Martial Peak
chapter-4914

Not long after the pair departed, several figures arrived from different directions. It was obvious that they had been attracted by the fluctuations of the battle just now.

After investigating the messy battlefield though, all the people who came turned to glance at the Profound Yin Spirit Fruit’s tree; then, they dispersed and disappeared without a trace a short while later.

…..

There was a karst cave hidden deep inside the belly of a certain mountain. The Seventh-Order old man guided Yang Kai to this place, and once they entered the cave, he quickly set up various barriers to isolate it. Only then did he sit down cross-legged, silently circulate his Secret Technique, and adjust his breathing.

Yang Kai had so many questions that he didn’t know where to start asking; however, looking at the old man’s actions, he could only wait patiently. He had not held back when he used his Cow Punch during their battle earlier. With such a violent force slamming into the old man’s Small Universe, it was only natural that he was feeling quite unsteady.

A long while passed before the old man exhaled deeply and opened his eyes.

Yang Kai sat upright beside the old man, looking concerned, “Senior, are you seriously wounded?”

He was the one who injured the other party after all, so he felt a little apologetic. It was just that the situation at the time had left him with no other choice. The other party had tried to kill him, so he could not be expected to sit still and wait for death.

The old man did not answer and countered with another question instead, “Are you not a Black Ink Disciple?”

The young man in front of him could even dispel and purify the Black Ink Strength in his Small Universe. Such an ability was simply sensational. With this ability, it should naturally be impossible for him to become corrupted by the Black Ink Clan and degenerate into a Black Ink Disciple.

Yang Kai shook his head in response, “No!”

The old man looked astonished, “If you’re not a Black Ink Disciple, then how did you appear here?”

“The story is long and complicated. This Junior will explain later, but I have a few questions for you first, Senior.” Yang Kai looked at the old man.

The old man nodded, “Speak!”

Yang Kai asked, “Is this the Black Ink Battlefield?”

The old man furrowed his brow lightly and stared at Yang Kai puzzledly, as if asking ‘You’re standing right here, how can you not know where you are?’

After pondering quietly for a moment though, he answered the question anyway, “Yes and no.”

[What do you mean ‘yes and no’?] Yang Kai was perplexed by the answer.

Luckily, the old man explained, “This place is a Sealed World within the Black Ink Battlefield. Once you exit the Sealed World, you will arrive at the real Black Ink Battlefield.”

Yang Kai was greatly astonished, “A Sealed World? There’s a Sealed World in the Black Ink Battlefield!?”

The old man stared at Yang Kai, his confusion growing larger, “The Black Ink Battlefield is incredibly vast. There are countless Sealed Worlds here.”

His expression seemed to say ‘what’s so surprising about that?’

Yang Kai fell silent in contemplation… Nevertheless, he finally understood why the scenery he saw when he stepped out from the Void Corridor was so different from his expectations. It turned out that he had directly entered a Sealed World. Only once he left this Sealed World could he be considered to have arrived in the Black Ink Battlefield.

“Has this Sealed World always existed? Or, was it only discovered recently by accident?” Yang Kai asked again.

“Several months ago, the entrance of this Sealed World appeared. Only then did we discover this place,” the old man answered.

Several months ago coincided with the death of the Black Ink Royal Lord. Yang Kai did not know the connection between these two incidents, but he was certain that they were somehow related to each other.

In any case, this situation gave him some peace of mind. His greatest concern was that the Black Ink Clan would discover the entrance to the Void Corridor. It would now seem that the Ancient Great Experts had prepared in advance. This Sealed World might be related to the methods of the Ancient Great Expert who set up the Super Array in Black Territory; after all, concealing the entrance to the Void Corridor inside a Sealed World would certainly provide an extra layer of security.

Yang Kai thought for a moment before asking another question, “Based on what you said earlier, it doesn’t sound like you’re the only one who entered this Sealed World.”

