Dizzy and bleary-eyed, Yang Kai was seeing stars but still gave off an aggressive air for he knew that if he were to show even the slightest sign of weakness, then the Remnant Army would surely be wiped out today.
He had no choice but to use a fourth Soul Rending Thorn, which was really his limit.
Even with the Soul Warming Lotus, he could not use another Soul Rending Thorn.
Fortunately, the Territory Lords were so frightened they could not see through the strong front that he put up. The might of this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had seeped deep into their hearts. In the opening moments of the battle, he was able to cut down three Territory Lords alone, then two more with an astonishingly powerful attack, and just now he had slaughtered another with one blow. Not a single one of them was able to see how he was doing this.
The Territory Lords were hesitant, but the Remnant Army was not. With this display of intimidation from Yang Kai, the struggling Remnant Army finally found the opportunity they were looking for and broke through the Black Ink Clan Army, forcing them back. The lights shooting out from the Purifying Black Ink Battleship and the surviving Warships never ceased as they charged ahead.
Within that short period, all of the Human soldiers gave it their all.
When a Warship exploded, the unprotected soldiers would give their lives to kill the nearby enemies. Even if they had to die, they would do so honourably.
However, the gap in real fighting strength between the two forces could not be closed so easily.
Without mentioning the Black Ink Clan Army of over 1 million soldiers, just the remaining Territory Lords overseeing the pass still numbered nearly 20.
Yang Kai was able to cut down three of the first ten Territory Lords who came at them with the help of the Soul Rending Thorns, and another two with his Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, which left five more from the first wave. However, before the Remnant Army could catch its breath, the Royal Lord had personally made a move, while another six Territory Lords rushed over as reinforcements.
One had to know that these were all Innate Territory Lords who were nearly as powerful as Che Kong.
Excluding the Territory Lord that Yang Kai killed just now, there were still a full 10 Territory Lords engaging the Remnant Army, whereas the Remnant Army only had four Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
Even with Ou Yang Lie and the others taking on two enemies at once, they were stretched to the breaking point.
The decline of the Remnant Army’s momentum was evident in the eyes of the Black Ink Clan, while the deterrent effect from Yang Kai’s move earlier also quickly faded.
The more the Remnant Army advanced, the more difficult their situation became. There were constantly Black Ink Clansmen rushing over to surround them from all directions, while the Territory Lords did not rush in lest they were caught off guard by Yang Kai and killed. Instead, they hid behind their Armies and relied on their subordinates to wear down the Humans, occasionally sending out Secret Techniques to blow apart vulnerable Human Warships.
Yang Kai’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. He would want nothing more than to cut down all of the Territory Lords before him with his spear, but his head was throbbing, as if it was going to tear open. It was impossible to do anything against the remaining Territory Lords hiding at the back.
Yang Kai also did not dare to leave the battleship recklessly, for if he did, the Territory Lords would surely come to attack, and the Purifying Black Ink Battleship might not be able to withstand it.
The Remnant Army’s pace became slower and slower, as if they had fallen into a quagmire. Finally, less than 100,000 kilometres away from the No-Return Pass, the Remnant Army was completely surrounded by the Black Ink Clan.
When they looked at the Territory Gate that seemed so close, everyone felt despair in their hearts.
They just had to pass through that portal and they would be able to return to the 3,000 Worlds. Even though they had no idea what the situation there was like, it was still their homeland; however, this short distance seemed like an entire Universe away at this moment.
Nobody was disheartened by this reality, for when they decided to attack the No-Return Pass, they all anticipated that this would happen, including Yang Kai.
It was just that even including him, the soldiers subconsciously held onto a faint glimmer of hope and expectation.
More than anything else, they didn’t want to live hiding like rats on the Black Ink Battlefield, constantly being hunted down by the Black Ink Clan.
They would rather die in battle than waste away their lives in this forsaken place.
“Kill!”
When their hope of returning home was shattered, the Humans suddenly became calm, as if they had completely let go of something.
Shouts rang out across the void as killing intent rose like a tide. The Remnant Army which was encircled by the Black Ink Clan Army and could barely move suddenly burst out with astonishing power. The lights from many Secret Techniques and artifacts shot in all directions.
In that instant, it was not known how many arrays and artifacts dulled and were destroyed due to the sheer overload of World Force pumped into them.
The Seventh-Order Masters emerged from the Warships that protected them and summoned their artifacts for battle.
The Four Symbols Formation with the Purifying Black Ink Battleship at its Core rapidly fractured as more and more Warships were being blown apart.
The Remnant Army’s sudden outburst was difficult for even the Black Ink Clan Army to withstand, and in just a short dozen breaths of time, it was not known how many of them fell. Even a Territory Lord was severely injured under Ou Yang Lie’s life-forsaking battle style and was forced to retreat.
This was the last struggle of the Remnant Army.
Yang Kai had also let go of his shackles. Since he was destined to die here, then he might as well kill freely before he did.
However, before he could leave the Purifying Black Ink Battleship, he heard the bellow of an ox from the void!
There was a disturbance among the Black Ink Clan Army surrounding the Remnant Army. Countless auras vanished all at once, and Yang Kai turned his head only to see an enormous Black Bovine charging through the Black Ink Clan’s lines, Monster Qi turbulently erupting from his figure. Under its hooves, countless Black Ink Clansmen were reduced to minced meat.
As it lowered its head and charged over, nothing could obstruct its path. Even a Territory Lord was sent flying after being rammed, blood spraying out as he tumbled through the void.
“Boys, keep up!” The Ox Monster spoke as it dashed past the Remnant Army, breaking open the path ahead.
Everyone felt their spirits soar, and the soldiers in charge of piloting the Warships quickly spurred them off to follow the Ox Monster’s lead.
On orders from the Territory Lords, the Black Ink Clan soldiers all came forth to stop the Ox Monster when they saw it approaching, releasing one Secret Technique after another, flaying open its skin and flesh.
However, no blood spilled out.
It had died long ago, and only through the profound methods of the Azure Void Old Ancestor was it able to fight on even after death, so why would it have to fear being injured now?
When a Territory Lord saw this, he tried to block it but was sent flying by the Ox Monster’s broken horns. When the other Territory Lords saw this, they no longer dared to act rashly.
Yang Kai had also just realized how strong this Ox Monster actually was. Even though he had seen it twice in the past, it was just grazing leisurely in the green hills and blue rivers like an ordinary bull.
But now, it seemed that this Ox Monster was as strong as a peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, perhaps even stronger!
100,000 kilometres was crossed in the blink of an eye and very soon, the Remnant Army was right in front of the Territory Gate.
Right behind them was the pursuing Black Ink Clan Army. In a flash, the Ox Monster arrived behind the Remnant Army and shook its head, “Go! Niu Niu will stop them!”
Its huge body became a shield, protecting the Remnant Army like a great mountain. Countless attacks landed on its body in that instant, causing it to shake from the impact.
Yang Kai’s eyes reddened as he somehow maintained the Four Symbols Formation and led the Remnant Army towards the portal.
The Territory Gate at the No-Return Pass originally wasn’t very large. Last time Yang Kai saw it, it was even smaller than a normal Territory Gate; the Black Ink Clan had torn apart the portal by some unknown means since occupying this place so it could facilitate the invasion of their Army.
The Purifying Black Ink Battleship was not small, but it was still tiny compared to the current Territory Gate.
However, just as the Purifying Black Ink Battleship was about to pass through, the exalted roar of a Dragon suddenly rang out from within the No-Return Pass.
Startled, Yang Kai looked down and his pupils shrank.
Above the square where the Dragon Pool was opened back then was a dense Black Ink Cloud, and within it, the form of an Ancient Dragon could faintly be seen.
“Ji Lao San!” Yang Kai was extremely shocked, for he never expected to see Ji Lao San here.
And, from the looks of things, Ji Lao San had been captured by the Black Ink Clan, but they did not kill him. Instead, they confined him here and enveloped him in a Black Ink Cloud.
Yang Kai had no idea what sort of wicked plans the Black Ink Clan had for him, but from what he saw, it seemed like they were trying to corrupt Ji Lao San. However, they didn’t seem to be having much luck.
Divine Spirits had some level of immunity towards Black Ink Strength thanks to their powerful Bloodlines.
According to the information that Yang Kai received from Cang, supplemented by his own speculations, the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer were inextricably linked to the Primordial Light, and the Primordial Light was capable of completely nullifying the existence of Mo.
Purifying Light, which was created by fusing the powers bestowed by the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer, could completely purify and dispel Black Ink Strength.
These two were the original ancestors of the Divine Spirits, and so the Divine Spirits had naturally inherited some of that power. As the leaders of the Divine Spirits, the immunity possessed by the Dragon Clan from their Dragon Veins was particularly evident towards Black Ink Strength. This was something that Yang Kai could feel even without the World Tree clone, but with the World Tree clone to protect his Small Universe, Yang Kai had never felt bothered by Black Ink Strength.
Ji Lao San was not particularly strong among the Dragon Clan. During his previous Dragon Pool cultivation, he had advanced from being a Grand Dragon to an Ancient Dragon, but his Dragon Form was still only 55,000 metres long, noticeably smaller than Yang Kai’s 70,000 metres.
However, he was still an Ancient Dragon. In terms of Order, he was equivalent to an Eighth-Order Human Master.
Yang Kai had no idea how Ji Lao San ended up being captured alive by the Black Ink Clan, but he had apparently sensed something unusual occurring in the No-Return Pass and let out a roar.
However, Yang Kai was powerless to help at this moment. If it were any other time, he may have been able to save Ji Lao San, but the Black Ink Clan Army was currently in pursuit of them while the Territory Gate was right in front of their eyes. Yang Kai couldn’t abandon the Remnant Army, so he could only turn around and pretend to have seen nothing.
In the next instant, the Remnant Army rushed through the portal.
With a twist of its rump, the Black Bovine put itself directly in front of the portal with its body, its loud moo shaking the Heavens.
No matter how the Black Ink Clan lay their attacks on it, it refused to budge.
On the other side, the Void spun as the Remnant Army suddenly appeared in an empty Great Territory. After being disoriented for a moment, everyone was on alert again.
Though they had made it past the No-Return Pass, nobody dared to relax.
That was because they knew that the crisis was far from over. Breaking through the No-Return Pass was just the beginning.
Over the past few days, Yang Kai and the others had been guessing what the situation beyond the No-Return Pass would be and trying to figure out how they should deal with whatever they were going to encounter.
Now that the Black Ink Clan had taken over the No-Return Pass, it was inevitable that they would assemble their troops and try to establish a forward position beyond the Territory Gate, so if they really managed to rush through, then the worst-case scenario they could encounter would be plunging headlong into an endless horde of Black Ink Clansmen. If that were to happen, then there would be no possible way for the Remnant Army to survive. Right now, everyone could only carry the idea of killing one to break even and killing two to gain a profit, intent on fighting the Black Ink Clan to death.
Yang Kai may be able to escape, but there was no hope for the rest.
However, according to Ou Yang Lie, that situation was unlikely.
It wasn’t that their predecessors from the Cave Heaven and Paradises never contemplated what would happen if the No-Return Pass was to be breached by the Black Ink Clan, so countermeasures had naturally been put in place long ago.
The current Black Ink Battlefield was created from the many Great Territories occupied by Mo in the Early Ancient Era, and was also carved out by the hands of Cang and the other Masters of that time.
The purpose was to prevent Black Ink Strength from encroaching onto other Great Territories.
The Black Ink Battlefield and the 3,000 Worlds were now connected by only a single Territory Gate, so as long as that gate was well guarded, the Human Race would be able to seal off Black Ink Strength in the Black Ink Battlefield.
However, this was not a foolproof solution. Mo was such a bizarre and powerful existence that the ancestors of the Human Race, after the era of Cang and the other Martial Ancestors, wondered on more than one occasion what would happen if the Territory Gate connecting the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield were to be broken through by the Black Ink Clan.
If they were unprepared, then the Black Ink Clan would be able to charge straight into the 3,000 Worlds and quickly build up their strength by ravaging one thriving Great Territory after another. When that time came, the mighty force of the Black Ink Clan would surely snowball in strength until the Human Race could no longer stop them!!
So, in order to deal with this possibility, their ancient ancestors completely cleared out the Great Territory that the Black Ink Battlefield was connected to.
Thus, the Great Territory was named the Barren Territory!
If the Black Ink Battlefield was the First Battlefield between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan, then the Barren Territory would be the Second Battlefield as imagined by the Ancient Ancestors.
In other words, there was, in actual fact, more than one strategic point between the 3,000 Worlds and the Black Ink Battlefield. Besides the No-Return Pass, there was the Barren Territory.
The Barren Territory was where one ended up after passing through the Territory Gate.
There were originally several Territory Gates connecting to many other Great Territories from the Barren Territory, but as it could hypothetically become the Second Battlefield, then it was naturally better not to leave too many Territory Gates behind.
The Ancient Ancestors destroyed or sealed most of the Territory Gates while leaving only a single one intact, and the Great Territory that gate connected to was the Shattered Heaven!
Yang Kai only learned about this from Ou Yang Lie and the others when they were planning their attack on the No-Return Pass; after all, he didn’t enter the Black Ink Battlefield through the usual route. Yang Kai had followed a Void Corridor from Black Territory to the Blue Sky Theatre back then.
Any cultivator entering the Black Ink Battlefield would have to first transit through the Shattered Heaven and the Barren Territory before arriving at the No-Return Pass, so it was natural that one would learn of these secrets then.
Now that the No-Return Pass had been breached, the Humans had to defend the Barren Territory no matter the cost, so they naturally made many arrangements in this place to set up an ambush for the Black Ink Clan.
This Great Territory was very different from all others because every Great Territory had, more or less, their own Universe Worlds, which gave the void vitality and life.
However, there was nothing in the Barren Territory; it was as empty as its name implied.
That was because they had to prevent the Black Ink Clan from harvesting resources and creating even more clansmen, which led the Ancient Ancestors to destroy or remove all of the Universe Worlds in this Great Territory when they were setting up the Barren Territory.
The only things that existed here were fortifications that the Human Race had built up over countless years. There existed in this place a defence line even more extensive than that of any Great Pass on the Black Ink Battlefield.
That was why Ou Yang Lie guessed that while the No-Return Pass breach may have come as a result of the Black Ink Clan’s power, it was also possible that the Humans had given up the Pass voluntarily.
After all, after evacuating and withdrawing from outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, if the Humans fell back to the Barren Territory, they would be in a better position to engage the Black Ink Clan there with the arrangements they had made beforehand.
It was because of such speculation that Ou Yang Lie believed that it was unlikely that the Remnant Army would end up surrounded by the Black Ink Clan Army if they were to pass through the No-Return Pass.
Here in the Barren Territory, it was more likely they would find the Humans and Black Ink Clan engaged in a fierce war, and if that was the case, then the Remnant Army would have a hope of rejoining the Human Army.
Now that the Remnant Army had broken through the No-Return Pass and arrived at the Barren Territory, the first thing Yang Kai did was check for movement in all directions.
What he saw allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.
The worst had not yet happened!
However, this situation was not ideal either.
As they expected, both the Human Race and Black Ink Clan were engaged in a brutal battle in the Barren Territory. There were fights taking place practically everywhere in the vast expanse of the void, with Human Warships flying everywhere, either chasing Black Ink Clansmen or being chased by them.
There were also violent aftershocks from great clashes radiating out from each direction.
One particular set of shockwaves had even surpassed the level of a battle between the Old Ancestors and Royal Lords.
Yang Kai turned his head over instinctually and was taken aback by what he saw.
There, in the far distance, two enormous figures were clashing with each other. Their movements looked clumsy with each of them exchanging punches and kicks in a juvenile manner, like two small children randomly flailing at each other, but each of these attacks carried Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering might. Even a fully intact Universe World would not be able to withstand a single blow from such a clash.
It was the fight between two Giant Spirit Gods!
One of them was the one that Yang Kai saw at the Late Ancient Era battlefield. Currently, his body was enveloped in Black Ink Strength, covering his figure in a dark colour.
The other Giant Spirit God was different, however. He had a tuft of black hair atop his head which looked rather comical.
Ah Er!
It was the same Ah Er that carried Yang Kai into the Chaotic Dead Territory!
Yang Kai had a deep impression of the tuft of black hair on his head. Ah Da’s head was completely bald with nothing on it, but Ah Er had a very conspicuous characteristic that allowed Yang Kai to recognize him at a glance.
Ah Er was here, fighting against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Giant Spirit Gods were an ancient and extremely rare Race, while the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was a creation of Mo, designed based on the Giant Spirit Gods and not truly one of their kind.
These two were, in fact, very different beings; however, even if it was not a real Giant Spirit God, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s power was not lacking in comparison to Ah Er. It was not known how long these two behemoths had been fighting for, but they kept on exchanging blows without rest, leaving each other bruised and battered.
Neither the Humans nor the Black Ink Clan dared to even approach their battlefield.
[Since Ah Er is here… What about Ah Da?]
Yang Kai looked around, but there was no sign of Ah Da, so he could not ascertain whether he was here or not.
However, he did see the remains of another Black Ink Giant Spirit God. This Black Ink Giant Spirit God had come out from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but with the hidden hand left behind by Mu, Cang had forcibly closed the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, cutting off its body before it could fully emerge, so it was easily identifiable.
At this moment, it was not known how the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had been cut apart, but only half of its body, which was originally already lacking parts, remained.
Yang Kai calmed down. The strongest forces on the Black Ink Clan’s side were undoubtedly the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods, and the No-Return Pass’ collapse definitely had something to do with them.
Now that one of them had been cut down, and the other was being dealt with by Ah Er, the pressure on the Human Race was greatly reduced.
Apart from the battlefield of the two Giant Spirit Gods, Yang Kai also saw Dragons and Phoenixes soaring through the void. There were also other Divine Spirits of all shapes and sizes in their true forms, fighting bloody battles in every direction.
Yang Kai did not have time to keep observing the situation though as there were already gazes locked onto him from all directions.
The sudden emergence of the Remnant Army from the No-Return Pass naturally attracted attention, especially from the Black Ink Clansmen nearby who rushed over in droves. They were surprised, but they had no time to think about what had happened at the No-Return Pass.
There was one source of headache for the Remnant Army however, and that was the presence of a Royal Lord.
The Royal Lord overseeing the No-Return Pass had the fallen Azure Void Pass Old Ancestor to stop him, but nobody was here to block this one.
When he saw the Royal Lord approaching, Yang Kai made a quick decision to lead the Remnant Army off in a different direction. However, their attack on the No-Return Pass had not been easy, resulting in many Warships, arrays, and artifacts being heavily damaged. So, with their speed greatly reduced, how were they supposed to outrun a Royal Lord?
From a distance, the Royal Lord used his Black Ink Strength to create a Black Ink Cloud that enveloped the Remnant Army. He did not kill them yet, though. He wanted to capture a few of them alive to ask about the situation at the No-Return Pass; however, even though he was only making a casual blow, with the state of the current Remnant Army, many would surely be injured or killed.
Almost half of the 5,000-strong Remnant Army were lost during the attack on the No-Return Pass, so they now number slightly less than 3,000. If they were to fight a Royal Lord here, they would surely lose several hundreds more.
At the critical moment, a young man in white robes suddenly appeared above the Remnant Army. Nobody knew how he arrived there as it was almost like he had been standing there the whole time.
Faced with the approaching Black Ink Cloud, the young man’s body flickered before he suddenly transformed into a 100,000-metre-long Dragon.
Intense Dragon Pressure filled the void!
The Dragon had a flawless snow-white body, which made for a bright and dazzling sight on this chaotic battlefield.
Yang Kai raised his brows as he recognized who this Dragon was.
[Fu Guang!]
It was the Ancient Dragon that he saw at the bottom of the Dragon Pool.
Before Yang Kai entered the Dragon Pool, Fu Guang had been in retreat inside the Dragon Pool for 5,000 years in order to break through to become a Divine Dragon.
The strength division of the Dragon Clan was simple. Once one reached 10,000 metres, they were a Grand Dragon, 50,000 metres, an Ancient Dragon, and 100,000 metres, a Divine Dragon.
And, the most powerful among Divine Dragons was the Dragon Emperor.
Not all Divine Dragons were Dragon Emperors, but every Dragon Emperor was an extremely powerful Divine Dragon of their generation.
In the Dragon Pool, Yang Kai helped Fu Guang with his Great Sun and Moon Marks, which resulted in immense gains for both of them. Now, it seems like the latter had successfully advanced to become a Divine Dragon!
Yang Kai never thought that Fu Guang would suddenly come to their rescue at such a crucial moment.
In fact, Fu Guang had been hiding on the battlefield, waiting for an opportunity to kill one or two Royal Lords. After becoming a Divine Dragon, Fu Guang had become significantly stronger than an ordinary Royal Lord, so if he was able to catch one by surprise, he might actually succeed in killing them.
Only, the sudden appearance of the Remnant Army disrupted Fu Guang’s plans, so he had no choice but to reveal himself.
After assuming his Dragon Form, Fu Guang charged straight towards the Royal Lord, which shocked the latter. He had suffered a loss at Fu Guang’s claws before and knew just how powerful this White Divine Dragon was. Simply put, in a one-on-one fight, he was not Fu Guang’s opponent. So, how would he still be in any mood to pick a fight with the Remnant Army? He immediately turned around and fled.
Fu Guang naturally gave chase, and using a number of Dragon Clan Secret Techniques, he was able to beat the Royal Lord into a miserable mess.
The fight lasted only a few moments before another Royal Lord charged over and joined hands with his companion to resist Fu Guang. Still, the White Divine Dragon was undaunted. Opening his mouth, a river suddenly burst forth. Caught off guard, the two Royal Lords were swept into this river, their bodies instantly freezing.
Fu Guang also dove in and fought the two Royal Lords inside the river, gaining the upper hand even against two enemies.
One could tell from this display alone that the power of a Divine Dragon was far greater than an ordinary Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
An ordinary Old Ancestor would not be able to gain the advantage against two Royal Lords.
If it were a one-on-one fight, then Fu Guang might have the opportunity to cut down a Royal Lord, but that was basically impossible if he had to deal with two of them. He knew that, in this fight, he would only be able to deal damage to the enemy, so his attacks grew less calculated and more ruthless. Even if he could not kill a Royal Lord, he intended to beat these two half to death.
With Fu Guang’s help, the Remnant Army led by Yang Kai escaped its immediate crisis. A large Human army in the distance also noticed the commotion and was quickly making their way over to support them.
With a thought, Yang Kai sent a transmission to Ou Yang Lie and the others, “I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Ou Yang Lie, who was bringing up the rear, was startled and quickly asked, “What are you going to do?”
However, Yang Kai was no longer aboard the Purifying Black Ink Battleship when he looked over. Apparently, he had disappeared as soon as he left those words.
Ou Yang Lie frowned slightly. He could vaguely guess what it was Yang Kai planned to do. He was a little worried about it, but there was no point in fretting now. Yang Kai had already run off and he could not stop him either. Helpless, he had no choice but to hurry over to assume command of the Purifying Black Ink Battleship in Yang Kai’s place, continuing to lead the Remnant Army towards the approaching Human Army.
After killing several Black Ink Clansmen who were blocking the way, the two Human Armies met and the Eighth-Order Masters in charge communicated with each other through their Divine Senses. The Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was both surprised and delighted to hear of Ou Yang Lie’s retelling of the Remnant Army’s origins.
Everyone knew that there were survivors still trapped on the Black Ink Battlefield, but they couldn’t rescue those remnant soldiers. They never thought that these rag-tag soldiers they believed were destined to perish under siege by the Black Ink Clan would actually be able to break through the No-Return Pass.
Only now could the Remnant Army be considered safe, unlike the precarious situation they were facing before.
Looking back, Ou Yang Lie did not see any sign of Yang Kai, but he knew he must have headed back towards the Territory Gate.
At the same time, on another battlefield far away in the Barren Territory, several women were positioned in a Battle Formation, their graceful bodies shuttling back and forth like a spinning whirlwind, a seemingly uncountable number of Black Ink Clansmen perishing at their hands as they continued charging forward.
Their strength wasn’t particularly impressive, all of them only being in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm; however, after spending countless years together, they had created a tacit bond with each other and were also imparted a profound Formation from a Senior Expert, allowing them to even resist Territory Lords if they combined strength.
One white-robed woman among them wielded a crystal sword, her own temperament cool like ice itself. Suddenly, she raised her hand, holding her chest as she looked in a certain direction.
“Elder Sister, what happened?” Asked a woman in green robes anxiously, thinking that the white-robed woman was injured.
“Husband…” The white-robed woman muttered softly.
In that instant, she got a feeling she had not felt in a very long time.
It had been more than 1,000 years since she felt it, but it pulled at her heart just as before.
Though her voice was soft, the contents of her muttering cracked like the sound of thunder in their ears. All the women looked shocked, and the beautiful eyes of one whose enchanting body was covered in Demon Qi lit up at the sound of it, “Which direction?”
The white-robed woman immediately pointed to the depths of the void.
“Let’s go!” As the Demonic woman’s voice sounded, she led the others off. She served as the Formation Core of their Battle Formation, so as soon as she moved, everyone followed along with her.
All of their hearts were burning with anticipation and anxiety.
The unnatural movement on their side immediately caught the attention of a certain person.
That person moved over to block the womens’ path, frowning, “What are you doing? It’s dangerous over there.”
Each group had its own region to defend, so if they left and were unable to obtain reinforcements, then there was a high possibility of them falling into the danger of being encircled by the Black Ink Clan Army.
The Demonic woman in the lead gave this person who was blocking their way a deep look before not sparing her any semblance of respect as she gritted her teeth and shouted, “He has returned!”
“Who?” The person blocking the way asked with a frown; then, as if realising something, her spirits were roused, “Yang Kai has returned?”
“Yes!” The Demonic woman responded.
The person blocking their path was both shocked and delighted, “How did you find out?”
Even she had no idea of the full situation on this chaotic battlefield, so how did these women obtain such shocking news?
What was more, she and the other Old Ancestors had already speculated that Yang Kai had fallen; after all, there was no word from him for over 500 years after he was pursued by the powerful Royal Lord, so how could he have survived?
It was only after returning to the Barren Territory and obtaining some information from the members of Void Land that they concluded that Yang Kai was actually still alive. Only, nobody knew where he was.
The Demonic woman had no patience to explain; however, she knew that she had no choice but to do so at this moment, “He and Su Yan have cultivated a profound Dual Cultivation Art for many years, so they have formed a connection between their Souls. It allows them to sense each other as long as they are not too far away.”
The person blocking the way immediately turned towards the white-robed woman and asked, “You felt his presence?”
Su Yan nodded and pointed in a certain direction, but just as she was about to speak, she suddenly frowned, “He’s gone again!”
The Demonic woman was furious and ground her teeth at the person who was blocking their way, “If it turns out you made us lose our man again, you must compensate us!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She had heard similar words many times over the past few centuries, despite her being a powerful Ninth-Order Old Ancestor. She had spent countless years overseeing the Black Ink Battlefield, rendering meritorious service. All of her Juniors and subordinates always treated her with the utmost respect, but this woman from the Demon Race showed no such inclination. When she learned that Yang Kai had been serving under her all this while for so many years but ended up missing, she made a huge uproar about making her compensate for this.
But, what kind of compensation could she possibly offer? She did not even have the slightest idea where Yang Kai was.
The battle on the Barren Territory was currently raging. The Human soldiers from the Great Passes had suffered heavy casualties; so, after retreating to the Barren Territory, they had a discussion with the Cave Heavens and Paradises and decided to recruit soldiers from the Second Class forces to form a new Army to bolster their ranks.
There were countless Second Class forces in the 3,000 Worlds, and there were many Masters among these great forces who were in the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. All of them were qualified to join the battle against the Black Ink Clan.
In the past, these Second Class forces were kept from this war because the Cave Heavens and Paradises were there to oversee the Black Ink Battlefield.
Now that the Black Ink Battlefield had been lost to the enemy, the Barren Territory had become their last line of defence. If they failed to defend even here, then the 3,000 Worlds were doomed.
Facing such a crisis, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had to abandon their old conventions.
Void Land was also considered a Second Class great force; so naturally, it was unavoidable that some of them would be conscripted.
With her connection to Yang Kai, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao took command of Void Land’s Open Heaven Realm Masters, intending to shelter them as best she could.
Yet, she never expected that this Wife of Yang Kai’s would be so bold.
Even more difficult for Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao to understand was how much of a womaniser that little bastard actually was. To have attracted so many women to his side, yet all of them were so attached to him, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was stupefied, but more so, impressed.
To be honest, when Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao found out that Yang Kai’s Wives, plural, were coming to the Barren Territory to join the fight, she was quite surprised. Without thinking much of it, she immediately took the reinforcements sent from Void Land under her wing.
However, when these alluring women came to report to her, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was flabbergasted.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5… There were a total of 9 women!
Human, Demon, Monster, Divine Spirits… A variety of Races were included among them.
[That brat! He is truly uninhibited! How was he able to bear such a load?]
But what made Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao even more speechless was the fact that apart from the 9 Wives who had already married him officially, there seemed to be a good many women still back in Void Land who shared an ambiguous relationship with him.
At first, Old Ancestor thought that there must have been a mistake, but upon closer questioning, she realized that there was no mistake at all.
She suddenly felt as if her understanding of Yang Kai was lacking.
That brat gave the impression of an upstanding and earnest man all those years on the Black Ink Battlefield. She had never seen any semblance of such philandering from him. Even Feng Ying and Bai Yi, two women of exceptional beauty and strength, who were in his Squad, were only regular comrades to him.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could not help but criticize him inwardly. Sure enough, one cannot judge a book by its cover! If one were to peel back that bastard’s prim and proper skin, then one would surely find a flowery bunch of innards inside.
“Compensate us!” The Demonic woman was still shouting, while the other women wore indignant expressions on their faces.
Helpless, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao turned her head and looked in that direction. After some thought, she turned to ask Su Yan, “Could there be any mistake with your senses?”
Su Yan replied coldly, “I have never been mistaken.”
“In that case, what would the sudden loss of that sensation imply?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao then asked.
Su Yan explained, “He has either died or left the range of our connection. I cannot sense him across Great Territories or over extremely large distances. However, my cultivation is now far higher than it was before. As long as he remains in the Barren Territory, I should be able to sense him.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao nodded, “That direction is where the Territory Gate is located. He must have fought his way here from the Black ink Battlefield. Since you lost the connection, then he must have gone back. I will go and check it out. None of you are allowed to make any rash moves while I am gone.”
Saying so, she dashed off in that direction.
The women were left to look at each other, not knowing what to do.
Xue Yue looked at Yu Ru Meng, “Elder Sister, what should we do?”
Yu Ru Meng’s face was gloomy for a while before she grit her teeth and shouted, “We wait!”
Just now, she had been too agitated and was about to lead her Sisters over in the heat of the moment, but even though they were no longer as weak as they were in the past, it was still not wise for them to run around on such a chaotic battlefield.
All these years, they never knew what happened to Yang Kai until the Human Race Army retreated to the Barren Territory. Only then did they hear about Yang Kai from some of the soldiers who fought alongside him.
All of them were heartbroken and wished for nothing more than to fight side by side with their Husband.
Now that their Husband had finally returned, as the Eldest Sister, Yu Ru Meng would not be able to explain to Yang Kai if anything were to happen to any of them.
Even though she wanted to rush over to see what the situation was herself, she had no choice but to resist that urge. Clenching her fists, she led the others towards a group of Black Ink Clansmen, venting their endless rage on them. The Black Ink Clansmen that they fought were filled with grievances, wondering just what had come over these madwomen for them to act so viciously.
On the other side, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao transformed into a stream of light that swept across half of the battlefield, heading straight for the Territory Gate.
Her ostentatiousness naturally attracted the attention of many Royal Lords.
Neither the Old Ancestors nor the Royal Lords would move casually on this battlefield, forming a kind of mutual restraint towards each other.
A rash move from either side could precipitate a major battle.
However, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao couldn’t care less about the bigger picture at this moment. Frankly, she blamed herself for losing Yang Kai, and she had been feeling guilty about it all these years.
However, with so many soldiers dying on the battlefield, she had no way of protecting all of them even if she was in the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
There was no helping it if there was no news of Yang Kai, but now that she had a solid lead, she naturally wanted to look into it.
Before Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could reach the Territory Gate though, a Royal Lord swooped in to stop her. Naturally, the two of them promptly engaged in a shocking battle.
At that moment, Yang Kai had already passed through the Territory Gate.
He did not encounter any obstacles along the way, both because he had used his Space Principles to merge with the Void to hide his aura, making it difficult for the Black Ink Clan to notice him, and because the portal was being guarded very closely.
The Black Ink Clan had already begun their attack on the Barren Territory. This was their battlefield against the Human Race, and as long as the Human defence lines here were completely destroyed, they would be able to conquer the entire 3,000 Worlds. When that time came, with the insidious nature of Black Ink Strength, the Black Ink Clan’s strength would snowball and grow to the point where the Human Race couldn’t fight back.
Therefore, it did not matter to them whether they guarded the Territory Gate or not. The Humans would not think about capturing the portal since their goal was the same as the Black Ink Clan. Only by fighting here could they be rid of them once and for all.
As for capturing the Territory Gate, nobody had even thought about it since it was a senseless endeavour.
As such, Yang Kai had no difficulty crossing the portal.
When Su Yan sensed him, he had also sensed her and raised his head in a hurry, but he could not catch Su Yan in his sight.
They were simply too far apart!
It was surprising to him that Su Yan had also joined the fight.
When he entered the Black Ink Battlefield, Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, and Zhu Qing were still in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land to cultivate. More than 1,000 years had passed since then.
Since Su Yan was participating in the war, then the Divine Spirits of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land must be participating as well. Yang Kai understood the crux of the matter instantly. It was no wonder he saw so many Divine Spirits on the battlefield just now.
It was impossible to say that he was not worried. Even though it had been more than 1,000 years, he was still not sure to what extent Su Yan could grow in that period. What’s more, on this chaotic battlefield, even Eighth-Order and Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could fall.
However, as things had already come to this point, worrying was pointless.
The battle for the Barren Territory was one that concerned the entire 3,000 Worlds. If the fight here was lost, then the 3,000 Worlds would be doomed.
After tossing aside the miscellaneous thoughts weighing his mind, Yang Kai tried to forcibly suppress the head-splitting pain from using four Soul Rending Thorns. If he wanted to recover from this, then he would likely have to wait for the Soul Warming Lotus to slowly mend his Soul.
