Martial Peak
chapter-4916

Meng Qi gestured around him and asked, “How much do you actually understand about the Black Ink Battlefield and the Black Ink Clan?”

“Not much. Just before I came here, I only heard a little from the Ancestors.”

Meng Qi nodded, well-aware that this information had always been kept secret in the 3,000 Worlds. Even amongst the Cave Heavens and Paradises, only a few Elders and elite disciples knew anything. Unfortunately, even these people’s knowledge was not comprehensive, so it was impossible for Yang Kai to understand much.

Flipping his hand, Meng Qi suddenly took out an object. This object was round and the size of a fist.

Yang Kai glanced at the object and asked curiously, “A Universe Chart?”

Yang Kai possessed a similar object. It was something he bought from in Thousand Birds Star City. The 3,000 Worlds was too vast and there were countless Great Territories connected to each other. If not for the guidance of a Universe Chart, it would be impossible for one to navigate between destinations. That was why almost all Open Heaven Realm Masters would have a Universe Chart in their possession.

This object was something every single Cave Heaven or Paradise could refine and was a valuable source of income. Thanks to that, the Cave Heavens and Paradises gained a sizable income every year just by relying on sales of Universe Charts.

Be that as it may, Yang Kai did not understand why Meng Qi had taken out a copy of the Universe Chart at a time like this.

“This is the Universe Chart of the Black Ink Battlefield. Although the information contained within is from 3,000 years ago, it should be not that much different from the current situation.” While speaking, Meng Qi handed the Universe Chart to Yang Kai.

He had entered the Black Ink Battlefield with his Seniors from their Master Sect 4,000 years ago, but he accidentally became corrupted by the Black Ink Strength during a battle against the Black Ink Clan 3,000 years ago. Consequently, the information in his Universe Chart had not been updated since then.

Yang Kai readily accepted the Universe Chart from Meng Qi. In his present situation, this information was very valuable to him.

His Divine Sense immediately poured into the Universe Chart. In that instant, Yang Kai felt as though he had entered a vast universe on display before him. His vision expanded, and he saw the nearest great pass inside the Universe Chart that resembled a Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Array at a glance. He also saw the existence of various other great passes inside the Universe Chart. What’s more, the name of each great pass seemed to be related to one of Cave Heavens or Paradises. For example, he saw a Great Battle Pass, Yin-Yang Pass, Lang Ya Pass, Golden Antelope Pass, and so on…

These great passes seemed to resonate and reinforce each other. Connected from one end to another, they formed a gigantic Grand Array that stretched across the vast void. Yang Kai could almost imagine just how huge and majestic the actual great passes were in the Black Ink Battlefield.

Behind these great passes was where the No-Return Pass was located. The No-Return Pass marked the border dividing the 3,000 Worlds and Black Ink Battlefield. It was also the last line of defence. If the No-Return Pass ever fell, that would mean that the Black Ink Clan could invade the 3,000 Worlds with impunity. The 3,000 Worlds would be in peril once that happened.

“Senior, where are we now?” Yang Kai studied the Universe Chart for a moment but did not find their current position. Logically speaking, his current position should be extremely easy to locate on the Universe Chart. Even so, he could not pinpoint where they were. He had a vague suspicion that the reason was related to them being inside the Sealed World. A Sealed World was an independent world isolated from the outside world after all, so it was bound to hinder the display of the Universe Chart.

Meng Qi reached out and tapped on the Universe Chart. A certain spot on the Universe Chart immediately glowed with light, “Here.”

Yang Kai studied the distance between the spot of light and the great passes of the Cave Heavens and Paradises before gritting his teeth. The distance was not insignificant. It could almost be said that he was deep within the belly of the Black Ink Battlefield at this moment. There was no saying how much danger he would face if he wanted to head towards the great passes.

Meng Qi explained, “This area is located within the domain of Hong Lian Territory Lord. He has many Black Ink Clansman and Black Ink Disciples under his command. When you leave this Sealed World, that will be the first danger you will have to face.”