The old man nodded, “Of course. There are many treasures in the Sealed Worlds scattered throughout the Black Ink Battlefield. These treasures are essentially worthless to the Black Ink Clan, but they are valuable to Black Ink Disciples. That is why many Black Ink Disciples will scramble to enter a Sealed World as soon as one appears.”

Yang Kai raised his brow at those words, secretly rejoicing that this Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master was on the weaker side. It would have been difficult for him to cope otherwise. After considering all this, he asked yet another question, “Senior, were you injured previously?”

How else could a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master be defeated and spun around in circles by him so easily?

The old man gave Yang Kai a deep look before he shook his head, “I’m not injured per-say. It’s just that this Old Master’s Small Universe is incomplete.”

Yang Kai fell silent for a moment before comprehending the meaning behind the old man’s words.

The reason for having an incomplete Small Universe was that he had sacrificed a portion of it! There was only one situation in which a High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master would willingly make such a sacrifice, when they were being corroded by the Black Ink Strength!

During the battle against the Black Ink Royal Lord, many High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises had been corroded by the Black Ink Strength. For some, Yang Kai had managed to dispel the Black Ink Strength in time, but for others, they had no choice but to sacrifice a part of their Small Universe to save themselves. That was the only way to prevent themselves from completely being corrupted by the Black Ink Strength.

This old man had clearly undergone a similar situation before, which was why his Small Universe was incomplete and why his strength as a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master seemed so feeble.

For the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters who cultivated for tens of thousands of years, sacrificing a part of their Small Universe required great courage and determination.

While fighting the Black Ink Royal Lord, Yang Kai had witnessed the High-Rank Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises sacrificing pieces of their Small Universes with his own eyes, an act which greatly impacted him.

If such situations had happened in Black Territory, then similar situations would certainly be commonplace in the Black Ink Battlefield.

“Please forgive me, Senior. This Junior has only just arrived here, so there are many things that I don’t understand,” Yang Kai cupped his fist.

The old man narrowed his eyes slightly at those words, “Just arrived here? Which Cave Heaven or Paradise do you belong to?”

Yang Kai shook his head, “This Junior does not come from any Cave Heaven or Paradise. I did not enter the Black Ink Battlefield through the No-Return Pass either!”

He knew what the old man had been suspicious about this point, so he took the initiative to point out these facts.

The old man’s expression changed drastically after listening to Yang Kai’s reply, “There’s another way to enter the Black Ink Battlefield aside from the No-Return Pass!?”

The No-Return Pass was the last line of defence against the Black Ink Clan. As long as they steadfastly defended the No-Return Pass, the Black Ink Clan would never step foot into the 3,000 Worlds. That was the belief held by all the Cave Heavens and Paradises. That was also the reason why they had been struggling desperately for so many years.

However, Yang Kai claimed that he had not entered this place through the No-Return Pass, so how could the old man not be shocked? If somebody could enter this place through another path, then the Black Ink Clan could use that very same path to invade the 3,000 Worlds! That was something that would break the stalemate that had existed for hundreds of thousands of years!

“There’s no need to worry, Senior. I’ve already sealed the path that connects to this place. That is why I’m here in the first place.” Yang Kai waved his hand to reassure the old man, knowing that the other party had more doubts than him right now. After collecting his thoughts, he asked, “Senior, can you please allow me to check your Small Universe?”

Yang Kai had used the Purifying Light on the old man earlier, so logically speaking, the Black Ink Strength should have been removed completely. Even so, when it came to such matters, he could not feel at ease unless he checked the other party’s Small Universe. The secrets he needed to divulge were of immense importance, so it was better to err on the side of caution.

The old man undoubtedly understood Yang Kai’s consideration; hence, he nodded and took the initiative to open the portal to his Small Universe without any hesitation, “Go ahead!”

In the 3,000 Worlds, it was a great humiliation for someone to have their Small Universe inspected; on the Black Ink Battlefield however, it was a common practice. It could be said that all the Open Heaven Realm Masters in the Black Ink Battlefield would go through this process after every battle. This was a special custom created by the unique environment here.