When he stepped into the portal, Yang Kai’s Space Principles flared and the seemingly short distance between the endpoints of the Territory Gate seemed to stretch infinitely rather than send him back to the Black Ink Battlefield immediately.
Instead of fully going through, Yang Kai actually remained inside the portal.
An ordinary person couldn’t do this as anyone who passed through a Territory Gate would definitely reemerge in the Black Ink Battlefield or the Barren Territory.
However, Yang Kai was a Master of the Dao of Space and had already reached the level of Summiting the Peak. So, with a clever use of Space Principles, it was easy for him to stretch the space inside the portal.
He was in no hurry to return to the No-Return Pass. Instead, he wanted to seal the Territory Gate completely!
Just like he did back then when he went from the Black Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield.
The Barren Territory was the Second Battlefield imagined by the Ancient Ancestors, and they had long emptied up that territory. In other words, it was simply impossible for the Black Ink Clan to obtain any resources from the Barren Territory. Without resources, the Black Ink Clan would not be able to breed new Clansmen.
The Black Ink Clan was now completely dependent on the No-Return Pass for reinforcements and supplies.
Tens of thousands of Black Ink Clan teams were sent to harvest resources across the Black Ink Battlefield and deliver them to the Black Ink Nests, where new Clansmen were bred. At this moment, all of the High-Rank Black Ink Nests were located in or around the No-Return Pass, even using the destroyed Great Passes as platforms.
As such, as long as the Territory Gate connecting the Black Ink Battlefield to the Barren Territory was closed, the flow of supplies and reinforcements to the Black Ink Clan would be cut off.
Without reinforcements, one more death on the battlefield would mean one less Black Ink Clansman to deal with. Sooner or later, they would be wiped out by the Human Race.
Even if all the Black Ink Clansmen in the Barren Territory were wiped out, it would be difficult to say that the scourge of the Black Ink Clan was completely dealt with, but at the very least, the 3,000 Worlds could be kept safe, and the situation would basically return how it was to before the No-Return Pass was lost.
With that logic in mind, Yang Kai knew he had to seal the Territory Gate connecting the No-Return Pass and the Barren Territory.
No one else had the means to achieve this.
Currently, the Clan Leader of the Phoenix Clan may have the necessary skills to achieve this as well, but she was far too big of a target. As a Master on par with the current Dragon Clan Leader, she was under constant watch by at least two Royal Lords, making it impossible for her to move as she pleased.
As early on as when he decided to attack the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai had this idea in mind. Only, he never mentioned it to anyone.
If the Remnant Army managed to break through the No-Return Pass, then it would be just as Yang Kai hoped, while if all seemed lost, he could still take the opportunity to rush towards the Territory Gate alone while the Remnant Army held off the Black Ink Clan.
Originally, Yang Kai planned to seal the Territory Gate as they passed through it; however, what he saw in the No-Return Pass made him change his mind slightly. Right now, the Remnant Army had already arrived at the Barren Territory, and a large Human Army had rendezvoused with them, temporarily putting them out of danger. Only now did Yang Kai turn back to the portal.
As Space Principles fluctuated, the Territory Gate began to shrink and flicker.
Yang Kai had done something similar more than 1,000 years ago, so he naturally had no difficulty now.
As soon as the sealing process began, its visual manifestation in the Barren Territory began showing signs of distortion. The portal, which was originally a giant, churning tear in the Void, now seemed as if an invisible force had smoothed out its chaotic lines.
The speed of rotation gradually decreased, and the torn traces were rapidly healing over.
At first, the Black Ink Clan did not notice anything, but soon enough, they detected the abnormality of the Territory Gate.
Even though they had no idea what this occurrence meant, they relied on the Territory Gate to provide support and reinforcements to their Army so they dared not be careless. At once, a Royal Lord went forward to investigate.
What the Black Ink Clan could notice, the Humans naturally noticed as well.
In particular, the Phoenix Clan who were proficient in the Dao of Space could tell what the source of the portal’s change was, and a loud Phoenix Cry was soon sent out in all directions.
When the Human Masters learned that someone was sealing the Territory Gate, all of their spirits were lifted and they all rushed towards the location of the portal to stop the Black Ink Clan from disturbing the process.
The two Armies immediately engaged in a brutal fight to the death around the Territory Gate, with Masters from both sides falling frequently. Even the powerful Divine Spirits were not spared from the carnage.
Inside of the Territory Gate, Yang Kai pushed his Space Principles to the limit. He knew that as soon as he made his move, the Black Ink Clan would definitely notice, so he had to act quickly to avoid being stopped by them.
Shuttling through the Void from the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai not only sealed the corridor, he also filled the Void around him with violent turbulence wherever he passed, adding to the blockage.
This blockage was not permanent or foolproof by any means. If there existed a Master as skilful as him in the Dao of Space, then the blocked Territory Gate could be reopened and the turbulence cleared out in short order.
Only, there were no individuals among the Black Ink Clan who were proficient in the Dao of Space.
It did not matter even if they forced their way through as they would just be swept up by the chaos and forced to aimlessly wander the Void forever.
In just a dozen breaths of time, the portal in the Barren Territory had become as smooth as a mirror, its manifestation disappearing completely.
All the Humans were shocked to see this. How could they not know that their side had succeeded?
Some of the Black Ink Clansmen were unconvinced and rushed towards where the portal was originally located, yet there was no sign of them being transported at all. It was as if they were just traversing past ordinary space.
This made all in the Black Ink Clan’s hearts sink.
Being cut off from their rear support by the Humans was going to be disastrous for them.
They needed to act quickly…
Otherwise, their troops would be eradicated, and they would have no chance of turning the tides anymore.
Once Yang Kai blocked up the entire corridor and returned to the No-Return Pass, he immediately saw Niu Niu fighting against several Territory Lords.
It had been less than a half cup of tea’s time since Niu Niu stopped their pursuers, allowing Yang Kai to lead the Remnant Army to the Barren Territory, and his subsequent return alone.
In just a short half a cup of tea’s time, Niu Niu had already been beaten beyond recognition. Countless pieces of his body were torn to shreds and he was now practically a broken skeleton that barely managed to maintain its original shape.
The Ox Monster was certainly very strong, but it was still no match for a dozen Innate Territory Lords combined.
In a few more moments, it would surely be torn completely to shreds.
Yang Kai could not bear to watch this scene any longer, but he had no intention of helping either. Niu Niu was already dead and was now shining his final light. If he tried to help, he would only be throwing himself into a trap.
The Old Ancestor of Azure Void Pass was the same. On another battlefield, the Old Ancestor stood alone, fighting against the Royal Lord there as well as several Territory Lords. It was clear that his energy was already close to being exhausted.
After returning to the No-Return Pass again, Yang Kai raised his hand and summoned his Azure Dragon Spear before rushing straight to the Central Square.
Niu Niu was about to give up resisting, but when he noticed Yang Kai’s aura, he immediately became energized and mooed to the sky, desperately distracting his opponents lest they cause trouble for Yang Kai instead.
The Old Ancestor acted similarly.
Even though they noticed that Yang Kai had come back, the Territory Lords were unable to extricate themselves from their current battles. They could only scream and shout for their subordinates to stop him.
But how could such dregs stop Yang Kai, whose current strength was sufficient to easily kill an Innate Territory Lord with just one Soul Rending Thorn? Even without a Soul Rending Thorn, he could similarly kill Innate Territory Lords quickly while only paying a small price.
The Feudal Lords were simply unable to block his way, and any who tried simply turned into broken corpses.
After cutting through the Black Ink Clan’s Army in a reign of terror, Yang Kai descended upon the square with great momentum.
With just one sweep of his Divine Sense, he found the aura of Ji Lao San, who was heavily suppressed and imprisoned. Even with the power of a Divine Spirit to protect him, he was already showing signs of being corrupted after being in contact with Black Ink Strength for who knows how long.
Ji Lao San’s Dragon Form was also locked in place firmly by a type of black chain.
He no longer had much power to resist.
Without hesitation, Yang Kai’s body erupted in a golden light, and following a Dragon Roar, he instantly transformed into a 70,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon.
He grabbed the black chains holding Ji Lao San down and his Dragon Force burst out.
Ji Lao San knew what Yang Kai was trying to do, and under their combined efforts, the chains were swiftly snapped.
“Transform into your Human Form!” Yang Kai roared at him.
Ji Lao San reacted quickly and shrank down, assuming a Human shape.
Yang Kai grabbed him with his claws and with a swing of his giant body, wiped out the Black Ink Clansmen around him. Amid a loud Dragon Roar, he disappeared towards the depths of the void without looking back.
From the distance, a loud Dragon Roar resounded, “I’ve blocked the Territory Gate and cut off the supplies to the Black Ink Clan on the other side. Victory will surely be ours!”
The Azure Void Pass Old Ancestor, who was fighting the Royal Lord silently and without rest, suddenly grinned at his words and shouted, “Good boy!”
In the next moment, his old flesh completely transformed into a sword light. Man and sword merged into one and slashed out at the Royal Lord, horrifying the latter!
Yang Kai had already disappeared with Ji Lao San, so he was unable to see the glory of the Old Ancestor’s final attack. Naturally, he also had no idea that the Royal Lord at the No-Return Pass had nearly been cut in half by this shocking move.
As the sword light disappeared, so did the Old Ancestor. Only an everlasting Sword Intent remained behind, cleaving open countless cracks in the Void.
The slash also left a three-metre-long gash through the front of the Royal Lord’s chest where his flesh could be seen turning inside out from which Black Ink Strength constantly spurted. With a look of shock still on his face, the Royal Lord turned in Yang Kai’s direction and shouted through gritted teeth, “Follow him!”
In the next instant, eight Territory Lords soared towards the depths of the void in the direction Yang Kai escaped to.
The Royal Lord’s face was incredibly gloomy. Despite him personally overseeing this place, a small Human Army was still able to break through their blockade and pass through the No-Return Pass, which was a great shame to his name.
But what made him feel even more indignant was the Eighth-Order Master from earlier.
That Human was too strong. In just this battle alone, that one Eighth-Order Master had cut down six Territory Lords. The Royal Lord made a move personally to exterminate this threat, but he did not expect a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to come out to hinder him at the critical moment.
Worse yet, that Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master came back and rescued the Dragon imprisoned by them in the No-Return Pass after so much difficulty, delivering another slap to his face.
In a fit of rage, the Royal Lord’s body flickered and appeared in front of Niu Niu, who had been beaten to pieces. With just a single punch, the still-defiant Ox Monster was reduced to paste.
“Wastes! All of you!” The Royal Lord roared. Even with several Territory Lords uniting their strengths, they were held up by a literal dead thing until now, which made him extremely dissatisfied with their performances.
The Territory Lords felt ashamed after being criticized, but they did not dare to retort.
At this time, a Feudal Lord came forward to give a report, “Sir Royal Lord, there’s something unusual happening to the Territory Gate on this side. Please inspect it, Sir.”
The Royal Lord’s heart clenched at those words and he turned back to look at the portal, a single glance being enough to send a chill down his spine.
He hadn’t noticed the changes in the Territory Gate before, but now that he looked over, he saw that the portal was gone!
He quickly rushed over to try and pass through the gate, but it was useless. He tried a few more times, but it still did not work. Only then did he realize that the Humans had somehow closed the Territory Gate leading to the 3,000 Worlds by some unknown means!
The Royal Lord became even more livid, and when the eight Territory Lords who had gone to chase after Yang Kai returned empty-handed, his rage reached a peak.
…..
Yang Kai had escaped from the pursuit of a Royal Lord when he was only in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, so now that he was in the Eighth-Order, what could a few Territory Lords do even if they tried to catch him?
His Dragon Form made him an extremely conspicuous target, so not long after leaving the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai returned to his Human Form and wrapped Ji Lao San with his power. With a few successive Instantaneous Movements, the pair left the Territory Lords chasing them far behind.
But Yang Kai did not stop immediately and instead continued escaping towards the depths of the void.
It was not until half a month later that he found a barren Universe World to settle down on and recuperate.
While moving deeper into the Universe World, Yang Kai opened up two shelters for them and told Ji Lao San, “Rest by yourself for now. I need to heal my wounds.”
Ji Lao San nodded with a complicated expression on his face, remaining silent.
Yang Kai headed to his spot and sat down cross-legged before taking out a large handful of pills and stuffing them into his mouth.
The injuries he suffered from this battle were not light, not to mention the damage he incurred to his Soul from using four Soul Rending Thorns. As the one leading the Remnant Army, Yang Kai had stood at the vanguard, and so he was also the one who received the most pressure for the majority of the battle.
In particular, the World Force from his Small Universe was severely depleted, so he was in desperate need of time to properly recuperate.
Right now, Yang Kai no longer had complete sets of cultivation materials on hand so he could only rely on Open Heaven Pills to restore himself. Fortunately, the time flow inside of his Small Universe was seven times faster than that of the outside world, and the bustling vitality of the living beings in his Small Universe was also providing him with fresh World Force every moment.
That was why recovering was not a difficult task for him.
After a month or so, Yang Kai had just about recovered all of his depleted energy. Other than the damage to his Soul, which still required some more time to heal, he was generally fine.
The wounds on his Soul did not need him to sit in meditation to recover because he had the Soul Warming Lotus, which would automatically nourish and repair it.
Yang Kai got up and went to where Ji Lao San was resting, and when he heard the noise, Ji Lao San, who was circulating his Dragon Force and recovering his energy, opened his eyes and got up, “Many thanks for this life-saving grace, Brother Yang.”
Looking at the spirited Yang Kai, Ji Lao San could not help but recall the scene from back then when Yang Kai had just arrived at the No-Return Pass all those years ago. At that time, he still looked down on this guy and would repeatedly seek trouble with him. Who would have thought that hundreds of years later, it would be this guy who would save his life?
“I’ve troubled you this time, Brother Yang,” Ji Lao San was no longer the haughty Dragon from back then. Clearly, the shocking events at the No-Return Pass had allowed him to mature a lot.
However, it was not only those events that made him change. Yang Kai was part of it, too.
Even though Yang Kai was a Human who chanced upon a Dragon Source, allowing him to acquire a Dragon Vein, the Source he possessed was actually from the Third Generation Dragon Emperor.
This point alone made it so that no Dragon would dare to underestimate him.
Furthermore, the Dragon Clan’s Elders had intended for Yang Kai to record his name in the Dragon Tome back then at the No-Return Pass.
The Dragon Tome was a Sacred Treasure to the Dragon Clan, which had existed since their founding. It could be said to be one of the Dragon Clan’s most important possessions, on par with the Dragon Pool itself.
There were countless Dragonkin in the 3,000 Worlds, but only True Dragons who were recognised by the Dragon Clan had the qualifications to record their name in the Dragon Tome. Furthermore, Yang Kai was the first Dragonkin to become a True Dragon and gain this qualification since ancient times.
The Elders even promised to record his name with his own surname. If that truly were to happen, then a new lineage would be born in the Dragon Clan. Since the beginning of history, the feat of ancestral establishment was achieved by only three members of the Dragon Clan, resulting in the current Fu, Zhu, and Ji Families. If Yang Kai had agreed at the time, then a new Yang Bloodline would have been born in the Dragon Clan.
However, due to the Bloodline Great Oath from the ancient past, Yang Kai refused the kindness of the Elders and chose not to record his name in the Dragon Tome even though the benefits of doing so were not small…
Even without recording one’s name, Yang Kai had already become a Pureblood Dragon after advancing to become an Ancient Dragon. It could be said that there was no difference between him and Dragons like Ji Lao San, who were born and raised as Dragons. In fact, thanks to his Source, he was even more powerful.
The Dragons would not so much as spare a glance at the Dragonkin of mixed Bloodlines, but how could Ji Lao San act recklessly in front of his own kin?
Not to mention, he just received Yang Kai’s life-saving grace.
Upon hearing Ji Lao San’s words, Yang Kai knew that he had misunderstood him and tried to explain, “I didn’t return to the No-Return Pass just for you, Brother Ji. The main reason was to seal the Territory Gate.”
Ji Lao San was stunned when he heard what Yang Kai said, but then he looked delightfully surprised in realization, “The portal has been blocked?”
He had been confined this whole time and enveloped by a thick Black Ink Cloud, so he was completely oblivious to outside matters.
Yang Kai nodded, “I came from the Barren Territory and blocked the portal using my Secret Technique. The Black Ink Clan should not even think about opening the portal again unless they have a Master as skilled as me in the Dao of Space.”
Ji Lao San was ecstatic, “This way, our side only needs to take care of the enemies in the Barren Territory, and the Black Ink Clan’s plan to invade the 3,000 Worlds will be completely crushed.”
He had been in the No-Return Pass for a long time, so Ji Lao San naturally knew about the Barren Territory. Every so often, he would even use a Soul Clone to run around the Barren Territory when he was bored. Only, the Barren Territory was quite literally barren, with only the necessities left behind by the Human ancestors to wage war. Ji Lao San only went a few times before losing interest.
Rather than go to that damned place, he might as well stay in the No-Return Pass and quarrel with the Phoenixes.
With his spirits raised, Ji Lao San thought of something again and mentioned tentatively, “But blocking the Territory Gate doesn’t mean the war will end.”
Yang Kai was surprised, “Why do you say that?”
Rather than answer his question, Ji Lao San asked, “I heard that the Humans encountered an extremely ancient Master during a previous crusade called Cang?”
Yang Kai nodded.
Ji Lao San said, “Truthfully, the ancient books of the Dragon Clan do have some records about this, but only in scattered fragments. Perhaps it may have something to do with the Dragon Clan’s decline at the time.
Yang Kai nodded thoughtfully.
Based on what Cang told him back then, the Divine Spirits were active during the Primordial Era, the era in which they ruled over the vast Universe. It was just that their vicious battles against each other caused many Divine Spirits and their Clans to go extinct. By the time the Early Ancient Era arrived, it was the Monster Races that assumed dominance.
During the Early Ancient Era, Monster Beasts ran rampant and the Human Race were put in a difficult position. Under the influence of some sort of mysterious power, Cang and the other nine Martial Ancestors entered the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, and with the power of the World Tree, gained enlightenment to the path to the Open Heaven Realm. It was only after this that the Human Race was able to slowly rise.
During the age when the Humans were rising up, the Divine Spirits had already begun to decline, and the Dragon Clan spent all their time in the Ancestral Land, so they did not know much about the outside world.
However, they still had some records from that time.
“Does Brother Yang Know how the Black Ink Battlefield was formed?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Senior Cang told me about it. It was the ten Martial Ancestors that carved out the battlefield.”
Ji Lao San corrected, “What they carved out was merely the Great Territories that had already been taken over by Black Ink Strength. A boundary was built between those Great Territories and those not occupied by the Black Ink Clan!”
After a pause, Ji Lao San said, “Let’s put this another way. Does Brother Yang know why the Black Ink Battlefield is so vast and expansive?”
Yang Kai said hesitantly, “I heard that it was made up of a fusion of many Great Territories.”
Ji Lao San nodded, “Exactly. Then, why did these Great Territories fuse together?”
Yang Kai’s expression changed as he realized what Ji Lao San was trying to say now.
Ji Lao San sighed, “Black Ink Strength is an extremely sinister power. Not only can it corrupt the bodies and Souls of living beings, it can even erode the boundaries between Great Territories. Once the density of Black Ink Strength reaches a certain point in a Great Territory, the boundary wall will disappear, and without that barrier, the Great Territories will naturally fuse into one.”
Yang Kai exclaimed, “The Barren Territory!”
He finally understood why Ji Lao San said blocking the portal would not end the war.
He had indeed sealed off the No-Return Pass from the Barren Territory for now, but if the boundary walls of the Barren Territory were to be eroded, then it would fuse with the Shattered Heaven. If that were to happen, the defensive line constructed by the Humans in the Barren Territory would become meaningless.
Ji Lao San went on, “You don’t have to worry too much though, Brother Yang. Even though the Black Ink Clan is strong right now, without any supplies, it will become difficult for them to produce more members or Black Ink Strength. The Barren Territory is not small by any means, so it would be unfeasible for the Black Ink Clan to try and erode the boundary walls using just the Black Ink Strength available to them. I’m only telling you this in case you suffer a loss due to something similar happening in the future.”
Yang Kai nodded, “Many thanks for the lesson!”
Ji Lao San added, “Besides, if I know about this, then the Elders of my Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan should know about it too. They will take the necessary precautions. No matter what, the Black Ink Clan has already lost half the battle since the Territory Gate has been blocked by you, Brother Yang.”
During the Late Ancient Era, the reason why the boundary walls between the Great Territories eroded so easily was mainly because of Mo.
Mo was the origin of Black Ink Strength and its power was incredibly pure and powerful. Most of the boundary walls between the Great Territories occupied by the Black Ink Clan were personally eroded by its hands.
The boundary walls were a real existence; only, it was difficult for ordinary people to even perceive them.
The places where the Territory Gates were located were essentially gaps in the boundary walls, as well as the portals that connected two Great Territories.
In fact, boundary walls were incredibly sturdy existences; otherwise, it would be impossible for the Humans to confine the Black Ink Clan inside the Black Ink Battlefield. Trying to erode the boundary wall with Black Ink Strength alone was a difficult feat to achieve.
Now, Yang Kai had sealed the Territory Gate between the No-Return Pass and the Barren Territory, cutting off the Black Ink Clan’s supply line, but he was powerless to do anything more.
He asked more about the No-Return Pass, and learned from Ji Lao San that the Pass’ fall was attributed to the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods just as he expected.
The Human Race Army retreated all the way from outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to the No-Return Pass, suffering countless casualties along the way. Somewhere between 20 and 30 of the Great Passes were destroyed in the process, while even more Ninth-Order Old Ancestors died in battle.
The casualties they sustained could be described as unprecedented since the Late Ancient Era!
Even though the Black Ink Clan also sustained their fair share of casualties, they were much less significant when compared to the Humans; after all, the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were far too powerful.
After retreating to the No-Return Pass and receiving the support from the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan, the two sides fought a brutal war around the No-Return Pass.
In the end, the Human Army and its allies were unable to hold. The No-Return Pass was broken through and for the first time in history, it became engulfed in the flames of war. Half of this result was because they were truly helpless to fend off the enemy, but the other half was intentional. The united Army of the Humans and the Divine Spirits executed a coordinated retreat to the Barren Territory to use the Second Battlefield to continue their war against the Black Ink Clan.
Ji Lao San had gone too deep into enemy lines while fighting and was surrounded by the Black Ink Clan, resulting in him being unable to return to the No-Return Pass in time to join the evacuation. In the end, he was captured by a Royal Lord in the final battle.
The Black Ink Clan did not kill him though. They placed Divine Spirits in high regard, so the Royal Lord imprisoned him in the No-Return Pass and surrounded him in a cloud of Black Ink Strength, seemingly in an attempt to study the innate resistance of Divine Spirits towards their Black Ink Strength. It was to find a way to corrupt them quickly through research.
If the Royal Lord had not had such intentions, then Ji Lao San would not have survived after being captured.
His 55,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon body was comparable to an Eighth-Order Master in strength; however, an Ancient Dragon could hardly make any waves in front of a Royal Lord.
Over the years, it had become increasingly difficult for Ji Lao San to persevere. Fortunately, his Dragon Vein was quite pure, giving him fairly high resistance to the corruption of Black Ink Strength. However, if another decade or so had passed, even he could not be sure whether or not he would be corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
If he really were corrupted, then he would surely become a stain on the Dragon Clan’s pride.
That was why Ji Lao San was so grateful to Yang Kai for saving him. He had saved not only his life, but protected the honour of the entire Clan.
Ji Lao San still had some Black Ink Strength lingering in his body, so Yang Kai gave him some Purifying Black Ink Pills to finally eliminate this hidden danger.
Freed from the Black Ink Strength’s shadow, Ji Lao San’s body felt light and he heaved a long sigh in his hiding place before asking, “Brother Yang, what do you plan on doing next?”
“I’m going back!” Yang Kai had already made up his mind.
Ji Lao San did not understand, “The portal has already been blocked though, how will you return? You’re not thinking of reopening it, are you?”
That would be a bad idea. Yang Kai was able to catch the enemy by surprise when he sealed the Territory Gate the first time, but if he were to try it again, the Black Ink Clan would surely respond more quickly and forcefully, making it questionable whether he could succeed or not.
If things progressed as expected, the Black Ink Clan would have already tightened their guard around where the Territory Gate used to be while they looked for a way to reopen the portal.
“That won’t be necessary,” Yang Kai shook his head, “I know a passage that leads to the 3,000 Worlds. We can use that path.”
His words shocked Ji Lao San. To think that the Black Ink Battlefield actually had another passage that led to the 3,000 Worlds! This was big news, and if the Black Ink Clan were to ever learn about it, they would surely rejoice.
The passage that Yang Kai spoke of was the one he used to get to the Black Ink Battlefield from Black Territory back then.
Since he could come from Black Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield at that time, he would naturally be able to do the opposite. He just had to reopen the passage, which would not be difficult for the current him at all.
Now, of course, the existence of the passage was quite peculiar in itself. Based on Yang Kai’s speculation, it may be a special type of Territory Gate, or it may be a weak point in the boundary walls. In ancient times, a Royal Lord somehow found her way into the Black Territory through this passage and was suppressed and sealed by Human Race Masters of the time before a Super Array was set up to suppress her and the Void Corridor.
Countless years later, Yang Kai shook the foundation of the Grand Array while mining the resources in Black Territory and almost allowed the Royal Lord to escape. Fortunately, she had been imprisoned for an incredibly long time, so her strength had declined greatly. Otherwise, with the lineup that the Humans had at the time, they would have suffered far heavier losses in order to deal with that Royal Lord.
The Void Corridor was located in the Blue Sky Theatre, which was quite far from here.
Yang Kai took out his Universe Chart and ascertained the direction before flying side by side with Ji Lao San, occasionally using Space Principles to speed up their journey.
If he was alone, Yang Kai could have just repeatedly used Instantaneous Movement to dramatically reduce the amount of time the journey required, but it was hard to do so with Ji Lao San tagging along, as the latter was an Ancient Dragon, meaning he could not be ‘carried’ by Yang Kai so easily.
Along their journey, the scenery in the vast void all looked the same.
They passed through several Theatres, which used to be defended by the Great Passes, and took nearly 10 years to finally reach the Blue Sky Theatre.
Blue Sky Pass, which had guarded this stretch of void for aeons, was long gone. Yang Kai did not even know whether it had been completely destroyed or not. There were 70 to 80 remnant Great Passes floating outside of the No-Return Pass, all of them shrouded by Black Ink Clouds, making it hard to identify them.
From Yang Kai’s perspective, it had been several thousand years since he came here, but he still remembered how he had sealed up the Void Corridor along his way after departing from Black Territory until he suddenly stepped into a Sealed World.
The Void Corridor in Black Territory was connected to that Sealed World.
The Sealed Worlds of the Black Ink Battlefield were basically the Universe Paradises and Universe Cave Heavens left behind after the fall of High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from ancient times.
The Universe Cave Heaven encompassing the passage connecting Black Territory and the Black Ink Battlefield should not have appeared there as an accident, but rather been placed there by artificial intervention.
The owner of the Universe Cave Heaven clearly knew about the existence of this Void Corridor, and so they took the initiative to leave their Small Universe behind, enveloping the passage and hiding it from the eyes and ears of all others.
Doing so meant sacrificing one’s lifetime of cultivation, as well as their life itself.
Their ancestors sacrificed their lives for the sake of peace for the Human Race. Countless years later, their descendants still upheld this philosophy.
That was why Meng Qi, whom Yang Kai encountered in the Sealed World, willingly sacrificed himself without a single word of complaint in order to keep the Void Corridor a secret.
The sacrifice of this unnamed ancestor was worth it. Countless years went by yet the Black Ink Clan never learned of the existence of a Void Corridor that connected straight to the 3,000 Worlds. If Yang Kai had not come over from Black Territory, then he would not have triggered the abnormality in the Universe Cave Heaven, and then it would naturally not have been noticed by the Black Ink Clan.
It was because of his actions that the Universe Cave Heaven’s location was exposed, and only then did several Feudal Lords come over to investigate.
Fortunately, the passage had been sealed shortly after it opened, so the Feudal Lords couldn’t have detected anything.
There were several Feudal Lords and their subordinates, as well as other High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen who came to investigate the Sealed World. Regardless of whether or not they could find anything good in the Sealed World, the World Force that existed there in itself was the favourite food of the Black Ink Clan.
World Force was the foundation that maintained the existence of a Sealed World. Even though the Sealed World’s owner died long ago, as long as the Small Universe remained intact the World Force would not dissipate.
However, after being devoured by the Black Ink Clan, the World Force was gone, and without that foundation, the Sealed World would naturally collapse into nothingness, never to be found again.
It took a decade for Yang Kai and Ji Lao San to arrive at the Blue Sky Theatre, and another 2 years to locate the original location of the Sealed World, not because Yang Kai was incompetent, but because it was difficult to find a single spot in the vastness of the void.
Fortunately, he had specifically noted down the location in his mind back then; otherwise, he might have come up empty on this trip.
Standing at a certain point in the void, Yang Kai silently sensed his surroundings for some time before he was certain that this was where the Sealed World collapsed, and the Void Corridor was hidden.
If anyone else were to come here, they would naturally be helpless in the face of this situation, but Yang Kai had great attainments in the Dao of Space. Even in such a case, he could find the Void Corridor’s entrance, he just needed to spend some time and effort on it.
So, for the next few months, Yang Kai used Space Principles to probe for the Void Corridor over and over again while Ji Lao San sat silently.
Until one day, he suddenly raised his brow and called out to Ji Lao San who was a short distance away, “Brother Ji, come quickly!”
Ji Lao San’s spirits were lifted and he came over in a flash, “Did you find it?”
Yang Kai nodded, “We must connect our auras together. Remember to follow me closely lest you get lost in the Void Crack. If that happens, even I may not be able to find you.”
Ji Lao San laughed, “No need to go through such trouble.”
While saying so, his body flickered and he took on his Dragon Form; only this time, rather than a 55,000-metre-long Ancient Dragon Form, he transformed into a tiny Dragon, no longer than an ordinary snake…
This was also one of the Dragon Clan’s Secret Techniques, allowing even a Dragon that could cover the sky to become as small as a mustard seed.
Yang Kai knew this Secret Technique too; however, he could not shrink himself as small as Ji Lao San could. Currently, his Dragon Form could range between 70,000 metres and 70 metres long.
Seeing this display, Yang Kai decided in his heart that he had to properly cultivate this Dragon Clan Secret Technique once he returned; after all, sometimes, it was quite inconvenient for him to fight when his body was too large.
The snake that Ji Lao San transformed himself into, wrapped itself around Yang Kai’s arm…
Yang Kai could not help but chuckle. Then, while madly surging his Space Principles, a ripple appeared in the Void in front of them. A short while later, the sealed portal slowly revealed hints of itself.
Yang Kai was the one who sealed off this Void Corridor nearly 1,000 years ago, so it was naturally no problem for him to open it again.
However, not only did he have to open the Void Corridor today, but he also had to seal it behind him as he passed through, so he still faced some difficulty.
This was also the reason why Yang Kai had not brought the Remnant Army back to the 3,000 Worlds via this particular route.
After gathering the Remnant Army, they numbered almost 5,000. There were simply too many of them. In a unique environment like this Void Corridor, Yang Kai was only capable of protecting one or two people at most; thus, he could not bring all of them with him. If they were caught up in the Void Turbulence, they were bound to be swept away into the Void Crack, never to find their way out again.
Thinking about the Remnant Army, Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling depressed. 5,000 of them had attacked the No-Return Pass, but less than 3,000 made it through. Not to mention, that was with the assistance of the Old Ancestor and Niu Niu holding back their enemies. Without their help, all 5,000 of them would have died that day.
Composing himself, Yang Kai concentrated on forging a path forward.
The Void Corridor to Black Territory was much longer than the one at the No-Return Pass. At present, he had to open a path in front of him while simultaneously closing it behind him; therefore, it was a huge challenge to his mastery of the Dao of Space.
Ji Lao San, who had transformed into a small Dragon resembling a snake, had wrapped himself tightly around Yang Kai’s arm. Looking around at the dangerous Void Turbulence swirling around them in all directions, he secretly felt speechless.
It was his first time entering a place like the Void Crack. In the past, he had heard from the Phoenix Clan at the No-Return Pass that Void Cracks were extremely dangerous and the slightest negligence could cause a person to lose their way forever. Nevertheless, he did not truly understand the risks since he only heard stories but never experienced them in person.
He once asked one of the Phoenix Clan members to bring him deep into the Void Crack so that he could experience the environment for himself, but that Phoenix Clan member had sternly reprimanded him for making such a request. After all, though the Phoenix Clan was proficient in the Dao of Space, most would rather choose not to venture deep into a Void Crack for no reason, much less bring another person along with them.
Yang Kai’s movements had a sense of rhythm and order to them, even though he looked like he was struggling somewhat.
[This guy’s attainments in the Dao of Space are probably higher than most of the Phoenix Clan members’!] Ji Lao San secretly speculated in his heart. Not only was Yang Kai an Ancient Dragon, allowing him to be proficient in the Dao of Time, but he also had such profound attainments in the Dao of Space. Just what kind of a freak was he…
On the other hand, Yang Kai did not know what nonsensical thoughts were running through Ji Lao San’s head as he was focused solely on passing through the Void Corridor safely.
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed when the obstruction ahead finally vanished without warning and he abruptly found himself standing in the vast void. An irregular portal filled with chaos and nihility remained open behind him. He quickly turned around, reached out his hand in a swiping motion, and manipulated Space Principles to make the portal vanish out of sight. It was not until he finished hiding the entrance to the Void Corridor that he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking around, Yang Kai did not see any scenery that was familiar to him, there was only pitch-black darkness that seemed darker than certain areas on the Black Ink Battlefield. Be that as it may, he knew that he had arrived at Black Territory!
In the past, he had entered the Void Corridor that brought him to the Black Ink Battlefield from this very spot.
Without further delay, he immediately consumed some Open Heaven Pills to replenish the energy he had used up and quickly set off towards the Territory Gate.
More than 10 years had passed since Yang Kai led the Remnant Army to the Barren Territory, so there was no way to know what the situation there was now. For that reason, he pressed down the urge to return to the Star Boundary. Even though he wanted to go back and check on the Star Boundary, he knew that now was not the right time to return. His greatest priority at the moment was to rush towards the Barren Territory as soon as possible.
