Feng Ying soon understood what was going on, “You just sent the Universe World back to Blue Sky Pass. In that case, the soldiers from the Inner Sanctum only have to extract resources at our doorstep instead of travelling to faraway places. We also no longer have to worry about the Black Ink Clan launching sneak attacks on us.”
“That’s right.” Yang Kai nodded.
“Did you achieve it by using those eight artifacts?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, “The Army Commanders from the Inner Sanctum have become aware of it as well. Senior Shen Tu will come over and give it a try soon, so I have to get prepared. Please stand guard for me, Senior Sister.”
Feng Ying nodded, “I’ll go with you.”
Soon, they targeted another Universe World. It took Yang Kai some time to place the eight Void Yang Mirrors in eight spots around the Universe World.
Shen Tu Mo, despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, still hadn’t arrived yet. Certainly, he could make use of the Universe Array to instantly move from Blue Sky Pass to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in the fourth forward base; however, it would take him some time to come to this location. He should be on his way now.
Meanwhile, Feng Ying was extremely curious about the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. Faced with her questions, Yang Kai replied to her.
One day later, Yang Kai, who was taking a rest, suddenly opened his eyes. He could see a ray of light rapidly approaching from the direction of the forward base. Upon its arrival, Shen Tu Mo’s burly figure was revealed.
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Senior Shen Tu.”
After a nod, Shen Tu Mo glanced at the Universe World beside them and asked, “Have you gotten everything ready?”
“Yes.”
“What do you need this Old Master to do?”
Yang Kai replied, “Senior Shen Tu, I need you to memorise the exact distribution of the Void Yang Mirrors and the distances between them. When you return to Blue Sky Pass, you have to accurately set up the Void Yin Mirrors in the same way. Only then would the preparations be considered complete. When you activate them, the Yin Mirrors and Yang Mirrors will resonate with each other and exchange places, transferring the Universe World back to Blue Sky Pass.”
Shen Tu Mo nodded, “Good.”
Harsh conditions had to be met as the distribution of all eight artifacts and the distances between them had to be perfectly accurate. Nevertheless, this wasn’t difficult for an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Shen Tu Mo.
It only took him an hour to take a stroll around the eight artifacts and memorise everything perfectly.
When he returned to Yang Kai’s side, he nodded at him to show that he was ready.
Yang Kai gazed at Feng Ying, “You can head back first, Senior Sister. I’ll be returning to the Inner Sanctum again with Senior Shen Tu. If everything goes well, I probably won’t be back anytime soon. You’ll have to take charge of affairs here.”
Feng Ying replied, “Don’t worry about it, Junior Brother. I’ll take care of Dawn.”
It was then Yang Kai turned to Shen Tu Mo, “Senior Shen Tu, whenever you’re ready.”
Without saying anything, Shen Tu Mo directly activated the Universe Transference Law. Soon, a Grand Array lit up beneath his feet and engulfed him.
When his figure vanished, Yang Kai also activated the Universe Transference Law and returned to Blue Sky Pass.
Zhong Liang and the others were still waiting outside the Inner Sanctum. Even though it had taken Shen Tu Mo more than a day to go back and forth between the places, they wouldn’t have minded waiting for an entire month as this matter was that important.
If this worked, it would be extremely beneficial to all the Humans on the Black Ink Battlefield. The waiting time was inconsequential.
“They’re back,” Ding Yao suddenly turned to look in Blue Sky Pass’s direction. Everyone turned their heads and indeed saw two figures flying out of the Inner Sanctum. They were none other than Shen Tu Mo and Yang Kai.
As the Eighth-Order Masters watched the two of them rapidly approaching, they couldn’t help but still be awestruck by the convenience of the Universe Arrays.
It only took them slightly more than a day to go back and forth between Blue Sky Pass and the fourth forward base. Such a feat was inconceivable in the past; however, with the help of Universe Arrays now, they could move between distant places quickly. Such convenience was extremely useful when dealing with the enemies.
The moment Shen Tu Mo stood by their side, Ding Yao hurriedly asked, “How is it?”
Shen Tu Mo replied, “I still have to set things up. We’ll soon find out whether it’s usable or not.”
Yang Kai was just standing behind Shen Tu Mo as he took a glance at the Universe World he had moved to this place. At this moment, it was bustling with noise over there as many figures were flying around the Universe World. It was obvious that they were extracting resources. After barely one day, the Universe World seemed to have shrunk significantly. At this rate, it would only take two or three months before the Universe World was completely mined out. This was the result despite the fact that not a lot of people had been told to come over and extract resources. If Blue Sky Pass had sent more people over, the time needed would have been shortened further.
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “They’ve already started?”
Zhong Liang grinned, “On the Black Ink Battlefield, the resources will only be ours after they’re extracted. Alright, enough nonsense, bring Shen Tu Mo to make the arrangement. We’re still waiting for the result.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai promptly replied.
They then moved to another place and found an open space. Following Yang Kai’s instructions, Shen Tu Mo soon set up all eight Void Yin Mirrors.
It was time to verify the feasibility of their plan. Yang Kai told Shen Tu Mo the method to activate the mirrors and then stepped back.
Before everyone’s eyes, Shen Tu Mo rapidly performed different hand seals and then infused his own power into the eight artifacts.
A faint light was seen flickering on these artifacts, and a buzzing sound rang out. The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters didn’t even blink.
As time passed, the light around the artifacts became brighter and the humming became louder. The Void around these eight artifacts started contorting and a gigantic figure was faintly seen appearing where originally there was nothing.
Zhong Liang arched his brow and nodded, “It’s working.”
He had seen the same sight when Yang Kai activated the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors some time ago. Whatever Shen Tu Mo was doing seemed to be working.
If nothing unexpected happened, the Universe World near the fourth forward base would be moved to this place soon.
However, things didn’t go so smoothly.
The gigantic figure remained faintly discernible but couldn’t seem to materialise. It wasn’t until an entire hour later that the process was completed.
Shen Tu Mo stopped performing hand seals and the light around the eight mirrors faded. At the same time, the resonance with the distant horizon was cut off.
The Eighth-Order Masters appeared elated. What they had witnessed suggested that anyone could use the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. In that case, they could easily move the Universe Worlds back from the resource-harvesting areas without any restrictions.
On the other hand, Zhong Liang furrowed his brow. That was because he realised that even though Shen Tu Mo was much stronger than Yang Kai, it was far more difficult for him to use this treasure. He wasn’t comparable to Yang Kai at all when it came to the time it took. If everything was properly set up, it would only take Yang Kai a few dozen breaths to move a Universe World back. Nevertheless, it took Shen Tu Mo a whole hour to do so. Moreover, it seemed that he had consumed a lot of energy in the process, much unlike how easy it felt for Yang Kai to achieve.
Upon noticing his doubt, Yang Kai explained, “This treasure was specifically refined for my use, so mastery over the Dao of Space was taken as a given. Therefore, it’s easier for me to use. Although Senior Shen Tu is stronger than me, he has never cultivated the Dao of Space before, so it’s only natural that he has to consume more energy to forcefully activate it.”
Zhong Liang nodded gently, “I see.”
With that said, the outcome was more than satisfactory. They were most worried that only Yang Kai would be able to use the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors.
Upon Shen Tu Mo’s return, they all looked inquisitively at him.
After giving it a thought, he spoke, “An average Seventh-Order Master wouldn’t be able to activate this thing. Only the most powerful Seventh Orders would be barely capable of doing it. Moreover, the consumption of energy when activating this treasure is related to the size of the target and the distance. The larger the size and the longer the distance, the more energy will be consumed. Still, it’s usable.”
“Good!” Ding Yao breathed a sigh of relief.
Liang Yu Long nodded, “Since it’s usable, this matter cannot be delayed. We need to have the Inner Sanctum refine more of them. However, there are sixteen artifacts in total, and each one of them is quite large. A lot of resources will be needed.”
It certainly required a lot of resources to refine a set of Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. Back then, it cost Yang Kai an arm and a leg to make just one set, but the price was worth it considering the rewards he got out of them.
Zhong Liang grinned, “No pain, no gain. It might be a big investment up front, but the payout we’ll get later more than makes up for it. I’d like to see the looks on those Black Ink bastards’ faces when they reoccupy the resource harvesting areas a few dozen years from now and see that there’s nothing left.”
All of them couldn’t help but let their thoughts run wild as they put on wicked grins.
Ding Yao suggested by saying, “I don’t think there’s a need to create a lot of them. Ten sets should do; otherwise, it’ll be a waste of resources.”
The other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters nodded, “You have a point.”
“Also, the refinement method has to be passed on to other Great Passes. We can’t keep such a good thing all to ourselves.”
“Of course.”
As soon as Purifying Black Ink Battleship and Purifying Light became widely usable, those from Blue Sky Pass immediately informed the other Great Passes about it. The other Great Passes then refined their own Purifying Black Ink Battleships before sending powerful Masters to bring them to Blue Sky Pass as Yang Kai was the only one who could equip them with Universe Arrays and Purifying Light.
Otherwise, the Humans from these Great Passes wouldn’t be willing to use the Hyper Space Arrays to move people around on the Black Ink Battlefield where every resource was incredibly valuable.
Certainly, they had to share the method of making the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors with the others. Since the transfer of cultivators was not involved, only a small amount of resources would be needed.
“Yang Kai, you’ve made a big contribution again. You put Old Masters like us to shame.” Zhong Liang turned to look at Yang Kai with a satisfied and joyful expression. Since Yang Kai’s arrival at Blue Sky Pass, he had brought a lot of pleasant surprises to them. If not for the fact that Zhong Liang didn’t have a daughter, he would have asked Yang Kai to be his Son-in-Law.
Yang Kai replied humbly, “It was just something I created accidentally many years ago. It’s fortunate enough that this treasure is useful here. I don’t deserve your compliment, Army Commander.”
With a serious expression, Zhong Liang said, “The Void Yin-Yang Mirrors is of great help to us. All Humans from the Great Passes, including Blue Sky Pass, have to take the risk to mine resources. In the past, the Black Ink Clan would always come to harass us and some of our members would inevitably die. With the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors, we no longer have to worry about this.”
All of them nodded in agreement; after all, the Black Ink Battlefield was the home turf of the Black Ink Clan. The living conditions here were too harsh for Humans. In the past, they could only rely on the incredible might of the Great Passes to fend off the attacks from the Black Ink Clan. Even so, every generation, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to send many people over to help hold the line.
Although the situation on the Black Ink Battlefield could be considered stable for the time being, even the most impenetrable defence could fall apart one day. Once the Great Passes on the Black Ink Battlefield that were guarded by the Humans were destroyed, the 3,000 Worlds would fall into a perilous situation.
By then, the Black Ink Clan would swarm into the 3,000 Worlds, kill everyone, and destroy all in their path. Therefore, to the Humans on the Black Ink Battlefield, anything that could change the status quo in their favour would be good news for them, not to mention that with the invention of Purifying Black Ink Battleships, they could now have the hope of launching a true crusade.
If they could do that, they would be able to wipe the Black Ink Clan out and solve the crisis that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been facing since time immemorial; however, the crusade was a grand plan that had to be carefully planned out.
After the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blue Sky Pass were done with their discussion, they decided to tell those from the Inner Sanctum to refine ten sets of the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors to be used to move Universe Worlds back from different resource harvesting areas.
Nevertheless, they would need full cooperation from Yang Kai. After all, he was the one who invented the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors, so no one was more familiar with their refinement method than him.
Yang Kai stored the eight Yang Mirrors and returned to Dawning Light to retrieve the remaining eight Yin Mirrors. After that, he activated the Universe Transference Law and returned to the Inner Sanctum.
Since everything was ready in Blue Sky Pass, they could requisition unlimited resources from the War Materials Hall. With Dong Guo An Ping from Divine Cauldron Cave Heaven as the leader, many Artifact Refining Grandmasters gathered together to wait for Yang Kai’s return so that they could start discussing the next step.
Soon, Yang Kai and the Artifact Refining Grandmasters started working on making more Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. Back then, Yang Kai personally refined the first Void Yin-Yang Mirrors with the help of the Black Prison’s inmates, creating a kind of rough prototype that only somewhat functioned. After that, with the help of Grandmaster Ma Fan to remould them, the Mirrors could then be considered a finished artifact.
Basically, all of the Artifact Refining Grandmasters in Blue Sky Pass had gathered together, and with Yang Kai’s Void Yin-Yang Mirrors as a blueprint, they worked on improving it as they exchanged sophisticated ideas.
With unlimited amounts of resources and manpower being dedicated to the project, a new set of Void Yin-Yang Mirrors was completed barely one month later.
Ding Yao personally brought these new Void Yin-Yang Mirrors and headed to the first forward base to give it a try. The first forward base had already been occupied by the Humans for some time and mining operations were well underway.
Three days later, a Universe World abruptly appeared outside Blue Sky Pass. Apparently, Ding Yao had moved it back from the forward base.
The experiment showed that the new Void Yin-Yang Mirrors created in Blue Sky Pass were indeed usable. A new way of gathering resources had been invented for the Humans in all these Great Passes.
Since the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors were proven to be usable, those from the Inner Sanctum started creating more of them. According to the Army Commanders’ plan, they had to make 10 sets of the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors.
In the meantime, the Hyper Space Array in the Inner Sanctum started running as well. Jade slips that contained the method of creating and activating the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors were sent to the other Great Passes.
Soon, the Humans from the other Great Passes received the news from Blue Sky Pass, and upon learning the abstrusity and uses of the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors, they were elated as they started creating more of them.
While those from Blue Sky Pass were busy making more Void Yin-Yang Mirrors, the members of Dawn had gathered together on the deck of Dawning Light, which was parked beside a Universe World. Feng Ying was standing on the deck as she could see that Yang Kai was swamped with work in the periphery of the Universe World.
Since more Void Yin-Yang Mirrors were being produced, the members of Dawn no longer had to exert themselves to extract resources. After Yang Kai sent all these Universe Worlds back to Blue Sky Pass, those from the Inner Sanctum would mine them.
Therefore, the members of Dawn could relax a little.
With that said, it didn’t mean they didn’t have work to do. Now that Yang Kai had to move the Universe Worlds in this resource harvesting area, the members of Dawn had to follow him closely and protect him in order to prevent any Black Ink Clansmen from disturbing him. Yang Kai was a powerful Master who possessed a World Spring, which was why he wasn’t afraid of Black Ink Strength. If any reckless Black Ink Clansmen really came over to make things difficult for him, they would never be able to return.
However, the artifacts he left behind around the Universe World had to be guarded by some people.
If the Black Ink Clan managed to steal these artifacts, they might be able to uncover the secrets behind the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors. If they could also use these artifacts, it would be terrible news for the Humans. Hence, this scenario had to be prevented from happening.
With the help of the Universe Arrays on the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in Blue Sky Pass and Dawning Light, Yang Kai was able to easily move between the two places, allowing him to rapidly move many Universe Worlds.
Just one month later, the several dozen Universe Worlds that the members of Dawn Squad were given to mine were all gone, sent back to Blue Sky Pass.
Now, almost all 20,000 soldiers had left Blue Sky Pass to extract resources from those Universe Worlds.
More and more Universe Worlds were shattered as the hidden resources were mined out. At the same time, the reserves in the War Materials Hall increased significantly each day.
The entire Blue Sky Pass was brimming with a sense of joy.
The Humans had been living in a hostile environment for too long, and before this, the cultivators from different Great Passes had to rely on the resources sent to them from the 3,000 Worlds to cultivate as well as the meagre amount they could extract after they occupied resource harvesting areas.
However, every time they occupied a resource harvesting area, there wouldn’t be enough time for them to mine materials. They had several dozen to 100 years at most, and they were unable to send a lot of people to do this work either; hence, they couldn’t get their hands on a lot of resources.
On the Black Ink Battlefield, every Human knew how valuable every single resource was. When they used their Military Merits to trade for resources, they would only get what they really needed. It could be said that they had learned to be incredibly thrifty.
Nonetheless, the birth of the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors changed everything.
According to the estimates from the War Materials Hall, the resources extracted by those from the Inner Sanctum in the past month were equivalent to the total resources mined over the past ten years.
Only one month had passed, and they still had a long way ahead of them. As more Void Yin-Yang Mirrors were completed, there would be even more Universe Worlds that would be moved back to the Great Pass, each one containing a staggering amount of resources.
Everyone was naturally pleased with the good news.
With 20,000 soldiers working together, it would mean that they would be able to mine the resources very efficiently.
Most of the time, a Universe World would become shattered remnants barely a few days after it was sent back to Blue Sky Pass.
The several dozen Universe Worlds that Yang Kai had delivered over the past month were all gone for good. A lot of cultivators were now looking longingly at the void, and the moment a Universe World appeared, they would stream towards it.
With more Void Yin-Yang Mirrors being created, there were even more Universe Worlds that were sent back. The number of Universe Worlds could finally satisfy the need for the soldiers in the Inner Sanctum to extract resources.
When all 10 sets of Void Yin-Yang Mirrors were completed, the soldiers in the Inner Sanctum could no longer keep pace with the number of Universe Worlds getting sent to this place.
More and more Universe Worlds of different sizes were sent back to Blue Sky Pass, making for a truly magnificent sight.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai was swamped with work at forward base four.
The several dozen Universe Worlds assigned to the members of Dawn were all sent back; however, there were far more Universe Worlds in other neighbouring areas.
The entire resource harvesting area around forward base four had several hundred Universe Worlds, and that was forward base four alone. The situation was similar in other resource harvesting areas occupied by the other three forward bases.
In other words, if they moved all the Universe Worlds from these four resource harvesting areas back to Blue Sky Pass, they would have a reserve of more than 2,000 Universe Worlds.
That was a staggering figure.
It was something that the soldiers of the Inner Sanctum wouldn’t even dare to imagine in the past. In order to finish extracting a reserve of 2,000 Universe Worlds before now, it would have taken them several thousand years.
But now, they would only need several dozen years or even shorter to achieve that.
The anomaly of Universe Worlds disappearing from these forward bases eventually caught the Black Ink Clan’s attention and many scouts were sent to look into the matter.
Nevertheless, these scouts would all be killed the moment they were discovered.
Although they managed to kill the majority of Black Ink Clan scouts, some inevitably survived and the existence of the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors must have become known to the Black Ink Clan.
This couldn’t be helped though, as using the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors to move Universe Worlds was not exactly a subtle process. They could never hide it.
In fact, those from Blue Sky Pass didn’t intend to hide it anyway. The Black Ink Clan soldiers under Men Xie had suffered a serious setback previously, and the Royal Lord himself was badly injured. Even though the Black Ink Clan had noticed what was going on, they were unable to do anything about it. They wouldn’t be able to launch a major attack before resting and building up their forces for several dozen years first.
While it was a chance for the Black Ink Clan to recuperate, the same was true for those from Blue Sky Pass. They certainly had to seize this chance and get more benefits from the Black Ink Clan.
Two years passed by in the blink of an eye.
The resource harvesting area around forward base four was practically empty now, with all the Universe Worlds that could be moved having been moved.
Besides Yang Kai, who had been working hard, Lu An and Cha Hu had also been helping out with sets of the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors of their own.
Although Shen Tu Mo had given it a try and confirmed that the most powerful Seventh-Order Masters could also use the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors, it was extremely taxing even for them. It was far more efficient for the Eighth-Order Division Commanders to use them.
Hence, Lu An and Cha Hu took over the task. Even though they were in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, which was one Order above Yang Kai, they were far less efficient in moving the Universe Worlds than the latter; after all, Yang Kai was a master of the Dao of Space, so it would be easier for him to operate the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors.
This was a treasure he originally created for himself after all.
One day, Dawning Light landed on the asteroid where forward base four was located.
After disembarking, Yang Kai headed straight to the building where the two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were stationed. Upon seeing them, he saluted them and said, “Sirs, all the Universe Worlds in this resource harvesting area have been moved back. Is there anything else we should do?”
Lu An smiled and nodded, “There’s nothing else to do here. We’ll be returning to the Inner Sanctum soon.”
Yang Kai was slightly surprised, “Are we going back so soon?”
Cha Hu asked, “What do you want to do?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “All the Universe Worlds in the resource harvesting area in forward base four are indeed gone; however, I can see there are more Universe Worlds that are further away. Should we go there and move more of them back?”
Upon hearing that, Lu An burst into laughter, “How many more do you want to move?”
Yang Kai replied, “The more the better?”
Cha Hu waved his hand, “There’s no need for that. The Universe Worlds collected outside the Inner Sanctum are enough to keep everyone busy for some time. As long as they can fully extract those Universe Worlds, the resources would be enough for consumption in the Inner Sanctum for 1,000 years. Moreover, the further we go, the more likely we’ll come across the Black Ink Clan. Since we’ve taken some advantage, we should be satisfied with the win instead of potentially suffering losses.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai nodded, “I’ll listen to you then, Division Commander Cha.”
Lu An said, “You’ve been working hard these past two years, so it’s time you got some rest. I suppose you haven’t had time to cultivate since you ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Although I haven’t had time to cultivate, the living beings in my Small Universe help increase my heritage at all times, so there’s no risk of my foundation weakening or destabilising.”
Upon hearing that, Lu An nodded, “I’d forgotten about that.”
“Sirs, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“When I was moving the Universe Worlds, I inadvertently passed by an area in the void and felt some Space Principle fluctuations.”
Lu An was startled for a moment, “Space Principle fluctuations?”
Cha Hu soon realised something, “You mean, that might be a portal to a Sealed World?”
Yang Kai nodded, “In fact, I’m certain that it’s a portal to a Sealed World. However, since I was busy moving Universe Worlds, I didn’t have time to look into it. Now that we’re done with moving the Universe Worlds, I would like to investigate. Perhaps we’ll find some Profound Yin Spirit Fruits there.”
Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were extremely precious to all the Humans in the Great Passes. Yang Kai recalled the list of resources that could be traded for in the War Materials Hall, and the number one resource on the list was Profound Yin Spirit Fruits.
This made sense as in every Great Pass, there were a lot of Human soldiers that had been invaded by Black Ink Strength before and had no choice but to give up a part of their Small Universe, making it incomplete.
This kind of incompleteness could only be repaired by consuming a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit; therefore, the Spirits Fruits were extremely precious to every Great Pass, and they were out of stock most of the time.
On the other hand, only in the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield could Profound Yin Spirit Fruits be found.
Cha Hu’s eyes instantly brightened, “Do you remember where it was?”
Yang Kai replied, “I’ve left a mark on the Universe Chart.”
“Good. This King will call the roll and go with you,” Upon finishing his words, Cha Hu immediately got prepared.
A moment later, more than 100 people gathered together on Dawning Light as Cha Hu took charge of everything. On the other hand, Lu An stayed in the forward base; after all, there was a Purifying Black Ink Battleship here, so an Eighth-Order Master had to personally guard it.
Including the members of Dawn, there were currently more than 100 people on the Warship. In other words, there were about seven or eight Squads worth of people.
The Squad Leaders of these Squads came over and passionately greeted Yang Kai as they engaged in small talk. All of these people had fought alongside Dawn in the previous battle for the resource harvesting area. Even though he wasn’t familiar with all of them, Yang Kai could recognise them, and after some introductions, they could be considered friends.
After they were done with the small talk, Yang Kai took the initiative to approach Cha Hu and asked in puzzlement, “Sir, why have you brought so many people along?”
Although he could confirm that the location where there were fluctuations of Space Principles was a portal to a Sealed World, it was just one Sealed World. He initially intended to lead the members of Dawn to explore it and just bring out the good stuff.
However, he had never expected that Cha Hu would bring seven or eight more Squads with him, and Cha Hu himself would take charge of this mission.
Even if they were wary of the Black Ink Clan, it wasn’t necessary to bring so many people with them. Moreover, no Black Ink Clansmen would move around this area now as all the Universe Worlds had been sent to the periphery of Blue Sky Pass. Since there were no benefits to be gained around here, why would any Black Ink Clansmen come over just to get killed?
Without directly answering his question, Cha Hu asked, “How much do you know about the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I know little about them. I’m only aware that there might be Profound Yin Spirit Fruits and other rare Spirit Herbs in some of the Sealed Worlds.”
Cultivation resources could be extracted from the dead Universe Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield; however, Spirit Herbs needed for Alchemy had to be sent from the 3,000 Worlds or found in those Sealed Worlds.
Therefore, in comparison, Spirit Pills were even rarer than normal cultivation resources on the Black Ink Battlefield. That was because there were only a limited number of methods that they could get the ingredients needed for refining them.
Yang Kai knew little about the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield. When he passed through the Void Corridor in Black Territory and arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield, he directly appeared in a Sealed World, but that was his only experience in this matter.
However, he had to keep himself safe at that time, so he didn’t have time to explore it.
Cha Hu nodded, “There’s one thing that’s special about the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield. It’s that they are clustered.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “They’re clustered?”
“Have you ever picked mushrooms before?”
A puzzled Yang Kai shook his head, not knowing why this would be mentioned all of a sudden.
Cha Hu grinned, “When I was young, I would always go to the back hills of Crape-Myrtle Heaven during the rainy season. That was when the mushrooms would sprout. My Senior Sister and I would bring our baskets and pick them up. Since I was younger, I’d be responsible for looking for mushrooms while my Senior Sister would pick them. Whenever I found a mushroom, my Senior Sister would always find even more mushrooms in a nearby place. At that time, I thought that she was amazing because she could always find more mushrooms than I did.”
There was a longing and gentle expression on this Division Commander’s face, so Yang Kai reckoned that the Senior Sister must be a demure woman.
He spurted out, “Where’s your Senior Sister now?”
The light in Cha Hu’s eyes went out, “She was killed on the battlefield.”
Despite his calmness, it must have been the biggest regret in his life.
Yang Kai apologised for that.
Cha Hu waved his hand, “What I mean is that the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield are like mushrooms. Since you’ve found a portal to a Sealed World, there are probably more nearby. This is what I meant when I said they’re clustered.”
Yang Kai was astounded, “Why is that?”
Instead of directly answering his question, Cha Hu asked, “Have you ever thought about how the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield were formed?”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’ve thought about it before, but I’ve never mulled over it. Even though I have a speculation, I’m unable to verify it.”
“Oh?” Cha Hu was surprised, “What’s your speculation?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “When I found out about the Sealed Worlds, I initially thought that they were a unique feature of the Black Ink Battlefield; however, I soon realised that these Sealed Worlds wouldn’t exist for no reason. The Black Ink Clan lives on World Force. Since all the Universe Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield are dead, why are these unique Sealed Worlds still existent? Then, when I was searching for the Universe Cave Heavens and Universe Paradises left behind by our Seniors, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps those Sealed Worlds are also a kind of Universe Paradise and Universe Cave Heaven.”
Cha Hu gazed at him with surprise, “I didn’t expect that you’d thought about this aspect.”
Yang Kai was shocked, “Is my speculation correct?”
“I cannot say for certain; however, our Seniors have studied the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield for many years, and their conclusion is more or less similar to yours. Fundamentally, the Sealed Worlds are also Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens; nevertheless, they’ve been in existence for far too long as they were left behind in ancient times. Perhaps the way Humans cultivated was different back then, so the Sealed Worlds that were left behind are different from the current Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens.”
With a solemn expression, Yang Kai said, “In that case, there were Humans who fought against the Black Ink Clan in this place in ancient times.”
Cha Hu nodded, “Yes, we’ve only inherited the will of the ancients. After the ancients battled against the Black Ink Clansmen and were killed, the Sealed Worlds were born.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai nodded, “I understand. Most of the time, the ancients would pass away in groups, so the Sealed Worlds they left behind would be clustered, just like what we see outside of Blue Sky Pass.”
“Exactly,” Cha Hu nodded, “However, we can’t be certain about it. Perhaps the Sealed World you’ve found is the only one there. We’ll only find out after taking a look, but there’s no harm in bringing more people with us just in case.”
Yang Kai nodded with a heavy heart.
It wasn’t because of the number of Sealed Worlds; it was because of his speculations about the Sealed Worlds. If his speculations were right, it would mean that there were already Humans fighting the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield in ancient times. The situation was still the same these days, so when would the war ever end? When would those living in the 3,000 Worlds be free from this constant threat?
If his speculations were right, the ancients back then certainly had to give up parts of their Small Universes so that they would be spared from getting invaded by Black Ink Strength. Therefore, they found Profound Yin Spirit Fruits and even planted these fruit trees inside their Small Universes so that they could consume the fruits at any time.
Their efforts yielded wonderful results for the descendants. That was the reason Humans could now find Profound Yin Spirit Fruits in those Sealed Worlds.
It would take them one day to go from the forward base to the location where Yang Kai had felt the Space Principle fluctuations. Previously, he was busy moving Universe Worlds, so even though he had found a portal, he didn’t have time to deal with it. He only memorised the location so that he could explore it later.
At that time, he also didn’t inspect the surroundings.
One day later, Dawning Light stopped in a particular place in the void. After sensing his surroundings, Yang Kai pointed in a particular direction, “Over there, Sir.”
Cha Hu looked in the same direction and tried to investigate; however, he was unable to detect anything. He reckoned that the Space Principle Fluctuations must be extremely weak. That was the reason he was unable to sense it despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was a master of the Dao of Space, so he could find these faint traces.
With that said, if these portals could be found so easily, they would have fallen into the hands of the Black Ink Clan long ago, leaving nothing behind for the Humans.
It had to be noted that the Black Ink Clan had occupied this area for far longer than the Humans had.
Cha Hu said, “This King will stand guard for you all, so you can make a move with peace of mind.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai took a step forward.
Yang Kai moved towards the fluctuations and manipulated Space Principles. To him, the almost indiscernible traces were as conspicuous as a beacon of light in the darkness.
In front of everyone’s eyes, he extended his hands into the Void, which started melting away.
Space Principles surged as he forcefully separated his hands.
World Force came right at his face as the portal to a Sealed World was opened.
Cha Hu arched his brow at the sight, thinking that the younger man was truly a master in the Dao of Space. He couldn’t even detect the portal to the Sealed World, but Yang Kai was able to easily open it.
The Squad Leaders, who were standing on the deck of Dawning Light, were staring at the portal with fervent gazes. Human soldiers were always keen on exploring Sealed Worlds. First of all, compared to the hostile environment on the Black Ink Battlefield, there usually wouldn’t be any dangers in a Sealed World. Secondly, every Sealed World would have some good stuff inside. Even though they wouldn’t always get Profound Yin Spirit Fruits, there would certainly be a lot of herbs that could be used to make Spirit Pills.
They would also acquire some Military Merits by exploring these Sealed Worlds and harvesting some treasures.
Cha Hu swept a glance over them and asked, “Do any of you want to look into it?”
“Me!”
“I’m willing to explore it!”
At that moment, the place was bustling with noises as the Squad Leaders fought for the chance.
Cha Hu raised his hand, after which everyone fell silent. He then pointed at the Squad Leader nearest to him and said, “You’ll go in with your Squad. However, regardless of what you get, you have to share half of the Military Merits with Dawn.”
Upon hearing that, the Squad Leader nodded, “Alright.”
Yang Kai was the one who opened the portal to the Sealed World. Supposedly, the members of Dawn had discovered this Sealed World, and they had the right to explore it; however, since Cha Hu had given the order, this Squad had the chance to get some benefits. It was totally reasonable to share half of the Military Merits with Dawn.
“If there’s any danger, inform me immediately!” Cha Hu ordered.
The Squad Leader cupped his fists, “Yes.”
Things wouldn’t always go well every time they explored a Sealed World. There might be some unexpected danger.
The Squad Leader gathered his members and then flew into the Sealed World.
The other Squad Leaders stared at them with envious expressions.
Cha Hu turned to Yang Kai, “Try looking for more Sealed Worlds nearby.”
Upon receiving the order, Yang Kai wandered around the area.
