Martial Peak
chapter-4913

This was something Yang Kai had been worrying about all along. There was bound to be some movement when the entrance to the Void Corridor on this side was revealed. His initial concern was that the Black Ink Clan might discover the Void Corridor. If that were to happen, the Black Ink Clan would be able to invade Black Territory through the Void Corridor.

If that was truly the case, then the existence of the No-Return Pass would become meaningless and the countless years of dedication and sacrifice of the Cave Heavens and Paradises would also become worthless.

It was precisely because he was worried about this issue that Yang Kai took the risk to come and seal the path himself. He even went so far as to cut off his return path. Looking at the current situation, it was a good thing that he had gone ahead with his actions; otherwise, people were bound to investigate the situation once the entrance to the Void Corridor appeared.

What puzzled him right now was the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in front of him. Just where did this person come from? And, where was this place?

After pondering for a moment, he cupped his fist and said, “Junior Yang Kai greets Senior!”

The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man raised his eyes to look at Yang Kai. The look in his eyes was as tranquil as an ancient well. He seemed to be a person of few words. It might also be that he was too proud to speak to a Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm cultivator like Yang Kai.

Yang Kai’s heart pounded in response as a vague feeling of unease gripped him. In truth, he had deliberately revealed his name to verify something.

Nowadays, Yang Kai could no longer consider himself to be a nameless nobody in the 3,000 Worlds. Whether it was his identity as the Lord of Void Land, Great Emperor of the Star Boundary, or his various actions in the Black Prison, it was enough for his name to be circulated around all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. If the other party was a Master from one of the Cave Heavens or Paradises, then it would make no sense for him to have never heard of Yang Kai’s name before.

However, judging by the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man’s reaction, it was clear that he had never heard of Yang Kai until now.

The old man’s gaze turned towards the fruits next as he said lightly, “These Profound Yin Spirit Fruits are mine. Do you have any objections?”

Yang Kai couldn’t even recognise those Spirit Fruits, so how could he object to anything? Nevertheless, looking at the old man’s attitude, he had the feeling that these so-called Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were very beneficial to Open Heaven Realm Masters. Still, Yang Kai immediately cupped his fist, “Treasures belong to those who are capable of taking them. Please help yourself, Senior.”

The old man nodded lightly, satisfied with Yang Kai’s performance. Moving to stand in front of the Spirit Fruit Tree in a flash, he stretched out his hand and picked the Profound Yin Spirit Fruits before placing them into a wooden box that he had prepared in advance.

Yang Kai obviously noticed the joy that flashed across the old man’s eyes; thus, he became even more convinced that the Profound Yin Spirit Fruits were indeed very valuable to the old man.

Just as he was about to ask some questions to learn more information about his situation though, a sudden change occurred.

The Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man turned around and suddenly slammed his palm towards Yang Kai without any warning. The World Force around this palm surged violently, and murderous intent burst out as though he wanted to kill Yang Kai on the spot.

Yang Kai was startled. He never imagined that the other party would try to kill him after picking the fruits. Was this old man trying to silence the witness to the crime by killing him lest he expose this matter later?

Fortunately, despite his shock, Yang Ki was not defenceless. He had come to this place all on his own, so he had not relaxed his vigilance for even a moment.

Faced with this sudden palm strike, Yang Kai did not dare to be careless. He hastily mobilised the power of his Small Universe and launched a counterattack.

There was a huge explosion. When their World Forces collided, Yang Kai’s figure was sent flying backwards. Meanwhile, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man staggered unsteadily.

A soft cry of surprise leaked from the old man’s mouth. Although it was only one exchange, he could sense that Yang Kai was special. Logically speaking, after being struck by the sudden ambush of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master like himself, a Sixth-Order Junior should be heavily injured if not dead. On the contrary, the brat in front of him seemed to be unaffected. That was absolutely unbelievable.

Even Yang Kai was surprised at this outcome. His opponent might be stronger than him, but he couldn’t shake the vague feeling that something was wrong.

