the palm’s downward progress.
The huge figure at the Feudal Lord’s Palace was the first to bear the brunt of the attack. Despite fighting back with all his might, he was only a Black Ink Feudal Lord whose strength was equivalent to a Seventh-Order Master’s. How could he contend against the power of a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor?
Before the palm strike descended completely, the enormous figure had already bent slightly under the pressure. The Feudal Lord struggled desperately and roared in defiance, but his avatar composed of Black Ink Strength soon exploded into nothingness. Even his true body was heavily injured as a result.
It felt like only a moment had passed. At the same time, it also felt like a thousand years had gone by. The huge palm slammed down. Be it the Black Ink Clansmen or the Black Ink Disciples, many of them died a violent death everywhere the palm print covered. Only a few were lucky enough to survive. Countless Small Universes collapsed and the World Force within these Small Universes dissipated.
Following a violent earthquake, the entire Spirit Province broke into pieces. The destructive aftermath spread out into the surroundings after the attack, causing space itself to shake and become unstable.
The Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen didn’t even have the opportunity to resist and were wiped out by the fallout of this attack. Only the High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen with strength equivalent to Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters managed to withstand the shockwave. As such, the brutality of the palm strike was clear to see.
Everything happened in a flash. Only a few thoughts went through Yang Kai’s mind before the aftermath of the attack came crashing down on him. Nevertheless, he could be considered lucky. In fact, it could be said that all the people in the gambling arena were lucky because they were not located within the range covered by the hazy green palm. All of them would have died in the impact otherwise. Even Yang Kai himself would have needed to transform into his Grand Dragon Form to survive such a powerful attack. What’s more, doing so would only allow him the possibility of survival.
Despite not receiving direct damage, the fallout of the palm strike had turned the entire gambling arena upside down. Numerous Black Ink Disciples coughed up fresh blood and even the aura of the Black Ink Clansmen churned fiercely. They were obviously having a tough time.
The Spirit Province under Yang Kai’s feet shattered, and like a drowning man caught in the tumultuous currents of the sea, he was swept away by the shockwaves and could not control his direction at all.
Startled exclamations and horrified screams entered his ears. When he turned to look in that direction, he saw an extremely pale D-4 bleeding from all seven orifices and struggling to hold on. Furthermore, there was a gleaming white light surrounding D-4’s body. It would seem that he had activated some sort of defensive artifact.
On the other hand, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple next to D-4 had reacted slightly slower and failed to summon his own defensive artifact as a result. Due to the churning of his aura, he was unable to withstand the bombardment of the shockwave and exploded after a short struggle.
The light covering D-4’s body was also fading away at a horrifying speed; hence, his expression became despairing. With the strength of a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it was impossible for him to survive the impact without the defensive artifact. Just as he was about to give up and accept his fate, a figure suddenly rushed over and stood in front of him to help block most of the impact. He looked up gratefully, “A-1!”
He never imagined that A-1 would come and protect him at a critical juncture of life and death. It had to be said that he was standing next to Nu Yan, B-2, and E-5 earlier. All of them had used various means to save themselves, but nobody even bothered to care about whether he lived or died.
“Let’s go!” Yang Kai grabbed D-4 by the shoulder. At this moment, he could not afford to care about what secrets he was exposing. Manipulating Space Principles, Yang Kai quickly moved away. The shockwave continued to follow closely behind him as he flew out.
After a few Instantaneous Movements, Yang Kai finally stabilised his figure and turned to look behind him. A huge light shone brightly approximately 100,000 kilometres away. The place where the Spirit Province used to exist was now completely devoid of anything.
The might of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestor was absolutely terrifying. The truth was that Yang Kai had not even seen the true appearance of the Old Ancestor up until now. In other words, the Ninth-Order Master had destroyed the entire Spirit Province simply by unleashing a Secret Technique from somewhere far away. Countless Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples also perished in the process.
D-4 was a little stunned. After being brought here by Yang Kai’s Space Secret Technique, he could be considered safe now. It was just that he could not understand how A-1 could run so fast. In fact, he had almost thought that he was doomed to die during those fleeting moments earlier. Nevertheless, now was clearly not the time to pursue this matter. D-4 gasped for breath slightly before he anxiously said, “We need to hurry and find Master. It’s not safe for us out here right now.”
It was not safe for any Black Ink Disciple without the company of a Black Ink Clansman. Take the first time Yang Kai encountered Nu Yan for example. A Black Ink Disciple without a Master would easily attract the greed of a Black Ink Clansman. Nu Yan could be considered relatively kind, having only used his Black Ink Strength to convert Yang Kai into his own servant. If Yang Kai had encountered a Black Ink Clansman with stronger murderous intent, then they might have tried to devour his World Force to enhance their own strength instead.
More importantly, the Black Ink Disciples themselves were absolutely loyal to the Black Ink Clan. It was clear to see that D-4 was worrying about Nu Yan’s safety.
Yang Kai turned to look at D-4 and thought to himself, [Why should I search for ‘Master’? I’ve never regarded Nu Yan as my Master. What’s more, I finally obtained this opportunity after waiting for two whole years. Why would I stupidly go back to Nu Yan?]
Too lazy to explain, he simply said, “Brother D-4, I’ll deliver you a huge present!”
D-4 was stunned, “What?”
Yang Kai raised both hands as soon as finished speaking, each hand lighting up with a different coloured light. Then, he pressed both palms together. When the yellow and blue lights combined, they turned into a pure white light that immediately enveloped D-4 on the spot!
D-4 never imagined that Yang Kai would attack him at this moment, mainly because it was Yang Kai who had saved him just now. If Yang Kai had malicious intentions towards him, there was no reason to rescue him in the first place. Who would be wary of their saviour?
Enveloped by the white light, D-4’s expression suddenly twisted in pain and a pitch-black aura seeped out of his body. Swiftly though, his pained expression gradually became calm. It didn’t take long before the white light faded away and his true nature was restored to him. He opened his eyes and stared at Yang Kai in disbelief and uncertainty.
“Enter my Small Universe before we talk about the rest.” Yang Kai shouted.
He had wanted to bring D-4 into his Small Universe a long time ago, but could not find the opportunity. Now that he finally had the chance to be alone with D-4, he could not let the opportunity slip by.
D-4 opened his mouth and said, “Brother A-1, you…”
He was still in a dazed state. The main reason was that so many things had changed so suddenly that he could not adapt to them all.
In particular, D-4 was puzzled by how Yang Kai wanted him to enter his Small Universe. He knew that Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and the Small Universe of a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was no more than an immaterial existence that could not accommodate living beings. So, how could he enter Yang Kai’s Small Universe?
In the midst of his confusion, Yang Kai actually reached out to grab him, opened the portal to his Small Universe, and unceremoniously stuffed him inside. D-4 felt his vision blurring for a moment, then he found himself in another world all of a sudden. Looking around his surroundings, he was filled with utter confusion.
A moment later, Yang Kai’s Soul Avatar appeared in front of him and resolved his confusion.
…
In the void, the aftermath of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor gradually subsided. A large part of the Spirit Province was shattered, resulting in countless casualties among the Black Ink Clan and the Black Ink Disciples.
Before those who were lucky enough to survive could recover from their shock though, numerous figures appeared in small groups. They silently emerged out of nowhere and charged straight at the survivors. These were the Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Human Race, as well as a large number of warships. The brutal attacks that blasted out from the warships sent the surviving Black Ink Clan into a panic.
This was definitely an attack that had been carefully planned for a long time, so the Black Ink Clan was completely caught off-guard as a result. Moreover, due to the immense gap in strength, they suffered huge losses in this encounter.
With each passing moment, either a Black Ink Clansman or Black Ink Disciple would lose their life. Whenever a Black Ink Clansman died, dense Black Ink Strength would erupt from their bodies to form Black Ink Clouds that scattered across the void. Similarly, numerous Black Ink Disciples perished. The movements caused by the destruction of their Small Universes reverberated through the void.
Even though all the Black Ink Disciples were once Masters from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises, nobody could afford to show any mercy under these circumstances. As soon as they encountered each other, it became a situation where one party had to die.
Yang Kai watched from a distance for a moment before he rushed forward with a flicker of his body. For him, this was an opportunity. As long as he could prove that he was not corrupted by the Black Ink, then he could join the Masters from the Human Race and leave the Black Ink Clan’s domain.
It was not easy to come across such an opportunity. Yang Kai had been serving beside Nu Yan for more than two years now, and during this period, he passed through countless Black Ink Clan territories and gained some information from the leisurely chats he had among the Black Ink Disciples.
Although the Human Race would occasionally take the initiative to invade the Black Ink Clan’s domain, these incursions occurred very rarely. One invasion in 100 years would be considered frequent. The main reason was that they could not occupy this territory for long even if their invasion turned out to be successful; therefore, the great pass guarded by the major Cave Heavens and Paradises was the line of defence that they had always steadfastly maintained. Their biggest aim, whenever they launched a raid, was to weaken the strength of the Black Ink Clan. Once they killed a certain number of the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples, they would swiftly withdraw their forces. That was why such raids generally did not last for long.
More importantly, Yang Kai might not encounter another opportunity this good again if he let this chance slip through his fingers. How could he afford to hesitate under such circumstances? Nevertheless, it was going to be difficult to prove his identity. There was not much time for him to prove his innocence on the battlefield, but it should not be an issue if he could kill a Black Ink Clansman in front of a Human Race cultivator. A true Black Ink Disciple was completely loyal to the Black Ink Clan, so it was impossible for them to turn against their Masters.
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Yang Kai quickly came to a decision. His body swept forward more and more quickly. Under the urging of the Space Principles, it only took him a brief moment to return to the battlefield with a few flickering movements.
Everywhere he looked, Yang Kai could see numerous warship artifacts navigating across the battlefield. Powerful Secret Techniques constantly blasted out from these warships without pause, giving the Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples endless grievances. There were also many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and even Eighth-Order Masters who either fought in small groups or hunted down enemies on their own.
A sharp Divine Sense locked onto Yang Kai the moment he returned to the battlefield. Immediately after that, he felt his skin tightening as a great sense of crisis washed over him. He turned to look in that direction and saw a woman in white fluttering robes watching him intently with her beautiful eyes, an extraordinary aura pulsing from her figure.
Holding a sharp longsword in her hands, she slashed at him without hesitation. Her movements showed no mercy, and the strength she displayed unmistakably belonged to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. The attack contained an overwhelming power, and the sword wave flickered irregularly like the tongue of a spirit snake. Yang Kai could feel an overbearing sense of pressure behind the attack before she even approached him.
Shocked, he lowered his voice and shouted, “Senior, stop!”
A trace of grief and pity flashed through the woman’s eyes when she heard those words; even so, she did not pause her actions. With a flick of her longsword, she transformed it into a sword curtain that shrouded over his head.
Yang Kai was desperate to cry but was unable to shed any tears. He knew that the other party thought of him as a Black Ink Disciple, which was why she was showing no mercy with her attack. Unfortunately, there was no point in trying to explain himself at this moment. No matter what he said, she would not believe him unless he killed a Black Ink Clansman in front of her.
He did not know which Cave Heaven or Paradise this woman came from, but her strength in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was absolutely extraordinary. Seeing the sword curtain that was looming over on him, Yang Kai did not dare to hesitate. He quickly raised his arm and summoned the Azure Dragon Spear before exerting his Supreme Limitless Spear Art to its maximum. At this time, his priority was to ensure his survival. It would truly be a huge joke if he was accidentally killed during the confusion and chaos.
A series of explosions rang out as Yang Kai’s eyes bulged with surprise. He was sent flying backward by a violent burst of power and the vitality in his chest churned restlessly. Dense sword wounds also appeared all over his body, causing his physique to tremble and writhe.
[This woman… is strong!] Yang Kai was secretly amazed. Although he was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he had killed a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master before and had fought many others in the past; he was familiar with the might of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. However, he had never come across anyone who could hold a candle to this woman among all the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters he encountered previously.
While Yang Kai was surprised, the woman was even more taken aback. It had to be said that she had been immersed in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm for 3,000 years. Having lived most of her life on the Black Ink Battlefield, it could be argued that her strength had reached the very peak of the Seventh Order, leaving her just one step away from the Eighth Order. On top of that, her combat experience was beyond the comparison of those who lived a comfortable life in the 3,000 Worlds
Even though she did not use her full strength earlier, her attack was not something an ordinary Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple could resist. Since the beginning of the raid until now, more than twenty Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples and Black Ink Clansmen of similar strength had perished at her hands. She was confident that her previous attack contained enough power to take this Black Ink Disciple’s life. Be that as it may, reality proved to be beyond her expectations. Yang Kai might have been injured, but he survived.
[This Black Ink Disciple… seems a little different!] The murderous intent in the woman’s eyes blazed more vigorously than before. The more a Black Ink Disciple stood out from the others, the more she had to ruthlessly kill him here and now. If she failed to kill him here, then her Juniors on the battlefield might end up dying to him in the future.
However, a loud whistle resounded through the void before she could pursue him once more. Raising her sword before her, she glanced in the direction where Yang Kai had been sent flying and hesitated for a moment before she turned and left.
The loud whistle seemed to be some sort of signal as after it sounded, all the Human Race Masters slaughtering their way across the battlefield immediately retreated from battle, quickly re-grouped, and left like a great gust of wind.
[They’re leaving just like that!?] It took great effort for Yang Kai to stabilize his figure. Nevertheless, how could he willingly give up when he saw the situation before him? He quickly chased after them, only to quickly notice something strange behind him, like something was swiftly approaching his position.
When Yang Kai turned to look behind him, the pupils of his eyes contracted at what he saw. A mass of Black Ink was rapidly permeating the void, flowing like the swift currents of the tide. Consequently, everything was dyed pitch-black wherever this mass of Black Ink went.
Moreover, the countless powerful auras hidden inside the mass of Black Ink made the scalp of Yang Kai’s head tingle with fear. There was one aura in particular, which made him shudder both mentally and physically despite the distance between them. This aura reminded him of the feeling he experienced when he first came into contact with the Will of a Black Ink Royal Lord. The Will was absolutely overwhelming and made him feel as insignificant as an ant.
[A Black Ink Royal Lord is coming!] Now that the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor of the Human Race had made a move, the Royal Lord of this region could not sit by the sidelines. Only a Royal Lord could fight back against the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor of the Human Race.
No wonder the Human Race was in such a hurry to retreat. It turned out that they were anticipating this situation and took the necessary precautions.
A Ninth-Order Old Ancestor might not be inferior to a Royal Lord in strength, but they would only be evenly matched in a battle. This place was still within the hinterland of the Black Ink Clan, so while it was okay to launch a swift raid and then flee after obtaining a certain degree of victory, it would not be wise to engage the Black Ink Clan in a prolonged battle here.
The darkness approached quickly. Almost as soon as Yang Kai noticed the invasion of the Black Ink Cloud, the darkness was already upon him. He did not dare to make any rash movements and simply stood quietly in place. It didn’t take long before Black Ink Strength washed over him like the advancing tide.
Gigantic figures of various shapes and sizes rushed past, each one of them exuding a powerful aura. They were the Black Ink Territory Lords and Black Ink Feudal Lords. These Masters had no interest in Yang Kai and regarded him as insignificant. Although the Divine Senses of several Black Ink Clansmen probed towards him, they did not take any action against him.
Yang Kai was secretly grateful for their indifference.
A short while later, the Black Ink tide swirled past him in tight pursuit of the Human Race retreating in the front and promptly departed into the distance. Yang Kai shuddered in fear, but just as he was about to chase after them, a voice entered his ears, “A-1!”
Yang Kai turned to look in the direction of the sound and felt his brow twitching slightly at the sight. The person calling him turned out to be Nu Yan! [I can’t believe this guy is still alive!]
During the chaos just now, Yang Kai had only focused on protecting D-4 and withdrawing from the battlefield. He had not bothered to pay attention to the survival of the others, much less thought about returning to Nu Yan’s side.
On the other hand, Nu Yan had managed to locate Yang Kai after some effort. Moreover, B-2 and E-5 were also by his side. It was just that all three of them seem to be suffering from varying degrees of injuries and their auras were clearly weakened. E-5 seemed to be in relatively good condition, but there were obvious traces of blood at the corners of B-2’s mouth.
Upon further consideration, this was not strange. They had been at the gambling arena when the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor attacked. The impact that struck the gambling arena was relatively small, so it was not strange for those with Sixth-Order strength to survive.
A hint of hesitation flashed through Yang Kai’s eyes, but in the end, he cupped his fist in greeting, “Master!”
On the other hand, Nu Yan seemed very happy, “It’s good that you didn’t die.”
Yang Kai was his cash cow after all. It didn’t matter if any of the other Black Ink Disciples under his command died, but Yang Kai was the sole exception. That was why Nu Yan began searching for Yang Kai’s whereabouts as soon as the Human Race Masters retreated. It was fortunate that he found him rather quickly.
“Let’s go! Follow me!” Nu Yan beckoned and took the lead to charge forward.
For the Black Ink Clan, it was impossible for them to stand around doing nothing now that even a Royal Lord had taken action. It didn’t matter how much or how little they contributed to the battle, they had to follow their leader to war.
Nu Yan didn’t even bother to pay any attention as to whether D-4 had survived. In his opinion, the most important thing was that A-1 had survived. As for D-4 who was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, it would not matter much even if he died.
Conversely, it was B-2 who quietly asked Yang Kai, “Where did D-4 go?”
Yang Kai was silent for a moment before he responded solemnly, “He died!”
B-2 looked a little sad, but didn’t say anything more.
The three of them followed closely behind Nu Yan, doing their best to recover their strength as quickly as possible while pursuing the enemy.
Along the way, many Black Ink Clansmen continuously gathered nearby with their respective Black Ink Disciples in tow. These were the survivors of the sudden raid launched by the Human Race earlier. Several hundred of them soon gathered together like small streams converging to form a great river. Led by one of the Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords, they charged forward aggressively in a mighty procession. Moreover, the number of troops steadily increased along the way.
Yang Kai secretly grumbled to himself. He originally thought that he would have the chance to meet up with the Human Race Masters, but the circumstances had changed to the point where he didn’t dare to act rashly and could only take one step at a time.
All of a sudden, blinding lights bloomed in the distant void and terrifying energy fluctuations that caused a person to tremble in horror simultaneously spread out from that direction.
Yang Kai looked up only to see the dazzling light contending with an intense pitch-black darkness that could not be scattered. His expression couldn’t help becoming cold and sombre at the sight. He speculated that the Black Ink Royal Lord was currently fighting the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor of the Human Race. Nothing else could have created such a great commotion.
The leading Black Ink Feudal Lord obviously noticed the situation too. Shouting for the procession behind him to speed up, he rushed forward to provide reinforcements.
Yang Kai, B-2, and E-5 followed closely behind Nu Yan, taking up protective positions around the latter, remaining in close proximity at all times.
Their pursuit had persisted for several days at this point. Not only did they come across the occasional corpses of the slain Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples, but they also observed the wreckage of the destroyed territories nearby. The Human Masters had invaded deep into the domain of the Black Ink Clan after all, so it was impossible for them to pass through these lands peacefully. All the places where the Black Ink Clan generally gathered together had been obliterated in their wake.
In addition, there were also fragments of countless warship artifacts…
The sight of these warship fragments made Yang Kai’s heart grow heavy. He had personally experienced the strength of such warships in the past. The palace artifact Zuo Quan Hui wielded when he led the Heavenly Sword Union to war against Void Land had greatly troubled Yang Kai and the others at the time.
Mobile Palace Artifacts were not only difficult to refine, but the cost to refine them was also astronomical. In the 3,000 Worlds, ordinary Artifact Refiners were not qualified to refine such artifacts and most great forces would not have the financial strength to own one either.
In the past, Yang Kai had commissioned Grandmaster Ma Fan to create a Mobile Palace Artifact which was now in Void Land’s possession.
A Mobile Palace Artifact was a valuable treasure for laying siege to enemies and a powerful weapon that integrated both offensive and defensive abilities. After the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor attacked several days ago, numerous palace artifact warships had navigated their way across the battlefield and slaughtered countless Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples. Be that as it may, many of these powerful warships had been shattered and destroyed here. It could be seen that the battle had been very fierce for the Human Race.
Judging from the current situation, the Black Ink Clan army had caught up to the Human Race army even though the latter had retreated in a timely manner. A battle must have broken out between them. Moreover, it was an extremely fierce battle. The number of casualties remained unknown.
Yang Kai’s group continued to give chase for another two or three days before, all of a sudden, the leading Black Ink Feudal Lord changed direction and led the hundreds behind him to the flank. The Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples quickly followed in his lead.
Yang Kai frowned slightly at the sight. He had hoped to follow the Black Ink Clan army to the front lines of the battlefield and find an opportunity to escape. Who could have expected the Black Ink Feudal Lord to change directions so abruptly?
“Master, are we giving up pursuit?” Yang Kai asked with a glance at Nu Yan.
Nu Yan did not understand what the Black Ink Clan Feudal Lord was trying to do either, but he answered anyway, “Sir Feudal Lord must have his own considerations. We only need to follow him.”
If it were any other Black Ink Disciple, he would not have been so accommodating. It was just that Yang Kai was very useful to him, so he was much more tolerant towards Yang Kai’s behaviour.
It didn’t take long before Yang Kai understood the reason why the Black Ink Clan Feudal Lord had suddenly changed directions.
Approximately an hour later, a raging battlefield came into view. There was a warship artifact there, trying to break out from the encirclement formed by the Black Ink Clan army.
Blinding lights constantly blasted out from the warship, each one containing terrifying force. Consequently, any Black Ink Clansman or Black Ink Disciple struck by the beams of light would either perish on the spot or cough up blood from the injuries they sustained.
That was the biggest advantage of a warship artifact. Every single attack unleashed by it was equivalent to the full power of a Seventh-Order Master. Furthermore, these attacks could be fired continuously as long as the warship was functioning properly.
Although the Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples in the surroundings suffered huge casualties, they continued to fight to the death without any hesitation. Countless Secret Techniques blasted towards the warship, but even so, these Secret Techniques were blocked by the warship’s shield and could only create ripples on its surface.
For the Black Ink Clan, the fact that the Humans had invaded their domain and destroyed dozens of their strongholds was a huge humiliation for them. It had to be said that the Humans had been besieged in the various great passes by the Black Ink Clan for countless years, so it was very rare for the Humans to take the initiative to attack.
In any case, their humiliation could only be washed away with fresh blood. For that reason, the Black Ink Clan disregarded their casualties and dedicated themselves to destroying this warship that had fallen behind the main force, regardless of the price they had to pay.
This battle had probably been going on for a while by now as the void was littered with the corpses of the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Disciples. In fact, there were only a dozen or so survivors at this point!
If nobody hindered them, the Human Masters could likely use their warship to obliterate the remaining Black Ink Clan and flee with ease. However, when the group of several hundred people including Yang Kai rushed over, the Human Masters inside the warship immediately turned pale.
What they feared the most had finally come to pass. This place could still be considered to be within the domain of the Black Ink Clan, so enemy reinforcements could arrive at any time. They had killed the Black Ink Clan surrounding them as quickly as possible in hopes of escaping their predicament even a moment sooner, but who could have known that their efforts would still not be enough?
Similarly, Yang Kai was secretly anxious when he saw this scene after following Nu Yan to this place. He did not know why this warship had been left behind, but the situation on the battlefield was ever-changing so it shouldn’t have been a surprise.
Just as the Humans were in the process of retreating, the Black Ink Royal Lord had led many Masters to pursue them and later engaged the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor in battle. It might be that the powerful fallout from the battles between the two parties had impacted the Human Race army’s formation and caused this ship to fall behind.
Numerous figures stood on the deck of the ship, their World Force surging as they unleashed Secret Techniques indiscriminately in tandem with the attacks of the warship itself. Their assault continued without pause.
A furious roar suddenly rang out, “Kill them!”
Under the command of the leading Black Ink Feudal Lord, hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples charged towards the warship like the surging tide. It only took an instant for them to surround the ship tightly. That was not all. The leading Black Ink Feudal Lord was brave and fierce. With a shift of his body, he immediately rushed towards the ship. His enormous figure erupted with a horrifying force as he swung his fist out, smashing it into the protective shield.
At that moment, a shocking sword slash swept out. It was extremely brilliant, so much so that it seemed only this sword light remained in the entire world.
Pitch-black blood splattered everywhere as the arm that the Feudal Lord swung earlier was chopped off on the spot. He staggered backward unsteadily, thick pitch-black blood gushing out endlessly from his severed arm. The pain caused his face to twist hideously, but he still glared grimly at the slender figure standing at the bow of the warship.
The figure was dressed in white robes that were untouched by dust and fluttered around her in an ethereal manner. More importantly, she was staring at the Feudal Lord as though she was looking at a dead man.
Yang Kai was astonished. The shocking sword slash earlier had been extremely blinding, so it was only natural that he noticed the attack. At the same time, he also took the opportunity to glance at the Master who unleashed the strike.
The woman standing at the front of the deck turned out to be somebody he recognised. They could not be considered well-acquainted, but they had indeed met several days ago. It was the woman in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm who tried to take his life the other day. If not for the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestor’s signal to withdraw, this woman in the Seventh-Order would not have stopped back then.
Yang Kai never imagined that he would encounter her here, so he could only marvel at how unpredictable fate could be.
Her current situation was clearly a little less than optimistic though. The warship she was on was very powerful, and the Human Race also had a number of people on their side. Nonetheless, the Black Ink Clan had received hundreds of reinforcements out of the blue. As long as the Black Ink Clan could delay things here for a short while, even more reinforcements were bound to arrive. The people aboard the ship would not be able to escape if that were to happen.
Although the warship was large, it moved as smoothly as the wind under the control of the Human Masters. Relying on its unparalleled and unmatched defences, it shuttled back and forth among the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples. At the same time, horrifying lights blasted out from all directions of the large ship.
From time to time, the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples would be struck by those beams of lights and lose their lives on the spot. Naturally, the Black Ink Clan did not sit around and do nothing as they unleashed their respective means in retaliation.
For a time, both sides attacked furiously, making the scene extremely chaotic.
Likewise, Yang Kai randomly unleashed various Secret Techniques, but did not dare to exert his full strength. How could he actually attack his comrades? It was enough if he just put on a show.
At the moment, he was currently wondering whether he should take the opportunity to fight his way over to the Human Race, prove his identity to them, and join their ranks; however, the idea only flashed through his mind for a moment before he dismissed it.
He had already suffered a loss previously. When he first encountered the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm woman, he had wanted to prove his identity, but who could have known that the other party would not give him the chance to explain himself?
Standing in the other party’s shoes, Yang Kai could understand the reason behind her actions.
The Black Ink Disciples looked no different from ordinary Humans in terms of external appearances. For the Humans who invaded the Black Ink Clan’s domain, they could not afford to hesitate in the slightest when facing either the Black Ink Clan or the Black Ink Disciples. On a battlefield like this, the slightest hint of hesitation could lead to their deaths; therefore, as long as the other party was not one of their own, they should kill first and ask questions later. In any case, the chances of making a mistake were basically zero.
Throughout history, nobody had ever been as bold as Yang Kai. He had disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple, remained by the side of a Black Ink Clansman, and involved himself in various gambling arenas for years now.
At this moment, he could only suppress the impulse in his heart and quietly wait for his opportunity. Unfortunately, he soon realised that something was wrong.
The warship belonging to the Human Race might be extremely powerful, but it could not withstand a sustained barrage forever. The light shield that covered the warship was clearly dimming now.
The Black Ink Clan clearly noticed this fact too and their attacks became more and more ruthless, adamant to bring down the warship.
During this short period, over 100 Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples had perished in the battle. Even Nu Yan had been hit by one of the light beams, which seriously injured him to the point where he coughed up blood.
Yang Kai secretly glanced sideways at Nu Yan and cursed in his heart, [this bastard sure is lucky. Why won’t he just die?]
The heavily wounded Nu Yan no longer dared to step forward in battle. Leading Yang Kai and the others, he constantly avoided any confrontation with the ship.
Suddenly, Yang Kai noticed something happening on the ship. The Human Masters seemed to be arguing among themselves. The woman in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm standing at the bow said something, which caused the expressions of the people around her to change drastically. They hurriedly tried to persuade her with agitated expressions; however, she slowly shook her head with a firm expression.
Yang Kai immediately felt a sense of foreboding wash over him.
Sure enough, a short while later, the white-robed woman leaped off the ship. With her sword in hand, she crossed the distance and stood between the warship and the Black Ink Clan. Then, she held her sword in front of her chest and slid her finger along the blade with a solemn expression. Following a violent surging of her World Force, thousands of sword waves abruptly appeared behind her back.
The sword waves trembled slightly, humming with a sound that resembled sad weeping. It was the sorrowful lament of her sword. At the same time, a desolate and chilling atmosphere filled the void and for an instant, it felt as though time had frozen.
10,000 swords swept out all at once. It was an absolutely spectacular scene. Every single sword wave was as solid as a material object; moreover, their sharp and unstoppable aura placed heavy pressure on the onlookers.
Many of the Black Ink Clansmen were frightened by this scene, and for a time, nobody dared to act rashly. This woman had taken the initiative to leap out of the ship’s protective range and stand before it. Anybody could see from her actions that she was planning to put her life on the line. On top of that, the attack she unleashed was by no means an ordinary Secret Technique. It was… a Divine Manifestation!
Yang Kai frowned slightly at the sight. When he fought against this woman previously, he had noticed that she was extraordinarily powerful. She was definitely second to none in terms of strength among all the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that he encountered in the past and judging by the current situation, it would seem that she truly had a strong capital to rely on.
Divine Manifestations were exclusive to High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. Only a Seventh-Order or higher Master could comprehend a Divine Manifestation that belonged only to them. Furthermore, each person’s Divine Manifestation was different because these Divine Manifestations embodied the essence of their comprehension of their respective Dao. However, not every High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master had their own Divine Manifestation.
Take Zuo Quan Hui, who was killed by Yang Kai in the past, for an example. He was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and an Inner Elder of the Thousand Cranes Paradise. Although he held a respected position, he did not have a Divine Manifestation. Yang Kai might not have emerged victorious from the battle back then otherwise.
The gap in strength between Open Heaven Realm Masters in the same Order could be extremely disparate at times, and those who had Divine Manifestations were often the best among them. In any case, unleashing one’s Divine Manifestation could only mean that the person in question was prepared to go all out.
Yang Kai also had two Divine Manifestations, Golden Crow Casts the Sun and Towering Evergreen. Be that as it may, his situation was unique. Before he even advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, he had already comprehended a Divine Manifestation while still in the Emperor Realm and it had remained one of his trump cards even today.
Strictly speaking, Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel could also be regarded as a Divine Manifestation because the power behind it far exceeded that of any ordinary Secret Technique or Divine Ability. It was just that nobody had ever explained the intricacies of Divine Manifestations to him before, so he could not be too sure on its classification.