Before coming here, Liu Mu and the others had explained to Yang Kai about the strict hierarchy in the Black Ink Clan. The highest position within the hierarchy would be the Black Ink Royal Lords. Every single Black Ink Royal Lord had strength comparable to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master.

Under the Royal Lords were the Black Ink Clansman known as Territory Lords, each of them comparable to an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master in terms of strength. Hong Lian Territory Lord was undoubtedly one of them.

After the Territory Lords came the Feudal Lords, the Black Ink equivalent to Seventh-Order Masters.

Below the Feudal Lords were the ordinary Black Ink Clansman. These Clansmen were divided into High-Rank Black Ink Clansmen and Low-Rank Clansmen. A High-Rank Black Ink Clan member was more or less equivalent to a Mid-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master while a Low-Rank Black Ink Clan member would be on par with a Low-Rank Open Heaven Realm Master. These Black Ink Clansmen did not pose much of a threat to Yang Kai, but they could still become an issue if their numbers were too large.

On the Black Ink Battlefield, a Black Ink Royal Lord would have numerous Territory Lords under him, and each Territory Lord would then have many Feudal Lords beneath them. In this manner, a chain of command was established where the lower-ranking members were subservient to their higher-ranking members.

Meanwhile, the Black Ink Disciples would always be inferior to the Black Ink Clan, regardless of their cultivation. Even if it was only a Black Ink Clan member on par with a First-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, in the Black Ink Battlefield, their status would still be higher than a Black Ink Disciple in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.

Having said that, being weak was the greatest sin in the eyes of the Black Ink Clan so ordinary Black Ink Clansmen generally received worse treatment than Black Ink Disciples with high cultivation. That was because they would be used as cannon-fodder to exhaust the strength of the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises. Furthermore, the Black Ink Strength that was left behind when they died would become a deterrent to the enemy and a boon to allies.

Countless ordinary Black Ink Clansmen were killed in almost every battle, regardless of whether they were Low-Rank or High-Rank. Be that as it may, these ordinary Black Ink Clansmen were akin to consumable items and remained virtually inexhaustible even after so many millennia of fighting.

“From what this Old Master saw, you seem capable of disguising yourself as a Black Ink Disciple with the methods you displayed just now.”

Yang Kai nodded, “If anybody wants to check my identity, this Junior can outwardly fool them, but I cannot let them check my Small Universe.”

Meng Qi nodded, “Although that is a practical method, you should not rely too much on it. You are not the only one on the Black Ink Battlefield with one of the Four Universe Pillars. In the past, there once was an Ancestor who disguised himself as a Black Ink Disciple to sneak behind enemy lines and cause chaos; therefore, the Black Ink Clan is somewhat guarded against such behaviour.”

Yang Kai was a little surprised, but he quickly understood.

Precious treasures like the Four Universe Pillars could be said to be the nemesis of the Black Ink Strength, so how could the Cave Heavens and Paradises not use them to their advantage?

Over the eons, the Four Universe Pillars would occasionally appear even if such occurrences rarely happened. The Cave Heavens and Paradises would scramble to get their hands on any Four Universe Pillar and figure out a way to deliver it to the Black Ink Battlefield as soon as possible to increase their combat power.

Yang Kai even suspected that the Profound Fish Universe Pillar that appeared in Shattered Heaven 3,000 years ago was now with one of the Masters from the Cave Heavens and Paradises in this Black Ink Battlefield.

“The Black Ink Clan and the Black Ink Disciples have a Master-Servant relationship between them. In the eyes of the Black Ink Clan, Black Ink Disciples are nothing but livestock to rear and kill as they please. They also have a habit of devouring their Black Ink Disciple’s World Force to strengthen themselves. Doing so is also a method of cultivation for them. That is why the existence of the Black Ink Clan poses such a big threat to the 3,000 Worlds.”

There were countless Universe Worlds in the 3,000 Worlds, and each one had abundant World Force. World Force was food for the Black Ink Clan to increase their strength. Once the Black Ink Clan invaded the 3,000 Worlds, then all those Universe Worlds would be doomed.