After hearing Cha Hu’s explanation about the origin of the Sealed Worlds, Yang Kai was curious whether they really were clustered just like mushrooms.
He happened to discover something when he passed by this place previously, but he had not looked into it carefully. Now that he started exploring the area, he soon found another portal to a Sealed World.
Just like the previous Sealed World, there were only faint Space Principle fluctuations. If he hadn’t intently searched for it, he would have missed it.
Yang Kai made a move again and opened the portal, after which another Squad went inside.
About a cup of tea stick later, he found two more portals to the Sealed Worlds, which were not far away from the second one.
If the speculation that Cha Hu had mentioned was right, it meant that in this region of the void, the ancient Great Experts had clashed with the Black Ink Clan. A lot of powerful cultivators were killed, and the Small Universes that they left behind formed into a cluster of Sealed Worlds as time passed.
It had been less than an hour since Yang Kai arrived at this place, and he had already found four portals. Obviously, there were even more Sealed Worlds that were yet to be discovered.
As he focused on looking for them, he soon found even more Sealed Worlds.
One day later, all eight Squads on Dawning Light had left to explore the Sealed Worlds. Other than the people who had to stand guard, the members of Dawn had also been divided into two teams, which were respectively led by a Seventh-Order Master, and gone to explore two Sealed Worlds.
Four to five days later, Yang Kai returned to Dawning Light and reported to Cha Hu, “Sir, I’ve explored every corner of this area. There are 11 Sealed Worlds in total, and all the portals have been opened.”
Cha Hu praised him by saying, “You’ve done a great job.”
11 Sealed Worlds would mean tremendous benefits to Humans. A lot of useful herbs and Profound Yin Spirit Fruits would be found in this place.
This cluster of Sealed Worlds could be considered quite large. The best record found in Blue Sky Pass was that they had discovered 7 Sealed Worlds in a particular area in the past.
In order to open those portals, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had to take action personally, unlike how easy it was for Yang Kai.
With an expert in the Dao of Space around, they wouldn’t miss any hidden Sealed Worlds in this place.
An idea flashed through Cha Hu’s mind as he thought about it. Previously, they had found a lot of Sealed Worlds in many areas around Blue Sky Pass, but due to limited means, they hadn’t necessarily uncovered all the hidden Sealed Worlds. Perhaps there were Sealed Worlds that were yet to be discovered in those places. If they brought Yang Kai to where Sealed Worlds had been found in the past, they might get some pleasant surprises.
He decided to deal with this matter after they were done with the work here.
They would take up some of Yang Kai’s time, but this kind of sacrifice was nothing compared to the rewards they would get.
A considerate Cha Hu said, “We’ll stay here for quite some time. Since you’re free, you can cultivate on your own or explore the Sealed Worlds freely. This King will stand guard on Dawning Light, so you don’t have to worry about anything.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I’ll go explore a Sealed World, then.”
“En.” Cha Hu nodded, then shouted, “Bai Yi!”
“Yes.” Bai Yi took a step forward.
“Follow your Senior Brother Yang so that you two can take care of each other.”
“Yes.”
Yang Kai didn’t object to it as he shot out of Dawning Light with her and led the way. Soon, they arrived at a Sealed World’s portal.
He activated Space Principles to engulf Bai Yi and crashed into the Sealed World.
A sense of dizziness came over them, but they soon recovered from it. What came into their sight was endless greenery.
This kind of greenery was exceptionally rare on the Black Ink Battlefield where the environment was incredibly hostile. All Universe Worlds were shrouded in Death Qi without a hint of greenery, and eerie Black Ink Clouds loomed everywhere in the void.
Therefore, both Bai Yi and Yang Kai felt refreshed the instant they saw such a beautiful sight.
In this kind of environment, there were surely a lot of Spirit Herbs.
That was indeed the case. Yang Kai soon found a red flower the size of a washbasin in a nearby place. There were seven golden dots on the flower petals that formed into an abstruse pattern.
Yang Kai couldn’t recognise the flower. Although he had studied Alchemic Dao for a time, he stopped improving on it after he left the Star Boundary. He couldn’t recognise all of the Spirit Flowers in the 3,000 Worlds, let alone the ones on the Black Ink Battlefield; however, he still instinctively felt that this red flower was a kind of Spirit Herb.
On the other hand, Bai Yi directly told him the flower’s name, “It’s a Seven Stars Red Rain Flower.”
“You can recognise it?” Yang Kai was surprised.
Bai Yi nodded, “It’s the main ingredient for making the Seven Stars Pill. You should have seen it on the list of resources in the War Materials Hall.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai replied, “I’ve exchanged for some Seven Stars Pills before.”
Seven Stars Pills were wonderful healing medicines. When he saw the pills in the War Materials Hall, he decided to obtain some of them. After the battle against Zhu Feng previously, he consumed some of those pills, and they were truly effective. He still had two Seven Stars Pills with him.
“So, you’re an expert in Alchemic Dao,” Admiration was written all over Yang Kai’s face.
Bai Yi burst into laughter, “I’m not an Alchemist of any sort; however, I did have some experience in exploring Sealed Worlds. The Alchemists from the Inner Sanctum have written up a manual that describes the appearances, harvesting techniques, and uses of some herbs. I have read the manual, so I can remember them.”
It required some special techniques when picking certain herbs. If they did it without much thought, they might damage the medicinal efficacies. Taking that into consideration, the Alchemists from the Inner Sanctum decided to create instruction manuals that recorded the herbs found in Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield and distributed them to the soldiers so that they wouldn’t be rough to the good stuff they found.
Yang Kai suggested by saying, “Since you can recognise it, I’ll let you pick it, then.”
Bai Yi nodded and picked the flower. Fortunately, it didn’t require any special skills for picking Seven Stars Red Rain Flowers, so she soon acquired it.
After they obtained the flower, they were looking forward to getting more rewards in this Sealed World.
Following a brief discussion, they decided to split up while ensuring there was only a distance of 50 kilometres between them. At such a distance, if one of them fell into danger, the other could come to the rescue immediately.
Bai Yi also passed Yang Kai the manual that was made by the Alchemist from the Inner Sanctum.
Yang Kai flipped through it and soon remembered its content.
As he passed through the dense forest, he released his Divine Sense so that he could immediately detect any Spirit Herbs nearby.
It seemed the environment in this Sealed World was quite suitable for the growth of herbs, and after just half a day, Yang Kai had acquired more than 100 herbs and kept them inside his Small Universe. When he returned to Blue Sky Pass, he could hand them in for Military Merits.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t found any Profound Yin Spirit Fruits.
With that said, he wasn’t disappointed, for not every Sealed World had Profound Yin Spirit Fruits. He had opened 11 portals, so there must be Profound Yin Spirit Fruits in some of the Sealed Worlds.
While looking for herbs, Yang Kai was also inspecting this Sealed World.
Gradually, he realised that Cha Hu’s speculation about the origin of the Sealed Worlds could very well be right. Fundamentally, these Sealed Worlds were the same as the Universe Paradises and Cave Heavens left behind by Human Masters after their deaths in ancient times.
However, the way the Great Experts cultivated back then might be a little different from the current cultivators, so the Small Universes they had left behind were distinct.
Another half a day later, Yang Kai had acquired a lot of good things.
Presently, he was moving towards a place where there was a lot of World Energy. He could sense that there was some kind of potent Spirit Medicine over there.
He soon found a plant that was half the height of a Human. Some fruits the size of baby fists were seen hanging on the branches.
This plant was similar to a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit Tree at first glance, but upon closer look, one would realise they were not the same. Instead, it was a different kind of Spirit Fruit Tree.
The manual given to Yang Kai by Bai Yi had a detailed comparison between the two fruit trees, so he could instantly tell the difference.
Although the fruits were not Profound Yin Spirit Fruits, they were very rare as well, so he carefully picked the fruits and transferred the tree to the medicine garden in his Small Universe.
Since long ago, Yang Kai had planted a lot of precious Spirit Herbs inside his personal medicine garden. With the help of Mu Zhu and Mu Lu, who were from the Wood Spirit Clan, the Spirit Herbs in the medicine garden flourished.
Additionally, the flow of time in his Small Universe was four times faster than in the outside world, so the Spirit Herbs in the medicine garden matured much more rapidly.
After the fruit tree was moved to his medicine garden, it would not have any trouble surviving with the two Wood Spirits tending to it; however, Yang Kai was not able to determine when the tree would bear fruits again.
As he continued exploring the Sealed World, Yang Kai found even more Spirit Herbs. He would move the plants into his Small Universe if he was able to do so, and for the ones that couldn’t be transplanted, he would carefully pick their fruits or flowers.
A few days later, he had gained quite a harvest.
He believed that Bai Yi had also acquired a large number of valuable items. The environment in this Sealed World seemed quite suitable for the growth of Spirit Herbs. It was difficult to find Sealed Worlds that were so full of precious Spirit Medicines like this one.
When Yang Kai was looking around one day, he suddenly felt World Force undulating in a place that was several dozen kilometres away from him. The next moment, a deafening noise was heard.
His expression changed as he manipulated Space Principles and disappeared from the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already beside Bai Yi.
He immediately released his Divine Sense to inspect the surroundings, but he couldn’t detect any danger. Staring at the young woman, he asked, “What’s going on?”
Bai Yi frowned and pointed at the dense forest in front of her, “As I was exploring this area, I think I triggered some kind of restriction.”
The noise he had heard just now was the result of Bai Yi activating her World Force in order to protect herself.
“A restriction?” Yang Kai was shocked.
It had been a few days since they entered this Sealed World. Not only were they safe, but they had also acquired a lot of valuable Spirit Herbs. While Yang Kai didn’t come across any danger, Bai Yi accidentally triggered a restriction.
A restriction could either be man-made or naturally formed. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was the latter; however, if it was the former, the speculation Cha Hu had about the origin of the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield would basically be confirmed.
Yang Kai quickly looked in the same direction and saw a dense forest. Nevertheless, the sight before his eyes was somewhat surreal as an almost indiscernible ripple spread across the forest.
There was indeed a restriction here! However, the restriction was so ancient that it no longer functioned smoothly. Following Bai Yi’s attack, a weakness in the restriction was revealed.
Yang Kai slowly closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, his left pupil had turned golden. The golden light radiating from his eye was majestic, and it was able to see through all the falsities in the world.
The Demon Eye of Annihilation from Myriad Demons Cave Heaven was most useful in this kind of situation.
With the help of the Demon Eye of Annihilation, the sight before his eyes changed into something else entirely and Yang Kai couldn’t help exclaiming in excitement.
Bai Yi quickly asked, “Have you found anything, Senior Brother?”
Yang Kai nodded gently, “There are dilapidated Illusion and Killing Arrays here. They’re both clearly man-made.”
As he spoke, he extended his hand and World Force billowed from his palm into the forest in a regular pattern.
The person who set up these Arrays was quite skilful at his craft. If the Illusion Array and Killing Array had still been intact, Yang Kai wouldn’t have been able to notice a weakness in them even after using his Demon Eye of Annihilation, let alone have a chance to crack them.
However, the restriction left behind here was too dated. Even though it was still operating, its power had been greatly reduced.
Weaknesses were everywhere as Yang Kai scanned this restriction with the Demon Eye of Annihilation. Once he found these weaknesses, he could easily expand them despite not being an expert in Dao of Spirit Arrays.
Barely a cup of tea later, the dense forest in front of them shattered and disappeared into nothingness.
The sight was replaced by a medicine garden where there were countless rare plants.
They could see more than ten Profound Yin Spirit Fruit Trees at first glance, red Profound Yin Spirit Fruits hanging from their branches.
Yang Kai and Bai Yi were pleasantly surprised.
They exchanged glances as they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
The herbs in this medicine garden easily numbered ten times what Yang Kai had obtained over the past few days, and that was not even counting the extremely rare Profound Yin Spirit Fruit Trees.
One gigantic tree stood tall in the middle of the medicine garden, making it especially conspicuous. This gigantic tree also gave off a sense of familiarity to Yang Kai for some reason.
“Senior Brother, could this be an Illusion Array as well?” Bai Yi asked in a dazed state.
Yang Kai burst into laughter, “We’ll find out if this is an Illusion Array soon enough.”
They then stepped into the medicine garden. The longer they explored it, the more joyful they became. Certainly, everything in this medicine garden was real, not illusory. All these Spirit Herbs had extremely high medicinal ages which gave them potent medicinal efficacies. Even though most of the herbs had already been recorded in the manual made by the Alchemists from the Inner Sanctum, there were still some that were unknown.
In other words, these herbs had never been found on the Black Ink Battlefield before. Even the Alchemists of Blue Sky Pass were not aware of their existence.
These were the ancient herbs that only existed in this medicine garden and could never be found in the outside world.
After some quick calculations, the pair realised that there were several thousand Spirit Herbs that they could or could not recognise. They had found more than 20 Profound Yin Spirit Fruit Trees alone, each of them having between 3 to 8 ripe fruits.
There were also a number of empty spots in the garden which Yang Kai figured had originally been herbs; however, they had died out after a long period of negligence.
A sense of regret overwhelmed Yang Kai. He had no idea what those dead Spirit Herbs were, but everything in this medicine garden was rare and precious, so it was a shame that they were gone.
Finally, he stood in front of the huge tree in the middle of the medicine garden and looked up in a dazed state.
Bai Yi appeared beside him and said, “Senior Brother, it seems that the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield were really formed from the ancient Great Experts’ Small Universes after their death.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes, and this particular Sealed World we’re in was left behind by an Alchemist.”
“How do you know?” Bai Yi was puzzled.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Only an Alchemist would spend so much time and energy to grow such a large medicine garden in their Small Universe.”
He came to this conclusion after considering his own experiences. The average cultivator who knew nothing about the Alchemic Dao wouldn’t know how to nurture Spirit Herbs properly. Yang Kai had Mu Zhu and Mu Lu to help him out, and he had studied the Alchemic Dao in the past, which was why he still had a medicine garden in his Small Universe.
The average cultivator would have killed these rare herbs if he really transplanted them to their Small Universe without knowing how to care for them.
Since this Sealed World was left behind by an Alchemist, the environment was naturally suitable for the growth of Spirit Herbs. That was the reason they had gained quite a lot of rewards as they explored this place.
However, their previous gains were nothing compared to the precious herbs in this medicine garden.
This medicine garden was the biggest prize.
“This Alchemist truly treasured his medicine garden. He might have set them up himself or employed someone to arrange powerful Arrays around this medicine garden to protect it; however, since he was an Alchemist, he probably knew little about fighting. After he was killed in a battle, his Small Universe must have collapsed. This medicine garden was saved with the restriction’s protection. We just happened to come across it and gain all the benefits.”
Upon hearing that, Bai Yi nodded, “You have a point, Senior Brother.” She then gazed at the gigantic tree, “Can you recognise this tree?”
She was curious about why Yang Kai had been standing in front of this giant tree for a long time now.
Yang Kai’s face twitched as he nodded, “Yes.”
“What tree is it?”
Yang Kai let out a breath, “You’ve probably heard of it, but you don’t recognise it because you have never seen it before. It’s a World Tree!”
Upon hearing that, Bai Yi was astonished, “The World Tree? Did you just say it’s the World Tree?” She suddenly recalled something, “Wait a moment, Senior Brother. It’s said that the World Tree is hidden in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. There was a Senior from Divine Feather Paradise who entered the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary before and heard stories about the World Tree, but he never saw it in person. Could the rumours be false?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “The World Tree is indeed hidden in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. The rumours that Senior of yours heard weren’t false. I’ve been to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and had the chance to see the World Tree.”
“Then, the one in front of us…” Bai Yi was puzzled. The World Tree was a one-of-a-kind existence. Since it was still in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, why would it appear in this place?
Yang Kai patted the thick trunk of the World Tree, “It’s certainly not the Mother tree. It’s just a clone of the World Tree. Obviously, the owner of this Sealed World was lucky enough to have obtained a root from the World Tree and then planted it in his Small Universe. It has grown to such a scale over the years.”
“A clone?”
“Yes, a clone!” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly, “In the past, I had the luck to acquire a root from the World Tree. At that time, my homeland was on the brink of collapse, so I planted the World Tree’s root there to ensure its survival. Moreover, with the existence of the World Tree’s clone, my homeland became the most important Universe World in the 3,000 Worlds. The Cave Heavens and Paradises all send many of their young and talented disciples there to be nurtured by it.”
“Why is that?” Bai Yi was perplexed.
Yang Kai explained, “It’s natural that you don’t know about it, Junior Sister. Although the World Tree in my homeland is just a clone, the people living there can reap immense benefits from the tree’s nourishment. By cultivating in that special environment from a young age, one’s innate talent can be increased and they can more easily condense a firmer Dao Seal. Now, there are a lot of people in my homeland who are capable of directly ascending to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. There are even quite a number who can directly make it to the Seventh Order.”
Bai Yi was shocked, “I can’t believe that a World Tree’s clone has such amazing effects.”
“En,” Yang Kai let out a sigh, “When I planted the root back then, I just wanted to save my homeland from falling apart. I didn’t have any clue about the benefits it would bring, and that almost caused a crisis sometime later.”
The World Tree’s clone was immensely beneficial to the Star Boundary as all the living creatures there benefited from its presence; therefore, there were a lot of talented people who appeared in the Star Boundary over the years. Previously rare, Heaven-defying geniuses were now everywhere in the Star Boundary.
Since a clone was already so useful to a Universe World, what would happen if a cultivator planted one in their Small Universe? Fundamentally, a cultivator’s Small Universe could be considered a Universe World as well.
Many people had speculated that one would benefit greatly if he could do so.
The envoys from the Cave Heavens and Paradises who were stationed in the Star Boundary had tried to obtain roots from the World Tree’s clone and plant them inside their Small Universes.
Without fail though, none of these roots survived.
Therefore, the foreign affairs envoys speculated that only a root obtained from the Mother tree could be turned into a clone while the root hairs acquired from a clone could not survive.
Since the World Tree’s clone before their eyes was fully grown, it suggested that the Sealed World’s owner had previously obtained a root from the real World Tree, just like what Yang Kai had done.
However, while Yang Kai planted the root in the Star Boundary, this person planted it in their Small Universe.
Bai Yi looked up and muttered, “If this is the World Tree’s clone, could the fruits on its branches be World Fruits?”
It wasn’t certain how long this World Tree’s clone had lived, but it was full of fragrant Spirit Fruits. They could see that there were countless Spirit Fruits hanging on the branches.
It was just like what Yang Kai saw when he came across the real World Tree in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
The question of whether a World Tree’s clone could bear World Fruits had been troubling the Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Many speculated that it could bear fruits, but they were not certain when it would happen.
Yang Kai had also been looking forward to the day when the World Tree in the Star Boundary would bear fruits; however, it had only been a short time since the World Tree was planted, so it hadn’t shown any signs of bearing fruits.
The one in the Sealed World had verified their speculations.
The clone could also bear World Fruits; a lot of them in fact.
“Yes, they’re World Fruits,” Yang Kai nodded, “But… they’re slightly different from real World Fruits.”
Bai Yi asked curiously, “What’s the difference?”
Yang Kai shook his head as he couldn’t really tell; however, he could see that the World Fruits hanging on this fruit tree were indeed different from the ones he saw in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. The most glaring difference was that the World Fruits here were much smaller.
“This discovery is very important. Junior Sister, you stay here while I inform Division Commander Cha about it so that he can send more people to this place,” Yang Kai said.
“Understood,” Bai Yi nodded.
It was then that Yang Kai pushed his Space Principles and disappeared from the spot.
The next instant, he appeared before the Sealed World’s portal and dashed out of it.
Meanwhile, Cha Hu was standing on the deck of Dawning Light monitoring the surroundings to prevent any Black Ink Clansmen from attacking them. Fortunately, the Black Ink Clan seemed to have given up on this area after the last great battle here. Not even a single Black Ink Clansman had been spotted in this area for some time now.
The moment Yang Kai appeared, Cha Hu turned to look at him.
As the younger man got closer, Cha Hu asked with a frown, “What’s wrong?”
Seeing that Yang Kai had returned alone while Bai Yi was nowhere in sight, he thought that they had encountered some danger in the Sealed World.
“Sir,” Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Junior Sister Bai and I have discovered something critical in the Sealed World we were exploring,” He then recounted what he had seen.
Upon hearing that, Cha Hu became excited, “Are you sure it’s a World Tree’s clone?”
Yang Kai replied, “There’s one in my homeland, so I can recognise it. Additionally, there are a lot of rare Spirit Herbs in the medicine garden. I can’t even recognise some of them, so I don’t dare to rashly harvest them. You’ll have to head over and make a decision, Sir.”
Cha Hu nodded, “In that case, I definitely have to take a look.”
After that, he told two Squads who had just returned to follow him. There were a lot of herbs and a World Tree in an ancient medicine garden, so they would need a lot of time and manpower to harvest them. It was definitely better to bring more people with him.
They soon passed through the portal and streamed into the Sealed World.
Since there wasn’t a need to explore anything, they headed straight to the medicine garden, and an incense stick later they arrived.
Bai Yi stepped forward to salute him but Cha Hu waved his hand to stop her before his gaze fixed on the World Tree’s clone.
The members of the two Squads exclaimed as well. Although they had respectively explored a Sealed World each and acquired some treasures, they had never seen anything as magnificent as this.
The medicine garden was covered in Spirit Medicines, some they could identify, and some they could not, and in the middle of the garden stood a World Tree clone that was full of World Fruits.
They had all heard about the World Tree before, but none of them had ever seen it. All of them grew curious as they examined the World Fruits. This couldn’t be helped, as it was said that World Fruits could allow an Open Heaven Realm Master to directly ascend to the next Order and increase the natural limits of their aptitude.
It was expected that they drooled over such treasures. If an Open Heaven Realm Master, whose upper limit was the Seventh Order, could consume a High-Rank World Fruit, he would instantly make it to the Eighth Order. On the Black Ink Battlefield, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would be a Division Commander.
It had to be noted that there were over 20,000 soldiers in Blue Sky Pass, but there were only a few dozen Eighth-Order Division Commanders, and each one was immensely important to the Human race as a whole.
If an Open Heaven Realm Master, whose limit was the Eighth Order, could consume a High-Rank World fruit, they would become an Old Ancestor, a powerhouse that could tilt the entire direction of the war against the Black Ink Clans.
Even a powerful Master like Cha Hu felt his emotions undulating.
However, he soon pulled himself together and ordered the two Squads to begin harvesting the herbs in the medicine garden. They were ordered not to touch the ones they couldn’t recognise as he would find a way to deal with them later.
On the other hand, he led Yang Kai to approach the World Tree’s clone.
A moment later, he said, “I remember that when you arrived at Blue Sky Pass for the first time, you said that you had seen the World Tree in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary and even obtained some World Fruits.”
Yang Kai had indeed told the Eighth-Order Masters about his past experiences, so this wasn’t really a secret among the Army and Division Commanders in the Inner Sanctum.
“Indeed,” Yang Kai nodded, “Back then, I directly ascended to the Fifth Order, then made it to the Sixth Order after consuming a Mid-Rank World Fruit.”
Cha Hu asked, “Since you think this is a World Tree, could the fruits on the tree be World Fruits as well?”
Yang Kai nodded again, “There’s no doubt about it. However, this is not the Mother Tree; it’s just a clone. Although the fruits on this tree are indeed World Fruits, they’re different from the ones I’ve acquired.”
“How are they different?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “I can’t really tell, but I do have some Low-Rank World Fruits with me. Please take a look, Sir.”
Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai fished out a Low-Rank World Fruit and passed it to Cha Hu.
When he was in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary back then, he acquired 3 Mid-Rank and 13 Low-Rank World Fruits. He passed Lu Xue and Yue He a Mid-Rank World Fruit each, and he consumed the remaining one. It could be said that they had been put to good use.
On the other hand, he had given Guo Zi Yan a Low-Rank World Fruit so that the latter could ascend from the Second-Order to the Third-Order Open Heaven Realm directly. He didn’t give out any of the other Low-Rank Word Fruits as they were not really valuable.
That said, Yang Kai had consumed some Low-Rank World Fruits while fighting his enemies before. Although they were useless for raising his Order, they could replenish a large amount of a cultivator’s World Force in short order with no side effects. They were vastly superior to any kind of restorative Spirit Pill in that regard.
Yang Kai still had some Low-Rank World Fruits on him.
After taking the Low-Rank World Fruit, Cha Hu examined it and looked up at the fruits on the tree; then, he furrowed his brows.
The ones on the tree were indeed different as they were much smaller than the World Fruit passed to him by Yang Kai.
“So, do you think the fruits on this tree have the amazing effects that we’ve heard from the rumours?” Cha Hu suddenly asked.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai shook his head, “I wouldn’t dare to make a speculation. After all, I haven’t consumed one before. Regardless, this is a clone, so the fruits are definitely not comparable to the ones hanging on the Mother Tree.”
Cha Hu nodded gently and passed the Low-Rank World Fruit back to Yang Kai, “Regardless, the fruits must be extremely valuable. We should pick them first and then let the people back in the Inner Sanctum study them.”
He then turned to Yang Kai and asked, “Is there anything I have to take note of when picking these fruits?”
After pondering on it for a moment, Yang Kai replied, “Back then, every time I picked a World Fruit in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, I had to go through a kind of reincarnation. In essence, each fruit contained an entire World with its own Principles; however, that was the case for the Mother tree, I’m not sure if it’s the same for this clone.”
Cha Hu chuckled, “Interesting. Well, we’ll know once we try.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai replied.
They then started picking the fruits.
Yang Kai was initially wary that he would have to go through a reincarnation again just like what happened in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary; however, when he picked the World Fruit nearest to him, he only fell into a dazed state while a mysterious World Force clashed with his Soul in an attempt to pull him in. He only resisted for a bit and became safe; he didn’t really fall into that World.
It seemed that the fruits on the clone tree had also inherited the characteristics of the fruits on the Mother tree, but they were not nearly as profound or abstruse as the ones on the latter.
Perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that Yang Kai had become stronger as well. In the past, he was only an Emperor Realm Master who had just condensed his Dao Seal when he was in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary. Now, he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
When he turned to look at Cha Hu, he realised that the latter wasn’t affected at all. The fruits just instantly disappeared from the tree wherever the older man went.
Yang Kai quickly pulled himself together and continued picking the fruits.
There were more than 1,000 fruits on the tree, but they were soon fully picked. Yang Kai didn’t intend to keep any of them and just passed all the fruits he had picked to Cha Hu.
All the World Fruits were collected within an hour.
Although there were no more fruits left, the World Tree’s clone before their eyes was extremely precious as well; hence, they wouldn’t want to miss it.
However, Cha Hu didn’t immediately put the World Fruits inside his Small Universe, and after giving it a thought, he said, “Yang Kai, take this World Tree.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was astounded.
Cha Hu went on to say, “Although this King doesn’t know what benefits this thing will bring, I reckon that it wouldn’t cause any harm as it’s a World Tree clone that was planted in an ancient Great Expert’s Small Universe. Even though you’re just a Seventh-Order Master, we have to ensure your safety as you are of critical importance to us. It won’t matter if this thing brings no benefits; however, if there are any benefits, it should help you grow your strength more quickly so that you’ll be able to defend yourself on the Black Ink Battlefield.”
A grateful Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Sir.”
Cha Hu waved his hand, “You are the one who has discovered these 11 Sealed Worlds; without you, we wouldn’t have gained so many benefits in the first place, so you have the right to keep this thing. However, this King has to make one thing clear to you. Even though those from the Inner Sanctum wouldn’t object to it when they find out you’ve acquired this thing, you’ll have to exchange your Military Merits for it. As for how many Military Merits will be needed, that depends on how many benefits you’ll get from this treasure. When we return to the Inner Sanctum, the Army Commanders will ask you about it.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I understand.”
Although he was the one who had discovered the treasures in this Sealed World, the rules were that everything had to be handed in and then exchanged for Military Merits on the Black Ink Battlefield.
“Make a move now. I’ll head over there to have a look around,” Cha Hu said, then shuffled towards the medicine garden. Most of the Spirit Herbs in the medicine garden had been picked, but the unrecognisable ones still remained in place. They wouldn’t dare to pick them lest the medicinal efficacies were damaged.
Standing in front of the World Tree’s clone, Yang Kai activated his Divine Sense and as Space Principles undulated, the Void around him started contorting.
He initially thought that, given his current strength, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to transfer this World Tree clone inside his Small Universe.
Nevertheless, after some investigation, Yang Kai realised that he had been too naïve.
After Cha Hu finished picking the remaining Spirit Herbs in the medicine garden two hours later, he realised that Yang Kai had been standing in front of the World Tree clone without making a move. Besides that, his face was slightly pale, which suggested that he had consumed quite a lot of energy.
With a frown, Cha Hu appeared beside him and waited patiently.
Another two hours later, Yang Kai opened his eyes and let out a breath.
“What happened?” Cha Hu asked. Bai Yi was also looking at Yang Kai with curiosity.
Yang Kai put on a helpless smile, “Sir, this World Tree clone is closely connected to this Sealed World. They’re inseparable.”
Cha Hu was stunned, “Really?”
As he spoke, he released his Divine Sense into the surroundings. He was more powerful than Yang Kai, so it took him a shorter time to inspect everything. Just like what Yang Kai had said, the World Tree’s clone and this Sealed World were inseparable.
This truly surprised him. When he told Yang Kai to take the World Tree, he was doing it for the latter’s own good. Just like he had said, despite not knowing what benefits the World Tree would bring, it wouldn’t cause any harm to take it. If there were really any benefits, Yang Kai would benefit from them and be able to grow more quickly.
Although a Seventh-Order Master could be considered fairly strong, Yang Kai was still too weak to fight against a Territory Lord, and if he came across a Royal Lord, he wouldn’t even stand a chance to survive.
Cha Hu hoped that Yang Kai could quickly ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm so that the latter could make more contributions to the Human race; however, since this World Tree clone was closely connected to this Sealed World, even an Eighth-Order Division Commander like him wouldn’t be able to easily take it, let alone Yang Kai.
“What a shame!” Cha Hu let out a sigh.
Yang Kai frowned, “There’s still a way to collect the tree, but it will take some time.”
Cha Hu was puzzled for a moment, but he soon understood what the other man meant, “You can’t do that. Don’t even think about it.”
“You know what I’m talking about, Sir?”
Cha Hu snorted, “Since this thing and the Sealed World are closely connected, you just have to store the entire Sealed World inside your Small Universe in order to take this tree.”
“Exactly,” Yang Kai nodded, “There’s no other way around it.”
Cha Hu said grimly, “By doing so, the different kinds of Dao Essences in this Sealed World will merge with your Small Universe. It would be fine if those Dao Essences complement your Small Universe; they might even strengthen your power. However, if they clash with your Small Universe, they are no different from impurities to you, and they might even affect your foundation. You have to know that this method is what those wicked cultivators use to increase their power by forcefully refining the World Force of Universe Worlds.”
Fundamentally, this Sealed World was a Small Universe left behind by an ancient Great Expert that contained their accumulated cultivation before their death. The Dao Essences hidden in this Sealed World were not all beneficial to Yang Kai; instead, they were likely harmful to him. That was the reason Cha Hu objected to this idea. He wanted Yang Kai to take the World Tree’s clone because he wanted to help the latter grow. Hence, he wouldn’t want to see the younger man harming his foundation.
Yang Kai nodded, “Of course, I understand that. However, please don’t forget that I have a World Spring that can protect my Small Universe from any external influences. With it, it will only take me some time to expel the incompatible World Force and Dao Essences in this Sealed World. By then, this World Tree’s clone will be in my Small Universe.”
Yang Kai had a similar experience before. In the past, when he led the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Void Land to hunt Zuo Quan Hui down in the New Great Territory, the latter, who was about to be defeated, spread out his Small Universe in a final attempt to resist. To counterattack, Yang Kai also manifested his Small Universe. Although he eventually managed to kill Zuo Quan Hui, a lot of the latter’s power was deposited in his Small Universe following the clash between their Small Universes.