The 10,000 swords roared in unison as the woman’s expression became even more solemn. Meanwhile, on the ship behind her, the people who quarrelled with her earlier looked on anxiously and constantly stomped their feet in frustration. Even so, they were powerless to do anything.
In the next moment, the ship abruptly shot out to forge an escape path. Transforming into a stream of light, the ship quickly fled into the distance. The woman was left alone to face the hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples, but she showed no fear whatsoever. Her courage and will were incredible indeed.
Yang Kai suddenly understood the reason for the dispute earlier.
The warship had been surrounded by enemies, so it was impossible for them to escape unless they killed the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples in front of them. However, doing so would only further delay them. If more reinforcements for the Black Ink Clan arrived during that time, then they would lose their chance to escape forever.
The woman clearly wanted to stay behind and stop their pursuers so that the ship could escape. That was the reason behind their earlier argument. It was almost certain she was a stubborn and determined person, so without giving her comrades any chance to object, she had taken the initiative to leap off the ship and summon her Divine Manifestation.
In this way, the ship only had two options. Either they stayed behind and fought with her, or they took the chance to escape from the battle. The risk of them being wiped out if they chose to stay behind was high, while on the other hand, they would have a glimmer of hope to survive if they chose to escape. There were times when choosing to escape from battle was not an act of cowardice. Quite the opposite, their actions were taken to ensure their comrade’s sacrifice would not become meaningless. Besides, escaping while having to abandon one’s allies carried both a physical and mental burden that was not easy to alleviate.
As the saying went, ‘A strong man would make a prompt and resolute decision’. This woman had risked her life just to create an opportunity for her comrades to escape. It was for that reason that Yang Kai felt a sense of admiration and respect for her.
The warship was planning to escape, but how could the Black Ink Clan allow their enemy to flee so easily? Thus, they immediately rushed forward to intercept the ship.
Although the woman remained motionless, the sword waves behind her slammed forward with a roar. Fresh blood splattered across the void and severed body parts scattered everywhere as dozens of Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples who rushed forward to stop the ship died instantaneously!
Upon seeing this situation, Yang Kai became quite certain that the woman was only one step away from advancing into the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm! An ordinary Seventh-Order Master would never be as powerful as her.
It had to be said that the Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples who perished were in no way comparable to Seventh-Order Master, but many of them were High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen who were at least on par with Sixth-Order Masters. Be that as it may, they were totally powerless to fight back under the bombardment of those sword waves. The woman slaughtered them so effortlessly that it almost seemed as though she was chopping vegetables. It was extremely scary.
With just one strike, nobody else dared to act rashly again. All the Black Ink Clansmen could only watch helplessly as the warship disappeared from their field of vision. When their gazes turned towards the woman again, their eyes were filled with a mix of rage and fear.
“Attack together!” The Feudal Lord, whose arm had been cut off by the woman before, roared furiously. It would be far too embarrassing if they failed to take down a single Human opponent despite their overwhelming numbers.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he took the lead to charge towards the woman. Before he even arrived, he swung his remaining fist and a dense cloud of Black Ink Strength came crashing down on her.
In a battle against the Human Masters, the Black Ink Clan would naturally make use of their innate advantage. The Black Ink Strength that they wielded was extremely corrosive. As long as the Human Master was careless for even the slightest moment, their Small Universe would be corroded by the Black Ink Strength. If that were to happen, they would quickly degenerate into a Black Ink Disciple if they did not sacrifice a part of their Small Universe.
Although a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had a certain degree of resistance towards the Black Ink Strength, they could not withstand being in contact with it for extended periods of time. That was the reason why Meng Qi had been reluctant to escape with Yang Kai back then. He knew that he would never be able to escape from the depths of the Black Ink Clan’s territory without being contaminated again.
As long as he left the Sealed World with Yang Kai, it would only be a matter of time before he was corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and became a Black Ink Disciple once more. At that time, the existence of the Void Corridor would no longer be a secret. That was why he decisively committed suicide inside the Sealed World to keep the Void Corridor a secret.
Following the attack of the Black Ink Feudal Lord, many of the Black Ink Clansmen acted as well. It only took an instant for the entire region to be filled with Black Ink Clouds that enveloped the woman from all directions.
All of a sudden, a sword cry resounded, accompanied by numerous scraping sounds. Yang Kai focused his eyes and stared into the pitch-black Black Ink Cloud. The sight that entered his vision inadvertently caused him to narrow his eyes.
The thousands of sword waves that had been suspended behind the woman all this time almost seemed to come alive at this moment. They quickly gathered near her and wrapped around her entire body in the blink of an eye. At the same time, countless sword waves continued to gather. The scraping and clanging sounds that could be heard were caused by the continuous collision between the sword waves.
A sensational aura erupted from the depths of the Black Ink Cloud, giving off the feeling that the end was approaching. In the face of such a devastating catastrophe, no one had any hope of survival.
*Hou…*
A ferocious roar suddenly burst forth, like the furious howl of an Ominous Beast, before a shockwave swept out. As a consequence, the Black Ink Cloud enveloping the woman was instantly blown apart, as though struck by an unimaginable impact, and the enormous figure hidden within was revealed.
The woman had long disappeared from sight, and standing in her place was a 1,000-metre-long behemoth! The behemoth had a skeletal frame made from metal. Like a giant beast of steel, the surface of its body glowed with a sharp and cold light while the lines on its surface were hard and sharp. It was a Dragon! More specifically, it was a Sword Dragon composed from thousands and thousands of sword waves.
This sudden turn of events left the Black Ink Clan in shock. Even Yang Kai’s mouth fell open in astonishment.
[You can even do that with a Divine Manifestation!?] Everything that entered his eyes at this moment was completely beyond his imagination. The Sword Dragon that was 1,000 metres long was certainly incomparable to his 20,000 metres Grand Dragon Form, but the oppressive aura coming from the Sword Dragon was not something his Dragon Form possessed.
Although they could both manifest Dragon Forms, if it really came down to a battle, Yang Kai estimated that he would be defeated by this woman within ten moves. It was no wonder she dared to stay behind on her own to stop hundreds of the Black Ink Clansmen and Disciples. It turned out that she had something to rely upon.
Yang Kai took a closer look and discovered that the woman stood inside the head of the Sword Dragon. Her spotless white robes could vaguely be seen among the gaps in the sword waves. As long as the Sword Dragon was not destroyed, she would remain safe and sound; therefore, he felt his anxiety over her safety reducing slightly.
The changes occurred so suddenly that the many Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples rushing towards her were too stunned to change the direction of their movements. Under the leadership of several Black Ink Feudal Lords, they blasted out numerous Secret Techniques at the Sword Dragon.
In response, the Sword Dragon moved. The Dragon Head swayed from side to side, lunging forward at the nearby Black Ink Clansmen. The sword waves that formed the Dragon vibrated extremely fast, resulting in a sharp humming sound.
At the place where both parties collided, the Sword Dragon opened its mouth and swallowed up the one-armed Feudal Lord who stood at the forefront in a single gulp. Vague roars and screams of the Feudal Lord coming from the belly of the Sword Dragon rang out in the next instant, but the screams stopped abruptly not long after and a cloud of ink-coloured blood mist burst out from within the Dragon.
What followed could only be described as a massacre. Everywhere the Sword Dragon passed, Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples were practically powerless to fight back. They were wounded when touched, and some were even torn apart on contact!
Although countless attacks struck the body of the Sword Dragon, these attacks only destroyed some of the sword waves and could barely deal any damage to the woman’s true body.
Like cavalry charging through the front lines, the Sword Dragon swept through the hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen before immediately turning around and crashing through their ranks again.
Following the Sword Dragon’s first charge, the tight formation of the Black Ink Clan fell apart. They couldn’t help feeling terrified and escaping in a fluster when faced with such a brutal Divine Manifestation. However, their actions only gave the sword waves a chance to break through their defences once more.
Numerous Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques incessantly blasted towards the body of the Sword Dragon. On that chaotic battlefield, a life was lost with every passing moment. Pieces of flesh and pitch-black blood scattered across the void. Furthermore, the energy from the collapse of many Small Universes resounded violently.
The Sword Dragon swept back and forth, charging through the Black Ink Clan army seven or eight times in quick succession. Out of the hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen, more than half died and the remaining half looked as terrified as wild beasts running from a flood.
The might of the Sword Dragon was truly awe-inspiring and the sight left Yang Kai sighing in amazement. There was only one thing that upset him slightly.
Nu Yan had no special ability to speak of, but his ability to stay alive was definitely first-class. Three or four Feudal Lords had already been killed by the woman, but despite harrowing odds, Nu Yan remained perfectly fine. He somehow managed to avoid the Sword Dragon’s attacks and survive every single time.
At this point, Yang Kai was tempted to just summon his Azure Dragon Spear and kill Nu Yan himself.
After such a high-intensity battle, the Sword Dragon was naturally not unscathed. The final resistance of the Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples before their deaths was particularly fierce. Coupled with their constant bombardment of Secret Techniques and Divine Abilities, the majestic Sword Dragon looked rather ragged at this moment. It was full of holes and missing pieces.
A large part of the Dragon Head where the woman was hiding had also been blasted apart by the constant attacks, revealing her figure to the world. Her complexion was pale and her aura was unstable. Activating her Divine Manifestation for such a long time must have been a great burden on her.
She had intercepted and slaughtered more than half of the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples here all by herself. Moreover, quite a few of them were Black Ink Feudal Lords who were equivalent to Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in strength.
Having such achievements was truly remarkable; however, for her, this was only the beginning of her struggle.
The woman’s vulnerability did not escape the notice of the many fleeing Black Ink Clansmen. Although they had originally been filled with the terror of death, they seemed to see a glimmer of hope at this moment.
Four Black Ink Feudal Lords had survived up until this point. They exchanged glances and immediately understood each other’s intentions without the need for discussion.
Many Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples had died at the hands of a single Human. Their casualties were extremely heavy. If they allowed the enemy to escape on top of that, then it could only be said that they were far too incompetent.
More importantly, they would not have a reasonable explanation for their higher-ups. It would be difficult for them to escape punishment if their superiors were to hold them accountable for this incident; hence, their sole option was to take down this woman with all their might. Killing her here was the only way for them to wash away their shame.
With that goal in mind, the fleeing Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples gathered together again. They split into several groups under the leadership of the remaining few Black Ink Feudal Lords and moved in different directions to surround the battered Sword Dragon.
All of them had a deep understanding of the Sword Dragon’s might. Out of the original hundreds of people on their side, more than half had been killed by the repeated assault of the enemy. How could they not realise the tyrannical might of the enemy at this point?
For that reason, the Black Ink Clansmen blocking the way immediately scattered in all directions when the Sword Dragon came charging in their direction. At the same time, the others fiercely unleashed various attacks at the Sword Dragon’s body from a distance.
After this manoeuvre was repeated a few more times, the results were as expected. The Sword Dragon not only failed to kill many Black Ink Clansmen, but the condition of its battered body deteriorated even further instead. Conversely, the encirclement stood strong whenever the Sword Dragon stopped moving. They were giving the woman no chance of escape whatsoever.
Despite everything, the woman’s pale face remained utterly indifferent when she looked at the Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples surrounding her. It was almost as though she was not the one in crisis.
Cracking sounds rang out again and the sword waves that made up the Sword Dragon twisted and changed their form once more. Under the stunned gazes of the Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples, a brand-new and perfect Sword Dragon was born!
It was just that the swords waves forming the Sword Dragon had suffered extensive damage earlier, so the current Sword Dragon was barely half the size of the previous Sword Dragon. Be that as it may, it was still over 500 metres long.
Yang Kai felt his admiration and respect for this woman deepening greatly. Prior to this incident, he had never even imagined that a Divine Manifestation could be manipulated in such a way. It went to show just how powerful she was. Her control over her Divine Manifestation had reached the point where she could wield it like an extension of her own body, which also meant her attainments in the Sword Dao were extraordinary.
The Sword Dragon charged forward once more. The current Dragon Form was a little smaller than before, but it remained enormous compared to the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples. Moreover, it was much more agile than before.
Be that as it may, the Black Ink Clan continued with their established tactics to drag out the battle. They refused to have a direct confrontation with her and simply fought with the intention of wearing her down.
For a time, the woman was also extremely troubled by these tactics. She could not kill many of her enemies even though she charged forward repeatedly. On the contrary, the body of the Sword Dragon became battered again.
The repeated confrontations and stubborn resistance allowed the woman to stop the pursuit of hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen with her strength alone.
At this point, the 500-metre Sword Dragon had transformed once more and shrunk to just 100 metres in length. She would soon lose her ability to maintain the Sword Dragon Form if the situation persisted. In her weakened state, only a tragic fate awaited her once she lost the protection of her Divine Manifestation. Nevertheless, she had achieved her purpose of delaying the enemy. Regardless of her survival, the people on the warship would be able to escape safely.
At this moment, anybody could see that she was trying to break out of the encirclement and escape; however, the Black Ink Clan had paid a heavy price just to force her into a corner, so how could they allow her to escape? Many Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples continued to die, but the encirclement remained tight. They were not giving her the slightest chance to flee.
Yang Kai was feeling extremely conflicted inside. Watching the woman fighting alone, he was tempted to reveal his identity and fight beside her. Be that as it may, the thought only passed through his mind for a fleeting moment before he rejected the idea.
Even with his help, she would have a hard time pushing back her enemies in this situation. He was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all. How could he win against so many Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples? What’s more, it would be difficult for him to gain her trust in such a short time.
On the contrary, if he continued hiding, he might be able to find an opportunity to turn the situation around.
The 100-metre-long Sword Dragon had been reduced to tatters and the woman was clearly an arrow at the end of its flight, her ashen complexion seeming completely bloodless.
Upon seeing this situation, the attacks of the many Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples became increasingly vicious.
All of a sudden, the Sword Dragon suddenly turned around and charged towards Yang Kai’s position, causing the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples around him to turn pale in fright. Nu Yan was the first to dodge to the side. It had to be said that he might not be particularly skilful in anything, but he was very good at avoiding danger in a timely manner.
Nobody expected the Sword Dragon to charge in this direction because Yang Kai and the others were on the rear side of the encirclement. All this while, the woman had never bothered to target this area. She had repeatedly charged towards the front lines in order to break free of the encirclement and return to the Human Race army, but her wish never came true.
Her sudden and opposite behaviour was certainly very unexpected. Yang Kai even suspected that her previous actions were simply to mislead the enemy. Her real target had always been the rear of the encirclement.
Many Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples quickly retreated. On the other hand, the Black Ink Feudal Lord leading this side only hesitated for a moment before he rushed forward with a furious roar.
It was not as though he did not know how strong the woman was; however, it was obvious that she was a dry oil lamp after fighting for so long. How much more strength could she exert? What’s more, he had great confidence in his own strength. As long as he could delay her for a moment, his clansmen from the other side would surely come to his aid.
His self-confidence would be his undoing though.
The 100-metre-long tattered Sword Dragon spun like a top and collided with the Black Ink Feudal Lord. Without a sound, the Feudal Lord became a cloud of pitch-black blood mist and perished in an instant. Even the High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen and the Black Ink Disciples behind him suffered significant casualties.
Nu Yan had evaded in time, so he was completely unharmed.
In contrast, Yang Kai had failed to make a timely retreat because he had been worrying about the woman’s safety. He was wounded after being brushed by the Sword Dragon as it flew past. A gash deep enough to show bone appeared on his chest, and blood gushed out of the wound.
His golden blood was so striking that the woman couldn’t help but glance in his direction. When their gazes met, a look of obvious astonishment flashed through her eyes.
She had not noticed his presence due to the intense battle earlier, so it was not until this moment that she actually caught a glimpse of him and recognised him as the Black Ink Disciple who escaped from her a few days ago. At the time, she had wanted to kill him ruthlessly. It was a pity that she was forced to make a hasty retreat thanks to the signal from the Old Ancestor.
Nevertheless, she only glanced at Yang Kai briefly before she paid no more heed to him. Now was not the time for her to be worrying about such matters.
The final struggles of the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples caused the 100-metre-long Sword Dragon to finally collapse, leaving only a few scattered sword waves around the woman for protection. Her Divine Manifestation had been completely destroyed, but she broke through the encirclement because of that very reason!
Activating the remaining dregs of power in her Small Universe, she transformed into a stream of light and shot out at a high speed. The Black Ink Clan’s domain was located in the direction she was flying, opposite of where the Human Masters had escaped earlier.
She had no choice but to make this decision. Her path forward had been obstructed by her pursuers, so she could only make a desperate choice in an attempt to survive this crisis.
How could the remaining Black Ink Clansmen allow things to go as she wished when they saw that she was attempting to flee? The three surviving Feudal Lords quickly gave chase. Likewise, the rest of the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples followed closely behind.
For a time, a cat-and-mouse chase took place in the void.
Even though the woman was an arrow at the end of its flight, her speed was surprisingly fast. Wrapped in sword light, she seemed to transform into a sword wave that sliced through the void. The Black Ink Clansmen chasing after her could not keep up at all.
After leading her pursuers in circles for some time, she abruptly changed directions and fled towards the front lines.
Upon seeing this, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief. Fleeing deeper into the hinterland of the Black Ink Clan would surely lead to a tragic ending. Without the deterrence of a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor, no matter how strong she was, it was impossible for her to survive by relying on her strength alone. Only by fleeing back to the Human lines would she stand a chance to survive.
The distance between the two parties grew larger and larger, and if nothing unexpected happened, then the woman would be able to escape alive. That was also what Yang Kai hoped to see; however, at that moment, a powerful aura suddenly emerged from behind. Startled, he looked back only to see a pitch-black darkness rapidly approaching them.
This horrifying scene was rather familiar. When the Black Ink Royal Lord led a horde of Black Ink Clan Masters here in a rush, Yang Kai had witnessed a similar scene. Of course, the pitch-black darkness that was rapidly approaching this time was not nearly as large-scale as back then. Moreover, there was only one aura coming from within the darkness. It was… a Black Ink Territory Lord!
Yang Kai’s heart sank at the sight, and he clenched his fists tightly. A Black Ink Territory Lord was equivalent to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of strength. [I can’t believe a Master of this calibre actually appeared at this time! She’s in danger!]
The woman fleeing in the front clearly sensed the danger looming behind her and her speed suddenly increased significantly. It was apparent that she was desperately trying to escape.
Unfortunately, the Territory Lord chasing her was in prime condition, so how could she possibly escape his incredible speed? The distance between them quickly closed and it didn’t take long before the pitch-black darkness retracted to reveal the gigantic figure hidden within. The figure raised his hand and slapped at the sword wave that was running away up ahead.
The void shuddered from the impact and Yang Kai clearly saw the sword wave freezing for a moment. Then, the impact forcefully separated the body of the woman who was fused with her sword. Blood mist sprayed from her mouth as a result.
Judging from the strength displayed by the woman earlier, at the peak of her strength, she would have been able to fight back to a certain extent even if she encountered a Territory Lord, but in her current exhausted state, how could she defend against such a blow? Just a single palm strike was enough to heavily injure her.
It was no longer possible for her to escape!
Still, this woman was very decisive. Knowing that it was impossible to escape, she immediately spun around and fused with her sword again. She transformed into an impressive sword wave that slashed out at the Territory Lord chasing her. The power behind that attack was enough to shake space itself. It was her final blow into which she poured all her remaining strength.
The Territory Lord stared indifferently at this attack and punched out with his fist. His enormous fist collided with the sword wave. Consequently, the sword wave shattered and scattered like fireflies dancing in the night.
His gigantic figure stood upright in the void. Stretching out his hand in front of him, he clenched his fist and captured a small figure in his grip.
The woman’s pure white robes were stained red with blood, her beautiful hair was completely dishevelled, and her weakened aura resembled a flickering flame in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment. Despite facing such a desperate situation, she did not simply sit around waiting for her death. Nevertheless, she could not break free from the Territory Lord’s grasp no matter how hard she struggled.
Yang Kai immediately became anxious. In this situation where the woman had been captured, it would only take the slightest pressure from the Black Ink Territory Lord to crush her to death.
The woman’s life was in danger!
Yang Kai suddenly couldn’t bear watching without doing anything any longer. Even if his identity were revealed, even if his future would be fraught with danger, he believed that he had to make his move now; otherwise, he was bound to regret his decision for the rest of his life.
Over the past two years, he had disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple and carefully mingled among the Black Ink Clan because he did not dare to reveal his identity easily. Being faithful to Nu Yan’s orders and allowing himself to be regarded as a cash cow by fighting endless battles in the gambling arenas of various major territories were simply his methods of survival.
He had not lifted a finger to help when the woman had been fighting on her own because she had always remained in control of the situation; however, she was now only one step away from death. Yang Kai could not watch her die here without doing anything.
With his current strength, there was a high chance that he would die as well if he revealed his identity. The Black Ink Territory Lord was not easy to deal with after all, but throughout his life, Yang Kai had to admit that although he was not indomitable, he had a bottom line that could not be crossed. It was now the time where he had to take action!
Inside the Sealed World, Meng Qi from Exquisite Paradise had chosen to commit suicide in order to protect the secret of the Void Corridor. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, when did he ever show the slightest hint of hesitation in his actions?
The people who fought and risked their lives every single day on the Black Ink Battlefield to fight the Black Ink Clan for countless years did so all to protect the 3,000 Worlds, all while the latter knew nothing of their sacrifice. How could he do any less at this moment?
However, Yang Kai suddenly froze in place. That was because he noticed that the Territory Lord who captured the woman was simply staring at her quietly. There was no murderous intent in those eyes. On the contrary, they were filled with a trace of admiration.
Yang Kai suddenly realised something. The Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises might not die if they were captured by the Black Ink Clan. Rather, what awaited them was another fate!
Sure enough, the Black Ink Territory Lord did not kill the woman immediately and instead sneered lightly, “You’ve got guts. In that case, become my slave forever!”
When the words left his mouth, Black Ink Strength dense enough to take shape seeped out of his hands. The Black Ink Strength instantly enveloped the woman and began sinking into her body.
The woman struggled desperately, but her efforts were to no avail. Combined with the fact that she had exhausted all her strength in the battle just now, she was completely powerless to resist the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength. A short while later, she became quiet as her eyes filled with Black Ink Strength.
Yang Kai watched quietly, feeling sad in his heart. It was hard to believe that such a Master had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Be that as it may, compared to death on the spot, this outcome could be considered acceptable as he might be able to find an opportunity to rescue her.
The Black Ink Territory Lord was clearly extremely satisfied with his newly subordinated servant. A Black Ink Disciple in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was very rare, so they were considered precious even among the Black Ink Clan. He studied her for a moment before he said, “Follow me once you recover.”
“Yes!” The woman with dishevelled hair bowed respectfully.
After that, the Territory Lord did not say anything else. Pitch-black darkness covered his enormous figure, and he charged forward quickly. It was obvious that he planned to pursue the Human Masters who had retreated earlier.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples left behind glared at the woman. The situation was extremely awkward, but there was no helping it. They had been fighting each other as though there was an absolutely irreconcilable enmity between them only for her to suddenly become one of their own in the blink of an eye. The shift in her position was rather abrupt. Even so, there was no denying that the woman in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was now a Black Ink Disciple after being corrupted by the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Strength.
Under normal circumstances, it was easy for such a powerful Black Ink Disciple who was acting alone without being accompanied by their Master to attract the greed of Black Ink Clansmen; however, everybody had just witnessed the Territory Lord corrupting this woman with his Black Ink Strength. Who would dare to steal her away after that? They would not face any consequences if they stole her now, but the Territory Lord was bound to hold them accountable for their actions later. If that were to happen, they would lose all the Black Ink Disciples under their command and possibly even their life.
“Why did you run off!? Do you want to die!?” Nu Yan reprimanded Yang Kai.
In order to rescue the woman earlier, Yang Kai had increased his speed slightly and left his ‘Master’ behind. It was fortunate that he had reacted in time and held back from attacking the Territory Lord; otherwise, the person being hunted at this moment would have been him.
Hence, he lowered his head silently in response.
Thankfully, Nu Yan only reprimanded Yang Kai once and did not seem to have any other intentions.
In that way, the vigorous pursuit finally ended. The three surviving Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords gathered together for a quick discussion, then one of them said, “A few will stay behind to guard this place and prevent any misunderstandings from occurring. The rest will come with me to pursue the enemy!”
The woman in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm had been converted by a Territory Lord, but she was a dry oil lamp at the moment and needed time to recover her strength. The Territory Lord had also commanded her to recuperate before catching up to him.
Be that as it may, it was inappropriate to leave her here alone. If any other Black Ink Clan Masters passed by this place and mistakenly killed her thinking that she was an enemy, they would not be able to give the Territory Lord a reasonable explanation; therefore, a few people had to stay behind to help her stand guard and explain the circumstances to any passing clansmen.
Ordinary Black Ink Disciples would never receive such special treatment, but they had just witnessed this woman’s strength with their own eyes. More importantly, she was personally corrupted by a Territory Lord. As the Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple, it was only natural for her to receive special treatment.
After the Feudal Lord finished speaking, his gaze swept across the crowd in front of him.
Nu Yan ‘dutifully’ stepped forward at the right moment and volunteered, “Sir, I’m willing to stay behind!”
Yang Kai glanced sideways at Nu Yan. During the two years serving under him, Yang Kai had not realised that Nu Yan was extremely scared of death. It was not until this battle against the Human Masters that Nu Yan’s cowardice was revealed.
In addition, Yang Kai had noticed something earlier. Although Nu Yan had no special abilities to speak of, his ability to sense danger and escape it were definitely first-class. In other words, his ability to survive in the Black Ink Battlefield up until today was not without reason.
Hearing that somebody was required to stay behind, how could Nu Yan fail to seize this opportunity? He quickly volunteered before anybody else could even react. It was not a major issue that needed to be negotiated, and since he took the initiative to volunteer, the other Black Ink Clansmen would naturally have no reason to compete with him.
The Feudal Lord who spoke earlier nodded and responded, “In that case, you will stay behind. The rest will come with me!”
After saying that, he took the lead to charge forward in pursuit. The others quickly followed behind him and it didn’t take long before only Nu Yan, Yang Kai, and the other Black Ink Disciples remained.
“Let’s take a rest. I’m sure you’re all tired from the battle earlier. It’s good that none of us died!” While speaking, Nu Yan turned to look in the woman’s direction with a thankful expression.
Several Black Ink Feudal Lords and countless High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen had died at the hands of this woman; therefore, Nu Yan was very lucky to have survived. What made him rejoice even more was that all the Black Ink Disciples under his command had also survived the battle.
They sat down cross-legged and consumed some Spirit Pills for recovery.
On the other side, the woman in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm had been quietly recovering her strength ever since the departure of the Territory Lord.
From time to time, Black Ink Clansmen of varying numbers would rush over from behind. When they stumbled upon this place, they couldn’t help feeling curious and came forward to ask about the situation.
Naturally, Nu Yan answered their questions truthfully. After hearing that the dishevelled woman recovering her strength was a Black Ink Disciple converted by a Territory Lord, they immediately gave up any ideas about her and left quickly.
After just half a day’s time, the woman opened her eyes under Yang Kai’s close watch. Her originally ashen complexion had already returned to normal. She casually tied up her hair and slowly got to her feet, and then she walked over to Yang Kai and the others. The crimson patches that blossomed all over her white robes were extremely striking.
Nu Yan had also gotten to his feet after he noticed her movements, but his smile was rather forced, “Have you recovered your strength?”
He fervently wished that the woman would take as much time as possible to recover. In that way, he would no longer need to chase after the Human Masters or take any risks that could endanger his life.
Still, he was part of the Black Ink Clan, so even if his strength was much weaker than the Black Ink Disciple in front of him, a Black Ink Disciple was nothing more than a servant in the eyes of the Black Ink Clan, regardless of their cultivation. Of course, this woman was a servant converted by a Territory Lord, so Nu Yan had to show her a certain degree of respect. Even his inquiring tone was rather polite.
The woman said nothing and simply stared at Nu Yan silently. In the next moment, she stretched out her arm and a longsword immediately appeared in her grip as a shocking light burst forth. The world seemed to lose all its colours at that moment.
Nu Yan’s forced smile remained on his face, but his eyes were flooded with a sense of horror and fear. Raising his hand slightly, he pointed at the woman, “You…”
The words had only just left his mouth when his enormous body suddenly split into two halves. Pitch-black blood and Black Ink Strength exploded to form a Black Ink Cloud.
Yang Kai and the others standing nearby were completely stunned. Nobody could have predicted this sudden turn of events. Black Ink Disciples were the servants of the Black Ink Clan after all. No matter how high their cultivation, it was impossible for them to have thoughts of betraying a Black Ink Clan. That was why Nu Yan had been completely caught off-guard when this woman walked over to them. Needless to say, with the gap in their strength, there was nothing he could have done to stop her even if he had been on guard.
In any case, this situation was totally unexpected. The woman who had just recovered her strength had killed Nu Yan with a single stroke of her sword!
Yang Kai had been praying for Nu Yan to die as soon as possible so that he could escape, but he never imagined that Nu Yan would perish just like that. If he had to be honest, he was feeling rather confused.
Before he had time to think though, the aura of death suddenly loomed over him. The woman did not stop after killing Nu Yan and swiftly slashed her sword down on him. Turning pale with shock, Yang Kai immediately summoned the Azure Dragon Spear and thrust forward without any hesitation.
There was a loud explosion, followed by an overwhelming force that erupted from before him. Yang Kai felt as though an entire Universe World had smashed into him, and his figure was sent flying backwards. A metallic taste flooded his mouth, and the vitality in his chest surged violently.
This was the second time he had suffered defeat at the hands of this woman, but a vague speculation formed in his mind at that moment.
The woman looked slightly surprised. Yang Kai had escaped from her deathblow during the previous raid, and the same thing had occurred again this time. Just as she suspected, this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple was truly unusual!
On the other side, both B-2 and E-5 went crazy after witnessing Nu Yan’s death. As Black Ink Disciples, their Master and the Black Ink Clan were supreme. It was their responsibility to ensure the safety of their Master; however, Nu Yan had been killed right under their noses. How could they not be furious?
The two of them showed no hesitation whatsoever. One of them blasted a Divine Ability at the woman while the other lunged forward. His entire figure swelled significantly under the effects of his Secret Technique.
The woman’s expression remained indifferent, and the longsword in her hand transformed into a curtain of swords that rained down on B-2 and E-5 like a storm. With her strength, it would not take much effort for her to kill two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like them.
At the critical moment, Yang Kai desperately yelled out, “Senior, Four Universe Pillars!”
Yang Kai’s yell caused the woman’s movements to pause slightly. It was precisely because of this momentary hesitation that B-2 and E-5 survived. Fresh blood splattered everywhere as both of them instantaneously suffered severe injuries and were forced to retreat; however, they were clearly unafraid of death and rushed forward again after being forced to retreat once.
The woman frowned slightly and murderous intent blazed brightly in her eyes. She had held back just now because of Yang Kai’s yell, but that did not mean she had lost her intention to kill B-2 and E-5.