What’s more, there were countless generations of Open Heaven cultivators in the various forces in the 3,000 Worlds. The amount of World Force from all these people would be far beyond what the Universe Worlds alone could provide.

If it was said that the average Universe World or Spirit Province was food for the Black Ink Clan, then the Headquarters of the Cave Heavens and Paradises would be mouth-watering delicacies.

Yang Kai himself had learned of the Black Ink Clan’s love for devouring World Force from his experience with the Black Ink Royal Lord in Black Territory. If he had not stopped the Royal Lord in time, there was no saying how many Black Ink Disciples would have rushed to their deaths and been devoured by the Royal Lord to recover her strength.

“A Black Ink Disciple corrupted by the Black Ink Strength of a Black Ink Clansman will become the servant of that Black Ink Clansman. What’s more, Black Ink Clan members have the ability to sense their servants.”

“Senior, do you mean to say…”

Meng Qi explained, “In other words, if I was a Black Ink Clansman and you were corrupted by my Black Ink Strength, you would become my servant and I would be your Master. As long as you were nearby, I would be able to sense your existence. It makes commanding troops more convenient.”

Yang Kai nodded slightly.

“But, I don’t know if the Black Ink Clansmen can sense the status of other people’s servants.” Meng Qi frowned slightly, “In any case, you should be careful if you meet any of the Black Ink Clan members.”

Whether or not one was a Black Ink Disciple could not be determined just from outer appearances alone. That was also true for the Black Ink Clansmen. Since they could not distinguish friend or foe from outer appearances, then both parties would naturally come up with other methods.

For the Cave Heavens and Paradises, checking the Small Universe was the most effective and secure method.

“Among the Black Ink Clan, it is not uncommon for them to snatch each other’s servants. Open Heaven Realm Masters have a Small Universe in their bodies, and their World Force is extremely attractive to the Black Ink Clansmen. Therefore, it is common for them to fight for Black Ink Disciples. Besides, there will always be people corrupted by the Black Ink after every battle. If these people are lucky enough to survive, then they will automatically head towards the place where the Black Ink Clan members gather to search for the Masters who corrupted them. If you successfully leave the Sealed World, you should pretend to be a servant without a Master.”

Yang Kai raised his brow slightly at those words, “Senior, are you saying I should claim that my Master is either dead or missing?”

Meng Qi nodded, “That’s the only way for you to protect yourself. There are dangers lurking everywhere outside the Sealed World. If your identity is exposed, then you will not be able to escape death.”

Other Open Heaven Realm Masters would become corrupted by the Black Ink Strength and retain their lives as a result; however, Yang Kai could not be turned. If he was discovered by the Black Ink Clan, and his identity exposed, they would surely eliminate him without mercy.

“Understood!” Yang Kai nodded.

“You can have the Universe Chart. It will be useful for you. You can have this too.” While speaking, Meng Qi took off the Space Ring on his finger and handed it over to Yang Kai.

Yang Kai silently took the Space Ring. Meng Qi had rambled on and on, giving him so much advice, so how could he not understand what Meng Qi meant?

Yang Kai pursed his lips and said, “Senior, it doesn’t have to end this way.”

Meng Qi smiled, “Who would be willing to die if there was a chance to live? But, if I don’t die, it will only be a matter of time before I am corrupted by the Black Ink Clan again. The secret will be exposed if that happens! This Old Master has spent the past 3,000 years in a blur, so I am very glad that I have the clarity to make my own choice before I die. There is nothing to regret.”

Yang Kai sighed in his heart. Although he knew that the other party was speaking the truth, he couldn’t help feeling bad. This place was located deep within the hinterlands of the Black Ink Battlefield, and Meng Qi had no means to completely defend against the corruption of the Black Ink Strength. Under these circumstances, dying here was the only method to keep the existence of the Void Corridor a secret.

“It’s all my fault, Senior.” Yang Kai looked sad.

If he had not told Meng Qi about the Void Corridor, then Meng Qi would not have needed to make such a drastic choice. Meng Qi could have escaped this place with him instead. Even if Meng Qi only killed a single Black Ink Clansman in the future, it would have been a worthy trade.