Martial Peak
chapter-4887

Liu Mu and the other Eighth-Order Ancestors were paying close attention outside the Black Territory cage.

Just after Yang Kai had entered the cage, the Grand Array before them suddenly activated; it was definitely because it was triggered by Yang Kai. This put them in a spot; they could neither determine whether Yang Kai was alive or dead, nor could they tell what was going on inside the cage.

At a certain point, a thick ink-like energy gushed out of the barrier of the Grand Array and spread out. The black tide of energy was like a belligerent army, pressing forward with unstoppable momentum.

Along with this black tide came a faintly discernible Will.

A solemn look immediately blanketed Liu Mu and the others’ faces.

Since the Black Ink Strength was leaking out, it meant that the hole in the Super Array had only gotten bigger, so big that they could even faintly feel the existence of the Black Ink Master inside.

[All of this should have something to do with Yang Kai; otherwise, there would have been no reason for such an accident. In other words, Yang Kai is probably still alive.]

Fortunately, the Super Array was still effective even if its power had weakened a little. The amount of Black Ink Strength leaking out was not much, and it was greatly restricted. The Black Ink Clansman would not be able to escape in short order; however, if this continued, it would only be a matter of time before she regained her freedom.

“We have to make preparations. If we wait any longer, it will be too late,” Liu Mu declared with a solemn look.

The other four nodded lightly in agreement.

Everyone glanced at each other but did not say anything, they just turned around and left.

Meanwhile, the Black Ink Master was madly struggling inside the cage, trying to break free from the Grand Array’s chains. The Secret Technique Chains penetrating her body kept rattling as she used her long, sharp legs to cut into them.

The leaking of the Black Ink Strength was a manifestation of her struggle for freedom.

Outside, all the Eighth-Order Ancestors gathered once again to discuss the matter of the Black Ink Clan.

Liu Mu first briefly explained what had transpired before shaking his head, “Yang Boy disappeared deep inside the cage, we don’t know if he’s still alive.”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone interrupted, “He’s not dead!”

Everyone turned around and saw that the one who spoke was the only Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master present at the meeting, Lan You Ruo, who had a loose relationship with Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven.

Liu Mu stated, “Yang Boy is indeed outstanding and also has the means to deal with the Black Ink Clansman. This Monarch also hopes that nothing happens to him, but now that he has ventured to the depths of that cage alone, it is difficult to say how he fares.”

Lan You Ruo spoke once again, “Since I said that he is alive, naturally I have my reasons!”

Having said so, she lightly clapped as a person walked into the hall.

The Eighth-Order Masters turned to look and discovered that the man who had entered was just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. They believed that he should be a member of High Heaven Palace.

Lan You Ruo added, “Mao Zhe had once entered his name in Yang Kai’s Loyalty List, and his life and death is tied to Yang Kai. If Yang Kai dies, he will not survive either. Since he is safe and sound, it means that Yang Kai’s life is not in danger and he is still with us.”

Mao Zhe stood still and bowed to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters.

Liu Mu raised his brow upon hearing this, “That’s good then.” He then asked Mao Zhe, “Since you and Yang Boy are connected through the Loyalty List, can you tell us how he is doing?”

Mao Zhe shook his head in response, “The Loyalty List can only verify the life or death of the Sect Master. This Junior has no idea what kind of state Sect Master is currently in.”

Although Liu Mu already had an inkling, he was still a little disappointed after hearing Mao Zhe confirm so.

Lan You Ruo waved off as Mao Zhe bowed once more before retreating. He had only come here to prove that Yang Kai was still alive.

An Eighth-Order Ancestor stated, “In that case, Yang Kai must somehow be behind the signs of the Black Ink Clan’s break out.”

Liu Mu nodded lightly in agreement, “I’m thinking the same. Yang Boy has the means to kill that Black Ink Master, so perhaps his actions have provoked the Black Ink Master. And with Super Array having weakened, it led to this.”

Lan You Ruo furrowed her brow and asked, “Could Senior be blaming him?”

Liu Mu waved her off and corrected, “Of course not. If the Black Ink Master really broke out, it would not be Yang Boy’s fault. Furthermore, he is putting his life on the line to eliminate the Black Ink Master. Also, as he is trapped inside the cage with the Black Ink Master, he might even delay the Black Ink Master’s escape. It is a highly meritorious deed!”

Saying so, he turned to look at the other Eighth-Order Ancestors, “What I mean to say is that we cannot delay the matter of the Black Ink Clan any longer. We old farts may have supreme cultivation, but we’re actually letting a boy face the Black Ink Clan alone. Do we amount to only this?”

Many people nodded lightly in agreement.

Someone suddenly stated, “The Black Ink Clan must be dealt with, but what can we do? The influence of the Super Array is extremely strong. Furthermore, the power of the Array in the depths of that cage is so great that even we can’t stay there for long, let alone fight with the Black Ink Master.”

“That’s right, we were bogged down with this problem before. If we can’t eliminate the issue of the Super Array, we won’t be able to deal with the Black Ink Master.”

Everyone’s Divine Senses surged as they began to discuss amongst themselves.

Liu Mu stood idly by.

Someone noticed his calm demeanour and asked, “Liu Mu, if you have any ideas, just speak up. There is no need for you to be so secretive with us.”