It took Yang Kai some effort to get rid of these impurities, but his foundation wasn’t affected one bit.
He didn’t have the World Spring at that time either, so now that he did, he wasn’t worried about anything.
Cha Hu was still hesitant, but Yang Kai struck while the iron was hot by saying, “Sir, even Black Ink Strength can’t invade my Small Universe, so why would I be afraid of this Sealed World’s power? It could be said that I’m the most suitable person to collect this treasure.”
Cha Hu was somewhat convinced after hearing that, “However, it will take you quite some time to get rid of all the impurities. Your efforts will go to waste if there are no benefits to be gained.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “It will only take some time to give it a try. Even if there are no benefits, I’ll have a World Tree clone in my Small Universe that might bear the World Fruits in the future. Moreover, it’s a clone of the World Tree, there’s no way there wouldn’t be any benefits.”
Cha Hu fell silent for a moment before nodding, “Alright, you can give it a try. This King will stand guard for you. If there’s any anomalies though, you must immediately give it up.”
“Many thanks, Sir.” Yang Kai cupped his fist.
Since it was decided that Yang Kai would put this Sealed World inside his Small Universe, there was no longer a need for any exploration. Cha Hu ordered everyone else to leave.
Soon, Yang Kai and Cha Hu were the only ones left in the Sealed World.
Yang Kai took a deep breath before activating his power to spread out his Small Universe.
The next instant, his Small Universe proliferated at the speed of lightning and engulfed everything.
Cha Hu was hovering in the void and looking around intently. Upon seeing the young man’s Small Universe though, he couldn’t help but arch his brow.
Supposedly, Yang Kai was a newly promoted Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his foundation shouldn’t be very stable; however, Cha Hu could see that instead of being unsteady, the heritage of Yang Kai’s Small Universe was rich and ample. As the Small Universe spread further, he could also see the living creatures within it. There was also a small spring that provided a steady yet refreshing aura to the entire Small Universe.
When he was shrouded in Yang Kai’s Small Universe, Cha Hu fell into a dazed state for a moment and, for an instant, he felt that his perception of time had been warped.
[Time Principles?] He raised his brow.
Everyone knew that Yang Kai was an expert in the Dao of Space, but no one was aware that he was also skilful in the Dao of Time.
Cha Hu was astounded, wondering how this brat managed to master both the Dao of Space and the Dao of Time at the same time. It had to be noted that it was extremely difficult to learn the basics of either of these Grand Daos, let alone master them. It would be immensely lucky for anyone to be proficient in one of the two esoteric Grand Daos, so it was inconceivable that someone was actually accomplished in both.
While Cha Hu’s emotions undulated, Yang Kai’s Small Universe had already engulfed the entire Sealed World. Seeing that the younger man didn’t feel any discomfort, Cha Hu set his mind at ease.
All of a sudden, Yang Kai turned to him and said, “Please move away from here, Sir.”
After a nod, Cha Hu turned into a ray of light and dashed towards the exit portal.
When Yang Kai was spreading out his Small Universe, there wasn’t a problem with Cha Hu being there; however, now that Yang Kai was about to retrieve his Small Universe, he had to leave. After all, Cha Hu was an Order above Yang Kai, so the capacity of the latter’s Small Universe wasn’t large enough to accommodate him.
After leaving the portal, Cha Hu turned around and felt a tremor coming from the Sealed World. A rumbling sound was heard from time to time, and the location of the portal contorted as though it would break apart at any moment.
This situation lasted for a few days until the portal finally disappeared altogether. The next instant, a figure appeared out of nowhere. It was none other than Yang Kai.
Nonetheless, his face was pale at this moment, and his aura was unstable, as though he had been badly injured.
Bai Yi instantly approached him, but Yang Kai waved his hand to indicate that he was fine.
He looked pale right now because he had forcefully put the Sealed World inside his Small Universe. The Sealed World was a Small Universe left behind by a Great Expert in ancient times. It was expected that Yang Kai would be greatly impacted after taking it in. However, he had no choice but to do so in order to acquire the World Tree.
An average Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have seen his Small Universe exploding if he tried to do this. Fortunately, Yang Kai had a World Spring to protect his Small Universe, so although the process was difficult, he wasn’t at risk of losing his life.
However, before Yang Kai could get rid of the impurities from the Sealed World, he wouldn’t be able to fight against anyone.
Fortunately, it had been peaceful in Blue Sky Pass recently. It would take the Black Ink Clan at least a few dozen years to recuperate from their previous losses, so there wasn’t a need for Yang Kai to battle against anyone.
All the Squads had returned from exploring the Sealed Worlds, and they had all obtained a lot of rewards. Following Cha Hu’s order, Dawning Light turned into a ray of light and flew towards Blue Sky Pass.
A few days later, Blue Sky Pass came into their sight.
They could see that there were a lot of Universe Worlds in the void outside of Blue Sky Pass. These Universe Worlds were moved back from the resource harvesting areas by the Masters from the Inner Sanctum in the last two years. Quite a number of cultivators could now be seen extracting resources in those Universe Worlds.
This was a difficult undertaking, and even though thousands of soldiers from the Inner Sanctum were working on it, it would take them at least 20 years before they could fully extract the resources in those Universe Worlds.
When that time came though, the reserve of resources in the Inner Sanctum would be tremendous. Even without any new resources from the 3,000 Worlds, Blue Sky Pass would be able to last for 1,000 years without needing to resupply.
It could be said that the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors that Yang Kai had brought had alleviated the lack of resources in Blue Sky Pass, and it was the same for the other Great Passes.
As they got closer to the Inner Sanctum, Yang Kai’s voice was heard coming from the cabin, “Sir, I’ll remain out here. Please help me find a safe place outside of the Inner Sanctum. I need to cultivate in seclusion for some time.”
Cha Hu instinctively wanted to reject his idea. Yang Kai was important to the Human race. Since he wanted to cultivate in seclusion, he had to do so in an absolutely safe place. His best choice would be entering the Inner Sanctum. Why would he want to cultivate in seclusion outside of it?
Nevertheless, after giving it a thought, he soon realised Yang Kai’s intentions. What Yang Kai was about to do would cause some inconvenience to the Inner Sanctum, so it really would be better for him to stay outside.
Cha Hu then nodded in agreement, “Good, this King will look for a safe place for you.”
He expanded his Divine Sense and soon found a suitable location. It was a Universe fragment that was left behind after a Universe World had been fully mined out.
There were many Universe Worlds that were being mined outside Blue Sky Pass, so it was expected that a lot of Universe fragments would be produced. They were rubbish to Blue Sky Pass that had to be cleaned up. Although some people would deal with it, they had to wait for the Universe fragments to accumulate to a certain scale first in order to be efficient.
This Universe fragment was only several hundred kilometres away from Blue Sky Pass, and its landmass was neither big nor small. Even if Yang Kai came across any danger while cultivating in this place, those from the Inner Sanctum could immediately come to assist. They wouldn’t have to worry about Yang Kai being harmed by the Black Ink Clan.
Dawning Light then flew towards the Universe fragment and landed on it.
A pale Yang Kai, whose aura was clearly unstable, stepped out of the cabin. His unsteady steps made him look as if he was drunk; however, those who were aware of Yang Kai’s condition knew that he wasn’t inebriated, it was just that his Small Universe was filled to bursting.
“Dawn Squad is to remain here and stand guard for their Squad Leader. This King will head back to the Inner Sanctum and tell some Array Masters to come over and set up another layer of protection. The other Squads can return to their own places,” Cha Hu commanded.
Upon receiving the order, these Squads left Dawning Light and flew towards Blue Sky Pass; Cha Hu also turned into a ray of light and disappeared.
Yang Kai directly sat down with his legs crossed on a flat area on the Universe fragment and started cultivating in silence.
He felt terrible after putting the entire Sealed World inside his Small Universe, and if not for the World Spring’s presence, his Small Universe would have been damaged by now.
This made him feel astounded as he was curious about the cultivation of the owner who left behind that Small Universe in ancient times. With that said, he was certain that the ancient Great Expert was more powerful than him. Perhaps he was in the Eighth-Order or even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was the reason Yang Kai had fallen into such a state even though the Sealed World he absorbed was clearly just a fragment of the original Small Universe.
Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to resolve this problem. Yang Kai just had to get rid of the impurities that were useless to his Small Universe. By doing so, not only could he ensure his safety, but he could also keep the World Tree’s clone.
That was Yang Kai’s initial plan, but it would take a pretty long time to achieve it.
As he focused on examining his Small Universe, Yang Kai soon detected the presence of various abstruse Dao Essences which must have belonged to the ancient Great Expert.
When he and Bai Yi were exploring the Sealed World, they hadn’t felt anything special despite being inside it, but now that Yang Kai had gobbled up the entire Sealed World and it was sitting in his Small Universe, he started to clearly detect all the abstrusities hidden within.
He could easily sense the tremendous Alchemic Dao Essence in the Sealed World.
It proved that his speculation was right. The owner of this Sealed World was indeed a skilful Alchemist. That was the reason he spent the time and effort to build a medicine garden in his Small Universe.
Alchemy in ancient times must be different from now; however, the 3,000 Grand Daos had never changed one bit since time immemorial.
The Alchemic Dao Essence in this Sealed World was a pleasant surprise to Yang Kai. If he could refine this Dao Essence, his mastery over the Alchemic Dao would be improved.
These days, he no longer sought to improve his Alchemy skills. Nevertheless, some of the herbs they had collected this time were unknown to the Human race, so they might have some amazing medical efficacies. His effort would be worth it if he could seize this chance to figure out the medical efficacies of those new Spirit Herbs.
Yang Kai got to work as he broke the Sealed World into pieces in his Small Universe. He would refine the Alchemic Dao Essence while getting rid of the impurities lest his foundation be affected.
It wasn’t easy to refine someone else’s Dao Essence; after all, it didn’t belong to Yang Kai. Although it was beneficial to him, it couldn’t perfectly fit into his Small Universe.
Inevitably, some of the Dao Essence would be wasted. As Yang Kai refined the Alchemic Dao Essence in the Sealed World, only 10% of it could be kept.
This was the result considering the fact that he had a World Spring. If he didn’t have it, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve nearly this high an assimilation rate.
At this moment, he couldn’t help but recall Wu Kuang. That guy was a monstrous genius whose Heaven Devouring Battle Law could devour anything and everything in the world and convert it to his own power. If he was the one refining these Dao Essences, he would be able to do so with ease.
Yang Kai was fully aware of the advantages of Heaven Devouring Battle Law; nevertheless, due to various concerns, he wouldn’t dare to use it.
Wu Kuang possessed the Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus, so regardless of how he used the Heaven Devouring Battle Law to absorb external forces, his foundation wouldn’t be affected one bit. Yang Kai had no way to replicate this feat.
The two Supreme Lotuses were indeed Supreme Treasures of the Universe. Although both the Soul Warming Lotus and Flawless Purifying Golden Lotus were extremely rare, one of them was useful for the Soul while the other worked on the body. They had different purposes. While Yang Kai was unable to achieve things that Wu Kuang could, Wu Kuang also wouldn’t be able to accomplish things that were effortless for Yang Kai.
Cha Hu had sent a number of Array Masters to come over and set up a protective Grand Array around the Universe fragment so that Yang Kai wouldn’t be disturbed by any external forces.
Dawn was also stationed here and its members took turns to stand guard for Yang Kai.
Nearly 20,000 soldiers were still swamped with work outside Blue Sky Pass, but without the harassment from the Black Ink Clan, the Black Ink Battlefield seemed to be more serene and less dreadful.
The place where Yang Kai cultivated in seclusion was safe. Feng Ying and the others could detect that his aura was unstable, but he wasn’t at risk of losing his life.
Two months later, a Universe fragment suddenly appeared near the place where Yang Kai cultivated. The Universe fragment was filled with greenery and contained ample World Force.
However, the moment this Universe fragment appeared in the void, its World Force dissipated and disappeared. Without the nourishment of World Force, all the plants on it withered instantly.
Feng Ying, who was on duty, was flabbergasted as she thought that something bad had happened. Nonetheless, she soon realised that this Universe fragment was expelled by Yang Kai during the refinement process. It was a part of the Sealed World as proven by the greenery on it.
That was the reason Yang Kai insisted on cultivating in seclusion outside of Blue Sky Pass instead of staying inside.
It was expected that the Sealed World in his body would be cut into countless pieces and some of them would be purged. If he entered Blue Sky Pass, these Universe fragments that appeared out of nowhere would undoubtedly damage the buildings in the Inner Sanctum. However, it was different outside Blue Sky Pass as Yang Kai could simply toss them away without affecting anything.
Upon that realization, Feng Ying dashed forward and put the Universe fragment inside her Small Universe. Then, she moved to a faraway place and discarded it.
The Universe fragment was just a dead land as all the World Force was gone, so Feng Ying wouldn’t keep it.
After that, a Universe fragment of a random size would appear near Yang Kai every 10 to 15 days. They were obviously the Universe fragments that he had discarded.
The members of Dawn would immediately deal with these fragments so that Yang Kai wouldn’t be disturbed.
As time passed, more and more Universe fragments were disposed of and Yang Kai’s aura became increasingly more stable while he no longer appeared pale. It was apparent that things were going well.
This situation lasted for 6 years.
During this period of time, the members of Dawn had always stayed by Yang Kai’s side.
Over the last six years, he had discarded countless Universe fragments.
When the last Universe fragment was gotten rid of one day, there were no longer any impurities inside his Small Universe. The World Tree, which was originally fixed to the Sealed World, had been extracted and simply needed to be planted in his Small Universe.
The instant the gigantic tree landed, Yang Kai’s entire Small Universe trembled. Even the World Spring didn’t seem able to curb the anomaly.
At that moment, Yang Kai was overwhelmed by a sense of dizziness as he almost couldn’t keep himself upright.
An invisible force exuded from the World Tree’s clone. With the World Tree as the centre, countless invisible threads spread out in all directions.
Those indiscernible threads penetrated every corner of Yang Kai’s Small Universe, and within moments, the World Tree merged with the Small Universe and the two became inseparable.
At that instant, Yang Kai felt that his Small Universe had become closely knitted and impenetrable.
He already had a World Spring, one of the Four Universe Pillars, which protected his Small Universe from any external influences. When dealing with powerful enemies, his Small Universe wouldn’t be impacted one bit regardless of the difference between their strength unless the disparity was insurmountable. Now that he possessed the World Tree, his Small Universe became even firmer.
It surprised him to learn that the World Tree had the same effects as the Four Universe Pillars.
Such a notion never crossed his mind before. He had a feeling that even without the World Spring, he still wouldn’t be invaded by Black Ink Strength, for he now had the World Tree inside his Small Universe. This clone was also able to protect and stabilize his Small Universe, possibly to a greater extent than even the World Spring.
In that case, he could let someone else have the World Spring so that there would be one more powerful Master who wouldn’t need to fear Black Ink Strength. If one of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could acquire the World Spring, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything when dealing with the Black Ink Clan.
Besides that, Yang Kai soon realised another benefit of the World Tree.
The World Tree was now closely connected to every corner of his Small Universe. Like a living creature, every time the tree breathed, it would affect his Small Universe as his World Force would be refined. Although the effects wouldn’t be conspicuous in the short term, his World Force would undoubtedly become purer in the long term.
In other words, Yang Kai would be able to unleash more powerful attacks even though he would be using the same amount of World Force.
There were already innumerable living creatures inside his Small Universe to begin with and the flow of time was four times faster than the outside world. Even if Yang Kai never cultivated, the increase of his heritage would still be on par with any other cultivators; hence, he didn’t have to worry about increasing his heritage.
With the World Tree in his possession now, the quality of his heritage would also be improved.
Quality and quantity of World Force were what determined whether an Open Heaven Realm Master was strong or weak. If both measures of a person could surpass those of the cultivators of the same generation, the achievements he or she would make in the future would be unimaginable.
Other than the conspicuous benefits that Yang Kai would enjoy, the Humans inside his Small Universe would also benefit from the World Tree’s nourishment. In fact, the instant the World Tree became connected to his Small Universe, all the Emperor Realm Masters from the major Sects could feel that a great transformation had taken place in the Void Continent; however, they couldn’t tell what the transformation was despite instinctively looking in the World Tree’s direction.
With the World Tree’s nourishment, countless geniuses started appearing in the Star Boundary generation after generation. Certainly, the same thing would happen to the Humans living inside Yang Kai’s Small Universe. Due to the quicker flow of time, the effects would be seen in just several dozen years.
By then, Yang Kai could select talented people from his Small Universe and let them cultivate in Blue Sky Pass. Even if his Grand Daos were not suitable for these people, there were a lot of powerful Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises in Blue Sky Pass that could teach them. When these geniuses ascended to the Open Heaven Realm, they would be a considerable force when dealing with the Black Ink Clan.
In other words, his Small Universe had practically become the second Star Boundary as it was also an Open Heaven Realm Cradle now.
These were the benefits of the World Tree he was currently aware of. However, Yang Kai had a feeling that a wonderful treasure like a World Tree clone would have even more uses. He just hadn’t discovered the other benefits yet. Regardless, he could only take things slowly.
In a joyful mood, Yang Kai examined his Small Universe one more time, and upon making sure that there were no problems, he slowly opened his eyes.
Right then, he saw several burly figures staring at him in silence. They were none other than Zhong Liang and the other Army Commanders.
An astounded Yang Kai quickly got to his feet and saluted them, “Greetings, Sirs!”
He had no idea when they arrived at this place, but it was apparent that they hurriedly came over upon detecting some kind of anomaly.
Zhong Liang raised his hand to hint that there was no need for him to be overly polite with them. He then hurriedly asked, “How is it?”
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “Everything is fine. I’ve fully isolated the World Tree’s clone from the Sealed World and it is now closely integrated with my Small Universe.”
Ding Yao arched his brow, “Are there any benefits so far?”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai replied, “I’ve detected three benefits so far. First of all, the World Tree’s clone has the same effects as the Four Universe Pillars. It might even be superior to them. With the clone around, my Small Universe has become completely impervious to outside influence.” At this point, he cupped his fist, “Sirs, since I have the World Tree’s clone with me, I no longer need the World Spring. I’m willing to let someone else have it for the greater good of the Human race.”
Upon hearing that, the Army Commanders exchanged glances as they were evidently surprised. They had never expected that the World Tree’s clone had the same effects as the Four Universe Pillars. They wouldn’t have found out about it if Yang Kai never told them.
With a frown, Zhong Liang said, “That’s very generous of you, but are you sure the clone can resist the Black Ink Strength after you lose the World Spring? If you can’t resist the influence of the Black Ink Strength after giving up your World Spring, you’ll never be able to leave Blue Sky Pass again.”
Yang Kai replied, “Although I’m unable to verify it, the clone can indeed protect my Small Universe from any external influences. Its protection feels even sturdier than the World Spring’s. Even if what you’ve said is true, I’ll just stay inside Blue Sky Pass, so that I won’t come into contact with the Black Ink Clan.”
Zhong Liang chuckled, “Good, don’t forget what you’ve said.” He would rather let Yang Kai stay in Blue Sky Pass forever to ensure his safety so that he wouldn’t have to worry about him whenever the latter left the Inner Sanctum.
“In any case, there’s no rush to handle this issue. Even though you’re willing to give up the World Spring, we’ll need to have a discussion on who will take it over. Moreover, after you lose the World Spring, your Small Universe will no longer be complete. By then, you’ll have to consume a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to repair your Small Universe. All of that takes time.”
“I’ll leave the details up to you, Sirs.”
The issue of giving up the World Spring was set aside for now, so Liang Yu Long asked, “What is the second benefit?”
Yang Kai replied, “The second benefit is that the clone is able to refine my World Force. With the clone in possession, the World Force in my Small Universe will become increasingly pure.”
“That’s a wonderful benefit!” Ding Yao tutted. Given Yang Kai’s current strength, he was already peerless among the cultivators in the same Order. If the heritage in his Small Universe could be further refined, his strength would be significantly enhanced. In time, not only would he be more powerful than all other cultivators in the same Order, but he would also be able to fight against cultivators that were an Order above him.
After pondering on it for a moment, Zhong Liang said, “Even though the benefit is amazing, it won’t have any conspicuous effects in the short term.”
With that said, Open Heaven Realm Masters enjoyed a very long life. As a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, time was on Yang Kai’s side.
“The third benefit has nothing to do with me, but it is still significant. There are many Humans currently living in my Small Universe. With the World Tree’s nourishment, many rare talents and geniuses will start appearing within two or three generations.”
Upon hearing that, Liang Yu Long was surprised and confused, “What kind of talents and geniuses are you talking about?”
Yang Kai explained, “Sir may not be aware of it yet, but there is also a World Tree clone planted in my homeland, the Star Boundary. A few hundred years ago, I planted it there because my homeworld was at risk of collapsing after suffering too much damage in a great war. I only wanted to save my homeworld by planting the World Tree there, but to my surprise, several generations later, the average aptitude of the cultivators living in the Star Boundary had improved dramatically. The Cave Heavens and Paradises have all set up Dao Temples there to take on more disciples and raise some of their own from outside the Star Boundary. Before I came to the Black Ink Battlefield, there were already a lot of talented youths who had the aptitude to directly ascend to the Sixth-Order and even the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
“Directly ascending to the Seventh Order?” All the Army Commanders were astonished.
If a person directly ascended to the Seventh Order, it meant that their upper limit would be the Ninth Order. If such a person wasn’t accidentally killed, they had a chance to become an Old Ancestor.
“And you say there are many such people?” Zhong Liang asked in a solemn tone.
Yang Kai nodded, “There are many who are able to directly ascend to the Sixth Order. Though only a small number of people can directly make it to the Seventh Order, I suppose every Cave Heaven and Paradise will have at least one to two such people every 1,000 years. In the past, there had been some commotion as the Cave Heavens and Paradises tried to take on disciples in my homeworld.”
Even though they were all in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, they couldn’t help but gasp upon hearing that.
A genius who could directly ascend to the Seventh Order was extremely rare and perhaps such a person would only appear every 1,000 years across the entire 3,000 Worlds. It wasn’t that there were no disciples in the Cave Heavens and Paradises who had directly ascended to the Seventh Order in the past as all the Old Ancestors had directly made it to the Seventh Order back then. However, such people were incredibly rare even in the Cave Heavens and Paradises. When such a talent appeared, it would cause a huge commotion, and they would be given all the support available.
Now, every Cave Heaven and Paradise had one to two such geniuses in Yang Kai’s homeland within the same time frame. That was truly inconceivable.
It would suggest that several thousand years later, there would be an additional 100 to 200 Old Ancestors.
When these powerful cultivators arrived on the Black Ink Battlefield, they would send a shockwave across the Black Ink Clan.
These Army Commanders were stunned as they could envision the bright future ahead of them. When the time came, with so many powerful Human cultivators around, they might be able to destroy the Black Ink Clan once and for all.
Yang Kai went on to say, “The population in my Small Universe is not comparable to my homeworld, so there wouldn’t be a lot of geniuses being born right away. With that said, there would still be quite a number of them. I plan to let them ascend to the Emperor Realm in my Small Universe first, then they can continue cultivating in the Inner Sanctum until they make it to the Open Heaven Realm.”
Zhong Liang and the others finally came to their senses and Ding Yao promptly said, “By then, you have to look for a young person with an outstanding aptitude for me. This King will personally teach them.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “That person will be extremely lucky to have Commander Yao’s personal guidance.”
Zhong Liang coughed, “I’ll reserve one as well.”
Liang Yu Long and Shen Tu Mo exchanged glances, and then expressed that Yang Kai must not be biased. They would have to take on their own Disciples as well.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t object to it.
All of a sudden, Zhong Liang said in a solemn voice, “Yang Kai, since this is a matter of those living inside your Small Universe, you have to address the issue of the small population. Since the World Tree’s nourishment can enhance the Humans’ aptitude, it’s certainly better to have more Humans inside your Small Universe so that there will be even more talents.”
Shen Tu Mo nodded repeatedly, “That’s right.”
Yang Kai was torn between tears and laughter, “How am I supposed to resolve the issue of a lack of population?”
Zhong Liang said, “Since those Humans are living in your Small Universe, you can just ensure that there’ll always be food on the table for them and that they won’t have to worry about anything when cultivating. Additionally, you can provide some incentives for giving birth. That way, you’ll be able to increase the population.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai nodded, “You have a point. I’ll come up with ways to go about it.”
In fact, the population of Humans living in his Small Universe had increased significantly over the years; after all, his Small Universe was abundant in resources, and there were no major conflicts. Even the commoners living in it wouldn’t have to worry about most basic needs.
Yang Kai had never been concerned about the number of people living in his Small Universe. Being born, growing old, falling ill, and passing away were all parts of the cycle of life, and it was this very cycle that continued to strengthen the heritage of his Small Universe.
Now that there was a World Tree clone in his Small Universe though, Yang Kai had to seriously consider how to increase the Human population.
“You’ve just obtained the World Tree, so it’s not certain whether there are any downsides. You shall stay in the Inner Sanctum for the time being and not go anywhere,” Zhong Liang ordered, “Moreover, it has been peaceful around Blue Sky Pass recently, and we aren’t anticipating any major conflicts for several decades to come. You should seize this chance to cultivate and increase your strength.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai replied, “Sir, I’d like to head to Pill Hall.”
Zhong Liang asked in puzzlement, “Pill Hall? Why are you going there?”
Yang Kai replied, “The owner of the Sealed World that I consumed was a Grandmaster Alchemist. I happened to study the basics of Alchemic Dao in the past and have refined a lot of that ancient Senior’s Alchemic Dao Essence after taking in his Sealed World. Therefore, it could be said that I’ve acquired some of his inheritance.”
Zhong Liang’s brow twitched, “You’re also well-versed in the Alchemic Dao?”
“I only studied a bit of it in the past. My achievements in it aren’t worth mentioning now,” Yang Kai replied humbly.
Ding Yao frowned, “Do you want to continue cultivating the Alchemic Dao? You’ll risk being a jack of all trades but a master of none. Only by focusing on what you’re best at would you have a bright future in the Martial Dao.”
Shen Tu Mo nodded in agreement, “There isn’t a lack of Alchemists on the Black Ink Battlefield. What we lack are ingredients to use in Alchemy. Don’t get distracted because of that.”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Sirs have misunderstood. I’m not planning to cultivate the Alchemic Dao. Other than acquiring a part of the Senior’s inheritance, I also discovered a handwritten record he’d left behind in the Sealed World. Although it is tattered and incomplete, some of the information is still useful. I just want to give something I found a test. If I succeed, it will result in pills that will be useful to those in the Inner Sanctum.”
“A handwritten record?” Ding Yao was surprised.
Yang Kai waved his hand and fished out something that was the size of a palm. It was neither made from gold or jade. This item appeared quite dated and was tattered with quite a number of cracks on it.
It was the handwritten record left behind by the Sealed World’s former owner.
If Yang Kai hadn’t swallowed the entire Sealed World, he wouldn’t have found this thing.
The Senior Alchemist passed away a long time ago, and the Small Universe he left behind had gone through a gradual transformation. The land was already different from the past.
The handwritten record was buried deep beneath the ground.
After transferring the Sealed World into his Small Universe, Yang Kai put in great effort to break up the Sealed World and remove the incompatible pieces from his Small Universe.
Doing so, he had practically rummaged through the entire Sealed World and dug up everything that was hidden within it.
This handwritten record was one of the rewards of that effort. Another reward was a number of rare herbs that hadn’t been picked in the Sealed World.
Yang Kai and Bai Yi hadn’t fully explored the Sealed World back then and had simply stopped doing so after discovering the medicine garden. Naturally, there were still a lot of herbs in the Sealed World which were all now transplanted to the medicine garden in his Small Universe.
The information in the handwritten record was messy; after all, this thing was both ancient and damaged. Nevertheless, Yang Kai was aware that this handwritten record contained the Senior’s insights on Alchemy as well as some strange pill recipes.
One of the relatively complete pill recipes especially caught his attention.
After taking the handwritten record from Yang Kai, Zhong Liang infused his Divine Sense into it and went through the information. A moment later, he asked with a frown, “You can understand this?”
As he examined it, he realised that there was indeed some information in the handwritten record; however, the words used were different from the modern language, so it was hard for him to comprehend it. There were also some strange words that were unrecognisable to him. They were apparently some ancient characters that had long ago ceased to be used.
Yang Kai replied honestly, “I can only understand some of it, so I need to verify some things through experimentation.”
After all, he had refined a lot of Alchemic Dao Essence from the Sealed World, so it could be said that he had acquired a part of the Alchemist’s inheritance. Yang Kai was probably the only one in the world who could understand the handwritten record.
After Ding Yao and the others went through the note, they all appeared puzzled. Just like Zhong Liang, they didn’t understand it.
Following a moment of deliberation, Zhong Liang nodded, “You can go to Pill Hall. I’ll inform them about it so that they’ll give you the assistance you need.”
“Many thanks, Sir.”
Zhong Liang waved his hand, “However, you must focus on cultivating and must not waste your time.”
“I’ll not forget your guidance, Sir.”
Zhong Liang and the others soon left the place.
It was then that Yang Kai returned to Dawning Light and met up with the members of Dawn. Dawning Light soon turned into a streak of light that flew towards the Inner Sanctum.
Upon entering Blue Sky Pass, Yang Kai directly headed to the Pill Hall.
The Pill Hall was a complex located in the Northwest sector of Blue Sky Pass. All the Alchemists in Blue Sky Pass gathered together in this place.
It had to be noted that there were over 20,000 soldiers in Blue Sky Pass, so the need for Spirit Pills was insatiable. They wouldn’t require expensive Spirit Pills to cultivate, but when war broke out, the rate at which healing pills and restorative pills were consumed would be astonishing.
Therefore, regardless of whether there was a war going on or not, those in the Pill Hall were always swamped with work. Every Alchemist there had to exert themselves to produce the Spirit Pills that were needed by the soldiers in the Inner Sanctum.
There was also a large medicine garden in the Pill Hall where a lot of rare Spirit Herbs were grown. Those from the Inner Sanctum couldn’t possibly always rely on the people in the 3,000 Worlds to send them herbs, so every Great Pass had its own medicine garden that was well taken care of.
In the medicine garden in Blue Sky Pass, there were actually hundreds of Profound Yin fruit trees.
These Profound Yin fruit trees were found by the Human soldiers in various Sealed Worlds over the years and were all transplanted to this place.
The need for Profound Yin Spirit Fruits was also insatiable. A lot of soldiers in the Inner Sanctum had given up parts of their Small Universe before, so they longed for these fruit trees to bear fruit.
Someone was already waiting for Yang Kai when he arrived at Pill Hall.
The person’s eyes brightened when he saw Yang Kai, and then he shuffled forward and cupped his fist, “You must be Senior Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai saluted him back, “It is this Yang.”
There was a hospitable smile on that person’s face, “I am Tang Qun. The Hall Master has told me to receive you here. He has ordered that any demand you have is to be met.”
“I’m sorry for troubling you, then,” Yang Kai replied gratefully.
“This way, please.” Tang Qun extended his hand.
Yang Kai thanked him again and followed him into the Pill Hall. The moment he stepped inside the main building, he felt a gush of hot air whisking across his face. The Alchemists inside were clearly busy at work.
Both sides of the main hall were lined with secret rooms. Most rooms were closed while only a small number of them were open and empty.
Yang Kai looked around and realised that there was an Alchemy Furnace in every room that was not closed. There was also a Grand Array inside every room that was used to produce a potent Alchemy Flame.