Human Masters who became Black Ink Disciples after being corrupted by Black Ink Strength were destined to stand on the opposite side as the enemy, and there could be no mercy when dealing with the enemy. That was the lesson learned by the Human cultivators after innumerable years on the Black Ink Battlefield. It was a lesson they received in exchange for the blood of countless ancestors.
Before the woman could attack again though, Yang Kai rushed over in a flash. B-2 and E-5 were completely focused on the woman, so they were totally defenceless towards him. He easily approached them for that reason and knocked them down, rendering them unconscious rather than killing them. Unfortunately, due to the urgency of the situation, his attacks had been a bit too heavy so there was a high chance that they would need to recuperate for some time when they woke up.
The woman held her longsword in her grip. Watching the scene in front of her, a look of surprise flashed through her eyes. As a Black Ink Disciple, Yang Kai’s actions were undoubtedly puzzling; however, if she combined his actions with the words he shouted earlier, a vague speculation formed in her head, “Are you not corrupted by the Black Ink Strength?”
Holding B-2 in one hand and E-5 in the other, Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “I wanted to tell you when I met you for the first time, but I didn’t get the chance to speak.”
“You really have one of the Four Universe Pillars?” The woman raised her eyebrows.
“I have a World Spring!”
“Words are nothing without proof!” She did not lower her guard, and a sword wave continued to hum around the longsword in her hand.
Yang Kai nodded in acknowledgement and said, “Please see for yourself, Senior!”
While speaking, he opened the portal to his Small Universe. She took a deep look at him before she activated her Divine Sense and probed the interior of his Small Universe.
A short while later, she withdrew her Divine Sense, her eyes filled with astonishment. She had certainly seen a clear spring inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe, in addition to the mysterious power that flowed out of it which stabilised his Small Universe. Thanks to this power, his Small Universe was not only extremely firm, but also completely impervious to any external forces.
She also saw that his Small Universe had already transformed from immaterial to material, which was what surprised her the most; after all, the young man in front of her was clearly only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm…
“Senior, do you also have one of the Four Universe Pillars?” Yang Kai inquired for verification.
If she did not have one of the Four Universe Pillars, then how was it possible for her to safely escape from the clutches of a Black Ink Territory Lord? The reason she had quietly endured the process and pretended to be corrupted by Black Ink Strength was that she had been running out of strength. If it was discovered that she had one of the Four Universe Pillars, she was bound to be killed on the spot; therefore, she waited until the Territory Lord departed and she recovered enough before she made her move.
Nu Yan’s death was simply collateral damage. He originally thought that staying behind to watch over her would be an easy task because he did not need to confront the Human Masters, but how could he have known that staying behind was actually the fastest way to die? If Nu Yan had known that his decision would result in such an outcome, he would never have agreed to stay beside this woman.
It was precisely because Yang Kai had such a guess that he shouted at the top of his voice when the woman made her move just now.
Unexpectedly though, she slowly shook her head, “I don’t have one of the Four Universe Pillars. The Four Universe Pillars are only given to the Eighth-Order Masters. I am not qualified enough to own one. Why else did you think that Territory Lord left without checking my Small Universe?”
There had never been a precedent of a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor becoming corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so there was no need for them to worry about it and thus no reason for them to have one of the Four Universe Pillars.
Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were the strongest fighting force below the Old Ancestors and also the commanders and leaders of the Human Race army on the Black Ink Battlefield. Hence, a treasure like the Four Universe Pillars would naturally be given to them so that they could be used to the fullest. More importantly, they had enough strength to defend themselves on the chaotic battlefield and would not be killed by accident, leading to the loss of the Four Universe Pillar they carried.
If treasures like the Four Universe Pillars were possessed by Sixth or Seventh-Order Masters, they would be lost if these Open Heaven Realm Masters perished on the battlefield.
The Black Ink Clan was also aware of this point. The Humans did not have many Four Universe Pillars in their possession, and these treasures were always possessed by Eighth-Order Masters. There was no exception to this rule. It was precisely for that reason that the Territory Lord had left with peace of mind after corrupting the woman with his Black Ink Strength and did not bother to check her Small Universe.
Yang Kai was surprised, “How did you resist the corruption of the Black Ink Strength then, Senior?”
When he asked this question, he immediately became vigilant. If this woman had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, then the situation in front of him would be very bad.
The woman was silent for a moment before she explained, “Somebody once planted a Secret Technique based on the Profound Fish inside my Small Universe. It can help me to resist the erosion of the Black Ink Strength once.”
The Profound Fish was one of the Four Universe Pillars. Yang Kai did not know what kind of Secret Technique she was referring to and had never heard that the Four Universe Pillars could be used to plant such Secret Techniques. However, this kind of technique would naturally be developed only on the Black Ink Battlefield so it wasn’t surprising for him not to know about it. In order to fight against the Black Ink Strength, it was not surprising for the Human Masters to create some novel sparks after painstakingly struggling with all their might for countless years.
“Senior, do you mean to say that the Secret Technique can protect you only once?”
She nodded.
“May I verify the truth?” Yang Kai asked in a grim voice.
She said nothing and just opened the portal to her Small Universe. At a time like this, she knew that it was a necessary gesture to gain Yang Kai’s trust. In any case, on the Black Ink Battlefield, it was very normal for one’s Small Universe to be investigated by others.
After a quick investigation, Yang Kai discovered that the woman’s Small Universe certainly did not contain any signs of being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. There were also no signs of a Universe Pillar inside either. He couldn’t help feeling amazed by his discovery.
“We can’t stay here for long,” the woman said softly. Nu Yan’s corpse was suspended there in open view, so if any other Black Ink Clansmen passed by this place, the two of them would have a hard time explaining the situation. While speaking, she glanced at the two Black Ink Disciples in his hand, “You can’t save them. Just kill them.”
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “If it was just me, then I would not be able to save them. But, it’s different with you around, Senior. Please put them into your Small Universe for now.”
She frowned, “Impossible. They are Black Ink Disciples. If I place them in my Small Universe, I will be in trouble when they regain consciousness.”
“Please wait a moment, Senior!” After he said that, Yang Kai’s left and right hands suddenly glowed with dazzling light. When he pressed his palms together, the yellow and blue lights merged together to form a pure white light that enveloped both B-2 and E-5.
Sizzling sounds rang out and the expressions of the two unconscious men suddenly twisted in pain. Immediately after that, dense Black Ink Strength seeped out of their bodies and faded into nothingness. Their expressions gradually softened again as the Black Ink Strength dissipated from them.
Dismissing the remaining Purifying Light, Yang Kai nodded at the woman, “It’s fine now.”
The woman was flabbergasted by what she just witnessed. Although she had some speculations, she couldn’t help feeling incredulous. She took a large step forward and casually grabbed B-2’s wrist, then she carefully probed his condition. After a while, she stared at Yang Kai as though she was looking at a ghost, “What method did you use to dispel the Black Ink Strength?”
Such a method was completely unheard of and unseen before. She had been fighting the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for some 3,000 years now, but she had never even heard of such a technique.
“I can’t explain in such a short time, but this is a unique ability that I have,” Yang Kai responded faintly.
She didn’t know what to say, mainly because Yang Kai had given her too much of a shock. Besides, she had the vague feeling that there would be a huge impact on the battle situation of this unchanging and eternal war if this method was spread.
In the past, the Black Ink Disciple corrupted by Black Ink Strength were destined to be mortal enemies. Any encounters between the Human Masters and Black Ink Disciples would only end with the death of one party or the other. However, there was now a method to restore order from chaos among the Black Ink Disciples! If this method was utilised properly, then the losses suffered by the Human Race would be significantly reduced!
[Where did this kid come from!? Why have I never heard of him before!? What’s more, he was wandering around alone in the Black Ink Clan’s territory! Should I say he is ignorant and foolish, or bold and courageous?]
Not only did he possess one of the Four Universe Pillars, but he also had the means to purify and dispel the Black Ink Strength; thus, she suddenly realised that she had picked up an immeasurable treasure. He would be a huge asset to the entire Black Ink Battlefield!
Upon confirming that all Black Ink Strength in B-2 and E-5 had been purified and dispelled, she did not hesitate to toss the two unconscious men into her Small Universe. Then, she grabbed Yang Kai by the arm, “Let’s go!”
Yang Kai did not resist and allowed her to lead him away.
Along the way, the woman would glance sideways at him from time to time. Finally, she could not suppress her curiosity any longer and asked, “Which Cave Heaven or Paradise did you come from? What is your name?”
Yang Kai was silent. In the end, he answered, “This Junior is called Yang Kai. I come from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
He did not mean to deceive her, but he figured she might not know of Void Land. If he mentioned that name, he would only need to explain even more. He was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was not from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises after all. Why would he enter the Black Ink Battlefield for no reason? That was a valid point of suspicion and since this matter was related to the Void Corridor, he could not speak carelessly.
He had not forgotten Meng Qi’s warning. Aside from the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestors, no matter who questioned him, he could not reveal the existence of the Void Corridor to anybody.
The woman did not seem to think that he was lying. The main reason was that she never expected anybody to lie about their background, so she nodded lightly and said, “Blue Sky Paradise, Feng Ying.”
“Blue Sky Paradise…” Yang Kai raised his brow lightly, “Senior, do you know Elder Mu Zhuo?”
Mu Zhuo was the foreign affairs envoy from Blue Sky Paradise and was the person in charge of their Dao Temple in the Star Boundary. Although Yang Kai was not close with him, they had interacted with each other on multiple occasions.
Due to the Star Boundary’s World Tree, Yang Kai was more or less acquainted with several Elders from each of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises even though his cultivation was low. He was also quite friendly with some of them. There were times when the value of something like personal connections was reflected in such situations.
“Mu Zhuo? He is my Junior Brother. Do you know him?” Feng Ying was a little surprised.
Yang Kai answered, “I’ve met him a few times.”
Upon hearing his answer, she was tempted to ask why a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple would meet a Blue Sky Paradise Elder, let alone several times; however, she was not very familiar with the situation in the outside world after fighting on the Black Ink Battlefield for so long. It was meaningless to ask such questions, so she suppressed the curiosity in her heart.
On the other hand, Yang Kai suddenly looked around and realised that something was wrong. Taking out his Universe Chart, he checked his current position and the direction they were heading before exclaiming in astonishment, “Senior, aren’t we heading in the wrong direction?”
It turned out that the direction in which Feng Ying was leading Yang Kai was not heading towards the great pass defended by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. They seemed to be heading in the opposite direction actually, so he was naturally quite confused.
Feng Ying explained, “The last operation has undoubtedly provoked the ire of the Black Ink Clan. The Black Ink Clan army is gathering at the front. We might not be able to break through their lines with just our strength alone. If we go there so recklessly, we will only be walking directly to our deaths; therefore, our best option is to find as many helpers as possible first.”
“Helpers?” Yang Kai raised his eyebrows slightly at those words but soon understood, “Black Ink Disciples?”
Feng Ying nodded, “You have the ability to restore their true selves, so as long as we find a few more Black Ink Disciples, we might be able to gather a group large enough to create chaos at Black Ink Clan army’s rear. Only then will we have a chance to return.”
She originally did not have such a plan. Trapped in the depths of the Black Ink Clan’s territory alone, Feng Ying had already mentally prepared herself for her death. If not for that, she would not have killed Nu Yan immediately after recovering her strength. She had no plans of returning alive and simply planned to kill as many Black Ink Clansmen and Black Ink Disciples as she could, so she would not be dying in vain.
It was not until she witnessed Yang Kai’s astonishing method to dispel the Black Ink Strength that this plan sprang to mind. If they could smoothly implement this plan, then they would have a standing chance to survive and even rescue some Black Ink Disciples along the way; however, Yang Kai was an indispensable part of this plan. It was impossible to pull this off without him.
Yang Kai immediately understood after listening to her explanation. Looking around for a while, he glanced towards a Black Ink Cloud condensed in the void and made a suggestion, “Senior, how about we hide inside the Black Ink Cloud over there?”
Feng Ying followed the direction of his gaze, and her expression became pensive, “Are you suggesting…”
He nodded, “The Black Ink Disciples will definitely be travelling together with the Black Ink Clan. If we run around like this, even if we encounter Black Ink Disciples, we will only cause the Black Ink Clansman travelling with them to become vigilant. If that’s the case, it will be difficult for us to take action. However, it will be a different story if we hide inside the Black Ink Cloud and emerge when the enemy passes by this area.”
Pondering in silence after listening to his suggestion, Feng Ying nodded in agreement, “You’re right.”
With her intelligence, she didn’t need Yang Kai to explain much for her to understand the various advantages of this method. Unfortunately, there was one problem with this plan, “Can you guarantee my safety?”
She was powerful, and the immense heritage of her Small Universe gave her a certain degree of resistance towards Black Ink Strength; even so, it was impossible for her to remain inside a Black Ink Cloud for an extended period of time. She would eventually fail to withstand Black Ink Strength if too much time passed.
“We’ll know once we try!” Yang Kai declared firmly. Taking the lead, he rushed towards the Black Ink Cloud. It was impossible for him to not be in high spirits right now. He had been trapped in Black Ink Clan’s domain for the past two years, during which he always had to act with utmost caution, as though he was constantly walking on thin ice. Thus, Yang Kai inevitably felt his blood pumping when doing something so invigorating all of a sudden.
A short while later, Yang Kai charged into the Black Ink Cloud with Feng Ying following closely behind.
The dense Black Ink Cloud was almost as thick as solid matter. If the two of them hid inside this Black Ink Cloud, random passers-by would not be able to discover their whereabouts without careful investigation.
Yang Kai had a World Spring, so no matter how impressive the Black Ink Cloud was, it was completely ineffective against him. However, it was different for Feng Ying. She had to use her World Force to shield herself the moment she entered the Black Ink Cloud to prevent the Black Ink Strength from corrupting her. Not only would this consume her strength quickly though, she would also risk being corrupted at any moment.
Naturally, Yang Kai was prepared well in advance for this situation and released a burst of Purifying Light to completely dispel the Black Ink Strength around the space where they stood to create a safe zone for them. It was not until then that Feng Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief. Be that as it may, she could not figure out what kind of method Yang Kai was using even though she had carefully observed him when he cast the Purifying Light.
Still, now was not the time to ask such questions, so Feng Ying declared, “Take a rest. We might need to fight at any time.”
After saying so, she closed her eyes to replenish her strength.
Yang Kai had no need to recuperate his strength as the battle earlier had not consumed much of his energy. What’s more, he needed to keep a close watch on his surroundings. There were too many uncertain elements in waiting for gains without pains here, so he needed to carefully monitor the outside world for any possible complications that might arise.
Time passed slowly and fortunately, their luck was pretty good. Only an hour later, a dozen or so figures flew over from the depths of Black Ink territory.
Yang Kai was the first to notice them and quickly called out, “Senior.”
Feng Ying opened her eyes and focused her senses in that direction. The Black Ink Cloud formed a barrier that made it difficult for her to look outside, but her Divine Sense could perceive the situation clearly.
Assessing the situation, she reported, “Two Feudal Lords, six High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen, and five Black Ink Disciples!”
The situation made her frown slightly. There were quite a few enemies in this group, so it might be difficult for them to handle. Nevertheless, this was the first batch of people to arrive after they started waiting here so they had to take action. As long as their initial attempts went well, their situation would only get better and better.
Feng Ying briefly checked her Small Universe, but the two former Black Ink Disciples she tossed inside earlier had yet to regain consciousness. Yang Kai’s previous attack had been rather heavy, so they could not rely on these two for help right now.
While she was hesitating, Feng Ying heard Yang Kai whisper, “I’ll leave the two Feudal Lords to you, Senior. I’ll deal with the rest.”
She glanced at him in disbelief, “Are you sure?”
After hastily exchanging blows twice with him, Feng Ying knew that Yang Kai was quite strong. Be that as it may, she was not familiar with his true abilities. It was not easy for one person to face six High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen alone. On top of that, the five Black Ink Disciples would not simply stand around doing nothing once the fight broke out. They would surely attack to support their Masters.
“Rest assured, Senior. This Junior may be young, but I’ve experienced many things in life. I won’t screw up.” Yang Kai licked his lips with an eager expression. Having suppressed himself for so long, he could finally go all out again.
Feng Ying hesitated slightly before she nodded, “Be careful. I will dispatch those two Feudal Lords as quickly as possible then come to help you.”
Yang Kai nodded in response.
Exchanging a glance, the pair rushed out of their hiding spot in the Black Ink Cloud.
As soon as the two of them emerged from their hiding spot, the Black Ink Clansmen passing by noticed them and numerous gazes immediately turned towards them.
Upon seeing that these two were Humans, the two leading Feudal Lords revealed expressions of pleasant surprise. They exchanged a glance with each other and flew over in tacit agreement.
Likewise, Yang Kai and Feng Ying approached the Black Ink group. Both parties soon came close to each other.
One of the Feudal Lords reached out towards Feng Ying, but in the next instant his body suddenly stiffened without any warning. A sword wave sliced through him, from the top of his head to his crotch. The sharp and unstoppable sword wave broke through his defences and split his enormous body in two.
Feng Ying had made her move! She actually launched her attack even earlier than Yang Kai. Yang Kai had the protection of the World Spring, so he could fearlessly allow the Black Ink Strength to pour into his body and make the enemy lower their guard as a result; however, she did not have such luxury.
As soon as the Feudal Lord in front of her reached out towards her, she unleashed a killing move. She was among the strongest Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and not too long ago, she had slaughtered hundreds of enemies with her strength alone. She not only attacked decisively at this moment, but she also had the element of surprise on her side while striking from point-blank distance. How could the Feudal Lord defend against her attack?
It only took an instant for her to kill the first Feudal Lord on the spot; then, without delay, she slashed her sword at the second Feudal Lord.
The second Feudal Lord happened to be preparing to subjugate Yang Kai at that very moment, so how could he stand a chance against Feng Ying’s sudden assault? When the sword wave slashed down, he was chopped in half and died just like that.
The two Feudal Lords perished in an instant. Only then did Feng Ying breathe a sigh of relief, but when she looked over, she was slightly stunned. That was because Yang Kai was standing there with a spear in one hand, a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman hanging from its end. With a twist of his arm, the High-Rank Black Ink Clansman exploded into mist.
[As expected, this kid… is strong!] She had managed to kill two Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords by herself because she had enough confidence in her strength; however, in the short time taken for her to deal with her enemies, Yang Kai had already slain four of the High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen. Meanwhile, the remaining two who were pushed back, looked greatly weakened. It was obvious that they were severely injured.
How could an ordinary Sixth-Order Master be so fierce?
Feng Ying felt she had seen something new today and also had the vague realization that Yang Kai was at the peak of the Sixth Order and would soon advance to the Seventh Order. It was impossible for him to be so strong otherwise.
Despite her swirling thoughts, her movements did not stop for an instant. She was already charging towards the two High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen who were heavily injured by Yang Kai earlier, and with one swing of her sword, she easily killed them.
These two High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen had been severely injured by Yang Kai when he swept his spear at them, and Feng Ying’s attack was sharp and overwhelming. How could they defend themselves?
In the blink of an eye, two Black Ink Feudal Lords and six High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen perished. Although this was the first time the two of them cooperated together in a fight, they seemed as though they had known each other for a long time. There was not the slightest flaw in their cooperation.
It was not until this moment that the five Black Ink Disciples finally came to their senses.
Seeing the tragic deaths of the Black Ink Clansmen around them, these five Black Ink Disciples were absolutely enraged. They instantly summoned their respective artifacts and blasted various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques at Yang Kai and Feng Ying.
Yang Kai and Feng Ying could not afford to act without restraint when dealing with these five Black Ink Disciples as their current mission was a rescue operation. It went without saying that they could not heavily injure or kill the people they were supposed to save, so their actions were a bit restricted.
Yang Kai hastily dodged to avoid a Divine Ability shooting towards him while simultaneously putting away the Azure Dragon Spear. He then shot towards the nearest Black Ink Disciple.
Feng Ying cooperated without any need to discuss matters with him. With a flourish of her longsword, sword light burst forth like a waterfall and enveloped the remaining four Black Ink Disciples to restrict their movements and capture their attention.
Meanwhile, yellow and blue lights glowed brightly before merging together to form a pure white light that flared brilliantly and engulfed the Black Ink Disciple.
The pure and flawless light did not contain the slightest impurity. As the pitch-black filth was expelled from the body of the Black Ink Disciple, his pained expression gradually returned to normal and his violent resistance slowly subsided.
Nevertheless, his expression remained confused. Despite being corrupted by Black Ink Strength for all these years, he had not lost his consciousness. He could clearly remember his condition and the things that he experienced during those years. Looking back now, his belief that the Black Ink Clan was supreme seemed so foolish and ridiculous. It could be said that his actions had been a complete betrayal of not just his humanity, but even his own convictions.
Yang Kai had no time to explain anything in detail, so after nodding at the man lightly, he quickly charged towards Feng Ying.
Seeing how swiftly Yang Kai dealt with the Black Ink Disciple, Feng Ying immediately withdrew her sword light before sending out another to pin down all but one target.
They repeated the same steps over and over again, their cooperation perfectly complementing each other’s movements; as a result, it didn’t take long for the Black Ink Strength to be dispelled from all five Black Ink Disciples.
There were no High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters among these five people. Three were in the sixth order, while the remaining two were in the fifth order. That was one of the key reasons why Yang Kai could finish dealing with them so quickly.
All five of them stared at Yang Kai in stunned disbelief, as though they were trying to find a flower on his face.
Feng Ying’s previous display had revealed her immense strength; however, they all came from different Cave Heavens and Paradises where countless Masters existed, so they were not impressed by raw power alone.
Conversely, what grabbed their attention was the method Yang Kai had displayed earlier. As Black Ink Disciples who became ordinary Humans again, they had personally experienced these changes and held deep feelings towards that pure white light.
[Does our side have such means now?] The five of them were genuinely happy from the bottom of their hearts. Since ancient times, any of their comrades who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength would stand on the opposite side of the Human Race and become an irreconcilable enemy. Moreover, it was impossible to rescue them.
Now that they had such means, there was no need to reluctantly give up on their comrades whenever one of them became corrupted by Black Ink Strength. They could still rescue their comrades if the opportunity arose. That was definitely something that could change the entire tide of the Blank Ink Battlefield.
Although there were many things they wanted to ask, they knew that this was not the place for discussion. They silently cupped their fists at Yang Kai and Feng Ying to indicate their thanks.
“We cannot stay in this place for long. Enter my Small Universe!” Feng Ying ordered before opening the portal to her Small Universe.
As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it stood to reason that Masters below the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm were able to enter her Small Universe. On the other hand, Yang Kai could only take in those below the Sixth Order.
The five of them nodded and entered the portal leading into Feng Ying’s Small Universe to recuperate without any hesitation.
“Let’s go!” Feng Ying called out and took the lead to head in a certain direction. Yang Kai quickly followed behind her.
Since they were looking for helpers, then it was only natural to gather as many as possible. Yang Kai did not know what was waiting for them ahead, but since Feng Ying had mentioned that the Black Ink Clan army was gathering on the front lines, it would not be easy for them to pass through. Only by gathering enough force would they stand a chance to fight their way through the Black Ink Clan army and return to the great pass.
Half a day later, the pair repeated their earlier actions. Hiding inside a Black Ink Cloud, they prepared to wait for fish to swim by once more.
Less than a quarter of an hour after they hid, a large Black Ink Clan army passed by in the vicinity. There were very many of them, almost 1,000 in total, and the leader had a deep and profound aura. It was highly likely that it was a Black Ink Territory Lord.
Hiding inside the Black Ink Cloud, Yang Kai and Feng Ying did not dare to move a single muscle and concealed their auras as much as possible. If they exposed themselves in front of such a strong enemy, they would surely suffer a tragic fate.
Fortunately, luck seemed to be on their side today. Although the Black Ink Clan army passed close to their position, they did not bother to check the situation inside the Black Ink Cloud where they were hiding.
In the eyes of the Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Clouds were extremely common and there was no need to investigate them carefully. Furthermore, they would never have imagined that two Humans would recklessly hide inside a Black Ink Cloud or that these Humans could resist the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength for an extended period of time.
Yang Kai and Feng Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief when the Black Ink Clan army disappeared from the scope of their senses. They saw another team of 100 or so passing by after some time, but just as before, they could only remain in hiding.
Judging by the current situation, it could be seen that Feng Ying’s previous guess was correct. The Black Ink Clan was marshalling their army on the front lines. The long-distance raid carried out by the Human Masters had fully provoked the wrath of the Black Ink Clan, so it was obvious that the enemy was planning a large-scale counter-attack to take revenge.
From time to time, they would see Black Ink Clansmen passing by in groups of varying numbers, but even if the numbers were small, these groups weren’t targets that they could defeat.
The current situation was different from when Feng Ying had previously repelled hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen on her own. At the time, she had no other choice but to go all out. She had been prepared to sacrifice herself in order to allow her comrades to escape, so she had fought with reckless abandon in order to drag down as many enemies with her as possible.
Now though, the two of them had to move around in secret.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai who had been keeping a close watch on their surroundings, suddenly brightened and whispered, “Senior, our prey is here!”
Feng Ying glanced at him wordlessly. His statement sounded as though they were bandits who were waiting to ambush unsuspecting travellers.
Be that as it may, she could not deny that tempting ‘prey’ had appeared. They had waited for so long and avoided several Black Ink Clan teams during this period, but at this moment, what entered their sight was a group that consisted of only ten individuals. In addition, this team was heading directly towards them.
Although the numbers of this team were similar to their first encounter, the line-up was considerably inferior in terms of strength. There were no Feudal Lords in this group, only several High-Rank and even Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen. There were not many Black Ink Disciples either, only three of them.
After confirming that there were no other dangers in the vicinity, Yang Kai and Feng Ying no longer hesitated. They rushed out of the Black Ink Cloud and charged directly at the oncoming team.
What followed was a swift massacre where the opponents were practically powerless to fight back. The Black Ink Clansmen were completely obliterated in the blink of an eye, after which Yang Kai used his means to dispel the Black Ink Strength from the three Black Ink Disciples. Once this was done, Feng Ying stuffed them into her Small Universe so that they could recover their strength.
In the two months that followed, Yang Kai and Feng Ying wandered around aimlessly. The Black Ink Clouds that could be found everywhere became the perfect hiding spots for them and whenever they came across a suitable opportunity, they would attack. If their opponents were too strong, then they would simply remain in hiding.
Their harvest over the past two months was bountiful. They slaughtered at least 100 Black Ink Clansmen, a number of whom were Feudal Lords. Moreover, they had rescued some 30 or 40 Black Ink Disciples by now.
Not every Black Ink Clansman had their own Black Ink Disciples; in fact, many of the Black Ink Clansmen harboured a deep hatred for the Human Race and even Black Ink Disciples were unbearable to them. Therefore, it was impossible for them to be accompanied by Black Ink Disciples. Even more Black Ink Clansmen simply never had the opportunity to subjugate their own Black Ink Disciples.
Nu Yan, who had five Black Ink Disciples under his command even though he was only a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman, could be considered a rare example.
If a Black Ink Clansman wished to own their own Black Ink Disciple, they would either need to buy one at a great cost or subjugate one on the battlefield. Neither of these options were simple for a Black Ink Clansman to achieve.
Yang Kai and Feng Ying were currently hiding themselves inside a random Black Ink Cloud, taking their time to recover their strength after a rather intense battle.
A short while later, Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked at Feng Ying.
Seeming to sense his gaze, Feng Ying spoke without even opening her eyes, “Speak if you have something to say.”
He thus asked, “Senior, when are we heading back?”
Feng Ying decisively said, “We have too few people. It is dangerous to return like this. At the very least, we should gather 100 comrades before we make an attempt; otherwise, we will only be walking to our deaths.”
“100 people…” Yang Kai was tongue-tied.
During the past two months that they had been travelling together, they had only managed to rescue 30 or so Black Ink Disciples. At this rate, it would take half a year to gather 100 people.
“No need to worry,” Feng Ying opened her eyes and reassured him, “We didn’t have enough strength in the past so we had to be selective with our targets. Now that we have more manpower, we can take the initiative to attack. If we find the right opportunity, we will be able to progress much quicker.”
Yang Kai nodded and said nothing more. Since he did not know much about the situation on the Black Ink Battlefield, he could only follow her lead.
Half a day later, the two of them rushed out of the Black Ink Cloud after fully recovering before carefully concealing their figures and searching for a possible target.
The Black Ink Clan army was gathering up ahead; therefore, many Black Ink Clansmen were constantly rushed towards the front lines from the rear. If the opportunity presented itself, then these scattered Black Ink Clansmen would become their prey.
And an opportunity came quickly.
In the distance, the two of them saw an enormous ship sailing through the void in the direction where all the Black Ink Clansmen had been rushing towards during this period. It was undoubtedly heading to the front lines to provide support.
To have a flight-type artifact of this magnitude meant that the Black Ink Clansman aboard could not be weak. The owner of this ship had to be a Feudal Lord at the very least, and one with his own territory at that.
Across a large distance, Yang Kai and Feng Ying quietly observed the large ship. They could clearly see many figures swaying about on the ship, a large number of which were Black Ink Disciples.
“Senior, do you plan to attack that ship?” Yang Kai asked.
Feng Ying nodded, “It’s a good opportunity.”
Yang Kai was worried, “But, we don’t know what kind of existence is onboard that ship. What if there’s a Territory Lord?”
Feng Ying shook her head, “That’s highly unlikely. Two months ago, the Black Ink Royal Lord personally took action; therefore, all Territory Lords in the vicinity should already have followed him to the battlefield at the time. Even if they received the news late, they would not have waited until now to set out. That’s why there should not be any Territory Lords among the reinforcements. What’s more, the war has begun and Territory Lords are the backbone of the Black Ink Clan. Logically speaking, they should have rushed to the battlefield at the earliest notice. Bringing out a flight-type artifact like this ship to transport manpower indicates that the people on the ship have varying strength, so they have different flying speeds.”
There was some logic to Feng Ying’s statement, so Yang Kai nodded slightly in response.
She then added, “Of course, there are always exceptions. If we encounter a Territory Lord… I will delay them for as long as possible. You should escape immediately.”
During this period, she had witnessed his ability and recognised his value. A talented individual like Yang Kai could not be killed here; otherwise, the loss to the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be incalculable. She even mentally prepared herself to risk her life in order to create an opportunity for him to escape at a critical juncture.
“Let’s go!” Feng Ying beckoned and charged towards the large ship with Yang Kai in tow.
When the two figures appeared without warning, there was an immediate response from the ship. Several figures flew out to stand on the deck and focused their gaze in this direction from a distance.
Feng Ying and Yang Kai did not reduce their speed as they flew forward in a straight line. It didn’t take long for them to land on the deck.
Countless scrutinising gazes mixed with curiosity turned towards them.