If he wanted to reach the Barren Territory, then he would first need to head towards the Shattered Heaven. He took out a Universe Chart of the 3,000 Worlds and quickly figured out his direction, then he hurried on his way.
Ji Lao San seemed to have gotten used to this travelling method and did not change back to his original form, simply choosing to remain wrapped around Yang Kai’s arm. If one did not observe carefully, one would have assumed that Yang Kai was wearing a fancy bracelet.
To arrive at the Barren Territory as soon as possible, Yang Kai pushed his speed to its limits as he travelled through Great Territory after Great Territory. It was fortunate that he had left his Imprint on a large number of Universe Temples, allowing him to save a significant amount of time.
One day, Yang Kai’s figure appeared atop a Universe Temple’s Universe Array of a certain Great Territory before he immediately flew out.
The cultivator guarding the Universe Temple didn’t even have the time to check Yang Kai’s identity before the latter disappeared without a trace. Hence, he was stunned by the strange and fleeting incident.
The Universe Temples located in each Great Territory had been left behind by the Human Race in ancient times and were presently under the joint control of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Most Great Territories had a Universe Temple, with the rare exception of several Great Territories located in extremely remote regions. For example, the Great Territory in which the Star Boundary was located had not contained a Universe Temple originally. That was because the Martial Dao in that particular Great Territory was too backward, and there were no cultivators who could shuttle through the void.
Guarding the Universe Temple could be considered a kind of training for the disciples of the various Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, the task was boring since fighting was forbidden inside the Universe Temples. That was why very few disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would willingly volunteer to guard these places.
Most of those assigned to these posts had relatively low cultivations. Aside from the mandatory Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master presiding over the Universe Temple, the rest were either in the Fifth-Order or below. Not to mention, their numbers were not high.
Yang Kai was currently in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, which would make him a Supreme Elder or Ancestor-level character in any Cave Heaven or Paradise. How could these guards in the Fourth and Fifth Order possibly trace his whereabouts?
In any case, he had no plans to stay here for long because he had to continue on his journey; however, today, he noticed a battle between cultivators right outside the Universe Temple. Two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and a Seventh-Order Master were locked in an intense fight for some reason.
Although there was a clear gap in their cultivations, the two Sixth-Order Masters were holding their own against their opponent in a two-against-one battle. That was an unusual sight indeed as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was considered a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. How could two Sixth-Order Masters be a worthy opponent for such a foe?
Yang Kai observed for a while and soon figured out the reason!
The two Sixth-Order Masters were clearly disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so the artifacts in their possession were excellent, and their Secret Techniques were powerful. They were most likely peak Sixth-Order Masters.
On the contrary, the Seventh-Order Master’s aura was clearly unstable. It looked like not much time had passed since he broke through to the Seventh Order. Which great force he came from was unknown, but he clearly did not originate from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling surprised.
According to convention, any Seventh-Order Master who did not come from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises in the 3,000 Worlds was absorbed into the Cave Heaven or Paradise closest to them. They would also be given the position of Guest Elder without any real responsibilities.
Take the Great Battle Heaven for example. They were affiliated with more than 10 Great Territories. If a cultivator within any of these Great Territories advanced into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, they would then be absorbed into Great Battle Heaven.
However, all the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who became Guest Elders of the Cave Heavens and Paradises in this manner would vanish without a trace soon after. There were no exceptions to this unspoken rule since time immemorial.
As a result, the general public in the 3,000 Worlds had various misunderstandings towards the Cave Heavens and Paradises. The general assumption was that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were using their authority to suppress all other great forces to prevent any unaffiliated cultivators from reaching the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, lest the foundation of their ruling position be shaken. That was why they immediately captured and subdued any cultivator who was discovered to have advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Of course, the truth of the matter was that most of those cultivators who advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm were sent to the Black Ink Battlefield. As for the others, they simply entered seclusion in the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
It was not that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were trying to suppress the other great forces; on the contrary, they wanted more Seventh-Order Masters to appear as such cultivators could not be considered weak. They were qualified to become Squad Leaders and Vice Squad Leaders on the Black Ink Battlefield. For countless years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had nurtured countless disciples who were then dispatched to the Black Ink Battlefield. As a result, they suffered countless casualties as the same cycle repeated generation after generation.
If Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were born from other great forces, then they should also do their part to maintain the peace of the 3,000 Worlds; however, participation was not mandatory.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were welcomed into the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be told about the secret of the Black Ink Battlefield by the Sect Master in person; then, they were given the choice to enter the Black Ink Battlefield and contribute to the safety of the Human Race or remain within the Sect for the rest of their lives.
Information regarding the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength could not be leaked to the public; therefore, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were aware of this secret could only remain within the confines of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Consequently, only the Cave Heavens and Paradises could be ranked as First Class forces. No matter how large or powerful other great forces became, they could only be considered Second Class because no Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were overseeing them.
Due to these circumstances, many Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Second Class great forces did not dare to advance into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm even though they had the heritage and capital to do so as they were worried that they would suffer at the hands of the Cave Heavens and Paradises if they did so.
It was not that these great forces were too weak and could not produce Seventh-Order Masters, but that the cultivators simply did not dare to advance to that Realm.
That was also how some Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters eventually found themselves hiding in Shattered Heaven. They secretly snuck into the Shattered Heaven before reaching the Seventh-Order or Eighth-Order in order to avoid the pursuit of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Although they seemed free and relaxed, only they knew about the pain and suffering they endured; after all, the Shattered Heaven was not a pleasant place.
Even though this practice of the Cave Heavens and Paradises caused great dissatisfaction among the countless Second Class great forces, there was nothing that could be done. They could not allow the information regarding Black Ink Strength to become common knowledge. If that were to happen, those with immoral intentions would inevitably take the initiative to seek out Black Ink Strength.
Even Vice Sect Master Yuan Du of Lang Ya Paradise could not resist the temptation of Black Ink Strength. He had actively sought out Black Ink Strength and absorbed it into his body before spreading it to a number of elite disciples, transforming them into Black Ink Disciples.
It had to be said that Yuan Du was a Vice Sect Master belonging to one of the 72 Paradises. If even such a character could not resist temptation, how were others with lower strength, status, and talent do so? Most cultivators would gain the courage to break the rules and make some unexpected choices when faced with the limitations of their Martial Dao.
Over the years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises might have made mistakes in other aspects. Nevertheless, there was no denying that they had performed splendidly in terms of protecting the 3,000 Worlds!
Outside this Universe Temple, the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were fighting a newly advanced Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. Yang Kai only needed a single glance to determine that the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had come from one of the Second Class great forces and not one of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
There was also a large ship outside the Universe Temple with several Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters standing on the deck, observing the battle.
The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was an old man with a white head of hair and beard. After advancing to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, he thought that he could easily escape the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise, but it wasn’t until they started fighting that he realised how powerful these two were.
He could only lament the fact that it had not been long since his advancement, so he could not bring out the full strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. If he had the opportunity to cultivate in retreat for several dozen to 100 years to consolidate his cultivation and familiarize himself with it, then two trivial Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters would have been nothing to him.
Seeing that he could not escape, the old man shouted, “The Cave Heavens and Paradises have been gathering Fifth and Sixth-Order Masters from the Second Class great forces in every Great Territory recently, it’s obvious that they are planning to destroy the foundation of all Second Class great forces to prevent their ruling authority from being shaken! They have revealed their wolfish ambitions! How long are the rest of you going to stand there and watch the show!?”
The expressions of the Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters standing on the large ship changed drastically upon hearing those words.
It was just as the old man had said. They were cultivators from various Second Class great forces in this Great Territory which was under the jurisdiction of Golden Antelope Paradise. In recent years, Golden Antelope Paradise had gone around gathering Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from various Second Class great forces. It was just that they had not explained the purpose of their actions, so many people became uneasy about the situation.
It was not strange for the old man to have such thoughts. Too many rumours and misunderstandings about the Cave Heavens and Paradises had propagated over the years. Many had the same thoughts as the old man but did not dare to voice their opinions.
The old man continued, “Yan Yi! 1,800 years ago, the Former Temple Master of Golden Light Temple advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and was taken away by Golden Antelope Paradise. Have you heard from him since then!?”
A scholarly Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master stood on the large ship with a gloomy expression. He was none other than Yan Yi of Golden Light Temple, whom the old man had addressed.
The old man then shouted, “Bian Yuan Shan! 3,200 years ago, your Ancestor showed outstanding talent and advanced directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. He was expected to advance to the Eighth Order one day, but more than 3,000 years have passed since he was ‘recruited’ by these people! Have you seen or heard from him even once!? The Bian Family has repeatedly gone to the Golden Antelope Paradise to request a meeting with him, but they were always refused, isn’t that right?”
A middle-aged man standing beside Yan Yi on the large ship looked bitter. He was Bian Yuan Shan, the person whom the old man had called out in his speech.
The Bian Family was not particularly outstanding in this Great Territory; nevertheless, it was true that an exceedingly talented Ancestor who was born to them around 3,000 years ago.
In addition to outstanding talent, that Ancestor was also blessed with great luck. He had managed to obtain a complete set of Sixth-Order materials from somewhere and advanced directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. With the limited financial resources of the Bian Family, it would have been impossible for him to obtain a complete set of Sixth-Order materials for his advancement otherwise.
Unfortunately, he was taken away by the Masters of the Golden Antelope Paradise not long after he ascended to the Open Heaven Realm.
After that incident, the Bian Family had gone to the Golden Antelope Paradise on numerous occasions to meet their Ancestor; however, it was just as the old man had mentioned. Their attempts had been fruitless to date.
This incident had been a painful thorn in their hearts since then. The descendants of the Bian Family had never forgotten that a mighty individual, who had advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm with the expectation to one day become an Eighth-Order Master, had been born from their humble family.
Judging by the talent of their Ancestor, he should have advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm by now since more than 3,000 years had passed.
Bian Yuan Shan naturally felt bitter and depressed to be reminded of this incident. If the Bian Family had received the protection of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, they would not have fallen into such desolation.
The Seventh-Order old man had clearly lived for a very long time; therefore, he was extremely knowledgeable about the secrets of the nearby Great Forces. He called out to each person and mentioned various incidents that were related to them, causing many Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters on the large ship to become furious.
He called out to six people in quick succession, all of whom were similar to Yan Yi and Bian Yuan Shan. Their Ancestors or Elders had either shown outstanding talent or advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Consequently, they were taken away by Golden Antelope Paradise and disappeared without a trace.
The Second Class great forces had always harboured some resentment towards the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It was just that they buried these feelings in their hearts and did not dare to express them out loud. Now that the old man had flamed these resentments though, hostility began to bubble to the surface.
When the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters fighting the old man saw where the situation was going, one of them shouted, “Jiu Yan, stop talking nonsense! We can still resolve this issue if you stop now! If you insist on being stubborn, then don’t blame us for showing no mercy!”
The old man called Jiu Yan coldly snorted, “This Old Master is speaking nonsense? You should know well just how many dirty things the Cave Heavens and Paradises have done over the years! This Old Master is simply revealing the truth! Don’t even think about capturing and imprisoning this Old Master! Now that this Old Master is in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, I can just kill you both here and then escape to the Shattered Heaven to live freely!”
The other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master shook his head, “Jiu Yan, the truth is different from what you believe. Golden Antelope Paradise has indeed acted a bit ambiguously over the years, but we had no other choice. If you wish to know the truth, then please stop resisting. The truth will naturally come to light once my Senior Brother guides you to a certain place!”
Jiu Yan sneered coldly, “This Old Master has lived for so many years. I am not a three-year-old child. How can I be deceived by such nonsense?”
While speaking, his attacks became more and more ruthless as he addressed the people on the ship once more, “Why aren’t you doing anything!? Are you truly planning to follow in the footsteps of your ancestors?”
The people on the large ship had seemingly been bewitched and were eager to take action. The expressions of the Golden Antelope Paradise disciples, who were tasked with the responsibility of guiding these people, changed drastically at those words and raised their vigilance significantly.
Needless to say, there were more than just the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among the Golden Antelope Paradise disciples here. There were several other Fifth-Order Masters on the ship, but their numbers were not high; after all, the battle in the Barren Territory was currently in an extremely dangerous state. The Cave Heavens and Paradises simply could not afford to spare much manpower. If it really came down to a fight, they might not be a match for the people gathered here. In the worst case, they might even lose their lives.
“Kill them all! This Old Master will bring you to the Shattered Heaven! We will never be controlled by others again!” Jiu Yan yelled. At this moment, he spotted an opening and slammed his palm towards one of the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. World Force surged madly from the palm of his hand, enveloping it in an unstoppable force.
The Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master turned pale with fright. He had been distracted for a moment just now, and that momentary distraction had given Jiu Yan an unexpected opportunity. That palm strike was not something he could bear. If he was struck by that blow, then he would either end up dead or heavily injured. At that point, his Junior Brother would be forced to confront Jiu Yan by himself, which was clearly impossible.
When the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master saw that his Senior Brother was in danger, he tried to help; unfortunately, there was not enough time. In his desperation, he could only roar at the top of his lungs, “Jiu Yan, stop!”
Not only did Jiu Yan refuse to stop, but he channelled even more strength into his attack.
His palm was about to land on the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s forehead when all of a sudden, a hand appeared out of nowhere and lightly grabbed Jiu Yan by the wrist. Jiu Yan’s aura that was flaring madly suddenly withered like a deflated ball.
Jiu Yan was horrified, but when he tried to withdraw his hand, he discovered that he could not move a muscle. His body seemed to be imprisoned in place. Shifting his eyes, he saw a tall and handsome young man had appeared in front of him at some point. Although the young man was simply looking at him indifferently, those eyes seemed to contain a mysterious power that prevented him from shifting his gaze away. It felt as though his entire soul was sinking into the depths of those eyes.
In the blink of an eye, Jiu Yan’s arrogance and boldness vanished. His entire body trembled in fear under that gaze. Fortunately, the young man did not do anything to him and soon looked away, allowing him to feel a sense of relief, as though he had been granted mercy from the Heavens.
After a brief pause, the two Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise recovered from their shock and realized that the young man in front of them had saved their lives.
Nevertheless, they exchanged an astonished glance with each other. Blocking Jiu Yan’s attack so easily was definitely not something a Seventh-Order Master could do. Moreover, the faint aura emanating from this young man indicated that he was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
“Golden Antelope Paradise’s Fan Nan/Xi Yuan greets Ancestor!” They quickly bowed in unison.
Yang Kai nodded lightly before glancing over at the large ship. The people who were eager to take action after being incited by Jiu Yan’s provocation hurriedly lowered their heads, terrified of being singled out by the Master who appeared out of nowhere.
On the other hand, the Golden Antelope Paradise disciples on the boat were ecstatic. With the arrival of an Eighth-Order Ancestor, their troubles were no longer troubles. Their anxious feelings were finally relieved.
Fan Nan was the Eldest Senior Brother here, so he hesitantly asked, “From which Cave Heaven or Paradise does Ancestor hail?”
There were many Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, and although he did not recognise all of them, he could recognise many of them. Even for the ones he could not recognise, he would have heard most of their names before. Be that as it may, none of those names or descriptions matched this young man. He couldn’t help feeling curious and quietly wondered to himself. [Could it be that the situation in the Barren Territory is so desperate that even the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, who had not come out for such a long time, are required to take action?]
Yang Kai waved dismissively, “I am not from any Cave Heaven or Paradise.”
Both Fan Nan and Xi Yuan were shocked.
[Is there an Eighth-Order Master who does not come from any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises?] For a time, their heads buzzed with various thoughts and they couldn’t help forming many misunderstandings about the situation.
Fortunately, Yang Kai quickly added an explanation, “Lord of the Star Boundary, Yang Kai.”
He did not mention Void Land as although Void Land was the great force he established with his own hands, it could not compare with the fame of the Star Boundary thanks to the World Tree clone. Many people in the 3,000 Worlds had heard of Void Land, but absolutely everyone who had any form of strength knew about the Star Boundary.
Naturally, Fan Nan and Xi Yuan knew of the Star Boundary. They had even heard of Yang Kai; thus, they immediately looked surprised and asked, “Senior Yang, didn’t you head to… that place?”
The incident in Black Territory had caused a huge uproar back then. To deal with the Super Array that covered the entire Black Territory, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had dispatched many people to harvest the Ore Stars which made up the Array Nodes.
It was not a secret that Yang Kai had left Black Territory for the Black Ink Battlefield. Even Fan Nan and Xi Yuan were aware of his departure.
Yang Kai casually explained, “I just came back from there.” Then, he inquired further, “Are you escorting these people there?”
Fan Nan hurriedly said, “That’s right, but… we encountered some trouble. I apologise for troubling you with this.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It is related to the survival of the 3,000 Worlds. You’ve worked hard.”
Upon receiving the affirmation of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like Yang Kai, their grievances immediately dissolved. They had not been able to explain anything even though Jiu Yan had been accusing them of many heinous crimes. Combined with the risk of life and death looming over them, the pressure and stress on their shoulders had been as heavy as a mountain.
Fortunately, Yang Kai had suddenly appeared and took control of the situation.
Yang Kai suddenly turned to look at one of the people on the ship, “Yan Yi!”
On the large ship, the person named Yan Yi, who was previously addressed by Jiu Yan, hastily bowed in greeting, “Golden Light Temple’s Yan Yi greets Senior.”
Yang Kai felt slightly speechless… Now that he had advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, everybody immediately called him ‘Senior’; however, he was probably much younger than all the people in front of him.
Too lazy to correct them, Yang Kai simply continued indifferently, “I don’t know about what happened to Golden Light Temple. In fact, I’ve never even heard of this name before, but I do have a few questions for you. Did your Golden Light Temple suffer any harsh treatment after its Former Temple Master advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and was taken away by Golden Antelope Paradise?”
Yan Yi answered honestly, “Never.”
“Did you receive extra care?”
Yan Yi nodded, “After the Former Temple Master was taken away, Golden Antelope Paradise indeed provided our Golden Light Temple with generous compensation. They not only bestowed us with some Secret Arts and Techniques, but also deliver many precious cultivation resources to the Sect every year.”
Yang Kai stretched out a finger and pointed at Yan Yi, “Those are the rewards that the Former Temple Master of Golden Light Temple received in exchange for his life!”
Yan Yi’s expression changed slightly. It was obvious that he had misunderstood Yang Kai’s meaning.
Yang Kai was in no hurry to explain anything though and instead turned to look at the other person, “What about the situation in your Sect, Bian Yuan Shan? Is the situation similar to the Golden Light Temple? Or, has the situation remained unchanged?”
Bian Yuan Shan pursed his lips and shook his head, “Reporting to Senior, there have been no changes in our Family’s situation.”
He was now quite confused. Golden Light Temple had received increased protection and support from Golden Antelope Paradise after the Former Temple Master of the Golden Light Temple was taken away; however, his Bian Family had not received any kind of compensation at all even though the Ancestor had also been taken away. Was there some sort of difference between them?
Yang Kai glanced at the third person, “What about you?”
That man raised his head and replied, “We have a similar experience with Golden Light Temple. After the Ancestor was taken away, Golden Antelope Paradise would deliver various cultivation resources to the Sect every year. Furthermore, Golden Antelope Paradise Masters would come to guide the Sect’s disciples in their cultivation at regular intervals over the years.”
Yang Kai nodded lightly and continued questioning several others who were called out by Jiu Yan earlier.
The great forces that these people came from could generally be divided into two categories. One type did not experience any changes, while the other type received extra care from Golden Antelope Paradise. Not only were they bestowed with Secret Techniques and Secret Arts after their Ancestors, Elders, or Seniors were taken away, but they would also receive various cultivation resources every year. These cultivation resources made things much more convenient for the disciples of these great forces to cultivate.
The great forces that received extra care had always kept their special treatment a secret, lest they attract the jealousy and hatred of the other great forces, which was why nobody was aware that they were not the only great force to receive the favour of Golden Antelope Paradise.
Nevertheless, the fact that Yang Kai was questioning them regarding these matters at this time clearly indicated that there was a deeper meaning behind the situation.
“Do you know why Golden Antelope Paradise treats your great forces so differently?”
Everyone fell silent. Some seemed pensive, but they did not dare to voice their opinions arbitrarily; after all, there was a chance of saying the wrong thing. Who would dare to speak nonsense in the presence of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master?
Regardless, Yang Kai had no intention of waiting for a response from them and promptly answered his own question, “Every one of you lives in the 3,000 Worlds. Although there are some disagreements and the occasional fight between the many great forces, these are nothing more than minor disputes, quarrels involving grievances and grudges over various issues. But there is a vast battlefield in a distant place that remains unknown to most of the world; moreover, that battlefield is the site of an ancient and ongoing war involving the very survival of the Human Race!”
Everyone aboard the ship couldn’t help feeling surprised.
Hearing the words ‘survival of the Human Race’ from the mouth of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, anybody would immediately realise the seriousness of the situation; however, just what kind of battlefield would involve such high stakes? Not to mention, he also used the word ‘war’… and not the word ‘battle’.
Fan Nan couldn’t help exclaiming in shock, “Ancestor Yang… this…”
Yang Kai raised a hand to interrupt Fan Nan, “You’re already planning to bring them there in the first place. Under the current circumstances, they will surely resist if we don’t explain the situation to them clearly. Besides, what’s the difference between learning the truth now and a few days from now?”
Fan Nan thought about it and realised that Yang Kai was right. The Cave Heavens and Paradises had restricted the information regarding Black Ink Strength in the past because they were afraid that some people would not be able to resist its temptation. However, the current situation in the Barren Territory was so dire that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were forced to recruit Fifth and Sixth-Order Masters from the Second Class great forces for support. If these people were sent to that battlefield, then the existence of the Black Ink Clan and all that entailed would soon be revealed anyway.
After this realization, he did not object again.
“You might think that I’m simply trying to frighten you, but this King would like to ask one question. Over the years, have you never wondered why the heritage of the Cave Heavens and Paradises is so feeble despite having an inheritance that spans hundreds of millennia? True, compared to the Second Class great forces, the Cave Heavens and Paradises are unshakeable behemoths; nevertheless, where are all the Sixth, Seventh, and even Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that they nurtured over the aeons? It is impossible for all of them to just remain in secluded retreat inside their Sects.”
These doubts had plagued Yang Kai himself before, so he did not believe that these people had never wondered about it.
Compared to their long years of inheritance, the strength the Cave Heavens and Paradises showed to the 3,000 Worlds was far too weak.
“Open Heaven Realm Masters have incredibly long lives, and anyone who breaks through directly to the Fifth Order has hope to advance to the Seventh Order. Among the disciples of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, the number who advance directly to the Fifth Order can be counted in the hundreds per century. Over the years, they should have accumulated so many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that meeting one would be considered common. At the very least, there should be several tens of thousands of them per First Class great force, but have you ever seen so many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises?
“Simply put, those Seventh-Order Masters are not in the Cave Heavens or Paradises as most of them have been dispatched to that far-off battlefield! They have been fighting an enemy that you know nothing about for hundreds of thousands of years, and the vast majority of them have died in battle as a result.”
“There are also no Ninth-Order Masters in the 3,000 Worlds because any Eighth-Order Ancestor who has the qualifications to break through to the Ninth-Order is sent to that battlefield as well to fight our enemies!”
“The Cave Heavens and Paradises have played a pivotal role in maintaining the safety and tranquillity of the 3,000 Worlds. The peace you all enjoy is built upon countless generations of blood and sacrifice.”
“This… is the truth you have never been told.”
Yang Kai’s speech caused the expressions of Yan Yi and the others to change greatly. They seemed doubtful, but it was easy to understand their feelings. If Yang Kai himself had been in their position, he would also have had trouble believing something so shocking without witnessing the tragic situation on the Black Ink Battlefield with his own eyes.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises that they silently resent and hate turned out to be the guardians of the vast universe known as the 3,000 Worlds. Moreover, it was only thanks to the silent efforts of the Cave Heavens and Paradises behind the scenes that their Great Territories could remain so prosperous. That completely overturned their understanding of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Yan Yi of Golden Light Temple mustered his courage to ask a question, “Senior, who is the enemy that the Cave Heavens and Paradises are fighting?”
“The Black Ink Clan!”
They were of course confused by the answer.
Yang Kai explained, “For countless years, the Cave Heavens and Paradises have restricted information regarding the Black Ink Clan, so it is only natural that you have never heard of them. All you need to know is that they are an enemy who are bent on completely annihilating the Human Race! 200 years ago, they broke through the first line of defence that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were guarding and are currently ravaging the second line of defence located in a place known as the Barren Territory which lies just beyond the Shattered Heaven. That is also the final line of defence for the Human Race. The Black Ink Clan breaking through the Barren Territory means the Cave Heavens and Paradises have ceased to exist, and the 3,000 Worlds will be no more. Naturally, none of you will survive either.”
Jiu Yan, who was being restrained by Yang Kai, seemed rather unconvinced. It might be that he realised Yang Kai’s temperament was mild and not prone to violence; hence, he boldly protested, “That’s just empty words coming from you. How will we know the truth?”
Yang Kai turned to look at Jiu Yan.
Jiu Yan’s expression immediately changed drastically, and he hastily averted his gaze.
On the other hand, Yang Kai abruptly raised his hand and a stream of Black Ink Strength suddenly wrapped around Jiu Yan.
Jiu Yan nearly died of fright, thinking that Yang Kai was trying to kill him, but to his surprise, he did not show any signs of injury when the Black Ink Strength wrapped around him. Nevertheless, his expression soon changed.
“That is the power of the Black Ink Clan. Black Ink Strength is extremely invasive. Once contaminated by the Black Ink Strength, it will not take long for you to become completely corrupted by it. Then, you will be reduced to a Black Ink Disciple whose loyalty is sworn only to the Black Ink Clan!”
While Yang Kai was speaking, Jiu Yan had already noticed that something was wrong. The others might not understand the dangers he was facing, but how could he remain ignorant when he could personally feel the malevolence of Black Ink Strength? It was just as Yang Kai had said. Wrapped in that pitch-black energy, he could feel his entire body and mind being corrupted by it.
“Senior, mercy! I was wrong!” Jiu Yan panicked in fear.
Yang Kai ignored Jiu Yan outright and continued leisurely, “When one’s Small Universe is invaded by Black Ink Strength, a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master can protect themselves by sacrificing a part of their Small Universe. Unfortunately, those below the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm have no such option. Once a person is completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they will be transformed into a Black Ink Disciple. Although nothing about their outward appearance changes, their hearts are completely warped and they become slaves who worship the Black Ink Clan above all else!”
“S-Senior…” Jiu Yan cried in horror. It had not been long since he advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm so his foundation was unstable and his Small Universe was still weak. How could he resist the invasion of Black Ink Strength? In the time it took for Yang Kai to speak a few sentences, he discovered that 10% of his Small Universe had already been corrupted.
Although Yang Kai had mentioned that he could sacrifice a part of his Small Universe to protect himself, how could he bring himself to do something so drastic? If he were to do that, then he would surely regress to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. More importantly, he would never be able to advance to the Seventh Order again.
“Countless Open Heaven Realm Masters have been corrupted by Black Ink Strength on that battlefield. Converted to serve the Black Ink Clan instead, they turned their blades upon their former comrades! Have you ever experienced the pain and helplessness of having to kill your loved ones on the battlefield?”
Witnessing Jiu Yan’s suffering and listening to Yang Kai’s explanation, the people on the ship felt their blood run cold in fear.
Even the two Sixth-Order Masters from Golden Antelope Paradise, Fan Nan and Xi Yuan, shuddered at those words. Although they knew about the Black Ink Clan to a certain extent, they had never stepped foot on the Black Ink Battlefield. It was only natural that they were ignorant about the cruelty of the situation there.
At the same time, Yan Yi and the others finally understood why Yang Kai had claimed that the Black Ink Clan was an enemy that could destroy the entire Human Race. This Black Ink Strength… was simply too evil!
Even a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was having such a difficult time trying to resist the Black Ink Strength, so what need be said about Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order cultivators like themselves? Wouldn’t they be doomed the moment they were contaminated by Black Ink Strength?
A low roar escaped from Jiu Yan’s throat, making him seem like an injured beast. Wisps of the Black Ink Strength slowly seeped out of his body, and darkness flickered in the depths of his eyes from time to time.
Yang Kai raised a hand and tapped Jiu Yan on the chest.
Jiu Yan involuntarily opened his mouth, and a Purifying Black Ink Pill was tossed into it.
“Carefully refine that pill,” Yang Kai commanded.
Jiu Yan seemed to wake up from his nightmare and hurriedly sat down cross-legged to refine the medicinal efficacies of the Purifying Black Ink Pill.
Yang Kai turned back to Yan Yi and the others, “The Cave Heavens and Paradises have protected the 3,000 Worlds for hundreds of thousands of years. They have been doing so since their Sects were first established. Over the years, innumerable outstanding disciples have lost their lives on that battlefield. Even the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors are no exception. Every one of them is a hero!”
“Restricting the information regarding Black Ink Strength is a necessity. Be that as it may, those from the Second Class great forces who advanced to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm must also bear some of the burden in this war. Among the people who were taken away, those who are willing to fight the Black Ink Clan and protect the Human Race will be sent to the battlefield. As for those who are unwilling to do so, they will simply remain in Golden Antelope Paradise for the rest of their lives!”
The realisation suddenly dawned upon Yan Yi and the others. They finally understood why the treatment from Golden Antelope Paradise was so different even though all of them had the same experience where their Ancestors and Seniors had been taken away.
Those who were willing to enter the Black Ink Battlefield and fight the Black Ink Clan to protect the futures of their descendants would naturally receive better treatment. How could those who were too cowardly to fight the enemy and simply chose to remain in Golden Antelope Paradise for the rest of their lives receive any kind of support? It was only natural that Golden Antelope Paradise would not give such people any special treatment.
Yan Yi suddenly recalled that Yang Kai had pointed at him and claimed that the special treatment Golden Light Temple received was obtained in exchange for the Former Temple Master’s life. He had misunderstood the meaning behind those words earlier, but he now understood clearly.
“Originally… these matters would not have fallen upon your shoulders. Unfortunately, the situation on the battlefield has changed greatly over the past few hundred years. We are in the middle of a war for the survival of the Human Race. That is why we need your support on the frontlines! The Human Race will be able to rest easy if we win this battle. But, if we lose…” Yang Kai sighed softly. If they lost the battle, then the 3,000 Worlds would be engulfed in the flames of war. At that point, how many people would be able to survive?
Yan Yi felt his blood boiling and immediately shouted, “Golden Light Temple is willing to fight to the death for the Human Race!”
With Yan Yi taking the lead, Bian Yuan Shan also cupped his fist, “The Bian Family is also willing to fight for the Human Race!”
The remaining representatives of the great forces quickly followed suit. Regardless of whether they were truly sincere, who would dare to act presumptuous in front of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who had earnestly explained so many things to them? It was only natural for them to express their respective attitudes.
“Good!” Yang Kai shouted, adopting the posture of a senior expert, “Unity is strength! With your determination, the 3,000 Worlds will not need to fear the Black Ink Clan!”
Among all the people present here, nobody knew better than him about the brutality of fighting the Black Ink Clan. When these people stepped onto the battlefield, chances are most would not return alive. Unfortunately, he could only speak such encouraging words under the current circumstances.
Then, he turned back to look at Jiu Yan and said calmly, “As for you…”
Jiu Yan had just managed to purge the Black Ink Strength in his body. Seeing Yang Kai looking at him, he immediately panicked, “Jiu Yan is willing to fight for the Human Race! I will not hesitate to die for this noble cause!”
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Inciting rebellion for your own selfish interests and shaking the morale of the Army… If this was any of the Great Passes, your death would not be worth pitying. However, the Human Race desperately requires manpower at this moment. As a Seventh-Order Master, you don’t deserve to die by my hand. Go to the battlefield and atone for your crimes!”
Hearing the first half of Yang Kai’s speech made a chill run through Jiu Yan’s body. He thought that he was about to die for certain. The only reason he had tried to incite the others and resist his capture was that he had been unwilling to be controlled by the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Who could have thought that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would happen to pass by and capture him instead?
After listening to the rest of Yang Kai’s speech though, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had been saved. As for atoning his crimes on the battlefield, there was nothing he could do to escape such a fate; therefore, he could only grovel gratefully, “Many thanks for your mercy, Senior!”
Yang Kai raised a hand and placed several restrictions on Jiu Yan’s body. The restrictions sealed Jiu Yan’s cultivation to prevent him from causing further trouble along the road. Yang Kai then instructed Fan Nan and Xi Yuan, “This matter cannot be delayed any further. You should continue on your journey as soon as you’ve finished your preparations here. The Shattered Heaven is still some distance from here so the earlier you arrive, the sooner you can provide support to the situation there.”
“Yes!” Fan Nan and Xi Yuan quickly responded.
Yang Kai nodded, then with a shift of his figure, he vanished from sight.
He was also heading towards the Shattered Heaven; however, it was inconvenient for him to bring these people along with him despite heading in the same direction.
What’s more, he was planning to stop at Void Land along the way. On the way to the Shattered Heaven, he would only need to travel through two additional Great Territories to arrive at Void Land. Such a detour would not take much time.
However, the previous incident made him realise something. The situation on the battlefield in the Barren Territory must be highly unfavourable for the Human Race; otherwise, the Cave Heavens and Paradises would never be forced to gather support from the 3,000 Worlds.
If this was the case for Golden Antelope Paradise, then the other Cave Heavens and Paradises were surely doing the same. The Human Race might just need to gather all the available manpower in the 3,000 Worlds to stand a chance against the Black Ink Clan.
He couldn’t help feeling worried. Although he had sealed the Territory Gate leading to the Black Ink Battlefield from the Barren Territory and severed the flow of reinforcements and supplies to the Black Ink Clan, that did not mean the Black Ink Clan forces were weak.
During his brief exposure to the situation in the Barren Territory, the number of Royal Lords he detected clearly outnumbered the auras of the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. This gap between the top Masters was likely to affect the dynamic of the entire war.
Shaking his head, Yang Kai cleared out such distracting thoughts as he hurried onward with all his strength.
It took a whole month of travel before he finally passed through the Territory Gate and arrived in Void Territory. Unfortunately, he was in no mood to admire and appreciate the familiar scenery as he immediately sped forward in the direction of Void Land.