As Tang Qun moved forward, he explained, “There are three kinds of Pill Rooms in the Pill Hall, graded as Heaven, Earth, and Mortal. Every room is equipped with an Alchemy Furnace and a Grand Array that’s used to produce and regulate Alchemy Flames. In total, there are 200 Mortal Rank Pill Rooms, 50 Earth Rank Pill Rooms, and 8 Heaven Rank Pill Rooms. What kind of Spirit Pills are you going to refine and what Pill Room would you like to use, Senior Brother Yang?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai replied, “I’m not in a rush to make any pills. There’s something I need to ask you about, though.”
Tang Qun replied, “Go ahead. This Tang will tell you everything he can.”
Yang Kai then fished out a strand of Spirit Grass, “How much of this Spirit Grass do you have in the Pill Hall?”
After taking the Spirit Grass, Tang Qun examined it and said, “Obsidian Grass? We have some reserves of it in the Pill Hall, but there’s not a lot. It’s just a supplementary ingredient for refining the Heavenly Pearl Soul Soothing Pills, so there isn’t a huge demand for it. Although we have some of this grass in the medicine garden, it’s not a lot as we’ll only use it infrequently.”
“A medicine garden?” Yang Kai was astounded, “There’s a medicine garden in the Pill Hall?”
Tang Qun replied with a smile, “Of course we have a medicine garden in the Pill Hall. Many of the Spirit Herbs found in the Sealed Worlds have been moved back to this place; after all, a lot of herbs on the Black Ink Battlefield are different from those in the 3,000 Worlds. Sometimes, even the Master Alchemists can’t identify them. We still don’t know what the uses of some of the herbs in the medicine garden are. Regardless, we’ve transplanted them to this place.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I need some of this… Obsidian Grass.”
In the handwritten record left behind by the ancient Alchemist, this Spirit Grass was not a supplementary ingredient for producing Heavenly Pearl Soul Soothing Pills, but the main ingredient for refining another kind of Spirit Pill. In the handwritten record, this Spirit Grass was not named Obsidian Grass; however, since Blue Sky Pass had its own name for it, Yang Kai didn’t find it necessary to correct them.
He just wanted to try out a pill recipe recorded in the handwritten record. It would be fine if he failed; however, if he succeeded, it would be wonderful news for the Human Race.
Yang Kai then listed a few other herbs. Tang Qun took note of them and told some people to send these herbs over.
Then, Tang Qun asked, “Are you going to be refining pills now, Senior Brother? What kind of Pill Room do you want?”
After pondering on it for a moment, Yang Kai replied, “I’ll use a Heaven Rank Pill Room, then.”
Since the Pill Rooms were divided into Heaven, Earth, and Mortal Ranks, he reckoned that the highest Rank Pill Room would be the best. He was pretty skilful at Alchemy back then, but compared to his cultivation now, his mastery of Alchemy left much to be desired. His skills in Alchemy were no longer on par with his cultivation, so he reckoned that he could increase the chance of successfully producing the pill he was trying to by using a better room.
Tang Qun nodded, “There happens to be an empty Heaven Rank Pill Room. Please come with me, Senior Brother.”
Upon finishing his words, Tang Qun led the way.
Soon, Tang Qun led Yang Kai to a Heaven Rank Pill Room. There was an Alchemy Furnace that was as tall as a Human in the Pill Room and the abstruse patterns engraved on it suggested that it was no ordinary artifact.
The Alchemy Furnaces that were placed in these Heaven Rank Pill Rooms were the best of the best in Blue Sky Pass and were personally created by the Artifact Refining Grandmasters from Divine Cauldron Heaven.
Such a high-quality Alchemy Furnace wasn’t the only one in the Heaven Rank Pill Room of course; to the other side of the Pill Room were five other Alchemy Furnaces of different sizes. The smallest one was only the size of a baby’s head while the largest one was as tall as three Humans stacked on top of each other. The one Yang Kai caught sight of upon entering the room was only medium-sized in comparison.
It was apparent that these Alchemy Furnaces were refined with various different situations in mind when it came to refining Spirit Pills.
Tang Qun explained the uses of these Alchemy Furnaces and passed Yang Kai a token, “There is a Grand Array in this Pill Room that is used to produce an Alchemy Flame. You’ll be able to control the Alchemy Flame after refining this token.”
Basically, every Alchemist had their own Alchemy Flame, and using their own Alchemy Flame would allow them to be entirely in their element when refining Spirit Pills. However, refining certain special pills was a time and labour-intensive process, so it would be better to make use of the Alchemy Flames in the Pill Rooms to save some energy.
Yang Kai used his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea when he practised Alchemy in the past. It was the best Alchemy Flame in the Alchemic Dao at that time. Nevertheless, as his cultivation improved and his Divine Sense became more refined, his Conflagrated Knowledge Sea could no longer keep pace with his needs and the Alchemy Flame in the Pill Room would undoubtedly be the best help for him now.
Yang Kai gratefully accepted the token.
Tang Qun went on to say, “You refine this first, Senior Brother. I’ll urge them to hurry up and prepare the herbs you requested.”
“Many thanks,” Yang Kai expressed his gratitude, and after Tang Qun left, he sat down cross-legged and started refining the token.
The token was a simple item, so just an hour later, he was done refining it. With the help of this token, Yang Kai could control the Grand Array in this Pill Room to draw on its Alchemy Flame.
Soon, all the herbs he requested were sent to him by Tang Qun. After a quick examination, Yang Kai confirmed that these herbs were exactly what he needed, and they came in a large quantity too.
“This Tang will stop bothering you then, Senior Brother. Please feel free to call on anyone if you need assistance or other materials.” Tang Qun bid him farewell and took his leave.
After he was gone, Yang Kai selected a suitable Alchemy Furnace in the Pill Room and organised the herbs so that he could use them when needed.
He hadn’t practised Alchemy for a long time. The last time he did so was when he was refining Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills in Void Land. His skills in Alchemy were somewhat rusty now.
Moreover, the pill recipe he obtained from the ancient Senior’s handwritten record was incomplete as the medium it was recorded on had aged and become tattered. There wasn’t a lot of useful information on it, and not a single pill recipe was complete.
In order to complete the pill recipe he was interested in, Yang Kai had to try out many different methods.
However, if his experiment turned out to be successful, the benefits it would bring to the Human Race would be immense. The prerequisite was that the Spirit Pills that were produced based on the pill recipe really had the effect described in the handwritten record.
Yang Kai then emptied his mind and started condensing the medicinal liquid. This step wasn’t difficult for him. With a high-quality Alchemy Furnace and a potent Alchemy Flame that he could make use of, he just had to be cautious. Experienced Alchemists usually wouldn’t make a mistake in this step. Only novices might fail at condensing medicinal liquid.
After he was done with condensing the necessary medicinal liquids, Yang Kai poured them into the Alchemy Furnace. He then focused on controlling the Alchemy Flame and meticulously refined the pills according to the process described in the handwritten record.
One hour later, a strange noise was heard coming from the Alchemy Furnace, then Yang Kai caught a whiff of something burnt. He froze for a bit, knowing that his attempt had failed this time.
With that said, he didn’t appear to be disappointed. He never expected to succeed in producing the pills on his first attempt; after all, the pill recipe was incomplete to begin with. He just wanted to familiarise himself with the medicinal efficacies and the process so that he could complete the pill recipe.
Only with a complete pill recipe would he stand a chance to refine useful pills.
Yang Kai cleaned up the Alchemy Furnace and threw the residue away. After taking a moment to rest and review, he began his second attempt.
As time passed, he became increasingly immersed in the process as he recalled the days when he used to practise Alchemy in the past.
He had not worked on improving his mastery of the Alchemic Dao for centuries, so his skills were indeed a bit rusty; however, he was taught Alchemy by the Heavenly Way itself back then. If he had persevered and moved forward in this Grand Dao, his mastery of Alchemy would have been just as great as the Alchemy Grandmasters in Blue Sky Pass.
Unfortunately, his time and energy were not infinite. The Martial Dao was the most important pursuit in his life, so he was willing to give up other things that would distract him from focusing on it.
As more and more herbs became burnt dregs, Yang Kai gained a better understanding of the pill recipe in the handwritten record. However, there was always a bottleneck he could not break through when trying to refine this pill.
Something essential was missing from the pill recipe in the handwritten record.
Yang Kai reckoned that this key component was some kind of Spirit Herb, though he didn’t know what it was. He could only try out different types of herbs to figure out what was missing. With that said, he wasn’t blindly carrying out experiments.
Since the handwritten record was found in the Senior Alchemist’s Small Universe, the herbs listed in this pill recipe were most likely grown in his medicine garden.
Therefore, the herbs Yang Kai had selected were the ones he could find in the medicine garden in the Sealed World with seemingly appropriate properties. He decided to experiment with all these herbs first, and if he still didn’t succeed, he would then come up with a new plan.
Those from the Pill Hall had given him their full support, so over the next month, Yang Kai had asked for more herbs from Tang Qun eight times. Every time, Tang Qun would always promptly send him what he requested.
However, Yang Qun was astounded at Yang Kai’s need for such a large amount of herbs as he wondered what kind of pills the latter was making. It had to be noted that Spirit Herbs on the Black Ink Battlefield were even more precious than cultivation resources. Although the Army Commanders had ordered them to fully support Yang Kai, they couldn’t possibly let him endlessly consume so many herbs without yielding any results.
One day, an energetic old man, whose hair and beard were grey with age, arrived at the Pill Hall. Wherever he went, the Alchemists would stop and call out, “Grandmaster Zhu Ge.”
This couldn’t be helped, as this old man was one of the top three Alchemy Grandmasters in Blue Sky Pass, Zhu Ge Ming. When it came to the Alchemic Dao, only the Hall Master and another Grandmaster were comparable to him in the entire Pill Hall. It could even be argued that he was the best Alchemist in Blue Sky Pass. Nevertheless, he was a whimsical man who didn’t know how to liaise with others. Otherwise, he would have become the Hall Master of the Pill Hall.
The current Hall Master had even declared that his skills in Alchemy were slightly inferior to those of Zhu Ge Ming.
When Zhu Ge Ming arrived at the Medicine Hall where herbs were managed, he knocked on the table and listed the herbs he needed.
The Deacon, who was in charge of the Medicine Hall, hurriedly invited him to have a seat before personally looking for the herbs the Grandmaster wanted.
A moment later, the Deacon came over and saluted Zhu Ge Ming, “Grandmaster Zhu Ge, the herbs you want are here; however, there’s a lack of Green Feather Rattan at the moment. I’ve asked someone to pick it from the medicine garden. I’m sure he’ll be back soon. Please bear with us.”
Zhu Ge Ming nodded and asked, “Has that old thing Zhou Fang been refining Universe Formulation Pills recently?”
Universe Formulation Pills were very high-grade Spirit Pills, while Zhou Fang was one of the top three Alchemy Grandmasters in the Pill Hall.
Other than the Hall Master, the two of them were the most important figures in the Pill Hall. However, they were considered rivals as they were experts in the same Dao. It had been thousands of years since they arrived at Blue Sky Pass, but they had never stopped competing against each other in the Alchemic Dao. Certainly, they had also never stopped arguing as neither of them was willing to make a concession.
Apart from the Hall Master, only Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang were able to refine Universe Formulation Pills in the entire Blue Sky Pass. Green Feather Rattan was the main ingredient for refining Universe Formulation Pills, and it wasn’t needed for producing other pills. That was the reason Zhu Ge Ming had this speculation.
Upon hearing that, the Deacon shook his head, “Grandmaster Zhou didn’t take it. It was Junior Brother Tang Qun.”
Zhu Ge Ming frowned, “What does that brat Tang Qun need Green Feather Rattan for?”
There was a helpless smile on the Deacon’s face as he replied, “I have no idea. However, he said that it was Yang Kai who wanted those herbs. Moreover, the Army Commanders have ordered us to provide all the support he needs.”
“Yang Kai?” Zhu Ge Ming arched his brow, “That Yang Kai?”
Although the Grandmaster didn’t speak clearly, the Deacon understood him as he nodded, “Yes, that Yang Kai.”
Yang Kai had practically become a household name in the Blue Sky Pass. Even though those from the Pill Hall had not been on the front lines of the fight against the Black Ink Clan, they had all heard that Yang Kai as his arrival had brought a lot of good news to the soldiers in the Inner Sanctum. He had created a way that could help the Humans from the different Great Passes purify Black Ink Strength after all.
“He’s also well-versed in Alchemy?” Zhu Ge Ming was slightly surprised.
The Deacon looked around, and upon making sure that no one else was around, he said, “Perhaps he knows a little about Alchemy, but he’s definitely not an expert. Over the past month, he has used up many rare herbs. I’ve asked Junior Brother Tang Qun about it, but he said that Yang Kai hasn’t even produced a single Spirit Pill. I’m sure you’re aware that Green Feather Rattan is only used to refine Universe Formulation Pills, so we don’t have a lot of it in reserve. He has practically used up all of our stock over the past month, and I haven’t even included the other herbs.”
Upon hearing that, Zhu Ge Ming furrowed his brow, “Isn’t he just causing trouble, then?”
The Deacon nodded repeatedly, “I agree with you. The herbs in the Inner Sanctum are precious, and every herb wasted could have been used to save a soldier at a critical moment; however, since the Army Commanders have given the order, we can only oblige.”
Zhu Ge Ming’s face fell, “Where is Yang Kai?”
The Deacon replied, “Junior Brother Tang Qun has helped him settle down in Heaven Rank Pill Room 3.”
Zhu Ge Ming rose from the chair, “I’ll have a look.”
A shocked Deacon hurriedly dissuaded him from doing that, “Grandmaster, please do not make things difficult for Yang Kai. It was the Army Commanders’ order, after all.”
“So what if they’re the Army Commanders? If they’re so capable, they wouldn’t have to consume the Spirit Pills this Zhu refines when they’re injured,” After finishing his words, he left the place in a fury.
The Deacon was dumbfounded. He felt heartbroken that Yang Kai had wasted so many herbs, so he just wanted to whine about it in front of Zhu Ge Ming a little. It never crossed his mind that he would create such trouble.
He was fully aware of Zhu Ge Ming’s temperament. Things would get ugly if the Grandmaster got into a conflict with Yang Kai.
While the Deacon was anxious, he saw someone sauntering towards him.
Upon seeing the person, he quickly went over, “Grandmaster Zhou!”
The person was none other than one of the top three Alchemists in the Inner Sanctum, Zhou Fang, who was on bad terms with Zhu Ge Ming.
Zhou Fang grunted as he calmly placed his hands behind his back. With a dispassionate expression, he ordered, “Go get some Green Feather Rattan for me. This Old Master is ready to refine some Universe Formulation Pills. A lot of those pills were consumed in the previous war and there aren’t a lot in stock in the War Materials Hall now.”
Universe Formulation Pills could be considered strategic resources, so there would usually be some reserve of it in the War Materials Hall; however, all of those pills would be fully consumed after every major war. After all, there were only three people in the Inner Sanctum who could produce these pills.
Upon hearing this, the Deacon felt his head aching, for he was asked to get Green Feather Rattan again. Although the ingredient was fairly rare, there would usually be some reserve of it in the Medicine Hall as it was only used to make Universe Formulation Pills. However, he was unable to get his hands on it at the moment.
With a helpless smile, he replied, “Please give me a moment, Grandmaster Zhou. Just now, Grandmaster Zhu Ge came over and took all the Green Feather Rattan. I’ve asked someone to collect some from the medicine garden, but it will take some time.”
Zhou Fang frowned at that, “That old fart Zhu Ge took all the Green Feather Rattan? There was still a lot of it when I came here previously.”
The Deacon kept a helpless smile on his face, “There’s none left.”
Zhou Fang snapped, “That old fart Zhu Ge has gone too far! It’s not necessary for him to use such a dirty trick even if he doesn’t want to let me refine Universe Formulation Pills!”
Upon hearing that, the Deacon was flabbergasted, “You’ve got it wrong, Grandmaster Zhou. Grandmaster Zhu Ge only took a small amount of Green Feather Rattan.”
“Stop smoothing things over. Where’s the old fart now? I need to give him a piece of my mind!”
The Deacon was on the brink of breaking into tears as he tried to explain, “It really wasn’t Grandmaster Zhu Ge who used up all the Green Feather Rattan. Before he asked for it, someone else had been consuming the herbs.”
Zhou Fang was surprised, “Is there another person who can refine Universe Formulation Pills now?”
“No…” A helpless Deacon repeated what he had said to Zhu Ge Ming earlier.
A myriad of expressions came over Zhou Fang before he turned around and left, “That’s ridiculous. This Old Master is also going to have a look.”
The moment he arrived at Heaven Rank Pill Room 3, he saw Zhu Ge Ming standing outside. There was a young man who sported a servile smile in front of him and upon closer inspection, he realised that the young man was Tang Qun.
Tang Qun was heard saying, “Grandmaster Zhu Ge, you can’t disturb Senior Brother Yang while he’s in the middle of refining pills. You’re also an Alchemist, so you are surely aware of what will happen if an Alchemist is disturbed in the midst of Alchemy. If the Army Commanders find out about it, I won’t be able to bear the responsibility.”
Zhu Ge Ming glared at him, “No one is telling you to bear the responsibility. Regardless of what happens, I will take all the blame.”
After he finished speaking, he was ready to barge into the room. A terrified Tang Qun quickly stopped him.
Zhu Ge Ming growled, “Stinking brat, do not force me to make a move on you! Although I’m an Alchemist who knows nothing about fighting, I’m still an Eighth-Order Master! It’s not difficult for me to deal with you. That Yang Boy has indeed made some significant contributions to the Inner Sanctum and I’ve heard that he’s even killed a Territory Lord. However, Alchemy and fighting are two different things. All the herbs in the Inner Sanctum are precious, so none of them should be wasted. Why is he here trying to refine pills instead of killing more enemies on the battlefield? He’s just causing trouble for no good reason!”
With a bitter expression, Tang Qun nodded repeatedly, “You have a point, Grandmaster; however, Senior Brother Yang is in the middle of refining pills right now, so you can’t disturb him… Ah! You’re here as well, Grandmaster Zhou. Please help persuade Grandmaster Zhu Ge.”
Upon hearing that, Zhu Ge Ming turned his head. When he saw Zhou Fang ambling towards him, he snorted with disdain.
Zhou Fang stood in front of them and shot Zhu Ge Ming a dismissive look, “Can’t you just admit that you’re old? You’ve lost all your courage, and all you know is how to shout. Highly improper!”
Like a cat whose tail had been stamped upon, Zhu Ge Ming roared, “I’m indeed old, but you’re in no way younger than I am. You said I’ve lost all my courage, what courage do you have, then?”
Zhou Fang scoffed, “Of course I’m more courageous than you are!” Following that, he landed a slap on the back of Tang Qun’s head, “Scram you smelly brat!”
He was also an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so although he rarely fought with anyone, his cultivation was not just for show. Upon impact, Tang Qun directly collapsed to the ground and fell into a dazed state. He wasn’t harmed at all as Zhou Fang only used a bit of force to move him aside.
Zhu Ge Ming was speechless at the sight.
“Open the door,” Zhou Fang snorted at Zhu Ge Ming.
Zhu Ge Ming pressed his lips together, “Why don’t you open the door?”
Zhou Fang replied, “I was in a rush when I left my place, so I didn’t bring my Vice Hall Master token with me.”
Every Pill Room had its exclusive access token and no one could open it without that token. This measure was implemented to protect the Alchemists so that they could focus on refining pills.
However, the tokens held by the Hall Master and the Vice Hall Masters could be used to open all Pill Rooms in case of an emergency. If an Alchemist fell into danger in a Pill Room, the Hall Master or a Vice Hall Master could use their tokens to open the barriers and look into them.
Both Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang were Vice Hall Masters, so they had the right to do so.
Zhu Ge Ming sneered, “Seems like you’re just a coward who is afraid of bearing any responsibility!”
Despite what he had just said, he still fished out his Vice Hall Master token and performed a hand seal before casting a beam of light.
The Pill Room’s door slowly opened as a gush of hot air rushed at them.
Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang stepped into the room at the same time and frowned. That was because this Pill Room was void of any pill fragrance. Instead, it was filled with a burnt, acrid smell.
It suggested that things were not going well in this room as the Alchemist must have failed more than once.
The two Alchemy Grandmasters felt heartbroken. Every failure meant that precious herbs had been wasted. They heard from the Medicine Hall that Yang Kai had stayed here for a month already and taken quite a number of herbs. He must have wasted a lot of good things in that amount of time.
They increasingly felt that Yang Kai was messing around.
Zhu Ge Ming had a straightforward temperament, but just when he was ready to openly chastise the young man, Zhou Fang suddenly stopped him and motioned for him to keep quiet.
Zhu Ge Ming narrowed his eyes before turning them forward.
There was a young man who was seated with his legs crossed in front of an Alchemy Furnace, using his power to control the Alchemy Flame. Although two Grandmasters had barged into the room, he didn’t seem perturbed one bit and remained completely focused.
Zhu Ge Ming’s expression turned milder as he was somewhat surprised. This performance suggested that Yang Kai was a calm and collected individual. An Alchemist was most wary of being distracted when making pills, so Yang Kai maintaining his calm even when intruded upon was a praiseworthy feat.
Upon closer look, Zhu Ge Ming realised that Yang Kai had only started this round of Alchemy as the latter was still condensing medicinal liquids. This was the first step of any pill refining process. Even though it was a simple step, an Alchemist’s foundation could be judged during this process.
As Zhu Ge Ming observed, his expression changed slightly, for he realised that the young man wasn’t just messing around like what he had imagined. It was apparent that the young man’s foundation was solid judging from the way he condensed medicinal liquid. Since he was able to condense different types of medicinal liquid at the same time, it also suggested that he wasn’t someone who knew nothing about the Alchemic Dao.
With that said, he could easily spot mistakes in the young man’s process. Despite that, he was still pleased with what he saw.
As he continued to observe it, he soon became puzzled though.
He could recognise every herb that Yang Kai threw into the Alchemy Furnace. He could also identify their medicinal age and instantly figure out what kinds of pills required these herbs. Additionally, he understood when would be the best time to add the medicinal liquids into the furnace.
Nevertheless, when all of these herbs were combined, he couldn’t figure out what pill was being made.
He thus turned his head and realised that Zhou Fang was also looking attentively with a perplexed expression.
Zhu Ge Ming couldn’t help but ask secretly, “What pill is he making?”
Zhou Fang frowned, “I don’t know. Can’t you tell?”
Zhu Ge Ming refuted, “Why would I have asked you if I could figure it out?”
Zhou Fang replied, “It looks like he’s trying to refine a new kind of Spirit Pill.”
Zhu Ge Ming was shocked, “Are there still any Spirit Pills in this world that we’re not aware of?”
It had been many thousands of years since they began cultivating the Alchemic Dao, and they were versed in essentially every pill recipe in existence. However, Yang Kai’s process puzzled them. There was no doubt that it was a new pill recipe, so they couldn’t help but wonder what Spirit Pill this young man was working on.
They initially wanted to reprimand Yang Kai and tell him to do what he was best at and leave refining pills to the experts. Since he was able to fight against the enemy, he should focus on doing that. However, neither was interested in chiding him anymore as they were absorbed in observing his process and waiting for the result.
Just an hour later, a pop was heard coming from the Alchemy Furnace.
Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang felt their chests tightening as they thought it was such a shame.
The moment a burnt smell exuded from the Alchemy Furnace, Yang Kai let out a sigh and got to his feet.
Tang Qun, who was stunned by Zhou Fang’s slap earlier, had already come to his senses as he stood behind the Grandmasters. Seeing that the two Grandmasters were not disturbing Yang Kai, he naturally wouldn’t dare to say anything as well.
It wasn’t until this moment that he rushed over and said to Yang Kai, “Senior Brother Yang, these are the Vice Hall Masters of the Pill Hall. They’re also two of the best Alchemy Grandmasters here.”
He then introduced him to Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang.
Yang Kai nodded and cupped his fist, “Junior Yang Kai greets Seniors.”
Tang Qun looked apologetically at Yang Kai, “Please forgive me, Senior Brother Yang. The Grandmasters insisted on coming over to have a look upon learning that you’re refining pills here. There’s nothing this Tang could do…”
Yang Kai understood him. Even though he was focused on his Alchemy just now, he was fully aware of what was going on around him. Nevertheless, he couldn’t afford to be distracted at that time, despite knowing that the expressions of Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang at the time suggested that they did not simply want to have a look at what he was doing.
Before Tang Qun could finish his words, Yang Kai waved his hand, “I already intended to seek help from the Pill Hall to begin with. Even if the Grandmasters hadn’t come looking for me, I would still have requested to visit them.”
Yang Kai never expected that he could complete the pill recipe he found in the handwritten record on his own. He initially wanted to familiarise himself with the basics of the process and then seek help from the Pill Hall to complete this task; after all, he was the only one who could understand the handwritten record. Only when he was at least a bit familiar with it could he explain the details to the Alchemists in the Pill Hall.
Even if Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang never looked for him, he would have asked Tang Qun to introduce him to the Alchemy Grandmasters in the Pill Hall soon. It could be said that Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang had arrived at just the right time.
He reckoned that it would be best for the professionals to take over now.
Tang Qun had no idea whether Yang Kai was serious or just consoling him, but he was relieved that the latter showed no intent to blame him.
Zhu Ge Ming was never a patient man, so after waiting for a bit, he hurriedly asked, “Yang Kai, what Spirit Pill were you trying to make?”
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “Grandmaster Zhu Ge, the Spirit Pill I was trying to refine is called the Purifying Black Ink Pill.”
“What?” Zhou Fang raised his voice.
“Purifying Black Ink Pill,” Yang Kai enunciated every word.
Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang exchanged glances. Most of the time, the uses of Spirit Pills would be obvious from their names, and the name of this Spirit Pill was quite thought-provoking indeed.
Zhu Ge Ming frowned, “Could the use of this Purifying Black Ink Pill be…”
Yang Kai nodded, “Grandmaster Zhu Ge, it is as you think, Purifying Black Ink Pills are used to purify Black Ink Strength that has invaded Humans.”
Upon hearing that, Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang gasped at the same time. Tang Qun, who was standing beside them, widened his mouth and sported a look of disbelief.
Yang Kai explained slowly, “In ancient times, there were already Human Masters who fought against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield. The Seniors of ancient times were truly ingenious and seemed to have developed these Purifying Black Ink Pills that could be used to resist Black Ink Strength. However, this pill recipe had been lost with the passage of time. Recently, I happened to find a tattered handwritten record left behind by a Senior Alchemist in a Sealed World. I found the pill recipe for the Purifying Black Ink Pill in that handwritten record. Unfortunately, the pill recipe is incomplete as the handwritten record was in poor condition. I’ve been trying to complete the pill recipe during this period of time, but I’ve yet to succeed.”
Zhu Ge Ming hurriedly said, “A handwritten record left behind by a Senior Alchemist? Where is it?”
Zhou Fang also looked fervently at Yang Kai.
Although they were already among the best Alchemy Grandmasters alive, there was no end to the pursuit of knowledge in this Grand Dao. They reckoned that the insights and knowledge of a Senior from ancient times could help them improve their skills; therefore, they were deathly curious about the handwritten record that Yang Kai had mentioned. It would be of great help to them if they could have a look at it.
Yang Kai didn’t intend to keep this treasure to himself, so he promptly fished out the record.
An agile Zhu Ge Ming took the handwritten record and infused his Divine Sense into it. Zhou Fang, who didn’t manage to get his hands on it, was clearly anxious and kept glaring at Zhu Ge Ming, as though he was trying to kill the latter with his gaze.
He initially thought that it would take Zhu Ge Ming a long time to read it, but just a moment later, the latter appeared speechless, “I don’t understand it at all.”
“Incapable and ignorant fool!” Zhou Fang snorted as he rudely took the tattered handwritten record from Zhu Ge Ming and infused his Divine Sense into it.
Zhu Ge Ming shot him a glance and snapped, “I’ll write my name backwards from now on if you can understand it!”
Zhou Fang sported a solemn expression as he focused on going through the handwritten record. A while later, he retracted his Divine Sense and appeared dejected, “This Senior’s intelligence is indeed unrivalled…”
Upon hearing that, Zhu Ge Ming snorted. Many of the characters found in this handwritten record were from ancient times and were completely unrecognisable. They could identify some of the words, but they couldn’t understand the meaning behind them when they tried to piece them together. Apparently, the language used in ancient times was different from the present.
Such a handwritten record was definitely invaluable; however, it wouldn’t be of much use if it couldn’t be comprehended.
Ignoring Zhu Ge Ming’s mockery, Zhou Fang turned to Yang Kai and asked, “You can understand it?”
Zhu Ge Ming became energised as well. When he observed Yang Kai practise Alchemy just now, he realised that the latter had made some excellent progress in the early steps, but failed as the process went on. It was obvious that Yang Kai had comprehended the first part of the pill recipe of these Purifying Black Ink Pills.
Yang Kai replied, “I can understand most of it.”
In fact, he was also unable to recognise most of the words in the handwritten record; however, after he refined the Alchemic Dao Essence left behind by the Senior Alchemist, he could intuit the meaning of those words despite not being able to identify them.
Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang were elated upon hearing that with the former saying nervously, “Tell us about the Purifying Black Ink Pill’s recipe. Perhaps we’ll be able to help.”
Zhou Fang nodded repeatedly. The two of them had always been on bad terms as each believed that they were better than the other when it came to their skills in Alchemy. They rarely saw eye to eye, but in order to have a detailed explanation of the pill recipe of the Purifying Black Ink Pill now, they decided to put their grudges aside at least temporarily.
It had always been Yang Kai’s intention to seek help from the Grandmasters in the Pill Hall, so he wasn’t the least bit upset.
He then explained to them everything he knew about the pill recipe in detail while Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang listened attentively.
It took Yang Kai an hour to finish explaining what he knew. After that, he let out a sigh, “The handwritten record has been in existence for far too long, which is why it’s so tattered. The most valuable information in it is the Purifying Black Ink Pill recipe; however, even that is incomplete. I’ve repeatedly tried different methods to complete it. Everything went well in the initial stage, but it wouldn’t be long after that I’d fail. I imagine that one or more key herbs were recorded in the missing part of the pill recipe. If we can figure out the missing part, the pill recipe will be complete once again.”
Zhu Ge Ming nodded, “Your speculation is likely correct; however, we have no idea about what’s missing from the pill recipe… Well, it’s not like we’re completely clueless. The first part and much of the latter section of the pill recipe are complete, we’re only missing a piece from the middle. We can figure out the missing part by making some deductions based on the first and last parts of the recipe.”
There was a solemn expression on Zhou Fang’s face, “Despite that, it won’t be an easy feat. Is it one herb or several herbs that are missing? What is the appropriate amount? When is the best time to add the herbs to the furnace? There are a lot of variables involved. A lot of herbs will be consumed if we want to complete this recipe.”
Zhu Ge Ming countered, “The Humans from all the Great Passes have spent countless herbs trying to create something like this Purifying Black Ink Pill over the years. Now that we already have a half-complete pill recipe though, we just have to figure out the missing part. Why would we shy away from this relatively easier task?”
Zhou Fang nodded, “You have a point.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai couldn’t help but ask, “The Humans from the different Great Passes have tried to refine a Purifying Black Ink Pill before?”
Zhu Ge Ming nodded, “Of course, we’ve all tried making such a pill before. The invasion of Black Ink Strength has been an unsolvable problem for millennia. Once a Human was invaded by Black Ink Strength on the battlefield, they had no choice but to give up a part of their Small Universe, thus putting an end to their Martial Dao. Therefore, Alchemists like us thought that perhaps we could create a kind of Spirit Pill that could resist or purify Black Ink Strength. Coincidentally, we also named such pills ‘Purifying Black Ink Pills’, though they were never successfully created.”
Zhou Fang said, “We spent countless years and resources on this project, but unfortunately, no progress was ever made. Even though a lot of strange pills had been created during the process, they were unable to resist the Black Ink Strength in the end. In fact, before your arrival in Blue Sky Pass, this old fart and I would study how to refine Purifying Black Ink Pills in our spare time. However, after you came to Blue Sky Pass and brought with you Purifying Light, we decided to give up on making such pills.”