At the same time, Yang Kai was also observing them. He discovered that there were no Black Ink Disciples in the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm here, so he couldn’t help sighing in relief. Just as Feng Ying had predicted, these people certainly had varying levels of strength. It would seem that her previous speculations were correct.
Feng Ying placed her hand over her chest and glanced at the inside of the cabin, “Who is in charge here? Hong Lian Territory Lord has an order to convey!”
Her words made her seem as though she was Hong Lain Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple.
A group of Black Ink Disciples on the deck looked around for a while but did not answer. Yang Kai’s eyes flickered slightly, admiring Feng Ying’s courage and caution. She had used the name ‘Hong Lian Territory Lord’. If there was a Master on the large ship, he would certainly reveal himself immediately after hearing this name. In that way, they could quickly determine the strength of the enemy and come up with countermeasures.
Besides, Feng Ying was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so it was normal for her to disguise herself as Hong Lian Territory Lord’s Black Ink Disciple.
The dull thud of footsteps soon came from within the cabin. Immediately after that, a tall Black Ink Clansman strode out.
Yang Kai looked up and saw that this Black Ink Clansman was nothing more than a Black Ink Feudal Lord. The sight immediately filled him with relief. Many Feudal Lords had died at the hands of Feng Ying during this period; hence, a single Feudal Lord was not much of a concern.
The only thing that bothered him slightly was the Black Ink Disciple accompanying the Feudal Lord. The Black Ink Disciple was undoubtedly in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and his aura was deep and profound.
After appearing on the deck, the Feudal Lord lowered his head and looked down at Feng Ying and Yang Kai, “I am Xiao Yue Feudal Lord. What are Sir Territory Lord’s orders?”
He held no suspicion towards Feng Ying’s identity, mainly because he did not expect a person to be so bold as to impersonate the Black Ink Disciple of a Black Ink Clan Territory Lord in front of him.
Feng Ying respectfully said, “Sir, please lean down. Master has commanded that this order can only be relayed to you alone.”
Xiao Yue Feudal Lord frowned slightly at those words. Although he did not understand why Hong Lian Territory Lord would give such an order, he lowered his body slightly, tilted his head to the side, and listened intently.
Feng Ying flew forward slightly and whispered, “Master said…”
Her sentence trailed off. Having piqued his curiosity and caused him to lower his guard, Feng Ying immediately pulled out her sword and slashed at him in the next moment. Pitch-black blood splattered everywhere as Xiao Yue retained his posture of listening intently, but his massive head had already been separated from his neck.
Feng Ying’s movements did not stop there. She quickly pushed back the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple beside the Xiao Yue Feudal Lord with another slash of her sword. Immediately after that, she opened the portal to her Small Universe and dozens of figures, who were raring to go, instantly emerged.
The Black Ink Disciples, whom Yang Kai and Feng Ying had spent two months rescuing, had been recuperating in Feng Ying’s Small Universe all this while. Having long since attained a full recovery, they had nothing to do every day and were practically dying from boredom.
Now that they came out from Feng Ying’s Small Universe, they were like fierce tigers coming down the mountain. They immediately summoned their artifacts and unleashed various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques at the Black Ink Clan in the surroundings.
At this moment, the Black Ink Clan were reeling in confusion and shock. They never imagined that they would be ambushed by Human Masters in such a place, so they immediately suffered heavy casualties.
As soon as Feng Ying made her move, Yang Kai also complemented her actions and lunged forward. He ignored the rest of the Black Ink Disciples and focused his attention on the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple beside the Xiao Yue Feudal Lord.
At present, it was still unclear how many on the ship could rival a Seventh-Order Master in strength; however, Xiao Yue Feudal Lord had been eliminated, so as long as this Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple was dealt with, they could stabilize the entire situation.
At the same time that Yang Kai lunged forward, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple who was repelled by Feng Ying earlier rushed forward aggressively.
In the eyes of a Black Ink Disciple, it did not matter whether or not Feng Ying had been sent by Hong Lian Territory Lord, he had to take revenge after witnessing the tragic death of his Master that occurred right in front of his eyes.
Feng Ying had not lowered her guard against him of course, and after releasing her allies from her Small Universe, she raised her sword and charged at him.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai was faster than her. He sprang out from behind her and swung his fist at the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple.
A cold light flashed in the opponent’s eyes and the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple raised his palm towards Yang Kai. World Force surged violently from the palm of his hand, like a tsunami. He seemed determined to kill Yang Kai with a single strike.
“Be careful!” Feng Ying exclaimed in horror.
She never expected Yang Kai to be so reckless. In her original plan, she would pin down any Seventh-Order Masters or Feudal Lords herself while Yang Kai only needed to go and rescue the subjugated Black Ink Disciples.
How could she have imagined that this brat would target the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple on his own? She didn’t even have time to stop him! Swiftly though, she recalled that Yang Kai had managed to block two of her killing moves in the past and felt slightly more relieved. He would not die so easily.
When the two attacks collided with each other, World Force exploded and Yang Kai’s figure was sent flying backwards.
Still, the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple was stunned as a look of surprise flashed across his eyes. His strength might not be at its peak, but his Order was not something that could be ignored. Even so, an opponent who was one Order lower than him had successfully defended against his attack. He couldn’t help feeling astonished.
If it was a one-on-one battle, now would be the best time to hunt down Yang Kai; however, Yang Kai had only just been thrown off when Feng Ying approached. Her longsword transformed into sword shadows that covered the entire sky and slashed down on the Black Ink Disciple.
In that instant, the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple immediately fell into a precarious situation. Feng Ying was extremely powerful and even at his peak, he might not have been her opponent, what more in his current situation?
In just a few blows, he was cornered to the point where he could only parry her attacks and was powerless to fight back. Furthermore, he could not break free of her suppression no matter how hard he struggled and resisted.
Yang Kai, who had been forced back just now, returned and joined forces with Feng Ying. Their combined efforts left the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Black Ink Disciple increasingly helpless to fight back.
Yang Kai was extremely agile, his figure flitting around erratically, causing great trouble to his opponent. Moreover, the flickering white light in the palm of his hands filled the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple with an instinctive sense of fear.
The Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple had never seen such pure white light before. Even though he did not know what kind of attack that was, the Black Ink Strength in his body transmitted a message of fear and horror to him as though it had met its natural enemy. As a result, his already precarious situation became even more unbearable.
It didn’t take long before Yang Kai found an opportunity to approach the enemy. He shot forward and pressed his palm against the back of the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple. A pure white light flared brightly and enveloped the Black Ink Disciple. Following a series of sizzling sounds, the Black Ink Strength was dispelled and dissipated into nothingness. Accordingly, the resistance of the Black Ink Disciple gradually subsided.
A short while later, Yang Kai stopped and nodded at Feng Ying; then, he hastily rushed towards the nearest Black Ink Disciple.
The dozen or so Open Heaven Realm Masters previously released by Feng Ying were currently fighting an intense battle on the ship’s deck.
In such a short span of time, several people had already lost their lives. Their deaths went to show the ferocity of the battle, but the main reason was that their actions were restricted to a certain degree. Not to mention, their numbers were fewer than their opponents.
They had not been able to take an accurate accounting earlier, so it was not until this moment that they realised there were some 300 people aboard this ship. Among them, only a few dozen or so were Black Ink Disciples. The others were Black Ink Clansmen.
While they were merciless towards the Black Ink Clan, they had to hold back against the Black Ink Disciples as unlike before, they could no longer just kill them.
Following the commotion of the battle, the Black Ink Disciples and the Black Ink Clansmen below deck emerged in twos and threes. It was fortunate that the enemies did not emerge all at once; otherwise, they were bound to suffer heavy casualties at first encounter if they challenged 300 enemies directly with only a few dozen people on their side.
After the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple was rescued, Feng Ying immediately moved to block the hatch. She slaughtered all the Black Ink Clansmen who came her way, allowing Yang Kai to move freely and display his abilities.
Roaming around the battlefield with Purifying Light blooming from his hands, he helped the Black Ink Disciples return to their true natures. Every Black Ink Disciple he rescued was equivalent to increasing the strength of his side while simultaneously weakening the strength of the enemy.
As the battle dragged on, they gradually gained the upper hand.
There was something else that delighted Yang Kai. Aside from the Xiao Yue Feudal Lord and the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple accompanying the former, the large ship did not seem to contain any other personnel who could rival a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master in strength.
As a result, the situation became better and better for them. Now that the Seventh-Order Black Ink Disciple had been rescued, there was no need for further discussion. He immediately understood what he needed to do and cooperated with Yang Kai to subdue the remaining Black Ink Disciples.
The Black Ink Clansmen died at a steady pace. Unfortunately, Black Ink Strength that dissipated from the corpses was extremely troublesome to deal with.
This couldn’t be helped. Although the Black Ink Disciples had been rescued by Yang Kai, they could easily be corrupted by Black Ink Strength once more; therefore, they had to avoid Black Ink Strength at all times. Some who had their Small Universe invaded by Black Ink Strength again had no choice but to rush to Yang Kai’s side and ask for treatment.
Naturally, Yang Kai did not refuse anybody who came to him.
During the two years he served under Nu Yan, Yang Kai had learned quite a lot about the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Disciples even though he had been living in disguise. As such, he knew that almost all of the Black Ink Disciples who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength had sacrificed parts of their Small Universe at least twice before they were converted. The first time they were eroded by the Black Ink Strength, they would always choose to sacrifice a part of their Small Universe to preserve their sense of self.
The integrity of one’s Small Universe was extremely important to an Open Heaven Realm Master because their Small Universe served as the source and foundation of their strength.
Once their Small Universe was damaged, their strength would definitely decline; moreover, as a result of their incomplete Small Universe, further improvement in their cultivation would become impossible. Therefore, no Open Heaven Realm Master would willingly sacrifice a part of their Small Universe unless they had no other choice.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to dispel the Black Ink Strength from their Small Universe once it was corroded by it. Their only option was to sacrifice the part of their Small Universe that had been corrupted in order to retain their clarity and maintain their true nature.
The Human Race Masters had contended and fought against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield since ancient times. There were bound to be people who were forced to give up part of their Small Universe in every battle. For that reason, the resolution to make a prompt decision was something their ancestors had repeatedly cautioned all of them about before they stepped onto the Black Ink Battlefield.
If they did not wish to be corrupted by Black Ink Strength and lose their autonomy, then they had to be willing to make sacrifices! If they were destined to be killed by their enemies, then they should strive to drag their enemies down with them!
At every great pass, these were the two warnings that the Seniors would always repeat to their Juniors who just arrived on the battlefield.
In many cases, sacrificing a part of their Small Universe would allow them to retain their sense of self and prevent them from being corrupted by Black Ink Strength; however, doing so would cause their Small Universe to become damaged. Not only would their strength decline, but their incomplete Small Universe would also make it harder for them to resist the erosion of the Black Ink Strength if they were subjected to it in the future.
Relatively speaking, the amount of time which an Open Heaven Realm Master could resist the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength was different between Open Heaven Realm Masters with complete Small Universes and Open Heaven Realm Masters with incomplete Small Universes. An Open Heaven Realm Master with a complete Small Universe would be able to persist for a much longer time.
When subjected to the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength, an Open Heaven Realm would be able to sacrifice part of their Small Universe the first time. Unfortunately, their success rate would be uncertain on the second attempt…
Nevertheless, there would always be instances where the situation was impossible to prevent. That was why almost all the Black Ink Disciples corrupted by the Black Ink Clan generally had an incomplete Small Universe. When they were corroded by the Black Ink Strength, they had already done their best to prevent the situation from occurring; after all, they did not wish to be converted into a Black Ink Disciple either.
That was the case for Meng Qi from Exquisite Paradise, whom Yang Kai met previously. Yang Kai had also noticed the same pattern among all the Black Ink Disciples he fought in the gambling arena. Even B-2, D-4, and E-5 were no exceptions.
That was especially true for D-4. Although he was only in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm at the moment, he had said that he used to be in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. He was once the elite disciple of a certain Cave Heaven or Paradise, but he had been invaded by the Black Ink Strength. As a result, he was repeatedly forced to sacrifice parts of his Small Universe. That was the reason why his cultivation declined and he eventually regressed to the Fifth Order.
Generally speaking, almost all of the Black Ink Disciples could be considered Pseudo-Open Heaven Realm Masters. It was not to say that they were no longer Open Heaven Realm Masters. Having split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies to form their Small Universe, they could be classified as Open Heaven Realm Masters. It was just that their Small Universes were no longer perfect, so the strength of the Black Ink Disciples would never reach the normal standards among cultivators of the same Order.
Take Meng Qi for example. He could be considered a Pseudo Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! Although he was much stronger than the average Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he was pitifully weak compared to ordinary Seventh-Order Masters.
On the other hand, B-2 and E-5 could be considered Pseudo Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
All the people Yang Kai and Feng Ying rescued while wandering around for the past two months were Black Ink Disciples. Needless to say, none of these Black Ink Disciples possessed a complete Small Universe.
Many Black Ink Clansmen had been slaughtered in this battle. Following the death of these Black Ink Clansmen, Black Ink Strength that dissipated from their corpses would gather together to form a cloud. In this way, it was very easy for the Open Heaven Realm Masters to become corrupted by the Black Ink Strength again.
Thanks to their prior experience of being rescued though, these people immediately rushed over to Yang Kai as soon as they discovered that their Small Universe was being corroded by Black Ink Strength so that he could help them dispel it.
Combined with the Black Ink Disciples who originally needed rescue in the first place, Yang Kai was overwhelmed for a time.
It was fortunate that Feng Ying and the newly-rescued Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were relatively strong. In addition, the large ship also lacked the corresponding high-end combat power to deal with them. As the two of them rushed back and forth, the Black Ink Clan suffered countless casualties. As such, the situation slowly stabilised.
Seeing the strength of the Human Race Masters, the surviving Black Ink Clansmen knew that they were no match for the enemy and immediately dispersed in all directions.
Feng Ying’s gaze sharpened at the sight and she shouted in an authoritative voice, “Don’t let a single one escape!”
Leading a team of people, she pursued the fleeing Black Ink Clansmen; likewise, the other Seventh-Order Master chased down the others fleeing in the opposite direction.
They had been causing a storm in the Black Ink Clan’s territory, and the main reason they managed to stay safe until now was that they had never revealed their existence before. All this while, they had ruthlessly silenced all Black Ink Clansmen that they encountered and rescued all the Black Ink Disciples they came across.
If news of their activity were to leak though, the Black Ink Clan would surely take countermeasures against them. If that were to happen, they would be helpless to resist with the strength of so few people. Therefore, all the Black Ink Clansmen here had to die. Only the dead could be trusted to keep secrets.
The Black Ink Clansmen fled in a very scattered manner, so some still managed to slip through the net even with two Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters chasing after them. Naturally, everybody else quickly split up to hunt down these fleeing Black Ink Clansmen.
Yang Kai did the same and took the lead in the pursuit. His figure latched onto the tail of several Black Ink Clansmen like a leech, and he manipulated Space Principles from afar to stall them. The Black Ink Clansmen who were fleeing desperately immediately felt as though they had fallen into a quagmire. The more they struggled, the stiffer their bodies became.
When he got closer, Yang Kai summoned the Azure Dragon Spear. The Black Ink Clansmen perished with a stab of his spear. Afterwards, his figure moved around the void as he stopped several others from fleeing. He killed every one of them and finally took a look around him. The originally chaotic battlefield had calmed down.
A short while later, everybody returned to the ship once more to count their casualties. The results were not too bad. Although they lost some people, they gained even more. Their line-up had increased to around 80 people, and they even gained an additional Pseudo Seventh-Order Master.
The large ship had been reduced to tatters during the battle earlier. This was just a simple flight-type artifact after all. Even though the ship had some defensive abilities, they were not deployed during the previous battle. What’s more, it might not have made a difference even if the defences had been deployed. The fallout of the attacks from so many Open Heaven Realm Masters was extremely brutal, and a flight-type artifact of this calibre was incapable of enduring such impact.
Feng Ying was very decisive and directly destroyed all the evidence lest the Black Ink Clan passing by this area noticed that something was wrong. Only then did she turn to the others and said, “Everyone, enter my Small Universe. We can talk about the rest later.”
It was too conspicuous for such a large group of Humans to gather together. Besides, it was inconvenient for them to move swiftly with their varying strengths. It would be more convenient and safer for them to hide in Feng Ying’s Small Universe.
Everybody knew that this was not the place for discussion, so despite the questions in their hearts, they entered her Small Universe in successive order. It didn’t take long before only Yang Kai, Feng Ying, and the Pseudo Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master remained.
“Let’s go,” Feng Ying ordered and took the lead to head in a certain direction. Yang Kai and the Pseudo Seventh-Order Master followed behind her.
A quarter-hour later, a dense patch of Black Ink Clouds came into view. Feng Ying turned to look at Yang Kai with an inquiring gaze and Yang Kai nodded lightly in response. Then, the three figures headed straight towards the thickest Black Ink Cloud.
The Pseudo Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master looked doubtful as Black Ink Clouds were not something Humans would approach carelessly. That was especially true in his current condition. His Small Universe had flaws in it, so this Black Ink Cloud was an extremely dangerous threat to him. However, considering the means Yang Kai displayed earlier, he said nothing and simply followed close behind.
Soon, the three of them plunged into the Black Ink Cloud. Yang Kai immediately created a safe area inside the Black Ink Cloud, and the Pseudo Seventh-Order Master finally calmed down.
“Blue Sky Paradise, Feng Ying!” Feng Ying turned to the Pseudo Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, cupped her fist slightly, and introduced herself.
Yang Kai followed suit, “Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, Yang Kai!”
The Pseudo Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master returned the greeting and solemnly introduced himself, “Myriad Transformations Paradise, Shen Ao!” After introducing himself, he turned to Yang Kai with a serious look, “I will never forget your saving grace. In the future, please feel free to speak if you have anything you need, Little Brother. This Shen will not refuse as long as it is within my ability.”
Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “It’s just a minor matter. You are being too polite, Senior.”
Shen Ao shook his head solemnly, “I have been living in a fog for hundreds of years and finally regained my clarity today. I will forever remember this kindness.” He continued with a look of curiosity, “Since when did we obtain such means?”
For countless years, it had always been impossible to rescue a Black Ink Disciple who was corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Be that as it may, the method that Yang Kai displayed earlier had rescued all the Black Ink Disciples who survived. It was obvious that the Black Ink Strength in their bodies had been dispelled and purified.
Therefore, Shen Ao couldn’t help feeling extremely curious and a little excited. Just like Feng Ying, how could he fail to realise the immense value of this technique?
Feng Ying explained, “This method is not something everybody can use. It is a unique ability that belongs only to this kid. I myself have only learned about it recently.”
Surprised, Shen Ao looked at Yang Kai and asked, “Is this a Secret Technique or a Divine Ability? Can other people cultivate it?”
Yang Kai paused for a moment before he answered quietly, “It can be regarded as a Secret Technique, but nobody else can cultivate it.”
Shen Ao did not understand, “If it is a Secret Technique, then why can’t others cultivate it? The Cave Heavens and Paradises are filled with talented people. I’m sure there will be people among them who can succeed, even if the number is small.”
Similarly, Feng Ying looked at Yang Kai with curiosity. If she had to be honest, she had been extremely curious about Yang Kai’s methods throughout the duration of their travels. Although there were many times when she wanted to ask about it, she could not bring herself to do so; after all, Yang Kai seemed reluctant to say much about it. If she tried to get to the bottom of this matter, she would be suspected of trying to infringe upon his privacy.
At this moment, Shen Ao had asked the questions that Feng Ying wanted to ask. If this method could be spread to the public, the situation on the Black Ink Battlefield would surely change drastically.
Yang Kai shook his head and explained, “I’m afraid Senior has misunderstood the situation. Although I can use this method, I did not cultivate this power myself. It was granted to me by someone else!”
While saying so, he activated the seals on his left and right hands. The seal on his left hand was like a bright Great Sun, while the one on his right was a brilliant blue Moon.
Feng Ying and Shen Ao looked on in amazement.
“These two marks are the foundation of that Secret Technique. It is not this Junior’s ability. Moreover, the ones who gave me these two marks… are not on the Black Ink Battlefield.”
After listening to his explanation, the other two couldn’t help but look disappointed. Nevertheless, they could detect a trace of the terrifying aura that came from these marks and were certain that the ones who gave him these two marks were beings that should not be provoked.
Shen Ao was silent for a moment before he patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “You need to protect yourself well. You can turn the tide of this war with your strength alone!”
That statement was so exaggerated that Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling embarrassed.
Shen Ao then turned to look at Feng Ying, “Senior Sister, what are your plans?”
The two of them were in the same Order; in addition, they had never encountered each other before. Since he did not know who was older or younger, addressing her as ‘Senior Sister’ was simply a sign of respect. There was no special meaning behind his words.
Feng Ying replied, “The Black Ink Clan army is probably gathering on the front lines to attack the great pass. I plan to gather more people and launch a surprise attack from the rear. That way, even if we are unable to break the siege on the great pass, we can still create some confusion among the Black Ink Clan. What do you think, Junior Brother?”
Shen Ao nodded in agreement, “I heard some information regarding the front lines while travelling beside Xiao Yue. There are indeed many Black Ink Clansmen gathering on the front lines to storm the nearest great pass; however, throughout the ages, the great passes guarded by the Cave Heavens and Paradises have never fallen. There is no need to be too worried. On the contrary, we will need to gather enough strength if we wish to return.” He turned to look at Yang Kai and continued, “With Little Brother’s means though, gathering more people will not be too difficult. Let us proceed as you planned, Senior Sister. I have no objections.”
Nodding, she said, “Good. Let’s recover our strength for now. If we want to gather more people, we will need to search for more Black Ink Clansmen.”
Shen Ao added, “I’m sure you know about my current condition, Senior Sister. Even if we encounter a strong enemy, I will have to rely on you to take action.”
She nodded in understanding, “Rest assured. I will do my best.”
Yang Kai suddenly turned to look at Shen Ao and asked, “Senior, is your Small Universe damaged?”
Generally speaking, most Black Ink Disciples had a damaged Small Universe. During the previous battle against the Black Ink Clan, the strength displayed by Shen Ao was somewhat inconsistent with the strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
Shen Ao looked slightly depressed, “That’s right.”
This was a lingering regret of his. Many years ago, he had accidentally gotten corrupted by Black Ink Strength during a battle against the Black Ink Clan and was forced to sacrifice a part of his Small Universe as a result. Unfortunately, that battle had been extremely fierce and he had been exhausted from fighting with no time for him to rest or recuperate. In the end, he was unwittingly corrupted by the Black Ink Strength again and became a Black Ink Disciple. He had lived in a daze until now. Nevertheless, it truly was amazing to regain his clarity.
Hearing this, Yang Kai took out an object and handed it to Shen Ao, “Senior, please take a look and see if this is useful to you.”
Shen Ao took the object suspiciously and opened the box. His expression immediately stiffened in surprise, “Profound Yin Spirit Fruit!?”
Even Feng Ying looked over with a shocked expression. It was only natural that she recognised this object; after all, it was considered a precious treasure in the Black Ink Battlefield since it had an extremely significant effect on repairing one’s Small Universe.
“Where did you get that?” Feng Ying asked in astonishment.
Yang Kai shrugged, “I found it by accident.”
It was inconvenient for Yang Kai to explain any further as this was something Meng Qi had given to him, meaning he could not explain the circumstances. He looked at Shen Ao and inquired, “Will this help to repair your Small Universe, Senior?”
Shen Ao clutched at the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit tightly with a look of excitement in his eyes, “Of course! This is the only thing that can help me!”
As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, his mental fortitude was quite strong, and there were few things in the world that could make him so excited. Even when he was rescued by Yang Kai, he had not been so emotional. Be that as it may, when he held the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit in his hand, he couldn’t help being shaken by the hope of restoring his Small Universe.
“How long will you need?” Feng Ying probed.
Shen Ao shook his head, “I don’t know. I have never used this before after all, but I don’t think it will take too long.” Turning to look at Yang Kai, he added, “Little Brother, this object is extremely useful to me. I will not refuse your goodwill. I will definitely reward you handsomely in the future!”
Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively, “If your strength is restored, Senior, it will also be very helpful to our plans.”
At the moment, Feng Ying and Shen Ao were the only two Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters by his side. While there was nothing to worry about when it came to Feng Ying, Shen Ao was only a Pseudo Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Not only was his strength lower than average, his resistance against Black Ink Strength also left much to be desired. Shen Ao’s current condition would be highly detrimental to their future plans.
If a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit could resolve these issues, then there was no reason for Yang Kai to be stingy.
Yang Kai continued after some deliberation, “I still have a few more Profound Yin Spirit Fruits. Should we have some of our allies consume them?”
In his opinion, under their current circumstances, they should increase their combat power as much as possible. Besides, the restoration of one’s Small Universe would also increase their resistance towards the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength.
[He still has more…] Feng Ying and Shen Ao immediately became shocked to the core. The Profound Yin Spirit Fruit was extremely rare and precious. In the Black Ink Battlefield, only a few special Sealed Worlds could produce them. It was the blessing of a lifetime just to find one, but Yang Kai had more than one in his possession. Moreover, although they did not know how many Profound Yin Spirit Fruits he had, the number was definitely not few.
This was not something Feng Ying could decide for the others, so she responded after a short pause, “I’ll ask and see.”
Unexpectedly, Shen Ao laughed bitterly, “I don’t think anybody would take them.”
“Why not?” Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling astonished.
The Small Universe of the Black Ink Disciples they rescued earlier should be in a damaged state; hence, the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit should be extremely attractive to them. Why would anyone refuse such an offer?
Shen Ao did not explain and simply said, “You’ll soon find out.”
Meanwhile, Feng Ying closed her eyes and said nothing, probably communicating with the Open Heaven Realm Masters inside her Small Universe. A short while later, she opened her eyes and looked at Yang Kai, “You should hold onto those Profound Yin Spirit Fruits for now.”
As predicted, nobody wanted the Profound Yin Spirit Fruits.
Seeming to understand Yang Kai’s confusion, Shen Ao explained, “When they come across such opportunities, they will always choose to leave them for the High-Rank Open Heaven Masters. Forget the Spirit Fruits in your possession, even if they obtained one themselves, they would not consume it easily. On the contrary, they would choose to turn it over to the higher-ups.”
After saying that, he patted Yang Kai on the shoulder and walked over to the side. Sitting down cross-legged, he swallowed the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.
Yang Kai stood in silence for a long while, but in the end, he just sighed softly. He never expected the people they rescued to resist the temptation and refuse the Profound Yin Spirit Fruits. Nevertheless, this incident allowed him to experience the difference in culture on the Black Ink Battlefield.
In the 3,000 Worlds, such a precious treasure would have attracted the greed of countless people. On the contrary, the hearts and minds of the people were united as one on the Black Ink Battlefield. Everybody would choose the option that was most beneficial to the overall situation. They would never disregard the bigger picture just to satisfy their own selfish desires.
The Black Ink Cloud was filled with silence as the trio focused on their respective recovery and meditation.
From time to time, subtle fluctuations in the World Force would radiate from Shen Ao, most likely the result of the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit at work to mend his Small Universe. It took more than twenty days for the intermittent fluctuations coming from him to finally subside. Another half day later, he slowly opened his eyes.
Yang Kai had been paying close attention to the changes in Shen Ao. Looking at Shen Ao at this moment, he could sense that Shen Ao’s aura seemed to be different from before and he had become much more confident.
When their gazes met, Shen Ao nodded lightly at Yang Kai to express his gratitude.
Feng Ying spoke up from the side, “Are you prepared?”
“Yes,” Shen Ao nodded.
“In that case, let us depart,” she said as she climbed to her feet.
Before their departure, the three of them made some preparations. All the Open Heaven Realm Masters they previously rescued were currently hiding inside Feng Ying’s Small Universe. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, her Small Universe was big enough to accommodate these people; however, accommodating too many of them placed a burden on her and affected how much strength she could wield. In addition, if they were to launch another surprise attack on the Black Ink Clan like before, it would take some time for her to release all of them from her Small Universe.
Following a brief discussion, a dozen or so Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were taken into Yang Kai’s Small Universe while the rest were split equally between Feng Ying and Shen Ao.
At this point, the expression on Shen Ao’s face when he looked at Yang Kai could only be described as flabbergasted. They had not known each other for long, but Yang Kai had already sprung so many surprises on him in such a short period.
Yang Kai had the means to restore order to chaos, which could rescue the Black Ink Disciples corrupted by Black Ink Strength. He had also given a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to Shen Ao, and now, he could even accommodate living beings inside his Small Universe… Leaving aside the matter of the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, the two other matters could be said to be unprecedented in all the years that Shen Ao had been alive. These two events had certainly given him quite a huge shock.
Feng Ying observed Shen Ao’s expression and smiled slightly, [This brat also has a World Spring, one of the Four Universe Pillars. I wonder what Shen Ao would think if he found out about that.]
In all honesty, she herself had been shocked by Yang Kai on numerous occasions. She had never met a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like him before. There were always all kinds of bizarre things about him, so she was often astounded by the unexpected incidents that he accidentally created.
There were times when she simply could not understand. Somebody like him should be carefully protected, so how did he end up in the depths of the Black Ink Clan’s domain where he had to disguise himself as a Black Ink Disciple to survive?
The main force of the Black Ink Clan had been gathering successively on the front lines, but there would always be some scattered Black Ink Clansmen who were slower to head for the battlefield. They were not as orderly as the Human Race, so they moved in a more scattered fashion. What’s more, the territory occupied by the Black Ink Clan in the Black Ink Battlefield was too vast. Even under the Royal Lord’s call to arms, there was bound to be a difference across the various territories in terms of the Black Ink Clan’s response speed. There were also Black Ink Clansmen who would delay or find excuses to refuse joining the front lines of the battlefield.
More importantly, these Black Ink Clansmen who belatedly rushed for the battlefield usually travelled in small groups, which gave the trio numerous opportunities to act.
If there were too many in a group, the trio would remain hidden and not reveal their whereabouts. If it was a small group, then they devoured their prey in one bite. They slaughtered all the Black Ink Clansmen and did their best to rescue as many Black Ink Disciples as they could.
In the past, just Yang Kai and Feng Ying were enough to kick up a storm in the Black Ink Clan’s rear lines. Now that they not only gained an additional helping hand in Shen Ao, but also dozens of helpers, it was only natural that these activities became even easier to carry out.
As the days passed, more and more Black Ink Disciples were rescued. Their lineup grew from tens to hundreds and soon breached the 200 mark. Among these people, they also gained two additional Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Including Feng Ying and Shen Ao, they now had a total of four Seventh-Order Masters on their side.
Needless to say, the two newly rescued Seventh-Order Masters received a gift from Yang Kai. They consumed the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit and restored their Small Universes.
Over the recent period, at least 2,000 Black Ink Clansmen had died at their hands, including a dozen or so Feudal Lords. It could be said that their battles had been very fruitful.