Yang Kai did not stand on ceremony as now was not the time to be courteous to one another. His Divine Sense plunged into the Small Universe for an investigation.

After a while, he retracted his Divine Senses, “Forgive my rudeness.”

There were no remnants of the Black Ink Strength left in the old man’s Small Universe, and just as he mentioned earlier, the old man’s Small Universe was indeed incomplete. There were clearly parts which were missing, which caused the World Force in his Small Universe to flow in an awkward manner. That was also the reason why he could not exert the full strength of a Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.

On the other hand, the old man showed no inclination to check Yang Kai’s Small Universe. He seemed to have absolute trust in Yang Kai’s Purifying Light.

“I’m sure you have many questions, Senior, but it is a long story. Please allow this Junior to slowly explain the situation to you.”

“Good. Please tell me in detail.”

Yang Kai nodded in response. First, he clarified his identity and background. Whether it was his identity as Void Land’s Lord, High Heaven Palace’s Palace Master, or a Star Boundary Great Emperor, all of these names were very unfamiliar to the old man.

After that, he explained about the Black Ink Disciples in Lang Ya Paradise. It was only then that the old man’s expression changed slightly, but he listened quietly and did not interrupt Yang Kai.

When Yang Kai mentioned the Black Ink Royal Lord in Black Territory, the old man’s expression changed drastically.

Although the Masters from the various Cave Heavens and Paradises in the 3,000 Worlds attached great importance to the Black Ink Royal Lord, none of them had fought on the Black Ink Battlefield before. On the other hand, as somebody who constantly walked along the edge of life and death on the Black Ink Battlefield, the strength of a Black Ink Royal Lord was well known to the old man and was a huge deterrent.

If the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises did not make a move, who could possibly be the opponent of a Black Ink Royal Lord?

Fortunately, that Black Ink Royal Lord had been trapped for countless years so her strength had declined tremendously. The Masters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises went all out in battle and paid a huge price, but their efforts eventually resulted in the death of the Royal Lord.

Upon hearing the outcome of the battle, the old man finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yang Kai told the story lightly, but the old man could imagine the dangers and brutality of that battle. The Cave Heavens and Paradises must have lost countless elites in that fight.

“After the Black Ink Royal Lord died, a Void Corridor appeared at the spot where she perished!” Yang Kai sighed softly, “Nobody knew where the Void Corridor would lead, but based on the Royal Lord’s behaviour before her death, we were certain that there was nothing good waiting for us at the other side. The destination would most likely be related to the Black Ink Clan, so we presumed that it would be the Black Ink Battlefield. If that were truly the case, then the 3,000 Worlds would be in danger. This Junior’s cultivation might be meager, but I am proficient in the Dao of Space, which was why I volunteered to enter the Void Corridor and seal it again. The task of sealing the Void Corridor brought me to this place. Truthfully, I had only just finished my task when I ran into you, Senior.”

At this point, Yang Kai could be considered to have finished explaining his origins.

The old man’s expression fluctuated many times while he was listening to Yang Kai’s story. It was an extremely exciting and colourful narration, but he was relieved after listening to its end.

It was a blessing among all the misfortune for a talented individual like this young man to have appeared in the 3,000 Worlds. His proficiency in the Dao of Space allowed him to seal the Void Corridor in a timely and effective manner, so the consequences had not been dire.

“No wonder this Old Master sensed Space Principle fluctuations just now, it turned out it was because of the Void Corridor.” The old man seemed to have figured out the answer to one of his own questions.

Yang Kai queried, “From the standpoint of a Black Ink Disciple, did you not suspect anything, Senior?”

The old man replied, “I had my doubts, but this Old Master was distracted by the Profound Yin Spirit Fruits at the time, so I couldn’t be bothered to investigate the issue. You did well. After the Void Corridor was sealed, this Old Master could not find any flaws. I believe that the other Black Ink Disciples will not find anything either even if they passed by that place.”