Suddenly thinking of something, Zhou Fang said, “By the way, since there’s alright Purifying Light, would Purifying Black Ink Pills still be useful even if they’re created?”
Zhu Ge Ming quickly turned to Yang Kai as he also realised it.
Yang Kai replied solemnly, “They’ll still be useful. Even though Purifying Light is able to cleanse Black Ink Strength, casting it requires valuable resources. There will come a day when these unique resources are depleted. By then, without Purifying Light to rely on, we’ll have to make use of Purifying Black Ink Pills to ensure our safety. On top of that, Purifying Light is currently sealed within the Purifying Black Ink Battleship of each Human Army. On the battlefield, if a Human soldier is invaded by Black Ink Strength, they have to retreat to a Purifying Black Ink Battleship. That is fine if the Battleship is nearby, but what if the vessel is too far away for one to return promptly? In that case, Purifying Black Ink Pills will be more useful than Purifying Light.”
“You have a point.” Zhu Ge Ming nodded, then turned to Zhou Fang, “We’ll do our best, then. If we can really create working Purifying Black Ink Pills, perhaps our names will be remembered by the future generations.”
Zhou Fang was excited at that, “We’ll definitely do our best.”
“I’ll leave it to you then, Seniors.”
Yang Kai had explained most of the Purifying Black Ink Pill recipe to them and he also shared with them his failures during this period of time so that they wouldn’t make the same mistakes again.
Now, he wouldn’t have to worry about the rest of the matter. He would just let those from the Pill Hall figure out the complete pill recipe of the Purifying Black Ink Pills.
In fact, Yang Kai could have passed everything to the Pill Hall right from the start. The reason he had spent a month practising Alchemy was that he wanted to familiarise himself with the recipe and verify its feasibility first.
Even though it was proven that it was possible to create Purifying Black Ink Pills, and the pill recipe was only half-complete, it would still take them a long time to figure out the missing parts.
Before Yang Kai left, he said to Tang Qun, “You should tell those in the medicine garden to begin nurturing large quantities of Obsidian Grass and Green Feather Rattan. If the Grandmasters can really complete the pill recipe, those two ingredients will see a huge increase in demand.”
Tang Qun nodded, “Leave it to me.”
He had listened to the conversation between Yang Kai, Zhu Ge Ming, and Zhou Fang, so he was aware of the importance of this matter. The main ingredients for refining Purifying Black Ink Pills were Obsidian Grass and Green Feather Rattan. If the pills were successfully created, the amount currently grown in the medicine garden wouldn’t be anywhere near sufficient.
After leaving the Pill Hall, Yang Kai wasn’t in a rush to return home; instead, he headed to the War Materials Hall.
Now that it was somewhat peaceful in the Inner Sanctum, and that there was no harassment from the Black Ink Clan, it was the best chance for Yang Kai to get some rest and cultivate. When the Black Ink Clan struck again, he wouldn’t have any free time.
Strictly speaking, he was a new Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he needed a lot of time to strengthen his cultivation; after all, accumulation was key to the cultivation of an Open Heaven Realm Master.
The War Materials Hall was always bustling with noise as people were constantly coming and going.
Yang Kai stood in front of a counter and held out his Identity Token. Behind the counter was a beautiful woman who took the token. After looking into it, she gazed at Yang Kai in shock, “Are you Yang Kai?”
A lot of people in Blue Sky Pass had met Yang Kai before, but there were even more people who had never seen him. Most of them had only heard of his name, which was why this woman asked this question.
Yang Kai replied, “If there’s not another Yang Kai in the Inner Sanctum, I’m the one.”
The woman smiled, “It’s really you, Senior Brother Yang. Do you need anything?”
“Please help me check how many Military Merits I have,” Yang Kai requested.
“Please give me a moment, Senior Brother,” the woman replied.
The information in the War Materials Hall was shared with the Merit Hall. The transactions of the Military Merits of all Human soldiers were recorded in detail in the Merit Hall; after all, it wasn’t easy for Human soldiers to earn Military Merits on the Black Ink Battlefield, so no negligence could be tolerated.
Soon, the woman reported a figure.
Yang Kai was shocked upon hearing it and blurted out, “Why do I have so few?”
The woman was astounded and asked back, “You call that few?”
According to the information she had found, Yang Kai could be considered wealthy when it came to Military Merits. Most people only had a fraction of his savings.
However, Yang Kai was fully aware of how many contributions he had made recently. When he went to forward base 4 previously, he and the members of Dawn had killed a lot of Black Ink Clansmen. He even managed to save Bai Yi and worked with her to kill Zhu Feng. In the last battle, the two of them even assisted Cha Hu to execute a Territory Lord.
After occupying forward base 4, Yang Kai brought out the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors, which allowed those from Blue Sky Pass to move the Universe Worlds back from different resource harvesting areas. Following that, he opened up eleven portals to ancient Sealed Worlds. All those were contributions he had made.
Just the fact that he and Bai Yi had worked together to kill a Territory Lord would have earned him a lot of Military Merits.
According to his own estimation, he should have at least three times more Military Merits than the figure he had just heard.
“Do you want me to help you check the transactions of your Military Merits?” the woman asked.
“Is it alright for you to do so?” Yang Kai gazed at her.
The woman put on a faint smile, “Our information is shared with the Merit Hall. It’s certainly alright for me to do so.” After she finished speaking, she started looking into the matter.
A moment later, she sported a doubtful expression, “Senior Brother, from what I’ve gathered, you had a transaction last month that cost a lot of Military Merits; however, this piece of information is classified, so I’m unable to access it to find out what you traded for. Do you not know what you traded for?”
Yang Kai was stunned upon hearing that. He had just finished refining the World Tree a month ago, so he hadn’t traded his Military Merits for anything.
The next instant, he suddenly realised that his Military Merits must have been exchanged for the World Tree. Cha Hu had said that the World Tree’s clone could be given to him, and those from the Inner Sanctum wouldn’t object to it. However, Yang Kai would have to exchange his Military Merits for it.
No one could judge how valuable a World Tree clone truly was, for it was one of the rarest and most precious treasures in the universe.
The Army Commanders must have told the people in Merit Hall to deduct Yang Kai’s Military Merits. Although it was a large sum, the figure was nothing compared to the real value of the World Tree clone.
Yang Kai relaxed upon that realization.
On the other hand, the woman behind the counter examined Yang Kai with her alluring eyes as she wondered what he had traded for. This piece of information was so important that it was classified to the point even she couldn’t access it. This had never happened before.
“Is there anything else you need, Senior Brother? We’ve received a lot of good things in the War Materials Hall recently,” the woman asked.
Yang Kai initially intended to trade for some Spirit Pills to increase his cultivation speed, so his interest was piqued when he heard that. Recently, those from the Inner Sanctum had been mining many Universe Worlds, so it wasn’t surprising that some interesting stuff had been found.
“I’ll have a look first,” Yang Kai replied.
“All the tradable resources are here. Please take a look, Senior Brother.” As the woman spoke, she passed him a jade slip.
After taking the jade slip, Yang Kai infused his Divine Sense into it.
Just like what he had seen previously, the jade slip recorded all the purchasable resources. The number one item on the list was still Profound Yin Spirit Fruits, but they were currently out of stock. It was apparent that this item was always hard to come by.
Although they had found a lot of Profound Yin Spirit Fruits in the Sealed World left behind by the Senior Alchemist, the need for such fruits was insatiable in Blue Sky Pass. The moment the Spirit Fruits appeared in the War Materials Hall, they would be snapped up within a few hours.
To the Humans, there could never be enough Profound Yin Spirit Fruits. Only when all of the Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had given up parts of their Small Universes, fully repaired them would such Spirit Fruits lose their value.
As Yang Kai scrolled down, he was shocked by the second item on the list and he couldn’t help but gaze at the woman and ask, “There are World Fruits here?”
The words ‘World Fruit’ were written on the second row of the jade slip. There was a note behind it which said that they were Mid-Rank World Fruits picked from the World Tree’s clone.
World Fruits were also the third item on the list, but these were Low-Rank World Fruits.
Certainly, Yang Kai knew where the World Fruits came from, for he and Cha Hu had personally picked them from the World Tree clone. Nevertheless, he had never expected that they would be listed in the War Materials Hall for others to buy.
The woman nodded, “Yes, but there are only a small number of Mid-Rank World Fruits left. There are still a lot of Low-Rank World Fruits, though.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “There are still some Mid-Rank World Fruits?”
These items should have been snapped up by the soldiers in the Inner Sanctum by now; after all, the effects of World Fruits were simply too amazing. When Yang Kai consumed a World Fruit back then, he directly ascended to the Sixth Order from the Fifth Order. Not only did it help him save lots of cultivation time, but it also extended the limit of his Martial Dao.
It was inconceivable that there were still some of them left. The only reasonable explanation was that these World Fruits were different from the ones he had consumed in the past, so they were less valuable.
As expected, the woman explained, “En. You might not be aware of it yet, Senior Brother, but it is said that these World Fruits were picked from a World Tree’s clone, so they’re not as amazing as the ones in the legends. Even if a person consumes a Mid-Rank World Fruit, it will only help them increase the heritage of their Small Universe a little. It can’t help them directly ascend to the next Order. It also requires a lot of Military Merits to trade for these World Fruits, so most people would rather get more resources and just cultivate slowly.”
Upon hearing her explanation, Yang Kai finally realised the reason behind the current situation. It was expected that the World Fruits produced from the World Tree’s clone were not as incredible as the ones from the Mother tree.
The weakest soldiers in the Inner Sanctum were in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so Mid-Rank World Fruits should supposedly be quite attractive to them. However, Military Merits were not easy to come by, so no one was willing to squander them.
“What about the Low-Rank World Fruits? What are their uses?”
Even the Low-Rank World Fruits grown on the Mother tree were not very valuable, let alone the ones from a mere clone. In the War Materials Hall, there was a stark difference between the Military Merits needed to trade for these two kinds of World Fruits.
The woman replied, “A Low-Rank World Fruit is able to help rapidly restore one’s World Force. It’s equivalent to a potent Spirit Pill.”
It was not different from what Yang Kai was aware of.
“Senior Brother, you’re in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so these two kinds of World Fruits are useless to you. You’ll only restore your strength by consuming them. Do you still want to purchase them?”
Yang Kai waved his hand, “No. I was just curious.”
These Mid-Rank and Low-Rank World Fruits were useless to him since their effects were not so incredible. It wasn’t necessary to waste his Military Merits to purchase them.
As Yang Kai continued to scroll down, he realised that there were really a lot of wonderful things that he had never seen before. They must have been extracted from those Universe Worlds.
With that said, Yang Kai didn’t lack cultivation resources. Before he left the 3,000 Worlds to head to the Black Ink Battlefield, he had prepared enough resources to help him ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
In the end, he simply purchased some Spirit Pills that were used for cultivation and left the War Materials Hall.
To this day, Yang Kai had never had his own residence in Blue Sky Pass, so he just lived with Feng Ying. Fortunately, Feng Ying was a Battalion Commander in the past, so she was important enough to have her own courtyard with a lot of rooms.
He soon returned to his residence, and the moment he stepped into the courtyard, Feng Ying came over as she had heard some noises. Upon seeing that Yang Kai had returned, she was surprised and asked, “Are you done with everything?”
Yang Kai let out a sigh, “It’s not so easy. I’ve passed everything to the Pill Hall, so I no longer have to worry about it.”
Feng Ying nodded, “That’s good. You should focus on fortifying your cultivation instead of getting distracted.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I’m going to cultivate in seclusion now, so you have to pay attention to the affairs in the Inner Sanctum. Inform me if there’s any emergency.”
“Good.” Feng Ying nodded, then fished out a square wooden box, “This is for you.”
“What is it?” Yang Kai took it and asked in puzzlement.
Feng Ying shook her head, “Army Commander Zhong Liang told someone to send it here a few days ago. Supposedly it’s a reward for you. I don’t know what it is.”
Yang Kai measured the wooden box’s weight with his hand and realised that it wasn’t heavy. After he opened it, a red Spirit Fruit the size of a baby fist came into his sight. At the same time, he caught a whiff of a pleasant fragrance.
“A World Fruit?” Feng Ying arched her brow.
“A High-Rank World Fruit!” Yang Kai exclaimed.
He and Cha Hu had worked together to pick the World Fruits from the World Tree clone. Even though there were a lot of World Fruits, most of them were Low-Rank while some of them were Mid-Rank. As for High-Rank World Fruits, there had only been six of them.
Even if Cha Hu had also acquired some High-Rank World Fruits, there shouldn’t have been more than a dozen or so.
Mid-rank and Low-Rank World Fruits were placed in the War Materials Hall for the soldiers to get. Yang Kai initially wondered where the High-Rank World Fruits were. It never crossed his mind that he would see one here.
He was now a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so Mid-Rank and Low-Rank World Fruits were useless to him. Only the High-Rank ones were useful to him.
“So, it’s a World Fruit.” Feng Ying wasn’t aware of what was inside the box before opening it. It wasn’t until this moment that she realised it was a World Fruit. Worried that Yang Kai might have some unrealistic expectations, she said, “The Army Commanders have told some people to study these World Fruits. They’ve found that the World Fruits grown on the clone are not as amazing as the ones in the legend. With that said, you can indeed increase the heritage of your Small Universe by consuming this thing, which saves you some cultivation time. It’s best for your current condition. However, it can’t help you directly ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.”
“The Army Commanders are indeed thoughtful.” Yang Kai nodded and stored the wooden box, “I’ll start cultivating now, then. Please keep an eye on the affairs around here, Senior Sister. Call out to me in case of an emergency.”
“Alright.” Feng Ying waved her hand.
Yang Kai bowed his head and returned to his own room. Following that, he activated the restriction around the room and sat down with his legs crossed.
After emptying his mind, Yang Kai opened the wooden box and fished out the High-Rank World Fruit picked from the World Tree’s clone.
The fruit was fragrant and tasty.
In the past, he had consumed a Mid-Rank World Fruit that came from the Mother tree, which allowed him to directly ascend to the Sixth-Order from the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. He could still clearly remember the sweet taste of that fruit.
After examining the baby-fist-sized fruit for a moment, he placed it into his mouth and bit down on it. The moment the peel broke, his mouth was filled with a refreshingly sweet taste.
A sense of warmth streamed into his stomach. The next instant, a gale blew across his entire Small Universe as a large amount of World Force appeared out of thin air. Even the World Tree in his Small Universe rustled lightly.
This new power was harmless and devoid of any impurities to Yang Kai. It was so indescribably pure that anyone could easily absorb it.
This was the abstrusity of the World Fruits.
Yang Kai quickly pulled himself together and started circulating his Secret Art. Every time his Small Universe undulated, his heritage would be strengthened a little, which allowed the World Force in his Small Universe to become more ample and solid.
The situation lasted for more than 10 days. It wasn’t until half a month later that Yang Kai felt that he had fully refined the medicinal efficacies of the World Fruit.
As he examined his Small Universe now, he couldn’t help feeling moved.
Although he already knew that a High-Rank World Fruit wouldn’t allow him to directly ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm and could only save him some cultivation time by strengthening his heritage, he was still pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
The heritage of his Small Universe had increased by 20%. One must not underestimate a 20% increase in heritage. If he were to cultivate in seclusion, it would have taken him 300 to 500 years to achieve the same result.
In other words, a High-Rank World Fruit from a World Tree’s clone had saved him 300 to 500 years of cultivation time.
This was indeed an incredible benefit.
300 to 500 years of cultivation would allow him to fully consolidate his Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation and increase his strength significantly.
Because it was very hard for an Open Heaven Realm Master to ascend to the next Order, often taking hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, some people had proposed that every Order should be divided into early, middle, and late stages. That would allow them to quickly judge the power of an Open Heaven Realm Master.
According to this kind of classification, Yang Kai was still just in the early stage of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Even though he was still in the early stage after consuming the World Fruit, his power had been significantly strengthened.
Nevertheless, this kind of classification was too complicated, so it was not universally accepted.
With that said, it explained why there could be such a huge gap in strength between two Open Heaven Realm Masters who were in the same Order.
A newly promoted Seventh-Order Master was only in the early stage while someone like Feng Ying was definitely in the late stage of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. The difference between them was several thousand years of accumulation, possibly even longer. The huge gap between their heritages meant that they wouldn’t be equally matched if they got into a fight.
A High-Rank World Fruit had saved Yang Kai several hundred years of cultivation time, so what if he consumed even more of the fruits?
He couldn’t help but let his thoughts run wild.
With that said, Yang Kai knew that it was unlikely to happen. There were only a dozen High-Rank World Fruits that were picked from the World Tree’s clone, and the reason he could get one was that he had made some significant contributions in the past. There were other High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blue Sky Pass who must have also made great contributions and these High-Rank World Fruits should be given to them as rewards. Furthermore, even the Eighth-Order Division Commanders and Army Commanders would benefit from consuming these High-Rank World Fruits.
On top of that, the benefits gained from refining the same kind of treasure would always decrease with repeated consumption. One High-Rank World Fruit had saved Yang Kai 300 to 500 years of cultivation time, but the effects of a second would likely yield half that benefit at most. As for a third or fourth fruit, there might be no benefits at all.
It was a characteristic shared by essentially all precious treasures.
Regardless, Yang Kai was already pleased with the increase in strength after having one High-Rank World Fruit.
However, he now needed some time to adjust to the sharp increase in heritage and power.
It wasn’t until a month later that he let out a long breath. Although he still wasn’t fully adapted to his increased strength, it was at least manageable now. Even if he got into a fight with a formidable enemy, he would be able to fully utilize his power.
After getting some rest, he fished out a set of Seventh-Order materials and refined them.
In the past, he would always refine Sixth-Order materials when cultivating; however, since he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, he was able to refine Seventh-Order materials.
Refining materials equivalent to one’s own Order had always been the quickest and most desirable way for Open Heaven Realm Masters to steadily cultivate.
Still, High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters usually wouldn’t squander materials in such a way.
Seventh-Order Yin and Yang Element materials were extremely rare, and they were considered strategic resources in the Cave Heavens and Paradises. They wouldn’t use such resources unless it was absolutely necessary and no one would refine them just to cultivate.
However, Yang Kai was different. Yellow and Blue Crystals had been piled up like mountains in his Small Universe, so he would never be lacking Yin and Yang Element materials.
He had also prepared a lot of Five Element materials that were sufficient for his own cultivation. On the Black Ink Battlefield, he could only ensure his safety by increasing his strength and quickly ascending to the next Order; therefore, he didn’t mind refining Seventh-Order materials to increase his rate of cultivation.
In the past, an Open Heaven Realm Master, who apparently had nothing better to do, had carried out a certain experiment. He refined a set of Fourth-Order materials, then refined Open Heaven Pills equivalent to the cost of a Fourth-Order set of materials. Comparing the two, the increase in power from refining a set of Fourth-Order materials was only half that of the increase in power from refining Open Heaven Pills.
The person obtained the same result after experimenting with Fifth-Order materials.
In other words, the increase in power one would gain from refining a set of materials was only half of what one could gain by refining Open Heaven Pills of the same value.
Therefore, the average Open Heaven Realm Master wouldn’t want to squander their wealth by refining a set of materials.
The Open Heaven Realm Master who carried out the experiments never experimented with Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order materials because he wasn’t strong or wealthy enough; however, the results would most likely be the same. In short, it was a waste of resources to refine Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order materials.
What was wasted wasn’t the power of the materials of course, but the maximum value these materials could bring.
However, Yang Kai’s primary goal was to increase his strength as quickly as possible, and he wasn’t lacking materials, so he didn’t mind trading value for speed. Refining Open Heaven Pills was too slow compared to refining Seventh-Order materials.
As time passed, a set of Seventh-Order materials was absorbed and added to the heritage of his Small Universe.
Even though he was a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master now, it still took Yang Kai quite some time to refine a set of Seventh-Order materials.
It wasn’t until half a year later that the power of the Seventh-Order materials became depleted and they crumbled into dust.
Yang Kai opened his eyes as a light flashed across his gaze. His eyes were as bright as two Suns.
The heritage of his Small Universe had increased after he refined that set of Seventh-Order materials.
However, he felt that something was off during the process, but it wasn’t really a bad thing. It was just that the speed at which he refined materials was quicker than what he had expected.
It was the first time he refined a set of Seventh-Order materials, and he had never experienced such an anomaly before, so he wasn’t sure if there was really anything wrong. As such, he didn’t stop refining them.
As he recalled the entire refinement process, Yang Kai realised that such speed was actually outrageously quick. It had to be noted that it would take him roughly the same time to refine a set of Sixth-Order materials when he was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the past. Since he had ascended to the Seventh Order, it was expected that his refinement speed would increase as well, but this was still ridiculously fast. What he had refined was a set of Seventh-Order materials, which were starkly different from Sixth-Order materials.
A set of Sixth-Order materials was worth about 130 million to 150 million Open Heaven Pills. When Yang Kai was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he could refine more than 100,000 Open Heaven Pills every day. If he traded a set of Sixth-Order materials for Open Heaven Pills, it would thus take him 4 to 5 years to fully consume them.
Nonetheless, it would only take him half a year to refine a set of Sixth-Order materials.
He initially thought that it would take him a few years to refine a set of Seventh-Order materials which were worth approximately 10 times as much as a Sixth-Order set of materials, so he was truly surprised at the outcome.
After giving it a thought with a frown, he fished out a set of Sixth-Order materials and refined them in silence.
While he was refining the materials this time, Yang Kai also paid close attention to what was happening in his Small Universe.
In just one month, the set of Sixth-Order materials lost all its power and became valueless.
Upon opening his eyes, Yang Kai fell into his thoughts.
When he was a Sixth-Order Master, it would take him half a year to refine a set of Sixth-Order materials. Even though his strength had increased as he was now a Seventh-Order Master, it shouldn’t have been so quick and easy for him to refine these materials. He initially estimated it would take him three to four months.
The only explanation was that something was increasing his efficiency when refining the materials, and that assistance must have been provided by the World Tree clone that had merged with his Small Universe.
He had been paying close attention to the World Tree clone when refining the materials, and although there didn’t seem to be anything off about it, Yang Kai was certain his increased rate of refinement had something to do with the tree.
The only major difference between when he was a Sixth-Order Master and a Seventh-Order Master was the World Tree clone’s presence in his Small Universe.
It seemed that the clone was able to significantly increase his speed of refining resources, though he didn’t understand the reason behind it.
Despite that, it was a huge benefit to him as he could refine a set of materials much quicker now. In other words, as long as he was willing to spend time cultivating, Yang Kai would be able to increase his strength at a much faster rate than other cultivators. The effects wouldn’t be conspicuous in the short term; however, ascending to the Eighth Order from the Seventh Order was a long process of accumulation. The benefits of the World Tree clone would make a huge difference in the long term.
When he told the Army Commanders about the three benefits he was aware of after planting the World Tree’s clone in his Small Universe, Yang Kai felt that there might be more hidden benefits, and had said as much, but didn’t go into detail. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide it from them, it was just that he didn’t know them at the time. If he hadn’t decided to cultivate in seclusion this time, he wouldn’t have discovered this benefit at all.
This came as a pleasant surprise to him. It had cost him a lot of Military Merits to get this World Tree Clone; however, the merits were nothing compared to the benefits that this clone had brought him. The clone was as good as free.
Since he was in a jovial mood, Yang Kai even found joy in this kind of supposedly boring method of cultivation. He then fished out another set of Seventh-Order materials and refined them.
If others saw Yang Kai right now, they would surely curse him out as a wastrel for squandering so many materials away.
As time passed, Yang Kai consistently refined a set of Seventh-Order materials every half a year. With that said, he didn’t just cultivate in seclusion all the time.
Cultivating was a monotonous activity, and if one wasn’t composed enough, he would become jittery by remaining in such a state for an extended period of time.
Even though it wouldn’t happen to Yang Kai, he would still try to prevent it from occurring. Every time he finished refining a set of Seventh-Order materials, he would leave his room and take a stroll.
Sometimes, he would walk around for three to five days. When he felt like it, he would travel around for ten days to half a month. After winding down and moving his body, he would cultivate in seclusion again. As he had taken time to get some rest, his efficiency would greatly improve.
When he was free one day, he headed to the War Materials Hall and traded all his Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order materials for Military Merits, which he then exchanged for Seventh-Order Five-Element materials.
He had brought these Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order materials from the 3,000 Worlds for his own cultivation. Now, the best way for him to cultivate was to refine Seventh-Order materials, so these Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order materials were of no value to him. Seventh-Order materials were his best choice.
In fact, the conversion rate for exchanging Seventh-Order Five-Element materials in the Inner Sanctum was quite favourable.
For every two sets of Sixth-Order Five-Element materials, he would gain enough Military Merits to trade for a set of Seventh-Order ones. The conversion rate was just 2 to 1.
It had to be noted that in the 3,000 Worlds, the value of the materials in each Order went up 10 times per Order; however, it was only 2 times greater in Blue Sky Pass.
After all, the higher-ups had to take care of the soldiers who fought against the Black Ink Clan, so they couldn’t possibly measure the value of the materials in each Order according to the conversion rate in the 3,000 Worlds. Secondly, the consumption rate of Seventh-Order materials was extremely low, so as time passed, a lot of Seventh-Order materials had been accumulated in Blue Sky Pass. There were even ample reserves of Eighth-Order materials.
There were quite a number of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Inner Sanctum, and the number of Eighth-Order Division Commanders alone came up to several dozen. However, none of them would be as wasteful as Yang Kai, who refined Seventh-Order materials directly, when cultivating. The main reason was that High-Order Yin and Yang Element materials were still exceptionally rare. Without Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order Yin and Yang Element materials, they simply couldn’t refine materials to cultivate regardless of how many Five-Element materials they possessed, or else their Small Universes’ would become imbalanced.
As more and more Universe Worlds were strip-mined outside Blue Sky Pass, a lot of Seventh-Order and Eighth-Order materials had been found. Nevertheless, these materials would generally be used for Artifact Refining and arranging Spirit Arrays, not cultivation.
In this situation, Yang Kai was at an advantage.
The materials he possessed now were more than sufficient to help him ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
He also took some time to head to the Pill Hall to find out about the progress of creating Purifying Black Ink Pills. Nonetheless, he didn’t meet the two Alchemy Grandmasters, Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang. He only saw Tang Qun.
According to Tang Qun, after Yang Kai left that day, the two Grandmasters started focusing on completing the Purifying Black Ink Pill recipe. Countless herbs had been consumed so far, but fortunately, they had made some progress.
However, they would still have to work harder in order to create Purifying Black Ink Pills. Those from the medicine garden had started nurturing more Obsidian Grass and Green Feather Rattan as well. Once the Purifying Black Ink Pill recipe was perfected, there would be enough ingredients to be used in their production.
One day, after Yang Kai finished refining a set of Seventh-Order materials, he left his room.
Feng Ying had been waiting for him and the moment she heard the door opening, she turned her head and flashed a smile at him, “You’re indeed disciplined when it comes to cultivating, Junior Brother.”
Over the past two years, Yang Kai would always stop cultivating after half a year. With that as a baseline, Feng Ying speculated that he might emerge sometime soon, which was why she decided to wait for him there.
“It’s boring to just sit and cultivate, so I need to relax and unwind from time to time.” Yang Kai stretched his back, “What’s wrong, Senior Sister?”
Feng Ying must have something to tell him by waiting for him here.
“Martial Uncle Zhong Liang said that you have to look for him as soon as you stop cultivating,” There was a solemn expression on Feng Ying’s face.
Yang Kai straightened his face, “Has something happened in the Inner Sanctum?”
Feng Ying shook her head, “Nothing major has happened in the Inner Sanctum. He revealed to me that it has something to do with the World Spring.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai realised what was going on.
After he refined the World Tree, he told the four Army Commanders of Blue Sky Pass that he was willing to give up the World Spring in his Small Universe; after all, he felt the World Tree’s clone was also able to protect his Small Universe even better than the World Spring. Although Yang Kai wasn’t able to verify this for the time being, he had a feeling that even without the World Spring, he still wouldn’t be affected by Black Ink Strength.
At that time, Zhong Liang and the others said that there was no rush to deal with this issue. Even though he was willing to give up the World Spring, they had to have a discussion about who would take it.
Yang Kai had never expected that it would take two years for a decision to be made. It seemed that the Army Commanders were quite cautious when it came to this matter.
“I’ll head over right now,” Yang Kai replied and shot into the sky as he headed straight to the Headquarters of the Western Army.
Upon his arrival, he told someone to inform Zhong Liang, and a moment later, he was shown inside.
After entering the hall, he saw Zhong Liang assigning some work to a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. It wasn’t until Zhong Liang was done with his affairs and the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master left that Yang Kai took a step forward and cupped his fist, “Greetings, Sir.”
Zhong Liang nodded gently and rose from the chair, “I’m sure Feng Ying has told you why I’ve asked you to see me.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes, Senior Sister has informed me about it. Have all of you decided on who will take over the World Spring?”
Zhong Liang replied, “Yes, a decision has been made; however, this King has to remind you that since you’ve decided to give up the World Spring, you’ll have to sacrifice a small part of your Small Universe. Doing so will cause your Small Universe to be incomplete. It’s no big deal as you can repair it by consuming a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit; however, if you lose the ability to resist Black Ink Strength because of that, you have to stay here in the Inner Sanctum and must not go anywhere as you please.”
Yang Kai said obediently, “I understand.”
Zhong Liang looked at him with a gentle and approving gaze, “That’s thoughtful of you.”
Other than Yang Kai, no one knew what the benefits of the World Tree’s clone were at that time. Even if he wasn’t willing to give up the World Spring, no one would say anything; however, as soon as he refined the World Tree’s clone, he brought up this issue, which showed that he was not an ungrateful person. An Eighth-Order Master who possessed one of the Four Universe Pillars would be able to deal a greater blow to the enemy on the battlefield, for they would no longer have to worry about Black Ink Strength invading their body.
“Come with me,” Zhong Liang beckoned to him and shuffled out of the hall.
Yang Kai followed closely.
Soon, they stepped out of Blue Sky Pass and arrived in the void outside.
Someone was already standing there. It was apparent that he had been waiting since receiving a message from Zhong Liang.
Yang Kai was able to recognise the person at first glance and asked, “Sir Ding Yao is going to take over the World Spring?”
The person who had been waiting there was none other than the Army Commander of the Eastern Army, Ding Yao.
Zhong Liang nodded, “That’s right. Other than the Old Ancestors in the Inner Sanctum, this old fart is the strongest, so he’s the most suited to take over the World Spring.”
The corners of Yang Kai’s brow twitched. Zhong Liang could call Ding Yao an old fart, but he wouldn’t dare to be disrespectful.
In any case, he had already expected such an outcome.
Very few Four Universe Pillars had been found so far, and they were all in the hands of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Ninth-Order Old Ancestors didn’t need one of the Four Universe Pillars as they were strong enough that they didn’t have to worry about Black Ink Strength invading their bodies. On the other hand, a Seventh-Order Master might not be able to keep a World Spring safe. That was the reason Zhong Liang wasn’t willing to let Yang Kai outside for missions back then. Yang Kai was vital to the Human Race, but he wasn’t powerful enough at that time. If anything happened to him, Zhong Liang wouldn’t be able to explain himself to the Old Ancestor.
Ninth-Order Old Ancestors didn’t need the World Spring while Seventh-Order Masters weren’t strong enough to keep them safe or make use of them. It would be best for an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to have it.
Yang Kai already speculated that one of the four Army Commanders would eventually take over the World Spring, and it seemed that his speculation was correct.
The moment Yang Kai got closer, Ding Yao gazed at him and said, “It’ll be useless to regret it once you go ahead with your decision. It’s still not too late for you to back out.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Since a decision has been made, I’ll not go back on my word.”