Thanks to the development over the past 1,000 years, Void Land had transformed from a little-known Spirit Province to become famous across the 3,000 Worlds, even possessing several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters!
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had acquiesced to the existence of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land, unlike in other Second Class great forces where such Masters would be taken away as soon as they reached such a level, leading to rumours that Void Land was the strongest great force below the Cave Heavens and Paradises!
And those claims were undoubtedly true. Void Land’s situation was unique among the Second Class great forces as none of them had Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
What’s more, the Void Land’s Sect Master was also the Lord of the Star Boundary. By joining Void Land, one could gain an advantage that would give them a higher chance of being sent to the Star Boundary for cultivation as long as they performed well enough!
The Star Boundary was now a true Open Heaven Realm Cradle. Even the Cave Heavens and Paradises were scrambling over themselves to send their outstanding disciples there to reap benefits from the mysteries of the World Tree clone’s nourishment. Be that as it may, the Cave Heavens and Paradises were also limited by certain quotas, so only their most elite disciples would be sent there.
It was precisely due to these benefits that countless people tried to send their disciples with outstanding aptitudes to Void Land for cultivation. In response, Void Land accepted all who came without rejecting anybody.
Nowadays, the disciples in Void Land no longer consisted of just those who were brought out by Yang Kai from the Star Boundary back then. It was not an exaggeration to say that they now included people from hundreds of Great Territories.
There were as many as 300,000 disciples in Void Land, a number that could only be described as shocking. Few Second Class great forces in the entire 3,000 Worlds had so many disciples.
What’s more, each of these disciples had outstanding aptitude which only improved further after they were sent to the Star Boundary for cultivation in their youth. These disciples demonstrated extraordinary talents and performed far beyond their peers. As long as they did not perish as they walked their Martial Dao, they would surely become pillars of Void Land and the Star Boundary in the future.
It was just that too little time had passed, so the potential of these disciples had not been fully realised yet.
At this moment, on top of a mountain peak in the middle of Void Land. A hunch-backed and stooped old man was playing chess with a fat and bloated middle-aged man dressed in elegant robes.
The battle in the Barren Territory was raging, and almost all the great forces in the 3,000 Worlds had been mobilised; yet, for some reason, this scene was so leisurely and elegant. It was truly a rare sight nowadays.
The hunch-backed old man had long, white eyebrows that hung down his face. On the other hand, the fat man sitting on the opposite side resembled a literal meatball. His bloated face was squeezed together so much that there were only slight gaps where his eyes were located. If he smiled, then even those gaps would be lost in the dense mass of flesh.
At this moment, the fat man held an absolute advantage in the chess game. He had set up an encirclement around the chess pieces of his opponent and only needed a few more moves before his victory would be set in stone; therefore, he was looking extremely triumphant.
Leisurely sipping on his tea, he watched the gloomy old man in front of him and did not pester his opponent to hurry up; after all, the old man was getting on in years, so it was only natural for the fat man to be more tolerant.
Besides the chess players, there were also two children standing to the side. One was a boy dressed in black, and the other was a girl dressed in red. The girl had delicate features that made her seem as though she had been carved out of jade. On the other hand, there were no words to describe the boy who was dressed in a simple black shirt. Leaving aside his fangs and sharp teeth, he would also drool for no reason. Furthermore, his saliva would corrode large holes in the ground whenever it dripped.
Although the little girl kept wiping his mouth for him, there seemed to be no end to his drool. It was obvious that the potholes dotting the entire mountain were caused by this boy.
A long time passed, but the stooped old man did not place his piece. The fat man smiled and joked, “Old Man, it’ll be getting dark soon if you don’t hurry up and make your move… Old Man?”
After repeatedly calling out to the old man but receiving no response, the fat man took a closer look. The old man’s eyes were slightly closed, and there was a slight snoring sound coming from him.
The fat man immediately became speechless as he muttered, “Old Man, do you have to pretend to fall asleep every single time?”
Similar situations had happened more than once or twice; in fact, it happened every single time, so it was almost something of a routine.
Just as the fat man was just about to call out again, the old man opposite him abruptly opened his eyes, looked up into the sky, and uncharacteristically shouted, “He’s back!”
The fat man followed the old man’s gaze but saw nothing; thus, he couldn’t help wondering, “Who’s back?”
When he turned back though, the chessboard in front of him was a total mess and the previous game could no longer be discerned. The old man had clearly flipped the board at some point in time.
“Old Man, you…” The fat man didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
However, the old man ignored the fat man and raised his hand above his head. He made a pushing motion as though he was opening a door and the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array that covered the entire Void Land instantly split to the left and right.
At the same time, the fat man seemed to sense something and hastily looked back up into the void. With just one glance, he gave a little scream and rushed out at a speed that did not match his bloated body. He immediately went to welcome Yang Kai, who was leisurely strolling towards them.
Before he even approached Yang Kai, the fat man became emotional and wept bitterly, “Sect Master! You’ve finally returned! This subordinate has been waiting for you for 1,000 years! To think that today is finally that day!”
Yang Kai watched as the massive meatball charged towards him while wailing and blubbering; moreover, its eyes, which had been squeezed shut by the fleshy meat until only a tiny slit remained, were desperately trying to open wide at this moment. It was as though the massive meatball was trying to reveal its bloodshot eyes to demonstrate its utmost loyalty and longing.
Yang Kai immediately shuddered in horror and raised his hand to stop the massive meatball. He shouted, “What is this monster!?”
The fat man froze on the spot as if struck by lightning. A while passed before he raised his hand and parted the fringe covering his forehead to the sides. He pushed his fleshy face nearer and squeezed out a smile, “Sect Master, it’s me! It’s the fatty who holds the greatest loyalty for you!”
Yang Kai finally noticed certain familiar features on that fat face and his brow twitched involuntarily at the realization, “Fatty!? Why have you gotten so fat!?”
Chen Tian Fei had always been obese, but after not seeing him for 1,000 years, he had gotten even more bloated than before. He had practically turned into an actual meatball at this point.
“Please don’t tease me, Sect Master. This subordinate will work hard to lose my body fat tomorrow, no, today!” Chen Tian Fei vowed harshly.
“Forget it!” Yang Kai waved dismissively. He knew that Chen Tian Fei did not become fat because he was lazy. Chen Tian Fei’s Secret Art was simply unique, which resulted in his extremely bloated body. If he lost his fat, then his strength would also be greatly reduced.
Chen Tian Fei immediately seized the opportunity to profess his loyalty again. Smiling brightly, he proclaimed, “You are kind and sympathetic indeed, Sect Master. This subordinate is willing to die to repay your great kindness, Sect Master!”
Yang Kai sighed.
After being away for more than 1,000 years, the first person he met as soon as he returned to Void Land was actually Chen Tian Fei. Nevertheless, it was this particular flattering attitude that made him feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside. Thinking back, it had been a wise decision to accept Fatty Chen into the Loyalty List.
Yang Kai was feeling quite happy at the moment, so unable to help himself, he tapped the belly fat on Chen Tian Fei’s stomach. Although the flesh looked bloated, it felt soft and tender to the touch. It was a very comfortable feeling. He joked, “Did you have a comfortable life?”
It was easy to tell at a glance that Chen Tian Fei had advanced to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Back when Chen Tian Fei offered up the Loyalty List and signed it to preserve his life, he had only been in the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm. That was very different from his current cultivation. However, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was his limit. He had initially advanced directly into the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so his cultivation could no longer advance any further.
Chen Tian Fei was very satisfied with his current situation.
When he was the Second Manager of Scarlet Star, he had been nothing more than an Elder of a small great force. No matter how hard he worked, he would never have obtained a substantial amount of cultivation resources.
In contrast, the supply of cultivation resources had been continuous and inexhaustible ever since he started serving under Yang Kai. That was how he managed to break through two Orders and advanced from the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the short span of around 1,000 years.
If he had remained as the Second Manager of Scarlet Star, then he would never have had the achievements he enjoyed today.
Whenever he recalled the decision he made on that fateful day, he praised his past self for being bold and wise. If he had not been bright enough to bring out the Loyalty List before Yang Kai killed him that day and voluntarily offered to be Yang Kai’s slave, he would be rotting in a grave by now.
Besides, Yang Kai had been very fair to him over the years, never mistreating him. More importantly, he was not ordered around at will like a slave despite him actually being one. In fact, it was quite the opposite; the treatment he received was more like a trusted subordinate instead.
To have such a master could also be considered an opportunity of a lifetime; therefore, Chen Tian Fei smiled graciously in the face of Yang Kai’s teasing and bowed repeatedly, “It’s all thanks to your care that this subordinate has attained such achievements, Sect Master. This subordinate will repay your kindness no matter what it may cost.”
Yang Kai chuckled and did not take those words seriously.
Chen Tian Fei was extremely scared of death, so there was no saying whether he could actually be relied upon in times of danger. It was enough to listen to those words without taking them seriously.
Yang Kai did not continue the idle chatter though and taking a step forward, he descended to the ground. Chen Tian Fei followed behind Yang Kai respectfully, acting like the perfect subordinate.
Two streams of light rushed over from below. One was red, and the other was black. When the lights came closer, they dispersed and revealed two children dressed in red and black.
“Master!” The little girl shouted with a lively expression.
The boy also wanted to call out to Yang Kai, but a stream of saliva flowed out as soon as he opened his mouth.
Yang Kai looked troubled, “It’s been so many years. Why haven’t you fixed this bad habit of yours?”
The children in front of him were the Scarlet Flood Dragon and Earth Dragon he had brought out from the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary back then. Both of them carried a Dragon Bloodline in them. When he first brought them out of the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, they had the appearance of beasts and their bodies were truly enormous. It was not until they arrived at Void Land and received the teachings of Old Man Bi Xi that they finally acquired Human Forms. Be that as it may, the Earth Dragon Xiao Hei still had some bad habits.
Xiao Hei simply smiled and giggled. It was obvious that he was very happy to see Yang Kai.
“You’ve both gotten stronger,” Yang Kai swept them with his senses and commented. From his perception, it was clear that both Xiao Hong and Xiao Hei were much more powerful than before, basically equivalent to Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Therefore, he couldn’t help feeling a little emotional.
How time flies!
He reached out and stroked their little heads. Only then did he lead them down the mountain peak and came to a stop in front of the old man. He bowed in greeting, “Old Man!”
“Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm!” Old Man Bi Xi narrowed his eyes slightly, “Sect Master, your cultivation speed is fast indeed!”
Chen Tian Fei’s strength was insufficient, so he couldn’t sense Yang Kai’s strength while he was not actively using it. However, Old Man Bi Xi was a Mature Divine Spirit whose strength could rival any Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, so he could see through Yang Kai’s true state at a glance and was secretly shocked as a result.
Yang Kai had only been in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm when he departed from the 3,000 Worlds, yet just 1,000 years later he was already in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Old Man Bi Xi had lived for many years, and although he had seen many young and talented people in that time, none of them could compare to Yang Kai in terms of cultivation speed.
“I encountered some opportunities,” Yang Kai nonchalantly explained without saying too much.
Behind Yang Kai, Chen Tian Fei was so excited that the fat on his body literally would not stop jiggling. He was amazed that Yang Kai was in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm. It should be said that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was considered a Supreme Elder or Ancestor in the Cave Heavens or Paradises.
Fatty Chen couldn’t help suddenly feeling a sense of pride and honour.
During the brief conversation, two other streams of light came speeding over from opposite directions and landed nearby. They turned out to be Lu Xue and Mo Mei.
Lu Xue came to serve under Yang Kai when they were in the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, joining him even earlier than Chen Tian Fei. Back in those days she was bestowed with a Mid-Rank World Fruit by Yang Kai in a time of crisis to improve her Order.
On the other hand, Mo Mei was the former City Lord of Ding Feng City in the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. The cultivators from Ding Feng City had been under the effects of the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture’s Bloodline Restriction, so they could not leave the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. It was Yang Kai who used the Grand Evolution Immoral Blood Light Scripture to remove that seal from them and brought them out of the Blood Monster Cave Heaven. They had since become part of Void Land.
When Yang Kai departed, Lu Xue had been in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm while Mo Mei had been in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Today, Lu Xue was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and Mo Mei had advanced to the Seventh-Order!
The reason for their arrival was that they had detected the disturbance caused when the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array was opened. Although they were shocked to see Yang Kai, they quickly bowed in greeting.
Yang Kai nodded, “Are you the only ones who remained behind to oversee the Sect?”
He had actually expected this situation.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises were currently recruiting Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Second Class great forces as reinforcements for the Barren Territory battlefield. Under these circumstances, Void Land couldn’t be an exception.
When he swept his Divine Sense over Void Land earlier, he had not perceived the auras of many Masters in Void Land, with the ones in front of him being the strongest people present who had remained behind to guard the Sect.
As the strongest Human Master present, Mo Mei had command of Void Land now, so she replied, “We received orders from Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, so for the past 100 years, all Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and above in Void Land have gradually been deployed to the front lines. Only a few of us remained behind to manage the Sect.”
Yang Kai nodded. Having sensed Su Yan’s aura back on the Barren Territory battlefield, he had already guessed that this was the case. Even Su Yan had gone to the front, so Void Land couldn’t have had many people remain behind.
“Sect Master, did you return from ‘that place’?” Mo Mei inquired.
“Yes, and no,” he replied without explaining in detail. The explanation would take too long after all, “I was simply passing by. There are some things I need to deal with, and then I need to rush back to the battlefield.”
While saying so, he gave a wave of his hand and the portal to his Small Universe opened.
In the blink of an eye, many figures emerged from the portal. There were men and women, both old and young. More importantly, every one of them was at the peak of the Half-Step Open Heaven Realm, having condensed their Dao Seals and refined all the necessary Element Powers. There were no exceptions. Some of them even experienced a surge in their aura and showed vague signs of a breakthrough as soon as they walked out of the Small Universe.
Mo Mei and the others looked slightly stunned by what they could perceive from these people, “Sect Master, these…”
“They are all about to break through to the Open Heaven Realm. I’ll leave them in your hands.” During the brief moment it took for Yang Kai to speak, no less than 100 people had walked out of the portal. Be that as it may, more were still streaming out.
These people were the cultivators who had been living in his Small Universe.
Back in Blue Sky Pass and Great Evolution Pass, Yang Kai would regularly allow some cultivators to leave his Small Universe and advance to the Open Heaven Realm.
Unfortunately, he had been pursued by a Royal Lord during the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Then, he spent several years in the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon and later had to find a way back to the 3,000 Worlds. Having been constantly in mortal danger and engaged in brutal fighting, Yang Kai simply had no time to take care of the cultivators in his Small Universe.
In the outside world, it had only been a bit more than 500 years since the battle at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; however, close to 5,000 years had passed for him.
As for those in his Small Universe, time had to be counted in units of tens of thousands of years! After all, the flow of time in his Small Universe was currently seven times faster than the outside world.
After so many years of accumulation, the number of talents who gathered in the Void Dao Temple had reached a terrifying number!
Living inside his Small Universe, they were unable to break through their limitations and advance to the Open Heaven Realm even though they had cultivated until the peak of the Emperor Realm. As a result, there were many examples of Emperor Realm Masters who died of old age in Void Continent over the past tens of thousands of years.
Unfortunately, there was nothing Yang Kai could do about this situation. He could not allow these people to leave his Small Universe and advance to the Open Heaven Realm when he was in the Temporal Rivers of the Great Sea Celestial Phenomenon as that would simply result in them dying.
That long wait finally ended today though, and the accumulation over tens of thousands of years was released into the world all at once.
After an hour, the mountain peak became crowded with people, nearly 5,000 people in total! Many of them could barely suppress their auras from surging; moreover, this caused a kind of resonance among them which resulted in a form of Heavenly Manifestation appearing in the sky.
Advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was an extremely meticulous affair that could broker no outside interference, so if these people were not separated as soon as possible, at least half of them would die a tragic death once their auras began to soar.
Mo Mei hastily instructed the Open Heaven Realm Masters in Void Land to provide support to these people. At the same time, she also instructed the others to bring out all the Heavenly Yuan Seal Stabilizing Pills from the warehouse to help these people with their breakthroughs.
For a time, the entire Void Land was extremely hectic. Even Old Man Bi Xi constantly used the power of the Grand Array to send the cultivators from the Void Dao Temple to different locations in order to separate them from each other.
After making the necessary arrangements, nearly 5,000 disciples began the process of breaking through.
On the other hand, Yang Kai did not remain for long. The goal of his return trip to Void Land had been to deliver these people here so that they could advance into the Open Heaven Realm.
Before Yang Kai departed, Chen Tian Fei expressed great reluctance for their separation, so Yang Kai casually quipped, “In that case, why don’t you join me on the battlefield, Fatty? You can prove your mettle and loyalty by slaying the enemy!”
Those words made Chen Tian Fei turn pale and ashen-faced with horror. He hurriedly backpedalled, weakly babbling that it was better for him to stay behind and help Yang Kai protect Void Land.
How could slaying enemies on the battlefield compare with living a leisurely life in Void Land? Besides, he had always been very scared of dying. He would never have offered up the Loyalty List otherwise.
Yang Kai chuckled and did not force Chen Tian Fei, instead turning to look at Old Man Bi Xi as his expression became grim, “Old Man, please take care of the people if Void Land has to migrate.”
Old Man Bi Xi asked solemnly, “Is the situation that serious?”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s just a precaution.”
After saying that, he soared into the sky and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Yang Kai had no intention of hiding the contents of his final conversation with Old Man Bi Xi; consequently, Chen Tian Fei became anxious and secretly prayed that the Human Race fighting in the Barren Territory could return victorious. Otherwise, he would never have time for a leisurely life again despite how vast the 3,000 Worlds were.
Similarly, Mo Mei and Lu Xue became worried and quickly began to make various plans for a future emergency.
Even the Inner Disciples could clearly perceive the abnormal situation in Void Land.
In Fire Spirit Land, a young man in a brocade robe followed behind a young woman. The young woman had a graceful figure and a beautiful appearance. In particular, her eyes resembled pure spring water. She was truly a rare beauty.
The young man was laughing as he made small talk, “Junior Sister Chen, with this Senior Brother’s current aptitude, it is only a matter of time for me to break through to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. I’m sure it’s more than enough to match up to your talents, Junior Sister. Not to mention, our families have a long-standing relationship already. The Elders are hoping that we will marry. Now that we have entered Void Land, we should support and take care of each other. Why are you ignoring me and being so cold to me?”
The young woman ignored him and looked up at the sky. After a long time, she finally spoke, “Senior Brother Liu, do you feel that? Somebody is about to break through.”
Likewise, Senior Brother Liu looked up at the sky, “Of course, I feel it. But… it’s strange. It feels like more than one person is about to advance.”
Junior Sister Chen nodded, “I sense many people on the cusp of breaking through!”
The two of them, who came from the same Great Territory, had only just joined Void Land in the past century. At present, they were both in the Emperor Realm and had yet to condense their Dao Seals.
It was very common in Void Land for talented individuals like them to enter the Sect as disciples; after all, Void Land’s current philosophy was to accept everybody from all walks of life. That was because a huge foundation was necessary for them to select better and more outstanding disciples.
The current philosophy was not Void Land’s initial intent, but the result of many discussions with the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
After the Star Boundary became famous, everybody came to know about the Open Heaven Realm Cradle. It was a place where they could obtain the feedback of the World Tree if they cultivated there. The younger they were and the lower their cultivation, the greater the benefits of this nourishment.
With such tempting incentives, who would not want to send their descendants to the Star Boundary and share in the glory of the World Tree clone? Be that as it may, the Star Boundary was only so big. If everybody were to send their descendants over, then the Star Boundary would not be able to accommodate them all.
Not to mention, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had also established their respective Dao Temples in the Star Boundary. By dividing some of the territories to become independent and autonomous zones, they were given the rights to bring in excellent disciples to cultivate in their respective Dao Temples.
Just the Cave Heavens and Paradises alone had already taken up around 30% of the territory in the Star Boundary. If the Second Class great forces were to also send their own descendants there, then it was only a matter of time before the Star Boundary became overcrowded; however, the benefits of the Star Boundary were coveted by all so it was bound to arouse public outrage if they rejected all of them.
In the end, the Great Emperors of the Star Boundary discussed the issue with the Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises and decided that it was better to regulate entry to the Star Boundary than to block it off completely.
Therefore, they gave a chance to the great forces that wanted to send their descendants to the Star Boundary. These descendants had to join Void Land first, after which Void Land would select the best candidates from among them. Only the selected candidates could go to the Star Boundary for cultivation.
It was because of this decision that Void Land currently had as many as 300,000 disciples. Not to mention, this number was the result of a rigorous and careful selection process. It could be said that Void Land’s disciples were the accumulation of the most elite talents from great forces across hundreds of Great Territories.
Senior Brother Liu and Junior Sister Chen were no exception. They were both outstanding cultivators who demonstrated rare talent in their respective families from a young age.
After looking at the sky for some time, Senior Brother Liu laughed, “There are so many people in Void Land, so what’s so strange about somebody undergoing their advancement? In any case, how can they compare to me? This Senior Brother is a genius that only appears once every 100 years. You will not find many who are more talented than me in Void Land, Junior Sister.”
Junior Sister Chen retorted, “That’s because the more outstanding ones have already been sent to the Star Boundary!”
Those words felt like needles stabbing directly into his heart, so he immediately countered angrily, “Junior Sister, don’t you dare look down on this Senior Brother! This Senior Brother will definitely go to the Star Boundary one day!”
Generally, those chosen to be sent to the Star Boundary were those who had yet to condense their Dao Seals. It would be too late for them if they went to the Star Boundary after they had done so. The reason was that the future path of a cultivator was basically set in stone once they formed their Dao Seal.
That was why it was better to head to the Star Boundary as soon as possible. Unfortunately, such matters were not up to the disciples to decide as the decision was completely based on the assessment of the Elders in Void Land.
Both Senior Brother Liu and Junior Sister Chen would have no trouble condensing a Fifth-Order Dao Seal; in fact, Senior Brother Liu was aiming to condense a Sixth-Order Dao Seal. He believed that he could advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future.
If he could refine various Sixth-Order cultivation materials into his Dao Seal, then he would be considered extraordinary indeed. In the past, that would have been enough for him to be considered a Core Disciple even among the Cave Heavens and Paradises. For example, Core Disciples like Gu Pan and the others who became acquainted with Yang Kai in the past had all condensed the Sixth-Order Dao Seals.
Even among the Cave Heavens and Paradises, people like him only appeared once every few hundred to 1,000 years. There were only a few such candidates in each generation. Hence, he definitely had reason to be proud of himself.
Senior Brother Liu coveted Junior Sister Chen’s beauty and it was because he wanted to obtain her hand in marriage as soon as possible that he followed behind her and chattered away endlessly.
On the contrary, Junior Sister Chen had other intentions. Although she had been sent to Void Land, her goal was actually not the Star Boundary. Be it her or the Elders of the Chen Family, they all knew that she would never obtain the qualification to enter the Star Boundary with her aptitude. Her true goal was the talented disciples of Void Land!
If she could secure an outstanding and talented cultivator as her future husband, then he could help to protect the Chen Family in the future. The Chen Family had not been prosperous in recent years. They not only suffered various difficulties in life, but the talents their family produced had also withered away. It could be said that she was the greatest hope for the salvation of the entire Chen Family.
It was precisely because of such considerations that she was so standoffish towards her Senior Brother’s courtship, neither accepting or rejecting him. If he could really condense a Sixth-Order Dao Seal and advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, then accepting him would not be a problem. It was just that nobody would know whether he truly was capable of such a feat until the results were out. How could she dare to gamble on him so easily?
He studied the side profile of the beautiful woman in front of him. The sight of her fair and slender neck made him swallow hard, and he forced himself to look away, “Don’t bother, Junior Sister. Even if someone is breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm, those who currently remain in Void Land will only reach the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm at best. What is there to see? This Senior Brother obtained a new artifact a few days ago. It’s very interesting. Why don’t I show it to you?”
The better his understanding of her intentions, the more he wanted to become intimate with her.
As soon as the words left his mouth though, a loud howl came from the depths of the void. It was immediately followed by a powerful aura emanating from that direction.
Senior Brother Liu’s expression changed, “How could it end so quickly?”
Likewise, Junior Sister Chen was also very astonished.
Although advancing into the Open Heaven Realm was said to come naturally to those who were prepared, the process still took some time. The process might last anywhere from days to months. In some cases, it might even take longer.
However, not much time had passed since they felt the first signs of someone breaking through. A generous estimation indicated that only a cup of tea’s time had passed. How could a breakthrough finish so quickly? They had never heard of anybody who managed to advance to the Open Heaven Realm at such speed.
How could they know that the people of Void Dao Temple had been painfully suppressing their cultivation for so many years? Living inside of Yang Kai’s Small Universe, they were limited by the Principles of that World; hence, they could not take the last step in their advancement. It could be said that most of the 5,000 people were only short of that final step! Now that they were released from Yang Kai’s Small Universe, it was only natural that their breakthrough took place extremely quickly.
“This aura…” Junior Sister Chen’s eyes abruptly brightened, “Senior Brother, this belongs to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, right!?”
She was only in the Emperor Realm, so her perception towards auras in the Open Heaven Realm was not very clear. For that reason, she was not certain whether that person had advanced into the Sixth Order or not.
Although Senior Brother Liu also had a vague feeling that this person had reached the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, he stubbornly denied, “Impossible! Those who can advance directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm have all been sent to the Star Boundary. They would not have remained in Void Land. That’s definitely just the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm!”
1,000 years ago, advancing directly into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm was a great blessing to any of the Second Class great forces. Those disciples would be nurtured and trained as successor candidates. Moreover, the cultivation resources in the Sect would be generously supplied to them.
Be that as it may, his words ‘just’ indicated that advancing into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm was nothing special in his opinion. After coming to Void Land and learning more about the wider world, his horizons had naturally been broadened.
Even though she had the feeling that it was the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Junior Sister Chen also felt that his reasoning made sense. All the candidates who could advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm had indeed been sent to the Star Boundary. None of them would have remained in Void Land.
Nevertheless, she couldn’t shake the doubts in her mind. She had once felt the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm aura coming from Elder Lu Xue and Elder Chen Tian Fei, who had remained to oversee Void Land. Their auras had felt very similar to the aura just now.
During their conversation, another powerful aura erupted outward somewhere in the void.
Senior Brother Liu was dumbfounded, unable to figure out what was happening today. [Did something happen to the World Principles that made advancing into the Open Heaven Realm become easier?]
Meanwhile, Junior Sister Chen became more and more excited, “Senior Brother Liu, this must belong to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, right?”
Naturally, he continued to be stubborn and refute, “No. It’s the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm!”
“I see!” She nodded.
Just then, another aura spread out, one that was obviously much stronger compared to the previous two.
Junior Sister Chen’s eyes shone brightly, “What about this one?”
Senior Brother Liu now looked livid.
“What about this one?”
“And this one?”
Her questions flowed out endlessly, and his expression became increasingly ugly. He wished he could rush over and butcher those people who had just advanced into the Open Heaven Realm.
[If these people have such great aptitude, then why didn’t they leave for the Star Boundary? Why did they remain in Void Land and advance to the Open Heaven Realm in such a showy manner!?] Seeing his coveted Junior Sister’s eyes grow brighter and brighter, Senior Brother Liu felt his chances of marriage with her swiftly disappearing. A huge sense of sorrow engulfed his heart, and he turned to leave.
Junior Sister Liu was just about to repeat her question when she turned to the side and discovered that Senior Brother Liu was no longer standing beside her. Seeing his figure in the distance, she shouted after him, “Where are you going, Senior Brother?”
To which he responded angrily, “To enter retreat!”
The shock had hit him hard today. Those with better aptitude than him were generally sent to the Star Boundary, allowing him to stand out in the crowd in Void Land. His aptitude was certainly among the best of the disciples here, but be that as it may, he was nothing compared to the people who were currently undergoing their advancement in the sky.
Having experienced such a huge shock, Senior Brother Liu felt deeply saddened. At the same time, he came to a sudden realization. As a cultivator, strength was his foundation. Lust was simply a stumbling block on the Martial Dao!
[When I come out of retreat one day, I will definitely make my lovely Junior Sister kneel at my feet in awe!]
Junior Sister Chen ignored the departing Senior Brother Liu. Her eyes gleamed brightly as she stared intently at the sky as though she could penetrate the Nine Heavenly Layers Grand Array and see the heroic figures of the people undergoing breakthroughs in the void.
On the mountain peak where Old Man Bi Xi resided, Mo Mei, Lu Xue, and Chen Tian Fei were completely dumbfounded by the sight in front of them. Even Old Man Bi Xi’s long eyebrows twitched incessantly as he could not hide the astonishment in his heart.
Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm…
Senior Brother Liu and Junior Sister Chen were too weak to carefully discern the cultivation of these people who had just advanced into the Open Heaven Realm, but that was not the case for Mo Mei and the others.
In their perception, all the people who had just advanced into the Open Heaven Realm were either in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm or the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. There was not a single person who was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Naturally, they were shocked to their core.
Yang Kai had not said much when he left these 5,000 people here. He only told them that these people were about to advance into the Open Heaven Realm. Although they had been surprised to receive such a large number of talents into Void Land all at once, few things could truly surprise them again after they witnessed the prosperity of the Martial Dao in the Star Boundary.
But that was only up until this moment!
The cultivators undergoing advancement here were consecutively breaking through to the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. Essentially one out of every 10 people would advance directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm. In other words, it was a ratio of 1:10.
In addition, these were not ordinary Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Having advanced directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, they were cultivators with hope of one day reaching the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm!
Those who advanced directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm were considered Core Disciples among the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As for those who advanced directly into the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, they were ranked as Legacy Disciples.
In the past, all the Cave Heavens and Paradises combined would at best produce one such talent every 1,000 years or so.
Any cultivator who broke through directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm was considered an invaluable asset by the Cave Heavens and Paradises; after all, the current Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were characters who had advanced directly to the Seventh-Order in the past.
Yang Kai had come into contact with many Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but even after meeting so many powerful cultivators, Luo Ting He of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven was the only one he knew in the entire 3,000 Worlds who had broken through directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
Wu Qing, the Southern Army’s Army Commander of Yin-Yang Pass, was also someone who had advanced directly to the Seventh Order. That was why he eventually advanced to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm and took over command of Yin-Yang Pass.
There were naturally others from the Cave Heavens and Paradises who had advanced directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, but their numbers were small to say the least. It wasn’t until recently that a large number of cultivators who advanced directly to the Seventh Order emerged from the Star Boundary. Be that as it may, all of them were still in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm as not enough time had passed since their appearance for them to grow sufficiently.
This was only possible because it was the Star Boundary, which possessed a World Tree clone that constantly provided nourishment to its inhabitants, resulting in an abundance of peerless talents appearing.
[What is with the people Sect Master brought back!?] Mo Mei couldn’t help wondering, [Don’t tell me he went to the Star Boundary and kidnapped all the talented individuals there!?]
Not only was there no need for Yang Kai to do something as drastic as kidnapping, but the Cave Heavens and Paradises would never allow that to happen either. It was not easy for them to nurture these budding talents, so how could they allow Yang Kai to just take their treasures away?
Besides, even the current Star Boundary could not gather such an impressive line-up out of nowhere. It was not 5 or 50 people, but a whole 5,000 people after all!
During the first few days, Mo Mei and the others still had their doubts. They speculated that the Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were undergoing advancement first as their talents were superior, while Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Masters would probably appear later. However, the aura emanating from every single person who advanced into the Open Heaven Realm was either in the Sixth Order or the Seventh Order.
At this point, nobody had any more doubts. The 5,000 people Yang Kai brought back were all incredible talents who could advance directly to the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm or the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm!
The breakthroughs lasted for nearly three months. The fluctuation of breakthroughs would occur almost every day, ranging from dozens to even hundreds each day…
Various accommodations were prepared for all the people who advanced to the Open Heaven Realm. After questioning the first few of them, Mo Mei and the others finally understood the origins of these people.
Yang Kai’s Small Universe was unique. Mo Mei and the others knew about the countless living creatures flourishing inside his Small Universe; after all, they had known Yang Kai for many years and were privy to some of his secrets, what they could not figure out was what was so special about his Small Universe that produced so many extraordinary talents.
These people were not inferior to those who were nurtured by the Star Boundary for the past 1,000 years. Out of nearly 5,000 people, as many as 500 of them had advanced directly to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm.
On the other hand, how many Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had emerged from the Star Boundary over the years? Only 300 Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had been produced in the past 1,000 years. That number could not compare with the people Yang Kai brought back at all!
Unbeknownst to them, the number of Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were nurtured and produced by the Star Boundary for the past 1,000 years had all truly emerged within a 1,000-year timeframe.
On the contrary, tens of thousands of years had passed in Yang Kai’s Small Universe. Even if his Small Universe could not compare with the Star Boundary in terms of size or population it held its own advantages that would be displayed over time. It was only natural to have such rich accumulation when so many years had gone by.
The fact that Void Land suddenly gained 5,000 Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters greatly pleased Mo Mei and others.
Void Land and the Star Boundary originally had several Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among their ranks. There were not many of them, only around 100 in total; nevertheless, such a line-up was absolutely impossible for ordinary Second Class great forces to achieve. Unfortunately, almost all of these Masters had been deployed to the Barren Territory battlefield after receiving conscription orders from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
Only three Masters had remained behind to oversee Void Land, but today, Void Land suddenly experienced an extraordinary boost in strength. As long as these people had time to consolidate their cultivations properly, they could eventually head to the Barren Territory as reinforcements. With so many people, they might even be able to play a decisive role in certain aspects of the battlefield!
Due to the appearance of 5,000 Sixth-Order and Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Void Land became very busy.
On the other hand, Yang Kai arrived at the Shattered Heaven with Ji Lao San after his short detour.
He had visited the Shattered Heaven twice in the past.
For his first trip here, he had received information about the Proprietress and came to save her. In the end, he had been forced to break through to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm outside the Shadowless Cave Heaven.
At the time, Yang Kai held great resentment towards the arrogant and domineering attitude of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Although he never complained to anyone about this resentment, he had secretly made a vow to himself that once he was powerful enough, he would definitely take revenge. They should never have looked down on him just because he was young and poor!
However, when he entered the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai slowly learned about the Black Ink Clan and the efforts of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As a result, his resentment towards the Cave Heavens and Paradises gradually faded away.