Liu Mu replied, “It’s not like I’m trying to hide anything, it’s just that the method I came up with might be a bit dangerous and I can’t make up my mind yet.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Liu Mu swept his gaze over everyone. After a long time, he finally replied in a solemn tone, “Let’s break the Array and seize life from the jaws of death!”

As soon as he said this, the Eighth-Order Ancestors immediately understood what Liu Mu‘s plan was.

Some of them shook their heads and started snapping at him.

Some people furrowed their brows and fell into deep thought.

Liu Mu continued, “In our current situation, the Black Ink Master will escape sooner or later even if we don’t do anything. If that happens, we’ll be forced into a passive position. By then, not only will we have to deal with the influence of the Super Array, but we’ll also have to fight with the Black Ink Master. Tell me, how much strength do you think our old arms and legs could display in that environment?”

“That’s right, but if we act according to your wishes, we will only be releasing the Black Ink Master ahead of time.”

Liu Mu agreed with a nod, “And that is what I am worried about. If we really do this, we’ll be helping the Black Ink Master, but from a different perspective, if we don’t do so, we will ultimately be in an even worse situation. Our Cave Heavens and Paradises are filled with outstanding Masters, so what can a single Black Ink Master do? What’s more, the Black Ink Master has been imprisoned for countless aeons. No matter how strong it is, it should not be anywhere near its peak. Furthermore, Yang Boy is still inside the cage, fighting it right now. He is just a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, and does not belong to any of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, yet he takes the safety and stability of the 3,000 Worlds as his responsibility. I don’t understand what we’re hesitating about.”

Everyone remained silent, not because they were rendered speechless by Liu Mu, but rather because they were considering the feasibility of his plan.

“Countless of our fellow cultivators have given their lives fighting the Black Ink Clan over the years. Of course, the No-Return Pass is the natural moat between peace and chaos. Once one crosses that divide, there is no turning back. The peace of our 3,000 Worlds was obtained through the blood and sacrifice of many generations. We cannot allow the sacrifices of our ancestors to be besmirched at our hands.”

Liu Mu had qualms over the feasibility of this plan, but as he pitched the plan to the others, his expression became firmer and firmer. This was the only way to take care of the Black Ink Master. More importantly, it was not the style of the Cave Heavens and Paradises to be overly cautious.

“Everyone, make your decision. Do you want to wait for the Black Ink Master to break out and fight to the death with him then, or do you want to take the initiative to find an opportunity to kill him and end all future troubles? The peace of the 3,000 Worlds rests upon our decision.”

The hall sunk into silence for a long time before someone finally broke it, “Since things have reached this point, we have no choice but to go along with your plan.

“Then let’s do this.”

“Let’s set the time limit to be 100 years.”

“Good!”

After a discussion that lasted a few days, the Cave Heavens and Paradises finally reached a consensus.

Liu Mu let out a sigh of relief, but he also couldn’t help but be a bit worried. [100 years… Even if Yang Boy is still alive now, can he survive 100 years in there? Can this cage imprison the Black Ink Master for another 100 years? Nonetheless, we can’t shorten the time any more than this either!]

Lan You Ruo suddenly stood up and slammed her palm on the table, asserting in a heavy voice, “My High Heaven Palace has no objections to everyone’s plans and we will fully cooperate with you, but all the materials of Black Territory must belong to High Heaven Palace!”

Over 100 pairs of eyes instantly turned and focused on her, each of them belonged to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.

An ordinary cultivator would fall into panic under such gazes, but Lan You Ruo simply craned her long, white neck and argued, “Each of you comes from a superpower, yet you still have the nerve to compete with High Heaven Palace for the materials here? Think about how Yang Kai is still holding back the Black Ink Master in that cage right now! If you really carry out this plan, he will have made the greatest contribution to it. So, the materials mined from Black Territory will be his reward!”

Everyone immediately looked away.

Liu Mu looked around and chuckled, “Little Girl, what are you thinking? Since Black Territory belongs to High Heaven Palace, the materials mined here will naturally be handed over to you. The Cave Heavens and Paradises will not eye them, you may rest assured.”

“That’s for the best!” Lan You Ruo sat down again, but she was under no illusions about the reality she faced. If she hadn’t spoken up and stopped these Ancestors right now, the materials of Black Territory would have been divided up by them. Black Territory was quite rich in materials, rich enough to be tempting even for the Cave Heavens and Paradises.

If she let the Cave Heavens and Paradises hog all the materials here, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself when Yang Kai returned.

Since the meeting had finally reached a decision, the news was relayed to everyone.

The Cave Heavens and Paradises wanted to destroy the Ore Stars and the Spirit Arrays spread across Black Territory in order to break the Super Array.

Only by doing so would the power of the Super Array not affect the combat power of the Open Heaven Realm Masters.

This was also what Liu Mu meant by ‘seizing life from the jaws of death’.

However, there was indeed a drawback to this method; and it was that it would only help the Black Ink Clansman escape even more quickly. Every time the Super Array weakened, the Black Ink Master’s chances of escaping would increase.

But if they didn’t do so, the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises would not be able to display their full strength no matter how many of them were gathered. This would put them at a disadvantage when they really fought with the Black Ink Clansman. Only by doing this could the Cave Heavens and Paradises finally have the chance to confront the Black Ink Master.

When Liu Mu made this suggestion, the Eighth-Order Ancestors immediately understood his intentions. Lan You Ruo was a bit slower to understand, but she quickly caught on to the plan.