Ding Yao nodded, “I won’t dissuade you, then.”
Zhong Liang said, “You can start now if you’re ready; however, you have to do your best to minimise the damage, Yang Kai.”
“I understand,” Yang Kai nodded and closed his eyes.
The instant he activated his Divine Sense, his World Force undulated around him as a buzzing sound was continuously heard in his Small Universe. Following his move, the originally complete Small Universe started trembling and the next moment, the ground started shaking violently.
Yang Kai widened his eyes and started growling like a beast.
The excruciating pain he was going through caused him to shudder uncontrollably.
Prior to this, he had no idea that it was so painful to give up a piece of his Small Universe. Before he brought the Purifying Light to the Black Ink Battlefield, the Human soldiers here had to give up parts of their Small Universes after they were contaminated with Black Ink Strength in order to survive. While bearing the excruciating pain, they also had to risk their lives to battle against the Black Ink Clansmen. It must have been a cruel experience.
It wasn’t hard to give up a part of his Small Universe as Yang Kai just had to cut it off. The most difficult part was that he had to suppress the World Spring’s aura to that particular territory.
Even though he had done his best, he still had to give up a considerable chunk of his Small Universe.
The moment the portal of his Small Universe opened, a Spirit Province that was more than 40,000 square metres appeared in the void, at the centre of which was a conspicuous spring.
As soon as this territory appeared, the void around the World Spring seemed to have frozen under the influence of its power.
That was the moment Ding Yao had been waiting for. He extended his hand to grab the territory. As he activated his World Force, the territory instantly disappeared into his body.
The next instant, Ding Yao sat down cross-legged to join Yang Kai.
Zhong Liang hurriedly presented to Yang Kai a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit he had prepared, “Quickly consume it now.”
Even though it wouldn’t matter to consume the fruit at a later time, he was worried that Yang Kai’s foundation would be damaged if they didn’t act quickly enough.
Presently, Yang Kai was in so much pain that his forehead was covered with cold sweat. He took the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit from Zhong Liang, but just as he was about to eat it, he frowned and became rooted to the spot.
Upon seeing that, Zhong Liang appeared anxious, “What happened? Is there anything wrong?”
Yang Kai shook his head. Instead of promptly replying to him, he focused on examining his Small Universe.
He could see that the originally complete Small Universe had been damaged after he sacrificed that piece of land.
The problem with giving up a part of one’s Small Universe wasn’t just about incompleteness, but also about a drop in strength.
If Yang Kai had done such a thing not long after he ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, his cultivation would have regressed to the Sixth-Order.
However, he had previously consumed a High-Rank World Fruit and refined several sets of Seventh-Order materials over the past two years. He had accumulated quite a bit of heritage in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so there was no risk of him falling to the Sixth-Order.
It was apparent to him now that there were two reasons those from Blue Sky Pass rewarded him with a High-Rank World Fruit. First of all, he had indeed made many contributions, but secondly, they had to get him prepared for this moment.
They had surely taken this exact situation into consideration, which was why it wasn’t until two years later that they asked him to give up the World Spring.
What caught Yang Kai’s attention wasn’t the damage to his Small Universe though, but the anomaly happening around the World Tree’s clone.
At this moment, a humming sound was heard coming from the World Tree’s clone as a faintly discernible power exuded from it and streamed towards the damaged part of his Small Universe.
Yang Kai wasn’t in control of this process and he had no idea what was going on, but the instant the abstruse power exuded from the clone, his pain was significantly soothed, as though he had just come across a spring amidst the summer heat.
Besides that, he had a feeling that the anomaly happening to the clone would be beneficial to him.
With that said, it was just a feeling, so he couldn’t make a judgement yet. He didn’t immediately consume the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, but to make sure that Zhong Liang wouldn’t be worried, he said, “Please rest assured, Sir. I’m fine.”
As he spoke, he got to his feet, “I’ll take my leave now. It may take some time for my Small Universe to heal.”
Certainly, Zhong Liang wouldn’t stop him, so he nodded and replied, “Good. You have to promptly consume that Profound Yin Spirit Fruit after you go back.”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded with a solemn expression. After saluting him, he returned to the Inner Sanctum and headed to his place.
Hovering in the void, Zhong Liang watched Yang Kai leave, then turned to look at Ding Yao.
Presently, the World Force around Ding Yao undulated and gusted out from his body, assimilating into the void from time to time.
Just like Yang Kai had to refine the World Tree’s clone, he currently had to refine the World Spring as well. In order to do that, he had to get rid of the impurities that belonged to Yang Kai. After all, he had swallowed a part of the younger man’s Small Universe.
This territory contained a part of Yang Kai’s heritage, but instead of being beneficial to Ding Yao, it was harmful to him.
However, he was much stronger than Yang Kai, and the territory that had been cut off wasn’t big, so there weren’t a lot of impurities to begin with.
After just a few days, Ding Yao was done with refining the World Spring. When he opened his eyes, it was apparent that his aura had become more robust.
Upon seeing that, Zhong Liang said, “Congratulations, Brother Ding. Since you have the World Spring now, you’ll stand a chance to reach even greater heights.”
To Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters like them, the highest Order was undoubtedly the Ninth-Order.
There were dozens of Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blue Sky Pass, but the reason they decided to let Ding Yao take over the World Spring wasn’t solely because he was the strongest amongst them. The main reason was that in the past he directly ascended to the Seventh Order, so the Eighth Order wasn’t his limit. In his lifetime, he could aim to become a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor.
In comparison, even though Zhong Liang and the others were strong as well, they had exhausted their potential. The Eighth Order was the best they could achieve in their lifetimes.
It had been thousands of years since Ding Yao ascended to the Eighth Order, but even though he had accumulated a lot of heritage in his current Order, he was still pretty far from the Ninth Order.
Since he had a World Spring now though, there was no doubt that it would take him a shorter time to make it to the Ninth Order.
Ding Yao said, “We all know that it will still take me quite some time to reach the highest Order. On the other hand, since I’ve taken over the World Spring now, I’d better give something back to that brat.”
In an instant, Zhong Liang had a bad premonition, “What are you going to do?”
Ding Yao grinned, “Since he has given me the World Spring, I’ll get him a gift.”
Then, he turned into a ray of golden light and disappeared into the distance.
A myriad of expressions came over Zhong Liang as he stayed rooted to the spot. Soon though, he couldn’t help but stomp his foot and snarl, “That reckless fool!”
Despite that, he didn’t intend to chase after him for he knew it was pointless to do so. Since Ding Yao had made a decision, he wouldn’t change his mind. Furthermore, given his strength, he most likely wouldn’t fall into any danger.
In his room, Yang Kai was seated with his legs crossed. As he refined Seventh-Order materials to cultivate, he examined the transformation going on in his Small Universe.
He didn’t consume the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit because he wanted to find out how the clone’s anomaly would influence him.
If he consumed the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit to repair his Small Universe, the clone’s anomaly would probably disappear.
As time passed, the changes in his Small Universe became increasingly conspicuous. The originally damaged part of his Small Universe started repairing itself.
This revelation astounded Yang Kai.
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the outcome that the clone’s anomaly had produced.
This clone was able to repair damage to his Small Universe! In other words, even though he never consumed the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, there still wouldn’t be any problems.
He couldn’t believe that the World Tree clone was able to do even that.
Including the fact that the clone was able to help increase his cultivation speed, he had discovered 5 benefits that the tree had given him.
After giving it a thought, he realised that the tree wasn’t named the World Tree for no reason. Even though he had only refined a clone, it was still a World Tree. A Small Universe was also a Universe World, and with the clone’s presence, it was expected that any non-fatal damage would eventually heal itself. Back then, after he planted a World Tree clone in the Star Boundary, the tree was even able to stabilise the collapsing Universe World.
Furthermore, the speed of self-repair was just as good as what consuming a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit would achieve.
However, this benefit wasn’t really useful to Yang Kai; after all, he wouldn’t be corrupted by Black Ink Strength, so he wouldn’t have to give up parts of his Small Universe to save himself. In any case, it was wonderful that he didn’t have to consume the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit as this thing had always been in demand in the Inner Sanctum.
He could return the fruit to Zhong Liang at a later time so that it could be placed in the War Materials Hall for someone else to use.
A few months later, a ray of light descended from the sky and landed in the courtyard.
Upon detecting the movement, Feng Ying hurriedly came over. The instant she saw the person, she saluted him, “Greetings, Sir.”
The person was none other than Ding Yao. It wasn’t certain what he had done recently, but he was now engulfed in murderous intent. Feng Ying could also see that he was injured.
With his hands behind his back, Ding Yao nodded and looked around, “Where’s Yang Boy?”
Feng Ying hurriedly replied, “He’s still cultivating in seclusion now. Please give me a moment, Sir. I’ll tell him to come out now.”
Ding Yao waved his hand, “Since he’s cultivating in seclusion, there’s no need to disturb him. I’ll wait for him to come out.”
Upon hearing that, Feng Ying said, “Junior Brother Yang will stop cultivating in seclusion every half a year. I suppose he’ll come out of his room in a few days. I’ll tell him to see you when he emerges.”
However, Ding Yao just adjusted his clothes and took a seat in the corridor, “There’s no rush. This King will wait for him here.”
Feng Ying was astounded as she wondered why Ding Yao insisted on waiting for Yang Kai here. She didn’t think Yang Kai had made any mistakes recently, so why did the Eastern Army Commander come all the way here?
While she was lost in her thoughts, she saw another person descending from the sky. It was none other than Zhong Liang.
She quickly saluted him and shot him an inquisitive look.
Zhong Liang waved his hand as he walked up to Ding Yao and sized him up. He tutted and asked, “What’s the point of doing this? Doesn’t it hurt?”
Ding Yao replied impassively, “Injuries are inevitable, but it was worth it. I had to let those guys know the consequences of invading Blue Sky Pass. Regardless of whether I’m in a good or bad mood, I can just go over and make a fuss so that they’ll have a taste of getting their home invaded.” He grinned.
The corners of Zhong Liang’s mouth twitched. He had already expected that Ding Yao would become more active after taking over the World Spring, and his speculation was right.
To the side, Feng Ying appeared puzzled as she had no idea what these Army Commanders were talking about. Nevertheless, judging from Ding Yao’s words, she reckoned that he had fought against the Black Ink Clan somewhere.
Now, the Black Ink Clan were hiding deep in their own territory. In other words, Ding Yao had launched an attack on the Black Ink Clan’s base. This notion shocked her. With that said, the Humans had invaded the Black Ink Clan’s territory before. With the Old Ancestor leading the way, those from Blue Sky Pass had previously done such a thing more than once. This always resulted in the Black Ink Clan’s Armies counterattacking resulting in a full-scale war.
However, every time they invaded the Black Ink Clan’s base, the Old Ancestor would take the lead to ensure the safety of most people. Even though Ding Yao was an Eighth-Order Master, it was risky for him to barge into the Black Ink Clan’s hinterland without anyone else supporting him.
Even though Feng Ying had no idea why Ding Yao had done such a thing, she wasn’t in any position to ask about it.
Zhong Liang turned to look at her, “Why are you just standing there? Don’t you see that your Martial Uncle Ding sitting here? Get him some tea.”
Feng Ying quickly responded and fished out a tea set. Considering the fact that Ding Yao was injured, she even took out her treasured Spirit Tea to help him recuperate.
After drinking the tea, Ding Yao couldn’t stop praising her.
When Yang Kai left his room a few days later, he instantly saw this awkward sight.
In the corridor of the courtyard, Ding Yao and Zhong Liang were seated across from each other with a table in the middle of them, sipping tea that Feng Ying was quietly preparing for them.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded as he thought that he was seeing things.
Zhong Liang beckoned to him, “Come here and have some tea. You’re in luck because your Senior Sister Feng has fished out some of the Peak-Rank spirit tea that she has always treasured.”
The atmosphere was somewhat awkward. After he was seated, Feng Ying poured him a cup of tea. While sipping the tea, he signalled at Feng Ying with his eyes to ask her what was going on.
Upon seeing that Feng Ying ignored him, leaving him flustered.
He couldn’t really tell what the spirit tea tasted like, but it was indeed beneficial to cultivators. He felt refreshed after drinking a few cups of it.
Ding Yao finally put down the tea cup and struck his own chest. The next instant, he turned his head and spat out a mouthful of clotted blood. Like a blood arrow, the clotted blood formed a hole in the ground.
After that, Ding Yao became evidently energised and he nodded at Feng Ying, “Many thanks, Martial Niece.”
Feng Ying saluted him, “Don’t mention it, Martial Uncle.”
Ding Yao then turned to Yang Kai and tossed a Space Ring at him, “For you.”
A doubtful Yang Kai took it and infused his Divine Sense into it. The next moment, his expression changed drastically as he muttered, “Why are there so many…”
The Space Ring was filled with countless Black Ink Clan corpses.
Although they were dead, the auras exuding from some of them suggested that there were even Feudal Lords among the piles.
A shocked Yang Kai asked, “Has the Black Ink Clan launched another invasion?”
Zhong Liang shook his head, “No.”
“So… why are there so many corpses here?” If they hadn’t been attacked by the Black Ink Clan, why were there so many corpses in this Space Ring?
Zhong Liang glared at Ding Yao, who said impassively, “This King personally went to the Black Ink Clan’s domain and destroyed some of their territories.”
Despite his dispassionate tone, Yang Kai could imagine how much danger the older man must have gone through. Even though Ding Yao was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it was still extremely risky for him to barge into the Black Ink Clan hinterland on his own. The injuries on his figure were the best proof.
“I almost killed a Territory Lord, but that guy ran away too quickly,” Ding Yao sounded regretful. Given his strength, it wasn’t hard for him to defeat a Territory Lord, but it wasn’t easy for him to kill one.
That was the reason Yang Kai and Bai Yi gained a lot of Military Merits after they joined forces to kill Zhu Feng.
To the Humans and the Black Ink Clansmen, Eighth-Order Masters and Territory Lords were indispensable assets. Any loss of such figures would be unbearably painful.
Yang Kai was dumbfounded. After hearing what Ding Yao had said, he figured out what a crazy thing this man must have done. Apparently, Ding Yao headed to the Black Ink Clan’s territory and made a scene after acquiring the World Spring.
Perhaps he had always wanted to do that in the past; however, despite being an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he would have to consume a lot of energy in prolonged resistance against Black Ink Strength. Now that he had the World Spring though, he didn’t have to worry about Black Ink Strength harming him. That was why he could barge into the Black Ink Clan’s territory on his own and give them an unpleasant surprise.
The World Spring wouldn’t increase an Open Heaven Realm Master’s strength, but it could offer incredible assistance to a powerful Master like Ding Yao on the Black Ink Battlefield. It could be said that the World Spring was more useful in Ding Yao’s possession than in Yang Kai’s.
It was for this reason that the Four Universe Pillars were usually given to Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
“You can bring this ring to the Merit Hall. It should get you a lot of Military Merits,” Ding Yao said impassively.
Yang Kai turned to Zhong Liang, “Is it… alright to do so?”
After all, he wasn’t the one who killed those enemies. These corpses were given to him by Ding Yao. If he really brought the ring to the Merit Hall, it would be akin to taking Military Merits that supposedly belonged to Ding Yao. That was why he felt uneasy about it.
Zhong Liang chuckled upon hearing that, “It’s definitely alright to do so. Just take it. Your Martial Uncle Ding doesn’t like to owe anyone a favour.”
“But… there are too many corpses here.” Yang Kai felt that the ring in his hand was quite heavy. He didn’t count those corpses, but he reckoned that there were several tens of thousands of them in total. Even though most of them were Low-Rank and High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen, there were also quite a number of Feudal Lords. He could get a staggering number of Military Merits by bringing this ring to the Merit Hall.
Ding Yao coughed, “If you feel like you have to give me something in return, I do have a request.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Please ask, Sir.”
Ding Yao went on to say, “If it’s alright for you, I’d like to get some Humans from your Small Universe.”
After a cultivator ascended to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm, his Small Universe would materialise, thus giving him the ability to raise living beings inside his body. Doing this would allow the living creatures to help increase the heritage in their Small Universe as time passed. It would help the cultivator shorten cultivation time and grow faster.
Ding Yao already had this ability thousands of years ago; however, the situation on the Black Ink Battlefield was perilous, and every time the Black Ink Clan’s Army invaded, he had to personally fight against powerful enemies, which sometimes resulted in his Small Universe being shaken. If there were living creatures in his Small Universe when that happened, many would be killed.
Nevertheless, things were different now. With the World Spring’s presence, his Small Universe was firm and impenetrable. Even if he had to deal with formidable enemies, his Small Universe would be safe and sound.
Ding Yao was still quite some distance away from the Ninth Order, so it was expected that he wanted to raise some living beings in his Small Universe to shorten the time until his next breakthrough.
In the entire Blue Sky Pass, only Yang Kai had living creatures in his Small Universe, so he was the only one who could help Ding Yao.
Yang Kai instantly realised Ding Yao’s intentions when he heard that, “Do you want to raise living creatures in your Small Universe, Sir?”
“Yes,” Ding Yao nodded.
Yang Kai went on to say, “Since you have the World Spring to protect your Small Universe now, you’re indeed able to start raising living creatures safely. However, rather than Humans, I can offer you a better option.”
“A better option?” Ding Yao arched his brow. Zhong Liang also gazed at him with surprise.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai waved his hand and the portal to his Small Universe opened up. A moment later, a knee-high stony living creature appeared before him.
Presently, the creature appeared puzzled as he had no idea why he’d appeared in this place; however, it was apparent that he was a simple-minded creature with low sentience. He soon ignored the people around him and started strolling around.
“What’s this?” Ding Yao examined him with a frown.
Zhong Liang was also looking at the stone creature with curiosity.
Neither of them had seen such a special creature before, so their interest had been piqued.
“I call them the Small Stone Race. They were discovered in a New Great Territory.”
“A New Great Territory?” Ding Yao was astounded.
Yang Kai nodded, then explained to him the Small Stone Race’s background. Ding Yao and the others were amazed as they had never expected that a New Great Territory had been found in the 3,000 Worlds.
“Compared to Humans, raising these Small Stone Race members can give us more benefits. Assuming that there are equal numbers of Humans and Small Stone Race members, the latter can help increase the heritage of our Small Universe roughly 10 times quicker.”
“10 times quicker?” Zhong Liang exclaimed as a myriad of expressions came over him, “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded.
“Why is that?” Zhong Liang was puzzled.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I have no idea either. Although they’ve been living inside my Small Universe for many years now, I still don’t know the reason behind it. I can only say that these special living creatures are beneficial to the Small Universes of cultivators like us; therefore, if you want to raise living creatures in your Small Universe, I’d recommend these Small Stone Race members. As for Humans, I have the World Tree’s clone in my Small Universe now, and with its nourishment, many geniuses will appear after three to five generations.”
Ding Yao’s eyes brightened, “It’s best to have these Small Stone Race members then. However, how many of them can you give me?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “You can have as many as you want. In fact, it’s not hard to raise these little guys. They multiply quickly, sharing similar characteristics to ants. As long as there’s a queen ant and enough food, you don’t have to worry about increasing their number. With that said, it takes quite a lot of materials to raise them. It might not have been possible in Blue Sky Pass in the past, but it shouldn’t be an issue now. I suppose those First, Second, and Third-Order materials are basically useless. Small Stone Race members are not picky when it comes to what you feed them.”
Ding Yao exchanged glances with Zhong Liang, then turned to Yang Kai and nodded, “I’ll listen to you, then.”
Certainly, Yang Kai didn’t have any objections. He then started taking some Small Stone Race members out of his Small Universe.
It took him several days to finally fish out a little more than half of the Small Stone Race members from his Small Universe. It was then that Ding Yao was satisfied.
With these Small Stone Race members as a foundation, they would certainly multiply quickly in his Small Universe as long as there were sufficient materials. As time passed, it would save him a lot of cultivation time and help him ascend to the Ninth Order earlier.
Ding Yao soon left. Even though he had killed a lot of Black Ink Clansmen and returned alive, he was injured after all. Moreover, with so many Small Stone Race members in his Small Universe now, he had to spend some time studying them, so he didn’t remain for long.
On the other hand, Zhong Liang wasn’t in a rush to leave. He gazed at Yang Kai and asked caringly, “Are you sure you can resist Black Ink Strength without the World Spring?”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai chuckled, “Have you forgotten about it, Sir? I still have a lot of Black Ink Strength suppressed in my Small Universe. I would have fallen into danger instead of still looking safe and sound if I were unable to resist the Black Ink Strength.”
Zhong Liang was startled as he soon recalled it. Finding it regretful, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
In fact, he hoped that the World Tree’s clone wouldn’t have the same effects as the World Spring so that Yang Kai would have to stay in Blue Sky Pass instead of running around everywhere; however, he knew that his wishes wouldn’t always be granted. It had come to a point where there was nothing he could do to change the situation.
“By the way, I should give this back to you.” As Yang Kai spoke, he fished out a box and passed it to Zhong Liang.
A doubtful Zhong Liang took the box, and upon opening it, he asked in shock, “You didn’t consume it?”
The thing inside the box was the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit he had given to Yang Kai some time ago.
Yang Kai nodded, “The World Tree clone is able to repair damage to my Small Universe, so I don’t need to consume this fruit. My Small Universe has almost fully healed now. This fruit is rare in the Inner Sanctum, so it should be given to another fellow Brother or Sister who needs it.”
Zhong Liang was astounded as he muttered, “I didn’t expect the clone to have this effect.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I just found out about it not long ago.”
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t joke around about such an issue. Zhong Liang couldn’t help but think that the World Tree was truly amazing. Just a clone could bring so many benefits with it. What surprises would there be if someone could refine the Mother Tree itself?
With that said, he knew that it couldn’t possibly happen; after all, the Mother Tree was hiding in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, where not just anyone could enter. This Sealed World had always been elusive, and no one knew where or when it would appear. Entering was basically a matter of luck.
Eventually, Zhong Liang left with the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit. Yang Kai passed the ring that was full of Black Ink Clan corpses to Feng Ying and told her to bring it to the Merit Hall to exchange for Military Merits. He didn’t intend to keep the Military Merits to himself; instead, he decided to keep it in Dawn Squad’s account. After all, it required some Military Merits every time Dawning Light was repaired, so he had to be prepared for future emergencies.
After Feng Ying left, Yang Kai started cultivating in seclusion again, for his Small Universe hadn’t fully healed yet. However, with the World Tree clone’s presence, repairing his Small Universe wasn’t really an issue.
Another half a year passed before Yang Kai finally felt his Small Universe was complete once more.
After some calculations, Yang Kai realised that it took one year for his Small Universe to fully heal. During this period of time, he could feel that his foundation was slightly unsteady, which resulted in a decrease in his speed of refining materials. He hadn’t fought anyone, but if he had done so, he would’ve realised that his strength had plunged as well.
The Small Universe was the foundation of an Open Heaven Realm Master. Once it was damaged, the cultivator would be affected in many ways.
However, Yang Kai was surprised that the World Tree clone was able to fully repair his Small Universe in just one year, which could be considered rapid. He had asked Feng Ying about the effects of consuming a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit. It was said that after a cultivator consumed a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit, while it would immediately patch the damage, it would take one to two years to fully repair a Small Universe. There were even those who spent three to five years or even more than ten years waiting for their Small Universes to fully heal.
It seemed that the clone’s healing ability was greater than that of a Profound Yin Spirit Fruit.
Not only had Yang Kai’s Small Universe been repaired, but his Dragon Bead, which was damaged during the battle against Zhu Feng in the past, had been repaired as well.
Yang Kai had overexerted himself to battle against Zhu Feng Territory Lord. In the end, he was forced to summon his Dragon Bead to deal with the formidable enemy. Even though such a move was powerful, it was also dangerous. The consequences would be dreadful if his Dragon Bead was destroyed.
After the battle, his Dragon Bead was damaged and full of cracks.
Fortunately, the Dragon Bead could be repaired by nourishing it with his Dragon Vein, and as long as he didn’t need to use his Dragon Transformation Secret Art, the problem with the Dragon Bead wouldn’t affect his usual strength.
Over the years, he hadn’t done anything special, but the Dragon Bead became perfect again with the Dragon Vein’s constant nourishment.
In fact, it had become better than in the past. He could clearly feel that the power of his Dragon Vein had improved.
He initially thought that it was just an illusion, but after examining himself, he realised that the power of his Dragon Vein had indeed increased.
The revelation puzzled him.
It was expected that his Dragon Bead would be healed one day, but it came as a complete and pleasant surprise that the power of his Dragon Vein had been strengthened as well.
After examining himself closely, Yang Kai reckoned that his quick recovery and improved strength were thanks to the gift the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer had given him in the past.
Rumour had it that Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were the origins of all Divine Spirits. The Dragon Clan was the leader of all Divine Spirits, so they were supposedly closely related to the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer.
It was for this reason that, when Yang Kai sought help from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan to deal with Black Ink Strength, he was given the two marks that could be used to activate Purifying Light. Not everyone could activate the two marks and draw on the powers of Yellow and Blue Crystals to cast this technique.
If Yang Kai was not attuned to the two marks, he still wouldn’t be able to cast Purifying Light even if he had abundant Yellow and Blue Crystals.
Before he left the Chaotic Dead Territory, Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan left a mysterious force in his body.
That force was harmless to Yang Kai and wouldn’t improve his cultivation in any way; however, it could stimulate the power of the Dragon Vein in his body and purify his Dragon Clan bloodline.
It was thanks to the help of these supreme beings that the power of his Dragon Vein had increased significantly. Initially, Yang Kai could only transform into a 10,000-metre Dragon after using Dragon Transformation Secret Art, which allowed him to just barely be regarded as a Grand Dragon. After the incident, he could reach 20,000 metres upon using his Dragon Transformation Secret Art. His figure had expanded by two times.
At that time, Yang Kai had a feeling that the mysterious force left behind by Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan in his body hadn’t been depleted and was instead hiding somewhere in his body.
Over the years though, he had never detected the presence of the mysterious force again.
It never crossed his mind that the damage in his Dragon Bead silently triggered it. His Dragon Vein had once again been improved without him noticing.
Yang Kai had no idea how huge his Grand Dragon Form would be after using his Dragon Transformation Secret Art now. Nevertheless, he believed that he would be longer than 20,000 metres.
He decided to use his Dragon Transformation Secret Art and examine the changes he had gone through when he was free one day.
After his Small Universe had healed, Yang Kai could once again refine a set of Seventh-Order materials every half a year, which allowed his heritage to grow rapidly.
Given the speed of his progress, he reckoned that it would take him less than 1,000 years to ascend to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
It was inconceivable that anyone could ascend to the Eighth Order from the Seventh Order in less than 1,000 years. There were a lot of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Blue Sky Pass who had been stuck in the same Order for thousands of years. First of all, they were limited by their own aptitude, and secondly, they hadn’t accumulated enough heritage.
Usually, regardless of how talented a cultivator was, it would take them three or four thousand years to ascend to the Eighth Order from the Seventh Order, while 5,000 years was considered average.
As for ascending to the Ninth Order from the Eighth Order, it would take a cultivator more than 10,000 years to do so. Open Heaven Realm Masters lived long enough to go through such a long process though, so most didn’t think too much of it.
It was because of how difficult it was for an Open Heaven Realm Master to grow their strength that there were not a lot of Ninth-Order Old Ancestors in the Cave Heavens and Paradises even though they had lived for countless years. No one could guarantee that it would always be smooth sailing while they were growing their power either. Even if a person had the chance to make it to the Ninth Order, they might lose their future or even their life if an accident happened.
There were three reasons why it would only take Yang Kai 1,000 years to achieve this same feat. First of all, he had been refining Seventh-Order materials, so he could increase his strength more efficiently. Secondly, the World Tree’s clone in his Small Universe helped increase his refining speed by several times. Lastly, the living creatures residing in his Small Universe continuously helped strengthen his heritage.
All these advantages added up and allowed him to grow his power in the shortest time possible.
Achieving a breakthrough in just 1,000 years was only Yang Kai’s estimation, of course. If he was held up by something during this period of time, it would take him longer to achieve his goal.
Just like he had done previously, Yang Kai would go out and unwind after refining a set of materials every half a year.
A few years went by in the blink of an eye.
When Yang Kai left his room one day, he saw Zhong Liang already waiting for him. It seemed that the latter had predicted the time he would stop cultivating.
Yang Kai was disciplined when it came to cultivating, so it wasn’t hard for anyone to know when he would leave his room.
It had been peaceful in Blue Sky Pass in the past few years, so Yang Kai was surprised to see Zhong Liang waiting for him. He quickly went over and saluted him, “Do you need something, Sir?”
Zhong Liang nodded, “Come with me.”
Despite not knowing what was going on, Yang Kai still hurriedly followed him.
Soon, he realised that Zhong Liang was heading to the Pill Hall.
Someone was already waiting for them outside. It was none other than Tang Qun, whom Yang Kai had met before. At that instant, Yang Kai had a speculation about the reason Zhong Liang had brought him to the Pill Hall.
With Tang Qun leading the way, they soon arrived at a Grand Hall.
Three people were already waiting inside the Grand Hall, and Yang Kai had met two of them before. They were Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang. He had no idea who the last person was, but the latter seemed energetic despite his old age. His aura suggested that he was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Upon seeing Yang Kai, both Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang were excited as they came over.
Yang Kai saluted them. Even though they were excited, they appeared somewhat tired. Both of them had become much thinner than when Yang Kai met them for the first time.
It had to be noted that they were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, so even though they knew nothing about fighting, they were still fairly powerful. It wasn’t certain what caused them to go through such a transformation over the years.
Zhong Liang introduced the third old man to Yang Kai, “He’s the Hall Master of the Pill Hall, Fu Zhou.”
Yang Kai saluted him again, “So it is Senior Fu.”
Fu Zhou ran his fingers through his beard with a smile, “A talented young man indeed.”
The ever-impatient Zhu Ge Ming said, “Cut to the chase. We’re here for a pill test.”
Zhou Fang nodded repeatedly on the side.
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai realised that his speculation was right. Pleasantly surprised, he asked, “Have you completed the pill recipe for the Purifying Black Ink Pill?”
It had been a few years since he passed the incomplete pill recipe to these two Alchemy Grandmasters, and he would ask about the progress from time to time. Things seemed to be going well in the beginning, but they started facing some difficulties in the later stage. Those from the Pill Hall were unable to complete the pill recipe easily.
However, Zhu Ge Ming’s words suggested that not only had they completed the recipe, but they had also successfully refined some Purifying Black Ink Pills.
Zhou Fang nodded and replied, “We’ve completed the pill recipe and made some Purifying Black Ink Pills; however, we have to give it a test to find out whether it’s effective. We’ve asked you to come here to take part in the pill test.”
Yang Kai nodded as he finally understood why Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang appeared exhausted. They must have continuously exerted themselves to complete the pill recipe while experiencing countless failures. It was no wonder that they were worn out after years of such an endeavour.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t object to a pill test, for he also wanted Purifying Black Ink Pills to be mass-produced as soon as possible, so he asked, “What do you want me to do?”
Zhong Liang replied, “Since we have to find out the effectiveness of the Purifying Black Ink Pill, we have to let someone become corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Obviously, we don’t keep Black Ink Strength in the Inner Sanctum, but I know you have quite a lot of it in your Small Universe. We need you to use that Black Ink Strength. It will be fine if the experiment is successful; however, if the pill is not effective, we’ll need you to activate Purifying Light to help.”
“Understood.” Yang Kai nodded, then asked, “Who will receive the Black Ink Strength, then?”
Zhu Ge Ming immediately took a step forward, “Me!”
Zhou Fang directly pushed him aside, “Back down old fart. I’ll handle it.”
A furious Zhu Ge Ming snapped, “How dare an old fart like you call me old!? Take a piss and look at your own reflection first!”