What happened to him back then seemed like the result of certain people acting out of personal interest, but the truth was they had simply been following the rules and did not act too extreme.
He had only been at the peak of the Emperor Realm at the time. If an Open Heaven Realm Master like Ti Zheng of Myriad Demons Heaven had truly wanted to kill him, it would have taken nothing more than a flick of his finger. What’s more, the person who instigated everything died a long time ago.
One’s personal grudges were nothing compared to the survival of their entire Race. If Yang Kai stood in the shoes of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, he would not have hesitated to eliminate any possible future dangers.
His second trip to the Shattered Heaven was purely for cultivation purposes. Unfortunately, he encountered Blood Crow and experienced bad luck as a result. Blood Crow was eventually captured by the Fisherman Uncle of Bright King Cave Heaven and then held captive here, only to later be sent to the Black Ink Battlefield to kill the Black Ink Clan.
It was also during Yang Kai’s second trip to the Shattered Heaven that he fled to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land under the pursuit of the Cheng Yang. He experienced numerous opportunities during that trip to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
This could be considered his third trip to the Shattered Heaven.
Yang Kai had not known that the Shattered Heaven was connected to the entrance to the Black Ink Battlefield or that the disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would first need to travel through the Shattered Heaven to reach the No-Return Pass; after all, he had not entered the Black Ink Battlefield through the official route but through the Void Corridor in Black Territory instead.
Despite returning to a place he was familiar with, Yang Kai was in no mood to enjoy his surroundings and simply concentrated on travelling quickly.
A few days later however, the small Dragon that had been wrapped around Yang Kai’s wrist all this time suddenly called out, “I sense the aura of Black Ink Strength!”
During their travels, Ji Lao San had not bothered to transform back to his original form and simply remained wrapped around Yang Kai’s arm. Yang Kai’s speed was incredible after all, so it was more convenient for them to travel in this manner. Besides, Ji Lao San’s foundation had been badly damaged back in the No-Return Pass, so this was a good opportunity for him to recuperate from his wounds.
When Ji Lao San suddenly spoke up, Yang Kai was startled so badly that he almost tripped over his own feet. Coming to an abrupt halt, he muttered, “Why would there be traces of Black Ink Strength here?”
[This place is not the Black Ink Battlefield or the Barren Territory. Where did such traces of Black Ink Strength come from?]
His first thought was that the Barren Territory had been breached, and the Black Ink Clan had invaded the Shattered Heaven, but upon further consideration, Yang Kai knew that could not be the case. If the Black Ink Clan had broken through the defence line of the Barren Territory, then the Shattered Heaven would be ravaged by war. How could the situation in the Shattered Heaven remain so peaceful?
Immediately after that, he became puzzled, [Even I don’t sense any trace of Black Ink Strength here. How did Ji Lao San sense it?]
When Yang Kai voiced his question, Ji Lao San answered, “As you know, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans have been responsible for guarding the No-Return Pass since it was first established. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to do there all day long, and our only options were either to sleep or to cultivate. We couldn’t even leave the No-Return Pass, so it was extremely boring. The Dragon Clan Seniors from several generations ago were so bored that they began experimenting with creating a brand-new Secret Technique. The Secret Technique allows us to detect Black Ink Strength by activating our powers as Divine Spirits, but its use is quite limited. The Dragon Clan couldn’t be bothered to cultivate this Secret Technique and simply stored it away to collect dust. It wasn’t until the Black Ink Clan attacked the No-Return Pass that I began cultivating this Secret Technique.”
“And now you sense the existence of Black Ink Strength here?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
Ji Lao San nodded, “Yes, but it’s only a slight reaction.”
Yang Kai was tempted to ask whether Ji Lao San had made a mistake, but he did not dare to be careless when Ji Lao San was so serious.
Other people might not understand the dangers of Black Ink Strength, but Yang Kai was all too familiar with the danger it posed. It could be said that Black Ink Strength was the perfect manifestation of how a single spark could cause an entire field to burn up. As long as the slightest bit of Black Ink Strength existed, then the entire Great Territory could be in danger.
“Which direction?” Yang Kai asked.
Ji Lao San used his Dragon Tail and pointed ahead. Yang Kai immediately headed in that direction.
It didn’t take long for them to arrive on a Universe Fragment. They could tell at a glance that there were traces of a battle here, and judging by the traces left behind, the gap in strength between both parties involved in the fight was not small. One of them had clearly been subdued quickly.
Yang Kai circled the Universe Fragment several times but did not find anything.
Nevertheless, Ji Lao San confidently said, “There are traces of Black Ink Strength here. They’ve intentionally been wiped away, but it was definitely less than half a day ago at most.”
Yang Kai closed his eyes and his Divine Sense surged as he carefully inspected his surroundings. A short while later, his expression changed and became extremely grim.
It was just as Ji Lao San had said; he discovered slight traces indicating the presence of Black Ink Strength in the surrounding Void. It was a very slight signature, almost impossible to perceive; however, he could not be more familiar with Black Ink Strength after fighting the Black Ink Clan for so many years.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling a chill shoot up his back. Why was there Black Ink Strength in the Shattered Heaven? Was there a Black Ink Clansman here? Or, could it be a Black Ink Disciple instead of a Black Ink Clansman?
The Black Ink Strength here had already dissipated, clearly indicating that somebody had activated Black Ink Strength before erasing traces of it. Combined with the traces of battle that could be found on the Universe Fragment, there was a high probability that a Black Ink Clansman or a Black Ink Disciple had corrupted another person with Black Ink Strength here.
If it was something that took place half a day ago, the Black Ink Clansman or Black Ink Disciple could not have gone far, so Yang Kai hurriedly searched his surroundings.
Another half a day passed. Standing above a Spirit Province, Yang Kai observed what was happening below.
There was no shortage of Spirit Provinces where many cultivators gathered in the Shattered Heaven. The environment in the Shattered Heaven might be harsh, but this unique environment also contained many opportunities. That was why the Shattered Heaven often attracted adventurous cultivators to explore its depths. What’s more, criminals from various Great Territories and traitors who turned their backs on their Master Sects would seek shelter in the Shattered Heaven.
Over countless years of accumulation, the prosperity and liveliness of certain areas in the Shattered Heaven would not lose to any other Great Territory. Be that as it may, the Shattered Heaven was different from the other Great Territories. The balance of power here was not based on various Sects or Clans but instead divided among countless great forces. Needless to say, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Divine Monarchs like Cheng Yang stood above them all.
The Spirit Province ahead was the territory of one of these great forces. It was just that Yang Kai was not very familiar with the Shattered Heaven, so he did not know which great force this Spirit Province belonged to.
However, Ji Lao San immediately gave another warning as soon as they arrived here. He told Yang Kai that he could sense the aura of the Black Ink Strength coming from the Spirit Province, so it was obvious that somebody here had activated their Black Ink Strength recently.
After observing silently for some time, Yang Kai took a step forward and descended towards the Spirit Province.
There was a city located in the centre of this Spirit Province, which was also the most prosperous place in the Spirit Province. Many cultivators were gathered there; however, Yang Kai did not detect the existence of any High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters when he swept his Divine Sense over it. Although there were many people here, the strongest were a few Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters at most.
While Ji Lao San could detect the aura of Black Ink Strength coming from this Spirit Province, he could not figure out the exact location.
Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling troubled. How was he supposed to search for the root of the Black Ink Strength in such a dense crowd?
At the very least, he could be certain that there were no Black Ink Clansmen here. If a Black Ink Clansman was hiding here, Yang Kai’s Eighth-Order strength would allow him to see through any disguise at a glance. Since there was no Black Ink Clansman here, it could only be a Black Ink Disciple.
Under normal circumstances, a Black Ink Disciple was no different from an ordinary person until they activated their Black Ink Strength and revealed their true nature.
Of course, Yang Kai could not check every single person in the Spirit Province as that would just take too much time.
In any case, the question that bothered him the most was the reason for the appearance of a Black Ink Disciple in the Shattered Heaven. If there was a Black Ink Disciple, then there had to be a source of Black Ink Strength. Where was the source?
A trace of unease grew in the depths of his heart as it felt as though something ominous was about to occur.
Just as he was thinking about how to search for the hidden Black Ink Disciple, two streams of light appeared in the sky and descended.
The newcomers gave off an imposing aura, clearly showing no intention of concealing their presence whatsoever. Moreover, they were both Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. Forget the Shattered Heaven, even in the 3,000 Worlds, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were considered the strongest as long as the secluded High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters did not take action.
In an instant, countless Divine Senses and gazes were attracted to the two streams of light. The streams of light paused in mid-air before the light around them faded away to reveal the figures of a man and a woman.
The eyes of anybody who saw this pair would immediately light up. At the same time, they would secretly praise those two for being the perfect match for each other. The man was extraordinarily handsome, while the woman was absolutely gorgeous. When they stood together, they were a sight for sore eyes indeed.
The people living in the Shattered Heaven were mostly lawless criminals; therefore, numerous lecherous gazes immediately fixed upon the woman’s graceful form. They secretly swallowed nervously, thinking that if they could become intimate with such a stunning beauty for a night, death would not be too high a price to pay.
The woman was evidently accustomed to such gazes, so she simply snorted coldly before ignoring them.
On the other hand, the man revealed great dissatisfaction, surging his Divine Sense and causing many Fourth-Order and Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to clutch at their heads and scream in agony.
After teaching these lawless criminals a lesson, he announced loudly, “Heavenly River Divine Monarch has an order to convey! Where is the person in charge of this Spirit Province? Come out and receive the orders immediately!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the expressions of the cultivators on the Spirit Province changed greatly. Those who were watching the woman with lustful gazes quickly lowered their heads and did not dare to take another look. That couldn’t be helped, as the name ‘Heavenly River Divine Monarch’ carried far too much weight.
There were only three Great Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven. In other words, there were three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters here. One of them was Bright Sun Divine Monarch, Cheng Yang, who pursued Yang Kai in the past, while the other two were Heavenly River Divine Monarch, Tian Luo, and Withering Flame Divine Monarch, Ku Yan.
These three had refused to be controlled by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so they fled to the Shattered Heaven for shelter. Tens of thousands of years had passed since they entered the Shattered Heaven, and they gradually improved from the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
The cultivators living in the Shattered Heaven could ignore or even insult the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but they could not show the slightest disrespect to the three Great Divine Monarchs. The environment in the Shattered Heaven was harsh, and chaotic, so while those who offended the Cave Heavens and Paradises might survive here, death was inevitable if the three Great Divine Monarchs were to target them; after all, the three Great Divine Monarchs held absolute authority in the Shattered Heaven.
This beautiful pair, who came carrying the orders of Heavenly River Divine Monarch, were clearly from the Heavenly River Palace. Furthermore, Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were considered very powerful in the Heavenly River Palace. These two might even be Disciples of Heavenly River Divine Monarch. With such a close connection to Tian Luo, even the lawless criminals in this Spirit Province did not dare to be disrespectful towards them in the slightest.
Following their command, a figure immediately flew out from the Grand Hall in the middle of the Spirit Province. This person was also in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he did not look like a warrior. He was dressed luxuriously, seeming more like a wealthy merchant. His face was round and clean, and his smile was ingratiating. Cupping his fists from a distance, he bowed, “Bamboo Basket Province’s Tan Chuan greets the Special Envoys. Allow me to apologise for my late greetings.”
Although they were all in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Tan Chuan was nothing more than the Master of a small Spirit Province. In terms of status, he could not compare to the two people who served under Heavenly River Divine Monarch; hence, he naturally showed a humble attitude as soon as he appeared.
The male Envoy nodded lightly, “So you are the person in charge here, Brother Tan Chuan. This Senior Brother and Junior Sister have not left the Heavenly River Palace in a long time, so we were not aware.”
Judging from his words, they seemed to be acquainted with each other. Nevertheless, his attitude remained aloof. It was obvious that they did not have a close relationship with each other.
“It’s nothing, Brother Wu. Such a rough place cannot be compared to Heavenly River Palace. May I know what brings you here today, Brother Wu? What orders does the Divine Monarch have for me?” Tan Chuan inquired respectfully.
When it came to business, the man surnamed Wu did not procrastinate. He immediately took out a jade slip and announced in a resounding his voice, “By order of my Honoured Master, Tan Chuan of the Bamboo Basket Province must gather 200 Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above, then head to the designated rendezvous location in three months.”
Tan Chuan’s expression became solemn when he heard the announcement. Raising his hand to receive the jade slip, he examined the contents carefully and confirmed that the jade slip truly contained this command from Heavenly River Divine Monarch. After that, he revealed a puzzled expression, “Brother Wu, is Heavenly River Palace planning to wage war against the others?”
The three Great Divine Monarchs had divided the Shattered Heaven among themselves, so it was impossible for them to be at peace. There had been countless squabbles and skirmishes among them over the years, but those were mostly inconsequential disputes, nothing serious enough to warrant concern. However, Tian Luo’s actions clearly indicated that he was planning something big.
Although the number of cultivators living in Bamboo Basket Province was not small, there were not many Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm and above. That was especially true for Sixth-Order Masters, whose total numbers could be counted on one hand. Even though there were somewhere between 400 and 500 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Tian Luo had directly demanded a force of 200 people. That was equivalent to taking away half of the Bamboo Basket Province’s strength! How could that not shock Tan Chuan?
The man surnamed Wu simply shook his head in response. Glancing around, he then kindly pointed out something, “Brother Tan Chuan, if I were you, I would close the Grand Array first before asking questions. At this rate, you might not be able to gather 200 Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters if you delay any longer, and you know what will happen to you if you disobey Honoured Master’s orders.”
Tan Chuan was taken aback by those words and looked around him. What he saw enraged him so much that his face visibly twitched.
After hearing the order relayed by the man surnamed Wu just now, some of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters living in the Bamboo Basket Province had urgently fled to prevent themselves from being recruited by Tan Chuan. Many of them were simply passing by this area or stopping here temporarily to trade with others, so wouldn’t they be wronged if they were caught by Tan Chuan?
A few Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had taken the lead, causing even more Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to take the opportunity to escape. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen such Masters were gone.
Furious, Tan Chuan roared loudly, “Activate the Array! If anyone else dares to leave Bamboo Basket Province, I will slaughter them without mercy!”
After saying that, he took to the skies and instantly caught one of the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who was about to leave and swung out his fist at him.
This Fifth-Order Master was rather unlucky. He didn’t even get the chance to speak a word before Tan Chuan punched his face in.
In order to make an example, Tan Chuan had not held back at all. How could a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master survive against the full attack of a Sixth-Order Master? That blow shattered the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s head to pieces. Fresh blood spurted out of his neck like a fountain, and his headless corpse slowly dropped back to the ground.
Such an occurrence would rarely happen in any of the Great Territories across the 3,000 Worlds, but in contrast, the Shattered Heaven was a truly lawless place. Killing others over even a small disagreement was very common here.
After witnessing Tan Chuan murdering a Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the others no longer dared to act recklessly. They quickly backed down like cowardly quails.
There was a loud hum, and the Grand Array covering the entire Bamboo Basket Province closed. The inside and the outside were now isolated from one another. With this, nobody could leave without Tan Chuan’s express permission.
Many of the cultivators were panicking at the sudden turn of events; however, Tan Chuan ignored them and looked at the Special Envoys from Heavenly River Palace, “What’s going on, Brother Wu?”
The man surnamed Wu shook his head and said nothing. The reason for all this was in no way glorious, and could even be said as shameful, so how could he reveal the truth at will?
Tan Chuan only became more anxious seeing this. Revealing a pleading expression, he begged, “Brother Wu, why don’t you come over and have some tea? You must allow this Tan to provide some hospitality as a host. Bamboo Basket Province might lack many things, but we have a specialty known as the Jade Spirit Fruit. The taste is sweet and exquisite. You’ve come from afar, why not take a short rest? It won’t be too late for you to leave after a cup of tea.”
What he mentioned was not without reason. The so-called ‘Jade Spirit Fruit’ was certainly a local delicacy. It was not very useful in terms of cultivation, but it had beauty-preserving effects when consumed by female cultivators. Unfortunately, the number of such fruits produced was very small so they would be cleaned out in a matter of breaths every time they appeared on the market. It was precisely because Tan Chuan was overseeing the Bamboo Basket Province that he could preserve a few for his own use.
He did not have a close relationship with the man surnamed Wu, so there was nothing he could do if the other party was not willing to divulge much, so in order to learn more, a more convoluted method was required. He hoped that the Jade Spirit Fruit would catch the interest of the woman standing nearby.
Sure enough, the eyes of the woman, who had remained silent and indifferent all this while, suddenly brightened at the words ‘Jade Spirit Fruit’.
As a Disciple of Heavenly River Divine Monarch, it was only natural for her to know about the Jade Spirit Fruit. It was just that these fruits were often shared among the wives and concubines of Heavenly River Divine Monarch whenever they were offered to Heavenly River Palace, so how could she hope to get any?
Women would always be conscious of their appearance. Even if she was in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm and her appearance could be described as youthful, she still wished to look young forever. Nevertheless, she said nothing and simply used her large eyes to plead with her Senior Brother.
After spending so many years together, how could the man surnamed Wu not understand the meaning behind that look? Thinking to himself that a moment of delay would not hurt, he nodded in agreement, “Good. We can rest for a moment before we leave.”
Tan Chuan was overjoyed and quickly motioned his hand to guide them, “This way, please.”
A short while later, Tan Chuan led the two Envoys from Heavenly River Palace into the Grand Hall and sat down.
The man surnamed Wu was thinking about how he should respond if Tan Chuan brought up the matter from earlier; after all, one was generally partial towards those who bestowed favours upon others. His Junior Sister had benefited from Tan Chuan, so it would not be reasonable for him to ignore the latter’s inquiry.
Unexpectedly, Tan Chuan did not mention the matter and simply had a leisurely chat with the man surnamed Wu.
The man surnamed Wu was very satisfied, thinking that Tan Chuan knew how to show proper respect, causing his impression of the latter to increase significantly.
After a short wait, a servant brought over a platter of Spirit Fruits. These Spirit Fruits were the size of a fist and crystal clear. Moreover, a sweet fragrance permeated the air.
The woman from Heavenly River Palace stared at the Jade Spirit Fruits without blinking. She immediately fell in love with the appearance of the fruits and couldn’t bring herself to eat them. Just as she was about to put them away, Tan Chuan suddenly turned towards her, “These fruits are freshly picked. You, Young Lady, should eat them immediately for the best effect.”
When the woman heard those words, she looked conflicted.
As her Senior Brother, the man surnamed Wu knew what she was thinking and laughed, “Since there are six fruits, why don’t you eat some right now and save the rest for later?”
She smiled brightly at those words and nodded, “I’ll do as you say, Senior Brother.”
Her smile was absolutely brilliant; in fact, even the slightly dim hall seemed to brighten because of her smile.
Reaching out her slender jade fingers to pick up one of the fruits, she brought it to her mouth and lightly bit through the peel. A stream of sweet fruit juice immediately turned into a warm current that flowed down her throat. As for the Spirit Fruit in her hands, only a layer of peel remained.
Before she could savour the wonderful taste of the Spirit Fruit though, her beautiful face abruptly turned pale. Her World Force also surged and fluctuated wildly all of a sudden.
The man surnamed Wu was shocked and cried out, “Junior Sister, what’s wrong!?”
However, she instead quickly looked over at Tan Chuan and coldly declared, “What did you do!?”
When she swallowed the fruit juice, she clearly felt a strange energy entering her body at the same time. Although she had never eaten the Jade Spirit Fruit before, she knew that this strange energy did not belong to it. In that case, it could only mean that the fruit itself had been tampered with.
Following her question, she immediately noticed that something was wrong. The strange energy was extremely corrosive, and she could not contain it even with her powerful Sixth-Order cultivation.
When she observed her own condition, she saw traces of black energy that felt extremely vile and malevolent swirling around inside her originally pure and flawless Small Universe; thus, she hastily activated her World Force to defend against the corrosion. Her expression seemed pained, as though she was suffering from poison.
The man surnamed Wu was shocked for a moment, then he immediately became livid. Summoning a sword with a flick of his hand, he thrust it out, “Tan Chuan, you court death!”
A sword wave flashed from the tip of his longsword, flicking like the tongue of a spirit snake. The sword wave conveyed a sense of unparalleled sharpness that sliced off several strands of Tan Chuan’s hair.
Unexpectedly, Tan Chuan remained completely calm, leisurely picking up his tea cup and taking a sip. Only then did he calmly turn to look at the man surnamed Wu with a slight smile, “Brother Wu, why are you so angry?”
At this moment, he no longer portrayed the same ingratiating attitude as before. On the contrary, he seemed confident that victory belonged to him.
Tan Chuan’s behaviour enraged the man surnamed Wu even more, but just as he was about to attack, he heard Tan Chuan’s relaxed voice entering his ears, “You should be careful, Brother Wu. Swords have no eyes, so you can easily hurt someone if you are not careful. It doesn’t matter if you take this Tan’s life, but if you do, you will never be able to save Junior Sister Ling.”
“Are you working for the other two Divine Monarchs!?” The man surnamed Wu suddenly thought of something. He had no previous enmity or grievances against Tan Chuan, so there was no reason for Tan Chuan to plot against him or his Junior Sister; however, everything would make sense if Tan Chuan was working for the other two Divine Monarchs. He gritted his teeth and snarled, “My Junior Sister is Honoured Master’s most beloved Disciple. If anything happens to her, even the other two Divine Monarchs will not be able to protect you! Tan Chuan, hand over the antidote immediately if you don’t wish to die!”
While the man surnamed Wu seemed enraged on the outside, inwardly he was feeling very puzzled. Both he and his Junior Sister had Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivations, so at their level of strength, just what kind of poison could make his Junior Sister experience such difficulty? He even noticed a trace of black energy gradually emerging from her body out of the corner of his eye.
[What is this poison!?]
Listening to the man named Wu’s self-righteous misunderstanding, Tan Chuan laughed loudly, “The other two Divine Monarchs? How could they be worthy of my service?”
The man surnamed Wu was stunned… [Isn’t Tan Chuan working for the other two Divine Monarchs? How could he spout such presumptuous nonsense, as though he doesn’t put the Divine Monarchs in his eyes!?]
While the other party was stunned, Tan Chuan stretched out two fingers and slowly grasped the longsword pointed directly at him. Moving the longsword away from his face, he warmly comforted the man surnamed Wu, “Rest assured, Brother Wu. Junior Sister Ling is not in danger. This Tan has no intention of harming her. As long as you cooperate with me, Brother Wu, this Tan will not only make amends to the both of you. I will also show you the Heavenly Grand Dao that will bring you directly to the peak of the Martial Dao!”
The man surnamed Wu’s first reaction was disbelief. What nonsense was this guy spouting? His Junior Sister looked like she was about to be overwhelmed by the poison, so how could Tan Chuan say that he has no intention of harming her?
Tan Chuan earnestly continued, “If this Tan remembers correctly, you initially advanced directly to the Fourth-Order Open Heaven Realm; isn’t that right, Brother Wu? As a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, you have reached your limit. Don’t you wish to advance to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm and have a taste of the glory that belongs to the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters? Junior Sister Ling advanced directly to the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so she has hopes of reaching the Seventh-Order in the future, but in contrast, you can only waste away in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm. How will you be a match for Junior Sister Ling when that time comes?”
Those words seemed to hit a sore spot for the man surnamed Wu, and his expression involuntarily darkened.
He did not know how or where Tan Chuan received this information; however, it was just as Tan Chuan had said. His Junior Sister was expected to advance to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm in the future, but he could only remain in the Sixth-Order forever. Would his Junior Sister even bother with him when she was in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm?
His mind wavered for a moment, feeling as though Tan Chuan’s words were filled with an inexplicable appeal. His voice changed slightly, no longer as cold and sharp as before, “If you’re capable of guiding us to the peak of the Martial Dao, then why are you still just a Sixth-Order Master yourself?”
Tan Chuan’s situation was similar to his. When they advanced into the Open Heaven Realm back then, they had advanced directly to the Fourth Order; therefore, the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm was their limit. If there truly was such a wonderful method to break through their innate shackles, then why didn’t Tan Chuan break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm himself?
Upon hearing the other party’s question, Tan Chuan chuckled softly and circulated his strength. His entire body suddenly turned black, and his aura increased steadily. Under the stunned gaze of the man surnamed Wu, Tan Chuan’s aura quickly broke through the limits of what a Sixth-Order Master should have and gradually increased to the Seventh-Order.
Following the surge of aura, his figure that resembled a wealthy merchant also began to swell. Then, he soon withdrew his aura and returned to normal, looking no different from before. He then said mildly, “If this Tan wishes to break through to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, I can do so at any time.”
“How did you…” The man surnamed Wu blanked out completely in astonishment. He instinctively refused to believe what he was witnessing, but all his senses indicated that Tan Chuan’s words were not false.
“Senior Brother!” The woman who was currently fighting against the corrosion in her body shouted, “It’s Black Ink Strength!”
“What!?” The man surnamed Wu turned pale with fright, “Is this Black Ink Strength!?”
Several months ago, they had been completely oblivious to the existence of something like Black Ink Strength, but then, one particular day, two honoured guests in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm came to Heavenly River Palace. They had not known the identity of those honoured guests, but they left quickly after an extensive discussion with Heavenly River Divine Monarch.
Afterwards, Tian Luo had summoned them and given them an important task. They were ordered to head to the Spirit Provinces under the jurisdiction of Heavenly River Palace, recruit Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth Order and above, and rendezvous at the designated location within a short time limit.
Heavenly River Divine Monarch also told them about certain matters that day.
It was at that moment that they learned the identity of the honoured guests who arrived at Heavenly River Palace that day. The two honoured guests were Eighth-Order Ancestors from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, who came to ask for Tian Luo’s cooperation in a war concerning the survival of the 3,000 Worlds. This war apparently involved many secrets and concerned the survival of the Human Race as a whole, so even the Shattered Heaven could not turn a blind eye to the situation.
It was also from Heavenly River Divine Monarch that they learned about the existence of the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength.
Be that as it may, they had never seen the Black Ink Clan or Black Ink Strength before. They had assumed that the Cave Heavens and Paradises were exaggerating the dangers of the situation, believing that the war related to the 3,000 Worlds and the survival of the Human Race was nothing but bullshit; after all, they had never even heard of such things in this World.
They truly believed that their Honoured Master had only agreed to cooperate with the Cave Heavens and Paradises under duress, which was quite embarrassing.
The Shattered Heaven had remained outside the influence of the 3,000 Worlds for aeons. They were not governed by the Cave Heavens and Paradises, but this incident had forced them to be at the beck and call of those same forces. That was the reason why the man surnamed Wu had not explained anything when Tan Chuan asked about Heavenly River Divine Monarch’s command. He had felt that the reason was too shameful to reveal.
The neutrality and detachment that the Shattered Heaven had always enjoyed turned out to be nothing more than the indulgence of the Cave Heavens and Paradises. With the enormous heritage of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, were they really helpless to control the Shattered Heaven?
The people in the Cave Heavens and Paradises simply understood that some things could not be forbidden completely no matter how hard they tried. That was why they tacitly agreed to the existence of the Shattered Heaven and allowed this place to become the gathering spot for those who refused to follow the order of the 3,000 Worlds. Nevertheless, they could easily force the Shattered Heaven to compromise when they needed their cooperation in their schemes. Just like this incident…
The Senior Brother and Junior Sister did not know what kind of conditions the people from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had offered to their Honoured Master; however, Tian Luo seemed very enthusiastic about this endeavour. He even entrusted this task to them and asked them to carry it out with all diligence so as not to make him lose face.
Despite having heard of the Black Ink Clan and Black Ink Strength, they had never seen the Black Ink Clan or Black Ink Strength in person; therefore, the man surnamed Wu never associated this incident with Black Ink Strength even though he had witnessed the black aura enveloping his Junior Sister. He simply thought that she had been poisoned.
On the other hand, the woman being corroded by the Black Ink Strength suddenly realised what was going on. [These symptoms… Aren’t they identical to the corruption of Black Ink Strength that Honoured Master mentioned previously?]
Tan Chuan chuckled, “So, you know about Black Ink Strength? Since you already know, then that saves this Tan the effort of explaining the situation to you. That’s right. This is Black Ink Strength!”
The man surnamed Wu felt a chill in his heart, “Are you a Black Ink Disciple?”
[No wonder Tan Chuan showed no particular signs of abnormality earlier.] He had heard that Black Ink Disciples looked no different from ordinary people, but their true nature had long been lost.
Tan Chuan laughed lightly, “So what if I am? Besides, this Tan is not the only Black Ink Disciple in this place.”
After his declaration, four figures suddenly walked out of the shadows of the Grand Hall. One was in the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm, and two were in the Sixth-Order. The last person was completely wrapped in darkness, so his face could not be seen. His exact cultivation could not be determined either, but anybody could tell that he was very powerful.
The expression of the man surnamed Wu changed drastically as he grabbed his Junior Sister and rushed into the sky to try to escape this place immediately.
A person would completely lose their true self once they were corrupted by Black Ink Strength. Even if he could advance to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm, would he even be himself at that point? Nobody faced with such a choice would willingly compromise on something like that unless they were absolutely desperate.
Unfortunately, he failed to escape. He barely managed to flee more than a dozen metres before being stopped by a transparent light barrier. It turned out that a Grand Array had been set up in the Grand Hall at some point in time, isolating the inside from the outside.
At this moment, the man surnamed Wu finally understood why Tan Chuan seemed so confident about his victory. Tan Chuan had probably planned out everything from the moment he invited the Senior Brother and Junior Sister duo to his palace.
The man surnamed Wu could only laugh bitterly at how they had stupidly walked into the trap without knowing anything.
The enemy had at least three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, and they were stuck inside the Grand Array with them. Under these circumstances, he had no choice but to admit that he and his Junior Sister were not their opponents even if they combined their strength. Things were looking very dismal for them at the moment.
Even so, he refused to give up and wait for death. He spun around and protected his Junior Sister behind him. At the same time, he drew his longsword and prepared his battle cry to bolster his courage; however, he couldn’t help feeling surprised by the scene unfolding before him as Tan Chuan and the others were no longer paying any attention to him.
At this moment, the three Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, including Tan Chuan and the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were all staring at the mysterious person who was completely enveloped in darkness.
“Who are you, Your Excellency?” Tan Chuan’s next sentence left the man surnamed Wu scratching his head in confusion.
The man surnamed Wu did not understand, [Don’t you know the person who appeared in your own territory? Why would you still need to ask?]
Faced with Tan Chuan’s question, the mysterious man covered in darkness answered lightly, “Don’t ask so many questions.”
After saying that, a powerful aura suddenly erupted outward before disappearing in a flash.
The expressions of everybody in the Grand Hall, including the man surnamed Wu and his Junior Sister, changed drastically. That was because this mysterious person was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!
He had concealed his aura previously, so nobody could determine anything about him; however, how could they fail to perceive his strength when he deliberately released an Eighth-Order aura?
Tan Chuan and the three others hurriedly bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Sir!”
Under the cover of the darkness, Yang Kai nodded lightly and made a non-committal sound in response, perfectly displaying the demeanour of a senior expert.
In reality, being in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm meant that there was indeed no need for him to pay much attention to these Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples. If not to figure out the source of these Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven, he would have just captured them from the start.
Yang Kai had received guidance from Ji Lao San earlier and pursued those traces until he reached Bamboo Basket Province; as a result, he happened to overhear the Heavenly River Divine Monarch’s command that was conveyed by the man surnamed Wu and his Junior Sister; thus, he secretly concealed himself and snuck into the Grand Hall.
Although he knew that the Jade Spirit Fruit that the Junior Sister ate had been tampered with, he did nothing to stop her so that he did not alert the enemy to his presence.
If he still had Yellow and Blue Crystals in his possession, then he wouldn’t have needed to resort to such troublesome methods. He would only need to activate the Purifying Light to expel and purify the Black Ink Strength from the bodies of the Black Ink Disciples inside the Grand Hall, then they would willingly help him. Unfortunately, he no longer had the means to create Purifying Light and could only rely on petty tricks.
Yang Kai made a mental note to visit the Chaotic Dead Territory as soon as possible so that he could obtain more Yellow and Blue Crystals from Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan. In addition, he wanted to ask them about the Primordial Light…
On the Black Ink Battlefield, he had disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple for years, and was so familiar with the act that even the Black Ink Clan could not see through him, so what more these Black Ink Disciples?
Although Tan Chuan and the others did not know Yang Kai’s identity, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of them was clearly a Black Ink Disciple like them. How could they suspect him?
Every one of them became animated. They had been worried about failing their task because they were only Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples; therefore, it was a pleasant surprise to have an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple appear before them.
One of the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples beside Tan Chuan asked respectfully, “What brings you here, Sir?”
Yang Kai replied indifferently, “I just happened to be passing by and wanted to gather some manpower, but it seems someone made their move in advance. Seeing as that’s the case, this King will not snatch another person’s property. You’ve done well. Since these two are part of Heavenly River Palace, we can send them to the other Spirit Provinces after enlightening them with Black Ink Strength. That will certainly allow us to act more easily.”
The Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple was ecstatic, “This subordinate had the same idea. That’s why I asked Brother Tan to invite them back to his palace.” After a pause, he continued, “Sir, this subordinate has a favour to ask.”
“Speak!” Yang Kai waved his hand slightly.
The Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple said, “Sir, I’m sure you’ve seen the situation here. Our forces in Bamboo Basket Province are too weak. Although we have several Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciples on our side, it will take great effort for us to corrupt all the cultivators here with Black Ink Strength. This subordinate implores you to take action, Sir. With your help, Bamboo Basket Province will definitely fall into our hands!”
Following that statement, the man surnamed Wu felt the colour draining from his face. It was difficult to imagine what the situation would be like if all the cultivators in Bamboo Basket Province were corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
“You want me to take action?” Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, and his smile deepened meaningfully, “Is the one behind you willing to accept such an arrangement?”
The Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple replied straightforwardly, “Please rest assured, Sir. It is pure coincidence for this subordinate to meet you here. After gifting me with Black Ink Strength, he only gave me orders to convert more companions with Black Ink Strength. There were no other orders.”
Yang Kai frowned and looked displeased, “Whoever it is sure is careless. Where did he go?”
During this brief exchange, he managed to figure out that the person who actually held decisive authority here was not the Master of Bamboo Basket Province, Tan Chuan. On the contrary, it was this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple who was speaking to him.
This Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple had most likely encountered a higher Order Black Ink Disciple somewhere. After he was corrupted by Black Ink Strength, he was released with the goal of corrupting all the cultivators in Bamboo Basket Province.
He probably bumped into the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master during his return trip. Seizing the opportunity, he had taken action out in the void to quickly subdued the latter.
That would explain why Yang Kai and Ji Lao San first found traces of Black Ink Strength on a Universe Fragment some distance from here. It was because this person used Black Ink Strength to corrupt the Fifth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and left traces behind, allowing Ji Lao San to notice.
Afterwards, this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple brought the Fifth-Order Master back to Bamboo Basket Province with him. It was here that Tan Chuan and the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were also corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
Although they were all in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, Tan Chuan and the other Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master were likely caught unprepared. Combined with the powerful corruptive nature of Black Ink Strength, they were practically powerless to resist.
Yang Kai secretly heaved a sigh of relief. It would seem that the situation was not too bad. Seeing as he managed to arrive here in time, the only Black Ink Disciples on Bamboo Basket Province were probably the ones standing in front of him right now. If he had been a few days later, the situation might not have been so easily resolved.
Even though his question earlier seemed casual, it was the one that Yang Kai was most concerned about getting an answer to. He wanted to know the whereabouts of the Black Ink Disciple, who corrupted this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple with Black Ink Strength! Only by finding the original Black Ink Disciple could he get to the bottom of this matter and figure out the source of Black Ink Strength in the Shattered Heaven.
Faced with Yang Kai’s inquiries, the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple did not suspect anything and quickly answered, “Sir did not tell me where he was going, but this subordinate noticed that he and another companion were travelling towards the Shattered Ruins.”
Beneath the darkness, Yang Kai’s expression changed slightly, [The Shattered Ruins!?]
The Shattered Ruins was the most dangerous Forbidden Zone in the Shattered Heaven, as well as the location of the Divine Spirit’s Ancestral Land. Surrounding the Shattered Ruins was the Divine Ability Sea, which was filled with enormous dangers.
[Why is a Black Ink Disciple heading in the direction of Shattered Ruins? And judging from what this Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple had said, it sounds like there was more than one Black Ink Disciple! In fact, there are two of them! What is their realm? Where did they come from?] Yang Kai did not know anything.
“Did they mention why they were heading there?” Yang Kai inquired.
The Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple shook his head, “No.”
“What were their cultivations?”
Although Yang Kai’s questions puzzled the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple, he did not think too deeply into the matter and answered honestly, “The person who enlightened me with Black Ink Strength is probably in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm like you, Sir. The other person did not take action, but his cultivation was likely not inferior!”
[Two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples! I can’t believe there are two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven!] Yang Kai suddenly realised that he had greatly underestimated the severity of the situation.
Aside from the three Great Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters only existed in the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, they were existences regarded as Ancestors or Supreme Elders.
Were these two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples originally hiding in the 3,000 Worlds? Or, did they sneak in from the Barren Territory?
Regardless of which scenario was the truth, the situation was absolutely terrible. If it was the former, then many of the Masters in the Cave Heavens and Paradises on this side had probably been corrupted by Black Ink Strength. If it was the latter… Seeing as the Barren Territory battlefield had not been breached, then there was only one other possibility. There was another passage connecting to the 3,000 Worlds!
At that moment, various thoughts swirled around in Yang Kai’s mind as a dull and ominous premonition made him feel very uneasy. He felt as though he had overlooked something very important, but he could not remember what it was in the heat of the moment.
Numerous expressions flitted across his face as he remained silent in thought.
Meanwhile, Tan Chuan and the others looked at each other uncertainly for a moment before the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple hesitantly called out, “Sir?”
Yang Kai returned to his senses and nodded, “This King will take action in Bamboo Basket Province, but this King has another task for you.”
The expression of Tan Chuan and the others brightened, and they cupped their fists respectfully, “Please enlighten us, Sir!”
“Enter my Small Universe first.” Yang Kai commanded and opened the portal to his Small Universe.
Tan Chuan and the others exchanged a glance with each other, but they did not suspect him and quickly rushed into his Small Universe.
“Oh, right,” Yang Kai suddenly asked another question, “Are there any other Black Ink Disciples here in Bamboo Basket Province?”
Just for safety’s sake, he decided to confirm the situation.
The last Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple who was the last one remaining outside quickly replied, “No, we are the only ones at the moment. This subordinate only returned not long ago, so there was no time to take action.”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded, and when the last Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master had entered his Small Universe, he closed the portal and withdrew his Black Ink Strength around him to reveal his face. Then, he turned to look at the man surnamed Wu.
At this moment, the man surnamed Wu was filled with despair. He had mustered the courage to fight back when his opponents had been Tan Chuan and the others; however, the person in front of him was an authentic Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. How was he supposed to fight back? His opponent could crush him to death with a mere flick of his finger!
Seeing Yang Kai looking at him, the man surnamed Wu tried to act strong and shouted loudly, “My Honoured Master is Heavenly River Divine Monarch Tian Luo! If you dare to raise a hand against us, then Honoured Master will never forgive you!”
Yang Kai chuckled and reassured the other party gently, “Don’t be scared. I’m not a Black Ink Disciple.”
The man surnamed Wu reacted with an expression that seemed to say, “Who will believe you?”
Regardless, Yang Kai couldn’t be bothered to explain himself. He then raised his fingers and flicked a Purifying Black Ink Pill towards the man surnamed Wu, “Give this pill to your Junior Sister. I guarantee that she will be safe.”
If the woman had been completely corrupted by Black Ink Strength, then the Purifying Black Ink Pill would no longer be effective. Be that as it may, the medicinal efficacies of the Purifying Black Ink Pill would still be effective under the current circumstances.
The man surnamed Wu took the Purifying Black Ink Pill, but he clearly did not trust Yang Kai.
Yang Kai pointed out, “Things have already come to this point. What can be worse than becoming corrupted by Black Ink Strength? If I were you, I would take a gamble!”
The man surnamed Wu had been confused and at a loss for what to do after experiencing such a huge turn of events, but after listening to Yang Kai’s words, he couldn’t help feeling that what he said made sense.
There really was nothing for him to do but take a leap of faith. In any case, if an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master truly wanted to kill them, they would die regardless of how they tried to resist. As for whether the Spirit Pill would be effective, he would know once he gave it to his Junior Sister.
Gritting his teeth, he turned around and placed the Purifying Black Ink Pill into his Junior Sister’s mouth. Then, he stood guard over her while secretly being vigilant towards Yang Kai.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai ignored the man surnamed Wu as he was now thinking hard.
For some reason, he had the feeling that he had forgotten something important ever since he stepped foot in the Shattered Heaven; however, he simply could not remember what he had forgotten despite racking his brain for so long.
In addition, he was extremely concerned about the origin and whereabouts of those two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.
It was not easy to corrupt an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with Black Ink Strength. The Human Race had been fighting against the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless millennia, but there were very rarely cases where an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was corrupted by Black Ink Strength.
Thanks to the immense strength of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, they had a strong resistance towards Black Ink Strength. What’s more, even if they were accidentally invaded by Black Ink Strength, they could prevent themselves from becoming corrupted by sacrificing a part of their Small Universe.
The most common method to convert an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master into a Black Ink Disciple was for a Royal Lord to personally take action, using their Royal Lord Secret Technique.
However, the situation on the battlefield was constantly changing and even a Royal Lord would not dare to use their Secret Technique without good reason.
In the past, the sheep-headed Royal Lord chasing after Yang Kai had caused his body to weaken considerably by unleashing the Royal Lord Secret Technique. Immediately after, he had taken the full brunt of Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Wheel, which played a big role in how a mere Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was able to kill him.
Unless there was no other choice or under the premise that their safety was guaranteed, a Royal Lord would never use the Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
In any case, Yang Kai had no means of learning the origins of the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples without locating them first.
While Yang Kai was pondering these matters, the woman from Heavenly River Palace swallowed and refined the Purifying Black Ink Pill. It didn’t take long for the Spirit Pill to take effect, and under its medicinal efficacies, the Black Ink Strength corroding her was slowly forced out of her body.
The man surnamed Wu was overjoyed by the sight and finally believed Yang Kai’s words from before. At the same time, he couldn’t help wondering about something.
Wrapped entirely in darkness earlier, Yang Kai had clearly given off the impression of being a Senior Black Ink Disciple. How was he not affected by Black Ink Strength?
Unfortunately, the man surnamed Wu did not have a deep understanding of Black Ink Strength. All he knew about Black Ink Strength was what he heard from his Honoured Master, so his knowledge was severely limited.
A short while later, the woman’s condition improved considerably and she exhaled deeply and opened her eyes. Although she couldn’t shake off the lingering fears in her heart, she quickly came forward to thank Yang Kai.
Likewise, the man surnamed Wu was extremely grateful.
Yang Kai questioned them briefly and learned that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had dispatched several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to Heavenly River Palace. Moreover, the Cave Heavens and Paradises had already reached an agreement with Heavenly River Divine Monarch.
It was not just Heavenly River Divine Monarch though. According to the two Envoys, all three Great Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven were working together with the Cave Heavens and Paradises now.
This was a war that involved the survival of the Human Race, so nobody could afford to stay out of the fight. Although the three Great Divine Monarchs had lived leisurely in the Shattered Heaven for many years, they were familiar with the principle, ‘Without lips, the teeth go cold’.
Therefore, the three Great Divine Monarchs who controlled the Shattered Heaven had come forward. They issued commands to the various Spirit Provinces, ordering Fifth-Order and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters to gather at the assembly point within the time limit.
In the Shattered Heaven, the command of the three Great Divine Monarchs held more authority than the Cave Heavens and Paradises. As soon as their commands were spread out to the public, all the cultivators who wanted to live peacefully in the Shattered Heaven did not dare to disobey.
Take Bamboo Basket Province for example. Heavenly River Divine Monarch had ordered Tan Chuan to gather 200 Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Fifth-Order and above, so the latter had to ensure that the command was carried out properly if he wanted to keep his life.
In this way, the combat forces in the Shattered Heaven would also contribute to the war.
Meanwhile, the three Great Divine Monarchs had already headed to the battlefield with several Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
The Cave Heavens and Paradises had promised them that they could freely travel to any of the Great Territories in the 3,000 Worlds after the war, regardless of the outcome. As long as they did not commit any outrage, their past transgressions would no longer be pursued.
For the three Great Divine Monarchs, these were conditions that could not be refused.
They were Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters after all, so no matter where they went in the 3,000 Worlds, they would be considered peak existences. It was only due to their fear of the Cave Heavens and Paradises that they remained hidden in the Shattered Heaven for so many years. As such, their lives were usually extremely boring. If they survived this war, then they would no longer need to waste away in the Shattered Heaven. They could go anywhere they wanted.
It was with such incentives that the three Great Divine Monarchs obeyed the Cave Heavens and Paradises; otherwise, nobody would willingly risk their lives if there were no benefits.
However, nobody expected that Black Ink Disciples had already appeared in the Shattered Heaven.
“I want you to spread the message and inform everyone about the appearance of Black Ink Disciples as fast as possible so that others will be wary of suspicious figures. Can you do that?” Yang Kai looked at those two.
The man surnamed Wu considered for a moment, “With the help of Heavenly River Palace’s intelligence network, we can pass the message to the other two Divine Monarchs. Unfortunately, it will take some time since the Shattered Heaven is vast.”
“Just do your best,” Yang Kai nodded as there was nothing that could be done; after all, spreading messages across a vast Great Territory was not a task that could be done overnight.
“Please rest assured, Senior! We will do our best!” The man surnamed Wu cupped his fist.
Yang Kai nodded, but just as he was about to leave, he remembered something and immediately turned around again, “By the way, I’d like to ask about somebody.”
The man surnamed Wu probed, “Who is this person you’d like to inquire about, Senior?”
“Have you ever heard the name ‘Wu Kuang’ in the Shattered Heaven?”
As soon as Yang Kai’s question came out, the expressions of the man surnamed Wu and his Junior Sister became strange. The man surnamed Wu carefully asked, “Senior, are you acquainted with Wu Kuang?”
“I guess.”
The man surnamed Wu smiled wryly, “If it’s ‘that’ Wu Kuang you’re asking about, then he is very famous in the Shattered Heaven.”
After listening to their explanation, Yang Kai learned that Wu Kuang had made a name for himself in the Shattered Heaven over the past 1,000 years.
There was no helping it as the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was simply too overbearing and astonishing. Anyone who made an enemy of Wu Kuang was bound to die a miserable death, having all their strength devoured cleanly by him.
At the beginning, Wu Kuang was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so the people in the Shattered Heaven did not consider him a significant threat; however, he grew and developed very quickly. After advancing to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm 500 years ago, he became increasingly unscrupulous. Many cultivators in the Shattered Heaven suffered at his hands.
Even the people from Heavenly River Palace, Withering Flame Divine Palace, and Bright Sun Temple were no exception. For that reason, the three Great Divine Monarchs were livid. Withering Flame Divine Monarch Ku Yan even pursued him personally, but Wu Kuang actually managed to escape into the Shattered Ruins.
Withering Flame Divine Monarch searched for a full 100 years with no results. In the end, he angrily returned empty-handed.
It had been a long time since Wu Kuang last appeared, so there was no saying whether he was even alive or not. In any case, more than 200 years had passed since the last time he showed his face and was chased by Withering Flame Divine Monarch.
After listening to the explanation, Yang Kai had a strange expression on his face despite knowing that Wu Kuang would not live a quiet and peaceful life. When he brought Wu Kuang to the Shattered Heaven, he knew that the latter was bound to stir up a storm.
Nevertheless, he never imagined that Wu Kuang would be so reckless as to provoke the three Great Divine Monarchs.
Even so, most of the cultivators in the Shattered Heaven were criminals, so with Wu Kuang’s wicked personality and his Heaven Devouring Battle Law, he couldn’t show mercy in this place.
Of course, Wu Kuang was no fool, so he knew his limits. The disciples from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would often come to the Shattered Heaven for life experience and training, but even if Wu Kuang encountered them, he would not attack them. He knew that nothing would happen to him if he killed the local cultivators in the Shattered Heaven, but he was bound to suffer if he provoked the ire of the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
More than 1,000 years ago, Yang Kai fled from the Shattered Heaven and escaped into the Shattered Ruins when he was chased by Bright Sun Divine Monarch Cheng Yang. On the other hand, Wu Kuang was chased by Ku Yan and fled into the Shattered Ruins around 300 hundred years ago.
Their experiences were rather similar.
As for Wu Kuang’s absence for the past 200 years, the man surnamed Wu speculated that he had died. On the contrary, Yang Kai did not believe that speculation at all. As the saying went, ‘The good die young, but a scourge lasts 1,000 years’. By that logic, with how treacherous Wu Kuang was, he would probably live forever.
It was just that the Shattered Ruins was not a pleasant place. The Divine Ability Sea surrounding the outer layer of the Shattered Ruins was filled with various dangers, so Wu Kuang had most likely been trapped there.
As Yang Kai was thinking such thoughts, a Blood River surged and swept across the Barren Territory battlefield. The Blood River wrapped around a Feudal Lord, churning violently with an extremely corrosive nature.
Caught in the Blood River, even the Feudal Lord could not endure. It didn’t take more than a few breaths for his body to dissolve and Black Ink Strength to dissipate. The Blood River then fearlessly devoured and refined the body of the Feudal Lord, growing even stronger after receiving this nourishment.
On this battlefield, the only person who could cause such a scene was Blood Crow.
Together with Yang Kai during the great crusade, Blood Crow had used his Grand Evolution Immoral Blood Light Scripture to refine Black Ink Clansmen and obtained a great harvest as a result. After tasting such benefits, he had continued using this method to fight.
Although he suffered some drawbacks after refining Black Ink Clansmen, he would be safe as long as he consumed large amounts of the Purifying Black Ink Pill or used the Purifying Light in the Purifying Black Ink Battleships. Consequently, Blood Crow was the most frequent visitor to the Purifying Black Ink Battleships at Yin-Yang Pass.
Be that as it may, his growth was extremely remarkable. He could now be considered among the strongest Seventh-Order Masters alive. Even Feng Ying from back then could not compare with him. Combined with his brutal method of fighting the Black Ink Clan, even his comrades, who were part of the Human Race, couldn’t help feeling frightened of him.
Just as he was about to successfully refine the Feudal Lord though, a figure rushed over from the side and reached out a hand. A mysterious energy surged, forcefully stealing away most of the energy inside the Blood River.
Blood Crow was furious. Turning to the side, he roared, “Wu Kuang, can you be more shameless!?”
Wu Kuang snorted with laughter, “You’ve eaten too much. Be careful, or your belly might burst. This King is simply helping you out. There’s no need to thank me!”
Blood Crow was so furious that his face visibly twitched.
He originally thought that Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture was the evillest Secret Art in the world, until he encountered this person known as Wu Kuang on the Barren Territory battlefield.
Wu Kuang cultivated a Secret Technique known as the Heaven Devouring Battle Law. The effects of this Secret Technique were similar to Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture as they both refined foreign energy to enhance their strength.
However, the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture could only refine Blood Essence, while there was nothing the Heaven Devouring Battle Law could not refine. Forget the Blood Essence of the Black Ink Clan, even Black Ink Strength could be refined with the latter!
When Blood Crow first saw Wu Kuang directly refining Black Ink Strength, he was shocked to the core.
Black Ink Strength was extremely corruptive. Once touched by Black Ink Strength, it would stick to a person like maggots on rotting bones. If the Human Race did not have Purifying Light and Purifying Black Ink Pills, there would not have been a crusade in the first place. They would also have suffered a crushing defeat by the Black Ink Clan during the battle outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction without these two methods.
Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters could prevent Black Ink Strength from corrupting them to a degree, but Wu Kuang could just rush straight into the dense Black Ink Clouds to refine them.
What shocked Blood Crow even more was that the Heaven Devouring Battle Law was said to be a Secret Art created by Wu Kuang himself! This kind of genius was simply awe-inspiring!
If that were all, Blood Crow would have been scrambling over his feet to become close acquaintances with Wu Kuang to exchange their experiences in refining and devouring. They might even have become close friends. However, Wu Kuang constantly snatched the benefits that were just about to fall into his hands. Such actions infuriated Blood Crow and made him hate Wu Kuang.
There was nothing he could do though since his Secret Art was inferior. He could only resign himself to his fate or curse at Wu Kuang even though his prey had been stolen as he couldn’t do anything more to Wu Kuang.
Thanks to the powerful devouring nature of their respective Secret Arts, these two were considered apex Seventh-Order Masters. They also made a name for themselves on the Barren Territory battlefield, standing out from even the top Seventh-Order Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises.
However, Blood Crow had enough self-awareness to know there could only be one outcome to a duel between the two of them.
He would be completely devoured by Wu Kuang and turned into nothing but a pile of bones!
When it came to devouring energy, the Grand Evolution Immoral Blood Light Scripture paled in comparison to the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
At the moment, both Wu Kuang and Blood Crow were under the jurisdiction of the Great Evolution Army. They served as Division Commander Feng Ying’s right-hand men!
Wu Kuang’s appearance in Barren Territory was the result of a series of coincidences. A while back, he had offended one of Ku Yan’s men and Withering Flame Divine Monarch personally came forward to kill him. Wu Kuang had no choice but to flee into the Shattered Ruins in the hopes that the dangers there would help him escape Ku Yan’s pursuit.
Wu Kuang was an intelligent fellow, so it was not surprising he could think up the same strategy that Yang Kai once used.
Wu Kuang broke into the Shattered Ruins and was caught in the Divine Ability Sea, but he was actually more fortunate than Yang Kai.
Yang Kai deduced that no one heard anything from Wu Kuang for 200 years because he was stranded inside the Divine Ability Sea, but in reality, Wu Kuang managed to get out of that place after just one year; furthermore, he even stumbled into the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land by chance.
He had no clue he was in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and assumed that he had fallen into an unknown Sealed World. Just as he was searching for opportunities, he chanced upon a golden rooster.
That golden rooster was innocent and naive. He had apparently lived much of his life in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and was unfamiliar with the sinister side of Humans’. In fact, he even excitedly approached Wu Kuang, an unfamiliar face.
Wu Kuang, a lawless person through and through, immediately started getting ideas when he noticed that the golden rooster seemed to possess a Divine Spirit Bloodline but was still just a fledgling.
While he had devoured all kinds of beings in his life, Wu Kuang had not tasted a Divine Spirit with power equivalent to a Master in the Open Heaven Realm before. There was a high chance that his power would soar to greater heights if he could consume this rooster.
With this mind made up, Wu Kuang decided to act immediately. He used his Heaven Devouring Battle Law to try and devour the golden rooster, but just as he made his move, a much bigger golden rooster appeared.
Wu Kuang finally realised that an older golden rooster had followed the little one, and the older one’s strength was akin to a peak Eighth-Order Open Heaven Master!
Once again, Wu Kuang cut a sorry figure as he fled. In fact, he would likely have met a disastrous end if the commotion had not drawn the attention of Shan Qing Luo, who was cultivating nearby.
The two were shocked to see each other as neither expected to run into an acquaintance from the outside world in this place.
Shan Qing Luo acted as a mediator and Wu Kuang was able to set aside his pride and sincerely apologise. After finding out that Wu Kuang was an old acquaintance of Yang Kai, and since Great General had not actually been harmed, Mie Meng decided to let Wu Kuang off the hook just this once. Thus, things were settled just like that.
However, Mie Meng did give Wu Kuang a harsh warning. She would not show any mercy if he ever tried to approach her child again.
Naturally, Wu Kuang gave his word, for what that was worth…
After talking to Shan Qing Luo, Wu Kuang finally realised that he had ended up in Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. Shan Qing Luo was not the only one here either. Su Yan, Zhu Qing, and all the others from Void Land who had Divine Spirit Sources and Bloodlines were all cultivating here and had been for several hundred years.
Ordinary Humans were not allowed to remain in Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, so Shan Qing Luo reached out to Su Yan and the others. They were all discussing sending Wu Kuang away when the Black Ink Clan captured the No-Return Pass and the war erupted in the Barren Territory.
The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan sent word for the Divine Spirits in Ancestral Land to come to their aid in the Barren Territory.
When the Divine Spirits received this message, they rushed to the No-Return Pass at once with the Four Phoenix Pavilion and Kun Clan at the helm. Wu Kuang decided to tag along to witness the excitement.
For the time being, he dared not return to the Shattered Heaven, so he figured he might as well join the fun on the Barren Territory battlefield.
Due to their connection with Yang Kai, the others apart from the Divine Spirits from the Ancestral Land, such as Su Yan, Shan Qing Luo, Liu Yan, Jiu Feng, and the others from the Star Boundary were all taken into the Great Evolution Army under the command of Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
Once the group arrived at the Barren Territory battlefield, Wu Kuang took to the place like a duck to water. He could unleash his Heaven Devouring Battle Law here to the fullest without anyone condemning him, allowing his cultivation to rise rapidly.
He felt as if he had been born for battlefields such as this. Black Ink Strength, something that all Humans feared and reviled, was actually the greatest supplement he could obtain.
In this place, Wu Kuang developed a kind of kinship with Blood Crow, who cultivated the Grand Evolution Immortal Blood Light Scripture. He took good care of the latter, so much so that anyone who saw his actions would be moved by him, in a good way, of course.
…..
Of course, Yang Kai knew nothing of Wu Kuang’s eventful escapades. After giving his instructions to the Senior Brother and Junior Sister of Heavenly River Palace, he passed them a large number of Purifying Black Ink Pills and informed them that anyone who was corrupted by Black Ink Strength but had not turned into a Black Ink Disciple yet could consume this pill to drive the Black Ink Strength out of their body.
The woman had experienced this herself and so greatly valued these pills. She accepted them with a grateful heart before both she and her Senior Brother vowed that they would do as Yang Kai requested and ensure that his instructions were carried out to the letter.
It was only then that Yang Kai took his leave.
“Are you not heading to Barren Territory?” Ji Lao San quickly asked when he noticed that Yang Kai seemed to be heading in the wrong direction.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Something’s happened in the Shattered Heaven. Black Ink Disciples have shown up here, so I need to investigate their movements and check where they came from. I will have to trouble you with something though, Brother Ji.”
“Do tell.”
“Make a trip to Barren Territory and tell them that Black Ink Disciples have appeared in the Shattered Heaven. Also, please ask the Old Ancestors there if a Royal Lord has used the Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt some Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters. If that’s indeed the case, then I’m afraid a portal from the Barren Territory to the Shattered Heaven has somehow been opened. The Old Ancestors must locate the point of connection and find a way to block the linkage. The Phoenix Clan’s Leader should be able to take care of it!”
Ji Lao San was fully aware of the severity of this request, so he immediately nodded and agreed, “I understand. I’ll leave for the Barren Territory right now.”
“Also, tell them to send some people over to the Shattered Heaven to guard the Territory Gates.”
Since there were Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven, if the Humans did not seal off this place at once, it was likely that the threat of the Black Ink Clan would soon spread to the other Great Territories.
The situation would still be manageable if the Black Ink Clan remained contained within the Shattered Heaven, but it would be impossible to control the threat if too many Great Territories were infected by Black Ink Strength.
Yang Kai would have personally gone over the seal off the Territory Gate to the Shattered Heaven if he had not been in a rush to pursue the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples.
Ji Lao San swiftly sprinted for the Barren Territory’s Territory Gate while Yang Kai rushed towards the Shattered Ruins.
According to what the Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple said, he ran into the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples by chance and they corrupted him with Black Ink Strength. After doing so, they did not tell him to do anything else other than to corrupt other Humans with Black Ink Strength.
From the looks of it, they had no specific motive for doing so and had merely done it because the opportunity presented itself to them.
It was likely that there were others in the Shattered Heaven who were in the same situation as that Sixth-Order Black Ink Disciple, but it would be hard to pinpoint them if these Black Ink Disciples did not expose themselves.
If things were exactly as Yang Kai guessed, then it was very likely that another portal had opened between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven.
However, the situation in the Shattered Heaven was still fairly stable, which meant that if a new portal existed, it was probably highly unstable. Or else, the Black Ink Clan Army would have flooded through the portal and laid siege to the Humans instead of merely sending two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples over.
They sent Black Ink Disciples because it was easier for them to move about unnoticed since they were Humans. If the Black Ink Clan showed up instead, everyone would easily recognise them for who they were. How could they possibly engage in subterfuge if everyone targeted them everywhere they went?
Yang Kai did not know what the situation was truly like right now, so all of this was just his deductions.
He was even more curious to find out about the purpose behind the appearance of the two Black Ink Disciples.
Although they were heading towards the Shattered Ruins, there was very little chance that they were aiming to get to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land. There was nothing of value to them there.
However, a thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind and his expression turned grim at once.
He finally realised what he had been forgetting all along.
[Divine Spirit Ancestral Land! Black Ink Sealing Land! That Black Ink Giant Spirit God!]
Yang Kai would not have given it much thought if it had not been for the precedent set by the Black Ink Giant Spirit God which appeared on the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
That Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Late Ancient Era battlefield had clearly already died, though his body remained indestructible and even retained the Will to slaughter his enemies. However, the Black Ink Clan used some sort of method to bring it back to life. As a result, outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, the two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods attacked the Human Race Army from both sides and caused their defeat.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Lane had been dead for many years, but its body remained.
Since the Black Ink Clan could awaken a dead Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Late Ancient Era battlefield, why would they not awaken the one in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land?
If the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had come with that goal in mind, there was only one possibility!
They wanted to reawaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God at Divine Spirit Ancestral Land!
Yang Kai felt goosebumps all over his scalp.
A Giant Spirit God was too powerful of an existence. Even if over a dozen Old Ancestors joined forces, they might still fail to lay a finger on a Giant Spirit God.
Although the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were created by Mo, they were essentially on par with true Giant Spirit Gods. Just their massive size was enough to easily unleash Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering power.
Had Mo reached the realm of being able to create living beings? The fabled Creation Realm!?
If the Black Ink Clan had the power to awaken and unleash the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, the Humans were done for.
No one but a Giant Spirit God could stop a Black Ink Giant Spirit God!
After thinking this through, Yang Kai became frantic and desperately urged his Space Principles, moving with all speed towards the Shattered Ruins.
In half a month, he arrived on the outskirts of the Divine Ability Sea. It looked just the same as the last time he came here, as if the passing of time meant nothing in this place.
The situation at this Divine Ability Sea was similar to the Late Ancient Era battlefield, but the one there had been left after a great battle, whereas the one here was specifically created by Humans.
The last time Yang Kai was here, he did not understand why there was the Divine Ability Sea here until he saw the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
The Divine Ability Sea was a barrier against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, acting like a cage to keep it imprisoned.
However, the Ancestral Strength of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land was able to suppress Black Ink Strength, and the Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress of that generation used the Sacred Treasures of 16 Divine Spirit Clans to forge an immense Sealing Array. After countless aeons, the Ancestral Strength had worn away all of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s power, leaving nothing but an empty shell behind.
This was the reason why Yang Kai did not consider this possibility until now.
He secretly hoped that the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples’ motives were not as he deduced as he dove straight into the Divine Ability Sea.
He was only a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master the last time he came here, so he and Xia Lin Lang went through great pains before they stumbled into the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Now that he was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, Yang Kai was over 100 times stronger than he was back then, so he simply forged ahead boldly.
The Divine Ability Sea had been left behind innumerable years ago and its power had weakened during that period. The main reason why Yang Kai managed to take Xia Lin Lang through the Divine Ability Sea when he was just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, other than his mastery over the Dao of Space, was this weakening.
He had to tread carefully then, but he did not need to do so now after he had gotten stronger and improved his mastery of the Dao of Space.
As Yang Kai was in a hurry, he could not spare the time to worry about much else. He dashed straight through and triggered countless barriers and restrictions. Divine Abilities situated throughout the area all activated and chased him down as he flitted through the void, making it look as if he had a tail made of rainbow-coloured lights behind him.
He did encounter a few setbacks, but they did not affect him much.
Within the short span of 10 days or so, Yang Kai managed to make his way through the Divine Ability Sea and step foot onto Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, albeit with a bruised and battered body.
This was a truly ancient place and was also the origin of all Divine Spirits. It was said that back in the earliest days, a myriad of Divine Spirits lived and flourished here; however, over time, the conflict between the various Divine Spirits grew until it culminated in a dreadful war.
The place of origin of the Divine Spirits had fragmented in the destruction and the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land of today was merely the largest piece that remained.
Even so, it was still the Divine Spirits’ most important Holy Land. Although Ancestral Strength could cause great harm to those who did not have a Divine Spirit Bloodline, it was a great help to those who did. By using Ancestral Strength, Divine Spirits could significantly shorten the time it took for them to cultivate and grow.
The last time Yang Kai came here, the Ancestral Strength had become thin and sparse, which was why the Divine Spirits, under the leadership of the Kun Clan, were all eager to open up the Black Ink Sealing Land as the Ancestral Strength was thick and abundant there.
Now that Yang Kai was here in this Ancestral Land again, he immediately sensed that the Ancestral Strength was a lot more plentiful than it had been before. While there were dangers that came with opening the Black Ink Sealing Land, the Divine Spirits did benefit from the Ancestral Strength that flowed out from the Black Ink Sealing Land.
However, Yang Kai was in no mood to ponder the changes in the Ancestral Strength density right now. As soon as he arrived, a fierce battle that was happening a great distance away instantly caught his attention.
He looked over and saw two flashes of light, one black and one white, tangled up together in the void. The Ancestral Land in its entirety rumbled and quaked each time the two flashes of light came into contact, which made it obvious that two Masters were engaged in battle.
Now and then, shrill, sorrowful bird cries pierced through the air.
Yang Kai’s expression hardened. He cursed under his breath at how fast the enemy had arrived. Even though he rushed over as quickly as he could, he still failed to arrive in time.
By now, he was more than clear that his earlier deductions were accurate. The two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples were after the Black Ink Giant Spirit God inside the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, planning on reawakening it!
The fight that was happening in the distance was between Hong Hu of Four Phoenix Pavilion and one of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples, though Yang Kai did not know which one.
Yang Kai swiftly concealed his aura and raced over.
Halfway there, he spotted a large group of Divine Spirits in various states fleeing in his direction. The one in the lead was a golden rooster that was about as tall as a building. He held his head up high with its chest puffed out even though he was clearly trying to make an escape.
This golden rooster looked a little familiar to Yang Kai, and when they got closer, he quickly showed himself and called out, “Ruler of the Dawn Great General?”
The golden rooster froze briefly when he saw Yang Kai, but surprise soon took over as he flapped his wings and came over at once. With a flicker of Divine Sense, he communicated to Yang Kai, “What are you doing here?”
Neither one of them could have predicted that they would meet again under such circumstances.
There was no time to catch up however, so Yang Kai quickly explained, “I’m here because I’m chasing after the two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples. Is Senior Hong Hu holding them back? Where’s the other Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple?”
Ruler of the Dawn Great General’s tone was a little bitter, “You’re too late. The two Black Ink Disciples infiltrated this place and snuck up on Senior Kun Ao, who was standing guard here, leaving him gravely injured. Then, one of them stayed here to stop Senior Hong Hu while the other went into the Demon Sealing Land. I don’t know what he’s trying to do there.”
Yang Kai’s heart sank. He saw Hong Hu battling against an Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple and assumed that the situation was not quite so dire yet, but unexpectedly, things had already reached the worst-case scenario.
Ruler of the Dawn Great General hurriedly explained the current situation, “A fierce battle has broken out in the Barren Territory, and most of the Divine Spirits have gone to help. Senior Hong Hu and Kun Ao stayed behind to take care of us young ones, but now we can’t even tell if Senior Kun Ao will survive his wounds. I’m leading the young ones as far away as possible to hide. Come with us.”
Although he was huge in size, Great General was still considered a child when viewed in the light of the Divine Spirits’ prolonged growth period. It was the same with the other Divine Spirits behind him. Yang Kai could sense that even the strongest among them was only equal to a Fifth-Order Human Master, incapable of helping much on the battlefield. This was why they had been left behind under the care of Hong Hu and Kun Ao.
This way, even if some of the Divine Spirits who went to aid the Humans in the Barren Territory were sacrificed, their bloodlines would continue.
