Martial Peak
chapter-4899

Although the Cave Heavens and Paradises were full of talents, there were not many people who were proficient in the Dao of Space. Even if they were, they were not as proficient as Yang Kai.

Otherwise, they would not have asked Yang Kai to study the secrets of the Universe Temples to repair the Universe Arrays.

Yang Kai could claim he was the only one capable of repairing the Universe Array of a Universe Temple that had fallen into disrepair. At the very least, no one else could do it at this point in time.

“Do you know what the consequences are if you do this?” Someone asked.

Yang Kai laughed with humility, “Of course this Junior knows.”

He was the one who came up with the plan, so how could he not know the consequences he would face if he really carried it out? On the one hand, he might be safe, but on the other hand, after he sealed the Void Corridor, he might be drawn into the Black Ink Battlefield all on his own. That place was full of death and danger, where he could be killed at any moment.

“Unfortunately, I’m afraid no one but this Junior is capable of doing this,” Yang Kai sighed softly and said, “Even if the other end of the Void Corridor really is connected to the Black Ink Battlefield, this Junior still has some ability to protect himself.”

This self-preservation power naturally did not refer to cultivation. In the Black Ink Battlefield, Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters being killed was a common occurrence. He was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm, far from being able to compare with those in the Eighth-Order; however, he did have advantages that others did not.

The World Spring fortified one’s Small Universe, allowing it to be impervious to external influences. If there was an attempted invasion, the World Spring in Yang Kai’s Small Universe would help protect him from foreign elements. Thus, he did not have to worry about being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. During critical moments, he could even disguise himself as a Black Ink Disciple to mask his identity.

This was the ability that the other Open Heaven Realm Masters did not have.

The crowd fell silent.

Yang Kai continued, “I’m not going to lie, this Junior also hesitated for some time before making up my mind. Ultimately though, I decided I had to try. If the Void Corridor is not handled properly, no one in the 3,000 Worlds will be able to avoid the consequences. Once the Black Ink Clan invades, the war will definitely spread everywhere.”

Lan You Ruo had sensed that Yang Kai was worried about something, but when she asked him about it, he did not explain in detail; after all, this was not a trivial matter, and it was difficult for anyone to make such a decision.

Liu Mu sighed softly and said, “It is a blessing for the 3,000 Worlds that you are so understanding.”

Yang Kai shook his head and said, “All of you Seniors have defended the stability of the 3,000 Worlds with your very lives. This Junior may not be the smartest, nor the strongest, so he won’t try to take advantage of Seniors’ generosity.”

The fight between the Eighth-Order Ancestors of the Cave Heavens and Paradises and the Black Ink Royal Lord had greatly affected him. No one knew if they would be hit by the Royal Lord Secret Technique and transformed into Black Ink Disciples; however, in the battle, not one of them retreated nor hesitated. All fought with the conviction to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

To be able to cultivate to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, many of these Ancestors were many thousands of years old; however, they maintained steadfast principles and acted in a manner that would make one question if they did not cherish their lives.

As for those in the Seventh Order, almost 1,000 had joined the battle. Which one of these Masters was not a favoured son of the Heavens? Who did not have family and friends, a wife, husband, or children? In the battle against the Royal Lord, their losses had reached almost 30%.

What’s more, the ordinary people of the 3,000 Worlds would never hear of this great battle.

There were also the elites from the Cave Heavens and Paradises who had been fighting the Black Ink Clan on the Black Ink Battlefield for countless millennia, all of them contributing their blood and lives in silence. Except for the Cave Heavens and Paradises, none knew that the 3,000 Worlds was facing total annihilation at all times.

The seemingly stable Universe was guarded by these few who remained in the shadows.

Since ancient times, the world had been dominated by the Cave Heavens and Paradises; however, no one ever learned of their dedication and sacrifice. Even Yang Kai had many misunderstandings in his early years about the Cave Heavens and Paradises.

If he did not have the ability to seal the Void Corridor, it would be natural for him to gather everything he had and quickly return to the Star Boundary, to protect his own life; however, he did have this ability.

If he did not do it and the Black Ink Clan ended up invading through this Void Corridor, then he would certainly regret it for the rest of his life.

Thus, after many days of hesitation, he finally made up his mind.

“Did you ask Lan You Ruo to go back to the Star Boundary in order to bring your people over for this reason?” Liu Mu asked gloomily.

Yang Kai smiled and said, “Since I’m leaving, I don’t know if I’ll be able to return, so… there are some things that I needed to arrange.”

He could return safely if the other side was not the Black Ink Battlefield; however, if it was, he might never be able to return even if he survived.

Since ancient times, no one had returned after crossing the No-Return Pass. Yang Kai would not be traversing the No-Return Pass and did not even know what the No-Return Pass looked like; however, his destination was likely the same as those forefathers of the Cave Heavens and Paradises, which was the Black Ink Battlefield.

The crowd fell silent.

To make such a decision required not only great courage, but also an unwavering sense of righteousness. Yang Kai’s ability to make this decision had earned him the Eighth-Order Masters’ respect.