There was no time for him to think about anything else though as the Seventh-Order old man was already chasing after him like a shadow.

As the old man approached, he formed a seal with his hands. A mysterious light shot out from his palm the next moment and blasted towards Yang Kai. Before the light got too close though, it suddenly transformed into a large light barrier and blocked off all routes where Yang Kai could dodge.

Yang Kai gave a furious roar and drew on the power of his Small Universe. Summoning the Azure Dragon Spear, he swept out with his Supreme Limitless Spear Art. His spear shot out like a Dragon and transformed into spear shadows that covered the entire sky.

The light barrier shattered while Yang Kai’s figure drew back.

At the same time, the Seventh-Order old man closed in as the bewilderment on his face grew stronger and stronger. He was shocked by the strength Yang Kai displayed, but he did not pause his attacks. Summoning a longsword into his hand, the old man slashed out with a frigid sword light. Thousands of sword waves erupted outward around him.

Amidst the clashing sounds, World Force collided endlessly. The two figures became entangled in battle and smashed up the world around them, leaving devastation in their wake everywhere they went.

Halfway through the battle, Yang Kai raised his brow and finally realised what was wrong.

This old man was indeed in the Seventh-Order, but he was far weaker than any Seventh-Order Master Yang Kai had ever met before! It could be said that Yang Kai had never met such a weak Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master!

The aura from the old man’s body clearly indicated he was a Seventh-Order Master, but be that as it may, the power he exerted was only slightly stronger than what a Sixth-Order Master could muster. It was far from the standard of a Seventh-Order Master.

His intention to kill Yang Kai was as clear as day, and the fact that he had launched a sudden sneak attack was the best proof. That was why Yang Kai believed that the old man was not holding back his strength. In other words, he was going all out!

[What’s going on?] Yang Kai could not understand, but he vaguely guessed that the other party was injured and could not exert his true strength. Nevertheless, he was secretly grateful. It was a fortunate situation for him; otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to resist.

Yang Kai was only in the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm after all, and although he could be considered invincible among Sixth-Order Masters, it was still tough for him to fight a Seventh-Order Master. He would only be qualified for a frontal confrontation with a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master if he transformed into his Grand Dragon Form.

During the confrontation, the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man couldn’t help growing anxious when he saw that he could not defeat Yang Kai even after so long. Pitch-black aura slowly seeped out from his body, and even his eyes were gradually overtaken by darkness.

When Yang Kai looked up and their eyes met, he felt his heart sinking all of a sudden.

A Black Ink Disciple!

The pitch-black aura and eyes filled with darkness were the most obvious features of a Black Ink Disciple. Besides, Yang Kai had encountered more than one Black Ink Disciple in the past, so this kind of appearance was not unfamiliar to him.

When he deliberately announced his name as a test earlier, the other party’s complete lack of reaction had given Yang Kai an ominous feeling. Be that as it may, he had held onto a glimmer of hope. He hoped that the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man was not from any Cave Heaven or Paradise but from one of the Second-Class great forces like those High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Shattered Heaven, which would explain why the old man had never heard his name.

Judging from the current situation though, that was not the case. This Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man was a Black Ink Disciple.

Yang Kai could not help clenching his teeth. A Black Ink Disciple could not be identified from their external appearance alone. If this intense battle had not forced the other party to actively expose himself, Yang Kai would have had no means to determine the identity of the other party.

Black Ink Strength could not increase the power of an Open Heaven Realm Master, it would only change their nature. However, the Black Ink Strength could allow an Open Heaven Realm Master to break through their limitations and advance infinitely in their cultivation.

Everything Yang Kai saw and heard in Black Territory had taught him that there were disadvantages to that kind of unlimited advancement though. Not everybody could withstand the pressure during the breakthrough. There were some Black Ink Disciples in Black Territory that had exploded and died when breaking through their original limitations. Some also experienced changes in their appearance, their bodies becoming misshapen or covered in large cysts and welts.