However, no one expected two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to quietly sneak into the Ancestral Land and heavily injure Kun Ao by catching him off-guard. Hong Hu noticed the commotion and rushed over to stop them, but it was already too late.
One of the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples stayed behind to hold Hong Hu back while the other seized the chance to infiltrate the Demon Sealing Land.
Yang Kai shook his head, “I came here to deal with the two Black Ink Disciples. Hurry up and leave, all of you. The other Black Ink Disciple probably intends to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God inside the Demon Sealing Land. The Ancestral Land isn’t safe anymore. You must leave here at once!”
The young Divine Spirits were all panicking, but one of the braver ones declared, “Ruler of the Dawn, let’s turn back and fight back with all we’ve got! Our parents aren’t here and Senior Hong Hu can’t fight alone. We should be defending our home!”
Ruler of the Dawn was young, but he lived among the Humans for a while and was thus a lot more mature than the others, so he swiftly turned around and snapped, “How are you going to fight them? We’re all too weak! We’d just get in the way before dying pointlessly! Do you want your parents to come back to find that even your corpse no longer exists? You’re all leaving with me!”
The young Divine Spirit dared not say anything in rebuttal after being rebuked as Ruler of the Dawn seemed to have some prestige among the little ones.
Initially, Ruler of the Dawn only wanted to lead the young ones away from the battlefield and find someplace further away to hide, but after hearing what Yang Kai said, he knew that they could not stay in Ancestral Land any longer. The Ancestral Land would most likely be destroyed the moment the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple awakened the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Thus, he instantly made the decision to lead the young ones away out of Ancestral Land.
Fortunately, there was the safe passage that he and his Mother took to return to the Ancestral Land back then and he could still remember the way; otherwise, they would all be doomed if they had to break through the Divine Ability Sea like Yang Kai had earlier.
“Yang Kai, hurry up and help Senior Hong Hu,” Ruler of the Dawn quickly said.
Yang Kai nodded, “Be extremely careful, all of you. Once you’ve left the Ancestral Land, don’t stop for anything. Do you still remember Seven Wonders Land?”
Back then, Yang Kai had gotten to know Ruler of the Dawn Great General in Seven Wonders Land, so it was unlikely for him to have forgotten about it, and indeed he nodded right away.
“Head to Seven Wonders Land and look for Bi Xi. Get that old man to protect all of you.”
A large group of young Divine Spirits was far too eye-catching, and things could quickly turn dangerous if those with ulterior motives set their sights on these fledglings. It would be best for them to head to Seven Wonders Land, which was now known as Void Land, and sought protection from Bi Xi.
Yang Kai could have also kept them inside his Small Universe, but he was on a dangerous mission right now and did not know whether he could make it out alive. If he died here, then these young Divine Spirits would all die with him.
The young Divine Spirits were the ones who would carry on their bloodlines, so he dared not take such a risk.
“Go!” Yang Kai said firmly.
“You be careful too!” Ruler of the Dawn called out before fleeing once more with the group of young Divine Spirits.
Yang Kai glanced at the fight between the black and white flashes of light in the sky and breathed out. He decided against hiding his aura again and instead summoned his Azure Dragon Spear and charged into the sky.
At first, only the alarming light of the spear appeared, but a plethora of Dao Strengths soon joined the mix. The imposing aura grew stronger until the earth shook, the sky dimmed, and the wind and clouds whipped around.
As for the two that were fighting on the battlefield, Hong Hu was distraught as what happened today had been far too unexpected. Two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had managed to sneak into the Ancestral Land without anyone noticing them and had gravely injured Kun Ao who had been standing guard. Even though she managed to hold off one of them, the other had already entered the Demon Sealing Land.
She did not know what their motives were and did not have any idea where these two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples came from; thus, she could not stop herself from viewing the situation pessimistically. Had the Barren Territory battlefield been breached as well? Were all her friends dead? Was an enemy invasion on the way?
Still, she was a mature Divine Spirit. Although she did not rank highly among the Divine Spirits, she had a Phoenix Clan Bloodline, so an ordinary Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was no match for her.
That being said, her opponent was fighting with reckless abandon, as if he did not care if he died here today, so there was no way Hong Hu could defeat him quickly.
Just as the two clashed, they both detected the appearance of a terrifying Spear Intent, and soon, a flash of piercing aura came from afar and locked onto the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple.
Hong Hu was gleefully surprised, while the Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple’s expression darkened.
He never thought that an Eighth-Order Master would come over to render aid at a time like this. Furthermore… he was familiar with the newcomer’s aura!
The Black Ink Disciple kept trying to use his Secret Techniques to break off the aura that was locked onto him, but his opponent seemed to have seen this coming and kept increasing the force behind his aura, preventing him from breaking free.
The Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciple chuckled bitterly, as if he could tell what his fate would be, “That brat… has actually become an Eighth-Order Master already!”
He could tell who it was from the person’s aura, but he never thought the Brat they all thought had died back then would still be alive. Not only was he still alive, but he even possessed an Eighth-Order cultivation!
Knowing that he would not be leaving this place alive, the Black Ink Disciple gave up any attempt to defend himself and instead channelled all of his power into attacking Hong Hu instead. He wanted to take Hong Hu down with him.
Hong Hu was immediately overwhelmed by a series of relentless attacks, but as she was more powerful than her opponent, she managed to control the situation, even if just barely.
Meanwhile, spear and Master merged into one. As Yang Kai’s Dao Strengths continued to intertwine, his expression turned sorrowful and his eyes turned a little red; however, he resisted the reluctance in his heart and thrust out with all of his power.
At this very moment, he could not help but recall the words he had lectured Jiu Yan with back when they were outside the Universe Temple.
On that battlefield, countless soldiers had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength and ended up serving the Black Ink Clan as they fought against those who were once their Fellow Brothers!
‘How would you ever know the agony and helplessness of having to kill those who were once your closest allies?’
Back then, Yang Kai was only trying to reprimand Jiu Yan with those words. He never imagined that they would be so prophetic!
Despite being part of the Black Ink Battlefield for so many years, Yang Kai had actually killed very few Black Ink Disciples.
Since he could use Purifying Light, he would save any Black Ink Disciples he encountered whenever possible.
Shen Ao, Ning Qi Zhi, and Qi Tai Chu were just some of the ones he saved; however, after years of crusades, out of those three Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters that he saved, Shen Ao was the only one left. Ning Qi Zhi and Qi Tai Chu had both fallen in battle.
Sacrificing their lives in battle was an honourable death for both of them, though it did not make their passing any less sad.
Yang Kai never thought that there would come a time when he would have to do just as he said to Jiu Yan and kill someone who once fought alongside him in battle, and an Elder who took great care of him at that!
He did not have any Yellow or Blue Crystals left with him and thus could not use Purifying Light, but even if he could, he did not have the chance to do so.
After all, Yang Kai’s opponent was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master with formidable strength and was fully aware of Purifying Light. After being corrupted by Black Ink Strength, Yang Kai knew his opponent would fight to the bitter end and never give him a chance to purify him.
Perhaps there might have been hope under different circumstances, but this situation was critical and Yang Kai had to end the fight as swiftly as possible so that he could head over to the Black Ink Sealing Land to stop the other Black Ink Disciple!
Yang Kai’s silhouette turned into a ray of light as his Dao Strengths combined. The dominance of his spear today surpassed every other attack he had ever launched as all of the Ancestral Land’s Principles resonated with him.
“Please go on ahead, Elder Lu!”
Yang Kai bellowed with great agony. His voice echoed all around as the pain and sorrow in it almost seemed as if it was dripping with blood.
“Magnificent!” Lu An, who was still relentlessly battling Hong Hu, roared with laughter. He did not show any signs of fearing death. His hands kept moving as he sent out several of Yin-Yang Heaven’s profound Secret Techniques. He turned a piece of the sky into the powers of Yin and Yang, which acted like a pair of scissors that launched ferociously cut towards Hong Hu.
Before he died, he wanted to drag Hong Hu down with him to make it easier for his partner.
Hong Hu cried out and a dazzling white light appeared to protect her. The strength of a Divine Spirit was unleashed to its fullest as she was forced to assume her True Form, a flawless phoenix-like creature.
Even though she was more powerful than Lu An, she dared not underestimate him as he was literally fighting with his life on the line, forcing her into a defensive posture.
The powers of Yin and Yang cut through the void and the light which had been protecting Hong Hu’s body was sheared apart. As feathers scattered in the air, Hong Hu gasped in pain as her blood splattered across the sky.
However, she at least managed to avoid suffering a fatal blow.
Just as Hong Hu was injured, the light of a spear brushed past Lu An.
It was as if the black and white in the sky were disarmed with a binding technique as they immediately froze, their intense fight coming to an abrupt halt.
Yang Kai had his back towards the Elder, tears streaming down his cheeks. His veins bulged out of his arm as he tightened his grip around his spear.
“Damn!” Lu An lamentingly sighed, “I’ve fought on the Black Ink Battlefield for more than 6,000 years. I’m old now, but it seems I can’t even maintain my dignity in my final moments. I’m too embarrassed to face the Ancestors of Yin-Yang Cave Heaven.”
At last, Yang Kai slowly turned around and bowed deeply to Lu An.
He heard someone mentioning that when Mi Jing Lun took back Great Evolution Pass, he instructed the Black Ink Clan to leave behind all Black Ink Disciples who were below the Seventh Order. They could not be saved as they had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength for too long and relied on it to break through their innate restrictions.
Even Xiang Shan did not know what to do with those Black Ink Disciples, so in the end, they had to report the matter up to Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao did not hesitate at all, and with a single blow, all the Black Ink Disciples received a fatal injury.
However, just before their deaths, they seemed to return to their old selves for a moment, freed at last.
Lu An’s behaviour was evidently a sign that he had regained his former self; after all, he had not been under the corruption of Black Ink Strength for long and was originally an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. His situation was a lot better than that of those Black Ink Disciples back then.
“This Junior still remembers everything that you have taught and will never forget the words you have spoken. This Junior now sends you off, Elder!” Yang Kai softly declared in grief.
Lu An was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yin-Yang Cave Heaven who took great care of Yang Kai when he first entered Blue Sky Pass as he partly counted as someone from Yin-Yang Heaven.
At that time, Yang Kai still possessed a World Spring, one of the Four Universe Pillars, and the superiors of Blue Sky Pass naturally discussed extracting it to give to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master instead.
The Four Universe Pillars were far too important for the Human Race as they could be used to resist Black Ink Strength. The best use for such a tool was in the hands of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
During that discussion, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master by the name of Tian Xiu Zhu strongly petitioned to take the World Spring away from Yang Kai and grant it to Lu An, who could be considered Yang Kai’s Elder. Lu An naturally tried to decline, and as the discussion progressed, the situation was eventually resolved.
However, after Yang Kai and Dawn Squad were reassigned to the Great Evolution Army, he never got to meet Lu An again.
Yang Kai never thought they would meet again under these circumstances, and that he would be forced to kill Lu An.
After hearing Yang Kai’s words, Lu An nodded and hurriedly said, “Ye Ming of Azure Nether Paradise is carrying one of Mo’s Soul Clones and intends to use it to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God here. Mo created this Soul Clone before being sealed up. You have to stop Ye Ming!”
Yang Kai’s expression turned grim, “One of Mo’s Soul Clones?”
“Every Black Ink Giant Spirit God can be considered one of Mo’s Soul Clones. As its body is essentially indestructible, it can be awakened with Mo’s Soul Clone. A secondary passage between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven has opened, but it’s highly unstable. If the Giant Spirit God is awakened here and joins forces with the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory though, they can permanently open that passage!”
Lu An’s expression faltered once he finished speaking and muttered, “Seems my time’s up…”
As soon as he said those words, his eyes drooped and his body fell limp.
Yang Kai’s spear had destroyed his vitality, but through sheer force of Will, Lu An held on just a little longer to relay this information.
Yang Kai’s heart was pounding wildly after hearing what Lu An had to say while all the colour drained out of Hong Hu’s face as well.
Everyone thought that Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were simply powerful servants that Mo had created, but Lu An now informed them that the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were actually Mo’s Soul Clones!
Mo’s true body was sealed up inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and could not escape, but it seemed it was still possible for Mo to send out its Soul Clones.
This meant that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God that came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction back then had been one of Mo’s Soul Clones as well.
This explained why the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Late Ancient Era battlefield could still come back to life after being dead for so many years.
Mo must have sent out more than one Soul Clone without anyone noticing, and one of them had entered the body of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God on the Late Ancient Era battlefield. After being revived, that Black Ink Giant Spirit God snuck up on the Humans from behind and the crusade failed, falling short at the last moment.
Another Soul Clone had been brought to this place by Lu An and Azure Nether Paradise’s Ye Ming.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body was indestructible, so as long as it had Mo’s Soul Clone, it could come back to life.
Yang Kai also found it tough to swallow the news that there was indeed a second passage between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven. Although he had guessed at such a possibility earlier, it was only a guess, and he held onto the hope that he was wrong.
Now, all his hopes were dashed.
Thankfully, Lu An said that the passage was highly unstable and needed the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Demon Sealing Land to join forces with the one in the Barren Territory to open it permanently.
There was still a chance to turn things around if he could stop the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from awakening.
At last, Yang Kai finally understood why the Black Ink Clan did not send an Army but just a couple of Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples instead.
It wasn’t that they didn’t want to send their Army, but rather that they couldn’t. Sending two Black Ink Disciples to revive the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was the best option available. As long as they succeeded, no one could stop the Black Ink Clan from carrying out their plan unless several Ninth-Order Old Ancestors came over to deal with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
But, could several Old Ancestors come over?
The answer would definitely be a no. The Barren Territory battle was already a worrying situation with the Humans at a disadvantage; thus, none of the Ninth-Order Masters could leave easily.
All sorts of thoughts raced through Yang Kai’s mind as he rushed towards the Black Ink Sealing Land. Hong Hu could not waste time tending to her injuries either as she followed closely behind.
The Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan had partitioned the Black Ink Sealing Land with an unbreakable barrier, but that seal had been lifted back then. Now, the entrance to the Demon Sealing Land was just a large portal that Ancestral Strength continued to flow out of.
Yang Kai and Hong Hu dashed through the portal and arrived inside Demon Sealing Land, but their hearts dropped as soon as they saw what was going on inside!
Black Ink Strength from the Black Ink Giant Spirit God at the centre of the sealed land was surging, seeming to congealing around its body while an imposing aura was swiftly recovering.
They were too late!
Apparently, it was far easier than anyone expected to revive a Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Ye Ming of Azure Nether Paradise had not been inside for long, at most half a day, but all he seemingly had to do was plant Mo’s Soul Clone inside the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
Yang Kai did not know who Ye Ming was, but he spotted him right away.
Ye Ming was lying on top of a hill, his aura completely dried up, like there wasn’t a drop of vitality left in him. He was barely more than a bag of bones and his breath was failing. It was clear that he would soon die.
He, an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, now looked like an ordinary mortal who had never cultivated before.
Upon noticing Yang Kai and Hong Hu’s arrival, Ye Ming mustered the strength to glance at them and eke out a bitter smile.
Lu An had only told Yang Kai that Ye Ming had one of Mo’s Soul Clone with him and wanted to reawaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, but even Lu An did not know that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would have to pay a heavy price to carry one of Mo’s Soul Clones with him.
Ye Ming’s current state was the price he had to pay.
Mo was a Supreme Master, formed from the Primordial Darkness alongside the Primordial Light at the beginning of the Universe. Mo far exceeded the Open Heaven Realm as Humans knew it, while even the powerful Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods could only count as Mo’s Soul Clones.
Even a mere Soul Clone of such a being was not something that just anyone could hold onto.
Even if a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor carried it, it would still severely damage their foundation within a short time.
An Eighth-Order Master like Ye Ming would have to pay with his life.
Knowing that Ye Ming was about to die, Yang Kai simply sighed. He knew Lu An well, but was forced to kill him himself. Thus, he was deeply sorrowful over that; however, he was not acquainted with Ye Ming. Also, after so many years of battles and witnessing death countless times on the battlefield, while Yang Kai felt pity at the imminent death of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, it was simply that.
Staring at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God whose aura continued to rise, Yang Kai gripped his spear tightly, “Leave first, Senior Hong Hu.”
Hong Hu turned to him, “What about you?”
“Someone has to deal with this,” Yang Kai replied.
“Can you deal with it?”
To such a question, Yang Kai could only grimly shake his head.
Yang Kai was only an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but even if a Ninth-Order Old Ancestor came here, they would not be confident about facing off against the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
All he could do was go all out!
“I’ll stay here with you!” Hong Hu declared.
However, Yang Kai shook his head, “Senior Hong Hu, you heard what Elder Lu said, right? Someone needs to take this information back to the others. There’s no one else here apart from you and me. Who will pass this information along to our allies if we both die here? I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to make the trip, Senior.”
Hong Hu wanted to argue, but no words came out.
At first, she wanted to say that Kun Ao was here too, but Lu An and Ye Ming had managed to sneak attack him earlier. Kun Ao was still unconscious from his injuries and it was uncertain whether he would even survive or not, so how could he be the messenger?
“Before I came, I asked someone from the Dragon Clan to rush over to the Barren Territory battlefield; unfortunately, the situation has changed and we’ve run out of time. You must leave now, Senior!”
Hong Hu clenched her jaw and nodded solemnly, “Be careful.”
Immediately, she turned around and sped out of the Demon Sealing Land. After locating Kun Ao, who was still unconscious, she swiftly left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land with him.
Meanwhile, Ji Lao San went through the Shattered Heaven’s Territory Gate and finally arrived at the Barren Territory battlefield. Soon, he saw the Ninth-Order Old Ancestor who was overseeing the nearby battlefield.
“Senior, have any of the Eighth-Order Masters on the Barren Territory battlefield been corrupted by Black Ink Strength?” Ji Lao San quickly asked as per Yang Kai’s instructions.
The Old Ancestor did not understand why Ji Lao San was asking about this all of a sudden, but he did know about such a situation, so he nodded, “Many years ago, a Royal Lord managed to sneak into the battlefield and use his Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.”
That Royal Lord who used the Royal Lord Secret Technique even sacrificed his life to do so.
This was the reason why the Royal Lords dared not arbitrarily use the Royal Lord Secret Technique. It was incredibly useful as even Eighth-Order Masters could be immediately turned into Black Ink Disciples, but each time it was used, it would also damage the user’s foundation.
A nearby Old Ancestor took advantage of the opportunity to strike the Royal Lord down after he corrupted a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength.
Although the Humans lost a handful of Eighth-Order Masters, they managed to kill one of their enemy’s Royal Lords. Generally speaking, it could be said that the Humans came out on top.
This Ninth-Order Old Ancestor could still remember that the Human Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who were corrupted by Black Ink Strength included Yin-Yang Cave Heaven’s Lu An, Azure Nether Paradise’s Ye Ming, and an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yuan Origin Paradise.
No one could figure out why that Royal Lord had done such a thing. Throughout the past 500 years of war, a significant number of Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords had died, leaving the top battle strength of both races at around 30% of their peak, with the rest having fallen in battle!
Under these circumstances, Royal Lords and Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters were indispensable forces to the war. Both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan were now far less inclined to have their top Masters engage in battles as any casualties among them could tip the balance of the war.
“How did you know about this?” The Old Ancestor stared at Ji Lao San in puzzlement. According to what Ji Lao San had said, Yang Kai was the one who brought him back through Black Territory via a hidden Void Corridor on the Black Ink Battlefield before travelling through the Shattered Heaven to arrive at the Barren Territory battlefield.
Shouldn’t this Dragon be clueless as to what happened here?
All the colour drained out of Ji Lao San’s face as his heart filled with dread. It was exactly as Yang Kai deduced.
Ji Lao San hurriedly explained about how he and Yang Kai chased down a Black Ink Disciple in the Shattered Heaven and discovered that two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had entered the Shattered Heaven.
The Ninth-Order Old Ancestor’s expression turned extremely grim as he listened to this story.
Several Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength some years ago, so it could not be a coincidence that two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had shown up at the Shattered Heaven now. There was a high possibility that Yang Kai was right. There had to be another passage between the Barren Territory battlefield and the outside world, though it remained to be seen whether the passage connected to the Shattered Heaven.
The Old Ancestor could not afford to waste any more time and quickly passed the message along to the other Old Ancestors.
All at once, flashes of Divine Sense whizzed through the air through all forms of communication devices.
The Human Race learned from the functions of the Black Ink Nest and created a set of artifacts that would make communication and transmitting messages a lot more convenient.
While many of the functions had not been perfected, it was still good enough to use to communicate across the entire Barren Territory battlefield.
Soul Avatars began popping up in that Artifact Space and the news soon reached every single one of the Old Ancestors, whose expressions slowly hardened.
Divine Senses resonated as they communicated, and soon, the Old Ancestors agreed.
The most important task right now was to find the opening that connected the Barren Territory battlefield to the outside world. Once they found where it was, they could address the core of the crisis.
The Barren Territory was naturally formed, but was heavily altered by Human hands. The ancestors of the Human Race mimicked the actions of Cang and the others and isolated the Barren Territory by splitting it from all other Great Territory.
There had originally been more than one Territory Gate that led to this Great Territory, but the ancient Humans had done everything they could to either destroy or seal up the other Territory Gates, leaving just a single one that connected to the Shattered Heaven.
This new opening had to be one of the original Territory Gates, but as they had been sealed up hundreds of thousands of years ago at least, even the Old Ancestors were unclear where the original portals were.
They had no choice but to send messages back to the various Cave Heavens and Paradises’ Master Sects to ask those there to go through the ancient books and records in hopes of finding some clues.
They also sent word to the Phoenix Clan Masters and sought their help as their attainments in the Dao of Space meant they could search for Space Principle fluctuations within the Barren Territory.
If there was indeed an opening somewhere, then there would be faint traces of Space Principle fluctuations emanating from it. The Phoenix Clan was the most adept at investigating this.
In this way, a month passed as the numerous Phoenix Clan Masters searched the entire Barren Territory, but found nothing. However, several Cave Heavens and Paradises sent word that they found records pertaining to the original Territory Gates in the Barren Territory.
The Old Ancestors came together and combed through the records.
According to these ancient records, the Barren Territory originally had four Territory Gates. One connected to the Shattered Heaven, while the other three connected to three other Great Territories.
After comparing the records and confirming the present topography of the Barren Territory, the Old Ancestors soon located the opening!
It was where the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God had died!
The Black Ink Clan had two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods. The first was the one who came out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but at the time, Cang had borrowed the strength of Mu and forcefully closed the Grand Restriction, slicing that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body in half.
The second Black Ink Giant Spirit God was revived from the Late Ancient Era battlefield.
It was these two Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods who combined their powers and doomed the Crusade Force. The Human Race were forced to retreat to the No-Return Pass, but as they were confronted by the combined strength of two Giant Spirits Gods, they could not defend the No-Return Pass either. In the end, they retreated once more to the Barren Territory.
Once there, the Human Race relied on arrangements they had made over the millennia to finally establish a solid defense line. It was also there that the Humans gained a powerful ally in the form of Ah Er, the Giant Spirit God who flew in and dealt a crushing blow to the enemy.
Ah Er and numerous Old Ancestors joined forces to kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit God whose body had been broken in half by the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, leaving its corpse to rot in the void.
Yang Kai even encountered that Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body when he led Ou Yang Lie and the others out of the No-Return Pass and into the Barren Territory.
However, no one had ever imagined that the place where the fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body had landed was atop one of Barren Territory’s former Territory Gates.
The Phoenix Clan could not detect any sign of Space Principle fluctuations throughout the past month, but that was most likely because they were being hidden by the dense Black Ink Strength that remained after the death of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
At last, the Humans figured out the Black Ink Clan’s plan.
There was a high chance that the Black Ink Clan had already decided to sacrifice that first Black Ink Giant Spirit God and use its body to hide the existence of the original Territory Gate. On top of that, the concentrated Black Ink Strength could be used to wear down the seal on the portal and create an opening.
Next, one of their Royal Lords used his Royal Lord Secret Technique to corrupt numerous Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength. In the chaos of the war, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who had been corrupted by Black Ink Strength silently snuck out through the opening and headed to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land in the Shattered Ruins to awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God there!
While these were merely conjectures by the Old Ancestors, it was in fact, the reality.
What they did not know was that it was three, not two Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters who left through the opening. While Lu An and Ye Ming travelled to the Shattered Heaven together, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master from Yuan Origin Paradise had another task assigned to him that the Humans were as of yet unaware of.
Now that they had come to this conclusion, a lot of things became clear to them.
One of the things they now understood was the reason why the constant battles between the Humans and the Black Ink Clan over the past years mainly occurred a great distance away from that fallen Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s body.
Up till now, the Humans never thought much of it since the Black Ink Strength that had spread after the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God terrified them and they did not want to get near that area.
Yet, from the looks of it now, the Black Ink Clan had done this on purpose and were pleased that it worked.
Furthermore, even the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was surprising to all, even though Ah Er and numerous Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had joined forces to kill it.
At the time, the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Late Ancient Era battlefield had not come forward to aid the first one, despite being completely capable of joining the fight and saving the other Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
At the time, the Humans assumed that Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods did not have a high enough sentience to understand tactics, or what it meant to rescue an ally, but from the looks of it now, the Black Ink Clan was merely taking advantage of the situation.
Even if Giant Spirit God Ah Er did not come to help the Humans, the Black Ink Clan would have probably have found a way to make sure that the first Black Ink Giant Spirit God died in battle at that very spot.
Only with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s death could they use the dense Black Ink Strength inside its body to erode the boundary walls while simultaneously concealing what they were doing.
This was all part of the Black Ink Clan’s sinister plot!
Even the Royal Lords could not have plotted this. The only one who had the ability to formulate such a strategy had to be Mo, the ancient Supreme Master.
Since Mo was so ancient, it most likely knew about the original situation of the Barren Territory; thus, it was aware of where the original Territory Gates were. What’s more, this plan involved the sacrifice of a Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the Royal Lords could not possibly have the authority to make such a decision, only their creator, Mo, could do so.
“Where does that Territory Gate lead to?” An Old Ancestor asked.
Another Old Ancestor promptly replied, “Wind Mist Territory!”
Everyone fell silent in thought.
Wind Mist Territory was an unassuming place among the 3,000 Worlds. There were too many Great Territories, so apart from the Great Territories that were well-known due to the Cave Heavens and Paradises having their headquarters there, the most famous ones were now High Heaven Territory where the Star Boundary was located, and Void Territory.
Wind Mist Territory was presided over by Wind Mist Sect. Although the sect had a few Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among its ranks and could be considered a local hegemon, it was still just a Second-Class great force.
Prior to this, the Ninth-Order Old Ancestors might not have even heard of Wind Mist Territory before, but now, the name of this Great Territory was seared into their minds.
Why were the Humans willing to lay down their lives against the Black Ink Clan Army here in the Barren Territory?
Was it not to hold the Black Ink Clan back and stop them from swarming into the 3,000 Worlds?
Now though, a few Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples had managed to enter Wind Mist Territory through a forgotten portal; was there still any meaning to the efforts and sacrifices made by the Human Army in the Barren Territory?
This news would have shaken the beliefs of someone with a feeble mind, even if he had held fast to them all this while.
However, those present were all Ninth-Order Old Ancestors. Steadfast would not even begin to describe their Will. No matter how dire a situation seemed, they would not waver in their resolve to eliminate the Black Ink Clan and protect the Human Race.
This was the mission of their lives, their very reason for being.
The Old Ancestors were the Human Race’s strongest Masters and their pillar of strength; thus, after a brief moment of silence, one of the Old Ancestors said, “The Black Ink Clan went through all this effort and even sacrificed one of their Royal Lords just so they could corrupt a few Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters with Black Ink Strength and send them out. This proves that even if there’s an opening that connects the Barren Territory to the outside world, it’s unstable and one would probably have to pay a heavy price to get through.”
The others nodded in agreement. If the opening to the outside world was stable, the Black Ink Clan Army would have poured through it by now without having to go through all this trouble.
“Perhaps the opening can only allow a few on the level of Eighth-Order Masters to pass through, or there’s some kind of adverse effect to using the opening that we don’t know about yet.”
For the sake of creating the Barren Territory, the Second Battlefield as it were, the Human ancestors had worked meticulously for millennia. There were originally four Territory Gates, so an enormous amount of time and effort had gone into either sealing off or destroying three of them. It would not be so easy to reopen one.
Even if the Black Ink Strength that spread out after the death of that Black Ink Giant Spirit God was intense and concentrated enough to erode the existing seals on the portal, that was apparently not enough to actually open it.
“The best-case scenario would be if only three Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples left. If that’s the case, then the situation isn’t too dire yet.”
“However, if things are just as Yang Kai suspects, then the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land is going to cause serious trouble for us.”
“Don’t forget about Wind Mist Territory. Since those Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples could enter Wind Mist Territory, they would’ve surely done something there. It would be child’s play for Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples to corrupt others with Black Ink Strength.”
“It should be simple enough to resolve the situation in Wind Mist Territory. Right now, the Black Ink Clan are most likely trying to keep a low profile to avoid their plans being exposed too early. Since Yang Kai found traces of two Eighth-Order Black Ink Disciples in the Shattered Heaven, then it seems that one must have stayed behind in Wind Mist Territory. We should deploy a Division to Wind Mist Territory, along with a Purifying Black Ink Battleship, and have the Phoenix Clan send a few of their Masters as well. They can seal off the Territory Gate linking to Wind Mist Territory. We must keep the threat of the Black Ink Disciples contained within Wind Mist Territory. It must not spread anywhere else!”
“Who will head to the Shattered Heaven then?”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao volunteered, “I’ll go. Yang Kai went missing under my watch. I should go and bring him back. However, the Great Evolution Army…”
One of the other Ninth-Order Old Ancestors said, “Go on. I’ll help you keep an eye on the Great Evolution Army. It’s just a couple of Royal Lords. I can handle them!”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gratefully replied, “Many thanks, Senior Brother.”
Though it was extensive, it did not take the Old Ancestors long to finish their discussion. In just a few breaths, they formulated a plan to deal with the crisis. A series of orders were soon passed down and a Division of Human soldiers and three Phoenix Clan Masters withdrew from the Barren Territory battlefield before quickly rushing towards Wind Mist Territory.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao then concealed her aura and quietly left.
There were two reasons why she volunteered. The first was as she said earlier, Yang Kai was her subordinate and he was lost under her watch. She had thought that he was bound to have met his death, but since he was still alive, it was only natural that she had to bring him back.
Secondly, she was truly annoyed by Yang Kai’s wives, especially that Yu Ru Meng from the Demon Race, who would scowl at her and demand she compensate them by bringing her Husband back.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could not stand it anymore…
At the same time, she also knew the grave importance of this task.
The situation in Wind Mist Territory was no big deal; at most, a few Humans might have been corrupted by Black Ink Strength, and a 500-strong Division was heading over there with a few Phoenix Clan Masters so they could handle that with ease.
The real trouble was happening in Shattered Heaven. If the Black Ink Clan’s plan was a success, then they might truly be able to open the passage between the Barren Territory and the Shattered Heaven.
…..
Just as Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao left the Barren Territory and arrived at the Shattered Heaven, Yang Kai was breathing heavily with the look of someone who was refusing to resign himself to the situation. His hand was trembling violently as he gripped his Azure Dragon Spear inside the Black Ink Sealing Land of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
He had been attacking the Black Ink Giant Spirit God for a full month and now completely understood why the Dragon and Phoenix Clans chose to seal it here instead of destroying him completely.
That was because it was impossible to accomplish that!
Yang Kai never would have thought that a living being’s body could be this strong and unbreakable.
He was by no means weak as he was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master who was proficient in numerous Dao Strengths, Divine Abilities, and Secret Techniques. He could easily destroy a Universe World in a blink of an eye, but even after a month had passed, he failed to deal any real damage to this Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
This being’s restorative capabilities were simply ludicrous, completely capable of recovering from any and all injuries within a matter of moments.
Of course, this was probably also due to the fact that he and his opponent were worlds apart in terms of true strength.
Although Yang Kai was an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was even stronger than Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master; thus, due to the power differential, his wide repertoire of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques all amounted to nothing.
It was just as if a First or Second-Order Master was to try to attack him; even if Yang Kai just stood there, the former would not be able to do anything to him either.
It had been a month and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was nearly fully revived now. The formidable aura was deeply alarming, and the Demon Sealing Land seemed to have a hard time withstanding the pressure as space itself continuously cracked and healed under its weight.
Yang Kai was beginning to lose hope. He was attacking with full force while his opponent did not fight back at all, but even so, he couldn’t even wound him. Just what was he supposed to do to stop this Black Ink Giant Spirit God?
After consuming handfuls of pills, Yang Kai quickly restored his strength. He knew that he did not have much time left. Calamity would befall the entire 3,000 Worlds if this Black Ink Giant Spirit God walked out of the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Feeling he had little to lose, Yang Kai stared at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God and suddenly asked, “Mo, how do you benefit from destroying the 3,000 Worlds?”
This was Yang Kai’s first attempt at communicating with the Black Ink Giant Spirit God throughout this entire month.
All along, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God’s eyes had been closed as he continued to restore his aura. He ignored everything that Yang Kai did, but when he heard this question, his eyes flew open as he stared at Yang Kai in surprise, “How did you know I’m Mo? Even Cang and the others were deceived by me.”
“What’s so shocking about me knowing that you’re Mo?” Yang Kai retorted coolly.
Yang Kai would not have known that the Black Ink Giant Spirit Gods were Mo’s Soul Clones if Lu An had not regained his senses just before his death and informed him about this.
A Soul Clone like this was far too powerful, so much so that no one would even consider the possibility of him being a Soul Clone.
Mo studied Yang Kai solemnly for a while before it abruptly shook its head, “You’re smart. Smart people aren’t good people.”
Yang Kai suddenly felt the urge to curse.
[This guy, the source of all chaos and disasters, and possibly the calamity that would befall the 3,000 Worlds, resulting in the extermination of all life, is saying that I’m not a good person!?]
However, before he could say anything, Mo sighed heavily, “Mu was the smartest, and she wasn’t a good person.”
Mo had been tricked by Mu. That was why it was sealed up inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and could not escape even after millions of years. Thus, it seemed to have somewhat of an aversion to smart people.
[That old man Cang was right. Mo is quite dumb, or rather naïve to be more accurate. It’s a pity he eventually grew smarter.] Yang Kai swallowed the words that were right on the tip of his tongue as his brow furrowed slightly. Mo was behaving rather childishly, which reminded him a lot of what Cang had said about Mo in the past.