After a particularly large battle, Yang Kai and the four Seventh-Order Masters hid themselves inside a Black Ink Cloud to rest and recover their strength. During such times, Yang Kai would always think about Meng Qi. The current situation could be said to have been jointly created by Meng Qi and Feng Ying with their own hands.
Meng Qi was not as powerful as Feng Ying in terms of strength, but he was also in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. If he had not chosen to commit suicide back then and instead leave with Yang Kai, he might have been able to survive. Be that as it may, he had resolutely chosen to sacrifice himself because there was always a chance that something detrimental might happen.
Meng Qi had been worried that he might become corrupted by the Black Ink Strength again. If that were to happen, the secret of the Void Corridor would definitely be exposed and the 3,000 Worlds would be invaded by the Black Ink Clan army. He had not dared to take any chances so long as even the slightest possibility existed; thus, he had chosen to sacrifice his life instead.
Although Yang Kai understood the reason behind those actions, he could not help feeling regretful whenever he came across similar situations and remembered Meng Qi.
Other than Yang Kai, nobody else in this world knew that a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Exquisite Paradise had sacrificed his life in order to protect a secret related to the safety of the 3,000 Worlds.
As a matter of fact, countless Human Masters had risked their lives on the Black Ink Battlefield since ancient times. Who among them had not given blood and life to stop the invasion of the Black Ink Clan? Be that as it may, with the exception of the Elders and elite disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, most of the people in the 3,000 Worlds were not even aware of the Black Ink Clan’s existence.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had contributed greatly to the 3,000 Worlds.
“We’ve got movement,” A low voice sounded inside the Black Ink Cloud.
The others who were resting nearby quickly opened their eyes and focused their senses outside. Sure enough, they discovered movement. A large number of Black Ink Clansmen suddenly entered the range of their perception. Not only were there as many as 500 people in the approaching group, but several Black Ink Feudal Lords were leading it.
The High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters exchanged a glance with each other and noticed the eagerness in the other’s eyes.
During this period of time, everybody had carried out numerous acts of intercepting the enemy, so it could be said that they had long since gotten accustomed to such acts. In fact, this large group of Black Ink Clansmen looked like nothing more than a delectable piece of meat in their eyes. With their current line-up, they were perfectly capable of destroying this enemy. Most importantly, there were many Black Ink Disciples among this group of enemies. If they could successfully rescue these Black Ink Disciples, they would further increase their strength.
In the beginning, if they had encountered such a group of enemies, they could only choose to make a temporary retreat. There was no helping it as the difference in numbers was too great. In contrast, even though they currently only seemed to have five people on the surface, the truth was that they each contained many helpers in their respective Small Universes. It was only natural for them to eye these enemies with relish.
“Something is wrong,” Yang Kai suddenly scowled.
“What’s wrong?” The person who asked the question was an elderly-looking man. He was one of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who introduced himself as Qi Tai Chu of Yuan Origin Paradise.
“Their direction is wrong!” Yang Kai shook his head.
Upon hearing those words, another Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master called Ning Qi Zhi of Red Sun Paradise agreed, “That’s right. Why is a Black Ink army coming from that direction?”
During this period, all the Black Ink Clansmen they intercepted had been heading towards the front lines of the battlefield from the Black Ink Clan’s territory. However, this group of enemies came from the opposite direction. From the looks of it, they seemed to have retreated from the front lines of the battlefield.
“Did they finish fighting on the front lines?” Shen Ao raised an eyebrow. If that was the case, then it was good news. They would only need to wait for the Black Ink Clan army to retreat, and then they could make the return trip. There was no need to continue hiding and sneaking around.
“It’s too quick.” Feng Ying slowly shook her head, “When has the Black Ink Clan’s attack not lasted at least a decade or two? There are times when they even attack for hundreds of years without stopping. How could they possibly retreat so quickly?”
“Then why did this group return?”
“Could they be escorting something?”
They whispered among themselves, each expressing their own opinions. Even so, none of them could provide a reasonable answer.
The enemy was approaching closer and closer, so if they did not make a move now, they would miss the opportunity to do so. Seeing this, Ning Qi Zhi asked, “Are we attacking or not?”
All of them turned to look at Feng Ying. Although she was a woman, she was also the strongest among them. Moreover, all of them were jointly rescued by her and Yang Kai, so it was only natural for her to take command.
Feng Ying turned towards Yang Kai with an inquiring glance.
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “It’s probably okay to attack, but we should be extra careful. If you think that something is wrong, retreat immediately.”
She nodded in agreement, “In that case, let’s move!”
The moment the words left her mouth, she took the lead and rushed out of the Black Ink Cloud. Yang Kai and the others quickly followed suit.
As usual, when the five figures emerged from the Black Ink Cloud, the Black Ink Clan noticed them immediately and turned to look in their direction. The leading Black Ink Feudal Lords exchanged glances with each other, showing suspicious and puzzled expressions. One of them immediately raised his hand to stop the forward motion of the group they were leading; then, they quietly waited for the five figures to approach.
Although they did not seem to be on guard against the five approaching figures, it was not due to a lack of vigilance. The main reason was that no ordinary Human cultivator would conceal themselves inside a Black Ink Cloud. Those who dared to hide inside a Black Ink Cloud without fear of being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength were definitely already Black Ink Disciples. Besides, they had hundreds of people on their side while Yang Kai’s party only had five. The gap in their numbers was too great.
Those were the same reasons why Yang Kai and the others could repeatedly approach their enemies in such a bold fashion and succeed in their sneak attacks.
The distance between both parties grew closer and closer, so much so that they could clearly see the expressions on each other’s faces.
Feng Ying, who was in the lead, suddenly stretched out her hand and grabbed at something. A longsword appeared in her grip, and she immediately slid her finger across the blade of her sword.
Following a surge of World Force, a crisp humming sound reverberated throughout the void. Thousands of sword waves appeared behind her, twisting and converging to form a 1,000-metre-long Sword Dragon in an instant. At the same time, she concealed herself within the Dragon Head and vanished out of sight.
As soon as she attacked, she unleashed her Divine Manifestation. It was obvious that she planned to end this battle as quickly as possible.
On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan clearly never expected this kind of thing to happen. They initially thought that these people were five Black Ink Disciples separated from their Masters; therefore, they had planned to wait for the other party to approach and enjoy some easy benefits. Who could have expected the other party to unleash a killing move instead? The sudden turn of events left the Black Ink Clansmen reeling in confusion.
The expression of the leading Feudal Lord changed drastically and he shouted ferociously, “Enemy attack!”
For a time, the 500-man team was engulfed in chaos.
At the same time, the 1,000-metre-long Sword Dragon lunged towards the Black Ink Clan army while shaking its head and flicking its tail. Nobody could halt its rampage. The sword waves that formed the body of the Sword Dragon vibrated with a humming sound, turning into unstoppable weapons. All the Black Ink Clansmen who came into contact with the sword waves were either heavily injured or killed on the spot. In that way, the enormous Sword Dragon swept open an empty path through the Black Ink Clan army.
When Feng Ying made her move, Yang Kai and the others immediately opened the portals to their Small Universe. Numerous figures that had been prepared for a long time emerged from within.
In the blink of an eye, the seemingly lonesome five-man party expanded into a small army of over 200 people that charged towards the Black Ink Clan with a ferocious roar.
The Black Ink Clan was stunned by the attack. Targeted by Shen Ao and the others, the Feudal Lords were unable to issue effective orders. Consequently, the battlefield was soon split apart. The Black Ink Clan were separated into small groups that stuck together on the defensive.
Yang Kai ignored the Feudal Lords as his figure moved through the crowd as nimbly as a fish in water. Whenever he came across an opportunity to attack, he would not miss it.
The Azure Dragon Spear in his hand swept out left and right. Everywhere he passed, Black Ink Clansmen erupted into blood mist in his wake. With his current strength, as long as he did not encounter a Feudal Lord, nobody beneath them could defend against his spear.
Be that as it may, his main task was not to slaughter the Black Ink Clansmen but to rescue the Black Ink Disciples. Purifying Light flickered here and there, following Yang Kai’s figure as he roamed the battlefield. The Black Ink Strength was dispelled from the bodies of the Black Ink Disciples, and they regained their clarity one after another.
Although there were hundreds of people on both sides, the battle was an extremely one-sided slaughter. Not to mention, it was the Human Race with fewer numbers who held the upper hand. It was very strange indeed; however, this result came from catching the Black Ink Clan by surprise.
The Black Ink Clan never expected the five Human cultivators who approached them to carry malicious intent; in addition, Feng Ying’s Divine Manifestation had caused great casualties and instilled panic among the Black Ink Clan army right at the outset of the battle.
If both sides could reconstruct their formation and fight on fair terms, the Black Ink Clan would not suffer so badly even if they were, ultimately, outmatched.
Many Black Ink Clansmen tried to escape when they saw that the situation was not in their favour. Be that as it may, how could the Human cultivators allow these Black Ink Clansmen to survive? The Human cultivators immediately gave pursuit and quickly slaughtered the fleeing Black Ink Clansmen.
The intense battle took less than an hour from the beginning to the end. All the Black Ink Clansmen were eliminated, and the Black Ink Disciples were rescued. The Human cultivators also suffered some casualties, but their losses were within the acceptable range.
“Martial Uncles and Martial Aunts, this Junior Brother has important information to report!” While they were counting their losses on the battlefield, somebody walked over to Feng Ying and the others with a young man in tow.
Yang Kai turned to look at the young man and recognised him as one of the Black Ink Disciples he rescued earlier.
Feng Ying looked at the young man and asked, “What information?”
The young man solemnly cupped his fist, “Martial Aunt, this is a trap. We cannot stay here for long.”
She frowned slightly, “What do you mean? Explain clearly.”
He thus explained, “I don’t know much, but the Black Ink Clan seems to have noticed something strange. They believe that a small team of Human cultivators are causing havoc in the rear, so they dispatched some people to launch a search. They intend to locate and eliminate the hidden team. We were merely one of the search teams. There are another seven or eight teams in the vicinity. As soon as they discover something, they will immediately communicate with each other to provide support. Although you moved very quickly just now, Martial Aunt, the reinforcements from the Black Ink Clan are probably on the way. Moreover, I overheard several Black Ink Clansmen mention that this operation is being overseen by a Territory Lord.”
The expression of Feng Ying and the others immediately became grim. All the doubts and illogical occurrences from before were clarified at this moment.
Shen Ao pounded his fist against his palm and gritted his teeth, “I was wondering why this group was retreating from the front lines. It turns out that they have noticed our movements.”
Ning Qi Zi frowned, “Although we’ve always wiped out the enemy without fail, the Black Ink Clan has suffered quite a heavy loss recently. It was only a matter of time before we were discovered, but I never imagined that they would respond so quickly.”
The Black Ink Clansmen who should have headed to the front lines had repeatedly failed to arrive on the battlefield. One or two people might have gone unnoticed, but it was impossible for thousands to simply be overlooked.
This war began because the Human Masters had raided the Black Ink Clan’s domain and destroyed a number of the Black Ink Clan’s territories along the way; therefore, it was not strange for the Black Ink Clan to suspect that a small team of Human Masters were causing havoc in the rear.
This particular Black Ink Clan team had been ordered to perform a search of this region. Under normal circumstances, they would have been on guard when they encountered these five people, but Feng Ying and the others had emerged from within the Black Ink Cloud, which caused the Black Ink Clansmen to mistakenly assume that they were Black Ink Disciples. For that reason, the Black Ink Clansmen lowered their guard and allowed Feng Ying’s party to launch a sneak attack.
Everybody began moving swiftly. Although they slaughtered all the Black Ink Clansmen, the information would have leaked out by now. The other Black Ink Clan search teams in the vicinity would surely be on their way to provide support.
What’s more, the one presiding over this matter was a Black Ink Territory Lord! That was an existence on par with an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If they ran into a Master of that calibre, nobody could be his opponent.
Upon learning the seriousness of the issue, they did not dare to delay any longer. They quickly prepared for departure and hastily left the scene after the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters gathered all the other cultivators into their Small Universes.
Their swift response allowed them to safely make their escape. Not to mention, the Black Ink Clan did not expect the Black Ink Disciples who originally belonged to them to leak their information to the enemy.
An hour later, the group of five hid inside another Black Ink Cloud and quietly focused their minds to conceal their auras. They did not dare to act rashly and instead laid low inside the Black Ink Cloud for the next half month.
From time to time, they would detect hundreds of Black Ink Clansmen passing by in the vicinity. It was obvious that the Black Ink Clan was searching for them. Fortunately, the Black Ink Clan only managed to infer that the enemy was a small team of Human cultivators causing havoc at the rear. They did not know who these people were or how many people were involved.
Every time Yang Kai and the others made a move, they would ruthlessly wipe out all the Black Ink Clansmen they encountered, so it was only natural that their information was not spread to the Black Ink Clan. In any case, the thought that the enemy was hiding inside a Black Ink Cloud would never occur to the Black Ink Clan. That was also why they failed to discover their targets despite searching very thoroughly and even passing by the spot where Yang Kai and the others were hiding a number of times.
On the flip side, the group of five were no longer free to take action as they pleased. It was fortunate that Yang Kai had created a safe area inside the Black Ink Cloud, so they could hide without worrying about being corroded by the Black Ink Strength.
Although they were safe for the time being, hiding like this was not a viable long-term strategy. The Black Ink Clan had failed to obtain results after searching for so long, so there was no saying whether they would begin to investigate the situation inside the Black Ink Clouds as a result. If they were to do so, then Yang Kai and the others would not be able to remain hidden for much longer. It would only be a matter of time before their whereabouts were exposed. At that time, they would fall into a situation where they could no longer take the initiative.
Inside the Black Ink Cloud, Feng Ying looked at the others with a solemn expression, “It’s time to take a risk.”
Ning Qi Zhi frowned, “Senior Sister Feng, what do you mean…”
She turned back to look at the front lines, “Aiming for stealth will only make our situation more and more difficult. I want to try and see if we can return to the great pass. What do you think?”
Everybody fell silent for some time. They were once Black Ink Disciples corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Having served the Black Ink Clan as servants for so long, it had been a long time since they returned to the great passes guarded by the Human Race. What they wanted more than anything in the world was to return. Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, they could not return just because they wanted to. There was bound to be a certain degree of risk involved.
Shen Ao said, “The Black Ink Clan has already been alerted to our presence, so choosing to remain here will not be beneficial to us. Although we don’t have many on our side, our numbers are not few. If we can find a suitable opportunity, we might be able to forge a path through the Black Ink Clan army. We still stand a chance to return.”
Qi Tai Chu nodded in agreement, “I agree. Back when I was corrupted by Black Ink Strength, this old man had already died once. Now that I have been given a second chance at life, it won’t be a loss if I can drag a few Black Ink Clansman down with me. In fact, it’s already a win if I can slaughter two Black Ink Clansmen. Therefore, this old man will go along with whatever you decide. I may not have the brightest mind, but I can contribute in terms of strength.”
Shen Ao added, “Let’s return then.”
Seeing as nobody else had any objections, Feng Ting nodded in satisfaction, “Then, let us return!” She turned to look at Yang Kai, “Please be careful. You must stick close to me.”
There were two reasons why she insisted on going back at this time. The first reason was that their current situation had gotten dangerous, and the second reason was that she wanted to send Yang Kai back. Yang Kai’s cultivation might not be high, but his very existence was extremely important to the Human Race as a whole. He could not risk himself by accompanying them here.
If not for these considerations, she might not have been so desperate. If possible, she even wanted Yang Kai to hide inside her Small Universe without revealing himself. In that way, he would not be in danger as long as she did not die; however, she could not do so because of his ability to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength. During a battle against the Black Ink Clan, his ability could be critical at any moment.
Once they finished their discussions, the group of five did not procrastinate. They immediately rushed out of the Black Ink Cloud and sped directly towards the front lines of the battlefield. Since they had already decided to return, then there was no need to hesitate or take detours.
The Black Ink Clan’s search had been ongoing all this time; moreover, they had increased their manpower since they failed to locate their targets after searching for so long.
As a result, the whereabouts of these five were exposed in just half a day! Even if they had expected this situation, they couldn’t help feeling flustered when they were found so quickly.
The ones who discovered their whereabouts was a small team consisting of no more than ten individuals. They immediately killed their enemies without mercy; however, more and more Black Ink Clansmen began to surround them from all directions.
The Black Ink Clan seemed to have divided their teams in order to perform an exhaustive grid search. By keeping in contact and exchanging news with each other, they could trigger a rapid response throughout the network if any issues cropped up somewhere.
Yang Kai’s group of five massacred their enemies along the way and slaughtered many Black Ink Clansmen as a result, but every attack exposed their own position
A few days later, an imposing and oppressive aura entered their perception from a great distance. When they looked up, they saw a rich darkness approaching them at a high speed from the direction where the aura originated.
“A Territory Lord!” Feng Ying, who was in the lead, shouted suddenly. Her expression instantaneously changed drastically.
What made her speechless was that the Black Ink Territory Lord gave her an extremely familiar feeling. If she remembered correctly, he was the one who tried to corrupt her with his Black Ink Strength previously.
At the time, he had poured his Black Ink Strength into her, and thinking that he had successfully corrupted her, he then rushed off to the battlefield after briefly instructing her to follow once she recovered her strength. How could he have known that one of the Human Masters had planted a Secret Technique inside Feng Ying’s Small Universe that allowed her to resist the Black Ink Strength corruption once?
In the end, Feng Ying killed Nu Yan as soon as she recovered. She initially thought that it would be difficult for them to meet again, but who knew that he would be the one overseeing the search for their whereabouts?
If the five of them had noticed the Territory Lord, then it was a given that the Territory Lord had also noticed them. It was just that they were too far apart, so nobody could do anything to the other yet.
A look of hesitation flashed across Feng Ying’s face. She was one of the strongest among the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and was only one step away from advancing to the Eighth-Order. On the other hand, Shen Ao and the other two had recently consumed Profound Yin Spirit Fruits. Their Small Universes had been repaired, so their strength was no longer compromised.
If the four of them joined hands to fight the Territory Lord, they might stand a chance against him. Even if they were not his opponents, they would not suffer a crushing defeat.
Nonetheless, this was not the time to pick a fight with a Black Ink Territory Lord. The Black Ink Clan army was closing in on them from all sides, and it would be difficult for them to escape if they were encircled. That was why Feng Ying shouted after a moment of hesitation, “Let’s go!”
She took the lead and sped in a certain direction. Yang Kai and the others quickly followed.
The Territory Lord chased after them like maggots on rotting bones. Moreover, his speed was strangely fast. Despite their best efforts, the distance between them continued to shrink.
At this rate, it would not take longer than a few days before the enemy caught up to them and a massive battle became unavoidable.
To make matters worse, the Black Ink Clan had regrouped and formed several hundred-man teams that blocked the way ahead. Although the five of them discovered this situation early, they had no other option but to change directions and take detours that delayed their escape.
After several days of repetition, a look of despair appeared on the faces of Feng Ying and the others. Leaving aside the Territory Lord who was gradually closing in on them, the encirclement by the Black Ink Clan’s teams had forced them into a corner where they could not take a step forward. They could only keep running around in a fixed region. Unfortunately, as the encirclement shrank steadily, there was less and less space for them to manoeuvre. If this situation were to continue, they would eventually become a turtle hiding in its shell.
During the chase, Feng Ying turned to look at Yang Kai, desperately trying to think of a solution. It did not matter if the rest of them died here, but the loss would be far too heavy if they failed to send Yang Kai back. The abilities he wielded were vital to the Human Race’s war effort.
Just as her thoughts were swirling around in her head, Yang Kai suddenly looked at her, “Senior, we should flee towards the rear!”
She glanced in the direction he was pointing and shook her head, “Although there is a gap in that direction, it is obviously part of the Black Ink Clan’s plan. We would be playing right into their hands if we did that. Even for us, that will be nothing more than a futile struggle prolonging our deaths.”
They came from the Black Ink Clan hinterland in the first place, so wouldn’t all their previous efforts be in vain if they were to go back there now?
Yang Kai insisted, “I have a way to get us out of this situation. Please trust me.”
“You have a way?” Feng Ying was astonished by his proposal.
Similarly, Shen Ao and the others looked at him in surprise. In this situation, it could be said that they were at the end of their rope. Their only option was to fight their way out. Even they were helpless, so how could he have a solution?
“What is your solution?” Ning Qi Zhi couldn’t help asking.
Yang Kai shook his head, “You will understand later. There’s no need to inquire further, Senior.”
Ning Qi Zhi smacked his lips and said nothing.
Feng Ying hesitated for a moment before gritting her teeth, “Good!”
Taking the lead to turn around, she sped towards the rear. The others had no choice but to follow her and change their direction. At this point, they were truly heading towards a dead end. Not knowing Yang Kai’s plan, they couldn’t help feeling rather anxious.
The Black Ink Clan clearly did not expect the Human cultivators to make such a decision. Seeing that the other party was heading deeper into Black Ink Clan territory, they quickly gave chase.
Meanwhile, the Territory Lord in the lead sneered coldly. From his point of view, these damned Human cultivators were simply prolonging their deaths. As long as he could catch up to them, he would show them just how powerful he was.
During the chase, the Territory Lord’s oppressive aura grew closer and closer while the expressions on the faces of Feng Ying and the others turned ugly.
Half a day later, Ning Qi Zi lost his patience, “Little Brother, if you have a plan, then you should act now. It will be too late if you don’t. If you don’t have a solution, then be honest with us. If we put our lives on the line, we might even be able to kill that Territory Lord.”
Killing a Territory Lord was far-fetched as his strength was not just for show after all. Even so, they could injure him to a certain extent.
After listening to those words, Yang Kai looked behind him. The Territory Lord was almost upon them, and if he closed the gap any further, he would be able to start attacking them.
Therefore, Yang Kai immediately nodded, “It’s about time.”
His figure stopped moving all of a sudden.
Feng Ying and the others quickly came to a stop. Caught off guard by his actions, they quickly turned to look back at him.
“Please come closer to me!” Yang Kai shouted.
Feng Ying and the others looked at each other, wondering what kind of bottle gourd medicine he was peddling, but they were influenced by his calm confidence and quickly gathered around him.
“No matter what happens, do not circulate your strength,” he added in warning.
They glanced at the Black Ink Territory Lord, who was fast approaching them and their faces twitched at the sight. The Territory Lord was almost upon them, so wouldn’t they be courting death if they didn’t even try to defend themselves?
“Little Brother, are you confident?” Ning Qi Zhi asked in a whisper, his fist clenched tightly, revealing the anxiety in his heart.
“Don’t worry, Senior. I will not joke around with my own life,” Yang Kai responded lightly while staring fixedly ahead. His statement was the truth as nobody would joke around with their life on the line. Even so, the fact that Yang Kai refused to tell them anything in advance made them very anxious.
Meanwhile, the Territory Lord approached relentlessly. It was obvious that he had noticed the abnormality up ahead. The Human cultivators who suddenly halted in their tracks made him suspicious and wary, and he couldn’t help wondering whether there was a trap waiting for him; however, his powerful perception did not detect any traces of a trap.
Annoyance flared in his heart, [How dare they make a fool of me when they are on the verge of death!?]
His hand reached out to grab at something in front of him. His Black Ink Strength surged violently and gathered into a cloud that took the shape of a gigantic palm. Following that, a majestic aura loomed over Feng Ying and the others in an oppressive manner.
Feng Ying and the others couldn’t help feeling nervous. Moreover, they nearly activated their powers on instinct to defend against the attack. At that very moment though, a strange and mysterious energy fluctuation poured out from Yang Kai’s body to wrap around the others in an instant. In the next moment, the world spun dizzyingly!
This was a feeling that was both familiar and unfamiliar to them. It felt familiar because they had experienced similar situations many times throughout their lives. On the other hand, it felt unfamiliar because they had not experienced this feeling since they arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield.
By the time they came back to their senses, they discovered that they were standing in a completely different part of the void. The Territory Lord, who was approaching them aggressively, was nowhere to be seen. Not to mention, they did not see a single Black Ink Clansman nearby when they turned to look around.
Feng Ying stared at Yang Kai in a mixture of amazement and doubt, “A Space Technique?”
The feeling just now was very similar to her experience when she activated the Universe Transference Law with the help of the Universe Temples in the 3,000 Worlds a long time ago. If not for that, she would not have made such a guess. What’s more, a strange energy fluctuation had come out of Yang Kai’s body right before that phenomenon. Looking back at it now, that was clearly the fluctuation of Space Principles.
On the other hand, Ning Qi Zhi hurriedly took out his Universe Chart and checked their current position. After he confirmed their location, he looked absolutely stunned.
In an instant, they had travelled several tens of millions of kilometres. Their current location was clearly somewhere they passed some time ago, the very spot where Yang Kai first suggested to Feng Ying that they flee to the rear in fact. In other words, they had travelled from deep within the Black Ink Clan hinterland to this spot in the blink of an eye. In addition, the Black Ink Clan chasing them relentlessly had been left far behind.
[How did he do it!?]
“This Junior is proficient in the Dao of Space.” Faced with the suspicious looks from the other four, Yang Kai was forced to provide a brief explanation.
Shen Ao could barely believe his ears, “I’ve heard of what Masters of the Dao of Space can do, but to travel over such a great distance in the blink of an eye… That’s difficult to believe.”
The corners of Qi Tai Chu’s brow twitched, “That’s right. If you had such means, then why were we fleeing all this time? You should have just brought us back directly!”
Yang Kai smiled bitterly and elaborated, “That’s impossible. What I did just now required the help of an artifact. That is why I was able to bring you back here directly. I don’t have an artifact at the great pass to act as a beacon, so I am unable to return there directly.”
The others did not fully understand his explanation or what artifact he was referring to either, but they understood one thing. If he had the ability to bring them back directly, he would not have taken such risks in the first place.
At the same time, they also understood why he had warned them not to use their strength earlier. It was because he planned to cast the Space Technique and transport them across the Void. If an external power had interfered with his technique, then there was a high chance that it would have failed. It was fortunate that they had forcibly held back under the threat of the Black Ink Territory Lord; otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.
“Now that we have shaken the enemy off our tail, we should not be in danger for the time being. But, we should hurry up and leave as soon as possible,” Yang Kai said with a glance at Feng Ying.
Feng Ying suppressed the astonishment in her eyes and nodded, “You’re right.”
Without taking the time to recover their strength, they sped towards the front lines at a high speed.
Along the way, the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would turn to look at Yang Kai from time to time as though trying to spot something on his face. He had given them many unexpected surprises during this short period. They never imagined that he would pull out another surprise at that moment.
The Dao of Space was extremely profound. What’s more, it was very difficult for ordinary people to cultivate. Although they did not know how deep Yang Kai’s attainments were in the Dao of Space, judging from the phenomenon just now, they could ascertain that his accomplishments were not low. It would have been impossible for him to do such things otherwise.
Ning Qi Zhi leaned towards Yang Kai and whispered, “Little Brother, what other abilities are you hiding? Why don’t you tell us now so that we can mentally prepare ourselves and prevent your actions from catching us off guard again?”
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “That’s too much, Senior. This Junior is only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. How can I have any hidden abilities?”
Ning Qi Zhi spat disdainfully, “Dishonest brat!”
There were many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the Black Ink Battlefield, but they had never met such a unique Sixth-Order Master before. It was just as Feng Ying had wondered in the past. How did somebody like Yang Kai end up in the depths of the Black Ink Clan’s territory? Logically speaking, it was impossible for him to become corrupted by the Black Ink or be captured by them.
Whilst travelling, they quietly recovered their strength. Everybody knew that a deadly and desperate battle was waiting for them up ahead. At this time, the slightest extra bit of power could affect the entire battle situation. That was why they made haste to recuperate.
After repeating this cycle for more than ten days, a majestic structure entered Yang Kai’s field of vision. Even though he was only looking at the structure from a distance, he could clearly sense its enormity. Like a huge city that stood in the middle of the void, the structure was completely made of metal that gleamed with a cold light. At a rough estimate, it was at least 1,000 kilometres in length and breadth.
When he set eyes upon this majestic structure, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a slight sense of awe. Although he had always known that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been guarding these great passes for countless years, he never expected the great pass to be so enormous. Moreover, if his guess was correct, the great pass itself was an extremely extraordinary object.
Turning to look at Feng Ying, Yang Kai interrupted, “Senior, is the great pass a kind of Mobile Palace Artifact?”
Feng Ying glanced at him suspiciously. Her expression seemed confused, as though wondering why he only learned about this now. Nevertheless, she explained, “That’s right. Every single great pass protected by the Cave Heavens and Paradises on the Black Ink Battlefield is a Mobile Palace Artifact. They were refined through an extraordinary amount of time and resources. That is the only method to prevent the Black Ink Clan from invading the 3,000 Worlds.”
Although he had some guesses, Yang Kai couldn’t help gulping nervously when he heard her explanation.
Such an enormous Mobile Palace Artifact was simply beyond his imagination. How many resources had been required to build this Mobile Palace Artifact? It had to be said that the average great force in the 3,000 Worlds was not qualified to possess their own Mobile Palace Artifact because the cost was so high that they simply could not afford one. Only the top Second Class great forces, Cave Heavens, and Paradises could afford to refine their own Mobile Palace Artifacts.
Be that as it may, comparing those Mobile Palace Artifacts with the great pass in front of him was like comparing the light from a firefly with the bright full moon.
Judging by the scale of this great pass, it was not something that was constructed in a day, or a year, or even a millennium. The structure was probably built little by little over an immeasurable amount of time; otherwise, it was impossible to reach such an impressive scale.
Taking out his Universe Chart and checking his current position, Yang Kai discovered that the great pass in front of him was the Blue Sky Pass!
Feng Ying came from Blue Sky Paradise; in other words, Blue Sky Pass was the great pass guarded by Blue Sky Paradise.
After so many years, Shen Ao and the others couldn’t help feeling emotional at the sight of the great pass. They never imagined that they would one day come back to this place as part of the Human Race.
Although they followed the Black Ink Clan onto the battlefield several times in the past, they had been part of the Black Ink Clan’s army and the enemy of the Human Race at the time. They also slaughtered many of their clansmen with their own hands. Upon recalling those memories now, they were absolutely heartbroken.
“With such a magnificent weapon, what is there to fear about the Black Ink Clan?” Yang Kai took a deep breath and asked curiously, “Can anybody control this object?”
Feng Ying shook her head in response, “It is far too large. Even the Old Ancestors are unable to control them freely. Be that as it may, we can operate most of its defensive and offensive abilities without any issue. The main problem is that we are unable to move the artifact; otherwise, the Old Ancestors would have mobilised these artifacts to invade the Black Ink Clan’s territory a long time ago.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly. The Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestors might be astoundingly powerful, but their strength was still not enough for them to mobilise such an enormous object on their own.
At this moment, Blue Sky Pass was enveloped in a tide-like pitch-black darkness. The Black Ink Clan was continuously attacking the great pass from all directions. Numerous dazzling beams of lights shot out from within the great pass, blasting directly into the middle of the Black Ink Clan army. Every attack was capable of turning the Black Ink Clan upside down.