There were no free advantages in the world. If one wanted to enjoy an advantage, then they would need to pay a price.

Unfortunately, average people were ignorant and the ability of the Black Ink Strength to break through the shackles of the Open Heaven Realm was extremely attractive. That was why the Cave Heavens and Paradises had always kept information regarding the Black Ink Clan a secret, lest there were people who could not resist the temptation and took risks to seek them out.

This Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man might have revealed the Black Ink Strength in his rage, but his strength had not increased in the slightest.

On the contrary, Yang Kai gradually figured out the old man’s background. If the other party had been in his prime, Yang Kai would have needed to use his Dragon Transformation to stand a fighting chance against him. Now that the old man’s strength was clearly reduced though, there was no need for such trouble.

Another fierce collision occurred, and when both parties were thrown backwards by the explosive impact, Yang Kai raised his spear with one hand and clenched his other hand into a fist. Then, he slowly threw his fist forward.

Yang Kai’s swing seemed harmless and even a bit comical, but the expression of the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm old man changed drastically under this punch. The old man’s figure suffered an enormous shock, and he spat out fresh blood as a result.

Cow Punch!

Strictly speaking, Black Ink Disciples were simply Open Heaven Realm Masters corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. The power that they wielded was still the same power from their Small Universe.

How could Yang Kai fail to grasp this opportunity after fighting the old man for so long? Tracing the opponent’s World Force back to his Small Universe, Yang Kai’s Cow Punch Secret Technique achieved success in one-hit!

In the first place, it was a Secret Technique meant for the weak to defeat the strong, so as long as Yang Kai had enough time to prepare, even an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master would suffer tremendously after being struck by this blow.

The old man’s Small Universe was instantly turned upside-down, and his World Force failed to flow smoothly. A burst of Stars appeared in his vision and at that moment, the horror in his heart could not have been any stronger.

He initially thought that his opponent was just a Sixth-Order Master that he could easily kill, but who could have known that this Sixth-Order Junior would have such extraordinary combat power? It would have been nothing if that was all, but this little bastard even used some strange Secret Technique that could bombard his Small Universe directly. Such a Secret Technique was completely unprecedented!

Just as the old man’s Small Universe was shaking and he could not access his strength, Yang Kai dashed over and stood right in front of him. An ominous feeling immediately flooded the old man’s heart as he barely managed to raise his palm and slam it out at his opponent.

It was impossible for this attack to harm Yang Kai in any way as there was no power behind it. Yang Kai effortlessly blocked the palm strike and in the next moment, his hands shone with a blue and yellow light. Pressing his palms together in front of him, a pure and unblemished Purifying Light enveloped the Seventh-Order old man.

Having confirmed the other party’s identity as a Black Ink Disciple, Yang Kai naturally had his own means of dealing with the old man.

On the other hand, the old man reacted as if he had been struck by lightning. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and his face twisted in pain. As the pitch-black aura in his body dissipated away though, the pain gradually subsided.

Yang Kai had fought a Black Ink Royal Lord in the Black Prison, and at that time, many Seventh-Order Masters had been corrupted by the Black Ink Strength. He had relied on the Purifying Light to restore order from chaos and rescue them; hence, Yang Kai was just performing a familiar action at this point.

A short while later, the Black Ink Strength stopped leaking from the old man’s body. He slowly opened his eyes and studied Yang Kai with a puzzled glance. Shock, however, was the greatest emotion he felt at this moment.

“Senior…” Yang Kai called out lightly.

Only then did the old man seem to wake from his daze. He anxiously gasped for breath and said, “Let’s go! We can’t stay here!”

The two of them had battled for quite a long time just now, so there was no saying whether the commotion had spread to the surroundings. Staying here would only attract others to come and investigate the situation.

Yang Kai had many doubts in his heart, but now was clearly not the time to ask questions. Nodding his head, he quickly followed behind the old man and hurried into the distance.