Mo was an ancient entity that formed out of nothingness. It was the darkness of the first Primordial Light and was not a true sentient being; therefore, even though it had been alive for many millions of years, its sentience was still on the level of that of a child.
Back then, when it used Black Ink Strength to corrupt all those Great Territories, it did so because it was its natural born power, not due to any malicious intent.
“That’s right,” Yang Kai agreed decisively, “Smart people are despicable. Dumb people like me often get tricked. If only all the smart people ceased to exist.”
Mo felt a tinge of kinship, “Do you feel the same way too?”
“En,” Yang Kai nodded repeatedly.
Mo quickly extended an invitation, “Why don’t you let me enlighten you with Black Ink Strength? Join me. We can kill off all the smart people that exist. That way, we can become the smart ones.”
Yang Kai remained silent and stared at Mo for a while before chuckling all of a sudden, “You’re already smart, to begin with. Why do you need to kill off everyone else?”
Perhaps Mo was a little childish in its thoughts, but that did not mean it was foolish.
However, Mo seemed to have missed what Yang Kai said as it stared at Yang Kai curiously, “Do you have a World Tree clone? Are you like Cang and the others? Why can’t my Black Ink Strength corrupt you?”
The Black Ink Sealing Land was now, ironically, filled with Black Ink Strength, but Yang Kai was not affected by it at all, which meant that he could stave off the effects of Black Ink Strength.
“You know about the World Tree clones?” Yang Kai asked.
“Of course,” Mo replied, “That Old Tree isn’t a good thing either. I haven’t seen him in so long now, so I don’t know how he’s doing.” Then, Mo shook its head, “How annoying. You might not be able to withstand it if my true body was here. It’s a shame that I’m just a Soul Clone right now and can’t corrupt you with Black Ink Strength.”
A thought flashed across Yang Kai’s mind as he recalled what Cang said to him back then. He said that Yang Kai should not feel at ease simply because he had a World Tree clone inside his Small Universe, which helped to seal and protect it. Even that was not infallible against Black Ink Strength.
From the looks of it now, the strength of Mo’s true body was most likely able to break through the World Tree clone’s protection. Perhaps the only thing that could stop the encroachment of the strength of Mo’s true body was the World Tree itself.
However, if even the World Tree clones were not enough to withstand the strength of Mo’s true body, then how did Cang and the others avoid getting corrupted by Black Ink Strength?
Perhaps if Mo wanted to use Black Ink Strength to corrupt Cang and the other Martial Ancestors, it would have to pay a heavy price, similar to how the Royal Lords would suffer when they use their Royal Lord Secret Technique!
Setting aside such thoughts, Yang Kai asked a question that he was more concerned about, “Since you know that Old Tree, do you know where to find it?”
The World Tree was within the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but no one knew where the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary was. One could only enter if one chanced upon it. Throughout all these ages, there was no record of anyone being able to find the entrance to the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary on purpose.
Yang Kai was now an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master and had basically reached the peak of his Martial Dao. At most, he could hit the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but he couldn’t become a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
However, he could resolve this issue if he had a High-Rank World Fruit.
“You want to look for him?” Mo asked instead of answering the question.
“Do enlighten me,” Yang Kai got up and bowed.
Mo shook his head, “I can’t find him. He’s hiding from me.”
Yang Kai was astonished, “He’s hiding from you? Why is he hiding from you?”
Mo chuckled and said nothing.
Yang Kai frowned. He could not understand at all. Mo and World Tree were two of the oldest entities in existence. What kind of history and resentment was there between them, that the World Tree actually had to hide from Mo?
Cang’s words flashed across Yang Kai’s mind once more. The 10 of them had relied on the power of the World Tree to gain enlightenment on how to reach the Open Heaven Realm before passing on that knowledge to future generations, becoming the Martial Ancestors of the current Martial Dao! This was how the Humans managed to carve out a place for themselves in the harsh, brutal environment of ancient times. It was also the spread of Martial Dao that put a stop to the encroachment of Black Ink Strength.
Cang also said that this was a form of self-preservation. The 10 Martial Ancestors had been chosen, and likewise, Yang Kai was chosen as he had received a World Tree clone.
Since it was a form of self-preservation, who was the one who was trying to save themselves?
Was it the vast universe? Was it some mysterious and inexorable Will that somehow existed?
The World Tree was the key factor in this method of self-preservation as it worked through the World Tree’s power.
One was focused on self-preservation while the other was determined to destroy; thus, it stood to reason that it was impossible for the World Tree and Mo to peacefully coexist.
There were too many mysteries and unanswered questions from the ancient era. Perhaps Cang had some of the answers, but everyone from those ancient times that they could possibly ask had passed on, and it was difficult for even the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the present era to fathom the circumstances of that distant past.
Yang Kai did not linger on these unanswerable questions and instead turned to Mo and sincerely tried to convince him, “Mo, just give it up now. The Human Race have sacrificed too much throughout all these years in their attempt to fight back against the Black Ink Clan. The 3,000 Worlds is flourishing. Why must you destroy everything?”
Mo eyed Yang Kai with interest, “Will the Humans let me go if I stop now?”
“The Humans can form a truce with you. You can have the Black Ink Battlefield, and as long as you promise to never invade the 3,000 Worlds again, the Human Race won’t interfere with the Black Ink Clan,” Yang Kai replied.
Mo suddenly chuckled, “I thought you were a smart person. Who knew that you’d turn out to be a fool? You’re an Eighth-Order Master. How can you represent the entire Human Race?”
“I can’t, but there will be someone who can,” Yang Kai declared firmly.
Mo slowly shook his head, “It’s impossible. You’re telling me to give it up now because the Humans are at a disadvantage; however, if there comes a time when the Humans have faith that they can overpower me, they will surely try to find a way to get rid of me once and for all. The Humans and the Black Ink Clan have been fighting for countless eons now. The chasm between us that grew out of our blood feud has grown too deep. This bitter resentment will only end when one of us has been completely wiped out. It cannot be resolved with a simple truce.”
“When there’s a will, there’s a way!”
Mo stared at Yang Kai fixedly. All of a sudden, he started looking a little wistful, “Mu used to say that I’m very naive. I didn’t understand what that meant back then, but now I do.”
Yang Kai did not care about Mo’s insult as he continued to try and persuade the latter, “It’ll be an unthinkable catastrophe if Black Ink Strength invades the 3,000 Worlds. You don’t gain anything from doing this, so why do you insist on being so stubborn about it?”
“It was Mu and the others who betrayed me first!” Mo became furious all of a sudden, “I never thought about destroying the 3,000 Worlds. It was them! They were the ones who thought that my very existence was a sin! That’s why they locked me up inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. I had no way of getting out even after millions of years, but you know what’s ironic? They died just to keep me locked up in there!”
Yang Kai had nothing to say in response.
Even though Yang Kai knew that he would only be wasting his breath, he still had to try, and now that he had tried and failed, there was no reason for him to continue.
Just as Mo had said, a blood feud that lasted countless years could only end when one party was completely wiped out. The truth behind the conflict and being right or wrong no longer mattered in this war between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan.
Mo slowly rose to its feet. Although its movements were sluggish and somewhat clumsy, every single move it made seemed to give off an explicable pressure that suffocated those around it. As Mo stood up and its feet pressed down on the ground, even the Demon Sealing Land was struggling to bear its massive body.
“You’re so wearisome!” Mo snorted as he reached out to grab Yang Kai.
It felt as if the sky had come crashing down as Yang Kai suddenly felt a heavy pressure descend on him. It was as if something was weighing down on his shoulders, thoroughly immobilising him.
Even so, he did not attempt to flee or hide. He raised his head to stare at Mo’s face, which was nearly out of sight and sighed quietly, “In that case, you’ll just have to join me in exile!”
Space Principles flared as the World Force from Yang Kai’s Small Universe flooded out.
In an instant, a vast swath of the Black Ink Sealing Land turned into a shattered mirror with a myriad of cracks spreading out like a spider web as far as they eye could see.
All the streaks of Void Cracks were incredibly sharp and even High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters would have a hard time defending themselves from them. One false move and they might end up getting sliced in half.
Mo’s large hand continued its motion though. The Void Cracks left streaks of bloodied cuts all along its arm, causing black blood and Black Ink Strength to spew out, but it remained unaffected.
The next breath, the massive mirror that covered the Demon Sealing Land shattered entirely, and the area crumbled apart.
After a brief delay, a huge region of the Demon Sealing Land caved in and started collapsing towards its centre. As space warped, everything inside the Demon Sealing Land, including Yang Kai and Mo’s Soul Clone were all dragged in as well.
Meanwhile, outside Shattered Ruins, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao charged straight through the Divine Ability Sea, rushing all the way until she arrived at Divine Spirit Ancestral Land; however, as soon as she entered, her pupils shrank as she saw the expansive Void twisted up and teetering unstably. The collapse lasted for a brief moment before an impossibly large black hole appeared, filled with chaotic nothingness.
Her silhouette flickered and she immediately arrived outside the black hole, staring at it as she ground her teeth.
[I was a step too late!]
She knew that everything she saw in front of her right now was a result of Yang Kai’s use of Space Principles. While she did not know what the situation was like now, she knew that it could not be good if Yang Kai was forced to this extent.
Even though she was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, she was unwilling to charge into this black hole because, once inside, she was not certain she could find her way out again. After thinking in silence for a moment, she turned around and flew off.
What she now knew for sure was that the opening in the Barren Territory battlefield was connected to Wind Mist Territory, so if the Black Ink Clan did awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, it would surely head for Wind Mist Territory.
All she needed to do was wait there and she would be able to stand in her opponent’s path.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao was in a rush, so she pushed herself as quickly as she could and soon, she left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
However, she did not get far when she sensed a massive outburst of energy emanating from behind her. Turning around to see the source, she witnessed space itself being ripped apart as a massive hand the size of a mountain emerged from within.
The black hand was pulsating with extreme amounts of Black Ink Strength as it ripped the Void apart in a flash. A large silhouette appeared and roared, “Do you think this is enough to trap me?!”
“The Black Ink Giant Spirit God!” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook. Immediately after, she spotted the tiny silhouette beside the huge figure.
“Yang Kai!”
Before she could rush over, Yang Kai used Space Principles once more to invert Space and drag both him and the Black Ink Giant Spirit God back inside the Void Crack.
Inside the Void Crack, Yang Kai was extremely distressed.
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was too humongous and his power was too immense. At first, Yang Kai figured that since he could not kill the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, he could at least exile Mo’s Soul Clone and leave it lost inside the Void Crack. Mo’s Soul Clone would never be able to escape, and thus, the Human Race’s present crisis could be resolved.
However, he never expected that Mo could easily find its way out of the Void Crack.
There were no traces of Mo using Space Principles, and Yang Kai had never heard of Mo being proficient in the Dao of Space, and yet, the Void Crack which frightened even Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and Royal Lords seemed to pose no threat to Mo at all. It was as if it was walking on normal ground.
Mo could seemingly tear apart space with its bare hands. After easily finding a weakness to exploit, it ripped through space and escaped through the opening.
Initially, Yang Kai thought it was just a coincidence, but after Mo escaped from the Void Crack a second time, he then knew that it was not a coincidence. Mo could not be trapped within the Void!
Mo noticed the confused and disbelieving look on Yang Kai’s face and sneered, “I was born from the chaos of nothingness and existed inside of it for countless millions of years, it was my birthplace and home since before time itself, do you really think this would be enough to trap me?”
Yang Kai was struck with realization. He finally understood why Mo could easily escape from the Void Crack.
Mo was the Primordial Darkness born alongside the Primordial Light when the universe first formed, and just as Mo had said, it had lived inside that chaotic nihility all that time. The Void Crack might be an inescapable prison to all others, but to Mo, it was just the warm bed that once nursed it.
How could such a place serve as a trap for it?
Yang Kai felt chills down his spine. He no longer had anything else up his sleeve; after all, he was only an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. That being said, he did not stop trying to drag Mo back into the Void Crack to delay it.
All of a sudden, he heard a cry and sensed a familiar aura rushing over to him. He turned around and saw a flash of light shooting over.
When the light came close and formed a silhouette, Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise, “Old Ancestor!”
It was Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao who came. Originally, she wanted to head over to Wind Mist Territory and make preparations for an ambush, but upon noticing the aura of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, she immediately changed course and rushed over.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao did not have any time to spare in greeting as two different coloured lights swam around her figure and she struck heavily at Mo.
Mo’s blood spurted out and rained down as it roared in pain, raising its hand to swat at Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao.
A grunt was heard as the two-coloured lights shattered and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s silhouette reappeared. Blood was dripping out the corner of her lips and it was clear she had suffered an injury. She then shot over to Yang Kai in a flash and dragged him away with her.
Mo showed no intention of going after them. Although it was a lot more powerful than Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao, it would not be easy for it to kill her if she was determined to flee, so instead of wasting time here, it was better for it to start heading for its next destination.
This was also the reason why it did not bother killing Yang Kai earlier. Although Yang Kai was a fairly weak Human, he was proficient in the Dao of Space and would not be easily killed.
Moments later, somewhere in the void several million kilometres away from the Demon Sealing Land, Yang Kai and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s figures came to a stop.
“How are your injuries?” Yang Kai asked in concern.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao wiped the blood from the corner of her lips and shook her head, “I’m alright.”
“Did Brother Ji of the Dragon Clan deliver my message?” Yang Kai asked.
“Yes, but alas, I arrived a little too late.”
Yang Kai could not help but feel a little dejected as well. He had also been a little too late. If he had managed to stop Lu An and Ye Ming before they entered the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land, perhaps things would not have been as dire as they were now.
Now that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God in the Ancestral Land had been revived, the situation was not something Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao could handle by herself.
Who would have thought that the Black Ink Clan would come up with such a plan?
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God began striding through the void. Though his movements appeared clumsy, every single step he took spanned hundreds of thousands of kilometres, and everywhere he went, the light faded and the area turned to darkness as Black Ink Strength diffused all around.
Yang Kai and Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao stared at the massive silhouette with the same thought in mind, [The Shattered Heaven is doomed!]
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth and said, “He’s headed for Wind Mist Territory, which is where the other passage the Barren Territory battlefield connects to. He wants to go there and work with the Black Ink Clan in the Barren Territory to open the passage for good!”
“Wind Mist Territory?” Yang Kai frowned. He had never even heard of this Great Territory, let alone been there; however, after hearing Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s explanations, he realised that he had been mistaken in his earlier guess. He thought that the other portal in the Barren Territory battlefield was connected to the Shattered Heaven, but from the looks of it now, it was connected to Wind Mist Territory instead.
The only passage between the Shattered Heaven and the Barren Territory battlefield was still under the Human Race’s control.
Thus, Lu An and Ye Ming must have travelled from Wind Mist Territory to the Shattered Heaven instead of appearing in the Shattered Heaven directly.
Yang Kai quickly pulled his Universe Chart out and studied it before saying, “Wind Mist Territory isn’t far from here, just three Great Territories away, which means there’ll be three Territory Gates in the way!”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at once, “I can seal off these three Territory Gates to buy us some time.”
In the past, he would have assumed that the Black Ink Clan would be stuck once he blocked off these Territory Gates, but since the Black Ink Clan managed to erode even a portal in the Barren Territory despite the Human ancestors having sealed it off for hundreds of thousands of years, it proved that it was just as Ji Lao San had said. Sealing off the Territory Gates was not a foolproof plan.
An ordinary member of the Black Ink Clan, or even a Royal Lord might not be able to reopen a Territory Gate that had been sealed, but the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was Mo’s Soul Clone and could use his pure and abundant Black Ink Strength to corrode the boundary walls to reopen the portal.
Even if Yang Kai managed to seal off the three Territory Gates in the path that led to Wind Mist Territory, this would only serve as a delay. He could not block off Mo’s Soul Clone’s path entirely.
“Then what?” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao asked.
Yang Kai quickly said, “The only ones who can stop the Black Ink Giant Spirit God are the true Giant Spirit Gods or other equally powerful beings! Old Ancestor, is there a bald Giant Spirit God at Barren Territory battlefield, apart from the Giant Spirit God with a tuft of hair on his head?”
“I haven’t seen one like that,” Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao shook her head.
At present, there were only two Giant Spirit Gods in the Barren Territory battlefield. One was on the side of the Humans, which was the one with a tuft of hair on his head as Yang Kai described, while the other one was a Black Ink Giant Spirit God. These two beings had been fighting for hundreds of years now, not showing any signs of fatigue. It seemed as if they would carry on until the end of time.
[Ah Da isn’t in the Barren Territory!] Yang Kai concluded.
If he could find Ah Da, perhaps he could get him to stop Mo’s Soul Clone. Of course, Yang Kai had no idea where to find Ah Da.
There had been no news of Ah Da ever since he left the Star Boundary. Although Giant Spirit Gods were easy to spot due to their massive size, they could also control the size of their body at will, or else, they would not be able to pass through the Territory Gates.
When Ah Er brought Yang Kai through the Territory Gates back then, he had shrunk down a lot.
Plus, Giant Spirit Gods were also heavy sleepers who frequently napped after a meal. What’s more, a short nap for a Giant Spirit God would be several years long, while a long sleep could last for over 10,000 years.
Since there was no way of locating Ah Da, Yang Kai’s only choice was to seek help from two others who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Giant Spirit Gods.
Yang Kai made up his mind and said, “I’ll leave you to handle things here, Old Ancestor. I have to head to the Chaotic Dead Territory!”
Upon hearing this, Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao immediately guessed Yang Kai’s plans, “You wish to seek the help of the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer?”
“There’s no other option left.”
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s brows furrowed. Words seemed to be on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she swallowed them back down and nodded, “Go. I’ll do my best to delay the Black Ink Giant Spirit God.”
She could not stop the Black Ink Giant Spirit God by herself, but she could still find ways to stall him. Furthermore, Yang Kai was able to seal off the Territory Gates, while he was the only one who had a chance to convince the Burning Light and Serene Glimmer to descend the mountain and enter the war.
However…
It might not necessarily be a good thing if they did.
Yang Kai was less experienced and did not know just how terrifying those two were, but Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao knew better.
Those two Supreme Beings were avatars of disaster and destruction, but thankfully, they seemed content to remain in their home and never actively left the Chaotic Dead Territory. If that was not the case, the 3,000 Worlds would have long ago ceased to exist.
Since things were decided, Yang Kai dared not waste any more time. He left at once, and with a flicker of Space Principles, his image lurched into the distance.
Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao glanced at the Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was making its way across the void, took a deep breath, and transformed into a streak of light that lunged at its massive back. A series of Divine Abilities and Secret Techniques flashed out as she flew forward.
Prior to this, Yang Kai’s attention had been completely focused on the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, so he did not notice the changes in the Shattered Heaven. However, now that he was rushing to his destination, he noticed that a lot of Humans had gathered in groups and were heading towards the Shattered Heaven’s Territory Gate.
They appeared frantic, as if they were fleeing in panic.
Yang Kai immediately realised what was going on; his earlier plan must have taken effect.
Earlier on, he asked the two Envoys from Heavenly River Palace to spread the news about the appearance of Black Ink Disciples. That way, cultivators in the Shattered Heaven would remain on alert for suspicious people.
The situation had not seemed that bad back then, for even if there were a few Black Ink Disciples, the troops under the command of the three Divine Monarchs in the Shattered Heaven were more than enough to deal with them.
However, now that Lu An and Ye Ming managed to enter the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and awaken the Black Ink Giant Spirit God, the situation had turned abysmal.
When Hong Hu left with a gravely injured Kun Ao, she actively spread the news that the Black Ink Giant Spirit God had been revived, shaking all the people living in the Shattered Heaven.
If anyone else had been the bearer of such news, the reckless and lawless inhabitants of the Shattered Heaven might not have believe it, but Hong Hu was a mature Divine Spirit whose strength eclipsed even the three Great Divine Monarchs, yet even she was fleeing in a fluster. Who would dare not believe her words?
Those who feared for their lives naturally packed their things and escaped their hideouts as soon as possible, wanting to evacuate from the Shattered Heaven as quickly as possible.
However, the majority still chose to stay behind and observe the situation first.
Most of the cultivators in the Shattered Heaven were those who had no other choice but to hide in this place. They would not be accepted anywhere else in the 3,000 Worlds other than in this place.
Thus, even though Hong Hu’s news was incredibly alarming, with no place to go, many chose to remain within the Shattered Heaven.
From the start, the Shattered Heaven was the land of chaos and violence. Right now, the people’s hearts were filled with fear and the three Divine Monarchs had all gone to the Barren Territory battlefield to aid in the war effort; thus, with no powerful Masters to keep some semblance of order, the Shattered Heaven completely fell into chaos.
There were signs of killing and robbery everywhere, which was the sight that greeted Yang Kai now.
His heart grew heavier as these scenes came into his view. News of the revival of a single Black Ink Giant Spirit God was enough to wreak havoc across the expansive territory of the Shattered Heaven, so what would happen when the Black Ink Clan Army invaded the 3,000 Worlds? Would there still be peace anywhere?
Unfortunately, chances were that all the Great Territories would turn into what the Shattered Heaven was like now.
Yang Kai travelled at breakneck speed, and in just a few days, he arrived at the Territory Gate; however, he was surprised to find that many cultivators were gathered outside the Territory Gate, forming a long line as they waited to pass through.
The order they maintained surprised Yang Kai as these were not civil people who would follow directions.
Soon though, Yang Kai understood why this was so.
A Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was overseeing things at the Territory Gate, along with a group of cultivators who were standing guard together with him. Anyone who wished to pass through had to pay an enormous fee.
Yang Kai was immediately infuriated.
Even when all of the Shattered Heaven was in chaos, some people were trying to profit from the situation.
That being said, he knew that those holed up in this damned place were not the kind to uphold the pillars of morality. In the past, not many people used the Shattered Heaven Territory Gate, so a business like this would not be very profitable. Now that a lot of people wanted to leave the Shattered Heaven though, someone came up with the brilliant idea of making money out of it.
Yang Kai stormed up to the Territory Gate, his Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivation on full display, terrifying the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at the portal.
No one would have expected the arrival of an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master at a time like this.
There were only three Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters in the entire Shattered Heaven, and this Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master heard that they had all left for some unknown reason; otherwise, he would not have had the gall to throw his weight around out here.
He was originally a cultivator from a small Sect, and though he was talented, he had coveted the Sect Master’s Wife and did something reprehensible. Thus, he was forced to flee and hide in the Shattered Heaven. However, he thrived in this place and after many years ended up becoming a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.
He was an ambitious fellow and did not choose to serve any of the Divine Monarchs. Instead, he formed a great force of his own as he believed it was better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. All in all, he led a pretty carefree life.
When he found out that a lot of people were leaving the Shattered Heaven to seek refuge in other Great Territories, he led his forces to block the Territory Gate and demand a fee from those who wanted to leave.
Some tried to protest but they were killed off as examples, causing those who remained to not dare to fight back anymore.
In front of these scattered cultivators, he was a high and mighty Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but he knew he was nothing in front of an Eighth-Order Master.
Understanding that escape was impossible, he choked down his fear and came forward to meet Yang Kai, bowing politely, “Flower Butterfly Sect Nan Yun greets Senior!”
His manner was cordial and respectful as he observed the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s expression to try and figure out what he was thinking.
Only those that were quick to adapt to situations could survive in the Shattered Heaven while those who could not, died off before long.
Nan Yun was highly adept at reading other people’s thoughts and feelings.
However, after glancing at the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, his heart clenched up tight as the stormy look on this person’s face made it clear that he was enraged.
[I’m doomed!]
Nan Yun sorely wished that this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was kind and benevolent to others. He had only just managed to flaunt his power, but from the way things were looking now, he might end up dying here instead.
The act of forcibly demanding payment for use of the Territory Gate was something that easily enraged others; after all, all Open Heaven Realm Masters would have had to use these Territory Gates. How could they possibly have enough funds to sustain themselves if they had to pay a fee each time they passed through one?
Nan Yun had only taken the risk to do such a thing because he knew that no Masters were around in the Shattered Heaven. As the saying goes, the monkey acts like the king when the tiger leaves the mountain. He never thought that an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would suddenly show up.
What made Nan Yun even more uneasy was the tension he sensed in this Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master’s posture.
In that instant, he couldn’t help but think of fleeing, but he was also aware that as a Seventh-Order Master, he had no chance of doing so in front of an Eighth-Order Master as it would only take a wave of the other party’s hand to kill him.
With cold sweat dripping down his forehead, Nan Yun knelt on the ground to beg for mercy, “Senior, please forgive me. This Junior’s thoughts were clouded by greed. I dare not repeat the same mistake. Mercy, Senior!”
It was extremely rare for a majestic Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master to be so meek and subservient; after all, all Masters in the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm were considered mighty existences in the 3,000 Worlds. Even in Cave Heavens and Paradises, they still existed as Elders and were highly regarded by many.
For such a Master, it was extremely hard to lose his composure and make such a meek and subservient gesture.
However, Nan Yun was not born in those Cave Heavens and Paradises. As a result of his lifelong wandering and hardships, he developed a fear of death and a tendency to behave to his benefit and act in accordance with the situation regardless of shame.
As long as he could save his life, put aside begging for mercy, it wouldn’t even be a big deal if he had to address the other party as Grandfather.
It was not like he hadn’t been in such a position before after so many years in the Shattered Heaven, facing the majesty of the three Divine Monarchs.
Little did he know, Yang Kai’s tense complexion was not due to this small character taking advantage during the disaster. It was just that a question crossed Yang Kai’s mind at this very moment.
[What will the cultivators of the Shattered Heaven do if I block this Territory Gate?]
Although the vast majority of cultivators here were criminals, there was no small proportion of kind individuals whose luck was just bad. In addition to that, many cultivators born in the Shattered Heaven were here simply because of their forefathers’ wrongdoings rather than their own.
This was not a matter of one or two cultivators, or even one or two Great Forces, but rather the fate of all living beings in the Shattered Heaven!
The Black Ink Giant Spirit God was already on its way here, and the Black Ink Strength it naturally gave off was many times more intense than even the Royal Lords, able to stain and corrupt countless cultivators wherever it went.
Once the portal here was sealed and the Shattered Heaven cultivators had no way to escape, the entire Shattered Heaven would soon become filled with Black Ink Disciples.
However, without sealing the Territory Gate, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God could not be delayed, and the Black Ink Disciples hidden in the Shattered Heaven would also escape to other Great Territories!
By that time, it would be a situation where a tiny spark kindled a whole prairie of fire.
[Perhaps the Black Ink Disciples have already left the Shattered Heaven by now…]
Yang Kai looked down at Nan Yun who was kneeling in front of him and quickly commanded, “Get up. I have a task for you.”
Yang Kai’s previous silence made Nan Yun feel like he was under a mountain of pressure, and the fear that he might die at any moment enveloped him, so as soon as he heard Yang Kai’s remarks, he dared not hesitate. Rising up swiftly he smiled ingratiatingly and said, “Senior, if you need anything, just give me your order. You can count on me.”
Yang Kai pointed behind himself and declared, “Lead them to a secluded and safe hiding place. The Shattered Heaven’s fate is already sealed and it won’t be long before there is no pure land left here. Spread the word as widely as possible for everyone to go into hiding and not come out until the issue is resolved.”
Nan Yun was taken aback and inquired, “Because of the Black Ink Giant Spirit God?”
If it was more than a month ago, Nan Yun would have no idea what a Black Ink Giant Spirit God was at all; however, the Black Ink Giant Spirit God was no longer an unknown since Hong Hu spread word about it after she left the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land.
Nan Yun initially did not take this matter all that seriously, but after hearing Yang Kai’s words, he felt that he was too naïve previously.
The situation in the Shattered Heaven was probably far worse than he imagined; otherwise, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of him wouldn’t be so solemn about this matter.
“Can you do it?” Yang Kai asked in a solemn voice.
Nan Yun cupped his fist and replied, “Junior will do his best!”
Yang Kai nodded, “Go. The more isolated and concealed, the better.”
After he waved his hand signalling him to leave, Nan Yun retreated respectfully and quickly used a Secret Technique to command everyone to follow him. Of course, there were a few who were unwilling to obey. Nan Yun tried to persuade them patiently but failed, and as a result, he lost his composure and wounded one of them. Later, he secretly cast a glance at Yang Kai, only to see no reaction from the latter and taking it as tacit agreement. Unshackled, Nan Yun wounded numerous people who refused to obey his commands one after the other.
Now, everyone was obeying him.
Following Nan Yun’s order, all the cultivators gathered in front of the Territory Gate turned around and headed for the depths of the Shattered Heaven.
Yang Kai felt desolate.
Blocking the Shattered Heaven’s portal was equivalent to cutting off the escape route for many cultivators, but if it was not sealed, it would only make the situation worse.
When disciples first left their Sects for life experience in the wider world, their Elders would often ask them whether they would save one or 100 to test their morals.
If they chose to save one, 100 people would die.
If they chose to save 100, one would die.
How would they make the decision?
In truth, there was no right answer to this question, it all merely depended on their heart.
Yang Kai never imagined that one day he would really face such a choice.
And his choice was to save 100!
Blocking the Shattered Heaven Territory Gate now might doom everyone living here to a miserable fate, but if it was not sealed, that disaster would multiply hundreds of times over as disaster would descend on the entire 3,000 Worlds.
Furthermore, even if the cultivators here were corrupted by Black Ink Strength, they would not be at risk of losing their lives immediately, they would just lose their sense of self and become subservient to the Black Ink Clan. Such chaos could still be restored with Purifying Light, so there was no reason to hesitate.
This did not solely apply to the Shattered Heaven of course, but to the three Great Territories on the way to Wind Mist Territory as well.
The most urgent issue at the moment was keeping the Black Ink Giant Spirit God from entering Wind Mist Territory.
Yang Kai did not dally after Nan Yun took the crowd away. He flashed into Territory Gate, manipulated Space Principles to disrupt the Void, and sealed the portal.
Having previous experience sealing the Territory Gate connecting the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield, it was far easier this time for Yang Kai.
The portal had been entirely smoothed out by the time Yang Kai rushed through from the other end of the short Void Corridor.
With no delay, he immediately rushed to the portal leading to the other Great Territory while along his way, he warned everyone he could.
…
While Yang Kai was doing his best, the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan began a violent battle on the Barren Territory battlefield, surrounding the body of the slain Black Ink Giant Spirit God.
How could the Human Race sit idly by now that the location of a breach in the Barren Territory had been discovered? Under the mobilisation of all the Army Commanders, the Human and Divine Spirit forces quietly moved to occupy this portal.
As long as they could seize control of the Territory Gate, the Black Ink Clan would be unable to establish a link to the 3,000 Worlds. Likewise, the Human Race might be able to find a way to close the portal permanently.
Before this, the battle between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had gradually decreased in intensity. After all these years of fighting, both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had suffered tremendous losses with even the number of Royal Lords and Old Ancestors falling to a third of their peak.
Both parties sought to maintain their strength while waiting for the circumstances to change.
Initially, the Black Ink Clan was unconcerned with this tiny loss as their Armies were essentially endless with fresh troops being sent from the Black Ink Battlefield constantly. There were over 100 High-Rank Black Ink Nests many times more Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest breeding new soldiers, not to mention countless Low-Rank Black Ink Nests doing the same.
The Black Ink Clansmen could be created indefinitely as long as there were sufficient resources.
They could use this advantage to conduct a battle of attrition with the Human Race, slowly wearing the enemy down and eventually gaining an absolute advantage.
However, Yang Kai’s return trip from the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield completely wiped out that advantage.
He sealed the Territory Gate that connected the Barren Territory to the Black Ink Battlefield!
How despicable!
This seal was not unbreakable of course; the Black Ink Clan still had a Black Ink Giant Spirit God who was capable of tearing open the sealed Territory Gate.
However, because it lacked the necessary intelligence to be aware of its surroundings and was entangled with Ah Er in a battle, it did not have time to deal with the sealed portal. Only a Giant Spirit God could fight another Giant Spirit God. These two Giant Spirit Gods were engaged in a fierce battle on the Barren Territory battlefield and no one from the Black Ink Clan nor the Human Race dared to get within a million kilometres of that clash.
The Black Ink Clan never imagined that their side would one day face a shortage of troops. Many Royal Lords despised that Human with all their hearts, and they all secretly swore that they would rip his corpse into 10,000 pieces if they were ever given the chance.
Because of this, for the past 10 years or so, the battles between the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan had settled down considerably, to the point where it almost seemed tepid.
The strongest Masters would simply never join in the battle and the two Armies would often just launch tentative attacks, only pressing ahead when they were certain they would win.
However, the fragile peace was shattered the moment the Humans tried to seize control of the second Territory Gate.
The Armies of the two Races were never frightened of death and soon were going all out to gain control of that region.
The original Human Army was not dominant in terms of military might; after all, they had suffered way too much over the preceding years of war; however, they were on equal footing at the present moment.
This was thanks to the assistance of the Divine Spirits, who made up for much of the Human Race’s lack of high-end battle capability, particularly that of the Dragon Clan and Phoenix Clan leaders who were stronger than even the strongest Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.
These two were, after all, from the Races that ruled over the entire Early Ancient Era. When the Dragons and Phoenixes ruled the 3,000 Worlds, the Human Race was still among the weakest of all living beings, not even comparable to the Monster Race.
It wasn’t until Cang and the other Martial Ancestors were enlightened to the Open Heaven Realm that the Human Race’s status gradually rose.
On top of that, the Cave Heavens and Paradises recruited reinforcements from all the various Great Territories, bolstering the Human Army’s numbers. The only element they were lacking was sufficient numbers of Warships.
Every time a battle broke out, numerous Warships were either damaged or destroyed, and even though the Artifact Refiners strove their hardest to refine more and repair those that were broken, they were unable to keep up with the rate of destruction.
Complicating masters were the many cultivators who were new to this kind of battlefield.
These Fifth and Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters had never engaged in a real war and at best had experienced some struggles between rival Sects. None of them had participated in such a large-scale battle involving millions of cultivators!
It was not until these cultivators from the Second Class great forces entered the Barren Territory battlefield that they understood where all the heritage the Cave Heavens and Paradises accumulated over countless years had gone, and only then did they realize how great the sacrifice these top forces had made to protect the 3,000 Worlds.
They couldn’t help feeling shame upon learning the truth.