Zhou Fang scoffed, “I’m younger than you by 300 years, so you should give a young person like me a chance.”
The corner of Zhu Ge Ming’s mouth twitched, “How do you have the nerve to call yourself a young person?”
Yang Kai was dumbfounded, thinking that they even had to compete against one another over such a trivial matter. It seemed that these Grandmasters were truly on bad terms.
Fu Zhou said with a smile, “I’m sorry for the farce, Little Friend. This matter has something to do with the effectiveness of Purifying Black Ink Pills, so it’ll be helpful to personally go through the experience. However, Junior Brother Zhou has a point. This matter is important, and we should give young people a chance.”
Then, he turned his head to the side, “You do it, Tang Qun.”
Tang Qun had been silently watching the show. Since the two Grandmasters were arguing, he didn’t have the nerve to say anything. In fact, he had remained silent after he led Yang Kai and Zhong Liang to this place. He hadn’t expected that Fu Zhou would call out to him at this point.
After being startled for a moment, he cupped his fist respectfully, “Yes.”
Since Fu Zhou had given the order, Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang wouldn’t dare to have any objection.
Yang Kai then fished out a bit of Black Ink Strength from his Small Universe and gazed at Tang Qun, “Tell me when you’re ready.”
Tang Qun took a deep breath, as though he was ready to sacrifice his life, “You can start now, Senior Brother.”
Yang Kai raised his hand and pushed the Black Ink Strength on him.
Tang Qun instantly opened up his Small Universe and accepted it.
The next instant, he shuddered and appeared to be struggling. Through the Small Universe’s portal, they could clearly see that as the Black Ink Strength seeped through the Small Universe that hadn’t materialised, the darkness spread around quickly. Just moments later, Black Ink Strength started billowing from Tang Qun’s skin, and even his eyes had been dyed black.
As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he had some resistance against Black Ink Strength, so he wouldn’t be corrupted as soon as he came into contact with it. However, this was just a pill test, so he didn’t intend to resist. Instead, he tried to lead the Black Ink Strength to invade his entire body, which was why he was rapidly corrupted.
With little sanity left, he growled with difficulty, “Sirs… I’m about to lose control!”
As soon as he finished speaking, his eyes became completely black. The next moment, he roared with a ferocious expression and attempted to land a fist on Zhu Ge Ming, who was nearest to him.
Tang Qun was a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so his attack was undoubtedly intimidating; however, he didn’t manage to hurt Zhu Ge Ming one bit, for Zhong Liang abruptly appeared beside him and placed a palm on his shoulder, instantly rendering him completely immovable.
Despite that, Tang Qun kept a hideous expression on his face as he continued to struggle.
This situation was within their expectations. Open Heaven Realm Masters who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength were destined to go against the Human Race; however, Yang Kai hadn’t expected that they would go all out in this pill test.
Even if the Purifying Black Ink Pill was not effective, he still had Purifying Light to save Tang Qun. Nevertheless, this certainly wouldn’t be an enjoyable experience for the latter.
It was no wonder that Fu Zhou refused to allow Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang to give it a try; after all, both of them were in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. If they were really corrupted by Black Ink Strength, Zhong Liang would probably have to wound them seriously before he could subdue them.
Tang Qun was just a Sixth-Order Master, so they could take control of the situation by letting him become contaminated by Black Ink Strength.
Seeing that Tang Qun was subdued, Fu Zhou quickly took a step forward with a nail-sized Spirit Pill between his fingers and pried the younger man’s mouth open. After stuffing the pill into his mouth, he gently landed his own palm on the younger man’s chest.
Tang Qun was forced to gulp down the pill. Fu Zhou activated his power to help him refine the medicinal efficacies. All of them stared fixedly at Tang Qun as they wanted to find out whether the Purifying Black Ink Pill was effective.
A moment later, Zhu Ge Ming suddenly exclaimed, “It’s useful!”
Zhou Fang was evidently relieved as well.
The Purifying Black Ink Pill was indeed useful. As the medicinal efficacies were refined, they could see that the Black Ink Strength inside Tang Qun’s Small Universe became thinner.
Tang Qun also became less hostile towards them.
They observed him with hopeful gazes; however, the Black Ink Strength then stopped decreasing. When the medicinal efficacies of the Purifying Black Ink Pill were all gone, Tang Qun started growling and struggling again.
Zhu Ge Ming almost went mad as he pulled at his grey hair, muttering under his breath, “How can this be? How is it possible that it doesn’t work?”
Zhou Fang also appeared dejected as he was beside himself.
The two of them had spent several years exerting themselves to complete the Purifying Black Ink Pill recipe. During that period of time, they had experienced countless failures and consumed innumerable herbs. They initially thought that the pill would work, but the outcome turned out to be disappointing.
This had dealt a heavy blow to them.
Zhong Liang frowned and sent a signal to Yang Kai with his eyes.
Upon getting his hint, Yang Kai activated Purifying Light and engulfed Tang Qun with it.
Under the pure light, the Black Ink Strength in Tang Qun’s body rapidly dissipated as he regained his sanity; however, it was apparent that he was exhausted after the incident as his forehead was beaded with sweat.
Zhu Ge Ming and Zhou Fang came to their senses as they quickly asked Tang Qun about his experience just now.
Although Tang Qun had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, he still remembered everything that happened, so he told them what he had gone through just now.
Upon hearing this, the two Alchemy Grandmasters fell into their thoughts.
A moment later, Zhu Ge Ming said, “Give it one more try. This time, don’t let him get completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength. There’s no problem with the pill recipe of Purifying Black Ink Pill, but the effects might not be the same as what we had imagined.”
Zhou Fang nodded, “That’s right.”
Fu Zhou gazed at Tang Qun, “Can you persevere?”
Tang Qun nodded, “I can make one more attempt.”
Fu Zhou then turned to Yang Kai, “Sorry for troubling you again, Little Friend Yang.”
“Don’t mention it, Hall Master.” As Yang Kai spoke, he stared at Tang Qun and took out a bit of Black Ink Strength again.
Just as he did earlier, Tang Qun opened up his Small Universe and accepted it. This time though, Zhu Ge Ming quickly passed him a Purifying Black Ink Pill. Tang Qun consumed it and refined the medicinal efficacies on his own.
They could see that as the medicinal efficacies of the Purifying Black Ink Pill spread, the Black Ink Strength in Yang Qun’s Small Universe started melting away like the snow under the scorching Sun.
All of them were thrilled upon seeing that.
After Tang Qun got to his feet, they thoroughly examined his Small Universe and confirmed that there was no Black Ink Strength left.
Zhu Ge Ming chuckled, “I told you that there’s no way it wouldn’t work! This must be how the pill should be used.”
Zhou Fang nodded, “You have a point. However, we can only come to a conclusion after carrying out more experiments.”
Zhu Ge Ming replied, “That’s right.”
They spoke in an oblique manner, and although Yang Kai had some speculations, he couldn’t be certain about them. Regardless, he reckoned that Tang Qun would have to suffer in the coming days.
In the days that followed, Yang Kai stayed in the Pill Hall to help with the pill tests. For this purpose, Zhong Liang arranged more than 10 Open Heaven Realm Masters of different Orders to come over and take part in the experiments.
It would be miserable for Tang Qun if he was the only one who had to experience all the hardship.
The experiments over the next few days showed that the Purifying Black Ink Pills were useful, but their effects were limited. After a person was invaded by Black Ink Strength, it would be best for them to consume a Purifying Black Ink Pill as soon as possible; that way, they would stand a greater chance of retaining their sanity.
Once they were completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength, it would be too late for them to consume a Purifying Black Ink Pill.
The reason it turned out to be a failure on the first try was that Tang Qun had been totally corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, so the Purifying Black Ink Pill was unable to help him restore his rationality.
Despite that, it could be considered that they had successfully made Purifying Black Ink Pills. That was wonderful news for the Human Race.
Before Yang Kai’s arrival in the Black Ink Battlefield, the Humans from the Great Passes had no way to deal with Black Ink Strength. Once a person was corrupted, he or she would either be turned into a Black Ink Disciple or have to give up a part of their Small Universe. This resulted in the Humans from different Great Passes seeing their powers plunging or even regressing to a lower Order. There were a lot of people who dropped from the Sixth Order to the Fifth Order as a result, and it wasn’t rare to see people who fell to the Sixth Order from the Seventh Order either.
Then came the day when Yang Kai Purifying Light brought with him, which could even save the people who had been Black Ink Disciples for a long time. The Humans from the Great Passes were heartened as each Great Pass created their own Purifying Black Ink Battleships. The ships were then brought to Blue Sky Pass by the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters so that Yang Kai could infuse Purifying Light into them.
However, only Yang Kai was able to use Purifying Light, it required specific materials to cast the Secret Technique, which they would use up sooner or later.
How were the Humans going to resist Black Ink Strength when that time came?
The rebirth of Purifying Black Ink Pills came at the perfect time. Even though it was not as powerful as Purifying Light, they could be universally used and were easily produced.
Those from Blue Sky Pass could just spread the pill recipe around, and the Alchemists from different Great Passes could begin refining the pills.
With Purifying Black Ink Pills as the most commonly used treatment, Purifying Light could serve as a backup move. When the Humans were corrupted by Black Ink Strength in the future, they wouldn’t be powerless to resist.
Since time immemorial, Black Ink Strength had always been the Black Ink Clan’s biggest advantage. Once this advantage was gone, the Black Ink Clan would be like a tiger without teeth, no longer so intimidating.
The Alchemy Grandmasters in the Pill Hall were ecstatic. While they planned to mass-produce the Purifying Black Ink Pills, they also vowed to improve the pill recipe so that even the Black Ink Disciples could be saved. Only then would the Purifying Black Ink Pills be considered truly complete.
This was an ambitious plan that couldn’t be achieved in a short time; however, the pill recipe was soon spread around and the Alchemy Grandmasters from all the different Great Passes would definitely study it. Perhaps Purifying Black Ink Pills that would be effective on Black Ink Disciples would be successfully developed one day.
The pill tests this time could be considered a success.
Zhong Liang took the pill recipe as he was ready to send it to the Great Passes through the Hyper Space Array. Certainly, those from the Pill Hall had no objection.
On the other hand, a lot of Alchemists in the Pill Hall had gathered together as they were ready to mass-produce Purifying Black Ink Pills. Fortunately, after Yang Kai passed the tattered pill recipe to the Pill Hall back then, he told Tang Qun to start growing more Obsidian Grass and Green Feather Rattan. Now, they were not lacking ingredients for refining the pills. Nevertheless, the demand for those herbs would only grow in the coming years.
As Yang Kai and Zhong Liang left the Pill Hall, they remained silent.
All of a sudden, Zhong Liang let out a laugh. A puzzled Yang Kai asked humbly, “What’s so amusing, Sir?”
With his hands behind his back, Zhong Liang replied, “I just find it exhilarating that we’ll be able to go all out to deal with the Black Ink Clan with Purifying Black Ink Pills in possession one day.”
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai nodded, “That is indeed an exciting prospect.”
Zhong Liang let out a sigh, “Humans have been fighting against the Black Ink Clan for countless years. We are restricted in many ways because it is difficult to deal with Black Ink Strength. Even though you’ve brought Purifying Light to us, and it’s more effective than Purifying Black Ink Pills, these pills are more useful than Purifying Light on the battlefield.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I understand.”
It was just like what happened in the resource harvesting area where forward base 4 was located. In the final battle, the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, which contained Purifying Light, was stationed back at the forward base, a two-day journey away. The cultivators who had been invaded by Black Ink Strength had to look for a chance to use the Universe Transference Law to return to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in the forward base in order to be treated, taking them off the battlefield for quite some time.
Activating the Universe Transference Law required a few breaths of time, during which the person using it could not be disturbed; otherwise, it would definitely fail.
Even if the person successfully activated the Universe Transference Law and returned to the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in the forward base, it would take them two days to return to the battlefield. The battle would have ended by then; in which case, it was no different from weakening the Human Army.
However, things would be different if every Human soldier who fought against the Black Ink Clan had several Purifying Black Ink Pills with them. Even if they were invaded by Black Ink Strength, they wouldn’t turn into Black Ink Disciples as long as they could quickly consume a Purifying Black Ink Pill, allowing them to stay on the battlefield and continue fighting.
Therefore, Purifying Black Ink Pills would be more useful and convenient than Purifying Light on the battlefield.
“Since your arrival in the Inner Sanctum, Blue Sky Pass has become the centre of attention of all Humans. We’ve been in the limelight,” Zhong Liang let out a laugh again.
A puzzled Yang Kai asked, “What do you mean?”
Zhong Liang replied, “You see, you were the one who brought Purifying Light to us. When the news spread, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from different Great Passes personally brought their Purifying Black Ink Battleships to Blue Sky Pass. That was the first event. Then, you came up with the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors, and we were the ones who informed the Humans from different Great Passes about their refinement method. That was the second event. Now, we’ve successfully developed Purifying Black Ink Pills. The pill recipe will be sent to the other Great Passes, and once they get it, they will all be over the Moon and grateful to Blue Sky Pass. That’s the reason we’re the centre of attention, and you’re the one who has brought us such glory.”
“It is this Junior’s duty, nothing more.”
Zhong Liang shook his head, “In the past, I’d never expected that one person could single-handedly change the status quo on this vast battlefield. As I grew older and started losing hope, there came a day when you arrived and changed everything.”
“Perhaps I’m just lucky.” Yang Kai put on a smile.
Zhong Liang flashed a smile at him as well, “It’s not just about luck. Perhaps we’ll finally see some changes on this seemingly never-changing battlefield. Never mind, let’s not talk about it. Is everything going well with your cultivation?” He suddenly changed the topic.
Yang Kai replied, “Everything’s fine.”
Zhong Liang nodded, “I can see that your aura has become denser compared to several years ago. It’s apparent that your power has increased significantly; however, the cultivation of an Open Heaven Realm Master is a process of accumulation. Hence, you must not be too proud or impatient. Don’t try to run before you can walk. You just ascended to the Seventh Order several years ago, so there’s no rush for you to try to make it to the Eighth Order. Given your aptitude and heritage, it will naturally happen when the time comes. If it’s not the right time yet, it’s pointless for you to work excessively hard.”
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “I understand.”
Zhong Liang went on to say, “Since you understand, there’s no rush for you to continue cultivating. There’s something I need you to do.”
“What is it?” Yang Kai gazed at him.
Zhong Liang replied, “Several years ago, you opened up 11 portals to Sealed Worlds in the resource harvesting area around forward base 4. Did Cha Hu tell you that the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield tend to be clustered?”
Yang Kai nodded, “He did mention it.”
“Good.” Zhong Liang ran his fingers through his beard, “The thing is, we’ve found quite a number of Sealed Worlds in different places in the Blue Sky Theatre in the past. Most of the time, we could only find one to two Sealed Worlds in any given place, but we suspect that there are still a lot of hidden Sealed Worlds around the places where Sealed Worlds were previously found. It’s just that we didn’t have the means to look for the hidden portals. Hence, we’re unable to extract the resources in those Sealed Worlds.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai said, “Do you want me to go to the places where Sealed Worlds were previously found to look for hidden portals?”
“En,” Zhong Liang nodded, “You’re a Master of the Dao of Space, so it shouldn’t be difficult for you to find more hidden portals. There are a lot of valuable items in those Sealed Worlds, after all. Just getting more Profound Yin Spirit Fruit Trees would be extremely useful to the Inner Sanctum.”
Upon listening to his intention, Yang Kai nodded, “In that case, I’ll get prepared and set off.”
Zhong Liang waved his hand, “There’s no need to get prepared. Just set off now. I’ve informed Dawn Squad about it, and they’re waiting for you outside the Inner Sanctum. You just have to join them. I’ve asked someone to tell Feng Ying about the places where Sealed Worlds were previously found. She’ll lead you there.”
Yang Kai was stunned as he had never expected Zhong Liang to be so well prepared. He had even informed Dawn about it, so it was apparent that he didn’t intend to let Yang Kai continue cultivating; however, since it was his order, Yang Kai naturally wouldn’t disobey. He then cupped his fist and said, “I’ll get going now, then.”
Zhong Liang nodded, “There’s no rush in dealing with this matter. You can come back when you’re done with it. On the other hand, when you’re handling this matter, no one from the Inner Sanctum will contact you. Unless you fall into danger, you won’t have to inform us about whatever you do. Be safe when you’re outside.”
A puzzled Yang Kai responded and left. He had a feeling that Zhong Liang was acting strangely, but he couldn’t really tell what was off.
After he was gone, a figure abruptly appeared beside Zhong Liang. The person was none other than the Eastern Army Commander, Ding Yao.
“Has he left?” Ding Yao asked.
Zhong Liang nodded, “Yes.” Then, he asked, “Where’s that old fart surnamed Tang?”
Ding Yao shrugged, “Shen Tu is dealing with him now.”
Zhong Liang frowned, “What’s that old fart up to, coming all the way here to Blue Sky Pass?”
Ding Yao shook his head, “Tang Qiu never said anything; however, he’s an Eighth-Order Master, so he must have used a lot of resources to be sent to this place from Yin-Yang Pass. He certainly wouldn’t come here for no reason.”
Zhong Liang scowled, “Could it be what we think? He’s here to lure Yang Boy to his side seeing that he created so many wonderful things?”
Ding Yao instantly sported a ferocious expression, “How dare he!”
“Regardless of whether he has the guts to do so, I reckon that it’s indeed his intention. He already expressed such intentions when he visited previously. It’s just that Yang Boy didn’t leave with him. Since he has come all the way here again this time, it’s clear to us what he’s up to. In any case, Yang Boy is considered a member of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven while Tang Qiu is an Eighth-Order Ancestor from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven as well as an Army Commander of Yin-Yang Pass, so it’s expected that he wants to bring Yang Boy back with him.”
“Once a member of Blue Sky Pass, always a member of Blue Sky Pass!” Ding Yao snorted, “If that old fart surnamed Tang really has his eyes on Yang Boy, I’ll definitely beat him up.”
Zhong Liang shot him a glance, “I’ll be looking forward to it, then. Don’t back down when the time comes.”
Ding Yao scoffed in response.
Zhong Liang chuckled, “Let’s go probe that old fart first. It’s been a few days since he arrived, so we can’t possibly keep ignoring him.”
Meanwhile, Shen Tu Mo was accompanying a middle-aged man who was clad in simple clothes. They were having a chat while walking around. Nevertheless, Shen Tu Mo remained impassive and didn’t speak much while the middle-aged man was apparently the more talkative one.
This middle-aged man named Tang Qiu was the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven whom Yang Kai had met before. He was also an Army Commander.
When Tang Qiu brought the Purifying Black Ink Battleships refined by Yin-Yang Pass to Blue Sky Pass back then, he met up with Yang Kai. He had also brought Xu Ling Gong with him.
A moment later, Tang Qiu suddenly stopped in his tracks and put on a bitter smile, “Brother Shen Tu, it seems that I’m not welcome in Blue Sky Pass. I’m truly saddened.”
There was a dispassionate expression on Shen Tu Mo’s face as he replied, “We’ve always been sincere and welcoming to our friends; however, if it’s an enemy, he’ll be greeted by the Secret Techniques of our several ten thousand soldiers.”
The corners of Tang Qiu’s face twitched, “Why is this Tang an enemy of Blue Sky Pass?”
Shen Tu Mo turned around, showing only his profile, “Brother Tang, it’s up to you whether you want to be our friend or foe.”
A speechless Tang Qiu broke into laughter, “I don’t understand, Brother Shen Tu. Please make it clear to me.”
Shen Tu Mo shook his head in silence.
Tang Qiu let out a sigh, “Forget it. Since you don’t welcome me here, I’ll leave now.”
“Farewell!” Shen Tu Mo extended his hand, as though he was eager to see him leave.
Tang Qiu’s chest heaved with fury. He suppressed his anger and said resentfully, “I’ll definitely leave, but there’s one person I have to see before that.”
Shen Tu Mo looked cautiously at him, “Who do you want to see?”
Tang Qiu replied, “Yang Kai!”
“You’ve finally revealed your ulterior motive, Old Fart! I knew you were up to no good coming all the way here to Blue Sky Pass! You’re really here to snatch Yang Kai!” Someone was heard growling. The next moment, two figures descended from the sky. They were none other than Zhong Liang and Ding Yao, who happened to arrive and hear what Tang Qiu had just said.
The moment they landed on the ground, Zhong Liang turned to Ding Yao, “Haven’t you heard what he said, Brother Ding? What are you waiting for?”
Ding Yao balled up his fist and palmed it loudly.
An alerted Tang Qiu yelled, “What are you trying to do?”
It wasn’t until this moment that he realised that three Army Commanders of Blue Sky Pass had surrounded him, causing him to sweat.
Ding Yao grinned in an eerie manner, “Well, it’s our duty to beat up anyone who’s ill-intentioned here.”
Tang Qiu was dumbfounded, “Why do you think this Tang is ill-intentioned?”
Zhong Liang snorted, “You failed in your attempt to get Yang Kai to go to your side previously, so we never expected that you would still have the nerve to come try again! It seems that we’ve been too magnanimous. You probably won’t learn your lesson unless we beat you up!”
Tang Qiu quickly raised his hands, “Wait a moment. That’s not this Tang’s intention! The reason I want to see Yang Kai is that one of the Purifying Black Ink Battleships from Yin-Yang Pass has run out of Purifying Light, so I’d like him to help replenish it.”
“Do you think I’ll believe you?” Zhong Liang sneered and waved his hand, “Kill!”
Three figures instantly shot towards him like they were arrows.
“You…” Tang Qiu was flabbergasted as he hadn’t expected that they would really dare to make a move. He was already surrounded by them, to begin with, and he had missed the best chance to escape. How was he supposed to counterattack at this moment?
He clumsily dodged their attacks, but to no avail.
Fortunately, these four Eighth-Order Army Commanders didn’t forget the fact that they were in the Inner Sanctum, so they made sure that their powers didn’t leak beyond a radius of 10 metres. Despite that, it was still a world-shaking battle.
A moment later, Tang Qiu, whose face was all bruised, found himself literally backed into a corner. Faced with three towering figures, he had no way to flee.
All of them were Eighth-Order Army Commanders, so they would be equally matched if they were in a one-on-one fight. However, how was he supposed to be a match for the three of them on his own?
If he hadn’t given up resisting early on, he would’ve been badly injured by now.
“Tell us what you’re up to by coming all the way here to Blue Sky Pass,” Zhong Liang looked down at him in a condescending manner.
Tang Qiu’s face twitched, “Brother Zhong, I’m really here to ask Yang Kai to replenish the Purifying Light.”
“Stop lying!” Zhong Liang directly cut him off, “If you really wanted to replenish the Purifying Light, you could’ve asked a Seventh-Order Junior to come over. You didn’t have to personally come here. Are there too many resources in Yin-Yang Pass for you to squander? It’s far more costly for an Eighth-Order Master to use the Space Array than a Seventh-Order one.”
At this point, his voice turned grim, “Something major must have happened in Yin-Yang Pass that prompted you to personally come over.”
Ding Yao asked, “What does that have to do with Yang Kai? Why do you insist on seeing him?”
There was a helpless smile on Tang Qiu’s face, “You never believed what I said…”
“Brother Tang!” Zhong Liang’s expression turned solemn, “If you do not want to tell us the truth, you can return now.”
A myriad of expressions came over Tang Qiu but eventually, he let out a sigh, “Fine. Things have come to a point where I have no choice but to tell you the truth. Do you have a quiet place we can talk?”
Zhong Liang and Ding Yao exchanged glances, thinking that the matter Tang Qiu was about to bring up must be serious; otherwise, he wouldn’t be acting so cautious.
“Come with me,” Zhong Liang said and led the way.
Soon, the four of them arrived at a certain hall.
After the door was closed, the restrictions were activated to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
Zhong Liang gazed at Tang Qiu, “Brother Tang, you can be completely honest with us. Even though we’re from different Great Passes, we’re all Humans. If there’s anything we can help you with, we won’t turn you down.”
Tang Qiu let out a long breath. He then fished out a jade slip and flicked his fingers, “Before we get to the main topic, I want you to have a look at this first.”
He exerted just the right amount of force with his fingers as the jade slip exploded in mid-air and turned into dots of light. Instead of dissipating though, the dots of light kept changing forms and transformed into a scene.
There was no doubt that this was a profound method. He used a Divine Ability to seal the scene that had happened before inside a jade slip, and he could show it to others whenever he wanted.
It wasn’t certain where on the Black Ink Battlefield the place was, but they could see that it was somewhere in the void.
In the scene, arrays were seen flickering on a Warship that belonged to Humans. As the arrays operated, attacks were continuously sent out.
Up ahead, there was another Warship that was fleeing as it counterattacked from time to time.
Nevertheless, this Warship was different from the ones owned by Humans that Zhong Liang and the others were familiar with. It was huge and rough. Even though it couldn’t frequently launch an attack, every strike that came from the vessel was intimidating.
Around the Warships were some Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were locked in an intense battle with Feudal Lords.
Zhong Liang and the others stared fixedly at the larger Warship. Even though the image they saw was not very clear, there were apparently some burly Black Ink Clansmen who were moving around on the Warship.
Their expressions became increasingly solemn as they watched the scene.
After the intense battle lasted for a while, the larger ship suddenly started rumbling. The next moment, the Arrays on the warship exploded as they were not stable to begin with. They were all damaged in an instant, and without the Arrays, the larger Warship was like a tiger without teeth, no longer able to attack or defend.
The Warship belonging to the Humans seized the chance to continuously attack the vessel until it exploded, killing countless Black Ink Clansmen who were aboard the vessel.
After defeating the vessel, the Warship belonging to the Humans turned around and assisted the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. The Feudal Lords had no choice but to flee.
The scene ended here as the points of light disappeared.
The hall turned dead silent as the atmosphere grew solemn.
A long time later, Zhong Liang asked, “Was it made by the Black Ink Clan?”
“Yes.” Tang Qiu nodded.
“When did it happen?”
“Three months ago. A Squad from Yin-Yang Pass was patrolling the area and came across it. The Squad Leader realised that it was a serious issue, so he used a Secret Technique to capture the scene. That was what you saw just now.”
Zhong Liang frowned, “Had no one discovered it before that?”
Tang Qiu shook his head, “No. Based on our observations, the Warship made by the Black Ink Clan was not very reliable. That was the reason such an accident happened during the battle, allowing us to destroy it.”
“Even though it’s not reliable, they’re already capable of making such a thing.” Zhong Liang let out a long breath, “There will come a day when the Black Ink Clan might be able to field a Warship that is reliable enough to use in combat. If that happens, our greatest advantage will be gone for good.”
The Humans and the Black Ink Clan had been fighting each other on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless years, and they each had their own advantages. The biggest advantage that the Black Ink Clan had was the Black Ink Strength. Before Yang Kai brought Purifying Light to them, the Humans had suffered great losses because of Black Ink Strength.
On the other hand, the biggest advantage that the Humans had was their Warships.
With the help of these Warships, the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could display power on par with the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters on the battlefield; what’s more, as long as the Warship was not damaged, its crew wouldn’t be at risk.
Therefore, regardless of which Great Pass war broke out around, the Humans would always suffer fewer losses than the Black Ink Clan.
Most of the time, in smaller skirmishes, there wouldn’t be any casualties on the Humans’ side. That was because they had Warships, which could be used for defending and attacking.
The Black Ink Clan had always coveted Human Warships, and they had been trying to develop such vessels for a long time; however, due to a lack of talented people, they hadn’t been able to achieve it.
After all, not just any Artifact Refiner could refine a Warship. In the entire Blue Sky Pass, fewer than 10 people were able to build a Warship, and they were always well protected, never being allowed to step onto the battlefield lest they be corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
It was because of this reason that the method of refining Warships had always been kept in the hands of the Humans. There was nothing that the Black Ink Clan could do about it.
Yang Kai had brought Purifying Light and Purifying Black Ink Pills to the Human Race. With these two items in possession, the Humans would have a bright future as the advantage that the Black Ink Clan had relied on for years would be weakened.
However, the news that Tang Qiu had brought with him made Zhong Liang and the others feel their hearts sinking. If the Black Ink Clan could really make their own Warships one day, the advantage that the Humans had would be completely undermined.
More importantly, the Black Ink Clan had a massive population. Every time they launched an attack on the Great Passes, the Low-Rank and High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen would serve as mere cannon fodder in order to exhaust the strength of the Human cultivators. The Black Ink Strength left behind after their deaths would turn into Black Ink Clouds and further restrict the Humans.
However, if they had their own Warships, the innumerable Low-Rank and High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t just be cannon fodder anymore. Just like the Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, they could hide inside Warships and rely on them to exert power far greater than their own.
If the Black Ink Clan had enough Warships and invaded the Great Passes one day, the Humans wouldn’t be able to fend off the enemy anymore.
This notion sent a chill down the spine of anyone who thought about it.
“Do you know who helped them refine it?” Zhong Liang asked in a grim voice.
Tang Qiu replied, “We’ve narrowed it down to about 10 people who could be responsible for creating this vessel, but we’re not sure who it is.”
It was a well-known fact that the Black Ink Clan lacked any aptitude for Artifact Refining. The artifacts they owned were basically all made by Black Ink Disciples. The Warship belonging to the Black Ink Clan that they saw must have been made by a Black Ink Disciple as well.
Since this Black Ink Disciple was somewhat able to refine a Warship, it suggested that they were pretty skilled in the Dao of Artifact Refining.
Usually, such a talent wouldn’t be allowed to step onto the battlefield, but there were always exceptions. Some people might be gifted in the Dao of Artifact Refining, but have never focused on it. Since they wanted to focus on the Martial Dao, they would have to fight against the enemy.
After they were corrupted by the Black Ink Strength, they were ordered by the Black Ink Clan to study Artifact Refining, and as time passed, their skills would improve, allowing them to refine a Warship.
It was with this criteria that those from Yin-Yang Pass had narrowed down the list of possible people to a group of 10 who had been confirmed to be corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
If there was anyone who could help the Black Ink Clan make such a thing, the person must be among these 10.
“What is Yin-Yang Pass’ stance on this?” Ding Yao asked.
Tang Qiu replied, “This matter has far-reaching implications that might change the status quo of the entire battlefield. If the enemy successfully develops Warships, we won’t be able to fend them off in the future. Therefore, the Old Ancestor intends to find the Artifact Refiner responsible for this thing and bring them back before the Black Ink Clan can achieve their goal. If not, we’ll have to kill him to stop the situation from worsening. This matter has to be settled without delay.”
Ding Yao nodded gently. That was indeed the only way to solve the problem.
On the other hand, Zhong Liang’s expression changed, “Brother Tang, have you come all the way here to Blue Sky Pass to ask Yang Kai…”
Tang Qiu said, “Yang Kai had lived among the Black Ink Clan for two years; moreover, he has a World Spring, so he need not fear Black Ink Strength, not to mention he has Purifying Light. He’s the best candidate for the job. We don’t need him to kill the enemy, he just has to find the Artifact Refiner’s identity and whereabouts. Yin-Yang Pass’s Old Ancestor will personally make a move once he accomplishes his task.”
Zhong Liang immediately shook his head, “No. It’s too dangerous. If the enemy were to find out about his identity, he would be doomed.”
Tang Qiu let out a sigh, “I know that it’s a dangerous task; however, he’s the only one who stands a chance to achieve it. You all know that he’s a Master of the Dao of Space, so he’s skilled at escaping. Moreover, he’s a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so even if his identity is exposed, he’ll still have a chance to flee.”
“What if an accident happens?” Zhong Liang shook his head, “We all know how valuable Yang Boy is to the Human Race. If anything happens to him, it will be an immeasurable loss for all of us.”