Liu Mu bowed, “All of the Cave Heavens and Paradises owe you a favour, and the 3,000 Worlds are indebted to you!”

The Eighth-Order Masters bowed respectfully in unison.

Yang Kai quickly bowed in return.

Suddenly, someone said, “I heard that you had some trouble with the little ones from my Sect. I will teach them a lesson on your behalf.”

Yang Kai looked at him in surprise at that comment. Although he recognized the Ancestor who was speaking to him, they only exchanged greetings in the past, so Yang Kai did not know his name, let alone where he came from.

Liu Mu explained to him, “This is Brother Fei Yun of Thousand Cranes Paradise!”

Yang Kai suddenly understood, bowed, and said, “Junior was young and ignorant at the time and repeatedly offended your Noble Sect in the past, please pardon me!”

Thousand Cranes Paradise’s Zuo Quan Hui and his lineage were basically wiped out by Yang Kai. Although Thousand Cranes Paradise did not openly confront him about the matter, Yang Kai knew that their grudge was not so easily resolved. The only reason why Thousand Cranes Paradise was holding back was because of the Star Boundary’s World Tree.

Yang Kai had always been concerned that Thousand Cranes Paradise would seek to settle accounts with him one day, but now all the problems were solved with what Fei Yun had said.

Compared to the stability of the entire 3,000 Worlds, personal grudges were but trivial matters. That was why Fei Yun was willing to compromise and exchange weapons of war for gifts of jade and silk.

Fei Yun smiled, nodded, and said no more. Considering his status, it was already gracious enough to say so much to Yang Kai. There was no need for him to elaborate further.

Liu Mu spoke, “Rest assured that after you leave, we old fogies will look after your Void Land and High Heaven Palace, they will not suffer any grievances. This Old Master will stake all the Cave Heavens and Paradises’ reputation on this!”

Although he was only one Ancestor from Golden Antelope Paradise, no one present objected to his commitment.

Yang Kai said in response, “Then I shall have to trouble Seniors with this matter.”

Those were the private concerns that he wanted to express. Void Land and High Heaven Palace were now sizable in their own right; however, they still could not be compared to the Cave Heavens and Paradises. It was easy to sort things out with him present as he was more familiar with the major Cave Heavens’ and Paradises’ Seventh-Orders and Eighth-Orders, but once he left, no one could guarantee what would happen.

However, with Liu Mu’s assurance, Yang Kai no longer had to worry.

He previously proposed two options to seal the Void Corridor, but the former was too risky; thus, he took the initiative to choose the latter. He also wanted to send a message to the Ancestors, that he could personally make sacrifices for the 3,000 Worlds and that they could depend on him to see this through.

Liu Mu understood this.

“Is there anything else you need? Go ahead and ask if you can think of anything. The old farts here might be a little less flexible, but we still have some tricks up our sleeves,” said Liu Mu.

Yang Kai shook his head, there was nothing else he needed from them. Since he had made this choice, then he should begin to make his own arrangements.

This was potentially a one-way trip!

“The ancient sealing power can still persist for some time, so this Void Corridor won’t be exposed any time soon. I would like to request Seniors take turns monitoring it and notify me if there are any significant changes. I will return as soon as I can. For now, I would like to use what time I have to deal with some personal matters.”

Liu Mu immediately nodded, “Go ahead.”

Yang Kai cupped his fist respectfully. He then left a Space Beacon in place for emergencies before flying off.

At High Heaven Palace’s station, Yue He and the others had all returned.

During the war against the Black Ink Royal Lord, the entire Black Territory had been cleared out. All those below the Seventh Order had evacuated ahead of time.

The people waited anxiously outside Black Territory, and fortunately, the good news that the Cave Heavens and Paradises had won and the Royal Lord was dead had come.

Those who had left, returned again. Yue He and the others naturally also came back.

Yue He wanted to check on Yang Kai immediately, but was stopped by the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises, so she had to wait patiently.

When Yang Kai appeared in High Heaven Palace, many Sixth-Order Masters had gathered around to greet him.

Yang Kai nodded and said, “Let’s go in first.”

The crowd entered the temporary palace and sat down in groups.

Yang Kai saw that everyone was jovial and in a celebratory mood, so he asked curiously, “Is there something I’m missing?”

Yue He pursed his lips and said, “Young Master, we’re rich.”

“We’re rich?” Yang Kai was confused and asked, “What do you mean?”

Of course, they were rich. High Heaven Palace and Void Land had a lot of profitable industries right now, including two Star Cities and the New Great Territory. They could not be described as poor by any stretch of the imagination.

Void Land and High Heaven Palace’s disciples had ample resources to cultivate with, to the point that even the Cave Heavens and Paradises might not be able to spend as freely as them.

With this in mind, Yang Kai could not imagine the huge number of resources that would have to come by in order to celebrate being ‘rich’.

Yue He asked, “Didn’t you see anything different when you came back?”

Yang Kai was trapped in a cage for 100 years, during which time he knew nothing about the outside world. After the Super Array was broken, he was thrown into the battle against the Black Ink Royal Lord, after which he was busy monitoring the status of the Void Corridor.

How could he have known what was different in the outside world?