There were also countless warships of different shapes and sizes shuttling across the battlefield, as well as innumerable figures fighting with the Black Ink Clan.
The battlefield was vast, and the situation varied from place to place. Some places had intense battles while others were relatively calm.
Yang Kai took in everything before him, feeling agitated by the sights. He was tempted to charge straight into the battlefield to support his allies. Be that as it may, he knew that his individual strength was insignificant in this environment. It was not realistic to break through the Black Ink Clan army’s blockade with his strength alone. At this moment, it remained necessary for him to work with Feng Ying and the others.
“Which way should we go?” Shen Ao asked.
“Let’s wait for now.” Feng Ying was closely monitoring the movement across the entire battlefront. There were approximately 300 people on their side, a force that was neither large nor small. They might not be able to change the situation across the entire battlefield, but they could influence the trend of the smaller battles. That was why they had to act cautiously.
Their wait lasted for two or three days. Fortunately, they were not a large target, so they did not attract the attention of the Black Ink Clan as they quietly hid in the distance.
Everywhere outside Blue Sky Pass was basically a battlefield. With their overwhelming numbers, the Black Ink Clan was extremely aggressive. Meanwhile, the Human Race was firmly defending against their attacks. Neither party was advancing or retreating, and both sides were fighting ferociously.
A certain spot on the battlefield caught Feng Ying’s attention. There was a Black Ink Territory Lord fighting an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in that direction. The fallout of their clash could be seen by the naked eye. As a result, both armies quickly scattered wherever they passed during the course of their battle.
The battle was extremely fierce, lasting for four to six hours. In the end, both figures retreated from battle. The Eight-Order Master retreated into Blue Sky Pass while the Territory Lord evacuated to the rear with the support of the Black Ink Clan. Neither Master could do anything to the other; nevertheless, both parties were wounded after the intense battle earlier.
Although the leading figures in the battle had retired, the armies under their command continued to fight unceasingly. The battle was extremely fierce.
Upon seeing the situation, Feng Ying pointed in that direction with a look of resolve in her eyes, “If we’re going to do something, we should do something big.”
Everybody had seen the situation with their own eyes, so how could they not understand her intentions when they heard her statement? All of them immediately looked nervous and excited, but nobody objected to her plan.
The Black Ink Clan army surrounded the entire Blue Sky Pass, so if they wanted to return, they needed to confront that army. Now that the Black Ink Clan Territory Lord who oversaw that region of the battlefield was injured, he could be said to be the weakest link. There was a possibility of success if they launched a surprise attack in that direction.
Looking around at the crowd, Feng Ying saw that nobody had any objections; thus, she immediately took the lead to rush forward with a shout, “Let’s go!”
Yang Kai and the others quickly followed after her.
There was a large ship at the rear of the Black Ink Clan army, and the injured Territory Lord from before had retreated to it. He was currently sitting on the deck and treating his injuries while monitoring the movements on the battlefield, ready to issue an order at any time to make adjustments to the strategy.
All of a sudden, he sensed something and glance towards the rear. He saw several streams of light speeding towards him. It was obvious that there were several Human figures hidden within those streams of lights. The sight made him furrow his brow, and he lifted his hand slightly as a signal.
A Feudal Lord beside him immediately stepped forward and shouted solemnly, “Who goes there!?”
Feng Ying shouted from a distance, “Dare I ask which Territory Lord oversees this place? Hong Lian Territory Lord has an order to convey!”
When Yang Kai and the others heard her statement, their brows twitched. They had heard this statement countless times recently. Feng Ying had repeatedly used the name ‘Hong Lian Territory Lord’ as an excuse, but she always succeeded at obtaining the Black Ink Clan’s trust every single time.
It was not that the Black Ink Clan’s defences were weak, they were simply too bold and reckless. When they were travelling across the Black Ink Clan’s domain and attacking various areas, the Black Ink Clan never even imagined that these Human cultivators would dare to be so fearless as to attack them. Instead, they would automatically assume that these Human cultivators were Black Ink Disciples under the command of Hong Lian Territory Lord.
The current situation was no different. How could the Territory Lord possibly think that these Human cultivators would aim directly for him with malicious intentions in their hearts? Still, he coldly snorted at those words and snarled, “What right does Hong Lian have to issue orders to this Territory Lord?”
As a Territory Lord himself, he could be said to be on equal footing with Hong Lian, so it was naturally impossible for him to obey the orders of the other. Be that as it may, there were times when the Territory Lords would work together, which was why he did not prevent the other party from approaching him even though he was not happy with the situation. He wanted to hear what Hong Lian had to say.
At his signal, the Feudal Lord who spoke just now stepped aside.
Feng Ying flew downward with the others, summoning her Divine Manifestation while she was still mid-flight. Amidst the crackling sounds, a 1,000-metre-long Sword Dragon took shape as sword cries rang out endlessly.
Shen Ao and the others also unleashed their Divine Abilities at the same time. Ignoring everything else, they aimed their attacks directly at the Territory Lord.
The sudden turn of events left the Black Ink Clan stunned. Even the Territory Lord’s reaction was slower than usual. The main reason was that none of them expected these Human cultivators to be enemies at all. The enemy had concentrated all its forces around the great pass after all, so how was it possible for the enemy to suddenly appear from the rear?
In an instant, World Force surged. The gigantic ship exploded, and a number of Black Ink Clansmen aboard it were either killed or seriously injured. Simultaneously, the light of countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques enveloped the injured Territory Lord.
A short while later, the light dissipated to reveal the Territory Lord’s giant figure. He was in a miserable state, but there was no helping that. His previous battle with the Human Master had concluded with both sides suffering grievous injuries.
The sneak attack came before he could even begin to recover or treat his injuries, and it was so sudden that he blanked out from the shock. Nevertheless, the sudden sneak attack infuriated him greatly and he gave a furious roar, “You dare!?”
As he shouted, he reached out his hand and grabbed at them.
On the other hand, Feng Ying took the initiative to make her move. The Sword Dragon rotated at a high speed, allowing her to shoot towards the Territory Lord like a spinning top. The thousands of sword waves around her seemed capable of slicing apart the void itself. Shen Ao and the others supported her from the side, ignoring the rest of the Black Ink Clansmen around them. All their attacks were focused solely on the Territory Lord.
Meanwhile, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master who fought the Territory Lord earlier was tending to his wounds on the rampart of the Blue Sky Pass. All of a sudden, a Seventh-Order Master beside him shouted, “Martial Uncle Zhong, look at that!”
Martial Uncle Zhong opened his eyes and stared into the distance. Then, he revealed a look of astonishment, “That Sword Dragon Manifestation, it’s…”
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master exclaimed in joy, “It’s Senior Sister Feng!”
The Divine Manifestation of each High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master was different and it even could be said that one’s Divine Manifestation was a unique symbol that could not be duplicated by another. Even if two Fellow Brothers from the same Sect cultivated the exact same Secret Art, it was impossible for them to form identical Divine Manifestations.
That was why both Martial Uncle Zhong and the Seventh-Order Master immediately recognised Feng Ying’s identity when they saw the 1,000-metre-long Sword Dragon. It was not just them of course, all the other cultivators on the ramparts had also recognised her and quickly turned to watch the situation.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master happily exclaimed, “Martial Uncle Zhong, Senior Sister Feng is alive! She’s returned!”
Under the leadership of the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor overseeing Blue Sky Pass, they raided the Black Ink Clan’s domain and destroyed many of the enemy’s territories. Unfortunately, their retreat was hindered by the Black Ink Royal Lord and many people were separated as a result.
The group that Feng Ying belonged to had been intercepted by a detachment of the Black Ink Clan army, and for that reason, she had sacrificed herself and stayed behind to stop the enemy’s pursuit and give her allies a chance to escape safely. She went missing after that incident, and the matter had been reported to the higher-ups.
She was among the best in Blue Sky Paradise in terms of talent and aptitude. Not only was she very strong, but she was also on the verge of advancing to the Eighth Order. It was only natural that her disappearance caught the attention of the pass’ leadership.
Be that as it may, it was impossible for Blue Sky Pass to dispatch a search party for the sake of one person. Besides, everybody knew the fate that awaited somebody who was lost in the Black Ink Clan hinterland alone; therefore, seeing her here was both expected and unexpected.
“Senior Sister Feng is alive!” The Seventh-Order Master was overjoyed. He cheered happily and even burst into tears, “Hahaha! Senior Sister Feng is alive!”
It was not surprising for him to be so emotional. He had been one of the people on board the warship that escaped after leaving Feng Ying behind previously.
Over the past few months, he could barely hold back his tears whenever he thought about her lonely figure as she stopped the Black Ink Clan army with her strength alone. He regretted not staying behind to fight beside her back then. Even if he died, it would have been better than suffering from guilt and heartbreak every single day. How could he not be elated to see her return alive?
Martial Uncle Zhong smacked the back of the Seventh-Order Master’s head and reprimanded sternly, “Why are you making so much noise!? I can clearly see whether she is dead or alive with my own eyes!”
In the 3,000 Worlds, Seventh-Order Masters were basically regarded as Inner Elders of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises. Every one of them held an important position and a respected status. Even Eighth-Order Ancestors could not casually hit them on the back of their head in reprimand; after all, they had appearances to maintain too.
However, this was the Black Ink Battlefield, where Seventh-Order Masters were nothing special. While they were not exactly as common as cabbages, there were enough of them around for a random stone throw to hit them on the head.
After being slapped by Martial Uncle Zhong, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master finally seemed to calm down.
Martial Uncle Zhong continued coldly, “The fact that she is alive is worse than if she had been dead. You should know what kind of situation she is in.”
The smile on the Seventh-Order Master’s face suddenly vanished like snow under the scorching sun, morphing into an expression filled with bitterness instead.
Humans who fell into the hands of the Black Ink Clan were either killed or converted into Black Ink Disciples. It was better if it was the former option. Death ended all troubles after all. But, if it were the latter option instead, then they would become irreconcilable enemies.
Somebody nearby quietly spoke up, “But, Martial Uncle Zhong, Senior Sister Feng is attacking the Territory Lord. Moreover, she seems to have several helpers around her.”
If she had truly fallen and become a Black Ink Disciple, it would be impossible for Feng Ying to attack the Black Ink Clan. Judging by the Territory Lord’s frenzied attacks, it was obvious that something was wrong with the situation. For Black Ink Disciples, the Black Ink Clan was supreme. Forget attacking, even the thought of resistance would never occur to them.
Under their observations though, Feng Ying and her allies seemed to be engaged in a pitched battle with the Territory Lord, one so intense they could almost feel it from where they stood.
Martial Uncle Zhong frowned as this fact had been puzzling him too.
“It’s likely that Senior Sister Feng was not converted into a Black Ink Disciple. She really returned!” The Seventh-Order Master exclaimed excitedly before shooting Martial Uncle Zhong a pleading look, “Martial Uncle, please help Senior Sister Feng!”
It could clearly be seen that although Senior Sister Feng and the others were strong, it was impossible for them to kill the Territory Lord in short order. Even if the Territory Lord had been heavily injured to begin with, a skinny camel was still bigger than a horse. How could he be so easy to kill?
What’s more, upon realising that the Territory Lord was being attacked, many Black Ink Clansmen rushed over to provide support. Feng Ying and the others would suffer a disastrous fate once they were surrounded by the enemy.
A look of hesitation and struggle flashed through Martial Uncle Zhong’s eyes before he shook his head, “We must be wary of deception!”
Just as how the Black Ink Clan did not expect Human cultivators to be so reckless, the Human Race’s side could not imagine such a situation either.
Martial Uncle Zhong had a vague speculation that this was all part of the Black Ink Clan’s plan to lure their side into making a move so that they could take the opportunity to break through their defences. If he was deceived for that reason, then he would forever be a sinner to Blue Sky Pass.
However, the words had just left his mouth when a sudden change occurred on the battlefield! An extremely blinding pure white light bloomed as though a small sun had risen in the distance. Despite the great distance between them, the light was so bright that they could barely look at it.
Both sides had been fighting on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless years, but such a brilliant white light had never before appeared. The light was without the slightest impurity and even seemed to be able to cleanse one’s mind and soul.
Martial Uncle Zhong couldn’t help narrowing his eyes slightly and staring intently in that direction. With the help of his discerning eye, the situation over there came into clear view. An unfamiliar young man whom he had never seen before was holding up something that resembled a small sun at that moment.
It was not surprising to see an unfamiliar face as tens of thousands of Human Masters were stationed at Blue Sky Pass. As some died, reinforcements would be sent to replace them in an endless cycle, so it was impossible for Martial Uncle Zhong to know every one of them. The young man was probably one of the newly arrived disciples from the 3,000 Worlds.
In the next moment, Martial Uncle Zhong watched as the small sun in the young man’s hands slammed hard into the giant figure of the Territory Lord.
The white light exploded without a sound and enveloped the Territory Lord. Following that, large patches of pitch-black darkness quickly seeped out of the Territory Lord’s body and he seemed to instantly suffer heavy injuries, his face twisting hideously in agony. Even his originally vigorous figure stiffened for a short moment. Nevertheless, the Territory Lord instinctively struck a backhanded blow that sent the young man flying out, coughing up blood as he tumbled.
In that momentary delay though, the Sword Dragon spun rapidly and swallowed the Territory Lord with a fierce roar. Thousands of sword waves whirled about inside the Sword Dragon, causing pitch-black blood to splatter across the void. At the same time, dense Black Ink Strength erupted outward only to vanish into nothing when it came into contact with the remaining aftermath of the white light. The powerful aura of the Territory Lord vanished in the wake of the Sword Dragon’s charge!
On top of the rampart, Martial Uncle Zhong felt as though his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. He had been stroking his beard at the time, and in his shock, his hand jerked slightly and actually yanked out a fistful of his hairs.
[He died!? The same Territory Lord who fought on even terms with me for six hours died just like that!? Our battle ended with both sides suffering heavy injuries, but I still can’t believe that he died! Not to mention, he was killed by Feng Ying!?]
If he had not witnessed the battle for himself, he would not have believed it. Feng Ying was certainly very strong, but it was impossible for her to slay a Territory Lord with her strength, not even if she had help and the Territory Lord was already severely wounded!
In that instant, Martial Uncle Zhong realised the crux of the problem. [That white light must be the key!]
He had clearly seen the pain and horror reflected on the Territory Lord’s expression when that white light enveloped him, and that was exactly what gave Feng Ying the chance to land a fatal attack.
[What the Hell was that light!?]
Regardless of what the truth was, this was not the time to consider such questions. A Black Ink Territory Lord had been slain by several Human cultivators in a matter of breaths. As a result, many Black Ink Clansmen immediately flew into a rage. They surged over from all directions in overwhelming numbers, quickly surrounding Feng Ying and the others tightly.
On top of the rampart, the Seventh-Order Master asked hesitantly, “Martial Uncle Zhong, was this some kind of trickery?”
He felt as though his brain was not working very well. He had just witnessed the death of the Territory Lord, but if that was a trick of the Black Ink Clan, wasn’t the price a little too high? Who would use the life of a Territory Lord to lure out Humans? Moreover, Feng Ying and the others were still fighting desperately against the Black Ink Clan at this moment.
Following the death of the Territory Lord, numerous figures abruptly appeared around Feng Ying’s team. The original line-up formed from just a handful of people instantly turned into a large group of several hundred people. It was obvious that those figures were Humans, and as soon as they appeared, they unleashed various Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques at the Black Ink Clan.
The Black Ink Clan was caught completely off-guard and instantly suffered great casualties.
“That was no deception!” Martial Uncle Zhong stopped tending to his wounds and stood up. With a wave of his hand, he opened a hole in the shields and shouted, “Quickly come with me to provide support!”
He fully believed that Feng Ying was not corrupted by Black Ink Strength after witnessing the death of the Territory Lord. Besides, if the Territory Lord overseeing that region was dead, then the Human Race could gain a huge advantage on the battlefield. This was an extraordinary achievement. Martial Uncle Zhong could no longer sit back and do nothing with such an opportunity lying right before him.
After saying that, Martial Uncle Zhong took the lead and charged forward. Countless streams of lights quickly followed behind him. Once they left, the hole in the shield quickly sealed shut again to prevent the Black Ink Clan from sneaking inside.
At the rear of the battlefield, Shen Ao grabbed Yang Kai by the arm and asked in concern, “Are you alright?”
Yang Kai turned his head to the side and spat out a mouthful of blood, grimacing as he shouted, “I’ll live!”
When he unleashed the Purifying Light on the Territory Lord just now, he had been sent flying by the enemy’s backhand. He would have been severely injured if he had not retreated quickly and lessened the impact. Even so, the vitality in his body was churning violently. It was inevitable that he sustained some injuries.
In any case, he was also lucky that Shen Ao had caught him in a timely manner; otherwise, he would have been sent flying directly into the middle of the Black Ink Clan army. It would have been difficult for him to get away safely if that were to happen.
“Martial Aunt Feng is amazing,” Yang Kai couldn’t help but praise.
Although the Territory Lord had been shaken by the Purifying Light, it was the might of Feng Ying’s Sword Dragon that really sealed the deal. The power of her Divine Manifestation was so terrifying that even the Territory Lord died instantly after being caught up in her attack.
Nevertheless, it was only possible because the Territory Lord was severely wounded in the first place. If he had been in his peak condition, Feng Ying would not have succeeded.
“You are amazing too!” Shen Ao’s expression was full of approval. He never realised that the Purifying Light would cause such a destructive amount of damage to the Black Ink Clan. It was not until after Yang Kai’s attack succeeded and he was sent flying that Shen Ao came back to his senses.
It was actually not that strange once Shen Ao thought about it. Yang Kai had been using Purifying Light to return Black Ink Disciple to their original state and restore their mental clarity throughout this period. In other words, the white light was the nemesis of the Black Ink Strength. Seeing as Black Ink Strength inside the bodies of the Black Ink Clan was their source of power, how could they escape unscathed if they were hit by the Purifying Light?
By combining the strengths of Yang Kai and Feng Ying, they had managed to kill a Territory Lord. That was an outcome that never even crossed the minds of Shen Ao and the others before they made their move. Although they had moved according to Feng Ying’s suggestions, they had not expected much; therefore, the result was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise.
“Enough nonsense! Hurry up and defend yourselves!” Ning Qi Zhi roared from the side. Following the movements of his hands, he blasted out a Divine Ability at the Black Ink Clan.
They had already brought out all the reinforcements hiding inside their Small Universes; even so, they only had slightly over 300 people on their side. Their overall strength was not that great either. Most of them were only in the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Thanks to their swift movements earlier, they had caught the Black Ink Clan by surprise; however, now that the Black Ink Clan had recovered from their initial shock, the enemy forces quickly formed a tight encirclement around their group.
Feng Ying’s Sword Dragon took the lead, charging towards the enemy lines. Without a leader to coordinate their movements, many Black Ink Clansmen died on the spot in the wake of her rampage.
Likewise, Shen Ao and the others split up to protect the flanks as they followed Feng Ying to charge forward.
Be that as it may, there was an overwhelming difference in their numbers. The group of several hundred Human cultivators could neither progress forward nor retreat backwards. Somebody was bound to be left behind with every step they took, and it was evident what kind of fate would befall them if they were left behind in this situation. If the situation were to continue at this rate, they would be wiped out before they could reach Blue Sky Pass.
All of a sudden, a Dragon Roar resounded across the void. The sudden roar startled both parties in the war and nobody knew what was happening.
In the midst of the chaos, Shen Ao and the others turned to look in the direction of the sound and their pupils immediately contracted at the sight.
Yang Kai was standing there while taking deep breaths. An enormous Golden Dragon Head emerged from behind him only to plunge into his body and disappear from view. Immediately after that, a horrifying pressure radiated outward with him in the centre. As this pressure spread outward, his figure abruptly began to swell.
No matter how many years passed after, the surviving cultivators of that battle would never forget what they saw at that moment.
In less than three breaths of time, the small Human figure transformed into an enormous behemoth. His Golden Dragon Body was 20,000 metres long, covered in a dense layer of Dragon Scales, his limbs adorned with sharp Dragon Claws, Dragon Horns protruded from his forehead, and a Dragon Beard fluttering magnificently beneath his chin. Moreover, his Golden Dragon Eyes resembled two small suns that illuminated the universe and penetrated the darkness on the battlefield.
A Grand Dragon!
A 20,000-metre-long Grand Dragon had suddenly appeared in the middle of the battlefield. It was difficult not to attract any attention with such a spectacle. Both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan couldn’t help feeling amazed by the sight.
Dragon Pressure exploded in a majestic and imposing manner!
The Grand Dragon opened his mouth and spat out a blast of Dragon Breath. The Black Ink Clansmen standing in a large area of the void before him were instantly swept away as a result. Then, the 20,000-metre-long Dragon Body stretched out and formed a half circle to wrap around the group of several hundred Human cultivators.
“Move!” A deep Dragon Roar shook the skies.
Only then did the Human cultivators return to their senses. Earlier, they had not known whether the Grand Dragon that suddenly appeared was an enemy or a friend, but how could they not realise that he was one of their own after seeing his actions? The anxiety in their hearts immediately calmed down!
Feng Ying, who was in the lead, had blanked out for a moment, but quickly composed herself again. Her Sword Dragon took point once more, leading them on another forward charge.
The Black Ink Clan army indiscriminately blasted attacks at them from all directions, but most of the barrage was blocked by the massive Dragon. As long as the Dragon endured, their defences stood strong! It was impossible to harm them without destroying the Dragon first!
The attacks sent Dragon Scales flying in all directions and Yang Kai’s flesh writhed in response, his Golden Dragon Blood splattering out across the void.
It didn’t take long before there was not a spot left that was unscathed on his 20,000-metre-long Dragon Body. Even so, the Grand Dragon did not flinch. No matter how severe the wounds he sustained, Yang Kai continued to provide the strongest defence to protect the forward charge of the Human cultivators.
At the same time, Yang Kai held the Azure Dragon Spear in his Dragon Claw. This artifact obtained from Giant Spirit God Ah Da contained seemingly unlimited power. What’s more, it could shrink or enlarge at will. At this moment, the originally three-meter-long spear had transformed into a 10,000-meter-long spear in the grip of the Grand Dragon’s Dragon Claw. With such a weapon, there was no need to use any Divine Ability or Secret Techniques. Even Yang Kai’s Supreme Limitless Spear Arts were unnecessary as a simple sweep of the spear wrought destruction over thousands of metres of the battlefield. Countless Black Ink Clansmen were injured, and the weak were killed on the spot.
The surrounding Black Ink Clan army was now utterly terrified. It was not that they had never fought a Divine Spirit before. While there weren’t many of them, there were Divine Spirits on the Black Ink Battlefield. Moreover, every single Divine Spirit was an extremely mighty existence that caused great losses to the Black Ink Clan whenever they engaged in battle. However, a Divine Spirit who wielded such an enormous artifact was completely unheard of…
Although the appearance of a Grand Dragon greatly boosted the morale of the Human Race, it did not last for long. The momentum of their charge remained blocked; the Sword Dragon at the lead was falling to pieces, and Feng Ying who was hidden inside was soon exposed. Even the Grand Dragon protecting them was soon completely battered.
In front of them, the tightly packed Black Ink Clan army obstructed their way forward like the gathering storm that could not be wiped out.
At this rate, they would not be able to reach Blue Sky Pass before they exhausted themselves and perished.
It was at that moment that a huge commotion came from the back of the Black Ink Clan army. The lights from countless Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques flared brightly in the pitch-black darkness, shining a guiding light to the Human survivors.
The commotion at the back of the Black Ink Clan army soon caught their attention. When Shen Ao looked in that direction, he immediately became joyful and shouted excitedly, “Hold on a little longer! Reinforcements from Blue Sky Pass have come to aid us!”
The others who were trapped and struggling to advance instantly felt their spirits lifting at those words. At the same time, their attacks became more and more relentless in order to stem the Black Ink Clan’s offensive.
Many people glanced at the wounded Grand Dragon beside them with solemn and thankful expressions.
They would have suffered great losses if the Grand Dragon had not used his tough body as a protective shield. He not only blocked most of the Black Ink Clan’s attacks, but also kept the Black Ink Strength away so that they would not be distracted by the worry of being corrupted. His efforts had allowed them to fight to their heart’s content without any worries.
The Masters who rushed out of Blue Sky Pass caused great chaos for the Black Ink Clan; as a result, the Black Ink Clan had to divide their forces to confront the incoming enemy. In this way, the pressure bearing down on Yang Kai and the others was reduced considerably.
Feng Ying’s Sword Dragon in the lead swiftly charged forward again. Riding the waves, she broke through the blockade of the Black Ink Clan army and formed a pincer attack with the people from Blue Sky Pass.
It didn’t take long for both parties to meet up.
Yang Kai raised his Dragon Head slightly and glanced in that direction. The person in the lead was an elderly man. His attacks were brutal, and he exuded the aura of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
It was obvious that he was the one who had previously been fighting the Black Ink Clan Territory Lord just now. The battle had ended in a draw where both parties were heavily injured. There was no saying which Cave Heaven or Paradise this Ancestor figure came from.
However, Feng Ying clearly recognised this person and a shout came out from within the Sword Dragon, “Martial Uncle Zhong!”
Martial Uncle Zhong nodded at her lightly. His gaze swept over Yang Kai’s enormous Dragon Form, but he did not have the time to say anything. The space around him shuddered briefly, and a violent force radiated outward to push back the Black Ink Clan in the surroundings before he beckoned loudly, “We withdraw!”
Behind him, various warships approached and activated their shields. There was no need for any command or dispatch. The Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters protected by the Grand Dragon quickly slipped into the warships.
Shen Ao and the other Seventh-Order Masters did not follow as there was no need for them to borrow the strength of the warships. They could defend themselves just fine while dealing out enormous amounts of damage.
Likewise, Yang Kai did not enter. His Grand Dragon body swayed slightly, and a flick of his Dragon Tail swept across a large patch of the void.
“Go!” Martial Uncle Zhong shouted. The numerous warships forged a path of retreat, rushing towards Blue Sky Pass. Feng Ying, Shen Ao, and the others stood guard on the flanks while Martial Uncle Zhong and Yang Kai brought up the rear.
The Black Ink Clan Territory Lord overseeing this area of the battlefield was dead, so although there were some Black Ink Clan Feudal Lords who could issue orders, the Black Ink Clan in this region were basically in a leaderless state for the time being. Faced with the aggressive breakout from Blue Sky Pass, they were unable to form an effective blockade.
Along the way, the Black Ink Clan suffered massive casualties in their wake. It didn’t take long for them to reach Blue Sky Pass where a hole in the defensive barrier was opened and the warships quickly entered. Only then could they be considered safe.
Meanwhile, the Black Ink Clan army continued their pursuit, clearly unwilling to accept defeat.
Seeing that everybody else was safe, Yang Kai who was bringing up the rear abruptly spun around. His 20,000-metre-long Dragon Body was armed with the 10,000-metre-long Azure Dragon Spear. With a single wide sweep, the Black Ink Clan charging forward was cut down as easily as though he was harvesting wheat, and a large area in the void was swept clean in an instant.
Yang Kai was not finished yet as a Dragon Roar shook the skies. The Grand Dragon shook its head and flicked its tail before slamming directly into the Black Ink Clan army to carry out a massacre.
What happened just now had vexed him greatly. While protecting hundreds of his allies from danger in his Grand Dragon Form, Yang Kai could only endure being attacked passively. There were few opportunities for him to fight back, and as a result, his enormous body had been reduced to tatters. Now that he no longer had to worry about others, it was only natural for him to go on a rampage.
After transforming into his Grand Dragon Form, his strength was on par with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. In addition, he was not afraid of being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. In this environment, as long as he didn’t face a Territory Lord, he could be said to be invincible.
The Dragon and his spear roamed the ink-coloured void freely, fighting from one end to the other. Looking at him from Blue Sky Pass, they could only see a 20,000-metre-long strip of gold navigating through the pitch-black darkness like a fish in water. The contrast between the colours was striking.
Yang Kai’s Dragon Form was enormous, his Dragon Pressure was imposing, and he even wielded a 10,000-metre-long spear in his Dragon Claws. The sight of him was truly a little excessive.
With just the strength of a single Dragon, the Black Ink Clan army that had already been disrupted suddenly lost ground and sustained heavy losses within a short span of time.
Martial Uncle Zhong had originally planned to return to Blue Sky Pass; unfortunately, he could not walk away just like that after what Yang Kai did. He turned to look back, his brow twitching violently at the sight. Then, he questioned Feng Ying, “Where did this Dragon come from?”
Feng Ying did not know how to explain. If she had to be honest, she herself only just learned that Yang Kai was part of the Dragon Clan! Throughout their journey together, Yang Kai had shocked her so many times that she was practically numb to surprises regarding him, but just now he had revealed himself to be part of the Dragon Clan! She had been shocked once more.
In response to Martial Uncle Zhong’s question, she could only answer, “I don’t know where he comes from either. I met him deep inside the Black Ink Clan’s domain. It’s a long story.”
Martial Uncle Zhong grimaced slightly. Logically speaking, it was impossible for the Dragon Clan to appear on the Black Ink Battlefield even though there were many other Divine Spirits scattered about.
The Dragon and Phoenix Clans guarded the No-Return Pass, an extremely heavy responsibility. Even though the Dragon and Phoenix Clans were tyrannically powerful, they would never come to the Black Ink Battlefield so easily. That was because the No-Return Pass was the Human Race’s actual last line of defence. Nothing could be allowed to happen to it.
[I can’t believe a Dragon Clan member appeared at Blue Sky Pass…] Martial Uncle Zhong could not be certain whether or not Yang Kai had come from the No-Return Pass. Be that as it may, it seemed unreasonable for them to simply watch without doing anything in this situation. The Dragon Clan member was fighting hard on the front lines, so how could they hide in the shadows and watch without doing anything?
The gears in his head spun quickly, and Martial Uncle Zhong swiftly came to a decision. With a sharp look in his eyes, he shouted, “All forces, attack!”
Inside Blue Sky Pass, the Human cultivators had long since gotten hot-blooded and impatient after observing the battlefield from the ramparts. As soon as Martial Uncle Zhong’s order rang out, they hurriedly leapt into action.
Their efficiency was very high, and in less than ten breaths of time, the shields were released and numerous warship artifacts charged out of Blue Sky Pass like a school of fish. There were so many that they seemed to block out the sky. Following behind the warships were countless Seventh-Order Open Heaven Masters.
The battle environment on the Black Ink Battlefield was special. Not only did the Human Masters have to guard against enemy attacks, they also had to defend themselves against the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength. That was why only those in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm could rush into the battlefield without relying on the warships for protection.
Those below the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, be they in the Fifth or Sixth-Order, had to borrow the help of warships for defence. That was the only way for them to effectively defend against the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength. Otherwise, they might be corrupted by the Black Ink Clan as soon as they stepped onto the battlefield.