Tang Qiu let out a sigh, “Certainly, I know how valuable he is; after all, he is also from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven. If possible, I wouldn’t want him to take the risk; however, the Black Ink Clan already have a half-functioning prototype Warship. Perhaps they will be able to perfect the vessels within 100 years. By then, how are we going to push them back? There’s no doubt that Yang Kai is important, but the fact that the Black Ink Clan are developing Warships will affect the entire Human Race. Don’t you see the severity of the matter?”
Zhong Liang said, “Despite that, Yang Kai has great value even beyond the Purifying Light. He’s not just an ordinary Seventh-Order Junior.”
Tang Qiu replied, “Of course I know that. However, if the Black Ink Clan successfully makes a Warship, Yin-Yang Pass will not be the only one that will be affected. Perhaps in just a few years, the Black Ink Clan in Blue Sky Pass will also be equipped with Warships. If they launch an attack on Blue Sky Pass then, how are you all going to repel them? By sacrificing the lives of several tens of thousands of soldiers?”
Zhong Liang fell silent. When that time came, they could only fight the enemy to the death. There was no other way.
Ding Yao refuted in a grim voice, “Those from Yin-Yang Pass have discovered a Warship from the Black Ink Clan, and the only solution you all can think of is to seek help from a brat? Old farts like you have lost your guts.”
A flushing Tang Qiu said resolutely, “Of course not. In fact, before I came to Blue Sky Pass, Brother Wu from Red Clouds Heaven already headed to the Black Ink Clan’s territory to gather more information.”
Ding Yao’s expression changed when he heard that, “Wu Qing from Red Clouds Cave Heaven?”
“Yes.” Tang Qiu nodded.
Wu Qing was the Southern Army Commander of Yin-Yang Pass. Even though he was from the Southern Army, he was the strongest Eighth-Order Master there.
Moreover, he possessed a Profound Fish, one of the Four Universe Pillars, so he was not worried about being corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
Since he had personally made a move, it showed that those from Yin-Yang Pass truly viewed this matter as important. It was because he had one of the Four Universe Pillars that he had the right to sneak into the Black Ink Clan’s hinterland; otherwise, he probably wouldn’t be able to come back despite being an Eighth-Order Master.
Take Ding Yao as an example. Before acquiring the World Spring, he had never barged into the Black Ink Clan’s domain on his own before. Nevertheless, with the World Spring in possession, he directly raised a ruckus in the Black Ink Clan’s backyard. Even though he was injured, he managed to kill a lot of Black Ink Clansmen.
Tang Qiu said in a bitter voice, “Even though Brother Wu has personally made a move, it’s not likely that he’ll succeed. Many Black Ink Clansmen have seen his face before. Simply killing enemies isn’t a problem, but he won’t be able to gather any information.”
This was understandable, as Wu Qing’s image had probably been spread across different territories of the Black Ink Clan. Once he showed up, the Black Ink Clan would instantly besiege him. How was he going to gather any information in such a situation?
Zhong Liang and the others nodded in agreement.
Tang Qiu went on to say, “We’ve thought about letting Brother Wu give up his Profound Fish so that one of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could refine it. Just like Yang Kai had done in the past, we would have that person pretend to be a Black Ink Disciple and sneak into the Black Ink Clan’s territory; however, there’s no Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in the world that’s comparable to Yang Kai. If we really do that, not only would that Seventh-Order Master be in an extremely perilous situation, but we might also lose a Profound Fish once this plan is exposed. Therefore, in order to gather information, we need someone who is able to perfectly hide his identity and pretend to be a Black Ink Disciple. He also has to have some ability to preserve his own life. After a long discussion, we believe that Yang Kai is the best person for the job. Brothers, please think about the greater good and help me with this.”
Zhong Liang and the others remained silent.
They knew that Tang Qiu was right. No one was better suited for this task in the entire Black Ink Battlefield than Yang Kai. He had a similar experience before, so it wasn’t difficult for him to pretend to be a Black Ink Disciple. Furthermore, he was a Master of the Dao of Space. Even if his identity was exposed, he would be able to run away. Additionally, he was extremely strong, so the average Black Ink Clansmen wouldn’t be able to harm him.
Regardless, there was a huge risk that was associated with this matter. No one was able to guarantee that Yang Kai would be able to return if he took on this task. If anything happened to him because of that, they would all be ill at ease.
While they were silent, Zhong Liang suddenly frowned, “Wait a moment. The last time you visited this place, Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. How did you find out that he has ascended to the Seventh Order?”
If Yang Kai were still a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, those from Yin-Yang Pass wouldn’t have the confidence to let him take on this task.
Tang Qiu turned to look at Shen Tu Mo, who said in a muffled voice, “This old fart kept sounding me out. I didn’t expect him to have his eyes on Yang Kai.”
Tang Qiu smiled, “I didn’t have any high hopes before I came to this place; however, Yang Kai is indeed exceptionally talented. Not only had he ascended to the Seventh Order in such a short time, but he had also joined forces with a disciple from Divine Feather Paradise to kill an injured Territory Lord. He’s indeed extraordinarily powerful.”
Zhong Liang shot Shen Tu Mo a glare. It was apparent to him that it was Shen Tu Mo who told Tang Qiu all this.
“He’s a powerful Seventh-Order Master who possesses a World Spring, and he’s an expert in the Dao of Space. I cannot think of a better person to carry out the task.” There was a solemn expression on Tang Qiu’s face, “This matter does not only affect Blue Sky Pass, but rather the entire Black Ink Battlefield. It has to be dealt with as soon as possible. Please make a decision quickly.”
Both Zhong Liang and Shen Tu Mo remained silent.
An anxious Tang Qiu said, “Regardless, let me see Yang Kai first. I’ll tell him what has happened. It will be best if he’s willing to volunteer. If he doesn’t want to do it, I’ll not force him. What do you think?”
Zhong Liang shook his head, “He’s not in Blue Sky Pass.”
Tang Qiu was shocked, “Where is he if he’s not in Blue Sky Pass?”
Zhong Liang shrugged, “Well, I don’t know where his exact location is.”
Tang Qiu had the urge to roll his eyes. Zhong Liang was an Army Commander, so how was it possible that he had no idea where his subordinate was? It was obvious that he wasn’t willing to tell him about it.
Ding Yao suddenly said, “He doesn’t have the World Spring anymore.”
Upon hearing that, Tang Qiu was astounded, “What do you mean?”
Ding Yao replied, “Didn’t Brother Shen Tu tell you that he has given up his World Spring? I’ve taken it.”
Tang Qiu widened his mouth in disbelief, “When did that happen?”
He didn’t think Ding Yao would lie to him, for there was no reason for him to do so.
“A few years ago.”
Tang Qiu became startled for a moment, then put on a bitter smile, “Life is full of uncertainties, isn’t it? In that case, there’s no need to let him take the risk. Forget it. I’ll take my leave. We’ll meet again if there’s a chance.”
“I’ll go with you,” Ding Yao suddenly said.
Tang Qiu gazed at him with a frown, “What do you mean, Brother Ding?”
“Most Black Ink Clansmen have seen Wu Qing’s face before, so it’s impossible for him to gather any information. On the other hand, the Black Ink Clan in the Yin-Yang Theatre won’t recognise me. Even though I won’t necessarily be able to gather any useful information, I’ll stand a better chance than Wu Qing.”
Tang Qiu said hesitantly, “However, you’re the Eastern Army Commander of Blue Sky Pass, you can’t be absent from your duties. What if the Black Ink Clan’s Army launches an attack on Blue Sky Pass?”
Ding Yao shook his head, “The Black Ink Clan here is basically half-dead at the moment, they won’t dare to strike again without recuperating for at least another half a century. There won’t be any war in Blue Sky Pass in the short term.”
Zhong Liang nodded in agreement, “Yes, you don’t have to worry about Blue Sky Pass. It’s a good idea to let Brother Ding go with you.”
Tang Qiu cupped his fist, “I’m grateful that you’re willing to do something for the greater good. This matter cannot be delayed, so let us depart now,” He knew that Ding Yao probably wouldn’t be able to gather any useful information, but they had to give it a try regardless.
Gathering intelligence was unlike killing enemies. There was no doubt that Ding Yao and Wu Qing were peerless on the battlefield; however, what they had to do this time was not slaughter enemies but find out the identity and whereabouts of the Artifact Refiner who helped the Black Ink Clan create the new prototype Warship. This was different from simply fighting.
A moment later, a light flashed across the Hyper Space Array as Ding Yao and Tang Qiu disappeared.
Zhong Liang and Shen Tu Mo watched them leave.
A while later, Zhong Liang said, “Brother Shen Tu, Yang Boy will probably have to handle this matter.”
Shen Tu Mo nodded gently, “En, but we’ll be putting him in a dangerous situation by doing so.”
Zhong Liang let out a sigh, “Everyone on the Black Ink Battlefield is ready to sacrifice their life for the cause. When you and I came to this place in the past, we never expected that we would live for such a long time. It will be worth it if the crisis facing the Human Race can be nipped in the bud by sacrificing just one person; however, I’m worried that he’ll be killed without achieving his goal. That would be the biggest loss to us.”
After a moment of silence, Shen Tu Mo sighed, “It has only been a little over 10 years since he joined Blue Sky Pass, and he has made a lot of contributions to the entire Human Race. He’s also exceptionally talented. I’m sure he’ll be one of the most important figures in the Human Race in the future.”
Zhong Liang sighed again, “We’ll play it by ear. I hope that Brother Ding will be able to achieve his goal.”
…..
Presently, Dawning Light was moving across the void at the speed of lightning.
When Yang Kai went over Zhong Liang’s behaviour again in his mind, he felt that something was off.
The Army Commander seemed determined to chase him out of Blue Sky Pass and make sure he stayed out, which was basically the polar opposite of his usual stance. In the past, he would’ve liked nothing more than to keep Yang Kai inside Blue Sky Pass forever.
Even though he had a feeling that something might have happened in the Inner Sanctum, and it had something to do with him, Yang Kai wouldn’t dare to disobey Zhong Liang’s order.
Hence, he could only ask Feng Ying about it.
Unfortunately, Feng Yin had no idea what had happened either. She was cultivating in seclusion when she was suddenly ordered to gather the members of Dawn together and sail Dawning Light out of the Inner Sanctum.
She was told that she and the members of Dawn Squad had to assist Yang Kai in looking for portals to Sealed Worlds that hadn’t been discovered. They also had to extract the resources from those Sealed Worlds.
This task wasn’t dangerous, and they could get a lot of Military Merits from it, so it could be considered an easy job with high rewards.
Just two days later, Dawning Light reached a certain spot in the void.
On the deck, after having a look at the Universe Chart, Feng Ying nodded at Yang Kai, “This is our first destination. Those from the Inner Sanctum had found a Sealed World here before, but it was over 1,000 years ago.”
Yang Kai nodded and leaped out of Dawning Light. As he activated his power, Space Principles undulated around him with his figure as the centre.
A visible ripple was seen spreading out, like a stone dropping into a still lake, illuminating the anomalies in the Void.
Many of the Sealed Worlds on the Black Ink Battlefield were clustered because they originated from the Small Universes left behind by Human Masters after their deaths in ancient times.
The more people passed away on any given battlefield, the more Sealed Worlds would be left behind.
In this area of the void, those from Blue Sky Pass had discovered a Sealed World 1,000 years ago. Even though they speculated that there were more hidden Sealed Worlds around this area, they could only give up as they didn’t have the means to find and open the portals to them.
On the other hand, Yang Kai was a Master in the Dao of Space, so he was the best person to find these Sealed Worlds and open up the portals.
As the ripple of Space Principles spread further, the traces of the Sealed Worlds were revealed. As long as he could find these traces, it wouldn’t be hard for him to pry the portals open.
After an inspection, he found three Sealed Worlds in a radius of several hundred kilometres.
The number wasn’t staggering, but it was impressive enough.
They would always find some good things in these Sealed Worlds. For example, the World Tree’s clone was found in a Sealed World. It was the biggest reward the soldiers from Blue Sky Pass had obtained so far after years of exploring Sealed Worlds.
A moment later, Yang Kai forcefully opened the first portal, whereupon the aura of a Sealed World was felt wafting from it.
Dawning Light then came forward and stopped in front of the portal.
Yang Kai ordered, “All of you, stand guard here. I’ll have a look inside.”
Upon finishing his words, he directly plunged into the portal. Feng Ying didn’t even have time to stop him.
Fortunately, there was no danger in the Sealed World. A dozen breaths of time later, Yang Kai returned and beckoned to the members of Dawn, “Come in.”
Feng Ying asked, “Should we let some people stay outside?” Even though the Black Ink Clan were resting and recuperating, no one could guarantee that some of them wouldn’t come over. By letting some people stay outside, they could monitor their surroundings lest they were later ambushed.
Yang Kai shook his head, “There’s no need for that. There are only a few of us, so we should stick together.”
Since he had said so, Feng Ying naturally wouldn’t have any objections.
Figures started dashing out of Dawning Light and disappeared into the portal. After they all entered the Sealed World, Yang Kai put Dawning Light inside his Small Universe and stepped into the Sealed World. Following that, he used a simple trick to cover up the portal.
There were 36 people in Dawn in total, all of them at or above the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm. Among them, there were 6 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters; therefore, it wouldn’t take them a long time to explore a Sealed World, though picking herbs would be pretty time-consuming.
They fully explored the Sealed World in half a month, and all the valuable items had been collected. With Yang Kai leading the way, the members of Dawn Squad left this place and headed to the next Sealed World.
Two months later, all 3 Sealed Worlds in this area were fully explored. They had obtained a lot of rare herbs and quite a number of Profound Yin Spirit Fruits, so it could be said to be a fruitful trip.
The members of Dawn were all elated, thinking that this task was easy and rewarding. Certainly, they would love to be given more of these tasks.
With that said, they were aware that it was all thanks to Yang Kai that this task felt easy. If not for the fact that he could find those portals, the members of Dawn couldn’t have collected any Spirit Herbs.
Yang Kai then fished out Dawning Light from his Small Universe. After they boarded the vessel, Feng Ying piloted the ship to their next destination.
In the two years that followed, the members of Dawn continued to navigate through the void. Whenever they arrived at a new area, Yang Kai would manipulate Space Principles to locate hidden portals. They would always be rewarded handsomely for their hard work.
Over the years, the soldiers from Blue Sky Pass had found a lot of Sealed Worlds on the battlefield; however, upon taking Dawn’s safety into consideration, Zhong Liang only wanted Yang Kai to explore the areas within a 10-day journey from Blue Sky Pass. He didn’t provide any information for the areas that were further away.
Therefore, it only took Yang Kai and Dawn Squad 2 years to go through all the places they had to explore. It had been peaceful during this period of time as they never came across any Black Ink Clansmen.
The members of Dawn then returned to Blue Sky Pass aboard Dawning Light.
After that, they returned to their own places to get some rest. Meanwhile, Yang Kai and Feng Ying brought the harvest to the Merit Hall to get their Military Merits.
Before they arrived, a figure descended from the sky and cupped his fist, “The Army Commander would like to see you, Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai instantly recognised that the person was Zhong Liang’s adjutant, so he put on a helpless smile, “The Army Commander is quick to gather the latest information.”
The members of Dawn had just returned to Blue Sky Pass, but Zhong Liang already knew and told someone to summon him. That was truly quick.
Yang Kai then told Feng Ying to head to the Merit Hall on her own. She naturally wouldn’t object to it.
After she was gone, Yang Kai gazed at the adjutant and said, “Please, Senior Brother.”
“This way,” the adjutant replied politely, then led the way for him.
They soon arrived at the Army Headquarters of the Western Army. Yang Kai had visited this place more than once, so he was familiar with the area; however, Zhong Liang didn’t ask Yang Kai to see him in his office. With the adjutant leading the way, they soon arrived at a vast hall in the deepest part of the Headquarters.
The adjutant stopped in his tracks, “The Army Commander is inside, Brother Yang.”
“Many thanks.” Yang Kai nodded and shuffled forward. At the same time, he wondered why Zhong Liang wanted to see him in such a place.
There was a restriction around the hall. Yang Kai flicked the restriction and revealed a portal, after which he stepped inside.
It was luminous and spacious inside the hall and a person standing there with his hands behind his back. He was none other than Zhong Liang. In front of him was a huge object.
Standing in front of this object, Zhong Liang looked up in a dazed state.
Yang Kai went over and saluted him.
Zhong Liang turned to look at him and nodded, “Was it a fruitful trip?”
Yang Kai replied, “It was. We’ve found more than 30 Profound Yin Spirit Fruits.”
Zhong Liang nodded, “With these Spirit Fruits, 30 soldiers from Blue Sky Pass will be able to restore their full strength. You’ve done well.”
Yang Kai replied, “I was only responsible for opening up the portals. I didn’t really do anything else. Is there anything you need to tell me, Sir?”
After a moment of silence, Zhong Liang said, “Look at this thing.” He pointed at the gigantic object in front of him.
Yang Kai already noticed it the instant he entered this place, but he didn’t pay any attention to it. He initially thought that Zhong Liang was just looking at something left behind by some Senior. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised it was more complicated than that.
He then activated his Divine Sense and examined it carefully.
A moment later, Yang Kai frowned and asked, “Is this a Warship?”
The large Mobile Palace Artifact before his eyes didn’t seem like a simple flight-type artifact; instead, it somewhat resembled a Warship. He had also found a lot of Arrays on the artifact, ones that would only be present on a Warship.
“Yes, it’s a Warship,” Zhong Liang nodded.
Yang Kai shot into the air and carefully inspected the ship. A while later, he landed on the ground and shook his head, “This Warship is terrible. Many of the Arrays are faulty. It won’t be useful on the battlefield. If the Arrays are frequently activated, they will fall apart on their own. By then, not only will the vessel be incapable of defending itself, but even the people on the ship will have to be wary of being injured by the explosions of these Arrays. Who made this?”
Even though Yang Kai wasn’t an expert in the Dao of Artifact Refining, he knew a thing or two about it; otherwise, he couldn’t have created the Void Yin-Yang Mirrors.
However, he never spent any time consciously improving his Dao of Artifact Refining.
Despite being an amateur though, Yang Kai was still able to see the flaws in this Warship at first glance. It couldn’t be said that the Artifact Refiner who made this thing was unskillful, just that he wasn’t skilled enough to make a Warship.
“Moreover, this thing is too big. It’s not suitable for Humans to operate.”
Zhong Liang asked dispassionately, “Who do you think this ship is suited for if it’s not for Humans?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Given the size of an average Black Ink Clansman, it would be perfect for them to pilot this thing.”
There was a cold expression on Zhong Liang’s face.
Yang Kai’s smile froze as he felt a chill rising from within. He then asked with a frown, “Sir, where did you get this thing from?”
Zhong Liang replied, “Your Martial Uncle Ding captured it from the battlefield.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Kai was flabbergasted, “Did the Black Ink Clan refine this?”
“Yes.”
A sense of unease overwhelmed Yang Kai as he sported a dark expression, “I was told that the Black Ink Clan couldn’t refine Warships. What is going on?”
After a sigh, Zhong Liang explained, “We’ve been fighting against the Black Ink Clan for countless years. While the Humans are constantly innovating, the Black Ink Clan naturally won’t stay stagnant. Perhaps one of the Black Ink Disciples on their side has been studying how to refine a Warship, and he happened to be gifted in Artifact Refining. That’s how this thing came about.”
Yang Kai felt his heart sinking, “In that case, when that person masters the art of refining Warships, our biggest advantage will be gone for good.”
Zhong Liang nodded, “That’s what we’ve been worried about.”
“However, why didn’t we discover that the Black Ink Clan were using Warships when we were battling against them back then?”
“This thing didn’t come from the Blue Sky Theatre, it was found in the Yin-Yang Theatre.”
“Yin-Yang Theatre…” Yang Kai muttered under his breath upon learning that the vessel was found on the battlefield that those from Yin-Yang Pass were in charge of. After giving it a thought, he asked, “When did Martial Uncle Ding obtain this thing?”
“Half a year ago,” Zhong Liang replied, then added, “It was only a short time ago that those from Yin-Yang Pass found this Warship, roughly two years ago.”
“Two years ago…” Yang Kai fell into his thoughts, “In that case, the Black Ink Clan in the Yin-Yang Theatre have only developed this Warship recently. Since it’s not perfected yet, it hasn’t been widely adopted by the Black Ink Clan in other war zones. It’s no wonder that we didn’t see it in the Blue Sky Theatre.”
Zhong Liang nodded, “It’s not widely adopted yet, but it doesn’t mean it won’t be someday. Once that person manages to build a functioning Warship, the Black Ink Clan will be equipped with such vessels. It will be a disaster for the Human Race.”
“Have those from Yin-Yang Pass come up with a strategy to handle this situation?”
Zhong Liang gazed at him, “If you were in charge, how would you deal with this situation?”
After pondering on it for a moment, Yang Kai replied in a grim voice, “We have to nip the crisis in the bud by finding the Black Ink Disciple who made this Warship. If possible, we’ll bring them back; however, if we can’t achieve that, we have to kill them.”
Upon hearing that, Zhong Liang nodded, “You share the same sentiment as those from Yin-Yang Pass. To be honest with you, it was for this exact reason that your Martial Uncle Ding headed to the Yin-Yang Theatre where he captured this Warship from the Black Ink Clan.”
“What was the outcome of the mission?” Yang Kai asked nervously.
Zhong Liang shook his head with a dejected expression, “He worked with another Eighth-Order Army Commander from Yin-Yang Pass, but they only managed to kill some Black Ink Clansmen and seize this Warship. However, they were unable to find the person who made it.”
There was a solemn expression on Yang Kai’s face. After giving it a thought, he said, “In order to find that Black Ink Disciple’s identity, we have to infiltrate the Black Ink Clan’s territory and then play it by ear. Both Martial Uncles had only alerted the enemies by making a scene there.”
“En,” Zhong Liang let out a sigh, “The Black Ink Clan will certainly treasure this Black Ink Disciple who can make Warships. Their identity must be a top secret within the Black Ink Clan, so the average Black Ink Clansman probably doesn’t know who they are. It’s extremely difficult to find the Black Ink Disciple without alerting the enemies. Is there anyone who can take on this task?”
Yang Kai batted his eyes. Upon realising Zhong Liang’s intention, he broke out into laughter, “Is that the reason you told me to come here, Sir?” After pondering on it for a moment, he said, “I can pretend to be a Black Ink Disciple and sneak into the Black Ink Clan’s hinterland in the Yin-Yang Theatre. As long as I’m cautious enough, I might be able to find that person.”
Since his intentions had been seen through, Zhong Liang decided to stop beating around the bush and just let out a sigh, “I initially didn’t want to drag you into this; however, since your Martial Uncle Ding has failed in his attempt, we have no other choice. There’s no hurry though. You can sleep on it and make a decision at a later time.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “That Black Ink Disciple had already developed this thing 2 years ago. The longer this matter drags on, the more likely he’ll be able to perfect his craft. By then, it will be too late to find him. There’s nothing worth considering. I’ll take on this task.”
Zhong Liang said with a serious expression, “It will be a dangerous mission, and if you’re not cautious enough, you’ll lose your life.”
Yang Kai replied, “Sir, have you forgotten that I’d pretended to be a Black Ink Disciple and spent 2 years with the Black Ink Clan before I came to Blue Sky Pass? No one is more experienced than me when it comes to pretending to be a Black Ink Disciple.”
After a pause, he went on to say, “Even if I fail in my attempt, or if anything unexpected happens, I can still rely on Space Principles to escape. Even if the worst-case scenario where I’ll lose my life does occur, it will still be fine. Now that the Purifying Black Ink Pills have been successfully developed, Humans have a method to deal with Black Ink Strength other than Purifying Light. Taking all that into consideration, I’m the best person for this job.”
At this point, he cupped his fist and said solemnly, “Sir, I’m willing to head to the Yin-Yang Theatre to gather more information. Please allow me to do so.”
There was a conflicted expression on Zhong Liang’s face. After hesitating for a bit, he let out a sigh, “I’m sorry for putting you in such a tight spot.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “Since time immemorial, countless Human Masters have come to the Black Ink Battlefield in order to hold back the enemy and ensure the safety of the 3,000 Worlds. In every battle, all of them exert themselves to kill the enemy even if it means losing their lives. It is my duty to do something for the Human Race, so I will definitely do my best.”
On the first day he arrived at the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai learned a valuable lesson from Meng Qi, who sacrificed his life in order to keep the existence of the Void Corridor a secret. It was because he was worried that he would be corrupted by Black Ink Strength again and reveal the Void Corridor’s existence.
In all the previous battles, innumerable Humans risked their lives in order to drive back the Black Ink Clan. They were just as noble as Meng Qi.
The fact that the Black Ink Clan were close to developing fully functional Warships had far-reaching implications. If the Black Ink Disciple managed to master the art of refining Warships, it would mean that all the sacrifices that the Humans had made over the years would be pointless. By then, the entire 3,000 Worlds would be at risk of being destroyed.
No one would be willing to see such a crisis taking place.
Since Yang Kai had arrived on the Black Ink Battlefield, he was also a part of the Human Army. He didn’t think that there was anyone else who was more suited than him to sneak into the enemies’ territory and gather information.
“Sir, there’s one more thing I’d like to know,” Yang Kai said solemnly.
“Go ahead.”
“Have those from Yin-Yang Pass speculated how long it would take for the Black Ink Clan to successfully develop Warships?”
After giving it a thought, Zhong Liang replied, “Those from Yin-Yang Pass do have a speculation. The Warships that the Black Ink Clan have made so far are not really useful, probably just prototypes used to test out various functions. It is estimated it will take them about 100 years to perfect this thing. If everything goes well, perhaps they’ll achieve it in 50 years, though they might need longer than 100 years as well. After all, the speed at which the Black Ink Disciple improves in their Dao of Artifact Refining is key, and given their current mastery, it won’t be easy for them to improve further.”
“To be on the safe side then, we’ll assume that they’ll be able to do it in 50 years,” Yang Kai muttered under his breath, “There’s still something we can do about it with that much time. Sir, before I carry out this task, I have a request.”
“Just tell me whatever you need. I’ll not turn you down as long as there’s anything I can help you with.”
“I’d like to study Artifact Refining.”
Zhong Liang was startled for a moment, then his eyes brightened, “You mean…”
Yang Kai said with a smile, “I have to get prepared in order to achieve our goal; moreover, I’d have to learn more about Artifact Refining to make it easier for me to gather information regardless.”
Zhong Liang nodded repeatedly, “You’re indeed a clever young man. It never crossed the minds of old men like us to approach the issue from that angle. You can go ahead with that.”
One hour later, Yang Kai arrived at the Refining Hall with the token given to him by Zhong Liang. He found Dong Guo An Ping, who was leading a team of people to refine a Warship. The two of them could be considered friends. It was Yang Kai, Dong Guo An Ping, Fan Xun, and several others who worked together to make the first Purifying Black Ink Battleship; therefore, they didn’t need to be overly polite with each other.
Upon learning the purpose of the young man’s visit, Dong Guo An Ping felt his brow twitching slightly as he asked, “You want to learn Artifact Refining?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “Please help me with this, Senior Dong Guo.”
Dong Guo An Ping examined him with a puzzled expression, “Why do you want to learn Artifact Refining all of a sudden?”
Yang Kai replied, “I’ve progressed too quickly, so I need to take a break from just cultivating in seclusion. I told Martial Uncle Zhong about it, and he suggested I come here to study Artifact Refining. He said that the Dao of Artifact Refining might be of help to me.”
Dong Guo An Ping couldn’t help but laugh, “What does the Dao of Artifact Refining have to do with your cultivation? Moreover, I heard that you’re well-versed in the Alchemic Dao. If there’s anything wrong with your cultivation, why did you come to this place instead of the Pill Hall?”
Yang Kai replied respectfully, “It was Martial Uncle Zhong’s order. I don’t really know the reason behind it.”
It was a secret that the Black Ink Clan were able to refine Warships. Other than the Army Commanders and the Old Ancestor, no one else in Blue Sky Pass was aware of this fact, lest morale was affected.
Since Zhong Liang didn’t inform Dong Guo An Ping about it, and Yang Kai naturally wasn’t in any place to reveal this secret; therefore, he just came up with an excuse by saying that it was Zhong Liang’s order.
In that case, there was nothing Dong Guo An Ping could do about it. He passed the token back to Yang Kai and asked, “Did you learn Artifact Refining before?”
“I know a little about it,” Yang Kai replied humbly.
Dong Guo An Ping frowned and beckoned to him, “Come with me.”
Soon, he brought Yang Kai to an Artifact Refining room and pointed at some materials that were stacked up in a messy pile, “Just make whatever you want. I’ll evaluate it.”
After taking a glance at the materials, Yang Kai started working on it.
A patient Dong Guo An Ping stayed on the side and watched him.
A few days later, a sword that was as reflective as a mirror was born. The blade shone brightly and appeared extraordinary.
However, Dong Guo An Ping couldn’t help but roll his eyes. As an Artifact Refining Grandmaster, he could see that other than looking nice, this sword was practically useless. If not for the fact that the materials used were robust, the sword couldn’t even have withstood an attack from an Origin King.
After a few days of observation, Dong Guo An Ping figured out that Yang Kai indeed knew a thing or two about the Dao of Artifact Refining, but he had never studied it in a systematic way. Even though some of his ideas were creative, the way he refined artifacts was overly simplistic.
The Dao of Artifact Refining was as much an art as it was a craft. Yang Kai’s Artifact Refining session could even be described as unpleasant to the eyes of a Grandmaster like Dong Guo An Ping.
“En, give me a moment,” Dong Guo An Ping said, then activated his Divine Sense to communicate with someone.
A moment later, a young man arrived in a hurry and cupped his fist, “Honoured Master!”
Dong Guo An Ping nodded and pointed at Yang Kai, “This is your Junior Brother, Yang Kai.”
That person cupped his fists again, “Junior Brother Yang.”
Dong Guo An Ping then introduced the young man to Yang Kai, “He’s my Sixth Disciple, Chai Hao.”
“Greetings, Senior Brother Chai,” Yang Kai saluted him.
Dong Guo An Ping said, “Chai Hao, your Junior Brother Yang would like to learn Artifact Refining, so you’ll have to give him some guidance from now on.”
Chai Hao was startled upon hearing that, “Junior Brother Yang, you want to study Artifact Refining?”
“Yes.” Yang Kai nodded.
Chai Hao replied with a smile, “Since you’re interested in the Dao of Artifact Refining, I’ll definitely teach you everything I know.”
“Many thanks, Senior Brother,” Yang Kai expressed his gratitude.
Dong Guo An Ping coughed, “Yang Kai, you’ll learn Artifact Refining from Chai Hao from now on. Just ask him if there’s anything you don’t understand. I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”
Upon finishing his words, he left the place in a hurry.
Yang Kai and Chai Hao saw him off together.
After he was gone, Chai Hao said, “Junior Brother, since you’re going to learn Artifact Refining, I’ll need to know how skilful you are in Artifact Refining. Would you…”
Before he could finish his words, Yang Kai held out a sword to him.
“What’s this?” Chai Hao was puzzled.
Yang Kai replied, “Senior Dong Guo told me to make something, and this is the result of my work.”
“I see,” Chai Hao took the sword and examined it. Soon, his face began to twitch as he finally realised why his Honoured Master left in a hurry just now.
He initially thought that Yang Kai was already well-versed in the Dao of Artifact Refining; otherwise, he wouldn’t have directly sought some guidance from a Grandmaster from Divine Cauldron Heaven.
After taking a look at this sword though, he realised that Yang Kai couldn’t even be considered a novice when it came to the Dao of Artifact Refining. There was no doubt that Yang Kai was no match for Dong Guo An Ping in this regard, but even a random disciple from Divine Cauldron Heaven could easily bring him to his knees.
Now that his Honoured Master entrusted Yang Kai to him though, it meant that he would have to teach him everything from scratch.
Chai Hao suddenly felt a huge pressure on his shoulders, thinking that this was going to be a troublesome task.