There were several benefits to using warships. The first being that those in the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm would be protected from the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength. As long as the warship was not damaged, the Black Ink Strength would not be able to harm them. The second reason was the power of the warships themselves, which was generally higher than what a Fifth-Order or Sixth-Order Master could wield. Many warships had offensive and defensive Arrays that could compare with what a Seventh-Order Master could produce. In that way, they also enhanced the strength of the Human Race.
The Human Race had been fighting the Black Ink Clan for countless years since ancient times; therefore, they had their own strategies on how to deal with the Black Ink Clan.
Martial Uncle Zhong had not allowed many warships to accompany him just now on the rescue mission to help Feng Ying and the others. On the contrary, under the orders of a full-frontal assault, all the soldiers who could be mobilised had been dispatched into battle. Only those necessary to protect and maintain the operations of the great pass remained behind.
The figures of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the lead formed countless streams of lights while behind them, the innumerable warships sailed forward in a mighty procession.
The Black Ink Clan, who was currently besieging the Grand Dragon, quickly discovered the movement coming from Blue Sky Pass. Under the orders of the Feudal Lords, the Black Ink Clan army in the rear turned around to meet the enemy.
Before the armies collided with each other, the lights from various Divine Abilities and artifacts flashed through and illuminated the void. The colourful lights seemed to fall into the pitch-black darkness like a stone falling into a lake, creating layers and layers of ripples that spread out across the void and sending the Black Ink Clan tumbling.
Faced with the Humans’ attack, the Black Ink Clan naturally did not just sit around waiting for death; instead, they returned the gesture. Divine Abilities gathered and Black Ink Strength rained down on the Human army.
Without needing any commands, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the lead hurriedly scattered to the sides. Their actions exposed the numerous warships behind them.
The warships quickly moved around and adjusted their positions so that they formed small groups of three to five. It didn’t take long for them to assume a profound Formation. Then, mysterious energy fluctuations spread out from the warships as large rune patterns illuminated the void. These patterns formed a solid and impenetrable protection in front of them like a powerful shield that blocked the attacks of the Black Ink Clan.
This layer of protection would be broken from time to time, forcing the warships in the rear to scatter and avoid the attacks. At the same time, their defensive barriers would light up to mitigate the damage they received.
The collision of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques only lasted for several breaths of time before the armies on both sides entered close quarters. Various screams and roars rang out as the two Races fought each other. During this time, the aura of many lives withered and vanished.
Judging from the number of people alone, the Black Ink Clan undoubtedly had a huge advantage. They had almost ten times more people than the Human Race; however, the Human side had the advantage in terms of average strength.
That couldn’t be helped. Since ancient times, the only ones who were qualified to enter the Black Ink Battlefield were the elite disciples of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises. Even the weakest among them were in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm when they first arrived. The reason why there were Fifth-Order Masters on the Black Ink Battlefield was that they had originally fallen from the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The major Cave Heavens and Paradises had always maintained the rule of dispatching their most elite fighters to the Black Ink Battlefield. That was because entering the Black Ink Battlefield with low strength was pointless. On the contrary, they would easily be converted into Black Ink Disciples and enhance the strength of the enemy instead.
In comparison, the Black Ink Clan was different. The Black Ink Clan army not only consisted of powerful Masters like the Territory and Feudal Lords, but High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen, and Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were also common.
The High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were not too bad as they were on par with Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in terms of strength; however, the Low-Rank Black Ink Clansmen were only equivalent to Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters. How could such weaklings possibly be a match for the Human Race Army? That was why they immediately suffered horrible casualties at the first encounter.
On top of that, each Human warship was stronger than an average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of pure battle strength. How could the Human Race be at a disadvantage simply because there were fewer of them?
It could be said that the warships played a huge role in the reason why the Humans managed to persevere for so long on the Black Ink Battlefield. They were the most effective means to resist the corrosion of Black Ink Strength after all.
It was not as though the Black Ink Clan had never thought of getting their hands on a warship before. The truth was that they also yearned to refine warships for themselves; however, a warship was not something that could be refined by just any random person. The Black Ink Clan simply did not have any talented individuals who could refine a proper warship for them.
Every single cultivator proficient in Artifact Refining was carefully protected by the various great passes. No matter the situation, these cultivators would never be allowed to step foot onto the battlefield. As long as they never entered the battlefield, they would not be corrupted by the Black Ink Clan. In that way, they would never be converted into Black Ink Disciples who would help the Black Ink Clan refine a warship.
Both the Humans and the Black Ink Clan fought each other ferociously on the battlefield.
In the beginning, the Black Ink Clan army managed to fight back against the Human Race to a certain extent. Be that as it may, the balance of the battle slowly tilted with the passing of time. The clash of the warships and the agile movements of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters eventually brought a crushing defeat to the Black Ink Clan army. As a result, many Black Ink Clansmen lost their lives with every passing moment.
In such an environment, the strength of an individual no longer influenced the circumstances of the overall situation. It was only by uniting together that the outcome of the war could be determined. On that point, the Black Ink Clan in this particular sector of the battlefield was currently leaderless and lacked coordination. In contrast, the Human Race advanced in an orderly manner and supported each other in battle.
Less than an hour later, the Black Ink Clan army had lost more than half of their forces. There had been many Feudal Lords who could direct and command the Black Ink Clan in battle, but Martial Uncle Zhong viciously targeted and eliminated them. The Black Ink Clan army eventually fell into utter chaos after Martial Uncle Zhong killed more than a dozen Feudal Lords in succession. Under the brutal onslaught of the Humans, they were steadily forced to retreat while leaving behind a trail of corpses in their wake.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai had gone on a wild rampage after transforming into his Grand Dragon Form. He made his way through the ranks of the Black Ink Clan army with his spear in hand, charging forward wherever there were enemies. Countless Black Ink Clansmen died to his Azure Dragon Spear, and the murderous intent around him had intensified over time until it was almost tangible. Everywhere he passed, the Black Ink Clansmen quickly scrambled to get out of his way.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai heard the deep sound of a horn entering his ears. It was immediately followed by a gentle but firm voice beside him, “Yang Kai, let’s go!”
He looked up only to see the pale-faced Feng Ying calling out to him from within her battered Sword Dragon. Using her Divine Manifestation against the Black Ink Clan for such a long period had truly exhausted her.
He shook his enormous head slightly to clear his mind, then he turned around and rushed towards her. Casually swinging the Azure Dragon Spear in front of him, he helped to eliminate the group of Black Ink Clansmen around her.
“Go where?” He asked in a thunderous voice.
Feng Ying looked at the enormous Grand Dragon Head with a complicated gaze. She could clearly sense the terrifying murderous intent radiating from his body. She did not know how many Black Ink Clansmen he had killed to amass such horrifying momentum, but the murderous intent prickled her skin with a sense of cold as though it was something tangible.
“It’s time to go back!” She explained.
Yang Kai looked around him and abruptly realised that the Human army had begun to retreat after the horn sounded. It would seem that the horn was the signal to retreat. Since the army was withdrawing, he could not stay behind alone even though he had not killed enough to satisfy him; thus, he immediately nodded lightly in response.
One big and one small, the two Dragons chased after the Human Race Army and sped towards Blue Sky Pass. It was just that Yang Kai’s transformation into a Grand Dragon stemmed from his Dragon Vein while Feng Ying’s transformation came from casting her Sword Dragon Divine Manifestation.
Along the way, they did not run into any notable obstacles and the occasional Black Ink Clansman in their path was swiftly dispatched by them.
The defensive barrier around Blue Sky Pass had already been opened and the warships rushed inside, one after another. Meanwhile, Martial Uncle Zhong waited outside until he met up with Yang Kai and Feng Ying. Then, he entered together with them. Afterwards, the barrier sealed shut to isolate the inside from the outside.
Yang Kai dismissed his Dragon Form and turned to look back with a regretful expression, “We could have wiped them out.”
The Black Ink Clan army had been unable to put up an effective defence just now, and the Human army was enjoying great momentum. In his opinion, it was perfectly possible for them to clean up all the remaining Black Ink Clansmen on that battlefield. Therefore, he did not understand why they signalled the retreat and allowed this opportunity slip out of their fingers for no reason.
Feng Ying stood beside him and slowly shook her head, “The Black Ink Clan reinforcements from the other battlefields are coming. Besides, the longer the battle drags on, the more disadvantageous it becomes for us. Not to mention, the current environment is not suitable for our allies to fight.”
As if to confirm her statements, Yang Kai saw that the Black Ink Clan reinforcements were approaching from multiple directions and their numbers were not few. Hence, he immediately realised something. If the Human army had not retreated in time and was surrounded by the Black Ink Clan reinforcements, their advantageous position would have been immediately reversed.
Furthermore, there was the situation on the battlefield at this moment. Due to the deaths of countless Black Ink Clansmen, Black Ink Strength released from their corpses had formed Black Ink Clouds of varying sizes throughout the void. While he was not afraid of these Black Ink Clouds, even Seventh-Order Masters could not fight in such an environment for long periods of time despite having a certain degree of resistance to the corrosion. This environment was certainly very disadvantageous to the Human Race.
After understanding this point, he couldn’t help grimacing slightly. The overall environment in the Black Ink Battlefield was too unfavourable towards Humans. It was amazing how they had persistently defended the great passes for so many years and prevented the Black Ink Clan from invading the 3,000 Worlds.
“Are you alright?” Feng Ying asked in concern.
Shen Ao and the others were observing Yang Kai with still slightly stunned expressions, as though they had seen a ghost during the day. The main reason was that Yang Kai’s previous performance had stood out too much. Since they first became acquainted with him, it was not until today that they learned he was a Grand Dragon. The sight of the 20,000-metre-long Golden Dragon Form carrying out a brutal massacre in the pitch-black darkness had left a great visual impact on them.
More importantly, Yang Kai had used his body to protect hundreds of their allies when he transformed into a Grand Dragon earlier. As a result, he had suffered innumerable attacks from the Black Ink Clan army. Now that he returned to his Human Form, it could be said that he was covered in wounds. There was not a spot on his exposed skin that was unscathed, and his clothes were dyed in his brilliant golden blood.
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s nothing serious.”
For him, he was fine as long as he did not suffer a fatal wound. As a Dragonkin, he had an inherently strong restorative ability in the first place. Combined with the Wood Element Power that he condensed from the essence of the Immortal Tree, in terms of recovery, nobody in this universe would dare to call themselves the best if he claimed to be second best. Although his injuries looked extremely bad at the moment, they would only take a few days to heal.
While the others were speaking, Martial Uncle Zhong walked over in large strides and came to a stop in front of Yang Kai. He briefly swept his gaze over Yang Kai before patting his shoulder with a look of approval, “Very good!”
Everything Yang Kai did earlier had not escaped his notice, so it was only natural that he was very impressed with Yang Kai’s performance.
Nevertheless, he had some doubts in his heart. It was rumoured that the Dragon Clan was very arrogant. Even though they were responsible for guarding the No-Return Pass, they never bothered to be friendly towards the Human Race. In fact, they always gave off the feeling that they were better than others.
Unexpectedly, from what he saw so far, Yang Kai’s attitude did not seem to match the rumours. If anybody told him that a Dragon Clan member would use their own body to shield Humans, he would never have believed such words a few days ago.
Feng Ying introduced them, “Yang Kai, this is Zhong Liang of Blue Sky Paradise. Martial Uncle Zhong is the person in charge of this sector of the battlefield.”
Yang Kai quickly cupped his fist, “Yang Kai greets Senior Zhong!”
[How polite!] Zhong Liang raised his brow. The feeling that Yang Kai was very different from the Dragons that he heard about in the rumours grew stronger. Nevertheless, he said nothing and simply nodded in acknowledgement, “We can finish our talk later. Let’s get inside first.”
He had many questions that needed answers from Feng Ying.
Yang Kai nodded and glanced at the back with a suspicious look, “What are they doing?”
After entering Blue Sky Pass, the people hiding inside the warships came out only to crowd around this area in small groups. Many of them stared at Yang Kai and whispered among themselves. It was clear that Yang Kai’s performance on the battlefield when he transformed into a Grand Dragon had surprised them.
There was an enormous gate at the front of this area and Yang Kai could not see what was beyond it. All he could see was a group of 100 entering the gateway, followed by another group of 100 a short while later. In this way, the cycle kept repeating over and over.
As soon as those words left his mouth, the people beside him glanced at him in confusion. Zhong Liang even furrowed his brow together into a scowl. Logically speaking, anybody from the Human Race would know what they were doing right now, yet for some reason, Yang Kai was ignorant of this fact.
Likewise, Feng Ying was filled with puzzlement. During the time they spent together previously, she had not noticed anything strange. Nevertheless, some of his actions today gave her the impression that he was completely clueless about the great passes. That was the case back when he first saw Blue Sky Pass, and that was the case now.
Despite her confusion, she quietly explained, “Everybody who returns from outside must be checked; otherwise, they will not be allowed into the Inner Sanctum.”
Yang Kai immediately understood upon hearing her answer, “Are they worried that Black Ink Disciples might have infiltrated our ranks?”
In terms of external appearance, Black Ink Disciples who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength looked no different from usual. If they mixed themselves into the crowd, they would not be exposed easily.
Feng Ying nodded, “It is not as if such incidents did not occur in the past. A single Black Ink Disciple can cause great losses to a great pass after all. That is why this rule was created. Regardless of who it was, as long as they leave the great pass, they would need to undergo a check upon their return.”
“How do they perform the check?” Yang Kai asked curiously.
She understood his concerns and secretly sent a transmission to him, “Don’t worry. They will not be inspecting your Small Universe. We have other means to perform the check. You will understand later.”
After hearing her say that, he did not ask any more questions and waited patiently.
In any case, their brief exchange had strengthened her belief that Yang Kai was completely clueless about the situation in the great passes. He would not have asked these questions otherwise.
Zhong Liang glanced at her with a hint of enquiry in his eyes. Feng Ying simply shook her head in response, indicating that she did not know anything either.
The speed of the inspection was very fast. Almost as soon as the previous batch entered, the next batch would prepare to enter. In this way, it only took about an hour for the entire Human army that had participated in the battle earlier to enter Blue Sky Pass. Only Zhong Liang, Yang Kai, Feng Ying, Shen Ao, and the others remained.
“Let’s go!” Zhong Liang beckoned and took the lead to step forward. The others quickly followed behind him.
Yang Kai looked around. Although two to three years had passed since he first came to the Black Ink Battlefield, he had spent most of his time serving under Nu Yan. It was not until today that he finally arrived at a great pass guarded by the Human Race; therefore, it was only natural for him to be curious about the situation here.
After entering the gateway, they appeared inside a Grand Hall. The floor of the Grand Hall immediately glowed with mysterious and complicated patterns that released faint Spirit Array fluctuations. Looking around, there was indeed a Spirit Array engraved into the ground of the Grand Hall.
Various orange and red rays of light wandered and moved about in the Spirit Array. Not only were they numerous, but they also moved as though they were alive.
Yang Kai raised his brow slightly at the sight. He could tell that this Spirit Array was the key to the inspection process.
Moreover, he also detected the auras of several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters hiding in the shadows outside the Spirit Array and silently observing the people inside. He could clearly sense the wariness radiating from the people who were gathered around the Spirit Array. They were secretly urging their World Force as though they were ready to attack at any time should any abnormalities occur. These people were probably the Human Masters responsible for guarding and monitoring this place.
Everybody stood quietly inside the Spirit Array. During that time, the orange and red rays of light wandered over towards them. It didn’t take long before every one of them was enveloped by the orange and red rays of light.
Under the illumination of these lights, their expressions seemed a little strange. Nevertheless, nothing unusual happened to the others. Only the light enveloping Yang Kai suddenly flickered several times and turned from orange to pitch-black in an instant.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. At that moment, all eyes turned towards Yang Kai. The look in Zhong Liang’s eyes sharpened, and his murderous intent blazed strongly.
Meanwhile, the hidden figures who had been guarding and monitoring the area surrounding the Spirit Array came forward in unison. They instantly surrounded Yang Kai so tightly that not even a breath of air could pass through them unnoticed. In the midst of their haste, they also formed seals with their hands and the person in the lead shouted, “Seal!”
Immediately after that, he summoned many delicate and tiny artifacts specially created for this situation. These artifacts hovered around Yang Kai in all directions and seemed to be connected to each other. With a surge of energy, they turned the space around Yang Kai into a cage and trapped him inside.
Everyone secretly breathed out a sigh of relief once everything was done. Even so, the cultivators in charge of guarding the Spirit Array remained vigilant.
It had been a long time since a similar incident took place. The last incident happened several hundred years ago. A Black Ink Disciple had snuck into this place and activated a Secret Technique that caused him to self-destruct. Although his death did not cause great losses to the Humans, the Black Ink Strength that remained after his death had been very troublesome. It had taken Blue Sky Pass painstaking effort just to remove the remaining Black Ink Strength.
The same thing had occurred today. It was fortunate that every single great pass had since taken precautions against such incidents, so they responded in a timely manner.
The atmosphere in the Grand Hall immediately became solemn.
“Stop!” Feng Ying shouted anxiously, “This is a misunderstanding!”
The people guarding the Spirit Array ignored her and vigilantly kept a watch on Yang Kai.
On the other hand, Yang Kai stood there with his head lowered, studying the pitch-black light covering his body. He had some guesses about what was happening; therefore, he immediately raised his hands and stood there quietly to indicate that he would not act rashly.
Zhong Liang calmly stared at Yang Kai for a moment before he turned to look at Feng Ying, “What do you mean?”
Feng Ying shot a look at Yang Kai. It was a signal asking him to remain calm. Quickly walking over to Zhong Liang, she sent him a Divine Sense transmission, “Martial Uncle Zhong, I can guarantee that Yang Kai is not a Black Ink Disciple.”
“How can you guarantee that? The Revealing Black Ink Array has reacted to him. That can only mean that he has Black Ink Strength in his body. If he has Black Ink Strength inside him, how can he not be a Black Ink Disciple?”
She sent another Divine Sense transmission, “It’s true that Yang Kai has Black Ink Strength in his body, but he has not been corrupted by it. He has a World Spring inside his Small Universe!”
Zhong Liang’s eyes narrowed at those words, and he turned to look at her, “One of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring? Are you sure?”
“I’ve inspected him myself. I can guarantee it!” She nodded sincerely, “Martial Uncle, if you don’t believe me, you can always inspect him yourself.”
He nodded sternly, “This is not something that can be done carelessly. I will certainly need to check for myself.”
She whispered, “Martial Uncle, a matter relating to the Four Universe Pillars is a big deal. There are too many eyes here…”
She did not finish her sentence. Even so, how could Zhong Liang not understand what she was implying? The Four Universe Pillars held great significance on the Black Ink Battlefield. For that reason, every single Human Master who possessed one of the Four Universe Pillars was considered a precious talent and resource. The existence of such a person was certainly not something that should be publicised; otherwise, there was no saying what kind of trouble would arise in the future.
Hence, Zhong Liang immediately nodded lightly and raised his hand to dismiss the others, “All of you, stand down and lift the barrier.”
Upon hearing those words, the people guarding the Spirit Array looked at each other in confusion. The leading Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master hesitantly spoke up, “But, Martial Uncle Zhong, the Revealing Black Ink Array, has reacted to this person. He is definitely a Black Ink Disciple. If we remove the barrier, what will happen if he does something strange…”
“I have my own considerations. Just do as I say,” Zhong Liang did not allow for any objections.
Seeing his insistence, the others could not do anything. Zhong Liang was the one in charge of this area after all.
A short while later, the artifacts were retrieved and the barrier that confined Yang Kai was removed; then, everybody left the Grand Hall under Zhong Liang’s command.
Shen Ao and the others turned back to glance at Yang Kai before they left. Their gazes were filled with confusion.
If anybody claimed that Yang Kai was a Black Ink Disciple, they would be the first to refuse such claims. During this period of contact, they had gotten to know what kind of person Yang Kai was and were familiar with his means. How could a person who had a method to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength be a Black Ink Disciple? What’s more, he had transformed into a Grand Dragon to protect his allies just now and massacred a large part of the Black Ink Clan army. There was no saying how many Black Ink Clansmen had died at his hands.
If such a person turned out to be a Black Ink Disciple, then there was no justice left in the world. However, the Revealing Black Ink Array had reacted to him. It was extremely baffling. In any case, Zhong Liang had taken matters into his own hands. Even if they were suspicious, they could only wait and see for now.
It didn’t take long before Zhong Liang, Yang Kai, and Feng Ying were the only ones left inside the Grand Hall.
Zhong Liang did not relax his guard. Even though Feng Ying had guaranteed Yang Kai’s identity, he could not confirm anything until he saw the truth for himself.
“Open your Small Universe!” He instructed.
Yang Kai nodded.
Feng Ying opened her mouth and kindly gave a warning, “His Small Universe is a little special. Don’t be too surprised, Martial Uncle.”
Zhong Liang gave her a puzzled glance and thought to himself, [It’s just the World Spring. I already know about it, so why would I be surprised?]
Despite those thoughts, he couldn’t help raising his brow in surprise when his Divine Sense probed into Yang Kai’s Small Universe for inspection. He was absolutely shocked to the core as he began to mutter, “Why is your Small Universe…”
Everyone who inspected Yang Kai’s Small Universe had the same reaction. Yang Kai was used to this by now, so he casually explained, “This Junior is proficient in the Dao of Space, so my Small Universe fully materialized when I first broke through to the Open Heaven Realm. This Junior does not understand the exact reason behind this phenomenon.”
He really did not know the reason why his Small Universe was special. His proficiency in the Dao of Space was probably a factor, but the biggest factor was most likely him integrating the Sealed World Bead when he first advanced into the Open Heaven Realm. In any case, there was no need to explain such things to others.
Zhong Liang exclaimed in astonishment, “What Order were you in when you advanced into the Open Heaven Realm!?”
Yang Kai replied, “Fifth Order!”
The corners of Zhong Liang’s mouth twitched at those words. That was to say that Yang Kai’s Small Universe had already been fully materialized when he was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Zhong Liang recalled how he had worked so hard to cultivate in the past. Even so, he only managed to achieve that feat when he advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. There was no comparison at all.
The Small Universe of an Open Heaven Realm Master would only transform from immaterial to material when they reached the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was both common knowledge and a principle that had been upheld since time immemorial. Zhong Liang dared not say that nobody else would achieve such a feat as a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the future, but this phenomenon was definitely unprecedented until today.
He suddenly remembered something and frowned deeply, “Are you part of the Human Race or the Dragon Clan?”
The Dragon Clan prioritised cultivating their bloodline. When their bloodline reached a certain level of purity, they would gain the corresponding strength. Therefore, there was no need for them to split Heaven and Earth apart in their bodies. They would not have a Small Universe either.
For that reason, Yang Kai’s situation left him feeling confused.
Yang Kai answered honestly, “This Junior is from the Human Race. It’s just that I carry a Dragon Source in my body.”
Zhong Liang was slightly taken aback by those words. If Yang Kai had a Dragon Source, then it made sense that he could cultivate the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques and assume a Dragon Form.
Nevertheless, Zhong Liang couldn’t help feeling shaken when he recalled the 20,000-metre-long Grand Dragon Form he saw. That was a Grand Dragon after all!
A 10,000-metre-long Dragon was equivalent to an average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of strength. In other words, a 20,000-metre-long Dragon had strength on par with a peak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
At the same time, he finally understood why Yang Kai’s attitude was different from the Dragon Clan that he had heard about in rumours. It was because Yang Kai could not be considered a part of the Pureblood Dragon Clan at all.
After that, Zhong Liang immersed himself in the investigation and saw the World Spring in Yang Kai’s Small Universe. The effects of the World Spring suppressed and sealed the Small Universe so that it became impervious to external influences. He smacked his lips at the sight and revealed a look of envy.
Who would not wish to possess one of the Four Universe Pillars? That was especially true on the Black Ink Battlefield. If one had one of the Four Universe Pillars, they would not need to worry about becoming corrupted by Black Ink Strength. That would put them in a very advantageous position in a battle against the Black Ink Clan. Unfortunately, these treasures were extremely rare and hard to find. Only those with great destiny could come across such treasures.
Zhong Liang also saw the Black Ink Strength suppressed and sealed inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe. Unable to stop himself, he asked curiously, “Does it not affect you to have Black Ink Strength suppressed and sealed inside your Small Universe?”
Yang Kai shook his head and said, “It doesn’t affect me at all. In fact, there are times when this Junior used Black Ink Strength to disguise himself as a Black Ink Disciple. It was by relying on this ability that this Junior survived for two years among the Black Ink Clan.”
While saying so, he controlled the Black Ink Strength inside his Small Universe and his eyes instantly turned pitch-black.
The corners of Zhong Liang’s mouth twitched, “You spent two years within the Black Ink Clan?”
That was extremely shocking information. Since time immemorial, there had never been anybody among the Human Race who could remain safe and sound after spending two years among the Black Ink Clan. Even with the protection of the World Spring, doing that was far too daring.
Feng Ying spoke up, “I was just about to tell you about this matter, Martial Uncle. It’s all thanks to Yang Kai that this Disciple managed to return.”
“What happened?” Zhong Liang asked.
Thus, she briefly recounted everything that happened to her. She spoke about how she had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength of a Black Ink Territory Lord, used a Secret Technique to escape danger, and killed a High-Rank Black Ink Clansman. Afterwards, Yang Kai took the initiative to reveal his identity and joined forces with her to rescue the Black Ink Disciples. In the end, they finally managed to gather 300 allies before they proceeded to make their way back.
Even though Zhong Liang was well-learned and very knowledgeable, he couldn’t help widening his eyes in astonishment after listening to her explanation. It was not until she finally finished speaking that he took a deep breath and asked, “Did you just say he had the means to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength? Also, those people who came back with you were originally Black Ink Disciples?”
“That’s right.” Feng Ying nodded sincerely, “You should have seen his ability before, Martial Uncle. He performed that Secret Technique once when he aided this Disciple in the fight against the Territory Lord earlier.”
The realization struck Zhong Liang, “Are you referring to that white light?”
There was no way he did not have a deep impression of the Purifying Light. He had never seen such a pure white light that shone as brightly as the sun on the Black Ink Battlefield before. At the time, he had suspected that the death of the Territory Lord was likely related to the white light. From what he could tell at the moment, his guess seemed to be correct. It turned out to be the Black Ink Strength’s nemesis!
Zhong Liang was shocked to his core!
The fact that Yang Kai possessed a World Spring had astonished him greatly; nevertheless, that was nothing compared to learning about the existence of the Purifying Light!
It was true that the World Spring was a powerful treasure, allowing one to never fear the corrosion of the Black Ink Strength or worry about being corrupted by it. But, that was something that would only benefit one individual. Nobody else could enjoy the benefits of the World Spring but its owner.
On the other hand, Purifying Light was different. Purifying Light was the means to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength, which was something that could benefit the entire Human Race. The hundreds of people who Feng Ying led back here were living examples.
The conflict between the Human Race and Black Ink Clan had gone on for far too long.
Although the Black Ink Clan had been trapped in the Black Ink Battlefield and could not invade the 3,000 Worlds easily, the Human Race was helpless to destroy the Black Ink Clan. That was especially true when it came to the corrosion of Black Ink Strength.
Since ancient times, many elites among the Human Race had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and turned into enemies. Faced with these people who used to be comrades, close friends, and even relatives who fought side-by-side with each other on the battlefield, they could only suppress their tears and ruthlessly kill them.
It was not that they had never tried to rescue these people. In the past, they had captured the Black Ink Disciples alive and tried various means to dispel the Black Ink Strength from their bodies. Unfortunately, even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Old Ancestors were powerless to do anything about the Black Ink Strength.
And yet, there was now someone who could do what even an Old Ancestor had failed to.
How could Zhong Liang not be shocked? He immediately realised that Yang Kai’s very existence was critical to the entire Human Race. The means to dispel and purify Black Ink Strength would surely rewrite the unchanging situation that had existed since time immemorial on the Black Ink Battlefield.
Grabbing Yang Kai by the arm, Zhong Liang tightened his grip with an emotional expression on his face, “Come! We must meet the Old Ancestor!”
This matter was far too important and had to be reported to the Old Ancestor directly. Besides, they had been trapped on the Black Ink Battlefield for so many years, so such good news would absolutely boost morale greatly.
“Please make the arrangements, Senior!” Yang Kai nodded. In any case, he had been planning to meet the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor who was in charge of Blue Sky Pass already since he needed to make a report about the Void Corridor.
Zhong Liang grabbed Yang Kai and hurried inside. All of a sudden, he seemed to recall something and turned back to look at Feng Ying, “How many people know that he has the World Spring?”
He did not ask how many people knew about Yang Kai’s Purifying Light. Since everyone who came with them was rescued by Yang Kai, they would surely have seen the white light before; hence, there was no need to ask. That was not something that needed to be concealed anyway. On the contrary, it would be better if the news were to spread. Such good news would greatly reduce their worries on the battlefield and allow their allies to fight the Black Ink Clan without fear.
Good news like this could greatly affect the trend of the battlefield by allowing the Human Masters to let loose and fight the Black Ink Clan without reserve.
Feng Ying replied, “Among those who came back, the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters should know since they were hiding in his Small Universe.”
The 300 or so Black Ink Disciples who were rescued previously had been divided and hidden inside the Small Universe of Feng Ying and the other Seventh-Order Masters. Since Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he could only take Fifth-Order Masters along with him.
Zhong Liang frowned slightly at those words. That was going to be troublesome. Purifying Light was something that should be heavily publicised, but the existence of the World Spring was something that needed to be concealed. Once this matter was exposed, it might attract trouble instead.
After hearing the exchange, Yang Kai chimed in, “Don’t worry, Senior. I might have accepted some of the Fifth-Order Masters into my Small Universe, but I did not reveal the existence of the World Spring to them.”
There were too many secrets in his Small Universe. If nothing else, there was the large population of the Small Stone Race and various other living beings that he raised in his Small Universe. The mountains of Yellow and Blue Crystals were also being stored in his Small Universe. These were not things that Yang Kai would expose so easily; therefore, he had deliberately blocked the perception of the Fifth-Order Masters when he took them into his Small Universe and only delineated a small area for them to use. In that way, they were unable to see anything that was placed beyond the boundaries of this area.
Just like the time when he allowed Zhong Liang to inspect his Small Universe, Yang Kai had only revealed the World Spring and the existence of the Black Ink Strength that was suppressed and sealed inside his body. He only allowed Zhong Liang to see what he wanted Zhong Liang to see. Nothing else had been revealed.
Zhong Liang nodded lightly in response, “Good.”
He had planned to ask Feng Ying to warn those Fifth-Order Masters so that they kept the existence of the World Spring a secret, but it would now seem that he was saved the trouble of doing that. From this incident, it could be seen that Yang Kai was a meticulous person who acted cautiously.
“You should get some rest. I’ll take him to the Old Ancestor,” Zhong Liang instructed before he hurried inside.
Feng Ying respectfully saw them off.
As soon as Yang Kai and Zhong Liang exited the Grand Hall, they saw a large crowd waiting for them outside. These people were allies who fought side-by-side on the battlefield earlier and the 300 or so Black Ink Disciples that Yang Kai and the others brought back.
Upon seeing Yang Kai emerge from the Grand Hall, the cultivators, who were former Black Ink Disciples corrupted by Black Ink Strength, stepped forward with Shen Ao and the others in the lead. They cupped their fists to express their overflowing gratitude. It was just that Zhong Liang was also here, so they could not thank Yang Kai in person.
For them, it could almost be said that they had gained a new life. If Yang Kai had not removed the Black Ink Strength from their bodies, they would still be Black Ink Disciples right now. They might even have followed their Black Ink Clan Masters to this battlefield to kill their own clansmen in battle.
On the other hand, the Seventh-Order Masters in charge of guarding and monitoring the Revealing Black Ink Array stared at Yang Kai in amazement. The Revealing Black Ink Array had reacted to him, which could only mean that his body contained Black Ink Strength. In other words, he was a Black Ink Disciple; even so, Zhong Liang had ushered him into the Inner Sanctum for some reason.
The situation left them puzzled indeed. What’s more, judging from the reactions of the surrounding crowd, this young man who was suspected of being a Black Ink Disciple seemed to hold great prestige among this group of people.
[Just what is going on?] The Seventh-Order guards looked at each other, feeling speechless.
Zhong Liang ignored them and waved the crowd away, “Why are you all loitering around here!? Quickly get some rest and recover your strength! This war is not over yet!”
Although they had obtained an absolute victory in the battle earlier, based on their experience over the years, the Black Ink Clan’s forces would not be pushed back in such a short amount of time. That feat would require years of effort. The Black Ink Clan would only withdraw their forces when they could not endure the losses any longer. For that reason, the duration of the war could be long or short. The shortest battles had lasted for three to five years, while the longest ones had dragged on for several decades to a century.
In any case, even if the Black Ink Clan withdrew their forces, the Human Race had no means to annihilate the Black Ink Clan completely; therefore, the Black Ink Clan would always rise again after a period of time.
For countless years, this vicious cycle had been repeated over and over again. The Human Race had stationed themselves at the various great passes to guard the last line of defence for the sake of the 3,000 Worlds.
Walking behind Zhong Liang, Yang Kai looked around in amazement.
The scenery inside Blue Sky Pass did not look very different from what one would see inside a city. There were houses situated along both sides of the wide and spacious streets, but of course there were no shops. Although these houses looked like places for people to live in, they seemed to be deserted at this moment. Even the occasional passing cultivator seemed to be in a hurry.
“Isn’t there a little too few people?” Yang Kai muttered.
Zhong Liang explained, “The great passes are basically made up of two lines of defence. The first line of defence is the outermost barrier that you saw earlier. The second line of defence is where the Revealing Black Ink Array is located. Now that war has broken out, most of the people have rushed to the first line of defence. Even if some of them withdrew from battle, they would be resting in their respective residences. That is why the Inner Sanctum is relatively deserted at the moment. Truthfully, the Inner Sanctum is quite lively when we are not at war…”
After saying that, he turned to glance at Yang Kai, “I forgot to ask. Where do you hail from?”
Yang Kai pondered for a moment, “This Junior can be considered part of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven, but I was not born into Yin-Yang Heaven.”
Whenever he introduced himself to others before, he had always claimed to be a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple. The main reason was that he couldn’t be bothered to explain the nuances of his situation. Be that as it may, Zhong Liang’s status was different. He was an Eighth-Order Ancestor, so it would be better to tell him the truth.
Zhong Liang was curious, “If you were not born in Yin-Yang Heaven, then how are you considered part of it?”
Yang Kai blushed slightly as he explained, “This Junior married a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple, so I can be considered a Yin-Yang Heaven’s Son-in-law.”
Zhong Liang’s mouth fell open slightly. All of a sudden, he patted Yang Kai on the shoulder, “How lucky. The women of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven are quite a catch.”
Generally speaking, the female disciples of the major Cave Heavens and Paradises would not marry outside their respective Sects; however, if an individual had outstanding aptitude, the Cave Heavens and Paradises would not hesitate to win these individuals over.
Yang Kai’s various performances had not escaped Zhong Liang’s notice. This boy was truly outstanding.
In Zhong Liang’s opinion, it was not strange for Yin-Yang Cave Heaven to use the marriage of their female disciples as a means to win over a rising star like Yang Kai. Nevertheless, he would never have imagined that Yang Kai was not just marrying a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciple but two Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples, one of which was a Core Disciple. If he knew, he would have been shocked.
“There are also some people from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven here at Blue Sky Pass. I’ll introduce you to them if I get the chance!” Zhong Liang said casually.
“Many thanks, Senior.” Yang Kai cupped his fist and said curiously, “Isn’t Blue Sky Pass the great pass guarded by Blue Sky Paradise? Why are there people from other Cave Heavens and Paradises here?”
This was something he noticed earlier. Some of the Open Heaven Realm Masters who appeared on the battlefield earlier were clearly not from Blue Sky Paradise; he could tell because their Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques clearly came from other Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Zhong Liang replied, “Blue Sky Pass is indeed named after Blue Sky Paradise, and the one overseeing Blue Sky Pass is an Old Ancestor from Blue Sky Paradise. Be that as it may, the people here come from all over the 3,000 Worlds. In fact, there are people from almost every Cave Heaven or Paradise here. How could there only be people from Blue Sky Paradise? You should know that every Cave Heaven and Paradise has their own strengths and weaknesses. Only with sincere cooperation can we bring together each other’s strengths and make up for our respective weaknesses. That is the case at Blue Sky Pass and all other great passes.”
After listening to the explanation, Yang Kai immediately understood. It would seem that his previous understanding had been flawed.
Zhong Liang furrowed his brow slightly at that moment as he muttered, “You don’t seem to have much knowledge about the great passes.”
Logically speaking, as long as a person resided in any of the great passes for a few days, they would naturally learn about such common knowledge; however, Yang Kai’s behaviour seemed to indicate that this was his first time at one of the great passes.
Yang Kai quietly said, “I will be truthful, Senior. I am mostly ignorant about the great passes. Moreover, this is also my first time coming to one of the great passes.”
Zhong Liang was astonished, “How can that be? If that’s the case, then how were you captured by the Black Ink Clan?”
He previously assumed that Yang Kai had been captured by the Black Ink Clan on one of the battlefields. Consequently, Yang Kai had been forced to disguise himself as a Black Ink Disciple and followed the Black Ink Clan back to their territory. But now, that did not seem to be the case.
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “I cannot tell you the exact reason, but the truth will come to light when this Junior meets with the Old Ancestor.”
Zhong Liang stared at Yang Kai for a while. He could not understand what in the world could be so difficult to say to him. As an Eighth-Order Ancestor, what was there that he was not allowed to know? Nevertheless, seeing as Yang Kai had said as much, there must be some sort of secret involved. It was not right for him to probe further, so he simply said, “Good. However, you might not be able to meet the Old Ancestor right now.”
“The Old Ancestor is wounded,” Before Yang Kai could inquire about the matter, Zhong Liang took the initiative to explain.
Yang Kai was taken aback! Someone with the title ‘Old Ancestor’ could only be a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. How could a person like that be wounded!? In the next moment though, he quickly understood, “Was the Old Ancestor injured during the battle with the Black Ink Royal Lord?”
The only one who could harm an Old Ancestor was a Royal Lord from the Black Ink Clan. It would seem that the disturbance caused by the Old Ancestor’s attack that Yang Kai sensed previously when he was in the Black Ink Clan’s territory had belonged to the Old Ancestor of Blue Sky Pass.
Not long after the attack, the Royal Lord had led the Black Ink Clan army in pursuit of the Human army. He probably exchanged blows with the Old Ancestor at the time, which resulted in the Old Ancestor being injured in the process.
Zhong Liang nodded, “The Old Ancestor might be wounded, but that Royal Lord is in no better condition. We have no idea where the enemy’s leader is hiding to treat his wounds at the moment. For the time being, we will have to see who between them recovers first. That will determine the outcome of this battle!”
The strongest combatants on both sides had been injured and were busy recuperating; otherwise, their presence would definitely have been seen on the battlefield. In any case, the one who recovered first would obtain the absolute advantage. That was the reason why Zhong Liang could not be sure whether Yang Kai could gain an audience with the Old Ancestor right now. If this matter was not urgent, Zhong Liang would not have even considered disturbing the Old Ancestor at a time like this; after all, it was extremely important for the Old Ancestor to recover from his wounds. It was just that Yang Kai’s ability to purify Black Ink Strength was also extremely important, so they had to report this matter to the Old Ancestor as soon as possible.
There was a solitary mountain in the middle of Blue Sky Pass that towered high into the clouds. On top of the solitary mountain stood a majestic palace. That was the place where the Old Ancestor cultivated in retreat. He normally lived here in seclusion and rarely revealed himself without a reason.
Flight was not prohibited inside the Inner Sanctum, and it did not take long for Zhong Liang to guide Yang Kai to the palace located at the top of the solitary mountain. There were several figures standing guard outside the palace, and each one of them had a profound aura. Even the weakest among them was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. There was also an Eighth-Order Ancestor standing guard in the open, right before the doors, just in case an accident occurred.
Upon detecting movement, the Eighth-Order Ancestor, who had been sitting down cross-legged and resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes slightly and stood up to block their path.
“Senior Brother Sun!” Zhong Liang stepped forward in greeting.
Senior Brother Sun nodded lightly. Glancing at Yang Kai who was following behind Zhong Liang curiously, he asked, “Junior Brother Zhong, what is so urgent for you to come here?”
As Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestors, Senior Brother Sun believed that Zhong Liang knew better and would not come here at this time unless there was something important.
“I have something to report to the Old Ancestor!” Zhong Liang replied. Stepping forward, he secretly explained the situation in detail to Senior Brother Sun via transmission.
At first, Senior Brother Sun listened with an indifferent expression, but it didn’t take long before his eyes contracted in astonishment. He turned to stare at Yang Kai in shock and anxiously asked, “Is that possible!?”
Zhong Liang nodded solemnly, “Feng Ying told me herself. Besides, those hundreds of people have already entered the Inner Sanctum. The information is trustworthy.”
Senior Brother Sun frowned, “Didn’t you verify the truth with your own eyes?”
Zhong Liang asked, “How do we verify this matter?”
Senior Brother Sun pondered in silence for a moment, “Capture a Black Ink Disciple and bring them back.”
Zhong Liang stared at Senior Brother Sun with his mouth agape, seeming to ask ‘are you serious!?’ with his expression. Even if he was an Eighth-Order Master, it was not easy to capture a Black Ink Disciple alive on that chaotic battlefield.
Senior Brother Sun glared at Zhong Liang, “This is an important matter! It’s better to be careful! Go quickly!”
Helpless, Zhong Liang could only answer, “Fine, fine, I’ll go.”
Yang Kai listened to the conversation from the side and vaguely guessed the contents of their conversation. Thus, he immediately cupped his fist and said, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble. If you wish to verify this matter, Senior, this disciple can show you at any time.”
Senior Brother Sun raised a brow at those words, “How will you do that?”
Zhong Liang slapped his forehead, “I forgot, he has Black Ink Strength suppressed and sealed inside his Small Universe!” Turning around, he explained the situation to Senior Brother Sun, “This brat is extremely blessed. He possesses a World Spring, so he does not fear becoming corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Moreover, he is bold and reckless. By suppressing and sealing Black Ink Strength in his Small Universe, he disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple and lived among the Black Ink Clan for a few years!”
Senior Brother Sun stared at Yang Kai, so shocked that his mouth fell open slightly. This was absolutely astounding information. Even with a World Spring, it was crazy for anybody to suppress and seal Black Ink Strength inside their Small Universe. Not to mention, Yang Kai had disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple and lived among the Black Ink Clan for several years… Someone who did this could no longer be described as courageous, only reckless would suffice! Nevertheless, this would indeed save them a lot of trouble.
Senior Brother Sun nodded at Yang Kai and said, “This is an important matter. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but I must verify the truth with my own eyes.”
Yang Kai nodded to indicate that he understood. Raising his hand, he opened the portal to his Small Universe and a mass of Black Ink Strength immediately poured out from within.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in charge of protecting this place had no idea what was going on, so they were shocked to see the pitch-black Black Ink Strength. Thinking that a Black Ink Disciple had infiltrated this place, they instinctively pushed their World Force. It was fortunate that Senior Brother Sun stopped them in time.
Senior Brother Sun stared intently at Yang Kai’s movements and soon saw Yang Kai’s hands glowing with two different-coloured lights. When Yang Kai pressed his palms together, the two different-coloured lights transformed into a pure white light!
Zhong Liang raised his brow slightly at the sight. It was that same white light! He had personally witnessed the white light inflicting great harm on the Black Ink Territory Lord he fought earlier. There was no doubt that the Black Ink Territory Lord had shown a panicked expression when enveloped by the white light; however, what he witnessed from afar could not compare to the shock he experienced at this moment. Under his Divine Sense perception, he could tell that the white light was completely pure and flawless.
The white light loomed over the Black Ink Strength, then they came into contact with each other in the next moment. The thick Black Ink Strength quickly vaporized and vanished out of sight. Only the white light remained without disappearing!
The Seventh-Order Masters, who reacted as though they were facing a great enemy earlier, were now dumbfounded by what they just witnessed. Even Senior Brother Sun was shocked beyond words. A long while passed before he said, “Astonishing!”
Although the white light did not contain strong destructive power, it had the effect of purifying the Black Ink Strength. That alone was worthy of his high evaluation.
“Please wait here. I will inform the Old Ancestor of your arrival, but I cannot guarantee that you will receive a response. The Old Ancestor is in the middle of recovery after all,” Senior Brother Sun said before he turned around and entered the palace.
Zhong Liang and Yang Kai waited patiently; meanwhile, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters studied Yang Kai intently, as though they were trying to figure out something from his body.
The Black Ink Strength that Yang Kai brought out earlier had already been dispelled, but the white light continued to exist. Zhong Liang couldn’t help feeling curious. Reaching out to touch the light, he discovered that it actually gave off an extremely gentle and comforting feeling.
“Can this still be used?” Zhong Liang asked.
Yang Kai nodded in reply, “It should still be effective, but it won’t last for long.”
Zhong Liang smacked his lips, “That’s such a waste.”
He was tempted to capture a Black Ink Disciple and throw them into the white light. In that way, the Black Ink Strength in the Black Ink Disciple would be dispelled and the Black Ink Disciple would regain mental clarity.
Yang Kai had already noticed this issue some time ago. There were many times when Purifying Light went to waste. Even after dispelling Black Ink Strength from the bodies of the Black Ink Disciples, the effects of the Purifying Light would not dissipate completely depending on its initial intensity. It was obvious that the light could still be used, but he could only let it go to waste as there was nothing to use it on.
It had to be said that the Purifying Light was formed from the power of the Yellow and Blue Crystals; therefore, it was these precious Yin and Yang Element materials that were being wasted.
Not long afterwards, Senior Brother Sun returned from inside the palace. Zhong Liang hurriedly looked over only to see Senior Brother Sun shaking his head slowly, “The Old Ancestor did not respond. He is probably at a critical juncture in his recovery.”
There was nothing Zhong Liang could do after hearing that statement; after all, he could not forcibly interrupt the Old Ancestor who was in the midst of healing. If anything were to happen to the Old Ancestor, he would not be able to bear the consequences.
Senior Brother Sun quickly followed up, “When the Old Ancestor comes out of retreat, I will inform him about this matter. In any case, Yang Kai is already in the Inner Sanctum. There’s no need to be anxious.”
Zhong Liang nodded, “That’s the only way.”
“But, what do you plan to do now?” Senior Brother Sun asked.
Naturally, Zhong Liang understood what Senior Brother Sun meant, “This matter cannot be concealed. In any case, it is not something that needs to be concealed either. I plan to announce this information to everyone. This is an uplifting piece of news, especially now that war has broken out. This information will allow the disciples to fight without worries, which will in turn boost their morale.”
Senior Brother Sun pondered for a while, “Good. The problem that has plagued us for so long has been resolved. This will certainly boost morale among the ranks. Do as you see fit.”
Zhong Liang replied, “Then, I will gather those old farts in the conference hall and announce this news to them.”
“Go ahead. I will inform the Old Ancestor about this matter as soon as possible. I’m sure the Old Ancestor will also agree with the plan.”
Zhong Liang cupped his fist and sent a Divine Sense transmission to remind Senior Brother Sun, “Senior Brother, the fact that this boy possesses the World Spring cannot be exposed.”
Senior Brother Sun understood, “Don’t worry. I will take care of it.”
Likewise, Senior Brother Sun understood what Zhong Liang was worried about. If it was revealed that Yang Kai possessed the World Spring, it would surely attract trouble.
Zhong Liang thanked Senior Brother Sun and quickly departed with Yang Kai. Along the way, he took out a communication device and sent out several messages. A short while later, a stream of light sped towards them. A figure was revealed when the stream of light came close. It turned out to be Feng Ying.
“Martial Uncle!” Feng Ying cupped her fist in greeting. It was apparent that she had been summoned by Zhong Liang.
Zhong Liang instructed, “Lead him to the Main Conference Hall and wait for me there. I’ll be there soon.”
“Yes!” She responded. Tilting her head to signal Yang Kai, she led him in a certain direction. On the other hand, Zhong Liang headed towards the outside of the great pass.
Along the way, Feng Ying asked, “Have you met the Old Ancestor?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “The Old Ancestor is recovering, so I didn’t manage to meet him.”
She was taken aback, “Is the Old Ancestor injured!?”
It had not been long since she returned, so she was not informed about the Old Ancestor’s injury.
“I heard Senior Zhong mention that the Royal Lord is in a similar condition. The Royal Lord is currently hiding somewhere to treat his wounds. At present, it all depends on who recovers first. The one who wins this race will hold the absolute advantage on the battlefield.”
Feng Ying nodded lightly. It was not the first time the Old Ancestor of Blue Sky Pass and the Royal Lord of this region had fought each other. Every time the Black Ink Clan launched an assault on Blue Sky Pass, the Royal Lord would step forward to keep the Old Ancestor in check. There was no other choice. The Royal Lord had to join the battle personally; otherwise, no amount of Black Ink Clansmen could ever hope to stop the Old Ancestor if he stood on the front lines.
“Why does Martial Uncle Zhong want you to go to the Main Conference Hall?” She inquired further.
Yang Kai answered, “He seems to believe that word of the Purifying Light will boost morale, so he plans to announce it to everyone.”
Feng Ying instantly understood, “It will certainly be beneficial. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with publicising this information. This matter cannot be hidden anyway. Everybody will know about it sooner or later.”
Yang Kai nodded. He had no intention of hiding this ability as it could restrain Black Ink Strength after all. If this ability could benefit his allies, then he would be happy to cooperate.
It did not take long for the pair to arrive outside a Grand Hall; however, they did not enter and simply waited outside. The hall was empty without a figure in sight, but after waiting for some time, a figure came towards them from a distance and soon landed not far away. The person who arrived was burly and had a head of dishevelled hair, like a raging wild lion.
“Martial Uncle Zhao!” Feng Ying faced the person who just arrived and bowed in greeting. Yang Kai also bowed slightly from where he stood behind her.
On the other hand, Martial Uncle Zhao stared at Feng Ying in surprise, “Feng Girl, you’re back! Didn’t they say that you were left behind in Black Ink Clan territory? How did you manage to return?”
She replied, “I was lucky to survive.”
As for how she managed to return, she did not explain in detail.
He nodded lightly, “You will surely receive a great blessing after surviving such a difficult ordeal. Don’t squander your opportunity. I hope that you can slaughter even more Black Ink Clansmen on the battlefield from now on.”
She responded affirmatively.
After that, he stuck his head into the hall and looked around before he frowningly asked, “Brother Zhong summoned us here, so why isn’t he here? Did something happen?”
She respectfully answered, “Martial Uncle Zhong has something important to announce. Unfortunately, this Disciple does not know the exact details. Please enter first, Martial Uncle Zhao. Martial Uncle Zhong will be here soon.”
“En,” Martial Uncle Zhao nodded. Then, he strode into the Conference Hall and randomly found a place to sit and wait.
Martial Uncle Zhao had only just entered the hall when numerous streams of lights came flying over from all directions. Every one of them was an Eighth-Order Master. They were clearly the people in charge of the various front lines on the battlefield. In other words, they had the same status as Zhong Liang.
Feng Ying and Yang Kai stood outside the hall, greeting each arrival in succession. As the guests entered, Feng Ying told Yang Kai who was from which Cave Heaven or Paradise.
Although there were tens of thousands of Masters in Blue Sky Pass, there were only a handful of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among them. In fact, there were only several dozen in total. Feng Ying had been living here for thousands of years, so it was only natural for her to know them all.
These Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could be said to be the pillars of every great pass. Every one of them was an incredibly valuable asset and they basically held important positions that placed them in charge of commanding the Human army and protecting the various defence lines.
As expected, there was also an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Ancestor from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. It was just that he did not know Yang Kai’s origins, so he did not pay much attention to him. Besides, this was not a place where people made connections to climb up the social ladder.
Yang Kai simply memorised the name and appearance of this Eighth-Order Master without saying too much to the other party.
Most of the Eighth-Order Masters who came here were acquainted with Feng Ying. Some of them glanced at Yang Kai but did not pay much attention to him; however, Yang Kai felt as though the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Xi He Paradise had been observing him closely. The other party even seemed to have a look of doubt on his face when he entered the Conference Hall. Nevertheless, he did not say anything to Yang Kai.
In the end, Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering whether it was simply his own misunderstanding.
Everybody waited in the hall for some time, but there was still no sign of Zhong Liang anywhere. It didn’t take long before somebody lost their patience and complained, “What the Hell is that old fart Zhong doing!? I have an ongoing battle at the moment. Why did he send an urgent message to summon us here!? Is he playing a joke on us!? Where is that old fart Zhong!?”
“Brother Zhang, please don’t be so impatient. Since we received an urgent message from Brother Zhong, then it must be something important. Although you have an ongoing battle, the outcome will not be determined for some time yet. It’s time to let the subordinates under our command rest for a while.” Somebody earnestly responded. It would seem that this person was quite open-minded.
“Speaking of which, have you visited the Old Ancestor? Are his injuries severe?”
“I’ve sent a message and received a response claiming that Old Ancestor is in the middle of recovery, so I didn’t dare to disturb him. I don’t think it’s very serious. It’s not the first time something like this has happened after all. Old Ancestor is treating his wounds, as is the Royal Lord. It’s the same for both sides.”
“If I had to say, we should find an opportunity to charge forward. Once we find the place where the Royal Lord is recuperating, we can vanquish him. In that way, the war will go smoothly for us.”
“Brother, you’re not a child anymore. Why are you spewing such nonsensical words? The place where the Royal Lord is recuperating will surely be under strict guard! We might be able to charge forward, but we won’t be able to return alive! You should think before you speak!”
“Who did you just call brainless!?”
“Of course, I’m referring to the person who answered!”
…
For a time, the quarrel became very fierce. There was no saying whether these two quarrelling Eighth-Order Masters did not get along with each other in the first place, but as soon as they started arguing, they started to roll up their sleeves to get physical. Consequently, the people around them panicked and quickly stepped in to calm them down.
Outside the hall, Feng Ying and Yang Kai glanced at each other with speechless expressions.
Eighth-Order Masters held highly revered positions, so most people had the impression that they were all stern-looking and dignified people. Who could have imagined that these Eighth-Order Ancestors would be squabbling inside the Conference Hall like hawkers at the market? If news were to spread out to the public, nobody would believe the truth.
A stream of light suddenly sped over from a distance and landed in front of the two. It was Zhong Liang.
Feng Ying and Yang Kai bowed in unison and looked up only to see Zhong Liang holding a person in his grasp. That person was clearly a Black Ink Disciple. His eyes were filled with inky darkness, and although there was a seal placed on his body that suppressed his strength and prevented him from circulating his power, he continued to struggle endlessly against his restraints.
Upon seeing this Black Ink Disciple, Yang Kai immediately had a vague understanding of Zhong Liang’s intentions. No matter how beautiful his words were, nobody would believe them without proof; therefore, Zhong Liang had obviously rushed to the battlefield outside the great pass and captured a Black Ink Disciple so that Yang Kai could use Purifying Light in front of everyone.
Zhong Liang nodded and directed his words at Yang Kai, “Come with me.”
“Yes!” Yang Kai responded affirmatively; then, he followed Zhong Liang into the hall.
The noise inside the hall died down abruptly. Many people turned to stare at them in astonishment, wondering why Zhong Liang had captured and brought a Black Ink Disciple here.
“Brother Zhong, you’re finally here!” Somebody remarked.
“I’ve made you wait,” Zhong Liang cupped his fist apologetically, “It’s just that this is a very important matter, so I had to take some time to prepare.”
While speaking, he threw the Black Ink Disciple in his grasp to the ground. The Black Ink Disciple might have been placed under a seal, but his movements were unimpeded. Thus, he quickly stood up and looked around cautiously.
Everybody in the room was also scrutinising the Black Ink Disciple. All the people present in this room were Eighth-Order Masters, so this Black Ink Disciple did not pose any threat to them. Be that as it may, they had a vague guess that Zhong Liang’s announcement had something to do with the Black Ink Disciples. There was no need for him to capture one otherwise.
“What is going on, Brother Zhong? Can’t you tell us now? The front lines are still fighting. It will be a problem if we remain here for too long,” somebody urged.
Zhong Liang nodded. Just as he was about to speak, somebody else suddenly interrupted the conversation, “Brother Zhong, before you begin, there is something I want to confirm.”
Zhong Liang turned to look in that direction and nodded, “Please speak, Brother Tian.”
Likewise, Yang Kai glanced in that direction and discovered that the person who spoke earlier was the same person who was staring intently at him earlier. At the time, he had the feeling that this person’s gaze contained some sort of deeper meaning, but could not be sure. It would now seem that his guess was correct. He recalled that Feng Ying had introduced this person as Tian Xiu Zhu of Xi He Paradise.
Tian Xiu Zhu said, “I heard a message from a disciple under my command claiming that the Revealing Black Ink Array had reacted to a certain individual when a group of people entered the Inner Sanctum earlier; however, you insisted on bringing him into the Inner Sanctum. Is that true, Brother Zhong?”
Zhong Liang frowned slightly. He knew that the person who sent the message was most likely one of the people guarding the Revealing Black Ink Array. Even so, he could not blame the other party. They were simply carrying out their duties. Unable to prevent him from bringing Yang Kai into the Inner Sanctum when he insisted, they could only send a message to the Ancestors of their respective Cave Heavens and Paradises to ask them to investigate and determine the truth of the incident.
[It looks like I won’t be able to keep this matter hidden anymore.] Zhong Liang smacked his lips. [I had hoped to avoid attracting trouble, but it looks like I won’t be able to avoid this issue.]
In the end, he nodded, “It’s true!”
Seeing his admission, somebody exclaimed in astonishment, “If the Revealing Black Ink Array reacted, that can only mean that they have Black Ink Strength in their body. That person is a Black Ink Disciple! How can you bring such a person into the Inner Sanctum, Brother Zhong? Could it be this person?”
That person glanced at the Black Ink Disciple that Zhong Liang had just brought in.
Tian Xiu Zhu shook his head, “It’s not this Black Ink Disciple. If my guess is correct, that person should have been him. Am I right?”
While speaking, he glanced towards Yang Kai, who was standing next to Zhong Liang.
Yang Kai bowed politely, “Junior Yang Kai greets Seniors!”
Many people studied Yang Kai curiously. Some people seemed confused while others seemed thoughtful. Zhong Liang sighed softly and looked at Tian Xiu Zhu, “Brother Tian, what are you trying to say?”
Tian Xiu Zhu said, “Brother Zhong, you insisted on bringing this boy into the Inner Sanctum without even placing a restriction on him. That can only mean that you are not worried about him in the slightest; however, the Revealing Black Ink Array could not have been mistaken. In other words, he most likely has Black Ink Strength in his body. But, judging by his appearance and actions, he does not seem like a Black Ink Disciple. Despite having Black Ink Strength in his body, he is not being corrupted by it. Looking at this situation, doesn’t anything come to mind?”
Somebody suddenly understood and shouted, “A Four Universe Pillar!?”
A series of gasps rang out, and many pairs of eyes flashed with interest at those words. Another person asked excitedly, “Does the boy really possess one of the Four Universe Pillars!?”
Only those who possessed one of the Four Universe Pillars would not be converted into a Black Ink Disciple despite having Black Ink Strength in their body. It was not as if something similar had never happened before; after all, Yang Kai was not the only person with a Four Universe Pillar among the Human Race.
With a Four Universe Pillar protecting their Small Universe, it stood to reason that Black Ink Strength could not invade one’s body regardless of the circumstances. However, it was a different case altogether if they took the initiative to open the portal to their Small Universe and accept Black Ink Strength into their Small Universe.
In the past, many Human Masters with the Four Universe Pillars had carried out various experiments to accept Black Ink Strength into their Small Universe. They wanted to see if the corrosion of Black Ink Strength was stronger or the power of the Four Universe Pillars was greater. The results naturally spoke for themselves. Those who possessed the Four Universe Pillars would not be affected in any way even if they opened the portal to their Small Universe and drew in Black Ink Strength.
Although this matter could be considered a secret, all the people present in this room were Eighth-Order Masters who had heard about this matter to some extent. That was why some of them immediately guessed the truth once they heard Tian Xiu Zhu’s statement.
Zhong Liang scowled deeply. Faced with so many inquiring eyes, he knew that he could not keep the secret hidden any longer even though he wanted to for Yang Kai. He had repeatedly reminded Feng Ying and the Senior Brother standing guard for the Old Ancestor not to reveal the secret that Yang Kai possessed a World Spring. His actions were to prevent these exact kinds of situations from happening.
Unfortunately, he failed to prevent such a situation in the end. The disciples guarding the Revealing Black Ink Array had sent a message to Tian Xiu Zhu, and the quick-witted Tian Xiu Zhu managed to deduce the truth based on such meagre information.
Hence, Zhong Liang nodded with a sullen expression, “Brother Tian is correct. Yang Kai does indeed possess one of the Four Universe Pillars, the World Spring.”
Despite having some guesses, the crowd could barely conceal the joy on their faces when they heard him confirming their speculations.
Somebody then asked, “Which Cave Heaven or Paradise does this boy come from?”
Zhong Liang turned to the side and looked at Yang Kai, indicating for him to explain the situation himself.
Yang Kai glanced at one of the elderly men and cupped his fist, “This Disciple married two Yin-Yang Cave Heaven disciples and became a Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Son-in-Law. Greetings, Elder Lu!”